More ball-shaped debris has washed ashore at Sydney’s Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Cronulla beaches, the New South Wales government has confirmed. The office of the acting premier, Penny Sharpe, told Guardian Australia on Wednesday that “small numbers of balls” – some only pea-sized – had washed up on the four beaches in the past few…
Climate science deniers are lining up a political offensive in Britain after a US lobby group opened a UK branch which is already working with Nigel Farage. The Reform UK leader was the guest of honour at the launch of Heartland UK/Europe, which is to be headed by a former leader of Ukip and climate…
Queensland’s health system is in need of urgent reform after years of systemic breakdowns across infrastructure, cybersecurity and patient care, a new audit has revealed. The Queensland Audit office’s latest report highlights a sector facing critical challenges with mounting costs, worsening wait times and underwhelming performance on preventable hospital admissions. The backlog of hospital maintenance…
Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli – known for his cash and property giveaways, including houses from reality show The Block – will plead not guilty to nine charges of assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery. The Adelaide magistrates court heard on Wednesday morning that both Portelli and his company, Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd (which…
The celebrated hip-hop producer Madlib has confirmed the loss of his extensive record collection and much of his recording equipment along with his home in the wildfires that have swept across California and killed at least 25 people. The influential musician, who has worked with some of the most prominent names in rap including Kanye…
A US financial regulator has sued Elon Musk for allegedly failing to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock and later acquiring shares in the company at “artificially low prices”, stiffing other shareholders. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed suit against Musk late on Tuesday in federal court in Washington DC for alleged securities violations.…
The veteran children’s television star Simon Townsend has died aged 79, shortly after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The former newspaper and television journalist launched Simon Townsend’s Wonder World! on Channel Ten in 1979 with mascot Woodrow the bloodhound. The groundbreaking show made him a household name in the 1980s, delighting young…
The day so far About 88,000 people in Los Angeles county were under evacuation orders on Tuesday, with another 84,800 under evacuation warnings due to wildfires. Here’s where the fires stand: Palisades fire: More than 23,700 acres burned, 17% contained. Eaton fire: 14,117 acres burned, 35% contained. Hurst fire: 799 acres burned, nearly fully contained…
A Northern Ireland MP has launched legal action against the self-styled misogynist Andrew Tate and his brother over social media posts made in the past week. A lawyer for Sorcha Eastwood, an MP for the Alliance party, said the posts were made on Friday, the day after she had told MPs that she was a…
House Republicans pushed through sweeping legislation on Tuesday to block transgender women and girls from school sports, escalating a fierce culture-war battle that puts federal education dollars on the line. The bill passed 218-206 in a vote that saw two Texas Democrats break ranks to support the Republican measure. It marks the first standalone federal…
