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Monday Briefing: A Plane Crash in South Korea killed 179
Plus, Falun Gong’s money engine. By Gaya Gupta A Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Jeju Air crashed while landing at an airport in South Korea yesterday, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. It was the worst aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in almost three decades, officials said. The flight, which had…
Defending champion Luke Humphries knocked out of World Darts Championship
Luke Humphries was number one seed but the bookmakers’ second favourite for the tournament behind teenager Luke Littler Defending champion Luke Humphries is out of the PDC World Darts Championship in the fourth round after an astonishing performance from former winner Peter Wright. Humphries was far from his fluent best and was eventually beaten 4-1…
How to Manage Holiday Grief in Yourself and Others
How to Manage Holiday Grief in Yourself and Others The holidays can be a difficult time for people who are grieving. Here’s how to get through it or support a loved one By J. Kim Penberthy & The Conversation US The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those grieving a loss. The following…
Please Don’t Take Moral Advice from ChatGPT
Opinion Please Don’t Take Moral Advice from ChatGPT Before turning to a large language model for ethical counsel, consider what makes for good advice By Ana Gantman edited by Daisy Yuhas Should I tell my friend their boyfriend is cheating on them? Should I intervene when I hear an off-color joke? When faced with moral…
Lost city found by accident and a fly’s brain mapped: 2024’s scientific wins
A total solar eclipse seen by millions, a lost jungle city discovered by accident and hope for the almost extinct northern white rhino – science has given us a lot to get excited about this year. One of the biggest news stories was about making space travel cheaper and easier, with Elon Musk’s Starship making…
Tres ahogamientos durante el fin de semana se suman al creciente número de víctimas en Australia mientras los socorristas piden precaución
Drowning deaths in 2024 were overwhelmingly male, accounting for 22 of the 29 lives lost Another three people have drowned in Australian waters as the summer death toll continues to climb during the festive period. Police said on Sunday that two tourists were unable to be revived after a group of swimmers were pulled from…
Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President, Is Dead at 100
Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) Rising from Georgia farmland to the White House, he oversaw the historic Camp David peace accords, but his one-term presidency was waylaid by troubles at home and abroad. transcript “Mr. President, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, what do you want your legacy to be?” When Jimmy Carter was sworn…
Report issues ‘sobering reality check’ for world’s oceans
As global leaders head to the U.N. Biodiversity Conference next week, a new report issued a stark warning: The world is falling short of its pledge to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. Despite ambitious goals set two years ago at the last biodiversity conference, only 8.3 percent of marine areas are currently…
Climate change charts a dangerous course for the world’s largest fish
A Conservation International scientist shares what can be done to prevent an ‘outright alarming’ future for whale sharks. Warmer oceans are putting two giants of the sea on a collision course. Even at the size of a school bus, whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — are no match for cargo ships in busy shipping…
New study reveals seaweed’s hidden climate benefits
Humble seaweed is having a moment. It’s been heralded as a sustainable superfood, a biodegradable replacement for plastic packaging and a feed supplement to cut cows’ methane emissions. Now, new research shows that seaweed forests — such as massive underwater towers of kelp — may play a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously…
Amid Israel-Hezbollah Crossfire, Fish Farmers Stay Put
Middle East Crisis Israel dispatch The war with Hezbollah has cleared out the north of the country — save for a hardy few and their thousands of prized fish. By Jack Nicas Jack Nicas traveled to the Israel-Lebanon border to speak with caviar producers. He also joined them in taking shelter from Hezbollah fire. Shrapnel…
As Putin reaches 25 years in power, has he ‘taken care of Russia’?
I will never forget New Year’s Eve 1999. I was working as a producer in the BBC’s Moscow bureau. Suddenly there was breaking news: Russia’s President Boris Yeltsin had stepped down. His decision to resign took everyone by surprise, including the British press corps in Moscow. When the news broke there was no correspondent in…
South Korea in mourning after plane crash kills all but two onboard
Flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered from wreckage of Jeju Air flight 2216 at Muan airport Distraught 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…
Church in Kenya for L.G.B.T.Q. Africans Thrives Despite Attacks
The congregation in Nairobi, Kenya, has been forced to move to 10 different locations over 10 years, and yet it has survived as a sanctuary in an increasingly hostile environment. Pastor Caroline Omolo.Kang-Chun Cheng for The New York Times By Sarah Hurtes Reporting from Nairobi For nearly a decade, Kenya’s only church led and attended…
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…
Fog causes flight delays at Gatwick Airport for a third day
Fog is continuing to disrupt flights at Gatwick Airport with restrictions imposed to maintain safety. While the weather is improving, the UK’s main air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats said temporary air restrictions were in place for the rest of the day at affected London airports. Flights are still being delayed across some of the…
2 men were found dead from exposure after looking for Sasquatch
By Chandelis Duster Two men from Oregon who went missing after going on a search for Sasquatch have been found dead, Washington state officials announced Saturday. The men, both from Portland, were reported missing by a family member on Christmas Day and were set to return from searching for the legendary creature in eastern Skamania…
Inside a Sinaloa Cartel Fentanyl Lab in Mexico
Mexico Dispatch New York Times reporters witnessed the dangerous fentanyl production process inside a secret lab in Culiacán run by Mexico’s most powerful criminal syndicate. Mexico Dispatch New York Times reporters witnessed the dangerous fentanyl production process inside a secret lab in Culiacán run by Mexico’s most powerful criminal syndicate. A Sinaloa cartel cook working…
Two reporters and a police officer killed in shooting at Haiti hospital reopening
Gunmen target press conference at Haiti’s largest public hospital after street gangs forced its closure earlier this year Two reporters and a police officer were killed and others injured on Tuesday when armed men opened fire on a group of journalists who gathered for a government press conference scheduled to announce the reopening of Haiti’s…
Latin America’s rise in tuberculosis linked to imprisonment rates
Study warns region’s exponential rise in incarceration is fuelling the disease, with cases increasing by 19% between 2015 and 2022 High incarceration rates in Latin America – the region with the world’s fastest-growing prison population – are exacerbating tuberculosis in a region that is bucking the global trend for falling incidents of the disease, experts…
Teen Mom’s Kailyn Lowry Undergoes Breast Reduction Surgery
Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry shared she underwent breast reduction surgery, more than a year after welcoming her twins, her sixth and seventh child. For Kailyn Lowry, the holidays marked the most wonderful time for a body transformation. The Teen Mom 2 star has announced that she has undergone breast reduction surgery. In an Instagram…
78 Books Scientific American Recommends in 2024
Opinion 78 Books Scientific American Recommends in 2024 A collection of nonfiction and fiction books Scientific American editorial staff and contributors read and recommend in 2024 By Brianne Kane edited by Daniel Vergano Every story is a science story, even the ones that sound more like science fiction. This year Scientific American introduced readers to…
New elections could take up to four years, Syria rebel leader says
Holding new elections in Syria could take up to four years, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said in a broadcast interview. This is the first time he has given a timeline for possible elections in Syria since his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a rebel offensive that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. In the…
Georgia Inaugurates Mikheil Kavelashvili as President Amid Anti-Western Drift
Even though a figurehead, Mikheil Kavelashvili occupies a symbolic role as the country moves further from the West and toward Russia and China. By Ivan Nechepurenko Reporting from Tbilisi, Georgia A former soccer star and conservative critic of the West was sworn in on Sunday as the new president of Georgia, a strategically important republic…
Will the World’s First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Be Built in Virginia? Here’s Why We’re Skeptical
Will the World’s First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Be Built in Virginia? Here’s Why We’re Skeptical A fusion power plant will go live in the next decade and produce 400 megawatts of electricity, Commonwealth Fusion Systems says By Ben Guarino edited by Dean Visser Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ new fusion power plant is expected to come…
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…
Israel Struggles to Halt Attacks From Houthis in Yemen, Once Off Radar
Middle East Crisis news analysis Even as battles with its enemies on its borders appear to be winding down, Israel is being challenged by intensifying attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen, 1,000 miles away. By Isabel Kershner Reporting from Jerusalem For years, the Houthis were the enemy most Israelis didn’t know they had. Now…
Former President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. Read on for details of his passing. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old. He passed away peacefully Dec. 29 at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by family, his charity the Carter Center announced in a statement. Carter,…
The fall of Syria’s dictatorship ripples out to one family in Toledo, Ohio
By Ari Shapiro , Matt Ozug , John Ketchum When Syria’s dictatorship fell in early December, a celebration broke out nearly 6,000 miles away in Toledo, Ohio. At the parking lot of a Kroger supermarket, families danced and sang to Syrian music. Women ululated, and men wrapped themselves in the flag of their home country.…
U.S. Has First Case of Severe Bird Flu, CDC Confirms in H5N1 Update
U.S. Has First Case of Severe Bird Flu, CDC Confirms in H5N1 Update Louisiana reported a person hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1, and the USDA has begun bulk milk testing By Tanya Lewis edited by Dean Visser A person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with severe H5N1 influenza after having contact with sick…
London-listed miner pauses Mozambique operation amid political unrest
Gemfields makes decision over ruby mining after groups ‘took advantage’ of situation to try to invade its site The London-listed mining company Gemfields said it had temporarily halted its ruby mining operation in Mozambique after groups “took advantage” of political unrest to set fire and attempt to invade its site, resulting in two deaths. Gemfields,…
The peanut farmer who rose to US president and Nobel prize winner
Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100, swept to power promising never to lie to the American people. In the turbulent aftermath of Watergate, the former peanut farmer from Georgia pardoned Vietnam draft evaders and became the first US leader to take climate change seriously. On the international stage, he helped to…
Behind the Dismantling of Hezbollah: Decades of Israeli Intelligence
Middle East Crisis A Times investigation shows how extensively Israel penetrated the Lebanese militia, closely tracking the group’s commanders and culminating in the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. A Times investigation shows how extensively Israel penetrated the Lebanese militia, closely tracking the group’s commanders and culminating in the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.…
Sudan: first aid convoy reaches besieged Khartoum area since start of civil war
Deliveries of vital food and medical supplies will help 200,000 families, say aid groups and local volunteers An aid convoy has reached a besieged area of Khartoum for the first time since Sudan’s civil war broke out in April 2023, bringing food and medicines in a country where half of the people are at risk…
Warnings of snow, wind and rain across the UK for New Year
Weather warnings for rain, snow and winds of up to 70mph have been issued for parts of the UK on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the Met Office has said. Yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, northern England and parts of Scotland from Tuesday before extending across most of the UK…
Azerbaijan’s president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally
By The Associated Press Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Sunday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticized 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…
South Korea plane crash kills 179 with investigation into cause under way
All passengers and most of the crew onboard a Jeju Air flight have died after the plane crash-landed at an airport in South Korea on Sunday. A total of 179 of the 181 people travelling on the Boeing 737-800 were killed, with just two survivors – both cabin staff – pulled from the burning wreckage.…
Anger and Agony in South Korea After Jeju Air Passenger Jet Crashes, Killing 179
South Korea Plane Crash Supported by A Jeju Air passenger jet carrying 181 people from Bangkok sped off the runway and burst into flames. Two crew were rescued in what was the country’s worst air disaster in decades. By Choe Sang-HunJohn Yoon and Jin Yu Young Choe Sang-Hun and Jin Yu Young reported from Seoul,…
Kim Kardashian’s 4 Kids Are All Grown Up in Stunning Christmas Photos
Kim Kardashian shared rare pics of herself and all four of her and ex Kanye West’s children—North West, 11, Saint West, 9, Chicago West, 6, and Psalm West, 5—standing in front of a Christmas tree. Kim Kardashian and her family are sleighing the holiday season. The SKIMS founder shared rare photos of herself with all…
Almost one in five children live in conflict zones, says Unicef
UN humanitarian body warns that dramatic increase in harm to children should not become the ‘new normal’ Nearly one in five of the world’s children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the…
Earth Life Found inside Ryugu Asteroid Samples
Scientists Discover Earth Life inside an Asteroid Sample Material from asteroid Ryugu riddled with earthly microbes provides a cautionary tale for scientists seeking signs of alien life By Sharmila Kuthunur edited by Lee Billings An artist’s concept of microbes floating in deep space. In November 2022 Matthew Genge was peering through a scanning electron microscope…
Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health
Opinion Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health With a possible bird flu outbreak looming, Donald Trump’s choice of Jay Bhattacharya, a scientist critical of COVID policies, for the NIH is the wrong move for science and public health By Steven M. Albert edited by Tanya Lewis Jay Bhattacharya speaks during…
Biden Pledges Huge Climate Emissions Cuts He Can’t Enforce. Here’s Why It Still Matters
Biden Pledges Huge Climate Emissions Cuts He Can’t Enforce. Here’s Why It Still Matters President Biden strengthened the U.S.’s commitment to slash climate pollution under the Paris Agreement knowing that President-elect Donald Trump could abandon it, but states and cities could still use it as a guide By Sara Schonhardt, Zack Colman & E&E News President Joe Biden…
Bird Flu Has Spread Out of Control after Mistakes by U.S. Government and Industry
How the U.S. Lost Control of Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic As the bird flu virus moved into cows and people, sluggish federal action, deference to industry and neglect for worker safety put the country at risk By Amy Maxmen & KFF Health News Cows are milked at the Cornell Teaching Dairy…
Americans Are Moody, and Pollsters Should Pay Attention
Opinion Americans Are Moody, and Pollsters Should Pay Attention The full potential of public opinion polling lies in its ability to illuminate deeper societal trends beyond electoral forecasts By Jennifer Benz In April 2021 the first media poll to measure a possible 2024 electoral match-up between President Joe Biden and former president Trump was commissioned…
How Climate Change Could Trigger Earthquakes
How Climate Change Could Trigger Earthquakes Climate change may influence seismic activity as melting glaciers reduce pressure on quake-prone faults By Evan Howell edited by Andrea Thompson North Crestone Creek valley, a U-shaped valley carved by ancient glaciers in Colorado. Southern Colorado’s Sangre De Cristo Mountains jut up abruptly from the flat expanse of the…
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says U.S. could hit debt limit in weeks
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her agency will need to start taking “extraordinary measures,” or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as Jan. 14, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon. “Treasury expects to hit the statutory debt…
Y2K seems like a joke now, but in 1999 people were really freaking out
By Jack Mitchell Mike Cupo, a systems operator for Public Service Electric and Gas Company, uses a special red phone to talk via radio to PSE&G staffers in the field, during a simulated Y2K drill at company headquarters in Newark, N.J., on April 9, 1999. Power plant operators across the country held drills to make…
WHO chief ‘escaped death narrowly’ in Yemen airport attack
The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said he and his colleagues “escaped death narrowly” while being caught up in an Israeli air strike on an airport in Yemen. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recounted feeling “completely exposed” during the attack, which killed at least six, in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today…
UN authorises new mission against al-Shabaab in Somalia
Resolution allows deployment of 12,626 personnel – but it is unclear if Ethiopia will stay part of peacekeeping force amid territory dispute The UN has authorised a new African peacekeeping mission to continue its fight against Somalia’s al-Shabaab, the insurgent group affiliated with al-Qaida, but there are doubts about whether troops from neighbouring Ethiopia will…
Elon Musk Doubles Down on Support for German Far-Right AfD
Supported by The world’s richest man, a key adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, ridicules critics over his backing of the German extremist party AfD, as Germany prepares for elections. By Christopher F. Schuetze Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, shocked many in Germany last week…
S Korean president accused of ordering use of guns to stop martial law vote
Prosecutors allege that South Korea’s suspended president told the military to use guns while attempting to remove lawmakers from parliament as they were voting down his martial law decree. On 3 December, Yoon Suk Yeol authorised soldiers to “break down the doors and drag them [politicians] out, even if it means firing the guns”, according…
Ukrainian Aid Workers Risk Life and Limb to Get Civilians to Safety
Russia-Ukraine War The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. Vasyl Pipa speeding…
UK flights continue to face disruption due to fog
Heavy fog has continued to cause delays and cancellations at some of the UK’s busiest airports, with the majority of flights at Gatwick and Stansted affected on Saturday afternoon and delays predicted into the evening. A number of other delays were reported at Manchester airport on Saturday afternoon, with dozens of flights delayed at Heathrow…
Putin apologises over plane crash, without saying Russia at fault
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were repelling Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. The plane is believed to have come under fire from Russian air defence as it tried to…
Kazakhstan plane crash survivors say they heard bangs before aircraft went down, Putin issues statement
Fox News correspondent Stephanie Bennett has the latest on the aftermath of the Kazakhstan plane crash on ‘Special Report.’ Crew members and survivors of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day say they heard at least one loud bang before the aircraft crashed in a ball of fire, heightening speculation that a Russian…
Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani leader for ‘tragic incident’ involving crashed plane
By The Associated Press An official Kremlin statement issued on Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and…
In Bomb-Scarred Cities, Risking Life and Limb to Get Civilians to Safety
Russia-Ukraine War The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. Vasyl Pipa speeding…
Putin apologises for plane crash, without saying Russia at fault
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were actively repelling Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. The plane reportedly came under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land…
Delta apologizes — again — after another stowaway boards a flight without ticket
By Rebecca Rosman Delta Air Lines is investigating how an unticketed passenger boarded a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Christmas Eve — it’s the airline’s second stowaway incident in less than a month. The passenger, whose identity has not been released, was discovered as Delta Air Lines flight 487 taxied from the gate. They…
More than 150,000 people arrived in UK in small boats in last seven years
Labour blames ‘appalling legacy’ left by Tories after milestone for number of arrivals was reached on Boxing Day Labour has blamed the Tories for leaving an “appalling legacy of border security” after figures showed more than 150,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats since 2018. The milestone was reached after Home Office…
Cyclone on French Archipelago Exposes Resentments Over Immigrants
In the ruins left by Cyclone Chido, people from Mayotte, off the eastern coast of Africa, are calling to deport the undocumented immigrants who had settled there from neighboring islands. By John Eligon and Julie Bourdin Photographs by Sergey Ponomarev Reporting from Mamoudzou, Mayotte After a vicious cyclone this month razed slums housing many undocumented…
Syria’s U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition faces an uncertain future after Assad’s ouster
By Fatma Tanis ISTANBUL – In the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, Syria remains territorially fractured as the rebels who defeated Assad work to consolidate power. The country’s uncertain future has raised questions about the fate of the U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This week, Syria’s new leadership took steps…
Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect wins back-to-back line honours in event marred by two deaths
A “sombre” LawConnect has delayed celebrations after claiming back-to-back line honour wins in a Sydney to Hobart race marred by the death of two sailors. The Christian Beck-skippered supermaxi was first across the River Derwent finish line at 2.35am on Saturday in a time of one day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds. The…
Trucks Carrying Aid Finally Reach Sudan’s War-Torn Capital Region
Sudan’s Civil War After 20 months of war, and three months of negotiations with the warring sides, a bit of relief arrives for some of the hundreds of thousands of people facing famine. By Eve Sampson and Abdalrahman Altayeb Abdalrahman Altayeb reported from Port Sudan, Sudan. The largest convoy of food and medical aid to…
What we know about the Azerbaijan Airlines crash
On 25 December, 38 people died when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which had been due to land in Russia, crash-landed in Kazakhstan. The circumstances around the crash remain unclear, but limited evidence so far suggests it may have been damaged by missiles fired by a Russian air-defence system as it tried to land in Chechnya.…
Man charged with two counts of murder after deaths of Milton Keynes women
Jazwell Brown, 49, is also charged with two counts of attempted murder following Christmas Day incident A man has been charged with two counts of murder following the deaths of two women on Christmas Day in Milton Keynes. Jazwell Brown, 49, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count each…
E.P.A. Promotes Fertilizer Carrying PFAS, Long After 3M Shared Risks
The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.” The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.” Tim Gruber for The New York Times By Hiroko Tabuchi Hiroko…
Flights cancelled around UK as fog disrupts travel
Passengers at some of the country’s busiest airports, including Gatwick and Manchester, are facing widespread disruption due to fog. The UK’s main air traffic control provider, Nats, said the flow of flights had been reduced for safety reasons. “Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK…
NATO boosting Baltic Sea patrols as Finland investigates broken undersea power, internet cables
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities seized control of the ship, the Eagle S, on Thursday as they tried to establish…
Venezuela accuses an Argentine officer of terrorism as relations deteriorate
Venezuela’s attorney general said on Friday that an Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism BOGOTA, Colombia — An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. In a statement published on Instagram,…
Costco egg recall for salmonella receives FDA’s most severe designation
By Bill Chappell The Food and Drug Administration has classified its recall of eggs sold under Costco’s Kirkland brand as a Class I recall, a designation reserved for instances of the highest potential health risk — including death. A Class I recall signals that “there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure…
LawConnect leads Sydney to Hobart yacht race after two deaths in wild weather leave fleet rocked
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been left reeling after the deaths of two sailors in wild weather that has forced a fifth of the fleet to retire. Supermaxi LawConnect was in the box seat on Friday evening to take out line honours for a second year running after rival Master Lock Comanche pulled…
Kazakhstan Plane Crash Survivors Describe Chaos on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight
Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Flight attendants and a passenger described the moments before an Azerbaijan Airlines flight went down in Kazakhstan, killing dozens. By Milana Mazaeva and Ivan Nechepurenko Reporting from Tbilisi, Georgia At first, there was a strange banging noise outside the plane. Then, while one flight attendant was standing in the cabin, something…
Russia may be responsible for downed Azerbaijani plane, says US
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said that the US has seen “early indications” that Russia was responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on 25 December. Mr Kirby did not elaborate further, but said the US had offered assistance to the investigation into the crash. The plane is…
Mexico tests cellphone app allowing migrants to send alert if they are about to be detained in US
Mexico is developing a cellphone app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and consulates if they think they are about to be detained by U.S. immigration officials MEXICO CITY — Mexico is developing a cellphone app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and local consulates if they think they are about to be…
Claim of dementia could derail former Abercrombie CEO’s sex trafficking case
Manuela López Restrepo A letter from former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries’ legal team, filed this week, claims that he may not be fit to stand trial in his ongoing sex trafficking case due to an alleged diagnosis of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Jeffries was arrested in October as part of a federal…
Azerbaijan Airlines says there was ‘external interference’ before crash
Carrier suspends flights to five Russian airports after early findings of investigation into crash on Christmas Day The aircraft that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 people, experienced “external physical and technical interference”, according to preliminary results of an investigation, Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday. The early findings led the carrier to suspend…
Syria’s New Leaders Try to Unite Rebel Factions Under Defense Ministry
Syria’s Civil War As the fighters who ousted Bashar al-Assad set out to assert control over the country, they pursued former government forces loyal to the Assad regime, resulting in deadly clashes in parts of the country. By Adam Rasgon and Ephrat Livni Adam Rasgon reported from Jerusalem. Syria’s new leadership has taken steps to…
Relatives of Bashar Assad arrested as they tried to fly out of Lebanon, officials say
Lebanese officials say the wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad’s cousins have been arrested at the Beirut airport BEIRUT — The wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad ’s cousins were arrested Friday at the Beirut airport, where they attempted to fly out with allegedly forged…
Hogmanay plans at risk as severe weather warning issued for Scotland
Preparations for new year’s street parties under way as Met Office warns of ‘significant disruption’ due to heavy rain on 30 and 31 December A severe weather warning is threatening to put a dampener on Hogmanay plans across Scotland as the nation braces for 48 hours of heavy rain. The Met Office has issued a…
Canadian Ministers to Meet Trump Aides at Mar-a-Lago to Discuss Border, and Tariffs
Canada’s Political Turmoil President-elect Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports unless the country stops the flow of migrants and fentanyl to the U.S. By Ian Austen and Lisa Friedman Two top Canadian ministers will meet with members of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s circle in Florida on Friday about a border…
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala detained by police while reporting in Iran
Italy’s foreign ministry says an Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police ROME — An Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police, Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday. Cecilia Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was…
Biden administration pledges additional military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war
Security assistance package in works as North Korean troops are deployed in Kursk after Putin-Kim agreement The Biden administration is pledging to approve fresh military aid to Ukraine in the coming days, including crucial air defense systems, as North Korean forces face mounting casualties in their first major deployment to a European conflict. John Kirby,…
What We Know About the Ship Finland Seized Over Fears of Russian Sabotage
Russia-Ukraine War Finland seized an oil tanker that authorities believe might have deliberately cut vital undersea cables. Finnish authorities believe the tanker may be linked to Russia. By Johanna Lemola and Lynsey Chutel Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Lynsey Chutel from London. A day after Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker suspected of…
Houthis vow to continue attacking Israel despite strikes on Yemen
A Houthi political official says the group will continue attacking Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the escalating Israeli air strikes in Yemen. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told the BBC that the Houthis would “escalate our military targeting of Israel” until it stopped what he described as “the genocide in Gaza”. On Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck…
NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea…
Italian journalist arrested and held in solitary confinement in Iran
Il Foglio war correspondent Cecilia Sala taken in by police while reporting in Tehran, says Italy’s foreign ministry An Italian journalist has been arrested while reporting in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and held in solitary confinement for a week, according to Italy’s foreign ministry. Cecilia Sala, 29, a war correspondent and reporter who works for…
In a Political Year, Some Deaths Spoke to the Struggles for Democracy
Among the notable figures who died in a sometimes polarizing 2024, many championed justice, equal rights and political freedom. By William McDonald William McDonald is the obituaries editor of The Times. In a year saturated with politics in an ever more polarized world, where the obituary many feared they’d be reading would be that of…
Travellers at UK airports warned as fog disrupts flights
Passengers at some of the country’s busiest airports, including Gatwick and Manchester, are facing widespread disruption due to fog. The UK’s main air traffic control provider, Nats, said the flow of flights was being reduced for safety reasons. “Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK…
Azerbaijan says plane hit by ‘external interference’ over Russia before crash
Azerbaijan’s transport minister has said the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on 25 December was subjected to “external interference” and damaged inside and out, as it tried to land in Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya. “All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny,” said Rashad Nabiyev.…
Azerbaijani official suggests airliner was hit by a weapon before crash that killed 38
An Azerbaijani minister suggested Friday that an airliner that crashed this week was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor testimony indicating that the plane was struck from the outside. The statement from Rashad Nabiyev raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that…
Montenegro approves the extradition of cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to the United States
Montenegro has approved the extradition of a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States PODGORICA, Montenegro — Montenegro has approved the extradition of a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States, the Balkan country’s Justice Ministry said on Friday. Minister Bojan Bozovic has issued a…
What We Know About the Ship Finland Seized Over Fears of Sabotage
Russia-Ukraine War Finland seized an oil tanker that authorities believe might have deliberately cut vital undersea cables. Finnish authorities believe the tanker may be linked to Russia. By Johanna Lemola and Lynsey Chutel Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Lynsey Chutel from London. A day after Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker suspected of…
Pope urges ‘hope and kindness’ in Thought for the Day message
The Pope has urged “hope and kindness” in a message recorded for Thought for the Day for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Pope Francis will also emphasise the importance of humility in the recording which will be broadcast on 28 December. “A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world. A society…
Israel forcibly evacuates north Gaza hospital, leaving it on fire
Israeli forces on Friday raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza, ordering dozens of patients and hundreds of others to evacuate and leaving part of the site on fire, Health Ministry officials said. Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 25 people, including 15 in…
Travelers face disruptions as foggy weather affects UK airports
Travelers to and from the U.K. are facing disruption and delays with foggy weather affecting some of the country’s airports LONDON — Travelers to and from the U.K. faced disruption and delays Friday with foggy weather affecting some of the country’s airports. Nats, the U.K.’s main air traffic controller, said restrictions were in place at…
Berrien Moore III Is Dead
As a researcher at several universities and an adviser at NASA, he used data analysis to show how the planet’s different systems are interrelated. By Max Bearak and Ash Wu Berrien Moore III, who for decades spearheaded cutting-edge climate science at several universities and research institutes as well as at NASA, died on Dec. 17…
Man charged with murder and arson in New York subway killing
Prosecutors have formally charged a man in the death of a woman set alight on a New York subway train. On Friday, Sebastian Zapeta was indicted on charges of murder and arson, though he did not appear during the brief court hearing. Mr Zapeta, 33, is accused of setting fire to the woman, who may…