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Israeli prime minister could visit White House as soon as next week, making him the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his inaugurationNow turning to news regarding Syria. Reuters is reporting that Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, will meet the country’s new rulers this week in Damascus, citing two sources. If the trip goes ahead it would mark the first visit by...

Estate agent reports that revenues and profits for 2024 beat market forecastsBusiness live – latest updatesHouse sales in London are at the highest level since the Brexit vote dented buyer confidence, as the property market in the capital bounces back from almost a decade of setbacks, according to Foxtons.The London-focused estate agency said it was handling the highest number of homes under offer since...

Donald Trump says China’s DeepSeek is a “wake-up call” for American AI firmsWe tried out DeepSeek. It worked well, until we asked it about Tiananmen Square and TaiwanDonald Trump has suggested that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app.When asked if Microsoft was in talks to buy the app, the US...

Home Office to maintain focus on Islamist and far-right threats despite report’s call for behaviour-based approachYvette Cooper will reject internal Home Office advice to potentially widen the definition of extremism to include violent misogyny and conspiracy theorists, the Guardian understands.A report commissioned in the wake of violent riots after the Southport murders last year suggests authorities should adopt a “behaviour-based and ideologically agnostic approach”...

Inspectors general dismissed by president sound alarm and say moves pave way for appointment of ‘political lackeys’Independent watchdogs summarily dismissed by Donald Trump have denounced the move as illegal and a threat to democracy that paves the way for the appointment of “political lackeys” and widespread institutional corruption.The sacking of the 18 inspectors general from federal agencies last Friday, including the departments of defence,...

Prof Tony Haymet says nuclear industry will need to ‘rebuild their social licence’ while noting solar and wind are ‘incredibly cheap’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s new chief scientist has said he is open to the prospect of nuclear power playing a role in the country’s energy mix, but remained focused...

Mette Frederiksen to discuss US president’s interest in Greenland with leaders in Berlin, Paris and BrusselsSpeaking alongside Frederiksen, German chancellor Olaf Scholz went further by making a very pointed remark on territorial integrity, which sounded like a swipe at Trump.Speaking in German, seemingly about Ukraine, he said:We will support Ukraine in the distribution of its sovereignty and its freedom, as long as it takes....

Severe weather warnings remain in place as Somerset declares major incident after homes and businesses floodedParts of the UK are facing another day of weather-related disruption as more rain and wind sweep across the country, while hundreds of people are having to clean up after homes and businesses were flooded.Two Met Office severe weather warnings remained in place and there were concerns about further...

Emergence of cheaper Chinese rival has wiped $1tn off the value of leading US tech companiesWhat is DeepSeek and why did US tech stocks fall?Business live – latest updatesDonald Trump has said that the launch of a chatbot by China’s DeepSeek is a “wake-up call” for US tech firms in the global race to dominate artificial intelligence.The emergence of DeepSeek, which has built its...

The woman, 34, is accused of torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donationsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA social media influencer allegedly gave her baby multiple drugs that led to a cardiac arrest and manufactured symptoms that caused...

Pause comes as Crisafulli government launches independent review after reports gender-affirming hormones were given without proper consultationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren with gender dysphoria will be denied puberty blockers as a state government reviews hormone therapies for minors.The Queensland government launched the investigation after reports gender-affirming hormones had been given...

The AI app soared up the Apple charts and rocked US stocks, but the Chinese chatbot was reluctant to discuss sensitive questions about China and its governmentThe launch of a new chatbot by Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek triggered a plunge in US tech stocks as it appeared to perform as well as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other AI models, but using fewer resources.By Monday,...

Follow today’s news liveAustralia’s new chief scientist open to nuclear power but warns country will ‘miss the bus’ if it waitsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAFP warns parents over rise in AI-generated child abuse materialThere has been an increase in the use of AI-generated child abuse material in the past year, including students creating material like deepfakes to harass...

In today’s newsletter: the US had a huge head start on artificial intelligence – but now a low-cost rival from Hangzhou has turned the industry on its headGood morning. Since the emergence of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s groundbreaking artificial intelligence tool, American companies have appeared to have a huge head start in the development of the most significant technology of its generation.But now a small Chinese...

Heat baked NSW capital before temperatures plunge during cool change Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydneysiders have sweltered as temperatures soared above 42C in parts of the city before an afternoon change caused the mercury to plummet more than 15C.Edward Townsend-Medlock, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said a sea...

Cyprus Confidential files suggest offshore scheme was used to evade tens of millions in VAT on long list of expensesWhen it came to his fleet of superyachts, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was nothing if not generous.As 2011 drew to a close, his biggest boat yet – the 162-metre (533ft) Eclipse – lay moored in the glittering waters of St Barts, the picturesque Caribbean...

US president says he would like to see a bidding war over app, owned by China’s ByteDance, that has been focus of national security concernsDonald Trump has suggested that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app.When asked if Microsoft was in talks to buy the app, the US president said “I...

Trump calls emergence of DeepSeek a ‘wake-up call’ amid doubts about sustainability of western artificial intelligence boomWhat is DeepSeek and why did US tech stocks fall?DeepSeek hit with ‘large-scale’ cyber-attackThe race for domination in artificial intelligence was blown wide open on Monday after the launch of a Chinese chatbot wiped $1tn from the leading US tech index, with one investor calling it a “Sputnik...

Boxer shot and killed in car park on High Street in Preston on Tuesday morning in what police believe was a targeted attackFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHigh-profile gangland figure Suleiman “the Punisher” Abdulrahim has been shot and killed.He was shot in the underground car park of the Quest serviced apartments...

Changes mean visitors and influencers working for foreign employers can stay longer in bid to boost tourismNew Zealand has relaxed its visitor visa rules to attract so-called “digital nomads” in a bid to boost tourism and the economy.Visitor visas will now allow people to work remotely for a foreign employer while they are visiting New Zealand for up to 90 days. The visa can...

President also signs order to eliminate ‘gender radicalism in the military’ and seeks to develop missile defense system Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Monday that remove diversity, equity and inclusion from the US military, reinstate thousands of troops who were kicked out for refusing Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic, and one that appeared to be aimed at transgender troops.Earlier on...

This blog has now closed. Read our latest story hereThe Senate is expected on Monday to vote on the confirmation of the billionaire hedge fund manager, Scott Bessent, as treasury secretary.On Saturday, the Senate voted 67-23 to advance Bessent’s nomination. A final vote is scheduled to take place this evening at 5.30pm ET. Continue reading...

Memo said some actions in agency ‘appeared to be designed to circumvent’ Trump’s orders and ‘America First’ policyThe Trump administration has put on leave about 60 senior career officials at the US Agency for International Development (USAid) workers, sources familiar with the matter said, after Washington put a sweeping freeze on US aid worldwide.The administration on Saturday urged the USAid staff to join the...

The film includes footage shot by Clarke Gayford, the husband of the former New Zealand prime ministerA documentary traversing former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s leadership and personal life through home videos, archival footage and fresh interviews has premiered at Sundance.The film, Prime Minister, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz covers Ardern’s five-year tenure, after her abrupt ascension to leader of the...