By CAITLIN POWELL – NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 00:50 EST, 20 December 2025

NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced the chant ‘globalise the intifada’ will be banned, among a series of new measures announced this afternoon. 

Anthony Albanese announced on Friday a national buyback scheme will be launched to purchase newly banned and illegal firearms from Australian gun owners. 

He also said December 21 would become a day of mourning in Australia. 

Hunter MP Dan Repacholi has hit back at the gun reforms, saying he ‘does not support changes that unfairly target responsible, law-abiding firearms owners’.

Tesla billionaire Elon Musk also responded to Australia’s new gun laws, writing: ‘Thank god for the second amendment’ on X. 

Seven men intercepted in Sydney last night shared the same ‘extremist Islamic ideology’ as the alleged Bondi Beach gunmen, authorities have confirmed. 

Those men have since been released from custody. 

It comes after the Islamic State has praised alleged Bondi Beach terrorists Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, as ‘lions’ and a ‘source of pride’ in a statement. 

The pair are accused of opening fire into a crowd of Jewish people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on Sunday. 

Naveed remains in hospital under police guard after being shot by officers and woke from a coma on Tuesday. He has been charged with 59 offences. 

His father Sajid, a licensed firearms holder, was shot dead by police at the scene. 

The 15th and final victim of the massacre has been identified as eastern suburbs woman Tania Tretiak, who was at the Hanukkah celebration when she was shot. 

A group of over 700 surfers paddled out at Bondi Beach on Friday in memory of those who lost their lives in Australia’s worst massacre since 1996.

Elon Musk wades into Australian gun reforms: ‘Thank God for the Second Amendment’

Billionaire and owner of X, Elon Musk, has made a controversial comment about the Albanese government’s gun reform laws after the Bondi Beach terror attack.

‘Thank God for the Second Amendment,’ he wrote on X, while retweeting a clip of the prime minister.

In the United States, the amendment reads as the right for Americans to a ‘well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed’.

It has often been used a defence against crackdowns on gun laws in the US.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday that his government was launching a national buyback scheme to collect and destroy newly-banned and illegal firearms from Australian gun owners.

A far-right X account had reshared footage of Albanese’s announcement, falsely claiming the policy a ‘massive gun grab program’.

Accused Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram remains in hospital

Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old who allegedly opened fire at a crowd celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on Sunday with his father Sajid, 50, is in police custody in hospital.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed the condition of Akram in a joint press conference with Anthony Albanese.

She said police ‘will prepare a thorough and fulsome brief of evidence to prosecute the alleged offender now before the courts’.

‘We will identify the methods, capability and connections of these alleged offenders to determine who the alleged offenders communicated with leading up to the attack,’ she added.

‘We will use this information to cast a wider net to identify others who may not be directly linked to this investigation, but should be under the attention of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.’

The location of federal police search warrants during their investigation will not be made public, but she said AFP will leave ‘no stone unturned in Australia and overseas’.

Naveed is pictured far right in this photo.

PM praises Donald Trump’s airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown his support behind American strikes on ISIS targets in Syria earlier this morning.

‘These strikes are a direct response to ISIS attacks on US defence personnel and the actions of the United States government are timely, swift and decisive, and we support those actions,’ he said on Saturday.

‘ISIS has caused untold suffering around the world, both directly with the actions that they’ve taken, but also through their evil ideology that they spread.’

American forces struck over 70 targets in the country linked to ISIS, a US official told Fox News.

The move delivers on Donald Trump’s promise to retaliate for the killing of two US Army soldiers and an interpreter during a terrorist ambush in the country’s central region last weekend.

‘Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation,’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday evening.

The bombardment is reportedly being carried out by US Airforce F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10C Thunderbolts alongside Army helicopters and artillery rocket systems.

Although officials said ‘numerous’ militants were killed, full casualty numbers were not provided on Friday evening American time.

Chris Minns bans three-word chant in wake of Bondi Beach attack

NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced the ‘globalise the intifada’ chant will be banned, among a series of new measures announced this afternoon.

The phrase has been used to call for international support of Palestinian resistance against Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories.

‘We’ll also make it very clear that horrific recent events have shown that the chant “globalise the intifada” is hate speech and it encourages violence in our community,’ Minns said during a press conference on Saturday.

‘The chant will be banned alongside other hateful comments and statements made in our community.’

Earlier this week, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke introduced tougher laws on hate speech, but drew the line at banning the chant via federal legislation.

State laws on face coverings being worn in public will also be ammended.

Currently, police may only remove coverings ‘if they believe that the person’s identity or the person is in the midst of committing an indictable offence’.

‘We’ll change the law so it can be for any offence which is particularly important in the context of clamping down on hate speech so that police can be in a position to identify who is responsible for offensive conduct, hateful slogans or racist behaviour,’ Minns said.

He also supported calls for a royal commission into the Bondi terror attack.

‘Until we have a full and accurate picture of exactly how this happened, with a plan to ensure that it doesn’t happen again, then I don’t have answers to the people of New South Wales about what happened on Sunday,’ Minns said.

Ex-Olympic shooter and federal MP declares he will NOT support Chris Minns’ new gun laws

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced on Friday that he was proposing to cap how many firearms an individual can own to four, with strict exemptions for primary producers and sporting shooters.

But former Olympic sport shooter and federal MP for Hunter Dan Repacholi has said he will not support the proposed gun law changes because they fall under state jurisdiction, not federal.

‘I have received thousands of emails and calls in the last 24 hours about the proposed gun law changes that will go before the NSW Parliament on Monday,’ he said.

‘Firearms laws in Australia are primarily state-based, and the matters raised by Premier Minns are decisions for the NSW Parliament, not the Federal Parliament.

‘I won’t be voting on NSW firearms legislation.

‘Australia has strong gun laws and they save lives, but I do not support changes that unfairly target responsible, law-abiding firearms owners.

‘Measures that are blunt, symbolic, or simply designed to appease public anger without improving safety are not the answer.’

Repacholi said that, as a licensed firearms owner, he has gone through the same background checks, fit and proper person assessments, training, waiting periods and storage requirements.

‘I understand the responsibility that comes with lawful ownership, and I know that the overwhelming majority of firearms owners do the right thing,’ he said.

‘What happened at Bondi was horrific and should never have occurred. People are right to ask hard questions about whether it could have been prevented.

‘From what we are learning, the focus should be on information sharing, risk identification and enforcement of existing powers, not on arbitrary limits that penalise people who have done nothing wrong.

‘NSW Police already have significant powers to suspend or cancel licences where someone is not fit and proper.’

Minns’ measures include three specific steps towards tightening gun laws in NSW, with his government proposing to:

• Reclassify straight, pull, pump-action, button, lever release firearms into category C – limiting their access primarily to farmers and those in primary production
• Reduce magazine capacities for category A and B firearms to a maximum of five to 10 rounds from a current unlimited capacity;
• Introduce a complete ban on firearms that can use belt-fed magazines;
• And remove the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal review pathway once a decision has been made to revoke a licence.

The move follows similar federal legislation announced by Anthony Albanese this morning.

His government has launched a national buyback scheme to collect and destroy newly banned and illegal firearms from Australian gun owners.

The Prime Minister said the scheme will be the ‘largest buyback since the Howard government initiated one in 1996’.

Bondi locals ‘should not be alarmed’ by increased police presence ahead of memorials

Locals in Bondi Beach are preparing for tomorrow’s national day of reflection, which will honour the victims of the terror attack and stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.

Flags will be flown at half mast to mark one week since the attack.

Australians have also been asked to light a candle and put it in their front window, as well as observe a minute’s silence at 6.47pm.

NSW Police told Daily Mail this afternoon that they are conducting planning in relation to reflection and memorial events within the area to ensure all participants can gather safely.

‘As part of these planning arrangements specialist police will be attending various locations,’ the force said.

‘The community should expect an increased presence of emergency personnel in the area and should not be alarmed.’

Police have not received any warning about threats to the events.

There have also been increased police patrols across Sydney’s eastern suburbs after the Bondi Beach massacre.

Ley calls on PM to support a Royal Commission: ‘The time for action is now’

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has doubled down on her calls for an inquiry into the terror attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday.

‘Millions of Australians, particularly those of Jewish faith, want, need and deserve a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Bondi Massacre terrorist attack,’ she said in a statement this afternoon.

‘At minimum, it must investigate the rise of antisemitism, government inaction that allowed hideous antisemitism to fester in the days, weeks, months and years since 7 October, 2023, across Australia, as well as the effectiveness and powers of Australia’s counter-terrorism system.’

She slammed Anthony Albanese’s ‘unclear’ position on the issue, publicly inviting him to sit down with her and Jewish community leaders when Shabbat ends.

The group would then draft the ‘terms of reference on a bipartisan basis’.

‘Prime Minister, the time for words is finished. The time for action is now,’ Ley continued.

‘Recall the parliament on Monday so we can legislate immediate responses and support a Commonwealth Royal Commission today so we get the longer term responses right.’

Ley also thanked NSW Premier Chris Minns for calling on the prime minister to introduce a Royal Commission.

Minns has supported the move earlier today in a press conference.

‘Until we have a full and accurate picture of exactly how this happened, with a plan to ensure that it doesn’t happen again, then I don’t have answers to the people of New South Wales about what happened on Sunday,’ he said.

The Prime Minister has not indicated that he will hold a royal commission into the attack.

AFP investigating ‘others’ connected to the alleged Bondi gunmen

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has confirmed federal police will investigate who the alleged Bondi gunmen spoke to before 15 people were killed in a horror massacre on Sunday.

She said officers would be taking efforts to ‘identify others’ who could be a risk to the community in a statement on Saturday.

‘We will use this information to cast a wider net to identify others – who may not be directly linked to this investigation – but should be under the attention of law enforcement and intelligence agencies,’ Commissioner Barrett said.

She said the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team was analysing evidence seized during search warrants as recently as Friday.

‘The location of the search warrants will not be made public, but let me reassure Australians that we are leaving no stone unturned in Australia and overseas in this investigation,’ she said.

‘I will ensure we have pulled every single lever we can to protect our Jewish community – and this week I revealed those described as hate preachers are being investigated and have been for some time by the AFP.

‘It is clear some of these preachers have hired lawyers to ensure they do not reach the threshold to be charged for hate speech and other crimes.

‘It is clear some of these preachers know exactly what they are doing – and are clearly trying to cause fear and division.’

Mourners pay tribute to victims of the Bondi Beach attack in the rain

Mourners braved the rain at Bondi Pavilion to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting on Sunday.

Members of the public stood quietly at the memorial, some laying flowers in the growing pile at the front of the tourist spot.

Police had reopened Bondi Beach on Thursday after they concluded their investigations into the massacre that targeted Hanukkah celebrations.

PM says nation faced its ‘darkest week in Australia’s recent history’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed the ‘deep pain and sorrow’ Australians have faced following the Bondi Beach attack.

‘The terrorist atrocity committed against innocent people, celebrating Hanukkah last week at Bondi Beach, targeting our cherished Jewish Australian community, has left our nation grieving and angry,’ he said.

‘This has been the darkest week in Australia’s recent history.’

Albanese told reporters he will reconvene the cabinet in Canberra, adding the massacre was an ‘ISIS-inspired attack here in Australia’.

‘That evil ideology represents something that should have no place in any consideration of humanity and who we are as global citizens, let alone as Australians,’ he said.

When asked whether his government had the right security priorities prior to the Bondi attacks, Albanese defended his government.

‘We continue to prioritise keeping Australians safe,’ he said. ‘The government and all of the agencies prioritise the threats that they have identified.

‘And foremost of that is the threat from some of the extreme Islamist-inspired threats that are there.

‘So my government continues to engage in all of the threats, but they are prioritised according to the advice that we receive.’

Albanese also slammed criticism from the federal opposition, telling reporters that ‘this is not a time for partisan politics’.

‘This is a time for us to unite together in what we know is in Australia’s national interest,’ he said.

The prime minister then referenced how the ‘nation came together’ during the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

‘The opposition at that time provided support for those issues rather than looked for product differentiation,’ he said.

‘We will certainly reach out to the opposition.’

‘Liverpool Seven’ accuse police of using tasers during their arrest

Seven men arrested at gunpoint in dramatic scenes have alleged that they were ‘tasered and beaten’ by officers during the ordeal.

The group, aged between 19 and 24, was stopped by heavily-armed officers outside Westfield Liverpool in southwest Sydney on Thursday afternoon.

Police received reports the men, who had travelled from Melbourne, were possibly heading to Bondi. However, investigators have found no link to last Sunday’s massacre at the beach, which claimed 15 lives.

Some of the group were arrested in an alleyway and have since claimed that because there were no cameras there, they were ‘treated harsher’.

‘They opened the door, tasered us, we had our hands up, they pulled up next to us, smashed into the car in front of us, pulled guns on us said ‘put your hands up’, one of the men said.

‘We put our hands up, [they] tasered us even though we put our hands up, dragged us out the car, smashed us on the pavement, tasered us while we were on the pavement, handcuffed us then beat us.’

NSW Police declined to comment on the allegations.

Investigations remain ongoing.

The group dubbed the so-called ‘Liverpool Seven’ were released on Friday afternoon without charge after spending the night in custody.

Police found insufficient evidence to keep the men behind bars.

While the group were in custody, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the response to the information received about the men had been prompt.

‘Based on that information we had a risk that we did not believe that we could tolerate,’ he said.

‘We won’t accept violence, and what you saw was a very prompt and very firm response by the NSW Police.’

But one of the men has since claimed the group had been racially profiled, adding that they had not done anything.

‘We didn’t do nothing wrong. My beliefs are we all live peacefully, we don’t give a f*** about no one,’ he said.

Another said: ‘[It was a] misunderstanding. We told [police] we were here for a holiday.’

Port Arthur survivor applauds reform of NSW gun laws: ‘Guns weaponised hate’

Walter Mikac lost his wife Nanette and two young daughters Alannah and Madeline in the Port Arthur massacre.

Martin Bryant used a Cole AR-15 and battle rifle to shoot innocent victims on April 28, 1996, killing 35 people and injuring 23 at the popular tourist area in Tasmania.

He pleaded guilty to the attack and was given 35 life sentences without parole.

Australia reacted to the massacre by strengthening gun laws with the National Firearms Agreement.

In the wake of the horrific Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday, Mr Mikac, who founded The Alannah and Madeline Foundation to protect children from violence, has praised reforms to tighten gun laws, introduced by NSW Premier Chris Minns on Friday.

‘I am pleased that the Premier Minns has listened to the community and to our gun safety experts and reconfirmed community safety as the central tenet of our gun laws,’ Mr Mikac told news.com.au on Saturday.

‘The horrific terror attack at Bondi Beach last Sunday is a devastating reminder that strong gun laws must evolve to address new risks – not be weakened or undermined.

‘This attack was fuelled by hate, but guns allowed that hate to be weaponised as terror.

‘I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and their families and loved ones.

‘I stand in love and solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community, the people of NSW, and with all Australians in the wake of this unspeakable act of violence and terror.

‘My heart aches for the many lives lost, including the life of beautiful 10-year-old Matilda, and to their families, on what should have been a day of joy, community and celebration.’

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Bondi Beach shooting LIVE updates: ‘Thank god for the second amendment’: Elon Musk lashes Australia’s strict new gun reforms – as police call for calm as locals react to increased patrols at Bondi Beach

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Keeping an active dog clean without a bath seemed to be impossible but then someone suggested an alternative

Buddy looking fluffy after being cleaned with the grooming wipes(Image: Ben Cooper)

When my mum was looking for a dog, she had a strict set of requirements. She wanted a small dog that didn’t require much exercise and certainly didn’t shed its hair.

She ended up with a Border Collie! Yes, it ticks all the boxes, but not quite in the way she intended.

Nevertheless, Buddy is the best dog. He’s loyal, affectionate, extremely sociable, and obedient – until it comes to bath time.

Buddy is quick to obey any command we give him, except when it comes to having a bath. We’ve tried everything – a pool in the garden, a shower, even our own bath, but as soon as we manage to get him in – which isn’t easy with a 25kg dog – he immediately jumps out again, usually drenching us and everything else in water and soap suds, reports the Daily Record.

The selection of Earth Rated products we tried(Image: Ian Cooper)

Despite regular visits to the groomer’s, he can sometimes be incredibly smelly. So we knew we needed to find a solution, but we had no idea it could be so straightforward.

We were on the verge of giving up when I was given the opportunity to try the Earth Rated range of bath-free grooming essentials. While they’re perfect for cleaning up your pet after a muddy walk, they’re also useful for so much more.

The range offers a variety of options, and we tried most of them.

We started with the Grooming Wipes, available in Lavender, Unscented, White Tea and Basil, and Wild Oat. Within minutes, Buddy was smelling much fresher – and judging by the state of the used wipes, he was much cleaner too.

While our faithful friend despises baths, he does love being stroked or brushed. This meant he thoroughly enjoyed being cleaned with the wipes and was content to sit for five minutes while we did a thorough job.

The whole process took just over five minutes, and he came out looking brilliantly clean with fresh, fluffy fur. If you were simply wiping off mud, it would take considerably less time.

Next, we tried the Eye and Ear Wipes, which Earth Rated describe as perfect “for those hard-to-reach muddy spots”. Priced at under £10, like the grooming wipes, these ensured he smelt lovely all over.

The wipes are hypoallergenic, making them perfect for dogs with sensitive skin – though thankfully this isn’t an issue we face with Buddy. He was perfectly content to let us carry on with our cleaning routine on both his eyes and ears.

These ear and eye wipes measure 5×5 inches – which Earth Rated say are large enough to give both ears or eyes a thorough clean. That said, we opted to use separate ones for each ear and each eye.

We live just a few minutes from the beach, making it a popular walk, especially at dusk when the clouds can be amazing(Image: Ben Cooper)

Buddy was already spotless and fresh, but we still had two more products to test. Living just 5 minutes’ walk from the beach and with a muddy hill even nearer means our walks typically see him coming home wet or muddy or both, so it wasn’t long before we had the opportunity to try the No-Rinse Shampoo, priced £8.57, which “cleans, conditions, and detangles without a bath”.

Earth Rated describes it as a “revolutionary no-rinse dog shampoo”, but honestly, I was sceptical – just as I had been with the wipes. Surely getting the dog clean without rinsing him off would leave his coat matted or itchy?

But these concerns proved groundless for all the tested products. His coat was shiny and silky to the touch – and he looked as proud as punch at all the attention he was receiving.

Sadly, as many dog owners will appreciate, that freshly groomed scent doesn’t last long. A trip out on a rainy day or even just popping into the garden for a few minutes can mean a pongy trail following your pet through the house.

Buddy after his wipe-wash(Image: Ben Cooper)

And this was where the final product came in. The Deodorizing Refresh Mist is a conditioning spray that the company says “actually tackles odours, rather than covering them up”.

We tried it and what a revelation. It seems we had saved the best till last.

Earth Rated says the product: “Instantly Eliminate Dog Odours with One Quick Spray. Say goodbye to embarrassing dog smells with our powerful deodorizing spray. Whether it’s that wet dog smell, outdoor adventures, or just daily freshening, our triple-action mist delivers instant results.”

It’s priced £9.99 but worth every penny. Our house no longer reeks of “dog” all the time.

A few quick sprays and Buddy is as fresh as a daisy – and smelling just as sweet.

Before I tested these I would have said there was no real substitute for a bath and good shampoo but in all honesty these have transformed my opinion. We’ll still take Buddy regularly to the groomer but in between visits we know we can keep him – and our home – smelling fresh with a few quick wipes.

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Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025

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The United States Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions on several family members and associates of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as the Trump administration increases pressure on Caracas and continues to build up US forces on Venezuela’s borders.

The sanctions announced on Friday come as the US military continues attacks on boats off the country’s coast, which have killed more than 100 people. The US military has also seized a Venezuelan oil tanker and imposed a naval blockade on all vessels arriving and departing from Venezuelan ports that are under US sanctions.

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Announcing the new sanctions, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement that “Maduro and his criminal accomplices threaten our hemisphere’s peace and stability”.

“The Trump Administration will continue targeting the networks that prop up his illegitimate dictatorship,” Bessent added.

The new sanctions target seven people who are family members or associates of Malpica Flores, a nephew of Maduro, and Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero, who were named in an earlier round of US sanctions that also targeted six Venezuela-flagged oil tankers and shipping firms, on December 11.

Flores, who is one of three of Maduro’s nephews by marriage, dubbed “narco-nephews” by the US Treasury Department, is wanted because he “has been repeatedly linked to corruption at Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, SA”, the Treasury said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how Flores’s role in Venezuela’s state-run oil company related to “propping up Nicolas Maduro’s rogue narco-state”, which Bessent said in his statement was the reason for widening sanctions to additional family members and associates of the president.

The US has claimed that tackling drug trafficking is the primary reason for its military escalation in the region since September, including the strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, which international law experts say amount to extrajudicial killings.

Despite the Trump administration’s repeated references to drug trafficking, its actions and messaging appear increasingly focused on Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are the largest in the world. The reserves have remained relatively untapped since sanctions were imposed on the country by the US during the first Trump administration.

Homeland Security adviser and top Trump aide Stephen Miller said last week that Venezuela’s oil belongs to Washington.

“American sweat, ingenuity and toil created the oil industry in Venezuela,” Miller claimed on X. “Its tyrannical expropriation was the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property,” he added.

US sanctions, particularly those targeting Venezuela’s oil industry, have contributed to an economic crisis in the country and increased discontent with Maduro, who has governed Venezuela since 2013.

For his part, Maduro has accused the Trump administration of “fabricating a new eternal war” aimed at “regime change” and seizing Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

The European Union has also imposed targeted sanctions on Venezuela, which it renewed last week until 2027.

The European sanctions, first introduced in 2017, include an embargo on arms shipments to Venezuela, as well as travel bans and asset freezes on individuals linked to state repression.

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NEED TO KNOW

• The family of Tyler Skaggs and the Los Angeles Angeles have reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed against the organization by Skaggs’ family
• The late MLB baseball player died in 2019 of an overdose after being provided drugs by Eric Kay, a team employee who was later sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his role in Skaggs’ death
• In a statement, Skaggs’ family said the settlement “brings to a close a difficult six-year process”

The family of Tyler Skaggs has settled a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Angeles after the pro baseball player died from a drug overdose in 2019. 

His family filed the civil suit in June 2021 after the pitcher died of a fentanyl and oxycodone overdose in Texas on July 1, 2019.

Two of the organization’s employees were also named as the family claimed Angels communications director Eric Kay supplied the illicit substances, and former Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead was or should have been aware of Kay’s alleged drug use and distribution of drugs to players on the team.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty

“The death of Tyler Skaggs remains a tragedy, and this trial sheds light on the dangers of opioid use and the devastating effects it can have,” a spokesperson for the Anaheim, Calif.-based Major League Baseball team said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 19.

“Throughout the course of court proceedings, both parties searched for a path to a mutually agreed upon resolution and a confidential settlement has been reached,” the statement concluded.

PEOPLE reached out to Rusty Hardin, the attorney representing the Skaggs family, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

“The Skaggs family has reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six-year process, allowing our families to focus on healing,” the family said in a statement provided to ESPN. 

“We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team. Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory.”

The late athlete’s family was seeking $118 million in potential lost earnings plus added damages, but the exact terms of the settlement have not been made public, according to the outlet.

At the time of his death, the Angels were scheduled to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington in the first game of a four-game series. The game was postponed following Skaggs’ death.

“It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas,” the Angels wrote in a post to its official X account. “Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.”

Los Angeles Angels Starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs (45).

Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty 

On the one-year anniversary of his death, Skaggs’ mother, Debbie Hetman, and his widow Carli spoke out in their first on-camera interview distributed through TMX.news.

“I’m sad all the time. Less numb, but sad, heartbroken that I don’t have my son here,” Hetman said. “It’s not gonna be the anniversary I look forward to ever.”

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Mead left the Angeles before Skaggs’ death to become president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but later resigned from that position in April 2021.

In October 2022, Kay was sentenced to 22 years for his involvement in Skaggs’ fatal overdose.

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By BRITTANY CHAIN, US SENIOR REPORTER and RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and KATELYN CARALLE, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and NICK ALLEN, US NEWS EDITOR (POLITICS)

Updated: 22:55 EST, 19 December 2025

Donald Trump’s Department of Justice on Friday released more than 300,000 pages of photos and evidence connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The vast trove includes images showing the disgraced financier and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell socializing with high-profile figures, including former president Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson.

One photograph appears to show Clinton in a swimming pool alongside Maxwell and several unidentified, partially clothed women.

Clinton broke his silence on Friday to turn the tables on Trump, releasing a statement that declared: ‘The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.’ 

Britain’s disgraced former royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also appears in the material, along with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson. References to Trump are limited in the documents, and he has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the case.

The Department of Justice acknowledged that not all of the documents have yet been released, and said additional material is expected to be unsealed before the end of the year.

The DOJ did not provide any context for the images of people included in the files. Being named or pictured in the files is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing with Epstein. 

The Daily Mail is continuing to review the extensive cache. Follow below as we examine the files and highlight key findings.

Key Epstein updates which emerged in the files today include: 

Bill Clinton’s extraordinary statement over his prominence in Epstein files as he hints he has been made a scapegoat

A spokesperson for former president Bill Clinton has addressed his name and pictures emerging in the Epstein files on Friday afternoon.

‘The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,’ the spokesperson said.

‘This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.

‘So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.

‘Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton,’ the spokesperson added, referencing Wiles’ recent interview with Vanity Fair in which she admitted ‘Trump was wrong’ about there being incriminating evidence against the former Democratic president in the files

‘There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first,’ Clinton’s spokesperson said.

‘No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.’

Breaking:Justice Department releases Epstein files

A trove of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files has been released by the Department of Justice.

The Daily Mail is currently reviewing them and providing updates.

More than 200 DOJ lawyers worked on Epstein file release

The team that reviewed and prepared the documents for public release included more than 200 Justice Department lawyers, according to a DOJ letter sent to Congress.

In that letter, obtained by the Associated Press, Deputy AG Todd Blanche said 187 lawyers from DOJ’s national security division reviewed all the files to determine what should be released.

Then, 25 attorneys, deemed a ‘quality control team,’ worked to ensure that information that personally identified victims was redacted.

Those lawyers came from the DOJ’s Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties and the Office of Information Policy.

Lawyers from the Southern District of New York also reviewed the material to confirm that personal information was appropriately redacted.

Epstein accuser calls for files to be fully released

Marina Lacerda, one of the women who says she survived sexual assault by Epstein, beginning when she was 14 years old, said Friday she wanted to see greater transparency from the Justice Department and expressed frustration that all the files aren’t out yet.

‘Just put out the files,’ she said.

‘And stop redacting names that don’t need to be redacted.’

She said she was skeptical of the administration saying it’s aiming to be transparent.

‘In the beginning, they were calling us a hoax, right?’ she said. ‘Now they’re like, ‘‘We believe you, we’re gonna release the files,’’ but yet you still haven’t released the files and it’s not even fully transparent.’

Epstein files contains receipt for purchase of books about erotic slavery

Epstein purchased two books about erotic slavery in an Amazon receipt released on Friday.

One of the books was titled ‘Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude’, while he second was titled ‘Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners’.

The blurb for the first book reads: ‘The author of Ties That Bind joins forces with a grateful slave to produce this gripping and personal account on the subject of consensual slavery.

‘Philosophical and intense, SlaveCraft dares to delve beneath the surface of D/s relationships and give us an intimate and revealing view from a rare perspective–that of a slave.’

Costumes and sex toys among items found in Epstein lair

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reacts to Bill Clinton photo

By katrina schollenberger

Reposting a photo released from the Epstein document trove of former president Bill Clinton in a hot tub, Karoline Leavitt took to X to react: ‘Oh my!’

Extraordinary letter to Epstein paints ‘all rich people’ as targets

The letter reads, in part: ‘I hate that you got into these mess with these girls over the years.

‘You didn’t put a gun to their heads. But you have to watch it… all rich people are targets in this world.

‘People are going to come at you to get a dollar.’

Pictures emerge of legendary journalist Walter Cronkite speaking with Epstein

Late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite was featured in a series of pictures alongside Epstein released on Friday.

Cronkite’s name was also included in flight logs to Epstein’s private island released earlier this year.

How many Epstein files have been released so far?

By katrina schollenberger

Eerie handwritten notes found in Epstein’s property contained list of billionaires and business magnates

The FBI discovered handwritten notes at one of Epstein’s properties listing the names of several billionaires and business magnates, the newly released DOJ files reveal.

Two pages of notes with ‘Jeffrey E. Epstein’ footers, photographed by FBI agents documenting the inside of his residences, list names including ‘Zuck’, ‘Thiel’, ‘Elon’, ‘Geffen’, ‘Rupert Murdoch’, ‘Slim’ and ‘Pritzker’.

It is unclear why their names appeared on the undated notes.

They appear to refer to billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch, Mexican oil baron Carlos Slim, and media mogul David Geffen.

They are among a batch of files in a briefcase, with a post-it note affixed saying ‘Important papers you asked me to hold on to when you were away’.

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Bill Clinton breaks silence on damning Epstein file photos with blistering accusation about Trump: Live updates

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The NHS has issued a warning for patients prescribed digoxin, urging them to speak to a doctor if they experience more than two common side effects

Digoxin can help treat a number of heart conditions(Image: Getty Images)

Patients taking digoxin are being advised by the NHS to consult their GP if they develop two frequent adverse reactions. Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside medication commonly prescribed for various heart conditions, including erratic heartbeats.

The drug functions by reducing a patient’s heart rate whilst enabling the heart to contract more strongly, consequently making it simpler for the heart to circulate blood throughout the body. When prescribed digoxin for a cardiac condition, you’ll typically receive it as a tablet, liquid, or injection, with the latter usually administered in hospital settings.

Whilst digoxin proves beneficial in managing symptoms of irregular heartbeats, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, it carries several frequent adverse effects. Although many of these reactions may be relatively minor, the NHS has cautioned that experiencing multiple symptoms simultaneously could indicate a more severe condition requiring medical intervention.

Digoxin is generally used to help irregular heartbeats(Image: Getty Images)

The NHS guidance states: “Tell your doctor if you have more than 2 of the common side effects – it means you could have too much digoxin in your blood.”

Side effects of digoxin and when to call a doctor

According to the NHS, common side effects of taking digoxin can include:

• Changes in vision
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Skin rashes

Digoxin may cause a number of side effects(Image: Getty Images)

These side effects typically affect more than one in 100 patients. Whilst you may need to consult a physician regarding these symptoms, they’re generally not severe or life-threatening.

However, the NHS does stress: “It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects after taking digoxin.” Severe reactions can include heart palpitations, feeling dizzy, and struggling to breathe.

In such cases, the NHS recommends dialling 999 or heading straight to A&E. Complete information about digoxin and its potential adverse effects can be found on the NHS website here.

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Who: Villareal vs Barcelona
What: Spain’s La Liga
Where: Estadio de la Ceramica in Villareal, Spain
When: Sunday, December 21, at 4:15pm (15:15 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1215 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Click here to follow our live coverage.

Villarreal has quietly mounted a potential dark horse title campaign through most of the first half of La Liga.

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Now it has a chance to make it official when the “Yellow Submarine” host Barcelona on Sunday.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that could blow the Spanish top flight wide open.

How have Villareal fared in La Liga this season?

The team coached by Marcelino Garcia Toral is in third place, eight points behind leader Barcelona and four behind second-placed Real Madrid. But it has played two fewer games than the powerhouses, so it could easily be in an even stronger position.

Villarreal has disappointed in the Champions League and was eliminated from the Copa del Rey by a lower-division side this week. But La Liga is a different story. Villarreal is on a six-game winning run, and its only two losses have come at Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Marcelino’s men have also turned their La Ceramica stadium into a fortress, conceding a miserly four goals in eight home matches while remaining unbeaten and winning all but one of those league encounters.

How have Barcelona fared in La Liga this season?

The game will pit the league’s top defence in Villarreal, with 13 goals allowed in 17 games, against the league’s top attack. Barcelona has poured in 49 goals in that time – 15 more than closest challengers Real – and more than made up for a sometimes shaky defence by outscoring its opponents.

Barcelona will look to both quash thoughts of a challenge by Villarreal and close 2025 on a high note this weekend.

An eighth consecutive league victory for Lamine Yamal and company would also keep the pressure on a Madrid side which is struggling.

Madrid hosts Sevilla on Saturday, with coach Xabi Alonso in need of a convincing victory before they have the two-week winter break to ponder the team’s future.

What happened in Villareal’s last match?

Adding insult to the injury of Villareal’s difficulties outside of La Liga this season, they suffered a shock 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat to second-tier Racing de Santander on Wednesday.

Their last La Liga match was on December 6, and was a 2-0 home win against Girona. In between those two matches, Villareal also suffered a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Copenhagen in the Champions League.

What happened in Barcelona’s last match?

Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford struck late in the game to hand Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 victory against third-tier side Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.

Their last La Liga match also saw the Catalans pushed to the limit by Osasuna with Raphinha netting twice late in the game to secure a 2-0 win.

What is the secret of Villareal’s La Liga form?

Villarreal has based its success on a team effort with several goal-scorers and playmakers. But left winger Alberto Moleiro stands out. He is having a breakout first season with the team and leads Villarreal with six league goals. Tajon Buchanan has added five goals, and midfielder Santi Comesana helps a solid midfield.

What are Barcelona’s challenges in their La Liga defence?

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has so far succeeded in making a left-side centre-back of Gerard Martin, who struggled to fill in at left back when Alejandro Balde was injured late last season.

Martin has five consecutive starts in the centre of the defensive line as Flick tries to find a replacement for Inigo Martínez, who left earlier in the year for Saudi Arabia. Martin may be tested by Villarreal’s attack.

What happened to La Liga’s plan to play Villareal-Barcelona in Miami?

The Sunday showdown was originally earmarked for Miami until La Liga’s international expansion plans collapsed under heavy criticism, forcing the cancellation of what would have been the first European league match played abroad.

What happened the last time Villareal played Barcelona?

Villareal were 3-2 winners in the La Liga clash in May at Barcelona in the side’s last encounter, although the home side had already secured the league title five days previous to the match.

The away side took the lead through Ayoze Perez after only four minutes, but Yamal and Fermin Lopez turned the game in Barca’s favour before the break. Villareal were not done, however, with Santi Comesana levelling in the 50th minute before Tajon Buchanan scored the winner 10 minutes from time.

What happened in the corresponding fixture between Villareal and Barcelona last season?

The first meeting between the sides last season resulted in a 5-1 drubbing as Barcelona ran amok at in Villareal.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha both netted braces either side of Pedro Torre’s strike. Perez was also on the scoresheet in this match for the home side, but it proved only to be a consolation.

Head-to-head

This is the 55th meeting between the sides, with Barcelona winning 33 of the matches and Villarreal emerging victorious on 11 occasions.

Villareal have won their last two trips to Barcelona, but the Catalan club have the same record from their last two games at La Ceramica.

Villareal team news

Villarreal received a timely boost as veterans Gerard Moreno and Dani Parejo returned to training on Tuesday and should be available to face Barcelona.

Pape Gueye and Ilias Akhomach, however, are away with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Pau Cabanes is a definite injury absentee, while Thomas Partey, Gerard Moreno, Willy Kambwala and Santiago Mourino must prove their fitness before the match.

Barcelona team news

Dani Olmo and Gavi are both absent due to injuries, while Ronald Araujo is set to miss the game due to personal reasons.

Pedri missed training on Friday due to a calf strain, making him a major doubt for the match.

Predicted Villareal lineup

Luiz Junior; Navarro, Foyth, Veiga, Cardona; Buchanan, Comesana, Parejo, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze

Predicted Barcelona lineup

Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Rashford; Torres

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Now-Again Records

WITCH was one of Zamrock’s most popular acts in the 1970s

Artists and music fans from around the world have been rediscovering the 1970s sound of Zambia known as Zamrock in recent years, and now one of the country’s biggest stars is embracing it, hoping to give it a fresh twist.

When devising her third studio album, Sampa the Great looked to the niche, brief musical movement that ignited her birth country more than 50 years ago.

“We were looking for a sound and a voice that was so post-colonial. And Zamrock was that sound – that sound of new freedom, that sound of boldness,” the Zambian-born, Botswanan-raised rapper – who has performed at the likes of Glastonbury, Coachella and the Sydney Opera House – told the BBC.

Zamrock – with its heady blend of psychedelic rock and traditional Zambian sounds – rears its head on Can’t Hold Us, the first single to be released from Sampa’s upcoming album.

Fuzz guitars thrust the song forwards, as 32-year-old Sampa, full name Sampa Tembo, defiantly raps: “They don’t have the guts to match my prowess.”

And she’s not the only contemporary artist who has been digging through Zamrock’s dusty crates. In the past few years US hitmakers Travis Scott, Yves Tumour and Tyler, the Creator have sampled tracks from Ngozi Family, Amanaz and WITCH – all popular bands in Zamrock’s 1970s heyday.

Zamrock can also be heard on our screens – HBO superhero series Watchmen and Emmy-winner Ted Lasso have incorporated songs from the genre in their soundtracks.

It is an unexpected resurgence, especially given that in its heyday, Zamrock never really left the African continent.

Sampa the Great thinks Zamrock’s resurgence will be “huge”

The movement emerged in the 1970s, in a Zambia recently broken free from its British colonisers. The nation was basking in an economic boom and President Kenneth Kaunda had enforced a “Zambia first” policy which, among many other things, meant 95% of the music played by radio stations had to be of Zambian origin.

The groundwork was laid for young creatives to forge a bold, distinctly Zambian musical identity.

“We were influenced by rock bands like Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown,” says WITCH frontman Emmanuel Chanda, better known as Jagari, after Mick Jagger.

“But we were Africans. We wanted to play like those rock bands but then the African aspect was also calling: ‘You can’t leave me behind’.”

In the 1970s, Zambia’s recording studios were rudimentary and there was no established recording industry. Regardless, Zamrock thrived.

Musicians illuminated stages with bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes and colourful headbands. WITCH, an acronym for We Intend To Cause Havoc, lived up to their name, with fans clamouring outside sold-out venues, hoping to watch marathon shows that sometimes lasted from 19:00 to 02:00.

“The fact that they mixed traditional music with psychedelic rock in a conservative country… and to be able to do that and be loud about it – it was something very bold to do in the 70s, let alone now,” says Sampa – who was pleased to recently discover that her uncle, “Groovy” George Kunda, was a founding member of WITCH.

But for all of its impact, Zamrock could not last. The genre crumbled after roughly a decade, when Zambia was hit with a series of crises. The price of copper, Zambia’s main export, plummeted, leading to an economic decline that diminished the ability to tour, record and buy music.

Musical piracy also hit Zamrockers, as bootleggers made money by copying and selling their music.

And from the 1980s, the country was badly hit by the HIV/Aids crisis, which led to the deaths of many musicians. Five of WITCH’s founding members died from Aids.

Zamrock lay dormant for decades. Its surviving founders returned to civilian life – Jagari went to work in the mines to support his family.

WireImage via Getty Images

Tyler, the Creator had high praise for Zamrock’s Ngozi Family, who he sampled in his 2024 single Noid

But in the early 2010s, seemingly out of nowhere, record collectors in the West caught on to the genre.

US-based label Now-Again Records played a significant part in Zamrock’s revival, sourcing and reissuing albums from some of the genre’s biggest names.

“I wasn’t sure if it had a market. I was just sure that it was very cool,” Now-Again label boss Eothen “Egon” Alapatt tells the BBC.

“I figured: ‘If I’m curious about this, there’s probably other people who are curious about this’.”

Vinyl enthusiasts rushed to buy original Zamrock records, which only exist in small numbers, and their value naturally spiked.

“I started getting a lot of requests for original Zamrock records, and I didn’t understand why people were so interested,” says Duncan Sodala, a Zamrock fan and the owner of Time Machine, a record store in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.

Mr Sodala went online and was “shocked” to find that records pressed in the 1970s were selling for between $100 (£74) and $1,000 (£740).

In 2011, Now-Again Records released a compilation of WITCH’s music. The ensuing buzz led to a reincarnation of the band, featuring Jageri and Patrick Mwondela from WITCH’s old days, and a number of younger European musicians.

WITCH have since released two albums, starred in a documentary, played at the iconic Glastonbury Festival and toured outside Africa – something the original band never managed to achieve.

“It’s like a new lease on life I never expected at my advanced age,” 74-year-old Jagari says on a call from New Zealand, the final stop on WITCH’s 2025 world tour.

“In Munich, there was crowd surfing, which I had never done before.”

Though Jagari is thrilled by a second chance to play Zamrock, new opportunities are a reminder of his sorely missed bandmates.

“There are times that I wish the whole band, the original line-up, was there to showcase what it was like in the beginning,” he says.

The crowds at WITCH’s shows, comprising fans young and old, are proof of Zamrock’s fresh appeal.

Redferns/Getty Images

Jagari and the new version of WITCH played Glastonbury earlier this year

Other Zamrockers are also being rediscovered – Tyler, the Creator, who sampled the Ngozi Family song 45,000 Volts on his 2024 track Noid, called the band “incredible”.

“The whole country was just doing some, really, really good stuff,” he told popular interviewer Nardwuar.

Go-to hip-hop producer Madlib and Mike D of the Beastie Boys have also voiced admiration for the genre, while Third Man Records, the label co-owned by blues-rocker Jack White, has released a recording of live WITCH music.

Egon believes Zamrock’s surprise popularity is down to its exuberance. He also suggests that the genre was initially boosted by record collectors, as a lot of its songs are in English.

“There was a tremendous bias amongst collectors of rock and roll music from around the world against music in the native language of the country that it was created,” he says.

Sodala, on the other hand, thinks Zamrock’s newer fans are drawn to the music’s “innocence”.

“I think people listen to it and feel how genuine it is,” he says.

Although the record-store owner welcomes Western artists sampling Zamrock, he feels the genre risks being reduced to curated snippets.

“I think this is the reason why an artist like Sampa is very important – because she doesn’t want [Zamrock] to be known just for the samples,” he says.

“I think there is a fear that if we are not loud about Zamrock’s origins, we may be taken out of the equation. The more we think about that, the more we want to be loud about where it comes from.”

Although the likes of hip-hop and R&B enjoy great popularity in Zambia, numerous young artists from the country – like Stasis Prey, Vivo and Sampa the Great collaborator Mag 44 – have also been experimenting with the genre.

Lusaka restaurant Bo’jangles set up an annual Zamrock Festival three years ago and the city’s Modzi Arts institution has established a small museum dedicated to the genre.

Sampa says her upcoming album, which does not yet have a release date, falls into a genre she calls “nu Zamrock”.

Although she has experimented with Zamrock before, this time its rhythms will run through her entire album, mixed with other influences like hip-hop.

“I think Zamrock’s resurgence will be something that is really huge,” she says.

In New Zealand, Jagari is elated that Sampa and her counterparts are running with the genre he helped birth.

“The fire has been lit,” he says. “It’s up to the younger generation to put more firewood to it and let the flames burn.”

More BBC stories on African music:

Getty Images/BBC



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NEED TO KNOW

• Rosie O’Donnell offered a glimpse into her friendship with Tom Cruise
• The Hollywood actor has gifted the former talk show host every holiday and birthday for 30 years
• “He is the only person who never misses my birthday,” she previously said of the star

Rosie O’Donnell can always count on Tom Cruise during the holidays.

On Friday, Dec. 19, the former talk show host, 63, showed off a Christmas card sent to her by the Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning star, also 63, while noting that the thoughtful gesture is something that happens annually. 

“never misses a christmas or my birthday- thank u tom ❤️ – merry christmas to u,” O’Donnell captioned an Instagram post with a photo of the card. 

She added the hashtag, “#30yearsstrong,” along with a red heart emoji.

“Dear Rosie, Warmest wishes to you this holiday season,” read the card, which was signed “Tom Cruise.”

“That’s awesome! I’ll never forget the final scene of your show….Tom mowing your lawn….lol,” one person wrote in the comment section, a nod to a bit he participated in on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, which ended in 2002.

Loni Love also chimed in, adding, “One day I’m gonna get a cake from him!!!!!”

On Dec. 2, 2022, O’Donnell shared another gift from the Top Gun movie star to social media.

“my tommy sent me a coconut cake !! i love that guy,” she captioned a single photo Instagram post of the sweet treat packaged in a box. Attached was a note card with the same message as Friday’s, except this one had her name handwritten beside the “To” in gold ink.

The Flintstones actress has spoken about their unconventional friendship in the past, admitting that despite the annual tradition, the two aren’t very close. 

Rosie O’Donnell; gift from Tom Cruise.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage; Rosie O’Donnell/Instagram

“He is the only person who never misses my birthday. In knowing him for 25 years now, he has never missed my birthday or an event in my life,” O’Donnell said on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show in June 2021. “Now, I don’t know him enough to go, ‘Hey, Tommy, it’s Ro, the Scientology thing — can we chat?’ Like, that’s not my relationship with Tom Cruise. I don’t have his home phone number.”

“I know people think in Hollywood and celebrity [that] everybody knows each other, but I know him in the way that I did in that time 25 years ago,” she added. “But every year, I think what a classy guy he is that he never has forgotten my birthday.”

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O’Donnell continued, “A lot of people say to me it’s just his secretary, but I don’t believe that. I think he knows in early March, ‘Oh, it’s Rosie’s birthday coming up,’ and he sends me something. Every single year for 25 years.”

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A top Putin general linked to the Salisbury poisonings has been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in the Mediterranean, according to reports.

General Andrey Averyanov, head of the Covert Operations Unit that orchestrated the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, is believed to have been on board the Russian tanker that was blown up by Ukrainian drones on Friday.

Averyanov is linked to some of Russia’s most notorious covert operations abroad, including the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023 and a deadly explosion in the Czech Republic in 2014. 

A report on a pro-Ukraine platform said: ‘According to preliminary (unconfirmed) data, General of the GRU Andrey Averyanov, along with several of his deputies, was already eliminated with the ship.’

Ukrainian reports also stated that Averyanov frequently travelled across Europe on Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers for his covert operations, the Sun reported. 

He is believed to have been among other senior Moscow officials on board the tanker.  

On Friday, Ukraine struck a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker with drones in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. 

The cargo ship was sailing in an undisclosed location around 1,243 miles from Ukraine’s borders when it was hit in a ‘new, unprecedented special operation’, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine said.

Andrey Averyanov (pictured) was a top Putin general linked to various covert operations overseas, including the Salisbury poisonings in 2018 and the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin

The attack on the Russian tanker, called Qendil, was the first of its kind by Ukraine in the Mediterranean  

The source claimed that the tanker, called the Qendil, had ‘sustained critical damage and cannot be used for its intended purpose’. 

The explosive attack on the empty vessel was the first of its kind in the Mediterranean and a dramatic development in the near four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. 

Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine published black and white footage, purportedly showing the tanker being struck with explosives. 

The attack was announced by Kyiv while Vladimir Putin was taking part in his marathon end-of-year news conference and will be interpreted as a major embarrassment for the Russian President. 

Estimated to include up to 1,000 ships, which frequently change their flags and whose ownership is unclear, Russia’s shadow fleet enabled Moscow to keep exporting its crude oil for much-needed revenue despite curbs on exports.

Experts and several European leaders also believe some vessels have been used by Russia to conduct hybrid warfare across the continent. 

Averyanov was head of Russia’s GRU Unit 29155, which carries out foreign operations ordered by Putin and has been linked to many assassinations, including the Salisbury poisonings in March 2018.

Wiltshire was rocked when Kremlin spies allegedly attempted to murder former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, 68, in Salisbury. 

Military personnel wearing protective suits during investigations into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal on March 11, 2018 in Salisbury

44-year-old Dawn Sturgess (left) was killed after being poisoned by Novichok, which was on  perfume bottled gifted to her by her partner Charlie Rowley, 45 (right)

Both he and his then 33-year-old daughter Yulia were rushed to hospital in critical condition after coming into contact with Novichok – a deadly nerve agent concocted by Soviet scientists during the Cold War. 

While they both survived the suspected attempted murder, four months later British national Dawn Sturgess, 44, was killed after coming into contact with the perfume bottle containing a deadly nerve agent. 

It is also alleged that General Averyanov’s unit was also ordered by Putin in 2015 to stage a coup in Montenegro, which failed, according to intelligence sources who also blame the unit for a campaign to destabilise Moldova and the poisoning of Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev in 2015.  

In response to the Ukrainian drone attack, Russia launched missiles on a port near Odessa in Ukraine on Friday evening, killing seven and injuring 15.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram: ‘In the late evening, Russia ‍attacked ‍port infrastructure in Odesa region with ballistic missiles.

‘According to preliminary ⁠information, seven people were killed. About 15 were injured ‍and are ⁠receiving help.’  

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