Tony Abbott to step down from Advance role when elected Liberal party federal president

Concerns among commissioners in bloc that surge in imports could lead to decline similar to that of US rust belt townsEU commissioners will meet on Friday for crunch talks aimed at imposing new restrictions on imports from China amid growing concern that Beijing is fuelling conditions for US-style rust belt towns in Europe.The surge in imports of everything from electric cars to key components in machines, medical devices and food stuffs has been dubbed China Shock 2.0, potentially mirroring the experience in the US 25 years ago when Beijing joined the World Trade Organization. Continue reading...

Lawsuit says settlement fund was ‘fraud on the court’ that would funnel taxpayer dollars to Trump alliesDozens of former federal judges have joined the push to thwart Donald Trump’s creation of a $1.776bn “anti-weaponization fund” that would funnel taxpayer dollars to the president’s political allies.The bipartisan group of 35 judges filed a lawsuit in the southern district of Florida on Wednesday seeking to reopen Trump’s legal case against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leaking of his tax information by a whistleblower who was later sentenced to five years in prison. Continue reading...

Image was created by administrator in charge of station’s Facebook account who wanted to create ‘friendlier image’It was an arresting image and an irresistible story. A group of tough Thai police officers – five men and one woman – all wearing elaborate festival-style dresses, surrounding a drug dealer they had caught while undercover.The image, released by local police, was so compelling that it found its way on to the front page of the UK’s Daily Star, as well as in picture stories in the Telegraph, the Sun and the New York Post. Continue reading...

Americans are growing frustrated with Trump’s handling of the economy as cost of living soars ahead of midtermsUS inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in April, driven by higher energy prices amid the war with Iran, and cementing economists’ views that the Federal Reserve could hold interest rates unchanged well into next year.Surging price pressures are eroding household income and could restrain consumer spending and economic growth this quarter. Income at the disposal of households after adjusting for inflation dropped for a third straight month in April, other data showed on Thursday. Given the soaring cost of living, Americans are growing frustrated with Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. A Reuters/Ipsos survey last week showed the president’s approval rating fell to nearly its lowest level since he returned to the White House, hit by a drop in support among Republicans. Trump won the 2024 presidential election in large part because of his promise to lower inflation. Continue reading...

Recording of police interview played in Newry crown court also contained allegations about ex-DUP leader’s actionsAn alleged victim of sex abuse by Jeffrey Donaldson had nightmares about men doing “horrible things to children” and was left “feeling dirty for a long time”, a Northern Ireland court has heard.The complainant made the allegations in a police interview played to the jury in the trial of the former MP and Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader, who is charged with historical sex offences. Continue reading...

Bodies of two teenagers recovered by emergency workers following separate incidents in Kent and OxfordThe number of water-related deaths during the UK’s recent heatwave has risen to 11 after the bodies of two teenage boys were recovered in Kent and Oxford.Emergency workers recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy from the River Thames near Donnington Bridge, Oxford, at about 5.30pm on Wednesday. Thames Valley police said the boy’s family had been informed and that his death was being treated as “unexplained but not suspicious”. Continue reading...

Terry Pitchford, on death row for a murder conviction, argued that Black jurors were excluded from his trialSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US supreme court on Thursday ruled in favor of Terry Pitchford, a Black man convicted of capital murder and on death row in Mississippi, who claimed that his conviction was due to the jury having racial bias.The justices sided with Pitchford in a 5-4 vote. Continue reading...

A Night to Build Community will feature concert with Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright streaming nationwideSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The No Kings movement has announced a nationwide event on 14 June, directly counter-programming Donald Trump’s 80th birthday celebrations and a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout on the south lawn of the White House.The centerpiece is a 90-minute concert at New York’s Town Hall featuring entertainer Bette Midler, songwriter Patti Smith, actor Jane Fonda, musician Rufus Wainwright and commentator Joy Reid – streaming free nationwide, while local groups host watch parties across the country. The event is co-presented by the Committee for the First Amendment, a coalition of artists and cultural figures, and frames the US’s 250th anniversary as a moment of democratic reckoning. Continue reading...

As summers get hotter, air conditioner sales are booming. If you’re looking to invest, here’s what to considerWhen a heatwave struck the UK this week, Jon Connorton, a software developer, began monitoring temperatures inside his east Hampshire terrace house. With some rooms reaching close to 40C, it was time to deploy the air conditioner. “We just wheel it out in emergencies,” he said. “We were having trouble sleeping.”Connorton and his wife have a portable air conditioner. These plug-in devices cool interior air by removing heat from it and blowing that heat outside, typically via a large hose slung from a window or door. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Parliamentary records show the One Nation MPs claimed travel expenses for fundraising events on exclusive cruise liner where mining billionaire owns an apartmentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce billed taxpayers more than $3,000 to attend fundraising and donor events on board the luxury cruise ship The World, hosted by the mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.Guardian Australia can reveal that in December last year Hanson and Joyce attended multiple private events on the world’s largest privately owned cruise ship, on which Australia’s richest person owns an exclusive multimillion-dollar apartment. Continue reading...

Kanishka Narayan says Australia’s pioneering law has contributed to national conversation under way in BritainThe UK’s online safety minister says he has spent a week in Australia learning the “practical lessons” of the country’s under-16s social media ban amid concern that many teenagers are bypassing the law.The British government is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks after a public consultation that could see the UK follow in Australia’s footsteps and restrict access to social media for teens – including age limits or changes to allegedly addictive design features – by the end of this year. Continue reading...