Leading human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong on hunger strike in Chinese prison, family says

Xu is protesting against what he describes as inhumane treatment in prison, including lack of contact with his family

Concerns are growing about the health of Xu Zhiyong, China’s most prominent imprisoned human rights lawyer, who is thought to have been on hunger strike for nearly a month.

Xu, a scholar and leading figure in China’s embattled civil rights movement, started his hunger strike on 4 October, according to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an NGO. He is protesting against what he describes as inhumane treatment in prison, including lack of contact with his family and intensive surveillance by other prisoners, according to reports released through his relatives.

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Sudan civil war: Women raped by RSF fighters in Gezira state die by suicide, activists say – BBC.com

  1. Sudan civil war: Women raped by RSF fighters in Gezira state die by suicide, activists say  BBC.com
  2. Sudan's RSF and Allies Sexually Abused Victims From 8-75 Years, UN Mission Says  U.S. News & World Report
  3. UN probe finds evidence of large-scale sexual violence by RSF in Sudan  Middle East Eye
  4. What’s the impact of Sudan’s war on its people and the region?  Al Jazeera English
  5. U.N. Mission in Sudan Warns of “Staggering” Levels of Sexual Violence by Paramilitaries  Democracy Now!
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Argentina’s Javier Milei fires foreign minister over pro-Cuba vote – Financial Times

  1. Argentina’s Javier Milei fires foreign minister over pro-Cuba vote  Financial Times
  2. Argentina's president fires his foreign minister after vote in favor of ending US embargo on Cuba  The Associated Press
  3. Argentina's Milei fires foreign minister for opposing US embargo on Cuba  BBC.com
  4. Milei Fires His Foreign Minister Who Put Out Diplomatic Fires  Bloomberg
  5. Argentina's Milei fires foreign minister over vote to end US embargo on Cuba  FRANCE 24 English
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Victoria to cut more than 130 bushfire forest service jobs – As it happened

This blog is now closed

Young man dies in multi-vehicle crash in Queensland’s Bundaberg Region

A fatal multi-vehicle traffic crash last night at Elliot in Queensland’s Bundaberg Region last night is being investigated by the police forensic crash Unit.

All travel has been appropriately declared and is a matter of public record.

The only people that need to look at the rules are [shadow transport minister] Bridget McKenzie and Peter Dutton. They’ve got some serious explaining to do.

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North Korean troops in Russian uniforms moving toward Ukraine, Pentagon says – CBS News

  1. North Korean troops in Russian uniforms moving toward Ukraine, Pentagon says  CBS News
  2. Chaos as Russia tries to absorb North Korean troops, Ukraine spies say  USA TODAY
  3. Ukraine prepares to fight North Korean troops in Kursk as war escalates  Al Jazeera English
  4. North Korean troops sent to Russia may be pleased to be there, even as they face ferocious fighting  The Associated Press
  5. What does North Korea get out of sending its soldiers to fight Russia's war?  NBC News
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Centuries-old ‘witches marks’ found carved into walls of English manor house – The Washington Post

  1. Centuries-old ‘witches marks’ found carved into walls of English manor house  The Washington Post
  2. ‘Witches marks’ and curses found carved into the walls of historic England manor  NPR
  3. 'Astonishing' witches' marks discovered at heritage site - including curses  Sky News
  4. 'Astonishing' Number of ‘Witches Marks’ Found Scratched onto Walls of 500-Year-Old Home Ahead of Halloween  PEOPLE
  5. ‘Staggering array’ of witches’ marks discovered at English Heritage site  The Guardian
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Israel issues first citywide evacuation order in Lebanon; new head of Hezbollah delivers first address – The Washington Post

  1. Israel issues first citywide evacuation order in Lebanon; new head of Hezbollah delivers first address  The Washington Post
  2. Israel bombs Lebanon’s Baalbek as Mikati hopes for truce within days  Al Jazeera English
  3. A Lebanese family planning for a daughter's wedding is killed in an Israeli strike on their home  The Associated Press
  4. Middle east crisis live: Israel orders evacuations in southern Lebanon, including for refugee camp  The Guardian
  5. Israel Demolished Hundreds of Buildings in Southern Lebanon, Videos and Satellite Images Show  The New York Times
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Meta rides AI boom to stellar quarterly earnings, but slightly less than expected

Company beats financial predictions but does not increase daily users as much as Wall Street thought it might

Meta’s blowout year continues after the company reported another stellar financial quarter on Wednesday. Shares fell in after-hours trading.

Wall Street analysts had high expectations for the Instagram and WhatsApp parent company, projecting an 18% jump in sales year over year. The company reported $40.6bn in sales, a 19% increase year over year that outpaced investor expectations of $40.19bn. Meta, which saw a 25% jump in its share price over the past two months, reported $6.03 in earnings per share (EPS), surpassing Wall Street’s expectations of an EPS of $5.29.

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Australia’s thirst for power drives a rise in coal and gas-led emissions for third quarter in a row

Output from gas plants up 29% on average from a year earlier, Aemo says, even though price was up by a fifth over same period

Greenhouse gas emissions from Australia’s main electricity grid increased for a third quarter in a row as higher power demand drove more use of black coal and gas plants, the Australian Energy Market Operator says.

For the September quarter alone, emissions from the national electricity market (Nem) that serves the eastern states and South Australia rose 2% from a year earlier, Aemo said in its quarterly market report.

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Spanish floods kill 95 as year of rain falls in a day in Valencia – Reuters

  1. Spanish floods kill 95 as year of rain falls in a day in Valencia  Reuters
  2. Flash Floods in Spain Kill Dozens: What to Know  The New York Times
  3. Spain's horrific flooding another nasty hit in a fall where climate extremes just keep coming  Yahoo! Voices
  4. Extreme Rainfall Creates Piles Of Cars In Spain  The Weather Channel
  5. LaLiga requests Valencia vs. Madrid postponement  ESPN
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North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says – The Associated Press

  1. North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says  The Associated Press
  2. North Korean troops in Russian uniforms moving towards Ukraine, Pentagon says  CBS News
  3. What does North Korea get out of sending its soldiers to fight Russia's war?  NBC News
  4. Ukraine updates: South Korea mulls sending team to Ukraine  DW (English)
  5. North Korean troops in Russian uniforms heading to Kursk, says US  The Guardian
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Teenager found guilty of murder after Hackney woman was shot through her front door

Lianne Gordon, 42, was hit in the head at her home as she tried to shield her two children from a gang feud

A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a mother who was shot in the head through her front door as she tried to shield her two children from a gang feud.

Lianne Gordon, 42, had only just returned from a holiday in Jamaica when she was attacked in her home in Hackney, east London on 5 December 2023, the Old Bailey was told.

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