Police urge revellers to ‘party responsibly’ as crowds gather for New Year’s Eve – as it happened

Melbourne police investigate a potential double murder and Sydney-bound passengers stranded in the Pacific. This blog is now closed

• Emergency landing strands Sydney-bound passengers on Pacific island
• Discovery of second body in Melbourne prompts double murder investigation
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A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney has been diverted after an engine issue was discovered around midnight.

It is understood crew aboard United flight 839 noticed a potential oil leak from an engine on the right side of the Boeing 787-9.

Today's flight diverted to Pago Pago to address a mechanical issue. We're making use of our facilities, including available hotel options, to accommodate our customers, and will fly in a new aircraft to the island so they can finish their trip to Sydney soon.