‘Enraged’ union boss defends naming and shaming Victorian Labor MPs who had ‘zero conversations’ with voters 17. June 2026 (05:09) Candidates must ‘work their ass off’ to stop One Nation or expect withdrawal of union support, Trades Hall Council secretary saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Victoria’s powerful Trades Hall Council has defended naming and shaming 23 state Labor MPs and candidates for having “zero conversations” with their constituents in the past two weeks, saying they all need to “work their ass off” to stop One Nation’s rise.Luke Hilakari wrote to MPs and candidates on Tuesday morning warning if they “don’t give a shit about winning”, they shouldn’t expect support from the union movement during the November election campaign. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tasmanian devil Mary found 2km from her Gold Coast theme park home after two weeks on the run 17. June 2026 (04:52) Carnivorous animal taken to hospital in an unstable condition after escaping from quarantine facility in Paradise Country on 2 JuneFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAfter two weeks eluding thermal imaging drones and teams of zookeepers, a Tasmanian devil on the run in the Gold Coast has finally been found – and taken to hospital in an unstable condition.The devil, Mary, escaped a quarantine facility in the Paradise Country theme park – more than 15,000km north of her native range – in the early morning dark of 2 June, with zookeepers believing an “abnormally large leap” saw her clear a fence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Will a ban keep the UK’s kids off social media? – podcast 17. June 2026 (04:00) Governments around the world want to keep under-16s off YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Australia has introduced a ban and now the UK is doing the same. Stephen Byrne and Chris Stokel-Walker reportKeir Starmer announced on Monday that he wanted to ban under-16s from social media. Parents were calling out for more controls he said. But their children … well, their children have other ideas.“Snapchat, for example, is one of the best things that’s happened to me,” a 13-year-old tells Helen Pidd. “I don’t think adults understand, that is how we talk to our friends and fit in.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Georgia runoff: Republican voters choose Trump-backed conservative to face Jon Ossoff 17. June 2026 (03:49) Representative Mike Collins defeats former college football coach Derek Dooley, while Rick Jackson selected as governor pickGeorgia’s Republican primary runoff voters chose US representative Mike Collins over former college football coach Derek Dooley to lead the party’s bid to challenge US senator and rising Democratic star Jon Ossoff in November’s midterm elections.They also selected billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson over Trump-backed lieutenant governor Burt Jones to face Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms in November, after a bruising election campaign that led to libel litigation and federal challenges to Georgia election law. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bluey to be available in an Australian Indigenous language for the first time 17. June 2026 (03:29) Five episodes have been dubbed into Australian language Yolŋu Matha for Naidoc Week, with Bandit voiced by a founding member of rock band King StingrayIt’s already been translated into 120 languages around the world but soon the globally loved children’s show Bluey will be available in an Australian Indigenous language for the first time.Five episodes from seasons one and two have been dubbed into Yolŋu Matha, the Australian First Nations language of North-east Arnhem Land, as part of an initiative for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (Naidoc) Week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US midterm primaries 2026 live: Mike Collins projected to win Republican nomination for US Senate in Georgia 17. June 2026 (02:54) Self-described ‘Maga warrior’ will face Jon Ossoff in November; polls close is Alabama, Oklahoma and Washington DCWith 55% of the vote counted in Georgia, NBC News projects Mike Collins will defeat former football coach Derek Dooley to win the Republican primary for the US Senate. Collins currently leads by 10 points, 55% to 45%.The Associated Press has not yet made a call, but NBC’s analysis is based on the fact that Collins is doing better than Dooley in the votes cast on election day, which tend to favor candidates, like Collins, endorsed by Donald Trump, who hates mail-in ballots almost as much as he hates windmills. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Suspect at large as one person killed in Delaware hospital shooting 17. June 2026 (02:25) Police chief says officers working to find suspect who shot two people, one fatally, inside Wilmington hospitalA suspect who shot two people in a Delaware hospital, killing one, was still at large on Tuesday, police said in a press conference.The shooting was reported around 3.30pm at Wilmington hospital, police chief Wilfredo Campos said during the news conference. Campos declined to release information about the victims’ identities or the condition of the person who was shot and survived. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CBS reaches agreement over Stephen Colbert’s use of Peanuts music on The Late Show 17. June 2026 (01:51) On that last day of his hosting, Colbert played Linus and Lucy on air in final dig at the networkOn his last day hosting CBS’s The Late Show, Stephen Colbert played one of the most iconic songs from the Peanuts soundtrack.“Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!” he joked, as Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed the song, titled Linus and Lucy, on air. It was a final dig at the network, which many fans believe cancelled the show due to Colbert’s criticisms of the Trump administration. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ohio Republican governor urges end to death penalty, saying it cannot be morally justified 17. June 2026 (01:44) Departing Mike DeWine, who co-wrote state’s death penalty bill, says ‘I no longer believe [it] is a deterrent to murder’Republican governor Mike DeWine, the who co-wrote the bill to reinstate Ohio’s death penalty more than 45 years ago, has called for the state to abolish capital punishment, saying it did not improve public safety and could no longer be morally justified.“I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder,” DeWine said on Tuesday. “The moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kyle Sandilands settles with former radio station for $12m and a helping hand with new media venture 17. June 2026 (01:07) ARN Media settlement of dispute with sacked radio host includes $12.09m cash payment and $1.5m worth of advertisingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKyle Sandilands has settled his dispute with ARN Media for a $12m cash payout and a promise it will help him launch a new media venture.The money is a fraction of the $85m the former radio host had been seeking after his abrupt sacking from the network in February, but avoids what threatened to be a costly and potentially damaging trial in the federal court. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
