Goodbye Lenin: Finnish museum reinvents itself in response to shifting relations with Russia | Finland

A Finnish museum dedicated to the Russian Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin has reopened under a new name and with new exhibits in response to rapidly changing relations between two neighbouring countries after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The former Lenin Museum in Tampere, which closed in November, reopened this month under a new name, Nootti, … Read more

Mass prison escapes stoke panic in DRC after rebel advance | Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mass prison escapes during the chaos of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured two of its largest cities over the past two months, have caused panic among the public. Jailbreaks involving thousands of people at four prisons in the region have accompanied the rapid advance … Read more

Peter Dutton defends attending Hemmes fundraiser as Cyclone Alfred approached Queensland | Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton has defended his decision to attend a lavish fundraiser in Sydney as then Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached Queensland last week, claiming those criticising his decision were seeking “political advantage”. The opposition leader’s Monday morning interview on Sky News came after Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt claimed Dutton had “sold out his constituents” by … Read more

US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms | US news

The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor Watchlist, which identifies countries that the global civil rights watchdog believes are currently experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms. Civicus, an international non-profit organization dedicated to “strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world”, announced the inclusion of the US on the non-profit’s … Read more

Firms hold back on hiring amid ‘significant cost rises’, surveys say | Economics

Companies are putting the brakes on hiring new staff amid a “subdued” economic outlook and rising wage bills, according to the latest business surveys. In signs of a weakening UK labour market, the consultancy KPMG and the trade body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said a marked decline in the number of people being … Read more

Entire families reportedly killed in fighting in north-west Syria, UN says | Syria

The UN has condemned what it called “extremely disturbing” reports of entire families being killed in north-west Syria as clashes between security forces and Assad regime loyalists resulted in the country’s highest death toll since the start of its revolution in 2011. The UN commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, called on Sunday for investigations … Read more

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred update: residents warned to head for high ground as flood waters rise | Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Thousands of people living near rivers and creeks in south-east Queensland have been warned to seek shelter or find high ground, amid concern about more flash flooding in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. More than 230,000 households and businesses are still without power, as heavy rain continued on Sunday night and into Monday morning. … Read more

UK government vows to clean up Windermere after sewage criticism | Pollution

The government has said it will “clean up Windermere” after criticism over the volume of sewage being pumped into England’s largest lake. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, pledged “only rainwater” would enter the famous body of water in the Lake District, putting an end to the situation where it Windermere was being “choked by unacceptable … Read more