December 23, 2024

Afternoon Update: US Republicans debate; Dutton urges Woolworths boycott; and De Minaur downs Wimbledon champ

Woolworths #Woolworths

Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.

Today, Republican presidential nominee hopefuls Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley hashed it out in an animated debate.

The pair carried out the fifth Republican primary debate but with less than a week to go before the first-in-the-country Iowa caucuses, they aren’t the only nominees who made waves today.

Representing the two polar ends of the nominee pool, Chris Christie officially suspended his campaign, commenting, “It is clear to me tonight that there is not a path to win the nomination,” while Donald Trump, the undisputed leader of the pack, held his own town hall hosted by Fox News, using his airtime to attack all of the above.

Top newsAlex de Minaur thanks fans after victory in a charity match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty ImagesA ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea. The UN security council has adopted a resolution calling for an end to Houthi attacks on shipping in the area. Photograph: Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

  • UN security council demands immediate end to Houthi attacks | Resolution calling for end to the attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis was adopted despite abstentions from Russia and China.

  • Port Moresby rocked by deadly riots as police strike over pay | A violent riot has led to several deaths and shops and businesses being set on fire in Papua New Guinea’s capital.

  • Trump told European leaders that US ‘will never come to help you’ | Then president told European commissioners in 2020 that “Nato is dead” and the US would never defend Europe if it were attacked.

  • In picturesDiana, Princess of Wales, hongis a young woman at Eden Park during the Royal visit, 1983. Photograph: thefairfaxarchives.co.nz

    How New Zealand’s story in a million pictures was almost lost forever

    Rescued by an American gallery, a trove of photos depicting pivotal scenes in modern New Zealand is now being auctioned and sold to institutions. Click here for the full story.

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    What they said …Stephen Harrison in his role as the HyperVerse ‘chief executive’ Steven Reece Lewis, left, and as himself. Composite: HyperVerse/Stephen Harrison

    “I am sorry for these people, because they believed some idea with me at the forefront and believed in what I said, and God knows what these people have lost. And I do feel bad about this.” – Stephen Harrison, who posed as the chief executive of HyperVerse, one of the hyper crypto investment schemes in which people lost millions of dollars. Harrison was paid for his role but denied he had “pocketed” any of the money they lost.

    In numbers Illustration: Guardian DesignBefore bed readTaylor Swift arrives at the 81st annual Golden Globes awards ceremony. Photograph: Allison Dinner/EPA

    Is it OK to speculate about Taylor Swift’s sexuality? Arwa Mahdawi takes more offence at the idea that it’s upsetting to discuss a public person’s sexuality in 2024 – especially when no one seems perturbed at gossip about celebrities’ straight sex lives.

    Daily word game

    Today’s starter word is: HOM. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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