Politics

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The main agenda was the ongoing crisis near the Russian-Ukrainian border. On Monday, Scholz had visited Kiev, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and showed support to Ukraine against the Russian position. After Tuesday's meeting, a joint press conference was held, in which Scholz said, "it is our absolute duty as heads of government that Europe does not see an escalation into war." When asked about the deployments and the th

On Friday, Australia’s federal environment minister Sussan Ley declared the koala an endangered species in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The announcement follows proposals in 2020 by World Wildlife Fund Australia (WWF-Australia) and other organizations. The koala was previously considered a vulnerable species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) still lists it as one in the rest of the world. Some link the decline in koala population with previous natural disasters in the country,

Yesterday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia, deploying more troops near its border with Ukraine, could invade the country at any moment. In a press conference, Blinken advised all American citizens to evacuate from Ukraine within 48 hours to avoid the risk of a potential invasion. Australia and New Zealand have also recently warned their citizens to leave the Eastern European country. US President Joe Biden said in an interview with NBC News on Thursday the situation in Ukraine "could go crazy quickly". US Nationa

The incumbent President of Italy Sergio Mattarella was re-elected for a second seven-year term yesterday in the eighth round of voting for a potential successor. Aged 80, Mattarella repeatedly expressed his desire to leave the position, including renting an apartment in Rome in anticipation of a move from the presidential Quirinal Palace (Quirinale). However, he relented after key figures, including Prime Minister Mario Draghi, urged him to stay on for the "stability" of the Republic. His first term was set to expire on February 3. Parliament

On Tuesday, the day preceding Australia Day, the Australian government announced it had purchased the copyright to the Australian Aboriginal Flag for A$20.05 million. The flag, created by Luritja man Harold Thomas in 1970, represents the connection Aboriginal people have to the land. It was adopted as a national flag in 1995, however copyright remained with Thomas. The flag could not be used without his approval or compensation. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised the flag would be treated in a comparable way to the national fla

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City removed a statue of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, on Thursday following over a year of controversy. The statue, officially the "Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt," depicts Roosevelt riding a horse flanked by a Native American and an African American at either side on foot. The statue had stood at the steps of the museum since 1940 as a tribute to the former president who the museum notes "as a devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history".

In a talk made to officials at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea held on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned officials of a coming "very giant struggle" in the economic field, reported Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Present at the meeting, which was held in the headquarters building of the Central Committee, were high-ranking party members and military officials, including Party Secretariat Secretary Jo Yong-won and Premier Kim Tok-hun. The meeting, which had been convened to discuss details on the

Steve Bannon, a former political strategist for former US President Donald Trump, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for contempt of Congress. Bannon had been refusing to comply with subpoenas issued by the US House of Representatives committee investigating the 2021 US Capitol attack. This comes after the House voted to refer the matter to the Department of Justice last month for consideration. Bannon is facing two counts of contempt of Congress relating to his failure to appear at a deposition and for failing to turn over subpoenaed d

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rosemary Cousin, Greens candidate in South Gippsland, Australia, speaks to Wikinews about democracy, transport, forests and other local issues}} Nominations were declared on September 21 for South Gippsland Shire's upcoming council elections, to be held by post from October 5-22. A total of 24 people in the Australian council's three wards have put themselves forward to stand as candidates. The shire has been governed by administrators appointed by the Victorian state government since August 2019, when the council was sacked a

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Australia: Wikinews interviews Rebecca Jennings, independent candidate for Daly by-election}} In the Northern Territory of Australia (NT), voters in the electoral division of Daly are scheduled to vote for a new Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) tomorrow. The previous Member, Ian Sloan of the Country Liberal Party (CLP), resigned in August. Daly covers communities near Darwin, as well as more remote places such as Timber Creek and Wadeye. Via email, Wikinews interviewed Rebecca Jennings, who is standing in the Daly by-el

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Australia: Wikinews interviews Wayne Connop, independent candidate for Daly by-election}} In the Northern Territory of Australia, voters in the electoral division of Daly are scheduled to vote for a new Member of the Legislative Assembly on September 11. The previous Member, Ian Sloan of the Country Liberal Party (CLP), resigned in August. Daly covers communities near Darwin, as well as more remote places such as Timber Creek and Wadeye. Wikinews spoke to one of the four candidates in Daly, Wayne Connop, who is running as an in

On Sunday, the Taliban moved into Kabul, the Afghan capital. Reports say they have seized the presidential palace. The move comes as Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul, possibly for Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, according to The Independent. According to the previous report by the BBC, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban had been ordered to enter parts of Kabul for security purposes, as security forces had recently left. He said, "Our forces are entering Kabul with all caution" and that the militants were told not to hur