By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:05 EST, 21 December 2025 | Updated: 01:21 EST, 21 December 2025

A massive outage has knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses across San Francisco, leaving at least one-third of the city in darkness.

The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark on Saturday, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park.

Social media posts and local media reported mass closures of restaurants and shops and darkened street lights and Christmas decorations.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on X there were ‘significant transit disruptions’ happening citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel and treat down traffic signals as four-way stops.

The city’s transportation agencies said they were bypassing some Muni bus and BART train stations because of the power outages.

At least some of the blackouts were caused by a fire that broke out inside a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) substation at 8th and Mission streets.

A massive outage has knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses across San Francisco, leaving at least a third of the city in darkness

The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark on Saturday, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park 

A Waymo vehicle sits idling at an intersection with no operating traffic lights due to power outages, in San Francisco, California on Saturday

Ryan Sicat, store manager of Industry of All Nations, stands outside the store amid the major power outage impacting 30 percent of San Francisco

The outage represents roughly one-third of the PG&E’s customers in the city. 

PG&E posted on X around 4pm that it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages. 

The company said it was unable to confirm when power would be restored.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged people to stay off the roads in a post on social media.

‘We are still not clear when power will be restored to over 130,000 customers,’ Lurie wrote. ‘So what I am going to ask all of you to do is, if you do not need to go out tonight, stay home, be safe.’ 

PG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cause of the blackouts. 

A view of traffic from above as more than 130,000 PG&E customers are without power in San Francisco

A pedestrian crosses an intersection lit with headlights amid the San Francisco power outage

A Waymo driverless car is unable to detect traffic lights after a major power outage in San Francisco, California on Saturday

Pedestrians walk in the dark on Hayes Street after a major power outage in San Francisco

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged people to stay off the roads amid the power outage

Fog and power outages darken the skyline as traffic moves in dark San Francisco

Vehicles move slowly in traffic as power outages darken the San Francisco streets

Traffic at a standstill in all directions as traffic lights are out amid a San Francisco power outage

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Massive power blackout leaves at least a third of San Francisco in darkness

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Pride of Britain winner Hari Budha Magar MBE is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in a cowshed, he lost his legs to a bomb in Afghanistan… then was the first double below the knee amputee to climb the tallest peak in the world. And his next challenge is about to begin…

Hari Budha Magar is aiming to climb the highest peak in each of the seven continents by the end of the year.(Image: Rami Rasamny/Life Happens Outdoors/PA)

Growing up in a remote village in Nepal, Hari Budha Magar heard stories about Mount Everest and as a boy had wild dreams of climbing the famous peak. So when he successfully summited the world’s highest mountain in 2023, he could scarcely believe it himself. The feat was made even more incredible due to the fact that Hari is a double above knee amputee, so climbed all 8849m on prosthetic legs.

“The Nepalese people are proud of three things: Everest, Nepal being the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and being the home of the Gurkhas,” says Hari, 46, a mountaineer and disability campaigner who lives in Canterbury, Kent with his wife Urmila, a stay at home mum. He has three children, daughter Samjhana, and sons Brian, and Ublan. Born in a cowshed overlooking Nepalese mountains Dhaulagiri and Sisne, Hari’s family were poor farmers. He didn’t have flip flops so had to walk 45 mins to and from school every day barefoot. At 11 Hari’s parents found him a bride and he married (his parents would later separate them when he was 22 after realising the couple were incompatible) and at 17 he became a dad to Samjhana.

READ MORE: Pride of Britain hero exchanges epic Everest for fantastic fjords

Aged 19, as civil war descended on Nepal and ravaged his country, Hari joined the Gurkhas. “It was a horrific time. Brothers turned on brothers, neighbours turned into each other, 17,000 people in Nepal were killed, including 21 from my village as I left,” he says. He applied to join the British Army and was selected in 230 out of 12,000 applicants, and for the next 15 years served the United Kingdom in five continents, in Brunei, Kosovo, the Falklands and more.

Hari Budha Magar has achieved an astounding amount(Image: PA)

He moved to the UK from Brunei in 2009 with Urmila. The couple have two children together, Brian and Ublan. Then, in 2010, two weeks into a tour in Afghanistan, during a foot patrol an IED exploded underneath Hari and he lost both his legs. He says: “I looked down and saw one of my legs was gone. The other was hanging by the skin and bone.”

Fellow soldiers fought to save Hari, and thankfully a helicopter was 10 minutes out. “I felt no pain at all at first. But when they tightened the tourniquets, it was excruciating,” he remembers. 22 days followed in hospital, then Hari was allowed home. But there, Hari suffered from PTSD and struggled to cope with what had happened to him.

“I tried to take my own life. I thought my wife would leave me. Why would she stay with someone like me? I was broken. I thought the children would be ashamed. What use was I to anyone? I began to drink a lot every day and became an alcoholic. I’d wake up feeling awful but think it’s okay, it’ll die soon, it’ll be over.” Two years in the wilderness followed for Hari as he battled his demons.

Hari won a Pride of Britain award in 2024(Image: David Dyson / Daily Mirror)

But then a chance day out in 2012 changed everything. “I took up the opportunity to go skydiving. I thought, half of me is already gone, what does it matter about the other half,” says Hari. “But when I was about to jump, I felt something – fear. I realised I didn’t want to die and in fact I was very scared of the prospect indeed. It sparked something in me I hadn’t felt for years – hope.”

Determined to get better, Hari threw himself into research. “I looked into all the things disabled people could actually do – I tried all the Paralympic sports. And as I tried them. I found myself getting fitter and fitter, my mind stronger and stronger. I realised that I could do almost anything I wanted, just with a little adaptation.

“And in the back of my mind I had a thought… what if I could climb Everest.” The fascination Hari had as a child came back. At first I didn’t tell anyone about my dream, not even my wife. I thought people would think I was mad. Me? No way,” he says. But when he began to open up and share his idea, sponsors, his communities and charities listened.

As a double above knee amputee, Hari uses three times more energy than someone able bodied

There was a catch, however. At the time, Nepalese law forbid double amputees from climb any mountain over 6,500m which includes Everest. “Disabled people are always being told what they can’t do,” says Hari. “It’s too dangerous, something might happen. Well Everest is perilous with or without a disability, and I know what I’m capable of.”

He campaigned and helps to fight a case in the Supreme Court in Nepal – and they won. It was game on. And in the meantime, armed with specially designed prosthetics that could walk on ice and snow, Hari practiced climbing some of the tallest peaks in the world. He became the first double above the knee amputee to summit a peak higher than 6000m (Mera Peak in Nepal at 6476m). Then came successful climbs of Mt Blanc in France and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Then, in 2023, it was time to tackle Everest. “It was really tough. We had to wait a month at base camp because weather conditions were too bad and so we could acclimatise to altitude,” says Hari. “It was a hard season that saw 17 people die climbing Everest, the most ever in one season,” says Hari. “Three guys died in an ice fall before we even arrived at base camp, four people died on the day we summited.

Hari Budha Magar is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle in December 2024(Image: PA)

“The mountain takes no prisoners, it’s brutal even for the fittest person. It takes the fastest person around eight hours from camp four to summit, but it took me 25. It takes three times longer and I use three times more energy than an able bodied person. I was absolutely exhausted. But I couldn’t give up, if I gave up I’d die. You walk past dead people on your way up and down. There’s only so much oxygen that you can carry, and if runs out – that’s it. It’s so hard to rescue people. If someone said they’d give you a million pounds for your oxygen you’d say no.”

Standing at the summit in May 2023, Hari broke down. “It was windy and cold. I cried – we did it! But then I knew we had to go back down, I had half way to go again to be safe. We were running out of oxygen, it was getting late. We started at 9.50pm in the evening and arrived back at camp four at 11pm the night after.”

Hari now dedicates his life to proving just how much people living with a disability can do. He says: “There are 1.3 billion disabled people in this world. I don’t want other people to lose years of their life struggling like I did. And I want governments around the world to know that banning us from the things that we love to do – like climbing Everest as a double amputee – isn’t the answer. Supporting us the right way is. We can live a meaningful life like anyone else. That’s what drives me forward.”

Hari strives to prove that those with a disability can do anything(Image: PA)

In 2024, Hari was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for his services to disability awareness. Later that year, the Mirror met him for the first time when he won a Pride of Britain Award and he and his family were invited to Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as a result.

“It’s been such an honour and an incredible experience, to be in a room full of those incredible winners at the Pride of Britain Awards was humbling,” says Hari. But there’s no rest for the wicked, as he is about to embark on his latest challenge: climbing Mt. Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, to complete the 7 Summits challenge, the climb of each highest peak of each continent of the world. He hopes to raise the height of Mt. Everest plus two 00’s [£884,900], for five amazing charities: Gurkha Welfare Trust, BLESMA, Pilgrim Bandits, On Course Foundation and Team Forces.

“When practicing for the Everest climb, I realised that I’d already climbed three of them,” says Hari. So Denali in Alaska followed in June 2024, then Aconcagua in Argentina in February this year, and Puncak Jaya in New Guinea in October. His final expedition of the challenge, to summit Vinson in Antarctica, launches this week.

Hari will leave the UK on Dec 24th, begins the trek on Jan 1 and hopes to summit on January 6 or 7. Hero Hari plans to plant a Mirror flag on the top of the mountain, and we wish him all the luck in the world for his trip. We’ll bring you the full story exclusively once he’s done.

“I want to show that anything is possible,” says Hari. I’m still a human being – I just have a couple of limbs missing. Who is perfect? I wasn’t perfect when I had legs. I may have a weakness but it doesn’t mean I can’t do anything.”

Next year will see Hari put pen to paper for the release of his debut book, which will tell his incredible story, published by Mirror Books. And one day he hopes there may even be a film. “I’m waiting for the call…” he jokes. Hari has certainly achieved the impossible, and he’s full of gratitude.

“I do it too for the soldiers who saved me. It’s incredibly dangerous to help someone on the battlefield, and they risked their life to save mine. So now when I achieve something with my life, it’s for them too, to show them it was worth it.”

*You can support Hari’s incredible appeal, and donate HERE

READ MORE: Girl, 5, who lost limbs to sepsis has Carol Vorderman in tears at Mirror Pride of Britain Awards



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Watch: ‘You can’t let fear win’ – Bondi beachgoers return after fatal attack

Katy Watson,Australia Correspondent at Bondi Beachand

Harry Sekulich

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies after last weekend’s Bondi Beach attack.

“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” Albanese said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. “Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.”

A national day of reflection was being held on Sunday to mourn the 15 people killed after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish festival at the Sydney beach.

Amid tight security, a minute of silence will be observed at 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT), marking exactly a week since the shooting began.

Police allege the attack on 14 December, which they have declared a terrorist incident, was committed by a father-son duo, inspired by “Islamic State ideology”.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed during the attack.

Albanese said the intelligence review, due by April 2026, would focus on ensuring authorities were equipped to tackle extremism.

He said: “The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe in the wake of the horrific antisemitic Bondi Beach terrorist attack.”

In the wake of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in almost three decades, the government has announced plans to tighten gun controls, while the New South Wales premier is pushing to crack down on hate speech.

Surfers and swimmers pay tribute to victims of Bondi shooting on Friday

As part of a national day of reflection, Bondi was to host a memorial later on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Governor-General Samantha Mostyn addressed a vigil held in Bondi, hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, where attendees largely wore white to symbolise peace.

“The entire Jewish community, whether it’s here in Bondi or across our nation, you are part of the belonging story and the success of this country,” she said.

Australians across the country are still reeling and there’s a sense of shock and disbelief that something like this could have happened.

But this weekend, normality returned in some ways. Bondi promenade was once again filled with surfers, runners and dog-walkers returning to their regular routine.

While a sombre mood lingers, children’s surf club activities – known locally as “nippers” – resumed on Sunday as a sign of the community showing resilience.

The bridge where two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of people at a Jewish festival at Bondi beach on Sunday, 14 December.

Bullet holes in a car’s windshield parked at Bondi a harrowing reminder of the violent attack

North Bondi’s Surf Life Saving president Steve Larnach told the BBC they had considered cancelling the regular nippers events.

“We were also aware of the sensitivity towards our Jewish community,” Larnach said. “We did ask their opinion, they were very supportive of us going ahead but also extremely grateful for what we did.”

Lifeguard volunteers were among the first on the scene at the shooting last week providing first aid, Larnach said.

Some surf lifesavers have been hailed as heroes, including one who was photographed sprinting from a neighbouring beach with a red first aid kit slung over his shoulder.

Geraldine Nordfelft, who brought her daughter to nippers, said “it was really important to return to whatever this new normal is as soon as we could”.

“You have to return, you can’t stay away, you can’t let fear win. The beach is the Australian way of life and we all love it,” she told the BBC.

Geraldine Nordfelft brought her daughter to ‘nippers’ on Sunday

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At least 10 people were killed in a shooting in a township near Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday when gunmen open fired, police officials said.

“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” a police statement said. Officials told- the French AFP news agency that the motive for the shooting is still unknown. 

What do we know so far?

The shooting took place near a local bar in Bekkersdal, which is an impoverished area close to some of South Africa’s major gold mines. It is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

“Ten people are dead. We don’t have a breakdown of who they are,” Brigadier Brenda Muridili, police spokesperson for Gauteng province, told AFP.

At least 10 others were injured and taken to a hospital.

This is a developing story. 

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Ten people have reportedly been killed in a shooting in the Bekkersdal township west of Johannesburg in South Africa, according to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News.

A manhunt for the suspects involved in the shooting has been launched, the South African Police Service said in a post on X.

“It is reported that about 12 unknown suspects in a white kombi and a silver sedan opened fire at tavern patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene,” the police said.

More follows

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NEED TO KNOW

• Lily Collins reminisced about filming Emily in Paris season 5, particularly a scene with Ashley Park during which she cried
• The 36-year-old actress recalled the moment to PEOPLE during the season’s world premiere event in Paris on Dec. 15
• Emily in Paris season 5 premiered on Netflix on Dec. 18

Lily Collins shed some tears on the set of Emily in Paris while filming the latest season — but not for the reason you might expect. 

Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation at the hit Netflix show’s season 5 world premiere event in Paris on Dec. 15, the 36-year-old actress recalled one very specific scene that made her cry.

“One of my most fun moments was shooting the scene with Ashley [Park] where we have our face masks on and we couldn’t stop laughing — we were crying,” Collins shared, adding, “It’s always fun with Ashley.”

Lily Collins and Ashley Park.

Lily Collins/Instagram

The MaXXXine star continued to gush about working with Park, 34.

“Oh, there’s so many fun scenes. Going to Venice was epic, you know, I’ve never been to Venice, so shooting with Ashley in the streets of Venice was really magical,” Collins said of her costar of five seasons.

In Emily in Paris, Collins plays the titular American character, while Park plays her BFF Mindy, whom Emily met after moving to Paris in season 1.

Park previously spoke to PEOPLE about wrapping up filming on season 5.

“We ended filming in Venice, so just to be able to explore or be in a new environment completely was just really once in a lifetime,” Park said.

Lily Collins and Ashley Park in ‘Emily in Paris’ season 5.

Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

All 10 episodes of Emily in Paris season 5 premiered on Netflix on Dec. 18.

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David and Victoria Beckham are no longer following their estranged son Brooklyn on Instagram after it was revealed he would be spending Christmas with wife Nicola Peltz’s family. 

The devastated parents, who are said to be feeling their eldest son’s absence more than ever as Christmas looms, allegedly removed Brooklyn from their following list, according to The Sun.

Brooklyn, 26, is also no longer following his mother and father on the picture-based sharing platform.

However, Brooklyn’s younger brother Cruz Beckham, 20, fiercely refuted the report in an Instagram Story post on Saturday, instead claiming that he, David and Victoria had been ‘blocked’ by Brooklyn. 

‘NOT TRUE. My mum and dad would never unfollow their son… Let’s get the facts right. They woke up blocked… as did I,’ Cruz wrote.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Brooklyn for comment on Cruz’s claims. 

It is the most public sign yet that there has is no communication between them amid their spiraling family feud. 

Brooklyn’s wife Nicola, 30, also does not follow David and Victoria. They no longer follow her either. 

The move comes after Brooklyn’s friends told Daily Mail in July that his brothers Cruz and Romeo had blocked both him and his wife Nicola on the social media platform. 

David Victoria Beckham are no longer following their estranged son Brooklyn on Instagram after it was revealed he would be spending Christmas with wife Nicola Peltz’s family

Brooklyn, 26, is also no longer following his mother and father on the picture-based sharing platform

The devastated parents, who are said to be feeling their eldest son’s absence more than ever as Christmas looms, allegedly removed Brooklyn from their followers list, according to The Sun

Daily Mail exclusively revealed how Brooklyn has snubbed his family’s attempts at reconciliation in the run up to the festive period as he will spend this Christmas with Nicola and her family in Miami, Florida.

A source said: ‘Brooklyn and Nicola decided they would be spending this Christmas with her family. Her parents are really excited to have them.’

Brooklyn and Nicola arrived in Miami earlier this week, with the hot sauce owner posing for a picture with her brother Bradley in the back garden of the incredible Palm Beach mansion.

His decision to spend Christmas with his in-laws will come as a blow to his parents and siblings Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20 and Harper, 14.

In recent weeks, David has appeared to offer a public olive branch to his son, in an apparent bid to put an end to their very public family feud. 

The former footballer had shared a throwback picture of himself with Brooklyn and his younger brothers Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20.

Cruz also made sure his brother knew he was thinking of him by sharing a sweet snap of the pair with brother Romeo on the beach in Brazil.

Brooklyn was seen wrapping his arm around his youngest brother Cruz as they posed on the beach.

It comes after Brooklyn’s friends told Daily Mail in July that his brother’s Cruz and Romeo had blocked both him and his wife Nicola on the social media platform

Daily Mail revealed how Brooklyn has snubbed his family’s attempts at reconciliation in the run up to the festive period as he will spend this Christmas with Nicola and her family in Miami, Florida 

Brooklyn’s wife Nicola, 30, also does not follow David and Victoria. They no longer follow her either (pictured in October)

Nicola’s parents Nelson (pictured) and Claudia are said to be ‘excited’ to have Brooklyn over the festive period (seen in July)

Relations between Brooklyn, Nicola and the Beckham clan unraveled completely when they did not attend any of David’s 50th birthday celebrations in May. Brooklyn also failed to acknowledge his father’s knighthood in November. 

Last week, Daily Mail revealed how Brooklyn’s nans are devastated they won’t be seeing their grandson this Christmas. 

Victoria had shared a festive picture from her parents Jackie and Tony Adams’ house as they placed twelve stockings in a row on their fireplace, one for each grandchild. In pride of place was one reserved for Brooklyn. 

The family feud has taken a particularly acute toll on Jackie, as well as David’s mother Sandra.

Some argue that hanging up Brooklyn’s stocking, regardless of the feud, is a sign of hope on Jackie’s part that – somehow, despite everything – Christmas might finally persuade her grandson to put aside his grudges and step on a plane to rejoin the family.  

Friends of the Beckhams say Jackie and Sandra are ‘extremely sad’ about the situation.

Victoria Beckham had posted a picture of the fireplace filled with stockings at the Hertfordshire home of her parents, Jackie and Tony Adams – including one reserved for Brooklyn

The source added: ‘They’re not getting any younger and the cold truth of it all is that nobody knows when they will see Brooklyn next. It’s Jackie and Sandra who everyone feels so sorry for.’  

David and Victoria will spend some of the festive period in the £60million home they recently bought on Miami’s waterfront. 

It was where they were joined last year by Brooklyn and Nicola, and photographs of their Christmas celebrations show everyone having what appeared to be a lovely time. 

Victoria is believed to be working hard to put on a brave face and stay strong for her husband and teenage daughter Harper, 14.

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Negotiators from Russia and the United States have met in the US city of Miami as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Washington to ramp up the pressure on Moscow to end its war on Ukraine.

The meeting on Saturday took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

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Dmitriev told the reporters the talks were positive and would continue on Sunday.

“The discussions are proceeding constructively,” said Dmitriev. “They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow.”

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that he may also join the talks in Miami. He said that progress has been made in discussions to end the war, but there is still a way to go.

“The role we’re trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there’s any overlap here that they can agree to, and that’s what we’ve invested a lot of time and energy [on], and continue to do so,” Rubio said. “That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month, before the end of the year.”

Trump’s envoys have for weeks been negotiating a 20-point peace plan with Ukrainian, Russian and European officials.

While US ​officials say they have made progress, major differences remain on the issues of territory and possible security guarantees that Kyiv says are essential for any agreement.

Russia has shown few signs that it is willing to give up its expansive territorial demands in Ukraine, which it believes it is well-positioned to secure as the war grinds on and political fractures emerge among Ukraine’s European allies.

In Kyiv, Zelenskyy said he remains supportive of a US-led negotiations process, but that diplomacy needs to be accompanied by greater pressure on Russia.

“America must clearly say, if not diplomacy, then there will be full pressure… Putin does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader said Washington has also proposed a new format for talks with Russia, comprised of three-way talks at the level of national security advisers from Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

Zelenskyy expressed scepticism that the talks would result in “anything new”, but said he would support trilateral discussions if they led to progress in areas such as prisoner swaps or a meeting of national leaders.

“If such a ‍meeting could be ⁠held now to allow for swaps of prisoners of war, or if a meeting of national security advisers achieves agreement on a leaders’ meeting… I cannot be opposed. We would support such a US proposal. Let’s see how things go,” he said.

The last time Ukrainian and Russian envoys held official direct talks was in July in Istanbul, which led to prisoner swaps but little else.

The talks in Miami come after Putin promised to press ahead with his military offensive in Ukraine, hailing Moscow’s battlefield gains in an annual news conference on Friday.

Putin, however, suggested that Russia could pause its devastating strikes on the country to allow Ukraine to hold a presidential ballot, a prospect that Zelenskyy rejected.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Ukraine’s Black Sea Odesa region from an overnight Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure rose to eight, with 30 people wounded.

A civilian bus was struck in the attack, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

The Russian attacks on the coastline region have wrought havoc in recent weeks, hitting bridges and cutting electricity and heating for hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures.

Moscow earlier said it would expand strikes on Ukrainian ports as retaliation for targeting its sanctions-busting oil tankers.

On Saturday, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed two Russian fighter jets at an airfield in Moscow-occupied Crimea, according to the security service SBU. Kyiv’s army said it struck a Russian oil rig in the Caspian Sea as well as a patrol ship nearby.

Putin described Russia’s initial full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” to “demilitarise” the country and prevent the expansion of NATO.

Kyiv and its European allies say the war, the largest and deadliest on European soil since World War II, is an unprovoked and illegal land grab that has resulted in a tidal wave of violence and destruction.

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Australia is holding a National Day of Reflection on Sunday, one week after an antisemitic terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead and dozens more wounded. 

Day of Reflection to honor victims and ‘stand in solidarity with Jewish community’

The Day of Reflection is “to honor the victims of the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach and to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community,” according to a statement from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office.

“People across the country are invited to light a candle at 6:47 p.m., exactly one week since the attack unfolded, as a quiet act of remembrance with family, friends or loved ones,” it added. “We are also asking Australians to observe a minute of silence at 6:47 p.m.”

Australian flags at federal buildings and state government buildings in New South Wales, where Sydney is located, are being flown at half-mast. 

Mourners gathered at Bondi Beach and formed a circle of peace, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

Sunday is the last day of Hanukkah, with Rabbi Eli Feldman telling ABC that Australians are welcome to observe the holiday with the Jewish community at Bondi Beach “to show that light will always overcome darkness.” 

What were the circumstances of the attack and who were the perpetrators?

The Bondi Beach shooting targeted worshippers during the first day of Hanukkah last Sunday.

A father and son, Sajid A. and Naveed A., are alleged to have carried out the attack, with authorities believing the massacre was “motivated by Islamic State ideology.” The attackers are believed to have traveled to the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, a hotbed of “Islamic State” operations, in November prior to the Bondi shooting.  

Sajid A., 50, was killed in a shootout with police during the Bondi attack. Naveed A., 24, was injured but survived and now faces 59 charges for his presumed role in the attack. 

Bondi Beach shooters likely driven by ‘IS’ ideology

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Albanese ordered review into police and intelligence services 

The Bondi Beach shooting was the worst terror attack in Australia’s history and the deadliest shooting since 1996.

The shooting targeting Sydney’s Jewish community has led to accusations that the Albanese government has not done enough to tackle rising antisemitism.      

Albanese on Sunday mandated a review into Australia’s police and intelligence services to analyze whether they have the “right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe” in the wake of the attack.

How Bondi Beach attack affects Jewish community worldwide

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The Albanese government is also expected to ramp up anti-hate speech efforts and launch a gun buyback plan after the shooting.    

*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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A 19-year-old in New Mexico was charged after he arranged his parents’ murder believing their death would make him rich. 

On Monday, Darren Munoz and his friend Julio Zamora, 18, were arrested after the pair allegedly pulled off the killing of Munoz’s dad and step-mom.

According to the arrest affidavit obtained by ABC7, Munoz planned to have Oscar and Dina Munoz killed for ‘several weeks or months’ with the help of two friends.

Munoz had planned the murder to ‘take over the parents’ belongings/finances,’ per the affidavit.

He reportedly believed that his father owned the Allsups franchise, a brand of convenience stores in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. 

The plan was for Zamora to come in through the garage and shoot Munoz’s parents as they slept, per the report. Another friend had agreed to carry out the shooting if Zamora couldn’t. 

Around 4.50am on December 15, police responded to a call reporting a suspected burglary from the couple’s Clovis home, more than 200 miles east of Albuquerque.

When Clovis police arrived, Munoz was standing outside the opened garage and told officials that everything was fine. 

Darren Munoz, 19, was arrested after reportedly arranging his parents’ death for his inheritance

Oscar and Dina Munoz were each shot in the head as they slept in their beds on December 15

Police insisted on checking on Oscar, 58, and Dina, 71, but Munoz told them not to go inside because ‘his parents slept naked.’ 

Munoz led the responding officer into the home anyway and had him wait while he went into his parent’s bedroom. 

Per the affidavit, Munoz emerged with his hands ‘covered in blood.’

The couple had each been shot in the head. 

Police found Dina Munoz already dead from the gunshot wound. Oscar was taken to Lubbock hospital where he died from critical injuries. 

When they took him in for questioning, Munoz told police that the security alarm on the garage door woke him up. He denied hearing any gunshots. 

Munoz enlisted the help of his friend Julio Zamora, who reportedly carried out the shooting in exchange for some money

‘It made no sense that Munoz would hear the garage door alarm go off but not hear gunshots down the hall from him,’ countered police in the arrest affidavit.

Nothing was missing from the home and there was no sign of forced entry.

Munoz’s girlfriend spoke to police about the incident. 

She said that Munoz had planned to trade an AR rifle for a ghost Glock or pistol. 

He was seen in surveillance footage putting a 9mm Glock in his waistband just 12 hours before his parents were killed. 

His girlfriend also told police that she was with Munoz and Zamora when they bought 9mm ammunition.

According to police, Darren reported a suspected break in at their New Mexico home and met them outside the open garage

Police arrested Zamora outside of his home with the 9mm Glock, which he confirmed was the murder weapon. 

He admitted that Munoz had asked him to kill his parents. 

Munoz was charged with two counts of first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and solicitation to commit first degree murder. 

Zamora was charged with two counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. 

According to Oscar Munoz’s LinkedIn, he was a supervisor at an Allsups store for almost 24 years.

The Allsups brand is owned by the convenience store operator Yesway, which is operated by the private equity firm Brookwood Financial Partners, LLC.

The Daily Mail contacted the Clovis police department for more information. 

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