Dominic Sirico 
Germany’s conservative election frontrunner Friedrich Merz defiantly vowed Friday to pass a bill to restrict immigration with the support of the far-right AfD, repeating a tactic that has sparked an outcry and street protests. As MPs traded bitter recriminations in parliament, centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that Merz could no longer be trusted and voiced … Read more
Faced with the first big test of his new administration, Donald Trump wanted to show he was in control. Not just as America’s consoler-in-chief, but as its chief prosecutor and air accident investigator-in-chief too. Trump started his White House briefing on a midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter in Washington with … Read more
Australia’s spirits industry is urging the government to eliminate outdated tax increases that will leave an adverse impact on both producers and consumers, as the sector continues to grapple with the cost-of-living crisis. The call came as the government was set to implement a hike in the alcohol excise tax to AU$104.31 per liter of … Read more
With less than 24 hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline to impose sweeping tariffs on the three biggest US trading partners — Canada, Mexico and China — the global economy is bracing for impact. Shortly after taking office this month, Trump said he planned to introduce 25 percent tariffs on neighbors Canada and Mexico on … Read more
Music’s biggest stars including Beyonce and Taylor Swift will vie for top awards at Sunday’s Grammys gala, a glitzy ceremony proceeding despite devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. The shell-shocked entertainment capital is still reeling after the deadly blazes razed entire neighborhoods, leaving the music and film industries — vital to the city’s economy — grappling … Read more
Four years after Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup, the country is in the grip of a bloody civil war that has driven many of the country’s young across the border to Thailand. There they scrape by doing hard jobs for little pay — often living in fear of being arrested and sent back … Read more
Global figure skating’s tight-knit community was in mourning on Thursday after a passenger jet crash in Washington killed two former world champion coaches and young stars from the next generation of top US talent. Former Russian world pairs champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov and as many as 14 young American skaters perished when a … Read more
The Rolling Stones on Thursday led tributes to Sixties music icon Marianne Faithfull, adding she would be forever remembered after her death at the age of 78. The death of the British singer-songwriter was announced by a spokesperson who said in a statement that she would be “dearly missed” by her legions of fans the … Read more
Marianne Faithfull, who died on Thursday aged 78, was one of the great survivors of the Swinging Sixties, bouncing back from drink and drug oblivion to become a celebrated and distinctive singer-songwriter. Long known for her tempestuous relationship with the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger — who, with bandmate Keith Richards, penned her haunting hit “As … Read more
The families of Thai farm workers held for over a year in Gaza cheered and wept with relief Thursday as they were freed in a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. Five Thais were released along with three Israelis held by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war. When … Read more
