The food safety regulator has confirmed the existence of a food poisoning toxin within certain limits of Nestlé baby formula. The multinational food corporation recalled several batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula products earlier this month over concerns they contained the ceruleid toxin, which can cause nausea, vomiting and stomach pain if consumed.
The Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) subsequently identified the compromised ingredient in SMA products as arachidonic acid (ARA) oil. This substance plays an important role in baby’s development and is included in formula to ensure that bottle-fed babies are healthy.
“We are immediately tracing all products that used ingredients from this supplier to ensure that any affected products are removed from sale.”
Nestle products affected by recall
Affected categories include SMA Advanced First Infant Milk, SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk, SMA Anti Reflux, SMA Alphamino, SMA First Infant Milk, SMA Small Steps First Baby Milk, SMA Relax, and SMA Lactose Free. The exact batch codes and best-before dates that are affected are on the FSA website.
On January 23, Danone also recalled a batch of its Aptamil baby formula product due to concerns that it may contain cerulide.
At the time, the FSA said only one batch sold in the UK was affected, but additional batches in other countries were also affected. Earlier this week it emerged that the contamination that caused both recalls originated from a shared, third-party, component supplier.
The batch recalled was Aptamil First Infant Formula, 800 g with batch code 31-10-2026. Its earliest date was October 31, 2026.
Ms Wild said: “Both recalls are due to the presence of ceruleide, a toxin that can cause vomiting and nausea. If further recalls are required, we will announce them immediately.”
If formula is prescribed, parents should talk to pharmacists or doctors before switching, the FSA said. Further details about which batches have been recalled can be found on food.gov.uk or the Nestlé website.
A Nestlé spokesperson said, “There is no change in the status of this recall. Nestlé acted quickly and decisively to issue a voluntary recall notice on January 5, 2026. This was due to the possible presence of cerulide in some products due to an ingredient used in specific batches.
“We want to reassure everyone that there has been no change in the scope or nature of this recall and we thank everyone who contacted us for their patience and apologize again that we had to take this action.”
According to Bajaj Broking Research, the top stock picks for January 30, 2026, are State Bank of India (SBI) and Jaiswal Neco Industries.
Its outlook on Nifty and Bank Nifty is as follows: Index View: Nifty Indian benchmark indices witnessed a bullish rise during the current week, with Nifty extending its gains, reflecting the continued rally in domestic markets.
Sentiment remained positive, supported by optimism around the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to improve trade prospects and support medium-term economic growth. In the global market, the US Federal Reserve kept rates steady at 3.50%–3.75% in a 10-to-2 vote.
upgrade its growth outlook to solid expansion, taking into account stabilising labour conditions, modest job growth, and increased uncertainty.
Due to the Union Budget on February 1, 2026, and choppy global cues, we expect volatility to remain high in the coming season.
The index has jumped more than 500 points in the last three sessions from the key support zone of 24,800–25,000, which is aligned with the lower end of the seven-month ascending channel and the 52-week EMA.
Overall, the index is likely to consolidate in the range of 25,000-25,550, with stock-specific moves dominating. A move above 25,550 will open it towards 25,700-25,800 levels in the coming sessions. On the downside,
We find immediate support at 25,150 levels and key support at 25,000-24,900 levels. Bank Nifty extended its outperformance, displaying clear relative strength.
It currently remains around the level of 60,000. Volatility is likely to increase in the coming sessions due to the Union Budget on February 1, 2026, and uncertain global cues.
In the short term, the index is likely to consolidate in the range of 60,400–58,500; only a move above the recent high of 60,400 will open it to 61,500 levels.
As mentioned in the earlier edition, the key support is placed at the levels of 58,000-57,500, which is the confluence of the 100-day EMA and the key breakout zone.
Stock Recommendations:
state Bank of India Buy in the range of ₹1030-1070
Target
return
time limit
₹1150
11%
12 months
The stock has generated a breakout above a bullish rounding formation and thus offers a fresh entry opportunity.
We expect the stock to maintain a positive trend and move towards the 1150 level in the coming quarters, which is the measuring implication of the rounding formation.
The weekly MACD uptrend remains above its nine-period moving average, confirming a positive bias. Jaiswal Neco Industries Buy in the range of 72-75
Target
return
time limit
₹ 86
15%
6 months
Jaiswal Neko has recovered from its recent high of 94 and is currently trading near its medium-term trendline support, which is also aligned with the 100-day EMA.
Historically, the stock has found support near the 100-day EMA and staged rebounds from these levels, indicating strong buying interest and conviction.
Immediate support is placed in the 68-70 area, which corresponds to the key trendline support zone. On the positive side,
The stock is expected to move towards the empty gap zone in the range of 80 and 86, which is likely to act as a resistance zone.
This area also aligns with the 61.8% retracement of the previous swing, increasing its technical significance. (Disclaimer: The recommendations and views given by experts on the stock market, other asset classes, or personal finance management are their own.)
These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that New Zealand will not join the American President Donald Trump’s peace board amid caution among America’s Western allies over the Gaza initiative.
The New Zealand government said it would need more clarity on the board it aims to replace the United Nations with. After this, the spark flared up, causing concern over its true intentions going forward. This issue is not addressed in the draft charter of the Gaza Confrontation board.
“The government has considered President Trump’s invitation and has decided not to join the peace board in its current form,” Mr Luxon said on Friday.
Mr Lakson said he agreed with the Foreign Ministry’s position in rejecting the invitation and said all three coalition parties were in alliance.
The US president last week launched the peace board, originally intended to help end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas and oversee the reconstruction of Gaza. But its true intentions have caused confusion and concern among America’s Western allies after Mr Trump said he envisioned a broader role involving other global powers.
The board’s broad language has raised concerns in other countries that it could be an attempt by Mr Trump to create an alternative to the UN at a time when he withdrew the United States from dozens of UN agencies, including the World Health Organization, earlier this month.
Donald Trump holds the charter during a signing ceremony on his Board of Peace initiative at the World Economic Forum (AP/Marcus Schreiber) (AP)
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on X that it was important that the board’s work be “complementary and consistent” with the UN charter for Gaza.
“In particular, many states in the region have stepped forward to contribute to the Board’s role on Gaza, and New Zealand will not make any significant contribution to this,” he wrote.
“This is a new body, and we need clarity on this and other questions related to its scope now and in the future. New Zealand will not join the board in its current form but will continue to monitor developments.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins called on the Prime Minister to be “too polite” about the invitation and described the delay as an “absolute disgrace”.
“Not joining the peace board is absolutely right; it is absurd that Christopher Luxon would even consider it.
It is absurd to think that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can sit around a table and make decisions about a country’s peace while they are fighting their own wars.
“The idea that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can sit around a table and make decisions on the peace of a country while they are fighting their own wars is absurd.”
Britain and many other key US allies were ignored at Mr Trump’shigh-profile signing ceremony to launch his Gaza initiative.
Canada, Italy and several other Western powers overturned the World Economic Forum event in Davos. France, Norway and Sweden have indicated they will not attend.
The Board describes itself as “an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore credible and legitimate governance, and ensure lasting peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”.
Membership is limited to states invited by President Trump and willing to contribute $1 billion toward permanent status, although members can still be removed at their discretion.
The US President has stressed that his board will work closely with the United Nations, but his assurances are struggling to achieve their goals after his threats. Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally.
Mr Trump will also serve as the first US representative on the board – a position his successor will inherit – but will remain chairman of the board for life.
However, several Middle Eastern and Asian countries have come on board, including Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. America says that 35 countries, including Israel, have agreed to participate in this project.
Are you being brainwashed by hidden messages in music and audio? We explore the neuroscience of auditory illusions, viral conspiracies, and the real power of suggestion.
Scrolling through social media, you’ve likely seen them: viral clips claiming a song, a speech, or a corporate logo contains a secret, sinister message when played backward. The claim is always the same—these are not accidents but deliberate tools for brainwashing. The question these videos scream at you is chilling: are you being brainwashed? The truth behind these viral “hidden messages” is less about covert programming and more about the fascinating—and sometimes easily tricked—workings of your brain.
The Phenomenon: Backmasking and Auditory Illusion s
The technical term is backmasking: hiding a message in audio by recording it backward onto a track meant to be played forward. Since the 1960s, accusations have swirled around rock music, alleging everything from subliminal satanic commands to product placement.
The modern iteration floods TikTok and YouTube: a user isolates a muddy snippet of a pop song, plays it backward, and claims to hear, “Sign the deed,” or “Obey.” The presenter’s question is always, “Are you being brainwashed?” and the edit is designed to make the answer feel like “yes.”
The Neuroscience: Why Your Brain “Hears” What Isn’t There
This is where the real truth lies. You are not a passive recorder of sound. Your brain is an active, predictive processor. Your brain continuously processes incomplete sensory data, filling in the gaps to construct a coherent narrative. This is called ‘pareidolia’—the tendency to perceive a meaningful pattern (like a face in a cloud) where none exists. Auditory pareidolia is the same: when presented with chaotic, garbled sounds (like speech played in reverse), your brain desperately tries to match it to known language.
Key Factors at Play:
Priming: The video’s title tells you what to listen for (“Hear ‘sell your soul’ here!”). This primes your brain, setting an expectation that guides perception.
Top-Down Processing: Your beliefs and expectations (e.g., “this artist is controversial”) directly influence what you think you hear.
The Phonemic Restoration Effect: If a speech sound is missing or obscured by noise, your brain instinctively fills it in based on context.
In short, you often hear the message because you’ve been told to listen for it. This is not proof of brainwashing; it’s a demonstration of your brain’s powerful, sometimes gullible, pattern-seeking ability.
The History: From Moral Panic to Marketing Myth
There is a long-standing fear that hidden messages are brainwashing you. It’s a recurring moral panic.
1970s-80s: Evangelical groups claimed backward messages in rock records were subliminal satanic propaganda, leading to congressional hearings and warning labels.
1990s: Lawsuits alleged that subliminal messages in music led to suicide and violence. No scientific evidence ever substantiated these claims.
Today: The panic has evolved, finding fertile ground in the algorithm-driven outrage and curiosity cycles of social media.
The (Limited) Truth About Subliminal Influence
So, is there any scientific basis for the fear? Can you be influenced by messages you don’t consciously hear?
Subliminal Priming: In very controlled lab settings, flashing a word like “thirst” can briefly make a person more likely to choose a drink. The effects are extremely weak and short-lived and cannot make you do something against your will or beliefs.
No Brainwashing: The idea of a secret audio command making you abandon your morality or free will is pure science fiction. Brainwashing, in the pop-culture sense, requires intense, prolonged coercion and isolation—not a three-second clip in a Spotify stream.
The real power isn’t in the hidden message itself, but in the fear of the message. The viral spread of these clips plays on a deep-seated anxiety about being manipulated, asking over and over, “Are you being brainwashed?” to drive engagement through fear.
How to Protect Your Perception: Critical Listening
Seek the Original Source: Find the unedited, full-length audio. Does the “message” still appear without the video’s guiding text and isolated loop?
Please consider using free audio software to reverse the original clip yourself. You’ll often find the “clear message” disappears without the creator’s selective editing.
Question the Motive: Who posted this video and what do they gain? Are they seeking clicks, fame, selling a conspiracy theory, or discrediting a public figure?
Understand Your Brain: Remember you have a built-in pattern detector that can be misled. Just because you hear it doesn’t mean it was put there.
The Final Verdict
So, are you being brainwashed by these viral hidden messages? The terrifying truth is not that shadowy forces are using reversed audio to control you. The truth is that our cognitive biases make us highly susceptible to suggestion and fear-based narratives. The machinery of brainwashing in the digital age isn’t hidden in backward guitar solos; it’s in the click-driven ecosystems that profit by making you question reality, one viral “reveal” at a time.
The greatest defence is awareness. When you hear the question, “Are you being brainwashed?” remember that the most powerful influencer is often the one holding the microphone—or the video editor—promising you a secret truth. The real hidden message is usually just an invitation to watch, share, and fear.
Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian operative, hired Carlisle Rivera as part of a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate Iranian dissidents, according to prosecutors. Masih Alinejad was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday.
Alinejad was saved from three conspiracies by Iran’s regime to kill or kidnap him. At his sentencing hearing in federal court in Manhattan, he confronted Rivera.
“Now I’m going to face the murderer, my would-be murderer,” Alinejad, an activist and critic of women’s oppression in Iran, said before the sentencing. “But in my view the main killer is the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps).”
Prosecutors stated that the regime “tasked Shakeri with directing a network of criminal associates in furtherance of Iranian assassination plots against its targets.” Prosecutors alleged that Shakeri gave instructions to two men in New York, Rivera and Jonathan Loadholt, to murder Alinejad in exchange for $100,000. Shakeri told federal authorities that the IRGC had also tasked him with arranging to kill President Donald Trump before the 2024 election.
I have received videos from the Iranians.
Alinejad said, “The IRGC, the Revolutionary Guards, is behind the assassination plot. The same IRGC is currently directing the genocide in Iran. “I have received videos by the Iranians that show the IRGC using AK-47 military weapons to kill people. The same IRGC paid the killers to buy AK-47s to end my life.”
Masih Alinejad kisses supporters outside a federal courthouse after testifying at the trial of his accused murderers in New York on March 18, 2025.
Prosecutors stressed the seriousness of the conspiracy perpetrated by the IRGC, which they said was “responsible for numerous conspiracies here and around the world.” He said its aim was to “kill the voices of those inside Iran who depend on people like Masih Alinejad to voice their hopes.”
An assassination attempt on Alinejad was scheduled to take place in February 2024 at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where she was scheduled to give a speaking engagement. The plot was foiled after months of surveillance. Rivera and Loadholt were arrested in November 2024 and pleaded guilty before the case went to trial.
The event was the second time Alinejad had to face someone who was plotting to assassinate him in the last year. Two men, who prosecutors said were members of a Russian mob hired by Iran, received 25-year prison sentences in October. An attempt was made to kill Alinejad in her Brooklyn home.
Alinejad burst into tears as she entered the courtroom on Wednesday. During an emotional sentencing, she said the Iranian government wanted to silence her.
“I had to face that because I live with fear,” Alinejad said, looking directly at Rivera. But she told the judge that what she wanted was to testify against the people who hired the killer, the Revolutionary Guards. “My job is to expose the genocide and the brutality of the regime,” he said, but “they are targeting freedom of speech here in America.”
Alinejad’s husband, Kambiz Forouhar, urged Judge Lewis Liman to impose the maximum sentence to send a message that “anyone who joins the Islamic Republic to do their dirty work will be held accountable.”
Forohar informed the court that the “threats from a hostile foreign government” have deprived his family of normalcy.
“On one occasion, Rivera missed my wife by only an hour,” Forougher said. “Dangers have forced us to leave our homes, our neighbourhoods, and our friends. Fear is a constant in our lives.”
Alinejad sat with her head in her hands as prosecutors talked about the voice notes exchanged between Rivera and Shakeri. They plotted how to assassinate Alinejad, which included breaking into her home in a home-invasion style or considering a drive-by shooting.
Prosecutors said Rivera and Shakeri met in the New York prison system. Shakeri was serving a sentence on murder charges. Rivera spent 18 years in prison after being found guilty of murder at the age of 18.
The judge described the interaction between Shakeri and Rivera as “exciting”.
Rivera, dressed in a grey prison uniform, cried while apologising “to my fellow Americans and to the woman and man who just spoke,” referring to Alinejad and Forouhar.
Rivera’s fiancée was crying, sitting a few rows behind him. During a break in the sentencing, Alinejad approached Rivera’s fiancée and hugged her. His fiancée apologised repeatedly.
After Rivera was sentenced, Alinejad told CBS News, “Justice is always beautiful. This is justice for me.”
“But, in the big picture, no,” she said, adding that merely putting her potential killers behind bars is not enough.
He pointed to a speech alleging Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had ordered her assassination, in which he referred to an “American agent” who compared the mandatory hijab to the Berlin Wall. Alinejad has made this exact comparison before.
“It’s kind of [Iranian]. The regime on American soil is threatening America’s national security; it is signalling that we can do whatever we want,” he said, referring to Khamenei, adding that real justice would be to put “the man who ordered my assassination… behind bars.” She wants to see him humiliated like former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces in a military operation in Venezuela earlier this month and brought back to New York to face federal charges. ”
Reflecting on Shakeri’s alleged role in targeting both himself and Mr Trump, Alinejad said it is a “badge of honour” that “they want to get rid of me as much as they want to get rid of President Trump.”
She said, “President Trump has the army, everything, the power. I’m just an Iranian, unarmed woman with a lot of hair; I have a big voice. That’s all.” “And that shows you that the regime in Iran is really afraid of its people.
When she first learnt that the same man had conspired to kill her and Mr. Trump, Alinejad laughed and told her husband, “Wow, they think I’m as powerful as President Trump—just my voice.” My weapon is my voice. ” At the same time, he also remembered a feeling of fear, recalling how the Iranian regime had said for years that the US was “the great Satan” and “Iran’s greatest enemy.”
“The same group that targeted President Trump wanted to target me,” Alinejad said. “This means that now in their eyes I am the supreme devil. I am their greatest enemy.”
Loadholt’s sentencing is scheduled for April 23. Shakeri is believed to be in Iran.
Photos of little Liam Conejo Ramos allegedly being used as ‘bait’ by ICE officers have devastated Minneapolis and beyond, and now there are more updates on the five-year-old’s fate.
Pictures of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos shocked the world (Image: Columbia Heights Public Schools).
Amid the ongoing controversy over controversial ICE raids, the photo of little Liam Conejo Ramos has emerged as particularly harrowing. Now the fate of the five-year-old child has been revealed.
The photo in question, which has sent shockwaves around the world, shows the boy being taken into federal custody by ICE officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, his woolly blue bunny hat and Spiderman backpack a reminder of his young age. A Columbia Heights Public School District official says Liam was stopped by masked men as he walked home from school with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
In the past two weeks alone, students in the district have been detained by federal agents in four separate immigration raids. It has been claimed by both neighbours and school officials that Liam was used as “bait” to trap his relatives, with officials allegedly asking the youngster to knock on the front door of the property so his mother could open it. Neighbour Vanessa Mullenix previously told the Mirror: “We have entered a new layer of hell; now ICE is targeting children and using children as pawns to take their families out of their homes. It is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Read more: ICE agents were ‘fired’ in the shooting of Alex Pretty, which contradicts the White House’s claims.
Many are concerned about the well-being of Liam and his family (Image: Columbia Heights Public Schools).
The Department of Homeland Security has vehemently denied this account, calling it a “blatant lie”, while authorities say Mr Arias fled on foot, leaving the boy in a moving vehicle on the road. Vice President J.D. Vance defended the officers’ actions during a visit to Minnesota. Vance said, “So the story is that ICE has detained a five-year-old child? Well, what should they do? Should they let a five-year-old child die in the cold? Shouldn’t they arrest an illegal alien in the United States?”
Despite these purported justifications, people in the local area and beyond have been devastated by the incident, which comes at a time of intense scrutiny over the Trump administration’s harsh immigration crackdown. And many people are concerned about the well-being of Liam and his family.
On Monday, January 26, US Judge Fred Bieri issued a temporary order banning “no possible or anticipated removal or transfer” of Liam and his father, Adrian, who has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to secure their release, court filings show. Independently, reportedly, pursuant to this summary order, immigration officials have also been barred from deporting Liam “out of this judicial district during the pendency of this trial and until further order of this Court.”
Judge Fred Byre has issued a temporary order to stop ‘any potential or anticipated removal or transfer’ of Liam and his father, Adrian. (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Federal officials say Adrian was in the US illegally, although details have not been provided. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has said that the father entered the country in December 2024 without proper documentation, while the family’s attorney has claimed that Adrian has a pending asylum claim that would allow him to remain in the country legally.
This story comes amid widespread concerns over the activities of ICE agents in the US and especially in Minneapolis. The agents’ presence has caused friction in communities across the country since President Donald Trump decided they would be responsible for carrying out his tough immigration agenda. While the opposition sparked protests last year, the events of the past few weeks have caused a firestorm in the White House, with even MAGA fans expressing grave concern.
Earlier this month, 37-year-old mother Renee Good was shot dead by an ICE agent in the US city of Minneapolis, sparking widespread anger across the US. After Alex Pretty, a 37-year-old US citizen, died in a scuffle with agents in the same city on January 24, tensions escalated.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
read more: : Judge blocks deportation of 5-year-old boy ‘used as bait’ by ICE agents in Minnesota
The government has reaffirmed its rejection of the women’s campaign, which asserted they owe billions due to the state pension age change.
Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) – The campaign has lobbied extensively after claiming they were not given enough warning to raise the state pension age for women to the same level as men.
The government rejected this claim in December 2024 and announced a review in November last year, during which it would consider new evidence.
The latest political developments include Starmer’s significant announcement in China
The campaigners’ argument focuses on the claim that the change to the pension age was made too early, leaving some women financially unprepared to deal with the number of years before they would be able to claim their state pension.
In 2024, the government stated that women would not receive compensation because most were aware of the upcoming changes before the review was announced at the end of 2025.
This review was based on a specific claim about how the decision was communicated.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said in the House of Commons on Thursday that following the review, “the Government has reached the same conclusion on compensation…as announced in December 2024.”
He said, “There are legitimate and honest views about whether it was wise to raise the state pension age, in particular, whether the decision by the Coalition Government in 2011 to accelerate equalisation and raise the age to 66 was the right one.”
Read more:
While employees are facing challenges, pensioners are reaping benefits.
Three major pension reforms are coming in 2026
Mr McFadden clarified that the review focused on the communication of changes to the state pension age, rather than the formulation of the policy.
“We accept that we could have sent individual letters about the change to the state pension age earlier,” the minister told MPs.
“I want to apologise again on behalf of the government for the delay in sending those letters [from former work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall].
“And I’m sorry those letters weren’t sent sooner.
“We also agree with the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.” The Ombudsman said the delay caused no direct financial loss to the women.”
Campaigners are considering legal action
WASPI president Angela Madden said, “This is an outrageous political choice made by a small group of very powerful people who have decided that the harm and injustice caused to millions of ordinary women does not matter.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman asserts that one should not use economic circumstances as a justification for denying compensation.
The government has magically found billions of dollars to finance policies that were not in their election manifesto, proving that when ministers consider something a priority, money can be readily available.
“WASPI is taking legal advice, and all options are on the table. We will pursue every avenue in Parliament and the courts to secure the justice that has been so shamefully denied.
The change in state pension age affected about 3.6 million women.
Previously, the government estimated that compensating them could cost £10.5 billion.
The change affected women born between April 1951 and 1960.
The changes were first announced under the 1995 Pensions Act, with the aim of equalising male and female pensions by 2020.
The issue concerns the way changes to the State Pension age were communicated. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign argues that nearly 3.8 million women born in the 1950s were not given adequate notice when their pension age was raised from 60 to 66. Many say the delay led to financial hardship, with no time to adjust retirement plans.
A 12-year-old girl who alleged she was strangled by one man and raped by another has told a court that one of them left her unable to breathe. Prosecutors allege that the teen was “targeted” by Afghan national Ahmed Mulkhil and his friend Mohammad Kabir, with one defendant attempting to strangle her and the other raping her.
A trial at Warwick Crown Court heard Mulkhill is accused of raping, sexually assaulting and taking indecent mobile phone photographs of a girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Jurors learnt that he has admitted to one count of verbal rape against the girl. A video interview conducted with the girl before the trial was shown to jurors on Thursday, in which she described an incident in which Kabir, 24, allegedly grabbed her by the neck.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons,
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleges the two defendants approached her in a park after she played on the swings in July last year.
In her interview, she said, “They kept watching. They were both foreigners – they had a translation (app) on their phones. I spoke there so he could understand it.”
Asked how the alleged strangulation made her feel, the complainant said, “Like I was going to die because I couldn’t breathe. After he strangled me, I ran away.”
At one point she was sitting and a man said he liked her and was “acting weird,” the girl said.
The girl said she had asked her attacker to stop during the alleged sexual assaults.
When police asked the girl what he was saying, she replied, “Nothing. He was just laughing. I was telling him to stop touching me. He didn’t say anything; he just kept walking.”
In separate video evidence during cross-examination recorded before the trial, the girl denied that she had told one of the men that she was 19 years old.
Opening the Crown’s case before presenting the girl’s testimony to the jury, prosecutor Daniel Oscroft told the jury of seven men and five women, “This case concerns two men who targeted a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.
“Mohammed Kabir tried to bring her along with him – which is an attempted kidnapping of a child – and strangled her by holding her by the neck. This is a legal definition; it does not mean that he strangled her.
“Mohammed Kabir was with Ahmed Mulkhil at the time. It appears that they were friends. The prosecution suggests that when Mohammed Kabir tried to take her away, he may have had only some sexual motive. What could have been the alternative?”
Mr Oscroft said, “Although she did not accompany Mr Kabir, the other man present, Ahmed Mulkhill, remained in the area for the next few hours and later met him.
“He talked her down and drove her to a secluded area, Chevrell Place, where he raped , sexually assaulted her and took indecent photographs of her.”
Mulkhil, 23, of no fixed abode, denies child abduction, two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of taking indecent photographs of a child.
Kabir, of no fixed address, denies deliberate strangulation, committing a crime with intent to commit a sexual offence, and attempting to take a child away.
Following a personal request from Donald Trump, Putin has agreed to stop bombing Ukrainian cities for a week during cold temperatures.
The temporary winter ceasefire comes as millions of Ukrainian citizens remain frozen in sub-zero conditions under a relentless onslaught of Russian attacks targeting the power grid.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have apparently made a deal. Credit: AFPRussian nighttime drone attack in Odessa injures 22 and damages infrastructure Credit: East2WestKiev, Ukraine covered in snow amid regular Russian air strikes on country’s energy sector Credit: AP
President Trump announced the temporary peace deal amid concerns that the Kremlin’s attacks are pushing the war-torn country toward a humanitarian crisis.
he agreed to do that.”
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire in Kyiv and various cities for a week and he agreed to do that,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting, citing “extraordinary cold” in the region.
“It was very good. A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call; you won’t get it.’ And they did,” Trump said.
In return, the Ukrainian military has reportedly been ordered not to attack Russia’s power systems, Wire.
slower than the somme
Putin’s meatgrinder army is moving slower than any army in 100 years
childish barb
Putin’s top diplomat demands that the word ‘Great’ be removed from the name ‘Great Britain.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said representatives discussed an agreement not to attack energy infrastructure during recent talks in the United Arab Emirates.
“We hope the agreements will be implemented,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
“De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the reports.
The call to end the airstrikes comes after Russia repeatedly destroyed Ukraine’s vital infrastructure, leaving many people across the country without heat and electricity in the winter.
Ukrainian officials have described this strategy as weaponising winter – Putin is perhaps hoping to reduce the public’s resistance to war as they suffer from plunging temperatures without electricity.
Two previous Russian missile and drone attacks on the capital, Kiev, in January left nearly a million people without power and 6,000 apartment buildings without heating.
After several weeks of repairs, about 700 buildings still lack heat.
Writing on Telegram after a meeting dedicated to energy on Wednesday, Energy Minister Denis Schmihal said 610,000 Kyiv households remained without electricity.
Severe cold is expected in Kiev from Friday and is expected to continue. next week.
According to the official forecast, temperatures in the northern and eastern parts of Ukraine are expected to remain below -20 degrees Celsius, which is extremely low for the country.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised fears of new Russian attacks on energy facilities in an evening address on Wednesday.
Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence reports indicated that Russia was gathering forces for a major air strike.
In previous major attacks, sometimes as many as 800 drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles have targeted the Ukrainian power grid.
Trump further said that “a lot of progress”
has been made in US-brokered talks between Kiev and Moscow to end Russia’s aggression on its pro-Western neighbour, which will soon enter its fifth year.
Firefighters attend the scene of destroyed homes after a Russian martyr drone strike on January 29 Credit: GettyAttacks continue to target energy infrastructure Credit: East2WestRussian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a partial ceasefire Credit: Getty
However, Kyiv’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha has made it clear that Zelensky is ready to meet the Russian dictator for showdown talks for the first time since the war began in 2022.
Cybiha says the only way both issues can be resolved is for the two leaders to do so individually.
He said today: “It is to address these issues that the President is prepared to meet and discuss them with Putin.”
It comes as trilateral talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are expected to continue on Sunday with US mediators in Abu Dhabi.
Zelensky said the first round of talks last week yielded no breakthrough in ending the bloody four-year war, although a US plan to guarantee Ukraine’s security is “100 per cent” ready for signature.
The Ukrainian leader said he was waiting for the time and place to sign the US documents, which would be a major step towards ending Vladimir Putin’s bloody war.
After this it will be sent to the US Congress and the Ukrainian Parliament for approval.
Zelensky said: “For us, the security guarantee is the first and foremost guarantee of security from the United States.”
“The document is 100 per cent ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and location when we will sign it.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ready to meet Putin face-to-face Credit: AFPRepresentatives of every country gathered for talks in Abu Dhabi Credit: Reuters
Putin is obsessed with swallowing up the entire Donbass region and says he will stop his invasion only if Zelensky gives up the entire region.
Ukraine is adamant that they should not give up the land they have fought for four years to keep.
Another important issue is who controls the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.
Russia stole the plant from Kyiv in 2022 and is refusing to give it back.
New analysis shows that Mad Vlad’s desperate boys are capturing between 15 and 70 metres of territory per day by the beginning of 2024.
That said, this pitiful advance of the Russian army is slower than many of the difficult campaigns of World War I, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Centro has announced plans to close 44 bank branches, putting around 300 jobs at risk.
The lender said its move is a continued response to the changing needs of its customers as more people bank online.
Less than a year has passed since the announcement of plans to close 95 sites.
Centro UK announced that its latest decision would reduce its number of full service branches to just 244.
Money Latest: Check how much your water bill is going to increase
The company revealed a list of affected locations and closure dates:
Andover, Hampshire, 12 May Banbridge, County Down, 19 May Bangor, County Down, 29 April Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, 28 April Bishop Auckland, County Durham, 5 May Boston, Lincolnshire, April 28 Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, 12 May Bridgwater, Somerset, 29 April Cwmbran, Gwent, 13 May Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, 12 May Evesham, Worcestershire, 28 April Glengormley, County Antrim, 6 May Golders Green, London, 13 May Gosport, Hampshire, 5 May Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, 5 May Heswall, Merseyside, 13 May Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, 5 May Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire, 29 April Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, by the end of January 2027 Leyland, Lancashire, 6 May Liskeard, Cornwall, 20 May Macclesfield, Cheshire, 12 May Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, 6 May Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, 29 April Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, 6 May Mould, Clyde, 28 April Newbury, Berkshire, 29 April Newton Abbot, Devon, 19 May Northallerton, North Yorkshire, 6 May Ormskirk, Lancashire, by the end of January 2027 Pontefract, West Yorkshire, 5 May Ramsgate, Kent, 28 April Redditch, Worcestershire, 13 May Ringwood, Hampshire, 6 May Scunthorpe, South Humberside, 29 April Shirley, West Midlands, 20 May Stafford, Staffordshire, 19 May Stranraer, Wigtownshire, 13 May Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, 12 May Tonbridge, Kent, 29 April Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, 5 May Whitehaven, Cumbria, by the end of January 2027 Wilmslow, Cheshire, by the end of January 2027 Woking, Surrey, 28 April
The bank group based in Spain announced that 96% of all transactions now occur through digital channels.
It reassured critics of widespread industry branch closures around access to banking and stressed that its community banker programme would help areas where entire branches are closing.
Its remaining network will also include 19 counter-free branches.
reduced-hour branches, six work cafes and 111 Sanchez residents.
Two-thirds of UK networks have disappeared over the past 10 years as the industry moved away from expensive branch services, but branch services have declined sharply since the financial crisis in 2008/9.
A spokesperson for Santander said, “We will continue to invest in our branch network – including full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced-hours branches, Santander Locals and our increasingly popular work cafés – as well as our digital banking services, so we can be there to support our customers, however they choose to bank with us.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published soon.
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