insert_link World Wildfires rip through US state of Texas Wildfires are rapidly spreading through the US states of Texas and Oklahoma, prompting people to flee their homes and businesses. On Tuesday a nuclear weapons plant suspended operations, with nonessential staff evacuating the premises. Sally Patterson has more. todayFebruary 29, 2024 7
insert_link World McConnell announced he’s stepping down after longest stint representing party in Senate US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is leaving his role in November. He's just spoken saying he still has faith in the good of the U.S., as the leading country of the world. That optimism from the 82-year-old despite recent divisions within the Republican party and questions over whether he would endorse presumptive candidate Donald Trump. Caroline Malone reports. todayFebruary 29, 2024 10
insert_link World The Hurdles Keep Climbing for the UN’s New Gaza-Aid Troubleshooter Sigrid Kaag, a former Dutch politician, was named to the new post of senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza late last year. Since arriving on the job on Jan. 8, the enormous hurdles to delivering food and other essentials into the Palestinian enclave have worsened as famine alarms are being sounded by UN officials. MANUEL ELIAS/UN PHOTO By Damilola Banjo via Passblue Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch diplomat and former politician appointed […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 9
insert_link World Biden & Trump win Michigan primary despite challenges US president Joseph Biden won Michigan's Democratic primary, while Donald Trump won the Republican contest. Biden faced opposition from the state's Arab American population over the Israel-Gaza conflict, with many in the state marking their ballot for "uncommitted" rather than Biden. Nick Harper reports. todayFebruary 29, 2024 13
insert_link World Odysseus lander to be ‘put to sleep’ The team behind the Odysseus spacecraft says their mission has 'changed the economics of landing on the moon'. Speaking on Wednesday, representatives of Intuitive Machines said the lander will be "put to sleep" before being powered up again in the next two to three weeks. Last week it became the first privately developed spacecraft to soft land on the lunar surface. Sally Patterson has more. todayFebruary 29, 2024 3
insert_link Environment EU to introduce 10-year prison terms for environmental crimes The European Union has become the first international body to criminalise the most serious cases of environmental damage that are “comparable to ecocide”. Ecosystem destruction, including habitat loss and illegal logging, will be punished with tougher penalties and prison sentences of up to 10 years under the EU’s updated environmental crime directive. Here is local Ecologist Peter Cuningham. todayFebruary 28, 2024 28
insert_link World Private sector invests in universal connectivity The mobile phone industry has pledged over $9 billion towards the goal of connecting the world. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said, “Thanks to these new commitments, millions of people will benefit from accessible and affordable connectivity across the world.” Around 2.6 billion people remain offline worldwide, according to data from the specialized UN agency, which drives innovation in communications technology. As telecommunications infrastructure forms the backbone of connectivity and digital transformation, […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 18
insert_link World France moves to enshrine abortion rights France is on the verge of enshrining abortion rights into the country's constitution. Lawmakers in the lower house passed the historic bill last month, which now heads to the French senate for its final legislative hurdle. The AFP news agency reports that President Emmanuel Macron’s government wants Article 34 of the constitution amended to specify that “the law determines the conditions by which is exercised the freedom of women to […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 8
insert_link Environment 2 Men convicted of killing Run-DMC’s Mizell The godson of Run-DMC star Jason Mizell has been convicted of his murder in New York City, more than 20 years after the rap star's death. Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay, was fatally shot in 2002 in his music studio. He's credited with helping hip-hop break into the pop music mainstream in the 1980s - with hits including 'It's Tricky'. The Associated Press reports that an anonymous Brooklyn federal […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 26
