Canberra Airport pitches direct student flights to Chinese airlines | The Canberra Times

The White House has launched a new webpage asserting the theory that COVID-19 may have originated from a laboratory, highlighted by the title "Lab Leak" and a photo of President Trump. It criticizes mainstream narratives that suggest the virus originated naturally, pointing to Wuhan's research lab with inadequate biosafety as a potential source. The page also disputes key pandemic measures like social distancing and mask-wearing, while recent intelligence assessments lean towards a lab-related origin, contradicting...

SummaryOscar Piastri was narrowly outperformed by teammate Lando Norris during practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Norris clocking a best time of 1:28.267, 0.163 seconds ahead of Piastri. Max Verstappen faced balance issues with his Red Bull, finishing third and amid speculation about his future with the team, which he and team principal Christian Horner dismissed as "noise." The session was interrupted by Yuki Tsunoda's crash, and Lewis Hamilton struggled, ending the day...

A US judge has rejected Sean "Diddy" Combs' request to postpone his sex-trafficking trial by two months, with jury selection set for May 5 and opening statements on May 12. Combs, 55, who has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts including racketeering and sex trafficking, is accused by prosecutors of using his business empire to abuse women from 2004 to 2024, while his lawyers claim the encounters were consensual. Combs has been jailed in...

A mob of 100-200 people attacked a place of worship belonging to Pakistan's Ahmadi minority community in Karachi, resulting in the death of a 47-year-old car workshop owner, as confirmed by police and community spokesman Amir Mahmood. Superintendent of Police Mohammad Safdar reported that the mob was dispersed, allowing 15 individuals trapped inside the building to be rescued, while Mahmood stated that 30 people had initially been trapped. The Ahmadi community faces significant persecution in...

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter expressed disappointment after the Eagles' narrow two-point loss to Essendon, despite a strong performance, particularly from midfielder Tim Kelly, who returned with 22 disposals. The Eagles led by as much as 29 points but failed to score in the final quarter, ultimately losing 11.11 (77) to 11.9 (75). McQualter noted improvements in contested possessions but acknowledged ongoing challenges with clearances, emphasizing the need for further development in the team’s structure...

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Global South nations that "unilateral bullying" is undermining a rules-based world, urging opposition to "unilateral protectionism" amid escalating trade tensions with the US. While not naming the US directly, he criticized President Trump's tariffs, particularly the 145% levied on Chinese imports, and announced an upcoming informal UN Security Council meeting to address the US's actions. Trump hinted at a potential end to escalating tariffs, suggesting that excessive tariffs could...