Daytime temperatures on Friday were 10 to 14C above average in four statesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRecord-breaking warm temperatures for the start of May in many parts of the country will be washed out by a cold front bringing rain, thunderstorms and much cooler weather.A high-pressure system dragged warm northerly winds across south-east Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said. Continue reading...
• The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Homeland Security appropriations bill on Thursday, clearing the way to end a two‑month agency shutdown that had idled parts of federal immigration, border, and cybersecurity operations.
• President Donald Trump signed the measure shortly after, restoring full funding for the Department of Homeland Security and averting potential disruptions to airport security, deportation operations, and border enforcement through the fiscal year.
• The shutdown clash pitted Trump allies against centrist Republicans and Democrats over border enforcement levels, but the final bill preserved core Trump‑era border initiatives while softening some hard‑line spending demands.
There were 66 deaths in custody and police operations in 2025 – 18 more than the previous yearWarning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedThere were a record number of New South Wales deaths in custody and police operations last year, with almost a quarter of prisoner deaths recorded as self-harm, a coroners court report states.Of those who killed themselves, most were by hanging, despite millions being invested to remove ligature points. Continue reading...
• Oil prices surged amid Iran-U.S. conflict threatening global supplies, but U.S. stocks remained resilient near record highs driven by strong earnings from Visa and Starbucks on April 29, 2026.
• S&P 500 edged down 0.1%, Dow fell 286 points or 0.6%, Nasdaq up 0.1%; Visa shares jumped 8.3% on resilient consumer spending per CEO Ryan McInerney, Starbucks climbed 8.6% with higher per-visit spending in North America.
• Federal Reserve officials hinted at no 2026 rate cuts, nearly eliminating investor bets and nearly favoring hikes due to inflation from energy prices; bond market trembled.
USS Gerald R Ford to sail home after 10-month spell including role in Maduro capture and Middle East warThe world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, will be heading home following a record-setting deployment of more than 300 days that included participating in the war against Iran and capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, two US officials said Wednesday.The Ford will be leaving the Middle East in the coming days and returning to its home port in Virginia in mid-May, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail sensitive military movements. The Washington Post reported the development earlier. Continue reading...
Rise in electricity demand in first quarter of 2026 was moderated by record output from rooftop solarGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore datacentres and warmer conditions helped push electricity demand to record highs in the first three months of the year, according to Australia’s Energy Market Operator, while growth in batteries kept average wholesale prices down.Electricity demand – from households, business and industry – reached record levels of 25GW in Q1 2026, an increase of 1.2% compared with the same quarter last year. Across the grid, this growth was offset by record output from rooftop solar. Continue reading...
Patrick Vallance says government working with Chinese officials to remove postings from Alibaba after Biobank data breach last weekThere have been further listings of confidential health records of UK volunteers on the Chinese website Alibaba since the breach reported last week and the government is braced for further leaks, the science minister has said.Addressing a House of Lords debate on the attempted sale of data belonging to 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers, Patrick Vallance said the government has worked with Chinese officials to remove additional postings on the online marketplace. Continue reading...
Ex-NIAID employee David Morens accused of trying to shield correspondence related to outbreak of pandemicAn ex-adviser to former top public US health official Anthony Fauci has been indicted by Trump administration prosecutors on accusations that he illicitly concealed federal records during the Covid pandemic.The justice department on Tuesday announced charges against David Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland, amid a sharply divisive debate over the origins of the coronavirus, which has become particularly politicized during Donald Trump’s two presidencies. Competing theories – including a natural spillover versus a potential lab leak – have fueled partisan clashes, with splits along ideological lines. Continue reading...
Exclusive: State government commits to strengthening laws as Higgins labels Albanese government’s response to women’s safety issues ‘disheartening’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian government will strengthen laws regarding the use of victim-survivors’ confidential communications after a push by advocates including Brittany Higgins, who described her experience of having counselling records subpoenaed as a “violation”.In an interview with Guardian Australia, Higgins was also critical of the federal government’s lack of action following a sweeping review into the justice system’s responses to sexual violence, saying it had “completely fallen off the agenda”.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...
Michael Jackson biopic debuted with £11.6m at the UK box office – almost double achieved by next-best Bohemian RhapsodyMichael, Antoine Fuqua’s authorised biopic of Michael Jackson’s life until 1988, before allegations of child sexual assault began to emerge against the singer, has performed marginally less impressively in the UK than the US.In the US, Michael outperformed the opening for Bohemian Rhapsody – the highest grossing music biopic of all time, with which Michael shares a producer in Graham King – by 90%, taking $97m (£72m) to its $51m (£38m). Continue reading...
