Columbia University extends remote classes amid Gaza protests
A deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to disband from the university's main campus was set for midnight.
Congress clears $95bn aid package for Ukraine and Israel
President Biden is expected to sign the package, which includes a potential TikTok ban, into law.
Top Russian defence official accused of taking bribes
Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov is remanded in custody in a rare case against a high-ranking official.
UN ‘horrified’ by Gaza hospital mass grave reports
Palestinian officials say more than 300 bodies have been found at Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals.
Solomon Islands pro-China PM Manasseh Sogavare fails to secure majority
Sogavare vies with opposition parties to form governing coalition after inconclusive election.
Orange Sahara dust haze descends over Athens
The Greek capital was covered in a haze of dust which has blown from the Sahara desert.
Athens turns orange under North Africa’s Sahara dust clouds
Winds from the south have covered the Greek capital in sand and raised the risk of wildfires.
UK court case launched over mining project in Brazil
Brazil Iron calls itself a sustainable mining company. Local residents call its project a disaster.
US Senate passes Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan bill; Biden to sign on Wednesday
US president says new weapons shipment could be on its way to Ukraine as soon as this week.
Indian Gulf workers: The unlikely voters parties are wooing for elections
As the southern Indian state of Kerala votes on April 26, thousands are flying back from the Gulf to cast their ballot.
Restart aid to Palestinian UN agency, EU urges
Countries including the US and UK are still withholding funds over Israel's claims against UNRWA.
Armenians fear another war despite talk of peace
Ethnic Armenians who lost their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh worry Azerbaijan plans another war.
Tesla profit plunges 55%, as shares bounce on plans for cheaper vehicles
The Texas-based company reports profits of $1.1bn in the first quarter, down from $2.51bn a year ago.
Post-1948 order ‘at risk of decimation’ amid war in Gaza, Ukraine: Amnesty
Annual report from international human rights group details hypocrisy of some of the world's most powerful countries.
US Senate passes bill to force sale of TikTok, sending it to Biden
TikTok has said legislation 'would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans'.
Australia news live: Woodside braces for shareholder revolt over climate plan; NSW settles class action with $230m offer to underpaid junior doctors
Settlement of $229.8m is the largest underpayment class action outcome in Australian legal history. Follow the day’s news live
Inspired by similar protests in the United States, students from Sydney University established a protest on the quad in support of Palestine last night, stating they will remain until the uni cuts ties “with Israeli universities and weapons manufacturers”.
In the US, dozens of students have been arrested at pro-Palestine demonstrations at Yale University and New York University amid similar protests:
For six months now, we have watched bombs rain down on Gaza. These bombs hit their civilian targets because of the research carried out by universities like Sydney University... Students have a responsibility to stand up and refuse to be complicit in genocide.
Continue reading...US Senate passes $95bn aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
The Senate, in a bipartisan super-majority, overwhelmingly voted to advance the measure, which Joe Biden is expected to sign
The US Senate voted resoundingly on Tuesday to approve $95bn in wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as a bipartisan super-majority united to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden’s desk for signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.
The bill easily cleared a key procedural hurdle earlier in the day. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to advance the measure in a step hailed by the Senate majority leader as “one of the greatest achievements the Senate has faced in years”.
Continue reading...Molly Ticehurst: review ordered into court decisions made before Forbes woman’s alleged murder
Chris Minns to announce details of review after court hears the man charged with her murder was on bail for other offences
The New South Wales government has ordered a review of the decisions a court made to bail a man facing charges of raping and stalking Molly Ticehurst, and who has subsequently been charged with her murder.
The premier, Chris Minns, said he would announce the details of the review on Wednesday after Daniel Billings was charged with the domestic violence murder of his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend.
Continue reading...Australia’s inflation rate slows less than expected to 3.6%, dimming hopes of interest rate relief
Economists had tipped CPI growth for the March quarter of 0.8%, and an annual inflation rate of 3.5%
Australia’s inflation rate slowed less than expected in the March quarter, dimming hopes the cost of living crunch was easing and chances of a 2024 cut in official interest rates.
The consumer price index for the first three months of 2024 was 3.6%, slowing from the 4.1% annual pace in the December quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Economists had tipped CPI would drop to 3.5%.
Continue reading...Russian minister detained after taking especially large bribe, law enforcement agency says
Deputy defence minister Timur Ivanov, who has been sanctioned by US and EU, faces up to 15 years in jail
A Russian deputy defence minister has been detained on suspicion of bribe-taking, the country’s top law enforcement agency has said, a rare move amid the offensive in Ukraine.
The investigative committee reported Timur Ivanov’s detention on Tuesday without offering any details of the accusations against him, saying only that he is suspected of taking an especially large bribe – a criminal offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
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