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Last August, to the relief of many homeowners, the Reserve Bank’s governor, Michele Bullock, announced a cut in interest rates and expressed confidence that inflation was heading in the right direction. But on Tuesday, the RBA hiked rates for the first time in over two years, raising the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%. Guardian columnist and chief economist of the Australia Institute, Greg...

Parliament returns today and the benches might look a little bare on the opposition’s side of the chamber, with the Liberals left with only 28 votes after last week’s split from the Nationals. Political editor Tom McIllroy speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether the Liberals and Nationals can get back together, and if the prime minister can use this distraction to push through big reforms

When a homemade bomb was allegedly thrown into a crowd of more than 2,000 people at an Invasion Day rally in Perth last week, police said that, had it gone off, it had the potential to cause mass casualties. But in the hours and days afterwards many questioned how police, media and political leaders responded to the alleged attack and criticised what they said was selective outrage that dismissed...

The search for Australia’s best children’s picture book is on! Vote now and every day until 5 February for your favourite from 50 of the best, as chosen by Guardian readers. The deputy culture editor, Sian Cain, speaks to author Graeme Base about how he wrote his bestselling and beloved books Animalia and The Eleventh Hour, and why he set out to challenge curious kids

After weeks of federal insurgency, Minnesota fought back, and it seems Donald Trump has lost faith in the people running his ICE operation in the state. So where does this leave Trump’s ‘ICE patriots’? How do Republicans unite over immigration policies that kill Americans? And where does it leave the far-right agitators in Trump’s cabinet? Jonathan Freedland speaks to George Conway, a founding mem...

The scenes on the streets of Minneapolis have been confronting and terrifying to watch: ICE agents rounding people up and shooting two US citizens at near point-blank range, as in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. That’s all while a counter-narrative from the White House paints the victims as perpetrators. Washington DC bureau chief David Smith speaks to Reged Ahmad about why many are askin...

In the first Guardian Essential poll after the Bondi terror attack, both Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley have fallen in their approval ratings. Meanwhile, One Nation’s support continues to rise and now disrupts the traditional two-horse race in Australian politics. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks to Essential Media director Peter Lewis about why both major parties need to...

A preliminary assessment has found that 19-year-old Piper James was bitten by dingoes before and after she died on the island K’gari, and that there was ‘evidence consistent with drowning’. In response to James’ death, the Queensland government has announced it will euthanise the 10 dingoes linked to her death. Environment and climate correspondent Graham Readfearn speaks to Nour Haydar about why...

The Coalition has collapsed for the second time in eight months and Sussan Ley’s leadership could follow at any moment. So who should lead the opposition through this tumultuous time? While former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been there, he himself is not sure who is best placed to take on the challenge, adding ‘the pool of talent is not enormous at the moment’. Turnbull speaks to Nour Hayd...

Crafted in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Labor’s hate speech laws are designed to give the government a raft of new powers to combat racial hatred, but have faced strong criticism from across the political spectrum. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties president, Timothy Roberts, speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether the new laws go too far, and why he says they risk undermining democracy in A...

After the cancellation of Adelaide writers’ week in a furore over free speech, conversations are being had about how much Australia value its writers and artists. The renowned painter Ben Quilty is asking that question in a new essay exploring how to be a more courageous country when it comes to the arts. He speaks to Reged Ahmad about the Adelaide festival, Donald Trump and why we need a society...

At the beginning of Donald Trump’s trip to Davos, the US president’s plans for Greenland were vague, and a worry to European leaders. By the end of the day, military force was off the table and threats of tariffs dropped. This is just one example of what it has been like to follow Trump 2.0 in the last year. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ashley Parker of the Atlantic about why she thinks...

In an eventful start to parliament for 2026, MPs came together with condolences for the victims of the Bondi terror attack and passed hurried reforms on guns and hate speech. And then, on the national day of mourning on Thursday, the Coalition split for the second time and Sussan Ley’s leadership is now all but over. Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, speaks to the independent MP fo...

It was the bill that the prime minister hoped would bring people together, but instead, Labor’s hate speech legislation and the Liberal party’s decision to endorse it, has torn the Coalition apart. The entire Nationals front bench has quit Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet leaving the Coalition to come to terms with its second split in less than a year. Political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Reged Ahmad...

In just 48 hours, four people were attacked by sharks in New South Wales. In response, nearly thirty beaches have been closed and authorities are warning swimmers to avoid waterways after heavy storms. Nour Haydar speaks to associate professor Christopher Pepin-Neff about the ‘perfect storm’ of environmental factors that has attracted sharks and what we all need to know before entering the water

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, has appeared to permanently cut ties with his family. In an explosive statement posted on Instagram, he claimed his parents had been controlling narratives in the press about his family, and had tried to ‘ruin’ his relationship with his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian columnist Marina Hyde

In the lead-up to 26 January, co-chair of the Uluru Youth Dialogue, Bridget Cama, says the same divisive debate is playing out around the country, and the silence from political leaders has been demoralising. But she says those who want to see constitutional recognition are regrouping after the voice to parliament defeat and she hopes to see another referendum in a decade. She speaks to Nour Hayda...

Tom Burgis on Donald Trump’s friend Ronald Lauder, a billionaire with business interests in Greenland

It has been three years since ChatGPT first launched, and according to OpenAI, the American artificial intelligence company that runs the chatbot, 40 million people ask it healthcare-related questions every day. Now the company has launched a new health feature in Australia that allows the platform to “securely connect medical records and wellness apps” to generate responses “more relevant and use...

Conceding that his hate speech and gun law omnibus bill was friendless and unable to pass parliament, Anthony Albanese announced over the weekend that he would split the legislation in two. It was a move the PM said he needed to make if he wanted to get his post-Bondi reforms through. As parliament returns for a special sitting, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether the...

Last week, the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the chair of the Federal Reserve – and longtime foe of Donald Trump – Jerome Powell. In an extraordinary move, world central bank governors and bank bosses in America pushed back against the Trump administration. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the economist Heather Boushey about why a fight with Wall Street might be...

Its agents outnumber police on the streets of Minneapolis, are detaining US citizens and clashing violently with protesters. Caitlin Dickerson and Maanvi Singh report

A week after the Adelaide festival disinvited Palestinian Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from its writers’ week, organisers have issued a complete and unreserved apology. The South Australian event collapsed after the author was dropped from its line-up and more than 180 writers pulled out. Now, with a new board, the organisers have apologised for the harm caused and invited Abdel-Fattah to...

It started with US forces attacking Venezuela and capturing its sitting president. And almost immediately more American intervention was flagged, in countries such as Cuba, Colombia and Greenland. For the moment Donald Trump’s focus is now on Iran. Senior international correspondent Julian Borger speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether we are seeing a new ramp-up of Trump’s imperialist intentions, or...

Australia wants in on the artificial intelligence boom but datacentres needed to run AI require huge amounts of electricity and water. Climate and environment reporter Petra Stock speaks with Nour Haydar about the increasing concerns over the environmental impact of datacentres