Party or pyjamas? New Year’s celebrations in France to go ahead despite record Covid cases

Will the French be spending New Year’s Eve in slippers this year? That was the headline of the French daily Le Parisien, while the weekly magazine Le Point summed up the dilemma in three words: “Soirée ou canapé?” – an evening out or an evening on the sofa? It’s the question being asked in households across France ahead of New Year’s Eve, as cases of Covid-19 in the country soar to unprecedented levels. 

US Navy seizes drugs worth millions

The latest US Navy drugs bust is part of more than $193 million-worth of narcotics seizures in 2021

The US Navy has announced the confiscation of a huge cache of heroin, worth an estimated $4 million, which was seized from a fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea.

American personnel aboard the USS Tempest and USS Typhoon were working as part of an international task force while conducting a “flag verification boarding,” the Navy said. The Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 has so far this year seized illegal drugs at sea worth more than $193 million, according to Thursday’s press release, which they claim is higher than the previous four years combined. 

Monday’s drug seizure amounted to 385 kilograms (849 pounds) of heroin.

The task force says their patrolling outside the Arabian Gulf is meant to stop “criminal and terrorist organizations,” as well as “related illicit activities” such as the shipment of weapons and narcotics. 

“These efforts help ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region free from non-state threats,” The Navy’s announcement celebrating the task force’s bust reads. 

CTF 150 is part of the 34-nation Combined Maritime Forces, headquartered in Bahrain with the US Forces Naval Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet. The forces operate by patrolling and conducting counter terrorism operations at sea. 

The heroin discovered on December 27 was “destroyed at sea,” officials said. The nine crewmembers of the stateless vessel were reportedly released after the drugs were taken. The crew identified themselves as Iranian, according to the Navy’s statement. 

Commander Timothy Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Fifth Fleet, did not specify the manufacturer of the drugs or the intended final destination. 

Parliament building set on fire during protest (VIDEO)

Severe damage dealt to Australia’s former parliament building in Canberra after fire erupts during aboriginal rights protest

Australia’s Old Parliament House saw its doors engulfed by a blaze on Thursday as an aboriginal rights protest outside of the building apparently went wrong.

Indigenous rights groups were protesting outside of the building on Thursday, when the fire began. A group called People’s Treaty had reportedly gathered at the scene over recent days, while other media reports suggested that several different groups were involved in the demonstrations, ranging from the “sovereign citizens” movement to those protesting Covid-19 measures and mandatory vaccinations.

Videos from the scene showed cheering and clapping to the beat of traditional aboriginal instruments, as the Old Parliament House’s entrance became engulfed by fire. The blaze could be seen sending billowing black smoke into the skies. Police were also seen slowly pushing the crowd away from the building that was still on fire.

In a separate incident, the crowd allegedly attacked some journalists that arrived at the scene to film the blaze, videos posted on social media showed. No arrests have been made following the incident so far.

Protestors attacking media outside old Parliament House after setting the front door on fire @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/J7mpsIMeeD

— Rachel Baxter (@rachbaxter9) December 30, 2021

The blaze was under control in just around 20 minutes, according to the media. The fire still caused extensive damage to the building’s doors and firefighters were seen clearing the debris from the charred entrance.

The aftermath of a fire at Old Parliament House in Canberra. 📸 by Gary Ramage @GaryRamagePhoto. pic.twitter.com/sjoFQ4okii

— Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) December 30, 2021

Some protesters claimed that the fire was caused by a traditional smoking ceremony going wrong. Others blamed the police for attempts to disrupt the ceremony using pepper spray and thus allegedly causing the fire.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) policing operations commander, Linda Champion, confirmed the police did use a “small amount” of pepper spray against the protesters but denied it was linked to the fire. The blaze was a result of protesters lighting a fire “outside the front door,” she added.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison denounced what he called an “appalling” and “disgraceful” incident and demanded authorities act “swiftly and in accordance to the law.” The Old Parliament House was a home to Australia’s federal parliament between 1927 and 1988 and currently serves as the Museum of Australian Democracy. Its deputy director, Andrew Harper, said he was yet to get inside to assess the damage to the museum.

Details of secret Epstein deal with Prince Andrew accuser to be made public

The 2009 settlement between Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre will soon be publicly released

The settlement deal between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, who is currently suing Prince Andrew for alleged sex abuse, is due to be made public in the coming days, following an order by US judges to unseal the agreement.

The release of the document comes amid an ongoing case between Giuffre and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, who she accuses of forcing her to have sex with him at the homes of Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein when she was under 18.

The senior royal has repeatedly and vigorously denied any claims made by Giuffre, including in a now infamous BBC interview after which he temporarily retired from public life. He has not been charged criminally over the allegations.

The now-deceased convicted sex offender Epstein reached a deal with Giuffre in 2009, which the duke’s lawyers claims exempts the Briton from any liability, preventing the accuser from suing the royal. On Wednesday, two Manhattan judges ordered the agreement document be released on or about January 3, 2022, saying there was no reason to keep it secret.

Read more

Will Ghislaine Maxwell’s guilt end her silence?

Andrew’s lawyers argue the deal covers “royalty” and was designed to protect “any and all persons” who might eventually be sued by Giuffre. However, Giuffre’s lawyers say that the deal only covered people involved in cases in Florida, meaning the royal who lives in the UK would be excluded.

The Duke of York’s legal team recently issued a counter challenge to Giuffre’s claims, calling on the court to throw the case out because his accuser actually lives in Australia, so the New York court might not have “jurisdiction.”

A judge in New York will hear from the legal representatives of both parties on January 4, where they will consider the request to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit, which is seeking unspecified damages.

The release of the settlement deal comes after Maxwell, a former confidante of Epstein, was found guilty on five of six counts linked to helping the billionaire groom and recruit teenage girls for abuse. Maxwell hasn’t been sentenced but originally, if convicted on all counts, she faced up to 80 years in prison.