Second major haul of pangolin scales raises extinction fears
Singapore has made a second massive seizure of trafficked pangolin scales less than a week after 12.7 tonnes of the illegal animal parts were found in a container labelled as cassia seeds. The shipment, seized on Monday but only publicised a few days later, was travelling on the same Nigeria to Vietnam route that another…
Anzac Day 2019: How the Gallipoli battle helped forge Australia and New Zealand’s national identities
Anzac Day, the national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, is set to take place at the end of this month, with events in honour of those who served in war to be held across the globe. Recognised annually on April 25, the day marks the anniversary of the first significant military action fought…
Michael Avenatti charged with stealing clients’ payouts in massive fraud case
Click:high density polyethylene geomembrane Attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged in a 36-count federal indictment alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients, did not pay his taxes, committed bank fraud and lied in bankruptcy proceedings. Avenatti, 48, was indicted late Wednesday by a Southern California grand jury on a raft of additional charges following…
Benjamin Netanyahu begins forming coalition as US hails prospects of Israeli-Palestinian peace
Click:bathtub factory Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday began negotiations to form a new Right-wing coalition after seeing off a centrist challenger in a close election and securing a fifth term as Israel’s prime minister. Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party won the same number of seats as Blue & White, a centrist coalition led by former general Benny Gantz,…
Indian election authorities stop release of Modi’s fawning Bollywood biopic as polls open
India’s Election Commission has prohibited the release of a Bollywood biopic on Narendra Modi, the prime minister, a day before its scheduled release, claiming it would tip the balance of the general elections in his favour. The Commission, which oversees India’s parliamentary and provincial elections, on Wednesday ruled that releasing PM Narendra Modi would give…
Inside NXIVM, the New York ‘sex cult’ that drew in Smallville actress Allison Mack
The highly successful Hollywood actress did not appear to be a lost soul. Allison Mack was seen by friends on the set of Smallville, the drama about Superman’s early years, as open, friendly, and highly professional. For 10 years she played Clark Kent’s best friend – a sought-after role in a hit show, and the culmination…
German Isil bride goes on trial over killing of 5-year-old Yazidi girl
A German former Isil bride went on trial on Tuesday on charges of deliberately allowing a five-year-old Yazidi girl to die of thirst. The 27-year-old woman, named only as Jennifer W under German privacy laws, is accused of “murder by omission” and a war crime over the death of the child in the Iraqi city…
Worst day of fighting as rebel army advances on Tripoli
Fighting in Tripoli intensified drastically on Wednesday as rival armies brought tanks and multiple rocket-launch systems to bear in the deadly struggle for control of the Libyan capital. The escalation came as Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, issued an address to the nation urging Libyans to defend the…
Nepalese team to measure Mount Everest amid concerns it has shrunk following earthquake
Nepal is sending a group of expert climbers to remeasure the height of Mount Everest today amid concerns that the devastating 2015 earthquake in the country caused the peak to shrink. It is the first time the country has sent its own government-appointed team to conduct a survey of the world’s highest mountain. Officially, Everest…
Pilot missing after F-35 fighter jet crashes in Japan
Wreckage from a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter jet has been found a day after it disappeared off the radar over the Pacific, the country’s defence minister said Wednesday. There was no word yet on the fate of the one pilot on board the jet, Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said. It was the first reported case…