Australia news live: Albanese meets with Japan’s PM for first time since melon-gate; police offer $1m for Gus Lamont information

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Al Jazeera·14m ago2 outlets

Six-year-old sets Rubik’s Cube world record twice in three days

Lian Yunzhi solves 3x3 puzzle on several occasions in average time of under 4.5 seconds, according to state media A six-year-old Chinese girl has set a new women’s world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube in just over four seconds, state media reported. “Speedcuber” Lian Yunzhi broke the women’s 3x3 average world record twice this month at two World Cube Association certified competitions in Wuhan and Guangzhou, according to state broadcaster CCTV on Monday. Continue reading...

Al Jazeera·30m ago

US, Iran hold mediated UNGA talks on ending war, opening Strait of Hormuz

Tehran ties diplomatic progress to lifting shipping blockades and unfreezing assets during New York negotiations.

The Guardian·42m ago

Jesse Baird ‘petrified’ of Beau Lamarre-Condon and kept repeating ‘he has a gun’, court hears

Friend sobs in witness box and tells Sydney murder trial Baird was scared to go to the police Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jesse Baird was “petrified” of Beau Lamarre-Condon because he was an armed police officer who could make a false allegation that would ruin his career, a court has heard. Lamarre-Condon has been accused of fatally shooting Sydney couple Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, with a police service weapon at Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. Continue reading...

Al Jazeera·1h ago3 outlets

Sri Lanka convicts 15 people over 2019 Easter Day bombings

The Islamic State group-inspired attacks were among the deadliest in Sri Lanka's history, killing 42 foreigners.

The Guardian·1h ago

Liberal operative was offered $1,000 to get media to cover ‘grubby rumour’ minister was having affair, Icac hears

Sharangan Maheswaran says his bid for story on unsubstantiated rumour about then-Liberal minister David Elliott was ‘not a serious offer’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A lawyer for fugitive property developer Jean Nassif offered a Liberal operative $1,000 if he could get media to write about an unsubstantiated extramarital affair and breach of Covid-19 restrictions by a New South Wales minister, the anti-corruption watchdog has heard. Sharangan Maheswaran told the Independent Commission Against Corruption a message to lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood about placing a story about former Liberal minister David Elliott, was “not a serious offer”. He was shown a message to Greenwood in which he wrote he was “not joking”. Continue reading...

The Guardian·2h ago

Senior Liberals rubbish Barnaby Joyce’s claim of talks over deal with One Nation as ‘figment of his imagination’

Joyce would not say which Liberals he had spoken to, while Angus Taylor denied any conversations had taken place Senior Liberals have rubbished claims by Barnaby Joyce that he has discussed One Nation offering the Coalition a pathway to minority government after the next election, accusing him of buyers remorse after defecting from the Nationals. Joyce, who defected to join Pauline Hanson’s party in December, claimed on Tuesday night he had held talks with senior Liberals about a potential deal for supply and confidence to oust Anthony Albanese from power. Continue reading...