BRITISH police on Monday (25) said a man had been arrested on suspicion of murder after three women and a man were found dead at a property in south London.
Officers forced entry to a residential address in the Southwark area of the capital after reports of a disturbance at about 1:40 am.
"Inside, they found four people suffering what are believed to be stab injuries," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
"Despite the efforts of emergency services, all four people – three women and a man - were pronounced dead at the scene."
Post-mortem examinations will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The man arrested was taken into custody at a south London police station.
Detectives said it was believed all five people were known to one another.
(AFP)
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Daljit Nagra departs as chair of Royal Society of Literature
Jan 09, 2025
THE Royal Society of Literature (RSL) has announced the departure of Daljit Nagra, a well-known British Indian poet, as its chair at the conclusion of his four-year term.
Amid some frenzied UK media speculation over the leadership of the 204-year-old home for Britain’s literary talent, the charity also confirmed that its director will be stepping down at the end March. It comes in the wake of rows over freedom of speech and accusations that the RSL had failed to speak out in favour of some writers.
“The RSL has made remarkable strides in the past four years with our increased outreach projects, many new prizes, extensive events programme and a significantly improved engagement with the public,” Nagra said in a statement.
“I am proud to have overseen the first ever governance review in our 204-year history – this achievement will improve governance and increase transparency for the future. I look forward to watching the RSL continue to grow and prosper,” he said.
The RSL said Nagra will share the results of its first-ever governance review at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on January 15 to its Fellowship of writers before elections are held for his role and additional vacancies on the RSL’s Council.
“I am hugely proud of all that I have achieved in my time at the RSL, working for and with brilliant writers across the Fellowship,” said Molly Rosenberg, who will step down as RSL director on March 31.
“I am especially proud of all that has been achieved through the efforts of Council over the years of my tenure, and am grateful for the dedication and imagination of Trustees as well as the incredibly hard-working RSL executive team,” she said.
The RSL credited Rosenberg for overseeing a number of ground-breaking initiatives, including the RSL’s ‘40 Under 40’ initiative which introduced a new generation of writers to the Society’s Fellowship.
“I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Molly and Daljit for their immense contribution to the Society over many years. I wish them well with their new ventures,” said Booker Prize winning author Bernardine Evaristo, RSL president.
In February last year, the RSL referred itself to the Charity Commission following complaints and a governance review by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations was also commissioned.
Following freedom of speech concerns Evaristo wrote in a ‘Guardian’ article in defence of the RSL: “Finally, to the matter of ‘freedom of speech’. There’s no question that the current leadership believe in this. However, the society has a remit to be a voice for literature, not to present itself as “the voice” of its 700 fellows, surely a dangerous and untenable concept. It cannot take sides in writers’ controversies and issues, but must remain impartial… Accusations of censorship and cancellation are unfounded.”
In reaction, Booker Prize-winner Salman Rushdie was among those questioning the RSL not taking a vocal stance in the wake of his stabbing on stage in the US in August 2022.
“Just wondering if the Royal Society of Literature is ‘impartial’ about attempted murder,” he posted on X last year.
As a historic charity, the RSL represents the voice of literature in the UK with “Fellows” elected from among the best working writers in any genre. Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers.
(PTI)
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Celebrities evacuate as Los Angeles wildfires destroy homes
Jan 09, 2025
CELEBRITIES including actors, musicians, and other public figures were among tens of thousands affected by deadly wildfires in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The entertainment industry has largely paused, with events such as a major awards show and a Pamela Anderson film premiere cancelled as firefighters combat flames driven by hurricane-force winds.
The fires have destroyed hundreds of homes in Pacific Palisades, a high-profile area known for its multimillion-dollar residences. Additional fires have erupted across northern parts of the city.
Mandy Moore, known for her work as a singer and actress on This Is Us, shared on Instagram that she had evacuated with her children and pets from her Altadena neighbourhood, which she described as "levelled."
Posting footage of the destruction, she wrote: "My sweet home. I am devastated and gutted for those of us who've lost so much. I'm absolutely numb."
Actor James Woods posted a video on X showing flames nearing his Pacific Palisades home, saying he was preparing to evacuate. "I couldn't believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one," Woods said.
Mark Hamill, best known for his role in Star Wars, also evacuated his Malibu home with his wife and dog. He described his escape on Instagram, showing roads surrounded by active fires.
Billy Crystal, an Emmy-winning actor, confirmed that his Pacific Palisades home of 46 years was destroyed.
In a statement to People magazine, he said: "Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love."
Jamie Lee Curtis shared on Instagram that she was forced to evacuate. Although her home remained intact, she noted: "Our beloved neighbourhood is gone. So many others have lost everything."
Due to the fires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences postponed the Oscar nominations announcement until 19 January, allowing affected members more time to cast their votes.
The annual Critics Choice Awards, initially scheduled for Sunday, has been moved to 26 January. Pamela Anderson's premiere for The Last Showgirl and a Paramount screening of the Robbie Williams musical Better Man were cancelled. Netflix also postponed a press conference for its Golden Globe-winning project Emilia Perez.
In addition, filming of several Los Angeles-based productions, including Grey's Anatomy, Hacks, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, has been paused. Universal Studios theme park closed for the day due to extreme weather and fire conditions.
Actor Steve Guttenberg, known for Police Academy, was among those helping residents evacuate from Pacific Palisades on Tuesday.
Speaking on live television, Guttenberg expressed concern over abandoned cars blocking roads needed by emergency vehicles. "If you leave your car... leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there," he said.
Reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, from MTV's The Hills, also lost their home to the fires. Pratt wrote on Snapchat: "I'm watching our house burn down on the security cameras."
(With inputs from AFP)
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Six dead in stampede at India's Tirupati temple
Jan 09, 2025
AT LEAST six people have died and 35 were injured in a stampede near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, authorities said on Thursday.
The incident occurred as thousands of devotees rushed to secure free passes to visit the temple, popularly known as Tirupati.
The period from Friday to 19 January is considered auspicious for visiting the deity at the nearly 2,000-year-old temple.
The stampede happened on Wednesday evening as people gathered outside a school where state authorities had set up counters to issue tickets from Thursday.
"The stampede took place when the gate was opened," said S Venkateswar, the district collector. "About 2,500 people pushed through the gate... a few fell."
Authorities are investigating the reasons behind the stampede. Tickets for the temple, usually priced at 300 rupees (£2.84), are typically sold online.
Video footage shared by ANI shows police struggling to manage the large crowd as people jostled for passes.
Venkateswar added that about a dozen of the 35 injured people taken to hospital remain under treatment.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which operates the temple, apologised for the incident and promised action against those responsible.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X, saying, "My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones."
(With inputs from agencies)
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Sanctions to target people smugglers under new plan
Jan 09, 2025
THE GOVERNMENT has announced plans to impose economic sanctions on people smugglers in an effort to curb migrant crossings in small boats over the Channel.
The proposed measures, described as the world’s first “standalone sanctions regime” targeting people smugglers, aim to address the issue by sanctioning individuals and groups facilitating these dangerous journeys.
Foreign secretary David Lammy is expected to formally introduce the new policy on Thursday.
The move comes as the government faces mounting pressure to reduce the number of migrants arriving via small boats from France.
Last year, 36,816 people were detected making the crossing, a 25 per cent increase from 2023 and the second-highest annual total on record.
The small boat crossings, which began on a larger scale in 2018, involve overloaded and unsafe inflatable vessels attempting to traverse one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Illegal immigration was a significant issue in last July's general election, where Labour came to power. It also boosted support for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party.
Since taking office, prime minister Keir Starmer has reversed plans by Conservative predecessors to deport some migrants to Rwanda. Instead, he has pledged to dismantle the networks facilitating illegal crossings.
The sanctions regime, which will require parliamentary approval and is expected to take effect within a year, will focus on disrupting organised immigration networks.
According to the foreign ministry, sanctions experts will work with law enforcement and the interior ministry to cut off financial flows enabling these operations.
Existing sanctions, such as those imposed on Russian officials over the war in Ukraine, include asset freezes and travel bans. Similar measures are expected under the new regime targeting smugglers.
“We must dismantle the crime gangs facilitating breaches of our borders,” Starmer said in a statement ahead of Lammy’s speech. He added that the government would target "illicit finance rings allowing smugglers to traffic vulnerable people across Europe" to secure Britain’s borders.
Starmer also emphasised the importance of innovative policymaking, saying the government would “leave no stone unturned” in its efforts to save lives and protect borders.
(With inputs from AFP)
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China’s mega dam sparks growing concerns in India
Jan 09, 2025
CHINA on Monday (6) reiterated its plan to build the world’s biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border. This follows New Delhi’s concerns raised last Friday (3), stating that it will “monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests.”
The project, estimated to cost around $137 billion (£109.4bn), is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently.
If built, the dam would dwarf the record-breaking Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central China – with potentially serious impact for millions of people downstream in India and Bangladesh.
The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.
A report from China’s official Xinhua news agency last month announced the project on the river, linking it to Beijing’s carbon neutrality targets and economic goals in the Tibet region.
China “has been urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas”, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said last Friday.
Jaiswal told reporters that New Delhi “will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests”. India has established rights to river waters and “consistently expressed... our views and concerns... over mega projects on rivers in their (Chinese) territory,” he added.
“These have been reiterated along with the need for transparency and consultations with the downstream countries following the latest report.”
China’s foreign ministry last month said Beijing “has always maintained a responsible attitude towards the development of cross-border rivers”, and said the hydropower project “is aimed at speeding up the development of clean energy and addressing climate change”.
“It won’t have negative effects downstream”, it said, adding that they “will also maintain communication with riparian countries”.
Besides downstream concerns, in the past environmentalists have also warned about irreversible impact of such mega projects in the ecologically sensitive Tibetan plateau. The Chinese foreign ministry’s new spokesman, Guo Jiakun, told reporters on Monday, “On the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China has made its position clear. Let me reiterate that the decision to build the project was made after rigorous scientific evaluation and the project will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, geological conditions and the rights and interests related to water resources of downstream countries.
“Rather, it will, to some extent, help with their disaster prevention and reduction and climate response.”
Relations between India and China, that were strained after a deadly military clash on their disputed border in 2020, have been on the mend since they reached an agreement in October to pull back troops from their last two stand-off points in the western Himalayas.
The two armies have stepped back following the agreement and senior officials held formal talks for the first time in five years last month where they agreed to take small steps to improve relations.
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