Lobby gets personal on President

Nick O'Malley EVEN before the US President, Barack Obama, made his announcement that he would pursue bans on semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, the debate had turned ugly.

NRA loses support as advertisement drags President's children into debate

Nick O'Malley Even before President Barack Obama made his announcement that he would pursue bans on semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, the debate had turned ugly.

Obama unveils bid to tighten US gun control

Nick O'Malley US President Barack Obama has announced sweeping gun control measures, calling on Congress to act fast to reintroduce a ban on assault rifles, introduce a ban on high-capacity magazines and expand...

Obama drives sweeping gun control measures

Nick O'Malley THE United States President, Barack Obama, has announced sweeping gun control measures, calling on Congress to act fast to again ban assault rifles, ban high-capacity magazines and expand mandatory...

Nick O'Malley, United States Correspondent

NRA puts Obama children in firing line

Nick O'Malley The hugely influential gun rights lobbying group has taken a major risk with the line of its latest advertisement.

'It is how we will be judged': Obama announces widest gun control measures in 18 years

Nick O'Malley WASHINGTON: The US President, Barack Obama, has announced sweeping gun control measures, calling on Congress to act fast to reintroduce a ban on assault rifles and to introduce a ban on high capacity...

Activists unite on US gun controls

Nick O'Malley A month after the killings in Newtown, Connecticut, the White House and a loose coalition of activists are hoping to harness the public disgust to force Congress to pass its first significant gun...

Obama's push on guns creates a ripple effect

Nick O'Malley WASHINGTON: A month after the killings in Sandy Hook, the White House and a loose coalition of activists are hoping to harness the public disgust to force Congress to pass its first significant gun...

Mali crisis is Australia's big UN test, says envoy

Nick O'Malley The unfolding crisis in Mali is Australia's first great test as a member of the United Nations Security Council, said the Australian ambassador to the UN, Gary Quinlan, after an emergency meeting...

Disturbing video released after alleged gang rape

Nick O'Malley This phone vision appears to show a number of young American men joking about the alleged gang rape of a young girl in Ohio.

'How can standing by watching that go on not be committing a crime?'

Nick O'Malley A small US town's football culture comes under the microscope over a callous teen rape.

Nick O'Malley

Obama's pick for Treasury is offside with Republicans

Nick O'Malley WASHINGTON: Barack Obama's latest reported cabinet nomination - Jack Lew, the White House chief of staff, to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary - shows the President is in no mood to...

Obama to pick budget warrior for Treasury head

Nick O'Malley Barack Obama's latest reported cabinet nomination - White House chief of staff Jack Lew to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary - shows the President is in no mood to compromise with...

Shot ex-congresswoman leads charge as anti-gun lobby fires back

Nick O'Malley US gun control advocates, led by shot former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, have launched a coordinated attack on the powerful gun rights lobby, as they seek to continue the national debate on...

Obama's pick for defence job irks pro-Israel hawks

Analysis Nick O'malley BY THE time the President formally introduced Chuck Hagel as his pick for defence secretary on Monday in Washington, the former Republican senator's enemies on the right had been busy for weeks...

Debt battle rages, with Republicans firing first

Nick O'Malley BEFORE the dust has even begun to settle from the battle over the so-called fiscal cliff in Washington there were indications over the weekend that the New Year's Eve showdown might have been a...

America the ungovernable

Nick O'Malley Two of the most powerful men in America crossed paths in the lobby of the White House last Friday.

Republican rift helps tax bill through house

Nick O'Malley FINALLY, after a revolt among Republicans and a split within the party's leadership, a deal struck between the White House and the Senate was backed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday night,...

US pulls back from the cliff

Nick O'Malley Minutes before the midnight deadline of the fiscal cliff, Democrats started celebrating a partial victory.