Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson wore a burqa in Parliament on Monday (Nov 24) as a political statement aimed at banning the Muslim garment in public, prompting accusations of racism from Muslim senators. Hanson donned the burqa shortly after being denied permission to introduce a bill that would prohibit burqas and other full-face coverings in public spaces across Australia. This marked the second time she has used the garment in Parliament to push for such a ban.

Her appearance sparked outrage in the Senate, leading to the suspension of proceedings when she refused to remove the burqa. Mehreen Faruqi, a Greens senator from New South Wales, described Hanson’s actions as “blatant racism,” while independent senator Fatima Payman from Western Australia called the stunt “disgraceful.”

Leaders from both sides of politics condemned her actions. Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said they were “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate” and moved a motion to suspend Hanson. After Hanson refused to leave, Senate proceedings were halted. Hanson, representing Queensland, first gained national attention in the 1990s for her strong opposition to Asian immigration and asylum seekers and has consistently campaigned against Islamic clothing. She previously wore a burqa in Parliament in 2017 while calling for a national ban.

Her One Nation party holds four Senate seats, including two won in May’s election amid growing support for far-right, anti-immigration policies. In a Facebook statement, Hanson defended her actions as a protest against the Senate rejecting her proposed bill, saying she wore the garment to highlight what she described as its threat to national security and the mistreatment of women, and challenged Parliament to ban the burqa if they opposed her actions.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Pexels/Faruk Tokluoglu.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday warned that Ukraine faces a difficult choice between compromising its dignity and freedom or losing US support, as Kyiv considers a US-proposed peace plan aimed at ending the conflict with Russia, according to Al Jazeera. Speaking outside his office, Zelenskyy called for national unity and vowed never to betray the Ukrainian people.

“Now is one of the most challenging moments in our history. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice—either losing dignity or risking the loss of a key partner,” he said. He added that he would work tirelessly to ensure that Ukrainian dignity and freedom are safeguarded in any agreement. CNN reported that a new US-backed peace proposal being discussed could involve Kyiv conceding territory in eastern Donbas and limiting its military capabilities in exchange for security guarantees. The plan, still in development, would require compromises from both Russia and Ukraine, who have been in conflict since 2014, escalating into full-scale war after Russia’s 2022 invasion.

US officials emphasized that elements of the draft, including points seen as favoring Moscow, are not final and may change. The 28-point proposal has been reviewed and supported by former President Donald Trump as part of Washington’s renewed efforts to end the nearly three-year conflict. Some measures, particularly those requiring Ukraine to cede territory not fully controlled by Russia, have previously been rejected by Kyiv.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.

Jose Luis Cubo looked on as forensic experts unearthed the body of a man his grandfather had helped bury at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, following an execution carried out by fascist forces. According to members of the Historic Memory Recovery Association, the remains recovered from a muddy pit in farmland at Vegas de Matute, about 75km north of Madrid, belong either to Luis Garcia Hernandez, a 42-year-old teacher and union activist, or to Julio Maroto Ortega, a 60-year-old road worker.

The excavation forms part of an initiative launched by victims’ groups in 2000 and expanded by the socialist-led government in 2018 to confront and address crimes committed under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. In Vegas de Matute, Cubo, now 83, recalled how his grandfather, Lorenzo Cubo, witnessed a Falange militia truck arrive, heard gunshots, and later joined locals in burying the bodies under the cover of night.

“This area was known as the death zone. We kept farming it, and the wheat grew much taller where we believed the bodies lay,” Cubo said. The legacy of Franco continues to divide Spanish society. His death 50 years ago on Thursday (Nov 20) paved the way for Spain’s transition to democracy and eventually its entry into the European Union and NATO.

The government, which has been honouring the victims, says it is about halfway through its large-scale effort to exhume and properly memorialise those buried in mass graves during the civil war (1936–1939) and Franco’s nearly 40-year regime. There is no official count of those who disappeared during that period, but in 2008 former High Court judge Baltasar Garzón estimated the number of victims at about 114,000. Officials believe only around 20,000 can still be recovered due to time, development, and other factors.

Roughly 9,000 bodies have been located so far, and the remaining recoverable ones are expected to be exhumed within the next four years, State Secretary for Democratic Memory Fernando Martínez López told Reuters. Although only 700 have been formally identified, the government maintains that each recovered body has value, noting that unidentified remains are respectfully reburied in designated memorial locations. “Every mass grave we open closes a wound,” Martínez said.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Growing pressure is building on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to demonstrate stronger accountability as a major corruption scandal poses the most serious challenge to his administration since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Last week, Zelenskyy fired two senior officials and imposed sanctions on several associates after investigators uncovered that $100 million had been siphoned from the national energy sector through contractor kickbacks.

These actions, however, have not eased the political turmoil. After more than three years of war and ongoing power outages caused by Russian attacks, the public is increasingly intolerant of corruption in the energy industry. Many are now urging Zelenskyy to dismiss his influential chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, often viewed as Ukraine’s unofficial second-in-command.

Neither Zelenskyy nor Yermak has been accused of involvement by investigators, but both political opponents and uneasy allies argue that additional high-level accountability is needed to rebuild public confidence. Critics also stress that demonstrating integrity is crucial to maintaining support from Western partners who are essential to Ukraine’s defense and to any future peace negotiations.

Anastasia Radina, head of the parliament’s anti-corruption committee, wrote on Facebook that it is difficult to believe such a scheme could have operated without political protection. She warned that Zelenskyy risks deepening the internal crisis by keeping Yermak by his side. Corruption has long troubled Ukraine, and Zelenskyy was elected on the promise of rooting it out. Two officials from his office, speaking anonymously, said no decision has been made about removing Yermak.

The investigation, led by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, found that top officials pressured contractors for kickbacks of up to 15% in exchange for business with the state-run nuclear power company, Energoatom. More than 1,000 hours of recorded conversations revealed coded discussions, including references to a powerful individual identified only as “Ali Baba,” whose identity is still unknown. Following the scandal’s disclosure, parliament approved Zelenskyy’s removal of the energy and justice ministers, and the president’s office sanctioned several implicated associates, including Tymur Mindich, a co-owner of Zelenskyy’s TV production company.

The revelations surfaced just as Russian strikes left millions without electricity, intensifying public outrage. Zelenskyy had already faced backlash earlier in the year for attempting to weaken the same watchdogs now running the investigation. Opposition figures insist it is difficult to believe a scheme of this magnitude happened without Yermak’s awareness, although they have provided no evidence. Yermak has not responded publicly to demands for his resignation.

Reports suggest he has attempted to reinforce his political standing by seeking a meeting with former army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi—now serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK—but the request was rejected, according to an official familiar with the matter. Inside parliament, pressure is increasing. Zelenskyy’s sweeping 2019 victory gave him control of roughly two-thirds of the seats, but many members of his own party now favor Yermak’s removal. Some lawmakers are attempting to organize a “national stability coalition” to move beyond political bargaining, though the party leadership says this effort does not reflect their official stance. Discussions on next steps continue.

Yermak’s influence within Zelenskyy’s inner circle is vast. The two first met over 15 years ago when Zelenskyy was a well-known comedian and Yermak was a lawyer entering the media industry. Since then, Yermak has become central to managing Ukraine’s foreign relations, shaping diplomatic strategy with Western allies, and exploring possible ceasefire scenarios with Russia. He has joined Zelenskyy on every international trip since the 2022 invasion, earning a reputation as the president’s most trusted adviser. Domestically, he is considered a gatekeeper with heavy influence over major government appointments. This is not the first time people close to Yermak have faced scrutiny. Two former deputy chiefs of staff, Oleg Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma, resigned in 2024 after being targeted in corruption investigations. Another deputy, Andriy Smirnov, remains in his position despite facing bribery allegations.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Author and columnist Sean Kelly argues that even though Labor holds a strong majority and the opposition is distracted by internal conflict, there are indications that Anthony Albanese’s government may squander the chance voters have given them. Kelly speaks with Guardian Australia’s political editor Tom McIlroy about his new Quarterly Essay, where he explores Labor’s shift from idealistic ambitions to a more pragmatic approach. The former staffer to Rudd and Gillard says that although Albanese’s cautious style has helped him win two elections, it may now prove to be the prime minister’s biggest vulnerability.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian.

Australia exports more weapons and ammunition to the United Arab Emirates than to any other nation. This week, Team Defence Australia occupies a prominent spot at a weapons exhibition in Dubai. However, human rights groups are urging the government to halt defence exports to the UAE amid reports that its arms are being supplied to a militia accused of mass killings in Sudan. Senior journalists Ben Doherty and Henry Belot discuss with Nour Haydar Australia’s expanding involvement in the global arms trade.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.

The US government released blurry footage showing a fishing boat moving through the Caribbean Sea before disappearing in a flash of light. Andrew Roth, the Guardian’s global affairs correspondent, tells Annie Kelly that this US airstrike near Venezuela’s coast was just the first in a series targeting what President Donald Trump calls “narco-terrorists.” With US aircraft carriers and 10,000 troops now being sent to the region, Roth explains what is known about US plans for Venezuela, the diplomatic breakdown that led to this situation, and which members of the Trump administration are pushing this aggressive policy. Tom Phillips, the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, examines Trump’s claim that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads an organized crime syndicate. He details the corrupt system Maduro has built to shield himself, compares the current situation to previous US interventions in the region, and discusses how other Latin American countries are responding to the US threat.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian

Singapore is making waves on the global technology stage with a strategic leap forward in quantum computing. Marking a major milestone under its National Quantum Strategy, Singapore is set to become the first country outside the United States to host Quantinuum’s Helios quantum computer by 2026. This partnership not only positions Singapore as a pioneering hub for quantum innovation but also promises to accelerate developments across pharmaceuticals, finance, and advanced material sciences with cutting-edge computational power.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.