Konrad Bien-Stephen, who rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia and later reached the semi-finals of The Challenge Australia, has died at the age of 35, his manager has confirmed.Ella Dolan, speaking on behalf of his team, said they were mourning his loss and requested privacy for his family while they come to terms with the news.No information about the cause of death has been...

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats emerged as the largest party in Tuesday's election but suffered their poorest result in more than a century.With 21.9% of the vote, the Social Democrats remain the single biggest force in parliament, yet the left-leaning coalition they lead fell well short of a working majority.The so-called red bloc secured 84 seats in the 179-member Folketing,...

The European Parliament has approved legislation to put an EU‑US trade framework into effect, but only after adding measures to protect European interests.Lawmakers insisted on conditions that would force a pause or end the deal if Washington fails to meet its commitments.MEPs voted 417 in favour, 154 against and 71 abstained. The text still needs formal approval from all 27 EU governments...

The UK is set to experience the steepest slowdown in growth among G20 economies as a result of the war involving Iran, the OECD warns.The organisation now expects UK GDP to expand by just 0.7% this year, a marked downgrade from its earlier 1.2% forecast.At the same time, UK inflation is projected to rise to about 4%, up sharply from previous estimates. Global forecasts were also adjusted.While...

After eight years of talks, Australia and the European Union have finalized a wide-ranging free trade agreement in Canberra valued at roughly A$10 billion.The pact removes almost all customs duties between the two sides and also deepens cooperation on defence, supply-chain resilience and critical minerals — steps officials said are designed to withstand growing global uncertainty.Tariffs on...

Italy’s prime minister suffered a major political setback after voters rejected a constitutional reform she had championed, dealing a rare defeat to her right-wing coalition.Official counts gave about 54% of ballots to the No camp and roughly 46% to Yes, with turnout close to 60% in the two-day vote.The amendment would have enshrined a stricter separation between judges and prosecutors in the...

Larry Fink, chief executive of asset manager BlackRock, warned that oil at around $150 a barrel would likely push the global economy into a deep downturn.He told the BBC that if tensions with Iran persist and energy prices remain elevated, the fallout would be severe for growth and living standards.Fink, who runs a firm with about $14 trillion under management, outlined two broad paths for the...

Mortgage borrowers, and first-time buyers in particular, are facing a sudden squeeze as lenders withdraw low-deposit deals and interest rates climb sharply.Industry data show more than 200 low-deposit mortgage products have been removed since 6 March, with one day seeing 52 deals pulled and another 30 taken off the market.Overall, over 20% of products available at the start of the month are no...

A major trade agreement signed this week will send more Australian beef to Europe by removing most export tariffs and easing market access.The pact, negotiated over about eight years, is valued at roughly A$10 billion and was finalised on Tuesday.Nearly all EU duties on a range of Australian farm products will be eliminated, covering wine, fruit and vegetables, olive oil, seafood, most dairy, and...

Unconfirmed US reports say Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the US-UK base on Diego Garcia, but neither weapon hit its target.One missile reportedly malfunctioned mid-flight and the other was intercepted by a US naval vessel, though the exact timing of the launches remains unclear.The BBC says the accounts are credible, and Britain’s Ministry of Defence accused Iran of escalating...