Top World News

Dec 2, 2025 - World

Ashley Jenkinson, who died in the crash on 2 January 2023, was seen inhaling a white powder at a New Year’s Eve party Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA helicopter pilot involved in one of Australia’s worst air disasters had a mental “breakdown” and used cocaine the day before making tourist joy flights, a coroner has heard.Ashley Jenkinson, 40, was among four people who died when his Sea World chopper collided midair with another outside the Gold Coast theme park on 2 January 2023. Continue reading...

Dec 2, 2025 - World

Hancock says facility is ‘modern necessity’ but opponents argue the noise would disrupt local businesses Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGina Rinehart’s company has claimed helicopter pads are a necessity of modern business as it fights to install one at its new headquarters in West Perth.The City of Perth on Tuesday recommended councillors block the request from Hancock Iron Ore to install a helipad as it redevelops its offices. Continue reading...

Dec 2, 2025 - World

Official report says forces in England and Wales yet to implement policies for investigationA quarter of police forces in England and Wales are yet to implement “basic policies for investigating sexual offences”, an official report has found, with women still being failed despite promises of change after the murder of Sarah Everard four years ago.The report by Dame Elish Angiolini follows an inquiry set up after Everard was murdered by a serving police officer, Wayne Couzens, in March 2021. She was abducted off a London street while walking home. Continue reading...

Dec 2, 2025 - World

Hundreds of police, rangers and military personnel deployed to tackle virus threatening pork export industrySpanish authorities have deployed hundreds of police officers, wildlife rangers and military personnel in an effort to contain an outbreak of highly infectious African swine fever (ASF) outside Barcelona before it becomes a major threat to the country’s €8.8bn-a-year pork export industry.Officials believe the virus, detected in the municipality of Bellaterra, may have begun to circulate after a wild boar ate contaminated food that had been brought in from outside Spain. Continue reading...

Dec 2, 2025 - World

Steve Witkoff is due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Plus, a new book highlights the forgotten builders of the Empire State BuildingDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has said she fears talks between the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will pile pressure on Ukraine to make concessions.What did Kallas say? “I am afraid that all the pressure will be put on the victim,” she said. “In order to have peace, we shouldn’t lose focus that it’s actually Russia who has started this war [and is] targeting civilians”.What’s happening today? Witkoff is meeting Putin in Moscow. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, continues his diplomatic push to rally support from European allies, visiting Ireland today after France on Monday.This is a developing story. Follow our live blog here.What did Maduro say? He reportedly refused to step down immediately and allegedly made a series of counter-demands, including worldwide immunity from prosecution and being allowed to cede political control but keep control of the armed forces.What is the context? The US has undertaken three months of deadly airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats that have killed at least 83 people – attacks the UN and other humanitarian organisations have described as extrajudicial executions. The US accuses Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking.Is Venezuela a major drug-trafficking route to the US? No. A 2020 report by the US Drug Enforcement Administration estimated 74% of the cocaine reaching the US had arrived via the Pacific, and only 8% on fast boats from the Caribbean islands. Continue reading...