World news
George Michael dies aged 53, his publicist confirms
Singer George Michael has died at the age of 53. The singer, who had a string of hits with the band Wham! in the 1980s, died peacefully at home, his publicist confirmed. In a statement they added: ‘It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over...
Six more fast radio bursts have been discovered coming from the same mystery cosmic source
Six additional repeating fast radio bursts have been discovered coming the same unknown source in space. The FRBs came from the same region beyond the Milky Way where 10 bursts had previously been detected – and their discovery should give a greater insight into what caused them. FRBs are radio signals from deep space...
Pope comforts terror victims in Christmas message
VATICAN CITY // Pope Francis urged peace in the Middle East on Sunday as tens of thousands gathered to hear his Christmas address – also offering comfort to victims of terrorism after a year of bloody attacks. The 80-year-old Argentine called for guns to fall silent in Syria, saying "far too much blood has been...
Number of urgent operations cancelled by NHS England hits new record high
NHS England cancelled more urgent operations in November 2016 than in any other month on record and almost double that of November last year, says government data. New figures, released on Friday 23 December, revealed that last month 446 urgent operations were cancelled, up from 357 in October. In November 2015 there were 243...
Russian defence ministry aircraft with 92 on board crashes in Black Sea, debris located
A Russian defence ministry aircraft with 92 people on board has crashed in the Black Sea soon after takeoff from the resort city of Sochi on Sunday, 25 December. The Russian Investigation Committee has launched a probe into the crash, which is attributed to mechanical failure or pilot error. The first body of one of the victims...
Russia helps Turkey retrieve ambassador killer’s iPhone 4s data for evidence – report
Update: MacReports says the Russian team could not technically hack the 4-digit pass code, however, they have been able to retrieve data from the device by using other means, which they have not divulged. Russian cyber experts have reportedly helped Turkish authorities in unlocking an iPhone 4s recovered from Mevlut Mert...
King Charles III: Is the Queen getting ready to hand over the reins to her son?
"You have to be seen to be believed," the Queen once observed in a reference to her need always to be in the public eye, but this week she was seen to be overshadowed by her successor. In a photographic portrait released on Sunday and redolent with symbolism, a relaxed Prince Charles looks down on a seated and...
Israel slams Obama over UN vote
JERUSALEM — An Israeli official on Friday accused President Barack Obama of colluding with the Palestinians in a “shameful move against Israel at the UN” after learning the White House did not intend to veto a Security Council resolution condemning settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem...
Christian lobby HQ blast ‘not a terrorist act’
An incident in which a van packed with gas bottles exploded outside the headquarters of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) was not politically, religiously or ideologically motivated, police say. ACL managing director Lyle Shelton tweeted the incident last night, saying a vehicle had caught on fire outside its office in...
Fellow passenger is glad JetBlue booted ‘agitated’ Ivanka heckler
The JetBlue passenger who harassed Ivanka Trump on board a plane about to take off from JFK Airport for San Francisco was “agitated,” and the airline did the right thing in kicking him off, a passenger who witnessed the incident wrote on Facebook. “When he got on and saw her, sitting behind me, he said,...
Plane carrying 118 people on board is ‘hijacked’ over Libya
A plane carrying 118 passengers has been diverted to Malta after potentially being hijacked over Libya, authorities have said. The plane was travelling on an internal flight in Libya when the alleged hijacking took place and has since been diverted to Malta International Airport where emergency measures are being taken....
Tunisian suspected of killing 12 at Christmas market shot dead in Milan
The Tunisian man suspected of murdering 12 people at a Christmas market has been shot dead in Milan. Anis Amri, 24, was killed in a shootout with police in the northern Italian city in the early hours of this morning after officers spotted him during a routine patrol. Uber now lets you set a person as your destination and tells...