New Caledonia polls open in first local vote in the French territory since 2019

Election will determine balance of power in New Caledonia before fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status

Polls opened in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Sunday for the archipelago’s first provincial elections since 2019, after the vote was delayed as talks stalled over its political future.

The election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status, with independence remaining the defining political issue.

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Australia news live: auction clearance rates continue to hover under 50% as Chalmers defends tax reform plan

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Big tech not cooperating ‘as much as we’d like them to’: Watt

Federal cabinet minister Murray Watt, says the government knows it’s needed to take more action to ensure social media giants are complying with a ban for under 16s that came into effect in December.

These laws were brand new, never developed anywhere in the world. And what we’ve learned is that the powers that the safety commissioner has do need to be beefed up, also to give her powers across things like age assurance tools. So things that sit outside the social media platforms themselves, but compelling them to provide information so that she can do her job even better.

The pace of change is accelerating, the global and generational pressures are intensifying, and people have got legitimate concerns about where they fit in that, and then we’ve got the anger industry, and parties of the populist right trying to make that worse rather than trying to make that better.

It is a difficult time around the world to be an incumbent government, from our point of view. We are using the power of incumbency to take real action, to deliver cost-of-living help, to deliver real change. The best antidote to anger is action … The Albanese Labour government has chosen to address those concerns rather than dismiss them.

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Four people have died from flash floods in Kentucky, governor says

Floods caused by thunderstorms that have dumped inches of rain on Kentucky and Indiana, with more possible

Andy Beshear, the Kentucky governor, says four people have died as a result of flash floods from thunderstorms that have brought as much as 7in (18cm) of rain to the state.

Beshear confirmed the four deaths in a social media post, noting three people were from Madison county and one was from Jackson county. “Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time,” Beshear said.

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Fatboy Slim says he felt paralysed at prospect of DJing sober after rehab

Speaking on Desert Island Discs, the Grammy-nominated musician referred to his alcoholism as a parasite

Fatboy Slim has said he felt paralysed and “rigid with fear” at the prospect of DJing sober after spending time in rehab to deal with his alcohol addiction.

The artist, whose real name is Norman Cook, referred to his alcoholism as a parasite and said getting sober was “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done” during an appearance on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs with Lauren Laverne.

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Pope Leo opens Consistory, asks Cardinals for frankness, loyalty – Vatican News

  1. Pope Leo opens Consistory, asks Cardinals for frankness, loyalty  Vatican News
  2. Opinion | It’s Time to Put This Catholic Teaching to Rest  The New York Times
  3. The Vatican’s extraordinary talkfest  The Economist
  4. Pope moves to clarify when wars are justified. Trump probably won’t like the answer.  politico.eu
  5. An Evangelical Update to Just War Theory  First Things
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Trump says he will nominate Lance Schroyer as next ICE director

Schroyer, whom Trump calls ‘a patriot’, led deportation campaign in Oklahoma under ICE-partnered program

Donald ​Trump said on ⁠Saturday ⁠that ​he ‌will ‌nominate ‌Lance Schroyer as ‌the next director of US ​Immigration ⁠and ​Customs ​Enforcement (ICE), succeeding David Venturella, who had been performing the duties of the director.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that Schroyer “has over 29 YEARS of Law Enforcement experience in Oklahoma — A State where I WON all 77 Counties in 2016, 2020, and 2024! Lance is a former Oklahoma State Trooper, and United States Marine”.

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We Investigated Damage From Iran to a U.S. Naval Base. Here’s What We Found. – WSJ

  1. We Investigated Damage From Iran to a U.S. Naval Base. Here’s What We Found.  WSJ
  2. US considering moving Gulf bases hit by Iran westward, including to Israel — report  The Times of Israel
  3. Iran Rained Drones On Major US Base. It Made America Rethink Its War Strategy  NDTV
  4. How Iran Devastated an American Naval Base—and Caused a U.S. Recalculation  WSJ
  5. MDAA Alert: “How Iran Devastated an American Naval Base”  Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
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Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic says will resign within ‘weeks’ – Al Jazeera

  1. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic says will resign within ‘weeks’  Al Jazeera
  2. Serbian President Vucic says he will resign within weeks amid student-led protests  CNN
  3. Serbia’s Vucic Says He Will Resign Soon to Help Party in Vote  Bloomberg.com
  4. Serbia’s Ruling Party Prepares Major Belgrade Rally Amid Intimidation Claims  Balkan Insight
  5. Serbia’s populist President Vucic says he will resign within weeks as election nears  AP News
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Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after car hits pedestrians in London

Suspect held after five people injured, including three who were taken to hospital, in Ealing on Saturday afternoon

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a vehicle hit multiple pedestrians on a busy London road before driving away, police have said.

Five people were injured, including three who were later taken to hospital, during the incident in Ealing Broadway, Ealing, west London, at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

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Venezuela earthquakes: death toll rises again to more than 1,400

Search for survivors continues with nearly 70,000 people reported unaccounted for by their family members

The ⁠death toll ⁠in ⁠the twin ​earthquakes that struck ⁠Venezuela earlier ⁠this ​week ‌has ‌risen to ‌1,430, according to one of the country’s top politicians Jorge Rodríguez.

Another 3,200 ​people were injured ⁠and 3,100 ​left homeless ​by the ​disaster, ​the National Assembly president added, speaking ​on ​state television.

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A Grizzly Encounter, Recorded in Its Entirety, Shows a Close Call – The New York Times

  1. A Grizzly Encounter, Recorded in Its Entirety, Shows a Close Call  The New York Times
  2. Alberta woman catches close encounter with Kananaskis grizzly bear on camera  Global News
  3. ‘Not letting him murder my dog’: Woman describes harrowing Kananaskis bear encounter  CTV News
  4. Woman stalked by charging bear on morning dog walk captures terrifying encounter on camera  Fox News
  5. Woman survives terrifying grizzly encounter with flawless safety techniques  Upworthy
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The end of Putin’s regime will spring from war spending chaos, former central bank advisor says – Fortune

  1. The end of Putin’s regime will spring from war spending chaos, former central bank advisor says  Fortune
  2. As the Tide Turns Against Putin, Beware the Drowning Man  Foreign Policy
  3. Ukraine's drones take the war to Russia  Axios
  4. As Ukraine seizes ‘first chance to win’, war horrors come home to Russia  Al Jazeera
  5. Russian hawks urge Putin to escalate war, drop US talks as Ukraine strikes deep  Reuters
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Strong earthquake hits Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region; no initial reports of injuries – Reuters

  1. Strong earthquake hits Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region; no initial reports of injuries  Reuters
  2. 5.9 magnitude earthquake shakes Pakistan and Afghanistan, no damage reported  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  3. Tremors In Delhi, J&K After Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan  NDTV
  4. Tremors felt in Punjab, KP hours after quakes in Balochistan  Dawn
  5. Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes Pakistan, EMSC says  The Indian Express
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