Insults and a haka in New Zealand parliament as MPs debate Māori rights bill

Posted on by

Voting temporarily suspended amid disruptions including a Māori party MP ripping up a copy of the bill

New Zealand’s parliament has erupted into fiery debate, personal attacks and a haka over a controversial bill that proposes to radically alter the way New Zealand’s treaty between Māori and the crown is interpreted.

The treaty principles bill was tabled by the libertarian Act party – a minor partner in New Zealand’s coalition government – and passed its first reading on Thursday, amid scathing speeches and disruptions.

Continue reading...

Efune insists his Daily and Sunday Telegraph bid is still on track

Posted on by

Asset manager Oaktree out of running as backer but businessman has ‘high confidence’ he will get finance

The British owner of the New York Sun has said his £550m offer to buy the Daily and Sunday Telegraph is still on track, despite a big potential backer not joining the bid.

Dovid Efune entered exclusive talks to buy the Telegraph titles last month after submitting the highest bid in the second round of the auction for the titles.

Continue reading...

Anger as CFMEU ‘sweetheart deal’ suspended in Queensland government crackdown

Posted on by

Union members hit out at LNP as deputy premier announces pause on pay and conditions policy

A “sweetheart deal” for the CFMEU has been suspended in an unprecedented crackdown after the embattled union was blamed for major project cost blowouts.

Construction union “perks” were put on ice as the Queensland government stepped up a campaign to tackle the CFMEU, with some union members clearly not happy.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Iran announces ‘treatment clinic’ for women who defy strict hijab laws

Posted on by

The move has been described as ‘chilling’ by activists and rights groups as arrests mount over dress code breaches

The Iranian state has said that it plans to open a treatment clinic for women who defy the mandatory hijab laws that require women to cover their heads in public.

The opening of a “hijab removal treatment clinic” was announced by Mehri Talebi Darestani, the head of the Women and Family Department of the Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. She said the clinic will offer “scientific and psychological treatment for hijab removal”.

Continue reading...

Australia backs UN resolution recognising ‘permanent sovereignty’ of Palestinians in major departure

Posted on by

Vote cast with 158 other countries to recognise ‘permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory’

Australia has backed in a United Nations resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, marking a major departure from its previous position.

At a UN committee vote on Thursday, Australia voted with 158 other countries, including the UK and New Zealand, on a resolution to recognise the “permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Alexis Wright wins $60,000 Melbourne literature prize

Posted on by

The Waanyi writer, who won the Miles Franklin award and Stella prize this year for her novel Praiseworthy, has been recognised for her body of work and contribution to Australian culture

Alexis Wright has been awarded the $60,000 Melbourne prize for literature, capping off an extraordinary year in which she has won more than $200,000 in prize money after the publication of her epic novel, Praiseworthy.

The Melbourne prize for literature, awarded every three years, recognises a Victorian writer whose “body of published work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life”. Past winners include Christos Tsiolkas, Alison Lester and Helen Garner.

Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning

Continue reading...

North Korean soldiers fight alongside Russians in Kursk Oblast – Euromaidan Press

Posted on by
  1. North Korean soldiers fight alongside Russians in Kursk Oblast  Euromaidan Press
  2. 50,000 Russian and North Korean Troops Mass Ahead of Attack, U.S. Says  The New York Times
  3. Ukraine is fighting 50,000 troops in Russia’s Kursk region, Zelensky says  CNN
  4. US warns Russia potentially aiding North Korea's nuclear program in direct threat to Europe, Asia  Fox News
  5. Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press  Department of State
Posted in Uncategorized

Ukraine War Latest Update: Ukraine Braces for Critical Winter Phase as Front Line May Shift 35 km Westward – Kyiv Post

Posted on by
  1. Ukraine War Latest Update: Ukraine Braces for Critical Winter Phase as Front Line May Shift 35 km Westward  Kyiv Post
  2. Further mass displacement possible in Ukraine if energy sector hit, UN warns  Reuters
  3. Ukraine Is Scavenging for Power-Plant Parts as Mass Blackouts Loom  The Wall Street Journal
  4. Ukraine needs ‘fast and focused’ help with energy security, ERBD Ukraine head says  Kyiv Independent
  5. Can Alternative Energy Get Ukraine Through The Blackouts This Winter? (video)  Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Posted in Uncategorized

One dead following blasts at Brazil Supreme Court – BBC.com

Posted on by
  1. One dead following blasts at Brazil Supreme Court  BBC.com
  2. Explosions Outside Brazil’s Supreme Court Leave 1 Dead  The New York Times
  3. Explosives and timer found on suspect’s body after attack on Brazil’s top court  CNN
  4. Bombings in Brazil’s capital revive fears over fate of democracy  The Washington Post
  5. Judge investigating 2023 coup was court bomb target, say Brazilian police  The Guardian
Posted in Uncategorized