The Pentagon approves more military aid for Ukraine, Greens demand Labor go further on student debt, Oscar Piastri claims pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Pentagon approves more military aid for Ukraine
- Greens demand Labor go further on student debt
- Oscar Piastri claims pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The US will send an additional $425 million in military assistance to Ukraine as Kyiv prepares to face Russian forces bolstered by more than 10,000 North Korean troops.
The aid package includes weapons pulled from existing US stockpiles, such as air defence interceptors, munitions, artillery, armoured vehicles and anti-tank weapons.
It comes just one day North Korea's Foreign Minister, Choe Son Hui, met her Russian counterpart in Moscow on Friday.
Ms Choe says the two countries continue to strengthen ties in the face of what they describe as U-S aggression.
"The fervent military build-up and war provocations by the United States and South Korea, driven by the delusion of deterring nonexistent threats, have transformed the US-South Korea alliance into a nuclear-based alliance. This behaviour poses a constant risk of disrupting the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula."
Meanwhile, Ukraine's eastern cities continue to be battered by Russian strikes with an attack on Kharkiv killing three people on Thursday.
A US judge has ruled Elon Musk must face a state court over his sweepstake giveaway offering $1 million to a randomly-selected US voter each day until the election.
The tech billionaire tried to have the case moved to federal court but a district judge ordered that it be heard in a state court instead.
Musk is writing the million-dollar cheques to randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights.
The move has been seen by some as an attempt to influence the outcome of next week's poll. Musk is backing Trump with a reported $118 million donated to his campaign so far.
Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Tim Walz took aim at the pair today in his final pitch to voters today.
"So now he wants to put Musk in charge of being the economy czar for all of us. Now, Elon says the only way to make this economy work is to crash it, to take it down. And he warned you though, Americans, this was Elon in his own words: 'Americans are going to have to be prepared for some hardship.' So I would ask all of you, what in the hell does a billionaire know about hardship?"
Media workers killed by conflict in the Middle East are being mourned as the world marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
Israel has killed at least 183 journalists in Gaza since October last year.
Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric says the death toll is unprecedented in modern times.
"Today, the Secretary General delivered a message to the UN International Media seminar on peace in the Middle East, which is going on in Geneva. In his message, he warned that journalists in Gaza have been killed at a level unseen by any conflict in modern times. The ongoing ban preventing international journalists from Gaza suffocates the truth even further. He said at the same time, he added several journalists have also been killed or injured covering key stories impacting the occupied West. Bank. This is unacceptable. He said the voice of journalists must be protected and press freedom must be safeguarded. "
The Greens have welcomed Labor's plan to ease repayments on student debt but say the changes don't go far enough.
This morning the government announced it will raise the threshold for repayment of student loans by around $13,000 next year.
They say this would reduce the repayments of someone with an annual income of $70,000 by around $1,300 per year.
Deputy Greens Leader Mehreen Faruqi urged Labor to increase the thresholds for repayments immediately.
"The Greens welcome Labor government's decision to raise the minimum repayment income, but it is nowhere near enough relief in a cost of living crisis. The Greens have had legislation sitting in parliament for two years to scrap indexation and to raise the minimum repayment income, but Labor has been blocking it. If Labor had backed Greens legislation, these reforms and reforms like these would be law by now, people would have much less student debt."
Dogs took centre-stage in Nepal this week for a day dedicated to humankind's loyal friend as part of a Hindu festival.
Kukur Tihar, the second day of the five-day Tihar festival, is reserved for worshipping and for appreciating their loyalty and companionship to humans.
While dogs are cherished as loyal friends, street dogs in Nepal often face cruelty.
Across Nepal, dog lovers showered their pets and street dogs with treats, belly rubs, and toys to show their appreciation.
The canine unit of Nepal's Armed Police Force also lined up for celebrations during a special ritual held at the headquarters.
Animal welfare advocates hope the Kukur Tihar spirit lasts beyond the festival, calling for better treatment of street dogs all year round and an end to harmful practices.
In sport ...
Oscar Piastri has pipped his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to pole position in qualifying for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race.
The Melbourne-born Formula One driver lapped the Interlagos circuit on Friday with a best time of one minute 08.899 seconds, while Norris was a mere 0.029 seconds slower.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came in third, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen fourth.
