Concerns raised about appointment of former federal senator, Amanda Stoker, who has previously supported the rights of people accused of sexual assault Get our daily political email , free app or daily news podcast Women’s safety advocates have raised concerns about the appointment of rightwing Queensland MP Amanda Stoker as the state’s minister for the prevention of domestic violence in light of her resurfaced statements that people should not “blindly” believe women who make allegations of violence. Stoker, who was appointed to the role on Saturday, argued in a 2023 article that the recent push to believe complaints “rather than carefully assess[ing] relevant evidence” would harm innocent defendants. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...
We shouldn’t ‘blindly’ believe allegations of violence against women, Queensland’s new DV minister said in resurfaced comments

Original reporting
The Guardian: read the full reportRelated stories
Why a Democratic win in US midterms could adversely affect Europe
Complacency about rising far-right movements and renewed pressure on Ukraine could be the result.

Spain begins mourning period after deadly train crash
Emergency services combed through the wreckage overnight as Civil Guard sets up clinics for relatives to provide DNA samples and help identify victims Spain has begun three days of mourning after a high-speed rail collision – its second this year – killed 68 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones. The trains, one from Spain’s state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo, were travelling on Wednesday morning in the same direction on the line that stretches from the Spanish capital, Madrid, to the southern region of Andalusia. After the Iryo train came to a halt, the other slammed into its rear, knocking several carriages off the track near the town of Urda. Continue reading...
Can Turkiye’s Libya breakthrough reshape Eastern Mediterranean diplomacy?
Ankara wins backing from former adversaries in Libya for maritime border agreement, but other diplomatic tests remain.

Australian politics live: PM grilled over golf club grant again as five ejected from question time; woman dies after drive-by shooting
Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Gas reservation policy set for lower house vote today Australia’s domestic gas reservation is set to be debated and voted on in the lower house today. Rather than international base companies, determining through algorithms what Australians receive, it empowers people themselves to determine what you receive on your devices, so that you should have that control. This isn’t about government having a greater role. It’s about people having a greater role, having more control themselves, and it’s deserving of support of this parliament. Continue reading...
Russia says more than 600 drones launched towards Moscow overnight
The attack is the latest in a series of major drone assaults targeting the Moscow region.
Judge rejects Trump effort to block California ‘noncitizen’ ballots
More than 100 subpoenas issued across 13 states as government ramps up search for alleged noncitizen voters.