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Will Fransen was on a solo fishing trip south of Auckland in New Zealand when he was yanked into the water after hooking a big fishA New Zealand man who survived more than 23 hours in cold waters and an encounter with a shark has been rescued after fishers spotted the reflection from his watch.Will Fransen, 61, had set off on a solo fishing...

Intense speculation over future role for Kim Jong-un’s daughter, who is reportedly 10, comes as North Korea fires shells near South Korean islandsThe young daughter of Kim Jong-un is seen as her father’s heir apparent, South Korea’s spy agency has said for the first time, after speculation that the North Korean ruler is grooming her to become the fourth member of the dynasty to...

As railway staff, lorry drivers, farmers and others threaten to strike, we examine the challenges the country facesRailway staff, lorry drivers and farmers are among those threatening strike action across Germany from Monday in nationwide protests over grievances ranging from pay and conditions to cuts in agricultural subsidies and higher road tolls.Long Europe’s powerhouse, Germany is struggling with a potent mix of short-term and...

Beyond the conflict in Gaza it has been a violent few weeks in the wider Middle East, from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to bomb blasts in Iran and a killing by drone in Beirut. Julian Borger explains what may happen nextIran suffered the worst terrorist attack in the history of the Islamic Republic this week when dozens of people were killed...

The election has been branded a ‘sham’ designed to cement Hasina’s rule by exiled opposition leader Tarique RahmanAn opposition boycott looks set to usher prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a fourth straight term in the Bangladesh election this weekend.The election has been described as a “sham” designed to cement Hasina’s rule by exiled opposition leader Tarique Rahman. Continue reading...

White House says Moscow likely to supply Pyongyang with advanced technologies in exchangeRussia has started using ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to attack Ukraine, the White House has said.Washington also alleged Russia was in talks with Iran to buy short-range ballistic missiles. The US intelligence assessment is that Iranian missiles have not yet arrived in Russia, but that the deal will eventually be...

Investigators believe suspect died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, and at least one of the victims is a school administratorPolice said that a 17-year-old suspect killed a sixth grader and wounded five others in a shooting early Thursday at a high school in the small town of Perry, Iowa.The suspect was identified as Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student at Perry high school, officials said at...

Alexander Lukashenko’s law also bars exiled opposition leaders from standing in presidential electionsThe Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has signed a new law granting him lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution and preventing opposition leaders living in exile from running in future presidential elections.The law theoretically applies to any former president and members of his or her family. In reality, it is only relevant to the...

Anthony Delon told a magazine his father was finding it hard to accept his frail state of healthThe actor Alain Delon will file a legal complaint against his son over “a media outburst” in France’s most prominent magazine, his lawyer has said.In an interview published on Thursday, Anthony Delon told Paris Match that his father was finding it hard to accept his frail state...

Criminal group charged $20-$30 a month to about 5,000 people as gangs diversify into sectors other than the drug tradeA cartel in the embattled central Mexico state of Michoacán set up its own makeshift internet antennas and told locals they had to pay to use its wifi service or they would be killed, according to prosecutors.Dubbed “narco-antennas” by local media, the cartel’s system involved...

Analysts suggest popularity of A Guilty Conscience is down to portrayal of recent abuses in judicial systemHong Kong’s highest grossing Chinese language film of all time is a courtroom drama exploring themes of power and justice in a city where many feel both have been abused in recent years.A Guilty Conscience, the directorial debut of the Hong Kong screenwriter Ng Wai-lun, tells the story...

Independent French auditors say UK information on people crossing Channel is ‘very patchy’The UK is not coordinating sufficiently with France to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats or providing enough detailed information, French state auditors have said.The cour des comptes, an independent French body that examines the use of public funds, has published a report on the efficiency of...

Afghan affiliate of IS claims responsibility for blasts in memorial crowd as Tehran tightens security on its eastern bordersMiddle East crisis – live updatesIslamic State has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on a crowd in southern Iran marking the anniversary of the death of the senior Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Suleimani.At least 84 people died when two blasts ripped through the crowd near Suleimani’s...

Hong Kong media mogul’s team raises concerns over testimony of former democracy activist who was imprisoned in ChinaThe international legal team for the imprisoned media mogul Jimmy Lai, who is on trial for national security offences in Hong Kong, has filed an urgent appeal with the United Nations special rapporteur on torture regarding one of the key prosecution witnesses in Lai’s trial.Lai’s lawyers say...

Ukraine’s cyber spy chief says attack on Kyivstar should serve as a ‘big warning’ to the westPolish farmers blockaded the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine on Thursday, private broadcaster Polsat News reported, resuming a protest intended to secure government subsidies for corn and prevent tax increases.The farmers, who are demanding a written agreement with the government, had suspended their protest at the crossing in...