Australia news live: Jim Chalmers meeting with US Treasury to discuss Trump’s steel tariffs; one dead after police standoff in Tamworth
The treasurer will continue to lobby US officials for an Australian exemption to steel and aluminium tariffs
Greens want Labor’s new Medicare plan implemented before election
The federal Greens have welcomed the Albanese government’s plan to significantly boost bulk-billing rates, as part of an $8.5bn policy, but claimed its campaigning influenced the decision.
Greens pressure works. In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.
It’s good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free. Now let’s make it law before the election.
Trade and tariffs will be part of the conversation, but not the whole conversation. That is an ongoing discussion that we’re having with our American counterparts. I don’t expect he will conclude those discussions on steel and aluminium while I’m in DC.
I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of those conversations, nor do I expect those discussions will necessarily be concluded this week, to be upfront with you.
Continue reading...Enrique Tarrio follows and insults officers who defended US Capitol on January 6
Ex-leader of far-right Proud Boys trails group through lobby of Washington hotel, engaging officer Michael Fanone
Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys group who was convicted and then pardoned for his role in the January 6 insurrection, confronted a group of police officers who defended the Capitol during the attack, accusing one of them of being a “coward”.
A video shared by Tarrio on social media on Saturday showed him following the officers, Michael Fanone, Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell, through the lobby of a Washington hotel that was hosting the Principles First summit, a conference where one of the officers received a “profile in courage” award.
Continue reading...US politics live: Donald Trump addresses Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland
US president’s 75-minute tirade of repeated false claims ranges from voter fraud and stolen-election lies to foreign wars
Donald Trump launched into his speech by assailing “the fraudsters, liars … globalists and deep-state bureaucrats” that he said “are being sent back”.
“We’re draining the swamp and restoring government by the people for the people,” he said before going on to his oft-repeated claims of Washington DC being controlled by a “sinister group of radical-left Marxist warmongers”.
Continue reading...Police shut parts of M4 motorway near Bristol after human remains discovered
Drivers had told Avon and Somerset officers that there was something on the road between junctions 20 and 21
Police have discovered human remains on a motorway carriageway near Bristol and have shut parts of two motorways in both directions.
A number of drivers called the police and reported seeing something on the road between junctions 20 and 21 of the M4 at 6.40pm on Saturday.
Continue reading...One dead in stabbing in French city of Mulhouse
Artists who represented Australia at Venice Biennale call for Khaled Sabsabi to be reinstated
Open letter from some of the country’s most distinguished artists ‘strongly protests’ at the removal of Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino
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Living artists who have represented Australia at the Venice Biennale over the past five decades – and the estates of a number of now deceased artists who have done the same – have signed an open letter to the board and chief executive of Creative Australia to reinstate sacked artist Khaled Sabsabi and his curator Michael Dagostino.
Some of Australia’s most distinguished living artists, including Imants Tillers, Mike Parr, Susan Norrie, Fiona Hall, Judy Watson, Patricia Piccinini and Tracey Moffat have signed the petition, as has the estate of Howard Arkley who represented Australia in Venice more than a quarter of a century ago.
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Continue reading...Pope remains in ‘critical’ condition after ‘respiratory crisis’
Israeli hostage only discovered fiancee had survived 7 October after his release
Eliya Cohen spent more than 500 days in captivity fearing Ziv Abud had died in Hamas attacks in 2023
An Israeli hostage only discovered his fiancee had survived the 7 October attacks after his release on Saturday, Israeli media has reported.
Eliya Cohen had spent more than 500 days in captivity fearing his bride-to-be, Ziv Abud, was dead. The last time they had seen each other, they were hiding in a shelter with relatives and friends after attending the Nova festival.
Continue reading...Two children killed by decades-old grenade in Cambodia
Accident happened in Siem Reap province that saw heavy fighting in 1980s between government soldiers and Khmer Rouge
A grenade believed to be more than 25 years old killed two toddlers when it blew up near their homes in rural Cambodia, officials said.
The accident happened on Saturday in Siem Reap province’s Svay Leu district, where there had been heavy fighting in the 1980s and 90s between Cambodian government soldiers and rebel guerrillas from the communist Khmer Rouge. The group had been ousted from power in 1979.
Continue reading...Israel confirms Shiri Bibas body has been returned
Man killed intervening in knife attack on French police officers
Macron says knife attack is ‘without any doubt an act of Islamist terrorism’
A 69-year-old man who intervened when a suspected terrorist attacked police officers with a knife shouting “Allahu Akbar” has died in eastern France.
Two police officers were also seriously injured in the suspected Islamist terrorist act, which took place in the city of Mulhouse during a demonstration in support of the Congo on Saturday afternoon. Three other police officers were lightly wounded.
Continue reading...Mali to investigate claims soldiers ‘executed’ women and children
Pope Francis in critical condition after respiratory crisis, Vatican says
Pontiff in hospital for complex lung infection and has received high flows of oxygen and blood transfusions
Pope Francis was in critical condition on Saturday after he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection, the Vatican said.
The 88-year-old pope, who remains conscious, received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.
Continue reading...California asks US government for billions in fire relief funds
French prisoner ‘The Fly’ arrested nine months after deadly van ambush
Texas measles outbreak grows to 90 cases, worst level in 30 years
Epicenter of latest outbreak had one of state’s highest immunization exemption rates for 2023-24 school year
The measles outbreak in Texas has grown to at least 90 cases, reaching historic levels, according to officials.
Since late January, 90 cases of measles have been identified in the South Plains region, the state’s department of state health services (DSHS) reported Friday. At least 16 patients have been hospitalized as a result.
Continue reading...‘Revenge porn’ abusers allowed to keep devices with explicit images
Prosecutors in England and Wales are failing to obtain orders requiring the deletion of intimate content shared without consent, analysis reveals
Perpetrators of “revenge porn” offences are being allowed to keep explicit images of their victims on their devices, after a failure by prosecutors to obtain orders requiring their deletion.
An Observer analysis of court records in intimate image abuse cases has found that orders for the offenders to give up their devices and delete photos and videos are rarely being made. Of 98 cases concluded in the magistrates courts in England and Wales in the past six months, just three resulted in a deprivation order.
Continue reading...Space mission aims to map water on surface of the moon
A probe to be launched this week aims to pinpoint sites of lunar water, which could help plan to colonise the Earth’s satellite
Space engineers are set to launch an unusual mission this week when they send a probe built by UK and US researchers to the moon to map water on its surface. Lunar Trailblazer’s two year mission is scheduled to begin on Thursday when the probe is blasted into space from Florida on a Space X Falcon rocket.
Its goal – to seek out water on the lunar surface – may seem odd given that the moon has traditionally been viewed as an arid, desiccated world. However, scientists have recently uncovered strong hints that it possesses significant quantities of water. It will be the task of Lunar Trailblazer to reveal just how much water there is near the lunar surface and pinpoint its main locations.
Continue reading...UK creative industries set behaviour standards after Strictly and MasterChef rows
An independent standards authority says the industry must learn from recent scandals and create safer working environments
New guidelines will be issued this week for the UK’s creative industries after a series of scandals including reports of inappropriate behaviour by Gregg Wallace and Gino d’Acampo, and bullying allegations on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) will set new standards with the aim of stamping out bullying, harassment and discrimination, and address “power imbalances”.
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