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Hong Kong court jails media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai for 20 years

Lai's supporters say this amounts to a death sentence, but authorities say it demonstrates the rule of law.

53 dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes in Mediterranean

Only two survivors rescued in tragedy off Libyan coast, UN migration agency says The UN migration agency said 53 people had died or were missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast. Only two survivors were rescued. The International Organization for Migration said the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday. Continue reading...

How Japan’s Leader, Sanae Takaichi, Rescued Her Party from the Abyss

Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, harnessed her personal popularity and a shift to the right among voters to achieve a record election win.

Maine shaken by ICE raids as backlash threatens Republican Senate control

Workers and unions condemn ICE operation as ‘horrific’ as pressure builds on Susan Collins, facing re-election this year Maine, the US’s whitest state, has been shaken by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, a crackdown that could threaten Republican control of the Senate in November’s crucial midterm elections. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents launched “Operation Catch of the Day ” in the state on 21 January, targeting “the worst of the worst criminal illegal ali...

Revealing names and faces of the victims of Iran's protest crackdown

BBC News Persian uncovers the identities of the thousands of people killed during the recent crackdown on protests in Iran.

Olympians Love Pasta. They’re in the Right Place.

The prospect of carbo-loading in Italy, the spiritual home of the dish, has many athletes’ mouths watering at the Winter Games.

Olympians Love Pasta. They’re in the Right Place.

The prospect of carbo-loading in Italy, the spiritual home of the dish, has many athletes’ mouths watering at the Winter Games.

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of fabricating report its troops had crossed the border

Ethiopia had alleged that Eritrean soldiers were on its territory and supporting rebels in the north.

Weather tracker: Spain and Portugal hit by third deadly storm in two weeks

Storm Marta sweeps Iberian peninsula just days after Storms Kristin and Leonardo brought deadly flooding and major damage Spain and Portugal have endured another storm over the weekend, just days after the deadly flooding and major damage caused by Storm Kristin and Storm Leonardo last week. Storm Marta passed over the Iberian peninsula on Saturday, bringing fresh torrential rain and killing two people. Storm Kristin killed at least five people after it made landfall on 28 January with Storm ...

Experts sound alarm over UK exports to firm linked to Russian war machine

Exclusive: Multimillion-pound contract raises concerns about controls designed to prevent firms unwittingly aiding destruction of Ukraine The government has been urged to re-examine a British company’s contract to export hi-tech machinery to Armenia, after the Guardian uncovered links to the supply chain for Russia’s war machine. Sanctions experts and the chair of the House of Commons business committee questioned the government’s decision to award an export licence to Cygnet Texkimp. Continu...

Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Sentence Follows Beijing’s Playbook on Dissent

The sentence for the media mogul, along with long prison terms for his editors, shows how Hong Kong enforces Xi Jinping’s red lines with a new severity.

Prince and Princess of Wales ‘deeply concerned’ by Epstein revelations

William and Kate ‘remain focused on victims’ in their first words on scandal involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor The Prince and Princess of Wales have been “deeply concerned” by the revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Kensington Palace has said. It is the first time the views of William and Catherine have been known about the crisis, which has engulfed the monarchy and Westminster, and their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”. Continue rea...

Vietnam’s Leader Has New Power, and He’s in a Hurry

To Lam is a former security chief who carved his way to prominence and relishes the good life. He has promised to make Communist Vietnam rich and influential.

Outrage as South Korean official suggests 'importing' foreign women to boost birth rate

Jindo county head Kim Hee-soo had suggested "importing young women from Vietnam or Sri Lanka" for young rural men.

Trump calls Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance ‘absolutely terrible’ – US politics live

President criticises Puerto Rican musician’s half-time show as a ‘slap in the face’ in lengthy tirade on social media As we referenced in the opening post, Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny used his speech at the Grammys at the start of the month to call out anti-immigration sentiment that has surged amid ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations which have caused terror in communities across American states. At least eight people have been killed by federal agents or have died while...

NSW police pepper spray protesters at Sydney rally opposing Isaac Herzog’s visit

Grace Tame and Lidia Thorpe address crowds in Sydney and Melbourne as thousands take to streets Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast New South Wales police have pepper sprayed protesters at a Sydney rally opposing Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit, where hundreds of demonstrators attempted to march in defiance of a state law. Thousands of people also protested in Melbourne against Herzog’s four-day visit which...

Europe’s ‘painful’ realisation it must be bolder with US set out in security report

Need for greater military autonomy also accepted, says report for Munich Security Conference, which takes place this week Europe has come to the painful realisation that it needs to be more assertive and more militarily independent from an authoritarian US administration that no longer shares a commitment to liberal democratic norms and values, a report prepared by the Munich Security Conference asserts. The report sets the scene for an all-out ideological confrontation with the Trump White H...

Minister credits Starmer for ‘taking responsibility’ over Mandelson ahead of key meeting with Labour MPs – UK politics live

Jacqui Smith defends prime minister following resignation of Morgan McSweeney amid Mandelson scandal Good morning. One of the staples of political journalism these days (for better or for worse) is the “how damaging?” question. With Westminster preoccupied with the question of how long Keir Starmer can last as prime minister following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff, yesterday in the light of the Peter Mandelson/Jeffrey Epstein scandal, here is a summary of how long ot...

'Super exciting!' - Seahawks fans celebrate Super Bowl win

The Seattle team produced a devastating defensive display to beat the New England Patriots.

Apple Daily Sentences Show a New Era of Media Peril in Hong Kong

Two editors and an opinion writer from Jimmy Lai’s now-shuttered newspaper were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, a significant escalation in media prosecution in the once freewheeling city.