Full details of Bondi attack won’t be heard by royal commission, inquiry head says at first public hearing 24. February 2026 (05:48) Virginia Bell says scope of inquiry will be reduced to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedingsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe royal commission into antisemitism in Australia will not examine key parts of how the Bondi beach terror attack unfolded because of ongoing criminal proceedings.The first public hearing of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion was held in Sydney on Tuesday, 10 weeks after 15 people were killed and 40 injured at the 14 December Hanukah event. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian women held in Syrian camps say they would accept children returning home separately 24. February 2026 (05:25) Exclusive: Some of the 11 mothers detained in Kurdish-controlled al-Roj camp say they want Australian government to repatriate children at any costFamilies in convoy from Syrian camp warned they would be attacked unless they turned aroundFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian women detained in north-east Syria over ties to Islamic State fighters said they would accept separation from their children if it meant the children could return to Australia.Some of the 11 women held in Kurdish-controlled al-Roj camp said on Monday that they wanted the Australian government to repatriate their children at any cost, even if it meant placing children in the hands of relatives at home while they stayed behind in the camp. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BTS comeback show sells out immediately as 260,000 fans set to descend on Seoul 24. February 2026 (05:10) Booking system freezes and screens crash amid rush of fans trying to secure tickets to 21 March free concertTickets for BTS’s comeback concert in central Seoul were snapped up almost immediately on Monday night, with authorities expecting an estimated 260,000 fans to descend for the K-pop group’s first full performance in nearly four years.At one point, more than 100,000 people flooded the booking website when sales opened at 8pm for the free concert at Gwanghwamun square on 21 March, causing screens to crash and booking systems to freeze. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tax expert worried Australia on path to neo-feudal society as housing wealth drives inequality 24. February 2026 (04:33) Real inequality is between those who have assets and those without in same generation, not young versus old, says ANU academicFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of the country’s leading tax experts says the explosion in housing wealth has put Australia on the path towards a neo-feudal society where your prosperity depends in large part whether your parents own land or property.The director of the Australian National University’s Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Bob Breunig, said “that’s the trajectory we’re on”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s scramble to fix his crumbling tariff strategy sows global chaos and confusion 24. February 2026 (03:37) Economies such as the UK, India, Japan and the EU raced to hammer out agreements, but the blanket rate has left them wondering where they stand“America is WINNING again,” Donald Trump declared last week, unveiling the first batch of Japanese-backed projects under a mooted $550bn investment surge into the US as part of his trade pact with Tokyo.After the US president tore up the global economic order in 2025, Japan was one among the countries scrambling to strike a deal. They pledged to dramatically increase investment in the US in exchange for lower US tariffs on Japanese exports. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
FedEx sues US government, seeking ‘full refund’ over Trump tariffs 24. February 2026 (02:54) Firm does not specify amount but seeks reimbursement after supreme court ruled against president last weekFedEx sued the US government on Monday, seeking a refund for the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump that were deemed illegal by the US supreme court last week.The lawsuit marks the first attempt by a major company to receive reimbursement of their share of an estimated $175bn in levies after the highest court found Trump had overstepped his authority in issuing the tariffs. Other companies are expected to follow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New Zealand would back removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from royal line of succession, says PM 24. February 2026 (02:48) Country follows Australia in saying it would support any UK government proposals to remove former prince after arrestNew Zealand has become the second Commonwealth country to back the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.A spokesperson for New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said on Tuesday: “If the UK government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chris Baghsarian: human remains found in search for kidnapped Sydney man, NSW police say 24. February 2026 (02:18) NSW detectives have located what they believe are human remains near a golf club in Pitt Town, 11 days after 85-year-old abducted from North Ryde homeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDetectives have found what they believe are human remains on Sydney’s outskirts as they search for the missing 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian.New South Wales police said on Tuesday that detectives investigating the mistaken kidnapping of Baghsarian had discovered remains near a golf club in Pitt Town about 8am on Tuesday. They said investigations into the man’s disappearance continued. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Crypto exchange Binance may have funded Iranian entities, reports say 24. February 2026 (02:10) Internal investigators said at least two accounts allegedly saw $1.7bn move to Iranian-backed groupsShortly after Donald Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the Binance founder, last fall, company employees revealed the cryptocurrency exchange may have funded Iranian entities with billions of dollars, according to a report by the New York Times.The discovery was made by a group of internal Binance investigators, who reportedly found that people in Iran had accessed more than 1,500 accounts on the crypto platform. Two of those accounts allegedly saw $1.7bn move to Iranian-backed groups that included Yemen’s Houthi militants throughout 2024 and 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US accuses China of ‘massively’ expanding nuclear arsenal amid fears of new arms race 24. February 2026 (02:06) China has opposed the ‘smearing of its nuclear policy’ while insisting Beijing would not ‘engage in any nuclear arms race’The US has accused China of dramatically expanding its nuclear arsenal, while doubling down on claims that Beijing had conducted secret nuclear tests.Washington said the lapsing of New Start – the last treaty between top nuclear powers the US and Russia – earlier this month presented the possibility of striking a “better agreement” that included Beijing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
