William Crowther: Vandals topple Australian colonial-era statue (www.bbc.com)
A colonial-era statue honouring a former Australian premier who mutilated the body of an Aboriginal man has been toppled by vandals ahead of its planned removal....
David McBride: Australian army whistleblower jailed for leaking documents (www.bbc.com)
David McBride pleaded guilty to stealing and sharing military secrets on the eve of his trial last year, after legal rulings sunk his defence....
Russian forces push deeper into northern Ukraine (www.bangkokpost.com)
In the past three days, Russian troops, backed by fighter jets, artillery and lethal drones, have poured across Ukraine’s northeastern border and seized at least nine villages and settlements, and more territory per day than at almost any other point in the war, save the very beginning.
3 Dead, 59 Injured After Huge Billboard Falls During Mumbai Dust Storm (www.ndtv.com)
Spy scandal: Why did a Polish judge 'defect' to Belarus? (www.dw.com)
Polish prosecutors will likely file espionage charges against a Polish judge who fled to Belarus, where he is now seeking asylum....
UNRWA to close East Jerusalem headquarters after arson attack by ‘Israeli extremists’ | CNN (edition.cnn.com)
In a statement on social platform X, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the arson attack was the latest in a series of threats, harassment and violent incidents perpetrated by Israelis against the agency’s staff over the past two months....
Serbia to Xi Jinping: No one reveres you like we do (www.politico.eu)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said “the sky is the limit” on future cooperation....
Israel abandoning captives to hunt Hamas leaders, say military officers (www.middleeasteye.net)
Israel has abandoned its goals of freeing the captives in Gaza, instead seeking to establish a long-term presence with its Rafah ground offensive and pursue top Palestinian leaders, Israeli military officers have told Middle East Eye....
Biden Puts Arms Shipment to Israel on Hold Amid Dispute Over Rafah Attack (www.nytimes.com)
President Biden paused an arms shipment to Israel last week to prevent the U.S.-made weapons from being used in a long-threatened assault on the city Rafah, administration officials said on Tuesday night, a sign of the growing rift between Washington and Jerusalem over the conduct of the war....
Israeli authorities raid Al Jazeera after shutdown order (www.reuters.com)
JERUSALEM/DOHA, May 5 (Reuters) - Israeli authorities raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its office after the government decided to shut down the Qatari-owned TV station’s local operations on Sunday, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source told Reuters....
Russia blames 'hostile' Baltic countries for split in relations (www.euronews.com)
Moscow vowed to respond to what it called confrontational actions by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with asymmetric measures....
Swiss public broadcasters withdraw from X/Twitter (www.swissinfo.ch)
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter)....
Video of sun’s surface shows solar rain, eruptions and coronal moss (www.theguardian.com)
Brazil: 37 killed and dozens missing in worst floods in 80 years (www.theguardian.com)
The unprecedented destruction of housing in Gaza hasn't been seen since World War II, the UN says (apnews.com)
NATO sounds alarm over 'hostile' Russian activity across Europe (www.euronews.com)
NATO has issued a sharp warning over “hostile” Russian activity across Europe....
Biden calls U.S. ally Japan 'xenophobic,' along with China and Russia (www.nbcnews.com)
EU unveils €1-billion aid package for Lebanon to curb refugee flows (www.euronews.com)
The European Union will provide €1 billion in financial aid to Lebanon over three years to prop up the country’s economy and help prevent a surge in refugees leaving for Europe....
‘Where Is the Palestinian Gandhi?’ (www.nytimes.com)
On Oct. 7, as the Israeli military deployed across the country to combat Hamas, a group of soldiers waited on an ancient hill called Tel Rumeida in Hebron, a city in the West Bank. Their target was a burly Palestinian man, then 43, named Issa Amro. As Amro approached the soldiers through an olive grove, they moved in and struck...
At least 10,000 Gazans trapped under neighborhood ruins (thecradle.co)
Korea sees more deaths than births for 52nd consecutive month in February (english.hani.co.kr)
Fewer than 20,000 babies were born in Korea in February, a record low for the month...
Some in State Department don’t believe Israel is using US weapons in accordance with international law, source says | CNN Politics (www.cnn.com)
The State Department is divided over whether Israel is using American-provided weapons in accordance with international law ahead of a fast-approaching deadline next week for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make a determination to Congress....
The ‘man who repairs women’ on rape as a weapon and how the world forgot the DRC: "It’s amazing that economic interests can take precedence over humanity" (www.theguardian.com)
Hamas releases video of Israeli hostages Keith Siegel and Omri Miran (www.nbcnews.com)
In the video, Siegel and Miran spoke of not being able to celebrate Passover with their loved ones. It comes days after Hamas released a video of Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin....
Far-right AfD reels as German lawmakers slam party over espionage and corruption allegations (www.politico.eu)
Following allegations of dodgy links to Russia and China, one lawmaker referred to Alternative for Germany as a “party of treason.”...
