NSW bans hay imports from south-east Queensland amid fear of fire ants after Cyclone Alfred

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Invasive Species Council says moratorium a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to inadequacy of national eradication program

New South Wales has temporarily banned the import of hay from parts of south-east Queensland as a precaution against invasive fire ants, which are on the move in large numbers thanks to flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

But the Invasive Species Council said the move is a Band-Aid response and accused the Queensland, NSW and federal governments of dropping the ball in suppressing fire ant numbers within infested areas.

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LNP accused of ‘outrageous betrayal’ after halting implementation of anti-discrimination law reform

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Attorney general says legislation developed in response to Citipointe scandal could ‘create unnecessary burden on organisations and institutions’

The Queensland government is facing criticism after announcing an indefinite delay to the implementation of anti-discrimination law reforms designed to protect victims of domestic violence, homeless people, women at work and others.

The state attorney general, Deb Frecklington, told parliament on Friday she would introduce legislation to delay implementation of the Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Act 2024.

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Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group’s rule for 5 years – CNN

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  1. Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group’s rule for 5 years  CNN
  2. Syria's interim president signed a new constitution. What's next for the country?  WBUR News
  3. Syria’s leader proclaims ‘new history’ after signing constitutional declaration  The Guardian
  4. Syria leader signs temporary constitution for five-year transition  BBC.com
  5. Kurdish-led Syrian group rejects Islamist authorities' new constitution framework  Reuters
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Pope has restful night at Rome’s Gemelli hospital – Vatican News – English

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  1. Pope has restful night at Rome's Gemelli hospital  Vatican News - English
  2. Catholics Around the Globe Heed Francis’ Call to ‘Pray for Me’  The New York Times
  3. Timeline of Pope Francis' hospitalization for pneumonia at the 1-month mark  WRAL News
  4. Pope Francis reaches 12th year as pope. This is how long his predecessors served  WBAL TV Baltimore
  5. Pope marks 12th anniversary as head of Catholic Church with cake and candles  ABC News
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1930s Redux? Trump Raises Spectre Of Return To Dark Days – Barron’s

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  1. 1930s Redux? Trump Raises Spectre Of Return To Dark Days  Barron's
  2. What parallels do historians see between the Trump administration and the Nazi regime?  FRANCE 24 English
  3. 1930s Revived? Donald Trump Raises Spectre Of Return To Dark Days  NDTV
  4. Trump is throwing away America’s Cold War victory  The Hill
  5. Sounds from beyond the Shed 176 “Spring or Springtime for Hitler…?”  Americana UK
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UK economy shrinks unexpectedly in blow to Rachel Reeves

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ONS data showing 0.1% fall in GDP in January comes less than two weeks before chancellor’s spring statement

The UK economy contracted by 0.1% in January, dealing a blow to Rachel Reeves before the spring statement later this month.

In a surprise to City economists, who expected 0.1% growth in January, the Office for National Statistics data showed the services sector failed to offset a decline in the industrial sector and maintain growth from the previous month.

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Richest farmers in England may lose sustainability funding in Defra review

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Exclusive: Officials explore restricting incentive to allocate greater funds to farms with less money and more nature

The richest farmers will not be able to apply for post-Brexit nature funding under plans for England being considered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Farming groups and climate experts have warned that such a plan would “leave farmers in the cold” and make it more difficult for the UK to reach net zero by 2050.

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Newspaper headlines: ‘Starmer’s shock NHS takeover’ and Putin’s ceasefire terms – BBC.com

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  1. Newspaper headlines: 'Starmer's shock NHS takeover' and Putin's ceasefire terms  BBC.com
  2. Keir Starmer Wants to Abolish N.H.S. England: What to Know About His Plan  The New York Times
  3. Wes Streeting’s ‘high-stakes’ abolition of NHS England will cut 10,000 jobs  The Guardian
  4. British PM Starmer announces NHS England to be abolished  DW (English)
  5. What next for the NHS after Wes Streeting’s shake-up?  Financial Times
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Jonathan Powell: the veteran negotiator being lauded over US-Ukraine detente

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Insiders say UK national security adviser avoids limelight, but it found the ‘calm operator’ this week

In the topsy-turvy world in which Keir Starmer and his aides operate, the US putting the onus on Russia to agree to a truce with Ukraine marked a significant victory.

The proposed 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is the culmination of two weeks of high-wire negotiations involving Ukraine, the US, UK, France and Germany.

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Ed Davey calls on Keir Starmer to back Canada against Trump attacks

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Lib Dem leader says PM should make public show of support for ally against ‘shocking attacks’ on its sovereignty

The leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats has called on the prime minister to publicly support Canada and oppose the “shocking attacks” on Canadian sovereignty, as the Trump administration further escalates its global trade war against longstanding allies.

Ed Davey, who leads the third largest political party in the UK, has called on Keir Starmer to travel to Canada in a show of support to the nation’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, as the commonwealth nation faces a generational crisis under Trump’s tariff war and suggestions that the country might become the 51st US state.

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