Taylor Swift concert attack plot: 21-year-old man charged with terrorism in Austria 17. February 2026 (02:40) Unnamed suspect accused of planning to bomb one of singer’s Eras tour shows in ViennaAustrian prosecutors have filed terrorism-related charges against a 21-year-old who they say planned toattack one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna in August 2024.Three dates in Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour were cancelled after authorities warned of the plot. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested after stabbing in western Sydney leaves one dead and two critically injured 17. February 2026 (02:00) Three people stabbed in attack near Merrylands train stationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man is in custody after three people were stabbed near a train station in western Sydney, leaving one of them dead.Police responded to reports of the stabbing in Merrylands, about 10am on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coles tells court its Down Down promotions were ‘fair dinkum’ discounts and did not mislead shoppers 17. February 2026 (01:56) Supermarket defends pricing practices after ACCC labels discounts ‘utterly misleading’ in federal court caseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastColes has defended its promotional prices in a high-profile court case brought by the consumer watchdog, arguing that shoppers would understand the supermarket’s well-known “Down Down” promotion to be “fair dinkum”.The federal court battle between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Coles began this week, testing allegations the supermarket breached the law by offering “illusory” discounts on many everyday products. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I just want to stop hearing about it’: a weary South Korea awaits verdict on Yoon insurrection charges 17. February 2026 (01:50) Yoon Suk Yeol could face the death penalty when judges rule on the martial law crisis that many in South Korea see as a dark moment they would rather forgetSouth Korea is awaiting one of the most consequential court rulings in decades this week, with judges due to deliver their verdict on insurrection charges against the former president Yoon Suk Yeol and prosecutors demanding the death penalty.When Yoon stands in courtroom 417 of Seoul central district court on Thursday to hear his fate, which will be broadcast live, he will do so in the same room where the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death three decades ago. The charge is formally the same. Last time, it took almost 17 years and a democratic transition to deliver a verdict. This time, it has taken 14 months. Chun’s death sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment on appeal, and he was eventually pardoned. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former NRL star Matt Utai shot in alleged ‘brazen ambush’ outside home in western Sydney 17. February 2026 (01:48) Premiership-winning Canterbury winger hit in stomach and leg in Greenacre shootingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer NRL star Matt Utai is in hospital fighting for his life after being shot multiple times on his front lawn, in what police are treating as an ambush attack with no clear motive.The 2004 premiership-winning Canterbury winger was left with serious leg wounds after the attack in Greenacre, in western Sydney, at about 6am on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Met deploys drones and ebikes to help catch adolescent phone thieves 17. February 2026 (01:01) London police say criminal gangs are using Snapchat to offer cash rewards of up to £380 for stolen iPhonesGangs are recruiting children to go out to steal smartphones before they head to school, using Snapchat to offer rewards of up to £380 for the latest Apple iPhones, police have revealed.The Metropolitan police said they were deploying new resources including drones and Surron ebikes to chase suspects as they step up their fight against phone snatching. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Six Sarah Ferguson-linked companies to close after Epstein revelations 17. February 2026 (00:53) Messages from ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to sex offender, sent after his conviction, came to light last monthSix companies linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are being wound down in the wake of revelations about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.According to Companies House, an application to strike off each company was filed after new details about Ferguson’s contact with Epstein came to light in the millions of documents released by US authorities as part of the Epstein files. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two British skiers killed in French Alps named 17. February 2026 (00:21) Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, died while skiing off-piste in Val d’Isère amid red avalanche alertTwo British skiers who died in an avalanche in the French Alps have been named as Stuart Leslie and Shaun Overy.The pair were part of a group of five people, accompanied by an instructor, skiing off-piste in Val d’Isère in south-east France on Friday when they were swept away by falling snow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Daunting but doable’: Europe urged to prepare for 3C of global heating 17. February 2026 (00:01) Advisory board member says Europe already paying price for lack of preparation but adapting is ‘not rocket science’Keeping Europe safe from extreme weather “is not rocket science”, a top researcher has said, as the EU’s climate advisory board urges countries to prepare for a catastrophic 3C of global heating.Maarten van Aalst, a member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC), said the continent was already “paying a price” for its lack of preparation but that adapting to a hotter future was in part “common sense and low-hanging fruit”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: PM predicts One Nation surge will be shortlived amid rightwing politics ‘mess’; former NRL star Matt Utai shot 16. February 2026 (23:50) Meanwhile Sarah Henderson says Liberals’ immigration policy will focus on ‘national interest’. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTotal fire ban across much of Victoria todayA total fire ban has been declared across a large stretch of southern Victoria today. The ban applies to the central, north central, south west, west and south Gippsland and Wimmera fire districts amid forecasted hot, dry temperatures.We’re seeing very dry fuels across large parts of the state, and when that’s paired with low humidity, fires can start easily and spread quickly.Any spark under these conditions has the potential to turn into something serious, particularly ahead of gusty winds or thunderstorms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
