US class action alleges Stake's anonymised design enabled rapper to fund automated streams on music platformsDrake and American livestreamer Adin Ross have been accused in a US civil case of using online casino money to pay for automated streams in a bid to artificially inflate the singer's royalties and popularity on music streaming platforms. No one has been charged criminally with regard to the allegations in the lawsuit.Two women in the US state Virginia have filed a class action seeking US$5m from e-casino Stake.com, the celebrities and another Australian internet personality for alleged breaches of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) and consumer protection laws. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Saturday's capture of Nicolas Maduro by the US was as unexpected as it was swift - but what led Trump to topple the South American regime?Good morning. Over the weekend, the US attacked Venezuela with a series of airstrikes and captured the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores, seizing them from their bedrooms and flying them to New York on Saturday evening. Donald Trump announced that the US would run" Venezuela for an unspecified period.Perhaps most striking was how explicit Trump was about the reasoning behind the military action. He said the aim was for US companies to take control of Venezuela's oil infrastructure for their own benefit. We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we're going to be very much involved in it," Trump said.Venezuela | The prospect of the United States seizing direct control of Venezuela appeared to recede on Sunday after the shocking seizure of President Nicolas Maduro - but US officials said Washington was keeping a 15,000-strong force in the Caribbean and might make a fresh military intervention if Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, did not accommodate their demands.EU | Keir Starmer has said closer ties with the EU single market are preferable to a customs union in his clearest sign yet that the UK government is seeking to further deepen links with Brussels.Weather | Transport delays, treacherous driving conditions and school closures will greet many people as they return to work and study after the Christmas break, with winter weather warnings in place across the UK.Crans-Montana fire | Investigators have identified the last 16 people who died in the New Year's Eve bar fire at the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana, police said on Sunday.Germany | German leftwing militants protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin. Continue reading...
Coalition gearing up to intensify campaign for royal commission into antisemitism but may be split on tighter gun controlsThe federal parliament will be recalled early as the Albanese government seeks to rush through laws to crack down on hate preachers" and fund a national gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi beach alleged terrorist attack.But the government is resisting calls for a royal commission into antisemitism, as the Coalition prepares to use parliament's return to intensify the campaign for an inquiry. Continue reading...
Exclusive: union facing claim for unfair dismissal from one of two women who complained of bullying and harassmentThe GMB trade union is facing fresh turmoil over claims made by two of its female senior leadership team, as it heads towards a crucial general secretary election this year.The infighting at a senior level comes as Gary Smith, the union's general secretary, faces a potential battle to retain his job in May. Continue reading...
Nationals leader David Littleproud warns against prolonged Iraq-style operation in Venezuela as Greens senator David Shoebridge raises concern about Trump's intervention
by Presented by Annie Kelly with Julian Borger; produ on (#72K08)
The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, was captured, flown to the US and is facing trial in New York. What does it mean for the country - and the world?In the early hours of Saturday morning, scenes unfolded on the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas that could have come from a blockbuster movie. The power was cut, explosions ripped through the city and the US military swept in. The country's president, Nicolas Maduro, was snatched from his home ... and from power.For months Trump has been waging a maximum pressure campaign against Maduro. He accused him of being responsible for drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the US. A huge naval armada was moved to the Caribbean and fishing boats were attacked. Continue reading...
Flights cancelled and travel warnings issued with 30cm of snow expected on high ground in northern ScotlandTransport delays, treacherous driving conditions and school closures will greet many people as they return to work and study after the Christmas break, with winter weather warnings in place across the UK.Four amber warnings for heavy snow in northern Scotland are in place until Monday morning, while yellow snow and ice warnings cover all of Northern Ireland, Wales and much of England. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#72JM2)
Prime minister gives clearest sign yet that government is seeking to further deepen Britain's links with BrusselsCloser ties with the EU single market are preferable to a customs union, Keir Starmer has said, in his clearest sign yet that the government is seeking to further deepen links with Brussels.The prime minister said the UK should consider even closer alignment" with the single market. If it's in our national interest ... then we should consider that, we should go that far," he told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. Continue reading...
The 34-year-old posts emotional video saying the girls will fight all the odds' after spinal muscular atrophy diagnosisThe former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has said her twin babies will fight all the odds" after being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that means it is unlikely they will ever be able to walk.The 34-year-old singer and her fiance, Zion Foster, welcomed their twins Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster in May, after they were born prematurely. In an emotional Instagram video posted on Sunday, Nelson revealed the girls had been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1). Continue reading...
Maximus Textoris Pulcher, an official resident at Rue de la Loi 16, shows a warmer side of Bart De WeverFor nearly 15 years, Britain's Larry the Cat has charmed visitors to 10 Downing Street. Now another prime ministerial pet is proving a social media hit in Belgium.Maximus Textoris Pulcher was announced in August as an official resident at the Belgian prime minister's office, Rue de la Loi 16 in central Brussels. Continue reading...
Security Service was able to compile detailed files on members of legitimate protest groups infiltrated by undercover police officersThousands of surveillance reports compiled by undercover police officers who spied on political campaigners were routinely passed to MI5, documents obtained by the spycops inquiry have revealed.Police sent undercover officers on long-term deployments to infiltrate mainly leftwing protest groups and gather enormous quantities of information about their political and personal activities. Continue reading...
Dystopian warnings once reserved for the far right have found a wider audience - but there are good reasons for scepticismIt is a darkly dystopian vision of Britain's future, in which tens of thousands die in a bitter civil war in just a few years time.Yet such forecasts are no longer limited to niche corners of the internet or the X feed of Elon Musk, condemned by Downing Street for claiming that war in Britain was inevitable after the post-Southport rioting. Continue reading...
A fantasy figure for men and women, a victim of press intrusion, a defender of animals ... the French actor was also a mouthpiece for racial hatred whose views grew uglier over timeBrigitte Bardot inspired many fantasies, from the wanton, panting reveries of assorted French auteurs in the 1950s and 60s, to the perky-nippled bust created in 1969 as a model for Marianne, the embodiment of the French Republic itself.With her death on 28 December, another more contemporary Bardot illusion was shattered. The singer Chappell Roan, responding to Bardot's passing at 91, posted a photo of the actor in her beehived prime on Instagram, saying she had inspired her song Red Wine Supernova and writing": Rest in peace Ms Bardot." Continue reading...
Zia Yusuf announces plans for mandatory sentences with no parole, as party targets grooming gangsChild rapists would be jailed for life if Reform UK wins the next election, its head of policy has said.Under plans announced by Zia Yusuf on Saturday, the party would introduce mandatory whole-life orders for offenders convicted of the crime, making them ineligible for parole, as part of a crackdown on grooming gangs. Continue reading...
New documents reveal numerous missed opportunities as experts and victims condemn US authorities' failuresOver the course of two decades, Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly appeared on law enforcement's radar for sexual misconduct involving teen girls and young women. And over this same period of time, Epstein avoided serious and meaningful punishment for his crimes.The US justice department's recent disclosure of long-secret investigative files related to Epstein has once again raised the question of why he wasn't interdicted sooner, despite numerous reports of misconduct. The issue has been the subject of many conspiracy theories, often focusing on the idea that Epstein - who lived at the center of a network of powerful people - enjoyed some form of protection. Continue reading...
The US may be making positive noises, but exhausted Ukrainians remain wary after nearly four years of warI would give anything in the world if, in this address, I could say that peace will also come in just a few minutes," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a message to the Ukrainian people released just before midnight on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, I cannot say that yet."Zelenskyy said a peace agreement was 90% ready", but added something that subverted Donald Trump's constant claims that a deal is just around the corner. Those 10% contain, in fact, everything," he said. Continue reading...
Humberside police say body retrieved off East Yorkshire on Friday evening amid rescue operation in horrendous conditions'A second body has been recovered from the sea off the coast of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, as the search resumes for a third missing person.Humberside police said the body of a second person was retrieved on Friday evening. Earlier, a 67-year-old man had been pulled unconscious from the water, but he died later. Continue reading...
Southern Transitional Council wants to form a breakaway state, which would split the Arabian Peninsula's poorest state in twoSaudi Arabia's foreign ministry has called for Yemen's southern factions to attend a dialogue" in Riyadh, after a surprise independence bid and the United Arab Emirates declaring it had withdrawn all troops from Yemen.In a statement on Saturday, the Saudi ministry urged a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause". Riyadh said the Yemeni government had issued the invitation for talks. Continue reading...
Minutes obtained under freedom of information laws show West Midlands police flagged concerns over decision ahead of Aston Villa matchJewish communities warned West Midlands police that a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending a match against Aston Villa could be perceived as antisemitic", documents show.Supporters of the Israeli team were banned from attending the Europa League fixture at Villa Park in Birmingham on 6 November, causing outrage, with the prime minister, Keir Starmer, condemning it as wrong" and suggesting it amounted to antisemitism. Continue reading...
Charlotte Niddam, 15, went to school in Hertfordshire and her family have not heard from her since the blazeA teenager educated in Britain is among those missing after a deadly fire in a Swiss ski resort.Charlotte Niddam, 15, lived in Bushey, Hertfordshire, until recently and attended Immanuel college, a private Jewish secondary school in the town. The school issued a statement on Friday saying it was praying for a miracle for Charlotte". Continue reading...
A UK government warning that Amal Clooney risks US sanctions over her role in the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister is key among reasons the couple have sought French citizenshipThe exodus from Hollywood to shores not presided over by Donald Trump has been busy and loud. Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Wright and Courtney Love moved to England; Rosie O'Donnell opted for Ireland; Eva Longoria, Spain. Other Trump critics, including Richard Gere, Lena Dunham and Ryan Gosling, have upped sticks without citing the re-election as a motivating factor.In the case of Clooney, however, there has appeared little doubt that his decision to gain French citizenship was primarily because of Trump, whose re-election he energetically campaigned against. Yet amid the heat and headlines generated by the pair's war of words, some of the actor's reasons for relocating may have flown under the radar. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Amy Sedghi (earlier) on (#72H6S)
Officials say 40 people were killed and 119 injured, with some in hospital still unidentified due to horrific' injuriesItaly's ambassador to Switzerland Gian Lorenzo Cornado has said that all bar five of the 112 injured have been identified now, reports Reuters. Swiss officials are yet to give an update on this and have not shared the names of any victims or injured.Six Italians are still missing and 13 hospitalised, he added. Three Italians were repatriated on Thursday and three more will follow on Friday, he said.It's the grief, as if we have all lost a loved one. Continue reading...
by Angela Giuffrida in Crans-Montana and Jon Henley on (#72H81)
Footage and witness statements show blaze that killed about 40 was very rapid', prosecutor saysInvestigators believe fountain sparklers mounted on champagne bottles and held too close to the ceiling sparked the deadly fire that tore through a crowded bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 100.Everything suggests the fire started from the burning candles or Bengal lights' that had been attached to champagne bottles," the prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said on Friday. These went too close to the ceiling." Continue reading...
Death of man from Kettering comes shortly after disappearance of two men during a Christmas Day swim in DevonA 51-year-old man has died after attempting to rescue a woman who was struggling to swim at Brighton beach on New Year's Day, police have confirmed.Sussex police were alerted at 10.35am on Thursday after the swimmer, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was recovered from the water to the west of Brighton Palace Pier. Continue reading...
Police say woman's death in Tennant Creek appeared to be the result of a medical episode, but Aboriginal legal service says internal investigation is not sufficient'
US president's posts that US will come to the rescue of protesters prompts warnings of regret-inducing response'Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its government killed demonstrators, prompting warnings from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would cross a red line".In a social media post on Friday, Trump said that if Iran shoots and kills protesters, the US would come to their rescue". He added: We are locked and loaded, and ready to go", without explaining what that might mean in practice. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#72HAK)
Exclusive: diplomats had to scramble to contain fallout with Beijing after Douglas Alexander's trip to TaipeiChina threatened to cancel high-level trade talks with the UK earlier this year over a government minister's visit to Taiwan, the Guardian can disclose.Beijing told the British government it would pull its first trade and economic dialogue with the UK in seven years after Douglas Alexander, then a trade minister, travelled to Taipei in late June. Continue reading...
Brian King Joseph claims the rapper and actor was priming' him for sexual exploitation'. Smith's lawyer has called the allegations false, baseless and reckless'Will Smith is being sued by a violinist from his 2025 tour, who claims the rapper and actor exhibited predatory behaviour" and was deliberately grooming and priming" him for further sexual exploitation". Brian King Joseph is also pursuing the performer and his company Treyball Studios Management for wrongful termination and retaliation in a suit filed in the superior court of California.Joseph alleges that he was hired for the tour in support of Smith's new album, Based on a True Story, after first appearing on stage with Smith in December 2024. The suit claims that Smith once told Joseph, You and I have such a special connection that I don't have with anyone else." Continue reading...
Paul Ovenden argues time spent discussing political prisoner was symptom of government struggling to focusEfforts to free Alaa Abd el-Fattah regularly distracted Keir Starmer's government from focusing on bread-and-butter domestic political issues, according to one of the prime minister's closest former advisers.Paul Ovenden, who stood down last year as the prime minister's director of strategy, said the case of the British political prisoner became a running joke" among those in government frustrated by the slow pace of change. Continue reading...
Reports say actor, 34, found unresponsive in corridor of Fairmont hotel in early hours of New Year's DayVictoria Jones, the daughter of the actor Tommy Lee Jones, has been found dead in a San Francisco hotel.Jones, 34, was discovered in the early hours of New Year's Day according to TMZ, which cited law enforcement sources. Continue reading...
Artist's daughter Marguerite features in most of the pieces, kept in the family until complete surprise' donationThe Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris has received an extraordinarily generous" donation of 61 works by Henri Matisse that have been kept in the artist's family.Most of the donated art - which includes paintings, drawings, etchings, lithographs and a sculpture - features the painter's daughter Marguerite. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv. Photographs by Julia Kochetov on (#72H5B)
British military doctors and therapists provide support at base where innovative treatments aid recovery of those who have lost limbsAt a specialist treatment centre in Ukraine, as other amputees play volleyball nearby, Vladislav shows a video on his phone of how he lost his left leg. He found the footage - of a drone closing in rapidly on a buggy, Vladislav standing exposed at its rear - on a Russian military social media channel.The 31-year-old, an arbitration lawyer before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, makes a double whistling noise to describe the drone's ominous progress. That's me," he says, pointing at the video, filmed from a fibre optic drone, chasing him down with terrifying ease as the vehicle slows for a corner. Then the screen goes blank. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#72H2Q)
NHS to administer combined immunisation in move in line with approach in US, Canada, Australia and GermanyChildren in the UK are to be immunised against chickenpox at the same time as measles, mumps and rubella.The NHS across the UK's four home nations will administer a combined vaccine to young children to protect them against all four diseases from Friday. Continue reading...
Ukraine rejects claim, saying its forces exclusively targeted Russian military or energy sitesA Ukrainian drone strike killed 24 people and injured at least 50 more as they celebrated the new year in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine's Kherson region, Russian officials said, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise despite diplomats hailing productive peace talks.Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region's Moscow-installed leader, Vladimir Saldo, said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday. He said one of the drones was carrying an incendiary mixture that sparked a blaze. Continue reading...
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