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- Australian universities to be graded on how well they deal with protests under antisemitism report card
Australian universities to be graded on how well they deal with protests under antisemitism report card
Exclusive: Leaked documents show how universities will be assessed under new system, which was fast-tracked after Bondi terror attack * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Universities will be graded on how well they “deal with” protests, encampments and the display of flags as part of a controversial antisemitism report card system adopted by the Albanese government after the Bondi terror attack, according to documents seen by Guardian Australia. The antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, devised the report card system as part of a wide-ranging plan handed down to the federal government last July to combat antisemitism, which also proposed withholding government funding from universities that “facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism”. Continue reading...theguardian.com - An ‘amazing feat’: how was 13-year-old Austin Appelbee able to swim for four hours to save his family?
An ‘amazing feat’: how was 13-year-old Austin Appelbee able to swim for four hours to save his family?
Saltwater, survival backstroke and sheer mind over matter may have helped the teenager save his family, experts say * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast An Australian 13-year-old who swam 4km (2.49 miles) to shore and then ran 2km (1.24 miles) to get help for his stranded family has been described as “superhuman”. Experts say Austin Appelbee’s feat of endurance exceeded the limits of what is normally perceived as possible. So how was the teenager able to save the day, and is there any precedent for it? Continue reading...theguardian.com - Not delivering any Aukus nuclear submarines to Australia explored as option in US congressional report
Not delivering any Aukus nuclear submarines to Australia explored as option in US congressional report
Report offers alternative of the US navy retaining boats and operating them out of Australian bases * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A new United States congressional report openly contemplates not selling any nuclear submarines to Australia – as promised under the Aukus agreement – because America wants to retain control of the submarines for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan. The report by the US Congressional Research Service, Congress’s policy research arm, posits an alternative “military division of labour” under which the submarines earmarked for sale to Australia are instead retained under US command to be sailed out of Australian bases. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Condemnation of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot reached ‘tipping point’ after French raid, Australia’s eSafety chief says
Condemnation of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot reached ‘tipping point’ after French raid, Australia’s eSafety chief says
A number of countries including Australia are investigating X over Grok-produced sexualised deepfakes * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, says global regulatory focus on Elon Musk’s X has reached a “tipping point” after a raid of the company’s offices in France this week. The raid on Tuesday was part of an investigation that included alleged offences of complicity in the possession and organised distribution of child abuse images, violation of image rights through sexualised deepfakes, and denial of crimes against humanity. Continue reading...theguardian.com - More than 80% of flying fox colony wiped out as January heatwaves kill thousands of bats
More than 80% of flying fox colony wiped out as January heatwaves kill thousands of bats
Only 180 bats survived intense heat in South Australian town, including 34 babies that carers say face months of recovery * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A colony of about 1,000 flying foxes in a South Australian town has been shattered by the intense heat that gripped south-eastern Australia last week, with more than 80% of the camp at Naracoorte wiped out. “It’s a devastating loss of numbers,” said Judith Bemmer, a carer at Bat Rescue SA. Among the surviving 180 animals, about 34 underweight and dehydrated babies were rescued, and would face months of recovery. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...theguardian.com - ‘I also like that the dad cries’: children on their favourite Australian picture book of all time | Guardian readers
‘I also like that the dad cries’: children on their favourite Australian picture book of all time | Guardian readers
From Jetty Jumping to green sheep, children tell us why they love the books they ask for night after night * Vote for the best Australian children’s picture book * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email When Guardian Australia asked readers to nominate their favourite Australian children’s picture book late last year, we got more than 3,000 responses. Many parents passed on their children’s reasons for falling in love with their chosen book – and they are just as sweet, sensible and funny as the books they celebrate. The reason I’m nominating this book is because I like it. I like looking at the pictures because they’re great. My favourite picture is the last page because they’re all together asleep. Continue reading...theguardian.com - May-a: ‘I was not in a good place – no one’s in a good place when they get a neck tattoo’
May-a: ‘I was not in a good place – no one’s in a good place when they get a neck tattoo’
She’s just 24, but Maya Cumming has won the Hottest 100, survived LA, played with Cyndi Lauper – and is only now releasing her first album, which ‘was driven by spite’ * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email At just 24, the Australian singer-songwriter Maya Cumming – known to fans as May-a – has already experienced the promise and heartache of Los Angeles as a star-making town. In 2021, she signed with Atlantic Records in the US ahead of her debut EP, Don’t Kiss Ur Friends – a moment she described at the time as “a dream”. The following February, she featured on Flume’s precision-made festival anthem Say Nothing, which went on to win the 2022 Triple J Hottest 100. Amid that whirlwind period, Cumming was flown back and forth to LA for arranged studio sessions with producers and artists she felt little connection to, ultimately relocating there in 2024. What should’ve felt like a career arrival was instead a dispiriting eye-opener. Continue reading...theguardian.com - The place that stayed with me: I was cautious in showing my queerness, until a night spent dancing at a Tokyo gay bar
The place that stayed with me: I was cautious in showing my queerness, until a night spent dancing at a Tokyo gay bar
Despite hearing many words of warning about expressing public affection, travelling in Japan with my boyfriend helped me loosen up * More summer essentials The first time I saw gay people on TV, it was during an ABC news package about Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. My Egyptian parents were chomping through a bag of dried pumpkin seeds when the assault on our eyeballs took place. Muscle bears in backless chaps, shirtless lifesavers in tiny budgie smugglers, chunky women with buzzcuts and saucer-plate nipples revving their Harley-Davidsons down the strip. It was too much for my father, who announced: “Atstaghfurallah: they should not show such things.” Mum just sucked her teeth in dismay. But the sight of all the handsome, gleaming men sent a hot flush of excitement up my 12-year-old cheeks. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...theguardian.com - Rich plums and ripe tomatoes: Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for February
Rich plums and ripe tomatoes: Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for February
Tomatoes ripe for cooking, cheap watermelon and cucumbers for $2 a piece – but it’s the final call for apricots, cherries and mangoes * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Juicy watermelon, deep-purple plums and ripe roma tomatoes are some of the vibrant fruit and veg highlights this month, says Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne. “Tomatoes are plentiful, in particular the saucing varieties,” he says. “Roma varieties are sold nice and ripe, ready to make passata.” Cooking tomatoes are roughly $2 a kilo at the Happy Apple, with Australian field tomatoes going for about $5 a kilo in supermarkets. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Skinning, boot-packing and downhill skiing: welcome to skimo at the Winter Olympics
Skinning, boot-packing and downhill skiing: welcome to skimo at the Winter Olympics
The Games’ newest sport combines the seemingly impossible task of ascending a mountain on skis with hiking and then a rapid descent No one could suggest that the Winter Olympics are lacking in challenge. Skiers zipping down the slopes and flying through the air. Skeletons hurtling around at more than 100km/h. Ice skaters, metal-bladed, spinning, leaping and twisting. Slopestyle athletes pulling off the most outrageous tricks while landing the biggest air. But everyone from recreational skiers to the most extreme sports enthusiasts knows there is always room for more. Enter the new kid on the ice block at Milano Cortina 2026: ski mountaineering. The new challenge? How about going up the mountain, hiking a bit, followed by a rapid descent on the tiniest skis possible. Before you ask, “why”? Cast your mind over the other disciplines on the schedule and remember that the answer is almost always, “why not”? Continue reading...theguardian.com - Breathwork has its uses – but when it comes to ‘unlocking your fullest human potential’, beware the puffery | Antiviral
Breathwork has its uses – but when it comes to ‘unlocking your fullest human potential’, beware the puffery | Antiviral
While some benefits such as stress relief are backed by solid evidence, they can be achieved without expensive hyped-up courses * Read more in the Antiviral series In the 2012 film adaptation of the Dr Seuss book The Lorax, a fable about capitalist greed, air is a commodity. The mayor of Thneedville deprives the city’s residents of trees so a company he heads can sells bottles of air. He has, as one advertising lackey puts it, “gotten rich selling people air that’s ‘fresher’ than the stinky stuff outside”. Donna Lu is an assistant editor, climate, environment and science at Guardian Australia Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims Continue reading...theguardian.com - ADF veterans warn selloff of 60 historic defence properties will take a decade and cost billions
ADF veterans warn selloff of 60 historic defence properties will take a decade and cost billions
RSL, federal opposition and local MPs cast doubt on the plan, which Labor says will result in about $3bn for defence * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Veterans say the government’s planned sell off of more than 60 defence properties will take at least a decade and cost billions, urging Labor not to repeat the mistakes of previous divestment drives. The RSL, the federal opposition and local MPs expressed doubts about the plan announced on Wednesday, set to see as much as $1.8bn raised from the sale of properties including training sites, bases, warehouse and disused land, all deemed to offer no strategic value. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Moguls duo Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham to carry flag during Winter Olympics ceremony
Moguls duo Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham to carry flag during Winter Olympics ceremony
* Anthony attempts to successfully defend Olympics title * Graham competing for second medal at fourth Games Jakara Anthony, the defending Olympic champion, and fellow moguls medallist Matt Graham will lead the Australian team as the flag bearers during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Olympic Stadium. For the first time, the opening event will be spread across four locations with the moguls duo to lead the Australian contingent marching in Livigno, a northern Italian town in the alps near the Swiss border. As well as freestyle skiers, which includes aerialists and freeski competitors, the snowboarders are also competing in Livigno. Continue reading...theguardian.com - NRMA calls to ‘get these kids off our roads’ as police investigate ebike swarm on Sydney Harbour Bridge
NRMA calls to ‘get these kids off our roads’ as police investigate ebike swarm on Sydney Harbour Bridge
Group travelled along the bridge’s main deck – where cycling is prohibited – before turning around and riding through the CBD * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A swarm of ebike and motorcycle riders who crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in peak-hour traffic has led to a police investigation and calls from a major insurer to “get these kids off our roads”. New South Wales police have confirmed they are investigating about 40 people who travelled along the bridge’s main deck – where cycling is prohibited – before turning around and riding through the CBD and Haymarket on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Sussan Ley may fast-track permanent Liberal-only frontbench as Coalition reunion hopes fade
Sussan Ley may fast-track permanent Liberal-only frontbench as Coalition reunion hopes fade
Opposition leader may announce promotion of six MPs to shadow cabinet early amid deadlock in talks to reunite with Nationals Sussan Ley could bring forward the announcement of a permanent Liberal-only frontbench that cements the Coalition split, as hopes of a reunion with the Nationals fade. The opposition leader and the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, held another round of peace talks before question time on Wednesday but neither party was prepared to budge on their core demands. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Parents of Piper James visit K’gari to farewell daughter and ‘walk where she last walked’ as dingo cull continues
Parents of Piper James visit K’gari to farewell daughter and ‘walk where she last walked’ as dingo cull continues
Grieving family of the backpacker will attend a smoking ceremony conducted by the island’s traditional owners * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The distraught parents of a backpacker believed to have drowned on a world heritage-listed sand island off the Queensland coast are visiting K’gari as part of their journey to return the remains of Piper James to Canada. Todd and Angela James touched down in Brisbane from Vancouver on Tuesday morning – the first stage of their emotional pilgrimage to K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island). Continue reading...theguardian.com - Indian government urges Australia to ‘hold the culprits accountable’ over theft of Gandhi statue in Melbourne
Indian government urges Australia to ‘hold the culprits accountable’ over theft of Gandhi statue in Melbourne
Spokesperson for India’s ministry of external affairs calls for ‘immediate action to recover the missing statue’ * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Indian government has condemned the theft of a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi from a community centre in Melbourne’s south-east last month, calling for the culprits to be held accountable. Victoria police are investigating the theft from the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville and have warned scrap metal dealers to be wary of people trying to sell the statue of the Indian independence leader. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Clive Palmer suggests Steven Bannon hoped to ‘increase influence’ by claiming credit for 2019 election ads
Clive Palmer suggests Steven Bannon hoped to ‘increase influence’ by claiming credit for 2019 election ads
Billionaire says he spoke to former Trump strategist once, when he mistook him for a potential donor, denying claims revealed in the Jeffrey Epstein files * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Clive Palmer has denied Steve Bannon helped direct his advertising blitz in the 2019 federal election, suggesting texts published in the Jeffrey Epstein files about the strategy were an attempt by the former Trump strategist to “increase his own influence” by claiming credit. Palmer said he’d never communicated with Epstein – a convicted sex offender – and only ever spoke with Bannon in one brief, unexpected, late-night phone call. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Randa Abdel-Fattah and Louise Adler to headline alternative to cancelled Adelaide writers’ week
Randa Abdel-Fattah and Louise Adler to headline alternative to cancelled Adelaide writers’ week
Constellations, a series of events compiled after Adelaide festival board scrapped AWW, will run from 28 February to 5 March * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The two figures at the centre of the Adelaide festival controversy will reunite to headline the alternative to the cancelled 2026 Adelaide writers’ week. Palestinian Australian academic and writer Randa Abdel-Fattah and AWW’s former director Louise Adler will appear together at Constellations: Not Writers’ Week, a hastily compiled series of events scheduled to start on 28 February in response to the Adelaide festival board’s decision to scrap Australia’s flagship annual literary festival. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australian man dies skiing in Japan days after Queensland snowboarder killed in ski lift accident
Australian man dies skiing in Japan days after Queensland snowboarder killed in ski lift accident
The 27-year-old died after reportedly collapsing while skiing with friends near a Niseko ski report A 27-year-old Melbourne man has died at a ski resort in Japan, days after the death of Queensland snowboarder Brooke Day. The man collapsed and suffered a heart attack while skiing with six others in Niseko, Hokkaido, on Monday, according to a spokesperson for a local ski lodge who asked not to be identified. Continue reading...theguardian.com - NSW Labor backbenchers to protest Israel president Isaac Herzog’s visit in defiance of premier
NSW Labor backbenchers to protest Israel president Isaac Herzog’s visit in defiance of premier
Cameron Murphy, one of three MLCs to rally next week, says ‘we should not be welcoming to Australia the head of a state engaged in an ongoing genocide’ * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast NSW Labor backbenchers have vowed to attend a Sydney protest against a visit by Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, with one stating he’s attending because Australia should not be welcoming the head of a state engaged in an “ongoing genocide”. Another member of the government said he was attending – despite the premier opposing any rallies – to show that “Bondi was not caused by such protests”. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Teaching our kids they have the ability to say no empowers them with better reasons to say yes | Myke Bartlett
Teaching our kids they have the ability to say no empowers them with better reasons to say yes | Myke Bartlett
Learning to say no helps them resist impulsiveness and builds reflection into the decision-making process * Sharing the load is a column about parenting children of all ages One of the most frustrating aspects of parenting is having to force your kids to do something they will undoubtedly enjoy. The effort required to get them out of the house for football practice, a museum visit or a swim at the beach can often outweigh any potential reward (a temporary reprieve from holiday boredom, for example). Couples talk about love languages. Parents are more familiar with the multifarious languages of no. These range from blunt refusal through to nuclear meltdowns and very temporary and highly specific vision loss – the latter rendering essential objects such as clothes and shoes invisible, even within a high-contrast setting. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Mother says asking 13-year-old son to swim four hours to save family ‘one of the hardest decisions’ ever made
Mother says asking 13-year-old son to swim four hours to save family ‘one of the hardest decisions’ ever made
‘What have I done?’ thought Joanne Appelbee as she waited for rescue with two other children in rough seas off Western Australia Joanne Appelbee says asking her 13-year-old son Austin to swim four hours through dangerous waters to get help after her family was swept out to sea was “one of the hardest decisions” she has ever made. “I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she told the ABC. “I would have never went because I wouldn’t have left the kids at sea, so I had to send somebody.” Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australia’s long, complicated energy transition is finally working – and not a moment too soon | Tony Wood for the Conversation
Australia’s long, complicated energy transition is finally working – and not a moment too soon | Tony Wood for the Conversation
Renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity last quarter as real progress is being made – but it’s not yet job done Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages. On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier. Continue reading...theguardian.com - How will Labor’s Thriving Kids work and who is still eligible for the NDIS?
How will Labor’s Thriving Kids work and who is still eligible for the NDIS?
New services will move children under nine with mild developmental delays and autism off the NDIS. Here’s what you need to know * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government has unveiled the model for its new program to move children under nine years old with mild developmental delays and autism off the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Called Thriving Kids, the program will be run with the states and territories from October this year. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Cadel: Lungs on Legs review – a heart-pumping, hilarious portrait of an Australian cycling champion
Cadel: Lungs on Legs review – a heart-pumping, hilarious portrait of an Australian cycling champion
Riding 27km onstage in a demanding solo performance, Connor Delves turns Cadel Evans’ Tour de France victory into a study of endurance and obsession * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email It’s been 15 years since Cadel Evans rode into Paris in the yellow jersey, becoming the first Australian to win the Tour de France and one of only three non-Europeans ever to claim cycling’s greatest prize. Many will remember the podium finish of the 2011 race, but perhaps few know the years of near-misses, injuries and attrition that preceded it – or the way an introverted cyclist from the Northern Territory propelled himself forward through doubt, discipline and relentless self-talk. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...theguardian.com - Albanese government to sell off $3bn worth of historic defence sites amid push to free up space for new homes
Albanese government to sell off $3bn worth of historic defence sites amid push to free up space for new homes
Richard Marles has decided to sell more than 60 properties, including Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane The federal government will sell off $3bn in historic defence properties around the country, after a major audit of government land holdings and amid efforts to open up land for new housing development and public spaces. Historic defence sites – including Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – will be sold after the multi-year audit, with public servants relocated to modern office spaces and heritage sites – including the cabinet rooms used by John Curtin at the height of World War II in Melbourne – opened to the public. Continue reading...theguardian.com - One Nation says it will ‘contest every seat’ in South Australia – but will voters tick the box when it matters?
One Nation says it will ‘contest every seat’ in South Australia – but will voters tick the box when it matters?
March state election will test the growing vote for Pauline Hanson’s party, with newest recruit Cory Bernardi among the former Liberals in play * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The crowd, clad in orange One Nation T-shirts and flying Australian flags, appear certain they’re in the winners’ circle, with cries of “prime minister” sounding in the rabble. The pack greeted Pauline Hanson and her newest recruit, former Liberal turned Sky News commentator Cory Bernardi, in Adelaide on Tuesday high on news of a surge in the polls. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australian politics live: four-fold surge in home battery installations after federal subsidy; O’Brien says Liberals can stand alone
Australian politics live: four-fold surge in home battery installations after federal subsidy; O’Brien says Liberals can stand alone
More than 4.3 million households now have solar, helping to drive downward pressure on power bills. Follow today’s news live * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Krishani Dhanji here with you for another busy day in parliament. The government will be on the defence over the Reserve Bank’s decision to increase interest rates yesterday, having previously said publicly that the economy had “turned a corner” on inflation. There’ll be plenty of reaction to that decision today. Continue reading...theguardian.com - With just weeks left on her student visa, one Iranian woman fears she will be executed if she has to return
With just weeks left on her student visa, one Iranian woman fears she will be executed if she has to return
‘There’s no way for me to go back right now. It’s too dangerous for me,’ student says, having protested against the regime * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast When bullets fired by Iran’s paramilitary force were sprayed at her home during a 2022 protest, Atefeh* realised her country was in a “hostage situation”. “I couldn’t breathe any more. I was losing my mind and I was traumatised,” the activist says. Continue reading...theguardian.com - ‘We never would have bought’: Australian mortgage holders feel the pain as interest rates rise again
‘We never would have bought’: Australian mortgage holders feel the pain as interest rates rise again
The RBA’s widely anticipated decision marks the end of the shortest rate-cutting cycle in the reserve’s modern history, hitting mortgagees hard * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast As the RBA lifted the official interest rate on Tuesday, one regional New South Wales couple said the dream of building a home has turned into a financial “hustle” they no longer want to maintain. After the pair, 25 and 26, settled on land in September 2022, rising rates and cost of building materials decimated their initial budget. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australian influencer’s illegal crypto gambling ads permitted by Meta despite Acma warning of $2.4m fine
Australian influencer’s illegal crypto gambling ads permitted by Meta despite Acma warning of $2.4m fine
Online streamer Dinah promoted Rainbet to her 820,000 followers, despite the regulator warning ‘significant penalties’ were at stake * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Meta failed to act on nearly a dozen reports against an Australian influencer with more than 800,000 followers on Instagram promoting illegal offshore crypto-gambling, despite the regulator warning influencers they could face fines of up to $2.4m. The account of online streamer Dinah has 820,000 followers on Instagram, and has promoted Rainbet, a self-described online crypto casino, in posts on Instagram. On her profile she describes herself as “ur Chinese gf in Australia” Continue reading...theguardian.com - Campaign group behind attack ads on Labor, Greens and teal candidates was funded by coal industry lobby
Campaign group behind attack ads on Labor, Greens and teal candidates was funded by coal industry lobby
Australians for Prosperity received most of its funding last financial year from Coal Australia, according to disclosures made to the Australian Electoral Commission * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A campaign group that attacked Labor, the Greens and teal independent candidates at the last federal election was almost entirely funded by a coal industry lobby group, analysis of political disclosures reveals. Australians for Prosperity received $3.89m in total political receipts in the last financial year, according to disclosures made to the Australian Electoral Commission, of which $3.68m came from Coal Australia. Continue reading...theguardian.com - New Scrubs, Muppets and Lord of the Flies: what’s new to streaming in Australia in February
New Scrubs, Muppets and Lord of the Flies: what’s new to streaming in Australia in February
Plus Jurassic World Rebirth, Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run, and a sharply observed dramedy about open marriages * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Continue reading...theguardian.com - ‘Crime is the disease. Meet the cure’: Sylvester Stallone’s self-serious cop movie is ludicrous fun
‘Crime is the disease. Meet the cure’: Sylvester Stallone’s self-serious cop movie is ludicrous fun
Cobra’s politics are definitely on the iffy side and it takes itself very seriously indeed – but there’s absolutely no reason for you or I to “Crime is the disease. Meet the cure.” With one of the funniest taglines in cinema history, how can you possibly resist revisiting Sylvester Stallone’s violent, ultra-earnest cult action movie Cobra, which turns 40 this year? Marion “Cobra” Cobretti (Stallone) is a tough LA cop who plays by his own rules. Sporting aviator shades, a matchstick in the corner of his mouth and a gun emblazoned with a cobra, he takes on criminals with a steely dedication to violence and wisecracks, and an aversion to due process that would make Charles Bronson blush. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Don’t let nostalgia cloud your judgment: some of the best picture books are actually the newest | Kate Temple
Don’t let nostalgia cloud your judgment: some of the best picture books are actually the newest | Kate Temple
Contemporary children’s books reflect the diversity and values of a changing world – but getting new titles into small hands is harder than ever * Vote for the best Australian children’s picture book The 1980s were a great time to write a classic Aussie picture book. From Possum Magic and Animalia to Who Sank the Boat? there was a voracious appetite to see Australia represented for kids in a way it hadn’t been before. Like everyone my age, I grew up with these books and I read them to my own children. Forty years on, these books remain beloved – it’s no wonder they’re leading Guardian Australia’s reader poll of the best picture books of all time. But today the creation of new homegrown classics – which is increasingly important – has become increasingly difficult. The publishing landscape that created and nurtured the success of legacy titles has changed and the prospect of selling five million copies is now itself a thing of storybooks. As Graeme Base said when asked what would happen if you pitched Animalia today: “You’d fail – miserably, I suspect.” Continue reading...theguardian.com - From Bradbury to Bright: five of Australia’s best Winter Olympic moments | Martin Pegan
From Bradbury to Bright: five of Australia’s best Winter Olympic moments | Martin Pegan
The sun-drenched nation is beginning to hold its own in winter sports having already enjoyed a number of memorable Olympic successes The most unlikely of triumphs that spawned its own catch phrase. A consistent contender in high-flying skiing and snowboard events. And a breadth and depth of talent that continues to grow as snow sports go global. Australia competed at 12 Winter Games with mixed results before finding a first spot on a podium and its place among the national snow and ice strongholds. Six gold, seven silver and six bronze medals have now been secured – with high hopes for more to be added to the collection at Milano Cortina – as well as some of the nation’s most celebrated Olympic moments. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Pat Cummins: ’Australia don’t have to look too far back to find form’
Pat Cummins: ’Australia don’t have to look too far back to find form’
The Test captain will follow the men’s T20 World Cup from home but is confident the team can shake off their lacklustre warmup matches The sea is angry today and so is Pat Cummins. A back injury ruled him out of four of five Ashes Tests this summer and it has now kiboshed his T20 World Cup hopes. “It’s annoying,” he says, sitting by Bronte beach, just a cover drive from his home. “I was very keen to play, and when we mapped out a plan for the Ashes and beyond, these T20s were a big part of it. But the scan shows a bit going on, and it needs four more weeks to settle down.” It puts the Test captain on ice and means Australia enter the World Cup this week three pace titans down. Mitchell Starc has retired from T20s and Josh Hazlewood is battling a hamstring injury. That’s 182 games of experience missing. Instead, rookie quicks Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarsius and Nathan Ellis (64 games collectively) will step up. In a crammed cricket calendar such rotation is inevitable, Cummins says. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australian supermarket coconut water taste test: ‘Smells like an island holiday’
Australian supermarket coconut water taste test: ‘Smells like an island holiday’
Overcoming his irrational fear of coconut products, Nicholas Jordan tests a lovely – and lowly – bunch of coconuts in a row * If you value our independent journalism, we hope you’ll consider supporting us today * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email I have a fear of coconut products. Like all fears it’s based on a questionable rationale and trauma, and my trauma is taste testing “health” coconut-heavy products that taste like soap. Which is why, until recently, almost all the coconut water I’d drunk was from a straw reaching out of a fresh coconut. Surely there’s no way a bottled coconut water, made from 100% coconut, could be that bad. Maybe it could be better than the real thing? I enjoy Melona more than the average honeydew melon. Other than being comically overhydrated, I had no idea what to expect from this taste test. Continue reading...theguardian.com - What are the odds? The RBA has raised interest rates – for no real reason other than to meet the desires of speculators | Greg Jericho
What are the odds? The RBA has raised interest rates – for no real reason other than to meet the desires of speculators | Greg Jericho
The prospect of a cash rate increase on Tuesday changed dramatically over the past month. One wonders if the Reserve Bank listened more to the commentariat than the data * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Has there been an interest rate rise more desired by some economists and commentators despite no real reason, than the one pushed for on Tuesday? Alas, the Reserve Bank listened to the noise and felt compelled to raise the cash rate to 3.85%, but one wonders if they listened more to the noise of the commentariat than the data. In Tuesday’s announcement, the RBA monetary policy board barely changed anything from its December statement. Continue reading...theguardian.com - A hot economy? RBA’s rate hike justification is hard to swallow for Australians struggling with cost-of-living crisis
A hot economy? RBA’s rate hike justification is hard to swallow for Australians struggling with cost-of-living crisis
Economists and the central bank might see a roaring economy but workers and mortgage holders still feel like they’re doing it tough * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Reserve Bank thinks the economy is running too hot and needed a rate hike to slow it down. It sure doesn’t feel that way. Continue reading...theguardian.com - The Liberals and Nationals sat in parliament like divorced parents at a wedding – with no reunion in sight | Josh Butler
The Liberals and Nationals sat in parliament like divorced parents at a wedding – with no reunion in sight | Josh Butler
Labor struggled to contain their glee with the new-look opposition reduced to the similar size as the crossbench Amidst the silliness and schoolyard taunts of Tuesday’s parliament, crossbencher Andrew Wilkie asked a sensible question. “Seeing as the crossbench is now as big as the Liberal party and likely to soon exceed them with more defections, on what basis are the Liberals still regarded as the opposition?” Continue reading...theguardian.com - Australian woman who died after being caught in a Japan ski lift remembered as a ‘vibrant spirit’
Australian woman who died after being caught in a Japan ski lift remembered as a ‘vibrant spirit’
Tributes for Queensland snowboarder Brooke Day recall a ‘cherished team mate’ who had an ‘infectious sense of humour’ * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Tributes have poured in for the Australian woman who died in a ski lift accident at a Japanese resort, describing the 22-year-old as kind, talented and possessing a “vibrant spirit”. Queensland snowboarder Brooke Day sustained critical injuries on Friday after her backpack was caught in a ski lift at Tsugaike Mountain resort in Otari, near Nagano. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Good luck Dua Leaper: scientists return frogs wiped out by fungal disease to wild
Good luck Dua Leaper: scientists return frogs wiped out by fungal disease to wild
Researchers dig ‘spas’ and instal ‘saunas’ in ACT wetlands to give green and golden bell frogs the best chance of survival * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Scientists have reintroduced green and golden bell frogs to the Australian Capital Territory for the first time since the species became locally extinct four decades ago. The first cohort of 25 frogs was released on Tuesday morning, a milestone for conservation of the animals, whose numbers have been devastated by the chytrid fungal disease that has wiped out 90 amphibian species in 50 years. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Melania: Amazon’s $106m documentary takes $982 per screen in Australian opening weekend
Melania: Amazon’s $106m documentary takes $982 per screen in Australian opening weekend
Documentary about the US first lady debuted at No 31 at Australian box office, making $32,399 from 33 screens Melania, Amazon’s $106m (US$75m) documentary about the US first lady, has bombed at the Australian box office on its opening weekend, debuting at No 31 on the charts and taking just $982 per screen. The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, was screened in 33 cinemas across Australia and made $32,399 overall. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Epstein files reveal Peter Mandelson supported campaign to undermine then-Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s mining super profits tax
Epstein files reveal Peter Mandelson supported campaign to undermine then-Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s mining super profits tax
Former UK Labour minister wrote ‘pressure needs to be maintained’ against Australian Labor’s proposed tax in email sent two weeks before Rudd was replaced as PM * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A former UK Labour minister supported a campaign to undermine the Rudd Labor government’s proposed mining super profits tax in Australia, a document published in the latest tranche of the Epstein files reveals. Lord Peter Mandelson, once one of British Labour’s most powerful figures, was sacked last year as the UK’s ambassador to the US over his links with the disgraced financier, rapist and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...theguardian.com - RBA interest rates decision: Reserve Bank increases cash rate to 3.85% in blow to mortgage holders
RBA interest rates decision: Reserve Bank increases cash rate to 3.85% in blow to mortgage holders
Shortest rate-cutting cycle in the RBA’s modern history ends after unexpected jump in inflation * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Reserve Bank has hiked rates for the first time in over two years, with mortgage holders to bear the brunt of dealing with an unexpected jump in inflation through the second half of 2025. The RBA monetary policy board at the end of its two-day meeting announced the cash rate target would lift to 3.85%, from 3.6%. Continue reading...theguardian.com - NSW goldmine faces community class action over allegations of a ‘toxic trifecta’ of pollution
NSW goldmine faces community class action over allegations of a ‘toxic trifecta’ of pollution
Residents living near Cadia goldmine in central western NSW allege in court filings that dust containing heavy metals has contaminated the water supply * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Residents of a small regional community near Orange in New South Wales have filed an environmental class action over a “toxic trifecta” of alleged pollution caused by Cadia goldmine. The supreme court challenge against Cadia Holdings, which trades as Cadia Valley Operations and is owned by Newmont, is seeking compensation including damages for a reduction in property values and an injunction to restrain further pollution. Continue reading...theguardian.com - Mark of Cain singer comes out as trans ‘to finally live as myself’
Mark of Cain singer comes out as trans ‘to finally live as myself’
Josie Scott, who has played in the Australian heavy metal band with her brother Kim for 40 years, writes to fans: ‘I’ve decided to embrace, rather than endure, who I am’ * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email The guitarist and vocalist in Australian heavy metal band the Mark of Cain has come out as a trans woman, writing that seeing younger trans people live freely had “helped shine a light on the possibility that maybe I can finally be me in my autumn years.” On Monday night, Josie Scott wrote a statement to fans on the band’s social media, announcing that her family know her as Josie or Jo and “given where I identify on the gender spectrum, I fit within the paradigm of being a trans woman”. Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...theguardian.com - Boy swims four hours through rough seas to save mother and siblings off Western Australia
Boy swims four hours through rough seas to save mother and siblings off Western Australia
Teen swims four kilometres, two without a life jacket, to sound alarm which led to the discovery of his family * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A 13-year-old boy saved his mother and two younger siblings on Friday evening, swimming four kilometres in fading light and rough conditions, after they were swept out to sea in southwest Western Australia. The family were holidaying in Quindalup, 250 kilometres south of Perth, when strong winds pushed their inflatable paddle boards and kayak offshore from Geographe Bay. Continue reading...theguardian.com
