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As Beijing has increased its efforts to recruit Taiwanese people, the number of spying cases has risenIn November, a Taiwan court heard accusations that two serving soldiers had accepted bribes from Chinese agents to record a video declaring their loyalty to China and their intention to defect in the event of a war. The video reportedly made its way into Chinese propaganda materials.Weeks later, a conviction over a similar accusation was upheld against a retired army colonel. The colonel was found guilty of having accepted monthly payments totalling more than half a million Taiwan dollars (12,500) to delay his retirement for years and serve as a spy. Local media reports said the colonel also posed for a photo holding a handwritten note, pledging his loyalty to Beijing's cause of annexing Taiwan to the Chinese state. Continue reading...

Research shows the statue held by Tasmania's Maritime Museum was created in the 1830s, likely as a satirical depiction of George Arthur, the fourth governor of Van Diemen's Land

Experts blame austerity as rate of advance in improving prognosis has slowed markedly since 2010Progress on cancer survival in the UK has slowed to its lowest rate in 50 years, a report has found, with experts blaming the impact of austerity on the nation's health.The study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, commissioned by Cancer Research UK, projects there will be half a million new cancer cases each year in the UK by 2040. Continue reading...

Jordan Shanks-Markovina says he removed 2022 video because he did not want the death of innocent people' on his conscience

Foreign secretary suggests after a ceasefire, UK would not need to wait for end of what could be years of talks on a two-state solutionThe UK could officially recognise a Palestinian state after a ceasefire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of what could be years of talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution, David Cameron has said.Speaking during a visit on Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, the foreign secretary said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing. Continue reading...

A woman was being helped off Berowra tracks by a man when both of them were struck, police said

The policy platform, to be considered later this month, also seeks to abandon annual wage rises for middle and high income earners on award safety netsThe New South Wales Liberals are set to adopt an industrial relations policy to water down unfair-dismissal protections and abandon annual wage rises for middle and high income earners on award safety nets.The policy, to be considered at the state council annual general meeting later in February, is an ambitious blueprint for reforms to the federal Fair Work Act likely to spark a hostile reaction from unions over weakening worker protections.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Gunman, who was detained unharmed, was protesting about war in Gaza and had trapped seven workers for nearly nine hoursTurkish police have released seven workers taken hostage by a pro-Palestinian gunman at a plant near Istanbul owned by US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble in protest at the war in Gaza.Local officials said police staged a raid nearly nine hours into the standoff when the lone gunman took a bathroom break. Continue reading...

Jordan Shanks-Markovina says he removed 2022 video because he did not want the death of innocent people' on his conscience

Thieves broke into Tofu's Trading card store in San Jose, but missed the special collection of cards to be released days laterThe thieves entered a San Jose business under cover of the night to execute their heist. They broke in, with one crawling along the floor to avoid detection, and began searching in the dark.Within minutes, they made off with the goods - more than 35,000 Pokemon cards. Continue reading...

Former Labour member likely to be up against George Galloway in contest for Rochdale seatSimon Danczuk, the former Labour MP who was suspended from the party for sending explicit messages to a 17-year-old girl, is standing in the Rochdale byelection for the Reform party.He looks set to face George Galloway, another former Labour MP, who said he would stand on a pro-Palestine ticket to teach Starmer a lesson". Continue reading...

Police searching for Abdul Ezedi after woman and her youngest daughter, 3, suffer possible life-changing injuries. This blog is now closedThe mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said last night's chemical assault in Clapham is truly shocking".He tweeted that his thoughts are with all those who have been injured, especially the woman and two children who remain in hospital".The Met are doing all they can to urgently find the man seen fleeing the scene and have increased patrols in the local community. I urge anyone with any information to call the police on 101. Continue reading...

Police share photo of suspect showing maimed right side of his face as they warn public not to approach him

People on sauna boat pull car driver and passenger from freezing water before vehicle is lifted outTwo motorists whose car plunged into a freezing Oslo fjord escaped unharmed when a floating sauna came to their rescue, Norwegian police have said.A video clip filmed by witnesses and obtained by Agence France-Presse on Thursday appears to shows the vehicle, a Tesla, partly submerged in the water, with its occupants sitting on the roof. Continue reading...

Justice minister Mike Freer is stepping down as MP for Finchley and Golders Green after death threats, abuse and intimidationVoters in MP Mike Freer's constituency have expressed their fears after he announced his decision to stand down after a constant string" of death threats, abuse and intimidation.The justice minister and member for Finchley and Golders Green announced he would not seek re-election this year, with the final straw" being a suspected arson attack on his constituency office in December. Freer said the onslaught of abuse had weighed heavily" on him and his family. Continue reading...

Stormont could soon be back up and running, ending two-year boycott of power sharing that has destabilised the countryMPs have waved through the government's latest post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade arrangements that pave the way for power-sharing to restart at Stormont after a two-year deadlock.The House of Commons approved the changes on Thursday afternoon without a formal vote, despite Brexiters' concerns about the region remaining under EU law. Continue reading...

Labour MP says Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer must agree on ensuring election campaign is not marred by threatsHarriet Harman has called on Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak to agree on ensuring that the general election campaign is not marred by threats of physical violence to MPs.The chair of the Commons standards committee, which oversees MPs' conduct, has reiterated her call for a speaker's conference committee to finally convene and address MPs' safety or risk colluding with the notion that MPs deserve to be denigrated or abused". Continue reading...

But federal judge in California says lawsuit aimed at stopping US military support for Israel is outside court's jurisdictionA federal court in California has ruled that Israel's military campaign in Gaza plausibly" amounts to genocide, but dismissed a case aimed at stopping US military support for Israel as being outside the court's jurisdiction.There are rare cases in which the preferred outcome is inaccessible to the court. This is one of those cases," the US district court in the northern district of California ruled. The court is bound by precedent and the division of our coordinate branches of government to abstain from exercising jurisdiction in this matter." Continue reading...

K Monica Kelly had to travel to Florida for an abortion after her fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 13 - now she's part of a group suing her stateWhen K Monica Kelly saw that women in Texas had filed a lawsuit challenging the contours of their state's abortion ban, she posted on Instagram to cheer them on.I shared how terrible I thought it was, that they weren't able to get the proper healthcare they needed in their state," Kelly said. It never crossed my mind that that was actually going to happen to me soon." Continue reading...

The European Commission president will be joined by the PMs of Belgium and the Netherlands in the farming lobby meetingAs leaders prepare for the summit, last-minute talks are ongoing to convince Hungary's Viktor Orban to sign off on a funding package for Ukraine.Charles Michel, the European Council president, posted a photo of talks with Orban. Continue reading...

Swedish climate campaigner among five arrested outside conference for oil bosses and government ministersGreta Thunberg defied a police officer's instruction to comply with an order to stop protesting outside an oil industry summit in central London last year, a court has heard.The Swedish climate campaigner was one of five activists appearing at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday charged with failing to comply with a condition imposed under section 14 of the Public Order Act" after they were told to leave the area. Continue reading...

Draft legislation is intended to ensure full array of products are sold in Northern IrelandForcing all UK supermarkets to put not for EU" labels on meat, dairy and plant products in a move to assuage the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland will force up prices and increase inflation, ministers have been told.After months of uncertainty about the post-Brexit regulations, the government has said it will legislate so that the labelling requirement is universal from October as part of a safeguarding the union" deal with the Democratic Unionist party (DUP). Continue reading...

Despite speculation about couple's Netflix deal ending, company's chief content officer says duo working on bunch' of projectsHarry and Meghan are working on a number of projects at Netflix despite speculation that the pair's deal was in jeopardy.During a preview event of Netflix's 2024 content, it was revealed that the pair have a movie, a scripted series and some more unscripted content on the way, according to Deadline. Continue reading...

Action involved 114 firefighters who sued construction firms, landlord and London fire commissionerFirefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire have secured up to 1.1m each in compensation after they sued construction companies, the landlord of the council block and the London fire commissioner.Payouts to 114 firefighters will vary from 10,000 to 1.1m and total 20m. The out-of-court settlement follows a 150m payout last year in a similar civil claim brought by the nearly 900 bereaved, survivors and residents of the disaster in west London that killed 72 people. Continue reading...

Water reserves fall below 16% as region's president says it has not rained in some areas for three yearsAfter more than 1,000 days of drought, the Catalan government has formally announced a state of emergency, extending water restrictions to Barcelona and the surrounding region.Announcing the measures on Thursday, Pere Aragones, the Catalan president, said that in some areas it had not rained at all for three years, describing the situation as the worst drought in modern history. Continue reading...

Human rights groups had urged Thai government not to deport Russian-Belarusian band, who are now in IsraelA dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band critical of the war in Ukraine have left Thailand for Israel after fears they would be deported to Russia under suspected pressure from the Kremlin.Seven members of the Bi-2 group were detained by Thai immigration authorities last Wednesday on the resort island of Phuket for working without a permit. The band were touring in Phuket, a holiday destination popular with Russian tourists. Continue reading...

Towns and cities across country empty during protest on third anniversary of coup and arrest of Aung San Suu KyiCities and towns across Myanmar have come to a standstill as people took part in a silent strike to signal defiance against the military junta on the anniversary of the 2021 coup.Three years since the military detained political leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, its grip on power is more uncertain than at any point in the last six decades, according to analysts. The UN says two-thirds of the country is experiencing conflict. Continue reading...

All 27 leaders agree deal after 11th-hour meetings with Hungarian prime minister, who had vowed to block the funds

UK intelligence says incorporation of former mercenaries into Rosgvardia shows the group has been successfully subordinated' by MoscowMost EU member states are trying to blackmail" Hungary in Brussels to approve a 50bn ($54bn) aid package to Ukraine, prime minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday, adding that a deal was not guaranteed.The prime minister conducts continuous discussions at the EU summit, we continue to strive to reach an agreement taking national interests into account, but it is not certain that this will happen," Gergely Gulyas told a briefing, reports Reuters. Continue reading...

Lib Dem leader, who was business minister from 2010 to 2012, says he is sorry he did not see through Post Office's lies'Ed Davey has apologised for the first time for his role as a minister in the Horizon scandal, with the Liberal Democrat leader saying he was sorry I did not see through the Post Office's lies".Writing in the Guardian, Davey, whose business minister role from 2010 to 2012 involved oversight of the Post Office, said officials had initially advised him to not meet Alan Bates, who led the campaign into the unjust targeting of post office operators. Continue reading...

Assault with alkaline corrosive substance in Clapham also injured an eight-year-old girl, police sayA 31-year-old mother and a three-year-old girl have potentially life-changing injuries after an attack with an alkaline corrosive substance in south London.The attack in Clapham on Wednesday evening also injured an eight-year-old girl, the Metropolitan police said. A hunt for the suspect is under way. Continue reading...

Many parents held up images of the children who died after falling prey to abusers on apps such as Instagram, TikTok and SnapchatMark Zuckerberg apologized to the parents of children who killed themselves after being subjected to online sexual exploitation during a US Senate hearing Wednesday. Evan Spiegel offered condolences to parents whose children obtained deadly illegal drugs via Snapchat. The words were too little, too late for their intended audience, though. The grieving guardians expressed only frustration with the social media CEOs' responses to their plight and to questions from members of Congress.I'm not happy with the answers the CEOs are giving. They can't give a straight answer. Not even yes' or no,'" said Tammy Rodriguez, the mother of Selena Rodriguez, who was 11 when she died by suicide three years ago after being solicited for sexually exploitative content by strangers on Instagram and Snapchat. Continue reading...

American war planners used joint Talisman Sabre exercises to position equipment in northern Victoria

Party has hired two community outreach volunteers and will send two shadow ministers to IndiaLabour is overhauling its outreach efforts to British Indians, amid concern that the party's support among the country's largest ethnic minority has slumped in recent years.Keir Starmer's party has taken a series of measures designed to reconnect with British Indians, including hiring two community outreach volunteers, revamping the Labour Friends of India group and organising a trip to India for two of its senior shadow ministers. Continue reading...

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Rugby union star has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting woman at Beach Road Hotel in December 2022

Australian foreign minister says UNRWA is only organisation that can provide substantive support to occupied Palestinian territories

Hundreds of women sentenced for practices such as studying the Qur'an, dating back as far back as 60s and 70s, analysis of Chinese police files showsHundreds of thousands of Uyghur female religious leaders are estimated to have been arrested and imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2014, with some elderly women detained for practices that took place decades ago, according to an analysis of leaked Chinese police files.There is growing evidence of the abusive treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population of the north-west Chinese region of Xinjiang, with their traditions and religion seen as evidence of extremism and separatism. Continue reading...

Group draws up 100 proposals, including that ministers swear oath to uphold a new code of standardsMinisters should have to swear an oath to uphold ethical standards in public life after years of scandals and declining trust in the government, a new cross-party commission has found.The group, whose members include the former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, the Labour MP Margaret Hodge, and Helen MacNamara, a former government ethics chief, set out 100 recommendations aimed at fixing problems with the standards system. Continue reading...

Companies such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Tesla, General Motors and BYD could do more to ensure their strict standards are applied in China, Human Rights Watch saysCar manufacturers Toyota, Volkswagen, Tesla, General Motors and BYD may be using aluminium made by Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains and could do more to minimise that risk, Human Rights Watch says.An investigation conducted by HRW has alleged that while most automotive companies have strict human rights standards to audit their global supply chains, they may not be applying the same rigorous sourcing rules for their operations inside China. Continue reading...

Leaked intimate images allegedly depicting affair between two ministers captivate nation and rattle prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka's coalitionA sex scandal involving allegations of an extramarital affair between two ministers, leaked intimate images and suggestions of drug use during a ministerial trip has gripped Fiji, rattling the government and raising questions over whether the coalition can survive.The conservative Pacific nation of about 1 million people has been transfixed by the saga which centres on an alleged affair between the minister for women, Lynda Tabuya, and former minister for education Aseri Radrodro, a married man. Radrodro also used to be son-in-law to the prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka. Discussion about the allegations has flooded social media in recent weeks, with some Fijians calling for their resignation, while others want accountability and an explanation from the coalition that has been in power for just over a year. Continue reading...

Fifth of men aged 16-29 look favourably on social media influencer Andrew TateBoys and men from generation Z are more likely than older baby boomers to believe that feminism has done more harm than good, according to research that shows a real risk of fractious division among this coming generation".One in four UK males aged 16 to 29 believe it is harder to be a man than a woman and a fifth now look favourably on the social media influencer Andrew Tate, the polling of over 3,600 people found. Continue reading...

Police urge public to report dogs in breach of rules with owners facing criminal record and fineUp to 15,000 unregistered XL bully dogs are believed to be owned illegally as a full ban comes into force in England and Wales, with police urging the public to report dogs they believe are in breach of the rules.Owners had until midday on Wednesday to register their XL bully for a certificate of exemption before the full ban came into force in England and Wales on 1 February, from which point police can seize unregistered dogs and owners face a criminal record and unlimited fine. Continue reading...

Offer comes as research shows half of families in UK have never holidayed abroad with grandparentsEasyJet's holiday wing is offering grans go free" places on trips to Europe, after research found half of families had never holidayed abroad with their grandparents.Under the offer, one grandparent on the trip can travel free of charge to countries including Spain, Greece and Italy. The tour operator said it hoped the deal would encourage Britons to take a holiday with three generations of their family or more. Continue reading...

Member states hope to persuade Hungary to remove its block on funding at Brussels emergency summitEU leaders have returned to Brussels for a second showdown in two months with Hungary's Viktor Orban over his refusal to sanction a new 50bn assistance package for Ukraine.A mixture of frustration and anger prevailed in the city as leaders arrived for dinner on Wednesday night on the eve of the emergency summit, with aides lamenting the failure of the Hungarian PM to shift position since December, when he first blocked the funds. Continue reading...

Country accused of violating torture convention in hope of finding justice decade after incident in which at least 15 people diedA 25-year-old from Cameroon has filed a complaint to the UN against Spain, accusing the country of multiple violations of the convention against torture in hope of seeking justice after an incident in 2014 during which at least 15 people died while trying to enter Spanish territory from Morocco.A decade has passed and still not a single person has been held accountable for the death and injury of so many," said the man, who asked to be identified by the pseudonym Ludovic. Continue reading...

Postal service says 3,600 current and former employees will receive any owed pay with interest and super where applicable

Political donations for previous financial year, released by the AEC, show major parties received $210.7m in donations and other receipts

Employees blindsided by news that company blew through $50m investment, will offer no severance and will cut off healthcareThe Messenger, a news startup launched last year with a $50m investment and a nonpartisan perspective, is shutting down, according to multiple news reports.In a staff email, the publication's founder, Jimmy Finkelstein, wrote that the company had pursued all options over the past few weeks, literally until last night" but made the painful" decision to shut down the site effective immediately after failing to raise sufficient capital to reach profitability". Continue reading...