US President Donald Trump has welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Oval Office in a meeting that saw the American leader publicly defend his guest over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The encounter between the two leaders occurred as the US House of Representatives voted to force the release of files related to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, marking a significant day in Washington politics.
Controversial Defence of Saudi Leadership
During the high-profile meeting, President Trump directly contradicted US intelligence assessments regarding the Saudi crown prince's involvement in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The journalist was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, an act that US intelligence agencies concluded was approved by Prince Mohammed.
Trump's defence of the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia comes amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and follows the UN Security Council's endorsement of the US president's plan to end the war in Gaza, which has been rejected by Hamas but described by the Palestinian foreign minister as a necessary first step toward peace.
Domestic Violence Investigation Reveals Police Failings
Meanwhile, the Guardian's Broken Trust investigation has uncovered shocking new evidence in the case of Gail Karran, who was fatally attacked by her husband after police released him from custody without warning her.
The investigation reveals how police placed Gail in immediate danger by releasing her drunken, violent husband Bill from custody and providing him with details of her domestic violence allegations against him. Officers took no steps to alert Gail that he had been set free.
Gail had activated a secret audio device when she heard her husband arrive home on the night she was killed. The recording captures Bill saying: 'Why am I doing this? 'Cause I fucking read what you fucking told the fucking coppers. Today is the day you fucking die, sweetheart.'
Detectives initially believed Bill's false version of events and failed to treat the matter as a potential homicide for several months. He was only arrested after a coroner ordered police to search for the recording that ultimately revealed the truth.
Technology and Policy Developments
In Australia, gaming platform Roblox is implementing age-verification features that will limit teenagers and children from messaging users outside their own age group. However, the platform argues it should be exempt from child social media bans being considered by authorities.
The technology sector faced broader challenges as Cloudflare, a crucial component of internet infrastructure, suffered a global outage overnight that caused error messages to appear across numerous websites. Meanwhile, more than US$1 trillion has been wiped off the value of the cryptocurrency market in the past six weeks amid growing fears of a technology bubble.
In British political developments, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces fresh allegations of racism and antisemitism from his school days, claims that he strongly denies.
The Liberal Party in Australia may witness three leadership changes in one week at both state and federal levels, with political analysts questioning whether the party has reached its lowest point.
As the world continues to grapple with multiple crises, from domestic violence failings to international diplomacy challenges, these developments highlight the complex interplay between politics, technology and social justice in contemporary society.
