File photo: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (Picture Credit: AP)
Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States and Israel of actively promoting the growing protest movement in the country.
He ruled out the possibility of direct foreign military intervention, despite US warnings about a crackdown on protesters. ,
During a visit to Lebanon, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that foreign actors were influencing the protests.
“What the Americans and Israelis have said is that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran,” Araghchi said.
He alleged that both the countries are trying to increase unrest. “They are trying to turn peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones,” he said.
Araghchi also ignored fears of a foreign military response, despite repeated threats from US President Donald Trump.
“With regard to the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe it is unlikely because their previous efforts were a complete failure.”
He made this statement, as quoted by the news agency AFP.
His comments come as Iran prepares to crack down on protests that erupted late last month over the country’s deteriorating economy and the collapse of its currency.
posing the most serious challenge to the Islamic republic in years.
At least 62 people have been killed so far and more than 2,300 have been detained, according to the US-based human rights activist news agency AP. Iran’s officials have publicly signalled a strong response.
According to the AP, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Friday, rejected Trump’s support for the protesters and accused him of having
hands stained with the blood of Iranians.” State media have repeatedly branded protesters as ‘terrorists’, setting the stage for a violent crackdown.
Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, warned that punishment for protesters would be “decisive, maximal, and without any legal leniency.”
Iranian state media have also alleged that “terrorist agents” linked to the US and Israel were behind incidents of arson and violence during the demonstrations.
The unrest intensified after Iran’s exiled former crown prince,
The unrest intensified after Iran’s exiled former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, called on people to take to the streets, according to analysts cited by the AP.
Following overnight protests earlier this week, Iranian authorities imposed a nationwide internet and international phone blackout.
cutting the country off from the outside world.
Activists say the blackout has made it difficult to assess the scale of the protests and provided cover for security forces to act more forcefully.
Trump has consistently cautioned Tehran that if protesters face violent suppression, the United States would defend them.
Trump reiterated in recent interviews that he had strongly warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters.
US State Department officials are visiting Caracas, less than a week after the military kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro.
Published on January 9, 2026.9 January 2026.
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Venezuela’s government has said it is holding “exploratory” talks with the United States to restore diplomatic ties in view of Washington’s move. kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro.
The government, led by interim President Delsey Rodriguez, also said Friday that the U.S. State Department officials were visiting Caracas and that Venezuela would soon respond by sending a delegation to Washington.
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“The government has decided to initiate an exploratory process of a diplomatic nature with the government of the United States, with the aim of re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries,” it said in a statement.
US–Venezuela relations declined in 1999 in the wake of the rise of leftist President Hugo Chávez. Over the next 10 years, both countries withdrew their ambassadors.
In 2019, diplomatic relations were completely severed after the administration of US President Donald Trump recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s interim president.
Since then, the US has been handling Venezuelan affairs from an office in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.
Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president just two days after U.S. forces captured Maduro. This operation has been widely condemned as a gross violation of international law.
The former vice president continued to condemn US actions as a gross violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, even as he softened his tone on cooperation with the US.
“Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war,” he said.
The Trump administration has vowed to use military pressure and sanctions to impose its will indefinitely on Venezuela’s government and the management of the country’s vast oil reserves.
Trump initially threatened to make Maduro pay a “big price” if Rodríguez did not comply with US interests. Maduro remained in a US federal facility on Friday after pleading guilty earlier this week to “narco-terrorism” conspiracy and drug trafficking charges.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he had cancelled a “previously expected second wave of attacks” on Venezuela, citing increased cooperation with Caracas.
This included a move by Venezuela on Thursday to release a small portion of its political prisoners, which Trump called a sign of “the pursuit of peace”.
“The United States and Venezuela are working well together,
especially as it relates to rebuilding their oil and gas infrastructure into something much bigger, better and more modern,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. military assets in the region would continue to increase.
Trump and his top officials have offered competing justifications for Maduro’s kidnapping and the ongoing pressure campaign against Caracas. The administration has called the attack a one-sided “law enforcement operation”, while also saying that the use of military force remains on the table to achieve its goals.
Earlier on Friday, US forces seized the fifth oil tanker in the Caribbean since Trump announced a blockade on Washington-sanctioned vessels in December.
UN experts have said the blockade and Washington’s efforts to establish control over Venezuela’s oil industry also violate international law.
Dylan Thomas, whose best-known works include Under Milk Wood, died in 1953
According to an author and publicist who has conducted extensive research on the early works of the iconic Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas copied the work of other poets and published it under his name while still a schoolboy.
Alessandro Galenzi discovered shocking plagiarism, which he described as “wholesale”, while he was editing a new collection of Thomas’s poetry.
The young Thomas was an enthusiastic contributor to the magazine of Swansea Grammar School after joining it at the age of 11 in 1925, but Galenzi found at least a dozen instances where Thomas had wholesale copied work published in other magazines.
“It’s incredibly interesting from a biographical, personal and psychological standpoint,” he said.
getty images
Dylan Thomas, pictured with his wife Caitlin
The discovery was first made by Alex Middleton, editor of Galenzi, when he was provided access to one of only two known complete archives of Thomas’s school magazine in Swansea, owned by Geoff Hadden, president of the Dylan Thomas Society.
But transcribing the poems and looking at them closely revealed that they were not what they seemed.
Galenzi expressed, “My heart shattered.” “We were close to finishing the collection and had to go back and start over.”
They found that 12 of the poems published while Thomas was at the school were the work of someone else – and Galenzi said he believed there could be as many as 20 to 24.
Most were in the pages of the school magazine, but the range of plagiarism included His Requiem, submitted by DM Thomas of Swansea and published in the Western Mail newspaper on 14 January 1927, which was five years earlier, and a poem by Lilian Guard, first published in the Boys’ Own Paper.
“It was unlikely that his readers would pay attention,” Galenzi said.
“But Thomas could also be audacious – we found a poem he managed to get published in Boy’s Own himself – and remember, this was a nationally read magazine – but it was a copy of a poem published in Boy’s Own 15 years earlier.”
Alma Books
Alessandro Galenzi says the discovery is important to our understanding of Dylan Thomas’s early years
Who was Dylan Thomas?
Born in Swansea on 27 October 1914, Thomas was the son of an English teacher and a seamstress.
He started writing poetry while still at school and became a reporter on the Swansea Daily Post.
When his first poetry collection was published in 1934, he went to London.
He married Caitlin McNamara in 1937 and they lived in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, with a strained relationship.
His collection of stories, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, was published in 1940.
His best-known poems include Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Reflections on Death, and Dating 1947.
His play Under Milk Wood was first read on stage in New York in May 1953.
Dylan collapsed and later died in hospital on 9 November 1953. He was buried at Laugharne.
Galenzi said, “The interesting question is why he did it and trying to understand it.”
He believes this may have been due to insecurity and an attempt to attract attention and was helped by the fact that Thomas could get away with it.
They said Thomas had started a new, much bigger school and may have been trying to stand out or impress his fellow students. He published his first poem in the school magazine in his first year and later edited the publication.
Another factor, Galenzi said, was probably the presence of Thomas’s father, who was an English teacher at the school and had ambitions for his son.
‘Something to show your father’
The young Thomas also began writing his own poetry and there is an overlap between his original and plagiarised work.
Galenzi said, “She found her voice and her voice is unique.”
The plagiarised work now finds its place in the appendix of the upcoming collection Dylan Thomas – The Complete Poems.
Galenzi said in his editor’s introduction that they “revealed his moodiness, ambition and, perhaps, naïveté at the time when he was beginning as a poet”.
The first Grand Slam of the year takes place at the Australian Open in Melbourne as Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys look to defend their titles.
Fellow Brits Jacob Fearnley, Sonay Kartal, and Fran Jones will join Emma Raducanu and Cameron Norrie in the main draw.
The top-ranked players in the world enter the tournament automatically at the main draw stage, with 104 ranked players going directly into the singles draws alongside eight wildcard entries and 16 qualifiers.
When is the 2025 Australian Open and when is the draw?
The main tournament (singles) starts on January 18, with the women’s final on January 31 and the men’s final on February 1.
The main draw will take place on Thursday, January 15, at 2.30pm local time, which is 3.30am UK and Ireland time.
Where is the Australian Open 2025 being held?
Image: Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of 15,000
The Australian Open takes place at Melbourne Park, Melbourne – home to the Grand Slam event since 1988.
Melbourne Park has three show courts – the Rod Laver Arena (the second largest indoor sports venue in Australia with a capacity of 15,000), as well as the John Cain Arena (10,500 capacity) and Margaret Court Arena (7,500 capacity).
Australian Open match schedule
Image: Madison Keys celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after winning her maiden Grand Slam title
The tournament takes place every day from midnight UK and Ireland time each day on the outside courts and 1am on the show courts. Night sessions will start at 8am.
Jan 18-20: First round Jan 21-22: Second round Jan 23-24: Third round Jan 25-26: Fourth round Jan 27-28: Quarter-finals Jan 29: Women’s semi-finals Jan 30: Men’s semi-finals Jan 31: Women’s final (8.30am UK and Ireland time) Feb 1: Men’s final (8.30am UK and Ireland time)
The Australian Open schedule also includes:
Men’s and women’s singles: 18 January – 1 February
Who are the Brits competing at the Australian Open and where is Jack Draper?
Image: Raducanu was back fit for the Australian Open and reached the third round last year
Emma Raducanu enjoyed her career-best Australian Open run in 2025, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova before losing out to Iga Swiatek.
The British No. 1 finished last season ranked at world No. 29, with highlight results including a semi-final at the Citi Open and a quarter-final at the Miami Open.
Sonay Kartal will be looking to build on her strong 2025 season, in which she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and also beat Mirra Andreeva en route to her maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final at the China Open.
Fran Jones broke into the top 100 last season with consecutive WTA 125 titles on clay and she’ll be aiming for a first Grand Slam win.
She was previously told by doctors she would not play tennis professionally, having been born with a rare genetic condition.
Jones has Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EEC), which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left.
Katie Boulter headlines a sizeable British contingent aiming to fight their way into the main draw as qualifying gets underway in Melbourne on Monday, January 12.
Cam Norrie enjoyed an excellent end to the season after reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the third round at the US Open. He was a finalist at the Moselle Open and then upset world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters.
Jacob Fearnley caused an upset on his Australian Open debut last year, beating Nick Kyrgios in the first round.
The Scot reached the third round before going on to break the top 50 in June.
Image: Jack Draper announced he will miss the Australian Open after admitting he is not quite ready for a return to top-level competition due to injury
Jack Draper recently announced that he has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to injury.
Draper, ranked 10th in the world, said in a video on X on Boxing Day: “Unfortunately, I and my team have decided not to head out to Australia this year.
“It’s a really, really tough decision; obviously [with] Australia being a Grand Slam, it’s one of the biggest tournaments in our sport.
“However, I’ve had this injury for a long time; I’m at the very end stages of the process and to step back on court into best-of-five-set tennis so soon just doesn’t seem like a smart decision right now for me and my tennis.”
What’s the Australian Open prize money?
Image: Sinner holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup aloft after winning last year’s Australian Open
The total prize money for the Australian Open has increased by 16 per cent on last year and the singles winners of this year’s tournament will go home with an A$4.15m (about £2.68m) cheque – a 19 per cent increase on last year.
Full 2025 prize money breakdown:
Champion: A$4,150,000
Runner-up: A$2,150,000
Semi-finalists: A$1,250,000
Quarter-finalists: A$750,000
Fourth round: A$480,000
Third round: A$327,750
Second round: A$225,000
First round: A$150,000
Qualifying
Third round: $83,500
Second round: $57,000
First round: $40,500
Did you know?
In the Open Era, Virginia Wade is the only British player to have won either a women’s or men’s singles title at the Australian Open in 1972.
Andy Murray has come closest on the men’s side, reaching the final five times in seven years but finishing runner-up to either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic on each occasion.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost.
Freezing conditions in Rossau, Ebbw Vale in South Wales
Storm Goretti caused winds of 99 mph (159 km/h) and heavy snowfall in Britain, leaving thousands without power.
A rare red weather warning issued by the Met Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has ended, but an amber snow warning still remains in place across much of the West Midlands, Wales, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire.
Authorities in the Midlands are preparing for the “worst snowfall in a decade” as 30 cm (11 inches) is expected to fall and travel disruptions are expected until the morning.
More than 42,700 properties in south-west England are without power, with 13,000 in the West Midlands and 1,000 in Wales also without power, according to National Grid’s website.
Earlier on Thursday night, the supply to about 65,000 properties across the country had stopped.
Widespread disruption on roads and rail networks is expected until Friday.
The red wind warning for Cornwall began at 16:00 GMT and ended at 23:00. The Met Office says “exceptionally strong winds” are likely to cause damage to buildings and homes.
On Thursday evening, the Met Office predicted that damaging winds would hit Cornwall, the Channel Islands, and parts of northern France.
The Met Office said winds gusted up to 99 mph at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly.
Two emergency alerts were sent to the mobile phones of around 500,000 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to warn of dangerous conditions.
At many places, the winds appear to have crossed their peak.
Overnight, winds reached 70 mph in the Channel Islands, 55 mph in Langdon Bay, Kent, and 45–50 mph in the southwest of England.
Some winds are forming in the east, but not as much as in the Southwest and Channel Islands.
A major incident was declared in Jersey, where its weather agency also issued a red warning from 19:00 to 03:00 in line with high winds.
Earlier in the night, rain had begun on higher ground in Wales, with snow falling around Libanus, 282 metres (890 ft) above sea level.
The heaviest snow appears to be falling in the Midlands and southern Wales, with 15 cm (5.9 in) of snow recorded at Lake Vyrnwy.
In Nottingham, snow depth reached 7 cm (2.7 in).
In Wales and the Peak District, the snow will hang around the longest, with up to 20–30 cm of snowfall possible in some places. The ice will make some roads impassable and some communities will be cut off and transportation will be severely affected. There may also be some power cuts.
WATCH: Latest weather forecast before Hurricane Goreti
Storm Goretti, named by French forecasters, is currently developing rapidly in the Atlantic, with a massive cloud shield covering much of Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
There was an avalanche warning for Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Wales, while local authorities in the West Midlands said they were Preparing for potentially the worst snowfall in a decade.
Heavy rains could also cause localised flooding in southwest Wales and parts of eastern England.
Snowfall and rain will start reducing on Friday morning, but there is a possibility of some disruption in the morning journey due to snow on the ground.
Railway passengers have been advised to check their journey before traveling on Thursday and Friday. National rail services are likely to be suspended or disrupted.
In the southwest, all trains after 18:00 in Cornwall were suspended, with no replacement services, while some services in Devon were also cancelled.
East Midlands Railway is not running between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield all day on Thursday evening and Friday. No replacement buses will run.
Experts have urged drivers to heed ice and snow warnings and avoid driving on Thursday evening and Friday evening, with the AA saying wintry conditions can “reduce visibility in a matter of seconds.”
A man told the BBC that he was driving “cautiously” on the A887 to Edinburgh with his wife when a tree suddenly fell on their car.
“It was quite unbelievable,” said Gerard Kearney, who said the tree “bounced” off his bonnet. He was able to avoid any serious damage, barring a few minor scratches on the paintwork.
Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport has suspended runway use due to heavy snowfall. It advised passengers to contact their airlines about the status of their flights.
Weather Watchers/Rajasthan Range
One of our weather observers sent a photo of this snowy scene from Telford and Wrekin
Meanwhile, some schools are expected to remain closed on Friday, with dozens in the Midlands and Wales announcing they will not open in the area under an amber weather warning.
Nearly 100 schools in Cornwall closed early on Thursday ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Scotland will close more than 250 schools on Friday, indicating that many students have yet to return from their festive holidays.
In Norfolk, owners of 14 clifftop homes are revealed. Don’t stay in your homes; there is a risk of rockfall during stormy weather on Thursday. They have been warned that their houses are in danger of imminent collapse and must be demolished.
Where are the weather warnings?
An AMBER warning for heavy snowfall is in effect for the following areas until 09:00 AM Friday:
midlands
wales
southwest England
Yorkshire and Humber
A yellow weather warning for snow, ice and rain is also in effect for the following areas:
Shetland Islands (ice) 16:00 to 20:00 Thursday
Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales, North West and South West England, North East England, East of England, South East England (snow) – until Friday afternoon
Lincolnshire and parts of the east of England including Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk (rain) – until 21:00 on Friday
South East England, Wales, and South West England (wind)—until 06:00 on Friday.
Northern Ireland will experience snow from 00:00 to 11:00 on Friday.
pa media
A man shovels snow from his car in Glen More near Loch Morlich as heavy snowfall continues to cause disruption in many parts of the Highlands.
Over the past week, the Arctic blast has caused temperatures to drop between 4 and 10°C below the January average.
The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) has issued a winter health alert for England that will last until Monday.
Low temperatures have already triggered the government’s cold weather payment in at least 697 postcodes across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This means that more than one million families will get money.
Sir Keir Starmer has said “more can be done to protect” the Arctic region and agreed with Donald Trump on “the need to stop increasingly aggressive Russia in the High North” during his second call in two days with the US president, Downing Street has said.
Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, Sir Keir spoke to Mr Trump about “Euro-Atlantic security” amid fears the US president could use military force to annex Greenland. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro captured,
Mr Trump has repeatedly said the US needs Greenland The largest island in the Arctic, because “Greenland is of great importance to the national security of the United States, Europe, and other parts of the free world.”
US officials say they may use “military means.” They are considering the possibility of “acquiring” the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
This is despite the fact that the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, warned that NATO will be in danger in the event of an American invasion of the region.
Could Trump jeopardise NATO in order to acquire Greenland?
Sir Keir has previously said that the decision about Greenland-Denmark’s future must be built only by its people and Denmark.
He reiterated that view on Wednesday. Mr Trump and Downing Street sources described the call as “positive” and “friendly”.
But in a second conversation on Thursday, the two leaders discussed deterring Russia in the High North, which includes Greenland.
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A Downing Street statement about the call said, “The leaders discussed Euro-Atlantic security and agreed on the need to deter increasingly aggressive Russia in the High North.
“European allies have stepped up recently to protect Euro-Atlantic interests, but much more can be done to protect the region,” the prime minister said.
It came as Sir Keir also spoke to NATO chief Mark Rutte about the “High North.”.
In a statement from Downing Street about Sir Keir’s call with Mr Rutte, Number 10 said, “They agreed that more needs to be done to deter Russia in the High North and welcomed discussions on how allies can protect the region from growing Russian threats.”
Sir Keir also spoke to the Danish Prime Minister and reiterated his stance that the UK “stands” with Denmark.
Reuters reported that Sir Keir told Ms Frederiksen that Britain stood with Denmark in defence of Greenland, and the leaders also discussed Ukraine.
Farage: Trump will not invade Greenland
In the past few days, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised Sir Keir for failing to speak to the US president after a US raid to capture Mr Maduro and the subsequent seizure of two oil tankers – one of which was carrying British forces – in the North Atlantic.
In a joint statement widely seen as a message to the US, Britain and European allies vowed earlier this week that they “will never stop protecting” Greenland’s territorial integrity.
Sir Keir has also faced pressure to rule out any US use of UK bases to support an attack on Greenland.
image: Sir Keir Starmer attends the Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris. Photo: Reuters
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Thousands flee fighting in Syria’s Aleppo
Protests spread across Iran
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was set to underline the closeness of the “special relationship” between the UK and US during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Thursday.
Mr Lammy’s visit to the US marks the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence from Britain.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Mr Vance emphasised the importance of taking the US president’s remarks about Greenland seriously.
Tom Hoyem, former Danish minister for Greenland, speaks to Sky News
“Greenland is really important not only to America’s missile defence but also to the missile defence of the world,” the vice president said.
We’re asking our European allies to take the security of that territory more seriously, because if they don’t, the US will have to intervene.
“I will leave the specifics of that decision to the President as we continue to engage in diplomacy with our European friends and all relevant parties on this topic.”
Danish and Greenlandic envoys to Washington have been involved in a furious effort over the past few days to urge key Trump administration officials to back off from Mr Trump’s call for the acquisition of the strategic island.
Denmark’s Ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sorensen, and Greenland’s chief representative in Washington, Jakob Isbosethsen, met with White House National Security Council officials on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Sky News understands the pair also met White House officials to better understand US policy on Greenland, but the sources declined to say who from the Trump administration took part in the discussions.
US officials have said military force was one option to achieve Mr Trump’s stated objective, while purchasing territory is another option, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Danish officials in Washington next week.
Brandon Fisher was praised for making the emergency landing of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 when a door plug panel flew off shortly after takeoff at Portland International Airport.
An investigator – not a Boeing employee – examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Image: AP)
A hero pilot is suing Boeing because he believes the aeroplane maker “attempted to make him a scapegoat” after his mistake led to an emergency landing.
Brandon Fisher safely returned Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 after a door plug panel flew off shortly after takeoff at Portland International Airport in Oregon. He was widely praised for the emergency landing, as experts believe his quick thinking ensured that all 171 passengers and six crew members survived the crash.
But Mr Fisher’s lawyers say Boeing has tried to avoid liability in previous lawsuits. Four flight attendants previously sued Boeing over the incident last summer. Now, Mr Fisher’s team says Boeing believes it was not responsible for the January 2024 explosion because the plane was “improperly maintained or misused” by others.
Mr Fisher’s lawyers, William Walsh and Richard Mamolo, wrote in the suit filed in an Oregon court, “It was clear that Boeing’s words were directed at Captain Fisher in an effort to make him a scapegoat for Boeing’s many failures.“
read more. Off-duty pilot who ‘tried to crash a plane’ while eating mushrooms makes unrestrained statement read more. The airport employee’s last words before deliberately crashing plane were heartbreaking
A door plug on the plane fell off shortly after takeoff (Image: AP)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and even Boeing officials, praised Mr Fisher for his heroism after the horror.
An NTSB investigation has since found that four bolts, known as door plug panels, were removed and never replaced during repairs as the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was being assembled. The investigation implicated both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, a major supplier that Boeing later acquired.
The bolts are hidden behind interior panels in the aircraft, so they are not something that can be easily checked in pre-flight inspection by the pilot or anyone else at the airline. NTSB investigators determined that on flights before the incident, the door plug was slowly moving upward and eventually flew off.
The said door plug has been analyzed in the laboratory as part of the investigation (Image: AP)
And Mr Fisher’s lawyers wrote in their latest report: “Boeing’s lies also enraged Captain Fisher, because he was being condemned rather than praised for his actions. Because he had flown Boeing aircraft throughout his employment with Alaska Airlines, Boeing’s efforts to incriminate him felt like a deep, personal betrayal by a company that claimed to hold pilots in the highest regard.”
The NTSB clarified that a manufacturing problem caused it, and the crew’s actions were exemplary. Veteran pilot John Cox, who is CEO of the aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems, said the crew did a remarkable job considering what they were doing, and no one faulted the crew. Mr Cox said, “I think Boeing’s lawyers were grasping at straws.”
Boeing did not comment directly on the new lawsuit. But company CEO Kelly Ortberg has made improving safety a top priority since taking over the top job at Boeing in August 2024.
Alaska Airlines also declined to comment on the lawsuit but said the airline is “grateful to our crew members for the bravery and quick thinking they displayed to ensure the safety of all passengers on Flight 1282.”
Australia squeaked home to a five-wicket victory over England in the fifth Ashes Test after a nervy final day in Sydney; the hosts’ dominance over the series was reflected in securing a 4-1 scoreline.
Set 160 to win on the final day at the SCG, Australia stumbled to 121-5 after England added 40 to their overnight score with the loss of their final two wickets; however, Alex Carey (16 not out) and Cameron Green (22 not out) successfully scored the remaining 39 runs needed to avoid an embarrassing final defeat.
Score summary: Australia vs. England, fifth Ashes Test, Sydney Cricket Ground.
England 384 all out in 97. 3 overs in first innings (elected to bat): Joe Root (160), Harry Brook (84), Jamie Smith (46); Michael Neser (4-60), Scott Boland (2-85), Mitchell Starc (2-93), Marnus Labuschagne (1-14)
Australia 567 all out in 133.5 overs in first innings: Travis Head (163 off 166 balls), Steve Smith (138), Beau Webster (71 no); Josh Tongue (3-97), Brydon Carse (3-108), Ben Stokes (2-95)
England 342 all out in 88. 2 overs in second innings: Jacob Bethell (154), Ben Duckett (42), Harry Brook (42); Beau Webster (3-64), Mitchell Starc (3-72), Scott Boland (2-46)
Australia 161-5 in 31. 2 overs in second innings: Marnus Labuschagne (37), Jake Weatherald (34); Josh Tongue (3-42), Will Jacks (1-42)
Josh Tongue (3-42) was incisive with the ball again for England, taking his wicket tally to 18 over the final three tests and making his omission for the first two even more glaring.
He should have added Marnus Labuschagne to his wicket tally, but Jacob Bethell made his first error in the Test by dropping a sharp chance at gully when Labuschagne, who was eventually run out for 37, was on 20.
Image: Josh Tongue took his series tally to 18 wickets at an average of 20.11 over the final three tests.
England might also wonder what might have been had Jake Weatherald been dismissed for 16 instead of 34, as the series was plagued by yet more Snicko controversy.
The third Ashes Test in Adelaide was dominated by doubts over the reliability of the Snickometer technology used to detect edges off the bat, and the issue reared its head again when replays appeared to show a faint nick behind by Weatherald off Brydon Carse, only for the third umpire to fail to give the decision.
Retiring after the Test, Usman Khawaja was dismissed for six in his final innings – bowled off an inside edge by Tongue – as part of Australia’s middle-order wobble, before Carey and Green saw the hosts over the line.
Image: Usman Khawaja could manage only six in his final Test innings for Australia before retirement
The result confirms a convincing series win for Australia, who had already retained the Ashes within 11 days of play by winning the first three Tests decisively, before England secured a consolation victory in just two days on a poor pitch in Melbourne.
It remains to be seen whether changes will be made to the England management team after such a convincing series defeat, with the team’s preparation – or lack thereof, having played only one intra-squad warmup game – coming under particular scrutiny.
Captain Ben Stokes is likely to stay in his role, while head coach Brendon McCullum is helped by the fact he is due to lead England’s white-ball side in the T20 World Cup beginning in February. Managing director Rob Key could also keep his job, seeing as both were his appointments when assuming his role in 2022.
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England gave Australia a scare on the final day in Sydney.
England came into the fifth and final morning of the series in Sydney with a 119-run lead and Bethell 142 not out following his magnificent maiden first-class hundred on day four.
He increased his score to 150 but could only add 12 runs to his overnight total before being dismissed for 154 by the second new ball, edging a sharply rising delivery from Mitchell Starc that was too close to cut.
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Jacob Bethell claimed his first England Test hundred was ‘always coming’ after scoring 142 not out on day four in Sydney.
Starc (3-72) then dismissed Tongue (6) to conclude the innings and increase his series-leading wicket tally to a remarkable 31 at a rate of 19.93 per wicket.
Travis Head and Weatherald helped Australia off to a strong start in pursuit of England’s seemingly modest target, sharing in a 62-run opening partnership across the opening 10-and-a-bit overs before Head became Tongue’s first victim for the innings.
Tongue added Weatherald on the stroke of lunch, with there being zero doubt over his top edge down the throat of deep fine leg following his earlier Snicko reprieve.
Will Jacks bowled a befuddled Steve Smith (12) with an off-spinner’s dream delivery – bowled through the gate from the rough outside off – shortly after the interval as England began to believe they could pull off the upset.
Image: Steve Smith cuts a confused figure after being bowled through the gate by a beauty from Will Jacks
England swiftly spurned a couple of chances that would have only added to their growing confidence, with Khawaja edging one past Stokes at slip off Jacks and Labuschagne being put down by Bethell off Tongue.
Though both would depart in swift succession soon after, their demise came after Labuschagne hit Jacks out of the attack by smashing 16 priceless runs off his next over.
There’d be no fairytale finish for Khawaja, though the 39-year-old did receive a warm send-off from the SCG crowd after his dismissal, while Labuschagne looked utterly crestfallen when run out following one of numerous mix-ups Carey had with his partners late on in Australia’s chase.
Australia still required a further 39 runs to win at that stage, but despite Carey’s dodgy calling between the wickets, he and Green ultimately led the home side to victory and a deserved 4-1 series triumph.
Stokes: We play too much 3/10 cricket
England captain Ben Stokes, speaking to TNT Sports:
“I think that for a while now teams have understood how to operate against us. When we get into a situation with the bat where things look easy, opposition teams are doing the same thing to us.
“We need to work out what we do in those situations. We play too much 3/10 cricket in terms of the chances of it coming off, and if you play like that, the chances are it is not going to fall your way in big moments.
“We did some unbelievable things as a team the first couple of years in terms of results and getting the best out of people who might not have known they were as good as they were. Now we need to do that consistently.
“How we develop is by being honest and straightforward. You don’t progress unless you have those conversations.
“I have experienced being young and having things thrown at me that I didn’t quite like, but I can look back and understand that those things were said to me for the right reasons.”
“I just want the best for the guys in the dressing room and to give them the best chance of being very successful international players, which I know they can be. We just need a recalibration.”
[On his groin injury]: “I have been better, worse. I won’t know [the extent] until I get home.”
‘Snicko nonsense shows inequality of system’
Former England spinner Graeme Swann, commentating for TNT Sports, on Jake Weatherald’s non-dismissal on 16:
“There was clearly a murmur, exactly the way Stokes was out in the first innings. Herein lies the nonsense of Snicko; it shows the inequality of the system.
“The third umpire has to be held to account. I think that is one of the most ludicrous decisions I have seen in a long time.
You cannot maintain a system that is universally recognised as ineffective; I am truly at a loss as to how it continues to be utilised.
“It was shown to be farcical in Adelaide and it has just got worse and worse. The players are losing faith in the system and are prioritising it over playing cricket.
“When you have to be strategic about your use of dodgy technology, the world has gone insane. England has every right to be mad and perplexed.”
Following the Daily Wire controversy, Candace Owens accuses Ben Shapiro of publicly attacking her via her former podcast (Image via Getty).
Candace Owens is again speaking out against her former workplace, The Daily Wire, and its co-founder, Ben Shapiro. On January 8, 2026, Owens posted on X and accused the company of using clips from her old podcast to publicly target her.
He said that Ben Shapiro legally owns the show, but he believes the clips are now being used in a hostile manner.
Candace Owens wrote that the reused clip showed her “defending myself against the repeated attacks made against me over the past two years.” He gave a clear message to his followers, saying, “This is real life.
The Daily Wire is using my old podcast to attack me.” The post comes just days after Owens spoke again about his differences with the company on his podcast.
He said it feels like the situation is ongoing, not over, even though he was fired nearly two years ago.
Candace Owens was officially fired from The Daily Wire in March 2024 after months of public tension. Since then, she says she has been hoping for a clean break.
Instead, she believes that her former employer continues to follow her work and resurface old material associated with her name.
Candace Owens explains why she thinks Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire are tracking her career
On the January 6, 2026 episode of her podcast, Candace Owens shared new information about what she saw online.
He said listeners told him that his old Daily Wire YouTube channel had suddenly resurfaced after being private for a long time.
Along with this, a trailer filmed in 2021 was posted again. Candace Owens said similar things happened on Instagram.
where an old promotional video from her early days at the company was reposted.
She clarified that she did not believe these moves were accidental. During the episode, Owens said that being fired should mean that both sides move on.
He claimed that this did not happen. Instead, she said her former employer continued to monitor her career, influence speaking events, and exert pressure behind the scenes.
Candace Owens described the situation personally. She said, “I’m not really trying to be dramatic here. It felt like a crazy ex-stalker.
Like, if I can’t have you, no one can have you.” He also said he believed the old clips were linked to a new show he felt was intended to mock him, though he did not present independent evidence of that claim.
As of press time, The Daily Wire has not publicly responded to Owens’ January 8 post. Candace Owens joined The Daily Wire in 2021 and became one of its most visible hosts.
According to CNN reporting of March 22, 2024, his firing followed backlash over comments he made about Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
Ben Shapiro called those comments “absolutely outrageous”. In the following months, Candace Owens said that being fired from her job focused her more than ever.
By November 2025, reports stated that his podcast had become the number one show globally. Also Read: Candace Owens raises new questions about Charlie Kirk after revealing never-before-seen image without any visible blood
Pubs’ business rate bills are to be slashed in the upcoming rise. An announcement is due to be made by the government in England in the next few days.
The government is expected to say it will make changes to the way pubs calculate business rates, resulting in lower increases in bills.
Treasury officials say they have recognised the financial difficulties facing many pubs following a sharp rise in premises pricing.
The move follows pressure from landlords and industry groups, including more than 1,000 pubs which have banned Labour MPs from their premises.
The BBC understands this will only apply to pubs, not the entire hospitality sector.
It is believed the Treasury is also prepared to relax licensing rules to allow longer opening hours and more footpath areas for drinking.
In her November Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves cut the business rates discount in place since the pandemic from 75% to 40% and announced there would be no discount from April.
That big upward adjustment to the rateable values of pub premises left landlords facing the prospect of much higher rates bills.
The campaign to reduce the impact of these rises has been gaining momentum recently, with pub owners and industry groups lobbying for more support.
DWP minister Dame Diana Johnson said talks between the government and the hospitality sector were “ongoing.”.
Speaking to Radio 4’s PM programme, he said, “As a government we want to make business rates fair, but you will also know that we are coming to the end of the transitional relief that was available because of Covid.”
Labour MPs on Wednesday called on the government to reconsider its support for the industry.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said, “What happened is that over Christmas, Labour MPs were banned from every pub they tried to go to… so now they are insisting on a U-turn.”
“Cut business rates for all of the high streets, not just pubs.”
He said the Conservatives had a “much better plan,” which would have “cut business rates for all of the high streets, not just pubs.” He said business rates bills of less than £110,000 would be abolished entirely.
Reform also welcomed the decline, saying, “Pubs are already burdened with huge energy costs.”
Richard Tice, the party’s deputy leader, said, “Pubs are the backbone of our communities and a huge part of British heritage. Their closure would be an economic as well as a cultural disaster.”
To calculate a pub’s business rates bill, the rateable value of its premises is multiplied by a set figure: the “multiplier”.
The government has already reduced the multiplier for pubs and may cut it again.
Alternatively, they could boost a £4.3 billion “transitional relief” fund brought in to cushion the impact of withdrawal of support after the pandemic.
Geoff Robbins
Geoff Robbins, who owns the Wheatsheaf pub in Farringdon, Oxfordshire, with his wife Jo, said it was a “huge relief” that more help was on the way.
Their rates are set to increase by nearly 80% over the next three years. He believes that after factoring in higher gas, electricity and staffing costs, he needs a discount on most of these.
Geoff, who contacted BBC Your Voice, said, “Rates are a tax against your business, whether you make a profit or a loss… you have to pay; there’s no way around it.”
Industry groups also welcomed the news that additional help would be available.
Emma McCarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said it was “potentially a huge win” for the sector.
Kate Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality, which represents the industry, said the support should not just apply to pubs but to all hospitality businesses affected by rising rates, including cafes and restaurants.
“We need a hospitality-wide solution, which is why the government should implement the maximum possible 20p discount in the multiplier for all hospitality properties,” he said.
Other sectors are calling for support to be expanded even further, including live music venues, theatres, galleries, gyms and retailers.
The cancellation of the recent budget will be seen by many as another U-turn following cuts to the winter fuel payment, disability benefits and inheritance tax on farms and family businesses.
Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffiths said the changes showed Rachel Reeves’ budget is “falling apart”.
“Workers were wrong to strike the pub and now they have been forced to make another terrifying U-turn,” he said.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said, “This is literally the last chance saloon for our treasured pubs and high streets – so the Government must make a U-turn today.
“These businesses are concerned, making decisions now, and cannot wait another minute longer.”
The calculation of business rates is an issue that spans all four countries of the UK.
The rates discount during the pandemic only applies to hospitality businesses in England.
Scottish businesses are awaiting the budget there next week to see how the Edinburgh government will approach the issue.
