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Just a few years ago it was one of the most peaceful countries in Latin America. But last week drug gangs stormed a live TV broadcast and unleashed a wave of terror. Tom Phillips reportsCompared with its fellow Latin American countries Colombia and Mexico - which for decades have been destabilised by violent drug gangs - Ecuador was calm and peaceful. But a wave of terror last Tuesday showed just how quickly things have changed.After the prison break by an infamous drug baron, chaos erupted. Masked men and boys interrupted a live TV broadcast and held journalists at gunpoint. Elsewhere, police officers and prison guards were taken hostage, explosions were heard and violence spread. Continue reading...

This blog is closing soon. You can read our full report on the latest US strikes on the Houthis in Yemen here and all our coverage of the Israel-Gaza war here.US Navy Seals boarded a boat heading for Yemen and seized Iranian-made missile components and other weaponry bound for Houthi forces, in an operation in which two Seal commandos went missing, the US military has said.US Central Command (Centcom) posted pictures of the missile parts on X, including what appeared to be the components of a complete small missile, rocket motors and guidance systems, as well as a photograph of the small cargo vessel that was allegedly carrying the arms. Continue reading...

Teen boys charged over death of Gordon after an alleged aggravated burglary in Doncaster have faced court

US missile strikes came after a bulk carrier was hit by Houthi drones in the Gulf of AdenThe US military has fired another wave of missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites, marking the fourth time in a week that it has directly targeted the group in Yemen.The strikes were launched from the Red Sea, hitting more than a dozen sites - the officials told the AP news agency - and came after a drone launched from areas controlled by the Houthis hit a US-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden. Continue reading...

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former vice-president of the European parliament and co-founder of Spain's Vox party, was shot in the head in Madrid last yearColombian police say they have arrested a Venezuelan suspected of involvement in the alleged attempted assassination in Madrid last year of a co-founder of Spain's far-right Vox party.Greg Oliver Higuera Marcano was wanted in connection with last year's shooting of Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former leader of Spain's main rightwing political party in Catalonia who went on to co-found Vox, and is a former vice-president of the European parliament. Continue reading...

Deaths inside Tulkarem refugee camp and near Balata camp are latest in an explosion of violence in the Palestinian territory since the start of Israel's war on Gaza

Exclusive: Member of public emailed Transport for NSW on 2 January about potentially hazardous mulch but investigation was delayed for a week

Average per patient cost has increased by more than $1,500 compared to pre-pandemic years, new analysis showsThe cost of responding to MDMA overdoses has risen by more than $1,500 since before the pandemic to an average of almost $8,000 per patient in Victoria.The jump has been attributed to the rising cost of services, with the figure including the price of ambulances, emergency presentations and hospital treatment.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Mark Thompson outlines strategy to staff in memo that bemoaned network's lack of innovation and its outdated websiteCNN's new chief executive says the company needs to recapture the swagger and innovation" of its early days - and that, he says, increasingly means embracing a future outside of television.Mark Thompson, appointed CNN's chief executive last fall after stints at the New York Times and the BBC, outlined a strategy to his staff on Wednesday that included a corporate restructuring but few external specifics on how that transformation will take place. Continue reading...

Arizona conspiracy theorist faces fresh weapons charges and is accused of threatening five special agents during his arrest in late 2023A US conspiracy theorist linked to the Wieambilla shooters allegedly held a significant stockpile of weaponry, including five-gallon buckets of ammunition, and made threats to kill five FBI agents, telling them he would come for every fucking one of you", court documents reveal.The FBI arrested Arizona conspiracy theorist Donald Day Jr in December in connection with the religiously-motivated terrorist attack on a remote Queensland property in Wieambilla which left two Queensland officers and a neighbour dead. Continue reading...

The reclusive fitness instructor, who was a household name in the 80s, says he is not involved in new biopic starring comedian Pauly ShoreFormer fitness guru Richard Simmons, who has withdrawn from public life in recent years, has spoken out against a new biopic, saying in a rare statement that: I have never given my permission for this movie."The as yet unnamed film was announced on Wednesday morning by the comedian and actor Pauly Shore, who was cast in the role after his physical resemblance to Simmons became the subject of a viral meme. Continue reading...

European AI model predicts tropical cyclone nearing the Queensland coast closer to Rockhampton than Cairns by late next Thursday

The third reading of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) bill passed by 320 votes to 276, a majority of 44Rishi Sunak starts with the usual spiel about his engagements, and how he has got meetings with colleagues.Rishi Sunak is taking PMQs in 10 minutes. Continue reading...

Lorenza Cano seized by gunmen in Guanajuato state after her husband and son shot dead in attackA Mexican woman who spent five years looking for her disappeared brother has herself been abducted in an attack in which her husband and son were shot dead.Lorenza Cano, one of Mexico's many volunteer searchers trying to find the country's 114,000 desaparecidos, was seized late on Monday by a group of gunmen who burst into her home in the northern city of Salamanca. Continue reading...

Election to form new ruling council at Actors' Benevolent Fund adjourned amid concerns over online votingHopes of an immediate resolution to the bitter and long-running dispute at the top of a high-profile actors' charity have been dashed after elections to form a new ruling council were dramatically suspended amid concerns over voting.The Actors' Benevolent Fund (ABF) said on Wednesday evening that its annual general meeting had been adjourned after votes had been cast and counted but before results were announced, after unspecified concerns were raised about online votes. Continue reading...

Cervical and colorectal cancer rates have increased for Americans younger than 55, and people of color have higher death rates than whitesFewer Americans are dying of cancer, part of a decades-long trend that began in the 1990s as more people quit smoking and doctors screened earlier for certain cancers.However, the American Cancer Society warned that those gains are threatened by an increase in cancers among people younger than 55, in particular cervical and colorectal cancer, and by the continued disparities between white Americans and people of color. Continue reading...

Iran claims attack in south-west Balochistan province destroyed two strongholds of Sunni militant group

Met Office forecasts some areas could have 15-20cm more snow, power cuts are likely and communities could be cut offThe Met Office has put a rare amber snow warning in place for parts of Scotland as the road police chief tells drivers to put travel plans on hold.The warning is for snow between 3pm on Wednesday and 6pm on Thursday in north-west Scotland and the Northern Isles, meaning road delays are likely and some vehicles could be stranded. Continue reading...

Despite #MeToo movement bringing about some change, sexism in financial sector has become more underhand and pernicious', women tell inquiryThe social change sparked by the #MeToo movement has not translated to the UK's financial sector, with sexual harassment merely shifting away from the office to conferences and work trips, MPs have heard.A summary of private hearings held as part of the Treasury committee's sexism in the City inquiry showed that, while a small number of women said workplaces had become more inclusive in recent years, the majority felt the Square Mile was still an old boys' club" with widespread misconduct and misogyny. Continue reading...

Months-long covert police operation recovers paintings stolen from Tel Aviv art collector 14 years agoTwo paintings by Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso have been recovered from a basement in the Belgian city of Antwerp, 14 years after they were stolen from an art collector in Israel.The two artworks, a cubist portrait by Picasso known simply as Tete and Chagall's L'homme en priere, showing a man praying, were stolen in February 2010 from a Tel Aviv villa owned by the Herzikovich family. Continue reading...

Buckingham and Kensington palaces announced procedures for King Charles, 75, and Princess of Wales, 42When Queen Elizabeth was admitted to hospital for a night in October 2021 for preliminary investigations", the first the public learned of her health concerns was a front page story in the Sun.The monarch might have hoped not to cause a fuss, but the fact that royal reporters had been told she was advised to rest, but not that she was in hospital, led to feverish speculation over the true state of her health - and criticism of palace secrecy". Continue reading...

Mike Jeffries and partner Matthew Smith are reportedly facing investigation for allegedly exploiting young men at partiesThe former CEO of the clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch is reportedly being investigated by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies for alleged sex crimes.Mike Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith are being investigated by federal agencies following allegations that they sexually exploited and abused young men at parties they hosted in the US and worldwide, BBC News first reported. Continue reading...

Owners in Bolzano, northern Italy, must pay 65 for test, which police can use to search for dog muck culpritsDog owners in Bolzano must submit their pets for DNA tests as the authorities in the northern Italian province crack down on the scourge of dog poo in the streets.The swab test results will be inserted into a database, which police can then refer to in their search for the culprits and their owners. The evidence will be used to fine owners between 292 and 1,048. Continue reading...

Jailing of Fail Alsynov for inciting hatred' sparks protests; Dmytro Kuleba said his country's priority for 2024 was to gain control over its skiesUkrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has updated his X account with details of his numerous meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.Zelenskiy said he met Polish president, Andrzej Duda to discuss their bilateral relations, including cooperation on Ukraine's path to EU membership". He said the battlefield situation and further defence assistance for Ukraine was discussed. Zelenskiy added that the pair had acoordinated their positions ahead of the Nato summit in Washington. Continue reading...

Future queen will stay in hospital for 10 to 14 days after successful procedure and return to duties after EasterThe Princess of Wales is being treated in hospital after undergoing successful abdominal surgery and is expected to remain there for up to two weeks, Kensington Palace has said.Catherine, 42, was admitted to the London Clinic on Tuesday for the planned procedure, with no further details being given. The palace said she wished her medical information to remain private. Continue reading...

Shane Simmonds, 38, charged with death of Tia Simmonds and two counts of rape of teenage girlThe body of a woman allegedly murdered by her husband was found in the attic of their south-east London home, a court has heard.Tia Simmonds, 32, was discovered at the couple's home on Parbury Road in Forest Hill, Lewisham, on 3 January. Her husband, Shane Simmonds, 38, appeared at Bromley magistrates court on 4 January charged with her murder. He has also been charged with two counts of rape in relation to a teenage girl. Continue reading...

Bracken, 56, had been stabbed and died at the scene in Pangbourne, Berkshire, this monthA woman found dead in a car after officers were called to reports of a crash has been named by police.The body of Maya Bracken, 56, was found inside a Lexus in Flower's Hill, in Pangbourne, Berkshire, this month. She had been stabbed and died at the scene. Continue reading...

Paul Kagame also says he would be happy for the scheme to be scrapped

UK business minister's letter likely to put further pressure on Fujitsu's share price

State has paid out $322m to settle wrongful incarceration claims, ahead of Texas, Maryland, Connecticut and MichiganNew York has paid out the most of any state in the US to people wrongly incarcerated, according to a new study.The latest research was produced by High Rise Financial, a pre-settlement legal funding company. Continue reading...

With temperatures as low as -15C forecast, many want to know when milder weather will arriveAs the coldest temperatures in 14 years are predicted to hit the UK overnight, with parts of Scotland potentially plunging to -15C, freezing conditions are expected to remain across the country for the next few days.The last time temperatures dropped this low in Britain was during the big freeze" of January 2010, when -22.3C was recorded in Altnaharra, Scotland. Continue reading...

Amid the threat of a walkout, managing editor tells staff the broadcaster rejects' claims that pro-Israel groups lobbied for dismissal

Amid the threat of a walkout, managing editor tells staff the broadcaster rejects' claims that pro-Israel groups lobbied for dismissal

Ex-president has transformed efforts to hold him accountable for his anti-democratic actions into something to rally his supporters aroundFor anyone else running for public office, a laundry list of criminal charges after attempting to overthrow an election would be a liability.For Donald Trump and his vehement followers, the court cases don't show accountability - they show a conspiracy against their leader, one worthy of doubling down their support. Continue reading...

Budget airline forced to pay back 6,000 holidaymakers after action by air industry regulator the CAAThousands of passengers have been awarded a total of 1.2m in compensation from Wizz Air as part of a landmark action against the budget airline after years of complaints by passengers.The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revealed on Wednesday that about 6,000 passengers had received payouts - equivalent to more than 200 each - since it launched the enforcement process in July last year. Continue reading...

June Givanni founded London archive documenting Pan-African cinema over 40 yearsA pioneering curator, writer and programmer of African film is to receive Bafta's outstanding British contribution to cinema award.June Givanni is the founder of a London archive that has amassed more than 10,000 items - including films, ephemera, manuscripts, audio, photography and posters - documenting Pan-African cinema over 40 years. Continue reading...

Former finance chief to replace Bernard Looney, who departed unexpectedly last year

Court ruling is challenging for the Tiwi Islanders who fought case and likely to prompt a re-think about how Indigenous cultural heritage matters are run

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Deliveries are expected to arrive in Gaza on Wednesday under deal brokered by Qatar and France

Abigail Disney, Brian Cox and Valerie Rockefeller among signatories of open letter condemning inequality

Leading children's author says deprived children in UK are missing out on lifetime of reading for pleasureDeprived children are being robbed of a lifetime of reading for pleasure, by governments that are simply blind" to the benefits of loving literature from an early age, according to the author Michael Morpurgo.Morpurgo and a coalition of leading authors, including Julia Donaldson, Malorie Blackman and Cressida Cowell, are backing a call by BookTrust to ensure that every child from a low-income family has access to books and reading activities by investing in a programme across schools and nurseries. Continue reading...

Less than 48 hours after global LGBTQ+ movement' banned for being extremist, LGBTQ+-friendly bars were raidedThe ink was barely dry on Russia's decision to outlaw what it called the international LGBT public movement" as extremist when masked police raided a bar in central Moscow where Vasili gathered with his friends on Friday nights for an LGBTQ+ party.It was a regular Friday evening until suddenly we saw the police storming in," Vasili, who asked for his name to be changed because of safety concerns, recalled. Continue reading...

Attitudes to climate, migration, global economic turmoil, Ukraine and Covid will dominate this year's elections, research indicatesEurope's voters are no longer divided into left or right, pro- or anti-EU camps, a survey suggests, but into five distinct tribes whose conflicting concerns are likely to dominate nearly 20 elections across the continent this year.The polling suggests 2024's European parliament and national elections will be fought over attitudes to five major crises that have affected voters' lives in recent years: the climate emergency, the 2015 migration crisis, global economic turmoil, the war in Ukraine and Covid. Continue reading...

Building Commission NSW issues urgent rectification orders for Greenland's development at Macquarie ParkAlmost 1,000 recently completed apartments in Sydney's north are at risk of collapsing due to serious damage" to concrete in the basements caused by defective workmanship, according to the New South Wales building watchdog.The developer Greenland has been issued with urgent rectification orders over the four apartment buildings at the Lachlan's Line development at 23 Halifax Street in Macquarie Park. Continue reading...

Police charge Karumba man with 46 offences including assault, torture and slavery after launching investigation in Gulf of Carpentaria

Tropical low over Coral Sea assessed by Bureau of Meteorology to have high' chance of developing from Sunday

Attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen have been met with airstrikes from the UK and US. Patrick Wintour reportsSince the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October and Israel's military response in Gaza, there has been an effort by western leaders led by the US to avoid the conflict spreading to the wider region. That attempt looks increasingly tenuous now. US and UK airstrikes have targeted the Houthi rebel group in Yemen after a series of attacks by the group on commercial ships in the Red Sea.As Patrick Wintour, the Guardian's diplomatic editor, tells Michael Safi, the Houthis say they are targeting Israeli-linked ships in an attempt to force a ceasefire. In doing so they are are positioning themselves as the foremost champions of Palestinians in the region. In reality, they have struck shipping interests beyond Israel and ignored warnings from the US to desist. Now, with Washington promising further strikes if necessary, the threat of a wider regional escalation is growing and with it the danger of a far more deadly conflict. Continue reading...

Desperate' plea to end standoff comes as IR minister Tony Burke to meet with stevedore responsible for about 40% of country's container freight

Pakistan says attacks killed two children in unprovoked violation' of its airspace, adding to regional instability sparked by Israel-Gaza war