- Emergency reserves, high prices, rationing. How did Japan’s rice crisis get this far? AP News
- How a joke about rice cost a Japan cabinet minister his job BBC
- Japan faces a ‘rice crisis’ as price nearly doubles for food staple Al Jazeera
- Japanese Farm Minister Resigns After Saying He’d Never Bought Rice The New York Times
- Japan pledges immediate rice relief for consumers to prevent shift to foreign brands Reuters
Australia news live: new analysis links NSW floods to climate change; count in Bradfield narrows teal’s lead over Liberal to a handful of votes
BoM says heavy rainfall will extend south through NSW today with some areas set to receive up to 160mm. Follow Australia news and NSW floods live updates today.
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Darren Chester says focus on Coalition split ‘frustrating’
Nationals MP Darren Chester says “there are bigger issues” than the makeup of the coalition.
It’s been frustrating to be talking about ourselves at a time when, you know, much of the mid coast, the central coast and north coast of New South Wales is facing devastating floods including loss of life. And in close to home in Victoria central and western Victoria and northern Victoria right through South Australia there’s a devastating drought.
We need to resolve our issues as quickly as we can, because there are bigger issues facing rural and regional Australians than the make-up of the coalition. We need to make sure we get back being a strong and incredible opposition as quickly as possible and I’m hoping that these negotiations can consider – can continue now in a positive and constructive way.
Continue reading...G7 ends finance summit with show of unity amid tariff uncertainty – France 24
- G7 ends finance summit with show of unity amid tariff uncertainty France 24
- Global Finance Officials Gloss Over Trade Tensions at G-7 Summit WSJ
- US condemns Russia’s ‘brutal war’ in surprise announcement Yahoo
- Bessent Wins G-7 Partner Plaudits in First Conference Abroad Bloomberg.com
- G7 members agree to counter China’s global trade practices The Guardian
Guess who India, Pakistan and Iran are all wooing? The Taliban
No country formally recognises the Taliban. But the group's recent diplomatic overdrive shows many want it as a partner.
UK travellers face road and rail disruption over bank holiday weekend
Motoring organisations warn of heavy traffic, and delays and cancellations will hit two rail routes out of London
The bank holiday getaway is likely to be a tricky one, with transport analysts predicting congested roads and the year’s busiest day so far for departing airports, while long-distance rail passengers dodge the start of more engineering work.
Motoring organisations forecast traffic to be at its worst on Friday, with many drivers surveyed apparently taking an extra day off before the long weekend and half-term break for most schools in England and Wales.
Continue reading...Loan scheme to rearm Europe could be ‘important breakthrough’ in Ukraine support
EU defence commissioner says he expects a lot of loan requests from member states under €150bn programme
A €150bn (£126bn) loans programme to rearm Europe that was finalised this week could be “a very important breakthrough” in the EU’s military support for Ukraine, the bloc’s defence commissioner has said.
Andrius Kubilius, a former prime minister of Lithuania who is the EU’s first defence commissioner, said he expected a lot of member states to request EU-backed loans under the €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme, which was approved on Wednesday.
Continue reading...North Korean Warship Seen Severely Damaged After Failed Launch – Bloomberg
- North Korean Warship Seen Severely Damaged After Failed Launch Bloomberg
- Kim Jong Un’s New Warship Capsizes at Launch Due to ‘Absolute Carelessness’ WSJ
- North Korean leader furious over failed destroyer launch, vows to arrest those responsible AP News
- Kim Jong Un’s fury after watching North Korea’s new navy destroyer crippled in botched launch Yahoo
- North Korea launches probe into accident during warship's launch Reuters
Malcolm Turnbull accuses ‘stupid’ Nationals of ‘holding a gun’ to Liberal party’s head with Coalition split
MPs pushing behind the scenes for parties to mend the rift acknowledge ‘really messy’ week as regional areas battle floods and drought
Full federal election results: live Australian Senate seat count
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The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused the Nationals of “holding a gun to the Liberal party’s head” over the threat to split the Coalition this week, claiming the rural party been “stupid” in its actions.
The Nationals MP Darren Chester, who was among a band of MPs pushing behind the scenes for the Coalition to mend its rift, acknowledged it was “frustrating” for the opposition to be bickering among themselves as regional and rural areas battled floods and droughts, and urged colleagues to get on with the job.
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Continue reading...Netanyahu accuses Starmer of siding with Hamas
The UK, France and Canada condemned the expanded Israeli military operation in Gaza this week.
World’s seven wealthiest countries agree to counter China’s trade practices
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors pledge to address ‘economic imbalances’, without naming China
Top finance officials from the world’s seven wealthiest democracies have set aside stark differences on US tariffs and agreed to counter global “economic imbalances”, a swipe at China’s trade practices.
Ahead of the meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors there had been doubt about whether there would be a final communique, given divisions over US tariffs and Washington’s reluctance to refer to Russia’s war on Ukraine as illegal.
Continue reading...Moment Australian politician signs off career with a ‘shoey’
The MP ended his time in parliament by drinking beer out of his shoe during his farewell speech.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,184
These are the key events on day 1,184 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
US says Sudan used chemical weapons in war as it issues new sanctions
The state department is imposing new sanctions on the country's government because of the findings.
Sum 41 music agent among those killed in San Diego plane crash
Federal officials say all six people aboard the small plane are presumed dead.
‘Leap together’ – watch Kermit’s advice to graduating students
The famous frog gave the commencement speech at the University of Maryland where Muppets creator Jim Henson graduated in 1960.
UK signs £101m-a-year deal to hand over Chagos Islands
Under the deal, the UK will lease back the Diego Garcia military base from Mauritius.
Mahmoud Khalil finally allowed to hold one-month-old son for the first time
Detained Palestinian activist granted contact by judge who blocked Trump administration’s efforts to separate family
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate and detained Palestinian activist, was finally allowed to hold his infant son for the first time Thursday – one month after he was born – thanks to a federal judge who blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep the father and infant separated by a Plexiglass barrier.
The visit came before a scheduled immigration hearing for Khalil, a legal permanent resident who has been detained in a Louisiana jail since 8 March.
Continue reading...UK agrees to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it says protects a key US base – AP News
- UK agrees to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it says protects a key US base AP News
- 'Chagos surrender' and 'Shipshape Kate' BBC
- Chagos islanders fear they will never get to go home after UK’s Mauritius deal The Independent
- UK signs Chagos deal with Mauritius to seal future of US-UK air base Reuters
- UK plan to transfer Chagos Islands goes ahead despite last-minute legal injunction CNN
Everest climbers head home on last leg of seven-day mission – The Washington Post
- Everest climbers head home on last leg of seven-day mission The Washington Post
- A renowned mountain guide puts clients on Everest summit less than a week after they left London AP News
- British soldiers make Everest history using new method BBC
- Xenon Climbers Summit Everest in Five Days from Home Explorersweb »
- Minister’s record Everest climb The Telegraph
Florida court orders ex-Mexican security chief to pay millions to Mexico
Genaro Garcia Luna, formerly a high-ranking government official, is serving a 38-year sentence for accepting bribes.