German chancellor-in-waiting Merz seals coalition deal

The Coalition is on track for its lowest vote share in a federal election since its creation, with Peter Dutton struggling to improve his prospects before the May 3 election, according to a YouGov poll showing their primary vote at 33%. Labor has increased its lead on a two-party preferred basis to 53% against 47%, marking its highest result in 18 months, while Anthony Albanese leads Dutton as preferred prime minister 48% to 38%. The...

SummaryHamas' Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, announced the group's readiness to negotiate a hostage swap for Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel, rejecting any interim truce. He criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for using partial agreements to further political aims amid ongoing conflict. Despite Egyptian mediation efforts to revive a previous ceasefire, recent talks in Cairo yielded no progress, with Hamas accusing Israel of presenting "impossible conditions" for negotiations. Full Article

SummaryFour people have died and one is seriously injured after a cable car crashed near Naples, Italy, at Monte Faito on Thursday. The chairman of the EAV public transport company, Umberto De Gregorio, described the incident as a "tragedy," noting that one of the supporting cables had snapped. Rescue operations faced challenges from fog and high winds, while 16 passengers were safely evacuated from another cabin stuck mid-air, with all three casualties being tourists, as...

Summary The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose amid optimism from US-Japan tariff talks, while the Dow fell due to a 17.2% drop in UnitedHealth's shares after it cut its profit forecast. Early trading saw the Dow down 517.74 points, the S&P 500 up 9.48 points, and the Nasdaq up 17.33 points, with healthcare shares declining but Eli Lilly gaining 13% from positive trial results. Despite upbeat jobless claims data, market volatility remains high as traders...

Russia has lifted its 20-year ban on the Taliban, which it had previously designated as a terrorist organization, allowing for the potential normalization of relations with Afghanistan's current leadership. This decision comes as Russia seeks to combat security threats from Islamist militant groups, particularly after a deadly attack in March 2024 linked to ISIS-K. However, the Taliban's path to international recognition remains hindered by its policies on women's rights, as it imposes restrictions on education...

SummarySt George Illawarra narrowly defeated Manly 20-18, marking the Sea Eagles' third consecutive loss without injured fullback Tom Trbojevic. The Dragons' Tyrell Sloan scored two tries, while Manly struggled with discipline and errors, including a significant sinbinning of Toff Sipley. Despite a late surge from Manly, including a try from Jason Saab, they were unable to secure a win, leaving their season precariously balanced after only one victory since Daly Cherry-Evans announced his departure. Full...