UNITED KINGDOM

Home affairs minister says opposition had repatriated Australians from Syria when in government. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe home affairs minister, Tony Burke, told ABC’s 7.30 program last night that the Coalition pressure to prevent the 34 Australian wives and children of IS fighters killed or captured in Syria from returning to Australia was “silly hypocrisy”.He said if the Coalition wants the group excluded from Australia permanently, “they should look at the laws they voted for, they put in place when they were in government.”There’s a lot of very silly deeply

Kerstin G froze to death on Großglockner when Thomas P descended mountain to fetch helpAn Austrian mountaineer is to appear in court accused of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died of hypothermia when he left her close to the summit on a climb that went dramatically wrong.The 33-year-old woman, identified only as Kerstin G, froze to death on 19 January 2025, about 50 metres below the summit of the Großglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain, after an ascent of more than 17 hours with her boyfriend, Thomas P, 36. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/18/climber-manslaughter-charge-girlfriend-austria-highest-peak Author : Kate Connolly in Berlin

Latest round of US-mediated peace negotiations come to close in Geneva with war set to enter its fifth year next weekEurope live – latest updatesThe latest round of US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva on Wednesday ended without a major breakthrough, as fighting continues in a war that will enter its fifth year next week.Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said no agreement had been reached on the thorniest questions at the negotiations in Switzerland, accusing Moscow of “trying to drag out” the process. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/18/latest-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-geneva-no-breakthrough Author : Pjotr Sauer Publish date : 2026-02-18 14:34:00

Government considering delay to equalising national minimum wage after jump in youth unemploymentUK politics live – latest updatesMinisters are considering a slower rise in the minimum wage for younger workers, amid fears over rising youth unemployment.Labour had promised in its manifesto to equalise national minimum wage rates by the time of the next election, saying it was unfair younger workers were paid less. Government sources said equalisation remained the aim but the rise could come more slowly. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/18/ministers-may-slow-youth-minimum-wage-rise-uk-unemployment-fears Author : Jessica Elgot and Tom Knowles Publish date : 2026-02-18 12:09:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs