Major US closure could cause chaos for Aussie travellers

Major US closure could cause chaos for Aussie travellers

The US Global Entry program just slammed shut and it could cause major issues for Australian travellers.

Global Entry is a US customs program that which offers some Australians a streamlined, expedited clearance through dedicated lanes at immigration.

It functions like a membership program that allows pre-approved, low-risk Aussie travellers to use special kiosks when entering the US to get through customs quickly.

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Aussies can apply online, then undergo a background check and interview before being approved for a five-year Global Entry membership.

The non-refundable application fee is $US100.

Aussies travelling to the US still need to satisfy visa entry requirements, such as applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

Global Entry members then get to skip processing lines and paperwork when entering the US and wait times at customs can be slashed from up to 90 minutes to just 10 minutes.

But the program, which only recently opened to Aussies, has just been closed.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 22: Travelers head toward their gates after passing through a TSA security checkpoint during a winter storm at Denver International Airport on February 22, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. More than 1000 flights have been canceled across the U.S. as the storm impacts travel around the country. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Sunday (local time) that the Global Entry had been shutdown due to ongoing government chaos.

The US has been in the grips of a partial government shutdown since February 14.

It kicked off when Democrats rejected White House legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump's divisive immigration campaigns.

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The TSA, which is part of the DHS, said it would have to take "emergency measures to preserve limited funds".

Now it has announced the Global Entry program will remain offline until the government shutdown ends.

"Shutdowns have serious real world consequences," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Airlines for America, a trade group which represents major US carriers, criticised the move which it said was "issued with extremely short notice to travellers, giving them little time to plan accordingly".

The organisation said it is deeply concerned suspending the Global Entry program is a ploy to use the travelling public "as a political football" amid the government shutdown.

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Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security also criticised the shutdown, accusing the Trump administration of "kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure".

It's unclear how the Global Entry suspension will affect Australian travellers who have already paid for applications.

If you have been affected and want to share your story, contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au.

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One award after another for Oscar front-runner at BAFTAs

One award after another for Oscar front-runner at BAFTAs

Politically charged thriller One Battle After Another has won six prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards, building momentum ahead of Hollywood's Academy Awards next month.

Blues-steeped vampire epic Sinners and gothic horror story Frankenstein won three awards each, while Shakespearean family tragedy Hamnet won two including best British film.

One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson's explosive film about a group of revolutionaries in chaotic conflict with the state, won awards for directing, adapted screenplay, cinematography and editing, as well as for Sean Penn's supporting performance as an obsessed military officer.

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"This is very overwhelming and wonderful," Anderson said as he accepted the directing prize.

He paid tribute to his longstanding assistant director, Adam Somner, who died of cancer in November 2024 a few weeks into production.

"We have a line from Nina Simone that we used in our film, 'I know what freedom is: It's no fear,'" the director said.

"Let's keep making things without fear. It's a good idea."

Bookies' favourite Jessie Buckley won the best actress prize for playing grieving mother Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, in Hamnet.

She is the first Irish performer to win a best actress prize at the awards, known as BAFTAs.

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In a major upset, Robert Aramayo won the best actor category for his performance in I Swear, a British indie drama about a campaigner for people with Tourette's syndrome.

The 33-year-old British actor looked stunned and called the victory over Ethan Hawke, Michael B Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet "absolutely mad".

"I absolutely can't believe this," he said.

"Everyone in this category blows me away."

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Sinners took home trophies for director Ryan Coogler's original screenplay, the film's musical score and for Wunmi Mosaku's supporting actress performance as herbalist and healer Annie.

The British-Nigerian actor said that in the role she found "a part of my hopes, my ancestral power and my connection, parts I thought I had lost or tried to dim as an immigrant trying to fit in".

Stars and royalty

Hollywood stars and British celebrities, from Paddington Bear to the Prince and Princess of Wales, gathered at London's Royal Festival Hall for the awards.

DiCaprio, Chalamet, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close, and Ethan Hawke were among the stars walking the red carpet before a black-tie ceremony hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales also attended, three days after William's uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by police and held for 11 hours over allegations he sent sensitive government information to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Jessie Buckley attends the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on February 22, 2026 in London, England.

The scandal has rocked the royal family led by King Charles III, though William and Kate remain popular standard-bearers for the monarchy.

William was due to present an award in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Among the biggest receptions from gathered fans was for Paddington, the puppet bear who stars in a musical stage adaption of the beloved children's classic.

Oscars bellwether

The British prizes, officially called the EE BAFTA Film Awards, often provide hints about who will win at Hollywood's Academy Awards, held this year on March 15.

Sinners has a record 16 Oscar nominations, followed by One Battle After Another with 13.

One Battle went into the BAFTAs ceremony with 14 nominations. Sinners was just behind with 13, while Hamnet had 11.

Ping-pong odyssey Marty Supreme also had 11 nominations but went home empty-handed.

Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales attend the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards

Guillermo del Toro's reimagining of Frankenstein and Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value each got eight nominations.

Frankenstein took awards for production design, costume design and for the hair and makeup artists who spent 10 hours a day transforming Jacob Elordi into the movie's monstrous creature.

Sentimental Value won the prize for the best film not in English.

Jacob Elorid in Frankenstein

Cumming told the audience that it had been a strong year for cinema, if not a cheerful one, with nominated films tackling themes including child death, racism and political violence.

"Watching the films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown," he said.

"It's almost as though there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers."

The ceremony was more glitz than gloom, though, including a performance by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – the voices of animated band HUNTR/X in box office juggernaut KPop Demon Hunters – singing the movie hit Golden.

Putin critic wins best documentary

The best-documentary prize went to Mr Nobody Against Putin, about a Russian teacher who documented the propaganda imposed on Russian schools after the invasion of Ukraine.

The film's American director David Borenstein said that teacher Pavel Talankin had shown that "whether it's in Russia or the streets of Minneapolis, we always face a moral choice," referring to the protests against US immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

"We need more Mr Nobodies," he said.

It beat documentaries including Mstyslav Chernov's harrowing Ukraine war portrait 2000 Metres to Andriivka, co-produced by The Associated Press and Frontline PBS.

Most BAFTA winners are chosen by 8500 members of the UK academy of industry professionals.

The Rising Star award, which is decided by public vote, went to Aramayo.

Donna Langley, the UK-born chairwoman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, was awarded the British Academy's highest honor, the BAFTA fellowship.

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Former 'American Idol' contestant charged with murdering wife, staging crime scene

Former 'American Idol' contestant charged with murdering wife, staging crime scene

Authorities in the US state of Ohio have arrested a former contestant on American Idol and charged him with shooting and killing his wife and staging the crime scene to mislead investigators.

Caleb Flynn, 39, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, assault and tampering with evidence on Friday.

“I just want to take care of my daughters. I’m not a risk,” he told Judge Samuel Huffman in a video of his arraignment from jail.

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Caleb Flynn, 39, (right) was arrested and charged with his the murder of his wife Ashley Flynn (right).

The judge set his bond at US$2 million ($2.83 million).

Ashley Flynn, 37, was found dead on Monday after officers received a report of a burglary and shooting at a Tipp City home, according to a news release by Tipp City Police.

Her husband and two children were inside the home when officers arrived.

In a 911 call released by authorities, a frantic Caleb Flynn tells a dispatcher someone broke into his home and killed his wife.

He says she was shot multiple times in the head and he doesn’t know whether the intruder was still there.

“There’s blood everywhere, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” he said.

His attorney, Patrick Mulligan, said in a statement today he and Flynn were “disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case".

Police arrested Flynn on Thursday.

“When the government runs out of leads or can’t develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases,” the statement said.

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Investigators said Mrs Flynn's husband and two children were inside the home when officers arrived.

Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins defended the investigation, saying in an email today that it had “not moved fast”.

“Rather, it has progressed at a pace dictated by a thorough and deliberate investigative process,” he said.

Ashley Flynn was a middle school volleyball coach and substitute teacher, Tipp City Schools said on its Facebook page.

“She was known for her beautiful smile, warmth, kindness, and the positive impact she had on so many—both in and out of the classroom and on the court,” the post said.

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The British royal family faces its worst crisis in generations

The British royal family faces its worst crisis in generations

King Charles III’s brother was under arrest.

Police were searching two royal properties, and news commentators were endlessly discussing the details of a sex scandal with tentacles that stretched to the gates of Buckingham Palace.

So how did Britain’s royal family spend Thursday afternoon?

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaves St Giles Cathedral after the arrival of the coffin containing the remains of his mother Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 12, 2022.

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The king sat in the front row on the first day of London Fashion Week. Queen Camilla attended a lunchtime concert, and Princess Anne visited a prison.

The decision to continue normal royal duties was more than just an example of British stoicism in the face of the monarchy’s biggest crisis in almost a century.

It was the opening act of the House of Windsor’s fight for survival as the arrest of the former Prince Andrew threatens to undermine public backing for the monarchy.

After pledging to support the police investigation into his brother's friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the king stressed his intentions.

“My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all,” he said in a statement signed “Charles R.,” using the abbreviation for Rex, the Latin word for king.

Biggest crisis since 1936 abdication

The simple fact that Charles made the statement showed the scale of the problem created by the arrest of the king’s 66-year-old sibling, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was held for 11 hours and then released under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.

The event was so unprecedented that commentators had to reach back to the 1640s and the arrest and execution of King Charles I during the English Civil War to find a parallel.

Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office is shaping up to be the monarchy’s biggest crisis since Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.

That scandal weakened public support for the monarchy, which did not fully recover for 15 years.

The turnaround came only after Edward’s successor, King George VI, refused to flee Britain during World War II, demonstrating his solidarity with a nation ravaged by Nazi bombs.

Even before she ascended the throne, Queen Elizabeth II followed her father’s lead and publicly pledged her life in service to Britain.

But while the impact of Edward’s abdication lingered for years, the crisis reached a crescendo in a few days.

And the solution in that case was relatively simple: Edward stepped aside, and his oldest brother took his place.

By contrast, the drama surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor is ongoing, with no end in sight.

No ‘clear route forward’

The current crisis stems from revelations about the relationship between the former prince and Epstein that were uncovered when the US Justice Department released millions of pages of documents last month from its investigation into Epstein.

Police have previously cited reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.

At least eight UK police forces have said they are looking into issues raised by the documents.

Compared with previous royal scandals, "this time there doesn’t seem to be any clear route forward,’’ said Ed Owens, author of After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?.

“There’s no blueprint to follow” in terms of how the monarchy and associated organisations deal with the allegations.

The last time the monarchy had to manage these kinds of questions was after the death of Princess Diana, Charles’ ex-wife.

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaves a police station in the UK.

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Elizabeth and Charles were criticised for failing to respond to the outpouring of public grief as tens of thousands of people swarmed to Kensington Gardens to lay flowers outside the late princess’ home.

Some even called for Charles to step aside as heir to the throne in favor of his son William.

The queen later commissioned focus groups to better understand the public mood and determine why people felt so strongly about a person they never met.

The crisis forced the royals to recognise that Diana’s common touch had connected with people in ways that had not yet occurred to the House of Windsor.

Those lessons have since inspired other royals, including Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and approachable.

But this moment is different, in part because it is taking place in a rapidly changing media environment at a time when people are demanding transparency from their leaders.

Family could face uncomfortable questions

Moving forward also means facing uncomfortable questions about what the institution — and the family members themselves — may have known about Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities.

The palace has sought to draw a bold line separating the former prince and the rest of the monarchy by stripping him of his titles, including the right to be called a prince.

In another blow for the former prince, the British government is considering formally removing him from the line of succession to the crown.

Despite losing his status and his honors, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne.

That can only be changed with legislation.

Charles is the first monarch “that has to meet our expectations of figures in public life, which is to be accountable and to explain yourself,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London.

“And you always have to work to earn the support of the public. And that is a particular challenge when you’re facing a controversy such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”

Critics argue that the monarchy was slow to respond to the pressure, given that Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have been discussed for more than a decade.

The best outcome for the monarchy is for the police investigation to focus solely on the information in the Epstein files and how that relates to Mountbatten-Windsor, said Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent.

The worst outcome would be if police expand their inquiries to what the broader institution might have known and when.

"Were questions raised about his behavior as a trade envoy over those 10 years? Were they answered? What did people do about them?’’ Hunt said on the BBC.

And perhaps there's more to learn.

“Will there be files?’’ he asked.

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New study debunks theory on why sharks fled Aussie islands after vicious attack

New study debunks theory on why sharks fled Aussie islands after vicious attack

After six orcas were filmed viciously killing a great white shark off South Australia's Neptune Islands in 2015, sharks disappeared from the waters for over two months.

Their abnormally long absence was attributed to the incident, as a study in South Africa suggested similar instances along their coast caused sharks to abandon their habitat. 

But now, new 12-year research in Australia has debunked that theory.

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Six orcas were filmed viciously killing a great white shark off South Australia's Neptune Islands in 2015.

Dr Isabella Reeves, a postdoctoral researcher from Flinders University, led the study and said her team identified six instances when sharks left the Neptune Islands for weeks at a time.

"These were more than 42 days, and only one of them had this killer whale predation, which was the event we had in 2015," she said. 

The encounter that started it all

A cage diving company based in Port Lincoln took a group out to get up close with sharks at the Neptune Islands on February 2, 2015.

But just 20 metres from their vessel, they witnessed six orcas going in for the kill.

Three orcas appeared to fence in a shark, while the others rammed it with their heads.

They pushed the shark underwater and an oil slick appeared on the surface, indicating the liver had been consumed.

The footage of the encounter went viral and gained national interest.

Reeves said it was considered very rare at the time but has been recorded more over the years, particularly in Australia, South Africa, California and Mexico. 

"The fact that killer whales had rocked up to the Neptunes, which is a really small island group that's offshore, and someone was there to actually document it, it was a really rare opportunity to try to dissect the situation more once we had gotten more data over the years," she said.

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New 12-year research led by Flinders University investigates shark behaviour after an orca attack in the Neptune Islands in 2015.

Sharks disappear from Neptune Islands

Sharks disappeared from the waters in the Neptune Islands for the next 69 days after the orca attack.

Andrew Fox from Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions said he saw an increase in sharks at the Neptunes from the early 2000s, but that changed in 2015.

"It's been very much more patchy since then, and in the last two years, it's been really slow," he said. 

"It seems like there's a lot more than there is, but I'm worried that there has been a bit of a slow decline, and we're certainly seeing a lot less in the last two years than we've ever seen."

There have also been environmental changes in recent years, including record oceanic upwellings and a toxic algal bloom. 

Fox has only seen orcas at the Neptune Islands a handful of times in his 50 years in the business.

"We had a really big Orca, a big male with an extremely tall dorsal fin, come up to the back of our vessel and smash its tail up and down repetitively and scare away a big white shark we knew, a formidable, five-metre male we know as Dragon," he said.

"We haven't seen Dragon since, so I'm a bit worried about what happened to him. But other white sharks did come back a week and a half or 10 days later."

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New 12-year research led by Flinders University investigates shark behaviour after an orca attack in the Neptune Islands in 2015.

Twelve years of research

The research team used acoustic telemetry data, based on listening stations that ping once a tagged shark is near, and sightings from tourism companies to track sharks over 12 years to understand whether the 2015 absence was exceptional or behavioural.

They identified six instances of prolonged absences, including a brief five-day departure during an orca sighting in October 2024 and a four-day absence during the death of a tagged whale.

But they found that not every orca encounter or shark death led to these absences.

Reeves said movement patterns of great white sharks in the Neptune Islands were highly variable. 

"There's definitely long gaps in their presence, which can happen with or without killer whale activity," she said.

"It's really hard to say. There's so much going on in our oceans right now, which could be contributing to this.

"But I think the main takeaway is that it's not the killer whales at the Neptunes that are causing the prolonged absences."

Another study is currently under way to understand what causes prolonged shark absences.

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Man charged with murder after woman hit by car in Melbourne's north

Man charged with murder after woman hit by car in Melbourne's north

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman in Melbourne's north last night.

Police responded to reports that a woman had been hit by a car on Seston Street at Reservoir at about 7.40pm yesterday.

The woman who is yet to be identified died at the scene.

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A 44-year-old man was arrested at the scene and has been charged with one count of murder.

He will appear at Melbourne's Magistrates' Court today.

It is believed that the pair were known to each other.

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'I can destroy the country': Trump's rant after Supreme Court strikes down his key policy

'I can destroy the country': Trump's rant after Supreme Court strikes down his key policy

Donald Trump has lashed out at the US Supreme Court after they ruled his sweeping tariffs to be illegal.

The court ruled 6-3 against the president, deeming his reasoning for the massive tariffs were beyond his authority.

Trump praised the three judges who voted in his favour, then called the other justices "a disgrace to our nation".

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Donald Trump issued sweeping tariffs on every country.

"They're just FOOLS and "LAPDOGS" for the RINOS (Republicans in name only) and Radical Left Democrats and, not that this should have anything to do with it, very unpatriotic, and disloyal to the Constitution," he wrote on Truth Social.

"It is my opinion that the Court has been swayed by Foreign Interests, and a Political Movement that is far smaller than people would think — But obnoxious, ignorant, and loud!"

Two of the justices who voted against the president - Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett - were appointed by him. 

In a press conference, he spoke of his claimed powers as president.

"I can destroy the trade. I can destroy the country," Trump said. 

"I'm allowed to impose a foreign destroying embargo, I can embargo, I can do anything I want, but I can't charge $1."

In a bizarre explanation, Trump said he "was very modest in my ask of other countries".

"I didn't want to do anything that would affect the decision of the court," he said.

"I wanted to be a good boy."

The administration is now left with the major headache of how to refund the $184 billion in tariffs it has already collected.

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Donald Trump's taxes made buying things from overseas much more expensive for US customers.

Tariffs are paid by the businesses importing products from overseas, with the increased costs typically passed on to consumers.

Already Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued an invoice demanding a refund from the government for the tariffs.

"Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies and sent grocery prices through the roof," Pritzker said.

"This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court justices notified you that they are also unconstitutional."

Pritzker is considered a likely candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Trump announced in his press conference he would impose a 10 per cent global tariff under a federal law known as Section 122.

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Donald Trump announces reciprocal tariffs at White House in 2025 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

But such tariffs would be limited to just 150 days.

The blow to Trump's policy agenda has been celebrated by Republican senators.

"As a matter of policy, the empty merits of sweeping trade wars with America's friends were evident long before today's decision," former Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

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All the UK newspaper front pages the day after ex-prince's arrest

All the UK newspaper front pages the day after ex-prince's arrest

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may be out of police custody, but judging by the UK media's plans for tomorrow's coverage, the public eye remains fixed on the former prince.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested yesterday evening on his 66th birthday and held for 12 hours as part of an investigation into suspected misconduct in public office.

He has been released without charge, and a Reuters photographer managed to snap a picture of the apparently shellshocked former prince hunkering down in the back of a car as he left the police station.

LIVE UPDATES: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

Judging by its prominence on tomorrow's UK front pages, it's destined to be part of the historical record.

Here's how the English dailies are covering the latest events in the Prince Andrew saga.

Inside the secret operation to arrest former prince Andrew

Inside the secret operation to arrest former prince Andrew

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor likely woke on February 19 expecting to celebrate his birthday in private; instead he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

His arrest may have seemed sudden to the rest of the world but for the officers involved, it would have been days in the making.

And King Charles III reportedly had no idea it was coming. Here's what we know so far about the confidential police operation to arrest a former prince.

LIVE UPDATES: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

Inside the confidential operation

The operation would have started with the complaint of misconduct in public office against Andrew, who is still in line to the British throne.

Senior officers at Thames Valley Police would have assessed the complaint and considered the available evidence before applying for a search warrant.

A magistrate or district judge would have to give legal approval for police to raid Mountbatten-Windsor's Wood Farm home on the Sandringham Estate, as well as his former home, Windsor's Royal Lodge.

Once they had the all-clear, planning could begin.

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

Details of the raid and arrest would have been kept strictly confidential.

The London Telegraph reported that neither Buckingham Palace nor the King were told what was going to happen on the morning of February 19.

A former officer told The Telegraph UK that even the detectives chosen to carry out the confidential operation were probably kept in the dark.

"The team would have simply been told to report to the station in the early hours," he said.

"They may have even been told to hand over their mobile phones before being given the final briefing, setting out where they were going and what they were doing."

Arresting a former royal

In the early hours of the morning (UK time), officers drove about 200km from the police headquarters in Oxfordshire to the King's private Sandringham estate.

The journey would have taken about three hours.

It had just gone 8am when the small fleet of unmarked police cars pulled up at Mountbatten-Windsor's Wood Farm home.

TIMELINE: What led to the arrest of a former prince

About 20 plainclothes officers from Thames Valley Police were involved, as well as some from the local Norfolk Constabulary.

They arrested Mountbatten-Windsor at the scene and took him straight for questioning.

The officer tasked with arresting the former royal would have read him the standard warning delivered to any suspect taken into custody.

"You do not have to say anything," they would have said.

"But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court."

After that, Mountbatten-Windsor would have been ushered into the back of one of the unmarked police cars and driven to a police station for a formal interview.

Police also searched his Wood Farm home and his former home at Royal Lodge.

READ IN FULL: King Charles' statement after the arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in custody

At the police station, the former prince likely would have been processed like anyone else.

He would have been checked in at the custody suite, searched, and asked to hand over his phone, jewellery, watch, belt or tie.

A risk assessment would have been carried out to ensure he was afforded appropriate care in custody with regard to any medical issues.

Officers would have explained his rights and he likely would have been fingerprinted, then led to a cell for a formal interview.

READ MORE: 'This is unprecedented': Police search two royal properties

The cell wouldn't have been anything fancy.

Former officers told The Telegraph UK they usually consist of an "austere" room with a toilet, which may be screened off, and a low mattress.

Mountbatten-Windsor would have been given time to speak to his lawyer and may have been offered something to eat and drink before the interview started.

The details of the police interview and what, if anything, the former prince divulged during it have not been made public.

After 11 hours in police custody, Mountbatten-Windsor was released.

It's unlikely the story will end there.

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Four teens charged over alleged shooting, arson attacks targeting Utai family

Four teens charged over alleged shooting, arson attacks targeting Utai family

Police have charged four teenagers over a spate of alleged shootings and arson attacks targeting the family of former NRL player Matt Utai.

The 44-year-old ex Bulldogs and Wests Tigers winger was shot outside his family home in Greenacre, in the city's south-west, about 6am on Tuesday.

He was treated by police and paramedics before being taken to hospital in a serious condition. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Matt Utai and police say he is not involved in any criminal activity.

LIVE UPDATES: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 3: Matt Utai of the Bulldogs dives over for a try during the NRL Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and the Bulldogs held at Telstra Stadium, October 3, 2004 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Utai

Police said the alleged gunman fired from an SUV before it drove away. A short time later the car, a black Toyota, was found burnt out in the nearby suburb of Wiley Park.

The following night, at about 12.45am, shots were fired at a house in St Clair. A woman in her 50s was uninjured inside.

A second burnt-out car discovered a short time later in Colyton was seized by police for forensic examination.

The morning following the second shooting, at 6.05am, a fire broke out at a Guildford West house and a nearby car was set alight. Firefighters extinguished both blazes and no one was injured.

NSW Police set up Strike Force Halesowen to investigate the incidents, all of which are believed to have been targeting the family of Utai.

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

Officers yesterday raided four properties in Riverwood, Guildford, Lilyfield, Villawood and Auburn and seized three vehicles, 1kg of cocaine, knuckle dusters, electronics and clothing.

Two 19-year-old men, a man aged 18 and a 16-year-old boy were all arrested and charged with drug, firearms and other offences.

The 18-year-old was granted bail and is due to front court next Tuesday.

The two 19-year-olds were refused bail and are scheduled to appear in court today.

The 16-year-old was refused bail and is set to appear in the childrens court today.

Investigations continue.

New Zealand-born Utai joined the Bulldogs in 2002 and was a pivotal member of the club's 2004 premiership-winning side, scoring two tries in the defeat of the Sydney Roosters.

He also represented New Zealand, including an appearance in the 2008 World Cup.

Utai departed the Bulldogs in 2010 and one year later joined the Wests Tigers, playing for the Sydney club until the end of his career in 2013.

Since his retirement, he has worked as a tradie.

Police are investigating whether Utai's son Iziah's alleged links to the Alameddine crime network could have been the reason behind the alleged attacks.

9News understands 24-year-old Iziah is currently overseas.

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