Woolworths to sell Australia Day holiday merchandise in reversal of 2024 policy

Supermarket chain says it will help customers ‘celebrate the day’ by selling flag-themed items

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Woolworths says it will mark the Australia Day holiday in-store this year, after it stopped stocking themed merchandise last year amid a “broader discussion” of what 26 January meant to the community.

The supermarket chain, which also owns department store Big W, said it would offer Australian flag-themed merchandise such as hats, sunglasses, bunting and a “clip-on ribbon” through its online stores.

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Ecuador confirms incinerated bodies belong to missing ‘Guayaquil Four’ boys

Sixteen air force personnel who apprehended boys are being held in custody as inquiry into deaths continues

Ecuador’s attorney general’s office has confirmed that incinerated bodies found on Christmas Eve belong to the four children missing since early December, in a case posing a severe challenge to President Daniel Noboa’s “war on drugs”.

The four boys – all black, aged between 11 and 15, and residents of Las Malvinas, a poor area in the country’s largest city, Guayaquil – were returning from a football game on 8 December when they were apprehended by 16 air force soldiers.

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Ukraine to end transit of Russian gas into Europe

President Zelensky said his country would not allow Russia to "earn additional billions on our blood".

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Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack

Authorities identified Debrina Kawam, 61, of New Jersey as the victim of the 22 December attack.

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Havana syndrome patients reportedly promised healthcare that never came

Letter allegedly written by US official shows contradictions in how government handled mysterious health incidents

A leaked letter purportedly written by a senior US military official and published on social media on Monday highlights stark contradictions in the government’s approach to victims of Havana syndrome – a mysterious series of health incidents affecting personnel at embassies and consulates overseas.

The letter, dated 24 March 2024 and signed by air force Brig Gen Shannon O’Harren, reassures victims of the “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs) that the defense department believed that their experiences and symptoms were real while promising them quality healthcare that never came.

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Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners in exchange deal

Some of Ukrainians had been held since early days of war, while Russians were captured in Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

Russia and Ukraine have carried out a major prisoner exchange, with at least 150 people from each side returning home before New Year’s Eve, in a swap partly brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home,” the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in a message posted on Telegram on Monday.

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Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist

Cecilia Sala could be used as "political leverage" after an Iranian citizen was detained by Italy, a US state department spokesman has said.

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US sends investigators to help establish cause of South Korea plane crash

Team from NTSB, FAA and manufacturer Boeing to assist investigation of Jeju Air crash that killed 179

The 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.

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Tourist killed in shark attack off Egyptian coast

Egypt's environment ministry says the attack occurred in "deep waters outside of the designated swimming area".

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Burning car linked to fatal shooting of man in western Sydney

Man in 30s dies from gunshot wounds in Canley Heights in Sydney’s west and car set on fire in neighbouring suburb

Police are hunting for a gunman after a man was shot dead in a suburban street in western Sydney.

Emergency services found the man in his 30s in Canley Heights in Sydney’s west on Sunday night after reports of shots being fired just before 7pm.

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Nigerians take to the streets for Calabar Carnival

Pictures of revellers from the Calabar Carnival marking Christmas in the southern Nigeria.

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Man dies after shark bite while fishing with family off Queensland coast

The 40-year-old was bitten by the shark in waters off Keppel Islands

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A man has died after he was bitten by a shark while fishing with his family.

Emergency services were called to Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands national park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast, on Saturday following reports a man had been attacked.

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Beaches, beer and a rare suspended lake … why can’t Nigeria attract more tourists?

Visitor numbers to the African country lag far behind its neighbours due to lack of infrastructure and national planning. Now some are starting to demand changes

At the top of the Ado-Awaye hills lies a lake suspended 433 metres above sea level. Local people say the lake is named Iyake (Yoruba for “crying woman”) after a weeping, barren woman who fell in the water hundreds of years ago, conferring on it powers of fertility.

This belief in the divine is evident in the foothills, where a huge boulder is emblazoned with the words, written in golden letters: “Here we come: African Jerusalem.”

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Model Dayle Haddon dies in carbon monoxide leak

The 76-year-old appeared on the front of magazines including Sports Illustrated and Vogue Paris.

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S Korean president accused of ordering use of guns to stop martial law vote

Yoon Suk Yeol told authorised soldiers to break down doors and drag politicians out of parliament, prosecutors say.

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Cracks appear in Maga world over US foreign worker visas

Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk argue for skilled visas - but Trump and other supporters disagree.

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Man charged with murder, arson in NYC subway killing

Sebastian Zapeta is accused of setting a woman on fire and fanning the flames.

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Houthis vow to continue attacking Israel despite strikes on Yemen

An official says the Yemeni group will not stop until the war in Gaza ends, as Israel's PM says it is "just getting started".

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US sanctions billionaire founder of Georgia Dream party

State secretary Antony Blinken accuses Bidzina Ivanishvili of undermining democracy to Russia's benefit.

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Cool change slows Grampians bushfire in Victoria as NSW braces for windy day of extreme fire danger

Temperatures plunged overnight in Victoria’s west as gusty winds swept over blazes that have scorched more than 70,000 hectares of bushland

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A cool change has eased conditions for firefighters battling an out-of-control blaze in Victoria’s Grampians following the worst bushfire conditions since 2019’s Black Summer.

Temperatures plunged on Thursday as gusty westerly winds swept over the blazes in the state’s west that have raged for more than a week and scorched more than 70,000 hectares of bushland.

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Trump tells 37 people on death row with commuted sentences to ‘go to hell’

On Truth Social, president-elect also lashes out at Chinese troops in Panama Canal and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

Donald Trump has told 37 people on death row who had their sentences commuted by Joe Biden to “go to hell” in a lacerating Christmas Day social media post.

The president-elect – long a vocal advocate of capital punishment – lashed out at Biden’s decision on his Truth Social platform, after wishing a merry Christmas to political opponents he addressed as “Radical Left Lunatics”.

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Bird flu kills 20 big cats at US animal sanctuary

The animals - including a Bengal tiger, cougars and bobcats - have died of the virus over the past several weeks.

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Eastern Australian states brace for extreme fire threat amid soaring temperatures and high winds

Dangerous fire conditions set to sweep across south-east as Victoria, NSW and SA prepare for Boxing Day scorcher

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Dangerous fire conditions are set to sweep across several states as the south-east braces for a Boxing Day scorcher.

Damaging winds will fan extreme fire danger on Thursday as hot and dry weather envelops large parts of Victoria, south-west New South Wales and much of eastern South Australia.

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Hundreds escape Mozambique prison amid election protests

The prisoners took advantage of ongoing political unrest triggered by disputed poll results, police say.

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Dozens killed in Mozambique prison riot on Christmas Day

Unrest at maximum security prison in the capital Maputo, reportedly left 33 people dead and 15 injured

Dozens of people have been killed in a prison riot in Mozambique on Christmas Day, authorities have said.

The riot, reportedly at the maximum security prison in the capital Maputo, left 33 people dead and 15 injured, according to police general commander Bernardino Rafael.

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Ex-drug lord Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia after 20 years in US prisons

Victims of Medellín cartel demand justice as some express dismay former mob boss faces no charges in Colombia

The return of former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from the United States has reopened old wounds among victims of the Medellín cartel, with some expressing dismay at the Colombian authorities’ decision to let Ochoa walk free.

Some of the cartel victims said they are hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning.

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Pope opens Holy Door to kick off special jubilee year

More than 30 million Catholic pilgrims are expected to head to Rome for the jubilee, which takes place once every 25 years.

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French PM names new government, hoping to avoid another no-confidence vote

Centrist prime minister François Bayrou appoints cabinet from middle political ground, excluding far-right and far-left

French prime minister François Bayrou has announced his new government – the country’s fourth since the beginning of the year – in the hope his administration can see off another vote of no confidence from a bitterly divided parliament.

There is a mix of old and new in the latest government, which includes several familiar faces: former interior minister Gérald Darmanin has been appointed justice minister; former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, a technocrat, returns to government as education secretary, while another prime minister Manuel Valls, who served under the socialist president François Hollande, has been appointed overseas minister.

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Mozambique’s top court confirms election result after months of protest

Opposition claimed ruling Frelimo party rigged 9 October vote, leading to months of civil unrest

Mozambique’s top court has confirmed the ruling party’s victory in October’s presidential elections, potentially triggering more protests after more than two months of unrest over allegations that the results were rigged.

Daniel Chapo, of the ruling Frelimo party, won the 9 October presidential election with 65.2% of the vote, Lúcia Ribeiro, the chair of Mozambique’s constitutional council, told a press conference on Monday.

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EPA prosecuting three companies over Sydney asbestos mulch

Prosecutions encompass a total of 102 alleged offences relating to 26 sites, including Rozelle parklands

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The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is prosecuting three companies and one individual in response to its investigation into Sydney’s asbestos in mulch scandal.

The prosecutions encompass 102 alleged offences relating to 26 sites, including Rozelle parklands.

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Scientists unveil 50,000-year-old baby mammoth remains

"Yana" is the latest pre-historic discovery in a crater in a remote region of Russia.

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Heroism attributed to suspect Luigi Mangione alarming - Mayorkas

The US Homeland Security Secretary says rhetoric about the murder suspect is concerning.

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Immediate fire threat moves to NSW as Victoria continues to battle Grampians blaze

Authorities warn travellers and tourists to be alert to emergency warnings with extreme fire danger forecast over much of NSW, Victoria, WA and SA

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Millions of residents and travellers across several states have been warned to stay alert as the risk of Christmas week bushfires intensify.

Several states entered Monday battling dangerous blazes or warning of potential outbreaks, including NSW, with hot, dry and windy conditions expected to pose extreme fire danger in Sydney.

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Watch: Police officer dressed as the Grinch leads drug raid

An officer in Peru smashed a suspected drug dealer's door in, while clad as Dr Seuss' famous character.

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Blake Lively accuses co-star Justin Baldoni of smear campaign

Mr Baldoni's lawyer says the allegations are "categorically false" and a "desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation".

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Magdeburg mourns Christmas market dead

Saudi national, alleged to have killed five and injured more than 200, had issued a warning on social media

A Saudi national alleged to have carried out a deadly attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, which killed five and injured more than 200, had warned on social media that “something big will happen”.

The 50-year-old doctor is in police custody after a black BMW SUV ploughed 400 metres through a crowded market at speed, driving over some people and flinging others up into the air. A nine-year-old girl is among the dead.

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Watch: Germany grapples with another Christmas market attack

The BBC's Bethany Bell reports from the empty Magdeburg market, on what should be one of the busiest nights of the season.

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Volkswagen agrees deal to avoid German plant closures

VW and a union have, however, agreed to cut more than 35,000 jobs across the country by 2030.

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One killed and scores reportedly injured after car drives into German Christmas market – latest updates

Driver arrested after incident in Magdeburg, west of Berlin, according to media reports

• Full report: car ploughs into crowd at Christmas market

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said “the news suggests something bad” and that his thoughts are with “the victims and their families”.

On December 19th 2016, a truck driven by Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, crashed into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Milan.

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Car driven into crowd at German Christmas market, reports say

At least one person has been killed, Magdeburg's local public broadcaster reports, citing police.

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Cheers, chants and hope for change: supporters thank Gisèle Pelicot for her bravery as rape trial ends

Gisèle Pelicot was greeted by applause as she left court after her ex-husband and 50 other men were sentenced

• Gisèle Pelicot rape trial: husband jailed for 20 years as all 51 men found guilty

As Gisèle Pelicot walked down the steps of the Avignon courthouse at the end of the biggest rape trial in French history, hundreds of supporters who had travelled from across France and Europe burst into cheers and applause, chanting: “Thank you, Gisèle.”

Others stood with placards that read “shame has changed sides” in honour of her words, back in October, to explain why she was waiving her anonymity and facing down her rapists in court: “It’s not for us to have shame,” she said then. “It’s for them.”

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Congress in disarray and shutdown looms as Trump, Musk slam spending deal

The president-elect and Elon Musk rejected the bipartisan spending plan that would prevent a government shutdown.

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Independent TD Verona Murphy voted in as Ireland’s first female speaker

Her election is first action in moves to form new coalition government after no party won majority in general election

Verona Murphy has become the first female speaker of the Irish parliament as part of attempts to form a coalition government.

Murphy, an independent TD for Wexford, defeated two Fianna Fáil candidates and one from Sinn Féin to win the €255,000 (£210,000) a year position of Ceann Comhairle.

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Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC

In an interview with Jeremy Bowen, the leader of the rebel group HTS says sanctions on Syria should be lifted.

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Embattled Liberian speaker questioned by police over parliament fire

A huge fire breaks out at Liberia's Capitol building a day after it was the scene of a bitter dispute.

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Ros Atkins On... Igor Kirillov's death

The BBC's Analysis Editor, along with BBC Verify, takes a look at material from the scene to assess what we know.

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Mother of Filipina who spent 15 years on death row in Indonesia calls for pardon

Mother of Mary Jane Veloso urges Philippine president to act so family can be reunited for Christmas

The mother of Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipino domestic helper who spent almost 15 years on death row in Indonesia, has urged her government to grant a pardon after she is repatriated so their family can be reunited for Christmas.

Veloso, 39, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking, was handed over to Philippine officials in Jakarta on Tuesday night, after the Indonesian and Philippine governments reached a deal to allow her to return.

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Investment in film and TV made in Australia plummets by almost 30%, report finds

Global streaming platforms biggest investors but Australian company Stan contributed the most locally produced titles

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Investment in feature films and television dramas made in Australia has tanked, according to the latest report by the government’s funding body for the screen production industry.

In the 2023-2024 financial year, spending dropped by almost 30%, Screen Australia’s annual drama report released on Tuesday shows – 10% below a five-year average which included a massive slump in production in 2020 due to Covid-19.

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Fear of a reckoning simmers in Assad's Alawite heartland

Quentin Sommerville is on patrol with HTS in Latakia, as they pledge to protect minorities.

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Several hundred feared dead after Mayotte cyclone

A local official warns the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, with entire communities devastated.

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Australia says 'Bali Nine' drug smugglers have returned home

The five remaining members of the drug ring have returned home after almost 20 years in Indonesian prison.

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All eyes on Prince Andrew after alleged Chinese spy controversy

Royal sources say Charles is still considering whether to ban his brother from family’s Christmas Day walk

The royal family’s Christmas Day walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk is a longstanding tradition. But it has also become a barometer of internal pressures.

So, all eyes will be on whether the Duke of York is among family members walking alongside the king and queen this Christmas after the alleged Chinese spy controversy.

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Hundreds feared dead as Cyclone Chido devastates French island of Mayotte

Witnesses tell of ‘apocalyptic scenes’ after worst storm to hit the Indian Ocean territory in almost a century

At least several hundred people are feared to have been killed after the worst cyclone in almost a century ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, uprooting trees, tearing houses apart and pounding the impoverished archipelago’s already weak infrastructure.

Rescuers have been dispatched to the islands, which lie between the coast of Mozambique and Madagascar, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in an area where clean drinking water is subject to chronic shortages.

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Watch: BBC sees "anger and frustration" on streets of Tbilisi

Large crowds of protesters gather outside the Georgian parliament to object to the appointment of a new president.

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Isak Andic, founder of fashion chain Mango, dies in accident, aged 71

Billionaire slipped and fell from a 150-metre cliff while hiking with relatives near Barcelona, according to reports

Isak Andic, the founder of high street fashion chain Mango, has died after a hiking accident in Spain on Saturday, the company said.

The 71-year-old billionaire slipped and fell from a 150-metre cliff while hiking with relatives in the Montserrat caves near Barcelona, according to local media reports.

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Ukraine demands Fifa apology over Crimea map

The country criticises a map shown at a Fifa presentation that appeared to exclude Crimea.

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Nancy Pelosi in hospital after injury on overseas trip

The former House speaker suffered an unspecified injury while on an official trip to Luxembourg, her office says.

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Macron to name new French PM on Friday in bid to restore stability

Macron had been expected to appoint a PM on Thursday, after Michel Barnier was ousted eight days ago.

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Children as young as 10 will face adult jail time in Australian state

Queensland's new laws will see children found guilty of serious crimes given harsher penalties.

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Ex-members of Eta jailed over flowerpot bomb intended to kill journalist couple

Four men given almost 75 years each for attempted murder of Aurora Intxausti, Juan Palomo and infant son in 2000

Four former members of the Basque terrorist group Eta have been jailed for almost 75 years each for attempting to murder two journalists and their toddler son by stuffing a plant pot outside the family’s home with explosives and shrapnel.

Aurora Intxausti, a journalist for El País, her husband, Juan Palomo, a reporter for Antena 3 TV, and 18-month-old son, Íñigo, were targeted as part of Eta’s “socialisation of suffering” terror campaign, which sought to inflict the maximum possible pain across Basque society in order to achieve independence from Spain.

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S Korea ex-minister linked to martial law move attempts to take his life

Former South Korean defence minister Kim Yong-hyun has attempted to take his life, an official said.

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder of Irish boy Kyran Durnin

Eight-year-old boy believed to have disappeared two years ago but only reported missing in August

A woman has been arrested in Ireland on suspicion of the murder of an eight-year-old boy who disappeared two years ago.

Gardai investigating the suspected murder of Kyran Durnin said on Tuesday the woman, whose name has not been made public, was being detained at a police station in the east of the country.

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Jamie Foxx reveals he had a stroke in 2023

The Hollywood star said he cannot remember the first 20 days following the stroke in April last year.

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Jay-Z accused with Diddy in lawsuit of raping girl, 13, in 2000

Jay-Z has dismissed the action as a "blackmail attempt", while Diddy has denied the claims against him.

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Footage shows people emerging from Assad's notorious prisons

Rebels have freed thousands of detainees from jails as they swept across the country.

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Sydney hit by serious train delays after last-minute court ruling blocks industrial action

Train network workers had planned to strike after pay deal negotiations collapsed

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There were widespread delays expected on Sydney’s train network on Monday, despite a court’s last-minute injunction against a planned strike after negotiations over a new pay deal collapsed.

Sydney commuters had hoped to be spared disruption after a court sided with the state government in granting the injunction late on Sunday.

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CSIRO refutes Coalition case nuclear is cheaper than renewable energy due to operating life

National science agency dismisses argument nuclear’s economics have not been adequately considered in new draft report

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The CSIRO has rejected Coalition arguments that nuclear power plants could be developed in Australia in less than 15 years and that their long operating life would make them cheaper than other options.

Instead, it has again found that “firmed” solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options.

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Where is Bashar? Rumours swirl despite official denials

Rumours surround the whereabouts of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as rebels make advances into the capital city's suburbs.

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Prince William meets Trump at Notre-Dame reopening

William joins other world leaders in Paris for the ceremonial reopening of the world-famous cathedral.

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Dorothy's ruby slippers to be auctioned off

The shoes, which could fetch as much as $3m, were worn by actress Judy Garland in the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz.

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Vote counting begins in Ghana as new president awaits

The West African nation is guaranteed a new leader as Nana Akufo-Addo steps down after serving two terms.

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Romania's cancelled presidential election and why it matters

A court ruling follows intelligence allegations of Russian interference promoting a far-right candidate.

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Protest planned over Dutch parliament motion to keep records on migrants

Public petition calls for motion by VVD party in ruling rightwing coalition to be withdrawn

Protests are planned in the Netherlands in response to a motion accepted by the Dutch parliament to “keep records on cultural and religious norms and values of Dutch people with a migration background”.

A public petition is calling for the motion to be withdrawn and anti-racism campaigners are planning to demonstrate next Saturday against the move by the government, in which the largest party is run by the anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders.

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Iran's uranium enrichment 'worrisome' - nuclear watchdog

The IAEA agency says Tehran’s nuclear programme has "spawned in every direction" over the last decade.

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S Korea president ordered arrest of own party leader

The head of President Yoon's party called for his suspension in a sign it may back moves to impeach him.

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Ivory Coast’s beloved staple food gains UN cultural heritage status

Attiéké is made from fermented cassava flour and has become popular across West Africa.

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France in political crisis after no-confidence vote topples government

Minority coalition of PM Michel Barnier falls after three months, the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic

France has been plunged into political crisis after a no-confidence vote brought down the government, ending the beleaguered minority coalition of the rightwing prime minister Michel Barnier after only three months.

The no-confidence motion brought by an alliance of left-wing parties was supported by MPs from Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, far-right, National Rally. A total of 331 lawmakers — a clear majority — voted on Wednesday night to bring down the government.

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From freedom fighter to Namibia's first female president

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has experienced exile, detention and a quarter of a century in top government posts.

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Musk's record $56bn pay deal rejected for second time

The judge upheld her previous decision, saying board members who set the pay were too heavily influenced by Mr Musk.

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Police officer uses child's bike to chase suspect on scooter

The suspect, wanted for felony theft, was later apprehended and charged.

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Bowen: Syria's rebel offensive is astonishing - but don't write off Assad

The country's president has already shown he is prepared to go to brutal lengths to save his regime.

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Taiwan president's Hawaii trip draws Chinese anger

Lai Ching-te's trip to the US state is being billed as a stopover, but has been condemned by Beijing.

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Romanian elections: ruling Social Democrats on course for most votes

Exit poll suggests leftwing PSD poised to defeat resurgent far-right movement in parliamentary election

Romania’s main centre-left party was on track to finish first in parliamentary elections, according to early exit polls, seemingly beating an advancing far right boosted by the shock victory of an ultranationalist in last week’s presidential first-round ballot.

The ruling Social Democratic party (PSD) was forecast to receive 26% of the vote, ahead of the far-right nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) on 19%, while the National Liberal party (PNL) and centre-right Save Romania Union (USR) were vying for third on 15-16%.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/xjPlRZs

Snoop Dogg helps Kai Cenat reclaim Twitch subscriber record

The American has been streaming continuously for 30 days to try reclaim the record he set last year.

from BBC News https://ift.tt/f5EopU0