- Fires cause record loss of tropical forests in climate threat BBC
- This chart of the planet’s forests should frighten you vox.com
- Wildfires devastated the Amazon basin in 2024 The Economist
- Global forest loss hits record — with CO2 in tow Axios
- Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last year, ‘frightening’ data shows The Guardian
Tropical forests destroyed at fastest recorded rate last year
Tropical forests provide a buffer against climate change, but disappeared faster than ever recorded last year.
Romania’s Postponed Reckoning – Foreign Affairs
- Romania’s Postponed Reckoning Foreign Affairs
- Romania's new pro-European president puts it back on a Western course, but fault lines remain AP News
- Musk and Sacks question Romanian election, at odds with U.S. diplomat NBC News
- Mass Ukrainian drone strike targets Moscow, Russia claims, multiple airports closed The Kyiv Independent
- White House officials have the wrong reactions to the results of Romania’s election MSNBC News
18 hours in the making of a president: Inside Nicușor Dan’s election win – politico.eu
- 18 hours in the making of a president: Inside Nicușor Dan’s election win politico.eu
- Romania's new pro-European president puts it back on a Western course, but fault lines remain AP News
- Romania’s Postponed Reckoning Foreign Affairs
- Musk and Sacks question Romanian election, at odds with U.S. diplomat NBC News
- Romanian ministries accuse Russia of interference in Sunday's presidential runoff Euronews.com
Japanese minister resigns after saying he doesn’t buy rice because he gets it free
Taku Etō’s remarks drew fury as cost of rice has nearly doubled in a year amid soaring food prices
Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned after saying he never buys rice because he gets it free, a remark that drew public fury in a country facing soaring food prices.
Taku Etō’s resignation has added to pressure on the prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, whose failure to rein in soaring rice prices and address a wider cost of living crisis has angered voters ahead of upper house elections in July.
Continue reading...Judge warns US deportations to South Sudan may breach court order
The judge orders the migrants to be kept in US government custody, holding the plane on the tarmac if necessary.
Biden camp denies cancer was diagnosed earlier amid cover-up claims
Statement from Biden's office comes after US President Donald Trump expressed doubt over timing of diagnosis.
Rubio, Democrats clash over Trump’s foreign policy moves – The Washington Post
- Rubio, Democrats clash over Trump’s foreign policy moves The Washington Post
- Senate Democrats Grill Defiant Rubio on Trump Policies The New York Times
- Democrats express remorse for confirming Marco Rubio Axios
- Van Hollen slams Rubio in contentious exchange over deportations and Abrego Garcia ABC News
- US is not withdrawing from the world, Rubio says during testy hearings in Congress Reuters
Australia news live: Nationals’ decision to break up Coalition not unanimous; ‘treacherous’ weather hampering chopper NSW flood rescues
Nationals leader hints there might still be a possibility of joint tickets in 2028 if state officials from the two parties can come to agreement. Follow today’s news live
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People trapped by flooding as river rise breaks record
Intense falls and major flooding have hit Australia’s most populous state as a slow-moving system dumps rain, causing a major river to rise to the highest level in almost 100 years.
Continue reading...NSW floods: BoM warns of ‘lots of flooding to come’ amid wet weather on mid-north coast
Two days of heavy rainfall still on way as SES carries out 130 rescues amid floods in Taree and nearby areas
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Residents of the mid-north coast of New South Wales have described anxious waits for rescue in the dark as unprecedented flooding inundates homes and businesses across the region.
The State Emergency Service has performed 130 rescues in the past 24 hours, the bulk of those occurring in Taree, Wingham and Glenthorne.
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Continue reading...Queensland to restrict good character references in sentencing of accused rapists
Good character references from friends and families of accused rapists had previously been a consideration in a judge’s sentencing decision
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The consideration of good character references for accused rapists will be restricted under major Queensland court reforms but some advocates say it does not go far enough.
The changes introduced to Queensland parliament this week are among the recommendations made by a Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council report into rape and sexual assault.
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Continue reading...Chicago Sun-Times confirms AI was used to create reading list of books that don’t exist
Outlet calls story, created by freelancer working with one of the newpaper’s content partner, a ‘learning moment’
Illinois’ prominent Chicago Sun-Times newspaper has confirmed that a summer reading list, which included several recommendations for books that don’t exist, was created using artificial intelligence by a freelancer who worked with one of their content partners.
Social media posts began to circulate on Tuesday criticizing the paper for allegedly using the AI software ChatGPT to generate an article with book recommendations for the upcoming summer season called “Summer reading list for 2025”. As such chatbots are known to make up information, a phenomenon often referred to as “AI hallucination”, the article contains several fake titles attached to real authors.
Continue reading...Pacific must not become a ‘military zone’ amid rise of China, New Zealand’s deputy PM warns
In an interview with the Guardian, Winston Peters says the world faces the ‘most uncertain time’ in 80 years ahead of talks with Australia's foreign minister
The Pacific must be protected from becoming a military zone amid China’s growing push for influence in the region, New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters has warned ahead of a meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
Peters, who is New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, told the Guardian that his country has a good relationship with China.
Continue reading...Trump backs off ceasefire after call with Putin, letting fighting rage on – The Washington Post
- Trump backs off ceasefire after call with Putin, letting fighting rage on The Washington Post
- Trump’s New Position on the War in Ukraine: Not My Problem The New York Times
- Trump distances himself from Russia–Ukraine conflict: 'Not our people, not our soldiers' Fox News
- Putin just showed Trump how little he needs him CNN
- Trump-Putin call on war in Ukraine is another blow to Kyiv and its allies Reuters
US judge indicates deportations to South Sudan likely violated court order
Judge Brian Murphy indicated the Trump administration's actions to deport migrants to South Sudan 'may be contempt'.
Britain, France and Canada Condemn Israel’s Expansion of Gaza War – The New York Times
- Britain, France and Canada Condemn Israel’s Expansion of Gaza War The New York Times
- 'This must end now' and 'Rayner's secret plan' BBC
- UK suspends free trade talks with Israel and announces sanctions over West Bank settlers AP News
- Netanyahu capitulated – but still alienated Trump and infuriated the enlightened world Haaretz
- U.K. suspends trade talks with Israel as pressure mounts over war in Gaza The Globe and Mail
Venezuela frees US citizen in latest exchange with Trump administration
President Donald Trump sent special envoy Richard Grenell to arrange Joseph St Clair's release after months in prison.
Global Economic Officials Gather Amid Headwinds From Trump’s Trade War – The New York Times
- Global Economic Officials Gather Amid Headwinds From Trump’s Trade War The New York Times
- G-7 Finance Ministers Aim to Avoid Public Spats With US Despite Trade Turmoil Bloomberg.com
- Top finance officials from G7 countries gather in Banff for 3-day summit CBC
- Global trade war dominates agenda for Group of Seven finance ministers meeting in Banff The Globe and Mail
- Morning Bid: An awkward G7 Reuters
Joint Statement on the U.S.-Türkiye Syria Working Group – U.S. Department of State (.gov)
- Joint Statement on the U.S.-Türkiye Syria Working Group U.S. Department of State (.gov)
- Rubio says Syrian leaders have said they have no interest in war with Israel The Times of Israel
- Syrian Business Owners Energized by U.S. Promise to Lift Sanctions The New York Times
- What Trump's promise to lift sanctions on Syria means for the U.S. MSNBC News
- From al-Qaeda to Syria's presidency, the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa ABC News
Did Trump really strike Gulf deals worth $2tn? – BBC
- Did Trump really strike Gulf deals worth $2tn? BBC
- For Trump, Adulation and No Risk of Protests Made the Gulf a Dream Trip The New York Times
- President Trump’s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations Arab Center Washington DC
- The Mideast Is Donald Trump’s Safe Place The New Yorker
- MORNING GLORY: A triumphant trip for Trump Fox News