Articles about Nation

Premier Peter Malinauskas appears on track for a landslide win as Liberal party’s lower-house seats tipped to be reduced to single digitsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Malinauskas appears on track for a landslide re-election victory in South Australia’s state election as polls closed at 6pm, local time (6.30pm AEDT), on Saturday.The race is a key test of the surge in support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, with the Liberal opposition’s lower-house seats tipped to be reduced to single digits. Continue reading...

Cases emerge after other people tell of change in Home Office policy on passports that has left people scramblingTwo more British teenagers have found themselves unable to return to the UK because of new Home Office border rules on British dual nationals.Their cases emerged just hours after reports a 16-year-old British schoolgirl was blocked from boarding a flight in Denmark home to the UK because she was a dual national and did not have a British passport. She has missed two weeks of school so far. Continue reading...

Aoi Baxter was the party’s candidate for the state seat of Adelaide in Saturday’s election Former South Australian One Nation candidate, Aoi Baxter, has been dumped by the rightwing party, after media reports claiming there is a warrant for his arrest in the UK.Baxter, who was reportedly previously known as Trent Baxter, had allegedly failed to appear at a court hearing, according to reporting by the ABC. A UK court confirmed to the ABC a warrant had been issued for the arrest of a man named Trent Baxter. Continue reading...

Calls for Pennsylvania senator – Trump’s ‘favorite Democrat’ – to resign after casting decisive committee voteDemocrats reacted with outrage to their party colleague John Fetterman’s decision to advance the nomination of Republican US senator Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary.Fetterman, the senior US senator from Pennsylvania, has in recent months broken with the party several times to support Republican proposals, and has routinely expressed staunch support for Israel. He cast the decisive committee vote on Thursday to advance Mullin’s nomination to succeed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration designated AI company Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' and ordered federal agencies to stop using its technology, prompting Anthropic to file a lawsuit against the government. • Major tech firms including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI have backed Anthropic through amicus briefs and legal support, warning that blacklisting an American company harms U.S. innovation and competitiveness against China. • The conflict stems from late February tensions when Trump publicly criticized Anthropic, leading to contract cancellations and raising concerns about uncertainty throughout the broader technology industry.

Exclusive: Error in second half of 2025 came after IRS saw over a quarter of its workforce reduced after huge cuts by DogeA technical glitch at the understaffed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is masking millions of dollars in campaign contributions to state-level election groups, including key governor and attorney general races, a campaign finance watchdog has told the Guardian.A total of $51m for the second half of 2025 remains unaccounted for due to this technical error, according to the Center for Political Accountability (CPA), a non-profit that tracks corporate spending. Continue reading...

LSE research found some Reform councillors have denied the reality of climate science, and mention of climate has been removed from strategy documentsGood morning. Seven weeks from today, counting will be taking place for the English local elections and, unless the polls are more wrong than they have ever been before, Reform UK will be celebrating record wins. The commentary will focus on the implications for national politics. But councils have significant powers, and a report today says Reform wins in local government could have a significant impact on climate policy.We know that Reform UK are opposed to net zero, and they have pledged to cut green subsidies, but there is still some lack of clarity as to exactly what they would do on climate policy. Some Reform UK figures refuse point-blank to acknowledge that human-made global heating is a reality. Others claim they are just opposed to the pace of transition to renewables. But Nigel Farage, the party leader, has a long history of climate change scepticism.• Seven Reform UK-led councils have “scrapped” their climate targets and climate change denial has been expressed by Reform UK councillors in five councils. Some of these councils have removed content about climate change from strategy documents.• While work related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions continues in these councils, mitigating climate change is no longer explicitly cited as the motivation.In our study we found that ‘scrapping net zero’ is not only a policy position but a signal of a broader retreat from treating climate change as urgent. This takes the form of both delaying action and outright climate change denial. Voters should be aware that this is the case.In the upcoming local elections in May, should Reform UK expand its council base, we can expect further retreat from climate action. The government must be alert to this challenge, given the importance of local authorities to the delivery of national climate goals. Continue reading...

• Heartland Forward-commissioned research released March 19 reveals broad U.S. consensus on maternal health priorities and actionable steps forward. • Conducted in Bentonville, Ark., the poll finds Americans ready to address maternal care gaps nationwide. • Results point to unified public support for policy and community interventions to boost outcomes.

Conservative leader says debate not about freedom of religion, but its expression in shared public spaceUK politics live – latest updatesKemi Badenoch has backed her shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, after he claimed that Islamic prayers taking place in public are intimidating and un-British, with Labour saying the Conservatives had embraced the “gutter” politics of prejudice.The row began after Timothy posted images on social media of prayer at a Ramadan event in London’s Trafalgar Square, saying mass prayer in public places was “an act of domination” and “straight from the Islamist playbook”. Continue reading...

Republican senator’s nomination will now be considered by full Senate, where the GOP appears poised to confirm himSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA key Senate committee on Thursday advanced Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on a near party line vote, a day after the Republican senator faced questions at his confirmation hearing about his approach to Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda and accusations of encouraging violence.Nearly all eight Republicans on the Senate committee on homeland security and governmental affairs voted to advance Mullin’s nomination, with the sole exception of the panel’s chair, Rand Paul of Kentucky, who the day prior had harshly criticized his colleague for comments he made about a neighbor who assaulted Paul in 2017, and an incident six years later in which Mullin readied himself to fight a witness at a committee hearing. Continue reading...

World-leading laws to be tested ahead of South Australian state election, complicated by Hanson and Bernardi’s political statusGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCory Bernardi says he will pay for multiple flights with Pauline Hanson in a plane registered to Gina Rinehart’s company amid confusion about whether the trips may contravene South Australia’s new laws banning political donations.Saturday’s SA election is the first since the new laws came into effect. There are a range of exemptions to the ban, but it is not clear if any of them apply to One Nation as parties, candidates and the electoral commission work through the “world-leading” laws for the first time. Continue reading...

Taith programme, set up after UK’s post-Brexit withdrawal from Erasmus+, faces uncertain future over fundingA “life-changing” international learning programme set up in Wales after Brexit is at risk of being closed down.Taith, which means “journey” in Welsh/Cymraeg, was established by the Senedd in 2022 after the UK pulled out of the Erasmus+ student exchange programme. Its reach is much wider: many participants get involved through schools, youth groups or adult education centres, and nearly half come from underrepresented backgrounds. Data suggests Taith has already funded approximately twice as many projects in Wales as Erasmus+ did, working with less money. Continue reading...

• The Varieties of Democracy Institute at Sweden's Gothenburg University found that Trump's second term is characterized by swift concentration of executive power, suppression of dissent, and targeting of civil rights at a rate comparable to some coups d'état. • The Trump administration is flouting Congress and the judiciary, attacking courts while the Department of Homeland Security openly violates dozens of judicial orders, and has unilaterally reallocated federal funding including a $10 billion gift to the "Board of Peace" without congressional approval. • Republican-controlled Congress has "abdicated its constitutional role" by ceding legislative, fiscal, and oversight powers to the executive branch during 2025, while the administration undoes civil rights achievements and suppresses left-wing dissent.

• The US national debt exceeded $39 trillion on Wednesday, a record milestone reached just weeks into the US-Israeli war in Iran, driven by competing priorities including tax cuts, defense spending, and immigration enforcement. • White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett estimated the Iran war has cost more than $12 billion so far, with the federal debt having grown from $37 trillion two months ago to $38 trillion five months ago, now reaching $39 trillion. • The Government Accountability Office warns rising debt increases borrowing costs for mortgages and cars, reduces business investment and wages, and makes goods and services more expensive for Americans.

CenTax warns bill under debate in parliament has ‘easily exploitable’ loopholes and will not prevent foreign interferencePolitical donations by companies should be banned to protect UK elections from foreign interference, a thinktank has warned.In the first big overhaul of election funding in 26 years, ministers have pledged to “keep British democracy safe” by closing a loophole that allows individuals not eligible to vote in Britain to donate to political parties through UK-registered companies. Continue reading...

• The State Department announced on March 18 that effective April 2, 2026, citizens from 12 additional countries—Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia—must post bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for U.S. visas. • After April 2, the total number of countries subject to the visa bond requirement will expand to 50, primarily targeting nations with high overstay rates, particularly in Africa; visa applicants must post bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on their circumstances and consular officer discretion. • The Trump administration program, rolled out last year to combat visa overstays and illegal migration, has demonstrated effectiveness, with the State Department reporting that nearly 97% of almost 1,000 bond-posting applicants have not overstayed their visas.

Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London compared children given dolls to those given a video gamesPlaying along with dolls can help boys and girls develop more sophisticated imaginations and better social skills, compared with children who play on electronic devices, according to research.Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London found that children given dolls gained a richer appreciation of other people’s beliefs and feelings, in contrast to those given a tablet loaded with video games. Continue reading...

Commonwealth ombudsman also finds Victoria and Queensland police not keeping adequate recordsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales police force is overusing intrusive technology to monitor the phones and computers of people suspected of committing less serious crime, the commonwealth ombudsman has found.The watchdog said Victoria and Queensland police were not keeping sufficient records to justify their use of the electronic surveillance powers, while NSW police “were unable to demonstrate” they were meeting the requirements of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. Continue reading...

Trump pick for homeland security secretary followed firing of Kristi Noem amid blowback for anti-immigration tacticsA Senate committee on Wednesday will consider Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Democrats have forced into a partial shutdown until their demands for guardrails on immigration enforcement are met.Donald Trump nominated Mullin, a first-term Republican senator from Oklahoma, as DHS secretary earlier this month, after the president ousted secretary Kristi Noem amid public blowback against the administration’s aggressive approach to its mass deportation agenda, which resulted in the killings of two US citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Continue reading...

Governments in countries heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil introduce measures to shield public from soaring costsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIn Thailand, news anchors ditched their jackets on air as the government called on the public to reduce their use of air conditioning to save energy. In the Philippines, many government workers are now operating on a four-day week. In Vietnam, officials have urged employers to allow staff to work from home.Across south-east Asia, governments are scrambling to find ways to conserve energy and shield the public from soaring costs as war in the Middle East causes what the International Energy Agency has described as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. Continue reading...

Putting Pauline Hanson’s party above Labor on how-to-vote cards is a gamble for Ashton Hurn’s leadership, with the Liberals facing potential eclipseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australian politics rarely takes a central position in national news, but this Saturday’s state election will be watched much more closely than usual for potential federal implications.It is shaping up as a perfect storm for a struggling Liberal party: under pressure from a popular first-term Labor government, while One Nation eats into the Liberal base. The election will be a first test of One Nation’s growing support nationally, with federal polls showing Pauline Hanson’s party regularly outpolling a weakened Coalition. Continue reading...

Prime minister says US–Israeli war on Iran has shifted the international reality, likening current economic shock to Covid pandemic and Ukraine invasionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese says the federal government is preparing new measures to help shield households from the economic fallout of the war in Iran, likening supply chain and fuel disruptions to the Covid-19 pandemic.Announcing a snap meeting of national cabinet on fuel supply set to take place on Thursday morning, the prime minister used a speech to the Australian Automotive Dealer Association in Sydney to warn the international reality had shifted because of the US and Israeli-led bombings. Continue reading...

Home secretary Yvette Cooper says this amounts to a third of those who were in region at outset of hostilitiesThe number of UK nationals flown back from the Middle East since the start of the conflict with Iran reached 100,000 on Tuesday, Britain’s foreign secretary has said.This is a third of the 300,000 who were in the region at the outset of hostilities, Yvette Cooper told parliament, many of whom were stuck when airspace was closed. The figure included tourists and Gulf residents who have temporary left. Continue reading...

• Cuba's national electricity grid failed Monday, leaving millions without power in the third major blackout in four months due to U.S.-imposed energy blockade under President Trump. • Trump stated to reporters, 'I do believe I’ll be the honor of — having the honor of taking Cuba... think I could do anything I want with it,' amid reports of U.S. pressure for President Miguel Díaz-Canel to resign. • The crisis exacerbates humanitarian conditions on the island, tying into broader U.S. foreign policy shifts.

• Amnesty International investigation concludes the U.S. conducted an airstrike on an Iranian school, killing about 170 people, mostly children, amid escalating U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. • The report highlights the attack as part of broader military actions that have injured at least 200 U.S. troops and killed 13 service members since the conflict began over two weeks ago. • Pentagon deploys thousands more U.S. Marines and warships to the Middle East, signaling intensified U.S. involvement in the region.

Chancellor seeks to tackle centralised and ‘geographically unequal’ country in ‘a genuine break with the past’Business live – latest updatesRachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up plans to give regional leaders a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy of England.Setting out her intention of creating “investment-led growth”, the chancellor promised “a genuine break with the past” that would shift spending power away from Westminster. Continue reading...

Only half the road network is in good condition despite 1.9m repairs last year, says industry bodyA losing battle with potholes has now seen the backlog of repairs across England and Wales reach a record £18.6bn, according to an annual industry estimate, despite councils filling in about 1.9m holes last year.The “national disgrace” of dangerously pockmarked local roads has been exacerbated by a notably wet winter, with only half of the network now reported to be in good condition. Continue reading...

• President Trump is attempting to garner international support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway where oil transport has halted since the US and Israel began their war with Iran on day 17 of the conflict. • Trump claimed the US received "some positive response" from countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, though Australia and Japan have stated they will not send warships; the UK said it is discussing options while China called for an immediate end to hostilities. • The blockade has caused oil prices to rise significantly, with the Strait of Hormuz responsible for transporting approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply; Trump warned NATO faces a "very bad" future if US allies fail to assist in reopening the shipping lane.