BOB Mortimer is leading the tributes for Chris Rea following the Driving Home For Christmas star’s tragic death.

The legendary British singer-songwriter penned the festive favourite in 1978, which later became a regular hit on the UK Singles Charts.

Rea passed away in hospital, just three days before Christmas after battling with ill health for several years.

He made a huge impact in the entertainment industry and following his passing a host of celebrities have shared their tributes to the late singer.

Comedian Bob Mortimer branded the star a ‘brilliant bloke’, taking to X to pen a heartfelt message, he wrote: “So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man….RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends”.

On the post the comedian added a sweet picture of Chris in a bubble bath holding an egg, which features in Bob’s memoir recalling a time on Would I Lie To You ? where Chris had ‘supposedly’ put an egg in his bath, after the episode Rea sent him the pic.

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Bob was good friends with the late star, the pair even making the song Lets Dance together in 1997 for Middlesbrough’s Football Club’s FA Cup Final.

The football team also wrote a tribute on their own page for Chris, who hails from Middlesborough, they wrote: We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea. A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris.”

TV star Lizzie Cundy also took to X to express her own condolences, she said: “I’m so sad to hear Chris Rea has died. I was lucky enough to star in his music video Driving home for Christmas. 

“I loved every minute and was an honour to work with him and be in his iconic music video . He will always be an inspiration and legend to me. Rest in peace Chris.”

Lizzie appeared in the smash festive hit’s music video back in 2009, alongside a host of celebs including Gail Porter and Martin Shaw.

TV presenter Timmy Mallet wrote in his tribute: “ #RIP Chris Rea I bought his house 1991 on garage wall is happy Christmas message his daughters sprayed it’s still there. 

“Chris is driving home For Christmas now singing for our nearest & dearest. Grateful for his wonderful gravely voice. God bless you Chris #RIP”

During Rea’s last TV appearance, on BBC’s Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing in 2020, the singer revealed a special gift he gave childhood sweetheart Joan.

He guest starred on the show for a special Christmas episode where he talked about his battle with serious health issues over the years.

Mortimer also spoke about how his health battles had strengthened the bond between him and his family.

Rea was quick to agree and beamed as he said he shared a similar experience with Joan.

The singer replied: “It was exactly the same for me. I was in hospital and the pancreatic cancer nurse comes in and tells me ‘it’s not grade three cancer phone your wife!’

“So I phone my wife and she pulled the car over and burst into tears.”

The musician had his pancreas removed after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001 and suffered a stroke in 2016.

The singer went on to make a light-hearted joke about leaving his wife the royalties to his famous hit.

“I gave her all the money, all the rights to all the songs, and now she won’t give them back,” he laughed. 

Rea’s wife of 57 years played a key role in writing his Christmas smash hit.

NEW YORK — A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the corruption case of a former aide to New York governors after jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked and couldn’t reach a verdict on charges that she sold her influence to China and profited from a medical equipment scheme during the pandemic.

The federal jury in Brooklyn was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the case against Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu. The foreperson said the panel was deadlocked on all 19 counts.

“Your honor, after extensive deliberations and re-deliberations the jury remains unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The jurors positions are firmly held,” the jury said in a note to U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan shortly after resuming deliberations Monday with an alternate juror taking the place of a juror who had to leave because of prior travel commitments.

Prosecutor Alexander Solomon told the judge that the government wants to retry the case “as soon as possible.”

Sun was accused of using her state government position to subtly advance Beijing’s agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars. They say Sun also took kickbacks from Chinese companies to steer lucrative state contracts for face masks and other crucial medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The case and nearly monthlong trial were part of a broader Justice Department effort to root out agents working clandestinely in the U.S. for the Chinese government as it seeks to influence U.S. politics as well as harass and threaten dissidents overseas.

Sun was charged with acting as an unregistered agent for China, visa fraud, money laundering and other counts. Hu was charged with money laundering, bank fraud and tax evasion. They were charged jointly with wire fraud, bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, held numerous posts over a roughly 15-year career in state government, including as deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats.

She was fired in 2023 after the Hochul administration said it discovered the misconduct.

During the trial, prosecutors said Sun took steps to align the state’s messaging with Chinese government priorities. They said emails and phone messages showed how she worked to prevent representatives of Taiwan’s government, which China does not recognize as sovereign, from interacting with the governor’s office.

In one instance, Sun even scuttled an invitation for Cuomo to meet Taiwan’s president while on a visit to the U.S.

Prosecutors said she also pushed to remove references in official statements that referenced the Uyghurs, a persecuted Muslim minority group in China. They said Sun forged Hochul’s signature on official letters so that Chinese officials could obtain visas to enter the country.

Sun “bragged repeatedly to her handlers in the Chinese government about what a good asset she had been,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Alexander Solomon said in his closing arguments.

In return, she reaped millions of dollars in financial benefits, including helping turn her husband’s fledgling business of exporting American lobsters to China into a lucrative enterprise.

Prosecutors say the couple also took steps to hide the ill-gotten gains, using a system of cash pickups, shell companies and payments through third parties and relatives — all laid out in detailed spreadsheets maintained by Hu.

They say the sudden riches enabled the couple to live lavishly, purchasing a multimillion-dollar home on Long Island, a $1.9-million condominium in Hawaii, a new Ferrari and other luxury cars. Sun and Hu also enjoyed other perks, including Nanjing-style salted ducks that were prepared by a Chinese official’s personal chef, prosecutors said.

“Linda Sun betrayed the state of New York to enrich herself,” Solomon said. “You saw it time and again, a clear pattern of corruption.”

Sun’s lawyers, however, cast her as a “proud American” and a loyal public servant simply doing her job as the governor’s liaison to the Asian American community.

Kenneth Abell, in his closing remarks, acknowledged that Sun carefully cultivated official relationships with Chinese consulate officials. But he also pointed to other instances when Sun met with and was even honored by the local Taiwanese community.

He argued that Sun’s decision to block an the invitation to meet the president of Taiwan was in keeping with past practice: no New York governor has ever met with the president of Taiwan.

“She was just being careful,” Abell said. “It was not her place to push a policy on Taiwan.”

Prosecutors, he added, didn’t provide any evidence to their claim that Sun had forged Hochul’s signature on visa documents for Chinese officials.

He also questioned why Chinese companies would even need to make bribes to win state contracts during the pandemic. After all, Abell argued, New York and other states were spending freely and quickly as they stockpiled crucial medical supplies.

“The story has huge holes in it,” he said. “The government is trying hard to fit the facts into its narrative.”

Marcelo writes for the Associated Press.

With Redondo Union dominating in the rebounding department in a semifinal game at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame proved no match for the Sea Hawks, falling 78-68 on Monday night. Redondo Union (10-2) outrebounded the Knights (8-3) 40-26.

Rebounding was a concern for Notre Dame once Tyran Stokes checked out of school. SJ Madison led Redondo Union with 24 points and 10 rebounds. NaVorro Bowman had 22 points for Notre Dame. Redondo Union will play Timpview from Utah in the championship game. Timpview defeated Santa Margarita 61-59.

La Mirada 66, San Gabriel Academy 53: In another divisional semifinal in Las Vegas, La Mirada received 29 points from Gene Roebuck.

JSerra 60, Edgewater 57: Jaden Bailes scored 31 points for JSerra.

Oak Park 77, Newbury Park 58: The Eagles won their league opener behind junior Beau Prophete, who scored 37 points and had five blocks.

Girls basketball

Birmingham 72, Las Vegas Palo Verde 30: Kiara Wakabi had 16 points for 11-2 Birmingham in Las Vegas.

Dec. 22 (UPI) — Colorado lawmakers have called on President Donald Trump to reverse a recent decision denying state disaster aid requests in the wake of “life-threatening flooding and historic wildfires.”

In a statement Sunday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Trump had rejected the state’s requests for help and accused the president of playing “political games.” He said the state would be appealing the decision.

“Coloradans impacted by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing,” Polis said.

“I call on the president’s better angels, and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve,” the Democratic governor added.

Polis declared a disaster emergency on Aug. 3, for the Elk Fire and added the Lee Fire three days later. He filed an executive order by the end of August as the state revealed initial damage estimates from the fires and mudslides totaled more than $27 million.

In October, Polis declared a disaster emergency to unlock $6 million in state funding for flood response and recovery in Western Colorado.

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet said, “Trump’s decision to deny Colorado’s request for critical federal assistance is unacceptable.”

“Communities in Western Colorado are in serious need of help after the life-threatening flooding and historic wildfires earlier this year,” Bennet added. “Trump continues to use Coloradans for political games; it is malicious and obscene.”

While a president can tap additional federal assistance with a major disaster under the Stafford Act, the Trump administration has recently denied some states’ requests for aid as it works to downsize the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The White House said Monday, “there is no politicization to the president’s decisions on disaster relief.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson explained Trump’s decision, adding that the administration sent two firefighting planes to Colorado to help fight the fires.

“The president responds to each request for federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration,” Jackson said, “ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”

United States President Donald Trump has issued a new warning to Nicolas Maduro, saying “it would be smart” for the Venezuelan leader to leave power, as Washington escalates a pressure campaign against Caracas.

The warning on Monday came as Russia pledged “full support” for Maduro’s government, and China condemned the US’s seizure of two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela.

Trump, speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida alongside his top national security aides, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, suggested that he remains ready to further escalate his four-month pressure campaign.

When asked if the ⁠goal was to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think it probably would… That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re gonna find out.”

“If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the ​last time he’s ever able to play ‌tough,” he added.

Trump levied his latest threat as the US coastguard continued for a second day to chase a third oil tanker that it described as part of a “dark fleet” that Venezuela uses to evade US sanctions.

“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said.

The US president also promised to keep the ships and the nearly 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil the coastguard has seized so far.

“Maybe we’ll sell it. Maybe we’ll keep it. Maybe we will use it in the strategic reserves,” he said. “We’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also.”

Maduro fires back

Trump’s campaign against Venezuela’s vital oil sector comes amid a large US military buildup in the region with a stated mission of combating drug trafficking, as well as more than two dozen strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.

Critics have questioned the legality of the attacks, which have killed more than 100 people.

Venezuela denies any involvement in drug trafficking and insists that Washington is seeking to overthrow Maduro to seize the country’s oil reserves, which are the world’s largest.

It has condemned the US’s vessel seizures as acts of “international piracy”.

Maduro fired back at Trump hours after the latest warning, saying the US president would be “better off” if he focused on his own country’s problems rather than threatening Caracas.

“He would be better off in his own country on economic and social issues, and he would be better off in the world if he took care of his country’s affairs,” Maduro said in a speech broadcast on public television.

The exchange of words came on the eve of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the growing crisis.

Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, in a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, slammed the US’s actions and expressed support for Caracas.

“The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” it added.

US blockade

China also condemned the US’s latest moves as a “serious violation of international law”.

“China opposes any actions that violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and infringe upon the sovereignty and security of other countries,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“Venezuela has the right to develop independently and engage in a mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations. China understands and supports Venezuela’s stance in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests,” he added.

Last week, Rubio brushed aside Moscow’s stated support for Caracas.

Washington, he said, was “not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela” as “they have their hands full in Ukraine”.

US-Russia relations have soured in recent weeks as Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow over the lack of a resolution on the war in Ukraine

Gil, on Monday, also read a letter on state television, signed by Maduro and addressed to UN member nations, warning that the US blockade “will affect the supply of oil and energy” globally.

“Venezuela reaffirms its vocation for peace, but also declares with absolute clarity that it is prepared to defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and its resources in accordance with international law,” he said.

“However, we responsibly warn that these aggressions will not only impact Venezuela. The blockade and piracy against Venezuelan energy trade will affect oil and energy supply, increase instability in international markets, and hit the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.”

PARIS Hilton has been spotted wearing a disguise while on rides at Disneyland with her family, and she almost went completely unnoticed.

The Simple Life alum swapped her signature platinum blonde hairstyle for a brunette wig to keep her identity under wraps.

However, Paris, 44, didn’t have everybody fooled, as photos circulated of the DJ donning the getup on Sunday at the Anaheim, California, theme park.

They captured the socialite snapping photos of herself on the carousel and on other kiddie rides with her two kids: a son, Pheonix, who turns three in January, and her 2-year-old daughter, London.

She paired her new hairdo with dark blue jeans, a long-sleeved black Mickey Mouse sweater, a black hat, and thick, black-framed glasses.

Paris’s sister, Nicky Hilton, 42, joined them for the outing, along with her little ones, although she didn’t attempt to hide from the crowd, even sporting Minnie Mouse ears while taking pictures on the rides.

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Hours earlier, Paris shared a sweet video of her two kids, whom she shares with her husband, Carter Reum, smiling in front of a massive Christmas tree, decorated with silver and pink ornaments.

The youngsters wore matching light gray pajamas with Santa’s face for the photoshoot, during which Phoenix adorably sat on his little sister’s lap.

Paris gushed over the duo’s adorable bond and called them “besties for life,” while recalling her close relationship with her siblings.

“Watching Phoenix and London grow up side by side is the greatest gift. Best friends from the very beginning. There’s nothing like having a sibling to laugh with, learn with, and always feel understood by,” her caption began.

“Growing up with siblings shaped my whole heart, and I’m so grateful they get to have that same bond. I love my forever built-in bestie @NickyHilton for showing me just how special that kind of love can be,” the This Is Paris author added.

Paris also has two brothers, Barron Hilton II, 36, and Conrad Hilton, 31.

Despite the TV star’s tight bond with her family, which includes Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kathy Hilton, she kept them all in the dark about the birth of her eldest child until a week after he was born.

Paris welcomed her son via surrogate in 2023 but kept the news private out of concern it would leak.

“Not even my mom, my sisters, my best friend knew until he was over a week old,” the reality star confessed on her This Is Paris podcast.

“It was really nice to have that with Carter, be our own journey together. I just feel like my life has been so public, and I’ve never really had anything be just mine,” Paris continued.

“So, when we were talking about it, I really felt that I wanted this journey to be for us only.”

She also said she and Carter “made a pact” to keep the pregnancy a secret, and they followed through on it.

Paris and Carter began dating in November 2019 after reconnecting at a Thanksgiving dinner with mutual friends.

They had known each other for 15 years before that, but it wasn’t until their first date that their romance blossomed.

California joined 21 other states and the District of Columbia Monday in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from being defunded and closed by the Trump administration.

The legal action filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Ore. accuses Acting Director Russell Vought of trying to illegally withhold funds from the agency by unlawfully interpreting its funding statute. Also named as defendants are the agency itself and the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.

“For California, the CFPB has been an invaluable enforcement partner, working hand-in-hand with our office to protect pocketbooks and stop unfair business practices. But once again, the Trump administration is trying to weaken and ultimately dismantle the CFPB,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, in a press conference to announce the 41-page legal action.

The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Established by Congress in 2010 after the subprime mortgage abuses that gave rise to the financial crisis, the agency is funded by the Federal Reserve as a method of insulating it from political pressure.

The Dodd-Frank Act statute requires the agency’s director to petition for a reasonable amount of funding to carry out the CFPB’s duties from the “combined earnings” of the Federal Reserve System.

Prior to this year that was interpreted to mean the Federal Reserve’s gross revenue. But an opinion from the Department of Justice claims that should be interpreted to mean the Federal Reserve’s profits, of which it has none since it has been operating at a loss since 2022. The lawsuit alleges the interpretation is bogus.

“Defendant Russell T. Vought has worked tirelessly to terminate the CFPB’s operations by any means necessary — denying Plaintiffs access to CFPB resources to which they are statutorily entitled. In this action, Plaintiffs challenge Defendant Vought’s most recent effort to do so,” the federal lawsuit states.

The complaint alleges the agency will run out of cash by next month if the policy is not reversed. Bonta said he and other attorney generals have not decided whether they will seek a restraining order or temporary injunction to change the new funding policy.

Prior to the second Trump administraition, the CPFB boasted of returning nearly $21 billion to consumers nationwide through enforcement actions, including against Wells Fargo in San Francisco over a scandal involving the creation of accounts never sought by customers.

Other big cases have been brought against student loan servicer Navient for mishandling payments and other issues, as well as Toyota Motor Credit for charging higher interest rates to Black and Asian customers.

However, this year the agency has dropped notable cases. It terminated early a consent order reached with Citibank over allegations it discriminated against customers with Armenian surnames in Los Angeles County.

It also dropped a lawsuit against Zelle that accused Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and other banks of rushing the payments app into service, leading to $870 million in fraud-related losses by users. The app denied the allegations.

Monday’s lawsuit also notes that the agency is critical for states to carry out their own consumer protection mission and its closure would deprive them of their statutorily guaranteed access to a database run by the CFPB that tracks millions of consumer complaints, as well as to other data.

Vought was a chief architect of Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation blueprint to reduce the size and power of the federal bureaucracy during a second Trump admistration. In February, he ordered the agency to stop nearly all its work and has been seeking to drastically downsize it since.

The lawsuit filed Monday is the latest legal effort to keep the agency in business.

A lawsuit filed in February by National Treasury Employees Union and consumer groups accuses the Trump administration and Vought of attempting to unconstitutionally abolish the agency, created by an act of Congress.

“It is deflating, and it is unfortunate that Congress is not defending the power of the purse,” said Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser, during Monday’s press conference.

“At other times, Congress vigilantly safeguarded its authority, but because of political polarization and fear of criticizing this President, the Congress is not doing it,” he said.

Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz has been ordered to fight Diego Pacheco for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title following Terence Crawford’s retirement.

American Crawford left the sport last week, adding he has “nothing else left to prove” after beating Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz in September to become the first man in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight divisions.

In retirement Crawford, who won all 42 of his professional fights, vacated his belts, with the WBO instructing Sheeraz to fight American Pacheco for its title.

The bout gives 26-year-old Sheeraz a second option after he was previously ordered by the WBC to fight Christian Mbilli for their vacant super-middleweight title.

The sanctioning body stripped Crawford of his belt before his retirement because he did not pay sanctioning fees.

Sheeraz’s promoters Queensberry and Pacheco’s Matchroom have 20 days to agree on the terms of a fight but if they cannot reach an agreement they must proceed to purse bids according to WBO rules.

Sheeraz drew with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames last February in an underwhelming performance over 12 rounds, before beating Edgar Berlanga in July.

He is unbeaten in 23 fights, while 24-year-old Pacheco has won all 25 of his bouts.

Dec. 22 (UPI) — A federal judge on Monday allowed Kilmar Abrego Garcia to remain free through Christmas as she barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement from re-detaining the Salvadoran native.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland extended a temporary restraining order to keep federal officials from deporting Abrego Garcia, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he was deported and imprisoned in March without legal authority to El Salvador.

“This is an extremely irregular and extraordinary situation,” Xinnis told attorneys Monday, as she pressed the government on whether it would detain Abrego Garcia if there were no restraining order.

“Show your work, that’s all,” Xinis said. “Give it to me and we don’t have to speculate.”

Abrego Garcia was released from ICE detention on Dec. 11, following efforts to deport him to an African nation where he has no connection.

“Because Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention to effectuate third-country removal absent a lawful removal order, his requested relief is proper,” according to Xinis.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security called Xinis’ rulings “naked judicial activism by an Obama-appointed judge.”

Abrego Garcia, who illegally entered the United States nearly 15 years ago, has accused the White House of vindictive prosecution. The administration has called him an MS-13 gang member, which he denies.

Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his wife and children before being deported to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison in March. He was returned to the United States in June and is awaiting trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty.

On Monday, Abrego Garcia’s attorneys said he is prepared to go to Costa Rica, which the judge said the government refuses to consider.

The “persistent refusal to acknowledge Costa Rica as a viable removal option, their threats to send Abrego to African countries that never agreed to take him and their misrepresentation to the court that Liberia is now the only country available to Abrego, all reflect that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the ‘basic purpose’ of timely third-country removal,” Xinis wrote.

In our Donald-in-Wonderland world, the US is at war with Venezuela while still grasping for a public rationale. The horrific human toll is real – over a 100,000 fatalities from illegal sanctions and over a hundred from more recent “kinetic strikes.” Yet the officially stated justification for the US empire’s escalating offensive remains elusive. 

The empire once spun its domination as “democracy promotion.” Accordingly, State Department stenographers such as The Washington Post framed the US-backed coup in Venezuela – which temporarily overthrew President Hugo Chávez – as an attempt to “restore a legitimate democracy.” The ink had barely dried on The New York Timeseditorial of April 13, 2002 – which legitimized that imperial “democratic” restoration – before the Venezuelan people spontaneously rose up and reinstated their elected president.

When the America Firsters captured the White House, Washington’s worn-out excuse of the “responsibility to protect,” so beloved by the Democrats, was banished from the realm along with any pretense of altruism. Not that the hegemon’s actions were ever driven by anything other than self-interest. The differences between the two wings of the imperial bird have always been more rhetorical than substantive. 

Confronted by Venezuela’s continued resistance, the new Trump administration retained the policy of regime change but switched the pretext to narcotics interdiction. The Caribbean was cast as a battlefield in a renewed “war on drugs.” Yet with Trump’s pardon of convicted narco-trafficker and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández – among many other contradictions – the alibi was wearing thin.

Venezuelan oil tankers blockaded

The ever-mercurial US president flipped the narrative on December 16, announcing on Truth Social that the US would blockade Venezuelan oil tankers. He justified this straight-up act of war with the striking claim that Venezuela had stolen “our oil, our land, and other assets.”

For the record, Venezuela had nationalized its petroleum industry half a century ago. Foreign companies were compensated.

This presidential social media post followed an earlier one, issued two weeks prior, ordering the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela “closed in its entirety.” The US had also seized an oil tanker departing Venezuela, struck several alleged drug boats, and continued to build up naval forces in the region.

In response to the maritime threat, President Nicolás Maduro ordered the Venezuelan Navy to escort the tankers. The Pentagon was reportedly caught by surprise. China, Mexico, Brazil, BRICS, Turkey, along with international civil society, condemned the escalation. Russia warned the US not to make a “fatal mistake.”

The New York Times reported a “backfire” of nationalist resistance to US aggression among the opposition in Venezuela. Popular demonstrations in support of Venezuela erupted throughout the Americas in Argentina, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, and the US.

Trump’s phrasing about Venezuela’s resources is not incidental. It reveals an assumption that precedes and structures the policy itself: that Venezuelan sovereignty is conditional, subordinate to US claims, and revocable whenever it conflicts with Yankee economic or strategic interests. This marks a shift in emphasis, not in substance; drugs have receded from center stage, replaced by oil as the explicit casus belli.

The change is revealing. When Trump speaks of “our” oil and land, he collapses the distinction between corporate access, geopolitical leverage, and national entitlement. Venezuelan resources are no longer considered merely mismanaged or criminally exploited; they are portrayed as property wrongfully withheld from its rightful owner.

The day after his Truth Social post, Trump’s “most pointless prime-time presidential address ever delivered in American history” (in the words of rightwing blogger Matt Walsh) did not even mention the war on Venezuela. Earlier that same day, however, two House resolutions narrowly failed that would have restrained Trump from continuing strikes on small boats and from exercising war powers without congressional approval.

Speaking against the restraining resolutions, Rep. María Elvira Salazar – the equivalent of Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen and one of the far-right self-described “Crazy Cubans” in Congress – hailed the 1983 Grenada and 1989 Panama invasions as models. She approvingly noted both were perpetrated without congressional authorization and suggested Venezuela should be treated in the same way.

The votes showed that nearly half of Congress is critical – compared to 70% of the general public – but their failure also allows Trump to claim that Congress reviewed his warlike actions and effectively granted him a mandate to continue.

Non-international armed conflict

In this Trumpian Wonderland, a naval blockade with combat troops rappelling from helicopters to seize ships becomes merely a “non-international armed conflict” not involving an actual country. The enemy is not even an actual flesh and blood entity but a tactic – narco-terrorism.

Trump posted: “Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.” Yet FTOs are non-state actors lacking sovereign immunities conferred by either treaties or UN membership. Such terrorist labels are not descriptive instruments but strategic ones, designed to foreclose alternatives short of war.

In a feat of rhetorical alchemy, the White House designated fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction.” Trump accused Venezuela of flooding the US with the deadly synthetic narcotic, when his own Drug Enforcement Administration says the source is Mexico. This recalls a previous disastrous regime-change operation in Iraq, also predicated on lies about WMDs.

Like the Cheshire Cat, presidential chief of staff Susie Wiles emerges as the closest to a reliable narrator in a “we’re all mad here” regime. She reportedly said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle,” openly acknowledging that US policy has always been about imperial domination.

The oil is a bonus for the hegemon. But even if Venezuela were resource-poor like Cuba and Nicaragua, it still would be targeted for exercising independent sovereignty.

Seen in that light, Trump’s claim that Venezuela stole “our” oil and land is less an error than a confession. It articulates a worldview in which US power defines legitimacy and resources located elsewhere are treated as imperial property by default. The blockade is not an aberration; it is the logical extension of a twisted belief that sovereignty belongs to whoever is strong enough to seize it. Trump is, in effect, demanding reparations for imperialists for the hardship of living in a world where other countries insist their resources belong to them.

Roger D. Harris is a founding member of the Venezuela Solidarity Network and is active with the Task Force on the Americas and the SanctionsKill Campaign.

Source: Countercurrents

The drama has landed on Netflix and is currently on the streaming giant’s Top 10 chart.

A recent drama featuring one of Downton Abbey‘s most familiar faces has made its way to Netflix, and it’s certainly stirred up mixed feelings.

The suspenseful thriller, Captivated, also known as Too Good To Be True, hails from 2024 and currently holds a middling 5.6/10 rating on IMDb.

The plot centres around Rachel, a single mum and cleaner, who is offered an improved job by a wealthy businessman. However, as she becomes more entangled in his affairs, her suspicions about his intentions grow.

Allen Leech, fondly remembered for his portrayal of Tom Branson in Downton Abbey, stars as Elliott Fielding, while EastEnders legend Kara Tointon takes on the role of Rachel Connor.

Despite its initial airing on Channel 5 last year, the series has gained renewed interest after being added to Netflix UK, where it now ranks third on the streaming behemoth’s Top 10 chart.

While some viewers have clearly enjoyed the show, others have taken to IMDb to caution potential watchers “not to waste their time” on the thriller, reports the Express.

“An utter waste of time,” ane disgruntled viewer lamented, adding: “Just finished this series, of which all 4 episodes can be seen on My5. It gets steadily worse with each episode with a paper thin and entirely predictable plot.”

Another echoed the sentiment, advising: “Don’t waste your time like I did. I kept thinking it would get better. It absolutely does not.”

A third chimed in with their critique, branding it “predictable and unconvincing,” and describing it as “a disappointing crime miniseries”.

Another viewer chimed in: “As usual with this type of drama, this started off OK and went downhill rapidly. It is very predictable and some of it makes no sense at all.”

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

Yet not everyone shared such a dim view, with some fans finding merit in the programme, one describing it as “strangely entertaining”.

“I’ve read some scathing reviews about this show, and whilst I don’t think it’s great, I still think it’s watchable,” reasoned another viewer.

A third defended it as “not as bad as ratings suggest”, adding: “This is a little predictable but is easy to watch and does have a storyline.”

Another supporter urged: “Despite the low rating and some negative reviews it’s surprisingly good. So don’t be fooled.”

One enthusiastic fan encouraged patience: “The first episode was good just persevere with it as the series does get better. It’s little predictable but a good watch ! Too Good To Be true is intense and thrilling to watch!!”

Those curious to form their own opinion can stream Captivated on Netflix and Channel 5 in the UK, or BritBox in the US.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan want the Justice Department to be prevented from steering an investigation of him and other former government officials to a “favored” judge in Florida who dismissed the classified documents case against President Trump.

The request Monday is addressed to U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, the chief judge in the Southern District of Florida, where federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation related to the U.S. government assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Brennan and other officials have received subpoenas, and his lawyers say Brennan has been advised by prosecutors that he’s a target of the investigation.

Brennan’s lawyers say the Justice Department is engaged in “judge shopping” and trying to arrange for the case to be handled by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who issued favorable rulings to Trump during the classified documents case and dismissed it last year. The letter asks Altonaga to exercise her “supervisory authority” as chief judge to ensure that the Justice Department is unable to steer the current election interference investigation into her courtroom.

“In short, we are seeking assurance that any litigation arising out of this grand jury proceeding will be heard by a judge who is selected by the court’s neutral and impartial processes, not by the prosecution’s self-interested maneuvering contrary to the interests of justice,” wrote Brennan’s attorneys, Kenneth Wainstein and Natasha Harnwell-Davis. The New York Times earlier reported on the letter.

It remains unclear what crime prosecutors in Florida believe was committed, but the subpoenas issued last month to Brennan and other former law enforcement and intelligence officials sought documents related to the preparation of the Obama administration’s intelligence community assessment, made public in January 2017, that detailed how Russia waged a covert influence campaign to help Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump was investigated but not charged during his first term over whether his campaign conspired with Russia to tip the outcome of the election. He has long sought retribution over the Russia investigation and the officials who played a key part in it.

His Justice Department in September secured a false-statement and obstruction indictment against James Comey, the FBI director at the time the Russia investigation was launched, though the case was dismissed and its future is in doubt because of a judge’s ruling that blocked prosecutors from accessing materials they considered to be key evidence.

Brennan’s lawyers say the Trump administration’s Justice Department tried to “forum-shop” the investigation into Brennan to multiple jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania, before settling in Florida. But they say prosecutors have been unable to answer basic questions about why Florida is a proper venue for the investigation given that the intelligence community assessment at issue was produced by officials in the Washington, D.C., area.

The grand jury investigation is based in the Miami division of the Southern District of Florida, but Brennan’s lawyers say they’re concerned that the Trump administration may be poised to transfer the case to the smaller Fort Pierce division, where Cannon is the only judge. They cited as a basis for that alarm a Justice Department decision to seek an additional grand jury in Fort Pierce even though there’s no apparent caseload need.

“The United States Attorney’s efforts to funnel this investigation to the judge who issued this string of rulings that consistently favored President Trump’s positions in previous litigations should be seen for what it is,” Brennan’s lawyers wrote.

Tucker writes for the Associated Press.

Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon have been left out of the Australia squad for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Lyon is set to have surgery on a torn right hamstring which will sideline him for an extended period, while Cummins is rested as he continues to manage a long-standing back issue.

Cummins missed the first two Tests of the series but returned for the third in Adelaide as Australia retained the Ashes after just 11 days of play.

Batter Steve Smith, meanwhile, returns from an illness which kept him out of the third Test and will captain the side.

Seam bowler Jhye Richardson and spinner Todd Murphy have been recalled to the squad while Michael Neser, Beau Webster and Brendan Doggett retain their places despite not making the starting XI in Adelaide.

The fourth Test at the MCG in Melbourne begins at 23:30 GMT on 25 December.

Planned talks come as Southeast Asian leaders urge both countries to show ‘maximum restraint’ and return to dialogue.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold a meeting of defence officials later this week as regional leaders push for an end to deadly violence along the two countries’ shared border.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announced the planned talks on Monday after a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur of Southeast Asian foreign ministers, who were trying to salvage a ceasefire.

That truce was first brokered by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair Malaysia and United States President Donald Trump after cross-border fighting broke out in July.

Sihasak told reporters that this week’s discussions would be held on Wednesday in Thailand’s Chanthaburi, within the framework of an existing bilateral border committee.

But just hours after the regional crisis talks were held in Malaysia, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence said the Thai military deployed fighter jets to bomb areas of Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces.

The Thai army said Cambodia had fired dozens of rockets into Thailand, with Bangkok’s air force responding with air strikes on two Cambodian military targets.

Thailand and Cambodia have engaged in daily exchanges of rocket and artillery fire along their 817km (508-mile) land border following the collapse of the truce, with fighting at multiple points stretching from forested regions near Laos to the coastal provinces of the Gulf of Thailand.

Despite the cross-border fire, Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior said it remains “optimistic that the Thai side will demonstrate sincerity” in implementing a ceasefire.

Thailand’s Sihasak, however, cautioned that the upcoming meeting may not immediately produce a truce. “Our position is a ceasefire does not come with an announcement, but must come from actions,” he said.

His ministry said the two nations’ militaries would “discuss implementation, related steps and verification of the ceasefire in detail”.

The planned meeting comes as ASEAN on Monday urged both countries to show “maximum restraint and take immediate steps towards the cessation of all forms of hostilities”.

In a statement after the talks in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN also called on both Thailand and Cambodia to “restore mutual trust and confidence, and to return to dialogue”.

ASEAN members also reiterated their concerns over the ongoing conflict and “called upon both parties to ensure that civilians residing in the affected border areas are able to return, without obstruction and in safety and dignity, to their homes”.

The U.S. Navy has confirmed to TWZ that the armament package for its first “flight” of its new FF(X) frigates will not include a built-in Vertical Launch System (VLS). There had been widespread questions about whether the ships would include a VLS array after renderings were released with no such feature readily apparent.

A lack of any type of VLS on the FF(X) design is a glaring omission that can only raise questions about the operational utility and flexibility of the ships. At the same time, the new frigates will be able to carry modular payloads, including containerized missile launchers, on their sterns. The Navy also has an explicit plan to employ the FF(X)s as “motherships” for uncrewed surface vessels (USV), likely offering a distributed arsenal, as well as additional sensors, for the frigates to leverage during operations.

The Navy announced its plan to acquire a fleet of new FF(X) frigates last Friday, which followed the cancellation of the abortive Constellation class program earlier in the month. The service previously confirmed that the FF(X)s will be based on the Legend class National Security Cutter (NSC), which Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) first developed for the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The initial flight of FF(X) will have a 57mm gun, 2 x 30mm guns, a Mk 49 Rolling Airframe Missile [launcher], various countermeasures, and a flight deck from which to launch helicopters and unmanned systems. Aft of the flight deck, there will be a flexible weapons system, which can accommodate containerized payloads (Counter-UAS, other missiles),” a Navy spokesperson told TWZ today. “Much like the successful DDG-51 [Arleigh Burke class destroyer] program, we are building this in flights. The frigate will be upgraded over successive flights to evolve and has the space reservations needed to improve capability over time.”

“The goal is to get [FF(X)] hulls in the water ASAP,” another Navy official told TWZ. “Minimal design changes will be incorporated into the first flight so that we can get hulls into the water as soon as possible.”

“The [FF(X)] design changes are in the process of being finalized and we are confident that our extensive experience and collaboration with the U.S. Navy will lead to a successful approval process,” a HII spokesperson also told us. “Specific and targeted changes will be implemented to meet unique mission requirements. The process will be similar to a baseline upgrade on the DDG program, which has been successfully used to introduce new capabilities multiple times over the class’ history. Design work is ongoing and we understand the Navy’s intent is to minimize changes in order to expedite procurement.”

As we mentioned in our initial reporting on FF(X), the size of the Mk 41 VLS array on the previously planned Constellation class frigates was a hot topic of debate. Questions had been raised whether the 32-cell VLSs on those ships would be sufficient to meet their expected operational taskings, as you can read about more in this past TWZ feature.

Overall, the Mk 41 VLS requirement was central to the FFG(X) program that led to the Constellation class design. This was viewed as a key element of righting the wrongs of the Navy’s chronically underperforming Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. The Independence class and Freedom class LCSs both lack a VLS array. In addition, it’s worth remembering here that HII’s losing FFG(X) bid was notably a Patrol Frigate concept derived from the National Security Cutter that featured a VLS. The company had also pitched other VLS-equipped Patrol Frigate variations to the Navy before then, as seen in the video below.

Patrol Frigate Variants – Information Video

Integrating a VLS into future flights of FF(X) frigates is certainly an option, but one that could be complex and costly if the design is not configured to accommodate one to begin with. As TWZ previously highlighted, the FF(X) configuration, as it has been seen so far, has a significantly redesigned main superstructure compared to the Coast Guard’s Legend class and previous Patrol Frigate concepts. This includes a prominent ‘shelf’ that extends forward into the space on the bow utilized for VLSs on previously seen Patriot Frigate configurations. With what we know now, that extension seems more likely to be utilized in the future as a mounting place for some type of point defense system, possibly even a laser directed energy weapon. It’s possible it could be adapted to accommodate a small VLS array in the future, as well. The lack of an integrated VLS could explain the lack of a more advanced radar in the renderings of the FF(X) that have been shown so far.

Installing missile launchers on the FF(X)’s fantail would give the ships a boost in firepower in the absence of an integrated VLS array. Renderings so far have shown what look to be launchers for up to 16 Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) installed in that position. NSM is an anti-ship cruise missile with secondary land-attack capability that the Navy has already integrated onto a portion of its LCSs and at least one Arleigh Burke class destroyer, and that the Marine Corps is fielding now in a ground-based configuration. There also looks to be space there for a least one containerized Mk 70 Payload Delivery Systems (PDS), another capability the Navy is already acquiring. Each Mk 70 contains a four-cell launcher derived from the Mk 41 VLS, and similarly capable of firing a variety of weapons, including SM-6 multi-purpose missiles and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. FF(X)s could also leverage sensors on larger crewed warships for targeting purposes when operating as part of a surface action group.

“The FF(X) will be designed to command groups of unmanned vessels, acting as a sort of ‘mothership,’ providing the commander tailored force packages based upon the weapons and sensors fielded on those unmanned craft,” a Navy spokesperson also told TWZ today.

In this way, an FF(X) could still call upon a deeper and more flexible array of weapon options without having to have a VLS integrated directly onto the ship. The uncrewed platforms would also be able to operate across a much broader area than any single crewed frigate and present a different risk calculus for operating in higher-risk environments. All of this would expand the overall reach of the combined force and present targeting challenges for opponents. But there are also substantial development and operational risks with this kind of arrangement. As it sits, this kind of autonomous vessel and manned vessel teaming is still in development. Operationally, leaving the ship without, or with very limited, area defense capability is at odds with many future threat scenarios.

The Navy is already separately pursuing a family of larger uncrewed surface vessels (USV) able to carry an array of containerized payloads to bolster the capability and operational capacity of its crewed surface fleets as part of a program called Modular Surface Attack Craft (MASC), which you can read more about here.

Even with all this in mind, the lack of a VLS still raises significant questions about the FF(X) plans, especially about the ability of the ships to operate more independently. This has been a key issue for the Navy’s existing LCS fleets, and one that the Constellation class was supposed to help address.

Omitting a VLS capable of at least employing Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) imposes particular limitations on the ship’s ability to defend itself against aerial threats. Navy experiences during recent operations in and around the Red Sea have served to put a notable spotlight on the ever-growing dangers posed by anti-ship missiles and drones, which would be far more severe in any future high-end fight in the Pacific. All of this also means FF(X)s will not be able to provide area defense for convoy operations without a modular containerized payload, and that would only offer a very limited supply of munitions compared to a highly efficient VLS array.

The Navy is also clearly focused on just trying to get more hulls into service as quickly as it reasonably can. The service has major operational demands for more surface warships, in general, and now has an additional gap to fill following the collapse of the Constellation class program. The goal is for the FF(X) to be launched in 2028.

“We will start as soon as a funding contract and material are available,” the HII spokesperson told TWZ today. “We are confident in our ability to launch the first ship into the water in 2028, then conduct final outfitting, systems activation, and testing before delivering to the Fleet.”

HII also plans to leverage materials already acquired under the Coast Guard’s Legend class National Security Cutter program to help accelerate work on the first FF(X) hull. The current timeline for that ship to enter operational service remains unknown.

Overall, just how aggressively the Navy is moving to get these new frigates into the fleet as fast and cheaply as possible is now clear with today’s news. While expanded variants in the future with VLS arrays and more exquisite combat systems seem like a real possibility, when it comes to installed armament, America’s next frigate is set to be just as lightly armed as the LCS that came before it.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

A SURPRISING contender has entered the ring to take on the iconic role of James Bond, replacing Daniel Craig.

Numerous actors have been tipped to take on the 007 job, from Callum Turner to Henry Cavill. However, racy scenes on a hit TV show have put another name in the spotlight, say bookies.

Anthony Boyle, 31, known for appearing in new Netflix show House of Guinness, has made his way up the list when it comes to the odds.

The actor has been cut to 4-1, from 12-1, by bookmaker Coral to become the next James Bond, after attracting support in the firm’s betting over the last 24 hours.

Coral’s John Hill said: “We have seen significant support for Anthony Boyle in our next James Bond betting over the last 24 hours.

“As we approach the end of 2025, many punters are convinced he could be leading the race to replace Daniel Craig.”

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Anthony is known for portraying Arthur Guinness, a role which saw him go full-frontal nude on-screen.

In the scene, Arthur is seen standing up from a bathtub, completely naked and facing the camera.

And it’s seemingly this role that has put the star in a higher lead for the iconic franchise role.

There has been plenty of whispers over recent years about who will take on the role from Daniel Craig, who stepped into 007’s shoes two decades ago.

Another name spinning through the rumour mill is Idris Elba, who this week teased that there could be truth to the chatter.

The British actor and Hollywood star posted a playful reel on TikTok as he posed with James Bond wax figures at Madame Tussauds.

As the iconic Bond theme played over the top and the camera panned along the line of 007s, the shot finally stopped to show Idris, 53, standing at the end.

Viewers of the video rushed to the comments section to share their excitement, feeling Idris would be a prime pick for replacing Daniel Craig.

“You would be an AMAZING Bond,” said one user. A second exclaimed in all caps: “Do not get me excited for this.”

Saltburn star Jacob Elordi, Spider-Man’s Tom Holland and Babygirl actor Harris Dickinson are all at the top of the wish list too.

Although Jacob is Australian, is does not rule him out – especially as Aussie actor George Lazenby having previously played Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill have also been heavily rumoured to take on the gig.

The year was already a debacle for the Los Angeles Fire Department and Mayor Karen Bass, with multiple stumbles before and after the epic January blaze that obliterated Pacific Palisades, so it was hard to imagine that things could get worse in the closing days of 2025.

But they have.

A blistering Times investigation found that the Fire Department cleaned up its after-action report, downplaying missteps.

In other words, there was a blatant attempt to mislead the public.

And Bass representatives said they requested that her comments in the final minutes of a video interview — in which she admitted that “both sides botched it” in the Eaton and Palisades fires — be edited out because she thought the interview had ended.

Please.

Together, these developments will echo through the coming mayoral election, in which Bass will be called out repeatedly over one of the greatest disasters in L.A. history. We’re a long way from knowing whether she can survive and win a second term, but Austin Beutner and any other legitimate contenders are being handed gifts that will keep on giving.

In the case of the altered report, kudos to Times reporters Alene Tchekmedyian and Paul Pringle, who have been trying all year to keep the LAFD honest, which is no easy task.

In the latest bombshell dropped by the two reporters, they dug up seven drafts of the department’s self-analysis, or after-action report, and found that it had been altered multiple times to soften damning conclusions.

Language saying LAFD did not fully pre-deploy all crews and engines, despite the forecast of extreme conditions, was removed.

Language saying some crews waited more than an hour for their assignments during the fire was removed.

A section on “failures” became a section on “primary challenges.”

A reference to a violation of national guidelines on how to avoid firefighter injury and death was removed.

The central role of the earlier Lachman fire, allegedly started by an arsonist, was also sanitized. A reference to that unchecked brushfire, which later sparked the inferno, was deleted from one draft, then restored in the final version. But only in a brief reference.

Even before the smoke cleared on Jan. 7, I had one former LAFD official telling me he was certain the earlier fire had not been properly extinguished. Crews should have been sitting on it, but as The Times has reported, that didn’t happen.

What we now know with absolute clarity is that the LAFD cannot be trusted to honestly and thoroughly investigate itself. And yet after having fired one chief, Bass asked the current chief to do an investigation.

Sue Pascoe, who lost her home in the fire and is among the thousands who don’t yet know whether they can afford to rebuild because their insurance — if they had any — doesn’t cover the cost of new construction. Pascoe, editor of the local publication Circling the News, had this reaction to the latest expose:

“To kill 12 people, let almost 7,000 homes/businesses burn, and to destroy belongings, memorabilia and memories stored in the homes — someone needs to be held accountable.”

But who will that be?

Although the altered after-action report seems designed to have minimized blame for the LAFD, if not the mayor, the Bass administration said it wasn’t involved.

“We did not red-line, review every page or review every draft of the report,” a spokesperson told the Times. “We did not discuss the Lachman Fire because it was not part of the report.”

Genethia Hudley Hayes, president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, told The Times she noticed only small differences between the final report and an earlier report she had seen.

“I was completely OK with it,” she said, adding that the final report “did not in any way obfuscate anything.”

Well I’m not OK with it, and I suspect a lot of people who lost everything in the fire feel the same way. As I’ve said before, the conditions were horrific, and there’s little doubt that firefighters did their best. But the evidence is mounting that the department’s brass blew it, or, to borrow a phrase from Bass, “botched it.”

As The Times’ David Zahniser reported, Bass said her “botched” comment came in a casual context after the podcast had ended. She also said she has made similar comments about the emergency response on numerous occasions.

She has made some critical comments, and as I mentioned, she replaced the fire chief. But the preparation and response were indeed botched. So why did her office want that portion of the interview deleted?

Let’s not forget, while we’re on the subject of botching things, that Bass left the country in the days before the fire despite warnings of catastrophic conditions. And while there’s been some progress in the recovery, her claim that things are moving at “lightning speed” overlooks the fact that thousands of burned out properties haven’t seen a hammer or a hardhat.

On her watch, we’ve seen multiple misses.

On the blunderous hiring and quick departure of a rebuilding czar. On the bungled hiring of a management team whose role was not entirely clear. On a failed tax relief plan for fire victims. On the still-undelievered promise of some building fee waivers.

In one of the latest twists on the after-action report, Tchekmedyian and Pringle report that the LAFD author was upset about revisions made without his involvement.

What a mess, and the story is likely to smolder into the new year.

If only the Lachman fire had been as watered down as the after-action report.

steve.lopez@latimes.com

Bob Chesney didn’t have to go far to secure his most important player.

He was already on campus.

Nico Iamaleava has agreed to return to UCLA for next season, giving the Bruins a top-level quarterback as part of their new coach’s bid for a quick turnaround from a 3-9 season under his predecessor and an interim coach.

Iamaleava announced his intentions on Instagram, posting a highlight video alongside a caption reading, “NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Back with my brothers. Same vision. Same goals. Same grind. Locked in. Time to work!”

The possible benefits go beyond improving Iamaleava’s NFL draft stock with a strong season. Another important plus could be the reputational boost associated with staying put after Iamaleava left Tennessee during spring practice in 2025 as part of an emotionally charged falling out with the Volunteers that sparked widespread criticism.

Remaining a Bruin will also allow the redshirt junior to spend at least one more season on the same team as his brother Madden, who will be a redshirt freshman quarterback after appearing at the end of one game last season.

None of UCLA’s struggles in 2025 could be blamed on its starting quarterback. Constantly under duress from a pass rush that met little resistance from his offensive line, Iamaleava was his team’s leading passer and rusher despite being sacked 27 times.

Iamaleava accounted for 17 of his team’s 24 touchdowns and led the Bruins with 10 plays of 20 yards or more, all coming on the ground. Although he wasn’t a prolific passer — his 255 yards through the air as part of a furious comeback against Nevada Las Vegas were a season high — Iamaleava’s ability to produce big plays with his arm and his legs presented a huge problem for opposing defenses.

Iamaleava’s passing accuracy enjoyed a slight uptick from his final season at Tennessee, where he helped the Volunteers reach the College Football Playoff. In his first season as a Bruin after returning home in part to be closer to his family in Long Beach, Iamaleava completed 64.4% of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Whether he was scrambling out of the pocket or sprinting on designed quarterback runs, Iamaleava might have been hardest to stop when he planted his feet and took off. He led the team with 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 112 carries, including 128 yards and three touchdowns during a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State.

Equally important was the leadership of a player who unflinchingly met with the media after losses and challenged others. Amid the team’s 0-4 start, Iamaleava told teammates they could leave if they didn’t want to stay and help spark a turnaround. No one did, and the team went on to win its next three games.

Now Iamaleava is staying put, giving his coach a huge building block as part of his efforts to forge a sturdy foundation.

Dec. 22 (UPI) — While the number of Americans who enjoy the secular traditions of Christmas has remained largely unchanged over recent years, a Gallup analysis released Monday showed that fewer people are observing the religious aspects of the holiday.

The poll found that 88% of Americans say they celebrate Christmas, down from 90% in 2024 and 96% in 2005. Of the more secular aspects of Christmas, 96% of people exchange gifts (down from 97% in 2010); 95% get together with friends or family (97% in 2010); 90% put up a Christmas tree (92% in 2010); 89% put up other decorations (91% in 2010); and 43% attend a holiday concert or play (58% in 2010).

The more religious aspects of Christmas saw a greater decline over the same period of time, with 54% of people using religious decorations such as nativities (down from 68% in 2010) and 47% attending a religious service (64% in 2010).

All religious activities saw a notable drop in participation, while one secular event — attending a holiday concert or play — did as well.

“Although fewer people, including fewer Christians, appear to be incorporating religious aspects, Christmas is thriving as a social occasion focused on gatherings, festivities and gifts,” Gallup said in an analysis of the data.

“Its popularity among young adults and non-Christians in general suggests that even as the U.S. continues to change demographically, a less religiously focused Christmas will endure.”

Gallup asked a few new questions about people’s traditions this year, finding that 86% of people watch holiday-themed movies, 81% make holiday desserts and 52% send holiday cards.

Gallup said that of the adults who celebrated Christmas, 69% identified as a Christian denomination, down from 83%, mirroring the overall drop in American adults who identify with a particular religion.

The poll found that there’s little difference in the percentage of Christians and non-Christians who celebrate secular Christmas traditions, and, in fact, a marginally higher percentage of non-Christians participate in some activities, including gathering together with friends and family and exchanging gifts. In each category, 97% of non-Christians participate while 95% of Christians gather with friends and family and 96% exchange gifts.

Meanwhile, Christians are far more likely to observe religious traditions such as using religious decorates (69% compared to 22%) and attending a Christmas service (61% to 11%).

Claudia Schiffer plays Carol, a single mother and the love interest for Liam Neeson’s character, widower Daniel, after he mentions she is his dream woman throughout the film

She might only have appeared on screen for 60 seconds but Claudia Schiffer was reportedly paid a truly blockbuster sum of money for her brief cameo in Love Actually. The supermodel plays the role of Carol who is a single mother and the love interest for Liam Neeson’s character, widower Daniel.

This comes after he mentions her as his dream woman throughout the entirety of the film is Claudia Schiffer. It has been reported that the star received quite the pay cheque despite only appearing for about a minute in total. Her appearance came back in 2003 and she is said have been paid around £275,000, or £4,500 ($6,100) per second for the job.

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Vogue reported that Andrew Holmes’s book How Much?!: The $1000 Omelette… and 1100 Other Astonishing Money Moments revealed the impressive amount. Now, 22 years on from when the movie was filmed, the pay cheque would be the equivalent of £458,000 ($616,000) or £7,633 ($10,274) per second.

Claudia’s short scene in the film comes after Daniel’s son, Sam (played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster), finishes playing the drums in his school play in a bid to impress his classmate Joanna.

Daniel then meets Sam backstage to congratulate him on her performance when Sam says that his plan to win his classmate over hasn’t worked and she was on her way to the airport to go back to the US.

However, this doesn’t stop them as they then make their way to the car to drive to the airport. But as Daniel turns around, he bumps into a school mum, Carol, who is played by Claudia.

Carol apologises as Daniel explained that it was his fault. Carol then goes on to ask if Daniel was Sam’s dad as he then confirms and the pair shake hands.

Daniel confessed that he hopes that they will meet again as Carol replies “I’ll make sure we do”. Claudia recently opened up about her personal life as she said her focus changed after she married Matthew Vaughn and they had their three children, Casper, now 22, Clementine, 21, and Cosima, 15.

She said she found that she became less “competitive” and that she is content with what she has achieved in her life despite knowing she could book more jobs if she wished.

The supermodel recently spoke to HELLO! magazine where she opened up about her career as well as her family life. She said: “When I was in my 20s, travelling around the world, my focus was on my career – working hard, being competitive and getting to the top.

“That changed when I had kids, and now, I feel lucky to have such a wonderful family. I’m proud of my children, they’re very down to earth and their well-being is mine and my husband’s priority.”

The Mirror has contacted Claudia’s reps for comment

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