Australia PM under fire for remarks on Japanese counterpart's melon gifts
An ex-Japanese envoy said the "sexist" comments "betrayed the close bond" between the countries.
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Burnham ‘increasingly confident’ PC Harper’s killers will not get early release
Prime minister says he has asked justice secretary to push through measures to increase the number of prison placesAndy Burnham has said he is increasingly confident he can adapt the early release scheme for prisoners to exclude the killers of PC Andrew Harper and other serious offenders, saying he understood and shared the public’s concern about their potential release.Writing in on Facebook, the...
PM asks justice secretary to find way to exclude PC Harper’s killers from early release scheme
Andy Burnham said to be ‘determined’ to work out solution after increasing pressure from family and policeAndy Burnham has told the justice secretary to find a way to exclude PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding.The prime minister is said to be “determined” that a solution can be found after increasing pressure from Harper’s family and police...
Overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine used North Korean missiles, claims Zelenskyy – Europe live
Russian attacks on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least six people and injured 20, officials saidOvernight Russian attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least six people and injured 20, officials said. Another six people were killed and 16 injured in attacks on Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk, Reuters reported.Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Zaporizhzhia ...
Amber heat health alerts to kick in across England ahead of fifth summer heatwave – latest news
The alerts come a day after it was officially declared that there are now 11 regions in the country in droughtAs we mentioned in the opening post, amber heat health alerts come into force across most of England from 9am today and will last until 9am on Friday.As well as a rise in deaths and likely “significant” impacts across health and social care services, here are some of the other risks associ...
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Gangs using Airbnb-type rentals as drug stash houses, top Belgian official says
Flexible short-term bookings used to store and pack drugs and stash weapons and cash, says Ine Van WymerschAirbnb-type short-term rentals are being used as stash houses by criminal gangs, as booming e-commerce aids organised crime “enormously”, Belgium’s lead official in charge of countering drugs has said.More criminal organisations are using “these Airbnb platforms etc” as a stash place for mone...
America poisoned prairie dogs for decades, but scientists found they sustain healthy grasslands
Prairie dogs were once viewed as pests but are now recognized as ecological assets. Their burrowing and grazing improve soil and water infiltration significantly. These small mammals help prevent grasslands from turning into shrublands. Areas with prairie dogs also provide more forage for livestock and store more carbon. The loss of prairie dogs diminishes crucial ecosystem services for both natur...
Mass grave with 25 bodies found in Sudan’s Kurmuk after army retakes town
Officials accuse the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the killings, saying grave held remains of children and women.
Victoria to ban suppression orders for rapists after Ralph Carr and Tom Silvagni convictions under new pledge
Premier Ben Carroll promises if re-elected to ‘close every loophole’ used by high-profile accused and convicted criminals to hide their identities in the courtsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe use of suppression orders by convicted rapists will be banned in Victoria, premier Ben Carroll has announced, with his gove...
Australia news live: Bullock warns more hikes possible after RBA holds cash rate at 4.35%; Greens accuse Carroll of ‘crumbling to big business’ over work from home bill
Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTed O’Brien says that just because the Japanese government has downplayed melon-gate, doesn’t mean Anthony Albanese’s gaffe isn’t a “national embarrassment”.We’ve seen reports Japan sent a memo to the government last month suggesting they did not believe the prime minister’s comments about the pair of crown melons h...
Meet Red Handfish, the endangered 'walking' fish that became Photo Ark's 18,000th species
For 20 years, photographer Joel Sartore has been documenting animals through his Photo Ark project, which has now reached its 18,000th species. The latest addition is the critically endangered red handfish, a tiny marine fish that uses its fins to move across the seafloor. Sartore hopes the project will raise awareness about threatened species and help preserve a record of animals that could disap...
In 1868, an eclipse in India revealed an element found on Earth 27 years later
During the solar eclipse of 1868 in India, astronomers stumbled upon an enigmatic yellow spectral line, initially observed by Pierre Jules Janssen. Although its significance was not immediately recognized, Norman Lockyer soon named the unidentified element helium upon further analysis. Eventually, William Ramsay verified helium's presence on Earth in 1895 by extracting it from a mineral, solidifyi...
Trump claims control of Strait of Hormuz as stalemate deepens
Stalemate between two countries deepens as President Trump mirrors Iran's demand for compensation and claims U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz
Discarded salon hair is being transformed into an oil-absorbing barrier that protects mangroves from oil spills in Rio de Janeiro
Discarded human hair is now preventing oil pollution in Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay. Each gram of hair absorbs approximately five grams of oil, repelling water effectively. These hair barriers, made from salon waste, can remain in the water for four months. The initiative protects vulnerable mangrove ecosystems from chronic and everyday oil leaks. This innovative project aims to aid the rec...
Malaysia’s Anwar slams ‘political drama’ after opposition walks out of Tabung Haji debate
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused opposition lawmakers of staging “political drama” on Tuesday after they walked out of a special parliamentary session on a long-awaited royal inquiry into the country’s Muslim pilgrimage savings fund. The confrontation came less than two weeks after Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition lost power in Negeri Sembilan. During campaigning, the prime mi...
Donald Trump says replacing Gianni Infantino would be a ‘terrible mistake’
Trump's comments are the first time he has spoken in FIFA president's defence since FFE plans were leaked on July 28.
California’s Shasta Dam flooded Kennett, a copper-mining town beneath Lake Shasta
Once a bustling northern California mining hub, Kennett was swallowed by the depths of Shasta Lake following the construction of the Shasta Dam. This ambitious federal project aimed at water management inundated the town, which thrived on copper mining and railroads. Today, only historical accounts and the lake itself hint at the vibrant community that once existed in this submerged landscape.
Albanese refuses to say sorry for ‘insulting’ melon joke about Takaichi
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sidestepped calls to apologise on Tuesday after a clip emerged of him engaging in crude banter about a gift from his Japanese counterpart. Albanese had already faced a backlash and apologised over comments made during an interview last month with the Bush Deep podcast in which he said he would “shag” singer Kylie Minogue. But separate comments during that...
Former Guangdong governor Zhu Senlin, enforcer of southern reform, dies at 95
Zhu Senlin, a former Guangdong governor widely regarded as a key enforcer of the province’s economic transformation in China’s critical period of opening up in the 1990s, died on Monday aged 95, according to official media. Nanfang Daily, the mouthpiece of the Guangdong party committee, confirmed on Tuesday that Zhu had died due to illness. Shanghai-born Zhu spent more than five decades in the sou...
Russian attacks kill six in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia
A children's hospital has also been struck in Kyiv, according to Ukraine's state emergency service.
Colombia rescuers race against the clock to search for earthquake survivors
Rescuers in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday searching for survivors beneath the wreckage after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of the country’s coffee-growing region on Monday. At least 164 people have been killed and authorities are warning the number of casualties could still climb.
Colombia earthquake rescue efforts enter second day as death toll reaches 164
Rescuers in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday searching for survivors beneath the wreckage after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of the country’s coffee-growing region on Monday. At least 164 people have been killed and authorities are warning the number of casualties could still climb.
Australia news live:Bullock warns more hikes possible after RBA holds cash rate at 4.35%; Greens accuse Carroll of ‘crumbling to big business’ over work from home bill
Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTed O’Brien says that just because the Japanese government has downplayed melon-gate, doesn’t mean Anthony Albanese’s gaffe isn’t a “national embarrassment”.We’ve seen reports Japan sent a memo to the government last month suggesting they did not believe the prime minister’s comments about the pair of crown melons h...
Colombia rescue efforts press on after deadly earthquake
Rescue efforts across western Colombia carried into a second day on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country's most powerful earthquake in decades could rise. FRANCE 24's Camille Corcoran brings us more with this report.
As conflict in the Middle East intensifies, India’s relationship with Israel deepens
An Amnesty International report reveals that the country is now a key part of Israel’s weapons supply chain. Plus, Assam floods, student anger spreads and a song to put in rotation• Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereHello, and welcome back to This Is India.For this week’s newsletter, I’m looking at India’s evolving relationship with Israel, and how it has deepened as con...
Rescuers search rubble in Cali as Colombia’s strongest quake in decades hits
Rescuers in Cali search rubble after Colombia’s strongest quake this century, which killed over 130 people, left hundreds injured and many missing.
Australia’s prime minister refuses to apologise to Japanese counterpart over melon gaffe
Anthony Albanese facing criticism after appearing to joke on a podcast about a gift of melons from Sanae TakaichiAustralian prime minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to apologise to Japan’s prime minister over a joke he made about melons on a satirical podcast, amid a media frenzy and accusations of sexual innuendo.Government MPs have defended the prime minister as criticism mounted over ...
Trump reportedly hid in catering container to board secret flight in Turkey amid Iran threat
Elaborate ruse was used to transport president to military flight from Air Force One in JulyDonald Trump departed on a secret military flight from Turkey to Britain last month when the White House said he was flying aboard Air Force One, in an extraordinary ruse – prompted by an Iranian assassination threat – that involved hiding the president in an airport catering container, according to report...