World News Now

German New Year's Eve organisers designate 'safe area' A designated 'safety area' for women at Berlin's annual open-air New Year's Eve party has been criticised by a German police union boss, who says it implies that women are no longer safe from assault elsewhere. The comments come amid an ongoing debate in Germany about how to tackle an increase in sexual assaults. Rainer Wendt, who heads the right-leaning DpolG union, said that establishing a safe zone sends a 'devastating message'. 'By doing so one is saying there are safe zones and unsafe zones. [For women that could result in] the end of equality, freedom of movement and self-determination,' he told the the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung daily in an interview published Saturday. Wendt said the move appeared to ignore the 'political dimension' in Germany, two years after hundreds of women reported being assaulted or robbed during New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne.  The numbe...

Boat explodes at NYE Terrigal fireworks display A boat loaded with fireworks has exploded in front of shocked onlookers, forcing the many families watching on a beach just metres away to evacuate. Thousands had packed the foreshore at Terrigal, on the NSW central coast, to watch the 9pm spectacular when the boat suddenly caught alight. Two fireworks technicians on the boat were forced to jump into the water and swim for their lives as the fireworks began to explode. Shocking video taken by an onlooker caught the moment a large bang erupted from the boat, drawing scared screams from the crowd and forcing people to evacuate. Fireworks began exploding at random, with some even shooting out in the direction of the beach and coming perilously close to those gathered. Within seconds of the display starting the boat was covered in smoke as fireworks began firing out at random. Witnesses reported some fireworks shooting horizontally across the water towards those who had gather...

Psychic predicts Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't last An Australian psychic has predicted how 2018 will unfold for the royal family, and the news isn't promising for one particular couple. Kerrie Erwin appeared on Sunrise on Sunday to reveal whether Prince Harry, 33, and his fiancée Meghan Markle, 36, would last and also claimed to know the gender of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's third child. And while it's happy news for one couple, Kerrie claims the other, is headed for a split months ahead of their highly anticipated wedding. When asked how Meghan and Harry will fare once they settle into royal life together, Kerrie claimed there would be a struggle. 'I do get [feelings of] a pregnancy for her next year. But actually I don't think it's going to last,' she said. 'I'd probably give it five years. I feel there is a lot of personal things going on between them because they're two very strong individuals. Sh...

Horses evacuated from Liverpool Arena after car park fire Former footballer Mark Wright's family were caught up in a fire that broke out in a multi-storey car park next to Liverpool's Echo Arena. Up to 80 horses were evacuated and an evening session of the Liverpool International Horse Show was cancelled as firefighters tackle vehicles ablaze in the car park. Flames engulfed a number of vehicles next to the venue on Liverpool's waterfront on Sunday evening, with a total of 12 fire engines called to the building at King's Dock.  A spokeswoman for Mersey Fire and Rescue Service later confirmed there were no reports of any casualties and crews were still battling to get the blaze under control with 12 engines at the scene along with two aerial appliances. She said the blaze started on level three of the seven-storey car park, with multiple cars ablaze and it had affected that level and one above. There was no information on the numbers of vehicles damaged or ...

Auckland kicks off New Year celebrations to ring in 2018 Millions of people around the world are celebrating the start of the new year with elaborate fireworks displays. Auckland, in New Zealand, was the first major world city to kick off the party followed by Sydney where 1million people were thought to have watched the display over the city's harbour. A rainbow waterfall plunged off the Harbour Bridge to celebrate recently passed legislation legalizing gay marriage in Australia. Not to be outdone, Melbourne boasted that it had splashed out to ensure the city's own fireworks display would not be beaten by Sydney. Thousands of revellers took to the streets near Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, where an impressive fireworks display lit up the night sky. Dubai welcomed the New Year in at 20:00 GMT, although the UAE city opted for a world-record breaking lights show on the Burj Khalifa as opposed to fireworks due to 'security reasons'. A host of European citi...

Prince Harry tells his father that he 'picks his brains' Prince Charles today called Prince Harry his 'darling boy' after his son told him he 'picks his brains more now than ever' during a radio interview. The 33-year-old was guest editing Radio 4's Today programme and affectionately called his father 'pa' and thanked him for 'allowing' him to interview him for the show. And during the four-minute chat, the Prince of Wales said it was 'amazing' that he had been listening to him regarding climate change. The pair started talking about the planet and the 69-year-old joked that people are finally waking up to his 'dotty' opinions about the environment. When asked by his son to pick one issue to focus on, Charles said over the years there have been a 'whole lot' of things he has tried to focus on that he thought needed attention. He said: 'Not everyone else did, but maybe now some years later they are beginning to rea...

Instagram is rolling out 'Recommended' posts Instagram is rolling out recommended posts to users which suggest content you might be interested in based on other accounts you follow. The feature, first spotted in testing last month, has now gone live and is the first time the Facebook-owned company has offered recommended content in the home feed. The new section 'Recommended for You' contains three to five suggested posts and is rolling out on Android and iOS, reports suggest. This means users scrolling through the home page will no longer only see posts from accounts they already follow, writes Tech Crunch. Previously recommended content was in the Explore section and would not be pushed onto the home feed.  'When scrolling through Feed, you may see posts that are Recommended for You', the company said in a blog post. 'These posts are suggested based on posts liked by accounts you follow'. The section appears after users have viewed all their posts in ...

Did the Queen's speech prove that she watches The Crown The Queen's first ever televised Christmas message features in series two of Netflix series The Crown. And now, royal fans believe the 91-year-old monarch referenced the popular drama in her annual speech this year - suggesting that she really has watched the programme.  Follow this year's address, social media users questioned whether the Queen included a clip of her first televised broadcast because she'd seen actress Claire Foy re-create the historic moment on TV. One wrote 'Do you think the queen put that wee clip in cause she watched it on #thecrown'?  Another commented: 'Nice of the Queen to reference Claire Foy like that #TheCrown #QueensSpeech'.  At the start of this year's address, the Queen said: 'Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark....

Roy Moore sues over Alabama loss and demands new election Republican Roy Moore, who lost a U.S. Senate race in a shocker after being accused of child molestation and other forms of sexual misconduct, has filed a lawsuit to try to stop Alabama from certifying Democrat Doug Jones as the winner. The court filing came about 14 hours ahead of Thursday's meeting of a state canvassing board to officially declare Jones the winner of the Dec. 12 special election. Jones defeated Moore by about 20,000 votes. Moore's attorney wrote in the complaint filed late Wednesday that he believed there were irregularities during the election and said there should be a fraud investigation and eventually a new election. 'This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone,' Moore said in a statement released Wednesday announcing the complaint. 'We call on Secretary of State Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what...

Blac Chyna wears sheer red lingerie on Instagram Blac Chyna showed off her perky cleavage and incredible hourglass figure in a red see-through lingerie ensemble on her Instagram account on Wednesday. The 29-year-old reality star shared multiple snaps of herself inside her house while seductively posing for the camera. Chyna's sexy lace get-up hid her unmentionables while still able to show off her colorful tattoos through the lace.  The mother-of-two teamed her look with red pointed-toe heels and dazzling diamond jewelry. She kept her caramel locks down by her shoulders in tight curls, while finishing off her look with voluminous eyelashes and a nude pout. Blac Chyna -real name Angela White- also posed alongside a vase full of red and white roses that added to her romantic photo aesthetics.  Meanwhile, Blac Chyna is currently in a legal battle with the Kardashians. Her ex-boyfriend and father to her daughter, Rob Kardashian, along with sister Kim and mom Kris have decided to ...

Meghan Markle's sister hits back at Prince Harry's claim Meghan Markle's estranged sister has hit back at Prince Harry's claim that the royals are the family the actress 'never had'.    Harry told Radio 4 listeners his fiancee had a 'fantastic' Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, and that his family 'loved having' the 36-year-old Suits star. However, Miss Markle's half-sister Samantha has lashed out at the 33-year-old royal's comments and said loved ones 'always' supported her growing up but she was 'too busy' for them. Samantha, who is related to the actress through their father Thomas, fumed on Twitter: 'Actually she [Meghan] has a large family who were always there with her and for her. 'Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses.  'No one was estranged, she was just too busy. 'Meg's family (our family) is complete with sister, br...

Jan Moir is glued to Radio 4 as Prince Harry guest edits At the end of his stint guest- editing R4’s Today programme, Prince Harry was given two seconds to summarise the experience, to hone his ‘final message’ to the programme’s seven million listeners. What, in essence, was his meaningful missive, the emotional core of his ballast from the palace, his mission statement to the nation? There was a pause. ‘I dunno,’ said the prince finally, seconds before the pips signalled that he had run out of time. Beep, beep, beep. So how to summarise his royal contribution to the three-hour show? We now know Harry’s key issues, the things he is either ‘passionate’ or ‘genuinely passionate’ about are the military, the environment, mental health, charity and a buncha people he repeatedly refers to as ‘the younger generation’ or ‘the youth of today’, even though he is barely more than a shaver himself.  Indeed, it seems only five minutes ago that Harry was playing naked billiards in Vegas and mar...

Harry and Meghan 'leading planning process for wedding' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be surrounded by palace staff, but the planning for their wedding won’t be left to anyone but them, according to a report on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the young royal told PEOPLE on Wednesday that he and his American bride are ‘leading the planning process for all aspects’ of the May 19 nuptials. The wedding is set to take place at St. George’s Chapel, which is located on the grounds of Windsor Castle. So far, Markle, 36, has made a positive impression on palace courtiers, according to PEOPLE. ‘She is smart and well-liked,’ PEOPLE quotes one palace staffer as saying. Harry told the BBC’s Radio 4 on Wednesday that his fiancé enjoyed a ‘fantastic’ Christmas with her future in-laws. The prince said the royals are ‘the family she never had’. The family, in turn, is smitten with Markle, according to Harry, 33. They ‘loved having’ the actress over, the prince said. Harry was guest editing ...

Liverpool to sign Virgil van Dijk for £75m Liverpool have smashed the world record transfer fee for a defender by sensationally completing the £75million signing of Virgil van Dijk. He will officially become a Liverpool player on Monday, when the January transfer window opens. Van Dijk had a medical on the south coast on Wednesday, with Southampton's consent, after the two clubs agreed a fee. He has signed a contract worth more than £180,000 per week that will run until June 2023. Liverpool have landed a player who will be eligible for the Champions League in the second half of the season - he could even make his debut against Everton in the FA Cup third-round tie next Friday. Van Dijk has been assigned the No 4 shirt. The Holland defender's future had come under intense scrutiny after he was left out of Southampton's squad for their recent games against Tottenham and Huddersfield. He has been a target for most of the top clubs in the League, with the runaway...

Police probe illegal Boxing Day hunt claims across Britain Allegations of illegal Boxing Day hunts are being investigated by police, amid reports of a dead fox found by the side of the road and dogs running loose. North Wales Police said an investigation was launched after a dead fox was found near the A55 in Anglesey following reports of dogs on the loose, while officers in Cheshire said they were made aware of footage and reports of an illegal hunt in Allostock, near Knutsford. In Suffolk, officers renewed an appeal for witnesses after a disturbance broke out between members of the Great Thurlow Hunt and observers. North Wales Police were called to reports of six 'hunting' dogs running loose near the slip road in Gaerwen at about 1.55pm on Boxing Day. When officers were dispatched to recover the dogs, a dead fox was found in the immediate area. An investigation is under way to identify the owners of the dogs and the circumstances in which the fox died. Chief ...

Homelessness in Downtown LA exposed in dashcam footage Rubbish bags piled up by the pavements and littered across streets. Tents erected in clusters where people have camped down for the night. Dozens of directionless residents congregating by the roadside and wandering into the road. This is what Christmas Day looked like for thousands of homeless people in the dark and dingy underbelly of Downtown Los Angeles this year. The shocking footage - captured using a car dash camera - shows the brutal reality of life on the street for some 20,000 people in the notorious Skid Row district. Shot on 5th Street, 6th Street and San Pedro Street,  it is a stark glimpse into the day-to-day existence of some of the country's poorest citizens - including women and children. This area of LA's central business zone is considered to be one of the most dangerous places to live in the city. In Skid Row - one of the notorious homeless hotspots in the area - nine toilets are shared...

Rep in United flight fight has history of bad behavior Several decades worth of coverage of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee suggests she's behaved badly on planes – and on automobiles – before this week's incident. The latest airplane drama came this week when a United Airlines passenger said she was booted from her first class seat to accommodate the Texas Democrat, who shot back by saying the only reason the woman complained was because Jackson Lee is black. But previous reports show the House member, who was elected in 1994, has had a history of transportation drama, including berating flight attendants on first class flights and making her Congressional staff drive her one block, while waiting on her for hours and disrupting traffic. She's been documented calling her employees 'you stupid motherf***er,' while referring to herself as Congressional royalty.  'You don't understand. I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen,' she was quot...

Tiffany Trump and a friend enjoy a stroll at Mar a Lago Tiffany Trump is continuing to have some fun in the sun while enjoying her holiday vacation from law school at her father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The 24-year-old first daughter was seen walking the grounds of President Trump's luxurious home away from home with an unidentified friend on Wednesday afternoon. Tiffany, who finished her first semester of law school at Georgetown University this fall, has been kicking back with some much-needed downtime at her dad's estate. Tiffany was seen outside, walking with another woman near a helicopter bearing her last name. She wore white cut-off shorts and a red bikini top, with a button-down shirt hanging open over her chest. Tiffany appeared of be holding a frozen cocktail and had accessorized with a brown handbag an sunglasses. Her friend was also carrying a drink in her hand, and, like Tiffany, she was ready for the pool in a white swimsuit...

Tracey Cox reveals her 10 golden rules for good sex There’s sex. There’s good sex. And there’s spectacularly good sex. Which would you prefer with your partner? If it’s the latter, here are ten golden sex rules to guarantee that’s what you’ll get. Life’s short. Aim high! LAUGH IT OFF Sex is smelly, noisy, sweaty and unflattering. If you’ve never done anything in bed that’s caused you the slightest bit of embarrassment, you win the award for The World’s Most Boring Lover. The World’s Best has had semen in their eye, pubic hair up their nose, broken wind at the worst possible moment, looked down at their body and thought ‘Jesus! I really should have joined that gym’, tripped over because their knickers were around their ankles and felt stupendously ridiculous because they tried something new and it went horribly wrong. Your attitude is spot on, if you thought, Who cares!, when any or all of the above happened. You’re having sex, not performing live on You Tube (well...

Cristiano Ronaldo laughs off claims he should be in jail Cristiano Ronaldo has laughed off claims he should be in jail over tax fraud allegations by posting a picture of himself with his three youngest children on Instagram and insisting 'I'm a prisoner of these babies.' Reports in Spain today claimed that a Spanish Tax Agency boss had argued in court earlier this month that the Real Madrid striker should be behind bars while an investigating judge decides whether he should face prosecution for defrauding the public purse out of more than £13 million. Respected Spanish daily El Mundo said Caridad Gomez Mourelo, head of the Spanish Tax Agency's fiscal crime unit, told the Madrid court probing Cristiano: 'We have people in prison for not paying £110,000.'  She made the claim during a private hearing on December 7 to the judge leading the criminal probe sparked by the Spanish Tax Agency complaint against Ronaldo. Early this afternoon, the footballer p...

Plummeting temperatures could cause 'mini ice age' in 2030 In a little over a decade the world could be plunged into a 'mini ice age', scientists have warned. Temperatures will start dropping in 2021, according to a mathematical model of the Sun's magnetic energy. This, they say, will lead to a phenomenon known as the 'Maunder minimum' - which has previously been known as a mini ice age when it hit between 1646 and 1715, even causing London's River Thames to freeze over. The study says that between 2020 and 2030 solar cycles will cancel each other out. The model of the Sun's solar cycle is producing unprecedentedly accurate predictions of irregularities within the Sun's 11-year heartbeat. It draws on dynamo effects in two layers of the Sun, one close to the surface and one deep within its convection zone.  Researchers, led by maths professor Valentina Zharkova at Northumbria University, built up on previous research that predicts ...

Queen's Speech nation's most watched Christmas TV show She is the ruler of Great Britain and now her majesty is also the Queen of Christmas TV after her annual address was crowned the nation's most-watched show. The Queen's Christmas Day message drew a combined audience of 7.6 million, across BBC1, ITV and Sky, making it the most popular programme and pipping madcap comedy Mrs Brown's Boys. The Queen's broadcast on BBC1 attracted 5.9 million, as well as 1.6 million on ITV and around 175,000 on Sky (excluding plus-one channels). It beat the BBC's Mrs Brown's Boys which drew in 6.8million viewers when it aired at 3.58pm yesterday. The Queen's Speech also beat out competition from EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing to become the most watched show of Christmas Day 2017. According to TV ratings, 6.5 million tuned in for Strictly's festive episode, a decrease from 2016 when an average audience of 7.2 million watched Len Goodman's f...

Whitehall fears Trump backlash over Obama wedding invite Top civil servants are afraid a wedding invite from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Barack Obama could jeopardise British and US relations. Prince Harry has a close relationship with the former US President who will appear on a special edition of Today tomorrow. The former Commander in Chief has been a strong supporter of Harry's Invictus Games initiative for wounded warriors. Whitehall mandarins fear that by inviting Mr Obama and his wife Michelle it could be seen as a snub to Donald Trump. President Trump has been highly critical of his predecessor and Government officials fear the thin-skinned billionaire might take offence if the Obamas receive a wedding invite and he does not. Already there have been threats of mass protests if President Trump visits the UK in February to officially open the new US Embassy. Prime Minister Theresa May received intense criticism over her visit to Washington in January wh...

Tesco slammed after turkeys 'tasted of acid' Tesco could face a food standards inquiry after customers claimed their Christmas Day was ruined by rotten turkeys. The Food Standards Agency last night pledged to look into complaints from furious Tesco shoppers who said their festive turkeys were 'rancid' and 'tasted like acid'.  Dozens of families said they were left without a meal to serve and that they had to order emergency takeaways after discovering their Tesco turkeys had gone off. Some customers abandoned their turkey dinners before even putting the birds in the oven because of the smell. Others say they didn't notice until they had started digging into their Christmas meal and complained that their turkey tasted like 'bleach' and'acid'. Angry customers took to Facebook and Twitter on Christmas Day to complain about turkeys, which cost up to £59 in the store's Finest range. picture of the turkey he bought 'only a f...

Meet the six year old with 700,000 Instagram followers Forget the stage or silver screen, nowadays savvy parents are turning their super cute offspring into social media stars, and the newest name on everyone's lips is Ben Hampton. The six-year-old from Fresno, California, already boasts 673,000 Instagram followers, and fans flock to his page to see his outfit-of-the-day posts and carefully composed captions. Launched in February 2016, Ben's account is the brainchild of his father Branden Hampton, a social media expert who has over 100,000 Instagram followers, and his wife Stephanie, who has a whopping 856,000 followers. The social media veterans were inspired to set up an account for Ben after they noticed photos of him posted to their own accounts were the ones getting the most likes. Speaking to The Daily Beast, Branden explained: 'When Ben was born, my wife decided to go all out on clothes. 'She loves playing dress up and she just decided, "I...