Firefighters struggle to reach areas cut off by devastating bushfires

Authorities in Australia are struggling to reach some isolated areas to assess damage after one of the bushfire season's worst days so far. https://ift.tt/2FbbtrA

Glitter balls and silent fireworks: How the rest of the world celebrated

Spectacular firework displays have lit up night skies over some of the world's best-known landmarks - from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. https://ift.tt/2sAz4PC

£80k raised to help Briton appeal conviction over false rape claim

More than £80,000 has been raised to help a British woman found guilty of lying about being gang raped in Cyprus. https://ift.tt/2u0PgtR

US deploys 750 troops after attack on its embassy in Iraq

About 750 US soldiers are being deployed to the Middle East in response to violent protests at the country's embassy in Iraq, Defence Secretary Mark Esper has said. https://ift.tt/39x3EKD

North Korea will show 'new strategic weapon' soon - Kim

North Korea's leader said his country will continue developing nuclear programmes and introduce a "new strategic weapon" in the near future. https://ift.tt/39sKB45

Cyprus has 'full confidence' in courts following false rape conviction

Cyprus has said that it has "full confidence in the justice system and the courts" after the UK raised concerns about the case of the British teen who was found guilty of a false rape claim. https://ift.tt/2ZEt6JK

Trump warns Iran: 'They will pay very big price' if lives are lost

Donald Trump has told Iran that it will be held accountable for lives lost in attacks on any US facilities, saying: 'This is not a warning, it is a threat'. https://ift.tt/2ZCwIvU

Fireworks light up Sydney skyline as world starts to welcome 2020

Fireworks lit up the Sydney skyline as the world started to welcome 2020, but celebrations in the Australian city were mired in controversy due to the ongoing bushfires ravaging parts of the country. https://ift.tt/2ZKMzbJ

'Indiana Jones of the art world': Meet the man who recovers stolen art

He's been called the Indiana Jones of the art world, though investigator Arthur Brand insisted he is more like Inspector Clouseau. https://ift.tt/2Qgf2mR

Twenty years of Putin - but what happens next?

"I am leaving. I did all I could." https://ift.tt/35hnF4R

Gunfire heard as protesters storm US embassy in Baghdad

Hundreds of Iraqi protesters have broken down the gate of the US embassy in Baghdad as they attempt to storm the compound. https://ift.tt/36dnsAO

Increasingly menacing bushfires force 4,000 to take shelter on beach

Thousands of people were trapped as their small seaside town was attacked by one of Australia's increasingly menacing bushfires. https://ift.tt/36fXeh2

Millionaire businessman awaiting trial flees Japan despite travel ban

A well-known businessman awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct has travelled to Lebanon - despite being banned from travelling overseas. https://ift.tt/356bY0A

Decade in Review: A look back at what happened in 2019

It was a year in which Boris Johnson became the UK's prime minister, and Donald Trump became the third US president to be impeached. https://ift.tt/2te4LOO

Officer quits after falsely claiming McDonald's wrote 'pig' on his cup

A police officer has resigned after falsely claiming that McDonald's staff had written the words "f****** pig" on his coffee cup.  https://ift.tt/39rk2MY

Volunteer firefighter killed when truck rolled over was expecting baby

A volunteer who was killed while tackling bushfires in Australia has been named as Samuel McPaul. https://ift.tt/2tcsAqd

Iraq says US airstrikes 'will have dangerous consequences'

Iraq condemned the United States on Monday for launching airstrikes against an Iranian-backed militia on its soil and warned the action could damage relations. https://ift.tt/2MIykyW

Iran vows to retaliate after US airstrikes as tensions rise

An Iranian-backed militia in Iraq has vowed to retaliate after US airstrikes killed at least 25 of its fighters and destroyed bases in an escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington. https://ift.tt/2Q8Zocx

Taliban commander: No peace talks until all US troops leave Afghanistan

There can be no ceasefire and no talks with the US-backed Afghan government until all foreign forces leave Afghanistan, a mid-ranking Taliban commander has told Sky News. https://ift.tt/39A0K8a

Turkish police swoop on IS suspects ahead of NYE

Turkish police have detained at least 124 people suspected of links with Islamic State in an apparent attempt to prevent potential New Year's Eve attacks. https://ift.tt/2QuJ6di

Scientists jailed over 'world's first gene-edited babies'

Three scientists who claimed to be behind the first-ever gene-edited babies have been handed prison sentences for illegal medical practice, Chinese state media has said. https://ift.tt/2ZFFysD

British woman found guilty of lying about Cyprus gang rape

A British woman has been found guilty of lying about being gang raped by Israeli youths in Cyprus. https://ift.tt/2SEdGnw

Zac Efron falls ill abroad while filming his Killing Zac Efron survival show

American actor Zac Efron recently fell ill while filming a survival reality TV show in Papua New Guinea. https://ift.tt/2Q7IVp1

New York vows to tackle antisemitism crisis after 13th attack in 3 weeks

New York will introduce a series of measures to tackle a "crisis" following the 13th antisemitic attack since 8 December, its mayor has said. https://ift.tt/2Q93xNM

Some Australians in path of bushfires told it is too late to evacuate

Emergency warnings for bushfires have been issued across parts of Australia - with some locals being urged to take shelter indoors because it is now too late to evacuate. https://ift.tt/2QBKFpU

Police use stun gun three times on grandma marking 70th birthday

Authorities in Florida struck a grandmother with a stun gun three times on her 70th birthday after she refused to allow them into her home to search for her grandson, documents show. https://ift.tt/2QbfGC5

Decade in Review: A look back at what happened in 2018

It was a year which saw two royal reasons to celebrate, with the birth of Prince William and Kate's third child and, of course, Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding. https://ift.tt/2F2cW3d

Two worshippers shoot church gunman dead in Texas

Two parishioners have shot and killed a gunman who opened fire at a church in Texas, in an attack in which one other person has died. https://ift.tt/2Q8h7RG

Putin thanks Trump for 'helping to prevent New Year terror attacks'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for intelligence that helped prevent terror attacks in St Petersburg, the Kremlin has said. https://ift.tt/2ZDWos6

Australia wildfires: Tens of thousands of tourists urged to leave Victoria

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers have been urged to leave part of the Australian state of Victoria ahead of what is expected to be a day of extreme fire danger. https://ift.tt/2F22DMy

Chinese state 'likely' linked to cyber spies targeting human rights workers

A cyber spy group "likely" linked to the Chinese state has targeted human rights campaigners working on issues in the country for up to five years, a new report claims. https://ift.tt/2MEvifb

England lose first Test after failing in record run chase

England captain Joe Root has said he hopes his illness-affected team can "bounce back strong" after they lost the first Test match in South Africa by 107 runs. https://ift.tt/2MDCW9g

French coastguard rescues 31 migrants in Channel as boats hit trouble

French officials have revealed that coastguards rescued 31 migrants in the Channel overnight after their small boats hit trouble. https://ift.tt/2MDbb0M

Prisoner swap under way in Ukraine in bid to end war

A prisoner swap is under way between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine in the hope of ending their five-year-long war. https://ift.tt/2QvRgBY

Trump retweets post 'naming Ukraine call whistleblower'

President Donald Trump is facing criticism after retweeting a post that included the alleged name of the anonymous whistleblower who sparked his impeachment investigation by the House. https://ift.tt/358UyQW

Thousands sign petition to cancel NYE fireworks amid bushfires

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks to be cancelled, using the money to instead fight the bushfires that are ravaging parts of the country. https://ift.tt/2ZynKj3

Costa del Sol deaths: Family lawyer calls for secondary investigation

Tributes have been paid to a pastor and two of his children who drowned during a holiday in the Costa del Sol, as a family lawyer said a secondary investigation should be opened if their cause of death is not clear. https://ift.tt/2Zz7vm7

Five bodies found in 'ghost shipwreck' on Japan island

Five skeletal bodies and two human heads have been found inside a shipwreck on an island off the Japan coast. https://ift.tt/2SxjZca

Decade in Review: A look back at what happened in 2017

It was a year when the UK was hit by a string of deadly terror attacks - as well as a general election that didn't go according to plan. https://ift.tt/2ZxxDNU

Five dead after small plane crashes in US post office car park

Five people have died after a small plane crashed into the car park of a post office in Louisiana shortly after take-off, authorities have said. https://ift.tt/2ZBJ73g

At least 79 dead in Somalia checkpoint car bombing

A car bomb outside a tax collection centre in Somalia has killed at least 79 people, according to officials. https://ift.tt/2rF6AE6

US mass killings: Highest number in 2019 since 1970s

There were more mass killings in America in 2019 than any year dating back to at least the 1970s, according to US reports. https://ift.tt/2tUFWYs

Urn with teen's ashes stolen from grieving parents' car

Grieving parents have appealed for the return of an urn containing their son's ashes after it was stolen from their car while on holiday in Cyprus.  https://ift.tt/3578GKq

Record haul of cocaine worth $1bn found in Uruguay

A record haul of more than four tonnes of cocaine worth a billion dollars has been seized in Uruguay. https://ift.tt/2ZwbMGD

At least 60 dead in Somalia checkpoint car bombing

A car bomb outside a tax collection centre in Somalia has killed at least 60 people, according to local officials. https://ift.tt/2SAEYe7

Bushfires kill up to a third of New South Wales' koalas

Up to a third of New South Wales' koalas have been killed by raging bushfires, Australia's environment minister has said. https://ift.tt/2rvTzfQ

What's 50 Cent's number? The weird enquiries made to the Foreign Office

It's hard to see why 50 Cent's phone number would be a vital component of one's time abroad but a Briton thought it was so important that they turned to the Foreign Office for help. https://ift.tt/2QtIXGG

Police chief arrested over massacre of Mormon family in Mexico

A police chief has been arrested in connection with the massacre of three women and six children in Mexico. https://ift.tt/352TLkz

SA cyclist 'injured himself' during altercation, park rangers claim

A dramatic video has captured the moment South African road cyclist Nicholas Dlamini was roughly detained by rangers in a National Park - after which an X-ray showed he had broken his arm.  https://ift.tt/34Yh66N

'Where are the heroes?': People flee as Assad closes on final rebel-held stronghold

The streets of one of the first towns to rise up against the Syrian regime lie empty and broken after most of its residents fled an expected advance by Russia-backed Syrian forces. https://ift.tt/2Swuk8k