Canada’s Green party removed at last minute from election debates

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Upheaval follows decision to shift timing of first debate over fears of clash with Montreal Canadiens ice hockey game

Canada’s Green party has been removed from the country’s two election debates amid accusations it would “undermine the integrity” of the events, just hours before leaders square off in Montreal.

The last-minute upheaval follows a decision to shift the timing of the first televised debate on Wednesday evening over fears the French language showdown would clash with a closely watched Montreal Canadiens ice hockey game.

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Adelaide becomes fifth Australian capital where median house value exceeds $1m

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Across Australia, home prices grew at slowest rate in two years and unit prices fell in March, Domain says

Million-dollar houses are now more common than homes costing less than seven figures in five of Australia’s capital cities.

Adelaide’s median house value passed $1m in March, even as unaffordable costs and high interest rates saw home prices grow at their slowest rate in two years and unit prices fall.

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Embattled Creative Australia boss served angry letters from staff and 600 literary figures amid Sabsabi fallout

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Letters from staff expressed ‘complete lack of confidence in your ability to lead this organisation effectively’ and fears over participating in external inquiry

The embattled head of Creative Australia has been served with two letters of complaint collectively written by staff, and a third signed by more than 600 Australian literary figures.

The fallout over Creative Australia’s decision in February to withdraw the artistic team of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino from next year’s Venice Biennale continues, with its chief executive, Adrian Collette, now on leave and an inquiry under way into the circumstances surrounding the selection and subsequent sacking of the pair as Australia’s representatives.

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Endangered greater gliders recorded in proposed great koala national park in NSW as logging continues

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Conservation groups call for immediate action to protect wildlife as two-year wait for Labor’s promised creation of park continues

Government surveys have found tens of thousands of endangered greater gliders could be living within the proposed area for a great koala national park in New South Wales, prompting new calls for the area to be quickly protected from logging.

Data from aerial drone and ground-based surveys at 169 sites within the proposed park were used to model the likely presence of Australia’s largest gliding possum across the entire 176,000 hectares the NSW government is considering for protection.

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Sudan rebels declare rival government on anniversary of brutal 2-year war with army – CNN

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  1. Sudan rebels declare rival government on anniversary of brutal 2-year war with army  CNN
  2. Photos: Two years of war in Sudan  NPR
  3. Inside the crowded camp where Sudanese refugees have fled violence and hunger  PBS
  4. R.S.F. in Sudan Declare Parallel Government Amid Assault on Zamzam Camp  The New York Times
  5. G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement Marking Two Years Since the Beginning of the Devastating War in Sudan  U.S. Department of State (.gov)
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Members of leading British Jewish body condemn Israel’s latest actions in Gaza

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Signatories from Board of Deputies say in open letter that ‘Israel’s soul is being ripped out’ and they ‘cannot turn a blind eye’ to loss of life

Members of the Board of Deputies, the largest body representing British Jews, have said they can no longer “turn a blind eye or remain silent” over the war in Gaza.

In a significant break with the board’s customary support for the Israeli government, the 36 signatories to an open letter published in the FT say “Israel’s soul is being ripped out”.

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Lebanon’s president says he seeks to disarm Hezbollah this year – CNN

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  1. Lebanon’s president says he seeks to disarm Hezbollah this year  CNN
  2. Will US pressure tactics on Lebanon make Hezbollah disarm faster?  Al Jazeera
  3. Lebanese president says Hezbollah disarmament will come through dialogue not ‘force’  AP News
  4. Hezbollah at a crossroads as Lebanon pushes for arms monopoly  Middle East Eye
  5. Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah 'step by step,' says President Aoun  The Jerusalem Post
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Trump team’s Iran divide: Dialogue vs. detonation to end nuclear threat – Axios

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  1. Trump team's Iran divide: Dialogue vs. detonation to end nuclear threat  Axios
  2. Opinion | It’s a Mistake to Think the Biggest Problem With Iran Is Nuclear Weapons  The New York Times
  3. Are Trump’s nuclear talks Obama Iran Deal 2.0?  The Hill
  4. White House increasingly at odds with itself on Iran nuclear negotiations  MSNBC News
  5. Tehran will offer nuke concessions to satisfy Trump 'victory,' ensure regime lives on - opinion  The Jerusalem Post
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Hamas ‘Lost Contact’ With Group Holding Last Living US Hostage – Newser

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  1. Hamas 'Lost Contact' With Group Holding Last Living US Hostage  Newser
  2. Edan Alexander: Hamas says it has lost contact with US-Israeli hostage in Gaza  BBC
  3. Hamas ‘lost contact’ with group holding Gaza captive after Israeli attack  Al Jazeera
  4. Israel at War, Day 556 | Latest on US-Iran talks, Gaza war, Syria  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Hamas has 'lost contact' with group holding American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander  NBC News
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Ecuador’s VP accuses president of ‘violating democracy’ in election win

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Verónica Abad claims Daniel Noboa, her former running mate, used state power to tilt the vote

Ecuador’s vice-president, Verónica Abad, has accused the country’s president – her former running mate Daniel Noboa – of “violating the democratic code” by using the state apparatus to gain an advantage over the other candidates in the country’s runoff election.

In Sunday’s vote, the rightwing incumbent defeated the leftist Luisa González by a considerable margin after narrowly beating her in the first round.

Although Abad said she did not support the opposition’s claim that electoral fraud occurred during the vote, she argued that the election was unfair because Noboa refused to step down from office while running – as required by the constitution.

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