Ardern says memoir is for ‘anyone who has ever doubted themselves’

Two years after her shock resignation, former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her upcoming memoir which she hopes will help “anyone who ever doubted themselves”.

Described as her “unfiltered journey”, the book “A Different Kind of Power” reveals things that have not been shared before and her one guiding principle throughout her time in office, she said on her Instagram account.

Ms Ardern, who became the world’s youngest woman head of government when she was elected prime minister in 2017, aged 37, sent a jolt around the world in 2023 announcing her decision to not stand for re-election.

In an emotional and tearful address, she said “I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice”.

Ms Ardern said kindness was her guiding principle even though some people thought it was sentimental and naïve.

“Some people thought kindness was sentimental, soft. A bit naive, even. I knew this. But I also knew they were wrong,” Ms Ardern said in a statement.

“Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has. I’d seen kindness do extraordinary things – I’d seen it give people hope, I’d seen it change minds, and transform lives. Kindness. This was my guiding principle, and it would be the trait with which I would try to lead, no matter what lay ahead.”

She said she hoped the memoir, which will be released in June, will strike a chord with people who want to lead but have self-doubt.

“For anyone who has ever doubted themselves, I really hope there is something in it for them,” she said.

In a video message announcing the release, she said: “I’ve tried to put on a page how it feels to lead – all the highs and lows, the parts of the job people don’t often see, and the many lessons I learned along the way.”

She said she shared a manuscript of the book and received feedback that the contents were “surprising”.

She said: “I have written about things that I haven’t shared before, but I’ve also tried to share how it feels to lead, especially if you’re surprised to find yourself in leadership.”

Just two years after winning a leader for her Labour Party which was widely expected to lose, Ms Ardern was praised for her compassionate response to the 2019 terrorist attacks against two mosques in Christchurch.

She was initially praised for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic but as the virus began spreading by 2023 she faced a growing opposition to her zero-tolerance policy of mandates and other restrictions which had helped keep the pandemic out of New Zealand.

On the heels of her resignation, she announced she will temporarily join Harvard University after being appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School.

In June 2023, she was made a Dame Grand Companion, the second-highest honor in New Zealand, as part of King Charles III’s Birthday Honors.

Crown, a division of Penguin Random House, said the book was “deeply personal and inspiring memoir” that offers “Ardern’s unfiltered journey, from tenacious girl in small-town New Zealand to a trailblazing world leader who became the world’s youngest female head of government, and only the second in history to give birth while in office”.

“Ardern changed the world’s expectations of what a global leader can be. With remarkable candor, she shares the pivotal moments that defined her leadership and – for the first time – the details behind her decision to step down during her sixth year as Prime Minister,” Crown announced.

Adani family to host next big fat Indian wedding

Billionaire Gautam Adani is gearing up to host the next big fat Indian wedding with rumoured performances by high-profile stars as his son marries the daughter of a diamond trader.

According to media reports, celebrities Kendall and Kylie Jenner will also attend the wedding of Jeet Adani, which will be catered by chefs from 58 countries.

Jeet, who is the youngest son of Asia’s second-richest person, got engaged to Diva Jaimin Shah, the daughter of diamond trader Jaimin Shah, on 12 March 2023. The couple have stayed private, with details of their engagement scant.

On Tuesday, Gautam Adani told Indian media that his son’s wedding was set for 7 February 2025 and was to be “very simple”.

“Jeet’s marriage is on 7th February. Our activities are like common people. His marriage will be very simple and with fully traditional ways,” said Mr Adani, who was attending the Hindu religious Maha Kumbh festival – the largest gathering of humanity on Earth.

When asked if the wedding was to be a “Maha Kumbh of celebrities” he replied: “Bilkul nahi hoga (No, it won’t be).”

Indian media reports claim to have details of the forthcoming wedding, and have hinted at a possible Taylor Swift concert. However, a source close to Swift has told The Independent that she won’t be attending or performing.

Indian media has also reported that American rapper Scott and Indian musician Honey Singh will be performing, and Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, and Sydney Sweeney are all rumoured to be attending.

Reports said more than 1,000 luxury cars have been arranged to ferry guests to and from the locations.

In addition, thousands of lilies from across the world are reportedly being arranged to be flown over to decorate the wedding venue, as well as a drone show to add to the celebrations.

A key highlight of the ceremony is said to be a record-breaking rangoli, which is a traditional Indian art form that uses coloured sand or powder to create a design on a floor or courtyard, that will be created by anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000 artists.

Last year, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant’s over-the-top wedding festivities had become both a source of fascination and outrage. Multiple pre-wedding celebrations culminated in a three-day extravagant celebration in July that saw the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, and Justin Bieber flown in as performers and global celebrities from Kim and Khloé Kardashian to former world leaders Tony Blair and Boris Johnson attending.

The exact cost of the Ambanis’ wedding festivities was never disclosed, but Indian media and wedding planners estimated that the wedding celebrations alone would have easily exceeded $300m (£235m). If taken into account both pre-wedding events, The Guardian estimated that the total could reach up to $600m (£470m). As of January 2025, Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of $101.9bn, is Asia’s richest person, according to Forbes.

Yoon Suk Yeol who declared martial law says he ‘believes in democracy’

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol told judges he was a “firm believer of liberal democracy” as he appeared for his impeachment trial for the first time since imposing a shock martial law decree.

Mr Yoon appeared for the constitutional court hearing to decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him after he was impeached by the National Assembly.

The president became the first sitting leader of the country to be arrested last week under a separate criminal investigation on insurrection charges for imposing martial law on 5 December and throwing the country into political turmoil.

Dressed in a navy-coloured suit with a burgundy tie, Mr Yoon entered the courtroom at 2pm on Tuesday and waited to speak before eight judges and acting court president Moon Hyung-bae.

“It’s my first time attending today, so I will speak briefly,” Mr Yoon, a career prosecutor before his 2022 election as president, said after asking permission to speak.

“Since coming of age, I have lived with a firm belief in liberal democracy until this very day, and especially during my time in public service,” he said.

“As the constitutional court is an institution that exists to defend the constitution, I ask the justices to consider me favorably in various respects.”

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the court in the south of the capital where a huge security arrangement was in place as the president’s appearance drew scores of supporters who protested the legal action against him.

Holding banners reading “Impeachment Invalid” the crowd chanted slogans as Mr Yoon arrived from the Seoul Detention Centre, where he is being held in a correctional service vehicle escorted by a Presidential Security Service motorcade.

Dozens of police buses were lined bumper-to-bumper on both sides of the street in front of the court to limit access to the premises hours before the start of the hearing.

Security was stepped up after a mob of angry supporters went on a rampage through the district court on Sunday and broke into the court that issued a warrant to extend his detention.

One woman was detained from outside the court for allegedly assaulting a police officer, Yonhap reported.

Lawyers of Mr Yoon have denounced the impeachment trial as a political attack against the president by opposition parties abusing their parliamentary majority and it had nothing to do with safeguarding constitutional order.

Mr Yoon is facing a charge of insurrection, which is one of the few that a South Korean president does not have immunity from and is technically punishable by death. South Korea, however, has not executed anyone in nearly 30 years.

Fire breaks out near major tourist landmark in Osaka

A massive fire erupted in a commercial building near the famous Tsutenkaku Tower, a popular tourist landmark in Osaka in western Japan, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The fire erupted on the first floor of the five-story building at Tsutenkaku Hondori Shopping Street in Naniwa Ward, Osaka City at about 5pm local time, according to public broadcaster NHK Japan.

At least 26 fire trucks and one helicopter were dispatched to the site to contain the flames emerging from the building.

Live visuals on TV showed dark smoke towers rising from the commercial property near the Tsutenkaku Tower.

It was unclear if there were any casualties.

Tsutenkaku Tower, a historic Osaka landmark in the Shinsekai district, was inspired by the Eiffel Tower and rebuilt in 1956 after wartime damage. Standing 103m-tall, it offers panoramic views of the city and is popular with tourists.

Tuesday’s fire comes just days after bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were temporarily halted after a fire broke out near a track in central Japan, according to JR Central.

In 2021, at least 27 people died after a fire broke out in a building located in a busy commercial and entertainment district in Osaka.

In 2008, a fire at an adult video theatre in downtown Osaka killed 15 men and injured 10 others. Reuters reported at the time that about 120 firefighters extinguished the blaze, which broke out on the first floor of the seven-story building.

Two Americans released by Taliban in final Biden administration deal

The Taliban has released two American citizens in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the outgoing Biden administration, US media reports and the families of the two men said.

The two Americans – Ryan Corbett and William McKenty – were exchanged for a member of the Afghan Taliban named Khan Mohammed who was convicted in 2008 on narco-terrorism charges.

In a statement provided to The Independent, Mr Corbett’s family first thanked the new US president Donald Trump, and then his predecessor Joe Biden, for their efforts to secure his release.

“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” Mr Corbett’s family said.

No statement was provided from the family of Mr McKenty, 69, due to his family’s request to the US government for privacy.

Khan Mohammad, 55, was a narcotics trafficker who sought to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets, according to the US Department of Justice. He was sentenced to life in prison in the US’s first conviction on narco-terror charges.

The exchange took place after Mr Biden had left the White House but was negotiated by his administration, with several rounds of talks mediated by Qatar, according to multiple people aware of the details of the swap. Qatar also provided logistical support to get the two American men out of Kabul safely, officials said.

Mr Corbett’s family also thanked the Qatari government. “Your efforts as mediators, your compassion, and your commitment to diplomacy have given our family the most precious gift imaginable: Ryan’s freedom,” they said.

While negotiations had been taking place for many months the “very latest push happened in the course of the past week”, Mr Corbett’s lawyer Ryan Fayhee told The Independent.

An official from the Biden administration told CNN that the details of the exchange were communicated to Donald Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz. The incoming administration was “on board with this deal, acknowledged it and [had] not objected to it”, they said.

Explaining the delay, one person briefed on the swap told CNN that the Taliban preferred to let Mr Trump take the credit for the deal and did not want the news to be lost during buzz around the inauguration itself. Bad weather in both Washington and Kabul was also partly blamed.

A senior Trump administration official indicated some disapproval of the terms of the deal but welcomed the release of the two Americans. “While we would not do the deal that the Biden administration did at the end, we are always happy to have two Americans home,” the Trump official was quoted as saying.

Mr Corbett, a New York resident, started an enterprise called “Bloom Afghanistan” in 2017 to boost the country’s private sector by providing business consulting services, microfinance lending and evaluation of international development projects. He wanted to help Afghans start their own businesses but had to flee in 2021 as the Taliban returned to power in the country.

He returned, apparently to train the Bloom Afghanistan staff, but was detained in August 2022 despite having a valid visa. The State Department said last year that he was wrongfully detained.

The Taliban are believed to have two other American nationals in their custody – Mahmoud Shah Habibi, a senior civil aviation official under the previous Nato-backed government of Afghanistan and George Glezmann, a tourist. The Taliban have not acknowledged holding Mr Habibi in their custody, and details about his condition are unknown.

Mr Habibi is an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and also went missing in 2022. He is believed to have been arrested by the Taliban in August 2022 after a drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Mr Biden had promised last week that an exchange deal would not take place if all three Americans – Mr Corbett, Mr Glezmann and Mr Habibi – were not included in the deal. There was no public discussion of talks around Mr McKenty at that time.

The Taliban had reportedly sought the release of Afghan national Muhammad Rahim, a Guantanamo Bay detainee and a close aide of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

“During the phone call with Mr Biden, he assured me that he will not finalise the trade unless my brother is included,” Mr Habibi’s brother Ahmad Shah Habibi told The Independent after the call, adding that the Taliban wanted the al-Qaeda adviser in return.

Mr Corbett’s family said they were still hoping for the release of the remaining Americans from Taliban custody. “It was our hope that Ryan, George and Mahmoud would be returned to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them. We recognise the immense privilege of our family’s reunion today, and pledge to keep praying – and fighting – for George and Mahmoud’s swift release,” they said in a statement. 

Indonesia tightens polygamy rules for civil servants

A recent decree aimed at regulating polygamy among Jakarta’s male civil servants has sparked a backlash as critics are calling for the practice to be abolished entirely, citing its discriminatory nature and harmful impact on women.

The Jakarta gubernatorial regulation, issued on 6 January by acting governor Teguh Setyabudi, reaffirms and tightens existing provisions under Indonesia’s 1974 Marriage Law, which permits polygamy under specific conditions.

The decree outlines the strict requirements civil servants must meet to take additional wives, including medical proof that the first wife is unable to perform her marital responsibilities due to disability or illness, evidence of infertility after ten years of marriage, written consent from the first wife, and a court’s approval.

The Jakarta Employment Agency – a government regional civil service agency – has defended the move, describing it as an effort to reduce the city’s high divorce rates among government employees.

“[Hopefully] after the issuance of the [decree], there will be no more civil servants who divorce without permission from their institutions and have more than one wife without complying with the prevailing regulations,” said Chaidir, head of the Jakarta Employment Agency, in a statement last Friday.

However, the decree has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and gender equality advocates, who argue that such regulations perpetuate patriarchal norms, enable domestic violence, and fail to protect women and children in polygamous marriages.

Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the regulation as a violation of international human rights treaties that Indonesia has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

“Both international human rights treaties emphasise that polygamy is a form of discrimination against women because it creates inequality in marital relations,” said the group’s executive director Usman Hamid.

He called for the abolition of polygamy and urged the Jakarta administration to focus on policies that promote gender equality, such as improving women’s access to divorce and child custody rights.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) echoed these concerns, describing the existing legal framework as a reflection of deeply entrenched patriarchal values.

“[The conditions for polygamy] are subjective and mirror the construction of a patriarchal society that places women in a subordinate position and makes them exclusively responsible for domestic roles such as child care and nurture,” the commission said.

It further highlighted the link between polygamy and domestic violence, citing emotional neglect as a common consequence of such marriages.

Emotional neglect accounts for a significant portion of the domestic violence cases reported since the ratification of the 2004 Domestic Violence Elimination Law, with half of the 3,079 cases involving psychological violence, according to Komnas Perempuan.

Public policy analyst Achmad Nur Hidayat attempted to clarify misconceptions about the regulation during a discussion hosted by BTV.

He argued that the decree was not an endorsement of polygamy but rather an effort to impose stricter conditions on its practice.

“Some members of the public mistakenly view this regulation as an incentive for male civil servants to take additional wives. In reality, it makes it significantly harder for them to do so,” he said.

Acting governor Teguh Setyabudi has also defended the regulation, asserting that it was designed to protect families rather than encourage polygamy.

“The primary goal of this regulation is to protect the families of our civil servants,” he said on Friday, adding that discussions on the decree had been ongoing since 2023 and involved officials from the Justice Ministry and other stakeholders.

Nevertheless, critics argue that the regulation does little to address the systemic issues underlying polygamous practices and may exacerbate existing inequalities.

While men civil servants are allowed more than one wife, their women counterparts remain barred from becoming a second, third, or fourth wife under the law, highlighting the inherent gender bias in the policy, reported Indonesian national daily Kompas in June 2023.

The regulation has also faced scrutiny from the National Commission for Women, which pointed out that many polygamous marriages remain unregistered, leaving women and children in these unions vulnerable. “In many cases, second or third marriages are not officially registered with the authorities, which leaves women and children in these marriages vulnerable,” Siti Aminah Tardi, a commissioner with the organisation was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe.

Indonesia’s 1974 Marriage Law, which first introduced conditions for polygamy, has faced growing calls for reform from activists and human rights organisations.

Komnas Perempuan has urged the government to prioritise revising the law to eliminate discriminatory provisions and protect women’s rights.

“Revisions to the 1974 Marriage Law should focus on the fulfilment of women’s rights and the liberation of women from discrimination and violence,” the commission said.

New Zealanders upset after Trump falsely claims US split the atom

Donald Trump vexed New Zealanders on the first day of his presidency after he claimed that America split the atom – a feat achieved by Sir Ernest Rutherford from Nelson in New Zealand.

Mr Trump was highlighting America’s achievements during his swearing-in ceremony for his second term in the White House when he gave credit to the US for the historic achievement by the revered physicist.

Mr Trump was called out on social media by Nick Smith, the mayor of the city of Nelson near where the physicist grew up, who said he was surprised by the US president making such a claim.

“I was a bit surprised by new president Donald Trump in his inauguration speech about US greatness claiming today Americans split the atom when that honour belongs to Nelson’s most famous and favourite son Sir Ernest Rutherford,” Mr Smith said.

He said he would be inviting the US Ambassador to New Zealand to Nelson so that he can visit the Lord Rutherford Memorial in Brightwater “so we can keep the historic record on who split the atom first accurate”.

Rutherford, a farmer’s son who worked in the UK and Canada, was a researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, he was the first to split an atom in 1917 at Victoria University of Manchester in England.

The atom was fully split in a controlled manner in 1932 by British and Irish researchers John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton under Rutherford’s supervision.

Mr Trump was addressing a high-profile gathering of world leaders, billionaires and politicians when he said: “Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of untamed wilderness, they crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the wild west, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted billions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand.”

Trump’s remarks provoked a flurry of online posts by New Zealanders about Rutherford, whose work is studied by New Zealand schoolchildren and whose name appears on buildings, streets and institutions. His portrait features on the 100-dollar banknote. “Okay, I’ve gotta call time. Trump just claimed America split the atom,” Ben Uffindell, editor of the satirical New Zealand news website The Civilian, wrote on X. “That’s THE ONE THING WE DID.”

This is, however, not the first time Mr Trump has made this inaccurate claim.

In a speech in 2020 at Mount Rushmore Mr Trump said:  “Americans harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the internet. We settled the wild west, won two world wars, landed American astronauts on the moon – and one day soon, we will plant our flag on Mars!”

Trump signs order delaying TikTok ban for 75 days

US president Donald Trump has signed a new executive order delaying the enforcement of a ban on the popular social media platformTikTok by 75 days.

Mr Trump, who had initially called for a ban on TikTok in 2020, told reporters on Monday that he changed his mind as he “got to use” the platform, adding that he aimed to give its parent company ByteDance more time to find a suitable buyer.

Dismissing initial privacy concerns, he said “TikTok is largely about kids, young kids”.

“If China is going to get information about young kids out of it, to be honest, I think we have bigger problems than that,” the 47th US president said.

The move comes as the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of a law last week that barred TikTok from US consumers after former president Joe Biden signed a legislation in April requiring TikTok to either be sold by its owner or face a ban.

The short video platform, used by 170 million Americans, was briefly taken offline for US users on Saturday.

A message on the app for users hinted that the new US president would “work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office”.

Mr Trump said he would not hold TikTok’s technology partners, including Apple and Google, liable for continuing to make the app available until he signed the order.

The app restored access to its US users on Sunday and thanked the president for his assurances.

On Monday, the new US president directed the attorney general to not enforce the law “to permit my administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok”.

His new order instructed the Department of Justice to “not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act” for the next 75 days, “including the period of time from 19 January 2025, to the signing of this order”.

“I intend to consult with my advisors, including the heads of relevant departments and agencies on the national security concerns posed by TikTok, and to pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans,” Mr Trump said.

“My administration must also review sensitive intelligence related to those concerns and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date,” the order, issued by the White House, noted.

The president said he “could see” the US government taking a 50 per cent stake in TikTok, with this stake allowing the US to potentially police the site.