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National anti-corruption commission to relaunch investigation after independent review

Opposition leaders accuse prime minister of risking its relationship with New Zealand by continued secrecy around dealHundreds of protesters have marched on Cook Islands' parliament to oppose prime minister Mark Brown's recent decisions, including a failure to properly consult its closest partner New Zealand over a deal to deepen ties with China.Roughly 400 protesters - led by opposition parties - gathered outside the capital city of Avarua on Tuesday, RNZ reported, with some holding signs reading Stay connected with New Zealand". Others waved placards showing the New Zealand passport in opposition to Brown's now-abandoned controversial proposal to introduce a separate Cook Islands passport, which New Zealand warned would require holders to renounce their New Zealand one. Continue reading...

Katie Tangey, 27, died in a fire at her brother's home in Truganina which she was house-sitting while he was on his honeymoon

Conservationists call for urgent government action as prolonged heatwave affects renowned reef, including Turquoise Bay, Tantabiddi and Bundegi

Chris Wright also tells conservative conference Australia developing shale gas would be a tremendous resource' - despite Australia already being one of the world largest producers and exporters of both LNG and uranium

Value of imports and exports is now about 32bn, with chemical sector among those hit by Brexit red tapeTrade between Great Britain and Ireland dropped more than 6bn in 2024 as post-Brexit frictions hit shipments across the Irish Sea.The value of imports and exports between the nations fell to about 32bn last year, down from 38bn in 2023, according to Ireland's Central Statistics Office.This article was amended on Tuesday 18 February 2025 to clarify that the UK remains Ireland's biggest trading partner in Europe, rather than globally. Continue reading...

The paedophile priest died in jail while serving time for the abuse of more than 70 children over three decades

Hundreds of teenagers have been given an IN10 police endorsement since 2020, says road safety charityElectric scooters have been blamed for a surge in the number of children being penalised for driving without insurance.Since the start of 2020 almost 800 children aged between 13 and 16 have been given an IN10 endorsement - the code used by the police for using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks" - according to data obtained by a road safety charity. Continue reading...

Successive governments' penal populism' has driven England and Wales justice system to brink of collapse, report findsSuccessive governments' overreliance on prison sentences and desire to seem tough on crime" have driven the justice system in England and Wales to the brink of collapse, an official review has found.A form of penal populism" where longer incarceration is seen as the only effective means of punishment has contributed to the crisis in the prison system, according to the interim findings of a review led by former justice secretary David Gauke. Continue reading...

Video of Oscar Jenkins uploaded to YouTube dated 17 January and appears aimed to counter death rumours

British prime minister says force would need protections such as air cover that only US can provideKeir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to provide a US backstop" to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, saying it is the only way to deter Russia from attacking the country again.The UK prime minister's appeal to Trump came after an emergency summit in Paris that heard widespread calls by European leaders for a large boost in defence spending. Continue reading...

UK prime minister says future of Europe and Ukraine at stake after European leaders convene at emergency summit in ParisSwedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson told Reuters that deploying Swedish troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force is absolutely a possibility."His comments build on earlier declaration from Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenegard (9:40). Continue reading...

Spokesperson says Keir Starmer's previously stated view that military action needs consent of MPs has not changedKeir Starmer has not ruled out holding a parliamentary vote on committing UK troops to a peacekeeping role in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, after calls from some within Labour and the Lib Dems.Downing Street hinted that a US-backed guarantee would be needed in order for the UK to send ground troops, saying it was an essential" part of any ceasefire deal with Russia. Continue reading...

Australian year 10 students' understanding of civics has dropped to a record low. How does your knowledge stack up?

President endorsed $Libra crypto token on Friday before it collapsed, leading some to call it a financial rug pull'Opposition politicians in Argentina have called for the impeachment of president Javier Milei after he touted a cryptocurrency which quickly collapsed and reportedly led to millions of dollars in losses this weekend.Milei endorsed the little-known cryptocurrency token $Libra on Friday evening, announcing on X that the project was dedicated to boosting the growth of the Argentine economy by funding small businesses and entrepreneurs". His post linked to a website where the digital coin could be bought, the domain name of which included Milei's popular catchphrase long live freedom". Continue reading...

Jury hears Zhenhao Zou took drugs and watched time stop' pornographic scenesAn engineering student accused of drugging and raping women has said he took drugs and viewed pornography, with his favourite scenes involving sleeping women.Zhenhao Zou, 27, is accused of raping 10 women and filming his attacks. He denies all the charges. Continue reading...

Leaders arrive at Paris summit for urgent talks on Ukraine after week that showed how far values have diverged

One suspect, Mehdi Nemmouche, is serving a life sentence for a 2014 attack on a Jewish museum in BrusselsFive suspected Islamist terrorists accused of kidnapping and torturing four French journalists covering the war in Syria have gone on trial in Paris.The men include the French jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche, 39, who is serving life imprisonment for an attack on a Jewish museum in Brussels in 2014 in which four people died. Continue reading...

Villach mayor praises Alaaeddin al-Halabi, who intervened in knife attack that killed 14-year-old and injured five othersA Syrian migrant living in Austria has been hailed as a hero after he rammed his car into an attacker, bringing down a radicalised assailant who had killed one teenager and left five others injured.The stabbing, described by Austria's interior minister as having been carried out by a Syrian man who was legally living in the country and who had become radicalised by the Islamic State group, happened on Saturday in the southern Austrian city of Villach. Continue reading...

Conservative leader calls pronouns, diversity policies and climate activism' a poison' in speech at rightwing eventKemi Badenoch has said our country and all of western civilisation will be lost" if efforts to renew the Conservative party and drive forward rightwing ideas globally fail.Likening her own leadership to Donald Trump's second term, she used a gathering of fellow conservatives to attack Keir Starmer for taking the knee in a nod to Black Lives Matter and described pronouns, diversity policies and climate activism" as a poison". Continue reading...

Comments suggest Israeli PM will reject Hamas pledge to hand over control of territory to the PABenjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that he is committed" to Donald Trump's plan to take over and develop the Gaza Strip, amid uncertainty over whether Israel will send a delegation to Qatar to discuss the second stage of the fragile ceasefire in the war with Hamas.In a statement on Monday, the Israeli prime minister said: Just as I have committed to, on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. I am committed to US president Trump's plan for the creation of a different Gaza." Continue reading...

EU and Ukraine have been excluded from high-stakes negotiations between top Russian and US officials

Conservative leader of the opposition speaks at right-wing conference in London. This live blog is closedKeir Starmer's announcement via the Telegraph that he was prepared to put British peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine was also described by Conservative MP and shadow cabinet spokesperson Alicia Kearns as not the right priority. She told viewers of Sky News his priority should be today talking about defence spending."It was put to her that by Sky's Wilfred Frost that you're trying to criticise the state of defence spending six months into their government, when this is a long-term issue, after 14 years [of Conservatives being] in power."I've always been very clear. I was critical of my own government. But what I'm saying is, since July, a decision was made to side with the Treasury, to not give the increase in defence spending. We needed to continue to replenish stocks. Replenishing stocks should be the priority so that we are ready if we do need to provide peacekeeping services, if we do need to provide more support to Ukraine.My reaction is the prime minister is doing the right thing. But, of course, doing the right thing comes at a price. If the prime minister is serious about wanting to deploy British troops, put boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, he's got to realise that's going to come at a considerable cost.Frankly, we haven't got the numbers and we haven't got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment. We've got to have the right number of people with the right equipment and the right training, and start to fund that now.I'm quite cautious, because we're not a place in which we understand the terms or the conditions or the numbers or the way in which we've been deploying our people, and we should always make sure that we are making decisions based on as much information as possible.The reality is that Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom. Russia has taken around 600 square miles of territory over the last few months. We're not in a place as yet where I think we can be making those commitments ... things are going to change over the next few hours, let alone the next few days, weeks and months.We will always give Ukraine the support they need. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with them. We will fight for them to determine the terms of this peace.And also, it's important to note, this can't just be that we've managed to stop the shooting and murder, and therefore we've got peace. We need a peace deal that will end the threat to our European neighbours and to us, one that will make us safer from a state that is currently behaving like a terrorist. Continue reading...

US state department last week removed line from fact sheet saying We do not support Taiwan independence'China has called on the United States to correct its mistakes" after a statement that Washington does not support an independent Taiwan was removed from the state department website.Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out using force to unify with the self-ruled island one day. Continue reading...

Analysts say address to symposium suggests crackdown on sector may be ending in effort to tackle economic slump

Vatican statement says pontiff, 88, is being treated for a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tractPope Francis will remain in hospital for as long as required after tests undertaken in recent days showed a complex clinical picture", the Vatican has said.The pontiff, 88, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Friday with worsening bronchitis and was diagnosed and treated for a respiratory tract infection. Continue reading...

As Minns government seeks to extend controversial laws that make it harder for young people to get bail, experts warn locking up more kids will not curb crime

Police continue to search River Thames for suspect over Friday's fatal shooting of Lisa Smith, 43, from SloughA woman shot dead at a Kent pub on Valentine's Day has been named as Lisa Smith.The 43-year-old from Slough was killed in Knockholt near The Three Horseshoes pub shortly after 7pm on Friday, Kent police said. She died at the scene after being shot. Continue reading...

Joint statement accuses government of copying Tories' performative cruelty'

Congolese authorities accused of abandoning Bukavu after government confirms fall to militia groupM23 rebels have captured and occupied Bukavu, the second-largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congolese government has confirmed, days after the Rwanda-backed militia launched an attack.In a statement posted on X, the DRC communications ministry said it was monitoring the situation marked by the entry of the Rwandan army and its auxiliaries" and it was doing everything possible to restore order, security and territorial integrity". Continue reading...

Richard Walker laments record so far but welcomes more upbeat tone, planning reforms and move to better EU trading ties

Over five years to 2024, independent school enrolments surged by 18.5%, while Catholic school enrolments increased by 6.6% and public school enrolments rose by just 1%

Albanese government also asked if it has considered nuclear insurance pool in context of Aukus nuclear-powered submarines

Coalition of Islamic groups says remarks made by nurses that they would kill Israeli patients were emotional and hyperbolic'

Teen witness tells court of separate attack by two defendants in the days before the Indigenous teen was killed

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Cyclone Zelia, which hit Western Australia on Friday, brought the Bureau of Meteorology to the end of an alphabetical list

Some people experiencing psychotic episodes have waited days at an inner-city hospital emergency department, according to a source

Pritam Singh's conviction is a blow to the city state's struggling political opposition, which is seeking to challenge the entrenched ruling party in upcoming electionsSingapore's opposition leader has been convicted of lying to parliament while helping a fellow party member to cover up a false witness account, in a case that could disqualify him from running in upcoming national elections.Pritam Singh, 48, secretary-general of the Workers' Party, was found guilty on Monday on two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee that was investigating a fellow MP. Continue reading...

BBC Two's Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone gathers intimate footage of three children surviving in the besieged stripHave you ever wondered what you'd do if your world is destroyed?" asks 13-year-old Abdullah, speaking at the beginning of an intimate BBC Two documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, that airs on Monday night. Most important, could you stay alive? After all this, you could say we're experts."Abdullah, now 14 and heading back to his prewar home in the north of the shattered territory, is the English-speaking narrator - one of three children whose stories of hope and endurance are at the heart of an hour-long film, a distinctive and deliberate choice intended to make the film resonate after 15 months of war. Continue reading...

Vadim Stroykin reported to have killed himself by jumping from a ninth-floor window during visit by security servicesNo one knows exactly what happened in the final moments of Vadim Stroykin's life.The 59-year-old Russian singer-songwriter's vibrant career came to a sudden end on 5 February when a team from Russia's security services arrived at his cramped ninth-floor St Petersburg flat at 9am. They were investigating him for what has become one of the gravest offences in today's Russia - donating to the Ukrainian army. Continue reading...

Two women in hijabs allegedly attacked in Epping last week while racist graffiti reported in western Sydney

Mark Brown says Beijing deal that covers trade, investment, oceans, infrastructure and transport complements ties with New ZealandThe Cook Islands says it has signed a deal to expand relations with China, stressing that the accord does not impinge on ties with former colonial power New Zealand.Prime minister Mark Brown said he signed an action plan for the comprehensive strategic partnership" with Chinese premier Li Qiang in the northern city of Harbin during a five-day state visit to China last week. Continue reading...

Tagline has quickly become the subject of derision, with some critics likening it to a clearance sale sloganA New Zealand tourism campaign targeting Australian visitors has been ridiculed for sounding like a clearance sale slogan and for being tone-deaf amid widespread public service job cuts and record numbers of New Zealanders moving overseas.The government launched its Everyone must go!" campaign on Sunday, in a bid to encourage Australian holiday-makers to visit New Zealand. The NZD$500,000 campaign will run on radios and social media in Australia between February and March. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation report says failure to reform has slowly recreated the issues that undid the poll tax'Britain's poorest households are paying an increasing share of their income on council tax, according to new analysis that likened it to the poll tax that contributed to the downfall of Margaret Thatcher.The poorest fifth of households paid 4.8% of their income on council tax in England, Wales and Scotland and on domestic rates in Northern Ireland in the 2020-21 financial year, up from 2.9% in 2002-3, according to research by the Resolution Foundation. Continue reading...

TV, radio and online adverts aimed at increasing uptake of routine mammograms for women aged 50 to 71Women in England will be encouraged to attend potentially life-saving screenings for breast cancer in TV, radio and online adverts as part of the first NHS awareness campaign for the disease.Women in the UK are invited for their first routine mammogram between the ages of 50 and 53, with further invitations arriving every three years until they reach 71, after which they can request screening. Continue reading...

About 64% of people had difficulties with health service last year relating to communication about carePatients routinely have to chase up test results, receive appointment letters after their appointments and do not know when their treatment will occur because the NHS is so dysfunctional".That is the conclusion of research by two major patients' organisations and the King's Fund, which lays bare a host of problems with the way the health service interacts with it users.32% had to chase up the results of a test, scan or X-ray.32% had not been told how long they would have to wait for their care or treatment.23% were unaware of who to contact while they waited.20% received an invitation to an appointment after the date had passed. Continue reading...

It is understood to be the first time the PM has been explicit about sending British peacekeepers to UkraineKeir Starmer has said he is prepared to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia - acknowledging it could put UK forces in harm's way" if Vladimir Putin launches another attack.It is understood to be the first time the prime minister has explicitly stated he is considering deploying British peacekeepers to Ukraine. The comments came just before emergency talks with European leaders in Paris on Monday. Continue reading...

Lee calls unanimous decision a violation' of principle of valuing an artist's voice

Both Edward Berger and Brady Corbet's dramas take four awards while Demi Moore denied comeback prize as competition heats up for next month's Oscars