69 h. ago New Māori queen brings hope for New Zealand in first speech: ‘Being Māori is forever’

In her first public address, Nga wai hono i te po spoke of unity and said Māori must ‘walk a new path’Who is New Zealand’s Māori queen?It was the moment thousands had waited a year to see: New Zealand’s new Māori Queen speaking to her people for the first time since being crowned. As a light rain fell, Nga wai hono i te po, the 28-year-old monarch, urged Māori to come together and “walk a new path”.Nga wai hono i te po, the only daughter and youngest child of the former Māori King, ascended the throne a year ago after her father died peacefully in his sleep. A one-year period of mourning ensued, with custom requiring the queen to withhold speaking publicly. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Macron says 26 nations ready to provide postwar military backing to Ukraine

French president says allies would either deploy ‘reassurance force’ troops to Ukraine, or be present in the area on land, sea or in the airTwenty-six nations have pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force on land and sea and in the air, Emmanuel Macron said after a summit at which European leaders sought to pin down Donald Trump on the level of support he is willing to give Kyiv.“The day the conflict stops, the security guarantees will be deployed,” the French president told a press conference at the Élysée Palace in Paris, standing alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago European leaders press Trump over peacekeeper plan for Ukraine

Leaders ask president on call to detail security guarantees US could give to European force in event of ceasefireEuropean leaders have made fresh efforts to pin down Donald Trump on the level of support he is willing to give Ukraine to push back a Russian advance, and asked him to detail the security guarantees he would provide to any European peacekeeping force inside Ukraine in the event of a lasting ceasefire.European leaders spoke with Trump by video call on Thursday after first holding a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” in Paris, co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Leaders gather for ‘Coalition of the Willing’ talks on Ukraine security guarantees – Europe live

Emmanuel Macron says Europe ready to provide such guarantees at meeting in Paris todayRutte gets also asked about his views on Russia’s opposition to the deployment of any Nato troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.He says:“But why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide. Russia has nothing to do with this. Ukraine is a sovereign nation. If Ukraine wants to have security guarantee forces in Ukraine to support the peace deal, it’s up to them. Nobody else can decide about it. “Do you really think if he would not have been elected president united states, that Italy, Canada, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium and Luxembourg would have committed to do 2% this year? Do you really think that the whole of Nato would have committed to 5% committed to 5% including 3.5% core defence spending at the Nato Summit in The Hague?”“He took that leadership role, and it is not easy to solve this, but he is absolutely commi...

Politics

5 d. ago ‘Trump’s private army’: inside the push to recruit 10,000 immigration officers

As Ice expands and standards are lowered, advocates and former US officials warn that misconduct may increaseThe last time the US dramatically expanded its force of immigration officers, major problems arose.Some border agents recruited in the 2000s turned out to be cartel members. One kidnapped and raped three women in his custody. Two others were convicted of off-duty murders. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Lanarkshire MSP says party can bring 'hope and optimism' under her new leadership

Gillian Mackay was elected at the first stage of the Scottish Greens vote with 34 per cent

Politics

7 d. ago Houthis detain at least one UN worker in raids on two agencies in Sana’a

Iran-backed group’s security forces raid offices of World Food Programme and Unicef in Yemen’s capitalThe Iranian-backed Houthis have raided offices of the United Nations’ food and children’s agencies in Yemen’s capital, detaining at least one UN employee, officials said, as the rebels tightened security across Sana’a after Israel’s killing of their prime minister and several cabinet members.Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme, said security forces raided the agencies’ offices in the Houthi-controlled capital on Sunday morning. “WFP reiterates that the arbitrary detention of humanitarian staff is unacceptable,” Etefa said. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Coldplay forced to halt Wembley show twice as Chris Martin calls in security

Coldplay were forced to halt their Wembley show twice on Saturday night as frontman Chris Martin called in medical and security support for two fans in the crowd

Events

8 d. ago Coldplay forced to halt Wembley show twice as security rush into crowd

Coldplay were forced to bring a stop to their Wembley Stadium show twice in one night as frontman Chris Martin alerted staff into the crowd

Events

2 w. ago Push to recruit Kurds and religious minorities to Syrian security forces brings hope and skepticism

A drive to recruit Kurds and religious minorities to the Syrian government's General Security Forces in the northern area of Afrin has brought hope and skepticism

Events

2 w. ago Supporting freedom of expression is not wrong, Jimmy Lai’s lawyer tells court

Closing arguments made in Hong Kong media mogul’s national security trial, which has lasted more than 140 daysA lawyer for Jimmy Lai has argued that it is not wrong to support freedom of expression, as he began his final argument in the prominent Hong Kong democracy activist and newspaper founder’s landmark national security trial.The barrister Robert Pang is representing Lai in his fight against charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. Lai, 77, faces up to life in prison if convicted under a national security law imposed by Beijing after anti-government protests in 2019. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send hundreds of fighters to strife

Critics say Vectus Global’s presence – including snipers – will undermine Haiti’s police and UN security forceHundreds of combatants from the US, Europe and El Salvador will reportedly be deployed to Haiti in the coming weeks to battle the country’s gangs as part of a mission led by the controversial Blackwater founder and Donald Trump backer Erik Prince.According to Reuters, Prince’s new security firm, Vectus Global – which has been operating in the violence-ravaged Caribbean country since March – is preparing to intensify its activities there to help authorities win key roads and territories back from heavily armed criminal groups. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago UK's first secure school for youngsters in custody is forced to close after weapon

Staff at Oasis Restore in Medway, Kent complained prisoners have kicked down every internal door and now practically have 'free rein around the building'.

Events

3 w. ago Mayor calls for DC to become 51st state after Trump’s National Guard crackdown

Muriel Bowser says president’s move to federalize city police force demonstrates why the District of Columbia needs statehood to secure its independence

Politics

3 w. ago Liverpool turn to Marc Guehi in pursuit of defensive reinforcements

Arne Slot’s side hope to bring in another centre-back before the window closes and have opened talks with Crystal Palace

Events

3 w. ago Pakistan launches new security operation against militants near Afghan border

Pakistani security forces have launched a “targeted operation” against militants in a northwestern district bordering Afghanistan

Events

3 w. ago Australia joins France, Britain and Canada to recognise a Palestinian state

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a two-state solution is the ‘best hope’ to bring an end to the conflict

Politics