Isla Bell: manslaughter charge dropped against man accused of killing Melbourne teen and hiding body in fridge pred 12 urami in 15 minutami Marat Ganiev will instead be charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice over death of 19-year-old whose body was found in tipFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProsecutors have withdrawn a manslaughter charge against a man who had been accused of killing a 19-year-old woman and hiding her body in a fridge.Marat Ganiev, 55, was accused of killing Isla Bell in the early hours of 7 October 2024, before hiding her body in a fridge. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why does everyone hate Keir Starmer? – podcast pred 14 urami in 6 minutami Aditya Chakrabortty on the Labour leader’s predicament – and if he may be the last prime minister of the two-party systemIn these highly polarised times, dunking on the prime minister – and this PM in particular – is the one thing that seems to unite people in fury, disappointment and loathing. So as he rolled his sleeves up to address the nation on Monday morning, after one of the worst election results in Labour’s history, Keir Starmer had quite the job on his hands.The Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty was watching – and wincing. “There are times when I watch Keir Starmer promising he’s going to change,” he said. “He looks to me like a guy on the verge of divorce, holding flowers from the nearest petrol station and saying: 'Trust me. Honestly, it’s going to be different this time. Honestly, love, stick with me.’” But why does there seem to be such antagonism towards the Labour leader – and can anyone guide the party out of the mess they have found themselves in? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mayor of California city resigns over charges of being a foreign agent of China pred 14 urami in 45 minutami Eileen Wang, 58, mayor of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty over the felony count brought by the justice departmentEileen Wang, the mayor of a southern California city, resigned suddenly on Monday after the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced she had been charged with acting as an illegal foreign agent of China.Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to the felony count and could face a sentence of 10 years in prison. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump officials cancel rule that made conservation a ‘use’ of public lands pred 15 urami in 17 minutami Move comes as administration seeks to boost drilling, logging, mining and grazing on taxpayer-owned landThe interior department is canceling a rule that put conservation on equal footing with development, as Donald Trump’s administration eases restrictions on industries and seeks to boost drilling, logging, mining and grazing on taxpayer-owned land.The 2024 rule adopted under former president Joe Biden was meant to refocus the interior department’s Bureau of Land Management, which oversees about 10% of land in the US. It allowed public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Soldier dies during parachute training incident at Jervis Bay – the second such death in two years pred 15 urami in 25 minutami Defence department says another ADF soldier was injured on Monday evening, but didn’t require hospitalisationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn army soldier has died during a parachuting training course at Jervis Bay airfield, Defence has announced.The soldier died during the training incident on Monday evening. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Difficult’ mission to repatriate Australian hantavirus cruise passengers en route to long Perth quarantine pred 16 urami Health minister Mark Butler says six people from MC Hondius plus flight crew from charter plane to be isolated for weeksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians and New Zealanders who were aboard the deadly hantavirus-hit cruise ship have been taken to the Netherlands after a last minute change of plan on what the health minister called a “difficult” mission.Once back in Australia they will undergo the first three weeks of a 42-day quarantine at the Bullsbrook national resilience centre, just outside Perth. The flight crew that brings them back to the country will have to join them, Australia’s health minister, Mark Butler, said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The big questions hanging over the Trump-Xi meeting in China pred 17 urami in 2 minutama Taiwan, tariffs and the strait of Hormuz are on the meeting’s agenda for Beijing – but will the US president be forced to ask for help in ending his war with Iran?On 20 February, a White House official confirmed that US president Donald Trump would be travelling to Beijing the following month to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Top of the agenda: the US-China trade war.One week later, Trump approved joint strikes with Israel against Iran, starting a new war in the Middle East. Its ramifications have spread far beyond the region and caused alarm in Beijing. The presidential summit was postponed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK households cut back spending at fastest rate in 18 months, Barclays says pred 17 urami in 6 minutami Dip in credit card spending in April, particularly on travel, suggests Britons preparing for harder times amid Iran war falloutHouseholds cut back on their spending in April at the fastest pace in 18 months, as the conflict in the Middle East provoked fears of another cost of living crisis, a report from one of the UK’s biggest banks has suggested.Barclays, which processes nearly 40% of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions, said its data showed there had been a 0.1% fall in card spending last month compared with a year earlier. This was the first year-on-year fall since November 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arts and cultural engagement ‘linked to slower pace of biological ageing’ pred 17 urami in 6 minutami Research from UCL suggests visiting art galleries or museums, singing and painting can help improve health outcomesSinging, painting or visiting a gallery or museum helps people age more slowly, according to the latest study to link taking an active interest in art and culture with improved health.The findings are the first to show that both participating in arts activities and attending events, such as viewing an exhibition, lead to people staying biologically younger. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Birmingham City University urged not to axe Black studies MA pred 17 urami in 6 minutami More than 100 figures sign open letter criticising closure, just months after MA was launchedMore than 100 academics, writers and activists from around the world have signed an open letter condemning plans to close an MA in Black studies and global justice at Birmingham City University (BCU), just months after it was first launched.The move follows the controversial closure of BCU’s undergraduate course in Black studies in 2024, and has prompted warnings that Black studies are being erased from UK higher education. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
