Albanese hopes China’s reported BHP iron ore ban ‘very much short-term’ as ASX dips

Posted on by

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and BHP CEO Mike Henry to discuss reports of Chinese iron ore blockade

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will meet with the boss of BHP amid a shock report that the world’s largest mining company faces a Chinese blockade on its iron ore shipments.

Beijing’s state iron ore buyer has told steelmakers to pause imports of BHP ore, amid hardball negotiations over the price of the crucial resource, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

UK accused of ‘stark injustice’ as woman from Montserrat refused free NHS care

Posted on by

Cherry Brown, 69, a British overseas territory citizen, was left sleeping rough after being sent to England for treatment

The UK has been accused of a “stark injustice” for failing to provide health services and humanitarian support to citizens of British overseas territories after a woman from the Caribbean island of Montserrat was refused free NHS care and left homeless.

Council officials found Cherry Brown, 69, sleeping rough in a park in Swanley, Kent, in April. Brown had been funded by the Montserratian government – whose budget is largely subsidised by the UK – to travel to England to receive treatment from the NHS that was not available at home.

Continue reading...

Footprint found in South Australian outback search for four-year-old boy

Posted on by

August, known as Gus, disappeared from his family’s sheep station in state’s remote mid-north on Saturday afternoon

The discovery of a footprint is providing a glimmer of hope before the search for a preschooler on an outback homestead becomes a recovery operation.

Four-year-old August, known as Gus, disappeared from his family’s sheep station in the remote South Australian mid-north on Saturday afternoon.

Continue reading...

‘It’s unsustainable’: homes in Great Britain brace for winter with soaring energy debts

Posted on by

As typical annual dual-fuel charge rises to £1,755, charities warn over record £4.4bn owed to suppliers

Three and a half years after war plunged Europe into an energy supply crisis, millions of households in Great Britain are braced for another winter of painful gas and electricity bills.

On Wednesday, the quarterly cap on charges will increase again. Despite a fall in wholesale gas prices, the ceiling for a typical annual dual-fuel bill will rise by 2% to £1,755 to help cover the costs of energy policies and network upgrades.

Continue reading...

US government shuts down after Democrats refuse to back Republican funding plan

Posted on by

First shutdown in nearly seven years as Republicans accused of ‘risking America’s healthcare’ in spending bill

The US government shut down on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare.

The GOP, which controls the Senate and the House of Representatives, repudiated their demands, setting off a legislative scramble that lasted into the hours before funding lapsed at midnight, when the Senate failed to advance both parties’ bills to keep funding going.

Continue reading...

Slovakia marks ‘dark day’ as LGBTQ+ rights rolled back in parliament

Posted on by

Amendment to constitution stipulates that male and female are the only recognised sexes and makes adoption nearly impossible for same-sex couples

Recent changes to Slovakia’s constitution mark a “dark day” for the country, LGBTQ+ campaigners have warned, describing measures such as the recognition of only two sexes as part of a wider rollback of human rights and rule of law in the central European country.

On Friday, Slovakia’s parliament passed an amendment that included measures targeting LGBTQ+ rights in the country, from stipulating that male and female are the only recognised sexes to making it nearly impossible for same-sex couples to adopt children.

Continue reading...

Row erupts after Venice opera house hires conductor linked to Meloni government

Posted on by

Musicians and staff at the theatre say Beatrice Venezi is not experienced enough for the role and should be replaced

Venice’s prestigious La Fenice opera house is embroiled in controversy over the hiring of a conductor with close ties to Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government.

The theatre’s orchestra musicians and staff are calling for Beatrice Venezi’s appointment as music director to be revoked, claiming she does not have enough experience for the high-profile role and was picked only because of her government connections.

Continue reading...

Britons preparing to ration energy as Ofgem price cap rises, says charity

Posted on by

National Energy Action says 58% of households expect to cut heating use as typical annual dual-fuel bill increases to £1,755

The majority of British households expect to restrict their home heating this winter to try to keep rising costs in check, according to research released as the price cap that dictates most bills rose again.

The fuel poverty charity National Energy Action said 58% of households told its survey they were likely to trim their energy use, a nine-percentage-point increase from the level in January.

Continue reading...

DoJ sues LA sheriff for processing concealed carry gun licenses too slowly

Posted on by

‘Unreasonable delays’ in giving permits violates residents’ second amendment rights, claims justice department

The US Department of Justice sued the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department on Tuesday, alleging it violated the constitution by moving too slowly to process gun licenses for people who want to carry concealed weapons.

The sheriff’s department’s “unreasonable delays” in granting licenses violates California residents’ second amendment right to bear arms outside the home, the justice department’s civil rights division said in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court.

Continue reading...

Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say – The New York Times

Posted on by
  1. Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say  The New York Times
  2. Deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes central Philippines  CNN
  3. Death toll rises to 27 after powerful quake hits central Philippines  Reuters
  4. Philippines earthquake live updates: Cebu province declares 'state of calamity' as Magnitude 6.9 quake kills at least 26  BBC
  5. Philippines earthquake: dozens dead as rescuers search through wreckage  The Guardian
Posted in Uncategorized

‘Dominant on the river’: 32 Chunk crowned champion in ‘biggest Fat Bear Week yet’

Posted on by

Brown bear’s nearly 100,000 votes leads him to victory despite suffering for most of season with broken jaw

“The merely chubby have been winnowed away,” a naturalist intoned. “We are left with a clash of titans.”

After a record-breaking week of public voting, Katmai national park and preserve in Alaska has announced the winner of its “biggest Fat Bear Week yet”.

Continue reading...

Taiwan now biggest importer of Russian naphtha despite being Ukraine ally

Posted on by

Island imported $1.3bn of crude oil product in first half of 2025 despite joining sanctions against Moscow, report finds

Taiwan has become the world’s biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative used to make chemicals needed for the semiconductor industry, despite the fact that it has joined other sanctions against Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine.

In the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn worth of Russian naphtha, and average monthly imports reached a level nearly six times higher than the 2022 average, according to a report published on Wednesday. Compared to the first half of 2024, Taiwan’s naphtha imports this year increased by 44%.

Continue reading...

Philippines earthquake death toll rises to at least 69 as Cebu hospitals struggle

Posted on by

More than 700 aftershocks recorded while rescuers search for casualties in coastal city of Bogo

Rescuers in the Philippines combed through rubble and mud after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people, with patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Outside the Cebu provincial hospital, injured children cried and adults screamed on Wednesday as they were treated on beds beneath blue tents. They had been wheeled outside as a precaution against waves of aftershocks.

Continue reading...

Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception – The Times of Israel

Posted on by
  1. Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception  The Times of Israel
  2. Gaza Sumud flotilla: How Israel breaks international maritime law  Al Jazeera
  3. Italy to end support for Gaza flotilla as Israeli action looms  Reuters
  4. Gaza aid flotilla man 'undeterred by drone threat'  BBC
  5. Israel, Gaza Aid Flotilla Brace for a Confrontation at Sea  The Wall Street Journal
Posted in Uncategorized

Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan – The Washington Post

Posted on by
  1. Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan  The Washington Post
  2. Afghan women lose their 'last hope' as Taliban shut down internet  BBC
  3. Afghanistan: Internet Shutdowns Imperil Rights  Human Rights Watch
  4. Taliban kills internet across Afghanistan, citing morality concerns as UN protests  Fox News
  5. Afghanistan imposes internet blackout: What has the effect been so far?  Al Jazeera
Posted in Uncategorized

Morocco’s youth protests turn violent on fourth day – Reuters

Posted on by
  1. Morocco's youth protests turn violent on fourth day  Reuters
  2. Morocco squashes youth-led protesters over health, education  Reuters
  3. Young Moroccans clash with police while protesting stadium spending and health system decline  The Washington Post
  4. Gen Z Moroccans denounce government priorities in some of the largest protests in years  CNN
  5. Gen Z protesters rally across Morocco demanding health, education reforms  Al Jazeera
Posted in Uncategorized