Top World News
Previously unseen drawings by Moomins author Tove Jansson to go on show in London
Exclusive: Exhibition focussing on Finnish writer and artist’s illustrations will include original art from her first Moomins bookThe Moomin books about lovable trolls with hippopotamus snouts who live in harmony with nature are a global publishing phenomenon, having sold up to 30m copies since the Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson wrote and illustrated them between 1945 and 1977.Now previously unseen drawings of her eccentric characters will be among more than 100 exhibits in a major exhibition that is being staged in London 25 years after her death. Continue reading...
Bondi attacks prompt creation of new institute for emergency care of children in NSW
NSW Institute for Paediatric Trauma will help doctors, researchers and specialists prepare for trauma casesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA new institute dedicated to improving emergency medical care for severely injured children will be established in New South Wales following recent high-profile trauma events in the state.Based at the Sydney Children’s hospital in Randwick, the NSW Institute for Paediatric Trauma will bring together clinicians, researchers and specialists to deliver advanced training and simulations across the health system. Continue reading...
Amazon to launch Ring ‘neighbourhood watch’ app in UK amid US privacy fears
Doorbell firm aims to replace WhatsApp or Facebook groups with platform where people can post about safety or lost petsAmazon’s doorbell camera maker Ring is to launch its Neighbours community app in the UK in an attempt to supplant neighbourhood WhatsApp or Facebook groups.The service is intended as a modern equivalent of a community message board, where neighbours can post about safety, community matters or lost pets. Continue reading...
British Man Found Dead In Remote Sicilian Countryside As Police Launch Probe
As per the report, a postmortem will be conducted next Tuesday, and the police have also interviewed the members of the off-grid settlement.
European Union invites Canada to become first ever ‘associate member’
Commission president says EU must ‘urgently reimagine our partnerships’ as she makes unprecedented offerEurope live – latest updatesCanada has been invited to become the first “associate member” of the EU by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.In an unprecedented offer, von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” through shared democratic values and common approaches to many big issues, from AI to climate breakdown, the Ukraine war and geopolitics. Continue reading...
Pak Ship Collides With Indian Navy Unit, Delhi Summons Islamabad's Envoy
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry noted that while the incident, which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, the conduct of the Pakistani naval ship was in direct contravention of a mutual agreement.
Indonesia Finance Minister Sacked Over Clash With President's Ex-Aide
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto sacked Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa after he clashed with a top ministry official who served on
Houthis appear to target Mecca as House votes to end Trump’s war on Iran | First Thing
Vote comes amid Republican call to impeach defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Plus a catnapped bodega cat in Brooklyn is returned homeDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning. Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca yesterday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. A spokesperson for the kingdom, which is fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen, said the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”. Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam’s holiest city and the focal point of the annual hajj pilgrimage.Meanwhile, in Washington, the US House of Representatives has voted for a third time to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution a few hours after a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report showed the conflict had cost at least $38bn and left the US stockpile of defensive missiles so depleted it could take five years to rebuild.Why is Pete Hegseth being targeted by lawmakers? Republican congressman Thomas Massie has proposed impeaching Pete Hegseth, saying the defense secretary had repeatedly violated the constitution through his handling of war with Iran and the deaths of civilians in conflicts worldwide.How is the Trump administration reversing decisions over arming Israel? Congress has been informally notified about a pending deal, with the US planning to deliver powerful 2,000lb bombs to Israel. The weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago.How has Ed Sheeran responded? In a lengthy Instagram post, the British singer said: “I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together … I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine.” Continue reading...
US to bar some South Africans over claims of anti-white discrimination
Announcement of visa restrictions follows Trump’s false claims of ‘white genocide’ taking place in South AfricaThe US has announced visa restrictions on some South Africans as Donald Trump’s administration continues to claim that South Africa’s government racially discriminates against white minority Afrikaners.The announcement did not specify individuals who were barred from the US. Trump has spent his second term falsely claiming there is a “white genocide” in South Africa and railing against its affirmative action policies. Continue reading...
Yemen's Houthis Claim They Shot Down Saudi F15 Fighter Jet
Saudi F15 fighter jet was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilisations in the airspace of Marib province, Houthis claimed.
Microplastics in soil pose global threat by acting like ‘Trojan horse’ to deliver toxins
Exclusive: Plastic surfaces form hotspots with an increase of antibiotic-resistant genes, study findsMicroplastics act like a “Trojan horse” delivering pollutants, pesticides and bacteria through the soil, a five-year multinational research project has found.The EU-funded project, which has so far resulted in 22 peer-reviewed studies, found microplastics in the soil of all 227 agricultural fields it tested across 11 European countries. The researchers said this poses a global threat, with healthy soils essential for life on Earth. Continue reading...
At least 20 killed after Israeli-hit building in Gaza City collapses
Rescue workers say search for dozens of people hampered by lack of heavy machineryA building housing about 100 displaced Palestinian families has collapsed in Gaza City, killing at least 20 people, as rescuers search the rubble for dozens of people believed to be trapped, including children.A rescue team from Gaza’s civil defence said they had recovered the bodies of five children among the victims, while 25 injured people were taken to hospital. Medical sources said rescuers could hear the voices of people trapped beneath the rubble as they tried to reach them. Continue reading...
