Australia news live: Woodside doubles profits thanks to record production of oil; funnel-web spider shortage threatens antivenom program

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Australia’s largest oil and gas producer has doubled its profits to $5.6bn. Follow today’s news live

Senate estimates will be back under way today, and AAP has flagged a little of what we can expect:

Creative Australia bosses, including the chief executive, Adrian Collette, will front an estimates hearing and it’s expected they’ll be questioned about the selection body’s shock decision to ditch the Venice Biennale team.

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Ministers urged to add audiobooks to England’s new schools curriculum

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Charity calls for move after poll finds ‘crisis’ levels of reading for pleasure and rise in 8- to 18-year-olds enjoying audio

The government has been urged to include audiobooks in the new schools curriculum in England, after research showed fewer children were reading books for pleasure and more were listening to them instead.

A poll by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) found that children’s enjoyment of listening to audio and podcasts had risen compared with the previous year, overtaking their enjoyment of reading for the first time since the charity began asking about audio in 2020.

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Women hold almost 45% of seats on FTSE 100 boards, report says

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New high tempered by dip in number of female CEOs at 100 biggest listed firms to fewer than 10 last year

Women occupy more than two in five seats on the boards of Britain’s biggest listed companies after further progress was made last year, but the number of female FTSE 100 chief executives dipped for a time to fewer than 10, according to a report.

The proportion of board positions held by women at FTSE 350 companies rose to a new all-time high of 43.4% last year, up from 42.1% in 2023, according to the government-backed annual FTSE Women Leaders Review. Among the 100 biggest listed companies, the proportion of women in the boardroom was even higher, at 44.7% versus 42.6% in 2023.

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Norman Foster on shortlist to design Queen Elizabeth II memorial

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Architect who was once highly critical of King Charles is part of team that is one of five finalists for scheme

The shortlist of teams competing to design a national memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II has been unveiled and includes an architect once highly critical of King Charles.

Five finalists are in the running for what has been described as one of the most significant design initiatives in modern British history, in tribute to the UK’s longest-serving monarch.

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Police to get new powers to find stolen phones in England and Wales

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Warrant will not be required where tracker shows an item is present, as part of raft of measures in crime and policing bill

Police will be able to search properties without a warrant for stolen phones or other electronically geotagged items under the government’s crime and policing bill.

The measure is among dozens in the bill, which will be put before parliament on Tuesday and would mostly apply to England and Wales. It has a particular focus on lower-level offences such as theft and wider antisocial behaviour.

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Sayeeda Warsi and Mishal Husain back new lobby group for British Muslims

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British Muslim Network aims to bring together experts to identify challenges the community faces to policymakers

Prominent British Muslims in politics, media, business and sport have come together to influence government policy on behalf of 4 million British Muslims.

The minister for faith Wajid Khan, the Tory MP and deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani, the former Conservative party chair Sayeeda Warsi, the broadcaster Mishal Husain, the ex-England cricketer Azeem Rafiq and the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate are backing the newly formed British Muslim Network (BMN).

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Lester Holt to exit NBC Nightly News as MSNBC cuts Ayman Mohyeldin’s show

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Holt to step down as anchor as Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, whose shows also canceled, to remain at MSNBC

NBC’s Lester Holt is stepping down as anchor of its Nightly News show, and MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin is stepping down from a similar role at his namesake weekend evening show as the networks’ owners continue a major programming shake-up on Monday.

Others at MSNBC affected by changes revealed on Monday include Katie Phang and Jonathan Capehart, the New York Post reported.

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Trump says Putin will accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine

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France’s Macron corrects US president’s claim that Europe has only loaned funds to Kyiv at White House meeting

Donald Trump has said the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the three-year war.

The US president was speaking alongside the French president, Emmanuel Macron, at the White House on Monday as the leaders sought to smooth over a transatlantic rift to achieve peace.

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Pope shows ‘slight improvement’ amid special prayers at St. Peter’s – The Washington Post

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  1. Pope shows ‘slight improvement’ amid special prayers at St. Peter’s  The Washington Post
  2. Pope Francis shows slight improvement and resumes some work, while still critical, Vatican says  The Associated Press
  3. 'Slight improvement' in Pope's condition  Vatican News - English
  4. Pope Francis in critical condition with pneumonia and kidney issues, Vatican says  NBC News
  5. Pope Francis’ condition slightly improves  CBS Chicago
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Senior Hamas official: I wouldn’t have backed Oct. 7 if I’d known outcome for Gaza – The Times of Israel

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  1. Senior Hamas official: I wouldn’t have backed Oct. 7 if I’d known outcome for Gaza  The Times of Israel
  2. Hamas Official Expresses Reservations About Oct. 7 Attack on Israel  The New York Times
  3. Hamas official to NYT: Oct. 7 wouldn't have happened if consequences for Gaza were known  Haaretz
  4. Hamas official calls Oct. 7 massacre a mistake, after realizing consequences  Ynetnews
  5. Senior Hamas official admits he wouldn't have backed October 7 if he knew the outcome  The Jerusalem Post
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Francis Is in Critical Condition. What Happens When a Pope Dies? – The New York Times

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  1. Francis Is in Critical Condition. What Happens When a Pope Dies?  The New York Times
  2. How is a new pope selected?  WAVY.com
  3. Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in  The Associated Press
  4. Pope Francis still critical but shows 'slight improvement', Vatican says  Reuters
  5. What happens to leadership of Catholic Church when pope becomes sick or incapacitated?  KCCI Des Moines
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ICC urged to investigate Biden for ‘aiding and abetting’ Gaza war crimes

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US-based nonprofit Dawn also accuses ex-secretary of state Antony Blinken and ex-Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin

A US-based nonprofit organization has urged the international criminal court to investigate former president Joe Biden and two of his cabinet members for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The request, submitted by the Democracy for the Arab World Now (Dawn) last month but made public by the group on Monday, urges the ICC to investigate Biden, as well as former secretary of state Antony Blinken and former defense secretary Lloyd Austin, for their “accessorial roles in aiding and abetting, as well as intentionally contributing to, Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza”.

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Ex-surgeon admits ‘despicable acts’ in France’s largest child abuse trial – BBC.com

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  1. Ex-surgeon admits 'despicable acts' in France's largest child abuse trial  BBC.com
  2. French surgeon accused of abusing 299 patients, mostly children, says he did ‘hideous things’  The Guardian
  3. France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country was rocked by Pelicot case  CNN
  4. A French surgeon is on trial accused of raping or abusing 299 people, mostly children  NPR
  5. French Doctor Is Accused of Child Rapes  The New York Times
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Karla Sofía Gascón to attend Oscars despite tweet controversy

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The Emilia Pérez best actress nominee will be at Sunday’s ceremony with Netflix paying for all expenses incurred

The Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón is reportedly set to attend this Sunday’s Oscars after controversy over bigoted tweets.

The Spanish actor, who is nominated for best actress, had been removed from the campaign trail by Netflix after resurfaced tweets led to a backlash.

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As Trump touts his dealmaking ability on Ukraine, Macron warns against a ‘weak’ agreement – CNN

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  1. As Trump touts his dealmaking ability on Ukraine, Macron warns against a ‘weak’ agreement  CNN
  2. Macron interrupts Trump, clarifies how Europe gave money to Ukraine  CNN
  3. Trump expresses hope Russia’s war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he meets with France’s Macron  The Associated Press
  4. Trump Live Updates: Elon Musk's Federal Worker Ultimatum, Macron's White House Visit and More  The New York Times
  5. Live updates: Trump and France's Macron discuss Russia, Ukraine, tariffs at the White House  NBC News
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Clint Hill, Secret Service agent who leapt on to car after JFK was shot, dies aged 93

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Hill received awards and was promoted for actions that day but for decades blamed himself for then president’s death

Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who leapt on to the back of John F Kennedy’s limousine after the then president was shot, then was forced to retire early because he remained haunted by memories of the assassination, died on Friday. He was 93.

Hill died at home in Belvedere, California, according to his publisher, Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. A cause of death was not given.

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Elon Musk Congratulates AfD Leader on Germany’s Election Results – The New York Times

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  1. Elon Musk Congratulates AfD Leader on Germany’s Election Results  The New York Times
  2. Elon Musk's X supported far-right German party celebrating historic election gains  USA TODAY
  3. Germany election, Musk’s email and Ukraine anniversary  Reuters.com
  4. Elon Musk puts his finger on the scale in German elections  MSNBC
  5. Germany: Merz says it’s ‘five to midnight’ for Europe and calls for unity following CDU/CSU election success– live  The Guardian
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Trump has changed Ukraine debate ‘for the better’, says Downing Street

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Starmer’s spokesperson says US intervention ‘could bring lasting peace’ as No 10 treads carefully before White House visit

Donald Trump has changed the global conversation around Ukraine “for the better”, Downing Street has said, as the UK imposed further sanctions on Russia in an effort to force Vladimir Putin to make concessions.

As world leaders marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the US president had opened the door to talks that could bring lasting peace.

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Missing British businessman’s body found in Kenyan forest

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Campbell Scott, a senior director at Fico, was reported missing while in Nairobi for a three-day conference

Police searching for a British businessman missing in Kenya have recovered a body, found in a sack in scrubland about 60 miles from Nairobi, reports said.

Campbell Scott, 58, a senior director at the data analytics company Fico, went missing on 16 February after arriving in the Kenyan capital to attend a conference at the JW Marriott hotel.

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