White House construction played part in Trump helicopter incident, safety officials say

• El Niño-driven drought conditions in Djibouti have left 256,000 people—approximately 25% of the population—acutely food insecure through December. • Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address the crisis.

• A top UN official addressed the Security Council on Thursday regarding Syria's ongoing transition and rebuilding efforts following more than a decade of war. • Key developments mentioned include the recent dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the United States' decision to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Brazil failed to prove compliance with EU rules on use of antibiotics in cattle and poultry farmingThe UK’s leading farming organisations and animal health experts have called for an urgent ban on imports of Brazilian meat, in light of concerns over the safety of imports.The National Farmers’ Union in England and its sister organisations in the devolved administrations wrote to the government on Friday warning that public health was at risk. Continue reading...

Government says Green leader’s proposed moratorium on ‘energy-guzzling’ AI projects would be disaster for economyLabour has rejected calls to pause construction of major AI infrastructure in Britain after the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, said it was time to “slam the brakes on these energy-guzzling, water-guzzling datacentres”.The government hit back at the opposition party’s proposal of a “moratorium other than [for] local-scale datacentres for the local community”, saying it “would be a disaster for jobs and national security”. Continue reading...

Federation says it fears death toll of more than 540 will continue to rise as rescuers reach cut-off areasNepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updatesVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?The Red Cross has said at least 93,000 people may have been affected by Wednesday’s flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border, which have killed more than 540 people, left another 1,500 missing, and triggered a huge rescue operation that is being hampered by fears of new flooding.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, said it feared the death toll would continue to rise as some of the hardest-hit areas remained inaccessible after roads and bridges were destroyed by the torrents. Continue reading...

The brother of former premier questioned over what, if anything, was done in return for $2m from developer turned fugitive Jean NassifGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFinally, we are hearing from one of the central characters, Charles Perrottet, in a saga that has occupied the Independent Commission against Corruption (Icac) for nearly four years.It began with the dismissal of the Hills Shire council and a late night 2022 speech in NSW parliament alleging secret payments from a developer. It pirouetted to a pressure campaign allegedly to remove the then NSW building commissioner, and ended with real world impacts: defective high-rise buildings and thousands of unhappy homebuyers, with the developer nowhere to be seen. Continue reading...

Critics say painting looks more like a zombie but artist Chris Ashmore says ‘touch-ups’ are still to happenA street artist has defended his mural of snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan in Sheffield after critics suggested the world champion looks like a zombie.Chris Ashmore was commissioned to produce the artwork featuring the seven-time world champion for the back wall of the Spot On Snooker Club, the BBC reported. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM also warns his ministers against trying to influence vote when bill returns to Commons next monthAndy Burnham has told Labour MPs that he will not cast a vote when the assisted dying bill returns to the Commons next month to avoid influencing the debate.While the move was welcomed by supporters of the measure, No 10 officials say the prime minister has no wish to affect the process in either direction, and is just doing what he thinks is best to allow MPs to reach their own collective view. Continue reading...

Police hunt two suspects after historic 200-carat piece is snatched from museum during opening hoursAustrian police are hunting two men alleged to have stolen a 200-carat platinum necklace encrusted with 673 diamonds that was on loan to a Vienna museum and once belonged to Egyptian royalty.Authorities in the capital released pictures of the suspects captured by security cameras during the heist at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), amid a rash of spectacular smash-and-grab thefts from European cultural institutions. Continue reading...

Scale of devastation emerges in Nepal as reporters reach disaster area, but Chinese state media focus more on rescue effortsNepal-Tibet flash flood – latest updatesIn the days since an enormous glacier in the Himalayas snapped away from a mountaintop and cascaded into the valley below, the true scale of the devastation caused by the flash floods in Nepal and Tibet is still unfolding.But the picture is unfolding far more quickly in Nepal than in China, where strict controls on the flow of information from one of its most sensitive regions are hampering the public’s understanding of events. Continue reading...

X2 ride at Magic Mountain has been closed for a month after one rider experienced brain compression and another remains in comaAn infamous Six Flags Magic Mountain rollercoaster, long favored by intrepid theme park goers, has been closed for more than a month after two people say they experienced brain injuries after riding it, according to a new CNN investigation.The X2 rollercoaster can send riders plummeting and twisting hundreds of feet, reaching up to 76mph (about 122km/h), as the seats rotate 360 degrees. On the southern California theme park’s website, it’s advertised as a rite of passage for daredevils. Continue reading...