US scientist who touted hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid named to pandemic prevention role

Steven J Hatfill, who promoted the drug despite scant evidence of efficacy, becomes special adviser at HHS

A proponent of using the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 despite scant evidence of its efficacy has been named to a top pandemic prevention role at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Washington Post reports.

Steven J Hatfill is a virologist who served in Donald Trump’s first administration, during which he promoted hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus in the early months of the pandemic, when vaccines and treatments were not yet available. He recently started as a special adviser in the office of the director of the administration for strategic preparedness and response, which prepares the country to respond to pandemics, as well as chemical and biological attacks.

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Who is coming to Putin’s Victory Day parade and how safe is Moscow? – Euronews.com

  1. Who is coming to Putin’s Victory Day parade and how safe is Moscow?  Euronews.com
  2. Moscow releases guest list for Victory Day parade.  The Kyiv Independent
  3. Twenty-nine world leaders are expected at Moscow's World War Two victory commemorations, Kremlin says  Reuters
  4. Rain (Fire) on the Parade  Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
  5. Why Russia and Israel should celebrate Victory Day over Nazis together - opinion  The Jerusalem Post
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Huge swings to Labor from Chinese Australian voters in key seats show Liberals failed to rebuild trust, experts say

Community convincingly chooses Labor in Melbourne and Sydney seats, despite opposition efforts to engage after 2022 review

Suburbs with significant Chinese Australian populations in key marginal seats recorded huge swings to Labor of up to 30%, and strategists and analysts warn the Liberal party has failed to rebuild trust with the community.

The Liberal party’s review of the 2022 federal election found hawkish rhetoric on China cost it votes in several seats with high numbers of Chinese Australians. It called for greater community outreach and to rebuild trust before the 2025 poll.

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Queensland unions predict ‘hell of a bloody fight’ if LNP attacks nurses’ right to strike

State government offered to backdate wages for nurses and midwives on condition they do not undertake protected industrial action in May

The Queensland union movement has warned the state’s conservative government it will be in for a “hell of a bloody fight” if it pursues threats to strip nurses and midwives of backpay should they enact their legal right to strike.

A pay dispute between the LNP government and the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) is ongoing after their previous enterprise agreement expired on 31 March.

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Spain: cable theft that caused rail chaos was ‘act of sabotage’, says minister

Signalling cable taken from four locations, delaying high-speed services between Madrid and Seville, week after massive power cut

Spain’s transport minister has said the country’s rail network suffered “an act of serious sabotage” after vital signalling cable was stolen over the busy bank holiday weekend, bringing severe delays to high-speed services between Madrid and Seville that affected more than 10,000 travellers.

Government sources said the problems on the line between the capital and the southern region of Andalucía had been caused by the theft of copper cable from five different locations in the Toledo area, south of Madrid, late on Sunday.

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Target vessel sank before it could be hammered at drill in Philippines – Defense News

  1. Target vessel sank before it could be hammered at drill in Philippines  Defense News
  2. U.S. and Philippine forces cancel ship-sinking drill after World War II-era target prematurely sinks  NBC News
  3. World War II-era target ship prematurely sinks before US and Philippine forces can use in drills  CNN
  4. Warship Sinks Before Planned US Missile Strike Drills With Ally  Newsweek
  5. Navy ship sinks on its own before military exercise in South China Sea  India Today
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UK offshore havens miss deadline for transparency plans

British Virgin Islands criticised for launching financial crime-fighting cartoon mascot before new legislation

UK offshore havens have missed a deadline to publish their plans to improve corporate transparency, as MPs criticised the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in particular for launching a financial crime-fighting cartoon mascot before new legislation.

Jurisdictions including the BVI and Bermuda pledged last year to approve laws allowing access to company ownership data to those with a “legitimate interest” by April 2025, with implementation to follow in June.

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Scholz to hand over power in Germany to sound of feminist anthem Respect

Song made famous by Aretha Franklin is on military band’s set list for handover of chancellery to Friedrich Merz

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is to be played out of office by a military band who will perform tunes chosen by him that are intended to sum up his mood and political life.

Scholz will bow out to the Beatles, Johann Sebastian Bach and an Otis Redding hit made famous by Aretha Franklin.

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AP Analysis: Iran talks tough and launches missile all while seeking a new nuclear deal with the US – AP News

  1. AP Analysis: Iran talks tough and launches missile all while seeking a new nuclear deal with the US  AP News
  2. Iran unveils its latest ballistic missile as Netanyahu warns Houthis’ ‘patron’  Breaking Defense
  3. Iran says it will strike back if US or Israel attack  Reuters
  4. "If US, Israel Attack...": Iran's Warning Amid Houthi Missile Strikes  NDTV
  5. Iran unveils electro-optical-guided ballistic missile  Janes
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Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison for ‘most ruthless offenders’

Plan to expand and reuse long-shuttered penitentiary off San Francisco described as ‘not serious’ by Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump has said he is directing the administration to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on an island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

California lawmakers called the idea “absurd on its face” and part of the US president’s strategy of political distraction. Other officials pointed to the closure of the prison complex in 1963, known for its brutal conditions, due to operational expense and the high number of (unsuccessful) escape attempts.

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The MAGA Priests Are Pretty Excited About This Conclave. It’s Easy to See Why. – Slate

  1. The MAGA Priests Are Pretty Excited About This Conclave. It’s Easy to See Why.  Slate
  2. A Conclave Like No Other  The New York Times
  3. Vatican to deactivate mobile phone signal ahead of secret meeting to elect new pope  Yahoo
  4. 'He's one of us': Catholics around the world are watching the conclave  Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  5. Before a new pope, a tug-of-war for the soul of the Catholic Church  The Washington Post
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Israel may seize all Gaza in expanded operation, officials say – Reuters

  1. Israel may seize all Gaza in expanded operation, officials say  Reuters
  2. Israel security cabinet approves plan to 'capture' Gaza, official says  BBC
  3. Headlines for May 05, 2025  Democracy Now!
  4. Middle East crisis live: Trump visit offers only chance to avoid new Gaza onslaught, Israeli official warns  The Guardian
  5. Israel approves plan to expand Gaza war, including ‘occupation’ of territory  The Washington Post
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Irish camogie players don shorts in protest against skorts diktat

Players have had enough of rule 6(b) of the sport’s code, which requres a ‘skirt/skort/divided skirt’

They are called skorts – a portmanteau of shorts and skirts – and the Irish camogie players who are obliged to wear them have had enough.

Players from Dublin and Kilkenny instead wore forbidden shorts before a provincial game on Saturday, in a coordinated protest that has won support from politicians and commentators who say the dress rules for the female-only sport are archaic.

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