Australia's Morrison says he secretly took five ministries because responsibility was his

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's former prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday he decided to be secretly sworn in to five key ministries during the coronavirus pandemic because he felt responsibility for the nation was his alone. Morrison, who stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party after losing a general election in May, addressed a news conference to answer a barrage of criticism from the Labor government and his own party over the unprecedented assumption of powers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Morrison had attacked the Westminster system of government by secretly appointing himself to five portfolios including home affairs, treasury, health, finance and resources between 2020 and 2021.

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  Scott Morrison: Australia ex-PM resists pressure to step down

  BBC
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  Critics slam former Australian leader's decision to give himself secret powers

  LA Times

Factbox-'You'll be glad you bought a flamethrower': The tweets of Elon Musk

Musk has a history of being unconventional, posting irreverent tweets. Below are some other tweets by Musk - who has more than 103 million followers - which have taken investors, Twitter users, Twitter's board and the rest of his audience by surprise. May 13, 2022: "Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users."

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  Manchester United stock jumps after Elon Musk joke about buying team

  Yahoo Finance Video
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  Elon Musk responds to ex Grimes' desire for 'elf ear surgery'

  People

Global shares fall, U.S. Treasury yields rise after dovish Fed minutes

(Reuters) -Global equities fell and U.S. Treasury yields rose on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes showed that officials were ready to slow the pace of interest rate hikes in tandem with signals of a slowdown in inflation. In their July meeting minutes released on Wednesday, Fed officials said the pace of future rate hikes would depend on incoming economic data, as well as assessments of how the economy was adapting to the higher rates already approved. After the release of the minutes, traders of futures tied to the Fed's policy rate saw a half-percentage-point rate hike as more likely in September given recent economic data showing a moderation in inflation.

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  Gold Holds Drop After Fed Minutes Signal Slower Rate-Hike Pace

  Bloomberg
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  US STOCKS-Wall Street ends down, but indexes volatile following Fed minutes

  Reuters

Wind energy boom and golden eagles collide in the US West

CODY, Wyo. (AP) — The rush to build wind farms to combat climate change is colliding with preservation of one of the U.S. West’s most spectacular predators — the golden eagle — as the species teeters on the edge of decline. Ground zero in the conflict is Wyoming, a stronghold for golden eagles that soar on 7-foot (2-meter) wings and a favored location for wind farms. As wind turbines proliferate, scientists say deaths from collisions could drive down golden eagle numbers considered stable at bes

Analysis: Action wanes at U.N. to isolate Russia almost six months into Ukraine war

On a June night under the chandeliers of Russia's United Nations mission in New York, dozens of U.N. ambassadors from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia attended a reception to mark the country's national day - less than four months after its forces invaded neighboring Ukraine. "We thank all of you for your support and your principled position against the so-called anti-Russian crusade," Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told them, after accusing countries he did not name of trying to "cancel" Russia and its culture. The crowd of ambassadors illustrated the difficulties facing Western diplomats in trying to sustain international resolve to isolate Russia diplomatically after an initial flurry of U.N. denunciations for attacking Ukraine.

China cuts power to factories, homes as reservoirs fall

BEIJING (AP) — Factories in China’s southwest have shut down and a city imposed rolling blackouts after reservoirs to generate hydropower ran low in a worsening drought, adding to economic strains at a time when President Xi Jinping is trying to extend his hold on power. Companies in Sichuan province including makers of solar panels, cement and urea closed or reduced production after they were ordered to ration power for up to five days, according to news reports Wednesday. That came after reser

South Korean leader: Seoul won't seek own nuclear deterrent

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday his government has no plans to pursue its own nuclear deterrent in the face of growing North Korean nuclear threats, as he urged the North to return to dialogue aimed at exchanging denuclearization steps for economic benefits. In a news conference in Seoul, Yoon said South Korea doesn’t desire political change in North Korea that’s brought by force and he called for diplomacy aimed at building sustainable peace between

African soccer players denied British entry to play West Ham

LONDON (AP) — Two African soccer players have been unable to enter Britain to face English team West Ham in a Europa Conference League game, Danish club Viborg said Tuesday. Entry visas were not processed in time for Nigerian player Ibrahim Said and Gambian forward Alassana Jatta to play in London on Thursday in the playoff round of the third-tier European competition. Viborg said the problem could not be solved despite working with embassies from Denmark and Britain, along with UEFA and the Dan

Tax agency obtains 'jeopardy order' for debt from Downton Abbey-loving billionaire

Canada's tax agency has obtained an order to seize debts owed by a Chinese billionaire whose love of Downton Abbey inspired him to pay more than $11 million for an iconic Vancouver mansion in the same year he claimed income of just $9,424. According to a federal court judgment issued last month, the Canada Revenue Agency sought the so-called "jeopardy order" to collect $770,710 against the future sale of Mingfei Zhao's home because the 64-year-old has left Canada and appears to be in the process

'Pain does not go away': Anger persists for family of U.S. Marine killed in Kabul

The last text message Darin Taylor Hoover sent his mother from Kabul's airport a year ago was short but one she still reads every day. Taylor, as he was called by his family, was among the last 13 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan. An Islamic State bomber blew himself up at an airport gate during the chaotic mission to evacuate Americans and at-risk Afghans before a complete U.S. military withdrawal.

EXPLAINER: Dueling views remain a year after Afghan pullout

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after America's tumultuous and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, assessments of its impact are divided — and largely along partisan lines. Critics slam the August 2021 evacuation of more than 120,000 American citizens, Afghans and others as poorly planned and badly executed. They say the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces opened the door to a resurgence of al-Qaida and Islamic State militants in the country. And the exit, they say, signaled the United States' lack of c

Council to vote on members of committee to help shape 'catalyst projects' for Regina's downtown

Regina city council is set to vote on whether to approve a large portion of the committee that could help shape the city's downtown core on Wednesday. The catalyst committee will be made up of 16 members, drawn from council members as well as representatives of private industry, business improvement districts and social agencies in Regina. At its Wednesday meeting, council will be asked to approve the committee's terms of reference, and approve 14 of its 16 members. The committee, which city cou

LGBTQ advocacy group wants more monkeypox info, pop-up vaccine clinics

The executive director of Quadrangle, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, says it's troubling that gay contacts of two probable monkeypox cases in Newfoundland and Labrador were treated differently than straight contacts. In an exclusive interview with CBC News, two men said 811 gave them incorrect information, which resulted in delays in testing and protection for close contacts. The provincial Public Health division announced the first probable case of the viral disease on July 28. Both

Planned Parenthood to spend record $50M in midterm elections

WASHINGTON (AP) — Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading reproductive health care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization, plans to spend a record $50 million ahead of November's midterm elections, pouring money into contests where access to abortion will be on the ballot. The effort, which breaks the group's previous $45 million spending record set in 2020, comes months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to hav

Kennebecasis library to reopen seven months after flood

It's been seven months since the public has been able to browse books at the Kennebecasis Public Library in Quispamsis. Loyal patrons like Chrystal Moore, couldn't be happier about the facility's reopening set for Aug. 23. "This was a huge interruption for a local gem that we absolutely love," said Chrystal Moore, a devoted library patron. "We've desperately missed it and are really excited to be able to go back." A cracked pipe in the building's sprinkler system caused serious water damage on J

Taiwan, China hold opposing military drills amid tensions

HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan is staging military exercises to show its ability to resist Chinese pressure to accept Beijing’s political control over the self-governing island, following new rounds of threatening drills from China. The exercises Wednesday off the southeastern county of Hualien follow days of Chinese missile firings and incursions into Taiwan’s sea and airspace by ships and planes from the People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of China’s ruling Communist Party. “We strongly