Chinese state media celebrates Trump’s cuts to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia

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Global Times hails US president’s order to strip back government funding to news organisations he deems ‘radical’

Chinese state media has reacted gleefully to the Trump administration’s decision to slash government funding to media organisations such as Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA).

The Global Times, a daily English-language tabloid and Chinese Communist party mouthpiece, celebrated the cuts to the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees broadcasters such as VOA and RFA.

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Once named world’s ugliest animal, blobfish wins New Zealand’s fish of the year

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Made up of blobby tissue and living deep in the ocean, the distinctive species beat the longfin eel and pygmy pipehorse in the annual contest

It was once crowned the “world’s ugliest animal” and now the disgruntled-looking gelatinous blobfish has a new gong to its name: New Zealand’s fish of the year.

The winning species of blobfish, Psychrolutes marcidus, lives in the highly pressurised depths off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia and has developed a unique anatomy to exist. Blobfish do not have a swim bladder, a full skeleton, muscles or scales. Instead, their bodies are made up of blobby tissue with a lower density than water that allows them to float above the seafloor.

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Australia news live: Wong urges ‘all parties’ to respect Gaza ceasefire; renters need $130k income to afford average property, report shows

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‘Palestinian civilians cannot pay the price of defeating Hamas. It has now been two weeks since humanitarian aid last entered Gaza’ says foreign minister. Follow today’s news live

Labour-hire flight attendants to get pay boost

More than 750 domestic flight attendants funnelled to Qantas by labour-hire firms will get a hefty pay boost, AAP reports, in what is being hailed as a victory for “same job, same pay” laws.

Some of these crew will no longer need three jobs to make ends meet and put a roof over the heads of their families.

These are workers who wear the same uniform, do the same work, work the same rosters but have been paid significantly less than their colleagues. They do the same job and they deserve the same pay.

A crime scene has been established and an arson chemist will attend the scene [this] morning. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire remains ongoing.

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Performing arts leaders issue copyright warning over UK government’s AI plans

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In a statement, 35 signatories from dance, theatre and music industries express concern about ‘fragile ecosystem’

More than 30 performing arts leaders in the UK, including the bosses of the National Theatre, Opera North and the Royal Albert Hall, have joined the chorus of creative industry concern about the government’s plans to let artificial intelligence companies use artists’ work without permission.

In a statement they said performing arts organisations depend on a “fragile ecosystem” of freelancers who rely on copyright to sustain their livelihoods. They also urged the government to support the “moral and economic rights” of the creative community in music, dance, drama and opera.

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Bundestag prepares to vote on historic borrowing package in key test for Merz

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Likely next chancellor needs two-thirds majority to back €500bn infrastructure fund and relaxation of debt rules

Germany’s likely next chancellor is to face a key vote on plans to unlock a record level of state borrowing, which he argues is necessary to boost the country’s military spending and inject growth into its ailing economy.

Ahead of the crucial Bundestag vote on Tuesday, Friedrich Merz has faced a barrage of complaints from the opposition and from within his own ranks that he is not coupling the historic levels of spending planned – as much as €1tn (£840bn) – to demands for reform.

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NSW psychiatrist quit when workload threatened patient safety, court hears

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Dr Suzanna Goodison’s evidence before Industrial Relations Commission part of the push by doctors union to stem exodus of specialists from the public system

A New South Wales psychiatrist who was asked to take on the workload of two public hospitals quit because the amount of work was “untenable” and compromised patient safety, a court has heard.

Dr Suzanna Goodison appeared as a witness for the doctors union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (Asmof), on day two of its arbitration with NSW Health in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) court in Sydney. Asmof is seeking a special levy to increase its members’ pay by 25% to stem the flow of specialist doctors leaving the public system.

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Syria and Lebanon agree to halt violence following border clashes – The Washington Post

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  1. Syria and Lebanon agree to halt violence following border clashes  The Washington Post
  2. Lebanon and Syria agree to ceasefire after 2 days of border clashes, Syrian defense ministry says  The Associated Press
  3. Syria's new regime hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over claims its fighters were executed  Fox News
  4. Lebanese army and Syrian forces clash on northeastern border  Middle East Eye
  5. Syria Strikes Lebanon After Blaming Hezbollah for Killing Troops  Bloomberg
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The $300 billion question: What to do with Russia’s frozen central bank money? – The Associated Press

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  1. The $300 billion question: What to do with Russia’s frozen central bank money?  The Associated Press
  2. UK, EU to ramp up pressure on Russia and boost defence initiatives  Reuters
  3. UK and EU Advance Talks on Seizing Frozen Russian Assets  Bloomberg
  4. UK, EU to discuss confiscating Russian assets ahead of Ukraine peace talks, Bloomberg reports  Kyiv Independent
  5. Billions on ice: What to do with Russia's frozen assets?  Euronews
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Chinese EV maker BYD says fast-charging system could be as quick as filling up a tank

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BYD unveils platform with charging power of 1,000 kW, which would be twice as fast as Tesla’s supercharging

The Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has unveiled a new charging system that it said could make it possible for EVs to charge as quickly as it takes to refill with petrol.

BYD’s Hong Kong-listed shares gained 4.1% on Tuesday to hit a record high of 408.80 Hong Kong dollars, as investors bet that the company could strengthen its already commanding position as one of the world’s biggest electric carmakers.

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Jury dismissed in Toyah Cordingley trial after failing to reach unanimous verdict

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Rajwinder Singh had pleaded not guilty to murdering the 24-year-old, who was found buried in sand in far north Queensland

A jury has been unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of a man accused of murder after a young woman was fatally stabbed on an isolated beach.

Toyah Cordingley, a 24-year-old organic food store worker, was found buried in sand at a beach outside Cairns in far north Queensland on 22 October 2018.

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Pentagon restores webpage for Black Medal of Honor winner but defends DEI purge

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Error message previously shown on Maj Gen Rogers’s site as officials argue that it’s wrong to call diversity a strength

The US defense department webpage celebrating a Black Medal of Honor recipient that was removed and had the letters “DEI” added to the site’s address has been restored – and the letters scrubbed – after an outcry. But defense department officials have continued to argue publicly that it is wrong to say that diversity is a strength, and that it’s essential to dismantle all “diversity, equity and inclusion” efforts.

On Saturday, the Guardian reported that US army Maj Gen Charles Calvin Rogers’s Medal of Honor webpage led to a “404” error message – and that the URL had been changed, with the word “medal” changed to “deimedal”.

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‘Drake lost a rap battle’: Universal files motion to dismiss rapper’s ‘misguided’ lawsuit

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Drake’s attorneys accuse Universal of being ‘a greedy company’ that is ‘finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation’.

Universal Music Group have moved to dismiss Drake’s defamation suit, characterising it as “a misguided attempt” by the Canadian rapper to “salve his wounds” after he “lost a rap battle” with rival Kendrick Lamar.

In the motion, filed on Monday in the US district court for the southern district of New York, Universal Music Group (UMG), which represents both artists, claimed that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated.

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Ex-boyfriend rehearsed murder of Sydney school coach Lilie James with ‘dry runs’, inquest hears

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Dutch national Paul Thijssen killed St Andrew’s Cathedral school water polo coach in October 2023 before killing himself in Sydney’s eastern suburbs

Paul Thijssen stalked his ex-girlfriend Lilie James and meticulously rehearsed how he would attack the 21-year-old water polo coach in a school bathroom before murdering her, a coronial inquest into their deaths has heard.

James’s body was found with serious head injuries in a gymnasium bathroom at St Andrew’s Cathedral school, where she worked, in October 2023.

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‘Heartbreaking’: poisoning suspected after mass deaths of more than 150 little corellas in Newcastle

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Hunter Wildlife Rescue started receiving numerous reports of sick and dead birds on Monday, centred on the suburbs Hamilton and Carrington

New South Wales authorities are investigating the possible poisoning and mass deaths of more than 150 little corellas in Newcastle.

Kate Randolph, the acting president of Hunter Wildlife Rescue, described the incident as “extremely confronting” and said volunteers and local vets were doing everything they could to rescue surviving, severely sick birds.

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Trump says Iran will suffer ‘dire’ consequences for any more Houthi attacks – ABC News

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  1. Trump says Iran will suffer 'dire' consequences for any more Houthi attacks  ABC News
  2. Trump warns Iran it will face ‘consequences’ of further attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels  The Associated Press
  3. Biden admin criticized for emboldening Iran-backed Houthis as Trump ramps up military strikes  Fox News
  4. 3/16: Face the Nation  CBS News
  5. US strikes 'took out' multiple Houthi leaders: National security adviser Mike Waltz  ABC News
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