Sirens and evacuations as Taipei rehearses to counter China invasion threat
Taiwan's capital is holding one of its largest ever civil defence exercises.
Pro-Kremlin Figures Decry Bill Criminalizing Access to ‘Extremist’ Content – The Moscow Times
- Pro-Kremlin Figures Decry Bill Criminalizing Access to ‘Extremist’ Content The Moscow Times
- The crime of reading Meduza
- Russia Cracks Down on Internet Searches and VPNs With New Fines Bloomberg
- New Russian law criminalizes online searches for controversial content The Washington Post
- New Russia anti-extremism amendments spark concerns over increased crackdown on dissent JURIST Legal News
Syrian forces withdraw from Suwayda as mediation restores calm
Local Druze leaders to oversee city's security after Syrian forces depart following intense mediation.
Albanese says Coalition failed to have call with Beijing for years as opposition criticises ‘indulgent’ China trip
James Paterson questioned if the six-day trip had ‘tangible outcomes’ while prime minister retorted, saying opposition should sort ‘themselves out’
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Anthony Albanese has sniped back at the opposition’s criticism of his “indulgent” six-day visit to China, pointing out the former Coalition government failed to hold a single phone call with the major trading partner for years.
The prime minister has spent this week touring the country with stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu amid a period of geopolitical instability and escalating trade hostilities between the US and its trading partners.
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Continue reading...Babies born in UK using DNA from three people to avoid genetic disease
The IVF technique uses DNA from the mother's egg, the father's sperm, and a small amount from a healthy donor's egg.
Contrary to India’s fears, Bangladesh is not joining a China-Pakistan axis
Dhaka is treading carefully amid shifting alliances in South Asia and has no plan to entangle itself in strategic blocs.
Can South Africa keep its G20 debt promise?
South Africa promised debt solutions for low income nations during its G20 presidency. Has it kept its word?
Aftermath of deadly Israeli air attacks in Damascus
The military compound was struck twice, causing structural damage with smoke visible across the city.
How were identities of thousands of Afghans leaked by UK military?
A superinjunction kept the data breach secret amid fears it could lead to a Taliban 'hit list'.
Togo votes in local elections amid outburst of public anger: What to know
The Gnassingbe family has collectively ruled the West African country since 1967, and many Togolese want change.
Restaurant in China criticised for putting baby lion cuddles on menu
Diners jump at chance to snuggle with cubs but wildlife experts accuse firm of ‘exploiting wild animals for selfies’
A restaurant in northern China has been criticised by animal welfare groups for offering an unusual item on the menu: lion cub cuddles.
According to a screenshot of a menu circulating on social media, Wanhui – a restaurant in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province – has a four-course set afternoon menu costing 1,192 yuan ($166/£124) that includes playtime with the in-house animals.
Continue reading...Syria leader vows to protect Druze after sectarian violence prompts Israeli strikes
Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke after Israel said it would destroy government forces it accused of attacking Druze in Syria.
Samsung boss cleared of fraud by South Korea’s top court
The ruling comes after Lee Jae-yong was acquitted of all charges in two earlier trials.
Sudan’s children face growing threat of deadly infectious diseases as vaccination rates halve
The country, beset by war, has the world’s lowest rates of vaccination, says the World Health Organization, as global immunisation drive also stalls
Children in Sudan, caught up in what aid organisations have called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and threatened by rising levels of violence, are increasingly vulnerable to deadly infectious diseases as vaccinations in the country plummet.
In 2022, more than 90% of young children in Sudan received their routine vaccinations. But that figure has nearly halved to 48%, the lowest in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
Continue reading...Sydney Muslim cleric told to prominently display online judge’s findings he was ‘racist and antisemitic’
Wissam Haddad ordered to ‘pin’ corrective notices describing federal court’s findings
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An Islamist preacher who used harmful racial stereotypes about Jewish people in sermons will be forced to tell the world of his antisemitism through prominent online posts.
Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre cleric Wissam Haddad was ordered by the federal court earlier in July not to repeat the perverse and racist tropes he used in a series of fiery sermons from November 2023.
Continue reading...‘Breakthrough’ hailed in Melbourne synagogue arson investigation as man charged over ‘crime car’
Victoria police charge 20-year-old with stealing ‘a communal crime car’ used in Adass Israel attack and blocking access to apps on his phone
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The investigation into an arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue has reached a “critical point”, Victoria’s acting premier says, after a man was charged with stealing “a communal crime car” used in the attack and blocking police from accessing apps on his phone.
The attack on the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel synagogue in December is still being investigated as a politically motivated attack by the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team, which includes representatives from the federal police and the domestic spy agency, Asio.
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Continue reading...US says ‘specific steps’ agreed to end Syria violence after Israeli strikes hit Damascus
Israel says it is "working to save our Druze brothers", but Syria accuses it of "treacherous aggression".
Von der Leyen calls for new EU taxes on big firms in €2tn budget proposal
Plan, which also includes levies on tobacco and electronic waste, ignites major political scrap to define bloc’s future
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for new EU taxes on large companies, tobacco and electronic waste as part of a proposed €2tn (£1.7tn) budget.
Announcing the planned EU budget for 2028 to 2034, she effectively fired the starting gun on a major and complex political fight to define the EU’s future.
Continue reading...Prosecutor in Diddy and Epstein cases fired by US justice department
It is not clear why Maurene Comey was removed from her job at the elite justice department office in Manhattan.
Stampede at Gaza aid distribution site kills at least 21, Health Ministry says – The Washington Post
- Stampede at Gaza aid distribution site kills at least 21, Health Ministry says The Washington Post
- At Least 20 Killed in Stampede Outside a Gaza Aid Site The New York Times
- A first-hand look at Gaza’s controversial food-distribution sites The Economist
- At least 20 Palestinians killed in crush at food distribution site in southern Gaza The Guardian
- At least 21 people killed in stampede, suffocation at GHF site in Gaza Al Jazeera