Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts .
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A group of volunteers are preparing to serve as so-called poll peacekeepers on election day for the US Midterms.
As voting begins that could decide control of the US Senate, most polls show 37-year-old Democrat and former schoolteacher James Talarico is narrowly ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The clergy members and civil rights activists in Austin, Texas are part of a faith-based initiative called Faiths United to Save Democracy, which trains people to observe activity at voting locations and serve as a calm, visible presence for voters.
Reverend Hannah Hooks says she joined the effort because she wants to help ensure voters can cast ballots without fear of harassment or intimidation.
"I'm afraid that there will be cheating. Dishonest efforts will be put into place, distractions, possibly even violence. Because I was sitting on my sofa on January 6... And so because of that, I have a very real concern about being present and at least I will be able to say that I was present and did everything that I could to make a difference."
King Charles will speak on the lasting pain of the transatlantic slave trade during the final leg of his Caribbean tour in Antigua.
He's expected to address Commonwealth leaders today [[Tues 3 Nov]] as negotiations continue on the issue of reparations and an apology.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has earlier said he is open to the possibility of the UK formally apologising for its role in slavery - which represents a change in the government's stance.
Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Commission, Dorbrene O’Marde, says that's not the only issue on the table.
"If Britain wants to find money, as it finds money for war in Ukraine, as it will find money for war in the Falklands, and it will find more money for all sorts of supporting issues of war in particular, that if Britain gets to a negotiated agreement, it can find the money for reparations."
An open letter has warned Australia cannot "credibly lead on climate abroad" or protect regional security if it continues to approve new and expanded coal and gas projects.
More than 500 Australian-based academics issued the message to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, days before Australia takes a leading role at the COP31 climate talks in Turkiye.
The open letter comes less than a week before Mr Albanese is expected to attend the summit, where Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen will serve as president of negotiations.
The federal government is considering the future of the Hunter Valley Operations north and south mine extensions, which were approved by the NSW Independent Planning Commission but require federal environmental approval.
Australian employers are being urged to review their emergency plans to protect workers, ahead of a summer period expected to feature extreme heat and severe weather.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting above average temperatures across Australia between November and January, which the Australian Institute of Health and Safety says can impact on workers who have to do their jobs in these conditions.
Extreme heat is the most frequent cause of weather-related injury hospitalisations and deaths in Australia, with the latest data revealing it is responsible for an average of 710 hospitalisations annually.
The Institute's Celia Antonovsky says workplaces need to account for climate change and the risks it poses to worker safety.
"Climate change is changing the conditions people are working in every day. More extreme heat, bushfire smoke, insect migration, and severe weather events can change the risk of a job very quickly, so our safety planning needs to keep pace."
Scene-stealing kangaroos have thrown the production of Liam Neeson's new action thriller into chaos.
The Mongoose has been filmed in Australia, with Neeson's character, war hero Ryan "Fang" Flanagan, on the run from police as he leads them on an epic cross-country chase after being wrongly accused of murder.
The actor has told People magazine that the cast and crew had to navigate an unexpected challenge caused by the country's iconic animal, particularly when filming the car scenes.
He says the crew and cast saw a lot of kangaroos and were never sure when they were going to hop across the road.
A jockey who broke his collarbone in a fall at Flemington is racing against time to compete in today’s [[Tues 3 Nov]] Melbourne Cup, the 166th edition of the iconic race.
Harry Coffey underwent surgery on Sunday after being injured during Saturday’s racing, and still needs medical clearance to ride Shockletz in the $10.2 million-dollar race.
Meanwhile, jockey Rachel King says her horse has drawn a favourable barrier and should settle near the front of the field.
She says she’s entering the Cup with her strongest chance of victory yet, and believes women have proven themselves as equals in racing.
“I think we’ve proven over a number of years, you know, that everybody’s on a level playing field, which is a fantastic aspect of this sport. I think it’s something racing should be really proud of. We continue to get out there every year an prove ourselves.”
