AUSTRALIA
Kiwi citizenship path eased
The government yesterday announced that it would make it easier for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to become citizens, removing a long-festering thorn in ties between the traditionally friendly rivals. Under the new rules starting on July 1, New Zealanders can apply directly for citizenship if they arrived after 2001 and have lived there for at least four years — affecting about 380,000 people, local media said. “We know many New Zealanders are here on a special category visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
THAILAND
Extreme heat notices issued
Authorities yesterday warned residents across large swathes of the country, including the capital, Bangkok, to avoid going outdoors due to extreme heat. In Bangkok, temperatures reached a record high of 54°C in Bang Na District yesterday, the Meteorological Department said. “Sometimes, I take refuge in the 7-Eleven convenience store ... to escape the heat,” said Amporn Supasert, 67, a grilled chicken vendor in Bangkok. Temperatures yesterday were to exceed 40°C in at least 28 provinces, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
SPAIN
Flambe fire kills two
Two people died and 10 were injured in a fire sparked when a waiter at a Madrid restaurant on Friday flambeed a dish, accidentally setting decorations ablaze, authorities and local media reported yesterday. Madrid’s SAMUR emergency services “treated 12 people in this disaster,” two of whom died, Montse Marcos, a manager at the organization, told journalists. Witnesses told El Pais daily that the waiter at the Italian restaurant poured alcohol over the dish and set it alight. The waiter “had the plate in flames in one hand, and the blowtorch in the other. He passed by a column of plants and in a matter of seconds it burned everything,” said a diner, who gave her name only as Ruth.
COLOMBIA
Mine blast death toll rises
The death toll from an explosion in a coal mine rose to seven Friday with the discovery of four more bodies, Cundinamarca Fire Department head Alvaro Farfan said. The blast ripped through the mine overnight on Wednesday into Thursday in Cucunuba, about 90km north of the capital, Bogota. Authorities said they suspect pockets of gas trapped in the mine detonated. Rescue teams initially found three bodies and four workers were missing. These bodies were finally spotted on Friday.
SWITZERLAND
Prisoners rapidly aging: ICRC
Inmates who have been held for years in the US’ Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba are showing signs of “accelerated aging,” a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. “We’re calling on the US administration and Congress to work together to find adequate and sustainable solutions to address these issues,” said Patrick Hamilton, the ICRC’s head of delegation for the US and Canada. “Action should be taken as a matter of priority.” His comments follow a visit to the facility last month, after a 20-year hiatus. He said he was “struck by how those who are still detained today are experiencing the symptoms of accelerated aging, worsened by the cumulative effects of their experiences and years spent in detention.”
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across
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