South Africans say criminal gangs are exploiting the water crisis
Residents of some areas have been without mains water for weeks.
How the Iran war has left Europe facing yet another energy crisis
It is not the first time that there has been deep energy-linked frustration in the heart of Europe.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle to make landfall in far north Qld on Friday as category four storm, bringing 200km/h winds
Massive storm tracking a path to Queensland coast, which intensified offshore Thursday morning to category five, fuelled by warm waters in Coral Sea
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is expected to make landfall in far north Queensland on Friday morning as a monster category four storm, bringing destructive wind gusts in excess of 225km/h, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The severe cyclone rapidly intensified over the past 48 hours and on Thursday morning had built to a category five storm that was barrelling west, sitting about 500km east of the small town of Coen.
Continue reading...Hong Kong apartment fires: hearings to begin into Wang Fuk blaze that killed 168 people
Independent committee to investigate safety standards and whether building practices contributed to worst residential fires in decades
Public hearings in Hong Kong begin on Thursday into a devastating fire that ripped through a housing complex last year, killing 168 people.
A judge-led independent committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the fire, and if there were failures on the part of government officers or contractors.
Continue reading...New York high school student released after 10 months in ICE facility
The detention of Dylan Lopez Contreras, 20, of Venezuela, a freshman in the Bronx, sparked national outrage
A New York high school student who was detained at an immigration courthouse in May last year, sparking national outrage, was released on Wednesday.
Dylan Lopez Contreras, 21, of Venezuela was a freshman at Ellis Prep academy, a Bronx public school dedicated exclusively to students who have recently arrived in the US. It was the first widely known instance of a public school student being arrested by federal immigration agents.
Continue reading...US civil rights leader Cesar Chavez accused of sexual abuse
The allegations have prompted the cancellations of events and celebrations planned in his honour later this month.
As Cuba struggles with power cuts, how is the island holding up?
The BBC's Will Grant reports from the island days after the entire national electric grid collapsed.
US aircraft carrier to sail to Crete for repairs after fire on board
The USS Gerald R Ford has played a significant role in US operations during the war with Iran.
Afghan evacuees in limbo in Qatar camp accuse US of betrayal
More than 1,100 Afghans evacuated by the US fear their route to promised resettlement is closed for good.
Senate votes down measure aiming to limit Trump’s war powers by 53-47 vote
Republicans block resolution to take up the measure, which Democrats vow to bring up ‘again and again and again’
Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure that aimed to rein in Donald Trump’s power to wage war against Iran without congressional authorization.
The 53-47 vote against taking up the measure fell almost completely along party lines, with no movement from earlier this month when Republicans blocked Democrats’ bid to limit Trump’s war-making power in the days after the joint US-Israeli strikes, known as Operation Epic Fury, began across Iran.
Continue reading...India’s young are more educated than ever. So why are so many jobless?
India’s educational enrolment has surged but jobs, especially good ones, are not keeping pace, a new report finds.
Ban corporate donations to UK political parties to protect elections, says thinktank
CenTax warns bill under debate in parliament has ‘easily exploitable’ loopholes and will not prevent foreign interference
Political donations by companies should be banned to protect UK elections from foreign interference, a thinktank has warned.
In the first big overhaul of election funding in 26 years, ministers have pledged to “keep British democracy safe” by closing a loophole that allows individuals not eligible to vote in Britain to donate to political parties through UK-registered companies.
Continue reading...Crossbreed dogs show more behavioural problems than pure breeds, study suggests
Research finds cockapoo, cavapoo and labradoodle dogs display more undesirable behaviours than breeds they derive from
The UK has oodles of doodles but a study might offer paws for thought: researchers have found some of these designer crossbreed dogs show more behavioural problems than the pure breeds from which they derive.
Crosses between poodles and other dog breeds have become increasingly popular in the UK, with research suggesting the trend is – at least in part – driven by the expectation such dogs will be hypoallergenic, healthy and good with children.
Continue reading...Labubu film is official with Paddington director at the helm
The film will combine live action and computer-generated animation and is in "early development".
Seoul raises terror alert as it prepares to host BTS comeback concert
Thousands of police prepare to deploy to South Korea’s capital ahead of K-pop’s most anticipated comeback
Seoul has stepped up security ahead of BTS’s huge comeback concert on Saturday, which more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend, with authorities raising the terror alert in the area and preparing to deploy thousands of police to the capital.
South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that “the issue is safety” and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country’s global cultural standing.
Continue reading...The Iran war is causing a global energy crisis – can China withstand it?
With oil supply disrupted, Beijing's oil reserves and renewable energy push are being put to the test.
Alberta seeks to set limits on use of medically assisted dying
The Canadian province has proposed legislation that will limit its use solely to end-of-life circumstances.
Sadiq Khan urges Labour to campaign on rejoining EU at next election
Mayor of London says returning to EU now more desirable because of economic instability caused by Donald Trump
Labour should go into the next general election promising to rejoin the EU, Sadiq Khan has said.
The mayor of London has repeatedly made the case for joining the customs union and single market, but went much further on Wednesday night by suggesting the party should promise full membership at next ballot.
Continue reading...Oil and Gas Prices Surge as Iran Attacks Major LNG Plant – Bloomberg.com
- Oil and Gas Prices Surge as Iran Attacks Major LNG Plant Bloomberg.com
- Iran missile attack on Qatar causes 'extensive damage' to facility housing huge gas plant CNBC
- Strikes Deliver Another Blow to Iran’s Domestic Energy Sites The New York Times
- Oil prices climb again after strikes in crucial Iranian gas field The Washington Post
- Reported attack hits South Pars natural gas field, an energy lifeline for Iran AP News
Ecuador gang leader wanted for murder of presidential candidate arrested
Officials believe the man - known as Lobo Menor - is linked to the killing of Fernando Villavicencio in 2023.