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Suspects aged 16 and 17 detained in connection with New Year’s Eve murder in north LondonA 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of 16-year-old Harry Pitman in north London on New Year’s Eve, the Metropolitan police said.DCI Geoff Grogan said: “This is a fast-paced investigation, and my team is working around the clock to...

Environment agency says ‘significant surface water and river flooding impacts are possible’ on FridayIn Gloucestershire, police warned of road closures due to rising water levels around Tewkesbury.An evacuation centre was set up in the nearby village Walton Cardiff while people living on Alney Island, between two branches of the River Severn, in nearby Gloucester were urged to leave their homes overnight for a nearby...

Breach of UN sanctions on Kim regime will be taken to security councilGermany has delivered more air defence for Ukraine, as well as ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles.The latest British defence intelligence update on Ukraine notes that “over the last week, ground combat has continued to be characterised by either a static front line or very gradual, local Russian advances in key sectors.” Continue...

US secretary of state will attempt to calm regional tensions as well as pushing Israel to shift approach to war in Gaza and allow more aid inThe Iraqi government is forming a bilateral committee to prepare for ending the mission of the US-led international coalition in Iraq, a statement from the prime minister, Mohammed Shia, Al-Sudani’s office citing him on Friday.He said one day...

Growth rates driven by shortage of properties on market, says Halifax, with average house worth £287,105UK homeowners face £19bn rise in mortgage costsUK homeowners fear 2024 mortgage timebombBusiness live – latest updatesUK house prices rose for a third consecutive month in December amid a shortage of properties on the market, but are forecast to drop this year, according to Halifax.Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, which...

Police say group jumped on the car in Coburg and shattered windows in what union calls ‘horrific planned assault’A mobile speed camera operator has been injured after his car was attacked by five men in a Melbourne street.The blue SUV, fixed with traffic cameras in its rear window, was operating on Nicholson Street at Coburg in the early hours of Friday morning when it...

Warning of ‘significant’ impact of surface water and river flooding across England, as showers forecast for FridayUK floods – live updatesHundreds of flood warnings are in place after widespread heavy rainfall across the UK.Homes across the Midlands were inundated on Thursday while parts of southern England including Gloucestershire were also submerged. On Friday morning, 302 flood warnings were in place in England, as well...

Former Paralympic and Olympic athlete shot the 29-year-old model dead through a locked bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole, after serving nine years in prison for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, South Africa’s correctional services department has said.Pistorius – a former Paralympic and Olympic athlete – shot the 29-year-old model dead through a locked bathroom...

Albanese yet to reveal government’s stance on South Africa’s case in international court of justice but Coalition says Australia must support Israel’s right to defend itselfThe opposition has urged the Albanese government to rule out any support for what it says is South Africa’s “unbalanced” case against Israel at the UN’s international court of justice (ICJ).The “unprecedented” case brought by South Africa at the...

Climate thinktank says Britain could be left trailing in global race to develop low-carbon energyLabour’s independent energy advisers have warned the party against watering down its £28bn green spending plans in advance of its promise to create a zero carbon electricity system by 2030.Experts at the climate thinktank Ember, which provided the independent analysis underpinning Labour’s green targets, said growing international competition for low-carbon...

Will Fransen was on a solo fishing trip south of Auckland in New Zealand when he was yanked into the water after hooking a big fishA New Zealand man who survived more than 23 hours in cold waters and an encounter with a shark has been rescued after fishers spotted the reflection from his watch.Will Fransen, 61, had set off on a solo fishing...

Woman in 70s taken to hospital after kicking accused in groin and scratching his face during attack in Coffs Harbour nursing home, police sayA man has been charged with breaking into an aged care home and allegedly assaulting an elderly woman on New Year’s Eve on the New South Wales north coast.Emergency services were called to an aged care home in Coffs Harbour at...

Intense speculation over future role for Kim Jong-un’s daughter, who is reportedly 10, comes as North Korea fires shells near South Korean islandsThe young daughter of Kim Jong-un is seen as her father’s heir apparent, South Korea’s spy agency has said for the first time, after speculation that the North Korean ruler is grooming her to become the fourth member of the dynasty to...

As railway staff, lorry drivers, farmers and others threaten to strike, we examine the challenges the country facesRailway staff, lorry drivers and farmers are among those threatening strike action across Germany from Monday in nationwide protests over grievances ranging from pay and conditions to cuts in agricultural subsidies and higher road tolls.Long Europe’s powerhouse, Germany is struggling with a potent mix of short-term and...

Qantas and Jetstar to offer special airfares, with accommodation deals to come, as Queensland premier insists region is ‘open for business’ after Cyclone JasperImages of Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s devastating impact on far north Queensland may have driven away tourists during peak season.But the Queensland premier, Steven Miles, insists the region is “open for business”, making a $5m pitch to lure visitors back. Continue reading...

Blaze broke out at Croydon building Friday morning, with firefighters highlighting risks from lithium batteriesAn e-bike workshop has been destroyed in an early morning fire in Sydney’s inner west, causing road closures along the suburb’s shopping strip.Residents were woken just before 5am on Friday after the fire broke out at the building on Elizabeth Street in Croydon. Continue reading...

Beyond the conflict in Gaza it has been a violent few weeks in the wider Middle East, from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to bomb blasts in Iran and a killing by drone in Beirut. Julian Borger explains what may happen nextIran suffered the worst terrorist attack in the history of the Islamic Republic this week when dozens of people were killed...

Spider measuring record 7.9cm across is almost as big as largest female collected in 2021, which was named Megaspider by Australian Reptile ParkWith fangs that could pierce a human fingernail, the largest male specimen of the world’s most venomous arachnid has found a new home at the Australian Reptile Park where it will help save lives after a member of the public discovered it...

The election has been branded a ‘sham’ designed to cement Hasina’s rule by exiled opposition leader Tarique RahmanAn opposition boycott looks set to usher prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a fourth straight term in the Bangladesh election this weekend.The election has been described as a “sham” designed to cement Hasina’s rule by exiled opposition leader Tarique Rahman. Continue reading...

More than 300 additional pages deepen the picture of Epstein’s elite orbit while resurfacing old claimsA new batch of documents related to the disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein’s sexual abuse were released on Thursday.The additional 19 documents, totaling around 300 pages, add to the more than 900 pages of documents already unsealed on Wednesday evening, the release of which prompted an online frenzy that crashed...

White House says Moscow likely to supply Pyongyang with advanced technologies in exchangeRussia has started using ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to attack Ukraine, the White House has said.Washington also alleged Russia was in talks with Iran to buy short-range ballistic missiles. The US intelligence assessment is that Iranian missiles have not yet arrived in Russia, but that the deal will eventually be...

Two killed and five wounded, militia officials say, before US secretary of state’s tour of Middle EastMiddle East crisis – live updatesA US airstrike in Baghdad on Thursday killed the commander of an Iranian-backed Shia militia that Washington blames for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US officials.One official said that a leader of Harakat al-Nujaba, later named by the Pentagon...

Lawsuit announced by Eric Adams says 17 bus companies violated state law by transporting 33,000 people to the cityNew York City has sued 17 charter bus companies that transported migrants from Texas, the mayor, Eric Adams, announced on Thursday.The lawsuit, filed in New York state court in Manhattan, says the city is seeking $708m from the firms because that was the cost it incurred...

Civil rights leader hosts protest outside office of alumnus who spearheaded campaign to remove Claudine Gay and criticized DEIThe civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton hosted a protest outside the office of the Harvard alumnus Bill Ackman on Thursday after Ackman criticized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Harvard following the resignation of the former university president Claudine Gay.“[Ackman] declared war on DEI....