Japan plans ‘conveyor belt road’ linking Tokyo and Osaka amid delivery driver shortage

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It is hoped ‘innovative’ 24-hour design will also cut carbon emissions, as demand for delivery services soars

Six decades after the bullet train first whisked passengers between Tokyo and Osaka, authorities in Japan are planning to do the same for cargo, with the construction of a “conveyor belt road”.

The automated cargo transport corridor, which will connect the capital with Osaka, 320 miles (515km) away, is seen as part of the solution to soaring demand for delivery services in the world’s fourth-biggest economy.

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North Koreans fighting for Putin threatens world order, Rutte says – POLITICO Europe

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  1. North Koreans fighting for Putin threatens world order, Rutte says  POLITICO Europe
  2. South Korea says ‘not ruling out’ supplying weapons to Ukraine  Al Jazeera English
  3. Mark Rutte: North Korean troops in Europe marks turning point  POLITICO Europe
  4. NATO likely to respond if Russia sends North Korean troops to Ukraine  GZERO Media
  5. North Korean troops on European soil dangerous expansion of conflict - Rutte  Ukrinform
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Controversial bill to reinterpret New Zealand’s founding document reaches parliament

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The widely criticised bill aims to redefine Treaty of Waitangi principles that guide relations between Māori and ruling authorities

A controversial bill that seeks to radically change how New Zealand’s treaty between Māori and the Crown is interpreted in modern times will be introduced to parliament on Thursday, nearly two weeks ahead of its initial schedule.

The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand’s founding document and is instrumental in upholding Māori rights. The bill will be tabled in parliament by the libertarian Act party, a minor partner in New Zealand’s coalition government, which has regularly called for an end to “division by race”.

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Netanyahu ally accused of leaking documents to derail hostage deal – The Washington Post

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  1. Netanyahu ally accused of leaking documents to derail hostage deal  The Washington Post
  2. Israel leaks scandal: Netanyahu aide arrested over Gaza hostage talks stories  NBC News
  3. Why have five been arrested over leaked Hamas documents in Israel?  Al Jazeera English
  4. Police arrest Netanyahu aide as opponents accuse him of leaking intelligence to thwart Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal  CNN
  5. Report: Police raided Netanyahu’s office on Saturday night  The Times of Israel
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State of the Race: No key calls yet but … – Daily Kos

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  1. State of the Race: No key calls yet but …  Daily Kos
  2. Opinion | Our Columnists and Writers on What to Expect and the Early Election Results  The New York Times
  3. ‘A grim feeling is setting in among Democrats’: Columnists and analysts reacted to election night  The Washington Post
  4. Election night panel on what we'll learn about the country from the results  PBS NewsHour
  5. Opinion | The Trump/Harris Election: Four Columnists Imagine America’s Future  The New York Times
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Trump vs Harris: live results map of the US presidential election – Financial Times

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  1. Trump vs Harris: live results map of the US presidential election  Financial Times
  2. Live: Presidential Election Results 2024  NPR
  3. Interactive maps: President, Senate and House results  KXAN.com
  4. New Bloomfield National Election Results | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News  krcgtv.com
  5. Election results live map: Track who's winning presidential race across US  NBC Chicago
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Netanyahu Fires Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister – The New York Times

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  1. Netanyahu Fires Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister  The New York Times
  2. Who Is Israel Katz, Israel’s New Defense Minister?  The New York Times
  3. Gallant, after he’s fired, warns Israel is abandoning captives, risks ‘mark of Cain’  The Times of Israel
  4. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant  Fox News
  5. Israel's Netanyahu dismisses his defense minister as wars rage. Protests erupt across country  The Associated Press
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Ukraine and North Korean troops clash for first time, Zelenskyy warns of escalation – Fox News

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  1. Ukraine and North Korean troops clash for first time, Zelenskyy warns of escalation  Fox News
  2. North Korea Enters Ukraine Fight for First Time, Officials Say  The New York Times
  3. Ukrainian troops have engaged with North Korean units for the 1st time in Russia, an official says  The Associated Press
  4. Ukraine Attacks North Korean Troops Deployed Near Russia Border  Bloomberg
  5. Ukraine's Zelenskiy says clashes with North Korean troops 'open page' to instability  Reuters
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At least 89 people remain missing after floods in eastern Spain

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Valencia authorities say search efforts continue as prime minister announces €10.6bn fund to help victims of disaster

At least 89 people remain missing after deadly floods in eastern Spain, regional judicial authorities in Valencia have confirmed, as the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said he was earmarking €10.6bn (£8.9bn) to help victims.

The number includes only those who have been reported missing by family members who have also provided personal information and biological samples to allow for their identification, the superior court of justice of the Valencia region said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that there could be more cases of people who have disappeared whose details have not yet been registered.

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After Spain’s Deadly Floods, Search for the Missing Grows Desperate – The New York Times

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  1. After Spain’s Deadly Floods, Search for the Missing Grows Desperate  The New York Times
  2. At least 89 people remain missing after floods in eastern Spain  The Guardian
  3. Earth from space: Watch Valencia disappear under a sea of mud during deadly Spanish floods  Livescience.com
  4. Furious residents in Spain’s Valencia feel abandoned after historic floods, and more rain is on the way  CNN
  5. The week of devastating floods that Spaniards will never forget  NPR
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“Fat Leonard” sentenced to 15 years for massive Navy bribery, fraud scheme – CBS News

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  1. "Fat Leonard" sentenced to 15 years for massive Navy bribery, fraud scheme  CBS News
  2. Contractor Who Defrauded Navy of Millions and Fled Gets 15 Years in Prison  The New York Times
  3. Nearly a decade after pleading guilty, ‘Fat Leonard’ is sentenced in massive Navy bribery scandal  The San Diego Union-Tribune
  4. ‘Fat Leonard’ Francis sentenced to 15 years in massive military bribery scandal  The Hill
  5. ‘Fat Leonard' sentenced in Navy bribery scandal almost 9 years after pleading guilty  NBC San Diego
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Morrison and Abbott praise Trump – as it happened

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This blog is now closed

There was some seriously colourful language in Senate estimates yesterday, but in this case the media regulator found radio hosts’ words were a step too far. Sarah Martin reports on what the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young described as “revolting, sexist, racist, misogynistic, divisive stuff”:

A “dangerous anti-abortion bill” before the Senate should be withdrawn, if the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, wants credibility on women’s healthcare, the minister for women, Katy Gallagher, says.

It is typical of Peter Dutton to view this purely as a matter of winning or losing votes, rather than any genuine commitment to women’s healthcare.

If Peter Dutton wants any credibility on women’s healthcare, he must immediately ensure Senators [Matt] Canavan and [Alex] Antic withdraw their dangerous anti-abortion bill currently before the Senate.

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US elections live: Harris makes unexpected stop at DNC headquarters as millions of Americans cast their votes

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Harris thanks Democratic staffers in Washington DC and says ‘we have so much work to do’ during phone-banking session

Dispatch from Grand Rapids, Michigan: They just showed a video here of Donald Trump shaving the head of Vince McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, during a wrestling event. It happened in 2007.

Needless to say, Trump hasn’t arrived yet.

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Donald Trump says ‘we made history’ as he closes in on victory with win in Pennsylvania – as it happened

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The state of American democracy and the economy were the top issues on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election, according to an NBC News exit poll.

The poll’s preliminary results show 35% of voters said democracy mattered most to their vote, while 31% said the economy.

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Protests in Israel after defence minister sacked – as it happened

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This blog is now closed. See our latest full report here and all our Middle East crisis coverage here

Al Jazeera reports that the death toll from an Israeli strike on tents housing displaced people in central Gaza has risen to six, and includes a six-year-old and a four-year-old child.

Lebanon’s Nation News Agency has reported that the Israeli army, which has been staging incursions inside the south of the country, “is booby-trapping and destroying entire neighbourhoods in cities and towns, such that more than 37 towns have been wiped out and their homes destroyed, and more than 40,000 housing units have been completely destroyed.”

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