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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/AFP By Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick, Reuters Dozens of Democratic lawmakers skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress Thursday morning, expressing dismay over the thousands of civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis from Israel's campaign in Gaza. Thousands of demonstrators took to streets near the Capitol to protest Netanyahu's appearance amid the tightest security since the 6 January, 2021, attack. The Capitol building was surrounded by high fencing, with a heavy police presence. Given a standing ovation on his arrival, the longtime Israeli leader delivered his spee...

Bougainvillean residents say Rio Tinto is responsible for the large scale environmental and social harm. Photo: 123rf There are now 4500 Bougainvillean residents backing a legal suit against mining giant Rio Tinto. This is an additional 1500 people from the autonomous Papua New Guinea region joining the action since it was filed in May this year. Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama said the lawsuit was disappointing and was pursued by those people acting against Bougainville's interests. The government was not backing it in any way, shape or form, he said. The claimants are seeking billions of dollars in compensation from Rio Tinto which operated the Panguna copper and gold mine in the 1970s and 1980s, before it was forced to shut by civil war. The mine was at the heart of that war w...

Samoan Police have paid tribute to Detective Sargent Perite for his"unwavering dedication to upholding the law and protecting the vulnerable". Photo: Facebook / Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services An alleged double murderer hiding in dense bush was caught and arrested on Tuesday following a large manhunt in Samoa. The 58-year-old farmer is accused of shooting and killing of two men, including a lead homicide detective. Samoan police confirmed he was captured in Fasito'o, on the northwest coast of Upolu. A 20-strong team of detectives and tactical unit police carried out the search for the accused gunman. Detective Sergeant Peniamina Perite was investigating an horrific family dispute and was trying to arrest the suspect when he was shot with a .22 rifle, police said. Depu...

Kat Torres, a Brazillian model and social media influencer, was convicted of human trafficking. Photo: Instagram Katiuscia "Kat" Torres's first steps to stardom and then infamy were ho-hum - just another Brazilian model moving to America in search of a brighter spotlight. She aimed to act in Hollywood, but quickly found notoriety as a social media influencer in New York. Her impeccably staged images of a wealthy, successful life beamed through Instagram to more than a million followers. But far from appearing as a shallow persona fixed on the physical world, Torres positioned herself as a spiritual guide, hypnotist, self-help author and life coach who regularly consumed ayahuasca, a psychedelic with a reputation for triggering inner healing but also violence and abuse. Torres "started g...

By Jessica Riga, ABC News Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo: AFP / Jeff Kowalsky You've likely seen the news that Joe Biden has pulled out of his re-election bid for the White House and has instead thrown his support behind Kamala Harris to be the next US president. You might have also seen a bunch of memes about coconut trees, phrases like "unburdened" and "the context in which you live", and clips from a comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. And while it can be hard to keep up with US politics, keeping up with internet jokes can be harder. So get comfy, find some shade under a coconut tree, and let us explain what it all means. The coconut tree meme This is the meme of the moment, and the one that is gaining the most traction with actual, real-life Democratic senators. It s...