Noontime News Recap: Russia strike kills six in Zaporizhzhia as Syria court sentences Assad in absentia
Russian strikes killed six people and wounded 19 in Zaporizhzhia, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying North Korean missiles were used in the overnight attack. 🔗In Syria, a court sentenced ousted former president Bashar al Assad to death in absentia, along with his brother Maher al Assad and cousin Atef Najib, in a case linked to the crackdown on the 2011 uprising. 🔗Iraq's semi autonomous Kurdish region said it has been hit more than 1,000 times by missiles and drones since the regional war began in February, underlining the scale of cross border pressure it says it faces. 🔗In Britain, the... [Continue Reading]
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Sussan Ley reflects on U.S. bus trip after losing Coalition leadership
Former Australian opposition leader Sussan Ley has described a Greyhound bus journey across the United States as a turning point after her removal from the Coalition leadership. In her first interview since leaving politics, she said the trip down Route 83, known as the "Road to Nowhere", gave her time to reflect and recover after 276 days as the first female leader of the Coalition. She said the experience helped her find solitude, her voice and a renewed sense of empathy for people she met along the way.Ley said the journey took her through what she saw as a dispassionate... [Continue Reading]
AGL fined $60,000 after workers exposed to lead during Torrens Island decommissioning
South Australia's Employment Tribunal has convicted and fined energy company AGL $60,000 after workers were exposed to lead during decommissioning work at the Torrens Island A Power Station in Adelaide. The case relates to plant deactivation work carried out between October 2022 and April 2023. AGL pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a health and safety duty to its employees.SafeWork SA brought criminal proceedings over the decommissioning process, saying testing found five employees had elevated blood lead levels after lead was detected in workplace dust. According to the regulator's statement, the exposure occurred when large quantities of paper insulated... [Continue Reading]
Argentina will not retaliate after Brazil downgrades diplomatic ties over Milei remarks
Argentina says it will not take diplomatic retaliation after Brazil downgraded relations in response to President Javier Milei's latest public attacks on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Buenos Aires would not answer with its own measures after Brasilia said it would handle the relationship through a charge d'affaires rather than a full ambassador. The move marks the lowest point in ties between the neighbouring countries since Milei took office in 2023.Brazil's decision followed Milei's television interview on Sunday, in which he again called Lula "a thief", "corrupt" and an "ex-convict". Lula spent 580 days... [Continue Reading]
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US tightens curbs on foreign-made robots and tech linked to China rivalry
The United States has moved to tighten restrictions on foreign-made humanoid robots and certain power inverters, in a step framed by officials as a national security measure. The move comes amid a wider technology rivalry with China that spans artificial intelligence, chips and industrial supply chains. It also reflects growing concern in Washington about dependence on overseas manufacturing in sectors seen as strategically important.According to the supplied material, the US has banned imports of foreign-made humanoid robots. It has also blocked power inverters used in data centres and solar energy systems. The measures were presented as part of a broader... [Continue Reading]
Israel approves funding to take control of more than 70 West Bank heritage sites
Israel has approved 113 million shekels, or about $37m, to take control of more than 70 historical sites across the occupied West Bank. The allocation was announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and approved by a government steering committee on Tuesday. It comes alongside separate funding approved the same day for the Settlements Ministry.The committee said the ministry will receive 157 million shekels in direct funding and a further 142 million shekels in commitment authorisations. On the same day, the Knesset Finance Committee separately approved close to 300 million shekels in direct funding and commitments for the Settlements Ministry. Smotrich... [Continue Reading]
THE BATTLE FOR ALI AL-TAHER: HOW A SOUTHERN LEBANON AMBUSH SHATTERED TRUMP’S WASHINGTON AGREEMENT
A catastrophic military escalation in Southern Lebanon has successfully disrupted the highest levels of global diplomacy. Just days after the signing of the United States and Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an armoured battlefield clash on the strategic heights of Ali al-Taher has effectively frozen implementation talks scheduled to begin today in Switzerland. The crisis provides an alarming look at how kinetic actions on the ground can instantly sabotage geopolitical blueprints designed in Washington. The Official Statement from Hezbollah Following the midnight clashes, the media wing of Hezbollah issued a formal, comprehensive statement outlining their strategic justification and rejecting accusations... [Continue Reading]


