Tributes for ‘star’ Melbourne burlesque performer killed in arson attack

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Police believe 27-year-old Katie Tangey’s death was a case of mistaken identity as friends rally to raise funds for her family

A popular performer, killed by fire in what police say is a case of mistaken identity, has been remembered as “an icon” as friends rally to raise funds for her heartbroken family.

Katie Tangey, 27, died after becoming trapped while house-sitting her brother’s three-storey townhouse in Truganina, Melbourne’s west, on Thursday morning.

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Austria is set for a far-right chancellor. For the EU it’s the ‘new normal’

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If Herbert Kickl becomes chancellor, Vienna will join list of disruptive member states, putting EU policies in peril

When Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) entered government 25 years ago, shock waves reverberated around Europe. Punitive measures were imposed, diplomatic visits cancelled and Belgium even suggested the EU could do without the Alpine country.

That was when the far-right party was only a junior coalition partner. This time, the FPÖ – nativist, anti-immigration and fiercely critical of the EU – is in the driving seat. Its leader, Herbert Kickl, is in pole position to be Austria’s next chancellor.

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Colombian tree frog found by Sheffield florist highlights invasive species threat

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Scientists say frog’s journey shows difficulty of spotting insects or fungi spread by global plant trade

A tiny tree frog hitchhiking in a bunch of roses to Sheffield from Colombia has inspired a study into invasive species reaching the UK’s shores.

Dr Silviu Petrovan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s zoology department and a senior author of a paper published today in the journal BioScience, had his interest piqued when he was asked to identify a live frog found in roses in a florist’s shop in Sheffield.

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Elon Musk’s attempts to sway German and UK politics thought ‘unacceptable’ – poll

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Exclusive: Majority polled by YouGov viewed billionaire negatively – except among Reform UK and AfD voters

Most people in the UK and Germany consider Elon Musk’s efforts to influence their national politics unacceptable and believe the US tech magnate does not know much about either country or the issues they face, a poll has shown.

The survey, by YouGov, follows a spate of hostile statements by the billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X attacking the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and their respective governments.

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Iran knows my son is innocent, says mother of French man held in Evin jail

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Olivier Grondeau was arrested in 2022 and has accused Iran of using him for ‘political blackmail’ against France

The mother of a French traveller detained in Iran for two years has said authorities “know he is innocent” but continue to hold him in the country’s notorious Evin prison.

Olivier Grondeau, 33, was arrested from his hotel room in Shiraz, in the south of Iran, on 12 October 2022, just weeks into the Woman, Life, Freedom anti-government protests that engulfed the country. The writer, poet and bookseller was in the country as part of a world tour.

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Arrested South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol stays silent as detention deadline looms

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Lawyers say impeached president will not attend questioning, with investigators expected to seek warrant to extend his detention

South Korea’s arrested president, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend a new round of questioning by investigators on Friday, his lawyer said, as authorities face an imminent deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.

In order to hold Yoon in custody for longer, investigators are expected on Friday to ask a court to approve a detention warrant for up to 20 days, legal experts said.

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Melbourne brawl that left two men dead began with birthday party argument, police say

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Neighbours told to stay inside as police seek information on stabbing deaths of two men from same family

Two men died in a brawl at a birthday party on that spilled on to the streets in Melbourne’s outer south-eastern suburbs, police say.

Detectives said the two men, aged 23 and 54, who were from the same family, were involved in a brawl involving about 20 people. Police alleged some left the scene before police arrived.

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Former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao indicted months after being recalled

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Indictment comes seven months after FBI raided her home, with formal announcement scheduled to happen on Friday

Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, California has been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The indictment comes seven months after an FBI raid on Thao’s home and two months after she was recalled by voters in Oakland.

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Israel vote on Gaza ceasefire deal delayed – BBC.com

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  1. Israel vote on Gaza ceasefire deal delayed  BBC.com
  2. Live updates: Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel delays key vote on truce  CNN
  3. Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal officially signed in Doha  Axios
  4. Israel's Netanyahu delays Gaza cease-fire vote, accusing Hamas of trying to back out of deal  Fox News
  5. Here's what we know about the Americans set to be released in first phase of the hostage deal  NBC News
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Republicans want Laken Riley Act to be Trump’s first legislative win. Two hurdles linger. – NBC News

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  1. Republicans want Laken Riley Act to be Trump's first legislative win. Two hurdles linger.  NBC News
  2. What’s actually in Congress’s harsh new immigration bill?  Vox.com
  3. ICE estimates it would need $26.9 billion to enforce GOP deportation bill  NPR
  4. Congress Considers Putting Ken Paxton in Charge of Choosing Who to Deport  The Intercept
  5. U.S. Senate  C-SPAN
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US imposes sanctions on Sudan’s army chief over tactics in deadly civil war

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Measures come a week after Washington also sanctioned Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s rival, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo

The United States has imposed sanctions on Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.

The US treasury department said in a statement that under Burhan’s leadership, the army’s war tactics have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions.

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