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7888 articles · page 56 of 165 · The World front page

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Australia

ACT commits to illegal tobacco shop crackdown after federal minister warns of 'national joke' risk

The ACT government has committed to introducing laws targeting illegal tobacco retailers, including rapid closure powers, after the federal minister leading the black market crackdown warned the territory risked becoming a "national joke". Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Health Minister Marisa Paterson issued a joint statement confirming legislation was being drafted and planned for introduction before the end of the year.

· 3 sources
World

USAID's Dismantling Leaves Nepal Exposed to Climate-Linked Disasters, Officials Say

Nepal has been hit by catastrophic flooding twice since August, and development workers say the U.S. response has been severely limited due to the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was effectively destroyed in July 2025 after funding freezes and mass layoffs under the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. The absence of USAID, once a steadfast partner in Nepal's disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response, has left the country exposed as it confronts more extreme and unpredictable climate-related disasters with fewer resources.

Australia

Two-thirds of Queenslanders doubt Brisbane 2032 Games will stay on budget, poll finds

Nearly two-thirds of Queensland voters doubt the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games can be delivered within the agreed $7.1 billion budget, exclusive polling for Brisbane Times has found. The Resolve Political Monitor survey of 434 voters conducted between October 6 and 10 reveals just 24% are confident the Games will stay on budget, while 63% are not. Only 4% of respondents said they were 'very confident', while 36% were 'not at all confident'. The state LNP government under Premier David Crisafulli has long insisted its jointly funded delivery plan with the Commonwealth will stay within the funding envelope.

· 3 sources
Australia

Exclusive Brethren leader Bruce Hales fronts inquiry over neo-Nazi election interference claims

The world leader of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, Bruce Hales, appeared before a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra on Friday to answer allegations that members of his church paid neo-Nazi associates to harass the prime minister and intimidate candidates during the 2025 federal election. It is the first time the church's supreme leader has been called to answer to parliamentary authorities, after the committee warned Mr Hales would be subpoenaed if he refused to appear.

· 4 sources
US Politics

US Sues California Over Mail-In Ballots From Likely Non-Citizens

The federal government sued California on Thursday, asking a federal judge to stop election officials from tabulating mail-in ballots from voters the government has identified as likely non-citizens until their citizenship can be verified. The civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, escalates a confrontation that began with a 48-hour demand from the Justice Department earlier this week.

· 3 sources
Australia

Spirit of Tasmania V crew hit by shigella outbreak on delivery voyage, Fair Work application reveals

A severe shigella outbreak swept through the newly built Spirit of Tasmania V during its delivery voyage from Scotland to Australia, leaving most of the crew bedridden and forcing the ship to operate with severely reduced engineering staff for nine days, according to a Fair Work Commission dispute application filed by the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE).

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

Streeting urges US to back Ukraine on Washington visit, acknowledges Starlink tensions

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urged the United States to stand by Ukraine during a visit to Washington on Tuesday, seeking to cool tensions after the US government limited Ukraine's military access to Starlink satellite services. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies before a meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Streeting acknowledged the row over Starlink and argued that supporting Ukraine was in Washington's long-term interests and a business opportunity.

· 2 sources
Geopolitics

Radioactive Ore Monazite Emerges as Key to Breaking China's Rare Earth Dominance

A global scramble is underway to break China's near-total stranglehold on rare earth elements, with the radioactive ore monazite emerging as a potential game-changer. Hundreds of mining companies, government agencies, and industrial facilities across North America, Australasia, and Europe are racing to establish alternative supply chains, but analysts warn the path is fraught with instability, risk, and geopolitical intrigue.

Geopolitics

Argentina adviser cites UK MP's election as evidence of 'Islamisation' in Falklands row

The chief adviser to Argentina's President Javier Milei has claimed that the election of a Muslim MP to the UK parliament is evidence of the 'Islamisation' of Britain and further reason for Argentina to take sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. Santiago Caputo posted on social media that sovereignty was necessary to prevent the 'interference of an Islamic state' in the South Atlantic, a post shared by Milei himself.

· 2 sources
World

Labour tells councils to end local deals with Greens unless 'Zionism is racism' policy is condemned

Labour has ordered councils that share power with the Green party to review and terminate their agreements unless local Green councillors condemn the party's newly adopted policy equating Zionism with racism. The demand, announced by Labour chair Bridget Phillipson, follows the Green party's 4 October vote in Brighton to adopt the motion, which rejects a two-state solution and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.

World

Palestine book for young readers pulled from Random House after editorial dispute

A children’s book on Palestine co-written by Palestinian American activists Alana Hadid and Jenan Matari has been pulled from Random House just before its scheduled release, after the authors objected to editorial changes they say misrepresented their views. The book, titled Displacement and the Palestinian American Story, was part of the publisher’s Race to the Truth series for readers aged 10 to 13.

US Politics

US lawmakers unveil Epstein Wall Street Records Act to probe financier's banking ties

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has introduced a bill to force financial regulators to investigate Wall Street firms and executives connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges. The Epstein Wall Street Records Act, led by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, would also compel public disclosure of Epstein-related records and allow wrongdoers to be banned from the US financial sector.

· 4 sources
US Politics

Data centre backlash emerges as US midterm election issue

A year after a longtime US senator barely thought about data centres, the issue has become a priority as a wave of public backlash drives new legislation ahead of the midterm elections. In Indiana, a massive Amazon data centre complex being built across the street from Angelita Soriano's home has made her feel like a 'guinea pig' for the technology, she told the BBC. Similar projects are facing scrutiny across the country.