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Pressure is on the Albanese government to make headway on its long list of stalled legislation before the federal election, as the final sitting week of 2024 begins in Canberra today. Housing will be back in the spotlight with the Help to Buy government equity scheme and incentives for build-to-rent to be brought to a final vote in the Senate, after failing to pass without support from the opposition or the Greens. The government knocked back fresh demands from the Greens, which included funding for 25,000 “shovel-ready” homes not given the go-ahead under the first round of the Housing Australia Future Fund. Labor insists the demand is unlawful and would result in the construction of million-dollar homes that are not value for money. With 30 or so bills still before the parliament, the government has been ramping up pressure on the Greens and the coalition to co-operate. A friendless crackdown on misinformation and disinformation has been shelved, and gambling reforms have been pushed into next year. The government is expecting wins on its aged care reforms and its social media age limit, with the former expected to attract opposition support. Labor will also be spruiking its Future Made in Australia plan, with its hydrogen and critical minerals production tax incentives to be introduced to parliament on Monday. The federal election is due to be held by May 17. In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. It’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. Here’s how they got there: Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance. The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world’s long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale. Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise. Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours. Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out. Good morning and welcome to the national news blog from and My name is Josefine Ganko, I’ll be with you on the blog for the first half of the day. It’s Monday, November 25. Here’s what’s making headlines this morning.
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. The United States offered its condolences, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Singh was “one of the greatest champions of the U.S.-India strategic partnership.” “We mourn Dr. Singh’s passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together,” Blinken said. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Workday: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot
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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims increased to the highest level in three years. Jobless claim applications ticked down by 1,000 to 219,000 for the week of Dec. 21, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 223,000 analysts forecast. Continuing claims, the number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, climbed by 46,000 to 1.91 million for the week of Dec. 14. That’s more than analysts projected and the most since the week of Nov. 13, 2021, when the labor market was recovering from the COVID-19 jobs wipeout in the spring of 2020. The rising level of continuing claims suggests some who are receiving benefits are finding it harder to land new jobs. WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. increased for the second week in a row to its highest level since mid-July, reflecting a recent jump in the bond yields lenders use as a guide to price home loans. The rate rose to 6.85% from 6.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate on a 30-year mortgage averaged 6.61%. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now at its highest since the week of July 11, when it was 6.89%. It dipped as low as 6.08% in September — a two-year low — and was as high as 7.22% in May. The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan at a lower rate, increased to 6% from 5.92% last week, Freddie Mac said. BRIEFLY NETANYAHU: Israel’s attorney general ordered police to investigate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial, the Justice Ministry announced Thursday. RUSSIA: The Federal Security Service in Russia said Thursday it arrested four Russians it accused of involvement in an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior military officers, an announcement that follows the Dec. 17 killing of Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov. SEVERE WEATHER: At least 90 flights were canceled and two dozen delayed Thursday at Texas airports as a line of thunderstorms moved across parts of the state in a system the National Weather Service predicted could bring high winds, hail and possible tornadoes. PAKISTAN: Pakistani security forces faced off with insurgents in three separate shootouts in the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan on Thursday, killing 13 militants, the military said. PRISON BREAK: Mozambique’s police chief said Thursday at least 6,000 escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital Maputo on Christmas Day after a rebellion in which 33 prisoners died and 15 were injured, as widespread post-election riots and violence roil the country. BALTIC CABLE: Finnish authorities said they detained a ship linked to Russia on Thursday as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables, the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure in the region. — Associated Press Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has said the livestock sector, if properly nurtured, can contribute N33tn to the nation’s economy. The minister stated this at an inaugural meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Livestock Development on Tuesday in Abuja. He noted that once unbundled, the sector has the potential to attract a lot of investment in the country. The minister said Nigerian businessmen have already indicated interest in going into ranching and dairy farming across the country. “At the moment we are taking stock of those state governments that have external ministry of livestock and fisheries. For state governments that have not created, they should give it effect and have a standing Ministry for Livestock for a seamless relationship between the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the State Ministries of Livestock as the case may be. “This sector sector is worth about N33tn once unbundled. Once unbundled, we have a huge opportunity to attract capital into the country as well as have a lot of ranchers. Related News Domestic transactions hit N3.73tn on NGX Minister hails TEFFund contribution to economic growth Rising malaria prevalence in Ogun worrisome – Minister “At the moment, we have a lot of requests from Nigerian businessmen who want to go into ranching and dairy activities. “So it is a question of settling down and unbundling this Ministry, giving it to the formal sector so that it can be derisked and people will know that beyond what everybody has been saying before the creation of this Ministry, there is a strong political support from the office of the President and then this committee,” the minister said. The Chairman of the Committee, Wale Raji, called for the transformation of the livestock sector for meaningful economic growth. He said the committee understood the urgency the sector needs and promised to legislative partnership for the development of the sector. “The only regret is that the creation of the ministry is coming this late. But our consolation is that it is better late than never. And with your wealth of experience as a technocrat and also a practicing farmer, we do not doubt that we have a round peg in a round hole. The whole essence would be towards the development and progress of the country,” he said
Mahomes, Chiefs win at buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goalNigel Farage could sue Tory leader Kemi Badenoch over fake membership counter claimsThe UConn Huskies men's basketball team has won two national championships in a row. And the UConn Huskies men's basketball team has lost two games in a row. Colorado stunned Dan Hurley's squad 73-72 in Tuesday's Maui Invitational matchup. It was a game in the loser's bracket, as the Buffaloes dropped a contest against Michigan State on Monday while the Huskies lost in overtime to Memphis. It seemed like UConn was going to bounce back with relative ease when it jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half, but Colorado trimmed the deficit to eight by intermission and then battled back in the second half. Andrej Jakimovski drove to the lane and hit a difficult shot as he was falling to the ground with eight seconds remaining to give the Buffaloes the lead, and Hassan Diarra's potential game-winning three-pointer on the other end didn't fall for the Huskies. That crunch-time sequence also came after assistant coaches had to hold Hurley back when the officials didn't call a potential over-the-back foul on a key offensive rebound for Colorado. It was a particularly notable no-call since Hurley was issued a critical technical foul in Monday's loss when UConn was whistled for an over-the-back call in overtime. A second straight loss for the reigning champions led to plenty of reaction on social media: The end result is UConn will now play in the seventh-place game in the Maui Invitational, which is surely not what it expected heading into the tournament. Even though it is a strong field with teams such as Auburn, Iowa State, North Carolina and Michigan State, the Huskies were the headliners. And now they aren't. Foul trouble was an issue for Hurley's team Tuesday, as Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. each fouled out down the stretch. Liam McNeeley (20 points) and Solo Ball (16 points) did what they could, but it wasn't enough in the winning moments. Julian Hammond III and Elijah Malone each scored 16 points for Colorado, which improved to 5-1 on the season with a win that will resonate all the way to Selection Sunday.
STRICTLY Come Dancing fans have been left fuming as another celebrity was sent home in a shock elimination. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman presented the results show as week 10 of the competition came to an end. Advertisement 3 Another Strictly celebrity has been sent home in a shock elimination Credit: BBC 3 Jamie was sent home after the judges chose to save Montell Credit: BBC 3 Head judge Shirley said she also would have saved Montell over Jamie Credit: BBC Fans watched as the pair announced Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas would face the dreaded dance off with Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe. During the show the Sugababes performed a medley of hits Overload, Freak Like Me and Push The Button. Jamie and Michelle performed their foxtrot again, while Montell and Johannes followed with their Quickstep. But in a shock to viewers, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse all chose to save Montell. Advertisement more on strictly come dancing show swap The One Show star eyes up Strictly Come Dancing for 2025 after Marin Lewis exit show leak Strictly fans stunned as results leak and show favourite is sent home With the majority vote meaning EastEnders star Jamie was eliminated, head judge Shirley Ballas said she too would have saved Montell. Speaking following the shock result, Jamie said: “Strictly is magic. That is all I can say. Strictly is magic. Not just everyone who you see in front of the camera, these four here [the judges], but everyone who works on this show. "I have such a good bond and relationship with and that's what made me want to do this show, it’s the people, not what I'm doing. I've had the best time. "I could ramble on all day about this one [Michelle]. She's a new pro and she's absolutely been the most amazing teacher. We have laughed like you wouldn’t believe. Advertisement Most read in News TV BEACH BABE Jean Johansson flaunts incredible toned figure & endless legs on Barbados beach HOST'S PAIN BBC's Glenn Campbell makes shock admission as he gives tumour battle update COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle THAT'S A WRAP The Simpsons Milhouse actor retires after 35 years on hit show "I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone on the show, so thank you.” Pete Wicks has been billed “the new Giovanni” by Strictly bosses Reacting to the result, Strictly fans took to social media, raging how Pete Wicks should have been eliminated. One said: "Seriously people please please stop voting for Pete enough is enough." A second wrote: "Pete Wicks seems like a nice enough chap but I can't believe people are voting for him over Montell." Advertisement "I love Pete, he's a laugh and he's trying and he's what it's about. But I'm sorry what the f**k," said a third. While a fourth commented: "They will not let Pete near the dance off." Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special WINNERS STRICTLY Come Dancing's Christmas Special is rolling back around for 2024. Yet who has already scooped the festive Glitterball Trophy? 2005 Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova 2006 Colin Jackson & Erin Boag 2007 Darren Gough & Lilia Kopylova 2008 Jill Halfpenny & Darren Bennett 2009 Ali Bastian & Brian Fortuna 2010 John Barrowman & Kristina Rihanoff 2011 Charlie Brooks & Vincent Simone 2012 J.B. Gill & Ola Jordan 2013 Rufus Hound & Flavia Cacace 2014 Louis Smith & Aliona Vilani 2015 Harry Judd & Joanne Clifton 2016 Melvin Odoom & Janette Manrara 2017 Katie Derham & Brendan Cole 2018 Aston Merrygold & Janette Manrara 2019 Debbie McGee & Kevin Clifton 2020 — 2021 Anne-Marie & Graziano Di Prima 2022 Alexandra Mardell & Kai Widdrington 2023 Jamie Borthwick & Nancy Xu
