Shia LaBeouf cleared to travel to Rome for father’s baptism days after court denial
A different New Orleans judge approved the trip while the actor remains out on bond in Mardi Gras battery case
Shia LaBeouf ultimately did get permission to travel to his father’s baptism in Rome, days after the New Orleans courthouse handling the actor’s recent battery arrest initially denied his request to make the trip.
LaBeouf, 39, first sought authorization to travel to the Italian capital while out on bond at a court hearing on 26 February, during which state judge Simone Levine ordered him to enroll in substance abuse treatment. A court filing associated with the request said the trip would last from 1 to 8 March and was planned “for religious purposes, including his father’s baptism”.
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Iranian exile factions vie for US leaders’ blessing to lead Iran
Maga world figures throw weight behind Maryam Rajavi, MEK’s leader, and Reza Pahlavi, the son of last Shah of Iran
As a US battle group steamed to the Gulf in November 2002, competing Iraqi exiles, some championed by American insiders, jockeyed for position in the hopes of taking charge once George W Bush toppled Saddam Hussein. Bloomberg dubbed them “Iraq’s unruly opposition”.
The most notorious Iraqi exile, failed former banker Ahmad Chalabi, boasted to his neoconservative allies that his return to Baghdad would be welcomed by cheering throngs. Among his competition was a former doctor named Ayad Allawi, who was backed by Britain’s MI6 and the Central Intelligence Agency in his bid for support to rule Iraq.
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Federal oversight protects student borrowers. Some of it has stopped, watchdog says
Without this Education Department oversight, borrowers could “be placed in the wrong loan repayment status, billed for incorrect amounts” and more, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says.
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Americans are split on wanting the National Guard to monitor voting, a new poll finds
Nearly half of Americans support the National Guard monitoring November’s elections, potentially signaling an openness to the sort of nationalizing of elections that President Trump says he wants.
(Image credit: Leonardo Munoz)
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The Trump DOJ is giving guns back to felons, including one alleged fake elector
The Department of Justice is quietly restarting a decades-dormant program to restore gun rights to felons. One of them was an alleged fake elector in 2020.
(Image credit: Ted S. Warren)
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7 Low-Cost ETFs for a Diversified Portfolio
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Investigation may be looking at whether Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea sale cash is ‘proceeds of crime’
Documents filed at Companies House over 2022 deal could complicate row with UK over how money will be used
Jersey authorities may be investigating whether cash raised by Roman Abramovich’s 2022 sale of Chelsea FC amounts to the proceeds of crime, according to documents filed at Companies House on Wednesday, potentially complicating a row with the UK government over how the money will be used.
Accounts for Fordstam Ltd, the company through which the billionaire Russian oligarch owned Chelsea, show that the proceeds of the sale – currently frozen and gathering interest in a Barclays bank account – has risen to £2.4bn.
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SA Liberals stand by candidate who said homosexuality opens up ‘demonic realms’
Carston Woodhouse, running for Wright in Adelaide’s north, also claimed gender transitioning is an ‘illusion’
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The South Australian Liberal party is standing by an election candidate who said same-sex marriage is not real, homosexuality can open up “demonic realms” and gender transitioning is an “illusion”.
Carston Woodhouse is running for the seat of Wright in Adelaide’s north in the state’s upcoming elections, with early voting beginning on Saturday.
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Toyota recalls 550,000 vehicles in U.S. over seat-back defect, NHTSA says
The recall includes certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles.
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IEA preparing record release of oil reserves
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Mandelson documents to be released after PMQs – UK politics live
Hundreds of papers relating to his appointment as ambassador to the US to be put into public domain today
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of UK politics with the news that the government is to release hundreds of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US later today.
The documents will not be released until after Prime Minister’s Questions, meaning MPs will not be able to directly press Keir Starmer on their contents.
A pro-Palestinian march in London on Sunday has been banned by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, after police warned of a risk of “serious public disorder”. The annual Al Quds Day march has drawn criticism over apparent backing for the Iranian regime after its organisers expressed support for the country’s late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
MPs voted 304 to 203 in favour of the courts and tribunals bill, which passed its second reading in the Commons. It includes measures to scrap some jury trials, remove the automatic right of appeal from magistrates courts and introduces a new criminal court.
Hereditary peerages will be abolished before the next king’s speech after a deal was struck granting life peerages to some Conservatives and cross-benchers losing their seats. On Tuesday evening the upper chamber accepted a final draft of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill, marking the end of its passage through parliament and clearing the way for it to be added to the statute book.
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Two protesters charged on first day of Queensland’s ‘from the river to the sea’ ban
Alleged offences occurred after pro-Palestinian activists gathered outside state parliament within hours of new laws taking effect
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Two pro-Palestinian protesters have been charged with violating contentious new Queensland hate-speech laws, with one of them allegedly saying the banned phrase “from the river to the sea”.
The arrests occurred at a small protest march which started outside the state parliament building on Wednesday, just hours after the new laws, passed by parliament last week, went into effect.
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Treasury yields are higher as investors await key inflation report
U.S. Treasury yields moved higher on Wednesday as investors awaited February’s inflation report and monitored developments on the US-Iran war front.
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Three cargo ships struck off Iran’s coast, UK says, including one in Strait of Hormuz
The incidents mark the latest in a string of reported attacks in or near to the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has virtually ground to a halt.
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‘Intended to divide’: middleman behind string of antisemitic attacks in Sydney sentenced to five years’ jail
The attacks, which included the firebombing of a childcare centre and torching of cars, were motivated by financial reward, magistrate finds
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A Porsche-driving middleman has been sentenced to five years’ jail for managing a series of anti-Semitic attacks designed to divide Australian Jewish and Arab communities.
Nicholas James Alexander admitted to orchestrating the firebombings and attacks across Sydney in January 2025.
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Maximize Dividends: How to Find Ex-Dividend Dates for Stocks
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José Antonio Kast, the Pinochet fan about to swerve Chile to the far right
The new president won office by promising to clean up crime, but his background is red rag to a bull for many
Just south of Santiago, the tiny rural town of Paine is a quiet grid of painted abode facades, shaded squares and shuttered shop fronts as the summer holidays draw to a close.
But the white-knuckle fear of crime that propelled its most famous son, José Antonio Kast, to a resounding victory in December’s presidential election is as present in sleepy Paine as it is the length of Chile.
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CNBC Daily Open: Oil jitters persist as U.S. targets Iranian ships near Strait of Hormuz
Oil was slightly higher as traders expect a group of countries to tap emergency crude reserves to mitigate disruption caused by the war in the Middle East.
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NSW police visited home where foster children lived with convicted killer weeks before government removed her
State government apologises after convicted murderer Regina Arthurell removed this week despite being warned of situation in December
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New South Wales police visited the home where a convicted triple killer was living with two foster children in February – nearly a month before the woman was removed from the address.
The revelation comes after the state government was forced to apologise for not acting until this week, despite a report warning them of the situation in December.
Additional reporting by AAP
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Travelers are turning to AI to plan trips — but hallucinations and trust gaps remain
More travelers are turning to AI to plan their trips, but concerns over accuracy and trust continue to shadow the technology’s rapid adoption.
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Stock futures inch higher ahead of consumer inflation report: Live updates
The S&P 500 and the Dow Industrials ended Tuesday’s session lower after a bout of volatile trading.
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Middle East crisis live: New supreme leader ‘safe’ despite war injuries, says president’s son; Iran retaliates as Israel pounds Lebanon
The comments come amid speculation over the health and whereabouts of Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his father
Over in Senate question time, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and the consulate in Dubai all physically closed in the last week.
Wong said the government’s number one priority is to “keep Australians safe at home and abroad”.
She continued:
“The dangerous and destabilising attacks by Iran put civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives.”
More than 3,200 Australians over 23 commercial flights have returned to Australia since the US and Israel attacked Iran, setting off a regional conflict and grounding thousands of international flights.
Wong criticised Nationals senators for “winding up people and stoking fear” to panic buy fuel.
The senator said:
“Petrol companies are telling us that fuel stock continues to arrive as expected and on time but there has been a large change in the pattern of demand and that is having an effect on the supply, particularly in regional communities. We have seen jerry cans coming off the shelves at Bunnings and lines at the pump.”
One of the two members of the Iranian women’s football teams provided with a humanitarian visa to stay in Australia has changed her mind and contacted the Iranian embassy, according to the country’s home affairs minister.
In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which she has made that decision.
Unfortunately, in making that decision, she had been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and get collected … As a result of that, it meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.
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Gross Profit Margin vs. Net Profit Margin: Understanding Key Financial Metrics
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Asia-Pacific markets mostly higher as investors weigh developments in the Middle East
Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday as investors assessed the ongoing Middle East war.
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Expert witness in Lucy Letby trial did not reveal hospital investigation into his medical work
Cheshire police and CPS say they were not told about inquiry into Prof Peter Hindmarsh before he gave evidence at nurse’s trial
The police force behind the prosecution of the former nurse Lucy Letby has said it was not informed by a key expert witness before he gave evidence at her trial that he was under investigation over serious concerns in his medical work.
The Crown Prosecution Service also told the Guardian it was not aware that Prof Peter Hindmarsh was subject to the formal investigation by the hospital that employed him, before his first appearance as a witness on 25 November 2022.
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Wednesday briefing: From missing billions to nonexistent datacentres, inside Britain’s AI drive
In today’s newsletter: Enormous investments in artificial intelligence promised to transform Labour’s growth problems. The reality is much murkier
Good morning. For the last few years artificial intelligence has been heralded as the technology that will transform economies. Governments have promised billions in investment, datacentres and supercomputers, and a wave of new jobs as AI is “mainlined” into the economy. But what happens when the numbers behind those promises are examined more closely?
That question sits at the centre of a series of recent investigations by the Guardian. The findings were remarkable – not least that the location for a much-trumpeted new supercomputer intended be up and running by year’s end to help fire up the British economy remains a scaffolding yard.
Middle East crisis | Tehran residents say the Iranian capital has endured what they described as its worst night of aerial bombardment, as the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, followed Donald Trump’s suggestion on Monday the war could soon be over with a warning of more strikes to come.
Environment | Climate breakdown is shrinking the amount of time that people can safely go about their lives, according to a study that shows a third of the world’s population now resides in areas where heat severely limits activity.
Labour | Plans to curtail the number of jury trials in England and Wales have been described as “unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced” by thousands of lawyers who have written to the prime minister.
UK economy | UK inflation could end the year higher than previously expected at 3% because of the US-Israel war in Iran, the government’s economics watchdog has warned.
Travel | Tube drivers in London are to strike across 12 days in the spring in a row over a four-day working week, the RMT has announced.
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ACCC calls emergency meeting with fuel suppliers – as it happened
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Member of Iranian football squad changes mind on asylum claim in Australia, minister confirms
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‘There are developments this morning’: Chalmers on Iranian football team
We’re getting a slightly bigger forward sizzle from the treasurer on how many people from the Iranian women’s football team have sought asylum in Australia.
There are developments this morning that I’m reluctant to go into because Tony Burke, the minister, will be up later this morning to give people a proper sense of that … It is a tribute to their bravery and to the work of the officials and the ministers that we’ve been able to issue those five visas already. As I understand it, there are more discussions this morning and Tony Burke will have more to say about that later in the day.
We’re seeing a lot of volatility play out on these global markets … We won’t be immune from that. We’re not complacent about it, but we’re also really well placed in Australia to deal with what’s coming at us from around the world.
Clearly, we had an inflation challenge in our economy already and this risks making it worse. That’s clear. And we’ve been upfront about that.
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Bam! Heat’s Adebayo scores 83 points, 2nd only to Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history
Bam Adebayo had a night for all time on Tuesday, with a point total second to only Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA record books.
(Image credit: Rebecca Blackwell)
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Why Iran’s vital Kharg Island oil hub is still untouched by US-Israel bombers
While some argue for destroying the terminal though which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow, others caution of a global market ‘tailspin’
Kharg Island – through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow – is arguably the country’s most sensitive economic target but the export terminal has so far remained untouched throughout the US-Israel bombing campaign.
Experts say bombing or capturing the site with US forces would be likely to cause a sustained increase to already surging oil prices, as it would amount to taking the entirety of Iran’s daily crude exports offline.
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Prison sentences for pair who attacked gay men hailed as sign of hope for Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community
The perpetrators were jailed for 15 years for robbery with violence in the east African country, where homophobic attacks are increasing
The sentencing of two people who attacked and robbed two gay men in Kenya has been hailed by LGBTQ+ rights advocates as a breakthrough and a sign of hope for the country’s queer community. “Abel Meli & Another” were sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery with violence on 3 March at Milimani law courts in Nairobi.
The ruling is a rare example of justice being served for the queer community in Kenya. Njeri Gateru, the executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, an independent human rights institution working towards equality for sexual and gender minorities in Kenya, said: “A lot is going against [the queer community] with the existence of the criminal laws and prevailing homophobic attitudes, but some of us still trust that we can find justice, so this case encourages us.”
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Reaching net zero by 2050 ‘cheaper for UK than one fossil fuel crisis’
Climate change committee finds move to renewable energy would also bring health, economic and security benefits
Achieving the UK’s net zero target by 2050 will cost less than a single oil shock and bring health and economic benefits while insulating the country against future costs, the government’s climate advisers have forecast.
Eliminating the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels by adopting renewable energy and green technologies, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, would be the best and most cost-effective option for the future economy, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) found.
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‘We can’t go back’: mother of six-year-old cancer survivor fears UK visa changes
Woman, from Togo, faces uncertain wait for indefinite leave to remain because of changes coming into force next month
The mother of a six-year-old cancer survivor has spoken of her “overwhelming” fear her daughter will be denied crucial treatment because of the government’s immigration crackdown.
The girl, from London, underwent two rounds of life-saving chemotherapy after being diagnosed at two with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children.
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Ultrasound repellers could keep hedgehogs off roads, scientists hope
Study shows animals hear very high frequencies, making it possible to design a deterrent to cut deaths
Hedgehogs have been discovered to hear high-frequency ultrasound, raising hopes that they could be deterred from dangerous roads with ultrasound repellers.
Vehicles are estimated to kill up to one in three hedgehogs, a big factor in the much-loved mammal’s drastic decline across Europe over recent decades.
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Time Out names Melbourne the best city in the world – but is it more ‘vibes’ than hard data?
About 24,000 people surveyed about food, nightlife, affordability, culture and happiness
An annual global ranking has named Melbourne the best city in the world for the first time. But it may be more to do with “vibes” than thorough analysis.
Time Out’s 50 Best Cities list for 2026, released on Wednesday, crowned an Australian city as No 1 for the first time in its 10-year history, showering Melbourne with acclaim for its food, culture and arts scenes.
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Iran’s regional proxies hold back from all-out war with US and Israel
Observers wait to see if Yemen-based Houthis will reopen hostilities as US warships approach Red Sea chokepoint
Iranian-backed militias around the Middle East are continuing attacks against Israel, the US and their allies in retaliation for the US-Israeli offensive against Tehran, but have so far held back from all-out confrontation, analysts and regional officials say.
The relative restraint suggests that Tehran sees such forces as a strategic reserve to be deployed if the 12-day war continues to intensify – though it may also be a sign that Iranian command and control systems are breaking down.
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Powering AI: Europe switches on its first microgrid-connected data center
AVK and Pure Data Centers’ microgrid facility in Ireland could mark the region’s first step toward a privately powered ecosystem.
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Sale of rat poisons could be restricted to protect Australian wildlife
Regulator recommends rodenticides be removed from Bunnings and supermarkets shelves and sold only to licensed professionals
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Widely available rat poisons could be removed from shelves at Australian supermarkets and other retailers after a federal regulator recommended they be declared a restricted product.
It is a win for conservationists and scientists who for years have called for rodenticides to be banned or highly restricted due to their impact on wildlife. Native animals including tawny frogmouths, powerful owls and quolls have been found dead after eating poisoned rats and mice.
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Prosecutor says Rihanna, family were home when woman charged with attempted murder fired
Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children and her mother were all at home when a woman now charged with attempted murder is alleged to have fired at the property, a prosecutor said.
(Image credit: Damian Dovarganes)
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Trump’s pick for state department role withdraws after backlash over past ‘anti-Israel’ and race remarks
Failure to appoint Jeremy Carl is a rare setback for Trump, with Republican-controlled Senate mostly approving his appointments
Donald Trump’s nominee for a top diplomatic post has been withdrawn from consideration after a growing backlash over his past remarks on race and Jewish people left him without crucial Republican support.
Jeremy Carl, who had been tapped to serve as the assistant secretary of state for international organisations – a role overseeing US policy towards bodies such as the UN – announced on Tuesday that he was stepping aside after failing to secure unanimous backing from Republicans on the Senate foreign relations committee.
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Naplan authority CEO apologises for technical glitch that delayed test on first day
One expert warns it may be perceived as ‘unfair’ that some students undertook test on Wednesday while others didn’t
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The authority that runs Naplan has apologised “unreservedly” for a disruption to a “significant number” of schools on its first day, as some students had the standardised test postponed while others did not.
The chief executive of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) Stephen Gniel said the technical issue, identified at 9.20am, stopped some students from logging on to the online platform for their writing assessments.
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Middle East war costs regional tourism industry $600mn a day
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JPMorgan marking down loan portfolios of private credit groups
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The economic consequences of war with Iran
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Gulf disruption chokes sulphur flows supporting swaths of global industry
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Kremlin backs covert campaign to keep Orbán in power
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Iranians rethink the price of regime change
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Lasers, radars and drones: Middle East war spurs hunt for cheaper air defence
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Cologne Cathedral’s plans to charge for tickets spark outcry
Limiting access to German church to well-off visitors would be ‘socially unjust’, critics say
Plans at Cologne Cathedral to start charging visitor fees have sparked an outcry, with critics warning against limiting access to the majestic gothic building to the well-off.
Officials said this month that the cathedral, the tallest twin-spired church in the world and a tourist magnet in Germany’s fourth largest city, could only be maintained with a new revenue stream.
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Member of Iranian football squad changes mind on asylum claim in Australia, minister confirms
Tony Burke says player opted to return home just hours after she and six others were given humanitarian visas
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One of the Iranian football squad members who had sought asylum has changed her mind, home affairs minister Tony Burke has confirmed.
A total of seven members of the Iranian women’s football team had been granted humanitarian visas in Australia, Burke confirmed on Wednesday morning, with another player and member of the team staff being given protection before the squad departed on Tuesday night.
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US attacks Iran’s mine-laying boats in strait of Hormuz as tensions rise over oil
Intelligence sources claim Iran has begun mine laying as US energy secretary backtracks on claim US escorted a ship through strategic chokepoint
The US military said it attacked and destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait of Hormuz amid reports that Iran has begun laying explosive devices in the strategically vital waterway.
Citing intelligence sources, CNN on Tuesday reported that Iran has laid a few dozen mines in the strait in recent days and has the capability to sow hundreds more.
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Katie Perry v Katy Perry: Sydney fashion designer wins 16-year trademark dispute with US pop star
Australia’s high court finds singer’s label and merchandise distributor had been ‘assiduous infringers’ of trademark
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The Sydney fashion designer behind the Katie Perry label has won her epic trademark dispute with US pop star Katy Perry, after a legal battle lasting almost 17 years.
In a majority decision on Wednesday, Australia’s high court found the designer’s label did not breach trademark laws and was not likely to cause confusion, regardless of the singer’s reputation when it was registered.
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Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even as war chokes the waterway
Iran has continued to ship crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz to China even as the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran has disrupted broader energy supplies via the waterway.
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CNBC’s The China Connection newsletter: Beijing can’t afford another crackdown on its tech companies
China’s latest policy meetings underscored the importance of domestic tech innovation to national growth.
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Anduril expands into space as defense tech angles to support Trump’s Golden Dome
Anduril, founded by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, is positioning itself to be a key player in President Trump’s “Golden Dome” project.
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U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Trump warned of “military consequences … at a level never seen before” if mines were not removed.
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Iran war lifts K-defence company offering cheap Patriot rival
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Trump says U.S. will build first refinery in 50 years with investment from India’s Reliance Industries
U.S. President said India’s largest private energy company Reliance Industries is investing in a $300-billion refinery project in Texas.
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Australians hit by soaring petrol prices now face expected blow of interest rate rise
Economists predict RBA board will hike cash rate to 4.1% next week as inflation climbs and energy costs surge
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Millions of Australians could be hit with the twin blow of soaring petrol prices and higher mortgage repayments amid rising expectations that the US-Israel war on Iran will force the Reserve Bank to hike rates on Tuesday.
Economists at three investment banks have shifted to now predict that the RBA board will increase the cash rate to 4.1% at the conclusion of its upcoming two-day meeting, after the central bank’s deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, said data had “confirmed even more decisively … that our economy currently has limited spare capacity”.
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Oil-poor Asian countries push 4-day weeks and car pooling
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Intraday Momentum Index Explained: Key Uses and Insights
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Democrat blasts Trump’s ‘incoherent’ Iran strategy after Pentagon says 140 US service members wounded in operation – as it happened
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Hegseth says the aftermath of the conflict is “going to be in America’s interests” and says it “will not live under a nuclear blackmail” from Iran.
It comes shortly after the defence secretary reiterated president Donald Trump’s threat that if Iran does anything to prevent the flow of oil in the strait of Hormuz, it will be hit “twenty times harder”.
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Bundaberg floods: hundreds of homes and businesses inundated after river bursts banks
Bundaberg regional council says the full extent of the flood impacts will not be known ‘for probably a week’
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Hundreds of homes and businesses have been inundated by major flooding in the coastal Queensland city of Bundaberg after the Burnett River burst its banks in the wake of a tropical low.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said on Wednesday morning that 197 people had spent the night at an evacuation centre in Bundaberg and about 2,000 homes were without power.
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Muslim community in shock after police opt not to arrest man accused of crashing Ballarat Iftar dinner
Tony Burke expected to discuss incident with Australian federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett on Wednesday
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A Muslim community is reeling after police opted not to immediately arrest a man accused of crashing an Iftar dinner and hurling racist abuse.
The 37-year-old man, described as partially undressed, forced his way into an Iftar dinner gathering at a community hall in the Ballarat suburb of Alfredton in Victoria on Sunday.
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‘My lovely distraction’: Live stream of kākāpō – world’s fattest parrot – and her chicks captivates New Zealand
More than 100,000 people have tuned in to watch ‘kākāpō cam’, which captures a rare flightless bird sleeping, tidying her nest and fighting off intruders
On an island in New Zealand’s remote southern fjords, one of the world’s strangest and rarest parrots – the kākāpō – is caring for her tiny chick as fans from across the globe watch on.
Through the black and white lens of a hidden camera, a fluffy orb with a kazoo-like squeak jostles for food from its mother’s beak. The mother, Rakiura, is attentive – scooping her chick under her large green wings, fending off an intruding bird, and periodically tidying her nest.
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Trump says India’s Reliance will back first new US oil refinery in 50 years
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AI chipmaker Cerebras namedropped by Oracle, alongside Nvidia and AMD
A Cerebras deal from one of the world’s top cloud providers could be a big boon for a company that’s trying to hit the public market.
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Trump administration’s mixed messaging sparks wild swings in oil markets
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US says it destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near Strait of Hormuz
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Two robodebt officials engaged in serious corrupt conduct, Nacc finds, but Scott Morrison cleared
Anti-corruption watchdog makes adverse findings against two former public servants but clears four other individuals
Two former public servants referred to the anti-corruption watchdog by the royal commission into robodebt have been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct while former prime minister, Scott Morrison, has been cleared.
The long-awaited report into potential corruption related to the unlawful income averaging scheme, released on Wednesday, covered the six referrals made by royal commissioner Catherine Holmes in 2023, which were restricted from the public view in a sealed chapter.
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Matt Canavan elected new Nationals leader and calls for ‘more Australian babies, more Australian everything’
The Queensland senator replaces David Littleproud, who announced his shock resignation from the National party on Tuesday
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Matt Canavan has declared “we need more Australian everything” during his first press conference after being elected the new leader of the Nationals in a party room vote on Wednesday.
The Queensland right-winger defeated Kevin Hogan and Bridget McKenzie in a three-cornered contest to replace David Littleproud, who blindsided colleagues on Tuesday by announcing he was stepping down as leader.
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Air Taxis Set for Summer Trials in 26 States Under Trump Admin’s Pilot Program
The eight projects span work across 26 states and include a range of public entities and private companies developing operational concepts in urban and regional air taxi and transportation services, cargo and logistics, emergency medical response, autonomous flight, and energy transportation. Data compiled from the various projects will help the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) better understand the challenges associated with safely and efficiently integrating these new types of aircraft into the National Airspace System….
Amazon Wins Court Order to Block Perplexity AI Shopping Bots
According to court documents, Amazon’s dispute with Perplexity, a San Francisco-based private AI firm, involved the alleged unauthorized use of Perplexity’s Comet web browsers’ AI function to access password-protected sections of Amazon.
The March 6 ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found that Amazon provided “strong evidence” that Perplexity had accessed Amazon with the user’s permission but without authorization by Amazon through the user’s password-protected account….
Woman charged with attempted murder in shooting at home of Rihanna
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz of Florida, 35, allegedly fired 10 shots with a semiautomatic firearm into Beverly Hills home
A 35-year-old Florida woman has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly fired shots into the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna on Sunday.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz was charged on Tuesday with one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, all felonies, court records show. Officials have said no one was injured during the shooting.
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Microsoft backs Anthropic in legal fight with the Pentagon
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Hereditary peers to lose their seats in the House of Lords
Upper chamber accepts final draft of bill, which offers life peerages to some of those who would otherwise be removed
Hereditary peerages will be abolished before the next king’s speech after a deal was struck granting life peerages to some Conservatives and cross-benchers losing their seats.
On Tuesday evening the upper chamber accepted a final draft of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill, marking the end of its passage through parliament and clearing the way for it to be added to the statute book.
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Jim Cramer lays out a ‘simple way’ for investors to navigate the Iran war volatility
“It’s very hard to make money in this kind of environment,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Tuesday after another volatile day on Wall Street.
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Amazon convenes ‘deep dive’ internal meeting to address outages
Amazon’s top retail technology convened a “deep dive” meeting on Tuesday to discuss a string of recent site outages.
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Oracle shares rally as it reassures investors over its AI data centres bet
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No 10 to release hundreds of files on Mandelson’s US ambassador appointment on Wednesday
First tranche expected to include Cabinet Office report warning of ‘reputational risk’ over ex-minister’s links to Epstein
Hundreds of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US are expected to be released by Downing Street on Wednesday.
The first tranche of files will include a two-page due diligence report by the Cabinet Office, which is likely to raise questions about Keir Starmer’s judgment, the Guardian understands.
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Oracle Shares Pop After Tech Giant Beats Estimates, Raises Revenue Outlook
Following the March 10 closing bell, Oracle reported that revenues surged 22 percent year-over-year to a higher-than-expected $17.19 billion in the fiscal third quarter, which ended on Feb. 28.
Earnings per share—how much profit the company earns for each share—reached $1.79, also topping market estimates.
Before the latest earnings release, market watchers had anticipated Oracle to report $16.2 billion in sales and $1.70 in earnings per share.
Investors cheered as Oracle raised its 2027 revenue outlook to $90 billion.
Total cloud revenue ballooned 44 percent to $8.9 billion, coming in higher than the consensus of $8.85 billion….
Wegovy users have five times greater risk of sudden sight loss than Ozempic users, study finds
‘Eye strokes’ that reduce blood flow to optic nerve likely to be side-effect of active ingredient semaglutide, says author
Patients taking Wegovy have nearly five times the risk of sudden sight loss of those on Ozempic, a large-scale study has found.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medicines such as semaglutide (sold as Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus) and tirzepetide (sold as Mounjaro) help reduce blood sugar levels, slow digestion and reduce appetite, and have been linked to reduced risks of heart attack, fewer drug overdoses and other health benefits.
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Disney names Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum chair of parks group
Mazloum will oversee the company’s portfolio of theme parks, cruise ships, resort hotels and consumer products, the company announced on Tuesday.
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Oracle Boosts Outlook Amid Huge AI Demand. The Stock Is Surging.
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Donald Trump’s options to cool oil prices are sorely limited
He says he has a plan. It would need to be very cunning
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At least six killed in Swiss bus fire in possible deliberate act
Police investigating blaze in Kerzers in Fribourg canton, about 12 miles west of Berne
A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others, in what police said may have been a deliberate act.
The fire broke out on a bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, about 20 km (12 miles) west of the Swiss capital Berne, at about 6.25pm (5.25pm GMT).
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Oracle stock jumps 9% on earnings beat and increased guidance as cloud revenue climbs 44%
Oracle boosted its revenue backlog total by $30 billion during the February quarter.
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Mike Johnson refuses to condemn anti-Muslim comments by Republican lawmakers
Andy Ogles said Muslims do not belong in the US and Randy Fine made a comparison of Muslims to dogs
Mike Johnson, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, on Tuesday declined to condemn Republican lawmakers who recently made Islamophobic comments, saying only that he had spoken to them about their “tone”.
Democrats and groups advocating religious tolerance have decried the statements from congressmen Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Randy Fine of Florida, with the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, calling on Johnson to discipline the latter.
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Microsoft backs Anthropic in Pentagon blacklist battle, urges temporary restraining order
Microsoft threw its support behind Anthropic and advocated for a temporary restraining order to the Pentagon’s supply chain risk designation.
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Tillis maintains blockade on Fed pick Kevin Warsh over Powell probe
Sen. Thom Tillis met with Federal Reserve chairman nominee Kevin Warsh, who President Donald Trump wants to replace Chair Jerome Powell.
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Ford launches new AI to grow multibillion-dollar Pro commercial business
Ford CEO Jim Farley last month said diversifying Pro’s revenue — specifically in software — is a crucial growth area for the company.
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Volkswagen to Cut 50,000 Jobs by 2030 as Profit Pressures Mount
The decision was made as corporate profits declined to their lowest level in a decade.
Revenue stalled at approximately 322 billion euros ($374 billion), while operating profits plummeted to less than 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion).
Planned job cuts would affect brands Audi and Porsche, as well as its software subsidiary, Cariad.
The 10-brand automotive giant had previously reached a deal with trade unions at the end of 2024 to reduce headcount by 35,000 by 2030. The move was part of the cost-cutting initiative.
“We are on course to meet our goal of achieving net annual cost savings of more than €6 billion [$6.96 billion] across the Group by 2030,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said in the company’s annual report….
Musk’s xAI wins permit for datacenter’s makeshift power plant despite backlash
Billionaire’s artificial intelligence company gets approval to run 41 methane gas turbines at its ‘Colossus 2’ in Mississippi
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI won approval on Tuesday to run 41 methane gas turbines at its “Colossus 2” datacenter in northern Mississippi. That’s nearly double the amount it has been operating.
The turbines will help power xAI’s massive datacenters, which house the company’s “AI supercomputers”, or giant arrays of advanced chips, which in turn power the controversial AI tool Grok, the company’s most recognizable product.
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