German mayor critically injured in stabbing attack, police say
Chancellor Friedrich Merz says "we fear for the life" of Iris Stalzer, a newly-elected mayor in the western town of Herdecke.
German mayor-elect gravely wounded in stabbing attack – Al Jazeera
- German mayor-elect gravely wounded in stabbing attack Al Jazeera
- German mayor reportedly stabbed as Merz condemns ‘heinous’ attack CNN
- Newly elected German mayor fights for life after stabbing attack Fox News
- Germany: Police see no political motive in mayor's stabbing DW
- German mayor critically injured in stabbing attack, police say BBC
Macron under pressure to call snap parliamentary elections or resign
French president’s former allies join opponents in demanding he act to end a spiralling political crisis
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, is under intense pressure to call snap parliamentary elections or resign as former allies join his opponents in demanding he act to end a spiralling political crisis in the EU’s second biggest economy.
Macron’s first prime minister on Tuesday urged the president to step down amid mounting frustration even within the president’s own camp over one of the worst spells of political chaos in France since the foundation of its Fifth Republic in 1958.
Continue reading...Federal agents taunted Chicago woman to ‘do something’ before shooting her, attorney claims
Officers say woman was in chase ending in ramming border patrol vehicle during Trump’s immigration crackdown
The attorney for a woman who was shot by federal agents in Chicago over the weekend after she allegedly rammed a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vehicle has claimed that body-camera footage captures one of the officers saying: “Do something, bitch,” before opening fire, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The shooting occurred on Saturday morning in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, as immigration agents, at the behest of the second Trump administration, have been scouring Illinois’s largest city for people to deport.
Continue reading...CPS to appeal against dismissal of terrorism charge against Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh
The rapper was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah but case was thrown out by magistrate
Prosecutors will appeal against a court’s decision to throw out a terrorism charge against the Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh.
The 27-year-old was accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in November last year until a technical error in the way he was charged led to the chief magistrate ruling he could not try the case.
Continue reading...Pam Bondi and Senate Democrats spar amid Trump’s troop deployments
US attorney general blames shutdown on Democrats as judiciary panel questions her on Epstein and deployments
Democratic senators sparred with attorney general Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files and Donald Trump’s nationwide deployments of national guard at a bitterly partisan Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Bondi’s appearance before the Senate judiciary committee was her first since being confirmed in February, and comes as the president steps up his crackdown on political opponents and Democratic-run cities nationwide.
Continue reading...Human error caused crash that killed record-breaking skydiver Felix Baumgartner
Austrian was killed in paragliding accident in July
56-year-old broke sound barrier during 2012 jump
The paragliding crash that killed extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner in July was caused by human error, an investigating prosecutor said on Tuesday.
Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound, died in July along Italy’s Adriatic coast. He was 56. Witnesses said the flight appeared normal until Baumgartner’s paraglider started spinning to the ground, crashing near a hotel swimming pool.
Continue reading...Ukraine’s Drone Strikes Are Driving a Russian Oil Export Surge – Bloomberg.com
- Ukraine’s Drone Strikes Are Driving a Russian Oil Export Surge Bloomberg.com
- Tanker freight rates for Russian crude to India climb on higher seaborne exports, sources say Reuters
- Ukraine's attacks on oil refineries forced Russia to maximize oil exports - Bloomberg Ukrinform
- Urals crude to India sees bigger discounts on rising freight charges Baird Maritime
- Data of the week: Rail freight figures reveal impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries RailFreight.com
Gold prices scale record highs as investors seek safe haven
US government shutdown and uncertainty about the economy has caused a surge in value of precious metal
Gold futures prices topped $4,000 per ounce for the first time on Tuesday as investors continue to seek safe havens for their money, with the US government essentially shut down and widespread uncertainty around the economy.
As of 9.10am ET, gold futures traded at $4,003 in New York. The going price for New York spot gold rose to $3,960.60 per troy ounce – the standard for measuring precious metals.
Continue reading...Syria acknowledges ‘shortcomings’ in number of seats won by women at election
Results from the first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad show only 13% of seats were won by female and minority candidates.
Syria acknowledges ‘shortcomings’ in number of seats won by women at election
Results from the first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad show only 13% of seats were won by female and minority candidates.
NSW official admits hiding in cupboard during multimillion-dollar kickback investigation
Former transport bureaucrat Ibrahim Helmy appeared at an ICAC hearing after allegedly forming corrupt relationships with contractors and colleagues
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Ibrahim Helmy was hiding in a cupboard for the moment he had been warned about.
Police had arrived at the share house where the former transport bureaucrat was laying low, living discreetly with strangers after failing to appear before a major corruption probe.
Continue reading...Media and political attacks on Australia’s emissions targets ‘straight out of the climate obstruction playbook’, expert says
Prof Christian Downie points to the Business Council of Australia and News Corp newspapers as examples of deliberate obstruction
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Political and media attacks on renewable energy and climate action in Australia in recent months have come “out of the climate obstruction playbook” that has been honed over decades around the world by fossil fuel interests.
Prof Christian Downie, an Australian researcher, says he has studied techniques used by business groups and lobbyists all over the world which are now being seen in Australia.
Continue reading...Women carry a higher genetic risk of depression, new study says
Researchers in Australia find 16 genetic variants linked to depression in women but only eight in men
Women carry a higher genetic risk of depression, a new study has found.
Claiming to be the largest genetic study to date on sex differences in major depression, the research published Wednesday in Nature Communications has found 16 genetic variants linked to depression in women and eight in men.
Continue reading...Ineos to cut a fifth of Hull jobs, blaming ‘dirt-cheap’ imports from China
Company says more roles will be at risk unless UK government supports tariffs to protect industry
Ineos, the chemicals company owned by the billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is to cut a fifth of jobs at its East Yorkshire plant, blaming “sky high” energy costs and “dirt-cheap” imports from China.
The company founded in 1998 by Ratcliffe, who co-owns Manchester United FC, said it would cut 60 jobs at the Acetyls site in Hull, which makes petrochemical products such as acetic acid. It said more roles would be at risk across the industry unless the government stepped in.
Continue reading...Diplomacy’s lowest point: how the Israel-Gaza conflict was mishandled
In two years there have been many versions of a ‘day after’ plan for Gaza and many obstacles to overcome
George Mitchell, the great US advocate for the Northern Ireland peace agreement, described diplomacy as 700 days of failure and one of success. In Gaza, tragically, there have been 730 days of failure and none of success. Indeed, the destruction, the death toll and the spillover of the conflict into other countries is a monument to shame diplomacy and what remains of international law. Arguably, it is the profession’s lowest point since 1939.
Some will claim failure is inevitable since this conflict is now so embedded and impervious to compromise that it can only be settled at the barrel of the gun, in essence through the repression or erasure of one side.
Continue reading...Fifth French PM quits in three years: Can Macron survive, and what’s next?
An embattled President Macron is facing increasing calls to announce snap elections or even to step down.
Labour accuses Robert Jenrick of ‘personal attack’ on attorney general
Party source says shadow justice secretary’s comments are attempt to disguise his own poor grip of the law
Robert Jenrick has been accused by Labour of resorting to an unwarranted personal attack after comparing the attorney general, Lord Hermer, to a mafia lawyer and calling him a “useful idiot” for Britain’s “enemies”.
In a combative speech to Conservative conference in Manchester, the shadow justice secretary also promised to remove judges with links to migrant charities, saying they “dishonour generations of independent jurists”.
Continue reading...Pope Leo plans symbolic debut foreign trips to Turkiye and Lebanon
Pontiff expected to appeal for peace in Middle East and address the region's Muslims and Christians.
UPDATE: Pope Leo XIV to make first international trip, to Turkey and Lebanon – Catholic News Agency
- UPDATE: Pope Leo XIV to make first international trip, to Turkey and Lebanon Catholic News Agency
- Pope Leo will travel to Turkey and Lebanon in first international trip CNN
- Pope Leo to visit Turkey and Lebanon on first overseas trip The Guardian
- Pope Leo plans symbolic debut foreign trips to Turkiye and Lebanon Al Jazeera
- Pope Leo to visit Turkey, Lebanon in November in first trip abroad Reuters