Netanyahu vows to restart Gaza war
A six-week truce was agreed last month, but at a press conference with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu reiterated his longstanding demand for total victory, saying 'Hamas will continue the battle to destroy Israel.'
The peace process has been thrown into turmoil by Trump's recent suggestion that the US could 'take over' Gaza, two Middle East analysts wrote for Semafor. The comment was 'widely understood on the Arab Street… as endorsing ethnic cleansing,' said Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas. But, Al Arabiya's Hadley Gamble wrote, it threw down a gauntlet to Arab states: 'Trump is telling the Middle East to take care of its own problems.'
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aussies eye $30m Powerball jackpot as price change revealed, tourists flock to Pacific neighbour in record numbers, Commonwealth's major backflip
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Thursday. Powerball players will be hoping they're the lucky winner tonight with the jackpot sitting at $30 million. It comes as the game's operators announced it plans to hike the price of a ticket by 20c from November. Fiji is becoming an increasingly-popular tourist destination for Australians. The island nation's tourism board says more Aussies travelled to the country last month than any previous month on record. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. Albanese's reputation 'forever tarnished', Netanyahu says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Anthony Albanese will be 'forever tarnished' by his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. It comes after he earlier this weak lashed the Prime Minister in a social media post, saying history would remember him as a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. Netanyahu doubled down on his comments in a Sky interview set to air on Thursday night. 'I'm sure he has a reputable record as a public servant, but I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters,' he told the broadcaster. 'You know, when the worst terrorist organisation on Earth – these savages who murdered women, raped them, beheaded men, burned babies alive in front of their parents and took hundreds of hostages – when these people congratulate the Prime Minister of Australia, you know something is wrong.' Read more from NewsWire here. Aussies head to Fiji in record numbers Australian tourists are flocking to Fiji in record numbers, according to its tourism board. "Our neighbours from Australia continued to show their love for Fiji, leading the way with the highest-ever number of Australian visitors in a single month (last month), accounting for 45 per cent of all arrivals," Tourism Fiji said, revealing that number sits just shy of one million visitors. Fiji, heavily dependant on tourism, has benefited from increased flights from its national carrier and Australian operators to and from the island nation in recent years. "There is definitely a buzz in the air. Fiji is absolutely the place to be right now – perfect weather, outstanding resorts, unforgettable experiences, and of course, the warmth of our people," Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said. Aussies eye $30m Powerball draw with big change coming The Powerball jackpot has reached an impressive $30 million for tonight's draw and Aussies are being told to expect bigger prizes from the game more regularly. That's because lottery bosses flagged their plans to rise the price of a ticket to $1.40 from $1.20 yesterday. The Lottery Corporation Managing Director and CEO Sue van der Merwe said them ove would help "enable increased prizes across all divisions". The change, which still needs to be approved, is expected to happen in November. Commonwealth announces major backflip on redundancies Commonwealth Bank has apologised to staff it was set to axe and replace with AI technology, saying they got the decision wrong. The original plan was set to see up to 90 people lose their positions, with about half of those being replaced by a new AI chatbot designed to help customers. But CBA has announced a slight shift in that plan. CBA has now revealed that the staff set to be affected by the AI shift have been given two options. They can either keep their job or take a voluntary redundancy. 'CBA's initial assessment that the 45 roles were not required did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations, and this error meant the roles were not redundant,' a spokesperson for the bank said. 'We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required. "We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.' Read more from Yahoo Finance's Stewart Perrie here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Albanese's reputation 'forever tarnished', Netanyahu says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Anthony Albanese will be 'forever tarnished' by his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. It comes after he earlier this weak lashed the Prime Minister in a social media post, saying history would remember him as a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. Netanyahu doubled down on his comments in a Sky interview set to air on Thursday night. 'I'm sure he has a reputable record as a public servant, but I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters,' he told the broadcaster. 'You know, when the worst terrorist organisation on Earth – these savages who murdered women, raped them, beheaded men, burned babies alive in front of their parents and took hundreds of hostages – when these people congratulate the Prime Minister of Australia, you know something is wrong.' Read more from NewsWire here. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Anthony Albanese will be 'forever tarnished' by his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. It comes after he earlier this weak lashed the Prime Minister in a social media post, saying history would remember him as a 'weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'. Netanyahu doubled down on his comments in a Sky interview set to air on Thursday night. 'I'm sure he has a reputable record as a public servant, but I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters,' he told the broadcaster. 'You know, when the worst terrorist organisation on Earth – these savages who murdered women, raped them, beheaded men, burned babies alive in front of their parents and took hundreds of hostages – when these people congratulate the Prime Minister of Australia, you know something is wrong.' Read more from NewsWire here. Aussies head to Fiji in record numbers Australian tourists are flocking to Fiji in record numbers, according to its tourism board. "Our neighbours from Australia continued to show their love for Fiji, leading the way with the highest-ever number of Australian visitors in a single month (last month), accounting for 45 per cent of all arrivals," Tourism Fiji said, revealing that number sits just shy of one million visitors. Fiji, heavily dependant on tourism, has benefited from increased flights from its national carrier and Australian operators to and from the island nation in recent years. "There is definitely a buzz in the air. Fiji is absolutely the place to be right now – perfect weather, outstanding resorts, unforgettable experiences, and of course, the warmth of our people," Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said. Australian tourists are flocking to Fiji in record numbers, according to its tourism board. "Our neighbours from Australia continued to show their love for Fiji, leading the way with the highest-ever number of Australian visitors in a single month (last month), accounting for 45 per cent of all arrivals," Tourism Fiji said, revealing that number sits just shy of one million visitors. Fiji, heavily dependant on tourism, has benefited from increased flights from its national carrier and Australian operators to and from the island nation in recent years. "There is definitely a buzz in the air. Fiji is absolutely the place to be right now – perfect weather, outstanding resorts, unforgettable experiences, and of course, the warmth of our people," Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill said. Aussies eye $30m Powerball draw with big change coming The Powerball jackpot has reached an impressive $30 million for tonight's draw and Aussies are being told to expect bigger prizes from the game more regularly. That's because lottery bosses flagged their plans to rise the price of a ticket to $1.40 from $1.20 yesterday. The Lottery Corporation Managing Director and CEO Sue van der Merwe said them ove would help "enable increased prizes across all divisions". The change, which still needs to be approved, is expected to happen in November. The Powerball jackpot has reached an impressive $30 million for tonight's draw and Aussies are being told to expect bigger prizes from the game more regularly. That's because lottery bosses flagged their plans to rise the price of a ticket to $1.40 from $1.20 yesterday. The Lottery Corporation Managing Director and CEO Sue van der Merwe said them ove would help "enable increased prizes across all divisions". The change, which still needs to be approved, is expected to happen in November. Commonwealth announces major backflip on redundancies Commonwealth Bank has apologised to staff it was set to axe and replace with AI technology, saying they got the decision wrong. The original plan was set to see up to 90 people lose their positions, with about half of those being replaced by a new AI chatbot designed to help customers. But CBA has announced a slight shift in that plan. CBA has now revealed that the staff set to be affected by the AI shift have been given two options. They can either keep their job or take a voluntary redundancy. 'CBA's initial assessment that the 45 roles were not required did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations, and this error meant the roles were not redundant,' a spokesperson for the bank said. 'We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required. "We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.' Read more from Yahoo Finance's Stewart Perrie here. Commonwealth Bank has apologised to staff it was set to axe and replace with AI technology, saying they got the decision wrong. The original plan was set to see up to 90 people lose their positions, with about half of those being replaced by a new AI chatbot designed to help customers. But CBA has announced a slight shift in that plan. CBA has now revealed that the staff set to be affected by the AI shift have been given two options. They can either keep their job or take a voluntary redundancy. 'CBA's initial assessment that the 45 roles were not required did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations, and this error meant the roles were not redundant,' a spokesperson for the bank said. 'We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required. "We are also reviewing our internal processes to improve our approach going forward.' Read more from Yahoo Finance's Stewart Perrie here.
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Fed Governor Lisa Cook will not step down despite Trump call
Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook has said she will not step down despite President Trump calling for her to do so. Cook said she had 'learned from the media that [Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)] Director William Pulte posted on social media that he was making a criminal referral based on a mortgage application from four years ago, before I joined the Federal Reserve,' according to a statement obtained by The Hill's sister network NewsNation 'I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet,' she added. 'I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.' On Wednesday, Trump called for the resignation of Cook in the wake of allegations by FHFA's chief that she committed mortgage fraud. FHFA Director William Pulte said early Wednesday on the social platform X that Cook had designated two of her houses as her primary residences. 'Lisa D. Cook, committed mortgage fraud by designating her out-of-state condo as her primary residence, just two weeks after taking a loan on her Michigan home where she also declared it as her primary residence,' he said. Trump pushed for Cook to step down shortly after Pulte's post. 'Cook must resign, now!!!' the president said on his own Truth Social platform. Pulte also said his agency gave a criminal referral to the Justice Department on the allegations against Cook. In recent months, Trump has also directed his ire towards Fed Chair Jerome Powell and pushed for his exit as well.
Los Angeles Times
20 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Fox News hosts were determined to help Trump stay in office after 2020 election, legal filing says
The 2020 presidential election is history, but a legal dispute over Fox News' reporting on President Trump's false claims of voter fraud is heating up. A motion for summary judgment by voting equipment company Smartmatic filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court laid out in detail how phony allegations that it manipulated votes to swing the election to Joe Biden were amplified on Fox News. The motion also described how the Fox News Media hosts who are defendants in the suit — the late Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro and Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business — were allegedly committed to helping Trump prove his fraud theories so he could remain in office. 'I work so hard for the President and the party,' Pirro wrote in a text to Ronna McDaniel, then chair of the Republican National Committee. Pirro left Fox News in May to become U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion in damages, claiming that the network's airing of the false statements hurt the London-based company's ability to expand its business in the U.S. Fox News settled a similar suit from Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million in 2023. The motion alleged that on-air hosts repeated the fraud claims even though executives and producers were told they were false. The Fox News research department, known as the 'Brainroom,' allegedly informed network producers that Smartmatic's role in the 2020 election was limited to Los Angeles County and that the company's software was not used in Dominion voting machines, another false claim made on the air. Fox News maintains the network's reporting on President Trump's false claims were newsworthy and protected by the 1st Amendment. But part of the company's legal strategy has been focused on minimizing the damage claims. Fox News has asserted that any problems Smartmatic has experienced in attracting new business are rooted not in its reporting but in the federal investigation into the company's activities with overseas governments. Last year, Smartmatic's founder, Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, and two other company officials were indicted by the U.S. attorney's office and charged with bribing Philippine officials in order to get voting machine contracts in the country in 2016. While the Trump camp's assertions that the election was fixed were not believed throughout Fox News and parent company Fox Corp., the conservative-leaning network gave continued to give them oxygen to keep its audience tuned in, the motion alleged. The motion described a 'pivot' that occurred on Nov. 8, 2020, when then-Fox News Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan asked Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott to address the decline in the network's ratings after Biden was declared the winner of the election. The network also looked at research to evaluate why viewers were leaving. 'The conclusion reached based on performance analytics: give the audience more election fraud,' the court document stated. Such thinking, the filing said, permeated the company, already in a panic over losing viewers to right-leaning network Newsmax. The upstart outlet saw a ratings surge after Biden's win due to its unwavering support of Trump's claims. 'Think about how incredible our ratings would be if Fox went ALL in on STOP THE STEAL,' Fox News host Jesse Watters said in a text to his colleague Greg Gutfeld. Throughout November and December 2020, the three hosts named in the suit, Dobbs, Pirro and Bartiromo, repeatedly featured Trump's attorneys Rudolph Giuliani and Sidney Powell as guests. They spread the falsehoods that Smartmatic software was used in Dominion voting machines and altered millions of votes. Smartmatic's work in Los Angeles during the 2020 election was meant to be an entry point for the company to expand its domestic business. The company's defamation suit claims that Fox News obliterated those efforts by presenting the false fraud claims. But Fox News believes that issues with Smartmatic's $282-million contract with Los Angeles County could help advance its case. On Aug. 1, federal prosecutors filing a legal brief alleging that taxpayer funds from the county went into a slush fund held by a shell company to help pay for its illegal activities. Federal prosecutors handling the case involving Smartmatic's business in the Philippines said they plan to detail similar alleged schemes out of L.A. County and Venezuela to show that the bribery fits a larger pattern. Fox News attorneys have filed a brief asking for county records that they believe will help bolster their case. The network is also expected to try to get the Smartmatic indictments in front of the court to raise doubts about the company's reputation. A Smartmatic representative said Fox News' records request is a diversion tactic. 'Fox lies and when caught they lie again to distract,' a Smartmatic representative said in a statement. 'Fox's latest filing is just another attempt to divert attention from its long-standing campaign of falsehoods and defamation against Smartmatic.' The company added that it abided with the law in Los Angeles County and 'every jurisdiction where we operate.' Smartmatic's Tuesday court filing also included information that contradicted public statements Fox News made at the time. The document alleged that Fox News fired political analyst Chris Stirewalt and longtime Washington bureau executives Bill Sammon for their involvement in calling the state of Arizona for Biden on election night. The early call of the close result in the state upset the Trump camp and alienated his supporters. At the time, Fox News said Stirewalt departed as part of a reorganization and Sammon retired. But the motion said Rupert Murdoch himself signed off on the decision to sever Stirewalt and Sammon from the company in an effort to assuage angry viewers who defected. The motion cited a communication from Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News show 'The Five,' describing a phone call with Stirewalt after his dismissal. 'I explained to him — you were right, you didn't cave, and you got fired for doing the right thing,' Perino said. Both Sammon and Stirewalt now work in the Washington bureau of NewsNation, the cable news network owned by Nexstar Media Group.
