A 5.8 magnitude earthquake has rattled southeast Australia, damaging buildings in the city of Melbourne. The earthquake happened about 09:15 local time on Wednesday at Mansfield, not far from the Victorian state capital. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “we have had no reports of serious injuries and that is very good news”. The earthquake was...
Category: <span>World</span>
Post
Post
Justin Trudeau hangs on to power in Canadian election to form minority government
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hung onto power as his main rival conceded defeat, but his Liberals fell short of his goal for a majority win. Trudeau, in power since 2015 and governing with a minority of House of Commons seats since 2019, decided to gamble on an early vote and capitalise on his...
Post
China’s ambassador Zheng Zeguang banned from UK Parliament
China’s ambassador to the UK has been told he cannot come to Parliament while sanctions remain in place against a number of MPs and peers. Zheng Zeguang was due to attend a Commons reception on Wednesday, hosted by the all-party group on China. But after protests, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker Lord McFall...
Post
North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into East Sea, says South
North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea’s military has confirmed. Japan also reported an object was fired, and that it may have been a ballistic missile. Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has called the launch “outrageous” saying it threatened peace and security in the region. It is the second...
Post
Delta variant is pushing Southeast Asia to breaking point
Countries across Asia are grappling with their worst coronavirus outbreaks of the pandemic, spurred by low vaccine rates and the highly-contagious Delta variant. While nations such as China, Japan and South Korea are seeing growing outbreaks, the sharp edge of the Delta wave is being keenly felt in Southeast Asia, with countries seeing rapid rises...
Post
Epstein meetings a huge mistake, says Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has admitted he made “a huge mistake” in spending time with sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Gates told CNN he had “several dinners” about a philanthropy project that did not emerge, and should not have given him “credibility”. Epstein hanged himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting a...
Post
Belarus athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya refuses ‘forced’ flight home
A Belarusian sprinter voiced fears for her safety as she refused an order to fly home early from the Olympics for criticising her coaches. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya says she was forced to pack before being taken to the airport in Tokyo against her will. The 24-year-old says she sought police protection at the terminal so she...
Post
Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs claims shock 100m gold
Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs claimed a shock gold in the Olympic 100m final, after Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was disqualified for a false start. Jacobs, who only switched away from long jump in 2018, streaked clear to win in 9.80 seconds, 0.04 clear of American Fred Kerley. Canada’s Andre de Grasse won a second successive...
Post
Hong Kong crowd booing China’s anthem sparks police probe
Hong Kong police are investigating an incident where a crowd watching the Olympics booed China’s anthem. Hundreds gathered at a shopping mall on Monday to watch a broadcast and cheer on Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung, who won gold in the men’s individual foil. When the Chinese national anthem was played, some in the crowd...
Post
Arrests made at anti-lockdown protests
Demonstrations have taken place in Australian cities against tight restrictions imposed to tackle a rise in Covid cases. Thousands gathered in Sydney, with smaller protests held in Melbourne and Brisbane. People chanted “freedom” as they marched through the centre of Sydney. Officers said they had made 57 arrests. Australian governments have re-imposed lockdowns across the...