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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3021 stories archived
Ben Roberts-Smith attends Canberra event honouring Australian troops who served in Afghanistan
Anthony Albanese speaks at Australian War Memorial event commemorating 25th anniversary of country’s involvement in the conflict Anthony Albanese has honoured Australian troops who served in Afghanistan, using the 25th anniversary of the country’s involvement in the conflict to describe their heroism as a fight for “who we are as a people”. The prime minister joined hundreds of veterans, family members and dignitaries at a commemoration of the start of the campaign in Canberra on Sunday, with nation’s most decorated living soldier and accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith among the crowd at the Australian War Memorial. Continue reading...
Two Carlton players treated in hospital after needing care for ‘separate circumstances’
Club issues brief statement about Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, saying latter suffered minor cut to head after a fall Carlton football club has said two of its players, Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward, required treatment in hospital on Sunday morning in “separate circumstances”. The club released a statement on Sunday after reports in several media outlets that unnamed players had been taken to hospital by ambulance after a night out. Guardian Australia contacted Carlton seeking comment on the reports. Continue reading...
‘Restore the authority’: the challenge for the BBC’s new director of news
Rachel Jupp takes role as corporation grapples with digital transformation, a cash crisis and its public service role With looming job cuts and an ongoing pay dispute, there has not been much to smile about for BBC journalists working in “the pit” – their pet name for the newsroom deep in the belly of New Broadcasting House. On Monday afternoon, however, they were greeted by a grinning figure conducting a tour of the news floor. She was Rachel Jupp , the BBC’s newly appointed director of news and current affairs. Jupp engaged in a series of polite if brief conversations with her new troops. Continue reading...
Retrofit schools and consider moving exams to beat extreme heat, says teaching union leader
NEU’s Daniel Kebede says earlier start times and longer summer breaks may be needed to help pupils and teachers Schools should consider changing start and finish times, reordering holidays and moving exams from the summer months in an effort to adapt to the UK’s increasingly severe heatwaves, according to the leader of the country’s biggest education union. Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said this summer’s repeated bouts of extreme heat had a devastating impact on teachers and pupils , as classroom temperatures topped 40C and hundreds of thousands of young people were sent home. Continue reading...
Christian nationalism in Britain driven by people who seldom go to church, says report
Research challenges the notion that the growing visibility of crosses and other symbols reflects a revival of Christianity Christian nationalism in Britain is being driven largely by people who rarely attend church and are more concerned with defending the country’s Christian heritage, according to research. The report, by the thinktank Theos, identified five different groups within the UK in a survey that looked at their attitudes to Christianity and Britishness. Continue reading...
Capital punishment is surging in the US – but after Christa Pike’s botched execution, what is its future?
Trump has used the full might of the presidency to supercharge executions, but an avalanche of mishaps has put the system’s flaws in the spotlight It took more than an hour to establish the two intravenous lines through which Christa Pike would be injected with a giant and normally lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital, and in that time she did everything she could to assist those who were attempting to kill her. “Please try here,” she said over and over again to Tennessee’s execution team, pointing to specific parts of her body where she thought they might find a vein as they repeatedly stabbed her with needles. “Please try here, I think it will be OK. Please try up on my shoulder, higher.” Continue reading...
US justice department investigating TV networks over Trump pool coverage
Investigation launched after five broadcasters last month ceased presidential coverage after CNN, MS Now and Politico were barred from White House The US Department of Justice is investigating whether the decision of the White House television press pool to halt coverage of the US president, Donald Trump, last month violated antitrust law, an agency spokesperson said Saturday. A spokesperson for the department said group boycotts among business competitors might violate US law. “The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,” they said. Continue reading...
Williams strikes out 12 as Guardians blank White Sox to complete ALDS comeback
Williams fans 12 as Cleveland win decisive Game 5 Ramírez’s two-run homer provides only scoring Guardians to face Rays for place in World Series Gavin Williams struck out 12, José Ramírez homered on a pitch just above home plate and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Saturday night to complete a comeback from a 2-0 deficit in their best-of-five American League Division Series. Cleveland open the American League Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking their first World Series appearance since 2016. The Guardians/Indians franchise have not won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams. Continue reading...
‘My body is still peaking’: Eliud Kipchoge wins first marathon in three years
Kenyan breaks Melbourne Marathon record by two seconds ‘I’m happy to run with the gen Zs,’ 41-year-old says Marathon’s greatest competitor, Eliud Kipchoge, has sent a message to the next generation declaring that he’s not done yet. The 41-year-old Kenyan revelled in his Melbourne Marathon debut on Sunday, breaking the race record and delighting thousands of fans at the MCG finish. Continue reading...
Five people shot and killed in apparent murder-suicide, Georgia police say
Deceased were all members of the same family, officials say, and one of victims placed the initial emergency call Five people were shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide at a residence in Georgia on Friday, authorities say. The deceased were family members who lived at the home in Douglas, a city in south Georgia. Continue reading...
Oklahoma stun No 1 Texas as Sandell’s last-second kick seals Red River upset
Sandell’s 47-yard kick seals 27-24 upset in Dallas Sooners overcome offensive struggles to stun Texas Manning throws three TDs but two costly picks Tate Sandell kicked a 47-yard field goal on the final play and Oklahoma overcame their continued offensive ineptness with touchdowns on special teams and defense in a 27-24 win over No 1 Texas in the Red River rivalry game on Saturday. The Sooners (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) beat a No 1 team for the first time since a 38-17 win over Missouri in 2007. They had been 0-4-1 when facing a top-ranked Texas team. Continue reading...
Skies across the UK illuminated by the northern lights
Though mostly visible near the Arctic Circle, the natural phenomenon dazzled sky-gazers as far south Devon, Hampshire and Kent The northern lights illuminated the skies across the UK on Friday and Saturday evening. Sky-gazers as far south as Devon, Hampshire and Kent were treated to the dazzling natural phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis. Continue reading...
Despair after 200-year-old ‘grandmother’ tree toppled for Trump’s border wall: ‘It crushes your heart’
Protesters spent months occupying an ancient cottonwood. Then a tense standoff with US border patrol came to a head A 200-year-old cottonwood tree near the US-Mexico border , known as the “grandmother”, has been destroyed to make way for the construction of Donald Trump ’s border wall, despite a months-long effort by protesters trying to save it. In late July, land defenders began a tree-sit in the ghost town of Lochiel, Arizona , taking turns occupying a platform high in the tree’s canopy. The group remained there for more than 70 days. Continue reading...
USWNT exposed by ruthless Spain as early goals settle heavyweight friendly
Guijarro and Navarro score in opening 14 minutes US midfield and defensive lapses exposed by Spain Yohannes misses penalty as US fightback falls short In less than a year’s time, the United States and Spain will almost certainly arrive in Brazil as the top two contenders to win the Women’s World Cup. Spain, holders of the top spot in Fifa’s rankings for the past 60 weeks, are the defending champions; the second-ranked US won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This month’s pair of friendlies between the two sides are taking place with caveats. Both sides are missing several of their most important players to injuries. The opening match in Brazil is 258 days away. Spain have booked their place, but the US still have to actually qualify for the World Cup, through a regional tournament that begins next month. Continue reading...
Man with gun kills one Philadelphia police officer and injures another
10-year police veteran Shane Seiber was killed after responding to a report of a man with a gun A Philadelphia police officer was fatally shot and another was wounded on Saturday after responding to a report of a man with a gun, authorities said. Shane Seiber, 40, was killed early on Saturday morning in West Philadelphia, according to the city’s police commissioner, Kevin Bethel. Continue reading...
US man shoots off-duty ICE agent who allegedly attacked him and daughter
ICE official, who was sleeping on man’s lawn and appeared ‘intoxicated’, faces felony charges, California police say A 72-year-old man shot an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) official in California early on Friday morning after the “intoxicated and agitated” official assaulted him and his daughter on their property, local authorities allege. The Fresno police department said that the ICE official was receiving medical care after being shot in the midsection. The official, identified as David Gonzalez, is facing felony charges for assaulting the father-daughter duo, Fresno police said . Continue reading...
Hanson seems more and more like the de facto opposition leader. At CPAC, Angus Taylor warmed the seat for her
Cooperation between One Nation and the Liberals ‘up to Angus Taylor’, Pauline Hanson says at conservative conference. How would that work? Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast The annual Conservative Political Action Conference billed itself as a chance for the leaders of the three main conservative parties – Liberals, Nationals and One Nation – to make their pitch and compete for rightwing voters. The reception they received in Brisbane on Saturday suggests Pauline Hanson is effectively the preferred opposition leader, with Angus Taylor relegated to leading a minor party. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...
Albanese wants universal childcare to be his legacy. But paying for it isn’t as easy as ABC
Labor is running out of time to make its case to Australian families about how they are going to make childcare accessible and affordable for all Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast Rachel Hill, a mother of two from Sydney, explains the maths of family planning. The not-for-profit worker recently bumped up her workload from two days a week to full-time to try to cover ever-rising costs. Instead, the additional money has been swallowed by childcare fees. Continue reading...
Falling international student numbers create ‘massive problems’ for Australian universities, expert warns
Immigration debate and visa uncertainty is putting students off and increasing pressure on budgets Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast University leaders warn they’re struggling to fill international student places due to visa uncertainty and heated political debate on immigration, with regional areas hit the hardest and concern that financial deficits could affect domestic students. The latest numbers from the Department of Education in October show on average universities are filling just two-thirds of their allocated places, and just five public universities have reached more than 80% capacity, all in capital cities. Continue reading...
Christa Pike out of hospital and back in prison after botched execution attempt
Pike’s lawyers said she is back in same prison she’s lived in for last 30 years and will continue to receive medical care Christa Pike has been discharged from the hospital after surviving Tennessee ’s botched 30 September attempt to execute her by lethal injection and is back in prison, her lawyers said on Saturday. Pike, 50, returned to the Deborah K Johnson rehabilitation center, where she has been imprisoned for the last three decades, her attorneys, Stephen Ferrell, Luke Ihnen, Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason, said in a statement. Continue reading...
Man suffers ‘serious injury’ after jumping into zoo tiger enclosure
Police are trying to contact the man’s family following incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster A man has been attacked by a tiger after jumping into its enclosure at a zoo in Yorkshire. Yorkshire Wildlife Park was evacuated shortly after the incident and the site will remain closed on Sunday. Continue reading...
Dozens reported injured in Yemeni Houthi attack at Riyadh airport
Saudi authorities yet to confirm strike as government-allied forces in Yemen claim successful offensive to retake Bab al-Mandab strait Yemen’s Houthis have launched a missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport in Saudi Arabia, with dozens reported wounded and a witness describing panic in the terminal. Saudi authorities did not confirm any new attack or evacuation, but one witness reported hearing an explosion while waiting to board a flight, and another said they saw a strike that left people wounded. Continue reading...
Thousands gather in London to express support for Palestinians after three years of ‘genocide’
March is first since Ed Miliband declared UK’s position was that Israel’s occupation of West Bank was unlawful Thousands of people have gathered in central London to express their support for Palestinians after three years of “genocide” carried out against them by Israel. The demonstrators, many wearing keffiyehs and holding Palestine flags, gathered on the Embankment at midday on Saturday. Some carried placards reading “End the genocide” and “Free Palestine“ as they marched towards parliament. A bride and groom appeared to be among those in attendance and a two-minute silence was held to reflect on the lives lost in Gaza. Continue reading...
Nine people, including children, dead after mass shooting in Pennsylvania
Authorities say suspect among dead in house after standoff with police in Erie and there is no ongoing threat Nine people, including children, died in a mass murder on Friday in Erie, Pennsylvania , after a gun-wielding attacker opened fire outside a home and then entered the property, according to authorities. The suspected attacker was also found dead as police responded to the deadly violence, which triggered a standoff involving Erie police officers and tactical teams. Continue reading...