German chancellor says that he underscored need for continued support for Kyiv during US visit ; Trump says Ukraine is ‘very high’ on his priority list. What we know on day 1,470

German chancellor Friedrich Merz, in Washington for talks with Donald Trump, said he stressed that Ukraine should not have to accept further territorial concessions during his conversation with the US president. He said he also underscored the need for continued support for Ukraine, which last week marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. “We all want to see this war coming to an end as soon as possible. But Ukraine has to preserve its territory and their security interests,” Merz said at the start of his third visit to the Oval Office. He told reporters he thought Trump had understood the point after he showed him a map of the war-torn country.

Trump assured Merz that negotiating a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine remained “very high” on his priority list, and said he believed the US had plenty of munitions to fight Iran and sell them to Europe for use in Ukraine.

Merz also urged Trump to put pressure on Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. “Russia is playing for time here, and in doing so is also acting against the will of the American president. In today’s talks, I called for increasing the pressure on Moscow,” the German chancellor told reporters. The US, Russia and Ukraine are taking part in trilateral talks aimed at securing a peace deal. Merz however said only a pact supported by Europe could be lasting. “We are not prepared to accept an agreement that is negotiated over our heads,” he said.

A suspected Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker seized by Belgium is being held on a €10m ($12m) bond, after inspections revealed infractions, Brussels said on Tuesday. The Ethera, which Belgium alleges is part of a flotilla of ageing vessels Moscow uses to avoid western sanctions, was seized by Belgian special forces in the North Sea on Sunday. Investigations carried out after it was brought to the port of Zeebrugge confirmed it had been sailing under a false Guinean flag, the Belgian government said. In total inspectors found 45 infractions, including technical defects, leading to the ship being impounded, it added. The tanker’s Russian captain and its 20-strong crew were ordered to remain on board. “The ship will only leave the port once it is compliant and the deposit has been paid,” said Belgium’s mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke. Russia has previously described the seizure of its tankers and other vessels carrying its cargoes as acts of piracy.

The US has deployed a low-cost combat drone in Iran modelled on the Iranian Shahed, as the it pushes to accelerate weapons programs in the wake of the Ukraine war. The Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drone was deployed just eight months after its Pentagon unveiling. Defense officials said the compressed timeline reflected lessons learned from observing drone warfare in Ukraine, where both sides have employed thousands of low-cost unmanned systems.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the Druzhba pipeline, which is at the centre of a dispute with Hungary and Slovakia and has held up approval of a €90bn EU loan to Kyiv. A commission spokesperson said the two leaders had discussed the matter during a call but could not share any details of the conversation. Earlier von der Leyen said on X that they had discussed topics including the loan, sanctions on Russia and “the wider impact of the developments in the Middle East on energy prices, on energy security and on availability of badly needed defence materials”.

While I do not speak for the Australian-Iranian diaspora as a whole, I am gravely concerned for what this attack will cost in innocent lives

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One evening in Tehran in 1980, my grandfather got an anonymous tip that the Islamic Republic of Iran wanted him dead.

That night, he, my grandmother and my 15-year-old mother fled their native Iran on a last-minute flight to Heathrow with the help of a forged passport. With two tightly packed suitcases, they made it out. Eventually, my grandfather’s ingenuity allowed them to immigrate to Australia after three years spent in asylum-seeking purgatory in London. Together, my family built a fresh life in Sydney. We survived.

Are the Panthers and Storm past it? How will Payne Haas’s move impact the Broncos? Can NRL players behave for a few months?

The 2026 season is one of the most open in years. Defending minor premiers Canberra, ultra-consistent Cronulla, the fast-improving Dolphins and the sleeping giant in Canterbury are all tipped for a run at the top four. Just who will get there is one of many questions only 27 rounds of rugby league can answer.

World Obesity Federation says half a billion children will be overweight and calls on governments to act to create healthier environments

Without drastic action more than 220 million children could have obesity by 2040, an international report has warned.

Globally, in 2025 about 180 million children were obese. But new figures from the World Obesity Federation suggest that by 2040, about 227 million of all 5- to 19-year-olds will have obesity and more than half a billion will be overweight.

Foreign affairs committee report finds summit improved political relationship but efforts lack ‘strategic priorities’

Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU are lacking in “direction, definition and drive”, parliament’s foreign affairs committee has said.

A report based on months of expert witness testimony found the summit between the UK and the EU at Lancaster House last May had “substantially improved the overall political relationship” after years of Brussels-bashing by the Conservatives.

Annual political gathering kicks off this week in Beijing with the economy, technology and the military high on the agenda

• More generals purged as Chinese delegates gather for event

China’s annual Two Sessions meetings begin this week, with thousands of political and community delegates descending on Beijing from across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to ratify legislation, personnel changes and the budget over about two weeks of highly choreographed meetings.

• Rennie succeeds Scott Robertson in one of biggest jobs in rugby

• ‘I’m really clear on the way I want the All Blacks to play,’ says coach

Dave Rennie has been named the new coach of the All Blacks and charged with taking New Zealand to a fourth World Cup triumph in Australia next year.

The 62-year-old former Wallabies coach beat out Jamie Joseph for one of the biggest jobs in world rugby after an extensive recruitment process that started when Scott Robertson stepped down in mid January after a critical review.

Push to give English same status as Māori and NZ sign languages sparks backlash from opposition parties and linguistic experts

A bill to recognise English as an official language of New Zealand has cleared its first hurdle in parliament amid ridicule from opposition parties and linguists who say it is “unnecessary” and “cynical”.

The bill seeks to give English, which is spoken by 95% of the country, the same official status as te reo Māori (Māori language) and New Zealand sign language. The bill said the status and use of the existing official languages would not be affected.

Texas showdowns have made that US Senate race the most expensive primary on record; voting deadline extended in Dallas county after voter confusion

North Carolina’s election results will be delayed at least an hour because a rural county will be open late after workers couldn’t get equipment working earlier in the day.

In Halifax county, the electronic poll books synchronized for 90 minutes and didn’t use any backup measures to let people vote, according to notes from an emergency meeting held by the state’s board of elections.

• Player showed glimpses of genius but was uneven

• 28-year-old played in playoffs once with Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals have informed former No 1 overall pick Kyler Murray that they plan to release him at the beginning of the new league year on 11 March, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press.

The quarterback, who is owed $36.8m in guaranteed money in 2026, will be free to sign with another team once he’s released.

Even before Wolves fashioned a 94th‑minute winner, this had been everything but the stress‑free visit Arne Slot would have gladly welcomed. Just as it seemed Mohamed Salah had rescued Liverpool a point at bottom club Wolves, André’s deflected shot beat Alisson to secure for the hosts their second Premier League win in five days, having waited six months for their first, in January. Slot hunched over, winded by defeat, alarmingly a fifth in stoppage time this season. Wolves, meanwhile, are suddenly having something of a ball.

For Rob Edwards, the Wolves head coach, it was that time again. “It’s not great for my heart, but I could get used to it,” he said. Last Friday, he streamed down the touchline and pulled his calf, he said, celebrating Wolves’ second goal to secure victory against their rivals Aston Villa.

Last year Sunderland departed West Yorkshire on a snowy February night with their hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship in tatters. Leeds had come from behind to clinch a 95th‑minute win that would take them top of the second tier and only the most optimistic visiting fans expected a rematch this season.

Fast forward to a balmy March evening, though, and Régis Le Bris’s well‑executed gameplan lifted an injury hit yet streetwise Sunderland and their debutant goalkeeper Melker Ellborg to 11th in the Premier League.

Company will halt production of controversial paraquat weed killer by end of June as it faces thousands of lawsuits

Syngenta, maker of a controversial pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease, said on Tuesday that it will stop making its paraquat weed killer by the end of June.

The announcement comes as the company is facing several thousand lawsuits brought by people in the US who allege they developed Parkinson’s disease due to their exposure to Syngenta’s paraquat products.

• Designated hitter was also banned last season

• Player set to miss postseason and WBC too

Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar faces a 162-game suspension after a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

If the punishment is confirmed, the 33-year-old will also forfeit his entire $15m salary for the 2026 season and will be ineligible for the postseason and for this month’s World Baseball Classic, where he was due to play for the Netherlands.

Everton harbour ambitions of bringing European football to Hill Dickinson Stadium next season and a first Premier League win at their new home in seven attempts will increase the optimism. The hosts were effective, rather than magnificent, against a woefully poor Burnley but the result is all that matters.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are the next three visitors to Everton, so goals from James Tarkowski and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were essential as they looked to build momentum. It was only Everton’s fifth win in 15 league games since leaving Goodison Park, helping solidify their position in eighth, which could be good enough for continental qualification come the end of the season.

Democrats have decried Marco Rubio’s briefings as inadequate in articulating the goals of war

Donald Trump attempted to counter a simmering anti-Israel backlash in Congress and among his own Maga supporters on Tuesday by denying suggestions that he had been bounced into attacking Iran because Israel had already decided to do so.

Amid growing criticism among opponents and allies alike, Trump rebuffed claims that he had struck Iran only because Israel had forced his hand, a suspicion fueled by comments made by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

Donald Trump’s commerce secretary has acknowledged visiting convicted sex offender on private island in 2012

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Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump’s commerce secretary, has agreed to appear voluntarily before the House committee on oversight and government reform as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network, the committee’s chair announced on Tuesday.

James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the panel, said Lutnick had “proactively” agreed to the transcribed interview.

Jorge Pederson, 30, had been on life support after weekend attack which left more than a dozen others wounded

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A Minnesota-based mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter has been named as the third victim to die in the recent mass shooting at an Austin bar being investigated as a potential act of terrorism in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iran.

The death of 30-year-old Jorge Pederson was announced by the Austin police department on Monday evening. Police told NBC News that Pederson had been on life support after the attack, which left more than a dozen others wounded and ended with officers fatally shooting the gunman.

Contradicting images of parties and war-flooded feeds after Iran targeted Gulf states in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks

Mike Babayan was in a hookah lounge when he heard the explosion on Saturday night. Dubai – a gilded playground for the ultra-rich and oligarch class, billed as one of the safest places on Earth – had been attacked by Iranian missiles. Phones lit up with emergency messages urging residents to take shelter. But Dubai is resilient, at least when it comes to partying. “Everyone just went back to their hookah and food a minute later,” said Babayan.

Still, as a precaution, that night Babayan moved from his main home in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and the anchor of the Dubai skyline, to a residence further from the city center. There, he could hear the explosions much clearer – one every 20 to 30 minutes, he said. “But everyone is just having coffees, walking around like there’s no care in the world. It’s pretty insane.”

• Ukraine 1-6 England

• Georgia Stanway and Jess Park also score twice

Stressed, anxious or doubtful after a goalless first half? Not these England players, who remained fully confident in their ability and found a flurry of second-half goals to begin their Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a 6-1 win against Ukraine.

It helps when you have players with the firepower of Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway and Jess Park all thriving and scoring twice. The European champions may feel they should have won by a greater margin: they were profligate in the first half, but eventually opened the floodgates as Park continued her bright Manchester United form.

Strikes on Iranian leadership are putting Tehran under unprecedented military and diplomatic pressure

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Iran endured a day of unprecedented military and diplomatic pressure on Tuesday as US airstrikes pushed the death toll in the country close to 800 and the offices of the assembly of experts – the body due to select a replacement for the assassinated supreme leader, Ali Khamenei – were bombed.

It would be an extraordinary security lapse if it emerges that many of the 88 elderly clerics on the assembly had been in the building in Qom voting at the time. “There was another hit today on the new leadership, and it looks like that was pretty substantial,” Trump said at a White House event, although it was unclear what specifically he was talking about.

From the Chagos Islands to ‘windmills’ and sharia law, the US president’s comments do not bear much scrutiny

Donald Trump has been opining about the UK again, saying on Tuesday that Keir Starmer was “not Winston Churchill” and repeating his complaint about the deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Here are some recent things the US president has said about British issues, and how they compare with reality.

Proponents of the measure announce they have collected 1.3m signatures to put the issue on the midterm ballot

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Republican organizers in California announced they have gathered enough signatures to place a measure that would require California voters to present identification every time they vote and for election officials to verify that registered voters are US citizens on the ballot this November.

Proponents of the measure announced that they have collected 1.3 million signatures on a petition to put the issue onto ballot for a vote in the midterm elections, surpassing the 874,641 signatures needed under California state law. Officials must now verify the signatures.

Under the current law, Californians are not required to show or provide identification when casting a ballot in person or by mail. They are, however, required to provide identification when registering to vote. Voters must also swear under penalty of perjury—a felony—that they are a US citizen eligible to vote.

Entertainment giant keeps average of $7.58 of each ticket for events at major concert venues, court hears

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Ticketmaster keeps an average of $7.58 of the price of each ticket for events at major concert venues, an attorney for New York state told jurors at a trial on Tuesday in which dozens of states are seeking to recoup damages for fans.

Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, are accused of abusing their market power to prop up illegal monopolies in the concert industry. The trial in Manhattan could result in the US Department of Justice arguing for a breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster or the companies paying compensation to ticket purchasers.