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Received yesterday — 14 December 2025

US immigration crackdown forces teens to caretake after parents are detained

14 December 2025 at 17:21

As federal agents target families, teens are left to care for siblings – from accessing bank accounts to medical records

Vilma Cruz, a mother of two, had just arrived at her newly leased Louisiana home when federal agents surrounded her vehicle in the driveway. She had just enough time to call her oldest son before they smashed the passenger window and detained her.

The 38-year-old Honduran house painter was swept up in an immigration crackdown that has largely targeted Kenner, a New Orleans suburb with a large Hispanic population, where some parents at risk of deportation had rushed to arrange emergency custody plans for their children in case they were arrested.

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© Photograph: Adam Gray/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Adam Gray/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Adam Gray/AFP/Getty Images

Benjamin Netanyahu blames Anthony Albanese for Bondi beach terror attack, as world leaders express horror

Israeli prime minister claims the Australian government ‘let the disease’ of antisemitism spread ‘and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today’

Leaders around the world expressed their horror at Sunday’s terrorist attack on Bondi beach, in which at least 16 people died, mixed in some cases with harsh words for the Australian government for alleged shortcomings in tackling antisemitism over the past two years.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had written to his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, in August, warning that the government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state “pours fuel on the antisemitic fire … emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets”. He claimed Albanese had “replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement”.

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© Composite: AAP / AP

© Composite: AAP / AP

© Composite: AAP / AP

Pilot narrowly avoids ‘midair collision’ with US air force plane near Venezuela

14 December 2025 at 15:28

JetBlue pilot calls incident ‘outrageous’ and says US military refueling tanker didn’t have transponder turned on

A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a US air force refueling tanker on Friday, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.

“We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said, according to a recording of his conversation with air traffic control. “They passed directly in our flight path ... They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”

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© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Received before yesterday

Drone strike on UN facility in war-torn Sudan leaves six peacekeepers dead

13 December 2025 at 16:35

UN secretary general António Guterres says ‘unjustifiable’ attack on base in city of Kadugli ‘could be war crime’

A drone strike has hit a United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in war-torn Sudan, killing six peacekeepers, the UN secretary general António Guterres has said.

Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike on Saturday in the city of Kadugli in the central region of Kordofan. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

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© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

Two girls, 9 and 11, awarded $31.5m after sister’s California torture death

13 December 2025 at 09:52

Arabella McCormack, 11, died after being tortured and starved by adoptive family and police and church failed to intervene

A lawsuit over the death of an 11-year-old California girl who was allegedly tortured and starved by her adoptive family reached a settlement on Friday totaling $31.5m from the city and county of San Diego as well as other groups.

The suit was brought on behalf of the two younger sisters of Arabella McCormack, who died in August 2022. The girls were ages six and seven at the time. Their adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and McCormack’s parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy, child abuse and torture. They pleaded not guilty to all charges, and their criminal case is ongoing.

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© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

US scolds Rwanda for breaking peace deal as M23 rebels seize key Congo city

12 December 2025 at 21:58

Mike Waltz warns ‘spoilers’ will be held to account as rebel fighters escalate offensive in South Kivu province

The US has accused Rwanda of violating a US-brokered peace agreement by backing a deadly new rebel offensive in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned action will be taken against “spoilers”.

The remarks by the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, came as more than 400 civilians have been killed since the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels escalated their offensive in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province, according to officials who also say Rwandan special forces were in the strategic city of Uvira.

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© Photograph: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

© Photograph: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

© Photograph: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

Accused Charlie Kirk killer makes first in-person court appearance

11 December 2025 at 15:29

Utah judge weighs media access in prosecution of Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder

The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance on Thursday as his attorneys push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.

A Utah judge is weighing the public’s right to know details in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.

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© Photograph: Rick Egan/EPA

© Photograph: Rick Egan/EPA

© Photograph: Rick Egan/EPA

Whoa, baby: San Francisco woman gives birth in Waymo self-driving taxi

10 December 2025 at 15:33

Car company said team detected ‘unusual activity’ inside vehicle and called to check on rider and alert 911

Self-driving Waymo taxis have gone viral for negative reasons including the death of a beloved San Francisco bodega cat and pulling an illegal U-turn in front of police, who were unable to issue a ticket to a nonexistent driver.

But this week, the company behind the self-driving taxis is drawing attention to the happier news that a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo.

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© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Japan issues megaquake advisory in north after magnitude 7.5 earthquake

10 December 2025 at 00:12

Officials said probability of a magnitude 8 or larger quake was only about 1% but they have urged people to be prepared

Japan has issued a megaquake advisory after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

Damage from the quake was modest – 34 mostly mild injuries and some damage to roads and buildings.

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© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

Red Bull F1 adviser Helmut Marko retires after successful 20-year stint

9 December 2025 at 10:29
  • Austrian key to Vettel and Verstappen world title wins

  • ‘Now is the right moment,’ says influential 82-year-old

Red Bull’s influential auto racing adviser Helmut Marko is retiring from his role at the age of 82, ending a 20-year stint in which he helped Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen develop into four-time Formula One world champions.

Marko’s departure leaves Red Bull without the two main guiding personalities from their 2005 entry into F1 after the former team principal Christian Horner was ousted in July and replaced by Laurent Mekies.

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© Photograph: David Davies/PA

© Photograph: David Davies/PA

© Photograph: David Davies/PA

Justice department can release Ghislaine Maxwell court materials, judge says

9 December 2025 at 10:09

Records could be made public within 10 days under new Epstein Files Transparency Act

The justice department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex-trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime confidant of Jeffrey Epstein, a federal judge said on Tuesday.

Judge Paul A Engelmayer ruled after the justice department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from Maxwell and Epstein’s cases, along with investigative materials that could amount to hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased documents.

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© Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

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