United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he has authorised the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
He added that his administration was also mulling land-based military operations inside Venezuela, as tensions between Washington and Caracas soar over multiple deadly US strikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks.
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On Wednesday, Trump held a news conference with some of his top law enforcement officials, where he faced questions about an earlier news report in The New York Times about the CIA authorisation. One reporter asked directly, “Why did you authorise the CIA to go into Venezuela?”
“I authorised for two reasons, really,” Trump replied. “Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America.”
“The other thing,” he continued, was Venezuela’s role in drug-trafficking. He then appeared to imply that the US would take actions on foreign soil to prevent the flow of narcotics and other drugs.
“We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela,” Trump said. “A lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that. But we’re going to stop them by land also.”
Trump’s remarks mark the latest escalation in his campaign against Venezuela, whose leader, Nicolas Maduro, has long been a target for the US president, stretching back to Trump’s first term in office.
Already, both leaders have bolstered their military forces along the Caribbean Sea in a show of potential force.
The Venezuelan government hit back at Trump’s latest comments and the authorised CIA operations, accusing the US of violating international law and the UN Charter.
“The purpose of US actions is to create legitimacy for an operation to change the regime in Venezuela, with the ultimate goal of taking control of all the country’s resources,” the Maduro government said in a statement.
Earlier, at the news conference, reporters sought to confront Trump over whether he was trying to enforce regime change in Caracas.
“Does the CIA have authority to take out Maduro?” one journalist asked at the White House on Wednesday.
“Oh, I don’t want to answer a question like that. That’s a ridiculous question for me to be given,” Trump said, demurring. “Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?”
He then offered an addendum: “But I think Venezuela’s feeling heat.”
Claiming wartime powers
Trump’s responses, at times meandering, touched on his oft-repeated claims about Venezuela.
Since taking office for a second term, Trump has sought to assume wartime powers – using laws like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 – by alleging that Venezuela had masterminded an “invasion” of migrants and criminal groups onto US soil.
He has offered little proof for his assertions, though, and his statements have been undercut by the assessments of his own intelligence community.
In May, for example, a declassified US report revealed that intelligence officials had found no evidence directly linking Maduro to criminal groups like Tren de Aragua, as Trump has alleged.
Still, on Wednesday, Trump revisited the baseless claim that Venezuela under Maduro had sent prisoners and people with mental health conditions to destabilise the US.
“Many countries have done it, but not like Venezuela. They were down and dirty,” Trump said.
The authorisation of CIA operations inside Venezuela is the latest indication that Trump has been signing secret proclamations to lay the groundwork for lethal action overseas, despite insisting in public that he seeks peace globally.
In August, for instance, anonymous sources told the US media that Trump had also signed an order allowing the US military to take action against drug-trafficking cartels and other Latin American criminal networks.
And in October, it emerged that Trump had sent a memo to the US Congress asserting that the country was in a “non-international armed conflict” with the cartels, whom he termed “unlawful combatants”.
Many such groups, including Tren de Aragua, have also been added to the US’s list of “foreign terrorist organisations”, though experts point out that the label alone does not provide a legal basis for military action.
Strikes in the Caribbean Sea
Nevertheless, the US under Trump has taken a series of escalatory military actions, including by conducting multiple missile strikes on small vessels off the Venezuelan coast.
At least five known air strikes have been conducted on boats since September 2, killing 27 people.
The most recent attack was announced on Tuesday in a social media post: A video Trump shared showed a boat floating in the water, before a missile set it alight. Six people were reportedly killed in that bombing.
Many legal experts and former military officials have said that the strikes appear to be a clear violation of international law. Drug traffickers have not traditionally met the definition of armed combatants in a war. And the US government has so far not presented any public evidence to back its claims that the boats were indeed carrying narcotics headed for America.
But Trump has justified the strikes by saying they will save American lives lost to drug addiction.
He has maintained the people on board the targeted boats were “narco-terrorists” headed to the US.
On Wednesday, he again brushed aside a question about the lack of evidence. He also defended himself against concerns that the bombings amount to extrajudicial killings.
“When they’re loaded up with drugs, they’re fair game,” Trump told reporters, adding there was “fentanyl dust all over the boat after those bombs go off”.
He added, “We know we have much information about each boat that goes. Deep, strong information.”
Framing the bombing campaign in the Caribbean as a success, Trump then explained his administration might start to pivot its strategy.
“ We’ve almost totally stopped it by sea. Now, we’ll stop it by land,” he said of the alleged drug trafficking. He joked that even fishermen had decided to stay off the waters.
“ We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea very well under control.”
Diane Keaton died in Los Angeles on Saturday at age 79, and her family says the cause was pneumonia.
Family members of the Oscar-winning actress shared a statement with People confirming Keaton’s cause of death and saying they were “very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support” they had received in recent days.
The outlet first reported the news of the screen icon’s death Saturday, saying the Los Angeles Fire Department had responded to her home that morning and transported a 79-year-old woman to an area hospital. Initially, the family did not disclose the cause of death and asked for privacy as they processed their grief.
In Wednesday’s statement, Keaton’s family members said the star had a deep love for animals and was passionate about supporting the unhoused community. They encouraged people to honor her memory by donating to a food bank or animal shelter.
Keaton was known for her powerful performances in iconic pictures such as Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” movies and Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” which earned her the 1978 Academy Award for lead actress. She was also nominated for lead actress for her roles in “Reds” (1981), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003).
Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton rose to fame through her late 1960s New York stage career, earning a Tony nomination at age 25 for her role in Allen’s 1969 theatrical production of “Play It Again, Sam.”
Later in her career, she became a muse for writer-director-producer Nancy Meyers and starred in four of her movies. She was a noted trendsetter known for her fabulous on-screen outfits and, more recently, for sharing her style on Instagram, where she amassed 2.6 million followers.
Keaton’s death was widely mourned by theater, movie and fashion lovers alike.
“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star,” wrote actor Bette Midler on Instagram. “What you saw was who she was.”
“Diane Keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force,” wrote actor Octavia Spencer on Instagram, “a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable.”
Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf contributed to this report.
Oct. 15 (UPI) — Half of adults in the United States are more concerned than excited about the rise of artificial intelligence, at the top of the worries list of those surveyed in 25 countries by Pew Research.
The study, which was released Wednesday, didn’t include respondents from the following nations with populations of at least 100 million: China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Philippines, Congo and Vietnam.
Globally, 34% expressed concern about AI with 42% equally in both extremes and 16% more excited.
Joining the United States at 50% are those in Italy, followed by Australia at 49%, Brazil at 48%, Greece at 47%, and Canada at 45%.
At the other end, South Korea is the least concerned at 16%, followed by India at 19%, Israel at 21%, Nigeria at 24%, Turkey at 26%, Japan at 28% and Germany at 29%.
The other nations ranged in the 30s, including Britain, Argentina and Spain at 39% and France at 35%.
In none of the countries, no more than 3-in-10 adults say they are mainly excited.
In the United States, the survey was conducted among 3,605 adults from March 24 to 30 and 5,023 adults from June 9 to 15 online or by phone with a live interviewer. They are all members of the Center’s American Trends Panel.
For non-U.S. adults, surveys were done over the phone, face-to-face or online, depending on the country, among 28,333 from Jan. 8 to April 26.
A median of 34% of adults worldwide have heard or read a lot about AI, while 47% have heard a little and 14% say they’ve heard nothing at all.
There was a correlation between the country’s domestic product per capita and AI awareness.
In the comparatively wealthy countries of Japan, Germany, France and the United States, around half have heard a lot about AI, but only 14% in India and 12% in Kenya.
Younger adults are more aware and excited about AI than the older respondents.
For example, 46% of Israeli adults under 35 are more excited than concerned about its increased use in daily life, compared with 15% of those ages 50 and older.
In more than half of the countries surveyed, men are more likely than women to have heard a lot about AI.
People who frequently use the Internet are more likely than others to be mainly excited about the growing use of AI .
Geographically, 53% of adults trust the European Union to regulate AI, while 37% trust the U.S. and 27% trust China. In the EU, the survey found those in France, Greece, Italy and Poland the least trusting.
Christopher Cash (left) and Christopher Berry (right) were both accused of spying for China
The government’s deputy national security adviser warned in 2023 China was carrying out “large scale espionage” activities against the UK when asked to provide evidence in the now-collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China.
A second witness statement written by Matthew Collins in February 2025 as evidence for the case of two men accused of spying on MPs, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, said China’s spying threatened “the UK’s economic prosperity and resilience”.
A third witness statement published in August this year restated the UK’s view of the challenge posed by China.
But the second two statements made clear the government was “committed to pursuing a positive economic relationship with China”.
Both Mr Cash and Mr Berry have denied the allegations against them.
All three statements by Collins were published by Downing Street on Wednesday night as the government continued to face questions after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unexpectedly dropped charges against the two men last month, prompting criticism from ministers and MPs.
The first of the three statements by Collins was given to prosecutors in December 2023, when he was serving under a Conservative government.
The second and third statements were submitted this year after Labour had taken power.
Previously, the director of public prosecutions said the case collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the government referring to China as a national security threat.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said he would publish the deputy national security adviser’s statements after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of a “cover-up”.
The documents show that in December 2023, Collins concluded: “The Chinese Intelligence Services are highly capable and conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK and other international partners to advance the Chinese state’s interest and harm the interests and security of the UK.”
In February 2025, he said: “China is an authoritarian state, with different values to the UK. This presents challenges for both the UK and our allies. China and the UK both benefit from bilateral trade and investment, but China also present the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security.”
And in a third statement this August, he said China’s “espionage operations threaten the UK’s economic prosperity and resilience, and the integrity of our democratic institutions”.
He pointed to a number of actions which UK authorities believe Beijing was behind, including a cyber-attack on the UK electoral commission between 2021 and 2023.
In his 2025 statements, Collins made clear the government sought a good economic relationship with China, writing: “It is important for me to emphasise, however that the government is committed to pursuing a positive economic relationship with China.
“The government believes that the UK must continue to engage with international partners on trade and investment to grow our economy while ensuring that our security and values are not compromised.”
When the second statement was originally signed by Collins, it was dated in error as February 2024. But the government said it had actually been signed and submitted to prosecutors in February 2025, by which time Labour were in power, and this had been clarified to the CPS at the time.
BBC News understands that Collins assumed he had given enough evidence for the prosecution to continue when he submitted his third witness statement in August 2025.
A government source pointed to comments made by him where he described “the increasing Chinese espionage threat posed to the UK” as an example of why he believed he had said enough to satisfy the CPS’s threshold for prosecution.
It is also understood that the CPS contacted Collins after his first witness statement to ask for further clarification on the threat posed by China, but that they were not explicitly clear what the official would need to say in subsequent statements, in order to meet the CPS’s threshold.
New details of alleged spying
In his first statement, Collins writes in detail about the allegations made about Mr Cash and Mr Berry he said was based on information provided to him by counter terrorism police.
Collins said in this 2023 statement “it had been assessed that the Chinese state recruited Mr Berry as an agent and successfully directed him to utilise Mr Cash” who had access to the Commons China Research Group (CRG) and other MPs.
Mr Cash worked as a parliamentary researcher and was involved with the CRG, which was set up by a group of Conservative MPs looking into how the UK should respond to the rise of China.
In his statement, Collins said that in July 2022, Mr Berry met with a senior Chinese Communist Party leader and that he understands Mr Cash was made aware of the meeting by Mr Berry.
Collins said Mr Cash responded to Mr Berry with multiple messages, including one reading: “You’re in spy territory now”.
Collins also said information gathered was passed to an individual named “Alex” who was believed to be an agent of the Chinese state.
He said in assessing whether this was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state, he had proceeded on the basis the facts, as alleged, by counter terrorism police were true.
This included information about the prospect of Tom Tugendhat MP being made a minister and the likelihood of Jeremy Hunt pulling out of the Conservative leadership race.
In a new statement released on Wednesday evening, Mr Cash said he was “completely innocent”.
He said: “I have been placed in an impossible position. I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence, and I should not have to take part in a trial by media.
“The statements that have been made public are completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial.”
While Mr Berry has previously denied spying for China, he has not commented since the day the case ended.
House of Commons
Sir Keir Starmer committed to urgently publishing the documents in the Commons on Wednesday
Mr Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Mr Berry were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024, when the Conservatives were in power.
They were accused of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between December 2021 and February 2023.
The director of public prosecutions has said the case collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the government referring to China as a national security threat.
He said while there was sufficient evidence when charges were originally brought against the two men, a precedent set by another spying case earlier this year meant China would need to have been labelled a “threat to national security” at the time of the alleged offences.
The Conservatives have claimed the government did not provide sufficient evidence because it does not want to damage relations with Beijing.
However, the Labour government has argued that because the alleged offences took place under the Conservatives, the prosecution could only be based on their stance on China at the time.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Under this government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence.”
The publication of the documents followed pressure from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who had called for them to be released.
On Tuesday, senior government figures had suggested that the CPS had told them publishing the witness statements would be “inappropriate”.
But the CPS later made clear it would not stand in the way if ministers chose to put the government’s evidence in the public domain.
Turkey’s conservative government has proposed extreme and hateful reforms targeting the LGBTQIA+ community.
On 15 October, Turkish lawmakers shared a draft of their 11th Judicial Reform Package, which includes updates to existing laws that restrict trans and queer people.
Under the proposed legislation, “any person who engages in, publicly encourages, praises, or promotes attitudes or behaviours contrary to their biological sex at birth and public morality” could face one to three years in prison, per Türkiye Today.
Another portion of legislation would reportedly make the legal age for gender reassignment surgery change from 18 to 25.
Individuals looking to have the procedure would also need to be unmarried, receive a medical board report confirming that the procedure is “psychologically necessary” from a Ministry of Health-approved hospital; obtain four separate evaluations that are spaced three months apart; and have a court order amendment to their civil registry once the aforementioned medical report is approved.
Individuals with genetic or hormonal disorders would be the only ones exempt from the proposed regulations.
Medical professionals who perform gender affirming surgery without going through the aforementioned archaic steps could face three to seven years in prison and fines.
In addition to severely limiting trans people’s accessibility to gender affirming care, the proposed reforms target same-sex couples.
If a couple is caught having an engagement or wedding ceremony, they can face between one and a half to four years in prison.
The penalty for “public sexual acts or exhibitionism” would also increase from six months to a year to one to three years.
As for the stated purpose for introducing the hateful amendments, the document claims that it’s “to ensure the upbringing of physically and mentally healthy individuals and to protect the family institution and social structure, per Türkiye Today.
While homosexuality is not banned in Turkey, and despite the country being home to numerous LGBTQIA+ associations, homophobia is widespread and anti-discrimination laws are nonexistent.
Over the last decade, events for the community – like Pride marches and other queer-focused gatherings – have faced censorship by government authorities. The conservative country has even opted out of competing in Eurovision due to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ contestants.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A trio of U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers was tracked flying orbits in international airspace off the coast of Venezuela earlier today. This is a major show of force that comes amid a larger U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, ostensibly aimed at stemming the flow of illegal drugs north. At the same time, the Trump administration has been focusing particular pressure on the regime of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, and the possibility of direct military action, beyond at times lethal maritime interdiction operations, has been steadily growing.
The three B-52s, with the calligns BUNNY01, BUNNY02, and BUNNY03, were tracked leaving Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and heading south early this morning. The bombers subsequently turned east and flew to a patch of international airspace within what Venezuela refers to as the Maiquetía Flight Information Region (FIR).
BUNNY01 flt now orbiting within the confines of the MAIQUETIA FIR. The FIR doesn’t not constitute Venezuelan airspace but simply a ATC sector that they control. Are the B-52s talking to MAIQUETIA CONTROL or DUE REGARD? I don’t know. @liveatc had a MAIQUETIA ATC feed up 2 days ago… https://t.co/rM4PHgvBb5pic.twitter.com/Evw1nJOxRx
The B-52s appear to have orbited within the Maiquetía FIR for roughly two hours before departing. U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, presumably Marine Corps B variants flying from the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico, as well as Air Force aerial refueling tankers and other aircraft, have also been tracked in this same general area in recent weeks.
BUNNY03 parece estar retornando, según comunicación con tráfico de control aéreo saldría por waypoint AMBIN. BUNNY01 Y BUNNY02 parecen continuar hacia el Este. pic.twitter.com/B05YXyw5KU
A pesar de lo “tranquilo” que parece estar el espacio aéreo sobre el Mar Caribe y FIR Maiquetía, hoy ha habido mucha actividad, incluyendo Pegasus registro 20-46078 asistiendo a los F-35B, trabajando en conjunto con SENTRY AWACS 76-1605, entre otros 😉. El Cartel de Los Soles los… pic.twitter.com/LdyQJUNrYO
There are unconfirmed reports that at least one of the Venezuelan Air Force’s pocket fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighters reportedly took off from El Libertador Air Base, situated to the west of Caracas, while the B-52s were orbiting offshore, but also that this may have been an unrelated training flight. Whether any attempt to intercept the bombers was made is unknown. Maduro did order new snap exercises today in the wake of another lethal U.S. attack on an alleged drug smuggling boat in international waters near Venezuela. In September, he said he had deployed some 25,000 troops to help secure the country’s border areas and key oil infrastructure against potential U.S. threats.
The F-16 is only performing training at BAEL, meaning there was no attempt at any interception of the B-52s from the Venezuelan military aviation, likely assessed to be too risky due to previous threats by the US after the low flybys of US vessels
At the time of writing, it is unclear whether or not the B-52s have returned to base or are still airborne. TWZ has reached out to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) for more information about the bomber sorties into the Caribbean. AFSOUTH directed us to contact the Pentagon.
It is worth noting that B-52s, as well as Air Force B-1 bombers and other U.S. military combat aircraft, have taken part in counter-narcotics operations in the skies over the Caribbean, on and off, for decades now, as you can read more about here. The range and targeting capabilities that the B-52 possesses, in particular, can be useful for spotting and further investigating suspected drug smuggling vessels.
At the same time, openly flying B-52s in such proximity to Caracas seems clearly intended to send a message to Maduro and his regime. The bombers 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.
Earlier today, an Air Force C-17 cargo plane was also tracked making an unusual flight straight from Edwards Air Force Base in California to José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico. The purpose of that sortie is currently known. Edwards is the Air Force’s preeminent test base, rather than an installation for operational units.
🤔 REACH 287 (C-17) departed Edwards Air Force Base and is landing at TJRV Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico just at 2 am local time, this is the time of night when you transport something you don’t want anyone to see.
There has already been a major buildup of U.S. forces in the region, including the deployment, as mentioned, of Marine aircraft to the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. Air Force MQ-9 Reapers and now AC-130J Ghostrider gunships have also been spotted flying sorties from Puerto Rico. It is worth pointing out here that AC-130Js are routinely tasked with interdiction and armed overwatch-type missions, including in support of direct action special operations raids.
El que faltaba se unió al grupo. El temido Fuerza Aérea 🇺🇲 AC-130J Ghostrider registro 16-5837 activo en Jose Aponte de la Torre (TJRV), Puerto Rico. Miren los cañones 30mm GAU-23 automatico y 105mm M102 howitzer además de los misiles Hellfire x 8 📸 de Omar Y. Perez ayer 9/Oct pic.twitter.com/ztrQGiIU2E
Based on publicly available images, it appears that at least five different USAF MQ-9As have flown/are flying out of Aguadilla (BQN/TJBQ) 🇵🇷 in support of ongoing counternarcotics ops in the Caribbean.
A host of other U.S. air and naval assets are now operating in the region, as well. This includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), several Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers, a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, a Los Angeles class nuclear powered fast attack submarine, and even the Ocean Trader, a shadowy special operations mothership.
All told, there are reportedly now some 10,000 U.S. personnel, in total, forward-deployed in the region. Last week, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) stood up a new task force, led by elements of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), to help manage the expanded counter-narcotics operations across the Western Hemisphere.
Since September, U.S. forces have conducted at least five lethal attacks on small boats in the Caribbean, killing numerous individuals, all alleged to have been involved in drug smuggling. President Donald Trump announced the most recent of these just yesterday. Serious questions have been raised about those missions and the legal authorities behind them.
Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast… pic.twitter.com/XWDpGZ4lsZ
— Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 14, 2025
There has otherwise been a steady drumbeat in recent weeks of reporting on the Trump administration’s stepping up of efforts to put pressure on Maduro. Just today, The New York Times reported that Trump has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to undertake covert actions in Venezuela and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Reports last week, citing U.S. officials, said that Trump had ordered an end to efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to the current impasse with Venezuelan authorities.
Some members of the Trump administration have reportedly been pushing for action to oust Maduro. Since 2020, the dictatorial Venezuelan leader has also been wanted in the United States over drug trafficking and other charges, and American authorities are currently offering a $50 million bounty for his capture.
The appearance today of the three B-52s off Venezuela’s coast marks another major development in the still-expanding U.S. operations in the Southern Caribbean.
Freddie Flintoff was injured in the crash which happened at Dunsfold Aerodrome near Cranleigh in Surrey, where the former cricketer had been filming for BBC One’s Top Gear
Freddie Flintoff has spoken candidly about injuries – both physical and mental – suffered in the crash (Image: PA)
Freddie Flintoff has told how his two-year-old son wouldn’t go near him after his horror Top Gear crash.
The former professional cricketer, 47, said he became “a snappy mess” following the smash which happened during filming for the BBC One programme at Dunsfold Aerodrome near Cranleigh, Surrey. The three-wheeled Morgan supercar overturned on the track and Freddie, who played cricket for England for 11 years, dragged his face along the ground, cutting open the side of his nose, cheek and lips, and shattering his jawbone and teeth.
But he has spoken this week of how traumatic the mental injuries were, revealing for the first time how the ordeal impacted his children. Freddie, who had PTSD following the accident, said: “(After the crash) I would get snappy and angry.
“The kids were incredible… It was the younger one, Preston, because he would have been about two, two and a half, at the time and he wouldn’t come near me to begin with because I was a mess.”
Top Gear was shelved following the crash, and Freddie reportedly received £9m in compensation from BBC Studios, who make the show. Yet, the star has spoken since at how the experience changed his life, including how he wouldn’t leave his home – except for medical appointments – for six to eight months in the wake of it.
But the former fast bowler, a Lancashire Cricket Club legend, has now said he is on the road to recovery, to a great extent thanks to wife Rachael Wools, whom he wed in March 2005.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Freddie said: “I have flashbacks and nightmares, but I’ve probably got more of an acceptance of them now.
“I suppose that the biggest thing it did do, was brought me back to cricket. Family and friends and cricket have been things that now, have probably helped me more than anything. It’s all good now. But Rachael was strong. I suppose she had to be for both of us.”
Freddie, originally from Preston, Lancashire, has returned to TV work in recent months too. A second series of Freddie’s Field of Dreams – in which he creates a brand-new cricket team with a group of promising teens and inspires a fresh generation – aired on the BBC in 2024. The BBC has given the green light for a third series, it is understood.
And the dad was chosen to front the revival of game show Bullseye, which returned as a trial on Christmas Day last year on ITV. It became so popular ITV commissioned Bullseye for a full series, which is set to broadcast before the year is out.
Oct. 15 (UPI) — U.S. border officials said Wednesday that more than a dozen undocumented migrants via Russia and former Soviet satellite states were taken into custody near Puerto Rico.
Border authorities intercepted a 41-foot sailboat carrying 13 migrants near Combate Beach on Puerto Rico’s west coast Sunday afternoon, officials said. Air and Marine Operations, part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, tracked the vessel as it approached the shoreline with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Puerto Rican Police’s Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Accion unit.
“This successful interdiction demonstrates the unwavering commitment and vigilance of the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit in protecting our nation’s borders,” Christopher Hunter, director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch, said in a statement.
Agents found 13 people aboard that included 10 unidentified men from Uzbekistan, a woman from Kyrgyzstan and two Russian men.
None of the undocumented suspects had official papers allowing legal entry to the United States.
Agents escorted the small yacht to the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit for inspection, and the migrants were taken into custody and transferred to Homeland Security Investigations for processing, officials noted, “in good condition.”
Officials at America’s border agency added that the operation highlights ongoing efforts by CBP and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group to prevent illegal maritime activity and strengthen border security in the Caribbean region.
Colonel Randrianirina set to assume presidency in Madagascar after President Andry Rajoelina removed.
Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025
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Military leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as Madagascar’s transitional president on Friday, the country’s new leadership has announced, as the African Union (AU) said it would suspend the country after a coup to remove President Andry Rajoelina.
Randrianirina “will be sworn in as President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar during a solemn hearing of the High Constitutional Court” on October 17, said the statement, published on social media by a state television station on Thursday.
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Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing abroad during the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite youth-led demonstrations demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the security forces.
Randrianirina led a rebellion that sided with the protesters and ousted Rajoelina on Tuesday in the sprawling country of about 30 million people off of Africa’s east coast. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has had a history of coups and political crises.
The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government, led by youth groups calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar”. The protesters, who also included labour unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world.
Among other things, the Madagascar protesters have railed against chronic water and electricity outages, limited access to higher education, government corruption and poverty, which affects roughly three out of every four Madagascans, according to the World Bank.
Although some suggest the military seized power on the backs of the civilian protesters, demonstrators cheered Randrianirina and other soldiers from his elite CAPSAT unit as they triumphantly rode through the streets of the capital Antananarivo on Tuesday. The colonel has promised elections in two years.
The takeover was “an awakening of the people. It was launched by the youth. And the military supported us”, said the protest leader, Safika, who only gave one name as has been typical with the demonstrators. “We must always be wary, but the current state of affairs gives us reason to be confident,” Safika told The Associated Press news agency.
The protests reached a turning point Saturday when Randrianirina and soldiers from his unit sided with the demonstrators calling for the president to resign. Rajoelina said he fled to an undisclosed country because he feared for his life.
Randrianirina had long been a vocal critic of Rajoelina’s administration and was reportedly imprisoned for several months in 2023 for plotting a coup.
His swift takeover drew international concern. The African Union condemned the coup and announced the country’s suspension from the bloc. The United Nations said they were “deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power”.
SUPERMODEL Kendall Jenner gives a brand a leg up in an ad campaign — for a beauty mask.
She posed with her limb in the air for Therabody’s LED TheraFace Mask Glo, which is said to reduce the signs of ageing.
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Stunning Kendall Jenner posed with her limb in the air for Therabody’s LED TheraFace Mask GloCredit: TherabodyKendall says she has been a long time fan of Therabody productsCredit: Therabody
Kendall said: “I’ve been using Therabody products for years, and I love anything that can help me feel and look my best. I started with the Theragun Mini and have used a number of their products.
“I was excited when the brand asked me to try the new LED mask. I’m always open to trying new products and treatments that are recommended to me by professionals.
“I absolutely love learning, especially about any superficial or natural anti-aging tricks. I’m a lot more focused on consistency and being gentle with my skin.”
“I dream, above all, of longevity. Even when I’m older, I hope people will still think of me,” she said.
“I’d like to stay in the limelight as the years go by… I would love to have a family, become a mother and have children.”
‘I love anything that can help me feel and look my best’, said the modelCredit: TherabodyThe mask is said to reduce the signs of ageingCredit: Therabody
Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US.
Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025
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United States President Donald Trump says that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues.
India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the US and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country’s crude buying as he seeks to choke off Russia’s oil revenues and pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
“So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters during a White House event.
“That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump.
Russia is India’s top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one-third of the country’s oil imports. For months, Modi resisted US pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security.
A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscow’s top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions.
During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not “immediately” halt shipments, calling it “a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon”.
Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The US trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia.
Jared Kushner, a billionaire real-estate scion, is shaping the future of Gaza. Why is the United States president’s son-in-law at the heart of the Gaza ceasefire deal – and the future of the Middle East?
Are you ready, kids? Because you’ll soon be able to visit a certain pineapple house without going under the sea.
Universal unveiled new details Wednesday about the various themed lands of its new theme park geared toward families with younger kids. Among them are areas that will spotlight the worlds of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Shrek,” “Minions” and “Jurassic World” with character meet-and-greets, interactive shows, sensory gardens and, of course, rides.
Universal Kids Resort will feature seven lands: Shrek’s Swamp, Puss in Boots Del Mar, Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, TrollsFest, SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom and Isle of Curiosity.
“Universal Kids Resort [is] designed to bring our youngest guests and families together through play, creativity, and beloved characters and stories,” Universal Creative President Molly Murphy said in a statement. “It’s a destination made for kids and, as a regional theme park, brings Universal’s signature storytelling to families close to home.”
Guests will start their visit at the Isle of Curiosity with the chance to meet Gabby from “Gabby’s Dollhouse” or head to a dance party. Shrek and Fiona will be on hand to greet families at Shrek’s Swamp, which also includes a photo opportunity at an onion carriage and two interactive play areas for kids that want to splash or stomp their hearts out.
A rendering of a play area in SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom at Universal Kids Resort.
(Universal Destinations & Experiences)
Those interested in meeting Puss in Boots, Mama Luna and Perrito from “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (2022) can head to Puss in Boots Del Mar, where there will also be some carnival games. The Minions-obsessed water ride enthusiasts in the family will want to check out Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club, while budding paleontologists and dinosaur lovers won’t want to miss the chance to see a newly hatched baby dinosaur at Jurassic World Adventure Camp.
Poppy and Branch will be among the “Trolls” characters guests can encounter at the musical party land that is TrollsFest, while “SpongeBob” fans can expect some F.U.N. times exploring Mussel Beach and meeting SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy at SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom.
“We envisioned this park through the unbridled creativity of kids where infinite imagination, curiosity and free-spirited play were core to our design philosophies,” Brian Robinson, Universal Creative’s executive vice president and chief creative officer, said in a statement.
Universal Kids Resort, which will also include a 300-room on-site hotel, will open in Frisco, Texas, in 2026.
Ukraine says it will need $120bn in defence funding in 2026 to stave off Russia’s more than three-year war.
Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025
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Germany has pledged more than $2bn in military aid for Ukraine, as the government in Kyiv signalled that it would need $120bn in 2026 to stave off Russia’s nearly four-year all-out war.
Speaking on Wednesday at a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius said that Western allies must maintain their resolve and provide more weapons to Ukraine.
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“You can count on Germany. We will continue and expand our support for Ukraine. With new contracts, Germany will provide additional support amounting to over 2 billion euros [$2.3bn],” Pistorius told the meeting in Brussels, which was also attended by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal.
“The package addresses a number of urgent requirements of Ukraine. It provides air defence systems, Patriot interceptors, radar systems and precision guided artillery, rockets and ammunition,” Pistorius said, adding that Germany will also deliver two additional IRIS-T air defence systems to Ukraine, including a large number of guided missiles and shoulder-fired air defence missiles.
In recent months, the transatlantic alliance started to coordinate regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine to help fend off Russia’s war.
Spare weapons stocks in European arsenals have all but dried up, and only the United States has a sufficient store of ready weapons that Ukraine most needs.
Under the financial arrangement – known as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) – European allies and Canada are buying US weapons to help Kyiv keep Russian forces at bay. About $2bn worth had previously been allocated since August.
Germany’s pledge came as Ukraine’s Western backers gathered to drum up more military support for their beleaguered partner.
Shmyhal put his country’s defence needs next year at $120bn. “Ukraine will cover half, $60bn, from our national resources. We are asking partners to join us in covering the other half,” he said.
Air defence systems are most in need. Shmyhal said that last month alone, Russia “launched over 5,600 strike drones and more than 180 missiles targeting our civilian infrastructure and people”.
The new pledges of support came a day after new data showed that foreign military aid to Ukraine had declined sharply recently. Despite the PURL programme, support plunged by 43 percent in July and August compared to the first half of the year, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute, which tracks such deliveries and funding.
Hegseth said that “all countries need to translate goals into guns, commitments into capabilities and pledges into power. That’s all that matters. Hard power. It’s the only thing belligerents actually respect.”
The administration of US President Donald Trump hasn’t donated military equipment to Ukraine. It has been weighing whether to send Tomahawk long-range missiles if Russia doesn’t wind down its war soon, but it remains unclear who will pay for those weapons, should they be approved.
Stellantis announced a $13bn investment in the US, which will see production of the Jeep Compass move to the US from Canada.
Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025
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Canada has threatened legal action against carmaker Stellantis NV over what Ottawa says is the company’s unacceptable plan to shift production of one model to a United States plant.
On Wednesday, Minister of Industry Melanie Joly sent a letter to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa noting that the company had agreed to maintain its Canadian presence in exchange for substantial financial support.
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“Anything short of fulfilling that commitment will be considered a default under our agreement,” she said. If Stellantis did not live up to its commitment, Canada would “exercise all options, including legal”, she said.
Stellantis announced a $13bn investment in the US on Tuesday, a move that it said would bring five new models to the market. As part of the plan, production of the Jeep Compass will move to the US state of Illinois from a facility in Brampton in the Canadian province of Ontario.
A copy of the letter was made available to the Reuters news agency. The existence of the letter was first reported by Bloomberg.
Stellantis had paused retooling of the Brampton plant in February, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs against Canadian goods, upending the highly integrated North American auto industry.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa had made clear it expected Stellantis to fulfil the undertakings it had made to the workers at the plant.
“We are working with the company to develop the right measures to protect Stellantis employees,” he said.
Ontario is Canada’s industrial heartland and accounts for about 40 percent of its national gross domestic product (GDP).
“I have spoken with Stellantis to stress my disappointment with their decision,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on social media on Wednesday.
Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin said the company was investing in Canada and noted plans to add a third shift to a plant in Windsor, Ontario.
“Canada is very important to us. We have plans for Brampton and will share them upon further discussions with the Canadian government,” she said in an emailed statement.
But it might not be long before one of them gets their comeuppance, with Alan Carr and Cat Burns seeming to form an alliance against fellow Traitor Jonathan Ross because his name is being mentioned by other players. The pair were seen by viewers plotting to “throw him under the bus” if his streak of having heat on him continues.
As he became the second player to be murdered, Olympic diver Tom Daley admitted he was “so sad” to go. Speaking afterwards, he said he would have fared better as a Traitor because when he and his family play at home he never gets detected in the baddie role, but always gets wrongly accused when he’s a Faithful.
He realised too late that he was being overly forthright with his accusations, with were largely directed at Kate Garraway. “Every time I’ve played as a Faithful, people thought I was a Traitor because I was always trying to figure out who the Traitors were,” he said. “I can perhaps be a little too vocal with my ideas in pursuit of them, which is exactly what has happened here.”
Dad of two Tom, 31, said he felt both “confused” and “disappointed” to go out so early – but questioned the Traitors’ tactics in getting rid of him when there was already heat directed his way.
“It was so sad when I saw the letter on the chair and I instantly knew I’d been murdered,” he explained. “I was very confused about what The Traitors are doing because I clearly would be someone that would get banished at the Round Table. If any of the Traitors just planted that seed, I’m sure I would be banished.
“They could have murdered someone that they know would never have gotten banished at the Round Table. Maybe they thought of me as a threat. Maybe I was getting too close to the right answers.
“I just thought, if I notice something I’m going to say it. However, I must have said a few too many things in front of the wrong people!”
YouTuber and prankster Niko Omilana looked gutted as he became the second Faithful to be selected for banishment at the Round Table, in a plot carefully constructed by the Traitors. He summed up his short time in the castle with the three words: ”Betrayal. Set-up. And loser.”
But he said one positive he was taking away was that he’d overcome his long-held fear of public speaking. “At the table, I was quite nervous when I first started talking, but then as it went on, I felt more confident,” he said. “I’m quite chuffed with that, because I really don’t like public speaking.
“It’s one of my big fears. Seeing everyone staring at me, having to defend myself and really making sure I didn’t go down without a fight. I think I did that. That was something I learned about myself, which I’m happy about.”
And at the end of the show, EastEnders star Tameka Empson suffered the same fate, much to the agony of the remaining Faithfuls in the room. The actress, 48, admitted to finding it all quite tough after the accusations against her were led by actor Mark Bonnar. “I was very emotional,” she confessed once she had left the castle.
“In my mind, I thought, ‘I’m not going out’. I was sad to leave the game, because in this industry you get to know people to a certain point but in this environment, it was really lovely to spend this length of time and really get to know everyone.”
And despite him being a Traitor, she laughed: “Jonathan is a big teddy bear.”
Oct. 15 (UPI) — The Japanese Diet is scheduled to vote on the nation’s next prime minister on Tuesday, which has political parties angling to gain support for their preferred candidates.
Sanae Takaichi is the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and is its choice to become Japan’s next prime minister, but opposition parties might block her path, according to NHK World.
The LDP has asked the opposition Japan Innovation Party to join its political coalition and support Takaichi’s candidacy to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The JIP would replace the Komeito party, which last week announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition.
LDP members hold 196 of 465 seats in Japan’s House of Representatives and 100 of 248 seats in the House of Councillors [sic], which is the most of any political party.
While it holds more seats in the Japanese Diet than any other political party, it does not control of majority and seeks additional support to solidify Takaichi’s candidacy.
The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan also seeks support from the JIP and the Democratic Party for the People to promote a viable candidate capable of winning the Diet’s vote over Takaichi.
Despite the opposition to her candidacy to become prime minister, Takaichi told supporters she “will never give up” in her quest to win the election, which typically goes to the leader of the ruling party, China Daily reported.
The leaders of Japan’s various political parties have several meetings scheduled on Wednesday to potentially build support coalitions that could result in Takaichi or other candidates to replace Ishiba as Japan’s prime minister.
DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki is among those who might derail Takaichi’s effort to become prime minister.
If Takaichi should become Japan’s next prime minister, she would be the nation’s first woman to hold the position, according to CNBC.
Dominic CascianiHome and legal Correspondent, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court
Reuters
Protesters in London’s Trafalgar Square on 4 October for a demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action
Twenty-eight people have pleaded not guilty after being charged under anti-terrorism laws with allegedly supporting the banned group Palestine Action.
In the first of a series of complex hearings on Wednesday, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard about 2,000 people are likely to be charged with showing support in demonstrations for the group proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July.
Judges face trying to find time and courtrooms to hold 400 trials of those accused of taking part in protests.
While the judge began setting provisional trial dates for March, there is no certainty they can take place before the end of 2026 because of the ongoing legal battle over the group’s proscription.
The government proscribed Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation in July, after activists broke into an RAF base and damaged two military aircraft earlier in the year.
Since that ban more than 2,100 people have been arrested at demonstrations in England and Wales. Each of them has been accused of holding up a placard reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
So far, some 170 of them – many of them pensioners – have been charged with displaying an item supportive of a banned organisation. This is a low-level terrorism offence which can be dealt with in a magistrates’ court and can lead to six months in jail.
The first of two days of dedicated hearings to manage the cases dominated Westminster Magistrates’ Court, as district judge Michael Snow set out how the courts would deal with all of them.
Most of the 28 defendants appearing, who were among those arrested at the first protests in July, did not have a lawyer. That meant many were often unclear about what was going on or had not had an opportunity to read the basics of the accusations they face.
Many complained to the court that their prosecution was unjust.
Anthony Harvey, 59, travelled from his home in Oban, in the Scottish Highlands, to deny supporting a proscribed organisation.
He told the judge: “Protesting against genocide is not terrorism, I’m not guilty.”
The oldest defendant was 83-year-old the Reverend Susan Parfitt, from Bristol, who is partially deaf.
She gently held onto a hand rail in the courtroom as Judge Snow came down from the bench to sit next to her, so she could hear him.
When he asked her for her plea, she replied: “I was objecting against the proscription of Palestine Action and I therefore plead not guilty.”
David Kilroy, 66, from Plymouth, wearing a Just Stop Oil t-shirt, told the court: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty. Not guilty.”
During the day, prosecutor Peter Ratliff told the court that there were difficulties in fixing firm trial dates from early next year for what could end up being 2,000 defendants because of the ongoing legal challenge to the banning of Palestine Action.
If that challenge overturns the ban, the prosecutions would almost certainly be scrapped. But if the ban remains there could still be complex questions over how the suspects can defend themselves.
Three lead cases, which came to court in September, are being prioritised to try to decide those questions – but any of these legal standoffs could end up before the Supreme Court.
If that happened, trials would have to be delayed, perhaps into 2027.
Judge Snow acknowledged the risk of having to revise plans for 2,000 defendants if the Supreme Court ultimately gets involved in the case – but he said he had to nevertheless set timetables. Courtrooms at Stratford Magistrates’ Court in east London are being set aside to manage the cases.
That plan involves at least two trials a day of a total of 10 defendants, starting from 23 March. If the 2,000 defendant figure is correct, that would require at least 400 trials – or 200 full days of court time.
But on Wednesday defendants and a lawyer told the judge there was a risk the trials would be too short to be fair.
Katie McFadden, acting for some of the defendants, said that a half-day trial of five defendants at a time raised questions about whether that was enough time for them to individually give evidence, present their free speech arguments and be cross-examined.
Another suspect, 72-year-old Deborah Wilde, told the court: “I don’t think I can get a fair trial on the [time] limit that you have allocated to me. I would like to seek leave to appeal.”
Judge Snow told her that was not legally possible.
“I’m satisfied that the time is sufficient,” he said. “I’m not allowing more time for the trial. Your only remedy is the High Court.”
Another 30 defendants are due in court on Thursday to continue allocating trial dates.
On Friday, the Court of Appeal will rule on a government attempt to stop the challenge to Palestine Action’s ban.
Separately in November, the first trial is due to begin of alleged Palestine Action members who are accused of offences, including violence, relating to the targeting of an Israeli defence firm.
THEY say an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – and in the case of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter it could hardly be more appropriate.
Yesterday we revealed Apple Martin’s first photoshoot, posing with a python in an ad campaign for fashion brand Self-Portrait.
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Apple Martin’s recent fashion roles have fuelled accusations she could be this year’s Ultimate Nepo BabyCredit: Gap Studio/Mario SorrentiShe recently collaborated with her famous mum Gwyneth Paltrow for a high profile Gap shootCredit: Mario Sorrenti / Gap / BEEMApple with her famous dad, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin
And last week saw her collaboration with her mum for a high-profile Gap shoot.
But the 21-year-old model, singer and socialite insists we should all forget the nepo baby label — because it’s all thanks to her parents “instilling a work mentality in her”.
“I should not be entitled to anything, I have to work,” she said in a recent interview.
But what Apple means by “work” is raising a few eyebrows in the world of showbiz.
Singing on records by her dad’s band Coldplay, cameos in her mum’s Netflix documentaries, and even a movie role — despite having zero acting experience — are only fuelling accusations that she could well be this year’s ultimate nepo baby, or the child whose success is seen as resulting from their parents’ connections.
A showbiz insider said: “Apple has all the qualities to be the new It girl.
“She’s got girl-next-door looks and has a sweet and innocent demeanour, but deep down she has a wild side.
“She’s sure to ruffle a few feathers as she makes her way in the modeling world.
“And whether she likes it or not, she’s definitely one of the nepos to watch.”
But showing she is not afraid to hit back at the naysayers, the fiery model said: “I constantly remind myself how grateful I am to have these opportunities. I know this is not a normal way to grow up, by any means.
“But my parents did a really good job of instilling in me that I shouldn’t be entitled to anything.”
Apple claims she always wanted to be a model, recalling how she “did run runway walks” in her bedroom while dressed for school, practising her version of Ben Stiller’s Blue Steel pose from the film Zoolander.
She said: “I’ve always been obsessed with fashion. I remember when my mum would do fittings for photoshoots when I was younger, I’d love to just hang out while she was getting her make-up done on set.”
My parents did a really good job of instilling in me that I shouldn’t be entitled to anything
Apple Martin
Given that dad Chris is the super-clean frontman of the world’s most inoffensive band, Apple’s personality — as well as her looks — is perhaps more aligned with her Hollywood-star mum, who knows all too well about divisive images.
Gwyneth — herself the nepo baby of film director Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner — was a self-confessed party girl in the Nineties and famously bragged about loving the buzz of “doing cocaine and not getting caught” during her twenties in New York.
It’s yet to be seen how Apple gets her kicks on a night out, but her parties have certainly gained quite a reputation after police were forced to shut down one particularly raucous bash in 2022 with 50 of her pals at Gwyneth’s estate in the Hamptons — the affluent seaside resort on New York’s Long Island.
Apple insists her parents have ‘instilled a work mentality’ in herCredit: The Mega AgencyApple with mum Gwyneth Paltrow in 2016Credit: gwynethpaltrow/instagramApple’s first photoshoot was for a new Self Portrait fashion campaignCredit: Ryan McGinley
Mum was out of town at the time but according to neighbours, the revellers were “partying like rock stars” and made so much noise, angry locals had no choice but to call the cops.
Apple reportedly ended up receiving a fine for hosting a gathering without a permit. Her parents have a combined worth of £320million, so it’s unlikely she would have struggled to pay it.
Apple, who was born in London, was educated in California, attending the £30,000-a-year Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where she graduated in 2022.
She is now studying English and history at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Her taste for fashion has been evident since she got a job in a clothes shop aged 15.
I don’t think we need another celebrity child in the world
Apple Martin
She attended her first runway show in 2023, sitting front row at the Chanel Haute Couture show in Paris, and said afterwards she was developing her own style, a mix of “classic ’90s and cool grandpa”.
Apart from brief appearances in her mum’s Netflix shows and Instagram pictures, as well as singing on Coldplay songs — including 2021 single Higher Power — Apple has only entered the limelight in the last few years, when signs of her personality have begun to shine through.
In April this year she gave a bolshy take on growing up in the public eye for high-end fashion mag Interview — where she worked as an intern — in which she admitted she used to be “anxious about making mistakes”.
She added that she had been put off showbiz because “I don’t think we need another celebrity child in the world.”
She continued: “I just try to do what feels right and block out anything regarding me in the news to the best of my ability.
“And I’m getting a lot better at being like, ‘F*** it’. I’m not going to be scared. I just want to do what seems fun and figure my life out.”
But Apple’s steely approach was put to the test last year when she made her debut at the high-society Le Bal des Débutantes — a modern version of the old debutante ball — in Paris.
The bash at the $1,000-a-night Hotel Shangri-La was supposed to signal her arrival, in a stunning Valentino gown, as a new Hollywood power player.
But instead Apple suffered an online backlash after she was accused of deliberately photobombing a fellow guest and forcing her out of the frame, then pouting and posing for several photos.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin with their children Apple and Moses
After the footage went viral, social media users branded her “obnoxious”, “entitled” and “giving Regina George” — a reference to the notorious queen bee in the 2004 movie Mean Girls.
But rather than give a mature response, Apple instead poked fun at the situation, posting a video on TikTok with a pal jokingly stating that they are both “a delight” and “very funny” — which only served to earn her the nickname “Rotten Apple”.
Gwyneth was also at the ball with ex-husband Chris and Apple’s 19-year-old brother Moses, who is the lead singer in up-and-coming band Dancer.
She has previously admitted that despite Apple’s recent claims that her parents don’t want her to be “entitled”, there is little doubt that she is — but Gwyneth sees it as positive.
Talking about Apple and her pals, she said: “They have, and I mean this word in the best possible way, a sense of entitlement that’s beautiful.
“It’s not spoiled . . . I find it very uplifting and heartening that we all seem to be going in this direction together.”
Even so, Gwyneth knows Apple’s spiky side too, having received a ticking off from her for posting a snap of her on Instagram when she was 14.
Apple commented under Gwyneth’s post, ranting: “Mom we have discussed this. You may not post anything without my consent.”
Sassy response
She later deleted the remark after her mum replied: “You can’t even see your face.”
Apple also gave a sassy response when her mum posted a picture of herself making breakfast while topless, writing: “Did I steal your shirt by accident”.
And she also ripped into Gwyneth’s morning routine while trolling the TikTok account of her lifestyle brand Goop, saying: “She eats nothing except for dates and almond butter,” adding that Gwyneth had been on a cleanse “since the day I was born, apparently”.
But when asked how she stays grounded, Apple said: “Hanging out with my friends and trying to have a normal college experience makes me feel more normal.
“That’s how I like to unwind. We’ll sit down and do little guitar playing sessions, one person will play and the others will sing.
“I also love watching reality TV with my friends. There was one day we spent five hours on the couch and just watched old episodes of America’s Next Top Model.”
Normal? Or nepo? You decide.
Apple made her debut at the high society Le Bal des Débutantes in ParisCredit: tiktok/@parismatch
