- 2024 set to become hottest year on record USA TODAY
- 2024’s most costly climate disasters killed 2,000 people and caused $229bn in damages, data shows The Guardian
- What climate records were broken in 2024? Al Jazeera English
- A year of extreme weather that challenged billions BBC.com
- 2024 was a record-breaking year of heat and drought in Arizona Arizona's Family
Ecuador confirms charred bodies belong to four missing boys
A judge has ordered 16 military members to remain behind bars while a probe into the deaths continues.
Ecuador orders the detention of 16 soldiers charged with the disappearance of 4 children – The Associated Press
- Ecuador orders the detention of 16 soldiers charged with the disappearance of 4 children The Associated Press
- Charred bodies found near Ecuador military base are 4 boys who went missing while playing soccer, officials say CBS News
- Ecuador confirms incinerated bodies belong to missing ‘Guayaquil Four’ boys The Guardian
- Ecuador AG confirms bodies are missing boys as judge orders military personnel held Reuters Canada
- Ecuador confirms charred bodies belong to four missing boys Al Jazeera English
The Scramble to Find the Gaza Doctor in the White Coat – The Intercept
- The Scramble to Find the Gaza Doctor in the White Coat The Intercept
- Even 'Good Israelis' Are Part of the Broad Circle of Tacit Consent to War Crimes Haaretz
- WHO director urges Israel to stop attacks on Gaza's medical infrastructure NPR
- Headlines for December 31, 2024 Democracy Now!
- Israel burns northern Gaza’s last functioning hospital; patients and staff removed NBC News
Syria’s U.S.-trained opposition fighters wait to learn of their role in a new Syria – NPR
Syria de facto leader al-Sharaa meets Christian clerics
Meeting comes as new authorities seek to reassure minorities of their safety in post-Assad Syria.
Police identify woman set on fire in deadly New York City attack
Authorities identified Debrina Kawam, 57, of New Jersey as the victim of the 22 December attack.
Era of cheap Russian gas to EU ends as transit across Ukraine stops
The EU says most states will not be affected but other European countries, including Moldova, are facing shortages.
Emmanuel Macron issues mea culpa over French legislative elections – Financial Times
- Emmanuel Macron issues mea culpa over French legislative elections Financial Times
- France’s Macron acknowledges snap elections backfired The Hill
- Macron acknowledges error on early elections in New Year's speech Reuters
- Macron says he will ask French to 'decide' on 'crucial issues' in 2025 Le Monde
- Calling snap elections created more instability for France, Macron admits FRANCE 24 English
Thousands march in Bangladesh calling for prosecution of overthrown PM
Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's gov't is accused of killing hundreds of protesters last summer.
Ten people injured after Lego display collapses on to crowd in Massachusetts
Eight hospitalized after attempted balloon drop at Peabody family fun center knocked over display, which fell about 12ft
Ten people were injured when a Lego display collapsed on to a crowd at an arcade center in Massachusetts, police said.
Peabody police said the incident took place on Tuesday at the In the Game family fun center when “a display was pulled down by balloons attached to it, causing it to fall”.
Continue reading...Foreign fighters given senior Syrian army posts, reports say
The move will raise concerns over the role radicalised foreign militants may play in Syria's future.
Foreign fighters given senior Syrian army posts, reports say
The move will raise concerns over the role radicalised foreign militants may play in Syria's future.
Woman fatally set on fire in New York subway car identified
It took nine days to identify Debrina Kawam, 61, of Toms River, New Jersey, after she burned to death in Brooklyn
The woman who was set on fire in a subway car in New York on 22 December, horrifying New Yorkers and renewing a debate over city safety, has been identified as 61-year-old Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, New Jersey.
The victim’s identity, released by the New York police department, came nine days after the fatal incident. Investigators had previously said they were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the victim.
Continue reading...Republican support wavers for Mike Johnson’s re-election as House speaker
Despite Donald Trump’s endorsement, Johnson is facing criticism for his handling of the government budget battle
A senior Texas Republican congressman has said that the House speaker, Mike Johnson, does not yet have the votes to be re-elected to the speakership ahead of an election to be held later this week.
Representative Chip Roy told Fox Business’s Varney & Co that he was undecided on supporting the Louisiana Republican, despite Donald Trump issuing a full-throated endorsement of Johnson on Monday.
Continue reading...Auckland and Sydney welcome 2025 with big celebrations
Auckland became the first major city to welcome 2025, while Sydney put on its largest ever fireworks display.
US sanctions Russia and Iran over accusations of election interference
The US says affiliates of the Iranian and Russian governments worked to sow division during the 2024 elections.
UK patients unable to get dental care after ‘eye-watering’ rise in private fees
Exclusive: warning that lack of NHS dentists and soaring cost of private work puts essential care out of reach for many
How soaring fees for private care are deepening England’s dentistry crisis
Private dentists are cashing in on the scarcity of NHS treatment by hiking their charges for fillings, checkups and extractions to “eye-watering” levels, research has found.
Patients are paying as much as £775 for root canal work, £435 to have a tooth out and £325 for a white filling due to fees for common dental procedures soaring since 2022.
A white filling has gone from £105 to £129 – up 23%.
An extraction has risen from £105 to £139 – 32% more.
A half-hour scale and polish is now £75, up from £65 – a 15% jump.
An initial consultation for a new patient is up 23% from £65 to £80.
Continue reading...How soaring fees for private care are deepening England’s dentistry crisis
Ever growing numbers of people find themselves unable to get NHS treatment or pay for the alternative
Exclusive: patients unable to get dental care after ‘eye-watering’ rise in private fees
The inability of millions of patients to access an NHS dentist is one of the longest-running injustices in the history of the health service. The misery and the harm it causes is profound and well documented. The scandal is not new.
Going private is often the only alternative. If it means getting a checkup, a scale and polish, a filling, an extraction or if necessary a root canal, many will pay. Anything to keep your teeth in good nick.
Continue reading...Puerto Rico may enter new year in darkness after sudden blackout
More than a million households were in the dark - the latest in a series of blackouts since Hurricane Maria in 2017.