Thursday, March 19

Business

White supremacist Jacob Hersant first to get jail sentence for Nazi salute under Australian law | World News
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White supremacist Jacob Hersant first to get jail sentence for Nazi salute under Australian law | World News

A white supremacist has become the first person in Australia sentenced to jail for doing a Nazi salute - but ended up spending just an hour in custody.Jacob Hersant, 25, performed the gesture outside a Melbourne court in October 2023 after avoiding being locked up for violent disorder. At the same time, he praised Adolf Hitler and stated: "Australia for the white man."The salute had been made illegal by state parliament days before and has since been outlawed across Australia.Hersant was convicted last month and had been on bail until sentencing. He faced a maximum 12-month jail term and a A$24,000 (£12,300) fine but received a single month in prison."If there was physical violence, then I would have imposed a sentence close to the maximum penalty," said magistrate Brett Sonnet. He sai...
COP29: The almighty row over climate cash that’s about to boil over | Science, Climate & Tech News
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COP29: The almighty row over climate cash that’s about to boil over | Science, Climate & Tech News

China says it's a developing country, so it doesn't have to pay into a major new fund to help poor countries cope with climate change. The United States disagrees.This is at the heart of an almighty row about to boil over at the UN COP29 climate talks next week in Azerbaijan. Or is it all just an elaborate "distraction"?Driving this brewing storm is something called "climate finance".It's been whipped up further by the re-election of Donald Trump, a climate denier expected to withdraw the world's largest historic greenhouse gas emitter from global efforts to tackle climate change. Why do countries pay for overseas climate aid?Back in 2009, 23 developed countries - including the UK, US and Japan, and the EU - agreed to pay $100bn (£75.5bn) a year by 2020 to developing nations, to help them ...
‘Why do you think she lost big?’: Residents on US-Mexico border explain why they back Trump on immigration | US News
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‘Why do you think she lost big?’: Residents on US-Mexico border explain why they back Trump on immigration | US News

In a town that sits between two nations, Arnoldo Montiel knows exactly where he stands on immigration. The 80-year-old has lived in Nogales, on the border between Mexico and the US, virtually all of his life. He says the issue is one of the main reasons he voted for Donald Trump.Trump latest: President-elect makes first major appointment"These are people who are illegal. They don't belong in the United States," he says. "If they need to come in, we welcome them. But they have to be legal." Driving towards the border wall that straddles the Arizona town, he says he believes the issue is why Kamala Harris lost the election."Why do you think she lost big?" he asks, before answering his own question: "The border and foreign affairs." In...
Israel says it will deploy rescue mission after ‘violent incident’ targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam | World News
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Israel says it will deploy rescue mission after ‘violent incident’ targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam | World News

The Israeli military has said it is preparing to deploy an immediate rescue mission with the coordination of the Dutch government."The mission will be deployed using cargo aircraft and include medical and rescue teams," the Israeli Defence Forces said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the details of "a very violent incident" targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam, his office said.Israel's national security ministry has also urged its citizens in the Dutch city to stay in their hotel, the prime minister's office added.The incident has been linked to a football match at the Johan Cruyff stadium in which Ajax Amsterdam defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-0, according to reports.Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a post on X: "Fans who went to see a footbal...
St Lucia’s first Olympic medallist considered withdrawing from Games due to pressure | World News
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St Lucia’s first Olympic medallist considered withdrawing from Games due to pressure | World News

St Lucia's Julien Alfred became a household name this summer after storming to gold in the 100-metre final at a rainy Stade de France during the Paris Olympic Games.Her time - 10.72 seconds - saw her become the sport's latest fastest woman in the world. Reflecting on crossing the finishing line in her historic victory, the 23-year-old told Sky News: "I remember screaming so loud and bursting into tears just knowing all my hard work and sacrifice has paid off and knowing how hard it was to get to that point in my career. All I could do was just cry." Image: Alfred in Lane 6 winning the gold at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Pic: AP Born in the small Caribbean island with a population of just 180,000 people, ...
US election 2024: How will Trump 2.0 be different to his first presidency? | US News
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US election 2024: How will Trump 2.0 be different to his first presidency? | US News

At the end of the last Trump presidency, the New York Times declared: "The terrible experiment is over - President Donald J Trump: The End."That didn't age well. If Trump 1.0 (2016-2020) was the experiment, then maybe Trump 2.0 (2024-2028) will be the real deal. In 2016, Donald Trump was a political novice. That was the attraction for those who chose him. He didn't know how Washington worked, and he didn't know how to govern. But he learned on the job as he meandered chaotically through that first term.US election latest: Trump begins selecting top teamWith Apprentice precision, he fired those who crossed him. They were largely people drawn from the establishment and in the end, that was their downfall. This time, Trump watchers here in Washington believe he will be more organised. He will...
Ukraine has the most to lose as rivals and allies prepare for Trump’s return | US News
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Ukraine has the most to lose as rivals and allies prepare for Trump’s return | US News

US allies and enemies are having to adjust rapidly after Donald Trump's stunning victory in the presidential election. In the corridors of power the world over, they are working overtime to accommodate a new reality.Allies are putting a brave face on it but would mostly have preferred a Harris victory and continuity. There will be despondence at the election of a man who has promised to undo the progress they have made with America on globally important issues like climate change.And there will be concern. In his first presidency, Donald Trump displayed contempt for the rules-based post-war world order built and led by America and the pillars of the Western alliance. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player ...
Vladimir Putin congratulates ‘courageous’ Donald Trump on US election win | World News
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Vladimir Putin congratulates ‘courageous’ Donald Trump on US election win | World News

Vladimir Putin has hailed Donald Trump as "courageous" for his response to an assassination attempt as he congratulated the next US president.Mr Trump won a decisive victory in the 2024 election - comfortably clearing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency and clinching five battleground states. Throughout his campaign, Mr Trump said he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours - without explaining how he would do so.Speaking in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday, the Russian leader also noted the president-elect's "desire to restore relations," but added he has "no idea" what to expect from Mr Trump's second term in office.While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already congratulated the Republican on his win, he raised concern...
Liam Payne: Three charged in connection with death of One Direction star, prosecutor’s office says | Ents & Arts News
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Liam Payne: Three charged in connection with death of One Direction star, prosecutor’s office says | Ents & Arts News

Three people have been charged in connection with the death of One Direction star Liam Payne in Argentina, the public prosecutor's office in the country has said.The 31-year-old pop star died after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on 16 October. The three were arrested and charged with "abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics," said a statement by the office of prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:35 23 Oct: Police raid hotel where sing...
Pompeii DNA evidence suggests victims not as they seemed | World News
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Pompeii DNA evidence suggests victims not as they seemed | World News

Some of the victims buried in Pompeii following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius have been wrongly identified, new evidence suggests.Researchers used DNA testing on 14 casts of victims found in the ruins of the Roman city destroyed in 79 AD. Using DNA taken from fragmented skeletal remains, they concluded an adult holding a child and wearing a golden bracelet, long thought to have been a mother, was actually a man unrelated to the child.It was one of several surprises in what had become known as "the house of the golden bracelet".Nearby were the bodies of another adult and child thought to be the rest of their nuclear family. But DNA evidence showed all four were male and not related to one another. Image: Pompeii, a buried and ruined Roman city...