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Nine people have been killed and multiple others injured after the driver of a black SUV slammed into a crowd Saturday evening at a street festival in Vancouver celebrating the contributions of the Filipino Canadian community, police say.

Members of the Indigenous Waorani village of Kiwaro looked skyward as a helicopter hovered over the rainforest canopy in the center of Ecuador and landed in a nearby clearing. Out stepped government officials, there to inform the community about an impending auction of oil rights on their land.

This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in Australia is available by calling 13 11 14. In the U.S., it is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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Russia became increasingly aggressive and provocative toward European countries in 2024, employing espionage, cyberattacks, and covert disinformation campaigns to influence public debate, according to the annual report released by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD). The agency described Russia’s actions as approaching the level of state terrorism aimed at spreading fear across Europe. The report also highlighted a rise in extremist threats within the Netherlands.

A Sydney radio station has been using an AI-generated host for about six months without disclosing it – and was not legally obliged to.

Of all the sources of culture shock I might have anticipated after my partner and I bought a home in 2022 in northern Italy, trash collection never crossed my mind. I didn’t know going in that Italy had become the top overall recycling country in the EU and one of the best for household-level recycling — in part by relying on those households to do a lot of the work. I quickly got my crash course.

This is despite weak La Niña conditions during the first two months of the year – which typically result in cooler temperatures.

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Major Russian banks have set up a netting payments system dubbed "The China Track" for transactions with China, aiming to reduce their visibility to Western regulators and mitigate the risk of secondary sanctions.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2534660

Siamangs are the largest of the 20 gibbon species, and belong to their own genus, Symphalangus. Distributed across Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and the southernmost part of Thailand, their unforgettable and emblematic call defines the soundscape of the hill forests in the region. Despite still having several population strongholds across their range, with their number likely being around 100,000 across Sumatra, they are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Gibbons, also known as “small apes,” receive far less conservation attention than their “great ape” cousins, and so the trafficking of gibbons is still a big and increasing threat to their long-term survival. By contrast, orangutan trafficking has decreased over the last five years and is seen as a higher-profile crime compared to trafficking gibbons. Among all gibbon range countries, Indonesia is the hotspot for gibbon trafficking, which is reflected in the numerous wildlife rescue centers across the country that shelter gibbons. Of all gibbon species, the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is the most trafficked, making it one of the most, if not the most trafficked ape species, globally. Recent news highlights this trend, with five Siamang infants being confiscated at Chennai International Airport in India. As Mongabay recently highlighted, India is becoming the main destination for smuggled gibbons, likely coming from Sumatra via Malaysia. On March 3, Indonesian authorities off the coast of North Sumatra busted a ship en route to Malaysia, and among human trafficking victims, 10 gibbons, of which seven were siamangs, were also being trafficked. Siamangs spend…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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What they were offering – through a programme titled Safe Place for Science – was a sort of “scientific asylum”, offering three years of funding at their facility for about 20 researchers.

SAN SALVADOR (AP) — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Thursday evening in El Salvador, coming face to face with the wrongly deported man after two days in the country pushing for his release.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/32890522

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Rice, the world’s most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.

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The European Commission is closely monitoring containerized imports from China amid growing fears that the high US tariffs will force a redirection of trans-Pacific trade flows and flood Europe with Chinese goods.

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Requests to remove books from library shelves are on the rise in the UK, as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US crosses the Atlantic, according to those working in the sector.

The rest of the West can no longer rely on the United States. *The European Union, Japan, Britain, Canada and others need to reduce their dependency on Washington while not becoming reliant on China*. That means weaning themselves off the dollar, boosting cooperation in trade and defence, and *reaching out to emerging economies* such as India.

"We, the players of the Icelandic women's national handball team, believe it is important to share our experience after having played two playoff matches against the Israeli national team this week. It is time for the international sports movement – and sports authorities in Iceland – to reassess their stance on Israel's participation in international competitions while their military operations in Gaza continue.

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Like many African nations, Nigeria has lagged behind Global North countries in shifting away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Solar power contributes just around 3 percent of the total electricity generated in Africa — though it is the world’s sunniest continent — compared to nearly 12 percent in Germany and 6 percent in the United States.

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Palau would not cave to diplomatic pressure from China and would remain an ally of Taiwan “until death do us part,” Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr said yesterday.

US troops will be able to deploy a string of bases along the Panama Canal under a joint deal seen by AFP on Thursday, April 10, a major concession to President Donald Trump as he seeks to reestablish influence over the vital waterway. The agreement, signed by top security officials from both countries, allows US military personnel to deploy to Panama-controlled facilities for training, exercises and "other activities."

The videos are across Chinese social media. Some are slickly produced Russian propaganda about being “tough” men; some sound more like influencer advertisements for a working holiday. Others are cobbled-together screenshots by regular citizens about to leave China. But they all have one thing in common: selling the benefits of becoming a Chinese mercenary for Russia.

China says it will cut the number of US films that are imported into the country in retaliation against the latest wave of tariff increases imposed by the Trump administration. A statement issued by the Chinese Film Administration (CFA) on Thursday, which we’ve translated using Google, said that the decision to increase tariffs against China to 125 percent was “the wrong move,” and will “further reduce the domestic audience’s favorability” towards American-made movies.

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In a dramatic shift, the US president paused tariffs on most nations while hiking China's rate to 125%, triggering a global market rally but leaving key policy details unclear. 

China's Finance Ministry announced that, in reponse to US tariffs on imported Chinese goods being raised to 104%, it would raise its own tariffs on American products, effective Thursday, April 10. 

Hatsushima is not a particularly busy station, relative to Japanese rail commuting as a whole. It serves a town (Arida) of about 25,000, known for mandarin oranges and scabbardfish, that is shrinking in population, like most of Japan. Its station sees between one to three trains per hour at its stop, helping about 530 riders find their way. Its wooden station was due for replacement, and the replacement could be smaller.

Kathmandu (AFP) – Nearly two decades since Nepal became a secular republic, a surge of pro-monarchy protests have swept the Himalayan nation, fuelled by economic despair and disillusionment with current leaders.

From the who-needs-precogs dept.:

The number of state executions around the world has reached its highest level in ten years, a new report by Amnesty International has said.

The US will impose a cumulative 104 percent tariff on goods imported from China after midnight tonight, alongside a host of tariffs on other countries, the White House confirmed to CNBC.

The UN received reports that Myanmar's military had conducted attacks, while the military accused rebels of the same.

Obviously, things can quickly devolve on any story about Israel. Let's stick to Netanyahu's political situation.

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"About 72 per cent of fatalities aged 13-55 are men, which is the rough age range of Hamas combatants, Mr Fox said. “We know that Hamas uses child soldiers, and these statistics show clearly that Israel is targeting fighting-aged men.”

South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday, April 3, upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, voting unanimously to strip him of office for violating the constitution. Yoon, 64, was suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament. He was also arrested on insurrection charges as part of a separate criminal case. His removal triggers fresh presidential elections, which must be held within 60 days.

Occasionally, an image from a conflict zone makes the world stop and take notice.

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Australia has just sweltered through its hottest 12 months on record, a weather official said Thursday, a period of drenching floods, tropical cyclones and mass coral bleaching.

Hundreds of men and women stand in rows, divided by nationality, in the courtyard of a white-walled compound, flanked by armed guards in fatigues.

The United States is increasing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East to two, keeping one that is already there and sending another from the Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, April 1. The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S. Truman in the Middle East "to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday, April 2, a major expansion of a military operation in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.

China announced Monday the discovery of a crude oil reserve estimated at 100 million tons in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, according to a statement from the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

As US President Donald Trump prepares to announce reciprocal tariffs on April 2, which he calls “Liberation Day,” attention is turning to the potential impact on global trade.

Now, thousands of protesters have been detained and government-owned media appears to be running a blackout on any coverage of the protests. A number of journalists have been arrested and a BBC reporter has even been deported after his reporting of demonstrations.

Meanwhile, in 2023, there was a massive jump in arms exports to Europe. Overall, the value of UK companies’ arms export contracts to Europe more than quadrupled between 2013–17 and 2019–23, reaching £16.15 billion in the latter period. This reflects a trend towards European rearmament that has been going on for many years, but which greatly accelerated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines comes in the midst of a critical mid-term election, scheduled to be held on May 12, that is functioning for the elite as a referendum on the geopolitical allegiance of the Philippines. The tariffs, spending freezes, and volatility of the Trump administration have thrown into sharp relief the question of Manila’s loyalty to its former colonial ruler. The Marcos administration, functioning as a proxy of US imperialism, has brought the Philippines to the brink of war with China.

Tuesday’s drills have differed slightly from more recent efforts, which have not been so explicitly linked to “punishing” Taiwan. They were also launched with little warning. Taiwan’s government and military have been ramping up their response training amid growing concern that Beijing might launch a real attack or blockade under the guise of a drill.

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Iranian authorities have escalated their crackdown on women’s rights defenders, journalists, singers and other activists demanding equality or who defy compulsory veiling using arbitrary detention, unjust prosecution, flogging, and even the death penalty in a bid to quash Iran’s women’s rights movement, Amnesty International said today.

Social security failures coupled with structural gender inequality leave many people in Germany mired in poverty, especially single-parent families and older women.

At least 17 Tesla cars were destroyed after a fire broke out at a dealership on the outskirts of Rome on Monday morning, according to Italian fire officials. No one was at the dealership when the fire broke out and no injuries have been reported.

Anti-coup fighters in Myanmar declared a two-week partial ceasefire as the military began Sunday, March 30, to facilitate rescue operations and other relief work after a massive earthquake hit the war-torn country.

The Dutch environmental NGO Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) formally filed a lawsuit today against ING, the largest bank in the Netherlands, challenging the bank’s climate policies. The lawsuit seeks to compel ING to align its financing activities with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. By taking this action, Milieudefensie hopes to set a precedent for holding financial institutions accountable for their role in financing fossil fuel companies and high-carbon sectors that exacerbate the global climate crisis.

Naypyidaw (Myanmar) (AFP) – A powerful earthquake rattled Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, trapping dozens of workers in a collapsed under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok where a state of emergency was declared.

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Parisians voted in a referendum on Sunday to pedestrianise a further 500 of the city's streets, giving fresh momentum to efforts by the French capital's left-leaning town hall to curb car usage and improve air quality.

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François Kraus, director at Ifop, said in a press release: "This isn't a youth-led protest. It's being driven by seniors and high-income consumers—and that poses a bigger problem for U.S. brands."

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