Anti-fire ant eradication activist convicted after using legal arguments ‘similar to sovereign citizens’
Legal expert compares Trevor Hold’s failed defence to ‘tried and tested argument’ used by sovereign citizen movement
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The Queensland leader of a group opposing the eradication of fire ants in Australia has been convicted of obstructing government officers, after a magistrate threw out his argument that the commonwealth-funded program is illegal.
Trevor Hold was fined $1,500 but a conviction was not recorded. Hold has described himself as an “ultrapreneur”, a mental health counsellor, an organic cattle farmer and the chief executive officer of the anti-program group the Australian Advocacy Group – and as self-employed.
Continue reading...The Victorian Liberals’ campaign bus was supposed to be a reset. Instead it became the symbol of a rough week
Crashing into a shop awning ended the first outing of the Jess Express – but the opposition’s electoral momentum will be harder to stop
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Jess Wilson has barely put a foot wrong since becoming Victorian Liberal leader a little under a year ago. That was until this week, which ended with her campaign bus reversing into a small business.
The bus was launched on Friday, a few days earlier than planned, in what appeared to be an effort to reset Wilson’s relationship with the Spring Street press pack.
Continue reading...Surprising tactic may be keeping couples’ sex lives alive, new survey finds – New York Post
Newsroom bomb threats follow escalating European flight hoaxes – Reuters
- Newsroom bomb threats follow escalating European flight hoaxes Reuters
- Why a wave of bomb threats is proving so difficult for Europe's aviation authorities to contain CNBC
- What to know about the hoax bomb threats that targeted flights in Europe AP News
- Flight bomb threats live: Multiple planes in Europe diverted for second time in a week CNN
- Spate of bomb threats poses serious challenge to airline industry BBC
Peru airport officials discover 3,000 tarantulas smuggled inside dirty socks – The Guardian
- Peru airport officials discover 3,000 tarantulas smuggled inside dirty socks The Guardian
- 3,000 tarantulas seized from traveler's bag at airport: officials WKRC
- Travelers busted at airport with over 3,000 tarantulas hidden away in their socks Fox News
- Three people 'caught trying to sneak 3,000 spiders onto a plane' The Independent
- Over 3,000 tarantulas discovered hidden inside socks in luggage at airport New York Post
Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe – Reuters
- Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe Reuters
- 'Stop dirty datacenters': Europe-wide protests planned demanding building moratorium The Register
- Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam as Europe's backlash spreads Newsday
- Protesters Break Into Microsoft Data Center in Amsterdam Bloomberg.com
- Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam The Verge
Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison for mass starvation murders of children – Reuters
- Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison for mass starvation murders of children Reuters
- Kenya Cult Leader Handed 200 Year Prison Sentence for Mass Murder The New York Times
- Paul Mackenzie: Kenya doomsday cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison for Shakahola deaths BBC
- Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison over the deaths of 190 children CNN
- Doomsday cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison for 191 murders NBC News
US midterm results spark fears in Israel over future of two countries’ ties
Staunch US support of Israel has been raised as one of the reasons why Republicans performed so badly.
Flávio Bolsonaro battles to remain relevant as he speaks at rightwing conference at Mar-a-Lago
Far-right politician addresses Conservative Political Action Conference and makes unsubstantiated claims about election fraud
Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right politician who lost Brazil’s presidential election last month, has insisted his defeat is not “the end for Brazil” as he battles to maintain political relevance after fleeing to the US.
Bolsonaro absconded early last week shortly after losing the 25 October election to the leftwing incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by more than 4m votes.
Continue reading...Russian extremist group denies sending hoax bomb threats
Scores of flights across Europe have received bomb threats this week, but no explosives have been found so far.
ANC faces bruising defeat in South African local elections with 80% of ballots counted
Former liberation movement’s share of national vote almost 14 percentage points below 2021 result
The African National Congress is on course to suffer a bruising defeat in South Africa’s local elections, with the once dominant party of Nelson Mandela falling to under a third of the vote nationally with more than 80% of ballots counted.
Wednesday’s fragmented vote marks another stage in the decline of the ANC, which has led national governments since the end of white minority apartheid rule in 1994. High unemployment, crime, corruption and poor local service delivery have all contributed to voters turning away from the party.
Continue reading...Most Europeans want action to tackle climate crisis but not at any cost, poll shows
YouGov survey finds support for tree planting and emissions taxes but opposition to air travel and fuel levies
Europeans believe human-made climate change is real, a survey has shown, with most feeling action must be taken soon – as long as they do not have to sacrifice too much to achieve it.
The YouGov poll of six European countries showed between 69% (Germany) and 80% (France) of respondents believed the climate was changing, with few (1%-4%) denying it and 14-20% believing it was changing, but not as a result of human activity.
Continue reading...Trio suspected of attempting to smuggle 3,000 tarantulas into Germany – Euronews.com
- Trio suspected of attempting to smuggle 3,000 tarantulas into Germany Euronews.com
- 3,000 tarantulas seized from traveler's bag at airport: officials WKRC
- Peru airport officials discover 3,000 tarantulas smuggled inside dirty socks The Guardian
- More than 3,000 tarantulas confiscated from luggage in Peru FOX 8 News
- Over 3,000 Tarantulas Worth $1.7 Million Found Hidden in Socks Seized at Airport People.com
Former pro-democracy lawmaker sentenced to 12½ years in Macao’s first national security case – AP News
Trump says ‘big, beautiful’ Russia-Ukraine deal in the works after meeting Putin’s envoy – DW.com
- Trump says 'big, beautiful' Russia-Ukraine deal in the works after meeting Putin's envoy DW.com
- Trump says he and Putin are close to a deal about Ukraine and ‘all of Europe’ The Washington Post
- Trump teases ‘big, beautiful’ European security deal after meeting Putin envoy CNN
- Trump Meets Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House Bloomberg.com
- Trump says he met Putin envoy, sees Ukraine deal soon Reuters
Grim details emerge after woman and daughter killed by suspected grizzly bear in Canada – CBS News
Death toll from Russian bombing of Ukrainian aid point rises to 53, governor says – New York Post
Octopuses Can Squeeze Their Bodies Through Tiny Holes, And Scientists Are in Awe – ScienceAlert
- Octopuses Can Squeeze Their Bodies Through Tiny Holes, And Scientists Are in Awe ScienceAlert
- See how octopuses squeeze through tiny spaces The Washington Post
- How do octopuses squeeze through tiny holes? Popular Science
- Almost Every Hole Is A Goal For Octopuses. Now Scientists Have Figured Out How They Manage To Squeeze Through The Impossible IFLScience
- How octopuses squeeze through holes that seem impossibly tiny NBC News