Latest news with #AlexanderDarling
The Age
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: David Stratton dies; Albanese, Chalmers react to leaked treasury document; Hamas denies praising Australia's Palestine recognition decision; Watt protects salmon farming in Tasmania
Latest posts Latest posts 5.08pm Bail denials trigger juvenile jail rise By Jack Gramenz and Alexander Darling Almost 10 classrooms worth of children are in jail in NSW, alone as bail changes trigger a sharp increase in custody numbers. NSW Premier Chris Minns defended his bail changes on Thursday as data showed more than 230 children were in NSW jails in June. That figure was 34 per cent higher than two years earlier, the state's crime statistics bureau said. It reversed a trend of declining numbers of jailed children, the bureau's executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said. The majority of jailed children have not been convicted, with only 66 in custody due to sentencing. More than 70 per cent are on remand while they go through the court process. But the increase is not necessarily driven by laws placing additional tests on bail, suggesting access to bail has tightened. 'It seems to be beyond just the offences that were targeted or the particular circumstances that were targeted under the legislative change,' Ms Fitzgerald said. Loading The state government has limited access to bail for children aged 14 and over accused of break-and-enter and motor vehicle theft offences while bailed on similar charges. Bail for accused domestic violence offenders has also been restricted. In Victoria, the state government announced changes to it bail laws in March following some high-profile offences. Parts of the reforms were introduced later so that the state could hire extra corrections staff to cope with the expected influx there. With AAP 4.59pm 'These are not new ideas': Opposition says Labor supporting ideas it opposed at election By Alexander Darling Staying with Afternoon Briefing, and the opposition has had its say on that leaked Treasury document suggesting what the outcomes of next week's productivity roundtable should be in advance. 'I think it's very curious that two of the Treasury ideas were ideas that we had at the last election,' said Shadow Minister for Housing and Productivity, Senator Andrew Bragg, when he went on the show. 'That tells you that the central agency thinks that coalition policy ideas are credible.' 'In fact, the government said during the last campaign that changing the National Construction Code was a bad idea and, in fact, Ed Husic said that it would result in there being bad houses or shoddy housing in Australia. 'So, there was a reason this was our policy - because we knew there was a lot of red tape in the housing sector. And in relation to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, we also had a policy there to remove some of the red tape and to get the approvals moving.' 'These are not new ideas. These are ideas that Labor would have known about last term. But instead of actually helping housing, in the last term, they put in place lots and lots of red tape.' Bragg also wouldn't be drawn on whether he still supported the opposition's pledge from this year's election campaign, to cut new migrants by 100,000 people a year. Host Patricia Karvelas noted Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie reaffirmed his support for this target last week.
The Age
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Albanese, Chalmers reject union push for four-day work week; Trump declines to criticise Albanese's Palestine state call
Key posts 3.39pm 'A death blow': Business reacts to four-day work week idea 2.52pm New Zealand weighs up Palestinian recognition 2.27pm Cop gun 'unintentionally' fired at Sydney airport, Victorian man charged 2.03pm Are other countries embracing a four-day week? 1.50pm Greens back unions as four-day work week debate continues 1.20pm Today's headlines 12.26pm Trump meeting could occur 'at very short notice' 12.17pm 'No plans' to adopt four-day workweek: Albanese Hide key posts Latest posts Latest posts 4.11pm 'Biggest lobbying event ever': 150 teachers descend on Victorian parliament By Alexander Darling Earlier today, 150 teachers descended on Victorian Parliament, and met with 47 MPs in what the education union is calling the 'biggest lobbying event ever' by its members. They were concerned about the state government's plan to cut $2.4 billion in public school funding, by delaying its Gonski funding commitments by three years. 'Victoria is an outlier,' said AEU Victorian Branch president Justin Mullaly at the parliament. 'Every other state ad territory is going to deliver full funding for their public schools.' 'That means we won't have the resources to support the best learning outcomes for our students.' Education Minister Ben Carroll has previously said the Victorian Labor government has invested $35 billion since coming to office in 2014. 4.00pm Watch: In Cambodia's refugee camps, fear lingers as uneasy peace holds By Zach Hope, Kate Geraghty and Nara Lon On July 24, months (or centuries) of oscillating agitations and insecurities in Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia erupted into armed clashes, killing dozens – possibly several dozen – on both sides of the disputed borderlands. Too scared to go home even days after a ceasefire, thousands of Cambodian families huddle here in wooden wagons, unfolding themselves when space permits on hammocks and cardboard mats. Watch this special report by our correspondents below: 3.39pm 'A death blow': Business reacts to four-day work week idea By Alexander Darling Returning to one of our main stories today, and business groups are not impressed by the idea from unions to mandate a four-day work week in sectors that can support the change. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) put forward the idea ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' economic reform roundtable next week, though both Chalmers and the prime minister have already said they will not pursue this particular idea. The Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association (ARCA)'s chief executive Wes Lambert said a four-day week 'would slash productivity and take a toll on hospitality businesses, especially in CBDs'. 'We can't cram service into fewer days,' Lambert said in a statement. '[This would be] a death blow for CBD cafés already struggling, as one in 10 currently faces closure.' Meanwhile, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said on Wednesday afternoon there needed to be a productivity boost before such an idea could reasonably be considered. 'I think they're putting the cart before the horse, honestly,' McKellar said. 'They are coming, I think, with an idea about how to divide up the benefits, but without at this point suggesting anything that will actually get us to that stage. So our request to the ACTU is come and be prepared to talk about how we make our workplaces more effective, how we reduce the impact of regulation. 'If you want to be able to get those benefits there for businesses and for employees, then you've got to be coming with real suggestions, practical ideas about how to boost that productivity.' McKellar also said the roundtable needed to discuss the impacts of recent regulatory changes to penalty rates, plans to legislate the right to work from home and the impact of AI. 3.20pm Australia finalises agreement with Vanuatu By Alexander Darling Australia has finalised a historic agreement with Vanuatu, according to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. The Nakamal Partnership Agreement has been in the works for some months and will take in infrastructure planning, economic development and climate planning. On Wednesday afternoon, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong held a press conference with Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat on the southern island of Tanna, specifically the summit of Mount Yasur, known for being the world's most active volcano. 'It is our intention that the finalised agreement will be signed between Prime Minister Napat and Prime Minister Albanese in coming weeks,' said Marles, the volcano's hissing almost drowning him out. Loading 'What this does is acknowledge our shared history, it acknowledges our shared economic connection, and it makes clear that it is core business for Australia to be engaged in the human development of Vanuatu. 'It acknowledges that as neighbours, we have a shared security environment and a commitment to each other which is embodied in this agreement.' The Y-shaped archipelago has a population of just over 300,000 people, and is currently the second-largest source of workers for Australia's Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme, aimed at filling labour shortages in regional Australia. Earlier this week, Marles, Wong and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy also travelled to Papua New Guinea, to open a new naval base and finalise a bilateral defence treaty. Meanwhile, Wong will travel to Fiji on Thursday to attend a meeting of foreign ministers at the Pacific Islands Forum. With AAP 3.06pm Why has Trump sent the military into Washington? By Samantha Selinger-Morris and Michael Koziol Loading It was a scene straight out of the Donald Trump playbook: a rambling press conference where he spoke about oceanfront property in Ukraine, his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia – though he's actually meeting him in Alaska. And then, as if on cue, his claim that, Washington, DC, has been 'overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals'. Today on our daily news podcast, our North America correspondent Michael Koziol on what this all means, whether it's legal, and his view from the streets of Washington. 2.52pm New Zealand weighs up Palestinian recognition By Lucy Craymer New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu had 'lost the plot' as the country weighs up whether to recognise a Palestinian state. Luxon told reporters that the lack of humanitarian assistance, the forceful displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Netanyahu had gone way too far. 'I think he has lost the plot,' added Luxon, who heads the centre-right coalition government. 'What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable.' Loading Luxon said earlier this week New Zealand was considering whether to recognise a Palestinian state. Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would do so at a UN conference in September. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached 'unimaginable levels', Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave. Israel has denied responsibility for the hunger spreading in Gaza, accusing Hamas militants of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies. 2.40pm Closing childcare centres for breaches 'not feasible': regulator By Tom Wark Closing every childcare centre reported for a quality breach is not feasible, despite calls for tougher rules to protect vulnerable children, Australia's largest regulator says. An inquiry on Wednesday was told about concerns that safety breaches were not being acted upon, protecting services rather than children. But with a push to expand early learning access nationwide, shutting down every service reported to the regulator would cause havoc for parents, the head of the NSW Department of Education said. 'I know people look for a simple answer here, but it's not that simple,' education secretary Murat Dizdar told state MPs. Loading 'A service might be doing its job outstandingly well and in a regulatory visit might not have met the menu requirement.' But Dizdar argued regulatory responsibilities should be cut free from his department because of the perceived conflict of interest in being a major provider of care and a watchdog. NSW's childcare regulator sits inside the education department, effectively making the secretary the ultimate regulator, he told the parliamentary inquiry into childcare. The inquiry comes amid nationwide scrutiny of the childcare sector, set in motion by scandals in both NSW and Victoria. Meanwhile, federal Labor has enlisted consulting giant Deloitte to design a universal childcare scheme for the nation. Deloitte will spend two years assessing whether a flat fee of $10 a day could replace the current childcare subsidy, which is calculated based on household income. 2.27pm Cop gun 'unintentionally' fired at Sydney airport, Victorian man charged By Jack Gramenz and Farid Farid A Victorian man has been charged after a gun was accidentally fired at Australia's busiest airport in one of its domestic terminals. The 41-year-old was arrested in a tussle with Australian Federal Police officers at Sydney Airport about 6am on Wednesday. When officers tried to speak to the man, he allegedly became verbally and physically aggressive, but during his arrest an officer's firearm was 'unintentionally' discharged, police said. There were no injuries and no ongoing threat to the public. 'The AFP is investigating the circumstances around the discharge of the weapon,' AFP acting commander Scott Raven said. 'However, the alleged actions of this man and aggressiveness towards police created a volatile situation.' The man faces two charges under federal law: obstructing or resisting a federal official and creating a disturbance at an airport. He was bailed to appear in a Sydney court on September 1. With AAP 2.16pm AGL profits slump, looks to renewables By Savannah Meacham A major energy retailer has posted a record slump in profits, but is looking to turn things around with an investment in renewable energy. AGL announced its full-year financial earnings on Wednesday, revealing a 21 per cent drop to $640 million underlying net profit after tax compared with the previous year's $812 million. The company posted a statutory loss of $98 million, which was attributed to an increase in onerous contracts and retail transformation costs. Loading Chief executive Damien Nicks said the profit plunge was expected due to lower wholesale electricity prices and the company deciding not to 'fully pass through' the year-on-year cost increases to customers to help with affordability. AGL aims to offset coal and gas losses, particularly from outages and contract expirations, by instead transitioning to renewables, with a $900 million investment in batteries. AGL will add 12 gigawatts of renewable energy by the end of 2035 and bolster its interim target from five to six gigawatts by 2030, including half of that being grid-scale batteries. It is also aiming to move to 60 per cent emission reductions following the closure of the coal plants, with Bayswater in NSW to shut in 2033 and Loy Yang A in Victoria by 2035. Nicks confirmed AGL will be able to completely offset losses from coal and gas through batteries by 2028. AAP 2.03pm Are other countries embracing a four-day week? By Alexander Darling With today's news that Australian unions will push for a mandated four-day working week at next week's productivity roundtable, you might be wondering how common such working arrangements are already. Here's a quick look around the globe: Australia/New Zealand: Beginning in August 2022, a six-month trial took place involving more than 30 companies. Run by not-for-profit 4 Day Week Global, the companies trialled four days of work for five days of pay (the workers' end of the bargain being that they'd still show five days' worth of productivity). Loading 4 Day Week Global said the companies involved rated the overall impact of the trial as an 8/10. Some of the companies involved, including More Than Mortgages and Queensland accounting firm ABA, decided to make four- day weeks permanent after the trial. USA/Canada: When 4 Day Week Global undertook a pilot program at 35 companies across North America in 2022, it observed an 8 per cent rise in revenue, a rise in the rate of hiring and a drop in absenteeism and resignations. The participating businesses included graphic designers, corporate training, media/publishing companies and not-for-profits organisations. Loading Belgium: The government passed legislation in 2022 allowing workers the option of a four-day week. They are expected to work the same number of hours a week. In June this year, the Brussels Times reported many Belgian companies remained reluctant to reduce their weekly working hours. UK: A six-month trial took place in 2022 involving 70 businesses with 92 per cent of the companies continuing with the four-day week post trial. Those companies experienced a small increase in average revenue and a 57 per cent drop in staff attrition.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news LIVE: Economy grows by 0.2 per cent; Tasmania debates no-confidence motion of Rockliff; Ley urges US to grant Australia an exemption to Trump's metal tariffs
Key posts 11.58am Boele wins Bradfield, Liberals consider court challenge 11.42am Economy grows - just - as disasters and Christmas leave their impact 11.09am Mushroom cook returns to witness box for a third day 10.44am Tasmanian premier on thin ice amid no-confidence threat 9.37am Virgin Australia gets $685m IPO ready for lift-off 9.28am Ley urges US to grant Australia an exemption to Trump's steel, aluminium tariffs 9.08am Dutch government collapses after far-right leader pulls party out of coalition 8.51am Westpac-owned RAMS admits to home loan misconduct Hide key posts Latest posts Latest posts 11.58am Boele wins Bradfield, Liberals consider court challenge By Alexandra Smith Loading In breaking news this hour, Teal candidate Nicolette Boele has seized the once blue-ribbon seat of Bradfield after a recount of the north shore seat, beating Liberal hopeful Gisele Kapterian by just 27 votes in one of the tightest elections in history. While the Australia Electoral Commission has not yet publicly confirmed the result, several Liberal sources closely involved in Bradfield campaign confirmed that Boele was victorious. Boele won the seat on her second attempt, after almost unseating former Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher in 2022. She continued campaigning fulltime for three years, styling herself as the shadow MP for Bradfield. She will join fellow NSW teals Allegra Spender (Wentworth), Sophie Scamps (Mackellar) and Zali Steggall (Warringah) on the crossbench. 11.42am Economy grows - just - as disasters and Christmas leave their impact By Alexander Darling and Millie Muroi The Australian economy rose 0.2 per cent in the March quarter, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. That's the slowest pace since the three months to June last year - and below consensus expectations for 0.3 per cent growth. At the same time, the amount of income Australians have been saving compared to spending has increased from 3.9 per cent to 5.2. In the past 12 months, the growth has been 1.3 per cent. 'The private sector recovery we have planned and prepared for is gradually taking hold,' said treasurer Jim Chalmers in a statement. Extreme weather events dampened demand and weighed down exports, although household spending - which accounts for more than half of the country's economic growth - continued to grow at 0.4 per cent. This was driven by an uptick in spending on essentials including utilities during the warmer than average summer and food as Queensland households stockpiled in preparation for Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. However, data yesterday revealed government spending and net trade - other key components of GDP - also slipped, detracting from economic growth. ' Household spending on discretionary items was also relatively slow following a stronger than usual retail sale period during the Christmas season. 11.33am Tasmanian party leaders trade barbs as no-confidence motion debated By Alexander Darling Under-siege Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has unloaded on Opposition Leader Dean Winter – accusing him of selfish and reckless behaviour, and of bullying the crossbench – after Winter successfully moved a no-confidence motion against him. Rockliff won re-election with a minority government last year, but today's motion has been backed by crossbench MPs. The Labor opposition moved the motion in response to what it called budget mismanagement and plans to privatise state assets. Responding to the motion in state parliament, Rockliff called Winter 'a weak leader'. Loading 'I hand on heart, can say to you that I have fought more for vulnerable people in this place than the Labor Party could ever dream of, and particularly the person that resumes his seat, the leader of the opposition, who has demonstrated in the last 24 hours that you are not ready to govern, that you are a weak leader, that you are prepared to jeopardise Tasmania's future and the stability of this parliament,' he said. Earlier, Winter said the instability was Rockliff's fault alone.'The debate is very important today,' he said. 'The broken promises are galling. But the situation the state arrives in goes back to one thing, and that's the state of the Tasmanian budget. $1.7 billion worth of cash deficit this year, heading towards $11 billion of net debt, and a premier who won't even admit there's a problem.' Rockliff mentioned in his reply the need to open the chequebook to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy in which six children died. MPs are expected to vote on the motion this afternoon. 11.09am Mushroom cook returns to witness box for a third day By Marta Pascual Juanola and Erin Pearson Erin Patterson had just stepped into the witness box for the third day when her barrister, Colin Mandy, SC, resumed his questioning by taking her to an extraction report about the contents of an SD card found by police during a search of her home in Leongatha on November 2, 2023. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, in July 2023. She claims their deaths from mushroom poisoning were a terrible accident. Among other images shown to the court today, the document contains a series of photographs of mushrooms on the kitchen bench and on the newspaper atop her dining table at her old home, as well as some snapshots from a video taken by Patterson featuring her son and daughter. 'We were on the rail trail. I believe that was coming out of the Leongatha trail head,' she said. She patted her eyes with a tissue while pointing out who her children were in the photographs and said several images showed some orange mushrooms on the kitchen bench and a newspaper atop her dining table at her old home in Shellcot Road, Korumburra. Other photographs showed wild mushrooms growing on her property at the time, which she photographed to figure out what variety of mushrooms they were, she said. Follow our live coverage of the trial here. 10.44am Tasmanian premier on thin ice amid no-confidence threat By Alexander Darling Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is facing a no-confidence motion as the opposition increases the heat over his party's financial management and plans for a new AFL stadium in Hobart. The nascent AFL Football team in Tasmania said it was deeply concerned about the political uncertainty enveloping the state government, with the Labor opposition singling out Rockliff's alleged 'budget mismanagement'. The minority Liberal state government has pledged $375 million for a new stadium, without which the Tasmania Devils will not be able to enter the AFL as planned in 2028. The Labor opposition supports the project 'unconditionally' but Greens and several crossbench MPs are opposed. In a statement, the Devils said the 'political uncertainty... is of great concern' to them. 'We are unsure what will happen today... what we do know is that uncertainty presents a serious risk for jobs, investment and growth, and for the future of Tasmania Football Club,' it said. With AAP 10.29am Labor MP defends government's super tax By Cindy Yin Labor MP Julian Hill has defended the government's controversial plan to increase tax on super balances over $3 million, saying they were 'winning this argument with the Australian people'. Treasurer Jim Chalmers' super tax changes are one of Labor's key policy offerings, and will be put to the parliament in coming months. Currently, earnings from super are taxed at a rate of up to 15 per cent, but about one in 200 Australian taxpayers with super balances higher than $3 million will face an additional 15 per cent tax on any investment returns they earn on the amount above this threshold. Appearing on Sky News this morning, Hill said: 'Frankly, I think we're winning this argument with the Australian people'. 'No one has been able to convince me that if you've got more than three million bucks in your super account that you need all of that for your retirement. Good on you, hold that wealth, but pay tax like everyone else on it'. 'Let's be honest: If you've got five, 10, 15 million dollars in your super account it is not for your retirement. So why do you attract the full tax concessions for retirement income? You should pay a bit of tax on it, it's estate planning,' he said. 10.20am 'In one awful decision, Albanese has revealed his do-nothing plan' By Ross Gittins It didn't take long for us to discover what a triumphantly re-elected Labor government would be like, writes Ross Gittins. Would Anthony Albanese stick to the plan he outlined soon after the 2022 election of avoiding controversy during his first term so he could consolidate Labor's hold on power, then get on with the big reforms in term two? Or would he decide that his policy of giving no offence to powerful interest groups had been so rapturously received by the voters, he'd stick with it in his new term? Well, now we know. The re-elected government's first big decision is to extend the life of Woodside Energy's North West Shelf gas processing plant on the Burrup peninsula in Western Australia for a further 40 years from 2030. What was it you guys said about your sacred commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050? You remember, the commitment that showed you were fair dinkum about combating climate change whereas the Coalition, with its plan to switch to nuclear energy, wasn't? So you're happy for one of the world's biggest liquified natural gas projects still to be pumping out greenhouse gases in 2070, 20 years after it's all meant to be over? 10.00am Charity sector booms driven by soaring cost of living By Alexander Darling New data out today from the charity sector's national regulator shows Australia's 63,000 registered charities earned $222 billion in revenue last financial year, a rise of 10.7 per cent. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has published the 11th edition of the Australian Charities Report, which also shows charities now employ more than 10 per cent of the nation's workforce. 'The addition of more staff reflects sector growth, but it's growth that is needed to try to match greater demand for services,' said ACNC commissioner Sue Woodward. 'Many parts of the sector, including food banks and crisis accommodation services as just a couple of examples, are consistently reporting that cost of living pressures are driving higher demand, sometimes stretching capacity to the point where, sadly, people seeking help have to be turned away.' Approximately 40 per cent of revenue went to just 30 charities. Donations comprised around 40 per cent of extra small charity revenue, compared to only slightly more than 6 per cent for those deemed extra large. More than half of all charities had no paid staff; for extra small organisations that figure was nearly 90 per cent. 9.37am Virgin Australia gets $685m IPO ready for lift-off By Chris Zappone Virgin Australia has kicked off its return to the Australian sharemarket after an absence of more than four years, with bankers offering shares in the airline to investors at $2.90 apiece for its much-anticipated listing on the ASX. Private equity owner Bain Capital will sell close to 30 per cent of Qantas Airways' biggest rival, expecting to raise $685 million via the initial public offering. The $2.90 price tag for the stock represents a multiple of seven times the airline's expected earnings this financial year, the firm said in its pitch to sharemarket investors. Market sources said the joint lead managers of the offering believed demand from domestic and global anchor investors was 'well in excess of the offer size prior to opening of the bookbuild'. It's unclear when the stock will start trading on the ASX. The IPO represents the culmination of years of waiting for the listing of the airline. Bain Capital bought the then struggling airline in 2020, taking it off the sharemarket after it had been placed in administration, facing soaring costs and the impact of the COVID-19 shutdown on travel. 9.28am Ley urges US to grant Australia an exemption to Trump's steel, aluminium tariffs By Paul Sakkal Coalition leader Sussan Ley says the Albanese government should be seeking an exemption from Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs, after a special carve-out for the UK was confirmed overnight. The US president signed an executive order hiking metals tariffs from 25 to 50 per cent today. The only nation left out was the UK, which will continue to be levied at 25 per cent, at least until July 9, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer struck a deal with Trump last month. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Trump this month either at a G7 meeting in Canada or a separate meeting in the US. Ley told this masthead: 'We note that the United Kingdom has been able to secure an exemption from the latest American steel tariffs, and we stand ready to work with the Albanese Government to ensure Australia can achieve the same outcome.' 'President Trump's tariffs on our steelmakers are not in the spirit of our century-old partnership, and we urge the Americans to give Australia a fair go and remove them. 'The Coalition wants the government to succeed here because that is in our national interest.'
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
New Pope conclave LIVE updates: White smoke pours out of Vatican chimney signals new pope is elected
Go to latest White smoke! White smoke has been seen billowing from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. It means the cardinals have chosen a new leader for the Catholic Church. The world can expect to know soon who the 267th pope is. Stay tuned. 2.30am Crowd cheers at first puffs of white smoke The joyous crowd in St Peter's Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot. 'Long Live the Pope!' the crowds cheered in bright sunshine. 'We have a pope!' said one sign held aloft. The identity of the pope and the name he has chosen as pontiff will be announced to the world shortly from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The new pope will then step forward to deliver his first public address and blessing to the gathered crowds. Sister Mona Lisa, a Brazilian nun, was in the square waving a Brazilian flag, in tears. 'I am so happy we have a pope,' she said. 2.25am How we got here By Alexander Darling On Thursday, 133 cardinals went into the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican to elect the next leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. Three rounds of votes came and went with black smoke coming from the world's most talked-about chimney. But now, the moment 1.4 billion Roman Catholics have all been waiting for has arrived. Loading It follows the death of Pope Francis, on April 21, aged 88. Who could it be? No clear favourites emerged prior to the conclave. However, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican's number two under Francis was considered a front-runner. Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa were the other names being talked about. With AP 2.24am White smoke! By Alexander Darling White smoke has been seen billowing from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. It means the cardinals have chosen a new leader for the Catholic Church. The world can expect to know soon who the 267th pope is. Stay tuned.
The Age
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
New Pope conclave LIVE updates: Candidates gather at Sistine Chapel as new pope elected
Go to latest White smoke! White smoke has been seen billowing from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. It means the cardinals have chosen a new leader for the Catholic Church. The world can expect to know soon who the 267th pope is. Stay tuned. 2.30am Crowd cheers at first puffs of white smoke The joyous crowd in St Peter's Square cheered and applauded as the first puffs of smoke emerged from a small chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals have been holding their secret ballot. 'Long Live the Pope!' the crowds cheered in bright sunshine. 'We have a pope!' said one sign held aloft. The identity of the pope and the name he has chosen as pontiff will be announced to the world shortly from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The new pope will then step forward to deliver his first public address and blessing to the gathered crowds. Sister Mona Lisa, a Brazilian nun, was in the square waving a Brazilian flag, in tears. 'I am so happy we have a pope,' she said. 2.25am How we got here By Alexander Darling On Thursday, 133 cardinals went into the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican to elect the next leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. Three rounds of votes came and went with black smoke coming from the world's most talked-about chimney. But now, the moment 1.4 billion Roman Catholics have all been waiting for has arrived. Loading It follows the death of Pope Francis, on April 21, aged 88. Who could it be? No clear favourites emerged prior to the conclave. However, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican's number two under Francis was considered a front-runner. Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, France's Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary's Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy's Pierbattista Pizzaballa were the other names being talked about. With AP 2.24am White smoke! By Alexander Darling White smoke has been seen billowing from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. It means the cardinals have chosen a new leader for the Catholic Church. The world can expect to know soon who the 267th pope is. Stay tuned.
