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Independent ACT senator David Pocock – a former Wallabies captain – has been banned from attending Parliament House’s social sports club after raising concern about its sponsorship by the gambling industry.
The former rugby star was on Thursday night told he was no longer welcome at Australian Parliament Sports Club events, and accused of politicising the organisation. He has been removed from group chats discussing its events.
The club told Pocock it was inappropriate for him to remain a member given his public criticisms and on Friday confirmed it had sent the messages to Pocock.
Pocock was one of several crossbench MPs who criticised the gambling lobby’s sponsorship of the federal parliament’s sports club last month, alleging it had paid to secure access to decision-makers and entrench wagering’s close association with sport.
Top news
‘Trump is like a juggernaut’: how the Gaza ceasefire deal was done
Tsunami warning for the Philippines and Indonesia after 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Mindanao
The mood is ominous at CSIRO as jobs disappear ‘by stealth’ – and staff are wondering who’s next
Women’s World Cup heroes Sam Kerr and Cortnee Vine return to Matildas squad for friendlies
In pictures
An exhibition pulls back the curtain on Norman Hetherington’s most famous creations, including Mr Squiggle, Blackboard and Gus the Snail, and a large cast of other characters he prepared earlier.
What they said …
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“Communication must be freed from the misguided thinking that corrupts it, from unfair competition and the degrading practice of so-called clickbait.”
Pope Leo XIV has condemned clickbait – a form of sensationalist, hyperbolic headline that entices online readers to click into a story by omitting key information – as a “degrading” part of journalism, at a private audience with global newswires.
Full Story
Newsroom edition: One Nation and the rise of the populist right
Recent opinion polls indicate support for the populist right party One Nation has doubled since the last election. Around the globe, far-right politicians pushing nationalist anti-immigration policies are also on the rise – including Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and Donald Trump in the US. So could Pauline Hanson’s One Nation grow to pose a similar threat to Australian politics?
Nour Haydar speaks with Guardian Australia deputy editor, Patrick Keneally, and head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, about the rise of the populist right and the lessons for Australia.
Reader callout
Cast your vote for the 2025 Australian bird of the year! You will be able to see the voting tally for each bird throughout the competition. The bottom five birds will be eliminated at the end of each day, with tallies starting afresh just after midnight. You can vote every day.
Before bed read
More than 1,000 people were stuck in mountain hiking areas on Mount Everest for days, sparking extensive rescue efforts by local authorities and villagers. From non-stop snow to instant noodles and yaks, Guardian correspondent based in Taipei, Helen Davidson, shares tales from the rescued hikers.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: DRAM. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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