Browsing: Main Headlines

The United Nations has raised alarm about dire humanitarian conditions in northern Gaza, where no significant aid has been delivered for 40 days due to an ongoing siege by Israeli forces. According to the UN, 65,000 to 75,000 people in areas like Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia face severe shortages of food and other essentials.

The DOJ has proposed breaking up Google to curb the tech giants’ dominance in online search. In a court filing on Wednesday, the DOJ suggested that Google should be required to sell its Chrome web browser and end contracts that make its search engine the default choice on devices from companies like Apple and Samsung.

A fourth tourist has reportedly died from suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos. Australian teenager Bianca Jones, 19, death was confirmed by her family on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the US State Department confirmed the death of an American man who died in the tourist hotspot of Vang Vieng.

John Prescott, former Labour deputy prime minister has died at the age of 86, his family have confirmed. They said he died peacefully on Wednesday to the sound of jazz music at his care home, where he had been living with Alzheimer’s disease.

UK to scrap warships, helicopters, and drones in £500m defence cuts The defence secretary has announced emergency cuts to the UK military, including the Royal…

Irish police, known as Gardaí, have released CCTV images of 99 individuals they want to question about riots that broke out in Dublin nearly a year ago. The unrest followed the stabbing of three children and a school care assistant outside a primary school on November 23, 2023.  

European Union nations are ready to step up military and financial support for Ukraine if the United States scales back its aid, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated on Tuesday. His remarks came during a high-level meeting in Warsaw marking the 1,000th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution demanding an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, along with the release of all hostages. However, the United States, a key ally of Israel, may block the draft, which has already drawn criticism from Israeli officials.  

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has halted its medical operations in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, citing escalating violence and a brutal attack on its staff. The decision follows an incident on November 11, when Haitian police, reportedly backed by a paramilitary group, stopped an MSF ambulance, removed two gunshot patients, and executed them outside the hospital grounds.  

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Linda McMahon, co-founder of WWE and a long-time ally, as his nominee for education secretary. McMahon previously served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first presidency and is known for her significant financial support of his campaigns.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, launched the sixth test of his SpaceX rocket with the US President-elect Donald Trump joining him to watch the launch – but sadly failed to land. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been set up to make space travel more efficient and cheaper. The purpose behind his deep space project is to make rockets reusable by being able to land again.

Putin increases nuclear weapon threat as UK expected to sign off missile strikes Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a revised nuclear doctrine to lower…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed plans to use the military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented migrants, marking one of the most ambitious immigration initiatives in U.S. history. On his Truth Social platform, Trump endorsed claims that he would declare a national emergency to mobilise military resources, including the National Guard, to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the effort.  

The European Union has opted not to suspend its political dialogue with Israel after failing to reach a unanimous agreement at a Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.  EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed the suspension, citing alleged human rights violations and breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza. However, the measure required the support of all 27 member states and did not achieve consensus.  

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for subversion in a landmark trial under China’s controversial national security law (NSL).  They were among the “Hong Kong 47,” a group of activists and lawmakers charged with organising a primary election in 2020 to select opposition candidates for local polls.  

An undersea telecommunications cable linking Germany and Finland has been severed, raising concerns amid already heightened tensions in Europe. The 1,170 km (730-mile) C-Lion1 fibreoptic cable connects Helsinki and Rostock, but all fibre connections in the line have been disrupted, according to Finnish network operator Cinia.  

A car drove into a crowd outside Yong’an Primary School in China’s southern Hunan province, leaving several students and adults injured, according to state media. Details on the number of casualties remain unclear, but those injured have been taken to the hospital.  This is the third attack on a public crowd in China within a week, sparking concern over public safety.

A massive protest unfolded in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, as over 35,000 people gathered outside parliament to oppose a controversial bill seeking to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi.  The demonstration marked the conclusion of a nine-day hīkoi (peaceful march), which grew significantly on Tuesday as participants arrived in Wellington.

The ballet community is grieving the loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, a principal dancer with Russia’s prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, who passed away at age 39. Shklyarov’s death, confirmed by the Mariinsky on Saturday, is under investigation by Russian authorities. Reports suggest he fell from the fifth floor of a building in St. Petersburg while on painkillers.  

The Australian Senate has formally censured Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe for heckling King Charles during his visit to Canberra last month. Thorpe shouted, “You are not my King” and “This is not your land” after the King addressed the Great Hall of Parliament, aiming to spotlight the effects of British colonisation on Indigenous Australians.  

In a major shift in U.S. policy, President Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles to target Russian territory. The decision, confirmed by a U.S. official to CBS News, follows months of lobbying by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for lifting restrictions on strikes beyond Ukraine’s borders.  

Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, made headlines after swearing at billionaire Elon Musk during a panel on disinformation at an event preceding the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. While discussing stricter social media regulations, she jokingly linked a loud noise to Musk, saying, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” and followed it with an expletive, declaring, “I’m not afraid of you.”  

Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah’s media chief and one of its prominent public figures, was killed in an Israeli air strike in central Beirut, the group confirmed. The strike targeted the Baath Party headquarters in the crowded Ras al-Naba neighbourhood, destroying much of the building, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

At least 34 people, including many women and children, were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a five-story residential building in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. Seven others were injured, and dozens are believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

Hundreds protested near the Stade de France on Thursday as France hosted Israel in a UEFA Nations League match. The game, held under tight security, came amid heightened tensions following recent clashes in Amsterdam between Israeli football fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.