Spectrum-based approach

A group of Italian mayors has rebelled against Matteo Salvini, the country’s hardline interior minister, by refusing to implement stringent new laws on the treatment of asylum seekers.

The mayors of Palermo, Naples, Florence and Parma said that a controversial security law, passed by the populist coalition in November, violates the basic rights of migrants and refugees.

The law prevents migrants from seeking residency permits while they are waiting for their asylum applications to be considered, meaning that they cannot access services such as health care, housing and schools for their children.

The mayors are threatening to block the implementation of the law in their cities, in a major challenge to the populist coalition, which came to power in June.

The clash comes after Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, called for an end to the rancour prevalent in Italian politics and warned against the dangers of whipping up xenophobia, in a New Year’s Eve address that was watched on television by 10 million Italians.

Leoluca Orlando, the centre-Left mayor of Palermo, said the security decree was “inhumane”.

That earned him a rebuke from Mr Salvini, whose policy of closing ports to migrant rescue boats has proved popular among a large section of the Italian electorate.

“With all the problems there are in Palermo, the mayor gets it into his head to stage civil disobedience on immigrants," said Mr Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister and leader of The League, the hard-Right party that governs in alliance with the Five Star Movement.

“Mayors on the Left should be thinking about their citizens who are in economic difficulty, not illegal migrants.”

He accused the mayors, some of them members of the opposition Democratic Party, of trying to overturn a law that had been passed by parliament.

“The security decree, a law of good sense and civilisation, was approved by the government and parliament, and signed by the president of the republic," he said.

He threatened to choke off government funding to cities that refused to impose the new law and said the mayors could face legal proceedings.

Mr Orlando denied that he and other mayors were engaging in “civil disobedience”.

They simply wanted to ensure that “constitutional rights that are guaranteed for all those who live in our country.”

Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, said the security law made a mockery of humanitarian rights, while Luigi de Magistris, the mayor of Naples, said the city would continue to grant residency to asylum seekers.

Left-leaning mayors have clashed with Mr Salvini before, notably last summer when he ordered the closure of Italian ports to NGO ships that rescued migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean.

The mayors of several port cities, including Messina, Reggio Calabria, Naples and Palermo, tried to defy the order, saying they would gladly welcome rescued migrants.

The initiative would have required the collaboration of the Italian coast guard, which is under the jurisdiction of the government, and so came to nothing.

On Thursday, Mr de Magistris revived the idea and said Naples would be willing to accept a rescue ship run by a German NGO, Sea Watch.

The ship has been in limbo in the Mediterranean for 13 days with 32 rescued migrants on board, after several countries denied it access to their ports.

Amid bad weather and rough seas, many of the migrants on board are suffering from severe seasickness and dehydration.

Over the last five years, more than 600,000 migrants and refugees have reached Italy by boat from the coast of North Africa, the vast majority of them setting out from Libya.

The pace of arrivals has slowed dramatically since the coalition closed Italian ports to rescue boats.

Last year, 23,000 migrants reached Italy – around a fifth of the number who arrived in 2017 when nearly 120,000 crossed from Libya.

Virgin Galactic has successfully sent its test pilots into space, marking a major milestone in the race for commercial space travel and sparking emotional scenes among those back down on Earth.

Sir Richard Branson, watching with his son Sam, admitted he shed more than a few tears as the space craft flew to 51.4 miles, or 271,268 feet.

Although the exact height of where space begins is debated, Nasa say it begins 50 miles above ground, and an official from the Federal Aviation Agency was on hand to welcome the two test pilots back to Earth, and invite them to Washington DC to receive their astronaut wings.

The flight marks the first time that man has reached space from US soil since the end of…

Donald Trump is facing an uphill battle to replace his defence secretary as the president reels from perhaps the worst, and most chaotic, week of his presidency so far.

In a major dent to his "America First" foreign policy, several leading candidates for the job have already declared they oppose pulling US troops out of Syria. They were joined by leading Republican senators, which would make congressional confirmation of an isolationist successor difficult.

The potential roadblock for Mr Trump was just one of three major setbacks to hit the White House in a savage week for the increasingly isolated president.

In the early hours of Saturday the US government partially shut down after Democrats…

A Yemeni mother who was granted a waiver from President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from several Muslim majority countries has arrived in the US to say goodbye to her dying toddler son.

Shaima Swileh landed at San Francisco airport Wednesday night, and was greeted by a group of supporters carrying placards.

Her two-year-old boy Abdullah Hassan, a US citizen like his father, suffers from a rare genetic brain condition and is on life support in a hospital in Oakland, California.

But Ms Swileh had been unable to join him due to Trump’s order barring visitors from six countries including Yemen.

After a tearful televised plea from the boy’s father prompted public outrage, the US embassy in Cairo issued a visa for Swileh, who has been living temporarily in Egypt.

After the waiver was granted, her husband, Ali Hassan, expressed relief and said, "This will allow us to mourn with dignity."

Mr Hassan said he had been ready to take his son off life support last week after doctors said the case was terminal, with his wife only receiving automated replies when inquiring with US authorities on her visa application.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is assisting the family, launched a campaign that it said prompted 15,000 emails to elected officials as well as thousands of tweets.

Mr Abdullah’s grandfather earlier told the San Francisco Chronicle that Ms Swileh was crying every day as she wanted to see her son "one last time."

"To hold him for at least a minute. She’s not going to see him forever," he said.

Exceptions to Trump’s ban are exceedingly rare. The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposes Trump’s order, said that only two percent of applicants have been granted waivers.

Trump vowed during the 2016 campaign to ban all Muslims from entering the US, despite constitutional protections of freedom of religion, after a mass shooting in California by a couple of Pakistani descent.

In an executive order that triggered chaos before court challenges and revisions, Mr Trump blocked new visas to nearly all citizens of five Muslim-majority countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen – as well as North Korea and some officials from Venezuela.

A divided Supreme Court in June upheld the ban, which it said was within the president’s powers.

London has welcomed 2019 with a dazzling firework display and the chimes of Big Ben.

Some 100,000 ticket-holders lined the banks of the Thames to watch 70,000 projectiles made up of eight tonnes of fireworks fire into the sky from three barges and the London Eye.

Edinburgh also put on a spectacular display, with around 75,000 party-goers gathering in the centre of the city to see in 2019. 

Below are pictures and details from all the big displays in the major cities around the world. Happy New Year!

London celebrates as Big Ben awakes

The words "London is open" rang in the new year as the capital welcomed 2019 with a dazzling riverside fireworks display.

The phrase was spoken in seven languages around two minutes past midnight as the city skyline filled with lights in the largest annual display in Europe.

A soundtrack featuring Europe’s finest musical artists celebrated the diversity of the capital, after Big Ben, silent for much of 2018 due to renovations, chimed once more.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the sold-out display would show Europe that the capital will remain "open-minded" and "outward looking" post-Brexit.

He said Westminster politicians had given the world the impression that Britain is "insular, inward looking", as Britain begins the new year countdown to Brexit.

Mr Khan said he hoped this year’s event would "send a message of support" to the more than one million European citizens for whom London is home.

He has previously expressed his backing for a People’s Vote and has voiced his concerns over the effects of a no-deal Brexit on the capital.

He vowed that London would remain the same after March 29 2019, and said the fireworks display was about "showing the world, while they’re watching us, that we’re going to carry on being open-minded, outward looking, pluralistic".

Some 100,000 ticket-holders lined the banks of the Thames to watch 70,000 projectiles made up of eight tonnes of fireworks fire into the sky from three barges and the London Eye.

Mr Khan continued: "We, in my opinion, are one of the greatest cities in the world, one of the reason we are one of the greatest cities in the world is because of the contribution made by Europeans."

"I think diversity is a strength and I think what tonight is about is celebrating that diversity.

"I hope that members of Parliament, members of the Government will see the fireworks tonight, will listen to the soundtrack and will reflect on what sort of country they want to live in post-March.

Edinburgh’s huge street party

People from around the world have welcomed in the new year at a colourful street party – in the shadow of Edinburgh castle – in the "home of Hogmanay".

The jubilant crowd counted down the 10 seconds to midnight before a fireworks display lit up the sky above the famous landmark, with the soundtrack provided by German band Meute.

A mass rendition of Auld Lang Syne then rang out around the city when the fireworks fell silent.

The events were the main focus of the street party which ran for several hours over December 31 and January 1. Organisers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay planned this year’s events to celebrate the ties between Scotland and Europe as the UK prepares to leave the EU in 2019.

Soggy start for New York

A drenching rain couldn’t keep crowds from packing Times Square for the traditional crystal ball drop and a string of star performances.

Christina Aguilera pumped up the crowd, performing in a snow-white dress and coat while partygoers danced in their rain ponchos.

Bebe Rexha sang John Lennon’s "Imagine" just before the midnight ball drop.

The celebration took place under tight security. Partygoers were checked for weapons and then herded into pens, ringed by metal barricades, where they waited for the stroke of midnight.

But the weather forced police to scrap plans to fly a drone to help keep watch over the crowd.

Revellers were paying up to $10 for plastic ponchos trying to stay dry. Umbrellas were banned for security reasons.

Paris sees in 2019

Parisians and tourists gathered on the Champs-Elysees to celebrate New Year’s Eve under heavy security.

Anti-government protesters from the yellow vest movement have issued calls on social media for "festive" demonstrations on the famous avenue.

Paris police set up a security perimeter in the area, with bag searches, a ban on alcohol and traffic restrictions. The Interior Ministry said Sunday that the heavy security measures are needed because of a "high terrorist threat" and concerns about "non-declared protests."

President Emmanuel Macron gave his traditional New Year address to briefly lay out his priorities for 2019, as some protesters angry over high taxes and his pro-business policies plan to continue their demonstrations in coming weeks.

Ahead of midnight, a light show illustrating the theme of brotherhood took place on the Arc de Triomphe monument at the top of the Champs-Elysees.

Fireworks time in Athens

New Year in Nairobi

An impressive display at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Fireworks crackled at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, as hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered downtown to watch the spectacular display.

The fireworks replace last year’s somewhat anticlimactic LED lightshow that ran down the facade of the 828-meter-tall (2,716-foot) tower.

Cafes and restaurants with a view of the Burj Khalifa charge a premium for their locale on New Year’s Eve.

Casual sandwich chain Pret a Manger, for example, charges $817 for a table of four.

That price gets you hot and cold drinks and some canapes.

For burgers near the action, fast food chain Five Guys charged $408 per person for unlimited burgers, hotdogs, fries, milkshakes and soda.

Dozens injured in the Philippines

Dozens of people were injured in New Year celebrations in the Philippines.

It came as powerful firecrackers were set off in one of Asia’s most violent celebrations, despite a government scare campaign and threats of arrests.

The Department of Health said it has recorded more than 50 firecracker injuries in the past 10 days.

Officials had urged centralised fireworks displays to discourage wild and sometimes fatal merrymaking.

The notorious tradition, worsened by celebratory gunfire, stems from a Chinese-influenced belief that noise drives away evil and misfortune.

Pope sends his blessings

Pope Francis has rounded out the most problematic year of his papacy by presiding over a vespers service and praying before the Vatican’s giant sand sculpture Nativity scene.

During his homily on Monday, Francis lamented how many people spent 2018 living on the edge of dignity, homeless or forced into modern forms of slavery. Francis noted that Rome alone counts some 10,000 homeless and said: "During the winter their situation is particularly hard."

Accompanied by his chief alms-giver, Francis then walked out into St. Peter’s Square, where he greeted pilgrims and prayed before the Nativity scene, carved out of 720 tons of packed sand.

On Tuesday, Francis will celebrate Mass to mark the start of a new year and officially leave behind 2018, which saw a new eruption of the clergy sex abuse scandal.

Russia raises a glass

As Russians raised toasts to celebrate across the country’s 11 time zones, President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to rely on internal resources to improve living standards.

In a televised address just before midnight, Putin said that "we can achieve positive results only through our own efforts and well-coordinated teamwork."

Raising life quality remains the top priority, he said, adding that it’s necessary to tap domestic resources to achieve the goal as "there wasn’t and there won’t be anyone to help."

The statement sounded like an oblique reference to continuing Russia-West tensions and Western sanctions.

The nation’s festive mood was marred by the collapse of an apartment building Monday in Magnitogorsk that killed at least four. Putin visited the city to oversee rescue efforts.

Chilly start in China

New Year’s Eve isn’t celebrated widely in mainland China, where the lunar New Year in February is a more important holiday. But countdown events were held in major cities, and some of the faithful headed to Buddhist temples for bell-ringing and prayers.

Outdoor revellers in Beijing had to brave temperatures well below freezing.

Additional police were deployed in parts of Shanghai, where a New Year’s Eve stampede in 2014 killed 36 people.

In Hong Kong, festive lights on skyscrapers provided the backdrop for a fireworks, music and light show over Victoria Harbor on a chilly evening.

North Korea welcomes 2019 with fireworks and musical performances

After an eventful year that saw three inter-Korean summits and the easing of tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program, Korean – North and South of the border – entered 2019 with hopes that the hard-won detente will expand into a stable peace.

Thousands of South Koreans filled the streets of the capital, Seoul, for a traditional bell-tolling ceremony near City Hall. Dignitaries picked to ring the old Bosingak bell at midnight included famous surgeon Lee Guk-jong, who successfully operated on a North Korean soldier who escaped to South Korea in 2017 in a hail of bullets fired by his comrades.

A "peace bell" was tolled at Imjingak, a pavilion near the border with North Korea.

Japan, South Korea and small parts of Russia and Indonesia ring in the New Year

Russians got to enjoy performances from actors and dancers dressed up as characters including Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, as small parts of the country took part in a count down to midnight.

Ramming attack mars Tokyo celebrations

Japan celebrated the New Year in style on Monday night.

However, nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve along a famous Tokyo street.

With an "intent to murder", 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo’s fashion district of Harajuku at 10 minutes past midnight, a police spokesman told AFP.

According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details.

One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman told AFP.

Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.

Fireworks glitter over Sydney Harbour

Parts of Australia including Sydney are celebrating the New Year, with the city putting on a spectacular fireworks display over the harbour.

The Opera House was thrown into sharp relief by the fireworks, which were watched on television by people all over the world.

The celebrations in Sydney were slightly dampened by inclement weather, with thousands of people waiting to watch the fireworks battered with torrential rain and a thunderstorm.

New Zealand celebrates 2019

It is officially 2019 in New Zealand, as cities including Auckland set off fireworks and spectators danced and cheered.

 The annual Wondergarden festival is also taking place, with revelers flooding to Auckland to enjoy the music and ring in the New Year.

Partygoers were allowed to make as much noise as they liked between 6pm and 2am, after the council in Auckland promised not to attend any noise complaints during those hours.

"New Year’s Eve is always a great time for celebration in Auckland and from a noise control perspective we don’t tend to see significant increases in complaints over the course of the night generally because there seems to be higher levels of tolerance to noise as many people choose to stay up later to enjoy the midnight entertainment. Because of this, we do relax our policy slightly on New Year’s Eve and only attend complaints after 2am which is often the time when most festivities have come to an end," Max Wilde, the council’s team manager for Licencing Response told the New Zealand Herald.

Samoa is the first country to ring in 2019

Samoa was the first country to celebrate the New Year with an inevitable fireworks display.

Interestingly, just an hour’s flight away is American Samoa, which has to wait 24  hours to ring in 2019 because of the time difference.

A judge in Nantucket has ordered Kevin Spacey to appear in court next week for his arraignment on sexual assault charges, denying the two-time Oscar winner’s plea for him to be excused from what he described as a media circus.

Spacey said in court documents, filed on Monday, that will plead not guilty to indecent assault.

The 59-year-old actor is accused of groping an 18-year-old employee of the Club Car, a restaurant and bar on the island of Nantucket, in July 2016.

In the court documents, obtained by The Telegraph, he asked the judge that he be exempt from the January 7 arraignment, arguing that his presence would "amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with the case."

His lawyer added that his presence would heighten the "prejudicial media interest" in the case and contaminate the jury pool.

The judge swiftly denied Spacey’s request, ordering that he attend the court proceedings.

His lawyers have been trying for some time to avoid the spectacle of the two-time Oscar winner appearing in court.

On Thursday Michael Giardino, the Cape and Islands assistant district attorney, filed a motion saying that the prosecution did not agree to the defence’s request that Spacey be allowed to stay away.

The prosecution argued that Massachusetts state rules for criminal procedure require that a defendant appear at arraignment.

Lawyers for both sides agreed on the January 7 arraignment date during a December 20 hearing, at which Clerk-Magistrate Ryan Kearney found probable cause to charge Spacey.

This allegation was first made public by the accuser’s mother, former news anchor Heather Unruh, in November 2017.

Her son told investigators in the autumn that he was the one who approached Spacey that summer night, wanting a photo, and proceeded to drink heavily with the House of Cards actor after finishing his shift before the alleged assault took place, some time after midnight, police reports in the case show.

Spacey’s lawyers on December 20 argued that there were “inconsistencies” in the accuser’s story, and claimed that he didn’t pull away from the actor for three minutes.

The accuser has admitted telling Spacey he was 23 – the legal age for drinking in the state is 21.

Spacey has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men — some of them teens at the time of the alleged incidents — but the Nantucket case is the first to result in criminal charges. It carries a possible five years in prison.