News Desk

Roger Allers, a veteran Disney filmmaker who co-directed the original “The Lion King,” died Saturday. He was 76.

The Academy Award-nominated director’s decades-spanning work at Disney also included turns as a writer, storyboard artist and animator for beloved films such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.”

Allers’ death was announced by his colleague Dave Bossert, a former Disney animator.

“Roger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance,” Bossert wrote Sunday on Facebook.

Bossert described his longtime collaborator as “one of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside.”

“Roger had a joyful, luminous spirit, and the world is dimmer without him,” Bossert wrote. “Rest in peace, my friend. Until we meet again on the other side.”

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger also paid tribute to the director, whom he called “a creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come.”

“[Allers] understood the power of great storytelling — how unforgettable characters, emotion, and music can come together to create something timeless,” Iger said Sunday in a statement on Instagram.

“His work helped define an era of animation that continues to inspire audiences around the world, and we are deeply grateful for everything he gave to Disney,” the executive wrote.

Allers’ tenure at Disney began more than 40 years ago, when he worked on the storyboard team for the sci-fi thriller “Tron” (1982). He went on to play “a pivotal role in the Disney Animation renaissance of the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s,” Walt Disney Animation Studios wrote Tuesday in a social media post.

The entertainment multihyphenate’s crown achievement came in 1994, when he and “The Lion King” co-director Rob Minkoff brought to life the movie that former Times film critic Justin Chang referred to as “one of Disney’s biggest gambles.”

“The Lion King” boasted an estimated $42-million domestic opening weekend, the studio’s largest ever at the time. It is still the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time.

Allers — born in 1949 in Rye, N.Y. — looked back on the film’s success in 2011, telling The Times that it “gave an opportunity for a lot of young animators who hadn’t had a chance to lead a character. So they were fired up to do a good job — it was quite an inclusive and creative circle.”

“Everyone was listened to,” Allers said. “When it came to fruition and everyone could see the message it was putting out and the heart the movie had that went on to be embraced by the audience … it was very gratifying. I am still kind of overwhelmed by the response.”

Allers is survived by his children, Leah and Aidan, and his partner, Genaro, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Emergency teams are searching in a mountain range of the Spanish countryside for the victims of a train crash that killed at least 41 people Sunday evening. Officials are promising transparency as they investigate the cause of the collision.

BROOKLYN Beckham’s wife Nicola Peltz “sent a subtle message to the Beckhams”, in a post days before he launched his explosive rant at them.

Last night, Brooklym, 26, launched a nuclear attack on his famous parents – with mum Victoria, 51, feeling the brunt of his damning social media message.

The eldest of the Beckham kids made a number of damning allegations in his explosive post, but he also used it as an opportunity to slam claims made about his wife Nicola 31, who he wed in April 2022.

Now it has emerged that the actress sent a cryptic message amid her husband’s family drama.

It came when she shared a photo on social media which went unnoticed following the huge fall out from Brooklyn’s scathing post.

In a picture posted on Instagram, Nicola can be seen posing in a green bra.

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Just under her right breast her tattoo is on display that is written in Yiddish.

However, when the inking is translated it reads “family is first”.

Nicola’s brother Will also reportedly has the same tattoo.

WEDDING DANCE FALL OUT

The fall out from Brooklyn’s scathing post reached fever pitch today.

He focused a lot of the message on his relationship with Nicola and his “controlling” parents.

In his jaw-dropping upload, Brooklyn made 12 key accusations towards his loved ones in his full statement including allegations of “bribery” and telling Nicola “she’s not family”.

One claim in particular spoke about how Victoria is said to have hijacked their first dance by performing “inappropriate moves” which left him embarrassed.

Part of the statement detailed: “In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife, but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me.

“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”

Yet during a report in British Vogue – who sent a journalist to the wedding and interviewed the couple at the wedding, the scenario was set very differently.

The report in the glossy mag told how South African singer Lloyiso performed Elvis Presley classic, Can’t Help Falling In Love, for the couple’s first dance.

Then Nicola was joined by her father for a routine to Bette Middler’s Wind Beneath My Wings.

The publication reported it was only at 11pm when Marc Anthony’s live set started and Brooklyn “invited” mum Victoria “on stage for a dance”.

It also claimed that David and Harper were also welcomed onto the revolving stage.

The latest on Brooklyn’s seismic statement…

Brooklyn and his mum’s dance appears to have come hours after the pair’s first dance according to Vogue – leaving question marks as to whether Victoria actually had a part to play in hijacking it or not.

Sources close to Victoria have also told The Sun she is “embarrassed” about various memes circulating online about her “inappropriate” dancing.

As such, Posh Spice has been left distraught by the mockery.

A source said: “Victoria is really embarrassed now she’s being mocked online, it’s just devastating to her.”

BECKHAMS STAY SILENT

As yet, Victoria and David have not commented on Brooklyn’s six-page statement.

Friends of the Beckhams told The Sun how the pair have been left “floored” by their son’s accusations.

However, the former footballer has been seen for the first time since the scandal broke as he attended the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

During his public appearance this morning, David stayed silent and refused to answer questions on Brooklyn.

Instead he put on a brave face as he posed for pictures with fans.

Jan. 20 (UPI) — Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., on Tuesday announced her candidacy to challenge incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., in the Republican primary after she secured President Donald Trump‘s endorsement.

Letlow announced her primary bid during a private breakfast meeting in Baton Rouge, and afterward made her decision by posting it on social media.

“I have fought alongside President Trump to put America first, standing up for our parents, securing our borders, supporting law enforcement, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse that drives up inflation, and fighting to fix an education system too focused on woke ideology instead of teaching,” Letlow said in a 2-minute ad announcing her candidacy.

“A state as conservative as ours, we shouldn’t have to wonder how our senator will vote when the pressure’s on,” Letlow added. “Louisiana deserves conservative champions, leaders who will not flinch.”

Cassidy is being challenged by multiple GOP candidates in the Republican primary after he voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

He was one of seven Republican senators who supported the impeachment effort that ultimately failed and said Letlow called him on Tuesday to inform him of her decision.

“She said she respected me and that I had done a good job. I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election,” Cassidy said in a social media post.

“I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live,” he added.

The primary challenge will undergo a new system in Louisiana, which will hold a closed Republican primary on May 16 and a runoff in June if no candidate secures a majority of votes.

The British government has given China approval to build the largest embassy in Europe in London eight years after Beijing bought the site.

The British government has given China approval to build the largest embassy in Europe in London eight years after Beijing bought the site.

Housing Minister Steve Reed’s decision to grant planning permission on Tuesday came before an expected visit to China by Prime Minister Keir Starmer later this month, the first by a British leader since 2018.

China’s plans to build a new embassy on the site of the two-century-old Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London have stalled for three years over opposition from residents, lawmakers and Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners in Britain.

Pro-democracy campaigners from Hong Kong fear Beijing could use the embassy to harass political opponents and even detain them, while nearby residents fear it could pose a security risk to them and attract large protests.

Politicians in Britain and the United States have warned the government against allowing China to build the embassy on the site over concerns that it could be used as a base for spying.

The future embassy could still face legal challenges as residents said they planned to challenge the approval in the courts.

Reed said the decision was now final, barring a successful challenge in court.

A government spokesperson said intelligence agencies had helped to develop a “range of measures … to manage any risks”.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said China would continue to pose national security threats but added that after “detailed consideration of all possible risks around this new embassy … I am assured that the UK’s national security is protected”.

The Chinese government purchased the Royal Mint Court in 2018, but its requests for planning permission to build the new embassy there were rejected by the local council in 2022 over safety and security concerns.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping asked Starmer to intervene.

Starmer’s government had repeatedly postponed its decision in recent months after multiple cases of alleged Chinese spying and political interference underlined concerns about the proposed embassy.

In November, the domestic intelligence agency MI5 issued an alert to lawmakers warning that Chinese agents were making “targeted and widespread” efforts to recruit and cultivate them using LinkedIn or cover companies.

Beijing has strongly denied those claims, calling them “pure fabrication and malicious slander”.

Starmer has stressed that while protecting national security is nonnegotiable, Britain needs to keep up diplomatic dialogue and cooperation with the Asian superpower.

Fat Mike doesn’t do birthdays.

So it was probably just a coincidence the NOFX retrospective at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas last weekend took place on his birthday.

“My wife is going to spank my a— really hard 59 times,” Michael Burkett, a.k.a. Fat Mike, said on the roof of the museum as the sun was setting and the lights of Las Vegas were coming on. “Then she’ll do it again with a cane, and then with a paddle. That’s my kind of birthday.”

That’s an answer NOFX’s fans have come to expect from the front man known for his scabrous humor and irreverent lyrics. Fat Mike has made a career out of letting it all hang out and not taking himself too seriously, often courting scandal along the way.

From insulting country music fans in 2018 after the Las Vegas massacre the previous October, to convincing the crowd at SXSW in 2010 that his alter ego Cokie the Clown had peed in the tequila he’d just shared with the audience, Fat Mike has always been a provocateur.

But that’s just one side of the performer.

Fat Mike outside the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas.

(Melanie Kaye)

As the owner of Fat Wreck Chords, the label that put out most of NOFX’s material, as well as albums by scores of other bands, a lack of seriousness was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” he admitted with a sigh of relief now that the band has stopped touring and the label has been sold to Hopeless Records. “But being out of NOFX now is wonderful. I can do so many different things that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Despite his ambivalence to birthdays, the museum, which was co-founded by Fat Mike in 2023, pulled out all the stops for a “this is your life”-style birthday party.

Two rooms on the 12,000-square-foot museum’s second floor displayed ephemera documenting the accomplishments of a grimy little punk rock band that stayed in the shadows of peers like Offspring, Green Day and Blink-182, but remained completely independent of major label influence — from its humble beginnings in 1983 to its final show in 2024.

Photos and fliers lined the walls, road cases were stuffed with memorabilia, and the sound of early demos played on actual tape recorders filled the space. “It’s the most substantial exhibit we’ve ever had,” said Vinnie Fiorello, one of the museum’s co-founders.

Meanwhile, down on the main floor, Mike’s former bandmates Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta and Eric “Smelly” Sandin led guided tours through the museum, telling stories about their unlikely success as punk rock lifers. Later that afternoon, they gathered in the museum’s event space for a sold-out roundtable discussion.

The event kicked off with the trailer for the upcoming NOFX documentary titled “Forty Years of F— Up,” directed by James Buddy Day, and in typical NOFX fashion, they uploaded the wrong file. The showing had to be aborted after a few shocking scenes of bandmates bickering and Fat Mike blasting lines of cocaine.

Talk about a teaser.

For the discussion, Fat Mike, El Hefe and Smelly were joined by their longtime crew who are like a second family to the band. They shared irreverent stories and raucous laughter. At times, you could almost forget about the elephant in the room.

Almost.

Smelly read from a prepared statement addressing the reason why one of the bandmembers, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin, wasn’t present.

Just a few hours after the final show of their final tour, Melvin’s lawyers served Fat Mike with papers accusing him of “legal and financial malfeasance.” He broke off contact with the band and directed all communication to go through his counsel.

After the roundtable, Fat Mike went out on the museum’s rooftop, feeling sad and vulnerable.

The acrimony that bedeviled so many bands that NOFX avoided for 40 years had finally caught up with them.

“We never had a f— argument, ever,” Fat Mike explained. “Things got a little sketchy during COVID, because people got desperate and we couldn’t play. But before that, we were all best friends. It was so beautiful. It wasn’t like other bands.”

Not being like other bands was the secret to NOFX’s success. While other bands chased record deals, NOFX stayed indie. When the kind of skate punk that NOFX helped pioneer went mainstream, Fat Mike didn’t tone down his act to appeal to a wider audience. He was willing to wager that, if they stayed true to their fans, their fans would stay true to them.

“When we were kids … we made ourselves targets. By the cops, by the jocks, by everybody. Why did we do that? Why did we make ourselves targets? I don’t really know why. It felt good, and it was like, ‘I don’t want to live like you.’”

That determination to live on one’s own terms, no matter how gnarly or weird other people thought you were, is what fueled Fat Mike and NOFX, and judging from the trailer, that hasn’t changed. That’s what Fat Mike means when he says, “NOFX is a completely authentic band.”

NOFX drummer Erik “Smelly” Sandin, left, and Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta in the Punk Rock Museum.

(Melanie Kaye)

When members of NOFX were interviewed for the documentary, they were upset. Despite a wildly successful final tour, not everyone wanted the band to end and they spoke candidly about their feelings. Even though they were hard to watch, Fat Mike decided to include those scenes in the documentary.

He didn’t want to shy away from material that made him uncomfortable, including footage from a gory near-death experience he had after contracting a bacterial infection in his ulcer. “I’m on the floor and there’s blood and puke everywhere,” Fat Mike said, setting the scene. At that moment, he asked his wife to film him. “I think I’m dying, and I want my last words to be on camera.”

Even more shocking than the documentary’s content, is the way it will be distributed. You won’t be able to watch it on a streamer, download it off the internet or purchase a physical copy. The only way you can see it will be by getting off the couch.

“You have to go see the movie,” Fat Mike explained. “We’re playing it at over 100 theaters around the world once a month.”

Inspired by midnight screenings of his favorite movie, “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Fat Mike went to Cisco Adler, whose father Lou Adler co-produced the camp classic that made Tim Curry a legend, to devise a bold plan for showing the documentary. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Landmark Theater are on board to make the dream a reality.

“I want our fans to have a place to go,” Fat Mike said.

It’s a reasonable DIY strategy that feels completely radical. NOFX in a nutshell.

The documentary includes new songs performed by El Hefe, Fat Mike and Smelly, and they’re creating merchandise for the screenings like popcorn buckets, chocolate bars and NOFX 2-D glasses.

“It’s gonna be a party,” Fat Mike promises. Would you expect anything less?

“Forty Years of F— Up” will premiere in Austin during South by Southwest on March 15 and 16 and at the Nuart Theater on March 19 before opening worldwide on April 10.

Jim Ruland is the author of “Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records” and is a columnist for Razorcake Fanzine, America’s only nonprofit independent music magazine.

Jan. 20 (UPI) — The Israeli government began demolishing the East Jerusalem building that houses the United Nations’ agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees Tuesday, a move the international organization called “an unprecedented attack.”

The BBC reported that demolition teams used heavy machinery to rip through the roof and tear down walls of the headquarters of the UNRWA, formally known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini issued a statement calling the demolition “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law.”

“This constitutes an unprecedented attack against a United Nations agency and its premises.”

Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the site during the demolition and said it was “a very important day for the governance of Jerusalem,” Sky News reported. He called workers for the UNRWA “supporters of terror” and said the organization was “infested” with Hamas members.

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed laws in October 2024 banning the agency from operating in the country. The government accused the UNRWA of being infiltrated by members of Hamas and participating in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed hundreds of people. The ban went into effect in January 2025.

The UNRWA, which has 30,000 workers in the region, denied the accusation, saying it fired nine employees after uncovering evidence they were involved in the attack that ignited the war.

The International Court of Justice in October ruled that Israel must allow the UNRWA to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. The opinion from the United Nations’ highest court is non-binding but has a moral and diplomatic weight.

The UNRWA was founded in 1949 to provide relief to Palestinian refugees and began working out of its East Jerusalem headquarters shortly after. It is situated within occupied territory, having been seized by Israel in 1967.

Israeli officials took control of the building late last year, removing equipment and raising an Israeli flag. The government said it can now demolish the building because it belongs to Israel and is vacant.

An unnamed U.N. official told Sky News that the justification was “absolute nonsense.”

“They can say what they like, but it doesn’t make it real.”

Bloomberg via Getty Images

American response

Melani Sanders is over it.

She’s over meticulously applying makeup before leaving the house or, even, having to wear a bra when running errands. She’s over wasting time plucking chin hairs, searching for brain fog-induced lost reading glasses and — most of all — withholding her opinions so as not to offend others.

As a 45-year-old perimenopausal woman, Sanders is no longer searching for outside validation and is over people-pleasing.

The dedication page in her new book sums it up best: “To the a— who told me I had a “computer box booty.”

Who is this dude, and is Sanders worried about offending him?

She doesn’t care.

Author, Melani Sanders, in an outfit she typically wears in her social media videos.

(Surej Kalathil Sunman Media)

That’s Sanders’ mantra in life right now. Last year, the West Palm Beach, Fla.-based mother of three founded the We Do Not Care Club, an online “sisterhood” into the millions of perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women “who are putting the world on notice that we simply do not care much anymore.” Sanders’ social media videos feature her looking disheveled — in a bathrobe and reading glasses, for example, with additional pairs of reading glasses hanging from her lapels — while rattling off members’ comments about what they do not care about anymore.

“We do not care if we still wear skinny jeans — they stretch and they’re comfortable,” she reads, deadpan. “We do not care if the towels don’t match in our house — you got a rag and you got a towel, use it accordingly.”

Sanders’ online community of fed up women grew rapidly. She announced the club in May 2025, and it has more than 3 million members internationally; celebrity supporters include Ashley Judd, Sharon Stone and Halle Berry. It’s a welcoming, if unexpected, space where women “can finally exhale,” as Sanders puts it. The rallying cry? “We do not give a f—ing s— what anyone thinks of us anymore.”

That’s also the message of Sanders’ new book, “The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook: A Hot-Mess Guide for Women in Perimenopause, Menopause, and Beyond Who Are Over It.” The book is part self-help book, with facts about the perimenopause and menopause transition; part memoir; part practical workbook with tools and resources; and part humor book, brimming with Sanders’ raw and authentic comedic style. (It includes a membership card for new club inductees and cutout-able patches with slogans like “lubricated and horny” or “speaking your truth.”)

We caught up with Sanders while she was in New York to promote her book and admittedly “overstimulated from all the horns,” she said. But she just. Did. Not. Care.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The We Do Not Care Club came about after you had a meltdown in a supermarket parking lot. Tell us about that.

I was in the parking lot of Whole Foods. I needed Ashwagandha — that was my holy grail at the time for my perimenopause journey, and I was out of it. I got back in my car and looked at myself in the rear view mirror. I had on a sports bra that was shifted to one side. My hair was extremely unstructured. I had a hat on and socks mismatched — I was a real hot mess. Nothing added up. But in that moment, I realized that I just didn’t care much anymore. I just said, “Melanie, you have to take the pressure off, girlfriend. It’s time to stop caring so much.” I decided to press the record button and see if anyone wanted to join me in starting a club called the We Do Not Care Club. I released the video and drove home, which took about 20 minutes, and by the time I got home it had [gone viral].

You got hundreds of thousands of new followers, internationally, within 24 hours. Why do you think the post resonated so greatly at that moment?

I had to dissect that because it was kind of unreal. Like, what is it about country, old Melanie that hit record and asked about a little club that she thought maybe 20 or 30 women would want to join? Over the summer, I studied this and did more videos and I listened. It was the relatability. It was the understanding. It was just letting my guard down and just saying it out loud. Speaking my truth. Also, for many women, we have this silent pressure to get it all done. But we’re at capacity. In the book, I talk about how, once I was in perimenopause, I didn’t want to have sex with my husband. I didn’t want to see my kids — like, everyone just close the door! And that’s kind of shameful, you know? It’s not like I don’t love my family. I really do. But I can’t do it all anymore. And I just think that resonated with a lot of sisters throughout the world. It was like: Now is the time for us to just explode and I think we all did it at once.

“The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook.”

(William Morrow)

You entered perimenopause (or “Miss Peri,” as you call it) at age 44, after a partial hysterectomy. How did your life change after that?

I did not expect it. I knew that I had fibroids and I was uncomfortable because of that. So when I had the hysterectomy, I was expecting to now be a whole person again afterwards. But I just went into this dark place. It was like you’re fighting against yourself to just be normal again. And your body is changing in so many ways. For me, that was the hot flashes, the insomnia, the depression, the rage. My joints were really, really stiff all of a sudden. It’s like, ‘wait a minute, how and why?!!’ And [I got] frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder was how I discovered I was in perimenopause because I was not told by my doctor who performed my hysterectomy that this could happen. And I didn’t know where to turn or where to go because I was just being told everything was normal. I was so frustrated with the process, the lack of education, the lack of resources. The lack of compassion, I would even say.

Your book and social media videos are so funny. Do you have a comedy background?

I don’t, and I get asked that often. I just say what’s on my mind and sometimes, I guess, it comes out funny — but I’m not trying. The [wearing multiple pairs of] glasses: I do that because, with perimenopause, my eyesight went bad really quickly. I was out in public one day and I could not read. I was just traumatized. So every time I would see glasses, I would just put them on me because I don’t want to get stuck without them. That neck pillow, when I got frozen shoulder, I was using it a lot. Then one day when I hit record, I had the neck pillow on and I just didn’t care. And it stuck.

You’ve appeared on TV, been featured in publications, and People magazine named you creator of the year for 2025. What has this sudden fame been like for you?

It’s surreal. I have not completely processed it yet. It’s a lot to take in. I’m just an everyday woman that decided to press record and accidentally started a movement. Impostor syndrome is there from time to time. But I’m just trying my best to accept everything that’s going on — and keep just being Melani.

Has the overwhelming response from new members fueled your own resolve to be true to yourself or otherwise changed you personally?

It absolutely has. It’s the strength that the sisterhood gives me. Because I’m very scared. You know, the book is coming out. And the tour is sold out in several cities. This is all within an eight-month span. It’s a lot. But when everyone is saying they love you, and when you have a group of women that understands you and feels the way that you feel, absolutely, there’s strength in numbers. Now I don’t care about making mistakes.

You live in a very male household. What do your sons and husband think of all this?

Once I decided that I didn’t care anymore, I just expected for them to kind of allow things just to go to hell around the house — but it was quite the opposite. All three of my sons and my husband, they’re just very supportive. Because it was very sad for me. It was very hard to not want to watch movies or anything and just be by myself. But they rose to the occasion and they make sure things are done when they’re home. They really show how they love their mom during this time.

How can other men become allies to the women they love during the menopause transition?

Just either get out of our way or, you know, just kind of read the room! Because we don’t know who we are from day to day. We don’t know what’s gonna ache. We don’t know what’s going to hurt or what’s going to itch or what’s going to be dry. And if it’s an off day, then darling, it’s just an off day — and it’s OK.

What are some things that you do still care about greatly?

I care about sisterhood. Because when women bind together, it’s a game changer. We will move mountains. I just think that, in this world, there’s so much pressure, so much overstimulation. So I care about being able to live authentically. To feel free. To be OK with who you are. Within WDNC, the two things that I definitely want to convey that I care about is: that you are enough. And you are not alone. And of course I love my kids. I love my family immensely.

Where does the WDNC go from here? What’s the future?

Retreats. That is definitely a dream. To have a weekend retreat where women can come and the only thing that you need to bring is some clean underwear and some pantyliners! (You can’t have a good, hard laugh or a good sneeze or a good cough without pissing your pants.) No makeup, no nothing, just come and be free. I want three different rooms. One will be the rage room and you’ll go in there and just throw stuff around and scream and punch, whatever you want. Then a quiet room. No talking, no nothing, just silence. And the last room will be the “Let that s— go room.” That’s where we’ll put everything that we have in us, that we’re holding onto that’s keeping us from living a blissful and peaceful life, and write it down and let it go. I just want to touch sisters and let them know it is OK. We are OK. I have my s— I go through. You have your s— you go through. It’s OK. Let’s live.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, questioned Donald Trump’s trustworthiness after he announced new tariffs on European allies over Greenland. She said a July trade deal must be honoured and warned the move was a “mistake.”

The World Economic Forum has released a report showcasing successful applications of artificial intelligence (AI) that are yielding measurable benefits and demonstrating how organizations are advancing beyond initial trials to achieve significant results. As investments rise and expectations grow, the report emphasizes a widening gap between companies that effectively scale AI and those encountering challenges in its deployment. The report offers strategies to close this gap by drawing on real-world examples.

The report titled “Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations,” was created in partnership with Accenture. It compiles insights from the MINDS program, which highlights impactful AI applications worldwide, analyzing numerous cases from over 30 countries and spanning 20 industries such as healthcare and energy. An independent council of experts identified key trends in successful AI use, including integrating AI into decision-making, enhancing human-AI collaboration, improving data management, modernizing technology, and ensuring governance.

According to Stephan Mergenthaler from the World Economic Forum, many organizations are unsure how to harness AI’s potential. The showcased cases illustrate the transformation possible when ambition meets operational change, and the report serves as a practical guide for others to follow similar paths. Manish Sharma from Accenture added that leveraging AI effectively requires organized data and processes along with human creativity to maximize investment returns. He encourages organizations to develop clear plans focused on responsible innovation for AI implementation and scaling.

The Forum also announced the second cohort of MINDS, comprising 20 organizations pioneering high-impact AI solutions in areas like disease detection and energy optimization. Applications for the third MINDS cohort are now open, inviting public and private organizations to apply by demonstrating the impact and novelty of their AI projects. Selections will be made by an independent council following a shortlisting process by the Forum.

The report lists exemplary organizations from both the first and second cohorts of MINDS, classified by various sectors. In the information technology sector, companies like AMD and Synopsys improved chip-design productivity through AI, while KPMG and SAP accelerated enterprise migrations using an AI copilot. In energy management, firms like Horizon Power developed an AI for weather forecasting that significantly enhanced energy market predictions.

Improvements in battery manufacturing were noted as CATL automated designs and significantly cut research cycles. For global health, Ant Group created a multimodal health platform achieving high diagnostic accuracy. Robotics innovations included Hyundai’s developments in autonomous robots that optimize performance and efficiency.

In financial services, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China improved decision-making and profits through a large-scale financial model. Retail advancements included PepsiCo’s implementation of smart factory technology, reducing waste and saving costs, while Wumart streamlined operations with real-time AI.

In chemical and scientific discoveries, companies like Deep Principle automated materials simulations efficiently, and UCSF accelerated Parkinson’s drug research significantly. Engineering case studies highlighted Hitachi Rail’s AI analytics for transportation efficiency and Fujitsu’s AI agents reducing supply chain costs substantially.

In advanced manufacturing, firms like Foxconn automated workflows efficiently and Siemens implemented visual inspection systems to save operational costs. Socially, Tech Mahindra’s multilingual AI systems enhanced digital services across diverse regions, benefiting millions of users.

“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private.

“Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

“I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.

“For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family.

“The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.

“Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they’ll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own facade.

“But I believe the truth always comes out.

“My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn’t stopped.

“My mum cancelled making Nicola’s dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress.

“Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future children.

“They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated. My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since.

“During the wedding planning, my mum went so far as to call me ‘evil’ because Nicola and I chose to include my Nanny Sandra, and Nicola’s Naunni at our table, because they both didn’t have their husbands.

“Both of our parents had their own tables equally adjacent to ours.

“The night before our wedding, members of my family told me that Nicola was ‘not blood’ and ‘not family’.

“Since the moment I started standing up for myself with my family, I’ve received endless attacks from my parents, both privately and publicly, that were sent to the press on their orders.

“Even my brothers were sent to attack me on social media, before they ultimately blocked me out of nowhere this last Summer.

“My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song.

“In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me instead.

“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.

“We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment.

“My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family, no matter how hard we’ve tried to come together as one.

“My mum has repeatedly invited women from my past into our lives in ways that were clearly intended to make us both uncomfortable.

“Despite this, we still travelled to London for my dad’s birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited in our hotel room trying to plan quality time with him.

“He refused all of our attempts, unless it was at his big birthday party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.

“When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition that Nicola wasn’t invited. It was a slap in the face.

“Later, when my family travelled to LA, they refused to see me at all.

“My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first.

“Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it’s at the expense of our professional obligations.

“We’ve gone out of our way for years to show up and support at every fashion show, every party, and every press activity to show “our perfect family.”

“But the one time my wife asked for my mum’s support to save displaced dogs during the LA fires, my mum refused.

“The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety.

“For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief.

“My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation.

“All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.”

Jan. 20 (UPI) — Broad gun reform is coming to Australia after its parliament overwhelmingly passed a package of gun laws on Tuesday in response to last month’s Bondi Beach shooting.

Reforms include a plan for a national gun buyback program, more stringent background checks and limits on imports of firearms.

Australia undertook legislation to tighten its gun laws after 15 people were killed in a shooting at a Hanukkah festival at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Australia’s House of Representatives passed the gun reform package by a 96 to 45 vote. The package then passed the Senate.

Lawmakers returned to session two weeks early to discuss gun reform.

The shooters, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, 24, owned the guns used in the shooting legally. Officials say they were motivated by anti-Semitism.

Tony Burke, Australia’s Minister of Home Affairs, said the new laws passed by Parliament would have prevented the shooting.

There are about 4 million registered firearms in Australia. The new buyback program seeks to reduce that number.

Along with gun reform, Parliament passed a bill meant to curb hate speech. Critics of the bill say it could have a chilling effect on free speech.

“This bill will have a chilling and draconian effect on political debate, on protest, on civil rights and on people speaking up against human rights abuses perpetrated by Israel or any other nation-state,” Sen. Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the Greens party, said.

Wildfires in Chile have wiped out entire towns, killing at least 20 people. Tens of thousands of others have been forced from their homes. Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman has been seeing the damage in one of the worst hit areas.

Netflix is a Joke returns to LA this May, shining a worldwide spotlight on stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the third installment of the sprawling event put on by Netflix announced the first wave of A-list comedians including Bill Burr, Ali Wong, Kevin Hart, Nikki Glaser and many more performing between May 4-10 at venues across LA. Though the fest itself has been cut down from 11 days to 6, the amount of talent jammed into that week doesn’t appear to have slimmed down much at all.

Hosting more than 350 live events, the festival taking place in comedy clubs across LA including the Comedy Store, Laugh Factory and Hollywood Improv as well as major venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Intuit Dome and the Greek Theater. As per usual a mix of stand-up, variety shows, major comedy podcasts, tapings, exclusive events and screenings, and talent from various Netflix series and films will draw comedy fans from all over the world.

“What makes this fest so special is the sense of community—it’s a rare moment where the comedy industry and the fans come together in one place. We’re not just putting on shows; we’re creating one-of-a-kind experiences that celebrate the range, depth, and sheer brilliance of the comedy world right now,” said Tracey Pakosta, Netflix VP of Comedy Series.

So far other noteable performances on the bill include Mo Amer, Fred Armisen, Maria Bamford, Ralph Barbosa, Nate Bargatze, Ronny Chieng, Margaret Cho, Deon Cole, Larry David, Bert Kreischer, Nick Kroll, Bobby Lee, David Letterman, Lizzo, Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler, Andrew Schulz, Iliza Shlesinger, Tom Segura, Jerry Seinfeld, Shaq, Taylor Tomlinson, Kill Tony, Mike Tyson, and Noah Wyle.

A few of the planned show highlights announced on Tuesday include “Night of Too Many Stars” hosted by Jon Stewart featuring A-list comics performing to raise money for benefit NEXT for Autism, a national organization providing programs and support for people living with autism.
The comedy competition show “Funny AF with Kevin Hart” seeking to find the next big comedian will begin streaming on Netflix April 20 and will hold its live semi-finals and finals during the festival. Bargatze is performing two nights at the Intuit Dome along with other major gigs from Colombian pop star Feid and Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernandez teaming up to bring together the largest Spanish language comedy show to the Hollywood Bowl in the venue’s history as well as a variety show tribute to the late Pee-Wee Herman.

“In just 4 years, Netflix Is a Joke Fest has grown into the world’s biggest celebration of comedy. This year, we’re bringing together legends, trailblazers, and the next generation of voices for an entire week of unforgettable moments across Los Angeles,” said Robbie Praw, Netflix VP of Stand-up and Comedy Formats. “From iconic stand-up shows and live podcast tapings to musical mashups and surprise events, the scope of this festival truly reflects the variety and excitement of comedy today. We’re thrilled to welcome fans from all over to experience the magic, energy, and laughter that only Netflix can deliver.”

Tickets for events across the festival will go on sale beginning at 10am PT on January 23rd. A full list of performances can be found on the festival’s website.

Jan. 20 (UPI) — The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Tuesday over Hawaii’s so-called vampire rule gun law that requires people to ask permission before bringing firearms onto private property.

The Supreme Court will mull whether the “vampire rule” gun law violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. The law was enacted as part of a larger package of gun reforms, including a ban on concealed firearms in places like schools, bars and other public places.

The law is referred to as the “vampire rule,” drawing from a trope in vampire fiction that vampires must be given permission by property owners to enter.

For a gun owner to carry a firearm on private property that is generally open to the public, they must receive express permission from the property owner.

The law has been challenged by a group of gun owners who argue that prohibiting guns in public spaces owned by private entities by default is unconstitutional. They say it should be up to the property owners to decide if guns are not permitted on their properties.

Hawaii is not the first state to have a law that does not allow firearms to be carried on private property without permission. New York, New Jersey, California and Maryland have similar laws.

Hawaii’s law applies to a host of private properties that are otherwise open to the public, including stores, restaurants and gas stations. Violating the law can carry a sentence of up to a year in prison.

The conservative majority in the Supreme Court has often ruled in favor of the rights of gun owners. In 2022, the high court’s Bruen decision struck down a New York law that required people to demonstrate a proper cause to carry a handgun in public outside of self-defense.

Hawaii’s state officials say their law adheres to the Bruen ruling.

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been granted bail after being accused of two further sex offences, including rape.

The 50-year-old appeared via video link from the US for the six-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday afternoon. Wearing a partially unbuttoned denim shirt, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

Brand previously denied two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault in relation to alleged offences between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.

The two latest offences are one for rape and one for sexual assault, with are both alleged to have taken place in London in 2009, according to court documents.

Brand will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 17 February.

In relation to the five original charges, a trial is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court later this year.

Detectives began investigating allegations into Brand which came to light following reporting from the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches in September 2023.

Brand, who was born in Essex, rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name as host of TV shows such as Big Brother’s Big Mouth, and with his own radio programmes on stations including BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.

He went on to establish a Hollywood career, starring in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.

Netflix Inc. reached an amended, all-cash agreement to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s studio and streaming business as it battles Paramount Skydance Corp. to acquire one of Hollywood’s most iconic entertainment companies.

Netflix, which previously agreed to pay $27.75 a share in cash and stock for the Warner assets, will pay the full amount in cash, according to a filing confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report on the revised terms. Warner Bros. plans to call a special meeting of shareholders to approve the deal. Netflix said stockholders should be able to vote on the transaction by April.

The changes are designed to expedite a sale and address claims by Paramount that its $30-a-share cash tender offer — for all of Warner, including cable channels like CNN and TNT — is superior. Paramount, the parent of CBS and MTV, has been urging investors to tender their shares.

The battle for Warner Bros., known for films from Casablanca to Batman, is one of the biggest media deals in years and has the power to reshape the entertainment industry. Paramount has been aggressively pursuing Warner Bros. since September, while streaming leader Netflix emerged as a surprise suitor, entering the chase after Warner Bros. put itself up for sale in October.

The new terms neutralize one of the primary criticisms from Paramount: that the stock portion of the Netflix offer makes its bid inferior. Netflix’s shares have lost 29% since its pursuit of Warner Bros. came to light. Paramount shares have also declined about 29% over that time.

The Warner Bros. board “continues to support and unanimously recommend our transaction, and we are confident that it will deliver the best outcome for stockholders, consumers, creators and the broader entertainment community,” Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive officer of Netflix, said in a statement.

Paramount shares were down about 1% in premarket trading in New York. Netflix was up 1.4%.

Warner Bros. also addressed another criticism by outlining how it values its cable networks, which would be spun off to its stockholders in a separate company called Discovery Global.

Warner Bros. has spurned multiple offers from Paramount. Its unwanted suitor has threatened to launch a proxy fight and has sued to force Warner Bros. to disclose more information about the Netflix bid and the value of the cable properties.

Warner Bros.’ advisers value the cable networks from as little as 72 cents a share to as much as $6.86 a share, according to the filing. Paramount has claimed those properties have no value even though cable networks account for most of its own sales and profit.

Under the spinoff plans, Discovery Global would have $17 billion of debt as of June 30, 2026, decreasing to $16.1 billion by the end of the year. Warner and Netflix also amended the agreement so that Discovery Global will have $260 million less debt than initially planned as a result of stronger-than-expected cash flow last year.

The filing projects 2026 revenue of $16.9 billion for the new Discovery Global networks and adjusted earnings of $5.4 billion before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

The latest proposal addresses Wall Street’s concerns around Netflix’s declining share value and speeds up a shareholder vote, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Geetha Ranganathan wrote. It also raises the stakes for Paramount to increase its offer, something it has repeatedly refused to do. It may take a bid of more than $32 a share to sway the Warner Bros. board at this point, she said.

Netflix has lined up more debt from Wall Street banks to help finance its amended agreement. The company now has $42.2 billion of bridge loans in place, according to a filing Tuesday, a type of facility that is usually replaced with permanent debt like corporate bonds.

A combination of Warner Bros. and Netflix would marry two of the world’s biggest streaming providers, with some 450 million combined subscribers, and provide Netflix with a deep library of programming to counter challengers like Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.com Inc. Hollywood labor unions and movie theater owners have expressed concern that the deal will hurt their members and businesses.

Sarandos and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters told investors at a UBS conference on Dec. 8 that they’re “super confident” their deal will be approved. Leaders of Netflix and Warner Bros. were in Europe last week meeting with regulators to convince them of the merits of a deal.

Netflix is scheduled to report fourth-quarter financial results on Tuesday after markets close.

David Ellison, Paramount’s CEO, has argued that a merger with his company would preserve a more traditional Hollywood structure and keep some of Warner Bros.’ legacy intact. He has posited that his all-cash offer, backed by his family trust, is financially superior and says it would have an easier time getting approved by regulators.

Ellison has been mounting an offensive of his own but has yet to convince the Warner Bros. board or an overwhelming majority of the company’s shareholders. Institutional investors are divided and have called for Paramount to increase its offer.

Shaw and Davis write for Bloomberg.

The Syrian government’s lightning-fast offensive took oil-rich territory long held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, before a ceasefire was agreed. While the truce is shaky, Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi explains how recent developments have shifted the balance of power in the country.

Published On 20 Jan 202620 Jan 2026

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Mérida, January 21, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government launched a series of initiatives over the weekend to support communities affected by the January 3 bombings carried out by the United States.

On Friday, January 16, folk artists performed at the Rómulo Gallegos Urbanization in La Guaira state, where US forces struck the local port. The attack destroyed a medical supplies warehouse and a residential building, killing an elderly civilian woman.

During the event, Venezuelan singer-songwriter Benjamín Zambrano said that music helps restore collective spirit and identity. “Through song we invoke our roots, our conscience, our way of life, and our right to live in peace,” he stated.

Cultural events continued Saturday at the Ezequiel Zamora Urban Complex in Ciudad Tiuna, Caracas, organized by the Venezuelan Housing Mission and the Ministry of Culture. The large-scale housing complex is adjacent to Fuerte Tiuna, the capital’s main military headquarters where most of the US strikes took place.

During the recreational activity, Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas said the government has a responsibility to help more than 10,000 families recover from the impact of the January 3 attacks. The US operation likewise included the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

Multiple Venezuelan artists performed in Ciudad Tiuna on Saturday and Sunday as well.

On Saturday, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez also visited Ciudad Tiuna, where 463 apartments were reported damaged.

She called for swift efforts to restore the affected homes and emphasized the importance of supporting children. “We wanted to hold special events for our children, including psychological support sessions,” the acting president told press.

“The Venezuelan people should know that there is hope and a future for our children,” Rodríguez added, noting that recreational activities will continue over the coming weekends. The visit additionally provided a food market as well as healthcare and psychological services.

Rodríguez expands on upcoming economic reforms

The Ciudad Tiuna visit likewise saw Rodríguez comment on announced economic reforms, including two “sovereign wealth funds” to manage oil revenues. The acting president announced the initiative during her 2026 annual address before the National Assembly. 

“The first fund will focus on social protection to improve workers’ incomes,” she affirmed. “This will ensure that foreign currency goes directly to hospitals, schools, food programs, and housing.” 

The second fund will focus on “water, electricity, and road infrastructure.”

Over the weekend, Rodríguez also led a meeting of the National Productive Economy Council with representatives from private sector associations. She presented the 2025 economic growth forecast and the strategic roadmap for the current year. 

Alongside the sovereign wealth funds, she outlined a package of legislative initiatives scheduled for the coming months. The government’s plans include a reform of the Hydrocarbon Law designed to “integrate the advances made under the anti-blockade law” in order to improve conditions for foreign investors.

According to Rodríguez, when the current law was enacted in 2001, Venezuela had “mature and developed oil fields to attract investment,” but now seeks to bring capital to “virgin or green fields.”

Former President Hugo Chávez implemented key changes to oil regulations in 2001 and 2006 to increase the Venezuelan state’s role in the sector while also raising tax and royalty payments to sustain social programs.

Acting President Rodríguez went on to present legislative projects to defend socioeconomic rights and streamline bureaucratic procedures. 

In addition, she proposed creating “a national committee to defend Venezuela’s economic rights worldwide,” with representation from the national executive branch and sectors including oil, agriculture, industry, commerce, banking, non-oil exports, and community organizations.

“This committee,” Rodríguez argued, “will defend Venezuela’s economic rights in multilateral organizations and international forums, traveling the world to promote and uphold those rights.”

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

AMANDA Holden’s daughter Lexi just celebrated turning twenty, and looked stunning dressed up as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in a throwback snap posted for the big day.

The much-loved TV personality, 54, took to her Instagram page to mark Lexi’s birthday, sharing the gorgeous snap alongside one of Lexi as a child.

Lexi, who signed her first modelling contract last year, looked effortlessly beautiful in the iconic outfit – a throwback picture of her in her Halloween outfit.

Holding a blue and white cheer pom pom above her head with one hand, the stunner smiled at the camera.

The second snap of her as a child sweetly shows Lexi holding her arm in the air in a similar way, sitting outside in the snow.

“Put your hand up if you’re 20 today!!!,” Amanda wrote in the post’s caption.

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“Mama and Dada love you so much – our strong, bright, kind, loyal, funny girl!!! Little Lexi Lou.”

Amanda finished off the caption with a small black heart.

Fans of the family praised Lexi, as well as being stunned how fast she seems to have grown up.

“Oh my goodness. Beautiful!,” said one user.

“Wow what a beauty babe,” said another to Amanda. “I remember her being that tiny.”

A third added: “OMG 20??? How??? Happiest of birthdays beautiful Lexi.”

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders (DCC) became famous in the late 1970s, but thanks to the 2024 Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders they’ve gained renewed global fame.

The show follows the team selection process and documents the daily life of the thirty-six person cheer squad.

Amanda is also a proud mother to daughter Hollie, 13.