Queensland unions predict ‘hell of a bloody fight’ if LNP attacks nurses’ right to strike

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State government offered to backdate wages for nurses and midwives on condition they do not undertake protected industrial action in May

The Queensland union movement has warned the state’s conservative government it will be in for a “hell of a bloody fight” if it pursues threats to strip nurses and midwives of backpay should they enact their legal right to strike.

A pay dispute between the LNP government and the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) is ongoing after their previous enterprise agreement expired on 31 March.

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Spain: cable theft that caused rail chaos was ‘act of sabotage’, says minister

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Signalling cable taken from four locations, delaying high-speed services between Madrid and Seville, week after massive power cut

Spain’s transport minister has said the country’s rail network suffered “an act of serious sabotage” after vital signalling cable was stolen over the busy bank holiday weekend, bringing severe delays to high-speed services between Madrid and Seville that affected more than 10,000 travellers.

Government sources said the problems on the line between the capital and the southern region of Andalucía had been caused by the theft of copper cable from five different locations in the Toledo area, south of Madrid, late on Sunday.

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Target vessel sank before it could be hammered at drill in Philippines – Defense News

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  1. Target vessel sank before it could be hammered at drill in Philippines  Defense News
  2. U.S. and Philippine forces cancel ship-sinking drill after World War II-era target prematurely sinks  NBC News
  3. World War II-era target ship prematurely sinks before US and Philippine forces can use in drills  CNN
  4. Warship Sinks Before Planned US Missile Strike Drills With Ally  Newsweek
  5. Navy ship sinks on its own before military exercise in South China Sea  India Today
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UK offshore havens miss deadline for transparency plans

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British Virgin Islands criticised for launching financial crime-fighting cartoon mascot before new legislation

UK offshore havens have missed a deadline to publish their plans to improve corporate transparency, as MPs criticised the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in particular for launching a financial crime-fighting cartoon mascot before new legislation.

Jurisdictions including the BVI and Bermuda pledged last year to approve laws allowing access to company ownership data to those with a “legitimate interest” by April 2025, with implementation to follow in June.

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Scholz to hand over power in Germany to sound of feminist anthem Respect

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Song made famous by Aretha Franklin is on military band’s set list for handover of chancellery to Friedrich Merz

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is to be played out of office by a military band who will perform tunes chosen by him that are intended to sum up his mood and political life.

Scholz will bow out to the Beatles, Johann Sebastian Bach and an Otis Redding hit made famous by Aretha Franklin.

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AP Analysis: Iran talks tough and launches missile all while seeking a new nuclear deal with the US – AP News

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  1. AP Analysis: Iran talks tough and launches missile all while seeking a new nuclear deal with the US  AP News
  2. Iran unveils its latest ballistic missile as Netanyahu warns Houthis’ ‘patron’  Breaking Defense
  3. Iran says it will strike back if US or Israel attack  Reuters
  4. "If US, Israel Attack...": Iran's Warning Amid Houthi Missile Strikes  NDTV
  5. Iran unveils electro-optical-guided ballistic missile  Janes
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Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison for ‘most ruthless offenders’

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Plan to expand and reuse long-shuttered penitentiary off San Francisco described as ‘not serious’ by Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump has said he is directing the administration to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on an island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

California lawmakers called the idea “absurd on its face” and part of the US president’s strategy of political distraction. Other officials pointed to the closure of the prison complex in 1963, known for its brutal conditions, due to operational expense and the high number of (unsuccessful) escape attempts.

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The MAGA Priests Are Pretty Excited About This Conclave. It’s Easy to See Why. – Slate

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  1. The MAGA Priests Are Pretty Excited About This Conclave. It’s Easy to See Why.  Slate
  2. A Conclave Like No Other  The New York Times
  3. Vatican to deactivate mobile phone signal ahead of secret meeting to elect new pope  Yahoo
  4. 'He's one of us': Catholics around the world are watching the conclave  Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  5. Before a new pope, a tug-of-war for the soul of the Catholic Church  The Washington Post
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Israel may seize all Gaza in expanded operation, officials say – Reuters

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  1. Israel may seize all Gaza in expanded operation, officials say  Reuters
  2. Israel security cabinet approves plan to 'capture' Gaza, official says  BBC
  3. Headlines for May 05, 2025  Democracy Now!
  4. Middle East crisis live: Trump visit offers only chance to avoid new Gaza onslaught, Israeli official warns  The Guardian
  5. Israel approves plan to expand Gaza war, including ‘occupation’ of territory  The Washington Post
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Irish camogie players don shorts in protest against skorts diktat

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Players have had enough of rule 6(b) of the sport’s code, which requres a ‘skirt/skort/divided skirt’

They are called skorts – a portmanteau of shorts and skirts – and the Irish camogie players who are obliged to wear them have had enough.

Players from Dublin and Kilkenny instead wore forbidden shorts before a provincial game on Saturday, in a coordinated protest that has won support from politicians and commentators who say the dress rules for the female-only sport are archaic.

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Three people killed after shooting in Phoenix restaurant

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Five others injured while police say more than one person may have been firing a gun in Arizona restaurant

Three people are dead and five others were injured after a shooting at a restaurant in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday night, police said, adding that there may have been more than one person firing a gun.

Police received calls reporting shots around 7.45pm at El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse, Officer Moroni Mendez of Glendale police department said during a briefing.

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Cable Theft in Spain Disrupts Train Travel for Thousands, Officials Say – The New York Times

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  1. Cable Theft in Spain Disrupts Train Travel for Thousands, Officials Say  The New York Times
  2. Spain: cable theft that caused rail chaos was ‘act of sabotage’, says minister  The Guardian
  3. Spanish trains resume service after cable theft halted high-speed routes  Reuters
  4. More than 10,000 passengers affected by sabotage on Spain's AVE line  Euronews
  5. Travel chaos in Spain as theft delays thousands of train passengers  The Independent
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