Australia's federal opposition has been plunged into fresh instability, with a wave of Liberal frontbench resignations intensifying calls for a leadership spill against Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. The escalating internal unrest comes as conservative challenger Angus Taylor positions himself for a tilt at the top job, with multiple MPs publicly backing a change.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.
Leadership aspirant Angus Taylor resigned from the shadow cabinet on Wednesday night, but when the Liberal Party will vote on the leadership remained up in the air. After a day of high tension in the party, Taylor went to Ley's office to quit at about 7:15pm. But in the meeting he did not actually call for a spill or explicitly declare he was challenging.
HONG KONG (AP) – China moved on Thursday to curb a fierce price war among automakers that has caused massive losses for the industry, after passenger car sales dropped nearly 20% in January from the year before, the fastest pace in almost two years.
Angus Taylor has all the on-paper qualifications to be opposition leader. But there are big questions over how well he could do the job, when a miracle worker is needed to lift the struggling Liberal Party from its existential crisis. Taylor's political story so far is regarded by many observers and not a few colleagues as one of unfulfilled promise.
NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. stocks fell sharply as the market punished companies seen as potential losers from artificial-intelligence technology. The S&P 500 sank 1.6% for its second-worst day since Thanksgiving, though it's still near its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.3% and the Nasdaq composite lost 2%.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Australia is demanding criminal charges over a 2024 Israeli airstrike on an aid convoy in Gaza that killed seven people, including an Australian aid worker, the country’s prime minister said Wednesday in a case that has drawn sweeping condemnation and strained relations between the two countries.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation. NIS officials are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter will appear with him before the Workers’ Party Congress.
The federal Opposition is in dire straits. Sunday's disastrous Newspoll had the Liberals on 15% primary vote, with the Nationals at 3% - well below One Nation on 27%. Despite the Coalition reuniting over the weekend, it's yet to provide any answers about how it will win back key groups of voters, from Gen Z and Millennials, to urban voters in general.
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