The ex-husband and former in-laws of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi have appeared in court after being charged in connection with her murder. The accused include her ex-husband Alex Kwong, Kwong’s brother Anthony and their father Kwong Kau. Kwong’s mother, 63, has been charged with obstructing the case. They were all denied bail on Monday. The 28-year-old was reported missing on Tuesday – the grisly details of her murder have shocked Hong Kong. This story contains details some readers may find distressing. Choi’s head was found in a three-storey house in the rural Tai Po district on Sunday, days after her other body parts were found in the same location – roughly 27km (17 miles) from where she was last seen in Kowloon City on Tuesday. A meat slicer and an electric saw were also found at the scene. Hong Kong police told media they believe Choi and her former in-laws had many financial disputes involving “huge sums”.(BBC)…[+]

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian villages in the northern occupied West Bank, after two settlers were shot dead by a Palestinian gunman. One Palestinian man was killed and more than 100 others were injured in the overnight violence near Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said. Dozens of cars and houses were also burnt, according to a local official. It followed the killings of the two Israelis – brothers from a nearby settlement – along a highway. The Israeli military said it was continuing to search for the Palestinian who shot Hillel Yaniv, 22, and Yagel Yaniv, 20, and that it had moved in extra troops. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials had pledged to de-escalate tensions at a summit in Jordan. Videos posted hours after the summit ended showed a large crowd of Israeli settlers entering the village of Hawara, about 4 miles (6km) south of Nablus, lighting fires and throwing stones.(BBC)…[+]

Exiled Belarusian opposition figures say a Russian military plane has been damaged in a drone attack near the capital, Minsk. Aliksandr Azarov, leader of Belarusian anti-government organisation BYPOL, claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram. The Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft was struck by multiple blasts near the Machulishchy airbase. It comes amid increased cooperation between Minsk and Moscow.  The strikes damaged front and central parts of the aircraft as well as its radar and antenna, BYPOL said on Telegram. “These were drones. The participants of the operation are Belarusian”, Mr Azarov said. Speaking to the BBC, Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader, said the attack was “creative” and “sophisticated”. It was very brave because Belarusians are in a situation of the total terror”, he told BBC News.(BBC)…[+]

A Nigerian politician has been arrested for alleged money laundering after being caught with $498,100 (£414,000) in cash a day before general elections. The piles of US dollars were found by police inside Chinyere Igwe’s car. Mr Igwe, an opposition PDP member of the House of Representatives, was also caught with a list of people to give the money to, police say. In previous elections, politicians have been accused of rigging polls through vote buying. Nigeria has recently issued new banknotes, partly in order to make it harder for politicians to amass large sums of money in order to bribe voters. However, not enough of the new notes are in circulation, leading to widespread anger and frustration. People have been queuing for hours outside banks in order to get cash, often without success, while some have attacked banks. Some 40% of Nigerians do not have bank accounts and so rely on cash to buy food, and for other everyday uses.(BBC)…[+]

Parts of usually balmy southern California are under their first blizzard warning since 1989. The winter storm that started rolling into the Golden State on Thursday will start to intensify on Friday. A massive storm has already brought major blizzards and temperatures below freezing to much of the northern US. The cold snap comes as parts of the US southeast basked in a record-breaking heat wave. Forecasters are predicting record snowfall of up to 8ft (2.4m) in mountains to the east of Los Angeles by Saturday. The mountains are expected to experience powerful winds of 60-75mph (96-120 km/h) while coastal areas may experience flooding. The icy weather front stretches along the entire US West Coast, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. The winter storm warning is in effect for the coastal Ventura County mountains and Los Angeles County mountains from early Friday until Saturday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. (BBC)…[+]

Kenyan authorities were wrong to ban the gay community from registering a rights organisation, the country’s Supreme Court has ruled. Yet at the same time it stressed that gay sex remains illegal. The judges ruled three-to-two that the country’s NGO board was wrong to stop the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) from registering in 2013. As Kenya’s highest court, the Supreme Court’s ruling cannot be overturned. In their judgment, the judges ruled that “it would be unconstitutional to limit the right to associate, through denial of registration of an association, purely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the applicants”. Nevertheless, the ruling is bitter-sweet for Kenya’s gay community. Laws which were introduced under British colonial rule mean that it is criminal to have sex that “is against the order of nature”, which can result in up to 14 years in prison. In May 2019, Kenya’s high court rejected an attempt to overturn these laws.(BBC)…[+]

Widespread disruption is expected as a fierce winter storm begins to make its way through several US states. Blizzard conditions across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin have forced many schools and businesses to close. Wind gusts potentially reaching 50mph (80kph) and a wind chill as low as -50F (-45C) in some parts are predicted. While about 75 million people in 29 states are under winter weather alerts, parts of the eastern US are forecast to experience record high temperatures. In northern states, forecasts of up to two feet (0.6m) of snow in some parts could mean areas endure their biggest snowfalls for 30 years. Minnesota’s governor Tim Walz said the National Guard will be available to help motorists who become stuck in the blizzard conditions there. The Utah Department of Transport issued a warning to morning commuters: “This is a reminder to stay home and limit travel if possible.” Forecasters said the storm system could produce an icy band across 1,300m (2092km) from Nebraska to New Hampshire.(BBC)…[+]

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly dismissed claims they were planning to sue the creators of cartoon comedy South Park. An episode titled The Worldwide Privacy Tour features two characters who bear a resemblance to Harry and Meghan, embarking on a tour across the world demanding their privacy. The couple’s spokesperson told People: “It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports.” The 22-minute episode aired last week. Centred around a red-headed character and his wife who relocate to South Park, Colorado, the “Prince of Canada” is seen promoting his book around the world. Stan Marsh, one of the show’s main characters, refers to the fictional couple as the “dumb prince and his stupid wife”.(BBC)…[+]

A high school student has stabbed a Spanish teacher to death in a school in the French town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. French government spokesperson Olivier Véran confirmed Wednesday’s attack and said the perpetrator was 16 years old. Police attended Saint-Thomas d’Aquin school with the local prosecutor, where the student was arrested. French newspaper Sud Ouest said the attacker entered the classroom while the Spanish teacher was giving a class and attacked her. The teacher was in her fifties and died of cardiac arrest after emergency services arrived at the school, local media reported. French TV station BFM said the attacker locked the classroom door and stabbed the teacher in her chest. France’s Education Minister, Pap Ndiaye said in a tweet that his thoughts were with the teacher’s “family, colleagues and pupils”.(BBC)…[+]

A United Nations torture monitoring agency has cancelled a visit to Australia because two states won’t give them free access to detention centres. The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) had been due to visit in October but suspended it after New South Wales and Queensland refused entry to some facilities.

It has now said not enough progress has been made to allow full access. The Australian government has expressed disappointment at the cancellation. The SPT, which is made up of independent human rights experts, was supposed to check Australia’s adherence to a protocol aimed at preventing torture and degrading treatment. The country’s involvement in this was approved by the federal government in 2017 and allows SPT members to visit prisons, police stations and other detention centres unannounced. But SPT Chairperson Suzanne Jabbour has said that despite Australia’s co-operation, there was no alternative but to “terminate the visit as the issue of unrestricted access to all places of deprivation of liberty in two states has not yet been resolved”. The SPT added that it “could not ascertain that it would be able to resume its visit in a reasonable timeframe”.(BBC)…[+]