Death of Nigerian singer highlights crisis of ‘preventable’ snakebite fatalities

Ifunanya Nwangene died in hospital after being bitten in her Abuja home, raising questions about the availability of effective antivenoms
In a last message to her friends, Ifunanya Nwangene wrote: “Please come.”
The 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria had been bitten by a snake while asleep in her flat in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and was in hospital, anxiously awaiting treatment.
Continue reading…

Trump-led abuses amid ‘democratic recession’ put human rights in peril, HRW report says

Rights group says growing authoritarianism and abuses in US, Russia and China threaten global rules-based order
The world is in a “democratic recession” with almost three-quarters of the global population now living under autocratic rulers – levels not seen since the 1980s, according to a new report.
The system underpinning human rights was “in peril”, said Philippe Bolopion, executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), with a growing authoritarian wave becoming “the challenge of a generation”, he said.
Continue reading…

Handful of sick and wounded Palestinians allowed through Rafah crossing on first day

Numbers Israel permitted to enter Egypt after reopening border were far lower than expected following delays
A small number of sick and wounded Palestinians have begun crossing into Egypt to seek medical treatment after Israel permitted a limited reopening of the Palestinian territory’s Rafah border post as fragile diplomatic efforts to stabilise the conflict inch forward.
About 150 people were due to leave the territory on Monday, and 50 to enter it, according to Egyptian officials, more than 20 months after Israeli forces closed the crossing. However, by nightfall, Reuters reported that Israel had permitted 12 Palestinians to re-enter the territory, according to Palestinian and Egyptian sources. A further 38 had not cleared security and would wait on the Egyptian side of the crossing overnight, it said.
Continue reading…

Weather tracker: Cyclone Fytia in Madagascar kills several people and floods homes

Island’s first tropical storm of season may bring 150mm of rain – meanwhile, eastern Europe freezes with possible night-time lows of -30C
At least three people have died and nearly 30,000 people have been affected by flooding after Madagascar’s first tropical storm of the season hit over the weekend.
Tropical Cyclone Fytia formed to the north-west of Madagascar over the northern Mozambique Channel on Thursday.
Continue reading…

International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds

Report covering 23 conflicts over last 18 months concludes more than 100,000 civilians have been killed as war crimes rage out of control
An authoritative survey of 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months has concluded that international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity.
The extensive study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights describes the deaths of 18,592 children in Gaza, growing civilian casualties in Ukraine and an “epidemic” of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Continue reading…

The people betting on catastrophic world events – podcast

Prediction markets allow you to put money on everything from the US attacking Iran to Jesus returning. Saahil Desai explains their dizzying rise
In the early hours of 3 January, Donald Trump ordered a surprise attack on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to kidnap the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. Millions of Venezuelans’ lives were thrown into uncertainty. Politicians at home and abroad scrambled to respond. It seemed this was something no one had seen coming. Except one person did actually predict it.
In the hours before the attack, someone – and we have no way of knowing who – placed a series of bets that Donald Trump would oust Maduro on a prediction market platform, netting them nearly $500,000 when it happened. These platforms allow their users not just to bet on whoever’s going to win the Super Bowl, but also on world events. Heavily regulated under the Biden administration, these apps have enjoyed a huge boom in popularity since Trump came to power.
Continue reading…

Colombian president and Trump put aside insults for amicable White House meeting

Leaders had been trading hostile remarks for months but Gustavo Petro’s visit ended with warm words from US counterpart
After months of trading insults – from “sick man” and “drug trafficking leader” on one side, to “accomplice to genocide” with a “senile brain” on the other – the first meeting between Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro ended with pleasantries, autographs and a Maga cap.
The Colombian president was received by his US counterpart for a closed-door meeting at the White House, with no press access.
Continue reading…

Judge blocks Trump administration’s stripping of Haitians’ protected status

Up to 350,000 Haitians legally live and work in the US due to being granted temporary protected status
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from stripping temporary protected status from up to 350,000 Haitians, a status that allows them to legally live and work in the United States amid the turmoil in their homeland.
Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary stay that prevents Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, from implementing her decision to remove the status known as TPS, which was scheduled to expire on Tuesday.
Continue reading…

Mexico’s president pledges to send aid to Cuba despite US efforts to cut oil access

Move from Claudia Sheinbaum comes after Trump signed an order threatening tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has pledged to send humanitarian aid this week to Cuba and said Mexico was “exploring all diplomatic avenues to be able to send fuel to the Cuban people”, despite efforts from Washington to cut off oil to the Caribbean nation.
Donald Trump last week signed an executive order allowing the US to slap tariffs on countries sending crude oil to Cuba and on Saturday said that Sheinbaum had agreed to halt shipments of oil at his request – a claim the Mexican leader rejected.
Continue reading…

Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE

Trump supporter Júnior Pena falsely claimed migrants being rounded up, including Brazilians, were ‘all crooks’
A rightwing Brazilian influencer who claimed Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown targeted only “crooks” has been arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey.
Júnior Pena, whose full name is Eustáquio da Silva Pena Júnior, declared his support for the US president in a recent video message to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers.
Continue reading…

Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy becomes mascot for year of the horse in China

Mandarin transliteration of character’s name regarded as auspicious, prompting wave of memes and fan art
Draco Malfoy, one of Harry Potter’s most recognisable villains, has become an unlikely lunar new year icon across China, as fans embrace the character for the year of the horse.
In Mandarin, Malfoy’s name is transliterated as “mǎ ěr fú”. The first character means “horse” while the final character, “fú”, means “fortune” or “blessing” – a powerful symbol found across lunar new year celebrations.
Continue reading…

China to ban hidden car door handles on all EVs over crash safety concerns

Sleek car doors reduce vehicle drag but are prone to losing operability in the event of a crash, officials say
China will soon ban concealed door handles on electric vehicles (EVs), becoming the first country to do so after several deadly incidents triggered global scrutiny of the controversial design first popularised by Tesla.
According to regulations announced on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in China will now be required to have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of every door except the boot.
Continue reading…

Trump unveils $12bn critical minerals stockpile scheme in apparent move to counter China’s dominance

Other countries are expected to join Project Vault, which US president said would ensure that US businesses are ‘never harmed by any shortage’
Donald Trump has announced the creation of a critical mineral reserve worth nearly $12bn, a stockpile that could counter China’s ability to use its dominance of the hard-to-process metals as leverage in trade talks.
“Today we’re launching what will be known as Project Vault to ensure that American businesses and workers are never harmed by any shortage,” Trump said at the White House on Monday.
Continue reading…

US, UK, EU, Australia and more to meet to discuss critical minerals alliance

About 20 countries including G7 states in talks on rare earths including calls for US to guarantee minimum price
Ministers from the US, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance over critical minerals.
The summit is being seen as a step to repair transatlantic ties fractured by a year of conflict with Donald Trump and pave the way for other alliances to help countries de-risk from China, including one centred on steel.
Continue reading…

Living hell of North Korea’s ‘paradise on Earth’ scheme back in spotlight in Japan

Plaintiffs in case say they were lured from Japan, exploited for labour and cut off from families for generations
It has been more than six decades since Eiko Kawasaki left Japan to begin a new life in North Korea. Then 17, she was among tens of thousands of people with Korean heritage who had been lured to the communist state by the promise of a “paradise on Earth”.
Instead, they encountered something closer to a living hell. They were denied basic human rights and forced to endure extreme hardship. Official promises of free education and healthcare plus guaranteed jobs and housing had been a cruel mirage. And to their horror, they were prevented from travelling to Japan to visit the families they had left behind.
Continue reading…

Jacob Hersant becomes first Australian jailed for doing Nazi salute after losing appeal

Judge says neo-Nazi’s offending outside Melbourne court was ‘contemptuous’ and Hersant ‘relished’ the opportunity to do it
Far-right extremist Jacob Hersant has been jailed for one month after losing an appeal against his Nazi salute conviction.
The 26-year-old looked straight ahead as Victorian county court judge Simon Moglia re-sentenced him on Wednesday for the “contemptuous” offending.
Continue reading…

Sussan Ley may fast-track permanent Liberal-only frontbench as Coalition reunion hopes fade

Opposition leader may announce promotion of six MPs to shadow cabinet early amid deadlock in talks to reunite with Nationals

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Sussan Ley could bring forward the announcement of a permanent Liberal-only frontbench that cements the Coalition split, as hopes of a reunion with the Nationals fade.
The opposition leader and the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, held another round of peace talks before question time on Wednesday, but neither party was prepared to budge on their core demands.
Continue reading…

Police investigate illegal riding on Sydney Harbour Bridge – as it happened

This blog is now closed

‘I don’t think this was a good decision’: Labor’s Ed Husic holds ‘deep concerns’ over Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Two-thirds of homeless youth unable to access housing services: report
Approximately 40,000 15- to 24-year-olds have nowhere to live in Australia each year, with only 3.1% accessing long-term housing, according to a new report from the Home Time Youth coalition.
Continue reading…

Parents of Piper James visit K’gari to farewell daughter and ‘walk where she last walked’ as dingo cull continues

Grieving family of the backpacker will attend a smoking ceremony conducted by the island’s traditional owners

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The distraught parents of a backpacker believed to have drowned on a world heritage-listed sand island off the Queensland coast are visiting K’gari as part of their journey to return the remains of Piper James to Canada.
Todd and Angela James touched down in Brisbane from Vancouver on Tuesday morning – the first stage of their emotional pilgrimage to K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island).
Continue reading…

Doctor previously banned from complex surgery in NSW given senior clinical safety role with Queensland Health

A spokesperson says Dr Michael Byrom no longer has any conditions placed on his practising and cited a ‘rigorous recruitment process’

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The Queensland premier has asked for an investigation into how a cardiothoracic surgeon – previously restricted from performing major heart and lung surgery by the New South Wales medical regulator – was appointed to a senior government clinical safety position.
The deputy director general of Clinical Excellence Queensland, Dr Helen Brown, announced Dr Michael Byrom as the inaugural surgical medical lead for the organisation, which focuses on healthcare quality, safety and efficiency.
Continue reading…

Ukraine-Russia talks: negotiators gather in Abu Dhabi in wake of ‘massive’ strikes on Kyiv – Europe live

Both sides downplay chances of immediate breakthrough in US-brokered talks as western allies reportedly weigh new defence pact
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s national security council chief and top negotiator, has confirmed in a Facebook post that the US-brokered talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi have begun.
His statement doesn’t reveal much, but he does say that Ukraine is working towards achieving a “dignified and lasting peace”.
The negotiation process started in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Next comes work in separate groups by area, after which a follow-up joint synchronisation of positions is planned.
We are working within the clear directives of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to achieve a dignified and lasting peace.
Continue reading…

Elon Musk calls Spanish PM a ‘tyrant’ over plan to ban under-16s from social media and curb hateful content

Pedro Sánchez says urgent action needed to protect children from ‘digital wild west’, drawing anger from owner of X
Spain has proposed a ban on social media use by teenagers as attitudes hardened in Europe against the technology, drawing personal insults against the prime minister from Elon Musk.
The government is preparing a series of measures including a social media ban for under-16s, the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said, promising to protect children from the “digital wild west” and hold tech companies responsible for hateful and harmful content.
Continue reading…

Collision between Greek coastguard patrol and migrant boat kills 14

Search and rescue operation involving boats, helicopter and divers under way off the eastern Aegean island of Chios
A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coastguard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has killed at least 14 people, the coastguard said.
A search and rescue operation involving four patrol vessels, an air force helicopter and a private boat carrying divers was under way for potential missing passengers.
Continue reading…

French prosecutors ask appeal court to keep ban on Marine Le Pen running for office

Far-right leader was barred for five years after being found guilty of extensive fake jobs scam at European parliament
French state prosecutors have asked appeal court judges to maintain a five-year election ban on the far-right leader Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of European parliament funds in a fake jobs scandal.
If the judges decide to grant the request, Le Pen would probably not be able to run in France’s 2027 presidential election.
Continue reading…

French headquarters of Elon Musk’s X raided by Paris cybercrime unit

Prosecutors’ announcement comes amid a hardening of European attitudes to social media firms
Prosecutors have raided the French headquarters of Elon Musk’s social media platform X and summoned the tech billionaire and the company’s former chief executive for questioning as part of an investigation into alleged cybercrime.
“A search is under way by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office, the national police cyber unit and Europol,” the Paris prosecutors’ office said in a post on X on Tuesday, adding that it would no longer be publishing on the network.
Continue reading…

Israeli strikes kill 18 in Gaza and patient crossings at Rafah halted, Palestinian officials say

Four children among dead as restrictions on evacuations put in place days after reopening of crossing to Egypt
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes have killed 18 people, including four children, in Gaza and Israel has halted the evacuation of patients through the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian officials have said.
The Israeli military said it fired on Gaza after a gunman shot at Israeli soldiers and seriously injured a reservist.
Continue reading…

US shoots down Iranian drone flying towards aircraft carrier, navy says

Shahed-139 said to have approached USS Abraham Lincoln ‘with unclear intent’ in lead-up to expected US-Iran talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme
The US military says it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.
The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying toward the carrier “with unclear intent” when an F-35 fighter jet shot it down, US Central Command said on Tuesday.
Continue reading…

Human Rights Watch researchers resign after report on Palestinian right of return blocked

The organization claims the report, which finds Israel’s denial of the right of return is a crime against humanity, is ‘paused pending further analysis and research’

Two Human Rights Watch (HRW) employees who make up the organization’s entire Israel and Palestine team are stepping down from their positions after leadership blocked a report that deems Israel’s denial of Palestinian refugees the right of return a “crime against humanity”.
In separate resignation letters obtained by Jewish Currents and the Guardian, Omar Shakir, who has headed the team for nearly the last decade, and Milena Ansari, the team’s assistant researcher, said leadership’s decision to pull the report broke from HRW’s customary approval processes and was evidence that the organization was putting fear of political backlash over a commitment to international law.
Continue reading…

Marwan Barghouti, ‘Palestine’s Mandela’, to publish book from prison

Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine is a collection of writings by the Palestinian political leader, who has been held in Israeli prisons since 2002
A collection of writings by the imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti will be published in November, bringing together prison letters, interviews, personal material and documents from the last three decades of Barghouti’s political life and incarceration.
As deadly attacks on Gaza continue despite a nominal ceasefire, the 66-year-old is seen by many as the best hope for a leader of any future Palestinian state.
Continue reading…

Iran’s president says Tehran ready to pursue ‘fair’ talks with US

Masoud Pezeshkian instructs foreign minister to seek negotiations with US as Trump warns ‘bad things would happen’ if no solution agreed
Iran’s president said on Tuesday that he had instructed his foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the US, as the two countries reportedly prepared to send top envoys to Istanbul for high-stakes talks on the Iranian nuclear programme later this week.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X: “I have instructed my minister of foreign affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists – one free from threats and unreasonable expectations – to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency.”
Continue reading…