22 h. ago Monster surf batters Bondi Icebergs pool and leaves trail of carnage across Sydney beaches

Wild 5.5 metre swells hammer the eastern NSW coastline, causing damage to key walkways and closing beachesElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastLocals in Sydney’s east woke on Wednesday to discover some of the city’s most famous beaches and walkways battered and damaged by huge overnight swells.Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly and Cronulla beaches were among the areas smashed by 5.5 metre swells. Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. ago Queensland’s recovery to ‘take months and years’ after floods sweep across vast interior

Bureau of Meteorology predicts flooding could continue for weeks as stock losses already estimated at over 150,000Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland’s premier has declared “day one” of a recovery that will take years as the state prepares to wake to clear skies that should reveal the vast scale of its outback floods.But despite forecasts the rain will pass for soaked central and south-west Queensland by Thursday, towns and homesteads could be cut off or at risk of flooding for weeks to come, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist, Dean Narramore. Continue reading...

Events

26 h. ago Australia election 2025 live: Dutton’s gas plan has ‘reckless’ lack of detail, resources minister says

Follow today’s news liveAnywhere but Canberra: Australian voters on what matters to themInteractive guide to electorates in the Australian electionListen to the first episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaSee all our Australian election 2025 coverageGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastForeign minister Penny Wong has told RN Breakfast says Labor is “realistic” on what outcomes the government could achieve on tariffs with the Trump administration.We’ll keep working hard for the best outcome, but I think all of us are realistic. As the prime minister made it clear yesterday, we are not willing to trade away the things that make Australia the best country in the world, like our healthcare system. We don’t want the Americanisation of our healthcare system. We won’t be weakening our biosecurity laws, and we won’t be trading away our PBS.He made a similar submission, and what happened to real wages over the last three years? Real wages have dropped in...

Politics

27 h. ago Australia election 2025 live: Dutton hints at cuts to ABC if he finds ‘waste’; Coalition to designate gas a ‘critical mineral’

Coalition senator Susan McDonald told a gas industry conference in Sydney the Coalition government’s plan if elected. Follow today’s news liveAnywhere but Canberra: Australian voters on what matters to themInteractive guide to electorates in the Australian electionListen to the first episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaSee all our Australian election 2025 coverageGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastForeign minister Penny Wong has told RN Breakfast says Labor is “realistic” on what outcomes the government could achieve on tariffs with the Trump administration.We’ll keep working hard for the best outcome, but I think all of us are realistic. As the prime minister made it clear yesterday, we are not willing to trade away the things that make Australia the best country in the world, like our healthcare system. We don’t want the Americanisation of our healthcare system. We won’t be weakening our biosecurity laws, and we won’t be trading away our P...

Politics

51 h. ago Kamala Harris to speak at Gold Coast real estate conference but not to local media

Former US vice-president will next month take part in a moderated on-stage conversation at the Australasian Real Estate ConferenceElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKamala Harris will speak at a real estate conference on the Gold Coast in Australia next month, with organisers hailing her a “trailblazer” but shielding her from all media requests.The former US vice president, who lost November’s US election to Donald Trump, will participate in person in a moderated on-stage conversation at the Australasian Real Estate Conference. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Baulkham Hills stabbing: woman arrested and three children in hospital after alleged attack in Sydney suburb

Two girls, boy in stable condition and 46-year-old woman under guard in hospital after alleged attack in Baulkham HillsElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA mother has been arrested after she allegedly stabbed her three children multiple times in their home in Sydney’s north-west.New South Wales police Det Supt Naomi Moore said on Monday that the children’s father woke to yells in their Baulkham Hills home, and secured the kitchen knife from his partner. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Three children and woman in hospital after stabbing attack in Sydney suburb

Two girls, boy and 46-year-old woman all in stable condition after the attack in Baulkham HillsElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree children and a woman have been taken to hospital after a stabbing attack on Monday morning in a suburb in Sydney’s north-west.According to a press release from New South Wales police, about 5.20am on Monday emergency services were called to a home in Baulkham Hills, following reports that multiple people had been stabbed. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Three children and woman in hospital after alleged stabbing attack in Sydney suburb

Two girls, boy and 46-year-old woman all in stable condition after the alleged attack in Baulkham HillsElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree children and a woman have been taken to hospital after an alleged stabbing attack on Monday morning in a suburb in Sydney’s north-west.New South Wales police said emergency services were called to a home in Baulkham Hills about 5.20am on Monday, following reports that multiple people had been stabbed. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Baulkham Hills stabbing: three children and woman in hospital after alleged attack in Sydney suburb

Two girls, boy and 46-year-old woman all in stable condition after the alleged attack in Baulkham HillsElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree children and a woman have been taken to hospital after an alleged stabbing attack on Monday morning in a suburb in Sydney’s north-west.New South Wales police said emergency services were called to a home in Baulkham Hills about 5.20am on Monday, following reports that multiple people had been stabbed. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Australia to hold general elections on 3 May as Albanese seeks second term

Australia has not ousted a government after just a single term since 1931

Politics

6 d. ago Anthony Albanese calls Australian federal election for 3 May

Albanese visits governor general to kickstart Labor’s five-week election campaign, as Peter Dutton frames Coalition’s pitch around living standardsAustralian election campaign 2025: live updatesSee all our Australian election 2025 coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has framed the federal election as a choice between Labor’s plan to “keep building” and Peter Dutton’s “promises to cut” after announcing voters will head to the polls on 3 May.The prime minister visited the governor general, Sam Mostyn, on Friday morning to dissolve the 47th parliament, triggering a five-week race to form the next government.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Australian federal election date: Anthony Albanese calls poll for 3 May

Albanese visits governor general to kickstart five-week election campaign, with polls suggesting Labor is in a tight contest with Coalition under Peter DuttonAustralian election campaign 2025: live updatesSee all our Australian election 2025 coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians will head to the polls on 3 May after Anthony Albanese fired the starter’s gun on the federal election campaign.The prime minister visited the governor general, Sam Mostyn, on Friday morning to dissolve the 47th parliament, triggering a five-week race to form the next government.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Australian prime minister calls election amid shadow of Trump and cost

Anthony Albanese’s ruling Labor party faces a challenge by the centre-right Coalition led by Peter Dutton at the 3 May voteFollow all our Australian 2025 election coverageAustralia will go to the polls on 3 May, with Anthony Albanese’s first-term Labor government facing an uphill struggle to retain its narrow majority in parliament.Neither he nor the centre-right opposition leader, Peter Dutton, have sparked enthusiasm in the electorate, and polls suggest neither party may achieve an absolute majority in the 150-seat House of Representatives, meaning one or the other would need to negotiate with independents and minor parties to form government. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago US proposes new critical minerals deal to Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

Kyiv says Washington’s proposal would be ‘grand agreement’ but does not include taking over nuclear power plants

Economics

3 w. ago Western Australia election: Liberals fail to attract swing required as Labor secures third

WA Labor will hold a third term in office, with the early vote count showing the Liberals failing to gain traction with any significant swing• Western Australia has one story about the gas industry. It won’t accept dissent from ‘over east’Labor will govern for a third term in Western Australia, with the Liberal Party failing to attract the swing required to threaten Roger Cook’s majority.Polls predicted a 12-13% swing could put up to 11 seats in reach of the Liberal party. Continue reading...

Politics

last month Jack Vettriano: Miner's son whose passion for the female form helped turn him into Britain's most popular artist

Jack Vettriano never made any bones about what it was that inspired him as an artist. 'I want to paint attractive women, I don't give a damn about the men,' he once told me.

Culture