Author: Trainee Reporter

Singapore: Subramaniam Iswaran, a Singapore Ex-Minister, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of accepting gifts worth over $311,882 (S$403,000; £234,586) and obstructing justice. In a high-profile case that has shaken Singapore’s political establishment, the 62-year-old former transport minister accepted items including Formula 1 Grand Prix tickets, a luxury Brompton T-line bicycle, and private jet trips while in public office. The sentencing is Singapore’s first political trial in about five decades, questioning the city-state’s long standing prominence for zero tolerance towards corruption. Justice Vincent Hoong, who headed over the case in Singapore’s High Court, highlighted…

Sydney, Australia: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged the cancellation of a planned pro-palestinian rally in Sydney, scheduled for October 6 & 7, honouring one year since Hamas’s attacks on Israel. Albanese portrayed the event as “incredibly provocative” and cautioned it could cause significant despair on the anniversary of one of the most toxic days for Jewish people since the Holocaust. In an interview with Australia’s national broadcaster, Albanese highlighted the significance of a peaceful face in a democracy but warned against anything that might seem celebratory of the tragic events. Albanese stated that, “We need to encourage social…

Tel Aviv, Israel: A deadly shooting in Tel Aviv attack has left seven people dead and several others seriously injured. The attackers targeted civilians in the Jaffa area, first opening fire inside a rail carriage before resuming their attack on the platform. The bodies lay static on the roads, as emergency services rushed to the scene. The gunman and a second attacker, armed with a knife, were balanced by bystanders, according to police. Authorities have classified the incident as an act of terror, but the identities of the attackers have not yet been revealed. Initial reports from Israeli media indicated…

Shanghai, China: The Chinese police have arrested the suspect, identified only by his surname Lin, during a stabbing rampage at Shanghai Walmart. 3 people were killed and 15 others injured after a man went on a stabbing spree inside a Walmart supermarket in Shanghai late at night. A 37-year-old Lin came to Shanghai intending to “vent his anger due to a personal economic dispute.” The aggression occurred in a shopping mall in the densely populated district of Songjiang, located in the southwest of the city and home to several universities. Despite the swift response of law enforcement, three of the…

New York: Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance have met for their Vice-presidential debate in New York City. During a critical moment for the 2024 race, VP debates are often regarded as a sideshow to the presidential contest, this year’s event holds greater value in a race that could be decided by a small margin in key battlefield states. Both men bring opposing backgrounds and political ideologies to the debate stage. Vance, a 40-year-old U.S. Senator from Ohio and a close ally of Donald Trump illustrates the populist wing of the Republican Party. His focus on trade, immigration, and…

Austria: The Far-right Freedom Party (FPO), under the leadership of Herbert Kickl, has declared an outstanding victory in the national elections, securing 29.2% of the vote, according to acting results. The FPO’s lead places it nearly three points ahead of the conservative People’s Party (OVP), which secured 26.5%. However, the result falls short of delivering a majority of potentially confusing section talks. Kickl hailed the victory as a “new age” for Austria, thanking voters for their “optimism, courage, and trust” in what he described as a “piece of history.” His party has promised to assemble “Fortress Austria,” a nationalist vision…

Cambridgeshire, England: A network of 16 modern slavery victims have been forced to work at a McDonald’s branch and a bakery supplying major UK supermarkets went undetected for years. The gang, convicted in two trials, forced vulnerable individuals from the Czech Republic into labour, with wages paid into accounts controlled by the traffickers. Despite working long hours, victims earned just a few pounds a day, while the gang used the stolen wages to fund a lavish lifestyle. Companies, including McDonald’s and supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, failed to identify red flags like shared bank accounts, excessive working hours, and…

Austria: Austria is heading to the general election that could see the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) achieve a historic first-place victory. The FPO, led by Herbert Kickl, has steadily gained support and currently leads in the opinion polls, narrowly overtaking the ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (OVP) led by Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The opposition Social Democrats hold third place. Kickl’s party, which is polling around 27%, has successfully tapped into voter concerns about migration, rising inflation, and dissatisfaction with how the government handled the Covid-19 pandemic. Herbert Kickl’s note has resonated with many Austrians, even though his controversial rhetoric and…

Arizona: U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has visited the U.S.-Mexico border to counter Republican criticism of her handling of immigration. This points to her first trip to the border since 2021, as she prosecuted former President Donald Trump for focusing on “scapegoating instead of solutions” and “rhetoric instead of results.” Harris’s visit to Cochise County, a key place that has observed record-high border crossings, was set against a backdrop of criticism from Republican opponents. The Democratic nominee examined the border wall and spoke with local officials, delivering a message of toughness. In a campaign event in the border town of Douglas,…

Hobart, Australia: A controversial women-only exhibit at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania will be reopened after a legal battle. The exhibit, known as the Ladies Lounge, was coordinated to keep out male visitors as part of a broader observation on historic misogyny and female exclusion. In this landmark decision, Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Shane Marshall discovered that the exhibit, despite its exclusion of men, did not violate anti-discrimination laws. Instead, he ruled that it promoted “equal opportunity” for a marginalised group, namely women, in line with provisions in Tasmanian law that allow for such practices…