UNITED KINGDOM

Push to give English same status as Māori and NZ sign languages sparks backlash from opposition parties and linguistic expertsA bill to recognise English as an official language of New Zealand has cleared its first hurdle in parliament amid ridicule from opposition parties and linguists who say it is “unnecessary” and “cynical”.The bill seeks to give English, which is spoken by 95% of the country, the same official status as te reo Māori (Māori language) and New Zealand sign language. The bill said the status and use of the existing official languages would not be affected. Continue reading... Source link

The prime minister has discussed stranded Australians with the Emirati president. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLidia Thorpe says the parliamentary watchdog is powerless to make a real difference against racism and the treatment of women after it released its first public statement last week.The Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission named Victorian senator Ralph Babet as having made “offensive, disrespectful and harmful” remarks in a social media post published in November 2024. The watchdog said it had sanctioned him to attend one-on-one behaviour training and agree to refrain from further similar comments but

US president appears to contradict Marco Rubio remarks that Israel planned to strike Iran first, claiming ‘If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand’ People in the US: share your views of the Iran conflictSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIn a late night post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said that the US munition stockpiles “at the medium and upper medium grade” have “never been higher or better”.He added that the US has a “virtually unlimited supply of these weapons”, meaning that “wars can be fought ‘forever’”. Continue reading... Source link

Chancellor’s statement comes amid backdrop of economic and geopolitical turmoil, including gas prices at three-year highRachel Reeves’s plans could be hit by Middle East conflict, say economistsUK grocery price inflation has risen, showing that people are being hit in the pocket even before the surge in energy prices feeds through to the economy.Data provider Worldpanel by Numerator has reported that annual grocery inflation rose to 4.3% in February, after four consecutive months of falls, in a blow for households. That’s up from 4% in January.Sentiment towards BP and Shell has strengthened significantly off the back of oil price spikes. But