People with insufficient home insurance more likely to risk their lives in bushfires, experts say

Posted on by

Research shows in tough times people often let home and contents insurance lapse, which could lead to dangerous decision to stay

People are more likely to risk their lives in bushfires if they are uninsured or underinsured, experts have said.

In the chaos of an approaching fire, most people struggle to make rational decisions; having no house insurance could feed into making the dangerous decision to stay and protect a home, bushfire behaviour and management professor at the University of Melbourne, Trent Penman, said.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

At least 770 killed in Goma, east DRC, in fighting with Rwanda-backed M23

Posted on by

Rebels had captured the city in January in major escalation of 10-year-old conflict

At least 773 people were killed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest city of Goma and its vicinity this week amid fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels who captured the city in a major escalation of a decade-long conflict, Congolese authorities have said.

The rebels’ advance into other areas was slowed by a weakened military that recovered some villages from them.

Continue reading...

USAid website offline as Trump moves to put agency under state department

Posted on by

Move would threaten life-saving global humanitarian aid programs, from HIV/Aids treatments to clean water access

The website for the US Agency for International Development, or USAid, appeared to be offline on Saturday, as the Trump administration moves to put the free-standing agency, and its current $42.8bn budget for global humanitarian operations, under state department control.

A message stating that the “server IP address could not be found” appeared when attempts were made to access the website on Saturday.

Continue reading...

AI tools used for child sexual abuse images targeted in Home Office crackdown

Posted on by

UK will be first country to bring in tough new laws to tackle the technology behind the creation of abusive material

Britain is to become the first country to introduce laws tackling the use of AI tools to produce child sexual abuse images, amid warnings from law enforcement agencies of an ­alarming proliferation in such use of the technology.

In an attempt to close a legal ­loophole that has been a major ­concern for police and online safety campaigners, it will become illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Continue reading...

Defense minister warns freed terrorist Zubeidi: ‘One mistake and you’ll meet old friends’ – The Times of Israel

Posted on by
  1. Defense minister warns freed terrorist Zubeidi: ‘One mistake and you’ll meet old friends’  The Times of Israel
  2. Heroes to Palestinians, but Killers to Israelis: Either Way, They Now Go Free  The Wall Street Journal
  3. 'They're the ones who wronged us': Freed Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Zubeidi rebukes UK and US over 'harm they've caused'  Sky News
  4. Zakaria Zubeidi, Militant Who Briefly Escaped Israeli Prison, Is Among Released Palestinians  The New York Times
  5. Katz: Zubeidi, take care, one misstep and you'll meet your old friends  The Jerusalem Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Belgium: Right-wing strikes deal to lead new government – DW (English)

Posted on by
  1. Belgium: Right-wing strikes deal to lead new government  DW (English)
  2. Belgium Forms a Government After 7 Months of Squabbling  The New York Times
  3. Belgium to form government after seven months of negotiations  The Guardian
  4. Belgium gets new government with Flemish separatist Bart De Wever as PM  POLITICO Europe
  5. Belgium forms first government to be led by right-wing nationalist party  Financial Times
Posted in Uncategorized

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 1, 2025 – Institute for the Study of War

Posted on by
  1. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 1, 2025  Institute for the Study of War
  2. Putin Will Not End War Soon With Slow Advances Planned: ISW  Newsweek
  3. ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 1, 2025  Kyiv Post
  4. Vladimir Putin’s Attrition Strategy Is Paying Off in Ukraine  The National Interest Online
  5. ISW: Russia is struggling with a severe shortage of personnel and is changing its tactics on the front  Факти
Posted in Uncategorized

Russian missile strike damages historic Jewish institutions in Odesa – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Russian missile strike damages historic Jewish institutions in Odesa  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Ukraine war briefing: Russian missile attack on world heritage site in Odesa damages historic buildings and wounds seven  The Guardian
  3. Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events – day 1,073  Al Jazeera English
  4. UN Condemns Russian Missile Attack in Odesa that Wounded 7  The Moscow Times
  5. Russian missile attack seriously damages historic centre of Ukraine's Odesa  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

Overcome by Hubris, Netanyahu Hopes the Israel-Hamas Deal Will Collapse – Haaretz

Posted on by
  1. Overcome by Hubris, Netanyahu Hopes the Israel-Hamas Deal Will Collapse  Haaretz
  2. Second phase negotiations to begin on Monday, as Netanyahu arrives in Washington  The Jerusalem Post
  3. Israel's Netanyahu says negotiations start Monday for next phase of Gaza ceasefire  Reuters
  4. Report: Netanyahu may tap Minister Dermer to head negotiating team instead of Mossad chief  The Times of Israel
  5. Israel has 'vested interest' to break off Gaza ceasefire, expert says  FRANCE 24 English
Posted in Uncategorized

Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir appointed as new IDF chief, succeeding Herzi Halevi – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir appointed as new IDF chief, succeeding Herzi Halevi  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Yarden Bibas reportedly says Hamas taunted him about Shiri and kids; he’s clinging to hope  The Times of Israel
  3. Eyal Zamir named next IDF chief, set to take over from Herzi Halevi in March  The Times of Israel
  4. Zamir picked as next IDF chief of staff, IDF on high alert in West Bank post-prisoner release  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Netanyahu's People Plot to Prevent Israeli Army From Getting a 'Leftist' Chief of Staff  Haaretz
Posted in Uncategorized

Pensioner waits at missile attack site to identify bodies of family, presumed dead – Reuters

Posted on by
  1. Pensioner waits at missile attack site to identify bodies of family, presumed dead  Reuters
  2. Update: Death toll in Russian missile strike on Poltava rises to 9, including a child.  Kyiv Independent
  3. In a split second, Russia wipes out three generations of a Ukrainian family  BBC.com
  4. Russian attack on residential building in Poltava: 5 people killed, 14 injured – photos, video  Ukrainska Pravda
  5. Russia fires deadly barrage on Ukraine as it presses on key city  Citizentribune
Posted in Uncategorized

Sick and wounded Palestinians leave Gaza as Rafah crossing reopens – BBC.com

Posted on by
  1. Sick and wounded Palestinians leave Gaza as Rafah crossing reopens  BBC.com
  2. Updates: Israel lets wounded evacuate Gaza; joy, grief for freed detainees  Al Jazeera English
  3. Israel-Gaza war live: Israeli hostages and freed Palestinians return home as Rafah crossing opens  The Guardian
  4. Wounded Gazans Begin to Leave for Egypt Through Reopened Rafah Crossing  The New York Times
  5. Sick, wounded Palestinian children cross Gaza-Egypt border as Israel-Hamas truce holds  Haaretz
Posted in Uncategorized

Reeves’s Heathrow third runway report was commissioned by London airport

Posted on by

The chancellor is under fire after a study cited as evidence for expanding the terminal to boost the UK’s economic growth was ordered by Heathrow itself

Rachel Reeves was facing criticism on Saturday night as it was confirmed that a report she cited as evidence that a third ­runway at Heathrow would boost the UK economy was commissioned by the airport itself.

Experts and green groups also challenged Reeves’s view that advances in the production of ­sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) had been a “gamechanger” that would substantially limit the environmental damage of flying, ­saying the claims were overblown and did not stand up to scrutiny.

Continue reading...