King Charles has spoken out about his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest.

The former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office at his new home on the Sandringham Estate on the morning of his 66th birthday.

The monarch said he "learned with the deepest concern" of his younger brother's arrest and "the law must take its course".

LIVE UPDATES: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

"What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities," he said.

READ MORE: What happens next after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

King Charles' statement in full

"I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

"What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.

"In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.

"As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.

"Charles R."

Thames Valley Police full statement

Thames Valley Police has opened an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office.

As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.

The man remains in police custody at this time.

We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.

"It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.

"We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles and eighth in line to the throne, has been arrested on the morning of his 66th birthday.

Thames Valley Police confirmed they'd arrested a man in his 60s in Norfolk on Thursday, which British media outlets named as the former Prince Andrew.

While the sight of six police cars at the King's private Sandringham estate – where Andrew now resides after being removed from the Royal Lodge – was a surprise for many, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

LIVE UPDATES: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

Multiple divisions of policing had said they were investigating if there had been any misconduct in public office following a number of revelations from the latest cache of Epstein files.

Andrew was a friend of the late Jeffrey Epstein – a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender – and some of the emails in the 3 million documents released by the US Justice Department last month raised fresh concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor's time as UK trade envoy.

Claims of information potentially passed to the US paedophile are being investigated by Thames Valley Police.

Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.

READ MORE: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

So, how did we get here? Here's a timeline of events dating back more than 26 years:

1999 – 2000

Andrew first met Jeffrey Epstein through his old university friend Ghislaine Maxwell in 1999.

It led to a friendship that included visits to Epstein's homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands.

Epstein and Maxwell also stayed at Balmoral Castle during that time.

2005 – 2008

The first allegations against Epstein emerged in 2005, with claims that he paid underage women to have sex with him from 2002-2005 and he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl in his Palm Beach, Florida home.

It's understood Epstein kept this all under wraps and Mountbatten-Windsor, unaware of the allegations, invited Epstein to his daughter Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday at Windsor Castle in 2006.

Epstein reached a secret plea deal on a lesser charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008 and served 13 months of an 18-month sentence.

2010

Mountbatten-Windsor travelled to New York to meet with Epstein after his release from prison – when the famous Central Park photo of the duo was taken.

In an interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019, Andrew said that visit was made to end their friendship.

However, subsequent email correspondence between the pair has been found in the latest trove of documents known as the Epstein Files, including a 2010 invitation to dine with the then-Duke of York at Buckingham Palace.

Also as a result of the emails, we now know Mountbatten-Windsor's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, visited Epstein at his home days after his release from prison in July 2010.

2011

Virginia Giuffre (nee Roberts) shared a photo of herself with then-Prince Andrew at Ghislaine Maxwell's London home with the press in February, in an effort to share her story.

She said that she was 17 years old when the photo was taken on a disposable camera in March 2001.

Mountbatten-Windsor always denied the photo was real and claimed it was not him in the image. Some emails from the Epstein files appeared to suggest it was real.

In July of 2011, Mountbatten-Windsor resigned from his role as trade envoy – or the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment as it was formally known – a position he'd held since 2001.

His resignation came after scrutiny over his questionable relationships with the likes of Epstein as well as son-in-law of Tunisia's ousted president and the son of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

2014 – 2015

Mountbatten-Windsor was first named in an Epstein case when Giuffre filed lawsuits alleging she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with people, including the royal.

She claimed she had been forced to have sex with then-Prince Andrew on three occasions while she was underage.

Buckingham Palace and Andrew both denied the claims and labelled them "categorically untrue".

2019

This was when the scandal really erupted after years of simmering.

In new legal documents another of Epstein's alleged victims, Johanna Sjoberg, accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual harassment in Epstein's home in 2001. Buckingham Palace denied the claims again.

Epstein faced federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy and was denied bail. He was found dead in his New York jail cell in early August while awaiting trial, in what was later ruled a suicide.

In attempting to distance himself from Epstein's downfall, Mountbatten-Windsor said he was "appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes".

"At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction," Mountbatten-Windsor later added in a statement of his own.

Following much speculation about Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein and the allegations against the royal, he decided to do a tell-all interview with BBC's Newsnight.

November 2019

The interview with Newsnight host Emily Maitlis was conducted inside Buckingham Palace and saw then-Prince Andrew once again deny accusations made by Giuffre.

In the interview, he also claimed he ended his relationship with Epstein in 2010, which was disproven in further email communication between the pair in 2011.

The interview was disastrous for Andrew and the royal family, including accusations of showing no remorse for Epstein's victims and defending his relationship with the convicted sex offender.

The public outrage resulted in the Duke of York stepping down from all his royal duties four days later for the "foreseeable future".

He then stepped away from his 230 patronages, along with several other official and honorary roles at organisations and charities.

January 2020

After Giuffre spoke to BBC's Panorama in December 2019, Buckingham Palace again denied allegations made against Prince Andrew.

Despite the Duke of York saying he would co-operate with authorities, the FBI said in January 2020 he had "provided zero cooperation".

"To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation," attorney Geoffrey Berman, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said.

May 2020

Prince Andrew Charitable Trust came under investigation from the UK's Charity Commission regarding some regulatory issues over payments to Mountbatten-Windsor's former private secretary Amanda Thirsk.

As the scandal continue to unfold for Mountbatten-Windsor, who was once in the navy, senior military personnel believed he was an embarrassment to the forces and should be stripped of his military roles.

The continued uproar over his Epstein ties prompted the Duke of York to step down from all public roles in May 2020.

2021

Giuffre launched a civil suit against then-Prince Andrew in a New York court in August 2021, accusing him of "sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress".

2022

In January, Queen Elizabeth stripped her second son of all his military titles and remaining royal patronages.

It was also decided he would not use his His Royal Highness (HRH) in any official capacity but he was not stripped of the title at the time.

This was followed by an out-of-court settlement between Mountbatten-Windsor and Giuffre in February, which is understood to have been worth £12 million ($22 million).

2025 – 2026

Just when Mountbatten-Windsor thought there might be a chance of a royal comeback, attending more official events under his brother's reign, the Epstein files started being released.

In October, an email communication from 2011 between Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor came to light, contradicting his statements on Newsnight.

"We are in this together and will have to rise above it," the prince told the convicted sex offender, a year after he said he'd ended their friendship.

Later that month, on October 30, King Charles announced his brother would cease using his Duke of York title, was struck off the peerage roll and his HRH and prince titles were taken away.

Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were banned from attending the royal family's gathering at Sandringham Estate.

Mountbatten-Windsor was also booted out of Royal Lodge in Windsor, to live at a cottage on the King's private estate in Sandringham, which he moved to on February 3, 2026 – where he was arrested weeks later, on February 19.

His arrest has nothing to do with Giuffre's allegations and are currently solely based on allegations he passed on sensitive documents to Epstein during his official role in public service, as trade envoy.

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Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in 2024.

Yoon fell from office after an ill-advised attempt to overcome an opposition-controlled legislature by declaring martial law and sending troops to surround the legislature on December 3, 2024.

Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilising military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time.

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Yoon is likely to appeal the verdict.

A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country’s democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts expect a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties.

South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.

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As Yoon arrived in court, hundreds of police officers watched closely as Yoon supporters rallied outside a judicial complex, their cries rising as the prison bus transporting him drove past. Yoon’s critics gathered nearby, demanding the death penalty.

The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon’s martial law decree, including ex-defence minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure and mobilizing the military.

Yoon, a staunch conservative, has defended his martial law decree as necessary to stop liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.

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The decree lasted about six hours before being lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and unanimously voted to lift the measure.

Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment.

Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.

The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon’s Cabinet members in other cases. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimise the decree by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.

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Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has confirmed reports the Australians in Syria with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group are carrying Australian passports, after revealing one woman had been temporarily banned from returning. 

He said the woman was one of 34 Australians — 11 women and 23 children — who had been planning to fly on Monday from Damascus to Australia before they were turned back due to unspecified procedural problems.

Burke said work to issue the temporary exclusion order had begun on Monday in response to reports the cohort – widely referred to as "ISIS brides" – had left the Roj detention camp to return to Australia.

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"Effectively, because the clock starts ticking on these sorts of exclusion orders, the work gets done by the department in advance," he told ABC's 7.30 last night.

"But once reports start to come that somebody might be moving, that's the time that you initiate those sorts of orders."

Burke, who can use temporary exclusion orders to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia for up to two years, said the order wasn't made earlier because it could have lapsed. 

The banned woman was an immigrant who left Australia for Syria sometime between 2013 and 2015, Burke said.

He didn't comment on whether she had children but generally blamed the parents for the predicaments of their offspring stranded in Syria.

"These are horrific situations that have been brought on those children by actions of their parents," he told ABC's 7.30 last night.

"They are terrible situations. But they have been brought on entirely by horrific decisions that their parents made."

The laws were introduced in 2019 to prevent defeated Islamic State fighters from returning to Australia. There are no public reports of an order being issued before.

Burke said security agencies had not advised that any of the other Australians in the group warranted an exclusion order and they couldn't be made against children younger than 14.

Opposition home affairs spokesperson Senator Jonno Duniam implied he would like to see all the women banned.

"If the minister is claiming that only one of the 34 strong ISIS bride cohort is deemed risky enough to warrant a temporary exclusion order, then this raises more questions than answers," he said yesterday.

These ISIS Brides all travelled to the same 'declared area' for the same reason of supporting the same listed terrorist organisation – how can only one member of this group be deemed a risk and the rest somehow okay?"

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Burke confirms Australian passports

Pressed by host Sarah Ferguson, he obliquely confirmed reports that the 34 citizens were carrying Australian passports, saying "anyone who's a citizen is able to apply for a passport and receive a passport".

Asked if he knew whether they had the documents he said: "Yeah I  do and I think I'm giving the very practical answer that if somebody applies, if anyone applies for a passport as a citizen, they are issued with a passport."

"In the same way, in the same way that public servants, if someone applies for a Medicare card, they get a Medicare card," he said.

When Ferguson said it was "a long way of saying yes" he said "I've given the answer with the words I wanted to".

He smiled when Feruson said "the answer is yes".

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Confusing messages at cramped camp

At the Roj camp, tucked in Syria's north-eastern corner near the border with Iraq, the Australian women refused to speak to The Associated Press yesterday.

One of the women, Zeinab Ahmad, said they had been advised by an attorney not to talk to journalists.

A security official at the camp, Chavrê Rojava, said that family members of the detainees – who she said were Australians of Lebanese origin – had travelled to Syria to arrange their return. They brought temporary passports that had been issued for the would-be returnees, Rojava said.

"We have no contact with the Australian government regarding this matter, as we are not part of the process," she said. 

"We have left it to the families to resolve."

Rojava said that after the group had departed the camp to travel to Damascus, they were contacted by a Syrian government official and warned to turn back. The families were "very disappointed" upon returning to the camp, she said.

"We recently requested that all countries and families come and take back their citizens," Rojava said.

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PM confirms government won't help

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday reiterated his position from Tuesday that his government would not help repatriate the latest group.

"These are people who chose to go overseas to align themselves with an ideology which is the caliphate, which is a brutal, reactionary ideology and that seeks to undermine and destroy our way of life," Albanese told reporters.

He was referring to the militants' capture of wide swathes of land more than a decade ago that stretched across Syria and Iraq, territory where IS established its so-called caliphate. Jihadis from foreign countries travelled to Syria at the time to join the IS. Over the years, they had families and raised children there.

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"We are doing nothing to repatriate or to assist these people. I think it's unfortunate that children are caught up in this, that's not their decision, but it's the decision of their parents or their mother," Albanese added.

Former Islamic State fighters from multiple countries, their wives and children have been detained in camps since the militant group lost control of its territory in Syria in 2019. Though defeated, the group still has sleeper cells that carry out deadly attacks in both Syria and Iraq.

Australian governments have repatriated Australian women and children from Syrian detention camps on two occasions. Other Australians have also returned without government assistance.

– Reported with Associated Press

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There's a 54-year age gap between Melburnians Laurie Darby and Max Flett, but the retired teacher had no problems welcoming her 23-year-old gardener into her spare room.

With an empty bedroom and rising bills, Darby pitched the unconventional idea of intergenerational home sharing after Flett opened up about his own housing struggles.

"She was just like 'I've got a spare room – how about you chuck me some cash and you can stay here as long as you need while you're studying'," Flett said.

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"I had my doctor actually ask me 'do you trust this man?' I said, 'totally," Darby said.

The gardener and budding comedian moved in with Darby and stayed for almost 18 months.

"I think he got that idea pretty quickly that I wasn't going to make any rules except for the tea towels," Darby said.

Flett and Darby are part of a growing movement matching older landlords with renters, in a bid to offer a quick fix to one of the country's biggest problems.

About 13 million spare bedrooms are sitting empty across Australia while young people are struggling to find a home.

While the pair met by chance, others are connecting through a social enterprise called Life Shared.

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Co-founder Jacinta Duffy believes the concept could be the answer to Australia's rental crisis.

"We are a matching service and we're also a monitoring service, so the matching is really intensive, and it is doing background checks, it is doing police checks," Duffy said.

Advocates are calling on the government to help unlock the millions of spare rooms across the country, with concerns current legislation could penalise aged pensioners for opening their door to those looking for a home.

Queensland University of Technology's Dr Lyndall Bryant said intergenerational home sharing happens "all over the world".

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"It just doesn't have a big take-up in Australia because it's not well understood," Bryant said.

"We can fix this crisis right now, and the government could fix it at the swipe of a pen," Queensland University of Technology's Dr Lyndall Bryant said.

"We have our existing housing stock, let's use it more effectively and build community."

It's certainly worked out well for Flett, who was able to move out with savings, plus lots of material for his show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.

Meanwhile, Darby's in the market for a new roomie.

"Well, Max says get somebody else, and I said I'll never get another Max, but I have thought about it," she said.

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Brave motorists have pinned a shirtless driver to the ground on a busy Melbourne road after he allegedly smashed into several cars and tried to carjack two others.

An out-of-control Jeep was seen speeding into oncoming traffic on Auburn Road in Hawthorn about 5.30pm on Monday.

The car crashed into four other vehicles in peak-hour traffic, leaving his own vehicle mangled.

READ MORE: At least one 'ISIS bride' blocked from returning as minister confirms group has passports

Desperate to get away, the shirtless man allegedly tried to carjack two drivers.

Police allege he assaulted one man and tried to steal his car keys before trying to pull a woman out of her car.

"When I saw him reach into this poor lady's car, I was like, well someone's gotta stop him," witness George Allen said.

"He was obviously trying to grab her keys or open her door. I could hear him yelling abuse at her, and her yelling something back."

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The man was restrained by the people he allegedly tried to carjack, until police arrived a short time later.

"They came over and got into a slight fist fight and then pinned him down and held him until the police came.

"One of the tradies who was obviously in a ute grabbed a rope and tied him up."

The 50-year-old man from Capel Sound on the Mornington Peninsula was taken to hospital under police guard.

He has since been charged with a string of offences including attempted carjacking, attempted robbery and reckless conduct endangering life.

He was remanded in custody to reappear in court next week.

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Experts say the shift helps the UK track citizens at home and tighten border data.

Robots performing backflips and wielding nunchucks have wowed audiences during China's annual New Year Gala.

The humanoid robots performed for nearly five minutes on stage in a tightly choreographed routine that involved flips and dance moves, using various props, and even performing and interacting with child performers.

In the finale of the performance, a larger robot stood in the middle of the pack and held out a large sword while being elevated on a platform, with other robots around it waving staffs in the air.

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The performance was designed to show how China's android and tech industries are rapidly advancing.

The robots in this particular routine came from a Chinese firm called Unitree Robitics, and several other companies showed off their latest android technologies at the four-hour-long gala to mark the Chinese New Year.

Some robots performed choreography as human pop stars, while others performed their own comedy skits.

China is the world's largest industrial robot market and home to more than half of all robots installed worldwide in 2024, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

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Beijing is also looking to use robots to help defend itself from manpower shortages and rising labour costs.

While humanoids have so far been most visible in novelty appearances and entertainment like Monday's show, they are also being piloted on assembly lines and in logistics hubs and science labs. 

Even though on this occasion the robots were designed to look good and impress with their martial arts abilities, it could also be a sign of China flexing its muscle and looking to highlight its dominance in the field of robotics.

Reported with CNN

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The siblings of the man killed in a triple stabbing attack in Sydney's west on Tuesday have told of their "deep pain".

Amamuddin Sadar was attacked along with two others in Merrylands in a random stabbing spree about 10am on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old attempted to shelter in a stairwell but died from his injuries.

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Sadar was the eldest of five children and a refugee who grew up in Afghanistan, coming to Australia by boat in search of a safer life.

"We are in shock, we are (going through) a deep pain," his sister Meena told 9News.

"We cannot explain our pain."

Masoud and Meena Sadar described their brother as hardworking, saying he would take care of his friends, family and community.

His siblings told 9News their parents are still in Afghanistan and have been hospitalised since hearing the news.

The NSW government is reviewing security at Cumberland Hospital following reports that two men, including the alleged offender, Setefano Mooniai Leaaetoa, had absconded from a mental health facility 10 days earlier.

He has since been charged with one count of murder and two counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder over the alleged attack.

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The second patient, Luke Francis, allegedly absconded from the same facility within days of Leaaetoa's escape.

He allegedly attacked a nurse before escaping Cumberland Hospital.

Francis then allegedly stole a car before leading police on a pursuit that ended after colliding with another vehicle in Camden, killing two women.

The Nurses Union has revealed that despite Cumberland Hospital being set to become one of the largest mental health facilities in the country, it only has three security guards on staff at any time to manage the entire facility.

If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).

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The mother has been charged with ill-treatment of her child and infecting with disease.