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Michael Jackson poses with Jeffrey Epstein and smiles on a jet alongside Bill Clinton.

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Michael Jackson poses with Jeffrey Epstein and smiles on a jet alongside Bill Clinton.
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The latest batch of files released by the Justice Department features a picture of Michael Jackson with Jeffrey Epstein.

The King of Pop, who died in 2009, was seen in several images with the disgraced financier.

Jackson posing with Epstein for a photo.

Michael Jackson posing with former US President Bill Clinton Credit: Reuters

The first photo shows MJ standing next to Epstein in an undated picture.

It is unclear where the photo was taken and no other references are given.

A separate image shows Jackson and former US President Bill Clinton posing with an unidentified woman on a private jet.

Clinton has since said that she wishes she had never met Epstein.

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epstein docs drama

Full release of Epstein files will not happen today in violation of Trump law

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Siko’s Snaps

New photos of Epstein fall on girl’s chest with scary messages and pedo massage

It is not clear when, where and in what context these two photographs were taken.

Other images released show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lying on the laps of five women and laughing with Ghislaine Maxwell.

English business magnate Richard Branson has been pictured arm-in-arm with Epstein.

A separate series of photos shows Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger socialising with Clinton, Maxwell and an unnamed woman.

It’s important to note that these photos are not indicative of any wrongdoing.

Many of the individuals shown have denied any involvement in any wrongdoing involving Epstein.

The Epstein File Transparency Act only requires the release of the initial batch of materials today, not the entire collection.

One part of the files contains about 170 morphed images of women in sexual poses.

A list of masseuses with 254 redacted names appears elsewhere.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch explained that the DOJ was taking extra precautions to ensure that the identities of hundreds of Epstein’s victims were removed from the records, hence the delay.

“I expect we will release several hundred thousand documents today,” Blanch said.

“And those documents will come in all different forms, photographs and other materials related to all of the investigations into Mr Epstein.

“So today, several hundred thousand, and then over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more,” he said.

Ahead of the release, President Trump declined to answer any questions about the documents’ release after an event in the Oval Office on Friday.

A preliminary review shows that the documents released today come from three separate investigations into Epstein’s crimes.

Many of the files appear to come from a 2005 police investigation in Palm Beach, Florida.

A federal investigation followed, culminating in Epstein’s infamous 2008 plea deal.

A second investigation in 2019 led to an indictment for sex trafficking.

Epstein pleaded not guilty but died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is depicted lying on the laps of five women with Ghislaine Maxwell
Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton are pictured with an unidentified woman
Bill Clinton went swimming with Ghislaine Maxwell and a mystery woman
Richard Branson appears hand in hand with Epstein

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Resident doctors in Scotland will go on strike for the first time.

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Resident doctors in Scotland will go on strike for the first time.
Resident doctors in Scotland will go on strike for the first time.

 

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Getty Images Three medics in blue scrubs, two men and a woman, walk along a hospital corridor. One of the men is holding a clipboard, the other some papers and the woman has a stethoscope around her neck. They are walking side by side, engaged in conversation. In the foreground, there is woman sitting on a black cushioned chair. She is turned away from the camera, looking towards the medics.Getty Images

The dispute over pay has led Scotland’s resident doctors to embark on a strike, marking the first national walkout by NHS workers.

Their union, BMA Scotland, had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.

92% of the voters approved the strike, setting the strike dates from 07:00 on Tuesday, January 13, to 07:00 on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

Health Secretary Neil Grey said he was disappointed by the result, adding that he had offered to meet the BMA Scotland chairman on Monday.

BMA Scotland earlier said it still believed a resolution could be found and had called for the Scottish government to get back to the negotiating table and present a “credible offer”.

Residents— who used to be called junior doctors – make up almost half of the medical workforce in Scotland.

They range from newly qualified doctors to those with up to 10 years’ experience.

Mr Grey said, “Resident doctors in Scotland have received a 4.25% pay uplift this year – as part of a two-year deal – the same as accepted by nurses and other NHS staff.

“This means by 2027, we will have delivered a cumulative pay rise of 35% in four years.

“Our top priority for our patients and the workforce is to improve waiting times, access to the NHS and positive outcomes. Industrial action will put all that progress at risk.”

Scotland had been the only part of the UK.

Scotland had been the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

With 5,185 resident doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was 58%, with a total of 3,008 votes cast.

A strike in the summer of 2023 was called off at the last minute after a deal was agreed.

As part of that, BMA Scotland said the government committed to making “credible progress” towards restoring pay to 2008 levels in each of the three following financial years.

A series of strikes by resident doctors in England has resulted in the cancellation of thousands of operations and procedures.

An ongoing five-day walkout is causing further disruption and has been described as “dangerous and utterly irresponsible” by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Any strike in Scotland would be a major blow to the Scottish government’s promise to end long waits for procedures and appointments by March 2026 and would put even more pressure on an overstretched NHS in an election year.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==PA Media A group of junior (now called resident) doctors holding placards outside a hospital in London last year. They are holding signs saying PA Media
Resident doctors have been taking part in a series of strikes in England

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA resident doctors committee, said: “The result of this ballot shows that resident doctors in Scotland are united in anger over the Scottish government breaking the deal they agreed over pay just two years ago.

“This is not where we wanted to be. However, we have made it clear that the government cannot disregard its commitments without facing accountability.

“Instead of negotiating with resident doctors to make credible progress towards pay restoration, as they agreed to do, they have imposed a pay uplift that is the lowest average award received by resident doctors anywhere in the UK.”

He said the deal the Scottish government agreed to in 2023 was the only reason strike action had been avoided.

“It was working for doctors and the health service,” he said. “By turning their backs on this deal, the Scottish government are forcing a dispute and knowingly putting the NHS in Scotland at risk of disruptive strike action.”

Dr Smith said there was still time to avoid strikes.

“BMA Scotland resident doctors remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding the deal in its entirety,” he stated.

“If we don’t take a stand now when the government has broken a commitment agreed to in good faith, they will take this as licence to do it again and again, including on issues such as contract negotiations and more training jobs for resident doctors as part of future medical workforce planning.

“This matters not just for doctors but also for patients and the future of the entire NHS in Scotland, which relies on today’s resident doctors to stay here and become the GPs, specialist doctors, and consultants of tomorrow.”

What was the Scottish government’s offer?

The two-year offer from the Scottish government was for a 4.25% increase in 2025/26 and 3.75% in 26/27.

It ‘s the same offer that nurses, paramedics and other NHS workers accepted earlier this year.

BMA Scotland stated that the offer would have been the lowest in the UK and fell short of the independent pay review body’s recommendations.

The current offer would see the basic pay for a newly qualified doctor rise from £34,500 to £37,345 for 2026/27 and for a doctor with 10 years’ experience rise from £71,549 to £77,387.

Medics will often be expected to work night shifts, weekends or longer hours for which they will receive extra payments.



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WW3 ‘will erupt in a year’ as Putin ‘invades three NATO countries’ world | news

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WW3 ‘will erupt in a year’ as Putin ‘invades three NATO countries’ world | news

A shocking new prediction has emerged showing how Vladimir Putin will start World War Three in less than a year. Ukraine’s respected GUR military intelligence chief, Lieutenant-General Kirill Budanov, claims to have inside information on Russian war plans.

Putin, he said, intends to annex three NATO and EU states in 2027 – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Russia would also attack Poland; however, it does not intend to invade the country immediately. “ According to the master plan,

The Russian Federation was supposed to be ready to launch the operation in 2030,” said Budanov, whose forces are behind several Ukrainian attacks on Putin’s territory.

“Plans have now been adjusted and revised to reduce the time frame to 2027,” he warned.

Russian military action to invade or attack NATO countries would trigger the alliance’s Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

obliging others to assist with armed force to restore security. This scenario could potentially ignite a full-scale war.

Putin sees Russia as an “empire”

Mr Budanov said Putin sees Russia as an “empire” that needs to expand, adding that the country’s “worldview” suffers from “deep historical and psychological trauma”, possibly including the collapse of the USSR.

The wise chief said, “For an empire – and they see themselves as an empire – to grow, you always have to be going somewhere to expand your influence and territory.”

Putin, on the other hand, was cornered by the US in the Pacific and elsewhere by China and the Arctic: “Only the West is left,” Mr Budanov said, adding that Putin consistently portrayed Europe as “hungry”, “sick”, “weak” and “indecisive”.

According to the war plan, the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all ex-Soviet republics – would be “occupied”.

He said, “Poland is now, according to our information, considered for a military operation solely for attacks, without occupation.”

Russia shares borders with the three Baltic states, as it does with Poland.

Putin ruled out new military action when asked by the BBC during his annual quiz on Friday. His condition was that the West should bow to his demands.

He growled, “If you treat us with respect, if you have our interests in mind, just as we have always tried to respect yours, there will be no action.” “And if you do not betray us, as happened with NATO’s eastward expansion.”

The Russian dictator claimed that Western leaders “created this situation themselves and continue to stoke the fire by saying that they are preparing for war with Russia.”

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The US launches a “massive” attack against IS in Syria.

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The US launches a “massive” attack against IS in Syria.

US President Donald Trump: “We attacked every site flawlessly.”

The US says its forces have launched a “major strike” against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said warplanes, attack helicopters and artillery “struck more than 70 targets across multiple locations in central Syria.”. Jordanian aircraft were also involved.

The operation targeted IS infrastructure and weapons sites, utilising more than 100 precision munitions.

After the IS attack on the city of Palmyra on December 13, President Trump said that we were “attacking IS strongholds forcefully.” The operation claimed the lives of two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter.

In a statement at the

Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the US would “continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our allies across the region.”

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told news agency AFP that “at least five members of the Islamic State group were killed” in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, including the leader of a cell responsible for drones in the area.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force participated in the strikes to “prevent extremist groups from threatening”, according to Jordan’s state news agency, Petra. The aim of the strikes was to ensure the security of Syria’s neighbours and the wider region.

IS has not commented publicly. The BBC was unable to immediately verify the targets.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation was “not the beginning of war – it is a declaration of retaliation.

“If you target Americans – anywhere in the world – you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing that the United States will hunt you down, find you, and brutally kill you.

The US Secretary of Defence said, “Today, we hunted and killed our enemies.” We have eliminated numerous adversaries. And we will continue to do so.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==US Air Force/Reuters A soldier signs a bomb: US Air Force/Reuters
The US Army identified the two soldiers killed in the attack as 25-year-old Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres Tovar and 29-year-old Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard.

Posting on Truth Social, President Trump said the US was “taking grave retribution on the murderous terrorists responsible, as I promised.”

He stated that the Syrian government was “fully supportive.”

CENTCOM had earlier confirmed that an IS gunman, who “continued to kill”, carried out the deadly attack in Palmyra.

Three other US soldiers were wounded in the ambush, which a Pentagon official said occurred “in an area not under the control of the Syrian president.”.

Simultaneously, SOHR stated that the attacker belonged to the Syrian security forces.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the identities of the gunmen have not been released.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Reuters A US airman adds a munition system to an F-15 fighter jet participating in Operation Hawkeye Strike. Photo: 19 December 2025reuters
A US airman adds a munition system to an F-15 fighter jet participating in Operation Hawkeye Strike

In 2019, a US-backed coalition of Syrian fighters announced IS had lost the last part of the territory it controlled in Syria, but the jihadist group has carried out some attacks since then.

The United Nations says the group still has 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.

US troops have maintained a presence in Syria since 2015 to help train other forces as part of the campaign against IS.

Syria recently joined an international coalition to combat IS and has pledged to cooperate with the US.

In November, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa – a former jihadist leader whose coalition forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024 – met with Trump at the White House and described his visit as part of a “new era” for both countries.



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Rome introduces tourist fees for some visitors to the Trevi Fountain.

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Rome introduces tourist fees for some visitors to the Trevi Fountain.

Tourists visiting the Trevi Fountain are now willing to pay more than the legendary coin tossed over their shoulder to take an Instagrammable selfie in front of one of the world’s most famous waterworks.

Starting Feb. 1, the city of Rome is charging tourists a 2-euro, or $2.35, fee to get close to the fountain during prime-time daylight hours. From the piazza above

, the view remains free for those admiring the late Baroque masterpiece.

The city is making efforts to manage visitor flows.

The tourist fee announced on Friday is part of the Eternal City’s efforts to manage visitor flows in a particularly congested part of the city.

improve the experience and offset the maintenance costs of preserving all of Rome’s cultural heritage.

Officials estimate it could bring in an additional $7.6 million per year for the city.

The fee, a topic of discussion and debate for over a year, mirrors the ticketing system at Rome’s Pantheon monument.

The famous Trevi fountain in Rome, Italy
Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy.

In such a situation, the city residents have been exempted from the fee. The same applies to Trevi, where a tourist tax and new 5-euro (or about $6) tourist ticket fees for some of the city’s museums are being introduced.

with plans to increase the number of free museums for registered Roman residents.

“We believe that culture is a fundamental right of citizenship,” Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said at a news conference. “We think it is right and positive that the citizens of Rome can enjoy our museums for free.”

At the same time, he said, the Trevi tourist fee is a minimum amount that should not discourage visitors but allow more organised travel.

The city decided to implement this after seeing positive results from a year-long experiment to restrict and limit the number of visitors accessing the basin edge in front of the fountain by imposing lines and entry and exit routes.

Gualtieri said about 9 million people have waited in line so far this year to get a closer look, with more than 70,000 passing through on some days.

This system now becomes permanent from 9 am to 9 pm, with non-residents having to pay a fee. Visitors can either pay in advance online while waiting in line, or they can purchase tickets at tourist locations around the city.

After nightfall, admission is open and free.

Pope Urban VIII initially commissioned the fountain in 1640. In 1730, Pope Clement XII revived the project and the current fountain matches the original design of the Roman architect, Nicola Salvi.

The giant fountain of the Titan deity features waterfalls cascading down travertine rocks into a shallow turquoise pool, where Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg famously took a nighttime dip in “La Dolce Vita”.

While bathing is prohibited nowadays, legend has it that visitors who toss a coin over their shoulders and make a wish are returned to Rome.

European officials have sought to curb overtourism. Residents protest: who says that the large number of tourists is making it difficult to live in cities?

Last year, Venice became the first city to do so, imposing tax on day-trip tourists A series of viral incidents

, including a woman climbing the Trevi Fountain fill his water bottle and a British man who Get his and his girlfriend’s initials engraved The issue also drew attention to the Colosseum.

Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè said, “These tourists are also barbarians, because they have no respect for our cultural heritage, which belongs not only to Italy but to the whole world.”

In those days, “We have introduced a bill with a basic concept: You break it, you pay for it.”

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How a Reddit post helped police find vital clues in the Brown University shootings

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How a Reddit post helped police find vital clues in the Brown University shootings

An amateur detective was the one who helped police in Rhode Island lead a major search for the Browns University shooter—because he posted information about his encounter with the man on Reddit.

Police got the help of an amateur detective on Reddit who gave them information about the shooter.

Police released footage of the suspect, who a Reddit user later identified.

provided by an anonymous Reddit user using the alias.

A social media sleuth helped police track down the prime suspect in the Brown University shootings — and it’s all thanks to Reddit. The tip, provided by an anonymous Reddit user using the alias ‘John’, assisted police in properly reopening the case.

Claudio Neves Valente – a Portuguese national who previously studied at the University of Providence,

Rhode Island – was found dead on Thursday (December 18) following an intensive search. The 48-year-old man was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage unit in Salem.

The discovery took place in Salem, New Hampshire, approximately 80 miles north of the city that houses the Ivy League school.

After authorities released video and images of a person of interest, which were taken hours before the fatal shooting that killed two people and injured nine others,

The FBI was seeking a ‘built-bodied’ male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, who ‘John’ said he recognised.

Read more. A huge £20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the killers who shot a father dead in a case of mistaken identity.

Following the deaths of Americans, Trump initiated extensive strikes against IS in Syria.

Police got the help of an amateur detective on Reddit who gave them information about the shooter.

Police got the help of an amateur detective on Reddit who provided them with information about the shooter. (Image: AP)

John wrote, “I’m being very serious. The police need to look at a grey Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental. That was the car he was driving.

It was parked in front of the little cottage behind the Rhode Island Historical Society on the Cook St side. I know because he used his keys to open the car, approached it, and then something made him step back.

“When he backed off, he locked the car again. I thought it was strange, so when he went around the block, I approached the car and that’s when I saw the Florida plates.

It was parked in the lot between the RIHS gate and the corner of Cook and George Sts.”

Police then reviewed CCTV footage and discovered the grey Nissan, which had a Florida licence plate that John flagged as suspicious, according to Sky News.

Investigators then used surveillance cameras to track the vehicle’s travels, with the car being seen driving toward a Boston suburb and later headed to a storage facility in Salem.

Authorities reported that Valente had altered the licence plates on his car to conceal his identity. John later told police that around 1:45 p.m. The day of the incident,

He encountered the masked man inside the bathroom facilities of the Baras and Holley building, where the shooting occurred.

‘John’ then explained that he felt “concerned” when he saw the man’s clothes, which were “inappropriate and inadequate for the weather.”.

He then began following the alleged shooter through the area – before noticing his parking spot and inspecting the contents of his vehicle.

He observed ‘two fanny-style bags on the rear floorboard of the passenger side’ and continued to pursue the suspect, who eventually accused John of ‘harassing’ him.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said at a news conference Thursday: “We had a photo of that second guy, and within an hour, no more than two, that person came to two Providence police officers. He absolutely blew this case open.

“When you uncover the truth, you uncover the truth.”

“That person led us to the car, which led us to the name, which led us to photos of the person who rented the car, which matched the clothes of our shooter in Providence,

which matched the satchel.” Then, just two hours after their encounter, firing took place on the university campus.

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Fashion brand LK Bennett is racing to find a saviour this weekend amid concerns that it could be heading to collapse for the second time in six years.

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Fashion brand LK Bennett is racing to find a saviour this weekend amid concerns that it could be heading to collapse for the second time in six years.
Fashion brand LK Bennett is racing to find a saviour this weekend amid concerns that it could be heading to collapse for the second time in six years.



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The owner of the fashion brand, LK Bennett, is racing this weekend to find a saviour amid concerns that it could collapse for the second time in six years.

Sky News has learnt that the clothing chain, which was founded by Linda Bennett in 1990, is working with advisers at Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) on an accelerated sale process.

Industry sources said on Saturday that A&M had begun sounding out potential buyers and investors in the last few days.

LK Bennett, once one of the most recognisable brands on the high street, expanded to 200 branded outlets in the UK and overseas markets such as China, Russia, and the US.

In its home market, it now trades with just nine standalone stores, with a further 13 listed as concessions on its website.

LK Bennett’s existing backers might be prepared to inject additional funds into the business.

It was unclear whether a sale of the loss-making brand was likely or whether LK Bennett’s existing backers might be prepared to inject more funding into the business.

Advisers frequently draft contingency plans for an insolvency to facilitate accelerated sale processes.

The brand is owned by Byland UK, a company established in 2019 for the purpose of rescuing LK Bennett from a previous brush with insolvency.

Rebecca Feng, who oversaw LK Bennett’s Chinese franchises, founded Byland UK.

At the time of that deal, Ms Feng said, “Under our plan, the business will continue to operate out of the UK, looking to maintain the long-standing and undoubted heritage of the brand.

“We will achieve this through a combination of working with quality British design and leveraging the business’s existing supply chain.”

Accounts for LK Bennett Fashion for the period ended January 27, 2024, show the company made a post-tax loss of £3.5m on turnover of £42.1m.

The figures showed a steep loss in sales from £48.8m in 2023.

According to the accounts, LK Bennett paid a dividend of £229,000 “at the start of the year, when performance was going well.”

“Given the decline in revenue, the directors do not recommend the payment of any further dividends.”

Ms. Bennett founded the eponymous chain by opening a store in Wimbledon, southwest London, in 1990, and she promised to “bring a bit of Bond Street to the high street.”

Her eye for design earned her the nickname ‘queen of the kitten heel’ and saw her products worn by the Princess of Wales and Theresa May, the former prime minister.

In 2008, Ms Bennett sold the business for an estimated £100m to a consortium led by the private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners.

She retained a stake and then bought back the remaining equity in 2017.

The company’s administration in 2019 resulted in the closure of 15 stores.

The number of employees at LK Bennett remains unclear.

We contacted LK Bennett for comment, but A&M declined to respond.



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Authorities say the Taiwanese attacker planned the assault that resulted in 3 deaths and 11 injuries.

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Authorities say the Taiwanese attacker planned the assault that resulted in 3 deaths and 11 injuries.

taipei, taiwan— Taiwanese officials said Saturday that the suspect who killed three people and wounded 11 others in knife and smoke-grenade attacks in the island’s capital had planned attacks and fires at other locations earlier in the day.

The suspect, identified as Chang Wen, a 27-year-old man, fell from a department store building in Taipei and died after the attack on Friday.

The attacks shocked Taiwan, where violent crimes are rare, prompting authorities to step up security in crowded places and large events, including New Year’s Eve celebrations that typically draw many locals and tourists for the outdoor countdown.

Chang Jung-seon, director general of the National Police Agency, said the suspect launched a series of attacks at 3:40 p.m. local time, first setting fire to streets and damaging cars and motorcycles. He also set fire to the place where he lived.

After the attack, the suspect took an underground route.

Chang said the suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits of the Taipei Main Metro station and used a knife to fatally wound a man. After the attack, the suspect took an underground route to return to the hotel where he was staying. He then threw more smoke grenades and used his knife to kill another man outside the Eslite Spectrum Nancy department store, the officer said.

He also fatally wounded another man on the fourth floor of the department store building before jumping to his death from the fifth floor, Chang said.

The smoke grenade the attacker used could be purchased online and the suspect had visited the sites before the attack, an official said.

“The suspect planned to attack indiscriminately. He acted according to his plan,” Chang said. He said the preliminary investigation did not find that the suspect worked in collaboration with anyone else.

Authorities were still investigating his motive. Chang said the suspect had volunteered to serve in the military but was fired for driving under the influence. According to him, the suspect has been on the loose since July after not showing up for military duty.

“The suspect has not contacted his family for more than two years,” Chang said. “They said the suspect has been interested in guns and weapons since childhood.”

Six injured people are still in the hospital. Two were being treated in intensive care units but were in stable condition after surgery, officials said.

After receiving information from authorities, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called for a thorough investigation of the incident, examining the suspect’s background, motives, financial resources and whether he had received help from others.



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The dark secrets of black holes may be revealed by the brilliant formula developed a century ago by the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

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The dark secrets of black holes may be revealed by the brilliant formula developed a century ago by the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
The dark secrets of black holes may be revealed by the brilliant formula developed a century ago by the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Indian mathematician's genius formula from a century ago might explain the dark secrets of black holes

It was in the year 1914 that Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan arrived in Cambridge with a notebook filled with 17 extraordinary infinite series for 1/π.

They were not only efficient but also gave accurate digits of the world’s most famous irrational number. For a century, the formulas were considered the best in number theory, but no one could explain how they worked so well.

However, now, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have discovered an unexpected link between Ramanujan’s famous formulas for pi and the modern physics used to explain black holes and turbulent fluids.

The study suggests that Ramanujan was, perhaps unknowingly, working with the same underlying mathematics that describes how matter behaves at the brink of extreme change.

Ramanujan’s remarkable pi formula

In 1914, just before leaving Madras for Cambridge, Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published a paper that listed 17 different formulas for calculating pi.

These formulas stood out because they were far more efficient than the methods available at the time. With only a few mathematical terms,

They could generate a surprisingly large number of correct digits of pi. More than a century later, their influence remains strong. Ramanujan’s ideas form the basis of modern techniques used to compute pi on powerful computers today. “

Scientists have computed pi up to 200 trillion digits using an algorithm called the Chudnovsky algorithm,” says Aninda Sinha.

professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP) and senior author of the study. “These algorithms are actually based on Ramanujan’s work.”

A more profound question behind the mathematics

For Sinha and Faizan Bhat, the study’s first author and a former PhD student at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),

The interest was not just in how fast these formulas work. They wanted to understand why such powerful formulas exist at all. I

Instead of viewing them as purely abstract mathematics, the researchers looked for a connection to the physical world.

“We wanted to see whether the starting point of his formulae fit naturally into some physics,” says Sinha. “In other words, is there a physical world where Ramanujan’s mathematics appears on its own?”

Where pi meets scale invariance and extreme physics

Their search led them to a class of theories known as conformal field theories, and in particular to logarithmic conformal field theories.

These theories describe systems with scale invariance, meaning the system looks the same no matter how much you zoom in or out.

A well-known example is water at its critical point, a specific temperature and pressure where liquid water and water vapour become indistinguishable.

At this point, water exhibits scale-invariant behaviour, which can be described using conformal field theory.

Similar behaviour occurs in processes such as percolation, the early stages of turbulence in fluids, and certain theoretical descriptions of black holes.

These are all areas where logarithmic conformal field theories are used.

The researchers used Ramanujan’s structure to address physics problems.

The researchers found that the same mathematical structure underlying Ramanujan’s pi formulas also shows up in the equations of these logarithmic conformal field theories.

By using this shared structure, they were able to calculate important quantities in these theories more efficiently.

This could help scientists better study complex phenomena like turbulence and percolation. This approach closely reflects Ramanujan’s own style.

where compact mathematical expressions lead quickly to precise results.” [In] any piece of beautiful mathematics,

You almost always find that there is a physical system which actually mirrors the mathematics,” says Bhat.

“Ramanujan’s motivation might have been very mathematical, but without his knowledge, he was also studying black holes, turbulence, percolation, and all sorts of things.”

A century-old insight with modern impact

The study shows that Ramanujan’s work from over 100 years ago still offers new tools for making modern high-energy physics calculations faster and easier.

Beyond the technical benefits, the researchers say the findings underline the extraordinary depth of his ideas. “

We were simply fascinated by the way a genius working in early 20th-century India, with almost no contact with modern physics,

anticipated structures that are now central to our understanding of the universe,” says Sinha.

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The Epstein files opened: from provocative photos to call logs – what’s in them and what’s still missing?

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The Epstein files opened: from provocative photos to call logs – what’s in them and what’s still missing?

The Epstein files opened: from provocative photos to call logs – what's in them and what's still missing

The Justice Department on Friday released thousands of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

But vast numbers of documents remain unreleased. Congress had given the DOJ a December 19 deadline to release all records it has.

Over the past month, the DOJ and both Democratic and Republican lawmakers gradually made available some files.

Many of these files were taken from Epstein’s estate, which is separate from state and federal investigative records.

The DOJ has released Epstein files, deleting 4,000 documents and photos, which expose connections to Michael Jackson, Clinton, and Gulf Royals.

The newly released collection is available online and includes:

• Transcript of Maxwell’s interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch • Surveillance video from the prison where Epstein killed himself in 2019 •

Flight logs documenting trips from the Virgin Islands to Palm Beach • A handwritten note asking an unknown person to gather a “bucket of roses” to give to someone at their “high school” •

Scanned pages from How to Book a Massage for Dummies •

A graphic police interview with a woman who said she was recruited to give Epstein partially nude massages when she was a minor. • Redacted government documents are displayed in a photo illustration in Washington, DC.

This occurred on December 19, 2025, after the Justice Department released records of its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Photographs of Bill Clinton in a hot tub, Michael Jackson with Epstein, and former Prince Andrew lying in women’s laps are displayed.

Photographs of Epstein’s property, including a photo of a cheque that President Trump allegedly gave to Epstein,

The photographs include a cheque that President Trump allegedly gave to Epstein, which is framed with the caption ”

Once in a Blue Moon”, as well as an image of Epstein standing over four women who are all wearing the same outfit and posing with their hands in a prayer posture.

hands in prayer posture. Further releases are expected, but no timetable has been provided for when the remaining files will be made public.

What is not included in the Epstein files?

The tranche disclosed Friday included only a small portion of the total files, which the department has said exceeds 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence.

Financial records, internal memos from prosecutors investigating Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring, key material obtained from searches of Epstein’s luxury homes

— none of it features prominently in the documents released Friday. And there is no explanation for how Epstein became so rich.

Some of those pages include the names of Epstein’s survivors, as well as an entirely blacked-out document called the “Massage List.”.

Much of the material was heavily redacted or had already been made public, Politico reported, limiting its contribution to understanding the case. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee,

estimated that those documents represented about 10 per cent of the material in the department’s possession. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch acknowledged the incompleteness of the release, saying, “As our review continues,

Additional responsive materials will be produced consistent with the law and to protect victims.”

Blanch’s letter to Congress indicated that document production should be finished by the end of the year, although no specific timetable was provided for subsequent disclosures.

How did the Democrats respond?

Several members of Congress expressed disappointment over the limited release. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.),

The sponsor of the bill mandating the disclosure said he was disappointed by the amount of documents made public and asked for a clear timeline for the remaining materials.

He warned that lawmakers could consider impeachment proceedings or criminal referrals against Blanch and Attorney General Pam Bondi if officials engaged in excessive modification or tampering. A department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The bill’s lead GOP sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), said the release: “

The release, according to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), “completely disregards the spirit and letter of the legislation that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised the revelations in a statement:

“Releasing only a group of blackened pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” noting that “all 119 pages of one document were completely blackened. We need answers as to why.”

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