Category: World News

Breaking News from Australia and around the world

Hanson slams Latham’s ‘disgusting’ tweet

Pauline Hanson has labelled one-time Labor leader turned One Nation MP Mark Latham’s homophobic slur toward a fellow MP “disgusting”, and urged him to apologise. Ms Hanson, who appeared at an anti-transgender rally last week in Canberra, took to Twitter on Thursday to condemn Mr Latham’s homophobic attack.  “I want

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Bangladesh in a hot seat over Adani’s power deal

In mid-March, Bangladesh started testing the transmission of electricity from a massive 1,600 MW coal-fired plant in neighbouring India that has stirred major controversy in both countries.While the supply of electricity for commercial use from this plant is likely to begin next month, confusion and secrecy around the terms of

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Lexi thought her basketball dream was over when she transitioned. Now she’s fighting for a shot

Key pointsTransgender basketballer Lexi Rodgers is bidding to play in the semi-professional NBL1 competition in Australia.She says “it’s been a hard week” for the transgender community and asks people to “please be nice”.An advocate says the transgender community is suffering from “constant negativity, discrimination and isolation”. Transgender basketball player Lexi

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Deaths feared after army helicopters crash in US

BREAKINGBREAKING, The incident occurred during military training in the US state of Kentucky.Two US Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training mission over the US state of Kentucky and casualties are feared. The status of the crew members was not immediately known, army spokeswoman Nondice Thurman said

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Australia wants to recruit an extra 125,000 bone marrow donors

Katter’s Australian Party Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, Independent Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan, Liberal member for Forde Bert van Manen and Labor member for Macarthur Mike Freelander at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, March 30, 2023. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING Source:

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Fiona, Ian retired from UN list of Atlantic hurricane names

Hurricane Fiona was the costliest weather event on record in Atlantic Canada, while Ian was the third most devastating in the US.The death and destruction caused by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian in North and Central America last year have prompted the United Nations to retire those names from a rotating

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This meatball isn’t just mammoth in size. It’s also actual mammoth meat

Key PointsCultivated meat – also called cultured or cell-based meat – is made from animal cells.The company used publicly available genetic information from the mammoth and inserted it into a sheep cell to create the meatball. More than 100 companies around the world are working on cultivated meat products.Throw another mammoth

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US, UK, Japan, Australia denounce dissolution of Myanmar’s NLD

Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States have expressed concern over the Myanmar military’s dissolution of the country’s former ruling party, warning the move could bring further instability to the violence-wracked country.The statements of concern on Wednesday came a day after the Myanmar military disbanded Aung San Suu

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Kentucky and West Virginia move to limit transgender therapies

At least 11 US states have placed restrictions or outright bans on gender-affirming treatments for children.Two states in the southern United States have advanced laws limiting access to gender-affirming therapies for transgender children, as part of a wave of Republican-led legislation critics decry as discriminatory and dangerous. Kentucky and West Virginia

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China’s premier warns against ‘chaos and conflicts’ in Asia

Taipei, Taiwan – Asia must avoid “chaos and conflicts” or the region’s future will be lost, Chinese Premier Li Qiang has said.Speaking to an international audience of political and business leaders on Thursday, Li said China can be an “anchor for world peace” and stability, and will continue undertaking reforms

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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 400

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 400th day, we take a look at the main developments.Here is the situation as it stands on Thursday, March 30, 2023: Diplomacy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Kyiv, saying “we are ready to see him here”. The

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START treaty: Russia stops sending nuclear arms info to US

Russia will no longer share detailed information on its nuclear weapons with the United States as outlined in the New START treaty, a senior official in Moscow has said, as Russia’s military began drills with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers in Siberia while fighting in Ukraine rages and

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South Korea to keep Fukushima seafood ban despite thaw with Japan

President Yoon Seok-yeol’s administration says ‘health and safety’ top priority despite improving Seoul-Tokyo ties.South Korea has ruled out lifting a ban on Japanese seafood imports from the area around the Fukushima nuclear plant despite warming relations between Seoul and Tokyo. Seafood imports from near the tsunami-stricken plant will “never come

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FIFA ditches Indonesia as U20 World Cup host over Israel controversy

Key PointsThe decision to remove Indonesia as host came after the governor of Bali refused to host Israel’s team.FIFA is considering potential sanctions on tje Indonesian football federation.Protesters marched in Jakarta waving Palestinian flags and demanding that Israel was not allowed to participate.FIFA has stripped Indonesia of the right to

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Malaysia’s Anwar faces balancing act on first China trip

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim is expected to navigate between deepening economic ties with his country’s biggest trading partner and tackling thorny issues such as the South China Sea during his first visit to China as prime minister, analysts say.Anwar will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday

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‘Profound risks’: Why Elon Musk and others are calling for an urgent pause on AI

Key PointsArtificial intelligence experts have called for a pause in developing AI systems due to potential risks to society.OpenAI’s powerful AI system GPT has raised concerns around national security, misinformation and education.The release of ChatGPT has prompted an unregulated AI development race among rival tech companies.Elon Musk and a group

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Israeli missile attack on Syria’s Damascus area wounds 2 soldiers

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Two soldiers were injured and damage sustained in Israel’s latest air attacks in vicinity of Syria’s capital city.Israel has conducted air attacks on targets in the Damascus area with loud explosions heard over the capital city at approximately 1:20am local time (22:20 GMT), the ministry

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Surprise delay to Indonesia elections labelled unconstitutional

Medan, Indonesia – Indonesia’s presidential and general elections have been thrown into jeopardy following a surprise ruling to delay voting by a court in Jakarta, prompting widespread condemnation of the shock, and seemingly unconstitutional, decision.The Central Jakarta District Court ruled earlier this month that the elections – scheduled to take

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Starbucks ex-CEO jostles with Bernie Sanders over anti-union push

The coffee chain has been accused of retaliating against workers involved in unionisation efforts.The former CEO of the coffee chain Starbucks has testified before a United States Senate committee, responding to allegations the company had engaged in illegal retaliation against employees involved in unionisation efforts. In a tense exchange, Howard

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‘Time to listen’: Labor takes first formal step towards Voice to Parliament

KEY POINTS:The government has introduced legislation for the Voice to Parliament.Mark Dreyfus says it is time for ‘a different approach’ to Indigenous disadvantage.Coalition leader Peter Dutton, who has not revealed his stance, was not present.Labor has taken the first formal step towards a First Nations Voice to Parliament, with Attorney-General

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US urges China against ‘overreacting’ toTaiwan president transit

Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen’s stopover in the US is ‘normal’ and consistent with longstanding US policy, White House says.The White House has urged China to avoid “overreacting” to a planned stopover in the United States by Taiwan’s president, calling the transit “normal”. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stressed on

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Medieval Swahilis had African and Asian ancestry: DNA study

Researchers say up to half of the DNA of people from Swahili areas was from Persia (90 percent) and India (10 percent).The first DNA recovered from members of the medieval Swahili civilisation has revealed that Africans and Asians were intermingling along the East African coast more than a thousand years

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Who will hold human rights abusers in Libya to account?

From: Inside StoryUnited Nations investigators say security forces and armed militia groups in Libya have committed a wide range of war crimes.United Nations investigators say security forces and armed militia groups in Libya have committed a wide range of war crimes and crimes against humanity. They say they

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‘Friends’: White House downplays Biden-Netanyahu public spat

White House spokesman says ‘there’s a lot to like’ about Israeli PM statement rejecting US president’s criticism.Washington, DC – The White House has played down the apparent tensions between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, portraying this week’s public spat as a friendly disagreement. White House national security

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UAE leader designates his son Khaled as crown prince

UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan names son Sheikh Khaled as crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and three brothers to top roles.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed his eldest son Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed as crown prince of Abu

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Pope Francis admitted to hospital with respiratory infection

The pope has a respiratory infection that will require several days of appropriate treatment at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days, and will remain in the Rome hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican

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‘Making history’: UN adopts landmark resolution on climate justice

Key PointsThe measure asks the International Court of Justice to lay out nations’ obligations for protecting Earth’s climate.The resolution is co-sponsored by more than 130 member states.Climate experts warn that global average temperatures could reach 1.5C above the pre-industrial era by as early as 2030-35.The UN General Assembly adopted by

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UN votes to ask world court to rule on countries’ climate duties

The call for the International Court of Justice to provide a legal opinion on the climate crisis follows a campaign led by the Pacific island of Vanuatu.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a landmark resolution asking the world’s top court to define the obligations of countries to combat climate

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‘Critical first step’: US Senate votes to repeal Iraq war powers

The United States Senate has voted to repeal the legal authorisation for the 2003 war in Iraq, a move hailed by critics who have long called for legislators to address the legal architecture of Washington’s post-September 11, 2001, “war on terror”.The move on Wednesday, which came just more than a

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Musk, other tech experts urge halt to further AI developments

More than 1,000 tech leaders sign petition calling for pause of ‘giant AI experiments’ in response to the release of GPT-4.Billionaire businessman Elon Musk and a range of tech leaders called on Wednesday for a pause in the development of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems to allow time to make

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Colombian rebels kill nine soldiers in blow to peace talks

Preliminary military assessment has identified the left-wing ELN as responsible for the attack in a northern province.An attack by the Colombian rebel group known as the National Liberation Army (ELN) has allegedly killed nine government soldiers, in a blow to the government’s efforts to negotiate a truce with armed groups

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‘No impunity’ for migrant detention centre fire: Mexico president

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged there will be “no impunity” for those responsible for a fire at a detention centre that left dozens of migrants dead, as rights groups demand answers and call for accountability for this week’s fatal blaze.“We will not hide anything and there will

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Biden kicks off Summit for Democracy with $690m funding pledge

United States President Joe Biden has kicked off his second Summit for Democracy by announcing $690m in new funding for democracy programmes across the world.The summit, which started on Wednesday, comes amid rising concerns about democratic backsliding in countries participating in it, including US allies India and Israel. Addressing other

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FIFA strips Indonesia of U-20 World Cup hosting rights

FIFA has removed Indonesia as host after the island of Bali refused to host Israel for tournament draw; new host to be announced soon.Indonesia has been stripped of the right to host the Under-20 football World Cup, FIFA has said in a statement after protests against Israel’s participation led to

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Saudi partners with China-led security bloc as ties grow

Saudi cabinet approves decision at a meeting chaired by King Salman in a move that could grant Riyadh dialogue partner status in the bloc.Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a “dialogue partner”, state media reported on Wednesday, the latest indication of closer political ties

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US approves sale of overdose reversal drug without prescription

The decision comes as a bid to widen access to the life-saving drug as the US struggles with a wave of overdose deaths.The United States has decided to make Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse drug overdoses, accessible without a prescription as the country reels from an ongoing opioid

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Iran’s FM: Is China the stabilising factor the Middle East needs?

From: Talk to Al JazeeraIranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian discusses his county’s eastern-focused foreign policy.Since President Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021, he has pushed for a foreign policy focused on the Eastern Hemisphere, while developing closer ties with Iran’s neighbours. Evidence of that is an agreement signed

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Iran may set deadline for nuclear talks, says FM Amirabdollahian

Tehran, Iran – Iran may set a legal deadline for deadlocked talks aimed at restoring its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has suggested to Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview.The move could happen through the parliament as some politicians in Tehran are growing

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Senegal’s gold rush brings hope and despair

Mohamed Bayoh climbed into the deep, pitch-black hole, hoping to emerge with a nugget that would change his life.The 26-year-old Guinean is one of thousands of people from across West Africa who have arrived in remote eastern Senegal in search of gold. The rush for the precious metal has dramatically

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We need decisive climate action, can COP28 deliver?

On March 20, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its synthesis report, a summary of seven years of climate science, that once again emphasised the grave threat humanity faces from climate change.The report concludes that even with the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reductions, global warming is expected

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India announces birth of cheetah cubs 70 years after extinction

Four cubs were born to one of the eight Namibian cheetahs that were relocated to India last year.India has announced the birth of four cubs to one of the eight cheetahs that were relocated from Namibia, decades after they were declared extinct in the South Asian country. India’s Environment Minister

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King Charles visits Germany in first foreign visit as UK monarch

Accompanied by Camilla, the queen consort, Charles III arrives in Berlin days after planned trip to France was cancelled.The United Kingdom’s King Charles III has arrived in Germany for his first foreign state visit as monarch, after the initial leg of the trip to France was delayed. Charles and Camilla,

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Minister ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ with young boys

Milton Orkopoulos used his position as a councillor and government minister to gain the trust of young boys before giving them drugs and sexually abusing them, jurors have heard. During her closing address in the former Labor MP’s trial on Thursday, crown prosecutor Cate Dodds said one victim had been enticed

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Sydney’s Vivid Festival heads underground

A series of deserted railway tunnels running beneath Sydney’s CBD will soon transform into an electronic dance music and light extravaganza.  The 900-metre underground labyrinth will open to the public for the first time for this year’s Vivid festival set to kick off in May. “Secret passageways will be lit,

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Government appoints five union figures

The Albanese government has announced five union-linked appointments to the industrial umpire in a bid to “restore balance”. The former Coalition government made 27 permanent appointments to the Fair Work Commission – 26 coming from an employer background. As a result, there are now 29 commission members with an employer

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Dutton misses historic moment in Parliament. You won’t believe why.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has refused to say if he was making a political statement against the Indigenous Voice when he and most of his Coalition colleagues were absent when it was introduced to parliament on Thursday. The constitutional amendment bill introduced on Thursday morning was the “first step” towards

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Fresh waves of COVID on the way, top doctor warns

The country’s top doctor has warned more COVID waves are on the way, as the government ramps up efforts to increase booster rates before winter. The latest figures have shown one million people have received 2023 booster doses, with seven in 10 of those being over the age of 60.

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Lenders cut fixed rates as Reserve Bank decision looms

More than 10 lenders have cut fixed interest rates in the past 10 days, with ING moving to slash its offerings ahead of the Reserve Bank’s next interest rate decision. The bank has trimmed its fixed rates for new customers by as much as 0.25 per cent, lowering its best fixed rate

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Watch: Historic voice bill, Pay rise push, Migrant surge

Watch: Union bosses are pushing for millions of low-paid Australian workers to receive a pay rise of 7 per cent to keep up with inflation as the fair work commission conducts its annual wage review. The estranged wife of Victorian union identity John Setka has been charged with allegedly plotting

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Labor’s climate safeguard laws clear Senate

A new carbon pollution cap on big emitters will apply from July 1 after laws cleared the Senate. Changes to the safeguard mechanism, which was initially brought in by the coalition government, will force the nation’s 215 biggest emitters to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent each year. This

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Engine lost power in chopper that crashed into homes

A student pilot who crashed a helicopter into Melbourne homes did not immediately recognise the engine had lost power. The pilot was on his second solo flight in a Hughes 269C three-seat light helicopter, returning to Moorabbin Airport when he noticed it had become unstable and started what’s called a

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Dutton calls for party unity ahead of Aston by-election

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called for Liberal unity ahead of Saturday’s Aston by-election, following bitter divisions within the party’s Victorian branch. Voters in the Melbourne seat head back to the polls, less than a year after the last federal election, following the resignation of Liberal MP Alan Tudge. Mr Dutton told

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Companies compelled to report on gender pay gap

Companies that underpay female employees will no longer be able to hide. The government passed its workplace gender equality bill through the Senate on Thursday, requiring companies with 100 or more employees to publish the incomes of their workers from early next year. Organisations are being told to prepare to

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Police who shot Indigenous man not fitted with cameras

The use of body-worn cameras by specialist police is being reviewed after an Aboriginal man was shot dead in far north Queensland. Aubrey Donahue died after being shot four times by police who allege he advanced on officers while armed with a knife in Mareeba, west of Carins, on Saturday.

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Nashville shooting victims honoured in sombre vigil

Hundreds of people have gathered at a candlelight vigil in Nashville, Tennessee to mourn the three children and three adults who were killed in a shooting at a Christian school this week. The ceremony on Wednesday for the victims of the shooting at The Covenant School was largely sombre and

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Medibank faces class action after massive hack

Medibank shareholders have taken legal action against the private health insurer for not disclosing alleged cyber security “deficiencies”. The class action was filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria and served on Medibank on Wednesday. Medibank reported the massive data breach in October last year, after Russian hackers stole the

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Security concerns behind Obama welcome shake-up

The organisers of a Barack Obama event in Melbourne say security concerns were behind the move to remove a senior Aboriginal elder from the program. Senior Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy was meant to perform the welcome to country at An Evening with President Obama at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena

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More riders hit the road in e-scooter trial

Privately-owned electric scooters are no longer banned and younger riders can hit the road as part of a six month extension to the Victorian e-scooter trial. Currently, the only e-scooters legally allowed to hit the road are those available to hire through companies but that’s set to change from Wednesday.

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Russia makes progress in frontline city of Bakhmut

Russian forces have had some success in the frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian military officials say, and the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief is putting aside plans for a security zone around a major power plant in Ukraine. The mining city of Bakhmut and surrounding towns in the eastern industrial

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Voice an important new chapter for Australia: Dreyfus

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has been given a standing ovation after presenting the words to alter the Australian constitution to enshrine an Indigenous voice to federal Parliament. Mr Dreyfus introduced the bill on Thursday, in the first formal step towards this year’s referendum – the first for Australians in more than

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Voice referendum proposal to be presented to parliament

A proposal to alter the words of the Australian constitution to enshrine an Indigenous voice will be presented to federal parliament. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus will introduce the bill on Thursday, setting the wheels in motion for a referendum later this year. Parliament finalised the rules around the distribution of referendum information

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Legislative changes could be coming to RBA: Treasurer

The Reserve Bank could be facing a legislative shake up following its first review in decades, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers vowing to build up its “respect and reputation”. The review of the central bank will be handed to Dr Chalmers on Friday, who intends to publicly release the findings

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Pope hospitalised for respiratory infection: Vatican

Pope Francis is suffering from a respiratory infection and will stay in the hospital for treatment for several days, the Vatican says. The head of the Catholic Church had been taken to Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old pontiff had complained of

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ACTU calls for ‘survival increase’ in wages of seven per cent

Australian unions are pushing for a “survival increase” in the minimum wage as inflation and the cost of living impact the lowest-paid workers. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) wants a seven per cent boost to incomes which it says is “essential”. This would equate to raising the national

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Respected elder dumped from Obama event for being ‘too difficult’

A respected Indigenous elder is “shocked and distressed” after she was dumped from former US President Barack Obama’s sold-out event in Melbourne. Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO, a Wurundjeri elder, says she was told she was being “too difficult” and stopped from performing the Welcome to Country on Wednesday night.

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ACTU calls for ‘survival increase’ in wages of 7 per cent

Australian unions are pushing for a “survival increase” in the minimum wage as inflation and the cost of living crush the lowest-paid workers. The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants a 7 per cent boost to incomes which it says is “essential”. This would equate to raising the national minimum

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Deep ocean system headed for ‘collapse’ as Antarctic ice melts

Australian scientists have made dire projections about what Antarctica’s melting ice will do to global ocean health without rapid emissions cuts this decade. Most people know fossil fuel use is warming the planet, melting polar ice caps and pushing up sea levels. But ice loss is also disrupting water circulation in

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Alan Kohler: Why Australia’s emissions reduction target is not enough

Occasionally you come across something that just stops you in your tracks. For me, this week, it was a string of words in an editorial in the Australian Financial Review, the nation’s premier financial newspaper, of which I was once the editor: “… the green-left political fringe’s anti-fossil fuel ideological

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John Setka’s wife accused of plot to kill him

The estranged wife of controversial union boss John Setka has been charged with plotting to kill him. Former lawyer Emma Walters was interviewed by police on Wednesday and charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. Victoria Police said in

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Junta dissolves Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, and 39 others

Myanmar’s military government has dissolved the ousted ruling party of former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 39 other parties, state media has announced, over their failure to register for an election set to prolong the army’s grip on power. The move sparked condemnation from Australia, which said it was

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Is Dutton quietly confident of surviving Aston result?

The upcoming Aston by-election is a topsy-turvy affair – but could it upend the leadership of Peter Dutton and a century of political history? Or could it prove he is immune to normal political consequences? Officially the ALP has been campaigning hard in the outer Melbourne seat in every expectation

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Controversy swamps The Block amid housing crisis

Less than a year after Nine’s reality TV home renovation show The Block wrapped in regional Victoria, the cast and crew are back on the streets making waves in a Melbourne bayside suburb. Five “renovator’s delight” houses in Charming Street, Hampton East – snapped up for $14.3 million as reported

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The meat and potatoes of food prices

In the 34 years that Tasmanian greengrocer Ben Parsons has been in business, he has never seen potato prices as high as they are now. The price of a 500kg potato bin has almost doubled from $250 a few years ago, but Mr Parsons has only raised his prices for

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