Albanese government to launch storybook to teach children from culturally diverse backgrounds about consent

Posted on by

My Superhero Voice, which will be available online, is careful not to single out a particular religion or culture

The Australian government will launch a storybook aimed at teaching children from multicultural backgrounds about body safety and consent on Wednesday, but experts say “there is still more to do”.

The book, titled My Superhero Voice, is part of the government’s One Talk at a Time campaign, aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. It was developed by the National Office for Child Safety and consulting agency Cultural Perspectives.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

4 Countries Are Taking the Taliban to Court – Newser

Posted on by
  1. 4 Countries Are Taking the Taliban to Court  Newser
  2. Meryl Streep: ‘A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan’  CNN
  3. Taliban to be taken to international court over gender discrimination  The Guardian
  4. Actor Meryl Streep shows solidarity at UN with Afghan women, girls  Reuters
  5. Afghan women have less freedom than cats, Meryl Streep says at U.N.  The Washington Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Israel preparing for possible ground offensive in Lebanon, military chief says

Posted on by

Strikes designed to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure before possible incursion by troops, says Israel’s top general

Israel’s top general has said the country is preparing for a possible ground operation into Lebanon amid growing international pressure for a negotiated ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

As an intense bombing campaign inside Lebanon stretched into a third day, Israel’s chief of staff, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi, said the airstrikes aimed to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and prepare for the possibility of Israeli troops crossing the border.

Continue reading...

Vladimir Putin warns west he will consider using nuclear weapons

Posted on by

Comments are strongest yet against allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles into Russian territory

Vladimir Putin has escalated his nuclear rhetoric, telling a group of senior officials that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if it was attacked by any state with conventional weapons.

His remarks on Wednesday came during a meeting with Russia’s powerful security council where he also announced changes to the country’s nuclear doctrine.

Continue reading...

Several arrested after American woman dies in first use of controversial suicide pod – CNN

Posted on by
  1. Several arrested after American woman dies in first use of controversial suicide pod  CNN
  2. Reported "suicide capsule" death of U.S. woman in Switzerland prompts multiple arrests, launch of criminal case  CBS News
  3. Several detained after American's 'suicide capsule' death in Switzerland: Police  ABC News
  4. Swiss police make arrests after suicide capsule is used for first time  USA TODAY
  5. American woman's death in suicide capsule leads to arrests in Switzerland  NBC News
Posted in Uncategorized

Eswatini opposition leader poisoned in South Africa, party says

Posted on by

Alleged poisoning follows last year’s killing of human rights lawyer and 2021’s pro-democracy protests

Eswatini’s main opposition party has alleged that its leader was poisoned in an assassination attempt, putting renewed scrutiny on the southern African country that is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies, where authorities have for years moved to quash pro-democracy movements.

The People’s United Democratic Movement party (Pudemo) said its president, Mlungisi Makhanya, was hospitalised after being poisoned in neighbouring South Africa on Tuesday. It said he was under security protection but gave no detail on his condition or the circumstances of the alleged poisoning. Makhanya had recently said there would be new pro-democracy protests in Eswatini next month. The Eswatini government spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo denied any involvement.

Continue reading...

Zelenskyy is pitching his ‘victory plan’ on adverse terrain

Posted on by

Ukraine president made forceful call for ‘just peace’ at UN, but winning more US support and fending off Russia are both uphill battles

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has come to the US with a mission: to sell his vision for a Ukrainian victory despite the growing odds against Kyiv in its war with Russia.

The Ukrainan president spoke out forcefully on Tuesday and Wednesday in the security council and then at the general assembly of the United Nations, calling on other countries to back Ukraine’s proposal for a “just peace” and refrain from holding alternative talks with Vladimir Putin.

Continue reading...

Can Israel avoid same pitfalls of past ground offensive in Lebanon?

Posted on by

A land incursion would be a far more complex undertaking than the intelligence-led strikes pursued so far

No two wars are alike, even those fought between the same two combatants on the same terrain. But many of the challenges remain the same.

Israel’s most senior military commander has told troops that airstrikes will continue inside Lebanon as the Israeli military prepares for a possible ground operation. If its forces do cross the northern border they are likely to face obstacles they have seen before.

Continue reading...

Two drones breach Eilat airspace – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Two drones breach Eilat airspace  The Jerusalem Post
  2. WATCH: Footage shows explosive drone impacting in Eilat  The Times of Israel
  3. Attack on Eilat: UAV explodes in port, second drone intercepted; Watch the videos  Ynetnews
  4. Israel Air Base Gripped By Huge Fire, Suffers Drone Attack After IDF Missile Launches Towards Syria  Hindustan Times
  5. Two injured by drone attack on southern Israeli port city of Eilat  Yahoo! Voices
Posted in Uncategorized

The deadly pager operation in Lebanon is no laughing matter, or is it? – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. The deadly pager operation in Lebanon is no laughing matter, or is it?  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Israel has landed heavy blows on Hezbollah. The victory it seeks could prove elusive  The Associated Press
  3. Explosives expert shows damage of pager bomb  CNN
  4. Opinion | Urgent Message for the Iranian Ambassador  The Wall Street Journal
  5. Exploding pagers leave clues to Israeli ‘red button’ plot, officials say  The Washington Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Israel has ‘legitimate problem’ with Hezbollah on border, says Blinken

Posted on by

US secretary of state emphasises he wants diplomatic solution, but remarks unlikely to be seen as warning against Israeli ground offensive

Israel has a legitimate interest in seeking to remove Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, from the borders of northern Israel, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said as he rebuffed calls to take a tougher line over the Israeli bombardment.

Speaking before an emergency meeting of the security council in New York, Blinken emphasised that he would prefer a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but his tone is unlikely to be seen as a warning to Israel to stop, or to reconsider its plan for a ground offensive.

Continue reading...

Zelenskyy warns of Russia threat at UN as Putin steps up nuclear rhetoric

Posted on by

Ukrainian president urges world leaders to back peace plan in general assembly speech ahead of Biden meeting

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the United Nations that Russia is planning to attack Ukrainian nuclear power plants as he repeated his calls for unity from world leaders in order to force Russia to the negotiating table to conclude a “just peace”.

His comments came as Vladimir Putin on Wednesday escalated his nuclear rhetoric, telling a group of senior officials that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if it was attacked by any state with conventional weapons.

Continue reading...

UK ministers monitoring Beirut airport in case Lebanon evacuation required

Posted on by

Emergency rescue not thought imminent but commercial flight halt would probably trigger sea rescue, say sources

The UK is closely monitoring Beirut’s international airport amid fears it may be forced to close by escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which would probably lead to an evacuation of British and other foreign nationals from Lebanon.

Defence sources said a halt to commercial flights out of the country would be a “big trigger” to launch what would most probably be an international evacuation by sea, though for now an emergency rescue is not thought imminent.

Continue reading...

Demonstrations being held in Italy against ‘repressive’ security bill

Posted on by

Bill by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government comes down hard on climate activists and migrants

Demonstrations are being held across Italy on Wednesday evening in protest against a new security bill described as “repressive” and “dangerous for the country’s democracy”.

The 24 laws contained in the bill, which passed its first hurdle in the lower house of parliament last week and now needs approval in the senate, is the latest attempt by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government to get tough on law and order. It comes down especially hard on climate activists and migrants.

Continue reading...