Former NSW MP Rory Amon tells court 13-year-old boy said he was 17 before alleged sexual abuse 27. February 2026 (09:13) Former state Liberal MP begins his evidence after pleading not guilty to 10 charges for various sexual actsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA former state Liberal MP accused of having sex with a 13-year-old boy in a car park toilet has claimed in court the boy told him he was 17 .Rory Amon, 36, began his evidence in his New South Wales supreme court trial after pleading not guilty to 10 charges for various sexual acts against the young teen in 2017. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour’s worst fears realised by Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton byelection 27. February 2026 (08:42) Result gives progressive voters clear signal they have an alternative to beating Reform UK – and shows the task ahead for Keir Starmer UK politics live – latest updatesLabour MPs have said for weeks that the outcome they most feared at the Gorton and Denton byelection was a Green party victory.On Friday morning, their worst fears were realised. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Liberal party executive agrees to permanently bury review into catastrophic 2025 election defeat 27. February 2026 (08:24) Party says ‘what’s important now is that we strengthen our party for the future’ but some MPs concerned they will not learn from lossGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA review of the Liberal party’s catastrophic election defeat will be buried in a move that shields the former leader Peter Dutton and the current leader, Angus Taylor, from potentially damaging findings about their role in the campaign.The Liberal federal executive met on Friday and agreed to permanently shelve Pru Goward and Nick Minchin’s review of the 2025 election, which produced the worst result in the party’s more than 80-year history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rising anger over ‘lop-sided’ and ‘immoral’ US health funding pacts with African countries 27. February 2026 (08:00) Zimbabwe refuses to sign agreement and Kenya faces a court case over data sharing as new aid deals come under scrutinyA series of bilateral health agreements being negotiated between African countries and the administration of President Donald Trump have been labelled “clearly lop-sided” and “immoral” amid growing outrage at US demands, including countries being forced to share biological resources and data.It emerged this week that Zimbabwe had halted negotiations with the US for $350m (£258m) of health funding, saying the proposals risked undermining its sovereignty and independence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Switching energy deal can save £200 as price cap falls, say experts 27. February 2026 (08:00) Households on a default dual-fuel tariff in Great Britain could cut costs by moving to a fixed dealExperts have told households whose energy bills are pegged to the price cap not to “rest on their laurels” as they could save more than £200 a year on a fixed deal.This week, Ofgem said the price cap in Great Britain would drop by 7% from April. This usually only matters if you are on a default tariff, but this time the reduction applies to everyone because the government is removing green charges from bills. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Firefighters in Sicily rescue 400 rare library books from precipice after landslide 27. February 2026 (07:00) Landslide in Niscemi in January tore away entire slope of town and carved 4km chasmFirefighters in Sicily have rescued about 400 rare books from a library in Niscemi that hangs on the edge of a mudflow, after a devastating landslide in January tore away an entire slope of the town and carved a 4km chasm.The library stands on the lip of the precipice gouged out by the landslide, with part of the building in effect hanging in mid-air. The recovery operation, which began on Monday, was preceded by a detailed study of floor plans and interior photographs to map the position of the books. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
North Korea’s ‘most beloved’ child: what the key congress revealed about Kim Jong-un’s succession plans 27. February 2026 (06:53) Many observers believe North Korean leader has decided daughter Kim Ju-ae will succeed him, but others say gender politics could block her path to powerWhen North Korea’s ruling party held a top-level meeting this month there were predictable boasts of unstoppable nuclear development and, more unexpectedly, a suggestion by Kim Jong-un that his country and the US “could get along” – provided that Washington recognised North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power.But for many North Korea watchers, the Workers’ party congress – held over several days just once every five years – was a rare opportunity to speculate over the identity of the country’s future leader. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hannah Spencer wins Gorton and Denton for the Greens, Labour comes third – UK politics live 27. February 2026 (06:04) Turnout in Gorton and Denton byelection over 47%, with 36,903 verified votes cast. Reform UK finished second with 10,578 votes.Full story: Resounding victory for Green partyReform activists are “hearing Matt Goodwin has all but conceded defeat to the Greens”, the UK poll aggregator Britain Elects has posted on X.The Green party has predicted a “seismic moment” in UK politics, with a party source telling the Press Association:Things are feeling positive. Not wanting to get ahead of ourselves, but everything that we thought that was going to be happening looks like it’s happening … Whatever happens, I think it’s fair to say that Greens are here to stay now as a progressive voice in British politics. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A living, moving exhibition’: Ukraine Museum opens in Berlin air-raid bunker 27. February 2026 (06:00) Exhibits pay homage to Ukrainians’ resilience and bring home the reality that war is going on in EuropeDescending into the windowless basement of a second world war air-raid bunker built for civilians in central Berlin is arguably an eerie enough evocation of what it means to endure life in a conflict.But in a modern twist, before they have even walked into the first room of the city’s new Ukraine Museum inside the bunker, visitors are “targeted” by a Russian drone just before its operator prepares to release the lethal shot, and see themselves in the firing line on the screen of the weapon’s camera. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Last weekend of summer brings sparkle and stars to Sydney with Mardi Gras parade, Bad Bunny and Grace Jones 27. February 2026 (05:47) More than 350,000 people expected to turn out on Saturday for blockbuster lineup of music and culture eventsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Mardi Gras annual parade, Bad Bunny and Grace Jones will headline a bumper nightlife lineup in Sydney on Saturday that will draw more than 350,000 people and test the city’s security and transport systems.Sydney’s Mardi Gras showpiece, its sequin-spangled parade, will transform Oxford Street with 170 floats, 10,000 marchers and 250,000 spectators, its organisers estimated on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
