OLIVIA ATTWOOD has branded her personal life was ‘garbage’ after spending Christmas Day alone.

The TV presenter, 34, made the admission on the Sunday Roast podcast with close pal Pete Wicks, as the pair discussed their personal lives during the Christmas special.

The former Love Island star revealed that she wants to “really get my s*** together in 2026” as she and Pete read out new years resolutions sent in by fans.

“I want to really get my s*** together in 2026”, she said on the podcast.

Olivia continued: “I feel like I had a good work year. I think my personal life was garbage, so I’d like to have more of a balance in 2026.”

Pete, 37, responded by telling pal Olivia that he would aim to settle down in the next 12 months, but his claim was swiftly dismissed by Olivia.

Read more on Olivia Attwood

COSMETIC CHRISTMAS

Olivia Attwood shocks fans with bloodied face after cosmetic treatment

blue christmas

Olivia Attwood reveals she’s spending Christmas ‘alone in a hotel room’

Knowing Pete for over eight years, she branded him “

Pete, 37, responded by saying that maybe he would aim to settle down in the next 12 months, but Olivia refused to believe him. 

After knowing Pete for over eight years, Olivia branded him “attention-seeking”.

And she suggested that the said the TV star is more likely to settle down when he’s 45.

The pair first met back in 2017 after appearing on ITV2 reality show The Only Way Is Essex.

They quickly became pals and have remained close ever since, and this year that friendship became a working relationship as the pair managed to bag their own The Sunday Roast podcast on KISS FM.

Olivia spoke candidly about her festive period – and told how she’ll be enjoying December 25 with her dogs instead.

It has been a tough few weeks for Olivia, who recently broke down in tears as she bid farewell to the Cheshire mansion she shared with Gillingham footballer Bradley Dack, 31.

The couple, who tied the knot two years ago, moved into the stunning pad in 2021, with the star hailing it her “dream home”.

But the pair are relocating back to London – nearer to Brad’s Kent club – for their next “chapter” amid a difficult time for the couple.

After admitting Brad will be playing football or training “most of the time” she said: “I’m in London for Christmas.

“I’m staying in London but going to a hotel, we did the family already, we’re done… We can’t go skiing because of the football.’

She told Towie star Pete on their show: “I decided to do a hotel which is just 10 minutes from my house, I feel I physically, mentally needed a break from where we’re currently living, because we’ve got s**t everywhere, boxes, suitcases.

“I just need to not be there.”

It came after she previously uploaded a video to social media where she wrote over the clip: “Saying goodbye to the house I will never call home again.”

The video finished with a heartbroken Olivia seen waving goodbye to her home.

Writing over the last bit of the clip, she said: “Next chapter pending.”

Travis Head gets a higher pitched Brydon Carse delivery wrong as the Australian batter is bowled for 46 runs to leave his side 82-4, with a lead of 124, on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fourth Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Dec. 26 (Asia Today) — A South Korean public opinion survey released Friday found majority support for a concept described as a “peaceful two-state” approach aimed at long-term unification, with respondents saying tensions should be eased first to pursue peaceful coexistence.

The Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council said its fourth-quarter national unification opinion survey found 55.5% agreed with the view that hostility between South and North Korea should be resolved first to achieve peaceful coexistence and pursue long-term unification. About 40.5% disagreed.

The survey also found 56.8% approved of the Lee Jae-myung administration’s North Korea policy direction, including goals described as a Korean Peninsula “free from war worries,” “a new era of peaceful coexistence” and “joint growth” between the two Koreas. About 35.1% disapproved.

On prospects for inter-Korean relations next year, 49.4% said they expected no change, 34.3% predicted improvement and 13.6% forecast deterioration.

Asked about the necessity of unification, 68% said it is necessary, down 0.6 percentage points from the previous quarter. The most-cited reasons were economic development, at 28.2%, and eliminating the threat of war, at 27.6%.

Views of North Korea were nearly split, with 44% seeing it as an object of vigilance and hostility and 42.7% seeing it as an object of cooperation and support.

The council said the survey was conducted over three days from Friday through Sunday among 1,000 adults ages 19 and older. It reported a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, using proportional allocation by gender, age and region and a combined telephone interview method on landlines and mobile phones.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

The loudest question in Washington right now is whether Donald Trump is going to invade Venezuela. The quieter, and far more dangerous, reality is this: he probably won’t. Not because he cares about Venezuelan lives, but because he has found a strategy that is cheaper, less politically risky at home, and infinitely more devastating: economic warfare.

Venezuela has already survived years of economic warfare. Despite two decades of sweeping U.S. sanctions designed to strangle its economy, the country has found ways to adapt: oil has moved through alternative markets; communities have developed survival strategies; people have endured shortages and hardship with creativity and resilience. This endurance is precisely what the Trump administration is trying to break.

Rather than launching a military invasion that would provoke public backlash and congressional scrutiny, Trump is doubling down on something more insidious: total economic asphyxiation. By tightening restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports, its primary source of revenue, Trump’s administration is deliberately pushing the country toward a full-scale humanitarian collapse.

In recent months, U.S. actions in the Caribbean Sea, including the harassment and interdiction of oil tankers linked to Venezuela, signal a shift from financial pressure to illegal maritime force. These operations have increasingly targeted Venezuela’s ability to move its own resources through international waters. Oil tankers have been delayed, seized, threatened with secondary sanctions, or forced to reroute under coercion. The objective is strangulation.

This is illegal under international law.

The freedom of navigation on the high seas is a cornerstone of international maritime law, enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Unilateral interdiction of civilian commercial vessels, absent a UN Security Council mandate, violates the principle of sovereign equality and non-intervention. The extraterritorial enforcement of U.S. sanctions, punishing third countries and private actors for engaging in lawful trade with Venezuela, has no legal basis. It is coercion, plain and simple. More importantly, the intent is collective punishment.

By preventing Venezuela from exporting oil, which is the revenue that funds food imports, medicine, electricity, and public services, the Trump administration is knowingly engineering conditions of mass deprivation. Under international humanitarian law, collective punishment is prohibited precisely because it targets civilians as a means to achieve political ends. And if this continues, we will see horrific images: empty shelves, malnourished children, overwhelmed hospitals, people scavenging for food. Scenes that echo those coming out of Gaza, where siege and starvation have been normalized as weapons of war.

U.S. actions will undoubtedly cause millions of Venezuelans to flee the country, likely seeking to travel to the United States, which they are told is safe for their families, full of economic opportunities, and security. But Trump is sealing the U.S. border, cutting off asylum pathways, and criminalizing migration. When people are starved, when economies are crushed, when daily life becomes unlivable, people move. Blocking Venezuelans from entering the United States while systematically destroying the conditions that allow them to survive at home means that neighboring countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Chile will be asked to absorb the human cost of Washington’s decisions. This is how empire outsources the damage. But these countries have their own economic woes, and mass displacement of Venezuelans will destabilize the entire region.

Venezuela is a test case. What is being refined now—economic siege without formal war, maritime coercion without declared blockade, starvation without bombs—is a blueprint. Any country that refuses compliance with Washington’s political and economic demands should be paying attention. This will be the map for 21st-century regime change.

And this is how Trump can reassure the United States Congress that he is not “going to war” with Venezuela. He doesn’t need to. Economic strangulation carries none of the immediate political costs of a military intervention, even as it inflicts slow, widespread devastation. There are no body bags returning to U.S. soil, no draft, no televised bombing campaigns. Just a steady erosion of life elsewhere.

Trump’s calculation is brutally simple: make Venezuelans so miserable that they will rise up and overthrow Maduro. That has been the same calculation behind U.S. policy toward Cuba for six decades—and it has failed. Economic strangulation doesn’t bring democracy; it brings suffering. And even if, by some grim chance, it did succeed in toppling the government, the likely result would not be freedom but chaos—possibly a protracted civil war that could devastate the country, and the region, for decades.

People in Venezuela celebrate Christmas and New Year’s gathered around the table to eat hallacas wrapped with care, slices of pan de jamón, and dulce de lechoza. They will share stories, dance to gaitas, and make a toast with Ponche Crema.

But if this economic siege continues, if Venezuelan oil is fully cut off, if the country is denied the means to feed itself, if hunger is allowed to finish what bombs are no longer politically useful to accomplish, then this Christmas may be remembered as one of the last Venezuelans were able to celebrate in anything resembling normal life, at least in the near future.

Polls consistently show that nearly 70 percent of people in the United States oppose a military intervention in Venezuela. War is recognized for what it is: violent, destructive, unacceptable. But sanctions are treated differently. Many people believe they are a harmless alternative, a way to apply “pressure” without bloodshed.

That assumption is dangerously wrong. According to a comprehensive study in medical journal The Lancet, sanctions increase mortality at levels comparable to armed conflict, hitting children and the elderly first. Sanctions do not avoid civilian harm – they systematically produce it.

If we oppose war because it kills, we must also oppose sanctions that do the same, only more quietly, more slowly, and with far less accountability. If we don’t act against economic warfare with the same urgency we reserve for bombs and invasions, then sanctions will remain the preferred weapon: politically convenient but equally deadly.

Michelle Ellner is the Latin America Campaign Coordinator at CODEPINK. Born in Venezuela, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Languages and International Affairs from Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV). Her work focuses on U.S. foreign policy, economic sanctions, and solidarity with Latin America and the Caribbean.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff.

Source: Code Pink

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who would rather reflect on the year in pop culture than look at their current bank statement.

Santa wasn’t the only one making lists this year. As the final days of the year come to a close, we’ve gathered several of our key year-end TV and film lists for 2025 in one handy place for easy browsing while you wait in return lines, prepare to board flights or zone out on the couch.

We also threw in some other recent lists, unbound to 2025 but still useful this time of year when our brains need all the help they can get to winnow down viewing choices.

Enjoy!

From left, Tessa Thompson in “Hedda”; Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in “The Roses”; Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton in “Sinners.”

(Photo illustration by Josep Prat Sorolla / For The Times; photos from Amazon Prime, Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures )

The 10 best movies of 2025 — and where to find them: The best movies of 2025 include “Sinners,” “Hedda,” “One Battle After Another,” “Eddington” and “The Naked Gun,” according to our critic Amy Nicholson.

The 12 best needle drops of 2025: These songs made their scenes indelible, from classic rock and dance pop to old-timey blues and thrash. There’s even a former Beatle on here.

34 movies and shows to watch on a plane — or trapped at the airport — this holiday season: In addition to getting you where you want to go, those hours spent on a plane — or trapped at the airport — are a guilt-free opportunity to catch up on or revisit great movies and shows.

10 on-screen political thrillers that stood out in a year of upheaval and partisanship: At a time of political unrest, the political thriller on television and film is both a reflection of, and an escape from, turbulent times.

Ho-ho-rror for the holidays: 15 scary watches for the dead of winter: Ghost stories have long been a holiday tradition, so gather ‘round the electronic hearth and watch some (or all) of these.

Best of 2025: Television — from left, Anna Lambe in “North of North,” Ethan Hawke and Michael Hitchcock in “The Lowdown,” “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads.”

(Photo illustration by Josep Prat Sorolla / For The Times; photos by Netflix, FX and Warner Bros.)

The best TV shows of 2025: The TV series on this list delivered real surprises with new directions and original formats, while others just had good old-fashioned storytelling, according to our critic Robert Lloyd.

The 16 best documentaries of 2025: The documentary films and series that captured our attention this year feature famous people and ordinary people, as well as new ideas and perspectives.

The 12 unforgettable TV moments of 2025: Some of the year’s most memorable TV moments and episodes

The best reality TV of 2025: Scandals, competitions and breakups are par for the course on reality shows, but this year also brought some tender moments that made for must-see TV.

The 33 best comedy specials of 2025: Specials by Frankie Quiñones, Andrew Schulz, Jordan Jensen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Bill Burr, Atsuko Okatsuka and Gabriel Iglesias make our list.

15 must-watch British crime drama series: Whether with an old-fashioned one-case-per-episode or a more sprawling multistrand story, quaint or violent, historic or modern, the birthplace of Agatha Christie understands that we all need stories that make sense of seemingly senseless acts.

The 7 best Netflix holiday movies to watch, from a secret Santa con to a crime caper: “My Secret Santa” starring Alexandra Breckenridge is the latest holiday film to be released on the streamer, which has several new offerings and recent classics worth revisiting.

Ben Stokes punishes Jake Weatherald’s decision not to play his delivery, as the ball nips back inside before hitting the off stump as Australia fall to 40-2 on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fourth Test – day two

Available to UK users only.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — The Thai military advanced on Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey Province on Friday morning after carrying out air strikes as the two nations continue negotiating a possible cease-fire.

Thai tanks, armored vehicles and infantry advanced into Chouk Chey Village in the O’Chrov District of Banteay Meanchey Province, which is located in northwestern Cambodia and along its border with Thailand, the Khmer Times reported.

Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped about 40 bombs onto the area from 6:08 a.m. local time to 7:15 before the Thai military’s ground forces advanced into it.

The air strikes were done “in the most ruthless and inhumane manner” as they destroyed public infrastructure, civilians’ homes and private property, Cambodian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said.

“The brutal actions above are indiscriminate attacks by the Thai military,” Socheata said.

She called the attacks a “serious violation of international humanitarian law” and said the Cambodian military continues to perform its duties to defend the nation’s territories.

“We will protect our dignity with courage and unwavering resolve, at any cost, and without succumbing to coercion or intimidation in any form,” Socheata said.

Thai Air Force officials denied attacking civilians and their homes, and told the BBC that they struck a “fortified military position” after civilians evacuated the area.

Friday’s military actions were intended to give Thailand control of the village of Nong Chan.

Meanwhile, respective Cambodian and Thai negotiators continue discussing a potential cease-fire while meeting at a border checkpoint for a third day and are scheduled to meet again on Saturday.

Fighting between the two nations resumed earlier in December despite agreeing to a cease-fire in July amid border disputes dating back to the early 20th century.

At least 41 have died and about a million more are displaced since the fighting resumed this month along the 500-mile border separating the two nations.

The hostilities started in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed during a clash between the opposing forces and escalated when the Cambodian military fired rockets into Thailand on July 24.

Chinese and U.S. officials each have tried to mediate a lasting peace in the matter.

United Nations experts say the threat of al-Shabab remains the greatest immediate threat to Somalia and the East African region, especially Kenya.

The al-Qaeda-linked group controls significant parts of southern and central Somalia, carrying out attacks on government and security forces, as well as civilians.

Over the years, the group has claimed responsibility for attacks in Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti.

Despite efforts by Somali and international forces to combat its operations, it still has the ability to strike.

So why has the fight against this group failed over two decades?

Presenter:

Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Ismael Tahir – Research fellow at Hilin, an organisation committed to development, governance and politics in the Somali Peninsula.

Afyare Elmi – Research professor at City University of Mogadishu.

Abdullahi Halakhe – Horn of Africa security analyst.

Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for the Cure, has died. He was 65.

The band announced on its website on Dec. 26 that Bamonte died “after a short illness at home over Christmas.”

“Quiet, intense, intuitive constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of the Cure story,” the band said.

The London-born Bamonte began touring with the Cure as a guitar tech and assistant in 1984, then joined the band full-time in 1990. He performed over 400 shows with the group and recorded on the albums “Wish,” “Wild Mood Swings,” “Bloodflowers,” “Acoustic Hits” and “The Cure.”

Bamonte parted ways with the Cure after 14 years, later performing with the group Love Amongst Ruin. He returned to the Cure in 2022 for “another 90 shows, some of the best in the band’s history,” the group said, including the Nov. 1, 2024, London show documented on the concert film “The Show of a Lost World.”

As a member of the Cure, Bamonte was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. The band is still scheduled for a run of European festivals and headline shows in 2026.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family,” the group said. “He will be missed.”

Manchester United considering move for James Garner, Chelsea want to offload Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and Sandro Tonali targets for Juventus.

Manchester United are considering a surprise January move for their former England Under-21s midfielder James Garner, 24, whose contract at Everton expires next summer. (Mail, external)

Chelsea are monitoring Rennes’ French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, 20, and Saint-Etienne‘s French forward Djylian N’Guessan, 17, but their priority is offloading players including France defender Axel Disasi, 27, and English wingers Raheem Sterling, 31, and Tyrique George, 19. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is a target for Juventus with the 25-year-old Italy international open to a return to Serie A, while they are also interested in Tottenham and Romania defender Radu Dragusin, who is also wanted by Roma. (La Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian, external)

Fulham and Crystal Palace are keeping tabs on Manchester City‘s Oscar Bobb, 22, if the club allow him to leave in January – but clubs outside England, including Sevilla, are also interested in the Norway midfielder. (Talksport, external)

Sporting have overtaken Portuguese rivals Porto in the race for West Ham winger Luis Guilherme, and are close to agreeing a deal for the permanent transfer of the 19-year-old Brazilian. (ESPN Brazil – in Portuguese, external)

Tottenham want to tie 24-year-old Netherlands defender Micky van de Ven to a new, improved long-term deal. (Athletic – subscription required, external)

Liverpool might explore a six-month loan move for Paris St-Germain and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, 24, as a short-term solution for the absence of injured Sweden forward Alexander Isak, 26. (Caught Offside, external)

Wolves are eyeing a deal for former Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest player Sam Surridge, the 27-year-old English striker who scored 24 goals for Nashville during the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. (Talksport, external)

Liverpool are yet to decide whether to allow 18-year-old England Under-20s midfielder Trey Nyoni to leave the club during the January transfer window, but are holding talks with Premier League and Championship clubs. (Teamtalk, external)

Sevilla, Real Oviedo and former club Getafe are interested in bringing back 28-year-old Bournemouth and Turkey forward Enes Unal to Spain. (Fichajes – in Spanish, external)

Dec. 26 (UPI) — Winter Storm Devin is slowing road traffic and impacting flights amid post-holiday travel in the Great Lakes and Northeast, while torrential rain and localized flooding are affecting travel in California.

Airlines for America estimated a record 52.6 million airline passengers from Dec. 19 through Jan. 5, with Friday and Saturday seeing the most, CNBC reported.

The record number of flight passengers means a large number of passengers will be affected by flight cancellations and delays due to the stormy weather.

A total of 5,902 flights were delayed and 1,865 canceled so far at U.S. airports as of 5 p.m. EST on Friday, according to FlightAware.

The airport affected the most is John F. Kennedy International, with 153 outbound flights canceled and 143 delayed, and another 220 inbound flights canceled and 67 delayed and affecting about 45% of inbound and outbound flights.

Newark Liberty International in New Jersey has 104 outbound flights canceled and 163 delayed, and 140 inbound flights are canceled and 98 delayed.

New York City’s LaGuardia Airport also has a significant number of flights impacted, with 87 outbound flights canceled and 97 delayed, and 153 inbound flights canceled and 43 delayed.

The airlines most impacted are Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Republic and Southwest, but virtually all airlines have scheduled flights affected, so travelers are advised to check well ahead and watch for updates before traveling to respective airports.

AAA earlier forecast 109.5 million people would travel more than 50 miles by car to reach their holiday destinations over Christmas, millions of whom could encounter very poor driving conditions while heading home.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain in the Northeast and Great Lakes have triggered an ice storm warning in central and western Pennsylvania, while southern New York and the Tri-State area are subject to a winter storm warning into Saturday.

Stormy weather also continues in Southern California and along the West Coast, with heavy rainfall causing flooding, mudslides and debris flows in low-lying areas and snowstorms at higher elevations.

Mexico City, Mexico, December 11, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela accused the United States of committing “international piracy” after US authorities seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean, denouncing the action as part of a long-running US campaign to strip the country of its energy resources.

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Washington seized an oil tanker sanctioned by the US off Venezuela’s coast. He described the vessel as the largest oil tanker ever seized and indicated that the United States would retain the crude aboard. 

The move was met with a sharp rebuke from Caracas.

“The Bolivarian Government will appeal to all existing international bodies to denounce this grave international crime and will defend its sovereignty with absolute determination,” read the communiqué. “Venezuela will not allow any foreign power to take from the Venezuelan people what belongs to them by historical and constitutional right.”

According to Reuters, the “Skipper” tanker loaded an estimated 1.8 million barrels of crude at Venezuela’s José terminal early this month before unloading 200,000 to a Cuba-bound ship. The remaining cargo was believed to be destined for Asian markets. The move was viewed as aggression against Cuba as well, which relies on Venezuelan oil shipments for energy and income.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parilla condemned “the vile act of piracy” as a violation of international law.

Michael Galant, member of the Progressive International Secretariat, said that calling the US seizure an act of piracy fell short.

“This is the deliberate immiseration of the Cuban people, already suffering debilitating fuel shortages, blackouts, and a chikungunya outbreak thanks to the US blockade,” wrote Galant on social media.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video on social media on Wednesday evening showing armed US forces boarding the vessel. There was reportedly no resistance from the crew nor any casualties. The assault involved Coast Guard members, Marines, and special forces who were seen in the video descending from helicopters onto the ship’s deck.

The seizure of the tanker comes only days after Delaware District Judge Leonard P. Stark approved the sale of Venezuela’s US-based refiner CITGO to Amber Energy, a process that Venezuela called a “barbaric theft” of a Venezuelan asset via a “fraudulent process.” 

In past years, the United States has intercepted shipments of Iranian fuel bound for Venezuela, ultimately taking control of the gasoline and selling it at auction. While US-led sanctions have created significant challenges for the sale of Venezuelan oil on international markets, Wednesday’s seizure marks the first time the US has directly impeded a crude shipment of from Venezuela. Reuters reported that buyers in Asia were demanding further discounts on Venezuelan crude as a result of the seizure.

Trump’s latest move is a significant escalation in the latest US effort to oust the Nicolás Maduro government from power. Since September, the US has built up its forces in the region, including the mobilization of the Gerard Ford Carrier Fleet, and has carried out deadly strikes on boats that the administration claims are tied to drug trafficking. 

Washington’s decision to seize the tanker drew scrutiny from US lawmakers who have questioned the true intentions behind military mobilization and campaign in the Caribbean.

“If Trump’s aggression in the Caribbean is about drugs, why did he just seize an oil tanker?” asked US Representative Nydia Velázquez. “This is yet another dangerous escalation that brings us closer to a regime change war.”

Senator Mark Warner, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, questioned how the US was able to seize an oil tanker but has opted to strike alleged drug smuggling boats from the skies without an effort to arrest the occupants or seize the purported contraband. 

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke Wednesday on the floor of Congress to call on lawmakers to stop Trump’s ”regime change war” against Venezuela.

Caracas maintains that the US attacks are motivated by a desire for regime change in order to secure access to Venezuela’s natural resources.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, speaking from Oslo where she traveled to receive her Nobel Peace Prize, publicly endorsed the seizure of the tanker as a “very necessary step.”

Juan González, Joe Biden’s former chief Latin America adviser and the architect behind the former president’s Venezuela policy, said that a US Naval blockade was “potentially a viable option” despite admitting that it would constitute an act of war against Venezuela.

The White House has repeatedly threatened further escalation, including land strikes. The New York Times reported that US officials expected additional seizures in the coming weeks. This action would constitute an act of force and place additional pressure against Venezuela’s oil industry.

The United Nations (UN) Charter expressly prohibits all Member States from using or threatening force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state. Blockades imposed without a declaration of war or that are not sanctioned by the UN Security Council are not considered legal. Likewise, UN independent experts have consistently maintained that the extraterritorial application of unilateral sanctions is contrary to international law.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

WITH her steamy shower scenes and sexy outfits, you might assume the much-hyped Sydney Sweeney is the centre of attention in new thriller movie The Housemaid.

Instead, critics are raving about her older co-star Amanda Seyfried as the standout of the film that hit UK cinemas yesterday.

Mamma Mia! actress Amanda, 40, is tipped for an Oscar nod for The Testament Of Ann Lee, which is out in February and sees her play the founder of the Christian fundamentalist Shaker Movement in the 18th century.

But it is The Housemaid, based on the same-named bestselling 2022 novel by US author Freida McFadden, that will be putting bums on seats first.

In the sexy flick, Amanda plays deranged housewife Nina Winchester, who hires 28-year-old Sydney’s Millie Calloway to take care of domestic chores and her daughter.

But nothing is what it seems in this psychological potboiler as Amanda — also famed for 2004 teen movie Mean Girls, as a student who believes her breasts predict the weather — steals the show.

united front

Inside the Beckhams’ Christmas without Brooklyn as they ‘send message’ to son

wedding prep

Adam Peaty’s mum does U-turn on wedding vow as Holly Ramsay’s heads to venue

Revelling in the role, she teases: “It’s dark as s**t. But when you get opportunities like that — to go nuts, go anywhere — I’m so happy I can still do it.

“There were ample opportunities for me to play unhinged, and playing unhinged is delicious. I had so much fun.”

In The Housemaid trailer, the two co-stars appear to be at each other’s throats. There is shouting, screaming and knives are reached for.

But in real life, fellow Americans Amanda and Sydney became great pals while making and promoting the film.

‘She’s a sweetheart’

For a bit of fun together, they even took a lie-detector test for Vanity Fair magazine, with a very animated Amanda asking Sydney whether her breasts were real.

Sydney is now caught in a storm over her recent “great jeans” ad, as some claimed its pun on “genes” hinted at white supremacy.

But Donald Trump, hailed it “the hottest ad out there”.

There have also been online rumours of her having romances with co-stars including Housemaid actor Brandon Sklenar and Glen Powell, who Sydney got steamy with in 2023 rom com Anyone But You. None of it was true.

Amanda knows about falling for a co-star, having dated Dominic Cooper from 2008 film Mamma Mia! for three years before the British actor reportedly broke her heart.

But asked about all the hype around pin-up Sydney, she told Vanity Fair: “I don’t envy anything she’s going through.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with her, we just hit it off immediately. She’s a sweetheart. I did not have a moment like she’s having, ever.”

If Sydney ever wanted to know more about the ups and downs of fame, Amanda would be a great person to chat to.

People would run into me and kids would be like, ‘Hey, can you tell us what your boobs are thinking?’ I got that so often, but I didn’t mind it’

Amanda Seyfried

Her pharmacist dad Jack and mum Ann, an occupational therapist, brought her up on a college campus in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

At school, Amanda started modelling then, in her teens, broke into acting with roles in US soap operas As The World Turns and All My Children.

This led to the “liberation and freedom of living on my own in New York City”, as her career took off.

She says: “I was having so much fun — paid a thousand dollars a day and working, like, three times a week — for a 17-year-old.”

The dream seemed to be over when the TV work dried up, and she enrolled at college.

But then an audition for mega-hit Mean Girls, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, saved her career.

Amanda says: “I was just happy to be working — big cheque.”

But playing that student who believes her boobs have superpowers led to some pointed questions from admirers.

She recalls: “People would run into me and kids would be like, ‘Hey, can you tell us what your boobs are thinking?’ I got that so often, but I didn’t mind it. I did my job, good enough, I guess.”

Four years later, she got the lead role of Sophie in Abba-inspired smash-hit movie musical Mamma Mia!, alongside Meryl Streep.

Amanda says of the much sought-after part: “I can’t f***ing believe I got that role but it felt like something I should be doing, could be doing.”

She was on a roll as further box-office success followed, including 2009 comedy-horror Jennifer’s Body with Megan Fox, 2010 romantic drama Dear John with Channing Tatum, and 2012 hit Les Miserables.

But not all of her career choices turned out well. She passed on the role of green alien Gamora in 2014 superhero blockbuster Guardians Of The Galaxy, only for it to take nearly £600million worldwide and spawn a pair of sequels.

The part was played instead by Zoe Saldana. Amanda says: “The offer came in and I was like, ‘I should take this, right? But this is going to be Marvel’s first bomb and I do not want to be ruined for the rest of my life. Who the f is going to see a movie with a talking raccoon?’”

But her later decision to star in an off-Broadway play in New York called The Way We Get By in 2015 was to have a major impact on her personal life. Co-star Thomas Sadoski would become her husband two years later.

She says: “We met, we came very, very close, and then we started seeing each other a year later — and now we have kids [a daughter born in 2017 and son born in 2020].”

Amanda had never intended to be a mum because she feared it might ruin her career.

But she says: “If you’re lucky enough to accidentally get pregnant, which was me twice, I’m just like, thank God. I would have been, ‘I’m too busy’, ‘I’m gonna disappear from Hollywood and it’s gonna be hard to get back on track.’”

If you’re lucky enough to accidentally get pregnant, which was me twice, I’m just like, thank God. I would have been, ‘I’m too busy’, ‘I’m gonna disappear from Hollywood and it’s gonna be hard to get back on track.’

Amanda

In reality, after getting pregnant, Amanda took only a few months off and discovered she was being offered “mum” roles by casting directors.

She says: “There’s something that happens to you when you become a mother or a father.

“You know, when your life no longer matters as much and you can’t live for yourself any more.

“That sacrifice also is very enriching and the roles got better. But it was funny how fast that happened. They’re like, ‘She’s pregnant. Is she pregnant? Oh, she had a baby. Oh, yeah, no, she’s a mom. She’s a mom now.’

“But I did play one character where I was not a mom, since then.”

One mum she played was silent film star Marion Davies in Gary Oldman’s 2020 movie Mank, about alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz railing against 1930s Hollywood society while completing the screenplay of 1941 movie classic Citizen Kane.

That led to a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in 2021, which in turn secured a starring role in the Disney+ series The Dropout, for which she won an Emmy and Golden Globe.

‘Weird dance’

Amanda says: “Going to the Oscars, you’re like, ‘I’m just happy to be here’, honestly. But it brought me up the casting list. I got the offer for The Dropout the next day.”

But there were restrictions on playing real-life character Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout because the medical fraudster was not convicted until January 2022.

The programme’s lawyers even advised against sex scenes.

Amanda says: “Every script went through a team of lawyers.

“We couldn’t say certain things, we couldn’t do certain things. We couldn’t show them making love, so we had that weird dance scene because that was their foreplay.”

Every script went through a team of lawyers. We couldn’t say certain things, we couldn’t do certain things. We couldn’t show them making love, so we had that weird dance scene because that was their foreplay

Amanda Seyfried

Fast-forward to now, and her title role in upcoming period drama The Testament Of Ann Lee, about the UK-born Shaker Movement being taken to the US by Manchester lass Ann in 1774.

It sees Amanda shake ecstatically as the ultra-puritanical sect, which avoided earthly pleasures such as sex, celebrated the Almighty.

Also known for their pacifism, the Shakers’ number peaked in the mid-19th century but then declined with industrialisation, with only one active community remaining today, in Maine. Amanda says of Ann: “Nobody could have sex because sex, she thought, was the root of all evil — the root of why she was in so much pain.

“She had got pregnant and lost her babies.

“The idea that taking sex away could make you closer to wholeness is kind of beautiful. I think she’s nuts and also very cool.”

But despite her impressive credits reel, Amanda still reckons she must battle to stay on the “list” of most-wanted actresses in Hollywood.

She says: “These f***ing lists. Every time I’m auditioning it’s like I fluctuate. I fall down the list, I go to the top of the second list or keep going back to the bottom of the first list, and it’s like, I’m lucky to be on the list at all.”

But after The Housemaid, she shouldn’t need to worry about being on that Tinseltown A-list.

EROTIC AND CAMP

THE HOUSEMAID (15) 131mins

★★★☆☆

By LINDA MARRIC

A GLOSSY, erotic thriller that is as hilariously camp as it is suspenseful.

Adapted from Freida McFadden’s smash-hit novel by director Paul Feig and screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine, Sydney Sweeney stars as Millie, a young woman fresh out of prison.

She takes a live-in maid job at the lavish home of wealthy couple Nina and Andrew Winchester (Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar).

What initially promises a fresh start for the young woman, quickly turns into something far stranger as Nina’s wildly erratic behaviour borders on the theatrical, while Andrew’s “perfect husband” routine grows increasingly unrealistic.

Feig, usually known for his work in comedy, brings an over-the-top energy to this adaptation that makes for a fun, if slightly ridiculous, ride.

While his shift into psychological drama feels a bit bumpy, the film’s knowingly silly vibe is exactly what makes it so entertaining.

But it struggles with its own shifting tone and at 131 minutes, the pacing sags and several twists are made a little too obvious.

Sweeney does her best with the script but it is Seyfried who ultimately comes out on top here, putting in a brilliantly unhinged performance as Nina.

The Housemaid may lack subtlety and genuine menace but no one can deny that it is a great deal of fun from start to finish.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — A federal judge has blocked the deportation of a British man targeted by President Donald Trump.

Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, was one of five people placed on a visa ban after the government accused him of censorship.

Ahmed filed suit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi to prevent “the imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest.”

The suit said the case comes from “the federal government’s latest attempt to abuse the immigration system to punish and punitively detain noncitizens for protected speech and silence viewpoints with which it disagrees.”

Ahmed is a legal permanent resident of the United States, where he lives with his American wife and child. He praised the judge’s decision.

“I will not be bullied away from my life’s work of fighting to keep children safe from social media’s harm and stopping antisemitism online,” Ahmed said.

The speed of the judge’s decision was telling, said his lawyer Roberta Kaplan.

“The federal government can’t deport a green card holder like Imran Ahmed, with a wife and young child who are American, simply because it doesn’t like what he has to say,” the BBC reported she said.

Rubio said in a statement Tuesday that the five had “led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize and suppress” the views of Americans with whom they disagreed.

“These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” Rubio said. He described the five as “agents of the global censorship-industrial complex.”

The others included in the ban are former European Union technology commissioner Thierry Breton; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of Berlin-based non-profit HateAid; Clare Melford, co-founder of Global Disinformation Index.

Ahmed told The Guardian that it was another attempt to deflect accountability and transparency.

“This has never been about politics,” he said. “What it has been about is companies that simply do not want to be held accountable and, because of the influence of big money in Washington, are corrupting the system and trying to bend it to their will, and their will is to be unable to be held accountable. There is no other industry that acts with such arrogance, indifference and a lack of humility and sociopathic greed at the expense of people.”

Ahmed said he had not formally received any notification from the government.

“I’m very confident that our first amendment rights will be upheld by the court,” he told The Guardian.

He is expected to be in court Monday, when the protective order will be confirmed.

In 2023, Elon Musk‘s company X sued the CCDH after it reported on a rise in hate speech on the platform since Musk’s takeover. The case was dismissed but X appealed the decision.

On October 19, the Venezuelan people celebrated the sanctification of José Gregorio Hernández, the “doctor of the poor.”

With his beatification process launched under Pope Francis, the first Venezuelan to hold this honor was in a way an “exception” to the Catholic Church’s rules: the threshold is two “miracles” attributed to the candidate, and Hernández only has one. 

Now, during the holiday season and with the year drawing to a close, a second miracle comes to mind: halting a foreign military operation against our country and staving off the collapse of the Venezuelan economy in the wake of the US naval blockade.

Why turn to José Gregorio for this? It actually makes perfect sense. In December 1902, German, British and Italian ships joined forces to blockade Venezuela’s coasts. It was a tactic to force the Cipriano Castro government to pay back exorbitant debts accrued by its predecessors.

In response, Castro issued his famous proclamation, “The foreigner’s insolent boots have desecrated the sacred soil of the Homeland!”, and called for national unity. His call was overwhelmingly backed, even by his adversaries.

Students, professionals and even doctors like José Gregorio Hernández were quick to enlist in a voluntary militia. Nationalist fervor, inspired by the memories of the independence struggle and figures like Bolívar and Ayacucho, contrasted with Venezuela’s military shortcomings in facing the powerful foreign fleets. History does have a way of repeating itself.

In spite of his pacifism, commitment to medicine and strong religious beliefs, Hernández did not waver for a second in answering the nation’s call.

After a lot of “gunboat diplomacy,” the Venezuelan government held its ground and ensured that the debts were subjected to international mediation. 

The doctor of the poor, fortunately, did not have to change his stethoscope for a rifle. In contrast, he managed to do what we all want to do today: continue working for our country and its people.

Hernández studied in Europe and was a pioneer of experimental medical research in Venezuela. He created the histology, experimental physiology and bacteriology branch in the Central University of Venezuela. He introduced the use of the microscope and promoted modern scientific methods in the country.

Still, it’s not so much these achievements that have him worshiped by Venezuelans. Rather, it was his immense generosity, which included seeing patients free of charge and even leaving a little bag with money outside his office so that the poorest patients could buy medicines and food. Hernández saw medicine as a tool at the service of the majority.

Therefore, after his death in 1919, former president and writer Rómulo Gallegos wrote: “It wasn’t the common pain of losing a dedicated and eminent citizen, but a deeper, nobler feeling, something that poured in generous torrents.”

As time went on, this feeling would only grow. Thousands of faithful began to attribute “impossible” medical feats to Hernández; they printed out prayer cards with his face, built little statues to put on bedside tables, placed him on personal altars and filled churches with plaques and candles to acknowledge the “divine favors” bestowed.

The myth began to spread amongst the people. In contrast, Catholic authorities spent decades grappling with the phenomenon. But he was already a saint for the masses. Unlike the Church, he actually delivered…

In fact, Venezuelan religious authorities tried to undermine their believers’ wishes by claiming that Hernández could not be a saint. They claimed his figure was used by “sorcerers,” they disparaged him by claiming he was gay, forbade priests from naming him in public events, and even attempted to censor a song by Puerto Rican musician Daniel Santos dedicated to him.

But Venezuelans don’t really care that José Gregorio had no known love relationships, that he liked to dye his grey hairs or that he dressed outlandishly. On the contrary, we think that is awesome. There is nothing more Venezuelan than ignoring the norms!

The Venezuelan people looked at his virtues and, just in case, made up new ones, until he was consolidated as a religious, kind and serene myth, one who was dedicated to the common good. In the “popular pantheon” he stands alongside figures like independence hero Simón Bolívar, a military genius who traveled the entire continent on horseback several times.

Some historians posit that the peoples create myths that work as role models and express their inner beliefs. I think that’s a correct and very inspired conclusion. In that light, we have quite a spectrum of heroes. It goes from Bolívar, a republican warrior, all the way to José Gregorio Hernández, the pacifist healer. On one hand, a man who fought to liberate people from colonialism, and on the other, a man who heals them; one who proffered great victory speeches and one who triumphed quietly in a laboratory. But one thing they, and all our other heroes, have in common is that they never hesitated to defend the homeland against outside threats.

It is worth clarifying that the peoples, and not “miracles,” are responsible for turning the wheels of history. But with a bloodthirsty maniac like Trump in the White House, there is no harm in reaching out to divine entities as well…

José Gregorio Hernández, like Bolívar and so many others, bequeathed us a lot more than statues and official celebrations. They left us the example of fighting for something bigger than us, a nation that belongs to everyone. And facing a real imperialist threat, resistance is not optional. The struggle continues.

Jessica Dos Santos is a Venezuelan university professor, journalist and writer whose work has appeared in outlets such as RT, Épale CCS magazine and Investig’Action. She is the author of the book “Caracas en Alpargatas” (2018). She’s won the Aníbal Nazoa Journalism Prize in 2014 and received honorable mentions in the Simón Bolívar National Journalism prize in 2016 and 2018.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff.

NEW YORK — Two sisters testified at Harvey Weinstein’s most recent criminal trial. Kaja Sokola accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual assault. Ewa Sokola was called as a witness to boost her claims, but ultimately ended up helping the defense.

Now, Ewa Sokola is suing Kaja on claims of defamation, alleging in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court that the psychotherapist and ex-model’s public remarks amount to libel and are damaging Ewa’s reputation and business as a cardiologist in Poland.

Ewa Sokola says that her younger sister has made false statements subjecting her to public hatred, shame, contempt, ridicule, ostracism and disgrace in Wrocław, Poland. She seeks unspecified damages.

Messages seeking comment were left for Kaja Sokola’s lawyers and spokesperson on Thursday and Friday.

In a split verdict in June, Weinstein was convicted of forcibly performing oral sex on film and television production assistant and producer Miriam Haley and acquitted on a charge involving Kaja Sokola’s allegations of similar conduct. Both women said they were assaulted in 2006.

The judge declared a mistrial on the final charge, alleging Weinstein raped former actor Jessica Mann, after the jury foreperson declined to deliberate further.

Weinstein has not yet been sentenced as a judge weighs a defense request to throw out the verdict after two jurors told Weinstein’s lawyers that other jurors had bullied them into convicting him. Judge Curtis Farber is expected to rule on Jan. 8.

Kaja Sokola has said her sister’s testimony at Weinstein’s state court trial in New York earlier this year undermined her own testimony that he forced oral sex at a Manhattan hotel just before her 20th birthday.

Weinstein had arranged for Kaja Sokola to be an extra for a day in the film “The Nanny Diaries,” and separately agreed to meet her and Ewa. After they chatted, she testified, Weinstein told her he had a script to show her in his hotel room, and she went up with him. There, she said, Weinstein pushed her onto a bed and assaulted her.

After the trial, Kaja Sokola criticized her sister’s testimony, saying that though she was called as a prosecution witness, she ended up serving Weinstein’s cause by providing his lawyers with a journal in which she wrote about the men who had sexually assaulted her in her life but did not include Weinstein.

According to the lawsuit, Kaja Sokola repeatedly characterized her sister’s testimony as a personal “betrayal” and falsely accused her of omitting journals in which she described what happened with Weinstein.

The lawsuit also said Kaja Sokola had falsely accused Ewa Sokola of homicide, theft, falsification of medical records, sexual impropriety and immoral conduct, and of colluding with Weinstein’s defense team.

The lawsuit said Kaja Sokola’s false claims have cost Ewa Sokola referrals and led to a reduction in patients and employees for her medical practice while damaging her professional reputation and her standing within the medical community.

Sisak and Neumeister write for the Associated Press.

Lakers coach JJ Redick points and direct his team during the fourth quarter of a loss to the Rockets on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

When the Lakers were climbing up the Western Conference standings, improbably winning games with LeBron James and Doncic injured and celebrating Austin Reaves’ 51-point performance and ascent into stardom, the vibes were high. Players jumped off the bench to cheer for each other. They championed team bonding exercises such as slideshow presentations that introduced themselves to each other and a field trip to a Porsche driving experience. It all felt surprisingly easy, especially for a team that had several new additions.

“We had it,” Redick said wistfully Thursday. “We had it. I always say this about culture, I always say this about a good team being a functioning organism.”

Redick snapped his fingers.

“It can change like that,” he continued. “We don’t have it right now.”

All three of the Lakers’ most recent losses have been blowouts. With an average margin of defeat of 20.7 points, their total point differential has dropped to minus-15 on the season, which ranks 16th in the NBA.

Forward Jake LaRavia said in the locker room that there felt like a “disconnect” on the team, but couldn’t verbalize more about how things had turned so suddenly. The team’s seven-game winning streak at the end of November feels like a distant memory, although it should serve as a constant reminder of how a team shouldn’t let its guard down, especially when it was collecting wins off teams with losing records.

“This [has] kind of been the trending thing even when we were winning,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Obviously wins kinda shadow a lot of stuff. But it’s been the same pretty much all year of how we finished games, lose games: transition defense, rebounding and stuff like that. It’s been a trend all year.”

LeBron James, who played in his 13th game this season after missing the first 14 because of sciatica, had 18 points and five assists but declined to speak with reporters after the game, along with Marcus Smart (six points, two rebounds) and Rui Hachimura (zero points, two assists).

To further exasperate the lingering injury bug, Reaves left the game after the first half because of left calf soreness. It was the same calf that sidelined him for three games last week.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — A red, white and blue glass ball will drop on July 3 in New York City’s Times Square to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday in a first for the city.

The event will mark the first time that Times Square has hosted a second ball drop after the ad-hoc America250 committee announced the decision on Friday, The Hill reported.

“One Times Square has long been a place where the world comes together to celebrate pivotal moments — from the end of World War II to the moon landing,” said Michael Phillips, who leads the company that owns One Times Square.

“We’re proud to serve as the starting point of this historic year, showcasing the nation’s celebration on a global stage.”

The committee said it will connect the traditional New Year’s ball drop with the July 3 event.

The Times Square ball to be used in the New Year’s celebration will drop at midnight on New Year’s Day in its traditional manner.

It then will be illuminated with red, white and blue lights and rise again to above a “2026” sign, where it will drop a ton of red, white and blue confetti at 12:04 a.m. EST, according to the New York Post.

A “dynamic pyro finale” will close out the New Year’s Day event as “America the Beautiful” plays.

The same ball will return to Times Square on July 3 to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, which gave birth to the country.

“To ring in the 4th of July, starting with the same type of festivities that you would normally see on New Year’s Eve — what better way to represent this global impact that we as a country have and the responsibility that comes with that?” America250 chairwoman Rosie Rios told The Post.

“It’s going to be huge,” she added, “and it’s going to be beyond anyone’s expectations.”

The America250 committee also is sponsoring a contest for youth in grades 3 through 12 to earn an opportunity to visit “some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks” while participating in “America’s Field Trip.”

Students will share their perspectives on what the United States means to them in essays, and 250 will be selected to participate in the field trip or opt for a cash prize.

A few locals gathered in an open area around 10 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25, when they saw a projectile hovering above them. Within minutes, a blast sent panic through the town, igniting a hail of fire and fury in Birikini, a rural settlement in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area (LGA), Sokoto, North West Nigeria. 

The explosion threw the community into chaos, with locals running towards the site of the strike to find out what had gone wrong.

“I was sitting at a joint when we saw a reddish item falling from the sky, illuminating the community. Suddenly, we heard a loud bang. I thought a car tyre had burst and caught fire at the same time,” said Ismail Umar, a local in Jabo town. “When we moved, we saw many people shouting and rushing towards the scene. Some thought it was an aircraft that fell. This raised tension, and people couldn’t sleep throughout the night. I went home around 12 a.m., but when I woke up for the morning prayer around 5 a.m., people were still outside, discussing the incident.”

The heavy artillery shell landed on an expanse of cultivated farm field in the area. When locals arrived at the scene, they found shrapnel scattered in the community and wondered where the strike had emerged. No casualties were recorded, according to locals who spoke to HumAngle. They noted that such an incident was unusual to them, as the area has not witnessed any terrorist attack in years. 

Musa Dandare, an elderly man in the community, said he saw the projectile descending towards the town before it hit the ground with a loud bang. Although it was a bloodless attack, villagers insisted they were disturbed because they had never experienced such a military-grade airstrike. 

Later that night, Donald Trump, the United States President, announced that the country’s military “launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorists in North West Nigeria…” He claimed that terrorists were dead and pledged that many more such attacks would happen. The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the US Department of War also confirmed the strikes. 

Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Foreign Ministry, stated that the “precision hits on terrorist targets” were the result of a joint security and intelligence collaboration between the two nations. 

“It was a successful operation,” said Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, though he did not disclose specific damage assessments. “We will have to wait for those who handled the operational aspects of the episode to return with the details.”

In November, President Trump threatened military action against Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to protect Christians from Islamic State terrorists. He also designated it as a country of particular concern. Although existing data and conflict show that the country’s security challenge cannot fit into a religious tag,  Trump’s claim has drawn the attention of the international community to the insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation and has also deepened polarisation within the country. 

ISIS in northwestern Nigeria?

Nigeria is home to several armed groups, including two that are associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). One of these groups is the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which emerged from the Boko Haram extremist faction and operates mainly in the northeastern region. Another is the Lakurawa terror group,  which is active in the northwestern region. While the US forces have stressed that they were targeting ISIS fighters in Nigeria, security analysts suggest that they likely targeted the Lakurawa terrorists, a group that has become increasingly dangerous in Sokoto and Kebbi states in the past year.

The Lakurawa terrorists have operated in many communities in Sokoto State, including Tangaza, Gudu, and Silame, but they have recorded no activities in the Tambuwal LGA. The terrorists thrive in towns located along the permeable borders of Sokoto State, allowing armed groups to move easily between Nigeria and the Niger Republic. After crossing the border, they set up camps in the area’s vast bushland. 

Exactly a year ago, on Dec. 25, a military airstrike targeted at the Lakurawa terror group killed up to ten civilians and injured several others in the Silame area of Sokoto State. 

At the time, the Nigerian military said those killed had been “positively identified as associated with the Lakurawa group”. Military authorities later attributed the civilian deaths to secondary explosions, explaining that the strike hit a terrorist logistics hub and arms cache, triggering detonations that sent stored munitions exploding in multiple directions. 

The aftermath

Meanwhile, locals in Jabo who spoke to HumAngle stressed that the locality targeted by the US forces is not controlled or infested by any terrorist group like other areas in the region. “It’s a peaceful place,” one local told HumAngle.

The locals said they have combed the entire Birikinin village and have found no civilians or terrorists hit by the US strike. 

However, locals fear that this singular strike might cause the terrorists to beam searchlights on them. Unlike places like Isa, Sabon Birni, and Gada, which have had deadly terrorist attacks in the past, Jabo seems to be a haven for locals seeking calm and tranquillity in the state. The locals wondered why the US strike ignored terrorist enclaves in the state to target a thriving civilian community.

“It was the first time we heard what a bomb sounded like in this community,” Musa said. “Many of us couldn’t sleep throughout the night.”

Aliyu Garba, a local chief in Jabo, expressed concerns over how some locals have collected the relics of the explosive materials from the strike scene, saying some of the shrapnel might detonate or harm them. “It was as big as a car’s gearbox,” he said, describing one of the broken explosives found on the ground. 

Garba added that they have lived in the community peacefully for years, praying that this new event would not bring calamity to them. Locals reiterated that they have not noticed any form of terrorist activities in the area for years, let alone the Islamic State operations that might call for such an airstrike.

According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) records covering 2010 to 2025, Tambuwal LGA has experienced only a handful of violent incidents, primarily involving small-scale attacks and abductions by criminal groups. The dataset records no previous incidents involving airstrikes, heavy artillery, or aerial bombardment in the area. In the past 15 years, for instance, only seven significant events were recorded in the LGA, and none happened in the Jabo town.

HumAngle has obtained videos of civilian activities after the airstrike. The videos showed locals panicking and asking government officials to assure their safety. Another video showed the presence of security operatives in the community, with officers barricading the scene of the airstrike. HumAngle also observed that many residents are fleeing the area in fear of similar incidents, and this could cause widespread displacement. Local authorities tried to hold them back and assure them of their safety. 

CARDI B’s boyfriend Stefon Diggs seemed to finally confirm he has welcomed more than one baby this year.

The New England Patriots player, 32 – who welcomed a son with rapper Cardi in November – posted three separate photos of three infants on his Instagram Stories on Christmas Day.

In one, Stefon held a baby boy in front of a colorful Christmas tree.

“One of my boys’ first Christmas,” he proudly posted.

The identity of the baby’s mother is unclear- though Stefon was rumored to have fathered a mystery child after TMZ obtained photos of him loading a baby carrier outside a New York hospital in May.

In the second photo, the NFL star posed with a baby girl – who appears to be Charliee, his daughter with Instagram model Lord Gisselle, who also goes by Aileen Lopera.

HOT MAMA

Cardi B amazes fans by going out HOURS after announcing birth of her 4th baby

The U.S. Sun exclusively confirmed Stefon was the father of Aileen’s baby after she took him to court to confirm paternity and request child support in Los Angeles.

The baby was born in April 2025 – just seven months before Cardi gave birth to his son.

In Stefon’s third photo, Cardi, 33, held their son in front of a sparkling Christmas tree.

“Miss yaw!” he captioned the pic. “Don’t be squeezing him too tight, you making him soft.”

Cardi and Stefon first stepped out publicly in May of this year, and she announced her pregnancy in September.

She is the mother of three kids with ex Offset- Kulture, Wave and Blossom. She gave birth to her youngest daughter in September 2024.

Stefon also has an older daughter named Nova, 8.