‘You need to go’: up to 500 Australians prepare for evacuation from Lebanon amid government warnings

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Two charter flights are expected to fly out of Beirut on Saturday as list of people seeking to leave grows

Up to 500 Australians and their close relatives are due to be boarded on to two charter flights out of Beirut on Saturday, amid increased government efforts to expatriate citizens after Israel’s ground incursion into Lebanon’s south.

The first flight was expected to fly out of the Lebanese capital and land in Cyprus at about 11.30am local time (6.30pm AEST). From there, two Qantas flights can take passengers to Sydney on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Leslie strengthens into a hurricane in the Atlantic but isn’t threatening land – The Associated Press

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  1. Leslie strengthens into a hurricane in the Atlantic but isn’t threatening land  The Associated Press
  2. What to Know About Hurricane Leslie and Where It’s Heading  TIME
  3. Tropical Storm Leslie tracker: System expected to become hurricane in a few days  USA TODAY
  4. Tropical Storm Leslie expected to become next Atlantic hurricane  Fox Weather
  5. Leslie becomes a hurricane  WITN
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Squeezed out: last accordion maker in France to close shop after 105 years

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Maugein owner blames competition from China and Covid pandemic for firm’s demise, but former French president says there is hope

Its distinctive sound has provided the soundtrack for some of France’s most recognisable cultural classics, from Parisian dance halls to the film Amélie and the songs of Édith Piaf. It has even been played by a former president.

But it seems the traditional French-made accordéon à bretelles (strap accordion) has been squeezed out of existence after Maugein, the country’s last manufacturer, was forced into liquidation after 105 years of making the instrument, known as the “poor person’s piano”.

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Sydney woman allegedly killed and dismembered husband in ‘bizarre’ murder case, police say

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Police say the man was reported missing last year and alleged his body was cut up with power tools to hide the remains

A Sydney woman has been charged with murdering, dismembering and disposing of her husband in bins almost 18 months after he was last seen, in what one detective described as one of the most “bizarre” cases police have seen.

New South Wales police have alleged Nirmeen Noufl, 53, intentionally killed and cut up the body of 62-year-old Mamdouh Noufl last year at their family home of more than 10 years in order to hide his remains. The incident is being treated as a domestic violence murder.

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Major ambush in South Lebanon; lethal explosion kills Israeli forces – Al Mayadeen English

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  1. Major ambush in South Lebanon; lethal explosion kills Israeli forces  Al Mayadeen English
  2. Heavy rocket fire from Lebanon at northern towns; impacts in Deir al-Asad, Karmiel  The Times of Israel
  3. Hezbollah Says Targets North Israel 'Military Industries' Firm  Barron's
  4. Hezbollah rockets crash into buildings, houses in Karmiel, Deir al-Assad during Shabbat  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Updates: New strikes on Beirut, Hezbollah says Israeli troops killed  Al Jazeera English
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Drought has dried a major Amazon River tributary to its lowest level in over 122 years – The Associated Press

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  1. Drought has dried a major Amazon River tributary to its lowest level in over 122 years  The Associated Press
  2. Brazil drought drops Amazon port river level to 122-year low  Reuters Canada
  3. Water levels in major Amazon tributary tumble to record lows amid drought  Al Jazeera English
  4. Stark before-and-after pictures reveal dramatic shrinking of major Amazon rivers  CNN
  5. Global Food Prices Risk Spiking on Worst-Ever Drought in Brazil  Bloomberg
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Trump falsely touts endorsement from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon

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Bank representative confirms Dimon has not endorsed Trump or any other candidate in the 2024 race

Donald Trump’s social media post that showed a purported endorsement for the presidency from the JP Morgan chief executive, Jamie Dimon, among the most influential investment bankers on Wall Street, is false, a representative confirmed on Friday.

The Truth Social post – what appears to be a screenshot of a tweet with a siren emoji and text claiming Dimon had endorsed Trump, with a photo of Dimon – appeared at 1.56pm ET on Friday, as Trump was flying to Augusta, Georgia, for a campaign event.

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Brazil’s top court says X paid pending fines to wrong bank – Reuters

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  1. Brazil's top court says X paid pending fines to wrong bank  Reuters
  2. Social media site X attempts to pay fine in bid to resume service in Brazil  Al Jazeera English
  3. Musk’s X seeks resumption of Brazil service as fines paid  DAWN.com
  4. Brazil’s top court says Elon Musk’s X paid pending fines to wrong bank  Mint
  5. Brazil judge makes new requests to allow X to be reinstated from suspension  WHBF - OurQuadCities.com
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Many cheered when banks eliminated ATM fees in 2017 – but now it’s a struggle to find one

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Bank-owned ATM numbers are down almost 60%, with many spots now taken by privately-owned machines charging about $3 per withdrawal

It is getting increasingly difficult to find an ATM and harder still to find one that doesn’t charge fees, prompting warnings that the push toward a cashless society is neither equitable nor wise.

Bank-owned ATM numbers are down almost 60% since 2017, according to regulatory data, with many spots now taken by third party-owned machines that typically charge about $3 a withdrawal.

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Russia is facing a ‘time bomb’ at the heart of its economy, economist says – Yahoo Finance

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  1. Russia is facing a 'time bomb' at the heart of its economy, economist says  Yahoo Finance
  2. Why Sanctions Often Fail to Work  Econlib
  3. Panic-Stricken Putin Fears a 'Soviet-Style Collapse' as Russia Feels Mounting Pressure from the War in Ukraine  Turan.az
  4. Russia's Impending Economic Implosion  Kyiv Post
  5. The Russian Economy is Declining: The Economist Named the Central Bank's Mistake  112.ua
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