Top World News

May 2, 2025 - World

Tariff chaos hampers Trump’s pledge to ‘drill, baby, drill’, but analysis still shows surge in planet-heating emissions‘A ruthless agenda’: charting 100 days of Trump’s onslaught on the environmentDonald Trump’s ambitions for the US to “drill, baby, drill” for more fossil fuels have ironically been hampered by the economic chaos unleashed by his own tariffs, but the US is still on track to increase oil and gas extraction, causing a surge in planet-heating emissions, a new analysis shows.The US was already the world’s leading oil and gas power, producing more of the fossil fuels than any country in history during Joe Biden’s administration. But Trump has sought to escalate this further, declaring an “energy emergency” to open up more land and ocean for drilling and launching an unprecedented assault on environmental regulations in his first 100 days back in the White House. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Comments come a week after Trump claimed talks were already taking placeBeijing is “evaluating” an offer from the US to engage in trade negotiations, the Chinese government has said, a week after Donald Trump claimed talks were already under way.China’s commerce ministry said on Friday: “The US has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China.” Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Upgrade from ‘suspected’ threat will mean greater surveillance of party that came second in last electionGermany’s domestic intelligence service has designated the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the biggest opposition party, as a “confirmed rightwing extremist” force, meaning authorities can step up their surveillance as critics call for it to be legally banned.The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) had since 2021 considered the anti-immigrant, pro-Kremlin party a “suspected” threat to Germany’s democratic order, with regional chapters in three eastern states classed as confirmed extremist. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Freedom Flotilla Coalition claims Israel to blame for attack on unarmed civilian vessel in international watersA ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists to Gaza has been bombed by drones and disabled while in international waters off Malta as it headed towards the Palestinian territory, its organisers have said.“At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters,” the group said in a statement. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

State education department secretary apologises after thousands of students and parents caught in ‘unacceptable’ situationGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales education department has apologised after riot police were called to manage out-of-control crowds at the state’s selective school exams.Police were called to Canterbury Park Racecourse, south-west of Sydney’s CBD, at about midday on Friday following reports of traffic and crowd control issues. About 1,300 students had finished exams at the Canterbury site and were trying to leave with their parents, as another 1,300 students plus their parents attempted to enter the facility. Continue reading...