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Aug 30, 2026 - World

One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen secures 57% of the vote after preferences as Barnaby Joyce says ‘politics has changed’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has declared “politics has changed” after One Nation claimed victory in the Secret Harbour state byelection in Western Australia.The One Nation MP celebrated the win on Sunday and said the results showed his party could convert high polling into on-the-ground votes. Continue reading...

Aug 29, 2026 - World

CIA Director John Ratcliffe raised eyebrows this week after secretly jetting off to Moscow, Russia, and while the Kremlin denied that any meetings between Russian officials and Ratcliffe took place, two insiders on Saturday revealed at least one apparent reason for the mysterious trip.Two sources briefed on the matter told Axios Saturday that while in Moscow, Ratcliffe proposed a “trilateral meeting” between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in just the latest effort to end the Russo-Ukraine war. Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has struggled to bring about an end to the conflict despite his repeated efforts.“Ratcliffe's visit was partly aimed at determining whether Russia's heads of intelligence services could help convince Putin to move toward resuming U.S.-mediated negotiations with Ukraine, the sources said,” Axios’ Barak Ravid wrote in the outlet’s report.“On Friday, U.S. officials briefed Zelensky on Ratcliffe's talks in Moscow and the proposal for a trilateral summit.”Ratcliffe’s trip was so secretive that even top White House aides were “in the dark” about the expedition. The trip reportedly sent European officials “scrambling for information,” according to the Wall Street Journal.According to reports, Ratcliffe took a secretive route to Moscow aboard an unmarked U.S. C-17 military cargo plane flying out of Latvia. Trump, when asked about the trip by reporters, downplayed the mission as being “semi-routine.”“This was the first time Ratcliffe got personally involved in the diplomatic push to broker a breakthrough between Russia and Ukraine,” Axios’ report reads.“Ratcliffe met with his Russian counterparts: SVR foreign intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin and FSB director Alexander Bortnikov. Trump told Axios that Ratcliffe's visit was ‘standard business’ and not intended to warn Russia against attacking NATO territory.”

Aug 29, 2026 - World

Plaskett fire has swept through more than 5,900 acres in Monterey county and remains un-contained, says Cal FireA fire in California’s Big Sur region doubled in size overnight, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, in a coastal region where firefighters have battled another blaze for weeks.The Plaskett fire, which sparked on Tuesday, had swept through more than 5,900 acres (2,400 hectares) in Monterey county as of Friday, and remained un-contained, according to Cal Fire. Its cause is under investigation. Continue reading...

Aug 29, 2026 - World

Visibly moved, he also noted that his father and mother, Queen Sonja, would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Aug 29, 2026 - World

Rescue teams have retrieved 675 bodies, and more than 2,426 people are still missing in Nepal.