Rebel Senator Fatima Payman has escalated her confrontation with the Labor Party by claiming “some members” are trying to intimidate her into quitting the Senate. The government is uncertain whether the Greens will exploit the situation with another pro-Palestinian motion to have Payman – suspended from caucus but not expelled […]
Julian Assange told Anthony Albanese he had “saved his life” in his first phone conversation after his chartered plane’s wheels touched down at Canberra’s RAAF base soon after 7:30pm on Wednesday. The prime minister, who has never met Assange, told a news conference at Parliament House immediately afterwards that Assange […]
After Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on May 20, the Iranian government had to schedule an early election to choose a new president. The regime has approved six presidential candidates to run in the election on June 28. The pool includes four hardliners, one centrist […]
After years of appeals and litigation, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has entered into a plea deal with the US government, according to court documents. He was facing one count of computer misuse and multiple counts of espionage stemming from his work with WikiLeaks, publishing sensitive US government documents provided by Chelsea Manning. The […]
The Australian Senate is set to pass a bill that will see the end of all vape sales – regardless of nicotine content – from general retailers. From July 1, non-nicotine vapes will no longer be permitted for sale outside of pharmacies. But late amendments to the bill, negotiated by the Greens, change […]
Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an increase in an array of taxes and levies for Kenyans. The mass protests, initially organised in the capital city, Nairobi, have spread across the country. Demonstrations have […]
It is very difficult to take Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear announcement seriously. His proposal for seven nuclear power stations is, at present, legally impossible, technically improbable, economically irrational and environmentally irresponsible. Given the repeated community objections to much more modest nuclear proposals, such as storage of low-level radioactive waste, there is almost […]
New Zealand’s understaffed and underfunded midwifery sector is hoping to benefit from increased health funding announced in the 2024 budget. The government has promised NZ$8.15 billion in additional operating capital for the health system, with $3.44 billion earmarked for hospital and speciality services and $2.12 billion for primary care and public health. […]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed improving military-to-military communications to avoid future incidents involving their armed forces in their wide-ranging meeting on Monday. This follows an encounter last year in which Australian Navy divers were targeted with sonar and one this year when […]
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is visiting Australia from June 15 to 18. It is the first visit to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years, and signals a further thawing of the once-frosty relations between the two countries. Who is Li Qiang? The premier leads the State Council and is ranked […]
