Australia news live: border force seizes illegal machine that can make 3.6m cigarettes a day; government closely monitoring Nipah virus spread overseas
Federal health minister says Australia has no protocols yet for sick travellers who arrive in country. Follow today’s news updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland health minister said federal government still has to bridge the gap on funding dealTim Nicholls, the Queensland health minister, said he still thinks there’s a “bit of water to flow under the bridge” in discussions between states and the federal government over hospital funding.There’s quite a bit of work for the commonwealth to do to step up to the mark because the last offer that was put forward was rejected by states. Because it was inadequate and failed to address the burgeoning problems that we have.We’re negotiating respectfully with them, but quite frankly, the most recent offer wasn’t up to scratch, and we hope to see some improvements on it. Continue reading...
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Senate Democrats reportedly reach deal to avert partial government shutdown
Deal reportedly calls for splitting a funding bill for DHS from a package of other funding billsSenators have reportedly reached a deal to advance a major package of spending bills to avert a partial government shutdown that was set to begin on Saturday.The deal has not yet been publicly confirmed but was reported by Reuters and the New York Times on Thursday evening. The Guardian has reached out to the office of Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, for comment.Shrai Popat contributed reporting from Minneapolis Continue reading...
Senate reaches deal to advance package of spending bills to avert US government shutdown – live
Agreement splits Department of Homeland Security spending bill from package as Democrats call for changes to immigration enforcement“I do not want to hear that “everything that’s been done here has been perfect”, Homan said, without referring specifically to the fatal shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.Homan noted that while no “agency is perfect” he did not come to Minneapolis to create “headlines”. The federal immigration enforcement surge is “going to improve because of changes we’re making”, he said. Continue reading...
Michael Beck, 65, Dies; First to Report Symptoms of ‘Havana Syndrome’
As an employee with the N.S.A., he claimed he was exposed to a direct-energy device that led to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Agents in Minneapolis could be pulled back if local officials cooperate, border tsar says
Tom Homan said the immigration operation would be more "targeted", as the Trump administration works to calm frustrations both in the city and on Capitol Hill
Venezuelan Lawmakers Approve Sweeping Overhaul of Oil Sector
Bowing to Trump administration pressure, the new legislation improves conditions for foreign oil companies and opens the way to slash the taxes they pay.
Nine sells radio stations including 2GB and 3AW to Sydney pub baron Arthur Laundy
Media company also buys digital advertising billboard company QMS for $850mThe nation’s biggest media company, Nine Entertainment, has sold its talkback radio stations to a Sydney pub baron for $56m and bought outdoor advertising company QMS Media for $850m, in a major upheaval for Australia’s media landscape.Nine Radio, which owns 2GB, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR, 2UE, Magic1278 and 4BH, has been offloaded as talk radio profits dwindle and the audience skews ever older. Continue reading...
AI use in breast cancer screening cuts rate of later diagnosis by 12%, study finds
Swedish study of 100,000 women found higher rate of early detection, suggesting potential to support radiologistsThe use of artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening reduces the rate of a cancer diagnosis by 12% in subsequent years and leads to a higher rate of early detection, according to the first trial of its kind.Researchers said the study was the largest to date looking at AI use in cancer screening. It involved 100,000 women in Sweden who were part of mammography screening and were randomly assigned to either AI-supported screening or to a standard reading by two radiologists between April 2021 and December 2022. Continue reading...
Georgia lawmakers express alarm to see Tulsi Gabbard at FBI elections office raid
Democratic senators question national intelligence head’s fitness for office after overt, unexplained appearanceDemocratic lawmakers are raising questions about why Tulsi Gabbard, the president’s director of national intelligence, was “lurking” in Fulton county on Wednesday while FBI agents carted off boxes of 2020 election documents.Gabbard visited an elections hub in Fulton county, home to Atlanta, on Wednesday as the FBI executed a search warrant for records related to the 2020 election. The warrant sought all ballots from the 2020 election in the county, tabulator tapes, ballot images and voter rolls, according to a warrant obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...
Canada’s Carney hails new trade deals, ‘expects’ US to respect sovereignty
Canadian prime minister has sought to rally 'middle powers' to respond to an increasingly unpredictable global climate.