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Opposition leader says the focus must be on Jewish Australians on national day of mourning for victims of Bondi victims

Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho, who led Tiananmen Square vigils, accused of inciting subversionThe national security trial of three pro-democracy activists who organised an annual memorial in Hong Kong to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre is to begin on Thursday.Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho are charged with inciting subversion under Hong Kong's national security law. Their trial is one of the most high-profile national security cases to be heard in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed the law in 2020. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment if convicted. The law has a near-100% conviction rate. Continue reading...

US president touts very productive meeting' with Nato chief Mark Rutte, drops tariffs on European allies and adds deal will involve Golden Dome' and mineral rights'

UK had highest relative increase of five countries in study, with 20-fold rise in proportion of women over 25 using itThe proportion of people in the UK on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication has tripled in the past decade, with a 20-fold increase among women aged 25 and over, a study shows.Researchers led by the University of Oxford examined electronic health records from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK to estimate the use of ADHD medication among adults and children aged three and above. Continue reading...

One offshore e-casino posted Instagram promotion featuring AO logo despite no affiliation with tournament

Deployment will serve data centers, governments and businesses, jumping into market dominated by SpaceXJeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin on Wednesday announced a plan to deploy 5,408 satellites in space for a communications network that will serve data centers, governments and businesses, jumping into a satellite constellation market dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.Deployment of satellites is planned to begin in the last quarter of 2027, Blue Origin said, adding the network will be designed to have data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth". That speed, possible with the satellites' planned optical communications, is extreme by consumer standards and would make the network key for data processing and large-scale government programs. Blue Origin said the network would be meant to serve a maximum of roughly 100,000 customers. Continue reading...

Ruling presents Democrats with opportunity to pick up another US House seat in November electionsNew York must redraw its congressional map, a state judge ruled on Wednesday, handing Democrats another key opportunity to pick up another US House seat ahead of this fall's midterm elections.The ruling from Jeffrey Pearlman, a New York state supreme court justice, comes after a Democratic-aligned law firm challenged the boundaries of New York's 11th congressional district, which includes the borough of Staten Island and portions of south Brooklyn. The district is currently represented by Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, the only GOP member representing New York City in Congress. Continue reading...

Researchers say event described as major tipping point' for clean energy in era of destabilised politicsWind and solar overtook fossil fuels in the European Union's power generation last year, a report has found, in a major tipping point" for clean energy.Turbines spinning in the wind and photovoltaic panels lit up by the sun generated 30% of the EU's electricity in 2025, according to an annual review. Power plants burning coal, oil and gas generated 29%. Continue reading...

US president claims framework' of agreement in the works after very productive' meeting with Nato secretary generalDonald Trump has walked back his threat to impose sweeping US tariffs on eight European countries, claiming he had agreed the framework of a future deal" on Greenland.Four days after vowing to introduce steep import duties on a string of US allies over their support for Greenland's continued status as an autonomous Danish territory, the president backed down. Continue reading...

Culture secretary says national institutions will receive 600m but they must extend influence outside LondonLondon-based museums need to ensure they reach every part of the country, according to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, who on Wednesday announced a landmark 1.5bn funding package for the arts meant to restore national pride.National museums including the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery will be handed a 600m package but the culture secretary has urged them to look outside the capital to extend their sphere of influence. Continue reading...

Analysts warn that Trump will probably demand more action from Mexico to counter drug-trafficking groupsMexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the latest transfer of 37 Mexican cartel operatives to the US as a sovereign decision", as her government strives to alleviate pressure from the Trump administration to do more against drug-trafficking groups.It was the third such flight in the year since Donald Trump returned to the White House, but analysts warn that while it remains an effective pressure valve, the returns may be diminishing. Continue reading...

Brief encounter set off chain of events ending with a public rebuff to the US president from Keir StarmerWhen Kemi Badenoch met Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, on Monday evening, she pressed him on two issues: the Chagos Islands deal and North Sea oil drilling.Neither participant was part of their respective executive branch, and neither issue was at the centre of the crisis that has engulfed transatlantic politics. But before long, the meeting had some very real political consequences. Continue reading...

US president singles out Mark Carney day after prime minister warned world is undergoing geopolitical rupture'Donald Trump has said Canada should be grateful" for the freebies" it gets from the US, a day after its prime minister, Mark Carney, warned the world was undergoing a geopolitical rupture".Speaking those attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland, the US president singled out Carney's speech that was sharply critical of US foreign policy. Continue reading...

Author discusses changes made to Lindsay Gordon novels from 80s and 90s to prepare for their rereleaseThe crime writer Val McDermid has revealed she was assigned a sensitivity reader" to remove language that could cause offence from her earlier works.The Scottish author has sold more than 19m novels worldwide and is known for the authenticity of the dialogue in her work. Continue reading...

Trump-appointed federal attorney with no prosecutorial experience led failed cases against president's political foesLindsey Halligan, a Trump-appointed federal attorney who led the failed prosecutions of two of the president's political opponents, has left her position at the justice department, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said on Tuesday.The departure of Halligan, who previously served as Trump's personal attorney, comes after multiple judges have sharply criticized her and cast doubts on her ability to lawfully remain in her position. Continue reading...

Unnamed woman held against her will since mid-1990s by Amanda Wixon, who beat her and shaved her headA woman was forced to work as a slave in a Dickensian" imprisonment for a mother and her 10 children for more than a quarter of a century in a British market town.The woman, who is now in her 40s and cannot be named, lived off scraps, could not leave the house and was forced to wash secretly at night. Continue reading...

Conservative and liberal judges questioned administration over president's authority to fire without due process

Rolling coverage of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the US president delivered a speech to world leaders

House of Lords debate amendments to bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from having social mediaWe're not far off PMQs. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.There will be two statements in the Commons after PMQs. At 12.30pm Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, will give one about the warm homes plan, and about an hour later Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, will give one on the water white paper. Continue reading...

Woman is eight months pregnant and on verge of being sent to Colombia, says Kennedy Human Rights Center attorneyA 21-year-old woman who is eight months pregnant and in a state of medical distress is being deported from Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon, a human rights attorney said, pleading for emergency assistance for his client.We are trying to get her the medical attention she needs immediately," said Anthony Enriquez, vice-president of US advocacy and litigation at the Kennedy Human Rights Center, whose client, Zharick Daniela Buitrago Ortiz, is on the verge of being sent to Colombia. Continue reading...

US president tells business and political leaders in Davos his country needs ownership to defend unsecured island'

Given the software company's size and funding options, British Business Bank's investment looks like mission creepThe state-owned multi-tentacled British Business Bank has never been a simple organisation to understand, but at least one could vaguely grasp its intended role in life. Our mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK," declares its website.Jolly good. For decades, complaints have been heard about gaps in the financing ecosystem for startups and for promising young UK companies, particularly those in tech-related and life science fields, or those spinning out of universities. So one can applaud the existence of a large and distinctly British source of capital to crowd in", as politicians like to say, private venture funds. Continue reading...

Adviser to Zelenskyy says he in Kyiv, not Davos, and meeting will not be today as Trump suggested earlierFormer Nato secretary general and former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that the time of flattery has ended" as Europe needs to step up its response to Trump's threats over Greenland - but still look for off-ramps to avoid escalation whereever possible.Speaking to BBC News this morning, he warned that a US attack on Greenland would be the end of Nato," and push Europeans to urgently step up its defence in its own right, regardless of the US.I think those three areas would accommodate the concerns of President Trump."Time has come to stand up against Trump."So I think that we should solve this problem in a diplomatic way. Of course, I appreciate Denmark's voice, ... it's our partner, but I'm looking at the Greenland as a strategic point in a [broader] geopolitical issue between the free world of democracies ... and Russia." Continue reading...

Move follows withdrawal of Kurdish forces from al-Hawl, where 24,000 people are being held over alleged IS linksSyrian government forces have taken control of al-Hawl detention camp, which houses tens of thousands of suspected Islamic State members, after Kurdish forces withdrew.Soldiers entered the heavily fortified camp on Wednesday, part of a handover from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which oversaw the camp for the last seven years, as the Syrian government vowed to secure the facility. Continue reading...

Opponents say proposal, designed to tackle employee skiving, would fill up doctors' waiting rooms unnecessarilyA German proposal to eliminate the possibility to get short-term sick leave from a doctor over the telephone as a means of cracking down on skiving has met with an outcry from labour groups and the medical profession.Germans enjoy some of the most generous employee illness policies in Europe, a fact which the conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says is undermining efforts to kickstart the EU's biggest economy whose growth has largely stalled since 2022. Continue reading...

In an emergency filing, party asked for an injunction for new maps aimed at countering Texas's gerrymanderThe California Republican party has asked the US supreme court to block a redistricting measure voters approved in November that would flip up to five House seats in Democrats' favor.In an emergency filing, the party asked Justice Elena Kagan, who is assigned to the ninth circuit in a supervisory capacity to oversee emergency filings, to issue an injunction before 9 February, the beginning of California's candidate filing period for the June 2026 primaries.This article and headline were amended on 21 January 2026. California Republicans filed the appeal to the US supreme court, not to the state supreme court as an earlier version stated.Associated Press contributed reporting Continue reading...

Carl Crowther says his feline has heart problem and needs medication, after delivery driver seen making off with itA concerned pet owner has pleaded for the safe return of his family's ill cat after an Amazon delivery driver was caught on video picking the animal up and walking away.Carl Crowther, 53, said that he had been expecting a package on Monday 19 January, but had been forced to leave to go to his job as a maintenance man about an hour before it arrived at approximately 2.30pm. Continue reading...

Prime minister surprisingly forceful at PMQs over US president's volte face on Chagos and refusal to drop tariffs threat on Greenland

PM also accuses Kemi Badenoch of supporting efforts by Trump to undermine the government's position'

Trainee driver killed in accident near Barcelona just days after 43 died in collision between two high-speed trainsSpain's rail network is under scrutiny after a commuter train crashed near Barcelona just days after at least 43 people died and 152 were injured in a collision between two high-speed trains.The second crash in as many days occurred at approximately 9pm on Tuesday when a retaining wall collapsed on to the track near Gelida in the region of Catalonia in north-east Spain, derailing a local train. Continue reading...

Retailer buys chain from administration for 3.8m adding to brand portfolio ranging from FatFace to Made.comNext has rescued the Russell & Bromley footwear retailer out of administration for 3.8m but about 400 jobs are likely to go at 33 shops not included in the deal.The British brand, founded in 1879 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, trades from 36 stores and nine concessions across the UK and Ireland. But Next will only take on three stores - in Chelsea, Mayfair and the Bluewater Shopping Centre - and about 48 store staff, it is understood. Continue reading...

Departure of all eight remaining frontbenchers was not sparked by principled policy differences, but by ego, ideology and arrogance

Han Duck-soo verdict marks first judicial ruling stemming from ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law decreeSouth Korea's former prime minister Han Duck-soo has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in an insurrection stemming from the former president Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration.The judge, Lee Jin-kwan, ordered Han's immediate detention. Continue reading...

Israeli prime minister accepts position on US-proposed body with initial remit to oversee Gaza ceasefireIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday that he had agreed to join a US-backed board of peace" proposed by Donald Trump, despite his office having earlier criticised the composition of its executive committee.The body, chaired by the US president, was initially presented as a limited forum of world leaders tasked with overseeing a ceasefire in Gaza. More recently, however, the initiative appears to have expanded well beyond that remit, with the Trump camp extending invitations to dozens of countries and suggesting the board could evolve into a vehicle for brokering conflicts far beyond the Middle East. Continue reading...

Prime minister's reported trip follows approval by UK government for Beijing to build new embassy in London

DVSA says increase in recorded cases - 2,844 in the year to September - down to more cheating and better detectionAttempts to cheat on driving tests in England, Scotland and Wales increased by 47% in a year, figures show, raising concerns about road safety.There were 2,844 cases recorded in the year to the end of September 2025, according to figures by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), up from 1,940 during the previous 12 months, and 1,274 in 2018/19. Continue reading...

Britain's position would be much worse' if PM took stronger line on US threats over Greenland, says energy secretary

Reform UK leader fails to declare 380,000 on time, saying he is computer-illiterate oddball'

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Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke say the laws are needed to protect Australians - particularly the Jewish community

Amnesty International deeply concerned for scores of people walking around in search of assistance'Thousands of people, including suspected victims of human trafficking, are estimated to have been released or escaped from scam compounds across Cambodia over recent days, after growing international pressure to crackdown on the multibillion-dollar industry.The Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh said it had received reports from 1,440 of its nationals who had been released from scam centres, while large queues of Chinese nationals were also seen outside the Chinese embassy. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Music spaces are welcoming bigger crowds again, but the industry remains fragile as rising costs and shrinking local circuits threaten the next generation of talentGood morning. The music industry has long been one of the UK's successful export stories, whether it was the British invasion of the US spearheaded by the Beatles and the Stones in the 1960s or the contemporary success of the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran.In recent years, however, there has been a steady drumbeat of doom in the background. Artists have concerns about artificial intelligence slop replacing them, they face dwindling earning power due to paltry streaming royalty rates, and crucially, there has been a contraction in the number of venues where musicians can hone their craft and build a fanbase.UK news | The government has approved the construction of a vast new Chinese embassy complex in east London despite concerns about security and its impact on political exiles in the capital.Chagos Island | Donald Trump has suggested Britain's decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland.Social trends | Rightwing movements are struggling to gain support among graduates as education emerges as the most important dividing line in British attitudes towards politics, diversity and immigration.Middle East | Israeli crews have started bulldozing the Jerusalem headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and fired teargas at a UN vocational school in Qalandia in the West Bank.US news | An Indiana state court judge and his wife were in stable condition on Monday as authorities continued to search for suspects who shot the couple the day before at their Lafayette home. Continue reading...

Regime appears to have turned to digital currency issued by Tether in the face of sanctionsIran's central bank appears to have been using vast quantities of a cryptocurrency championed by Nigel Farage, according to a new report.Elliptic, a crypto analytics company, said it had traced at least $507m (377m) of cryptocurrency issued by Tether - a company touted by the Reform UK leader - passing through accounts that appear to be controlled by Iran's central bank. Continue reading...

Aldi triumphed in the consumer watchdog's laundry showdown, while some name brands failed to come out in the wash

Gelsenkirchen savings bank was raided over Christmas by criminals who used huge drill to access vaultFaqir Malyar, a carpet trader from the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, was on his way to visit one of his customers during the Christmas holidays when he heard news on the radio of an astonishing bank heist. Thieves had drilled a hole in the wall of the vault of a local Sparkasse - savings bank - and made off with the contents of almost 3,250 deposit boxes.The robbery, likened by a police spokesperson to the Hollywood film Ocean's Eleven, made international headlines: it is estimated that the thieves' haul could have been worth as much as 300m (260m), a sum that would make it the one of the biggest bank heists in a country wearily familiar with them. Continue reading...

The 85-year-old bestselling author's final novel, Adam and Eve, will be published in English in OctoberBestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer has announced his next novel, Adam and Eve, will be his last, coming out 50 years after his debut was published.The 85-year-old author has sold more than 300m books around the world since his first novel, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, was published in 1976, according to his publishers. His 1979 novel, Kane and Abel, was his biggest hit, selling more than 34m copies in 119 countries and 47 languages, and being reprinted more than 130 times. Continue reading...

Coroner to examine if 19-year-old drowned off Australian tourist island or was killed by wild dingoesI'm 18, and you can't stop me!" Piper James told her father before she set off backpacking on the other side of the Pacific Ocean - but the young Canadian woman's trip to Australia ended in tragedy and trauma.Early on Monday, the now-19-year-old was found dead on a beach on the world heritage-listed sand island and tourist destination of K'gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) off the Queensland coast, surrounded by a pack of dingoes near the Maheno shipwreck. Continue reading...

Carney warns US-led global system of governance is enduring a rupture' as US president flies in for showdown with European leaders over GreenlandCanadian prime minister Mark Carney has said that the US-led global system of governance is enduring a rupture," defined by great power competition and a fading" rules-based order.His speech to political and financial elites at the World Economic Forum comes a day before US President Donald Trump was set to address the gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Continue reading...

State environmental regulator says Valhalla project, set to drill up to 20 gas wells in Canning basin, can proceed subject to conditions