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Fire quickly consumed hundreds of acres in the Pacific Palisades, an affluent community north of Santa Monica

Privately owned Cessna 208 Caravan 675 plane was carrying seven people when it crashed off Western Australia coast

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who fled in exile to Spain in September, says son-in-law was seized by hooded men'Venezuela's Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who the opposition says won a July presidential election against incumbent Nicolas Maduro, has said that his son-in-law was seized by hooded men" in Caracas.This morning my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped," said Gonzalez on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Anti-money laundering officials ask banks for information on UK minister and seven of her family membersAnti-money laundering officials in Bangladesh have demanded bank account details for Tulip Siddiq, the UK anti-corruption minister, in the latest escalation of the inquiries into her family's financial interests.The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which investigates money laundering and suspicious transactions, wrote to the country's main banks on Tuesday asking them to provide account details for Siddiq and seven of her family members. Continue reading...

Quake damaged buildings in Shigatse and could be felt hundreds of kilometres away in Nepal and the Indian state of Bihar

Cuts will be deep', media reporter writes, after paper faced scrutiny for halting endorsement of Harris in OctoberDozens of employees are expected to be laid off at the Washington Post in the coming week in what is another of several tumultuous episodes in recent months for the storied title, according to a report by the media reporter Oliver Darcy.The layoffs are slated to hit the Jeff Bezos-owned ... newspaper's business division, I'm told. One person familiar with the matter said that the cuts will be deep, impacting many dozens of employees," Darcy, the former CNN reporter, wrote in his newsletter Status. Continue reading...

Federal government to fund 80% of upgrades with state paying for 20%, despite previously vowing to split infrastructure projects 50-50

Bushwalker's discovery in Springbrook national park leaves Queensland police with a lot of questions we need answers for'

Police say Tatura owner is devastated after theft of more than 150 dolls stolen last month

Less than half of Americans planned to get Covid vaccine in 2024, and slightly more than half planned to get flu shotThe amount of acute respiratory illness causing Americans to seek healthcare is at a high level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).In an update issued on Friday, the CDC announced that in addition to Covid-19 activity increasing from low levels in most areas across the US, seasonal influenza activity continues to increase and is elevated across most of the country. Continue reading...

Husband of actor Aubrey Plaza was known for writing and directing Life After Beth and co-writing I Heart HuckabeesIndependent director and screenwriter Jeff Baena - who was known for quirky hits such as Life After Beth and was the husband of that film's star, Aubrey Plaza - has died, according to reports. Baena was 47.The Los Angeles medical examiner said that Baena died on Friday at his home in that city at about 10.39am local time. Officials did not immediately provide Baena's cause or manner of death. Continue reading...

Marcus Fakana from north London was convicted of having sex with British girl, now 18, when they were on holidayProtesters have marched through central London calling for the release of a teenager in prison in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old British girl.Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham in north London, was jailed last month after being convicted of having sex with the girl, who has now turned 18, when they were on holiday in September. Continue reading...

Urfan Sharif said to have been treated for injuries to his neck and face after attack in his cell in Belmarsh prisonPolice are investigating reports that the father of the schoolgirl Sara Sharif had his throat cut in an assault by fellow inmates while in prison for her murder.Urfan Sharif, 43, is said to have been attacked in Belmarsh prison, south London, by two men who rushed into his cell with a weapon made from a tuna tin lid, according to the Sun. The assault is said to have happened on New Year's Day and caused injuries to his neck and face that are understood to have been treated in prison. Continue reading...

No evidence of physical trauma on Greta Marie Otteson and Arno Els Quinton, who were found in separate roomsThe bodies of a British woman and her fiance have been discovered in separate rooms at a tourist villa in Vietnam, police said.The victims were named locally as Greta Marie Otteson, a 33-year-old Briton, and Arno Els Quinton, a 36-year-old South African, who were staying at the complex in Hi An in the central Quang Nam province. Continue reading...

Keith Lees, 72, evaded warrant for almost 18 months in relation to alleged murder, and is accused of trying to bite police

Business department raised issue of patent box benefit after meeting that took place last June, documents showKemi Badenoch instructed her department to write to the Treasury about a potential tax break after an intervention from Dyson, documents have revealed.In the minutes of a meeting during her time as business secretary last June, seen by the Guardian, it said Ian Robertson, a board member at the vacuum cleaner and air-filter maker, lobbied Badenoch on the patent box tax benefit that had worked very successfully but now that corporation tax has risen but the patent box has not losing [sic] its effectiveness". Continue reading...

Police continue investigation into child's body found after firefighters put out blaze in Boort

Most of the bosses, released from prison on furlough or for good behaviour, have never disavowed Cosa NostraFamilies of victims killed by the Sicilian mafia have expressed fears that more than 20 senior mobsters released over the last three months may now return to the neighbourhoods they once controlled.The majority of these bosses, some of whom held leadership roles in the main mafia families of Sicily's capital, Palermo, have never disavowed Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia, and have always refused to cooperate with the judicial authorities. They have been released on furlough or for good behaviour. Continue reading...

Boss of bicycle maker says discounting after Covid boom means sad state of affairs' in global market is likely to go onThe boss of Brompton Bicycle has predicted that 2025 will be another year of turmoil for the bike industry after profits at the British folding bicycle maker dived by more than 99% amid a wave of discounting by rivals.Profits fell from 10.7m to 4,602 in the year to the end of March 2024 - less than the cost of Brompton's top-of-the-range T Line Explore bike - as riders sought cheaper options during a cost of living squeeze. Continue reading...

Experts say lack of competition in Australia's airline market is a likely factor behind prevalence of delays

Fans started gathering from 8.30am and by late afternoon the crowd had swelled to fill the outdoor space, which has a capacity of about 8,000

Revellers left disappointed after false reports of display in social mediaThousands of people gathered in the centre of Birmingham on New Year's Eve despite a police warning that the announcement of a fireworks display was false.Police and the city council had urged revellers not to travel after false reports there would be a spectacular show in Centenary Square. Continue reading...

Specialists raise alarm over companies such as Moneyful promoting easy money' in exchange for personal detailsConsumers struggling to pay bills over the festive season have been urged not to sign up with companies that offer money in exchange for personal details in order to open multiple betting accounts in their name.Fraud prevention and consumer specialists raised the alarm after the Guardian highlighted one such company, Kent-based Moneyful Ltd, which promoted the chance to make easy money" over the festive period. Continue reading...

Ex-security minister says assassination ordered by Trump set off chain of events that led to revolution in SyriaDonald Trump's decision to sanction the assassination of an elite Iranian commander triggered a chain of events that has revealed Iran as a paper tiger and led to the overthrow of Basher al-Assad, a former UK security minister has said.Tom Tugendhat, now on the Conservative backbenches and intending to focus on foreign policy, also predicted the Iranian regime would collapse in a few years. He said that if handled properly, Syria could become the economic powerhouse of the Middle East within a decade. Continue reading...

More than a third of 15-year-old girls and less than a quarter of boys in UK say they repeatedly get drunk, OECD saysTeenage girls are outdrinking their male peers in the UK at a greater rate than in any other European country, according to research.More than a third of 15-year-old girls in the UK report getting repeatedly drunk, compared with less than a quarter of boys the same age, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found. Continue reading...

Night skies will light up on New Year's Eve to welcome in 2025. Here's your guide to child-friendly shows plus what time and where to see the fireworks in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country

Trial conducted solely against teenager's parents as their son could not be criminally prosecuted due to his ageA Belgrade court has jailed the parents of a 13-year-old boy after he shot dead nine students and a security guard at an elementary school in Serbia's capital last year.The killings, on 3 May 2023, deeply shocked the Balkan nation, where mass shootings have been rare despite high levels of gun ownership. Continue reading...

Hill, imprisoned for 16 years for 1974 pub bombing, set up organisation helping other victims of miscarriages of justicePaddy Hill, one of six men wrongly convicted for the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings who went on to set up an organisation dedicated to helping others facing miscarriages of justice, has died aged 80.Cathy Molloy, the recently retired chief executive officer of the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (Mojo), which Hill founded, said he died peacefully at his home in Ayrshire, cared for by his wife, Tara, on Monday morning". Continue reading...

For years reporters at Syria's state news agency had to toe the line. As life in Syria grew harder, so did the their workAfter 21 years, the day Farouk feared had finally come. An envelope sealed with red wax made its way through the faded hallways of Syria's national news agency, Sana, and landed on his desk. Inside was what employees called a penalty, the contents of which could range from a reprimand from the editors to a summons to one of Syria's brutal security branches.I found a mistake before the article was published and I brought it to the editors' attention. I thought this would be a good thing but they punished me," Farouk, a journalist on Sana's foreign news desk, said under a pseudonym. Continue reading...

Warsaw's return to the European mainstream with presidency of the EU Council may not be quite what it seemsGermany's chancellor appears to be heading for defeat; France's president is mired in crisis. But while Europe's traditional power duo are in the doldrums, there is a strong, stable and pro-EU leader east of Paris and Berlin - Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk.For European officials, it's a helpful gift of the calendar that Poland takes charge of the EU Council rotating presidency from 1 January. Continue reading...

Authorities plan to question Yoon on allegations of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion after his short-lived declaration of martial lawSouth Korean law enforcement officials have requested a court warrant to arrest impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as they investigate whether his short-lived martial law decree amounted to rebellion.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours on 3 December, confirmed it requested the warrant from a Seoul court. They plan to question Yoon on allegations of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Continue reading...

The country has recorded 32 reported drowning deaths in December, according to Royal Life Saving Australia data

Newly released Irish archives include leaks from UK government and RUC's attempts to undermine Sinn FeinParts of the British government and disgruntled members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were responsible for a series of major leaks during and after the establishment of the 1998 Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, according to claims in newly released Irish government archives.An Irish department of foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created a report and list of the leaks in October 2002. They included attempts to undermine Sinn Fein, the republican political party linked to the IRA, and expose the position of the then Northern Ireland secretary, Mo Mowlam. Continue reading...

Two men from Victoria and South Africa are charged with trafficking the drug into Australia

Incident at Gelan bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda claimed lives of 66 people so far', says Sidama health bureauMore than 60 people have died after a road accident in southern Ethiopia, the local health authority said on Sunday.Sidama state is in the south of Ethiopia, about 300km south of the capital Addis Ababa. Continue reading...

Temporary air restrictions in place for remainder of day because of low visibility, says air traffic control providerDisruption caused by dense fog was expected to continue at Gatwick airport until the end of Sunday - its busiest day of the holiday period.Nats, the UK's main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions were in place for the remainder of the day because of low visibility in airfields affected by fog. Continue reading...

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Team from NTSB, FAA and manufacturer Boeing to assist investigation of Jeju Air crash that killed 179The US is sending air accident investigators to South Korea to help determine what went wrong with the Jeju Air plane that crash-landed at Muan airport and skidded in a barrier early on Sunday, killing 179.The team of investigators includes the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, which manufactured the 17-year-old aircraft. Continue reading...

Mike Lawler says Mike Johnson should remain speaker as cracks appear between Trump's team and far rightThe US House member Mike Lawler attempted on Sunday to tease out two pressing issues facing the new Congress beginning in 2025, telling an American political talkshow that this was not the moment for his fellow Republicans to have a food fight" over leadership in Capitol Hill and that the country needs an immigration system that works".Both issues have dominated political headlines in recent days, as potential policy splits become apparent between far-right congressional Republicans and the executive team being assembled for their party leader Donald Trump's second presidency beginning in January. Continue reading...

Order triggers new wave of displacement and there are reports of damage to two more Gaza hospitalsIsrael has issued new evacuation orders for all remaining civilians to leave Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza as part of a blistering three-month-old campaign that Israel denies is aimed at depopulating a third of the Palestinian territory, amid reports Israeli attacks have damaged two more struggling hospitals in Gaza City.The Israeli army forcibly evacuated Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia on Friday, leaving the northern third of the strip, which is cut off from the rest of Gaza, with just one small functioning medical centre, al-Awda, in nearby Jabalia. On Sunday, everyone remaining in Beit Lahia was ordered to leave after Palestinian militants launched five rockets from the area that targeted Israeli territory. Continue reading...

Flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered from wreckage of Jeju Air flight 2216 at Muan airportDistraught family members gathered at Muan international airport in South Korea on Sunday after a plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok crashed, killing all but two people onboard, in the country's worst domestic civil aviation disaster.Officials said all 175 passengers and four of the six crew members were killed when the Boeing 737-800 attempted an emergency landing, smashed into a wall and burst into flames at 9am local time at the airport, about 185 miles south-west of Seoul. Continue reading...

Analysts say measurable, lasting outcomes' require long-term planning after Tory cuts of up to 78% in some casesThe Treasury needs to rethink public spending to focus on prevention of the UK's health, crime and homelessness problems after cuts of up to 78% under the Tories, a report from Demos and the Health Foundation has found.It said prevention spending should be carved out and protected just like capital spending was from the 1990s onwards so that departments are better able to preserve budgets with long term benefits. Continue reading...

Four 17-year-old boys held on suspicion of murder and others detained on suspicion of assisting an offenderSeven people have been arrested after a murder investigation was launched into the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man in Derbyshire, police said.East Midlands ambulance service contacted police at 8.20pm on Saturday to report that a man had been stabbed on Rose Avenue in the town of Ilkeston. Continue reading...

Travel disruption expected as forecaster issues weather warnings for almost all of UK from Monday to ThursdayRevellers could see their New Year's Eve plans curtailed or cancelled as heavy rain, snow and strong winds are forecast to hit the UK, causing travel disruption for most of this week.The Met Office issued multiple yellow weather warnings for Monday to Thursday, with almost all of the country affected by at least one alert. Continue reading...

Experts say bird strikes are relatively common and should not have been enough to cause landing gear failure

Exclusive: Frank Cottrell-Boyce says Conservative funding freeze over 14 years has created enormous' equality gapThe poor state of school buildings is exposing pupils to irreparable" harm, the UK's children's laureate has said, after a Guardian investigation revealed that more than 1.5 million students in England were being taught in dilapidated schools.The award-winning screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce said the Conservative party's decision to freeze funding per pupil in England for 14 years had left the country with an enormous" equality gap. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Full structural surveys to be carried out on representative sample of about 100 system-built blocksMinisters have ordered intrusive structural surveys of a group of ageing, postwar school buildings in England amid mounting concern about hidden defects that could lead to structural failures.After the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) crisis, which closed schools and prompted mass inspections, the government is concerned about thousands of system-built" school structures that could pose a safety risk. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Josh Babarinde pushing for change in law after some abusers were part of autumn early release from prisonOfficials are examining whether to change the way domestic violence crimes are recorded after a campaign by an MP who says the lack of a specific offence allows abusers to be freed early from jail.Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrats' justice spokesperson, said a change would also help highlight the prevalence of domestic violence, which he said was still too often hidden. Continue reading...

President Aliyev says Moscow must admit its guilt' after downing plane, albeit unintentionally, with loss of 38 livesAzerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticised Moscow for trying to hush up" the issue for days.We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia ... We are not saying that it was done intentionally, but it was done," he told Azerbaijani state television. Continue reading...

Collapse of chains such as Homebase and Body Shop contributed to big rise, and another tough year is on the cardsAlmost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs during another challenging year for the UK high street, data suggests.The collapse of big chains such as Homebase and The Body Shop put thousands of jobs at risk and contributed to 169,395 retail jobs disappearing during 2024 - a 42% rise on 2023 levels. Continue reading...