Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, but tense ceasefire holds – The Associated Press

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  1. Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, but tense ceasefire holds  The Associated Press
  2. After setbacks, Iran sees Lebanon cease-fire as chance to regroup  The Washington Post
  3. Jake Sullivan reacts to Republicans crediting Trump for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire  NBC News
  4. Israel-Hezbollah Cease-Fire Rests on a Wobbly Linchpin: Lebanon’s Army  The New York Times
  5. Israeli and Hezbollah ceasefire is 'very fragile,' foreign policy expert says  Fox News
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Boss of takeover target Direct Line wants time to turn around insurer

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New management at struggling firm, which rejected £3.3bn bid from Aviva, ‘making excellent progress’, says CEO

The Direct Line chief executive, Adam Winslow, has appealed to shareholders to give his team more time to turn around the struggling insurer, faced with an unsolicited £3.3bn offer from Aviva, while its bigger rival is trying hard to drum up support from investors for the takeover.

The two companies – the UK’s biggest insurer, Aviva, and the Churchill owner, Direct Line, known for motor cover and its red phone on wheels mascot – are facing off in a takeover tussle that has sent the Direct Line share price soaring, amid speculation that Aviva could raise its offer or launch a hostile bid, or face a counterbid.

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Trump threat of 100% tariffs against Brics nations raises trade war fears

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President-elect threatens retaliation if emerging economies create new currency to rival US dollar

Fears of a global trade war have risen after Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries in the Brics group if they create a new currency to rival the US dollar.

Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday, Trump declared that he would also act if they supported another currency to replace the dollar.

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Russia’s plunging currency spells trouble for its war effort – The Economist

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  1. Russia’s plunging currency spells trouble for its war effort  The Economist
  2. Russia’s ruble is still worth less than a penny, and the Kremlin’s piggy bank for propping it up is running low  Yahoo Finance
  3. What Collapsing Russian Ruble Means for Ukraine War  Newsweek
  4. The ruble’s in a slump. For the Kremlin, that’s a two-edged sword  The Associated Press
  5. Breakingviews - Currency drop worsens Moscow’s stagflation fears  Reuters
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Revealed: A space-tech behind Russia’s deadly Oreshnik missile – Bulgarian Military

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  1. Revealed: A space-tech behind Russia's deadly Oreshnik missile  Bulgarian Military
  2. What Putin’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile means for NATO security  The Washington Post
  3. Ukraine’s allies are scrambling to respond to Putin’s escalating war  Semafor
  4. Putin says Russia could hit 'decision-making centres' in Kyiv with new missile  Reuters
  5. Putin Gives More Details on Russia's 'Oreshnik' Hypersonic Missile  Business Insider
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Predatory rent-to-buy operators barred from Centrepay debit system in sweeping Albanese government reforms

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Exclusive: ‘High-risk services’ will be removed, including companies providing consumer leases and household goods

The federal government will boot predatory rent-to-buy operators off its Centrepay debit system as part of sweeping reforms designed to stop the financial abuse of vulnerable Australians.

The reforms, set to be announced Monday, follow a Guardian Australian investigation that revealed shocking failures in the Centrepay system and helped trigger an urgent government review.

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Cruise ships urged to ‘clean up their act’ amid concerns toxic effluent being dumped on Great Barrier Reef

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Environmentalists say marine park waste regulations need updating to limit grey water and exhaust chemicals as passenger cruise numbers rise

Environmentalists and tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef say authorities must enforce stricter pollution standards on cruise liners visiting the world heritage area amid growth in passenger cruise numbers and concern that ships are dumping toxins into the water.

The Whitsunday Conservation Council says the definition of “waste” used to prevent marine discharge on the reef – which dates back to the 1970s – does not restrict discharge from sulphur “scrubbers” that have become commonplace in the shipping industry.

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Mom of UK lawyer opens up about daughter’s nightmarish final moments after mass poisoning in Laos – New York Post

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  1. Mom of UK lawyer opens up about daughter's nightmarish final moments after mass poisoning in Laos  New York Post
  2. ‘I knew my daughter was going to die’, says mother of lawyer killed by methanol poisoning in Laos  Yahoo! Voices
  3. Simone White: Be careful drinking abroad, warns mum of woman who died in Laos  BBC.com
  4. One call from Laos and I knew my daughter was going to die  The Times
  5. In wake of Laos backpacker deaths, questions linger in Vang Vieng  The Guardian
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Simone White: Be careful drinking abroad, warns mum of woman who died in Laos – BBC.com

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  1. Simone White: Be careful drinking abroad, warns mum of woman who died in Laos  BBC.com
  2. ‘I knew she was going to die’, says mother of lawyer killed by methanol poisoning in Laos  Yahoo! Voices
  3. Mom of UK lawyer opens up about daughter's nightmarish final moments after mass poisoning in Laos  New York Post
  4. One call from Laos and I knew my daughter was going to die  The Times
  5. Bombshell breakthrough in Laos methanol poisoning as source of deadly drink is revealed after two Aussie women  Daily Mail
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