<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"687e2ff98f083f75bfb4ebef","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The ABC 7.30 program host, Sarah Ferguson, pressed Albanese on what he would say if the US president, Donald Trump, where to question him on Australia’s response if China were to attack Taiwan. ","elementId":"b2b6b68a-e4cf-4abc-ab49-d00d32440943"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The questions has emerged as part of Washington’s review of the Aukus pact and the request about Australia’s thinking is understood to have been made by an under secretary of defence, Elbridge Colby. ","elementId":"2aff9adf-b338-460c-9d2e-06612d04ae82"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Ferguson asked what Albanese would say if he was pressed on that question. The PM replied: ","elementId":"348c37ed-f611-4f65-b701-5ae0be42beb5"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"…
Tag: Palestinian territories
US writers at growing risk of crackdown on free speech, says PEN America
Writers in the US are at growing risk amid a worldwide crackdown on free speech that has begun to spread to countries previously renowned for unfettered expression and openness, according to a leading writers’ advocacy group. PEN America said it was concerned about an emerging threat from the Trump administration as it published its annual Freedom to Write index report, which showed that the number of writers jailed worldwide had jumped for the sixth year running to 375 in 2024, compared with 339 the year before. Covering a period ending…
The new world disorder: how the Gaza war disrupted international relations
Not long ago a picture circulated from inside Gaza showing smoke billowing from the explosion of a US-supplied bomb, and discernible in the background was the outline of eight black parachutes dropping US aid in precisely the same neighbourhood. It was suggested that the picture would make an ideal cover for any book about the confused world disorder that the six-month war in Gaza have spawned – a disorder that as yet has no dominant player, value system or functioning institutions. The great powers compete, coexist or confront one another…
US resolution on Gaza ceasefire vetoed at UN by Russia and China
A US resolution urging a ceasefire in Gaza linked to a hostage deal has been vetoed by Russia and China in the UN security council, extending a five-month impasse in the international body over the Israel-Hamas war which has killed more than 32,000 people. Eleven council members voted for the resolution on Friday morning; Russia, China and Algeria voted against it and Guyana abstained. As permanent security council members the Russian and Chinese votes counted as vetoes. It was unclear on Friday morning whether there would be a further vote…
The world in 2024: Guardian writers on what to look out for
The year 2024 will be a critical one. The future of Gaza and the West Bank may hinge in part on whether Donald Trump returns to the White House – as may the outcome of the war in Ukraine. China will be locked in a race against time as its population ages. And the natural world will reach a new series of tipping points. But there are some reasons for cautious optimism. With so much happening, it can be hard to know where to look. Here Guardian correspondents offer their…
Worlds apart: inside the 22 December Guardian Weekly
The Guardian Weekly magazine looks forward and back in our final edition of 2023, a year overshadowed by war and conflict. In a special essay, diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour reflects on how a perception of US double standards over Ukraine and Gaza has damaged the west in the minds of the global south, and whether an international reckoning of sorts awaits Washington in 2024. “I wanted to illustrate chaos and destruction as testaments of war,” writes Israel G Vargas on his cover artwork for this week’s edition. “Two conflicts shaking…
Almost 100 journalists killed and 400 imprisoned in 2023, says IFJ
A leading organisation representing journalists worldwide expressed deep concern Friday at the number of media professionals killed around the globe doing their jobs in 2023, with Israel’s war with Hamas claiming more journalists than any conflict in over 30 years. In its annual count of media worker deaths, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said 94 journalists had been killed so far this year and almost 400 others had been imprisoned. The figure for deaths is up from 67 in the same period of 2022 — including 12 killed in…
London gallery delays Ai Weiwei show over Israel-Hamas tweet
The artist Ai Weiwei has defended the importance of free speech after a London gallery put his show on hold over a tweet about the Israel-Hamas war. The exhibition of new works by the Chinese dissident, which was due to open at the Lisson gallery this week, was indefinitely put on hold after a tweet posted in response to a follower’s question on X which has since been deleted. It read: “The sense of guilt around the persecution of the Jewish people has been, at times, transferred to offset the…
How Chinese firm linked to repression of Uyghurs aids Israeli surveillance in West Bank
In the occupied Palestinian territories, there are cameras everywhere. In Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, residents say cameras were installed by Israeli police up and down their streets, peering into their homes. One resident named Sara said she and her family “could be detected as if the cameras were just in our house … we couldn’t feel at home in our own house and had to be fully dressed all the time.” Surveillance cameras now cover the Damascus Gate, the main entrance into the old city of Jerusalem and one…
China has a history of being pro-Palestinian, but now faces diplomatic conundrum
China was an early proponent of a ceasefire in Gaza and has called for wider talks on resolving the Palestinian question. But analysts say the situation is complicated, and it’s not clear what Beijing expects to achieve, and how it can get there. Beijing has been a supporter of the Palestinians since the Mao era and long called for a two-state solution, but it is increasingly close to Israel, and is presenting itself as a neutral party that holds steadfast to a noninterference principle. Beijing is also trying to build…