48+ min ago (106+ words) The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for southeastern Texas More than 100 homes have been damaged after a tornado touched down in a residential area outside Houston, Texas, authorities said on Monday. No injuries were reported. The damage affected the Memorial Northwest neighborhood, according to the office of Mark Herman, the constable. The Houston Fire Department dispatched five members of its saw team to cut up and remove toppled trees, spokesperson Rustin Rawlings said. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for southeastern Texas, including Houston, until 1 a.m. Tuesday. It also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of southeastern Texas....

50+ min ago (315+ words) Police later fatally shot man who killed the K-9, Spike, during a standoff Southern California residents are mourning a police dog named Spike, a K9 that was killed during a lengthy armed standoff on Saturday. "K9 Spike made the ultimate sacrifice, putting his life on the line for his family," the Burbank Police Department wrote on Instagram. Spike, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois who had been on the force for two years, was killed during a traffic stop that escalated into a standoff. During the stop on Buena Vista Street that evening, near Interstate 5, police say a suspect jumped out of his car, ran up a freeway on-ramp, and hid from officers in a nearby residential area. Multiple police departments and a SWAT team joined the search, which spanned multiple hours. During the standoff, police dispatched Spike to hunt for the suspect, and the…...

57+ min ago (180+ words) Education secretary gives latest definition of 'working people' Skye News The reasons businesses do not offer work experiences for students - A new survey by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) reveals that many businesses are deterred from offering work experience placements due to significant time constraints and staffing challenges. - The research found that 41 per cent of companies not providing placements cited the process as too time-consuming, while a third reported a lack of staff capacity to supervise young people. - Only just over half (52 per cent) of the 750 businesses surveyed currently offer work experience, with 58 per cent indicating that the traditional two-week block is too lengthy. - The CEC is advocating for a new approach involving short, flexible work experience placements to replace the traditional model, aiming to make them more practical and accessible for both students and employers. - This initiative seeks to…...

1+ hour, 3+ min ago (962+ words) The West does not need America to hold its hand in the confrontation with the Kremlin " it is easily powerful enough on its own, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley Europe is taking baby steps towards walking away from America and ending the Russian threat against its democracies. But the time has come to take giant leaps for mankind. The first move is immediate Nato membership for Ukraine, for Georgia and for Bosnia-Herzegovina. The idea would probably be vetoed immediately by the US, along with Hungary and Slovakia, which are run by pro-Putin autocrats. But a non-Nato, Nato-style alliance of the West would be a powerful entity that would give Putin pause for thought if it acted together and with the sort of confidence the Kremlin has shown on the world stage. From Vladimir Putin down, Russians believe in their…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (381+ words) When it comes to creating a comforting ambience, the flicker of a scented candle is one of the highlights in the holiday season. Especially the associations we feel when a room is infused with our favourite fragrance " and sets the mood for those wintry evenings. From Christmas wrapping to home comforts, to hosting and setting the right tone, here's how to amp up the atmosphere with the strike of a match" 1. Little Moments Melts Scented Candle Tin " Christmas Tree, "9, 100ml, Little Moments Melts Looking to enhance the piney scent of a fresh tree" or lift your faux with some festive aromas? This candle is perfect for smaller spaces. 2. St Eval Winter Thyme, Christmas Scented Tin Candle, "15, 220g, St Eval With a twinkling, fairytale illustration featuring woodland fairies and snow-dusted trees, this candle complements a pre-lit snow-flocked garland; or spruce with its herbal…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (456+ words) A federal lawsuit alleges that design flaws in a Tesla Model 3 caused it to suddenly accelerate out of control, leading to a crash into a utility pole and subsequent fire. The incident tragically killed a woman and severely injured her husband. The legal filing, submitted on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, further claims that a separate defect with the vehicle's door handle design thwarted bystanders attempting to rescue the driver, Jeff Dennis, and his wife, Wendy, from the burning car. Wendy Dennis died in the 7 January 2023 crash in Tacoma, Washington. Her husband, Jeff, sustained severe leg burns and other injuries, according to the lawsuit. Messages left on Monday with the plaintiffs' attorneys and Tesla were not immediately returned. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages in California since the Dennis' 2018 Model 3 was designed and manufactured there....

1+ hour, 9+ min ago (770+ words) Trump has claimed that "big progress" is being made on negotiations to end the war President Donald Trump has claimed that "big progress" is being made in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The US and Ukraine sought on Monday to narrow gaps in a peace plan proposed by Washington on Friday that was criticised as pro-Russian. European leaders have responded with a counter-proposal that reasserts Ukraine"s demands. It includes respect for Ukraine"s territorial integrity, freedom to advance its Nato ambitions and EU membership aspirations and maintain a large military to deter the threat of future Russian aggression. Several countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters below. Dmitriev, the Harvard-educated CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), assumed…...

1+ hour, 12+ min ago (612+ words) Kremlin says European counterproposal for Ukraine was not constructive Hopes of reaching a breakthrough in the war with Russia this week were quashed on Monday after a European proposal discussed by the United States and Ukraine was described by Moscow as "completely unconstructive. Washington and Kyiv said in a joint statement they had drafted a "refined peace framework after talks in Geneva on Sunday. Although there were no specifics, the dialogue received a cautious welcome from some of Ukraine's allies. However, the Kremlin said that the European counterproposal to a 28-point US peace plan for Ukraine was not helpful. But Ukraine's delegation to the talks with US officials in Switzerland was returning home on Monday to report back, president Volodymyr Zelensky said. US president Donald Trump hinted at new progress. "Is it really possible that big progress is being made…...

1+ hour, 12+ min ago (166+ words) Keira Walsh says she has been off social media for 5 months and admits she 'feels a lot better' for doing so. Ofcom pressures tech firms to protect women from online abuse - Ofcom, the UK's internet regulator, has issued new guidance urging technology firms to address "significant and widespread" online abuse targeting women. - The watchdog highlighted that women in public life, including sport and politics, face daily abuse, citing examples such as the England women's football team and MP Rosie Wrighting. - Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom's chief executive, stated the digital world is "not serving women and girls the way it should" and called for urgent industry-wide action. - The guidance recommends measures like prompts to reconsider harmful posts, "timeouts" for repeat offenders, limiting comments and enhanced tools for blocking and reporting abuse. - While the guidance is currently not enforceable, organisations like Internet…...

1+ hour, 15+ min ago (264+ words) Oregon's governor declared a state of emergency Monday to ensure that enough fuel arrives to the state while the Olympic Pipeline, which supplies more than 90% of the state's fuel, remains shut down due to a leak ahead of Thanksgiving travel. Gov. Tina Kotek's declaration is intended to keep enough fuel arriving to the state by ships and trucks partly by waiving certain regulations on how long commercial drivers hauling fuel can operate, according to the governor's order. The BP petrochemical pipeline runs from Washington into Oregon and has been shut down for a week following the first report of a leak and intermittent shutoffs earlier this month. BP crews have excavated 200 feet (60 meters) of the 400-mile-long (644-kilometer-long) pipeline, working around the clock to discover the source of the leak that was reported outside Everett, Washington, the company said in a…...