General news

• WATCH: Daughter drives 8 hours to surprise dad for his birthday after her flight is canceled

  12-07-2024 23:42
  
  The best birthday and Father's Day!
  
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• Watch: Boris Johnson and Tony Blair seen at lavish India wedding

  12-07-2024 23:10 via bbc.com
  
  Tony Blair and Boris Johnson were among guests to arrive at the wedding of a billionaire's son.
  
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• Saudi Arabia to host first ‘Olympics Esports Games’ in 2025

  12-07-2024 22:47
  
  IOC signs deal with kingdom to host gaming Olympics over 12-year period amid criticism of Saudi human rights recordSaudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee have announced a 12-year agreement to host the new esports Olympics in the oil-rich kingdom starting next year.The partnership promises “Olympic Esports Games held regularly”, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement on Friday, beginning with the Esports Olympics in 2025. Saudi Arabia did not disclose ho
  
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• Is it the beginning of the end for Biden?

  12-07-2024 22:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  More gaffes overshadow Biden's crucial NATO press conference
  
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• Teenager falls '30 to 40 feet' from amusement park ride, in critical condition

  12-07-2024 22:02 via foxnews.com
  
  A 17-year-old girl is in critical condition after falling up to 40 feet from an amusement park ride in Canada Thursday, according to reports.CP24 reported that the teen fell from the Swing of the Century ride, which Canada's Wonderland calls "an attraction ideal for the whole family."The incident occurred Thursday around 2:45 pm, according to police.AMERICAN FLAG STOLEN FROM BELOVED THEME PARK DAYS BEFORE JULY 4TH FIREWORKS SHOW"We attended a call at the park at 2:42 p.m. yesterday for reports o
  
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• Two French rugby players charged with aggravated rape in Argentina

  12-07-2024 19:53
  Officials in Mendoza say players met the victim at a nightclub and violently assaulted her in a hotel roomProsecutors in Argentina have charged two French rugby players with aggravated rape, in the grisly case of a woman who said she was repeatedly assaulted by the athletes after they took her back to their hotel room and prevented her from leaving.The prosecutor’s office in the western city of Mendoza – where the alleged assault took place last Sunday following the French team&rsquo
  
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• Poseidon vs. Chaac: Mexico 'cancels' statue of Greek god after complaint from Maya Indigenous groups

  12-07-2024 19:43 via foxnews.com
  
  The gods must be angry — or just laughing at the hubris of humanity.Authorities in Mexico have slapped a "closure" order on a 10-foot-tall aquatic statue of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico just off the town of Progreso, Yucatan.Mexico’s environmental protection agency said late Thursday that the statue, which appears to show an angry trident-wielding Poseidon "rising" from the sea a few meters from the beach, lacked permits. In the few
  
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• Bodies of about 60 Palestinians reportedly found after Israeli attack on Gaza City

  12-07-2024 19:06
  
  Forces involved in week-long offensive against Hamas in territory’s largest urban area have now pulled backEmergency workers claim to have recovered the bodies of approximately 60 Palestinians from two districts of Gaza City after Israeli forces pulled back from days of battles with Hamas militants in the territory’s biggest urban area.The civil defence agency in Hamas-run Gaza on Friday said the bodies were found in the Tal al-Hawa and Al-Sinaa districts after the week-long offensiv
  
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• Electioncast: The GE 2024 Binder

  12-07-2024 18:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Everything you need to know about the general election, and more!
  
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• European leaders downplay Orban's praise of Trump as they defend Biden's gaffes: 'slips of the tongue'

  12-07-2024 18:32 via foxnews.com
  
  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appeared to endorse Donald Trump and raised doubts about President Biden’s fitness to run for a second term in a move that has continued to upset leaders across Europe. "We continued the peace mission in Mar-a-Lago," Orban wrote on his official social media account on X. "President @realDonaldTrump has proved during his presidency that he is a man of peace. He will do it again!" "It was an honour to visit President @realDonaldTrump at Mar-a-L
  
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• South Africa travel guide: Spend your trip with wildlife on unforgettable safaris, magnificent hikes and more

  12-07-2024 18:30 via foxnews.com
  
  There is surely something for everyone in South Africa. From hikers, to those fond of magnificent animals, to history buffs, there is something to do on a vacation to South Africa that will satisfy the desires of all travelers. For your trip, don't forget to pack plenty of lightweight clothing, a protective hat to keep you covered from the hot sun, shoes comfortable to walk in, a rain jacket/poncho, plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent. 6 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE ON VACAT
  
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• NBC News' Lester Holt interviews President Biden

  12-07-2024 18:14
  NBC News anchor Lester Holt sits with President Joe Biden in an exclusive one-on-one interview in Austin, Texas. Biden continues to face criticism from his own party amid calls from some lawmakers to withdraw from the presidential race.
  
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• Zelenskyy says Ukraine can't win war unless US lifts limits on striking military targets in Russia

  12-07-2024 16:06 via foxnews.com
  
  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday embraced the support of allies who have provided substantial new military aid and a path to joining NATO, even as he emphatically pushed for the help to arrive faster and for restrictions to be lifted on the use of U.S. weapons to attack military targets inside Russia."If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations," Zelenskyy said alongside NATO Secretary-General J
  
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• Four people drown trying to cross Channel near Boulogne-sur-Mer

  12-07-2024 15:28
  
  At least 56 people survive after early morning rescue involving French coastguard, navy boat and helicopterUK politics live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesFour people died overnight trying to cross the Channel to reach Britain, French officials have said.A rescue operation took place off Boulogne-sur-Mer on France’s northern coast after reports of people in the sea. Four of those pulled from the sea had drowned. Continue reading...
  
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• Russia-Ukraine war live: allowing Kyiv to attack anywhere in Russia would be ‘dangerous escalation,’ says Kremlin

  12-07-2024 15:24
  Ukraine has been pushing its western allies to allow use of their weapons further into RussiaDonald Trump will “make peace” in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said after visiting the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.Orban posted photos of himself and Trump, who is running for re-election in November, each giving a thumbs up in a room at the resort. Continue reading...
  
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• Hungary’s 12-day old EU presidency has ‘already caused a lot of damage’ – Europe latest

  12-07-2024 15:21
  
  Comments from German foreign ministry follow controversial visits by Viktor Orbán, including to RussiaHungary’s presidency of the Council of the EU has already caused damage, the German foreign ministry said today, Reuters reported.Budapest took over the rotating presidency on July 1. The Hungarian far right prime minister, Viktor Orbán, fuelled controversy over the past days by travelling to Russia and China without backing from his EU counterparts. Continue reading...
  
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• Justice secretary set to announce plans on prisons overcrowding crisis – UK politics live

  12-07-2024 15:15
  
  Shabana Mahmood to set out emergency measures, which could include reducing the time before some prisoners are automatically releasedRobert Buckland, the former secretary of state for justice and former MP, has appeared on Sky News to talk about the prison crisis.He said that only 6,000 of the 20,000 new places the Tories promised by the end of this year have been created, and that the prison building programme “which I started with Rishi Sunak is coming forward, but not at a pace that is
  
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• Israel-Gaza war live: US mediators making progress on ceasefire deal but still ‘gaps to close’, says Biden

  12-07-2024 15:13
  In his Nato news conference, the US president acknowledged concerns about Israeli actions despite his overall support See all our Israel-Gaza war coverageTurkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday it is not possible for Nato to continue its partnership with the Israeli administration, reports Reuters.“Until comprehensive, sustainable peace is established in Palestine, attempts at cooperation with Israel within Nato will not be approved by Turkey,” Erdoğan said at
  
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• UK needs Covid-style push on dementia drugs, says ex-head of vaccine taskforce

  12-07-2024 14:51
  
  Kate Bingham says ageing population means tackling dementia must be treated as economic imperativeA Covid-style effort is needed to ensure NHS patients are first in line for a new wave of dementia drugs, according to the former head of the UK’s vaccine taskforce.Kate Bingham is calling for the immediate recruitment of large numbers of patients to ensure that, as with Covid vaccines, the UK is a leading player in testing and launching drugs. Continue reading...
  
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• Floods fuelled 19% drop in income from farming in England in 2023

  12-07-2024 14:49
  Low yields combined with low prices for some crops also led to a 13% drop in farm output compared with 2022Income from farming in England plummeted by 19% last year after floods meant harvesting many crops was impossible.Farmers have called for more support from the government as the climate breaks down, meaning agricultural businesses are no longer able to count on mild UK weather and increasingly face drought and floods. Continue reading...
  
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• Border fire between Israel, Hezbollah continues as delegates prepare to mediate ceasefire with Hamas

  12-07-2024 14:41 via foxnews.com
  
  Israel’s military said Friday that one of its soldiers was killed in combat in northern Israel as the country’s army and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah continue to trade cross-border fire.The military did not specify how the 33-year-old sergeant was killed. The Iranian-backed group and Israel have been trading near daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war broke out last year.The previous night, President Joe Biden acknowledged disappointments, missteps and frustratio
  
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• Solitary wooden house on Union Island escapes fury of Hurricane Beryl

  12-07-2024 14:38
  Remarkable survival ofstructure triggers debate in religious St Vincent and the Grenadines about how it is still standingOn the island of Union in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the category 4 Hurricane Beryl caused “Armageddon-like” destruction, demolishing more than 90% of the buildings, there is a solitary wooden house standing defiantly among the wreckage.A picture of the quaint yellow building with a mauve roof, bafflingly out of place among an array of debris and roofless
  
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• Police spy accuses colleague of fathering child while undercover

  12-07-2024 14:38
  Claim part of inquiry into conduct of secretive undercover Met unit that spied on political groups over decadesAn undercover police officer has accused a colleague of fathering a child with a campaigner who was part of a leftwing group, a public inquiry has heard.Malcolm Shearing, an undercover officer who infiltrated revolutionary communist groups, has blown the whistle on his colleague, saying he is “certain” that he is telling the truth. Continue reading...
  
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• Post Office chief steps back from role to focus on Horizon inquiry

  12-07-2024 14:11
  Nick Read tells staff that until September he will give ‘entire attention’ to preparing for proceedingsBusiness live – latest updatesThe chief executive of the Post Office, Nick Read, has said he will temporarily step back from the role so that he can give his “entire attention” to the next stage of the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.He wrote in a note to staff that he and the board agreed he should step back over the summer to prepare for the seventh phase of
  
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• Holly Willoughby: man jailed for at least 16 years for kidnap, rape and murder plot

  12-07-2024 14:00
  Gavin Plumb, 37, who planned to kill presenter during ‘home invasion’ at her property, receives life sentenceA former security guard obsessed with Holly Willoughby has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years for masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder the TV presenter.Gavin Plumb, 37, carefully planned a “home invasion” at Willoughby’s property where he planned to tie her up and rape her in front of her family before murdering her and disposin
  
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• Excitement and stoicism in Spain as country prepares for Euro 2024 final

  12-07-2024 13:38
  
  La Roja may be favourites to win against England, but few in Madrid are taking anything for grantedFriday morning found Manuel Mesa, who was performing an important, if unsung, role in Spain’s preparations for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final, in a commendably fair and philosophical frame of mind.“I want Spain to win,” he said as he delivered barrels of Madrid’s best-known beer to the bars and restaurants of the capital’s Plaza Mayor. Continue reading...
  
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• App that tracked fuel tankers in China used to transport cooking oil is disabled

  12-07-2024 13:17
  
  App reportedly received a surge in queries this week after newspaper exposed food safety scandalAn app that allows users to track trucks across China has been disabled after a scandal in which reporters discovered that tankers used to transport fuel were also being used to transport cooking oil, without proper cleaning in between.On Thursday, Chinese media reported that the tracking function on Shipping Help, an app used to track cargos, had been disabled. The app displayed a message saying the
  
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• China posts record trade surplus as foreign importers rush to beat tariffs

  12-07-2024 13:06
  
  The $99bn figure comes as data shows exports growing at fastest rate in 15 months while imports fellChina posted a record $99bn (£76.4bn) trade surplus last month amid signs of importers bringing forward orders to beat higher tariffs on goods from the world’s second biggest economy.The latest official figures from Beijing showed exports growing at their fastest rate in 15 months, while the weakness of China’s domestic economy resulted in falling imports. Continue reading...
  
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• Tennessee elections chief accused of intimidation for telling 14,375 voters to prove citizenship

  12-07-2024 13:00
  Republican secretary of state sends vaguely worded letter to voters weeks before primaryTennessee’s top election official asked more than 14,000 registered voters to prove their citizenship in a vaguely worded letter last month in what voting and immigrant groups say is an attempt to intimidate voters.The office of the Tennessee secretary of state, Tre Hargett, a Republican, sent the letter to 14,375 voters on 13 June, weeks before early voting was to begin for the state’s August pri
  
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• How the ex-Obama aides of Pod Save America turned their backs on Biden

  12-07-2024 13:00
  The influential Democratic podcast has become skeptical of the president’s ability to winOn 15 June, Joe Biden flew to Los Angeles for a star-studded campaign fundraiser with Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, Julia Roberts and George Clooney.Three of the hosts of the influential Democratic podcast Pod Save America were among the guests and later said the event left them disturbed. The former Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor said they and other guests had found it “chilling”. Continue
  
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• Russia plotted to kill CEO of major German weapons manufacturer deemed 'thorn in Moscow's side'

  12-07-2024 12:55 via foxnews.com
  
  The U.S. and Germany managed to thwart a Russian plot that would have killed the head of a major German arms manufacturer as part of a sabotage campaign against Ukrainian allies and support across Europe, intelligence officials revealed. "In view of the latest reports on Rheinmetall, this is what we have actually been communicating more and more clearly in recent months: Russia is waging a hybrid war of aggression," Annalena Baerbock, Germany's foreign minister, said on the sidelines of thi
  
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• Swiss right seeks to block Eurovision’s ‘celebration of satanism and occultism’

  12-07-2024 12:39
  
  Conservative groups hope to force local referendums in potential host cities for 2025 song contestConservative groups are threatening to block Switzerland from hosting next year’s Eurovision by forcing budget referendums on potential host cities, saying the song contest is a “propaganda event” that “celebrates satanism and occultism”.Switzerland won the right to host the world’s largest live music event after the Swiss singer Nemo triumphed in Sweden with The
  
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• First Thing: Biden defiant despite gaffes as he battles calls to stand aside

  12-07-2024 12:18
  
  US president introduced Volodymyr Zelenskiy as ‘President Putin’ at a Nato summit, but later showed command of thorny foreign policy issues. Plus, the subversive screen presence of Shelley DuvallDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.In a press conference seen as critical to his presidential campaign, Joe Biden spiritedly defended his foreign policy record even as he faced a barrage of questions on his mental fitness and, in another gaffe, mistake
  
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• Teen sprinter Quincy Wilson follows Olympic footsteps of 15-year-old Esther Stroy

  12-07-2024 12:14
  
  There might be only one American who knows exactly what 16-year-old Quincy Wilson will be feeling as a youngster sprinting on the sport’s biggest stage.
  
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• ‘The new normal’: work from home is here to stay, US data shows

  12-07-2024 12:00
  The same percentage of employed people who worked remotely in 2023 is the same as the previous year, a survey found Don’t call it work from home any more, just call it work. According to new data, what once seemed like a pandemic necessity has become the new norm for many Americans.Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the results of its American time use survey, which asks Americans how much time they spend doing various activities, from work to leisure. Continue readi
  
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• Teamsters president faces backlash over ‘unconscionable’ GOP convention speech

  12-07-2024 12:00
  
  Sean O’Brien accused of bolstering ‘most anti-union party and president’ by senior members of his own unionThe Teamsters International president, Sean O’Brien, has been accused by senior members of the union of disgracing it by agreeing to an unprecedented appearance at next week’s Republican national convention.O’Brien’s decision was branded “unconscionable” by John Palmer, vice-president at large at the Teamsters, who accused him of lending
  
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• Democratic billboards stress Trump link to rightwing Project 2025 manifesto

  12-07-2024 12:00
  
  Billboards will go up in seven swing states as campaign seeks to publicize manifesto and tie it to ex-presidentDemocrats will put up billboards in swing states that show Donald Trump and tie him to Project 2025, a conservative manifesto that could become reality if he wins in November.The Democratic National Committee’s paid media campaign escalates liberal efforts to publicize Project 2025 and tie it to the former president after he sought to distance himself from the plan. The blueprint
  
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• Union heavyweight John Setka resigns as CFMEU boss, alleging ‘malicious attacks’

  12-07-2024 11:25
  
  Controversial figure will step down from role as Victorian branch secretary after 12 yearsGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe powerful union boss John Setka has resigned as secretary of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU, claiming he had been the target of “ongoing false allegations” which had led to “malicious attacks” on the organisation.Setka, a controversial figure at the head of the construction union, said in a statement that
  
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• Could Britain solve its prisons crisis by going Dutch?

  12-07-2024 11:22
  After the UK prisons minister praised the system in the Netherlands, experts there say the reality is more complexEarlier this year, before he became the UK prisons minister, James Timpson described how Britain should follow the Dutch example of mild sentencing to help solve the prisons crisis.“They have shut half their prisons not because people are less naughty in Holland,” he told Channel 4. “It’s because they have a different way of sentencing, which is community sent
  
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• Thousands of Palestinians missing amid Gaza’s unrelenting warfare

  12-07-2024 10:45
  
  International Committee of the Red Cross takes between 500 and 2,500 calls a week, mostly from family membersIsrael-Gaza war – live updatesAbout 6,400 Palestinians reported as missing to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on 7 October are yet to have been found, the group has said.Many are believed to be trapped under debris, buried without identification, or held in Israeli detention while others have been separated from their loved o
  
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• Elizabeth Struhs’ father seemed ‘calm and collected’ after allegedly withholding diabetes drugs, murder trial told

  12-07-2024 09:58
  
  Queensland supreme court also told trial is ‘religious persecution’ by leader of group accused of killing eight-year-oldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe leader of a religious group accused of killing an eight-year-old girl by withholding her medication has claimed the trial was “religious persecution” and they acted reasonably under their faith.Brendan Luke Stevens, 62, was t
  
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• PM accuses Dutton of pulling Liberals further to the right; jail sentence for second Blockade Australia protester – as it happened

  12-07-2024 09:31
  This blog is now closedGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastMarried couple allegedly intended to hand defence force material to Russia, AFP chief saysReece Kershaw says the AFP arrested the pair – a married couple – yesterday morning at their Everton Park home in Brisbane.The counter foreign interference taskforce, which includes AFP, Asio and other commonwealth partners, has dedicated significant resources and capability to Operation Bergazada.The
  
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• Mirena IUD does not need to be replaced for eight years, up from five, says TGA

  12-07-2024 09:14
  
  Peak medical groups say the decision aligns with current evidence. The device is the longest-acting hormonal contraceptive available in AustraliaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastWomen can rely on their Mirena intrauterine device to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years, the medicines regulator has decided, making it the longest-acting hormonal contraceptive available in Australia.The Therapeutic Goods
  
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• ANU launches review into investment portfolio after pro-Palestine protests

  12-07-2024 07:38
  
  Australian National University cites change in community sentiment around deriving revenue from weapons manufacturersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian National University (ANU) is launching a review into its investment portfolio, acknowledging “changing expectations” in the community around deriving revenue from weapons manufacturers.It follows an announcement by the University
  
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• Confrontations in South China Sea surge, raising fears a miscalculation could lead to conflict

  12-07-2024 07:37
  
  Vessels have been rammed, punctured with knives, damaged by water cannon and targeted by military-grade lasers. Now the Philippines’ US ambassador has warned the aggression must be reduced to avoid conflictReports of aggressive and dangerous conduct by Chinese vessels in the fiercely contested South China Sea have surged over the past 17 months, as tensions mount in one of Asia’s biggest flashpoints.Since February 2023, the Philippines has accused China of unsafe behaviour on at leas
  
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• Queensland state MP Darren Zanow to retire after dementia-causing brain disease diagnosis

  12-07-2024 07:29
  
  Ipswich West’s LNP representative informed of his microvascular ischemic disease the day he was sworn inFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA 52-year-old Queensland MP has announced his resignation from state parliament after being diagnosed with a brain disease that leads to early-onset rapid developing dementia.Ipswich West LNP MP, Darren Zanow, has announced his imminent retirement after he was di
  
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• Fresh scrutiny of free speech in Saudi Arabia after brothers’ convictions over tweets

  12-07-2024 06:00
  
  Crown prince criticised ‘bad laws’ for Mohammed al-Ghamdi’s death sentence months before second convictionFresh questions have been raised about the suppression of free speech in Saudi Arabia after the brother of a man facing the death penalty for tweeting to 10 followers was handed a 20-year sentence for largely innocuous tweets.The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, had said Mohammed al-Ghamdi was a victim of “bad laws” after being sentenced to death, yet th
  
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• Man caught smuggling over 100 live snakes across border — in his pants

  12-07-2024 04:09 via foxnews.com
  
  A would-be snake smuggler was apprehended at Futian Port in China, which borders Hong Kong and Shenzhen.Chinese state media Weixin posted that the smuggler was attempting to transport 104 live snakes into China, where the reptiles can be legally farmed and eaten.Live animals, however, cannot be legally transported across the border per Chinese law.THIS DESERT MOSS COULD HELP SUPPORT MARTIAN COLONIES, ACCORDING TO A STUDY FROM CHINAAccording to a translation from the official Weixin post by China
  
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• Family wants answers after ‘horrific’ deaths of Australian couple and relative in Philippine hotel

  12-07-2024 03:36
  
  Sydney man David Fisk, his Philippine-born partner Lucita Cortez and her relative discovered with hands and feet tied at Lake Hotel in TagaytayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe family of two Australians found dead at a luxury hotel in the Philippines alongside a Filipina relative say they are praying “for answers and the truth in this horrific matter”.The bodies were discovered with their
  
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• Which voters should the Tories go after now?

  12-07-2024 03:07 via bbc.com
  
  The Conservatives are debating their future - but the path back to victory is not straightforward.
  
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