Two people have been detained after a UK cargo ship collided with a Danish boat in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast, killing at least one person. Prosecutors are investigating allegations of gross negligence and gross drunkenness at sea involving the UK-flagged Scot Carrier. Two crew members on the Scot Carrier were found to be over the limit. Rescue teams searched for hours by sea and air after the much smaller Danish boat, Karin Hoej, capsized. One of Karin Hoej’s crew remains missing. Officials said a British and a Croatian citizen had been arrested. A distress call was made at about 03:30 local time (02:30 GMT) on Monday and a spokesman for the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) said screams had been heard from the water. “It is very cold and dark,” Jonas Franzen told the BBC. “The water is about 4C (39F) and the air is about 5C (41F).”(BBC)…[+]

A two-month old girl has become the youngest victim of the devastating tornadoes that swept through the US state of Kentucky, her parents say. Oaklynn Charleigh Koon was taken to hospital after storms destroyed the house where her family were sheltering in Dawson Springs. Her parents, Douglas and Jackie, said she suffered several seizures and was later placed on life support. They said their hearts were “absolutely shattered” before confirming her death. “At least I know who will be watching over you up there for me. My dad. God this doesn’t seem real,” Mr Koon wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. The post included a photo of his daughter’s hand resting in his.(BBC)…[+]

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment after testing positive for Covid-19, his office says. In a statement, it says the 69-year-old has mild symptoms and is isolating in Cape Town. South Africa has seen a surge of infections since the new Omicron variant was first detected in November. Despite Omicron being highly transmissible than previous strains, including Delta, risk of severe disease and death is low, a study has found. South Africa’s presidency says Mr Ramaphosa tested positive on Sunday, and has already delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza “for the next week”. The statement says the president started feeling unwell after attending the funeral of former President FW de Klerk early on Sunday. It ads that Mr Ramaphosa is in “good spirits” – but is being monitored by doctors.(BBC)…[+]

Naftali Bennett has become the first Israeli leader to visit the United Arab Emirates, as he attempts to deepen ties at a time of rising tensions over Iran. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the UAE’s de facto leader, held talks with Mr Bennett a year after their countries normalised relations. Israel’s prime minister said he wanted to boost economic and commercial ties.  He was also expected to urge the UAE to take a tougher stance in response to Iran’s expanding nuclear programme. The UAE shares Israel’s concerns about the potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran, but it is also trying to establish better relations with Tehran. The UAE became only the third Arab state to fully recognise Israel last year as part of the so-called Abraham Accords brokered by the US.(BBC)…[+]

Two people are feared to have died after two cargo ships collided in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast early on Monday, causing one to overturn. Prosecutors have begun an inquiry into alleged gross negligence at sea involving the UK-flagged Scot Carrier. The coastguard was also investigating suspected drunkenness on board. Rescue boats and helicopters have so far failed to locate the pair who were on board the capsized boat, the Danish-registered Karin Hoej. A spokesman for the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) said screams had been heard from the water after the collision in the early hours of Monday.  “It is very cold and dark,” Jonas Franzen told the BBC. “The water is about 4C (39F) and the air is about 5C (41F).” The incident occurred in an area of the Baltic Sea between the southern Swedish coastal town of Ystad and the Danish island of Bornholm, he said. Johan Nilsson, in charge of the rescue operation, told Swedish media the hull of the Swedish boat had signs of being completely run over.(BBC)…[+]

Ghana is demanding that all adult travellers arriving in the country provide proof of full vaccination, effective from midnight 12 December. Ghanaian citizens and residents abroad are exempt for up to two weeks, but will be required to get jabbed upon landing at the airport. The authorities say they are concerned about a surge of infections over the festive period. These measure appear to be some of the strictest in the world. Many other countries have avoided an outright blanket ban on unvaccinated arrivals, such as members of the European Union and the United States. Unvaccinated travellers are often given the option of self-isolating on arrival.  Ghana’s land and sea borders have been closed to passenger traffic since restrictions were first introduced at the start of the pandemic.(BBC)…[+]

A British man in Singapore who was attacked by otters has said he thought the animals were going to kill him. Graham George Spencer said he suffered more than 20 wounds after he was bitten in the city-state’s Botanic Gardens. A representative from the park told Mr Spencer they were investigating. While it isn’t the first otter biting episode in Singapore, local enthusiasts told the BBC the family which bit Mr Spencer aren’t usually aggressive.

Mr Spencer, who lives in Singapore and is reportedly in his sixties, said he was walking with a friend on 30 November when he saw about 20 otters – some with pups – in front of him. He believes the animals were provoked by a runner, who may not have spotted them as it was still early morning.(BBC)…[+]

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited from the UK to the US, the High Court has ruled. The US won its appeal against a January UK court ruling that he could not be extradited due to concerns over his mental health. Judges were reassured by US promises to reduce the risk of suicide. His fiancee said they intended to appeal. Mr Assange is wanted in the US over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011. Senior judges found the lower judge had based her decision in January on the risk of Mr Assange being held in highly restrictive prison conditions if extradited. However, the US authorities later gave assurances that he would not face those strictest measures unless he committed an act in the future that merited them.(BBC)…[+]

US officials believe the discovery of human remains in a car at the bottom of an Alabama creek has solved the mystery of a student who went missing 45 years ago. In 1976, Kyle Wade Clinkscales left LaGrange, Georgia, to drive back to Auburn in Alabama, but never arrived. The disappearance of the 22-year-old and his 1974 Pinto has never been solved. But on Tuesday a member of the public spotted the car submerged in the creek.

After pulling the vehicle out, investigators confirmed that the car belonged to Clinkscales. They found what appeared to be human bones along with identification and credit cards belonging to the missing man, Troup County Sheriff James Woodruff told a news conference. “For 45 years, we’ve looked for this young man and looked for this car,” he said. “We’ve drained lakes, and we’ve looked here and looked there and ran this theory down and that theory down and, it’s always turned out nothing.” Tests are now under way to confirm that the remains belong to Clinkscales. Police had previously stated that they believed the student had been killed.(BBC)…[+]

More than 40 camels have been disqualified from Saudi Arabia’s beauty pageant for receiving Botox injections and other cosmetic enhancements. The contest is a highlight of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, where $66m (£45m) in prize money is at stake. Key attributes include long, droopy lips, a big nose and a shapely hump. Judges used “advanced” technology to uncover tampering with camels on a scale not seen before, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. All contestants were first led into a hall where their external appearance and movements were examined by specialists, it said. Their heads, necks and torsos were then scanned with X-ray and 3D ultrasound machines, and samples taken for genetic analysis and other tests.(BBC)…[+]