Thursday evening news briefing: Prime Minister heckled out of town as wildfires grip Australia
PM called an 'idiot' as bushfire crisis grips Australia
The Australian prime minister was heckled out of a fire-ravaged town in New South Wales, as a mass evacuation of the region got under way ahead of worsening conditions. You can watch video of the moment Scott Morrison insisted a woman shake his hand as she criticised him over the government's response to the crisis during a visit to Cobargo on the south coast. The prime minister was soon ushered to his car by minders when other residents began shouting at him. Anger over the government's handling of the crisis has grown since the outbreak of wildfires, which have so far killed at least 17 people and destroyed 1,400 homes. These numbers reveal the scale of the unfolding catastrophe.
Meanwhile, smoke from the bushfires has created a haze across New Zealand thousands of kilometres away, with normally white glaciers turning a shade of caramel, according to social media posts. The acrid-smelling smoke first appeared in the country early Wednesday when in many areas the sun appeared as a red or golden orb. Click here to see pictures and satellite images of the wildfires. For holidaymakers set to travel Down Under, here's the advice on how it affects travel insurance.
Northern Rail to lose franchise, minister reveals
Grant Shapps is set to strip Northern Rail of its franchise, saying "frustrated commuters will not have to wait long" before action is taken. The Transport Secretary described services on the route as "really bad" and claimed passengers have "had a nightmare on that line" since 2016. The introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw up to 310 Northern trains a day cancelled, with figures from the Office of Rail and Road showing only 56 per cent of Northern services were on time in the last quarter. Click here to watch Mr Shapps explain his plan. It comes on the day rail fares were increased for passengers across the country.
MC Beaton: The worthy successor to Agatha Christie
MC Beaton, who died this week, never referred to herself as a novelist: that was too pretentious a term for somebody who wrote light-hearted murder mysteries. The creator of the phlegmatic PC Hamish Macbeth and amateur sleuth Agatha Raisin preferred to call herself an entertainer. Grab a cup of tea and sit down to read Jake Kerridge's tribute to the writer who many people have never heard of, but has sold 21 million copies of her books around the world. And here is The Telegraph’s obituary of the prolific author snubbed by critics but adored by fans.
News digest
NYE crash | Killed BA flight attendant was two weeks into dream job
Carlos Ghosn | Turkey arrests pilots over ex-Nissan boss' escape flight
Safety rankings | British Airways dropped from top 20 in annual list
Term-time holidays | Number of children taken out of school soars
30ft deep | Huge tumbleweeds bury cars and close motorway - video
Video: Military chief among dead in helicopter wreck
Taiwan was plunged into mourning today after its top military official died alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area near the capital, Taipei, in the north of the island. Pictures released by emergency authorities showed the chopper's mangled wreckage, blades shattered into pieces, where it had crashed into a forest shrouded in mist. Out of the 13 on board, five miraculously survived.
Comment
Asa Bennett | How can Keir Starmer save Labour after selling out?
Benedict Allen | British legends rekindled my passion for exploring
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Beware temper of the wild bull market
Robin Pagmenta | 2020 will be year of deepfakes and electric cars
Charlie Morgan | Are Leicester Tigers doomed to relegation?
World news: The one story you must read today...
Indonesia floods | Tens of thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta today after flash floods and landslides killed up to 26 people amid some of the heaviest rain in more than 20 years, with more deluges forecast. The flooding caused chaos in parts of Southeast Asia's biggest city with video showing buildings collapsing.
Editor's choice
Getting on the ladder | Would you buy your first home with a sibling? Here's how to do it
Make it stretch | How to turn 14 days of annual leave into 34 days of holiday
Uncrowded beauties | Forgotten corners of Britain you should visit in 2020
Business and money briefing
Top funds for 2020 | The American and Chinese trade dispute, star manager Neil Woodford's fall from grace and Brexit left investors with a lot to deal with in 2019. So where should they put their money this year? Telegraph experts predict which funds could have a stellar 2020.
Industrial recession | Factories suffer steep drop in demand
Travel drama | 'Cancelled flight meant no holiday and a £1,344 bill'
On top of markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day
Sport briefing
Nigel Wray retires | Saracens chairman Nigel Wray, who was at the heart of the club's salary cap scandal, has retired with immediate effect. The multimillionaire entrepreneur entered into co-investments with several of the club's leading players before his side was docked 35 points and fined £5.4m for salary cap breaches over a three-year period in November. Read what he said was behind the decision.
ATP Cup | Tim Henman shrugs off poor air quality fears in Sydney
Rory Burns | Doubt for second Test after injury in football warm-up
Decade's first world champion | Peter Wright wins darts crown
Tonight's TV
Imagine: Lenny Henry: Young, Gifted and Black, BBC One, 11pm | The best Imagine films go beneath the surface and that's certainly the case with this enthralling documentary on comedian Sir Lenny Henry. Read on for more.
And finally...
Intergalactic proportions | Disney's UK-based subsidiaries spent £1.5bn over the past six years on making the five latest Star Wars movies, according to research by The Telegraph. But the media giant, which bought Star Wars owner Lucasfilm for $4bn (£3bn) in 2012, has reaped record rewards from its investment.
