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- US intelligence had extensive warnings about bin Laden and al-Qaeda before 9/11
- Mark Carney meets Forever Canadian campaign supporters in Banff
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- Ryanair CEO disputes passenger’s claim of being sucked out of aircraft window
- French government supports Slovakia’s call to delist Alisher Usmanov
- CIA releases declassified documents on bin Laden and al-Qaeda ahead of 9/11 anniversary
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’
Saudi Arabia halts key oil pipeline as drone attacks disrupt flow
Saudi Arabia has announced the shutdown of its East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack originating from Iraq, heightening regional tensions. This key infrastructure halt, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, has the potential to disrupt global oil supplies significantly as Saudi Arabia is a leading exporter. The Yemeni government has indicated a retaliatory stance as clashes escalate in the region, with near 50,000 civilians reportedly fleeing conflict zones along the Red Sea coast. For more details on this developing situation, click here.
The interruption of oil flow from the pipeline is expected to exert upward pressure on global oil prices, already sensitive due to ongoing geopolitical strife. Market analysts anticipate that the situation could lead to further escalations in oil pricing as investors monitor developments closely. Watch for upcoming military engagements and diplomatic responses in the coming days.
Key developments across the world
Iran-backed Houthis claim major advance in Yemen as group reportedly seizes island in key shipping route
GLOBAL SECURITY — The Houthis have reportedly advanced in Yemen by seizing a strategically significant island.
This control over the island poses new challenges for shipping routes in the Red Sea and increases military tensions in the region. The advance has prompted fears of escalating conflict as Houthi forces consolidate their power along key shipping lanes.
Russia targets Kyiv petrol stations for first time with jet-powered drones
GLOBAL SECURITY — Russia has launched drone strikes on petrol stations in Kyiv, marking a new phase in its military tactics.
This attack represents a significant escalation in the conflict as it broadens Russia’s targeting parameters, potentially affecting civilian supplies. The use of jet-powered drones could challenge Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and increase concerns over critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Saudi Arabia’s shutdown of key pipeline limits oil flow as Yemen hits back against Houthis
GLOBAL ENERGY — Saudi Arabia has halted a crucial oil pipeline following drone attacks linked to Yemen’s Houthis.
This shutdown limits oil flow and underscores the vulnerabilities in energy infrastructure amid ongoing regional tensions. The incident could disrupt global oil supplies, further exacerbating the already fluctuating energy market dynamics.
Nearly 50,000 Yemeni civilians flee as Houthis advance along Red Sea coast
GLOBAL MIGRATION — Recent fighting in Yemen has resulted in the displacement of nearly 50,000 civilians.
This mass exodus reflects the escalating violence as Houthis gain ground and threatens humanitarian support in already war-torn regions. The humanitarian crisis is intensifying as the international community grapples with the urgent need for assistance to those affected.
Gulf oil threatened anew as Houthis reach key island and pipeline is shut down
WORLD ENERGY — Recent conflicts in Yemen threaten crucial oil distribution channels as Houthis expand their control over strategic territories.
This escalation has implications for global energy markets as shipping routes face disruptions due to the intensifying military activities. The situation calls for heightened vigilance from international stakeholders on energy supply security.
What to watch — Monitor the developments in energy security as tensions escalate in the Gulf region.
Further reading from global news sources
BBC News
Saudi Arabia shuts key oil pipeline after drone attack launched from Iraq
Financial Times
Saudi Arabia shuts East-West pipeline that bypasses Hormuz after attacks
The Guardian
Saudi Arabia shuts down oil pipeline, blaming drones from Iraq
Al Jazeera
Fighting re-erupts in Yemen and civilians are paying the price
Reuters
Gulf oil threatened anew as Houthis reach key island and pipeline is shut down
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.
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