Mount Semeru, in East Java, Indonesia, has been on a high level active alert for several years. The eruption has left torrents of mud flowing through towns



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The earliest publicly known survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse has told Sky News there was a “wilful blindness” about the young women and children around him – as she claimed the US Department of Justice (DoJ) had “broken the law” with the Epstein files.

Warning: This article contains details of sexual assault.

In 1991, Jess Michaels, then a 22-year-old professional dancer, was introduced to Epstein by a roommate who said he had a “fabulous experience” with the financier.

They met twice, with the first meeting being an interview at his office in Madison Avenue for a role as a masseuse.

During their second meeting at Epstein’s penthouse, she said he raped her.

Speaking to Sky News presenter Barbara Serra, Ms Michaels said that while she did not meet anyone else in connection with the convicted sex offender, “the volume of wilful blindness and blatant disregard for the protection of the young women and the children” that were “very obviously around Jeffrey Epstein” was “horrific”.

Three months after her encounter with Epstein, Ms Michaels said she left New York “because of the anxiety and the insomnia”.

Six months after, she said she could “pull a pair of size zero jeans down off of my hips because I was really struggling to even eat properly”, and noted that a friend remembered she “just slept all the time”.

Image:
Jess Michaels said Epstein raped her when she was 22 in 1991. Pic: Reuters

‘That didn’t even get us justice’

Speaking almost 35 years after her ordeal and days after the release of thousands of files relating to Epstein, Ms Michaels said her mission now “is that nothing like this happens again and that we change something”.

However, the White House has come under heavy criticism as only a fraction of the files have so far been released, with many heavily redacted and some disappearing after being uploaded.

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What was in the new Epstein files?

When asked how she felt about the latest release, Ms Michaels noted that the Epstein Transparency Act, signed by Donald Trump in November, required the DoJ to release all files by 19 December.

“The US Department of Justice has broken the law,” she said. “Blatantly so. So sometimes I hear from people or journalists, ‘so how do you feel? what comes up next?’ I actually don’t care.”

She added the DoJ had “proved the point of why we needed to get an Act of Congress to actually listen to us and try to get justice. And that didn’t even get us justice.”

Ms Michaels later said “it’s not unexpected”, and said it marked the “exact same treatment we have received across five administrations”.

It is important to note that inclusion in Epstein files does not infer any wrongdoing.

Image:
Pic: Reuters

‘What do you expect us to do?’

Ms Michaels said she had been looking for her own statement she made to the FBI about Epstein, and said many survivors “want to hear the FBI tipline recordings because it proves the volume of victims that did come forward that maybe got disregarded”.

In the wake of Epstein’s arrest in 2019, the FBI set up a telephone number for any information on his crimes. However, Ms Michaels said she “initially got disregarded” when she rang.

“When they called back in 2019, the officer said to me, ‘Well, we have to call everyone back, but it was 30 years ago. What do you expect us to do about it now?'”

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Epstein survivor demands release of ‘all’ files

Ms Michaels said she has not been able to find any information on her call to the FBI in the files released, and said it is “extremely frustrating because we don’t know how to easily search this database”.

She also noted that despite being told her statement was going to be used in Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 sex trafficking trial, “I never heard a word” and that “the lack of statement proves the negligence we’ve been saying all along”.

Ms Michaels is the earliest victim of Epstein to have come forward with her experience.

Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Read more:
Victims express shock and outrage over incomplete release of files
The links between Epstein and the UK revealed in new files

He did not face prosecution for crimes relating to the sexual abuse of young girls until the 2000s. He was later arrested in Florida on state felony charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute in 2006.

An FBI investigation also found dozens of women had accused the financier of sexual assault, and it looked likely that the 53-page federal indictment built against him would see him face a lengthy prison sentence.

Epstein instead agreed to a plea deal and was convicted on those state charges, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was registered as a sex offender.

Read more: The mysterious life and death of Epstein

At the time of his death, Epstein was being held in custody on charges related to running a sex-trafficking scheme that involved dozens of underage girls.

He had pleaded not guilty and faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

Epstein was specifically accused of using his private jet, nicknamed the Lolita Express, to shuttle girls as young as 14 between his lavish residences in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005.

In a post on X, US attorney general Pam Bondi said the DoJ would “bring charges against anyone involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims”.

“We reaffirm this commitment, and ask any victim to please come forward with any information pertaining to any individuals who engaged in illicit activity at their expense,” she said.

“We have met with many victims and victims groups, and will continue to do so if more reach out. Please contact myself, DAG Blanche, or the FBI and we will investigate immediately. We believe in the equal standard of justice in this country and will ensure that Justice is served.”

The US deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, said the justice department was continuing to review the remaining Epstein files and was withholding some documents under exemptions meant to protect victims.

“The only redactions being applied to the documents are those required by law – full stop. Consistent with the statute and applicable laws, we are not redacting the names of individuals or politicians unless they are a victim,” the justice department said, quoting Mr Blanche in a post on X.

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Three people arrested in connection with suspected theft of items worth between 15,000 and 40,000 euros.

Published On 21 Dec 202521 Dec 2025

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France’s presidential silverware keeper and two other men are set to stand trial over the alleged theft of porcelain and other tableware worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecution office has said.

Prosecutors said the silverware keeper Thomas M and ‍his partner Damien G were arrested on suspicion of theft on Tuesday. Another man, Ghislain M, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. Their full names were not given due ‍to French ⁠privacy customs.

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The Elysee, the president’s official residence, had reported the disappearance of silverware and tableware pieces used for state dinners and other events, with the ⁠value of the missing items estimated between 15,000 and 40,000 euros ($17,500 and $46,800), the ​prosecution office said.

Interviews with presidential staff pointed suspicions at Thomas M, whose suspected downward inventory adjustments appeared to anticipate future thefts, prosecutors said.

They said about 100 objects were discovered in Thomas M’s personal locker, his vehicle and home, including copper pots, Sevres porcelain and Baccarat champagne glasses.

Investigators found an air force-stamped ​plate and ashtrays that Thomas M was selling on the online marketplace Vinted, prosecutors said, items that are not available to the general public. ‌

The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing moveable property listed as part of the national heritage – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro ($175,000) fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.

The trial was postponed to February 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.

French paper Le Parisien, which first reported the case, said Ghislain M worked as a guard at the Louvre museum, citing his lawyer as ‌saying that his client’s motivation for his suspected involvement was his “passion” for rare antique goods.

In October, the museum experienced its own robbery when thieves disguised as construction workers ‌stole priceless pieces from France’s crown jewels, prompting a debate about security standards at the country’s landmarks.

The Sevres porcelain factory, one of the Elysee’s main suppliers, identified a ‍number of items on auction websites, prosecutors said, adding that some items had been returned.

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More than 800 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday, a record for a day in December, according to the Home Office.

December is traditionally one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, as a combination of low temperatures and stormy weather makes the journey particularly difficult. Poor visibility and less daylight have also been cited as factors influencing the crossings.

The most arrivals recorded in December was 3,254 in 2024; 2,163 people have arrived so far this month.

The arrivals on Saturday bring the total number of people who have crossed the Channel this year to 41,455. The record annual total was 45,755 in 2022.

The data showed 803 people across 13 dinghies from northern France had made the journey from overnight on Friday into Saturday, the largest number since 8 October when 1,075 crossed in a day.

A Border Force vessel was seen on Saturday morning bringing people into Dover, Kent. The previous night, a number of boats were witnessed leaving the shores of France.

The French maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said 151 people had been rescued by authorities over the weekend and taken back to French shores.

The UK government has said it is continuing efforts to grasp the “upstream” causes of the migration crisis, including through work with neighbouring countries.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of small boat crossings is shameful and the British people deserve better. This government is taking action. We have removed almost 50,000 people who were here illegally, and our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.”

France recently indicated it planned to halt small boats at sea before they pick people up heading for the UK, after pressure from Keir Starmer.

Germany passed a law this week that could see people smugglers face up to 10 years in prison for trying to bring individuals to the UK. The law, which will come into force before the end of the year, aims to give more powers to law enforcement and prosecutors, and to boost information sharing between the UK and Germany.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that France planned to build a new aircraft carrier.

The vessel is to replace the Charles de Gaulle carrier, which is expected to retire by 2038.

It comes as European countries aim to bolster their militaries against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and with Paris seeking to enhance its projection as a maritime power.

France wants to replace its nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier (pictured) by 2038 [FILE: March 1, 2022]Image: Petros Karadjias/AP Photo/picture alliance

What do we know about France’s PANG program?

The program, dubbed the New Generation Aircraft Carrier (PANG), is predicted to cost around €10.25 billion ($12 billion).

The vessel is to be able to house some 30 fighter jets and 2,000 crew members and is planned to stand at 310 meters (1,007 feet) long and 85 meters wide, making it far larger than the Charles de Gaule carrier.

Macron made the announcement at a French military base in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE is a major purchaser of French military hardware and the nearby Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway for global energy deliveries.

“In times of aggression, we must be strong to be feared. I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier,” Macron said.

“The decision to launch this vast program was taken this week,” he said.

France hails ‘centerpiece’ of maritime power projection

Army Minister Catherine Vautrin said in a post on X that the vessel would be a “centerpiece” of the French military.

“A future centerpiece of our armed forces, it will ensure power projection from the high seas, with commissioning planned for 2038,” she said.

France, the only European Union member state with nuclear weapons, is the only country besides the US to operate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

The other European countries that operate aircraft carriers are the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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Israel’s national intelligence chief warns that Iran, ISIS and other jihadist actors remain determined to target Jews worldwide, as senior intelligence officials sound the alarm on a sharp global rise in terrorism.

Speaking days after the Hanukkah massacre in Australia, Mossad Director David Barnea said Israel’s spy agency would find “those who sent them wherever they flee, and we will hold them to account,” adding that “justice will be done and justice will be seen.”

Barnea said the attack in Sydney reflects a broader and ongoing threat. “The criminal idea of terrorism targeting innocent civilians has been and remains a cornerstone of the security strategy of the current Iranian regime,” he said. He warned that “jihadist elements, ISIS and others, have also resolved to target every Jew in the world.”

“Our hearts are with the families of the Australian victims,” Barnea said. He added that the goal of such attacks is to break Jewish resilience, but stressed, “Our spirit will not be broken. We will continue to celebrate our holidays and live our lives in Israel and around the world.”

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: AUSTRALIA PAYS PRICE FOR CODDLING EXTREMISTS

David Barnea, the head of the Israeli Mossad, vowed to relentlessly pursue those responsible for the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)

The comments came as Australian and international authorities continue investigating the attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. Australian officials have said the shooters were inspired by Islamic State ideology, and homemade ISIS banners were found inside their vehicle.

The recent attack has also fueled calls in Washington for a tougher counterterrorism posture. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital, “We must stay on offense and never return to the weak policies. Under President Trump, American strength is back, and terrorists know it. Iran’s nuclear program was crippled, ISIS’s leadership was crushed, and a clear message was sent: If you threaten Americans, you will be eliminated.”

A masked Islamic State terrorist poses holding the ISIS flag in 2015. (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Bondi attack followed months of warnings from Israeli intelligence that Jewish communities and Western nations face an expanding terror threat driven by Iran-linked networks alongside Sunni jihadist groups. Senior Israeli intelligence sources previously told Fox News Digital that the Mossad had alerted Australian authorities about Iranian-linked terror activity long before the attack and stressed the danger was not confined to a single country.

“Today it’s ISIS. Tomorrow it’s Iran,” one senior Israeli intelligence official said, describing a threat environment in which multiple extremist actors are operating in parallel and often overlapping arenas.

SURVIVING AUSTRALIA TERROR SUSPECT SLAPPED WITH CHARGES IN WAKE OF DEADLY ATTACK

People add to a floral tribute at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)

The official added that Israeli intelligence has identified or disrupted similar activity across Europe, Africa and Asia, including alleged plots involving Germany, Austria, South America, India and Thailand. “If you knew how many terror attacks the Mossad has prevented, you would drop your jaw,” the source said.

Barnea also warned that Iran’s use of terrorism is inseparable from its broader strategic ambitions, including its nuclear program. He said Tehran “will sprint toward nuclear weapons the moment it is able to,” and that “the idea of developing a nuclear bomb is still alive in their hearts.”

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A French riot policeman stands guard outside the Paris Synagogue, two days after security measures have been reinforced near Jewish temples and schools, on Oct. 9, 2023. (Julien De Rosa /AFP via Getty Images)

Barnea said Israel has a responsibility to ensure that Iran’s nuclear project, which he said has been severely damaged through close cooperation with the United States, is never revived.

As investigations continue in Australia, Israeli intelligence officials say the Bondi Beach attack fits a broader global pattern of terrorism driven by both Iranian-backed networks and jihadist ideology, reinforcing Barnea’s warning that the threat remains active, adaptive and global.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.

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Australia’s prime minister was booed at a ceremony mourning the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney on Sunday.

Two gunmen, a father and son, killed 15 people when they opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration on the first day of the eight-day Jewish holiday on 13 December.

The federal and New South Wales state governments declared Sunday a national Day of Reflection, with thousands of mourners gathered under tight police security at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.

Anthony Albanese was among the dignitaries at the commemoration that drew more than 10,000 people. The crowd booed Mr Albanese when his presence was acknowledged. Opposition leader Sussan Ley, who had said that a conservative government led by her would reverse a decision made by Mr Albanese’s centre-left Labour Party government this year to recognise a Palestinian state, was cheered.

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Anthony Albanese at the vigil on Sunday in Sydney (Getty)

Mr Albanese has ordered a review of the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies following the devastating attack. He said the review will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies had the correct powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe.

“The Isis-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond,” the prime minister said in a statement, adding that the review would conclude by the end of April.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said victims’ families felt “tragically, unforgivably let down” by government failures to combat a growth in antisemitism in Australia since the war between Israel and Hamas began in 2023.

“I’ve spent time with the families of the victims. They’re just in a bewildered state. They’re still in shock. They don’t know what to do with themselves, let alone contemplate moving forward and healing,” Mr Ryvchin said.

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The father, centre, of 10-year-old victim Matilda, lights a candle on Sunday (AFP/Getty)

“There’s a lot of anger in the community now as well. I think we’re cycling through the various emotions, the various stages, and there’s a real feeling of having been let down and betrayed. And the community wants answers and we want change,” he added.

Images of the victims, aged 10 to 87, were projected at the commemoration. “Waltzing Matilda” was sung in honour of the youngest victim, whose Ukrainian parents gave their Australian-born daughter what they described as the most Australian name they knew.

A widely acclaimed hero of the massacre, Ahmed al Ahmed, sent a message of support from his hospital bed. The Syrian-born immigrant was shot after wrestling a shotgun from one of the gunmen.

“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted. Today I stand with you, my brothers and sisters,” he said.

His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, was invited to light a candle on the Jewish candelabrum known as a menorah on the final night of Hanukkah.

Health department authorities said 13 of those wounded at Bondi remain in Sydney hospitals.

They include alleged gunman Naveed Akram, 24, who was shot by police. He has been charged with 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to those wounded.

His father Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene.

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Ahmed al Ahmed recovers in hospital (NSW Premier’s Department)

“This has to be the nadir of antisemitism in our country,” New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip told the crowd at Bondi Beach. “This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness.”

Indigenous leaders held a traditional smoking ceremony on Sunday morning at the waterfront Bondi Pavilion, where an impromptu memorial has grown over the past week.

Rabbi Levi Wolff said: “Australians appreciate that this is an attack that wasn’t just against the Jewish people – we’re an easy target – but this is an attack on the Australian values and they will come here and they will stand together with us shoulder-to-shoulder as they have over the last week to tell the people in this country that there is no tolerance for hate. Violence has no place in our beautiful country.”

A day after the attack, an emergency meeting of federal and state leaders committed to tightening national gun laws with measures including limiting the number of guns an individual can own. Sajid Akram legally owned six guns, including two shotguns and two bolt-action rifles used at Bondi.

The New South Wales state parliament will sit on Monday to debate new hate speech and gun draft laws.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Kyle Chrisley has been arrested in Tennessee for multiple charges, including domestic assault and public intoxication
• The 34-year-old son of Todd and Julie Chrisley was arrested by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 20, according to TMZ
• Kyle and his wife sued Rutherford County and two sheriff deputies back in August

Kyle Chrisley has been arrested in Tennessee on multiple charges, including domestic assault and public intoxication. 

The 34-year-old son of Todd and Julie Chrisley was arrested by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, Dec. 20, at around 7 p.m. local time, according to TMZ. He was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center that same night.

The outlet reported that Kyle has been charged with domestic assault, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, assaulting a first responder, resisting arrest and retaliation for past actions.

PEOPLE reached out to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for additional information on Sunday, Dec. 21, but did not receive an immediate response.

Kyle Chrisley mugshot from September 2024.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department

Back in August, Kyle and his wife, Ashleigh, sued Rutherford County and two sheriff’s deputies over his September 2024 aggravated assault arrest.

In court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time, attorneys for the Chrisley Knows Best star and his wife claimed Kyle was unfairly arrested and “punished for calling for help.”

“Our hopes for this lawsuit are accountability and change because no family should have to endure what the Chrisley family endured in this terrifying scenario,” Kyle’s lawyer, Wesley Clark of Brazil Clark, PLLC, said in a statement to PEOPLE.

The lawsuit alleged that, on Sept. 9, 2024, “a disgruntled mechanic, angry over a payment dispute, showed up uninvited, kicked at their doors, threatened violence, and used his car as a weapon by ramming their SUV and nearly running Kyle over in front of multiple neighbors.”

Deputies from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office “didn’t arrest the man who caused the chaos,” the lawsuit claimed. “Instead, they arrested Kyle Chrisley, and ignored clear evidence that he was the victim, not the aggressor.” 

The filing claimed that Kyle and Ashleigh “bring this lawsuit because no family should face criminal charges or threats of arrest for defending themselves at home or for exercising their constitutional rights. This is a case about false arrest, excessive force and retaliation for trying to hold police officers accountable.”

Kyle Chrisley.
Todd Chrisley/instagram

The lawsuit stated that Kyle suffered humiliation and damage to his public reputation, pain and suffering, mental suffering and emotional distress, and economic losses due to the arrest.

Attorneys requested a jury trial and $1.7 million in damages, in addition to attorney fees.

Kyle was previously arrested for alleged felony aggravated assault in March 2023 following a physical altercation with a supervisor while working at a truck rental company in Smyrna, Tenn.

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Kyle’s latest arrest comes after his parents were pardoned by President Donald Trump.

The pardons put an end to a legal saga, which led to the pair being indicted on 12 counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy and later convicted and sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison in November 2022.

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This is the moment a vicious brawl erupted at Winter Wonderland in the latest episode of violence at the festive funfair. 

Footage uploaded to TikTok shows two males throwing punches at each other inside the event’s packed Bavarian Village in London’s Hyde Park. 

One appears to stumble to the floor amid a flurry of fists from a group of people. The camera then pans to another area where a group of young men are embroiled in another brawl. 

Shocked onlookers watched as they rained down punches. One appeared to lash out with a series of kicks while looking down at the floor before a team of security guards finally intervened to stop the carnage.

The Daily Mail has contacted Winter Wonderland and Met Police for comment. 

It comes just a week after the event was marred by a fight that saw a woman punched unconscious. 

Winter Wonderland has been criticised as overcrowded and overpriced, and was last week named Europe’s most complained-about festive attraction. 

It is not the first time the event has descended into violence, with children left screaming after another fight three years ago.

Footage uploaded to TikTok shows two males throwing punches at each other inside the Winter Wonderland’s packed Bavarian Village in London’s Hyde Park

The camera then pans to another area where a group of young men are embroiled in another brawl before security steps in

Defenders of the annual gathering will point out that it generates an estimated £100million for the London economy – while raising vital funds for the city’s Royal Parks.

But for critics, it has become a real-life Nightmare Before Christmas, with some calling for it to be stopped.

Last week, footage emerged of a woman being punched to the ground amid a mass brawl. 

Ryan, who was attending Winter Wonderland with friends, filmed the harrowing video in London.

He claimed the fight started after one man accused another of ‘touching his missus’.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘So we were in the Bavarian beer garden beer hall and then it closed at 10, and everyone was asked to leave as normal.

‘When we exited, they’d created a gated alleyway with a construction fence which created a huge bottleneck.

‘It wasn’t even that busy but then all of a sudden, there’s about a couple thousand people in this one area, and just at a standstill. And then security had locked themselves outside of the gate, which is when the fight broke out.

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Should Winter Wonderland continue despite repeated violence, or has it lost its festive spirit?

It comes just a week after the event was marred by a fight that saw a woman punched unconscious 

‘Everyone was very drunk, you could tell something was going to happen.’

He continued: ‘It was really lawless and chaotic and there were families with children as well.

‘I go every year, and I’ve never seen anything like that.’

A spokesman for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said the incident had been ‘managed promptly by on-site security, with police present’. 

‘There was no impact on the wider event and no serious injuries reported,’ they said. 

Winter Wonderland has seen trouble in the past, with a 22-year-old man injured last year after an alleged acid attack.

Scotland Yard launched an investigation and has arrested two men aged 21 and 18 along with a 16-year-old boy, all on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Winter Wonderland bosses described the attack as an ‘isolated incident involving a corrosive substance during an altercation between a small group’.

The 2022 iteration of the event appears to have been particularly troubled, with one person ‘stabbed in the neck’ outside the attraction and two men fighting each other outside a chicken stall.

In a separate incident, a ride malfunctioned with two people trapped inside.

Three years prior, there was another vicious brawl that saw one attendee put the other in a chokehold.

With around three million people attending Winter Wonderland every year, its organisers would point out that the vast majority do not become victims of crime.

The most recent figures show 127 crimes were reported to police from the event in 2021/22.

A spokesman for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said last week: ‘The safety of our visitors and staff is our top priority and aggressive or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated.

‘Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is a large-scale seasonal event, welcoming around three million visits over a six-week period, and we work closely with the Metropolitan Police and relevant authorities to ensure security and crowd-management measures are as robust as possible.

‘The vast majority of our guests have a positive experience. As with any event of this scale, there can occasionally be instances of antisocial behaviour.’

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Video shared on TikTok appeared to show a large number of people involved in fights as violence broke out in the Bavarian Village beer hall at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland

18:34, 21 Dec 2025Updated 18:47, 21 Dec 2025

Winter Wonderland descended into a mass brawl in beer tent(Image: @iamlaurette/TikTok)

A TikTok video has showed the moment a mass brawl broke out inside the beer tent at London’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

The clip shows multiple fights underway in a bavarian-style beer hall at the annual Christmas event, with each one appearing to involve several people as horrified guests look on. That included the person who shot the video, who captioned it: “POV: your first time in WWL and you experience this,” adding: “Not the experience I was expecting”.

The chaotic video is rendered even more surreal as the viral ‘Jet2 Holiday’ advert audio was edited on top of it. Then, at one point someone in the beer tent appeared to play a snippet from the Italian protest song ‘Bella Ciao’ as the fight broke out.

READ MORE: Mum ‘itching’ to call out school over daughter’s ‘disgusting’ role in nativity playREAD MORE: Christmas market traders ‘priced out’ in ‘poorer’ UK cityThe clip showed more than one fight breaking out(Image: @iamlaurette/TikTok)

As one group of men appeared to grapple and throw hands with each other, the camera pans over the shocked crowd. There, another brawl appears to be getting underway as revellers jostled and threw punches.

At one point a man appears to stumble to the floor. There, he appears to be targeted by a group while lying on the ground, with men appearing to kick at him.

The clip was posted onto TikTok. There, it has racked up more than 185,000 views on the video sharing app. The Mirror has contacted Winter Wonderland and the Met Police for comment.

This is also not the first time that the event has seen problems, with a previous incident resulting in a woman being knocked to the ground unconscious. An eyewitness to that incident previously told the Daily Mail: “We were in the Bavarian beer garden beer hall and then it closed at 10, and everyone was asked to leave as normal.

“When we exited, they’d created a gated alleyway with a construction fence which created a huge bottleneck. It wasn’t even that busy but then all of a sudden, there’s about a couple thousand people in this one area, and just at a standstill.

“And then security had locked themselves outside of the gate, which is when the fight broke out. Everyone was very drunk, you could tell something was going to happen.”

A spokesperson for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said at the time that the brawl was “managed promptly by on-site security, with police present”. They added: “There was no impact on the wider event and no serious injuries reported.”

The chaotic event is reported to bring in around £100 million to London. This includes raising money to maintain public parks.

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