Top World News
LGBTQ+ cruise ship refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey turned it away
Scarlet Lady’s 2,000 passengers told of change as one of those onboard says they will ‘sparkle and spend elsewhere’An LGBTQ+ cruise ship blocked from Turkish waters this week has been refused entry into Egypt.The Scarlet Lady’s 2,000 passengers, including the Broadway performer Patti LuPone, woke on Thursday morning to find a note placed under their cabin doors informing them that the ship was urgently looking for alternative ports. Continue reading...
Species’ ingenious survival strategies no match for human destruction, red list reveals
Newly endangered animals include desert frogs and snails in extreme ocean depths, both threatened by miningLife has colonised every corner of the planet by evolving ingenious survival strategies but these are increasingly being overwhelmed by destructive human activities, this year’s red list of endangered species has revealed.Many snails, limpets and clams have adapted to life at crushing depths in the oceans on hydrothermal vents where water temperatures can reach 450C (842F). But an assessment for the red list found that two-thirds of the hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep sea vents were at risk of extinction because of deep-sea mining. Continue reading...
'Oh my God': MS NOW floats 25th Amendment after 'rambling' Trump speech
Donald Trump’s final appearances at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, raised questions about his mental state after he fumbled world leaders' names, misidentified countries and went off on odd tangents that left reporters scratching their heads. Admitting he is is sympathetic to the rigors of overseas travel and sleep disruptions due to changing time zones when involved in continuous meetings, MS NOW host Joe Scarborough suggested there is a strong case for the Trump Cabinet to remove him from office via the 25th Amendment.After showing clips of the president stumbling about when speaking, the “Morning Joe” Scarborough pointed to similar worries about President Joe Biden whose own verbal miscues led to his decision to not seek re-election. “If Joe Biden had said that, oh my God, the world would come to an end,” Brzezinski continued. “We would be like, they would say, put electrodes up to his brain right now, because obviously, the 25th Amendment must be put into effect at once.”Scarborough continued to chastise commentators who asked how Biden was able to remain in office amid concerns about his mental state. Co-host Willie Geist agreed with Scarborough that there was a strong comparison to be drawn. “If you listen to the remarks of the president gives, the long speeches, he gives the rants, he goes on the rambling, you know, a slip of the tongue," Geist said. "Japan/Iran. He called President Zelenskyy, ‘President Putin’ yesterday. You know, it happens in the course of a day, I guess, but you're right. The side-by-side, the comparison and the moniker of ‘Sleepy Joe’ for the president, who often falls asleep in public. You can do this all day if you want to.” - YouTube youtu.be
Venomous snakes escape breeding farms in southern China during flooding
Local media in Hengzhou report king ratsnakes and cobras among hundreds in flood waters caused by typhoon MaysakHundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. Continue reading...
Scott Jennings brutally fact-checked while claiming Trump lowered gas prices
Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings was quickly fact-checked as he tried to convince panelists that Trump has lowered gas prices.During an appearance on a panel hosted by CNN anchor Abby Phillip, Jennings flatly stated that "gas is lower today than when he took office," referring to Trump."No, it's not," Phillip shot back. She had to repeat herself as Jennings continued trying to make the assertion.Jennings was responding to comments by Democratic political strategist Neera Tanden, who was also a Biden White House advisor. Tanden pointed out that the price of oil and gas had gone up."What's the price of gas today, do you know?" Jennings asked. When Tanden gave estimates for a barrel of oil at $78 and gas at $4.30 per gallon, Jennings responded, "And what's the price of gas under Joe Biden?" and asked Tanden if she ever talked about oil and gas prices when Biden was president."Scott, that's actually not the question," Phillip intervened, which is when Jennings made his claim about gas now being lower since Trump took office. Meanwhile, Tanden said that gas was $3.20 a gallon under Biden."Gas is not lower today than when Trump took office, and it's not lower today than it was before Trump started the war" with Iran, Phillip said, continuing her point."So look, you can dismiss the gas thing, but it's a real thing that people are going to the gas pump, filling up their tank, and it's costing them 70 bucks," Phillip said.
'You're on a dangerous flight': Trump shocks reporters on Air Force One with threat claim
President Donald Trump responded to a reporter's questions about Iranian threats against Air Force One by telling them they were at risk, too.While taking questions from a press gaggle on Air Force One on Wednesday, one reporter asked why the plane's blinds were closed and whether Trump was aware of any credible security threats from Iran."I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list — before you," Trump said. "But if I go, you go. So perhaps one day we want to change professions."Another reporter mentioned that they had to change planes and asked, "What were the security concerns that caused us to change planes?""We sent this one in so that the Air Force base here is on the same exact line," Trump said. "Did you see the picture with hundreds of people? You can't see it too well, but there are hundreds of people on there. So they came a little bit early, and we switched planes."Another reporter said, "They had us close our window blinds. That was unusual.""Well, yeah," Trump responded. "You're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags we have to deal with."On CNN, anchor Erin Burnett explained that Trump, heading home from the NATO summit in Turkey, was switched from the jet gifted by Qatar to the old Air Force One, but "the switch doesn't make any sense."Former Sen. Barbara Boxer described Trump's "if I go, you go" remarks as "inappropriate," but said, "The biggest issue here is the plane" from Qatar because "the experts on security said, 'What are you doing? We have to have these planes made in America.'"
US allies sent reeling by commentary 'coming out of President Trump': analyst
World leaders and diplomats attending the NATO meetings were correct in worrying that an “angry and exhausted” Donald Trump would disrupt the proceedings and their fears came true after an outburst from the president about the Iran war, combined with new complaints, creating fresh concerns.Reporting from the meetings in Turkey, reporter Ines de La Cuerta told the "Morning Joe" panel that the American president has everyone on edge.Co-host Jonathan Lemire prompted her with, “There are so many headlines to sift through out of NATO. President Trump again, demanding that the U.S. be given Greenland, reigniting a trade war with Spain. But obviously, the major headline is the sound we played at the top of this hour: him suggesting that he believes the ceasefire could be over. He suggested negotiations could continue. But we're seeing hostilities, our biggest set of hostilities in the region in weeks. Give us the latest as to what's happening.”“Yeah, that's right, John,” she replied. “And I think NATO allies are frankly shocked by what they're hearing coming out of President Trump. We knew this was going to be a tense summit, but it is, you know, a lot more tense, I think, than we expected.”“So, on Iran, you heard President Trump there talking about how the Iranians are sick, how they're scum. He was asked if the MOU is dead, if the ceasefire is over. And he said as far as he's concerned, it is over. He did say that he would speak to his negotiators,” she added. - YouTube youtu.be
UK judges begin hearing appeal over Trinidad and Tobago anti-gay law
Activist is challenging ruling last year that restored colonial-era homophobic law against same-sex intimacySome of the UK’s top judges are hearing arguments over whether a Trinidad and Tobago court had the legal right to overturn a 2018 ruling to remove colonial-era homophobic laws that criminalise anal sex between consenting men.The country’s “buggery law”, often referred to as its “sodomy” law, was created in 1925 and was written into Trinidad and Tobago’s 1986 Sexual Offences Act. In 2017 a Trinidadian LGBTQ+ rights activist, Jason Jones, challenged the law, and in 2018 a high court ruled that it infringed upon his constitutional right to privacy and equality. Continue reading...
Trump's strange Putin glitch spurs uproar: 'Dude is gonzo'
President Donald Trump repeatedly erred while talking to reporters at his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday, referring to him as "Putin" — then trying to reword things to make it sound intentional."Do you have a question for President Putin?" asked Trump, as the reporters buzzed. "Do you have a question for President Putin?" he pointed at Zelensky.A second later, he added, "What would you like to ask him, because I'm going to ask him that question," as though referring to a separate meeting at a later date.The whole exchange went viral on X, with commenters drowning the president in ridicule."Dude is gonzo," wrote Democratic political commentator Joanne "JoJoFromJerz" Carducci."What is incredibly disturbing is how Trump literally thought Zelensky was Putin and once he caught his dementia slip he tried to rebound doubling down on the slip up," wrote YouTuber Vince Wilson."First, the 'Islamic Republic of Japan.' Now, 'President Putin,'" wrote criminal defense lawyer and Simple Justice blogger Scott Greenfield. "Something is seriously awry."
Trump blunder fest rages on: 'You have a question for President Putin?'
President Donald Trump repeatedly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the wrong name at a NATO summit press conference Wednesday."You have a question for President Putin?" Trump asked reporters.He then tried to put out the fire with a baffling rephrasing of his remark.Noting the press reaction that included some laughs, he attempted, “Do you have a question for President Putin, not Zelenskyy,” once again pointing at his counterpart.He then added, "What do you want to ask him because I am going to ask that question.”Trump repeatedly refers to Zelenskyy as "President Putin" pic.twitter.com/zbTzfMc5EI— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 8, 2026
‘Software glitch’ blamed for mass outage – as it happened
This blog is now closedTelstra outage: Telco apologises for major time-keeping issue that hit mobiles, trains and triple-zero callsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTelstra outage reported to be cause of Victoria train stoppageThere is a long list of cancelled trains on the official V/line site, but the TL/DR is that Victoria’s regional train network has ground to a halt.Due to a radio network fault affecting the network, services are currently unable to operate …Passengers are advised to defer travel where possible. Continue reading...
Military experts issue dark warning about path forward after new strikes: 'Last turn'
A military expert is warning about the path ahead for the U.S. as it begins new strikes on Iran.Retired Admiral James Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said during a Tuesday appearance on CNN that the U.S. "launched pretty significant strikes here," and cautioned, "This is the last turn before the tunnel for the Iranians in terms of Trump's patience."Stavridis suggested that the strikes came after the Trump administration "just got tired" of Iranian attacks on merchant shipping, which must have been "a bridge too far." He described the Trump administration's retaliation as "a pretty strong set of strikes for this stage" in negotiations for a ceasefire, but Stavridis held out hope."Let's hope the Iranians kind of get the signal here and stand down from striking merchant shipping," Stavridis said. "Bottom line, the ceasefire can still be salvaged."However, Stavridis described the ceasefire as being on "life support."Former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger, who appeared on CNN alongside Stavridis, agreed with Stavridis, even though "this has kind of been the way from the first so-called ceasefire." Kinzinger argued the first ceasefire only gave the U.S. time to negotiate the memorandum of understanding that was meant to stop hostilities."Now, the Trump administration has a decision to make," Kinzinger said. "And that decision is simply, you have to basically escalate to try to compel some answer or some negotiation that actually works out, or do you just walk away and give Iran the Strait [of Hormuz]? Basically walk away from the nuclear material?"
