Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said his government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe. He said there was a need for an army of 500,000 soldiers, which would include reservists. “We will try to have a model … Read more
Authorities said on Friday that actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. But what exactly is this rare illness? Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs, and other organs. The syndrome progresses quickly and can … Read more
In 1898, Ethel Mary Vaughan Cowan became the first female doctor at Melbourne’s children’s hospital, blazing a trail for many who came after her. In 2024, she was honoured through the naming of Cowan Lane in Carlton, a short walk from the site of the hospital. Cowan’s legacy was just one of those recognised in … Read more
A woman who was abducted in Connecticut as a toddler has been found alive 25 years later in Mexico. Andrea Michelle Reyes was two years old when she was taken by her mother, Rosa Tenorio, in October 1999, according to a news release from the New Haven police department. Tenorio did not have legal custody … Read more
The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has called for an urgent meeting with the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, saying he was “desperate” as his father’s defence drew to a close in a high-profile trial. Sebastien Lai said a fresh diplomatic push was now needed to free the 77-year-old pro-democracy activist, … Read more
A group of eight criminals who dug up roads and diverted electricity to cannabis farms run by organised crime gangs have been jailed by a judge in Liverpool. The criminals used a legitimate company as cover and pretended to be workmen who were digging up the roads to repair utilities in a “sophisticated operation”, according … Read more
Two hundred pairs of shoes have been found at a clandestine crematorium on a ranch in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in a disturbing demonstration of the country’s crisis of forced disappearance related to organised crime. Warrior Searchers of Jalisco, a collective of relatives of the disappeared, found the crematorium following an anonymous tip-off, and … Read more
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidance directing that spending items greater than $50,000 now require approval from Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), even as Donald Trump began putting some distance between Musk’s reach and the power of government department heads – at least over job cuts. “Any assistance … Read more
The Donald Trump administration announced on Friday that it had canceled $400m in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University in New York because of what it alleges as the college’s repeated failure to protect students from antisemitic harassment. The announcement comes after Columbia set up a new disciplinary committee and initiated its own investigations … Read more
Tropical Cyclone Alfred has passed over Moreton Island and was forecast to hit the Australian mainland on Saturday morning, prompting warnings to millions in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to remain in their homes. More than 200,000 people in south-east Queensland lost power overnight – more than half of those on the Gold Coast – … Read more