By Wayne Cole SYDNEY Australian business investment rose to an eight-year high in the September quarter thanks to

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is "likely" Israel will reach a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia, in what would mark a seismic foreign policy shift for both countries as they edge closer to reaching a deal mediated by the US.

President Joe Biden's task, as he looked America in the eye from the Oval Office, was to explain why a nation wearied by its own foreign quagmires and political estrangements should send $100 billion to help other people fight their wars.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to China next week, traveling to the country amid heightened tensions and after several members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet visited

Callum Hudson-Odoi is wanted by both Fulham & Lazio this summer.

Ten-man Northern Ireland returned to the all-too-familiar feeling of defeat as Adam Cerin’s early free-kick put Group H leaders Slovenia on the verge of qualifying for Euro 2024 with a scrappy 1-0 win at Windsor Park. Saturday’s 3-0 victory over minnows San Marino ended Northern Ireland’s five-game losing streak but it proved only a temporary reprieve in an injury-ravaged qualifying campaign which has now seen Michael O’Neill’s side suffer five 1-0 defeats in eight games. The defining moment of the match came early on. While there was no doubt about the quality of Adam Cerin’s fifth-minute free-kick, Northern Ireland were fuming at referee Istvan Kovacs’ decision to award it after Jamal Lewis barely clipped Benjamin Sesko on the edge of the box. Shea Charles was booked for dissent and that proved costly just before the hour mark when the Southampton midfielder went in late on Andraz Sporar and was sent off, the first blemish on the 19-year-old’s impressive start in international football. Charles has started every game of this campaign but will now miss November’s trip to Finland, another headache for O’Neill, who was forced into further changes here with Dan Ballard out with a thigh problem and Paddy McNair suspended following his late yellow card on Saturday. The manager responded with bold choices, handing debuts to Bolton defender Eoin Toal and Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons, the 30th and 31st players to be used in eight qualifiers so far, despite more experienced options on the bench. The atmosphere inside a below-capacity Windsor Park was already flat at the start with but it fell silent after Cerin’s goal, the fans not even having the energy to resume the anti-Casement Park chanting heard before kick-off. As the night wore on, a sense of injustice would rouse the fans. Northern Ireland responded quickly when Slovenia scored early in Ljubljana last month, a 4-2 defeat, but struggled to threaten here. Paul Smyth, the star of the show on Saturday, found little joy on the right. On the left Lewis had more joy in finding space but lacked the quality of cross required. Although limited going forward, Northern Ireland were at least ensuring Slovenia’s powerful strike force had few sights of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s goal. After one rare attack, Slovenia appeared to have been gifted a second just after the half hour. Trai Hume’s poor headed clearance went straight to Jan Mlakar and Toal got it all wrong trying to cut out his low cross, allowing Sesko to thump home from close range. However, the visitors’ celebrations were cut short after the referee checked the replay, deeming Sporar to be interfering from an offside position. O’Neill sent on Washington for Josh Magennis at the break and was planning further changes a little over 10 minutes in before Charles saw red, forcing a rethink. Conor McMenamin, amongst the goals on Saturday, had been due to come on but instead it was George Saville, Dion Charles and Isaac Price who entered the fray in a triple change. The substitutes combined for Northern Ireland’s best move in the 69th minute as Price drove down the right, exchanged passes with Washington and then pulled the ball back for Saville but the midfielder, yet to score for Northern Ireland after 49 appearances, did not get enough power on his shot. There was a let-off in the 72nd minute when Mlakar found space in front of goal but got the contact on his shot all wrong, while at the other end Dion Charles blazed harmlessly wide. Northern Ireland still pushed forward but another flowing move ended with Saville shooting straight at Oblak and other attacks were thwarted by the over-officious Kovacs. Captain Jonny Evans, who had treatment on an ankle injury in the first half, ended the game limping heavily after another strong impact when challenging for a corner. Read More Kevin Sinfield says England’s Marcus Smith now ‘world class’ at full-back Jordan Henderson has ‘no regrets’ over Saudi Arabia move despite being booed Rassie Erasmus expects England to have ‘some beef’ with South Africa Netherlands stun South Africa in massive Cricket World Cup shock Marcus Smith on ‘modified training’ as England prepare for South Africa semi-final Beth Mead ‘not close’ to England recall, Sarina Wiegman admits

Soon you might be able to shop without leaving the TikTok app. TikTok is reportedly

Stocks edged higher on Wall Street as more gains for Big Tech companies helped bolster the broader market

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have revealed the gender of their new baby. Earlier this month, Kardashian, 44, announced that she and Barker are expecting their first child together. On Saturday 24 June, the couple – who tied the knot last May – posted a gender reveal video on Instagram, along with a caption of pink and blue hearts. Kardashian is seen sitting on Barker’s lap, alongside a drum kit on a stage. The Blink-182 drummer can be heard saying: “Is our pyro guy ready?” The Poosh founder replies: “I don’t know what’s happening, whatever you guys had planned…” Her sister Khloe Kardashian can apparently be heard saying: “Let’s get the party started – we’re all excited!” Barker, 47, then begins a drum roll which ends with a burst of blue streamers, as the couple’s family and friends celebrate the news that they’re having a baby boy. “I love how they dont even look at anyone else when they’re together,” one fan reacted to the video. Referencing Kardashian and Barker’s couple name, another wrote: “They can actually name [the baby] Kravis.” Kardashian first shared the news she and Barker, 47, are expecting with a Blink-182-style pregnancy reveal video. In it, the mother of three can be seen holding up a sign that reads “Travis I’m pregnant”, recreating a scene from one of the band’s hit songs “All the Small Things”. While the video was widely celebrated on Instagram, some people suggested it was “staged” since Kardashian’s baby bump was apparently visible in it. Fans defended the reality star at the time, claiming it didn’t matter when Barker found out, and that the point of the video was simply to share the news with their followers. Earlier this week, Kardashian shared pictures of her growing baby bump, as some users speculated about her due date. Kardashian and Barker tied the knot after years of being friends, and celebrated their marriage with three wedding ceremonies – including one officiated by an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas. Since then, the couple has documented parts of Kardashian’s experience with fertility treatments on her family’s reality series The Kardashians. In an episode last April, she also addressed how “every single person on social media is always like, ‘Kourtney’s pregnant, Kourtney’s pregnant, Kourtney’s gained so much weight” while she was undergoing IVF treatments. She told her mother Kris Jenner: “I’m like, it’s so rude to comment on people when you have no idea what they’re actually going through.” At the time, she also explained how the medication “basically put me into a depression”. Kardashian shares three children with her former partner Scott Disick. Meanwhile, Barker shares two children with his ex-wife and former Miss USA, Shanna Moakler. Read More Mother shares heartbreak after inviting whole school class to daughter’s birthday party Lewis Capaldi opens up about worsening Tourette’s tics while he’s on stage Gongs, chanting and Celtic Shamanism: What I learnt from a day at the Glastonbury Healing Field Prince Harry ‘wanted to interview Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump about childhood trauma’ How Center Parcs became a symbol of class

Nearly eight decades after the Holocaust, a German museum curator has made it his mission to return stolen silver objects to Jewish families around the globe

Consumer habits will come to the fore again in this week’s earnings deluge, as Amazon.com Inc., Shopify Inc.

A mother who was convicted of murder after giving cow’s milk to her malnourished infant son while fleeing from Hurricane Katrina could have her life sentence commuted. The Louisiana Board of Pardon and Parole has recommended release for 43-year-old Tiffany Woods who has been behind bars for the past 17 years for second-degree murder in the November 2005 malnutrition death of her five-month-old baby, Emmanuel. The decision of whether or not she’ll be released is now up to Governor John Bel Edwards. At a hearing on Monday, Ms Woods pleaded for her release in front of the board from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in Baker, where Warden Kristen Thomas said she was a “low-risk, low-need” inmate. “At that stage of my life I was a young mother who was trying to take care of her children the best she could. And I made some terrible decisions,” Ms Woods told the board, wiping her eyes. “But the woman who sits before you today, I’m not that same person.” Ms Woods, who was just 25 years old at the time, and her children were living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2005. Just three weeks earlier, her son Emmanuel was released from the ICU after being born prematurely and with a condition that increases the risk of sudden death. The family fled to Shreveport, Louisiana where they stayed in several different accommodations including a sports arena and a motel before moving into a rental house. Ms Woods had been feeding the baby with formula until they ran out of food vouchers, she told the board. That’s when she decided to feed him cow’s milk. “The formula he was taking, he wasn’t swallowing. He was always throwing it up, and then we ran out of WIC (food) vouchers, so I decided to switch it … I switched it to organic milk. I thought he was doing better, but he wasn’t thriving,” Ms Woods said to the parole board. Emmanuel’s condition continued to get worse and he died in November 2005. Both Ms Woods and her husband were indicted for murder, and during the trial, the prosecution argued that even though Woods claimed she ran out of vouchers, there was food and beer in the fridge after the baby’s death, according to The Associated Press. Louisiana law allows murder convictions in accidental deaths resulting from a set of felonies that includes cruelty to juveniles. Also, unlike most states, Louisiana murder convictions carry a mandatory life prison sentence with no chance at parole for adults. Both of Emmanuel’s parents lost their appeals. The boy’s father, Emmanuel Scott, who is now 36, is also serving life in prison. He hasn’t applied for clemency. Ms Wood’s other children, who are now grown, were present for the board meeting earlier this week including Troy Woods who spoke in support of his mother and Nie’John Woods, who appeared via video from Alaska, where he serves in the US Air Force. He told The Messenger that the Louisiana pardon board's recommendation to release her could finally allow the family to heal after her arrest and conviction ripped it apart. “There were many difficulties growing up without her, moving from home to home as a child — with people who were not always caring or loving," he said. The board voted unanimously that Ms Woods should be granted her freedom. But that decision ultimately comes down to Governor John Bel Edwards. “I want to thank him for the consideration. For the first time in a very long time we have hope, which is a huge deal for myself and my siblings,” Nie’John added. Last year, the state board issued 105 recommendations for clemency, and Edwards granted 35 pardons and commuted sentences for 51 other people. Read More Nurse Lucy Letby found guilty of murdering seven babies in their hospital cots No death penalty for a Utah mom accused of killing her husband, then writing a kid book about death Rachel Morin suspect linked to LA assault on child as murdered hiker’s family speaks out - live updates