News Desk

Who plays Derek Turnbow in Stranger Things season 5?

Stranger Things season five has introduced new character Derek Turnbow and he is already proving to be a fan favourite

*WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1.*

Netflix viewers have finally returned to Hawkins after a gruelling three-year wait, and there’s a host of new characters joining the group.

Stranger Things season five has now released its first four episodes, which follow the original gang as they attempt to find the season four villain, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

While Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is training for the moment she comes face to face with the monster, the nerds and teens take on their own plans to support the mission.

Viewers then meet potty-mouth newcomer Derek Turnbow, who is seen bullying Holly Wheeler by forcing the playground carousel to speed up while she is lying on it.

It later emerges that Vecna is targeting Derek, so the group plans to kidnap him in order to save his life and track down Vecna’s hiding spot.

Their plan falls apart, but Derek is soon enlisted to go undercover as ‘Delightful Derek’ in an attempt to rescue the mission.

Many Stranger Things fans have been raving about the new character, taking to social media to praise the actor behind the emerging favourite.

Who plays Derek Turnbow in Stranger Things?

Jake Connelly is an American actor whose breakout role came in Stranger Things 5.

Before joining the Netflix show, Connelly’s only IMDb credit was in a short film called Between the Silence.

You can follow Jake on Instagram @jakeconnellyofficial.

How old is Stranger Things star Jake Connelly?

Connelly is only 13 years old and was around four when the show premiered. But he managed to catch up on the sci-fi hit a few years ago.

Speaking to The Wrap at the season five premiere, he revealed: “I started watching it a good couple of years ago, probably around when Season 4 came out.”

“As a family, we sat down every night and watched an episode before bed. It was just so fun seeing everything that my mom grew up with in the ’80s,” Connelly added.

Despite being a newcomer, Connelly was welcomed with open arms. In the same interview, he told The Wrap that the main star, Brown, was especially kind.

He recalled: “I gotta say, one of the first days of the table read, Millie Bobby Brown called me over to her [trailer] and — my mom had no idea where I went — I was just there with Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi just chilling it up, just talking.

“And she said, ‘Oh yeah, we were all your age when we started. If you ever need anything, you can just call us.'”

Stranger Things 5 episodes 1-4 are streaming now on Netflix



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Indonesia races to evacuate Sumatra residents as flood deaths soar to 34 | Weather News

Up to 8,000 people across North Sumatra have been evacuated and roads remain blocked by landslide debris.

Floods and landslides brought about by torrential rain in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province have killed at least 34 people, authorities said, with rescue efforts hampered by what an official described as a “total cutoff” of roads and communications.

North Sumatra regional police spokesman Ferry Walintukan told Detik news website that aside from the confirmed deaths, at least 52 people remain missing as of Thursday.

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A rare tropical cyclone blew across Indonesia’s Sumatra island, inundating the nearby Malacca Strait and causing floods and landslides, the country’s meteorological agency said on Wednesday, as large swaths of Southeast Asia grappled with deadly flooding.

Up to 8,000 people across North Sumatra have been evacuated, and roads remain blocked by landslide debris, with aid now being distributed via helicopters, Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the country’s disaster mitigation agency, said on Thursday.

The regions of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli were among the hardest hit, Yuyun Karseno, an official at the agency’s North Sumatra division, told the Reuters news agency, adding that communications and power had been cut off.

“There is no more access, due to a total cutoff,” Yuyun said when asked about the rescue efforts. “Until now, we can’t communicate with folks in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli.”

Among the dead were one family in Central Tapanuli, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.

A video shared by radio channel Elshinta on its social media account showed a person carrying a baby in a plastic container on a roof in Central Tapanuli.

A man carries his child as he wades through the floodwaters following heavy rain at a residential area of Darul Imarah on the outskirts of Banda Aceh on November 27, 2025. (Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP)
A man carries his child as he wades through floodwaters following heavy rain in a residential area of Darul Imarah on the outskirts of Banda Aceh on November 27, 2025 [Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP]

Footage and photos shared by the agency show rapid currents of water overflowing across the region, leaving buildings destroyed in their wake, with rescuers using orange rafts to visit the flooded homes of residents.

Flooding and landslides also affected the provinces of West Sumatra and Aceh, authorities said. Indonesia’s official news agency Antara reported that 10 of the 23 cities and districts in Aceh have been submerged.

More flooding is expected in several other Sumatran provinces, including Aceh and Riau, over the next two days, the meteorological agency said, citing extreme weather.

Flooding elsewhere in Asia

The Indonesian flooding is one of a series of disasters to hit Southeast Asia this week.

On Thursday morning, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the island of Simeulue off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake, which struck Simeulue Island at 11:56am (04:56 GMT) at a depth of 25km (15.5 miles), prompted rain-soaked residents to rush outside. There were no immediate reports on casualties or a possible tsunami.

Meanwhile, more than 30 people were killed by floods in Thailand and Malaysia in recent days, with water levels high enough to submerge hospitals.

In Sri Lanka, floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains killed at least 31 people this week, with 14 others missing, authorities said on Thursday.

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Devastating fire leaves thousands homeless in Dhaka’s Korail shantytown | Gallery News

A devastating fire swept through Dhaka’s sprawling Korail shantytown, destroying or damaging some 1,500 shanties and reducing tin-roofed dwellings to smouldering ruins, officials reported.

The inferno, which erupted on Tuesday evening, required 16 hours to extinguish, according to Rashed Bin Khalid, a duty officer at the fire department.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, the fire service’s director, confirmed approximately 1,500 shanties were burned or damaged, leaving thousands without shelter.

Official records indicate about 60,000 families — many displaced by climate disasters — inhabit this 65-hectare (160-acre) shantytown. Korail sits adjacent to Dhaka’s affluent Gulshan and Banani districts, surrounded by modern high-rise developments.

Dense smoke enveloped the area as flames consumed dwellings throughout the night.

By Wednesday, displaced residents desperately sifted through debris, attempting to salvage their belongings.

Firefighters reported difficulty accessing the blaze due to the area’s narrow pathways.

Dhaka, home to 10.2 million people as of 2024, contains hundreds of informal settlements populated by rural migrants fleeing poverty, exploitation, and climate-related calamities. Those living there typically survive on daily wages earned as rickshaw drivers, housemaids, and cleaners.

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Sharon Osbourne makes first red carpet appearance since Ozzy’s death as she joins daughter Kelly at London party

SHARON Osbourne made her first red carpet appearance since husband Ozzy’s death last night, as she attended a London event with daughter Kelly. 

Ozzy sadly passed away aged 76 on July 22, with the cause of death later revealed to be a cardiac arrest

Sharon made her first red carpet appearance since Ozzy’s deathCredit: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im
She was supported by daughter Kelly for the outingCredit: / SplashNews.com
Ozzy passed away in July after a cardiac arrestCredit: Getty Images for Chopard

Last night Sharon, 73, and Kelly, 41, stepped out for a party at Japanese restaurant Aki London. 

The mother and daughter duo put on a glitzy display, with music manager Sharon stunning in a sequined floor-length red dress. 

Meanwhile Kelly opted for a halter-neck baby pink number studded with rhinestones. 

Kelly has been supporting her mother through their loss, previously revealing she slept in her parents’ bed for two months after Ozzy passed away.

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In a special episode of their family podcast titled Remembering Ozzy, Sharon confessed she “hates” going to bed at night.

Kelly said: “I mean, I slept with you for the first two months so that you weren’t on your own.

“But then I felt like you needed some space.”

She then confessed how her daily routine had been altered and admitted: “I wake up and for the first three seconds I feel normal.

“And then I remember everything.

“Mornings are the hardest for me. What is the morning?

“Because it happened in the morning. And I used to spend most of my time with Dad in the morning.”

Kelly then told how she still cries such a lot since Ozzy’s death.

She added: “It’s just all I seem to find myself doing these days because I miss him so much.”

Sharon and Ozzy’s son Jack, 40, is currently taking part in I’m a Celebrity and recently left fans concerned as he ended up in tears while discussing Ozzy.

During a discussion with Eddie Kadi, Jack was asked what he missed most about Ozzy.

As he attempted to answer the question, Jack became overcome with emotion as he tried to compose himself.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it out like that,” Eddie expressed as Jack said: “No it’s fine.”

“I haven’t experienced what you’ve experienced,” he told the grief-stricken star before asking him: “What do you miss most about your pops?”

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Again, Jack was unable to answer the question as he held his face into his hands and sobbed.

He finally expressed: “Just his energy. He had this force, so hard to describe. But he had this energy.”

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Trump to review Afghan immigrants after Washington DC shooting | Donald Trump

NewsFeed

US President Donald Trump has called for a review of all Afghans who entered the US under the Biden administration, after two National Guard members were shot and critically wounded in Washington DC. US immigration authorities have also halted all Afghan-related applications.

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What we know about the Hong Kong apartment fires

Tiffany Wertheimerand

Yvette Tan

BBC on the scene of the Hong Kong apartment block blaze

A devastating fire has ripped through a high-rise public housing complex in Hong Kong, killing at least 55 people, making it the city’s deadliest in more than 60 years. More than 270 people have been reported missing and thousands of residents are in evacuation shelters.

Images from the scene show several of the high-rise blocks still ablaze, and thick smoke billowing into the air, dominating the Chinese territory’s skyline.

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the fire, according to local media reports, and an investigation has been launched.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences to victims, including a “firefighter who died in the line of duty”, state media report.

What caused the blaze is still unclear, but here is what we do know, so far.

Where and when did the fire start?

The blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a large housing complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, at 14:51 local time on Wednesday (06:51 GMT).

Wang Fuk Court consists of eight tower blocks, each 31 storeys high. Seven have been affected by the fire, Tai Po district councillor Mui Siu-fung told BBC Chinese. Built in 1983, the tower blocks were undergoing renovations when the fire broke out.

Tai Po is a residential district in the northern part of Hong Kong, near the city of Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland.

The complex provides 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of the 4,600 people who lived in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex are at least 65, or older, according to the census.

Some of them have lived in the subsidised public housing estate since it was built.

Map showing the location of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, with an inset photo of the tall residential buildings against a backdrop of green hills and water. An inset map show Hong Kong in the south east of China, with a red dot marking the area

What caused the fire?

The cause of the fire is unknown but a preliminary investigation found that the rapid speed at which it spread was unusual, Hong Kong’s security secretary said early on Thursday morning.

Police say a mesh material and plastic sheets were found on the outside of the buildings – both of which are not believed to be fireproof.

Styrofoam was also found on the building’s windows – and that, together with the other construction materials is likely to have caused the flames to spread so quickly, said police.

Police have arrested three men aged between 52 and 68 on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the deadly blaze – two of them are directors of a construction firm while the other is an engineering consultant.

A police spokesperson said investigators were looking into the alleged actions, or failure to act, of the firm’s top officials.

“We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” said the spokesperson.

Local media reports also quote some residents who say the fire alarms in the building did not go off.

How serious is the fire?

This is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in at least 63 years and has been classified as a level five alarm – the highest in severity.

Within 40 minutes of first being reported, it was declared a level four, but by 18:22, about three and a half hours later, the level was raised again.

Local media had earlier reported that explosions could be heard inside the building and fire hoses could not easily reach the higher levels.

The ferocity of the heat had prevented firefighters from entering the buildings to conduct rescue operations, deputy director of fire services Derek Armstrong Chan told media.

As well as 767 firefighters, 128 fire engines, 57 ambulances and some 400 police officers were deployed.

What do we know about the victims?

Among the dead is firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, who was with the service at Sha Tin Fire Station for nine years.

The fire service says it lost contact with him at 15:30, and about half an hour later, found that he had collapsed. He was taken to hospital but declared dead shortly after.

“I am profoundly grieved at the loss of this dedicated and gallant fireman,” said Andy Yeung, director of the fire service.

At least one other firefighter is in hospital, the Hong Kong fire service said.

Police officers have been helping residents search for family members by using a loudspeaker, say local media reports.

Watch: Deadly fire engulfs Hong Kong apartment blocks

Where will evacuated residents stay?

Several emergency shelters have been set up to accommodate residents who were evacuated, the government said. The South China Morning Post reported that one of them – at Tung Cheong Street Sports Centre – was full, and residents were being directed to other shelters.

Another, the Kwong Fuk Community Hall, which is just over the road from the housing estate, was deemed unsafe. Evacuees were moved to another shelter, further away.

BBC Chinese reporter Gemini Cheng saw elderly residents, some using walking sticks or wheelchairs, arriving at some of the shelters.

At least 900 people are taking shelter in such temporary facilities, Agence France-Presse reports, quoting Lee.

Six schools in Tai Po will remain closed on Thursday, the Education Bureau announced, listing the affected schools on its website.

An emergency monitoring and support centre is in operation to manage the impact of the fire, security secretary Tang Ping-keung said in a statement.

A hotline for the public to ask about casualties has been set up by Hong Kong police.

What could have exacerbated the fire?

Reuters  A man gestures in distress as the tower blocks burn behind him.Reuters

The tower blocks at Wang Fuk Court are covered in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting, right up to the rooftops, because they are undergoing renovations.

As mentioned earlier, police have attributed the quick spread of the fire to materials used in the renovation, such as mesh netting, plastic sheeting and styrofoam.

It’s still unclear what caused the fire, but no matter the cause of the fire, proper netting on the buildings’ exterior would have been key to preventing the spread of fire, Jason Poon, chairman of construction NGO China Monitor, told news outlet Initium Media, adding that substandard netting could cause the fire to spread rapidly.

Another engineer told Initium Media he believes that the vast majority of mesh netting used in construction across Hong Kong is not made of fire-retardant material.

There are also often cardboard, debris and paint thinner found on the scaffolding, which along with dry weather could hasten the spread of fire, the engineer said.

One fire safety expert the BBC spoke to earlier said the bamboo scaffolding – a common part of the city’s urban landscape – also played a part in fanning the flames.

Local media reports in March said the government’s development bureau had been trying to phase out the use of bamboo because of safety concerns.

The push towards using metal instead of bamboo came after a spate of scaffolding-related deaths in Hong Kong.

Professor Jiang Liming from Hong Kong Polytechnic University also noted that the blocks at Wang Fuk Court were “relatively old” – they were built in the 1980s – so “the glass windows are not that fire resilient”.

“The modern buildings have double pane glass windows, but for this one they perhaps used just a single pane… [which makes it] very easy to be broken by the flames and the flames can then penetrate through the facade.”

Additional reporting by Jack Lau, BBC Global China Unit and Gemini Cheng, BBC Chinese in Hong Kong.

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‘Rush Hour 4’ will be distributed by Paramount after Trump’s reported request

After President Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures is set to distribute Brett Ratner’s “Rush Hour 4,” a project that Hollywood had eschewed after earlier sexual misconduct allegations against the director.

Paramount Pictures on Tuesday was in closing talks to distribute the film, according to a person close to the negotiations who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to announce a deal. Paramount would be stepping in to take a distribution fee on the film, not finance it.

In 2017, during the #MeToo movement, six women said Ratner sexually harassed them in a Los Angeles Times report. Warner Bros., which had a $450-million co-financing deal with his production company, severed ties with Ratner. Ratner, who denied the allegations, hasn’t produced a film this decade.

But on Sunday, Semafor reported that Trump personally requested Paramount take on “Rush Hour 4.” Paramount recently merged with Skydance in an $8-billion deal that required regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Trump has praised the studio’s new chair and chief executive, David Ellison, the son of Oracle executive chair and prominent Trump supporter Larry Ellison.

The White House didn’t immediately comment Wednesday.

Ratner had been shopping “Rush Hour 4” after Warner Bros., which released the three previous films in the franchise, passed on the project. The movie would reteam Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the action-comedy series launched in 1998, with sequels in 2001 and 2007.

Ratner has managed to get one other film made: a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump. Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the film for a reported $40 million. It’s set to open in theaters Jan. 30.

Coyle writes for the Associated Press.

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Trump withdraws South Africa’s invitation to next year’s G20 summit

Nov. 27 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has withdrawn South Africa’s invitation to next year’s G20 summit in Miami, Fla., escalating a row with Johannesburg.

Trump made the announcement Wednesday on his Truth Social platform as this year’s summit of the wealthy nations, held in South Africa, came to an end without the United States participating.

“South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately,” the American leader said in the statement.

Trump has escalated his criticisms against South Africa since returning to the White House.

In February, he threatened to cut U.S. funding to the African nation over a new law allowing authorities to expropriate land in the public interest as part of efforts to redress racial inequalities rooted in apartheid.

Though the law states that property cannot be expropriated arbitrarily and allows expropriation without compensation only in limited cases, Trump accused South Africa of “confiscating land” in violation of the human rights of White South Africans.

Trump has since escalated his rhetoric, alleging that White South Africans face genocide — a claim rejected by South African officials and regional leaders and not supported by available evidence.

After Trump announced that the United States wouldn’t be attending the G20 summit in Johannesburg due to “Afrikaners … being killed and slaughtered and their land and farms … being illegally confiscated,” the African National Congress described Trump’s allegations as “part of a long and disgraceful pattern of imperial arrogance and disinformation.”

“These statements are not borne of ignorance, they are deliberate attempts to distort the reality of South Africa’s democracy and to mobilize racial fear for political gain in the United States,” the African National Congress, the ruling political party of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said Nov. 8 in a statement.

“Donald Trump’s continued siding with racist and right-wing movements across the world is well-documented and consistent with his dangerous rhetoric. From defending White supremacists at Charlottesville to vilifying African nations as ‘expletive countries,’ his record speaks of a man driven by prejudice, not principle.”

Trump on Tuesday reiterated his allegations that Afrikaners were being killed and their land being stolen from them, while stating that at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, the South African delegation “refused” to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior U.S. Embassy official who attended the closing ceremony.

In response, the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that since the United States did not participate in the summit, it handed over the instruments of the G20 presidency to a U.S. Embassy official at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The office added that it will continue to participate as a full, active and founding member of the G20.

“It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the U.S., President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country,” his office said in a statement.

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Maduro Literally Rattles His Saber As Hegseth Arrives In Caribbean

As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to mull his options for dealing with Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrived in the Caribbean to meet with regional leaders. The visit comes as the U.S. has built up a large military presence in the region and the world awaits what Trump will do next. You can catch up with our most recent coverage of the Caribbean operation in our story here.

“The Secretary will meet with President Luis Abinader, Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre and Cabinet officials to strengthen defense relationships and reaffirm America’s commitment to defend the homeland, protect our regional partners and ensure stability and security across the Americas,” according to the Pentagon. His visit follows a trip to the region by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who returned to Washington last night.

Though Trump says he is open to discussions with Maduro that could avoid hostilities, the South American leader continues to show outward displays of defiance.

On Tuesday, Trump remained coy about his intentions for what has been dubbed Operation Southern Spear, ostensibly a counter-narcotics effort but one also aimed at pressuring Maduro.

“I might talk to him. We’ll see,” Trump told reporters Tuesday night aboard Air Force One in reference to Maduro. “But we’re discussing that with the different staffs. We might talk.”

Asked why he would want to talk to Maduro after his administration designated the cartel he allegedly leads a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Trump noted that the Venezuelan leader has two options. As we previously discussed, the FTO designation opens the aperture on the ability for Trump to order kinetic operations against Venezuela.

“If we can save lives, we can do things the easy way, that’s fine,” Trump explained. “And if we have to do it the hard way that’s fine, too… I’m not going to tell you what the goal is. You should probably know what the goal is. But, they’ve caused a lot of problems. And they’ve sent millions of people into our country.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP on potential talks with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro: “If we can save lives, if we can do things the easy way, that’s fine. And if we have to do it the hard way, that’s fine too.” pic.twitter.com/g8pxPvcfgv

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 26, 2025

For his part, Maduro tried to exude an aura of confidence on Tuesday, invoking the memory of national hero Simon Bolivar to rally a nation under the gun. You cannot travel far in Caracas or much of the rest of the country without coming upon a memorial to Bolivar, who liberated the country from Spain 200 years ago and remains highly revered.

Speaking at an event honoring that liberation, Maduro urged Venezuelans to fight “foreign aggressors” just as Bolivar did.

“We have to be capable of defending every inch of this blessed land from any sort of imperialist threat or aggression, wherever it comes from,” Maduro, clad in camouflage from head to toe, exclaimed. “I swear before our Lord Jesus Christ, that I will give my all for the victory of Venezuela.”

“We must be ready to defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat or aggression, no matter where it comes from,” Maduro continued as he brandished a sword believed to have once belonged to Bolivar. “There is no excuse for anyone to fail at this decisive moment, for the existence of the Republic, no excuse.”

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - NOVEMBER 25: President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro delivers a speech while holding the Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar's 'Sword of Peru' during a military ceremony on November 25, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela. The United States recently designated the "Cartel De Los Soles" (Cartel of The Suns) as a foreign terrorist organization, a group allegedly led by the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and which, it is presumed, includes high-ranking members of the Venezuelan government. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro delivers a speech while holding the Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar’s ‘Sword of Peru’ during a military ceremony on November 25, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images) Jesus Vargas

While the Trump administration insists that its efforts are ultimately aimed at stopping the flow of drugs into the United States, the president of Colombia told CNN that there is another motivation for the large military buildup.

Oil “is at the heart of the matter,” Gustavo Petro claimed to CNN in an exclusive interview, noting that Venezuela has what are considered the largest oil reserves in the world.

“So, that’s a negotiation about oil. I believe that is (US President Donald) Trump’s logic. He’s not thinking about the democratization of Venezuela, let alone the narco-trafficking,” he continued, adding that Venezuela is not considered a major drug producer and that only a relatively small portion of the global drugs trade flows through the country.”

Of course, Petro’s point of view has to be seen as coming from a leader who has been at odds with Trump. Since the American president returned to the White House, Petro “has harshly criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, its support for Israel and its military activity around Latin America,” the cable network noted. Trump, meanwhile, has sanctioned Petro for a perceived lack of support in drug interdiction efforts.

“Trump is not thinking about the democratization of Venezuela, let alone the narcotrafficking. It’s about oil.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks exclusively to @IsaCNN about why the US president is targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/EtjYsQVIuS

— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) November 25, 2025

Whether Trump is considering offering Maduro an off-ramp before what could be airstrikes on targets in Venezuela or a covert action to depose the South American strongman remains unknown. However, there are indications that Maduro is not interested in a negotiated exit from power.

“The calculation for Maduro is that he will always be safer here than anywhere else,” Phil Gunson, an analyst in Caracas for the International Crisis Group, told The Wall Street Journal.

With a $50 million bounty on his head as the result of being a fugitive from U.S. drug charges, Maduro likely feels unsafe outside his cocoon of protection in Venezuela. 

Beyond that, the list of countries that would take him and provide security is short. Russia or Cuba might, but as the Journal noted, refuge in a European capital or elsewhere would bring limited security from those seeking not just material reward, but also revenge after years of what many consider a despotic rule.

The public statements issued by both Trump and Maduro in recent days contrast with previous sentiments. While Trump has left speaking with Maduro as an option, he reportedly privately turned down de-escalation overtures from the South American leader. Meanwhile, though Maduro is putting on a brave face, it was said that he was open to leaving power in exchange for amnesty for him and his lieutenants, the lifting of the bounty and a comfortable exile, according to claims in a report from The Atlantic.

Meanwhile, there are 15,000 U.S. troops, a dozen ships and an array of aircraft in the Caribbean waiting for orders. To highlight that presence, the military has produced a steady stream of videos pushed out on social media. They show U.S. forces on ships like the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, or land-based in Puerto Rico, training and preparing.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), in the western Atlantic Ocean.

U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of #OpSouthernSpear.… pic.twitter.com/9mb4sJocJP

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) November 26, 2025

The flight deck never sleeps.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), conducts night flight operations in the Caribbean Sea. 

U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command… pic.twitter.com/sZwhTiH5J2

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) November 25, 2025

These visuals are part of the Trump administration’s increasing pressure campaign on Maduro. On Nov. 24, Air Forces Southern Command publicized another Bomber Attack Demonstration, with B-52H Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base conducting the mission in the Caribbean. It was at least the second such demonstration in a week.

As we explained in an earlier story, the B-52s “are capable of unleashing waves of standoff cruise missiles and can carry a host of other conventional munitions that can be employed against targets on land and at sea. Though the Venezuelan armed forces have limited air defense capabilities, they could still pose a threat. Standoff strikes from aircraft like the B-52 and other assets would be a likely component of any future U.S. direct action against targets inside the country to help reduce risks to friendly forces. They could even target air defense systems to help clear the way for follow-on operations.”

.@usairforce B-52H long-range bombers from @TeamMinot conducted a Bomber Attack Demo in the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Southern Spear, bringing Hemispheric security & stability, Nov 24. During the mission, USAF integrated with fighter jets & trained on rapid mobility. pic.twitter.com/cQAhMJMV5c

— Air Forces Southern (@AFSOUTH) November 26, 2025

All the while, American men and women will spend another holiday away from home, a fact of life in the service. Whether they will be pressed into action against Maduro remains unknown.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for The War Zone, and a former Senior Managing Editor for Military Times. Prior to this, he covered military affairs for the Tampa Bay Times as a Senior Writer. Howard’s work has appeared in various publications including Yahoo News, RealClearDefense, and Air Force Times.




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Who plays Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5?

Stranger Things season 5 introduced a brand-new cast member in the form of Mike Wheeler’s little sister

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1

Stranger Things season five, volume one has now arrived on Netflix after a final trailer and features some huge twists and turns with Hawkins now under military lockdown following the events of the series four finale.

The gang and Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) continued to try and find Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) as he hid in the Upside Down, with things heating up in the final season of Stranger Things.

While Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and his friends were busy searching for the villainous creature, he failed to notice his sister Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) was seemingly having visions and speaking to someone.

Instead of questioning whether she, too, had special abilities like Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), both Mike and his family put it all down to an imaginary friend rather than considering it could be Vecna.

Unsurprisingly, this resulted in Holly getting kidnapped by a demogorgon and taken to the Upside Down.

Many Stranger Things fans are now curious to know more about the actress behind the new Holly, after the younger version of the character was played by identical twins Anniston and Tinsley Price in previous seasons.

Who plays Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5?

British child star Nell Fisher plays the new Holly in Stranger Things season five.

Hailing from London, the 13-year-old has previously starred in Bookworm, Evil Dead Rise, Northspur, TV show My Life Is Murder and Choose Love.

According to IMDb, she is rumoured to next be starring in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Live Action TV series, which is in pre-production.

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.

How old is Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5?

Actress Fisher is 13-years-old, but her character Holly was born in 1980, according to the Stranger Things fandom page, and so would be around seven-years-old in season five.

Holly would have been around three-years-old in season one, which is set in 1983.

At one point, Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) remarks how Holly “isn’t five anymore” alluding to her daughter getting older.

Why was Holly Wheeler recast in Stranger Things?

The reason for the recasting was because the producers wanted an older and more experienced actress to take on the role of Holly, who has a big role to play in season five.

As revealed in season five, volume one, Holly’s part in the story is pretty important, with Matt Duffer telling SFX in a recent interview: “Once you see the full season, you’ll have a better understanding of why it was so important to add her to the cast.

“One of the reasons was, we just wanted to recapture some of the feeling of season one, and some of that you can’t recapture unless you have kids, because our kids are not kids anymore. They’re not close to being kids anymore.”

Adding: “So it was really fun to add Holly and her classmates into the show, because it allowed us to recapture some of that feeling.”

Stranger Things season 5, volume 2 is released on Netflix UK and Ireland on Boxing Day (December 26) at 1am

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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,372 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Here are the key events from day 1,372 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here’s where things stand on Thursday, November 27.

Fighting

  • Intense clashes took place across eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, including in Slobozhanske, Kupiansk, Lyman, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, Huliaipole and Orikhiv.
  • Ukraine’s military said some of the fiercest fighting was in the strategic town of Huliaipole in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia, where forces are battling for “every metre” of land amid increased Russian shelling and drone attacks.
  • A Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson killed a woman and a young child, while Russian air strikes in Zaporizhzhia city injured 18 people, including 12 women, according to local authorities.
  • Ukraine’s military claimed it struck a Russian military-industrial complex in the region of Chuvashia, sparking a fire.
  • Early on Thursday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed its forces killed or wounded 1,140 Russian soldiers over the last day. It also claimed it destroyed one Russian tank, three armoured combat vehicles, 21 artillery units, 214 drones and two aircraft.

Diplomacy

  • Russian officials expressed caution over the prospect of a quick peace deal. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that while negotiations are “ongoing” and “serious”, it is “premature” to suggest a deal is imminent.
  • Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow is not ready to publicly discuss the Trump administration’s recently modified peace plan, but that it will not budge on its key demands. “The overall success of this process is not guaranteed,” he said.
  • Still, US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, the exact date of which is yet to be confirmed, according to Russia’s Peskov.
  • European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the Trump-backed peace plan is a “starting point” but requires more work to ensure future Ukrainian and European security.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for further sanctions on Russia, accusing the country of obstructing peace efforts.
  • Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also urged the EU to immediately enact a 20th round of sanctions on Russia.
  • Numerous Baltic states issued strong statements of support for Ukraine after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna saying peace talks must begin with “firm conditions for the aggressor, not the victim”.

Energy

  • Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy urged the public to conserve electricity and warned of emergency outages in some regions where energy infrastructure has been targeted by Russian attacks.
  • Ukraine’s prime minister said the state would provide targeted energy assistance to 280,000 families living in front-line areas to help them “get through the winter period more easily and meet basic needs”, including by paying for up to 300 kilowatt hours per family monthly.
  • Putin, on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, announced Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation is considering building a nuclear power facility in the former Soviet state.

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Trump Bars South Africa From 2026 G20 Invite, Pretoria Calls Move ‘Punitive’

Trump says South Africa refused to hand over the G20 presidency after the U.S. skipped the Johannesburg summit, while South Africa says the handover happened properly at its foreign ministry because the U.S. delegation didn’t attend the closing ceremony. The dispute lands amid worsening U.S.–South Africa tensions, including Trump’s aid cuts and his repetition of discredited claims about attacks on white farmers.

Why It Matters
The move is unprecedented inside the G20 and threatens the group’s cohesion at a time of already strained geopolitics. It could accelerate a shift in South Africa’s global alignment, deepen rifts between Washington and African partners, and unsettle diplomatic cooperation on issues like climate, trade, and global governance.

The Trump administration is asserting pressure to punish South Africa for its foreign-policy stances; the Ramaphosa government is defending its credibility and G20 stewardship; and other G20 members are confronted with a fracture that could undermine the forum’s legitimacy and continuity. Investors and regional partners are watching closely for economic and political fallout.

What’s Next
Pretoria is expected to lodge formal diplomatic objections and seek backing from other G20 members. Quiet negotiations may emerge over whether a U.S. president can unilaterally block a member’s invitation. Further punitive actions from Washington are possible, while South Africa may lean more heavily on BRICS alliances as the rift widens.

With information from Reuters.

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Holly Valance shows billionaire ex what he’s missing as she makes rare appearance at showbiz event in tiny white dress

HOLLY Valance stunned as she posed for snaps after her recent split from billionaire husband Nick Candy.

The Aussie beauty showed her ex what he was missing on a rare night out, after The Sun revealed he has been dating a Swedish socialite who looks just like her.

Holly Valance wore a white brocade minidress with diamonds with skyscrapper heels on a night out in LondonCredit: Getty
The singer dazzled in white as she was snapped on her first night out since the breakdown of her marriage after 13 yearsCredit: Getty
She posed with Australian fashion designer and friend Rebecca VallanceCredit: Getty
Holly rubbed shoulders with other celebs at Aki restaurant including Sharon and Kelly OsbourneCredit: Getty

Singer and actress Holly, 42, wore a white brocade minidress and was dripping in diamonds at Aki restaurant in London tonight.

She flashed a huge smile as she posed with her friend, Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance, who hosted the event.

Holly’s dazzling accessories included a diamond necklace, statement diamond earrings, a delicate bracelet and glittering gold heels.

The newly single star rubbed shoulders with Sharon and Kelly Osbourne at the swanky bash held in London’s posh Cavendish Square.

READ MORE ON HOLLY VALANCE

KISS KISS GOODBYE

Holly Valance SPLITS from £1bn property tycoon Nick Candy after 13 years


NEW FLAME

Billionaire Nick Candy spotted kissing younger lookalike of ex Holly Valance

Ex-Neighbours actress Holly was pictured on a night out for the first time since The Sun revealed in June the wealthy couple had filed for divorce.

Property tycoon and Reform UK treasurer Nick, 52, was later spotted smooching Swedish socialite Camilla Ferrero, 33, at an airport as they went public with their romance.

A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Nick has blindsided Holly and left her and his inner circle stunned about the romance.

“Nick didn’t tell anyone he had met someone else and then started heading off on trips abroad.

“So his close friends started suspecting he was seeing someone else.

“He perhaps kept it under wraps to protect both Camilla and Holly.

“But there is now a slight feeling of surprise that he’s met someone else so soon — and particularly someone who’s a dead ringer for Holly.

“It will be pretty tough for her seeing him with Camilla.

“Camilla is from Sweden but now based in the UK and she and Nick are spending all their time together.”

It is understood Nick and Holly signed a pre-nuptial agreement before they tied the knot in 2012 in a lavish £3million wedding.

Another source told The Sun: “Holly is incredibly upset.

“Her main concern is, and always will be, for their two daughters.

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“But when it comes to the divorce, she’s made it clear she wants what she’s owed and will take Nick for every penny.

“She insists that she is the injured party in this.”

Holly and Nick were together for 13 yearsCredit: Getty
Holly seen arriving in London in June without her wedding ring on, after The Sun revealed their break-up
Nick, 52, has been dating 33-year-old Swedish socialite Camilla FerreroCredit: Getty

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Judges approve North Carolina’s use of GOP-friendly district map

Nov. 26 (UPI) — A three-judge panel on Wednesday permitted North Carolina to adopt a redrawn congressional map that is expected to favor the Republican Party.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina unanimously ruled against the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction against legislation approved in October by the state’s General Assembly that critics say threaten one federal congressional district, specifically Congressional District 1, which represented by Democrat Don Davis.

In their 57-page ruling on Wednesday, the three Republican-appointed judges said the plaintiffs failed to prove that the state’s General Assembly enacted the legislation, Senate Bill 249, with the intent to “minimize or cancel out the voting potential” of Black North Carolinians as they had claimed.

The ruling comes in protracted litigation that began in 2023, when the Republican-led state sought to redraw some of the districts for electing representatives to the state Senate and federal Congress.

The plaintiffs, who include the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, sued that December. In October, amid litigation on the maps, the state’s General Assembly passed legislation to swap counties between Congressional District 1 and Congressional District 3.

The plaintiffs again sued the state, alleging the legislation was unconstitutional and asking the court to enjoin S.B. 249.

Earlier this month, the same three-judge panel issued a ruling approving the changes to the map put forward in 2023.

A hearing on S.B. 249 was held Nov. 19, during which the plaintiffs argued that the speed with which the General Assembly passed the 2025 plan was evidence of discriminatory intent.

But the panel of judges disagreed, stating “they have offered no reason to believe that the speed of the 2025 process indicates an intent to discriminate on the basis of race. Nor do they explain what weight we are supposed to assign to what they call ‘the near uniform outcry among North Carolina voters against the map and the process.'”

The ruling comes amid something of a gerrymandering race in the United States that began in earnest when Texas this summer — under pressure of President Donald Trump — sought a mid-decade redraw of its maps to make them more favorable to the Republican Party.

California is in the process of redrawing its maps in retaliation and other states under control of both parties have followed with similar plans.

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Thousands left homeless by fire in Bangladesh shantytown in Dhaka | News

Some 60,000 families, many of them climate refugees, live in the area which covers more than 65 hectares (160 acres).

A fire in a densely populated and impoverished area in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka has burned or damaged 1,500 shanties, leaving thousands homeless, authorities say.

No casualties were reported as of Wednesday, a day after the fierce blaze broke out at the Korail shantytown. According to Rashed Bin Khalid, a fire department officer, it took 16 hours to douse the fire, which began on Tuesday evening.

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The fire service’s director, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, said about 1,500 ramshackle dwellings were burned or damaged in the blaze, and thousands became homeless. Heavy smoke blanketed the area as flames engulfed the environs overnight.

According to official data, some 60,000 families, many of them climate refugees, live in the area, which covers more than 65 hectares (160 acres).

The area straddles Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan and Banani neighbourhoods, and it is surrounded by clusters of high-rise apartment and office buildings.

On Wednesday, residents who lost their homes were desperate to collect their valuables as they scoured the debris. Firefighters said they struggled to reach the area because of narrow alleys.

Dhaka, a city of 10.2 million people as of 2024, has hundreds of shantytowns where people from rural Bangladesh migrate because of poverty and exploitation.

Climate-induced disasters also push them to the city’s poorest areas, where they live on low-paid daily labour such as driving rickshaws and working as housemaids and cleaners.

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Spaceland orbits back to Silver Lake’s musical heyday

Silver Lake earned the “hipster” handle long before Spaceland opened its doors. But when the club threw its first show in March 1995 at the venue formerly known as Dreams of L.A., it marked a notable energy shift that made everyone take notice, establishing the neighborhood as a trendsetter and hub for creative talent. The live music space was the right idea, in the right place, at the right time.

Atmospheric dive bars, funky/punky mom-and-pop shops and reasonable rents began attracting artists, musicians and bohemian slackers and scenesters as residents in the early ’90s. They joined its vibrant queer community and multigenerational familial (mostly Latino) populace, which combined to make it one of the coolest places to live in L.A. It still is, albeit pricier and more pretentious, if you ask those who grew up there.

But 30 years ago things were different — the area was hip, but it also felt effortlessly eccentric. The annual Sunset Junction Street Fair, which closed off Sunset Boulevard between Fountain and Edgecliffe Drive beginning in the ’80s, started booking more legacy bands and hot new groups, broadening the cultural consciousness of the city and bringing Angelenos from all over town to the area until it ceased in 2010.

Silver Lake’s music mecca status was ultimately cemented when promoter Mitchell Frank decided to turn his weekly live music night at Dreams called Pan into a bona fide rock venue, taking what was bubbling in the streets, at house parties in the hills and at nearby rehearsal spaces and providing a singular home for music makers to nurture and grow their followings.

Opening night marked a benefit for quirky noise rockers Lutefisk, who lived in the area and, like many there, rehearsed at Hully Gully on Fletcher Drive. After their equipment was stolen, they put together a bill of buzzy local artists to raise funds, including headliner Beck, who got his start at the artsy coffeehouse called the Onyx next to the Vista Theatre, and later on Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz Village.

Rob Zabreckyn of Possom Dixon

Rob Zabreckyn of Possom Dixon

(Arlen Hem)

Coupled with the darkly melodic alt-rock of Possum Dixon as openers, the show was a hot ticket. As last-minute luck would have it, the night became even more monumental with an early show addition — the debut of Dave Grohl’s new project called the Foo Fighters.

“It was just crazy. That night it was raining and both shows sold out,” recalls Lutefisk drummer Brandon Jay. “It was that lovely moment in time when KBLT started broadcasting and there was a growing scene in Silver Lake when everyone was like, ‘Oh, Silver Lake is the new Seattle’ — only it was more diverse.”

Jay, who went on to play with other bands like the 88 and Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang, hopes to remind local music fans about the seminal scene at the Regent this Saturday, where Lutefisk reunites alongside Dixon’s Rob Zabrecky (playing with various luminaries from the club) and Spaceland favorites Touchcandy, the Centimeters, Jon Wahl (Claw Hammer), Sissy Bar, W.A.C.O. and more.

“This show is as close as you’re gonna get to a real ’90s Spaceland night,” assures Frank. “Touchcandy, Lutefisk, Centimeters, Rob from Possum Dixon and Sissy Bar … this is the exact kind of beautiful symphonic chaos that defined that ’90s era. Nights like this are what propelled a fractured Eastside music scene into becoming a full-fledged scene.”

Indeed, gathering disparate genres, styles and niches in one place was what made this scene unique. “There were so many wonderful, eclectic bands,” Jay adds. “A bunch got signed, but you know, fame is a fickle thing, and you never know what might get played on the radio.”

Plenty who played at the club did. In addition to Beck and the Foos, local acts who broke after playing there include Silversun Pickups (named after a nearby liquor store), Rilo Kiley and the Airborne Toxic Event, while touring indie artists also earned their stripes in front of the mylar curtain-backdropped stage, namely the White Stripes, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Jet, Ween, Cold War Kids, Death Cab for Cutie, Amy Winehouse … and the list goes on and on.

“There was a point in time where bands were coming through town on tour and playing L.A. for the first time and their agents all wanted them to play Spaceland’s Monday residency,” remembers former head booker Jennifer Tefft of the no-cover event, which became legendary by the early 2000s. “They played for free, but it allowed them to be seen. Everyone wanted to play there and not just on a local level, but on an international level. NME in the U.K. were giving the club so much press, so all these bands wanted to come to L.A. for it … Bloc Party, the Killers and My Morning Jacket all made their debuts at the club.”

Tefft went on to book the Bootleg Theater, but later returned to work with the building’s owner, Jeff Wolfram, to breathe new life into the Silver Lake space under the name the Satellite. It closed due to pandemic struggles in March 2020 and remains shuttered. Meanwhile, Frank, along with booker Liz Garo, left the venue — which was technically still called Dreams, to focus on his new space, the Echo and its later addition, the Echoplex.

He sold the Echo Park complex, along with the Regent, to Live Nation in 2019, but still remains involved in booking and other club business dealings. All three figures deserve credit for the cosmic alchemy and community spirit that made Spaceland and the world it created so game-changing. They really cared about the people who played there and would often champion their favorites and help build their followings through promotion and advertising, namely in the free print edition of LA Weekly.

“We all had the same sort of passion and curiosity about music and supporting locals,” shares Garo, who booked at Spaceland when Tefft left, and really made her name at the Echo. “I think that’s why it kept that integrity.”

There is no shortage of fond, slightly fuzzy memories at Spaceland. There were also many games of pool in their infamous upper-level smoking room (which puffed on even after the ’98 bar smoking ban due to a loophole).

Free Monday promotions were nothing new — Club Lingerie in Hollywood had been doing them for years — but Spaceland’s were magical for both the bands and the fans because of the monthlong residency model. Besides being budget-friendly and clearly well-curated, boasting up-and-comers and offering big-name surprises, it was a place to meet like-minded alternative types who fancied the same fashions, art and pop culture references.

Most of the local musicians who played there seemed to know each other simply from hanging out so much and those who proved themselves on stage were rewarded with new followings that got bigger each week.

The Centimeters perform at Spaceland

The Centimeters perform at Spaceland

(Wild Don Lewis)

“Jen had a really good formula — you would do your residency, then you would not do another show for six weeks or so, and then you’d come back and do a ticketed show,” Garo explains. “Ideally that worked and kind of helped establish that bands could sell tickets. You know, when bands start off, they’re playing to their friends in the audience. When they get to that point where they don’t know anybody in the audience, that’s kind of a big deal.”

Beyond exposure and local notoriety, for Zabrecky, Jay and countless musicians who had residencies — many of whom will be seeing each other for the first time in years at the Regent show — Spaceland was formative not only for their music but also for their life trajectories.

“Playing Spaceland with Possum Dixon was always unpredictable,” recalls Zabrecky, who went on to become a revered magician and performer. “We never knew which direction a show might go. Every band was different, yet everyone was accepted and celebrated for what they were. Groups like Glue, Spindle, W.A.C.O. and the Abe Lincoln Story couldn’t have been more different from each other, and that made every lineup exciting. And, of course, we were all just making it up as we went along, buoyed by the support of our peers.”

The transitional period between Spaceland and the Satellite is marked by the band who helped put it on the map and unintentionally kicked off the fervor to begin with. The Foo Fighters chose the locale for their series of surprise pop-up shows debuting new material in 2011, right before the venue was renamed.

The next year, Forbes dubbed Silver Lake “America’s Hippest Hipster Neighborhood,” which meant it was no longer … that. American Apparel stores had infiltrated, corporate coffee was everywhere and artists were getting priced out, heading East into Echo Park, Mt. Washington, Highland Park and downtown too, with many of the bars and clubs in those regions seeking to capture the old Spaceland vibes. They still do.

Brian Wilson onstage with the Wondermints at Spaceland

Brian Wilson onstage with the Wondermints at Spaceland

(Courtesy of Brandon Jay)

In this way, Spaceland’s legacy has lasted beyond Gen X nostalgia for the good old days. Inspired by the fervent framework for music discovery and social connection of the past, new bands now showcase their stuff at the Echo, Regent, Zebulon, Redwood Bar and many more, eschewing Hollywood and the Sunset Strip for more laid-back environments.

Frank continues to lend his expertise to Live Nation; Garo is planning events and working with venues, from acoustic sets at her book shop Stories in Echo Park to her just-announced gig booking for Grand Performances downtown; and Jay, who lost his home in the California wildfires, turned the tragedy into a beautiful music exchange program called Altadena Musicians. He’s also involved in a new all-ages music venue called the Backyard Party in Pasadena, noting that a new generation of art-minded music rebels continues to thrive just like they did at Spaceland three decades ago.

Jay is also helping with the Regent show planning, and put in the call to Touchcandy’s David Willis, who’ll be flying into town from the U.K. just for the show. Word has also been put out to Beck and Grohl (though no commitments have been made), and the pirate radio station KBLT, whose documentary “40 Watts from Nowhere” counts Jay and Jack Black as producers, will offer sets from its deejays in between the live sounds.

The lineup listed on the event flier is meant to evoke the original benefit promo from ’95, and it represents the magnificent music mix all on its own, flashing back to an exciting era that L.A. music lovers who experienced it will never forget, a time when the scene was “young and free,” as Zabrecky remembers, and those lucky enough to be on the marquee played what he dubs “the best club at the best moment on Earth.”

“These bands were messy, loud, indie, real and somehow still innovative,” Frank adds of the 30th anniversary show, which is being touted as a Vol. 1, suggesting more to come. “Shows like this are the reason any of it mattered.”

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Miss Universe owners face fraud and trafficking allegations | Crime News

Arrest warrant issued for missing Thai mogul Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, as co-owner investigated in Mexico.

The Miss Universe competition has been overshadowed by legal drama as its owners face charges of fraud in Thailand and an investigation into drugs and weapons trafficking in Mexico just days after the latest pageant concluded.

The Miss Universe Pageant, which once belonged to United States President Donald Trump, has been owned by Thai mogul Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip and her company, JKN Global, since 2022.

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Jakrajutatip is wanted in Thailand after she failed to attend a Bangkok court hearing this week over a 30 million baht ($930,000) legal dispute with an investor in JKN Global. The Bangkok South District Court said on Wednesday that it had issued an arrest warrant for Jakrajutatip, whose current whereabouts are unknown, according to Thai media.

Jakrajutatip and JKN Global have been facing major balance sheet problems since 2023, when the company began to default on payments to investors, according to the Associated Press news agency. The company filed for rehabilitation with a Thai bankruptcy court in 2024, and reportedly owes about3 billion baht ($92.63m), according to the Associated Press.

Earlier this year, Jakrajutatip and JKN Global were sanctioned by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for publishing “false or misleading information” in the company’s financial statement, and were fined 4 million baht ($124,000).

The SEC statement said JKN Global did not fully disclose to investors that it signed an October 2023 agreement to sell 50 percent of its shares in the Miss Universe Pageant to Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantu and his company, Legacy Holding Group USA Inc.

Jakrajutatip resigned from all positions in the company, but she is still a shareholder following the sanction, according to AP. She also did not attend the latest Miss Universe competition in Bangkok earlier this month.

Cantu is facing separate legal troubles in Mexico, where prosecutors said on Wednesday that he was under investigation for alleged arms, drug and fuel trafficking between Mexico and Guatemala, according to the AFP news agency.

Prosecutors charged 13 people in connection with the case, although Cantu has not been formally named yet, the AFP said.

The Miss Universe Pageant concluded on November 21 following a series of scandals throughout the competition season, including allegations that the competition was rigged.

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Australia clamps downs on ‘nudify’ sites used for AI-generated child abuse | Social Media News

Three websites used to create abuse imagery had received 100,000 monthly visits from Australians, watchdog says.

Internet users in Australia have been blocked from accessing several websites that used artificial intelligence to create child sexual exploitation material, the country’s internet regulator has announced.

The three “nudify” sites withdrew from Australia following an official warning, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said on Thursday.

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Grant’s office said the sites had been receiving approximately 100,000 visits a month from Australians and featured in high-profile cases of AI-generated child sex abuse imagery involving Australian school students.

Grant said such “nudify” services, which allow users to make images of real people appear naked using AI, have had a “devastating” effect in Australian schools.

“We took enforcement action in September because this provider failed to put in safeguards to prevent its services being used to create child sexual exploitation material and were even marketing features like undressing ‘any girl,’ and with options for ‘schoolgirl’ image generation and features such as ‘sex mode,’” Grand said in a statement.

The development comes after Grant’s office issued a formal warning to the United Kingdom-based company behind the sites in September, threatening civil penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.2m) if it did not introduce safeguards to prevent image-based abuse.

Grant said Hugging Face, a hosting platform for AI models, had separately also taken steps to comply with Australian law, including changing its terms of service to require account holders to take steps to minimise the risks of misuse involving their platforms.

Australia has been at the forefront of global efforts to prevent the online harm of children, banning social media for under-16s and cracking down on apps used for stalking and creating deepfake images.

The use of AI to create non-consensual sexually explicit images has been a growing concern amid the rapid proliferation of platforms capable of creating photo-realistic material at the click of a mouse.

In a survey carried out by the US-based advocacy group Thorn last year, 10 percent of respondents aged 13-20 reported knowing someone who had deepfake nude imagery created of them, while 6 percent said they had been a direct victim of such abuse.

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BBC Celebrity Race Across The World star Tyler West left scarred after witnessing fatal stabbing

He has opened up about his personal struggles after the horrifying incident

DJ and presenter Tyler West has revealed that, as a teenager, he witnessed a man getting stabbed to death – an incident which has had a “knock-on effect” on his mental health.

The 29-year-old from south London opened up about issues with “control” and the need to push himself out of his comfort zone while helping out with forest conservation on BBC One show Celebrity Race Across The World.

The Kiss FM DJ is appearing on this year’s show, which sees four celebrities and their loved ones look to complete a 3,670-mile race through Central America, alongside his girlfriend, EastEnders actress Molly Rainford.

Speaking to Rainford, he said: “I didn’t know this would be this much outside of my comfort zone. I always like to be in control of things, or know what I’m getting myself into.

“If I can control it, I feel like I can then look after the situation the best I possibly can.

“When I compare it to when I was a teenager, it was on another level.

“I was absolutely, like, petrified of witnessing something that was completely out of my control, and all I wanted to do was put a stop to it.

“You feel helpless, and I just don’t want to feel that ever in my life again.”

Later on in a confessional, he said: “I was coming home from school one day, and there was like these three men having an argument outside my house.

“One of the two men throw a really weak punch to the man that was on his own, and then one of the men had a 12-inch kitchen knife in his hand.

“All of a sudden, it was like me standing there at my bedroom window at 14 and just seeing this man get like stabbed to death.

“It was one of the most horrific moments of my life.

“I just remember being there at the Old Bailey, just being petrified of so many factors, like will all these people be able to see me? Will they know that I’m testifying? And I just didn’t really know how to process it, and it had such a knock on effect to my mental health. I was indoors for like two years.

“It matured me really quick, and it… it was just really hard.”

During Thursday’s episode of the reality competition programme, the celebrities were told they must fly to Liberia, Costa Rica, after permission to film in Nicaragua was not granted.

Derry Girls actor Dylan Llewellyn and his mother Jackie were the first to reach the checkpoint at Bocas del Toro in Panama, and were followed by radio presenter Roman Kemp and his sister Harley.

Third to the checkpoint was presenter Anita Rani and her father Bal, and they were followed by West and Rainford.

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Suspect in custody after 2 National Guardsmen shot in Washington, D.C.

Nov. 26 (UPI) — Two West Virginia National Guardsmen have been hospitalized in critical condition and a suspect is hospitalized after a targeted shooting near the White House on Wednesday afternoon.

The Guardsmen and the shooter were taken to nearby hospitals after the shooting occurred about two blocks northwest of the White House at 2:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday, WTTG reported.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey earlier said the two Guardsmen were killed, but he later backtracked and affirmed they are in critical condition.

The suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is a citizen of Afghanistan, the New York Post, NBC News and Newsweek reported.

The FBI said it is investigating the attack as a possible act of terrorism.

Lakanwal is a lone gunman who ambushed the two National Guardsmen when he came from around a corner and started shooting, said Jeffrey Carroll, MPD executive assistant chief, who addressed media during a news conference.

The National Guard members were on “high-visibility patrol … when a suspect came around a corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged at the National Guard members,” Carroll said.

Other National Guardsmen were nearby and intervened.

Carroll said there was “some back and forth” between the suspect and National Guard members, who were able to subdue him until local police arrived moments later.

At a news conference afterward, FBI Director Kash Patel called the targeting shooting “an attack on a federal law enforcement officer” and said it will be treated as such at the federal level.

He said the FBI, Secret Service, other federal agencies and local police will work together to investigate the shooting, which he called a “matter of national security.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said local officials will “join with the FBI director in ensuring that the MPD investigates and the U.S. attorney prosecutes this case to the fullest extent of the law.”

There are no other suspects in the shooting, authorities said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was briefed on the matter, and White House staff are monitoring the situation.

The president afterward expressed his support for the two wounded Guardsmen.

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

He said the suspect “will pay a very steep price” for the shooting that so far lacks a known motive.

“God bless our great National Guard and all of our military and law enforcement,” the president said. “These are truly great people.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president has ordered him to deploy 500 more National Guard members to the capital, The New York Times reported.

About 2,100 National Guard members already are deployed in the capital.

The shooting occurred at the intersection of 17th Street and H Street Northwest.

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