Two Britons among four killed in Australian helicopter collision near Sea World theme park - Sky News

Two Britons were among four killed after two helicopters collided mid-air near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland.

An FCDO spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities."

The collision occurred on the Gold Coast at around 2pm local time, when the park would have been filled with families enjoying school summer holidays.

Initial information suggested one of the helicopters had been taking off and the other had been landing when they collided, Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said.

Members of the public were among those first on the scene, with a sandbank making it difficult for emergency service workers to access the site of the crash.

"Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety," said Inspector Worrell.

Janey Shearman, from Queensland Ambulance Service, said 13 people had been on the two helicopters.

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The three people critically injured were suffering from "multi-system trauma", while six people with minor injuries - mainly from the impact of the glass - were also taken to hospital.

Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences, saying it was "devastated" by what had happened and was co-operating in an investigation opened by authorities exploring the cause of the crash.

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A statement read: "We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased."

A witness named John described to Melbourne radio station 3AW that there was a "massive, massive bang" and staff at the theme part moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.

"It was just huge. I'm not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an "unthinkable tragedy".

She said: "My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident."

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2023-01-02 21:47:12Z
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Four dead after two helicopters collide in mid-air near Sea World theme park in Australia - Sky News

Two helicopters have collided near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland, killing four people and leaving three others critically injured.

The mid-air collision, just outside Sea World on the Gold Coast, happened at around 2pm local time when the park would have been busy with families enjoying the summer school holidays.

Initial information suggested one of the helicopters had been taking off and the other had been landing when they collided, Queensland Police Acting Inspector Gary Worrell said.

Image: The wreckage of one of the helicopters involved in the collision. Pic: AP

He thanked members of the public who were among the first on the scene, adding that the location - a sandbank - had made access difficult.

"One airframe had the windscreen removed and it has landed safely on the island, the other airframe had crashed and it was upside down," Mr Worrell said.

"Members of the public and police tried to remove the people and they commenced first aid and tried to help these people to safety."

Image: Emergency crews at the scene of the helicopter crash. Pic: AP

Janey Shearman, from Queensland Ambulance Service, said 13 people had been on the two helicopters.

The three people critically injured were suffering from "multi-system trauma", while six people with minor injuries - mainly from the impact of the glass - were also taken to hospital.

Footage of the crash showed a helicopter shortly after take-off being clipped by another aircraft flying over the water.

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Sea World Helicopters, a separate company from the theme park, expressed its condolences and said it was co-operating with the authorities handling the crash investigation.

Image: The crash happened near Sea World on the Gold Coast in Queensland. File pic

"We and the entire flying community are devastated by what has happened and our sincere condolences go to all those involved and especially the loved ones and family of the deceased," the statement said.

The company did not confirm if it operated one or both helicopters involved in the crash, saying it would not comment further because of the investigation.

A witness named John told Melbourne radio station 3AW that patrons at Sea World heard the crash, and staff moved swiftly to close off areas closest to the crash.

"There was a massive, massive bang," he said. "It was just huge.

"I'm not sure if it was the propellers or whatever hitting against each other. But there was this poor lady and her son near the helipad in tears."

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the accident was an "unthinkable tragedy".

"My deepest sympathies are with each of the families and everyone affected by this terrible accident," she said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said an investigation into the cause of the crash was under way.

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2023-01-02 07:04:08Z
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Pope Benedict XVI: Lying in state at the Vatican begins - BBC

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By Aleem Maqbool in the Vatican and Elsa Maishman in London

BBC News

Tens of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects to former Pope Benedict XVI at his lying in state in the Vatican.

He died on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ill health.

Pope Francis will preside over Thursday's funeral - the first time a Pope will be buried by his successor.

As dawn broke over the Vatican, a queue was already forming at the edge of St Peter's Square.

At the very front was Father Alfredo Elnar, 30, from the Philippines. He said he had studied and admired the theological writings of the former pontiff, and spoke of an emptiness since his death.

A little further back, Sister Marianna Patricevic, a nun from Croatia, talked of how grateful she was for all the late pope had done - saying there was not a subject she studied at university where they did not discuss his views.

Father Richard Kunst, visiting from the US, said when he passes the Pope's body, he would pray for him - but also for a miracle to help a friend at home who is dying of cancer.

Benedict XVI became the first Pope to resign in 600 years in 2013, citing ailing health.

His body will be displayed for three days in an open casket at St Peter's Basilica, with people allowed to pay their respects until 7pm each evening.

Vatican press office

The funeral will take place in St Peter's Square, before the Pope Emeritus is laid to rest in the tombs beneath the Basilica.

The Vatican released pictures of the body on Sunday, dressed in red papal mourning robes and wearing a gold-trimmed mitre.

Tributes have poured in from around the world, and the funeral is expected to draw crowds of thousands.

The last papal funeral, that of Pope John Paul II in 2005, was one of the largest Christian gatherings in history, and drew an estimated four million people to Rome.

Benedict asked that the funeral be marked by simplicity, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists.

Details of the guest list have not been released, but the Vatican has said that it will include delegations from Italy and Benedict's native Germany.

Pope Francis paid tribute to his "dearest" predecessor after his death.

US President Joe Biden lauded the former Pope's "lifetime of devotion to the Church", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed him as "a great man whom history will not forget".

In Brazil - the largest Catholic nation in the world - incoming President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he wished "comfort to the faithful and admirers of the Holy Father".

Pope Benedict was a controversial figure, and some have criticised him for failing to tackle allegations of clerical sexual abuse.

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2023-01-02 09:07:17Z
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Russia-Ukraine war: Drone attacks continue on Kyiv and eastern Ukraine - BBC

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By Elsa Maishman

BBC News

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv on Sunday night as the latest wave of drone and missile strikes from Russia continued.

An attack which began shortly before midnight targeted critical infrastructure, Kyiv regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said.

One man in Kyiv was injured by debris from a destroyed Russian drone, the capital's mayor said.

The attacks have continued for several days over the New Year period.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said 400 Russian soldiers had been killed in on New Year's Eve in Makiivka, in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.

In a rare move, pro-Russian authorities admitted to casualties. But Russia refused to confirm the number of deaths, and the BBC is unable to verify this.

It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wished for victory and a "return to normal" for Ukraine in 2023.

In a new year address on Russian TV, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would fight to protest its sovereignty and independence.

• Ukraine's survival needs long-term support - Nato
• NYE in Putin’s Russia - nothing is normal
• Five ways Ukraine war could go in 2023

Kyiv's military issued a warning of the latest attacks just after 01:00 (23:00 GMT) on Monday.

"Air attack on Kyiv... Air alert is on in the capital," it announced on the Telegram social media site.

Serhiy Popko, the city's military administration head, told people to stay in shelters.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an explosion in Kyiv's northeastern Desnyanskyi district and said emergency services were attending.

"An injured 19-year-old man was hospitalised in the Desnyanskyi district of the capital," he said.

Mr Kuleba said the weapons were Iranian-made Shahed drones, adding that they were "targeting critical infrastructure facilities".

"The main thing now is to stay calm and stay in shelters until the alarm is off," he said.

It comes after a barrage of attacks on New Year's Eve, which killed at least one person in Kyiv.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure for several months, destroying power stations and plunging millions into darkness during the country's freezing winter.

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2023-01-02 02:14:39Z
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Lula sworn in as Brazil president as Bolsonaro flies to US - BBC

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By Katy Watson in Brasilia & Alys Davies in London

BBC News

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the new president of Brazil - the third time he has held the country's highest office.

The veteran left-wing politician, known widely as Lula, also led the country between 2003 and 2010 - and defeated Jair Bolsonaro in October's poll.

In his first speech, Lula vowed to rebuild a country in "terrible ruins".

He decried the policies of his predecessor, who went to the US on Friday to avoid the handover ceremony.

A sea of Lula supporters gathered in front of Congress since early in the morning - decked out in the red colour of his Workers' Party. They travelled to see their leader sworn in - but also for a celebration.

More than 60 artists - including Samba legend Martinho da Vila - were booked to perform on two giant stages decorated in the national flag as part of a music festival dubbed "Lulapalooza".

"Love has won over hate," read one banner carried by a man dressed as Lula - complete with a presidential sash.

"Brazil needed this change, this transformation," said another backer of the incoming leader as she queued for Sunday's festivities.

Juliana Barreto - who is from Lula's home state Pernambuco - told the BBC that her country was "a disaster" previously.

• Lula makes stunning comeback in Brazil election
• In pictures: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beats Jair Bolsonaro
• How Brazil's famous yellow jersey became politicised

Lula and incoming Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin paraded through the city on an open-top convertible before proceeding to the Congress building - where the swearing-in occurred at the start of the formal inauguration ceremony.

The men have spent the past days selecting their cabinet and appointing supporters to key state-owned businesses.

Shortly after being sworn in, Lula sought to instil a sense of hope in the people of Brazil and promised to "rebuild the nation and make a Brazil of all, for all".

There were several instances when he got out his hanky. His most emotional moment came when speaking to the Brazilian people after the swearing-in ceremony - he started sobbing when talking about those who beg at traffic lights, desperate for food.

Probably not even Lula thought this day would ever come - a return to the top job after two decades, despite a spell in prison after being convicted of corruption. The convictions were subsequently annulled in 2021.

Much of his speech to Congress was about unity and reconstruction. The two words are crucial in such a deeply divided country, hit hard by the pandemic and hugely polarised politically.

Lula knows that his ultimate challenge will be to convince those who feel he is a corrupt politician who belongs in jail that he does now belong in the presidential palace again and can be their leader too.

He pledged to undo the legacy of his predecessor's government, which he said involved depleting funding for education, health and the conservation of the Amazon rainforest.

To huge cheers from those watching in Congress, he also promised to revoke Mr Bolsonaro's controversial gun laws immediately.

Lula went on to state that his government would not be motivated by "a spirit of revenge", but that those who had made mistakes would answer for their errors.

In particular, he singled out Mr Bolsonaro's Covid-19 policies, accusing him of causing a "genocide" of deaths in Brazil during the pandemic, which would need to be fully investigated.

In another noted change of policy from the Bolsonaro administration, Marina Silva - one of Brazil's best known climate activists - was re-appointed to head the environment and climate ministry. She will be expected to achieve Lula's pledge - which was repeated during his speech - to reach "zero deforestation" in the Amazon by 2030.

The atmosphere in Brasilia couldn't be more different than when Mr Bolsonaro was in power. Lots of people were waving banners or wearing T-shirts with the words "Love conquers hate," a reference to the narrative many felt came from Mr Bolsonaro.

But diversity and inclusion too was a big part of today's inauguration. With Mr Bolsonaro abandoning his final official duty of passing on the presidential sash, it was left to Eni Souza, a rubbish picker, to do the honours. And standing next to Lula was an indigenous leader, a black boy and a disabled influencer. In this often racist country, it was an important image that will endure.

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The state of Brasilia deployed "100%" of its police force - around 8,000 officers - to the city amid fears that some supporters of Mr Bolsonaro could seek to disrupt proceedings.

One man was arrested trying to enter the area of the inauguration carrying a knife and fireworks earlier on Sunday, Brazil's military police said.

Last week, authorities arrested a supporter of Mr Bolsonaro who had allegedly placed explosives on a fuel truck near an airport in the capital on Christmas Eve. The man said he hoped to "sow chaos" ahead of Lula's inauguration.

And other supporters of the former leader have remained camped outside army headquarters, where they have been urging the army to launch a coup. Police attempted to remove the demonstrators on Thursday, but withdrew after they reacted violently.

However, Mr Bolsonaro has condemned the protests against his defeat, urging his supporters to "show we are different from the other side, that we respect the norms and the Constitution".

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2023-01-01 21:44:02Z
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Ukraine war: New year in Putin’s Russia - nothing is normal - BBC

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By Steve Rosenberg

Russia Editor, Moscow

The clock in the Kremlin's Spassky Tower strikes midnight.

The Russian national anthem plays.

Then Channel One TV kicks off 2023 with a pop song: "I'm Russian and I will go all the way…I'm Russian, to spite the world."

Next on Top of the (patriotic) Pops: "I was born in the Soviet Union, I was made in the USSR!"

I change channels. At the Russia-1 New Year party, one of the station's most famous war correspondents is holding a champagne glass, toasting 2023 and wishing for "more good news than bad from the front line".

Sitting with him are men in military fatigues. A Moscow-installed official from Russian-occupied Ukraine declares: "I wish us all peace. But peace will only come after our victory."

You get the gist. This year's festive extravaganzas on Russian TV are a strange mixture of let's party and let's win on the battlefield.

This is not normal TV fare for a New Year's night in Russia. Then again, this is not a normal New Year's night. "Normal" disappeared 10 months ago when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• Putin is destroying you, Zelensky tells Russians
• Deadly explosions hit Kyiv on New Year's Eve
• Five ways Ukraine war could go in 2023

There was nothing "normal" about Vladimir Putin's New Year address to the Russian people. For his annual speech the president normally stands alone outside the Kremlin. This year, standing behind him, were men and women in combat uniforms.

In his speech last year, the Kremlin leader pointed out that "New Year's Eve is literally filled with good cheer and happy thoughts".

Good cheer and happy thoughts were in short supply this time round.

President Putin used the address to promote the Kremlin's alternative reality: that in this conflict Russia's the hero and Ukraine and the West are the villains.

"For years, Western elites hypocritically assured us of their peaceful intentions…but in fact, they encouraged the neo-Nazis in every possible way," President Putin said.

"Defending our Motherland is the sacred duty we owe to our ancestors and descendants."

When the Kremlin talks about "defending our Motherland", keep in mind that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine. Not the other way around.

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The Russian President claims his country is benefiting enormously from the dramatic events of 2022: "It was a year of… important steps towards Russia's full sovereignty."

"We lay the foundation for our common future, our true independence."

The assertion that, in this war, Russia is fighting for its sovereignty and independence is puzzling, to say the least.

For a start Russia has long been a sovereign, independent nation. Even if you accept Vladimir Putin's premise that Russia never achieved "full sovereignty" the question arises: why not? Mr Putin's been in power for 23 years. Long enough, you may think, to sort that.

The other thing President Putin does in his new year address is to divide Russians into us and them, into those who support his "special military operation" and those who don't.

"It was a year that put many things in their place," the Kremlin leader said, "and drew a clear line between courage and heroism, on the one hand, and betrayal and cowardice on the other…"

In 2023 we're likely to see the Kremlin drawing this line ever more clearly. The Russian authorities have mobilised all the country's resources for the "special military operation".

There is no room for debate or discussion: the government expects the public to rally round and to support the president. Those Russians who don't will be made to feel they're betraying their Motherland.

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2023-01-01 08:55:30Z
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Ukraine war: Zelensky tells Russians - Putin is destroying you - BBC

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By Hugo Bachega in Kyiv and Robert Greenall in London

BBC News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told Russians that their leader is destroying their country.

Speaking after Vladimir Putin delivered a New Year address flanked by people in military uniform, Mr Zelensky said the Russian president was hiding behind his troops, not leading them.

Saturday saw a day of deadly strikes across Ukraine, and Zelensky said Ukrainians would not forgive Russia.

At least one person died and dozens were injured in the attacks.

There were further missile strikes on Kyiv just hours into the new year on Sunday, officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

But the strikes, which came in the opening hours of 2023, fuelled anger and hate among Ukrainians already tired of Russia's unrelenting air campaign.

As explosions rocked the capital, some residents sang the national anthem, while officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians while they gathered to celebrated the New Year.

The head of Ukraine's armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhny, said air defences had shot down 12 of 20 Russian cruise missiles on Saturday.

• Battlefield is deadlocked, Ukraine spy chief tells BBC

• Five ways Ukraine war could go in 2023

The attacks happened two days after one of the largest air strikes since the start of the war. Dozens of attacks in recent weeks have caused repeated power cuts.

Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, but Mr Putin has recently admitted hitting critical energy facilities.

In an address on his Telegram channel, Mr Zelensky said those who carried out Saturday's attacks were inhuman.

Switching from Ukrainian to Russian, he then attacked Mr Putin.

"Your leader wants to show you that he's leading from the front, and his military is behind him," he said.

"But in fact he is hiding. He's hiding behind his military, his missiles, the walls of his residences and palaces.

"He's hiding behind you, and he's burning your country and your future. No-one will forgive you for terror. No-one in the world will forgive you for that. Ukraine will not forgive."

Mr Zelensky later gave a new year's address to the Ukrainian people, thanking them for their "incredible" efforts in repelling Russian advances.

"We fight as one team - the whole country, all our regions. I admire you all. I want to thank every invincible region of Ukraine," he said.

Mr Putin also issued a new year address which was broadcast for each of Russia's 11 time zones as they saw in 2023.

The Russian leader tried to rally people behind his troops fighting in Ukraine, saying the country's future was at stake.

Reuters

In combative mood, Mr Putin said: "We always knew, and today it is confirmed to us yet again, that a sovereign, independent and secure future for Russia depends only on us, on our strength and will."

He presented the invasion of Ukraine's sovereign territory as "defending our people and our historical lands" and said "moral, historical rightness is on our side".

Mr Putin also accused the West of "provoking" Moscow to launch its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

"The West lied about peace. It was preparing for aggression... and now they are cynically using Ukraine and its people to weaken and split Russia," he said.

Ukraine and the West reject Russia's claims about the start of the aggression.

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2023-01-01 07:45:06Z
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