The Guardian

Attorney general Deb Frecklington says ban was a ‘financial gerrymander’ because it didn’t apply to trade unions Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Queensland’s Liberal National party government will overturn a ban on property developer donations and quadruple the state cap on electoral donations, after tabling new laws which the Greens claim will “legalise another avenu…

Emergency warning issued for parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s south-east Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A life-threatening bushfire is burning near suburban homes in Perth, with residents warned to leave and multiple roads already closed. An emergency warning has been issued in parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenha…

Letter written hours before her execution in 1587 will form part of exhibition and programme of events in Perth aiming to bring queen’s story to life A letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots hours before her execution in 1587 will go on display for the first time in nearly a decade when it forms part of an exhibition in Perth next year. Mary wrote what is believed to be her last letter at 2am on …

Republican senator Rand Paul said it was ‘not the job of the American government to go looking for monsters around the world’ When Pete Hegseth was made Donald Trump’ s secretary of war, there was shock and consternation. Since then he has put highly classified plans to bomb Yemen on a group chat and ordered executions of Venezuelans in the sea, reportedly insisting they “kill everybody”, even wh…

The federal opposition and crossbenchers have backed a review of expenses spending rules Anthony Albanese has sidestepped calls for reform or an inquiry into politicians’ expenses and travel perks, saying he is more focused on the under-16s social media ban than growing community outrage over MP’s using taxpayer funds to fly their spouses to football games, cricket matches and exclusive dinners. …

British government also rejects president’s claims on sovereignty over Falkland Islands as he suggests wanting to make Argentina a ‘world military power’ The British government has denied it is engaged in negotiations to lift a ban on selling arms to Argentina that has been in place since the Falklands war. Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, told the Daily Telegraph his government had begu…

As part of wider strategy, opposition is exploring options to force visa holders to adhere to ‘Australian values’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Curtailing procedural rights for asylum seekers will trigger more appeals and keep people “in limbo for years”, advocates warn, as the opposition weighs a hardline plan to speed up deportations. The Asylum Seeker Resource Ce…

Wartime defences in Surrey and model boat club boathouse in Birmingham among this year’s unusual listings If Nazi tanks had ever attempted to invade Guildford, they surely would have been thwarted by concrete pyramid-shaped obstacles known as “dragon’s teeth”. Eight decades after the defences were installed in Surrey woodland, their history is being remembered by Historic England (HE), which has …

Some businesses still waiting for final EHRC guidance while firms that moved early to exclude trans people show no sign of backtracking On Monday, a Dundee employment tribunal ruled a narrow win for Sandie Peggie , the nurse who complained about sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor. But the lengthy judgment also takes on the pivotal question that has been challenging employers, lawye…

Former chancellor also says Johnson was ‘least well briefed’ of the PMs he had served Sajid Javid told Boris Johnson he was a “puppet” of Dominic Cummings before he resigned as chancellor rather than accept a Cummings-led takeover of his Treasury, he has said in an interview about his experiences as a minister. Speaking to the Institute for Government (IfG), Javid also said that his other departu…

Ecologically important Diadema africanum almost eliminated by unknown disease in Canary Islands A marine pandemic is bringing some species of sea urchin to the brink of extinction, and some populations have disappeared altogether, a study has found . Since 2021, Diadema africanum urchins in the Canary Island archipelago have almost entirely been killed by an unknown disease. There has been a 99.7…

John Harris speaks to Yinka Bankole about his treatment as a nine-year-old at Dulwich college when Nigel Farage was a prefect. Plus, Kiran Stacey and John discuss whether Reform UK supporters will start to feel uneasy about the allegations of racism against Farage Continue reading...

Exclusive: letters with deepfake images of Carmen Lau in UK and targeting of Ted Hui in Australia part of growing harassment Sexually explicit letters and “lonely housewife” posters about high-profile pro-democracy Hong Kong exiles have been sent to people in the UK and Australia, marking a ratcheting up in the transnational harassment faced by critics of the Chinese Communist party’s rule in the…

Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’ The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was “not normal”. In Sri Lanka, some floods reach…

In survey, US school principals describe ‘climate of distress’ and declines in student attendance amid crackdowns Immigrant students across the US have experienced increased bullying, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns causing declines in attendance and a “culture of fear” among immigrant students in public schools, according to a new survey of high school principals. Resea…