‘Make showers great again’: Why Trump’s fighting bathroom water pressure
Trump's new executive order declares showerheads will not be 'weak and worthless' any more. But what about water bills?
Apple said to be flying iPhones from India to US to avoid Trump tariffs
Tech firm has reportedly flown 600 tonnes of handsets from Indian factories as Chinese goods face huge tariffs
Apple is reportedly chartering cargo flights to ferry iPhones from its Indian manufacturing plants to the US in an attempt to beat Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The tech company has flown 600 tonnes of iPhones, or as many as 1.5m handsets, to the US from India since March after ramping up production at its plants in the country, according to Reuters.
Continue reading...Coalition election win could cause loss of hundreds of jobs at agency scrutinising aged care mistreatment, modelling says
Exclusive: Peter Dutton’s plan to reduce public service may see 26.5% jobs at Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission disappear, according to union
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Hundreds of jobs could be lost at the government agency responsible for investigating allegations of serious wrongdoing and mistreatment in aged care homes if the Coalition wins the election, the public sector union has warned.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has hired more than 500 public servants since the 2022 election to deal with a backlog of complaints from residents and to resolve a “staggering” number of real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest involving consultants paid millions of dollars to conduct audits in homes.
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Continue reading...Australian comedian ditches US trip due to concern she could be denied entry over Trump jokes
Alice Fraser thought she was being paranoid until her lawyer advised her jokes about Donald Trump and Elon Musk could be scrutinised at US airport
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An award-winning Australian comedian has cancelled a planned trip to the US after receiving legal advice that she could be stopped at the border due to her previous jokes about the Trump administration.
Alice Fraser, who has appeared on Australia’s ABC and the BBC and toured internationally, was due to head to New York in the first week of May to promote her recently published book.
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Continue reading...NSW solar farm to supply almost half energy needs of major gas company
Shift away from fossil fuels by BOC is expected to cut company’s Australian emissions 40% by 2035 and follows similar commitment by Rio Tinto
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A major industrial gas company in Australia will shift its power use away from fossil fuels and instead meet nearly half its electricity needs across three states from solar.
BOC, owned by global gas and engineering company Linde, supplies speciality gases to large manufacturers, industry and oxygen to hospitals.
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Continue reading...‘Every year matters’: Queensland’s critically endangered ‘bum-breathing’ turtle battles the odds
Guardian Australia is highlighting the plight of our endangered native species during an election campaign that is ignoring broken environment laws and rapidly declining ecosystems
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A rare “bum-breathing” turtle found in a single river system in Queensland has suffered one of its worst breeding seasons on record due to flooding last December. It has prompted volunteers to question how many more “bad years” the species can survive.
A freshwater species that breathes by absorbing oxygen through gill-like structures in its tail, the Mary River turtle is endemic to south-east Queensland. Its population has fallen by more than 80% since the 1960s and its conservation status was upgraded from endangered to critically endangered last year.
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Continue reading...‘A time of great anxiety’: renters fear surge in no-grounds evictions before NSW ban comes into force
Housing organisations welcome the new laws but are bracing for a spike in evictions before the change takes effect
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Renters and advocates are worried there could be a surge in no-grounds evictions in New South Wales over the coming month as landlords act ahead of the law changing in mid-May.
The Tenants’ Union of NSW says it’s a “real risk” and the Minns government has dropped the ball by not putting interim measures in place to protect renters.
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Continue reading...Gender politics: will the 2025 election send more female MPs to Australia’s parliament?
Labor has made great strides towards gender equality among its MPs and senators, but the number of female Coalition members remains stubbornly low
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The 47th parliament was Australia’s most diverse to date. Both houses broke records for gender, ethnic and cultural diversity.
Across both houses in the outgoing parliament, the gender split was 55% to 45% in favour of men. Women made up 39% of the House of Representatives and 58% of the Senate.
Continue reading...Trump-China tariff war: What could the US gain and lose?
Trump's 125 percent tariffs on Chinese imports come into force amid market relief elsewhere.
Thanks, Donald! Tourist travel to the US falls off a cliff – Boing Boing
- Thanks, Donald! Tourist travel to the US falls off a cliff Boing Boing
- ‘It’s like our friend started a fist fight with us’: These Europeans are skipping US travel CNN
- International travel is declining, and it's costing the US: 'It's shaking everything up' USA Today
- US expected a big travel year, but overseas visitors — angered by Trump — are heading elsewhere AP News
- ‘Tumult and uncertainty’: Massport gets ready for potential slowdown at shipping terminals, Logan Airport The Boston Globe
More than 200 dead after Dominican Republic nightclub disaster, as search for survivors ends – CNN
- More than 200 dead after Dominican Republic nightclub disaster, as search for survivors ends CNN
- Celebrities Join in Mourning the Jet Set Nightclub Tragedy The Cut
- Pedro Martinez: Family missing after roof collapse ESPN
- Nightclub Owner Breaks Silence on Roof Collapse Disaster, Death Toll Reaches 218 People.com
- ‘Eight Hours Under Rubble’: Details Emerge in Dominican Republic Nightclub Tragedy Rolling Stone
Unpacking Israel’s war on international humanitarian law
Israel has tried to legally justify its attacks and treatment of Palestinians, even as it goes against international law
Who is Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s Conservative leader?
Poilievre faces tight election race to become prime minister in campaign dominated by Trump threats.
France could recognise Palestinian state ‘in June’, says Emmanuel Macron – as it happened
This blog is now closed, you can read more of our Middle East coverage here
Turkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources said on Thursday.
According to Reuters, the sources said the technical talks, in Azerbaijan, marked the beginning of efforts to set up a channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region.
Continue reading...Activists turn US embassy pond blood red in London
Greenpeace activists in London have turned the US embassy’s pond blood red in protest of arms sales to Israel.
Netanyahu backs dismissal of Israeli reservists calling for end to Gaza war
About 1,000 current and retired Israeli Air Force pilots sign letter, saying Gaza war only serves 'political interests'.
Greenpeace UK boss arrested over US embassy dye protest – BBC
- Greenpeace UK boss arrested over US embassy dye protest BBC
- British police arrest Greenpeace UK head over red-dye protest at US embassy, group says Reuters
- Greenpeace protesters pour ‘blood’ into US embassy pond The Telegraph
- Activists turn US embassy pond blood red in London Al Jazeera
- Greenpeace UK co-head arrested for pouring red dye into US embassy pond The Guardian
Ecuador’s Indigenous movement splinters over presidential election support
Indigenous voters likely hold the key to the April 13 election. But internal divisions may cost them their influence.
Could Donald Trump’s tariffs destroy globalisation?
Implications of US trade policies cause alarm far and wide.
Russian advances in Ukraine slow down despite growing force size
Two analyses have captured Moscow's battlefield struggles amid US-mediated talks to end the war.