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.
HAT YAI, Thailand (AP) — Thailand’s southernmost provinces, which for almost two decades have been the scene of an active Muslim separatist insurgency, were hit Tuesday night by a wave of arson and bombing attacks, officials said. At least 17 attacks occurred in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces, mostly at convenience stores and gas stations, military spokesperson Pramote Promin said Wednesday. Three civilians were reported injured. There have been no claims of responsibility. More than 7,3
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."
(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.
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
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.
SYDNEY (AP) — Scott Morrison said Wednesday that giving himself extra powers when he was Australia’s prime minister was necessary during the coronavirus crisis as criticism rose the moves were deceptive and undemocratic. Current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking an opinion from the solicitor-general on the legality of some of Morrison’s moves. Many of Morrison’s own colleagues were blindsided by his decision to secretly appoint himself to five ministerial roles, which have only been rev
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people in Britain who contracted HIV or hepatitis from transfusions of tainted blood in the 1970s and 1980s will receive 100,000 pounds ($120,000) in compensation, the U.K. government said Wednesday. Survivors welcomed the payment, which came after years of campaigning, but said it should be expanded to include more people whose lives were blighted by the scandal. The payment will be made by October to survivors and bereaved partners of the dead but not to other family
Drumheller was crawling with seemingly extra-terrestrial machines over the weekend as 12 post-secondary teams from the United States and Canada descended upon the community to compete in the 2022 Canadian International Rover Challenge (CIRC). CIRC is hosted by the Canadian Space Technology Advancement Group (CSTAG), and the 2022 challenge marks the fifth summer competition held in Drumheller. “The teams put in a phenomenal amount of work to put the rovers together, they work about one to two yea
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
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
With a shortage of nurses in Ontario, hospitals are increasingly relying on temporary agency nurses to help fill the gap. Critics are raising concerns that public dollars are going to these private agencies, instead of toward better wages for nurses.
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
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
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.
Drumheller residents and taxpayers have the opportunity to provide feedback on the core municipal services offered by the Town, their satisfaction with these services, and their top three service priorities for the 2023 Operating budget. Feedback is being collected by award-winning digital democracy platform Ethelo and will help guide council and administration as they prepare for the 2023 budget deliberations. “As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, the primary focus will remain on safely deliver
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
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
GUYSBOROUGH – Guysborough County Kids First, in partnership with the Municipality of the District of Guysborough’s (MODG’s) recreation department, once again, offered families a free night of camping at either Fox Island Campground or at Boylston Provincial Park on Aug. 15. The family camping program started approximately five years ago and has evolved over the years, particularly those impacted by COVID-19. But, no matter the changes, the program continues to offer families a free night of camp
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
When Statistics Canada released job vacancy and wage rate data for the first quarter of 2022, Nova Scotians learned that the province had a job vacancy rate of 4.4 per cent, up from 3.2 per cent in the same period in 2021. Job vacancy rates in the province were lower than the national average in every category, except real estate and rentals, management of companies, educational services, and health care and social assistance. As the province prepares to head back to school in September, citizen
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
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
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
One of Trump's most vocal critics, Liz Cheney, was defeated in a primary election on Tuesday - while former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sailed through.View on euronews