Latest News
- Venezuelan authorities confirm death toll exceeds 1,400 following quakes
- Iraq security forces arrest multiple officials in anticorruption operation
- Edmonton man shot dead by police after alleged assaults and hit-and-runs
- U.S. forces conduct further strikes in response to Iranian actions near Strait of Hormuz
- BT Tower in London set to become luxury hotel following £275 million sale
- British doctor arrested in Ecuador over murder of Colombian model found in suitcase
- EU mobilises rescue teams to assist Venezuela after deadly earthquakes
- Governor Spencer Cox restricts Utah fireworks amid worsening wildfire threat
Hunt for Tube hero who gave blind man his shoes after he lost one through the gap The hunt is on find an ‘absolute hero’
Venezuelan authorities confirm death toll exceeds 1,400 following quakes
The recent twin earthquakes in Venezuela have claimed over 1,400 lives, with thousands more injured and many missing. The Venezuelan government has mobilised search and rescue teams to the affected areas, particularly in La Guaira, where many families continue to search for loved ones trapped beneath rubble. Emergency services and humanitarian organisations are coordinating aid efforts, while President Nicolás Maduro has vowed to support recovery initiatives. For more on the unfolding humanitarian crisis, visit our global news coverage.
The unprecedented scale of the disaster is expected to exacerbate Venezuela’s already staggering economic crisis, disrupting supply chains and further straining public services. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with calls for assistance becoming increasingly urgent. What to watch next will be the upcoming international aid negotiations as the Venezuelan government seeks external support for recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Key developments across the world
Venezuela earthquakes: death toll rises again to more than 1,400
GLOBAL SECURITY — Venezuela has experienced devastating earthquakes, with over 1,400 confirmed dead. Rescue efforts continue but the country’s long-standing socio-economic crisis worsens the impact and response capabilities.
The earthquakes struck near La Guaira, causing extensive damage and prompting international aid discussions. The situation remains critical as survivors face difficulties in accessing essential resources amid ongoing political turmoil.
Civilian aircraft crashes in France, authorities responding
GLOBAL SECURITY — A civilian aircraft has crashed in northeastern France, resulting in 11 fatalities. The French authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident.
The incident occurred during a training flight, as officials confirmed that emergency services were promptly deployed to the crash site. Investigations will aim to uncover details surrounding the flight’s circumstances and prevent future tragedies.
Australia toughens kids’ social media ban, doubles potential penalties for tech firms
DIPLOMACY — Australia has enacted stricter regulations on children’s access to social media, increasing penalties for non-compliance. The maximum fines for tech firms have been doubled.
This policy aims to combat issues related to child safety on online platforms, reflecting growing international concern about the influence of social media on minors. Experts suggest that it serves as a significant step towards greater accountability for technology companies.
Beijing police say pilot who crashed into China’s Citic Tower was killed
GLOBAL SECURITY — A plane crash in Beijing’s Citic Tower resulted in the death of the pilot and injuries to several others. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The crash raised concerns about aviation safety and aviation governance in urban areas. The incident highlights challenges cities face when managing air traffic near tall buildings.
What to watch — Monitoring the aftermath of the Venezuela earthquakes and global responses will be crucial for humanitarian efforts.
Further reading from global news sources
BBC News
I hear my son crying beneath the rubble, says Venezuela earthquake survivor
The Guardian
Venezuela earthquakes: death toll rises again to more than 1,400
Al Jazeera
At least 11 dead in civilian plane crash in eastern France: Authorities
Reuters
Australia toughens kids’ social media ban, doubles potential penalties for tech firms
October 12, 2024
6:18 am
‘Cheer up, you caught the bad guy,’ says killer Virginia McCullough as she is arrested for murdering her parents
A woman who murdered her parents “in cold blood” before hiding them in makeshift tombs for four years told officers to “cheer up, you caught the bad guy” as she was arrested in her home.
Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication and fatally stabbed her mother Lois McCullough, 71, shortly afterwards in 2019.
She ran up large debts on credit cards in her parents’ names and after their deaths, she continued to spend their pensions until she was finally caught in 2023.
In body-worn video footage released by police, a handcuffed – and eerily calm – McCullough told officers: “I did know that this would kind of come eventually.
“It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”
She said she had slipped something into her father’s drink then put his body under a bed on the ground floor, and put her mother’s body in an upstairs wardrobe.
McCullough, having been arrested on suspicion of double murder, told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy.”
She added: “I know I don’t seem 100% evil.”
At the police station, she told officers where a kitchen knife was, which she described as a “murder weapon”, and a hammer which she said “will still have blood on it”.
McCullough, of Pump Hill, Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday with a minimum term of 36 years at Chelmsford Crown Court, after she admitted to their murders between 17 and 20 June 2019 at an earlier hearing at the same court.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how she hid their bodies in makeshift tombs at the family home in Great Baddow in Essex, then told persistent lies to cover her tracks.
The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and frequently told doctors and relatives her parents were unwell, on holiday or away on lengthy trips.
But concerns over Mr and Mrs McCullough’s welfare were raised in September 2023 by a GP at their registered practice, and Essex County Council’s safeguarding team referred these to police.
The GP had not seen the couple for some time and said Mr McCullough had failed to collect medication and attend scheduled appointments. It was found McCullough had frequently cancelled appointments, using a range of excuses to explain her father’s absence.
Police said a missing persons investigation was initially launched and McCullough lied to officers, claiming her parents were travelling and would be returning in October.
It became a murder investigation, and when officers forced entry to the house in Pump Hill on September 15 2023, McCullough confessed that her parents’ bodies were in the house and that she had killed them.
Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “McCullough callously and viciously killed both of her parents before concealing their bodies in makeshift tombs within their home address.
“She spent the next four years manipulating and lying to family members, medical staff, financial institutions, and the police, spending her parents’ money and accruing large debts in their name.”
She added: “This was a truly disturbing case, which has left behind it a trail of devastation, and I can only hope that the sentence passed today will help those who loved and cared for Lois and John begin to heal.”
To downplay the genocide, the israelis claim there’s only 20,000 people left in north Gaza, says
@MahaGaza
: the real number exceeds 400,000
Man of the right wing Nigel Farage taking more second jobs and freebie helicopter rides
Gosh he’ll soon be a true blue Tory at this rate
Or far far worse
The cost-of-living crisis is far from over, yet the government’s 50% increase to the bus fare cap is a political choice, adding hundreds to annual costs.
To address hardship & the climate crisis, the government must keep the £2 cap & make public transport accessible for all.
G20 waters down support for Ukraine amid pressure for peace talks
The Tech Titan Who Led His Company From a 68-Square-Foot Jail Cell
November 23, 2024
8:25 am
Defense alliance NATO chief Mark Rutte has met US President-elect Donald Trump to discuss global security issues, according to a NATO spokesperson.
The meeting took place in Palm Beach, Florida.
During his first term as US president, 2017-2020, Trump pushed for European NATO countries to spend more on defense and described the alliance’s cost-sharing as unfair to the US.
Rutte took over as NATO chief from Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg in November.
Before taking office in January, Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth for the post of defense secretary, which has raised eyebrows among many allies.
Hegseth, 44, has served as an infantry captain in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has no senior military or government officer experience.
November 23, 2024
8:25 am
November 23, 2024
8:17 am
Multiple missiles were fired in an airstrike towards a densely populated part of Lebanon’s capital early on Saturday.
The huge airstrike targeted Beirut’s Basta neighbourhood, and no prior warnings were given by the Israeli military. The largely residential area was struck last month.
At least one violent explosion was heard across the city, Reuters witnesses said, and plumes of smoke could be seen. Scenes of massive destruction at the site were shared online, including a massive crater in the ground.
“Beirut, the capital, woke up to a horrific massacre, as the Israeli enemy’s air force completely destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles on Al-Mamoun Street in Basta,” the state-run National News Agency reported.
The health ministry put the initial death toll at four, with 23 wounded. The number is expected to climb in the coming hours as search and rescue efforts continue.
It came after a long day of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been non-stop since last week.
The cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group escalated into a full-blown war in mid-September.
Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern Beqaa region, and has sent ground troops across the border. Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets deeper into Israel.
What to Watch
Amazon prime - TV & Netflix
We give you the best picks to binge on this week.
What to Watch
Love Sports
Get your pizza ordered with the latest Live Sports schedule.
- Good News
Add A Comment
© 2026 WTX News.