Australia news live: government lends Arnott’s $45m for global Tim Tams push; Ashton Hurn confirmed as new SA Liberals leader
Hurn will replace Vincent Tarzia, in the fourth Liberal leadership change nationally in a month. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlbanese and Ley respond to tragic firefighter deathThe prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has issued a statement after the death of a firefighter who was battling a blaze at Bulahdelah on the NSW mid-north coast.My heart goes out to the loved ones and colleagues of the firefighter who has tragically lost their life in the Bulahdelah bushfire. All Australians are thinking of you in your time of grief.This terrible news is a sombre reminder of the dangers that our emergency services personnel face to keep our homes and communities safe – and the extraordinary courage that their job demands. We honour that bravery, every day.All Australians are with the firefighter’s family, friends and the team who worked beside him. Our emergency services put themselves in harm’s way to keep Australians safe. Today we mourn this terrible loss. Continue reading...
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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,383
These are the key developments from day 1,383 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Notorious childcare paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith ‘could have been stopped’ five times during decades of offending
Queensland report details series of ‘missed opportunities’ over 20 years where action could have been taken to detect or stop abuseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNotorious serial paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith “could have been stopped, and should have been stopped”, Queensland’s attorney general has said, after the state released a landmark report into the catastrophic system failures that enabled the abuse.Griffith was sentenced to life in prison for 307 sexual offences against 73 victims, mostly young girls aged between three and five. Most of the offending occurred while he was employed at childcare centres in Queensland between 2003 and 2022. Continue reading...
Trump takes spotlight as Kennedy Center Honors recognizes artists
President hosts awards program, mixing politics with a celebration of stars from music and filmPresident Donald Trump solidified his takeover of Washington’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday by hosting its flagship awards program – a presidential first – mixing politics with a celebration of stars from music and film.This year’s Kennedy Center Honors, widely seen as the top US recognition for lifetime achievement in the performing arts, feted actor Sylvester Stallone, disco singer Gloria Gaynor, country musician George Strait, Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford and rock band Kiss. Continue reading...
Barnaby Joyce joins One Nation as sitting MP with promise of future Senate ticket
Former Nationals leader and ex-deputy prime minister confirms long-awaited move on MondayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has confirmed his move to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, completing his defection from the Nationals.Joyce and Hanson confirmed the widely anticipated news on Monday, less than a fortnight after Joyce officially quit the Nationals following a major breakdown in his relationship with the party he once led. Continue reading...
Japan is facing a dementia crisis – can technology help?
Elderly people aged 65 and over now make up nearly 30% of Japan's population.
Hong Kong Holds Vote as Officials Move Against ‘Anti-China’ Elements
The government is pushing hard to raise turnout in an election overshadowed by a deadly fire and public anger over safety lapses and official accountability.
Republicans in Congress mocked Trump privately, Marjorie Taylor Greene says
Georgia lawmaker says colleagues who made fun of president before 2024 win now support him out of fearRepublicans in Congress privately made fun of Donald Trump only to come around to support him when he won their party’s 2024 White House nomination, outgoing GOP House member Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Sunday.“I watched many of my colleagues go from making fun of him, making fun of how he talks, making fun of me constantly for supporting him, to when he won the primary in 2024, they all started – excuse my language, Lesley – kissing his ass,” Greene, a Georgia Republican, said in a clip of an interview that is set to air on Sunday on CBS’s 60 Minutes program. Continue reading...
UK asylum policy causes more violence and deaths, say rights groups
Home Office drive to stop small boats crossing Channel is handing more power to people smugglers, report findsThe UK’s policy to stop asylum seekers from crossing the Channel in small boats has led to an increase in violence, deaths and smuggler control, but has not deterred arrivals, according to a report by human rights organisations.The 176-page report from Humans for Rights Network, includes contributions from 17 refugee and human rights organisations operating in northern France and six in the UK. Continue reading...
New police pat-down powers in Melbourne face legal challenge from ‘Greedozer’ activist and Invasion Day rally organiser
Benny Zable worries Victoria police powers will target mask wearers, while Tarneen Onus Browne warns it will ‘supercharge the harassment’ of Indigenous peopleFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn organiser of Melbourne’s annual Invasion Day rally and an 80-year-old environmental activist are leading a federal court challenge against a Victoria police declaration allowing them to stop and search anyone in the CBD for the next six months.The Human Rights Law Centre, acting for plaintiffs Tarneen Onus Browne and Benny Zable, filed the challenge on Monday and said they want it heard by the federal court before an Invasion Day rally planned for 26 January. Continue reading...