World

World news from every region: conflicts, elections, diplomacy, disasters and the people at the centre of them.

7525 articles · page 77 of 157 · The World front page

World

Green member behind Zionism motion wrote character reference for jailed al-Qaeda supporter

Lubna Speitan, the Green Party member who proposed the party's conference motion declaring Zionism to be racism, has been identified as a 'close friend' of a jailed al-Qaeda supporter and wrote a character reference for him, according to court documents and a letter seen by the BBC. Speitan offered to testify as a defence witness in 2015 for Minh Quang Pham, who pleaded guilty to supporting al-Qaeda and was jailed for 40 years, and later wrote to the judge describing him as 'one of the kindest, honest, most sincere' people she had known.

·2 min·2 sources
World

Israel Marks Third Anniversary of October 7 Hamas Attack with Ceremonies

Israel held ceremonies and gatherings on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 taken captive to Gaza. The Israeli government’s response to the attack has been a devastating war on Gaza, where at least 74,243 people have been killed, according to the territory’s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

·2 min·9 sources
Australia

Coalition defends migration cuts amid business criticism as OpenAI apology fails to satisfy government

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has hit back at business sector criticism of the Coalition's plan to cut net overseas migration, while Deputy Liberal Leader Jane Hume clarified that aged care visas will not be shut down. Separately, Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton dismissed OpenAI's apology over a Medicare data breach as insufficient, pledging Australia will introduce national AI safety standards.

·2 min
Australia

Queensland locked mental health wards lack independent oversight, former patients report assaults

Former patients say they have been physically attacked and experienced sexual misconduct in locked mental health wards across regional Queensland, as advocates call for frequent independent inspections of these facilities. Queensland has not set up an independent body to regularly inspect its locked mental health wards almost a decade after Australia agreed to do so under an international treaty.

·2 min
Australia

Vigils across Australia mark October 7 attack anniversary as Spanish housing protest turns violent

Australian capital cities are holding vigils on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, while pro-Palestine gatherings are also expected. Overseas, a housing protest in Barcelona turned violent after masked demonstrators set cars on fire, a British man was arrested over an alleged plot involving a US airbase, and the White House defended a controversial remark by former President Donald Trump.

·2 min·4 sources
Australia

Charities fight back after funding cut for Ask Izzy crisis directory

Funding for Ask Izzy, an online directory used millions of times by Australians seeking food, housing and emergency assistance, was cut in the May federal budget. Now a coalition of 24 major charities including Mission Australia, Foodbank, OzHarvest and St Vincent de Paul have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanding the government restore the $2 million a year that keeps the service running.

·1 min
Australia

Private paramedic collapses in court after Perth crash footage played

A Perth private paramedic collapsed in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being shown footage of a head-on crash he allegedly caused by driving on the wrong side of the road with unauthorised lights and sirens on his personal car. Jack Dunn, 30, managing director of Rescue Recovery 1, faces charges including aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

·2 min
World

Labour figures rule out future cooperation with Greens over Zionism policy

Senior Labour figures have said they are unlikely to cooperate with the Green Party in future after Greens adopted a binding policy treating Zionism as a form of racism and calling for a single Palestinian state in place of Israel. The move has also prompted calls within the Liberal Democrats to end their existing coalition with the Greens in Southwark, south London, while all eyes turn to Thursday’s byelection in Holborn and St Pancras, where Green leader Zack Polanski is seeking to win Labour’s former seat.

·2 min
US Politics

Whistleblower alleges Trump ordered FBI investigation into anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles

A whistleblower complaint from a former FBI analyst alleges that President Donald Trump directed the FBI to investigate protesters in Los Angeles who were demonstrating against the administration's immigration crackdown, according to Senator Alex Padilla, who received the disclosure. The complaint raises serious concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement and potential violations of First Amendment rights.

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World

Three Afghan men jailed for raping teenager after fleeing UK in lorry

Three Afghan nationals who raped a 17-year-old girl in Bristol before being caught by French police as they fled the UK in the back of a lorry have been sentenced at Bristol Crown Court. Mehrab Safi, 21, received a 15-year prison term, while Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheli, both 19, were sentenced to nine years in a youth detention centre. A fourth Afghan national, a 17-year-old boy who did not attempt to flee, was sentenced to two years and seven months in a youth detention centre.

·2 min·2 sources