- Russia launches military offensive in Ukraine after latest ceasefire talks fail
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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’
Russia launches military offensive in Ukraine after latest ceasefire talks fail
At least 16 people were killed in a coordinated attack on a mosque in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as violence continues to escalate in the region. Witnesses reported that armed assailants stormed the mosque during Friday prayers, targeting congregants in a brutal display of sectarian violence. The Pakistani military has vowed a robust response, with security forces mobilising to restore order and protect vulnerable populations.
In related news, the ongoing turmoil is likely to exacerbate Pakistan’s economic woes, as international investors grow increasingly wary of instability. Market analysts anticipate a drop in foreign direct investment, with concerns about security overshadowing potential opportunities. Stakeholders will be monitoring the government’s next moves, particularly regarding military operations and any policy changes aimed at stabilising the situation.
Key developments across the world
At least 16 killed in attack on mosque in Pakistan
GLOBAL SECURITY — A deadly attack in Pakistan has resulted in at least 16 fatalities at a mosque.
The incident occurred during evening prayers in the northeastern city of Peshawar. Eyewitness accounts describe a powerful blast that inflicted significant casualties among worshippers.
Three dead and eight injured in Philippines school shooting
GLOBAL SECURITY — A school shooting in the Philippines has left three dead and multiple injuries reported.
This tragic event unfolded when a shooter opened fire inside a classroom, resulting in the death of two students and their teenage assailant. The incident has raised serious concerns over security in educational institutions across the nation.
Perth shark attack: swimmer killed in incident off Sorrento Beach in Western Australia
GLOBAL SECURITY — A shark attack in Western Australia has resulted in the death of a swimmer.
The incident occurred near Sorrento Beach, drawing emergency services to the scene and sparking discussions on safety measures for beachgoers in the region. This tragedy highlights the ongoing risks associated with marine life in coastal areas.
What the EU’s offer of ‘associate member’ to Canada might mean
DIPLOMACY — The EU has proposed an ‘associate membership’ status for Canada, potentially altering ties between the two entities.
This development aims to enhance political and economic cooperation, especially amid global challenges. The move reflects the EU’s ambition to strengthen international partnerships beyond its immediate borders.
The Guardian view on EU-Canada relations: strategic ambition with lessons for Britain | Editorial
DIPLOMACY — The EU’s proposal for Canada’s associate membership underscores ambitions to redefine international relations.
This initiative encourages closer ties and demonstrates a broader strategy to navigate current geopolitical dynamics. Such moves could reshape alliances and influence global diplomacy in the long term.
What to watch — Monitor developments regarding the security situation in Pakistan following the mosque attack.
Further reading from global news sources
BBC News
At least 16 killed in attack on mosque in Pakistan
Associated Press
What the EU’s offer of ‘associate member’ to Canada might mean
The Guardian
The Guardian view on EU-Canada relations: strategic ambition with lessons for Britain | Editorial
Euronews
Canberra responds to Metsola’s EU ‘associate membership’ suggestion
Al Jazeera
Philippines school shooting leaves two students dead; suspect found dead
‘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.”
G20 waters down support for Ukraine amid pressure for peace talks
FT.com Tweet
The Tech Titan Who Led His Company From a 68-Square-Foot Jail Cell
WSJ Business Tweet
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.
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.
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