Australia has enacted new legislation granting millions of workers the legal right to “disconnect” from their employers outside of work hours, effective Monday. The law allows workers to ignore unreasonable out-of-hours contact from employers and to “refuse to monitor, read, or respond to” such attempts unless the refusal is deemed “unreasonable.” This legislation, akin to regulations in some European and Latin American countries, has been celebrated by unions as a step towards better work-life balance. Michele O’Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, praised the reform as a historic victory for workers, allowing them to enjoy quality time…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
SYDNEY: Four individuals, including a police officer, were injured in a stabbing attack in Sydney on Sunday, according to police. The incident is part of a troubling trend of knife assaults in Australia’s largest city this year. Authorities have taken a man into custody who fled the scene, with no ongoing threat to the public, as confirmed by New South Wales state Police Minister Yasmin Catley. The attack followed a “domestic-related” incident involving a car crash in the southern suburb of Engadine. The suspect was reportedly armed with a boxcutter, as stated by police superintendent Donald Faulds during a press…
WASHINGTON: A new book by H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s second national security adviser, reveals the former president’s persistent efforts to build a close relationship with Vladimir Putin, despite Russia’s interference in U.S. democracy and objections from his advisers. McMaster’s memoir, excerpted in the Wall Street Journal, describes Trump’s determination to cultivate a personal rapport with the Russian leader, which he struggled to understand even after more than a year in the role. McMaster, a former lieutenant-general who served as Trump’s national security adviser from February 2017, recounts that discussions about Putin and Russia were particularly challenging with Trump. According to…
MANILA: Tensions between the Philippines and China escalated on Sunday in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, with Manila accusing Beijing of obstructing a resupply mission intended for Filipino fishermen. This incident adds to the ongoing series of maritime confrontations between the two nations. The Philippines reported that Chinese vessels aggressively blocked the mission, ramming and using water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ship carrying essential supplies. The confrontation took place near the Sabina Shoal. China’s coast guard responded by claiming it took “control measures” against a vessel that had “illegally” entered the waters and approached…
RIBEIRAO PRETO: The Brazilian government is deploying military aircraft to tackle wildfires devastating Sao Paulo state, with over 40 cities under high alert, announced Regional Development Minister Waldez Goes on Sunday. Four planes, including a KC-390 Embraer capable of dropping up to 12,000 liters of water, will be initially mobilized to fight the fires and monitor affected areas. Ribeirao Preto, a city with over 700,000 residents located 300 km from Sao Paulo, is among the most severely impacted. Social media videos depict the city engulfed in thick smoke, plunging it into near darkness. “It’s apocalyptic. Lots of wind, lots of…
KYIV: Russia launched a series of attacks on northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine on Sunday, resulting in at least four deaths and 37 injuries, according to Ukrainian military and local authorities. Overnight assaults targeted frontline regions including Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk, as reported by Ukraine’s air force on Telegram. The Russian offensive involved Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and six guided air missiles, though the air force did not specify how many were intercepted. In Sumy, a missile attack killed one person and injured at least 16, including three children. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Sinehubov reported that 13 people…
SOLINGEN: A 26-year-old Syrian man suspected of belonging to a “terrorist group” has confessed to killing three people and injuring eight others in a knife attack at a German street festival, officials announced on Sunday. The attack occurred on Friday night in the western city of Solingen, where thousands had gathered for the “Festival of Diversity” to celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary. The victims, two men aged 56 and 67 and a 56-year-old woman, were all stabbed in the neck. Four of the wounded remain in serious condition. The suspect, identified as Issa Al H., turned himself in to authorities…
KABUL: The UN mission in Afghanistan expressed deep concern on Sunday regarding a recently ratified morality law by Taliban authorities, particularly criticizing the restrictions imposed on women. On August 21, the Taliban announced the enactment of a law comprising 35 articles that outline extensive behavior and lifestyle restrictions based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law. The law includes various punishments for non-compliance, ranging from verbal warnings to fines and detentions, enforced by the morality police under the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),…
FENI: Floodwaters in low-lying Bangladesh are finally receding after days of severe flooding, but approximately 300,000 people remain in emergency shelters and are in urgent need of aid, disaster officials reported on Sunday. The devastating floods have claimed at least 18 lives and presented significant challenges to the newly formed government, which took office earlier this month following a student-led uprising. Rescue operations, involving the army, air force, and navy, are ongoing to assist those displaced and provide essential aid, according to Disaster Management Minister Faruk-i-Azam. “The flood situation is improving as the waters start to recede,” the minister noted.…
At least three people were killed and 48 others wounded when a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims crashed into a truck in southern Iran, according to state media on Monday. The pilgrims were en route to Iraq for the Arbaeen commemoration, which marks the 40th day of mourning for Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported that the collision occurred late Sunday on the main road between Neyriz in Fars province and Sirjan in Kerman province. The report did not specify the total number of passengers on the bus. Colonel Abdol Hashem…
