Plus: Major fire engulfs Hong Kong tower blocks ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. US President Donald Trump has reacted to a leaked call involving his special envoy Steve Witkoff and a Russian official. My colleague Hafsa Khalil has the details. Correspondent Geeta Pandey reports on the acquittal of the two men who had been convicted in India's "house of horrors" case. And finally, watch a group of boys spread neighbourly Christmas cheer in Scotland. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Witkoff's call with Russian official leaked |
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|  | Witkoff has been to Moscow several times this year, but has not visited Kyiv. Credit: Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock | Trump has defended special envoy Steve Witkoff after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the US president. Trump said he had not heard the audio of the reported 14 October call, but that Witkoff was doing "what a dealmaker does" to "sell" a peace plan to both Russia and Ukraine. In the leaked audio recording, obtained and shared as a transcript by Bloomberg, Witkoff appeared to advise Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin's foreign policy adviser, on how to get on Trump's good side. Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week. |
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| Democrat lawmakers push back on alleged FBI probe | Six Democratic lawmakers appeared in a video last week telling US troops to disobey any orders they deem illegal. | More details > |
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| Italian parliament votes to make femicide a crime | In a symbolic move, the law was approved unanimously on the day dedicated to the elimination of violence against women. | What to know > |
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| 'Once in 300 years' rain hits Thai city | More than 2 million people in Thailand have been affected by the floods, but just 13,000 have been moved to shelters. | What happened > |
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| Teens challenge Australia's social media ban in court | Two teenagers are claiming the law is unconstitutional as it robs them of their right to free communication. | Read more > |
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| Major fire engulfs Hong Kong apartment blocks | At least four people have reportedly been killed in the fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po. | Latest images and updates > |
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| BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Questions linger after 'house of horror' acquittal |
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| |  | Parents hold up photographs of the missing children of Nithari. Credit: Getty Images | In December 2006, police found the bodies of 19 women and children near a bungalow in Noida, a suburb of the capital Delhi. The owner of the building, dubbed India's "house of horror", was convicted for rape and murder, along with his servant. But following a court decision in 2023 and one earlier this month, both men are now free. Geeta Pandey speaks to local residents, who are finding it very difficult to come to terms with the verdict. |
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