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For the first time in history, Australia has blocked the creation of a coal mine under environmental laws. The government on Thursday rejected a proposal for a new mine about 10km (6.2 miles) from the Great Barrier Reef. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the project posed an unacceptable risk to the World Heritage area, which is already highly vulnerable. The mine's owner, the controversial Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, has not yet responded to the rejection. His firm, Central Queensland Coal, had proposed to build an open-cut mine about 700km north-west of Brisbane, that would produce both thermal and coking coal and operate for about 20 years.

The soil of Bakhmut is dusted with snow and soaked with blood. This small city in Eastern Ukraine is at the centre of an epic battle. For more than six months Russian forces have tried to claim it. Ukrainian troops have resisted, giving rise to the popular slogan here "Bakhmut holds." Now the Russians are attacking from three sides, with regular troops and fighters from the notorious Wagner mercenary group. The Russians have reached one of the main highways into the city, and are closing in on the outskirts.

Four pioneers behind the electricity-generating silicon solar cell have won this year's Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Martin Green, Andrew Blakers, Jianhua Zhao and Aihua Wang developed so-called Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell, or Perc, technology. This transformed the efficiency of solar panels and is now built into 90% of all installations worldwide. The team is to be honoured at a special ceremony later in the year. The quartet will share a £500,000 award and a trophy, to be presented by the Princess Royal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will arrive in the UK today, in his first visit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. The UK government said he would meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and make a speech in Parliament later. It has also announced that British training of Ukrainian forces will be expanded to cover fighter jet pilots and marines. It's also expected the UK will announce fresh sanctions targeting Russia later. Plans have been announced to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Nato-standard fighter jets in the future, a key request from Ukraine. Ukraine braced for new Russian offensive this month The key Ukrainian cities in Russia’s sights UK to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, PM says Western countries have been considering how to bolster support for Ukraine, with the country braced for a renewed Russian offensive later this month.

Trade between the US and China hit a record high last year even as their diplomatic relations deteriorated. Imports and exports between the two countries totalled $690.6bn (£572.6bn) in 2022, official figures show. Relations between the countries have hit new lows in recent days after a Chinese balloon travelled across the US. Beijing denies US claims it was used for spying. The world's two biggest economies have also been in a trade war since 2018. The new figures show that US imports from China increased to $536.8bn last year as American shoppers spent more on Chinese-made goods, including toys and mobile phones. In the same period, US exports to China increased to $153.8bn. While some of the increase in trade between the two countries is a result of the rising cost of living, the figures also point to how reliant the US and China still are on each other even after years of trade conflict between them.

Aid is being stepped up in southern Turkey and northern Syria, after a huge earthquake devastated the region, leaving more than 7,000 people dead. The 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep, Turkey in the early hours of Monday, reducing blocks of flats to rubble at a time when most were asleep. It is a region where there has not been a major earthquake for more than 200 years, or any warning signs. National governments of many countries including the UK, the US, China and Russia are providing aid, including search and rescue experts. And many charities are also launching appeals and sending teams to the area. The British Red Cross was one of the first major UK charities to launch its appeal.

David Bowie's handwritten lyrics for his track The Jean Genie have been sold for £57,000 at auction. The singer, who died in 2016, gave the sheet to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie Fan Club in the 1970s. The song, taken from the Aladdin Sane album, was released as a single in 1972 and reached number 2 in the UK charts. Omega Auctions' Dan Hampson said the owner had decided to part with them after seeing Bowie's lyrics for his hit Starman sell for £203,500 in 2022. The lyric sheet for The Jean Genie comprised of 18 lines on a piece of A4 lined paper, which was titled, signed and dated by Bowie. The rock star originally gave it to American fan Neal Peters after he founded the New York-based fan club in 1973.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be questioned as part of a US defamation case brought by Meghan's half-sister. Samantha Markle is suing Meghan for "defamation and injurious falsehoods" following the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. She alleges she was defamed when Meghan "falsely and maliciously" said she was "an only child". A motion brought by Meghan to stop depositions in the civil case from taking place was dismissed by a judge. A deposition is a formal statement of evidence in the US, required to be taken of a witness or party to litigation by a court.

CNN — US intelligence officials believe that the recently recovered Chinese spy balloon is part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, according to multiple American officials familiar with the intelligence. The surveillance program, which includes a number of similar balloons, is in part run out of the small Chinese province of Hainan, officials tell CNN. The US does not know the precise size of the fleet of Chinese surveillance balloons, but sources tell CNN that the program has conducted at least two dozen missions over at least five continents in recent years.

CNN — President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address on Tuesday. Here is a fact check of some of the claims from Biden: Cutting the deficit Biden said, “In the last two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion – the largest deficit reduction in American history.”

Alec Baldwin's lawyers have filed to disqualify the special prosecutor on the Rust case due to, what they call, her "unconstitutional" role as a politician. Baldwin, 64, is due to make his first appearance in a US court on 24 February over the death of Halyna Hutchins. He will face two counts of involuntary manslaughter alongside the film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

Strong winds and heavy rain, as well as below-average "bitterly cold" temperatures, are making the "race against time" rescue operation in Turkey and Syria even more difficult. Storm Barbara brought strong winds, heavy rain and even snow to the devastated region, with daytime temperatures several degrees below average - leaving rescuers facing wet and freezing conditions as they work against the clock in the search for survivors.

The Church of England is considering whether to stop referring to God as "he" after questions concerning the use of gender-neutral terms were raised by priests. The topic, which has been discussed by those who follow the Christian faith for many years, is being explored by two commissions in a new joint project. The project has been launched in response to a question asked by Rev Joanna Stobart, vicar of Ilminster and Whitelackington in Somerset at synod, who wished for an update on "more inclusive language" in Church of England services and to refer to God in a "non-gendered way".

A key milestone of King Charles's reign has come as Royal Mail unveiled stamps bearing his profile. The image of the King featured on first and second class stamps has been revealed as a simple profile image, showing his head and neck in the style of the late Queen, and all British monarchs since Queen Victoria. In keeping with stamp tradition, the King faces to the left - but unlike the Queen's stamp, he is not wearing a crown.

Don't mention the Woke! Iconic British sitcom Fawlty Towers to return as John Cleese teams up with his daughter Camilla to write reboot - with the tortured hotel manager opening up a new boutique property John Cleese is writing a reboot of Fawlty Towers with his daughter Camilla The actor, 83, starred as Basil Fawlty in the sitcom from 1975 to 1979 Originally, 12 episodes aired of the iconic series on the BBC John Cleese is set to return to screens as Basil Fawlty, with a reboot of the star's famous comedy Fawlty Towers in the works. Story

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