Rapper Kanye West, 47, and wife Bianca Censori, 29, have shared revealing vacation photos from their winter getaway in the Maldives. West posted several intimate shots to his Instagram Stories, showing the couple in their luxury suite’s walk-in closet.
West appeared noticeably slimmer in the mirror selfies, wearing an all-black ensemble of t-shirt, loose trousers, and boots. The rapper was also spotted DJing at the resort, notably playing Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” despite their past public feud.
The vacation posts emerged as West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian shared Christmas photographs with their four children – North, 11, Saint, 9, Chicago, 6, and Psalm, 5. The couple has been married for two years following West’s highly publicized divorce from Kardashian.
Authorities believe gang members of Laotian descent were involved in the 2020 killings of seven people at an illegal marijuana grow in Aguanga, a rural community in Southern California, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Investigators have identified a dark-colored, mid-size SUV thought to have been used during the targeted attack. Officials plan to provide further details about the case during a news conference on Friday.
The shooting claimed the lives of seven Laotian individuals. Six victims were found dead at the scene, and a seventh died later at a hospital. More than 20 people lived on the property, which featured makeshift dwellings, a nursery, and a large-scale illegal marijuana operation.
Authorities recovered over 1,000 marijuana plants and several hundred pounds of processed marijuana at the site. Despite California legalizing recreational marijuana in 2018, the illicit market has remained strong, with many consumers avoiding high taxes on legal cannabis by turning to illegal sources.
Aguanga, located about 50 miles northeast of San Diego, is a remote area known for its horse ranches and dirt roads. The killings shocked the small, quiet community and highlighted ongoing issues with unlicensed marijuana cultivation in the state.
Jennifer Lopez, 55, marked the New Year in Aspen by sharing striking bikini photos on social media Thursday, displaying her signature physique while vacationing following her recent divorce from Ben Affleck. The singer posed in a string bikini accessorized with a cowboy hat and fur snow boots.
The vacation photos showcase Lopez celebrating with an intimate group including her mother Guadalupe, sister Lynda, manager Benn Medina, and various entertainment industry professionals. Her “We’ll be back Aspen” caption garnered enthusiastic fan responses praising her styling choices and appearance.
The posts come months after Lopez’s divorce filing from Ben Affleck in August, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The couple’s relationship spanned two decades, beginning with their first engagement in 2002, followed by a 2004 split.
They rekindled their romance in 2021, marrying twice in 2022 – first eloping in Las Vegas before hosting a white-themed ceremony at Affleck’s Georgia estate.
Their recent separation marks the end of their highly publicized reunion, dubbed “Bennifer” by media and fans. Lopez has moved forward with holiday celebrations amid the ongoing divorce proceedings.
Brighton & Hove Albion host Arsenal at the Amex Stadium this Saturday in a crucial Premier League encounter.
Arsenal head to the South Coast after a commanding 3-1 win over Brentford, marking their first game of the year. Meanwhile, Brighton fought back for a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, extending their streak of draws to three matches.
Arsenal Aim to Sustain Title Charge
Mikel Arteta’s side continues their pursuit of league leaders Liverpool, who maintain a six-point advantage with a game in hand. Arsenal, unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions, hope to extend their recent dominance despite challenges in away fixtures.
Their recent victory over Brentford showcased a rejuvenated Gabriel Jesus, while goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli sealed the three points. However, Arsenal’s defensive inconsistencies on the road remain an area of concern, as they look to clinch their first away win since their Champions League demolition of Sporting Lisbon in November.
Brighton Struggling for Form
Brighton, on the other hand, has faltered in their campaign, enduring a seven-match winless streak. Fabian Hurzeler’s squad remains mid-table, five points shy of the Europa League qualification spots. Their recent draws against Aston Villa, West Ham, and Brentford highlight their knack for resilience but lack of cutting-edge performances.
Tariq Lamptey’s stunning equalizer against Villa was a rare bright spot for the Seagulls, who have played out more draws than any other Premier League side this season.
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Arsenal face a defensive dilemma following Jurrien Timber’s suspension, leaving Arteta without recognized right-backs. Thomas Partey is expected to fill in as a makeshift defender, allowing the return of Declan Rice or Kai Havertz in midfield. Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling remain unavailable, but Ethan Nwaneri could feature again after his impressive debut.
Brighton hope to see Pervis Estupinan return after illness, while Adam Webster faces a late fitness test. However, Danny Welbeck, Evan Ferguson, and Mats Wieffer remain sidelined. New signing Diego Gomez will not be available for this clash.
Brighton & Hove Albion Predicted XI:
Verbruggen; Lamptey, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Baleba, O’Riley; Adingra, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro
Brighton’s defensive vulnerabilities and Arsenal’s offensive strength make for an engaging contest. While Brighton’s attack can exploit Arsenal’s weaknesses on the road, the Gunners’ form and firepower should secure a convincing victory.
A British woman and her South African fiancé were found dead in a holiday villa in Hoi An, a coastal city in central Vietnam, authorities confirmed.
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, was discovered on a bed in a first-floor room at the villa on Dec. 26 around 11:18 a.m. local time (0418 GMT), police said Monday. Els Arno Quinton, 36, was found in another room of the villa, reportedly locked from the inside.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with local authorities and providing support to Otteson’s family. Otteson worked as a social media manager, and Quinton was a musician and livestreamer.
The couple announced their engagement in a video posted on Instagram by videography company Red Eye Studios on Dec. 11. They had registered as long-term temporary residents at the Hoa Chuong villa in the Cam Thanh commune since last summer, according to officials.
Preliminary police inspections found no signs of external injuries or burglary. Local media reported that several empty wine bottles were discovered at the scene. The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing.
“We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with the local authorities,” a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said.
Liverpool will host long-time rivals Manchester United at Anfield this Sunday in a much-anticipated Premier League clash. The Reds, under Arne Slot’s guidance, are soaring as title favorites, holding an imposing 23-point lead over a struggling Manchester United side led by Ruben Amorim.
While Liverpool’s march toward stardom continues, Manchester United teeters on the edge, nervously looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.
Liverpool’s Dominance:
Liverpool closed 2024 in style, demolishing West Ham United with a 5-0 victory at the London Stadium. Goals from Luis Díaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo capped off a dominant display. This win extended Liverpool’s unbeaten streak to 23 matches across all competitions, a run that stretches back to their solitary loss to Nottingham Forest in mid-September.
Currently leading the Premier League table by six points over Arsenal, with a game in hand, Liverpool’s form at Anfield has been particularly formidable. They boast the best home record in the league, having overtaken Brentford in this regard, and have scored at least two goals in their last 11 Premier League games.
Despite a brief lapse in defensive stability over the festive period, Liverpool restored order with a clean sheet against West Ham. Slot’s men will aim to continue their ruthless form against their bitter rivals on Sunday.
Manchester United’s Struggles:
On the other hand, Manchester United enters the match amid a disastrous run of form. A 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on December 30 marked their fourth consecutive defeat, leaving the team in 14th place, just seven points clear of the relegation zone.
United’s problems have been stark: three straight home league losses, failure to score in their last three games, and the looming threat of a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat without scoring—a scenario not seen in over a century.
The pressure on Ruben Amorim continues to mount, as breaking unwanted records has become a theme during his short tenure. However, United’s recent history against Liverpool is not entirely bleak. The Red Devils have avoided defeat in three of their last four encounters, including a 0-0 draw at Anfield last season.
Team News:
Liverpool:
Joe Gomez is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Ibrahima Konaté (knee) and Conor Bradley (thigh) have returned to training but may not be match-fit. Jarell Quansah is expected to partner Virgil van Dijk in central defense. Dominik Szoboszlai is set to return from suspension, vying for a midfield spot alongside Curtis Jones, who assisted Mohamed Salah’s 17th league goal of the season.
Predicted Liverpool XI:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Díaz
Manchester United:
Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes are available after serving suspensions, while Marcus Rashford could feature after returning to the squad. Mason Mount (thigh), Victor Lindelöf (unspecified), and Luke Shaw (calf) remain unavailable. Joshua Zirkzee is likely to be dropped after a poor outing against Newcastle, with Kobbie Mainoo expected to start.
Disjointed in attack and fragile at the back, Manchester United is likely to struggle against Liverpool’s relentless pressing and attacking prowess. While the expected return of Fernandes, Mainoo, and Ugarte may bolster the visitors slightly, it is difficult to envision anything other than a comfortable Liverpool victory.
Liverpool’s title ambitions should receive another boost, while United’s woes deepen, further threatening their Premier League status.
A 7-year-old boy survived five harrowing days in Zimbabwe’s Matusadona Game Park, home to lions, elephants, and other wild animals, after wandering away from his home, officials said.
The boy, identified as Tinotenda Pudu, traveled at least 23 kilometers (14 miles) into the perilous game park, according to Mashonaland West MP Mutsa Murombedzi, who detailed the incident on social media. The park is known for its dense lion population, with about 40 lions inhabiting the area.
Tinotenda endured five days sleeping on rocky perches surrounded by roaring lions and passing elephants. He survived by eating wild fruits and digging small wells into dry riverbeds with a stick to access drinking water — a survival skill common in the drought-prone region.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority confirmed the incident to the BBC, though officials said the boy was seven years old and had walked 49 kilometers (30 miles) from his home, contrary to earlier reports.
“The young boy demonstrated incredible survival skills and knowledge of the wild, which ultimately saved his life,” Murombedzi said.
Members of the Nyaminyami community launched a search effort, beating drums daily to help guide the boy back home. Despite their efforts, it was park rangers who ultimately found him.
On the fifth day, Tinotenda heard a ranger’s vehicle and ran toward it but narrowly missed being seen. Undeterred, the rangers spotted fresh human footprints and tracked him until they found him.
“This was probably his last chance of being rescued after five days in the wilderness,” Murombedzi added.
Matusadona Game Park spans more than 1,470 square kilometers (570 square miles) and is home to zebras, elephants, hippos, lions, and antelope. Once, it boasted one of Africa’s highest lion population densities, according to African Parks.
Social Media Reaction
The boy’s survival story has drawn widespread praise on social media, with many lauding his resilience and resourcefulness.
“This is beyond human comprehension,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another said, “He’s going to have one hell of a story to tell when he gets back to school.”
Russia suffered record casualties in 2024, with Ukraine estimating 430,000 soldiers killed or wounded as Moscow’s forces captured less than 1 percent of Ukrainian territory during the year.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, Russian advances in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region totaled 4,168 square kilometers (1,609 square miles), or just 0.69 percent of the country. The findings were based on satellite imagery and geolocated video footage.
“Russian forces have seized four mid-sized settlements – Avdiivka, Selydove, Vuhledar, and Kurakhove – in all of 2024,” the ISW said, adding that the largest of these had a pre-war population of just over 31,000.
Despite significant efforts, including months-long battles for individual towns, Russian troops failed to achieve the rapid, mechanized maneuvers necessary for deeper territorial gains, the ISW noted. At this rate, the think tank projected, it could take Moscow two more years to complete its conquest of Donetsk alone, far beyond Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initial deadline of October 1.
Record Casualties Amid Stalled Advances
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskii, reported that Russian forces had suffered an estimated 427,000 casualties in 2024. Days later, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense revised the number to 430,790, surpassing Russia’s losses in 2022 and 2023 combined.
The average daily casualty rate was 1,180 soldiers, but losses escalated sharply in November and December, with 45,720 and 48,670 casualties respectively. Ukrainian officials linked the increased assaults to Russia’s apparent attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election.
“This year, the Russians paid the highest price for the war against Ukraine,” Syrskii said in a December 31 address, highlighting the destruction of more enemy equipment and manpower than in previous years.
Russia briefly doubled its daily land gains in November, but progress slowed again in December. During the final week of the year, Russian casualties reached approximately 1,700 killed and wounded daily, according to Ukrainian officials.
December also saw record losses for Moscow, with 2,010 soldiers killed on December 29 and an all-time high of 2,200 casualties on December 19 during 191 combat clashes.
Ukraine also reported significant destruction of Russian equipment, including 3,689 tanks, thousands of armored combat vehicles, and over 13,000 artillery systems. Ukraine’s navy claimed to have sunk five ships and 458 smaller vessels.
Amid manpower shortages, Russia reportedly recruited North Korean soldiers. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a quarter of these fighters had been killed, with more than 3,000 casualties in the Kursk region alone by late December.
Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of executing wounded North Korean soldiers to prevent their capture. “Their own people are executing them; there are such cases,” he said in a December 27 address.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, reported that Russia was bringing additional North Korean fighters to Kursk to compensate for the losses.
Manchester City’s hopes of defending their Premier League title are all but over, midfielder Bernardo Silva said Thursday, as the reigning champions trail league leaders Liverpool by 14 points.
City, who secured a record fourth consecutive English top-flight title last season, have struggled this campaign and sit sixth in the table after managing just two wins in their last 10 league games.
Injuries have plagued Pep Guardiola’s team, with key players like Ballon d’Or winner Rodri ruled out for the rest of the season and several others sidelined for extended periods.
“Right now, it’s about accepting reality,” Silva told Sky Sports. “I’m not looking at Liverpool. I’m sixth in the league; I cannot be looking at Liverpool or Arsenal. I’m looking at the next game to try and win three points.”
While Silva didn’t completely rule out a comeback, he admitted that the title is effectively beyond City’s reach. “I wouldn’t say it’s impossible because in football there are no impossibles, but right now Manchester City is completely out of the title race. No question about that—it’s too late for us,” he added.
Silva emphasized the harsh reality of the situation: “People say you cannot win the league until January, but you can lose it. This season, the reality is that we have lost it.”
Upcoming Matches
City will host 13th-placed West Ham United in a Premier League clash on Saturday, followed by an FA Cup tie against fourth-tier Salford City on Jan. 11.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede renewed calls for independence from Denmark during his New Year’s speech, signaling a significant shift in the Arctic island’s future aspirations. The self-governing territory, once a Danish colony, has steadily advanced its independence movement in recent years.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede
“It is time we take control of our destiny and decide our future, including who we closely cooperate with and who our trading partners will be,” Egede said, emphasizing Greenland’s need to break free from what he referred to as the “shackles of colonialism.”
Egede’s remarks come as Greenland continues to grapple with its colonial past, including revelations of misconduct by Danish authorities, such as a 1960s involuntary birth control campaign. While Denmark granted Greenland self-governance in 2009, full independence requires a national vote, a step Greenland has yet to take.
Greenland’s government unveiled its first draft constitution in 2023, a major step toward potential independence. Egede acknowledged that achieving independence depends on Greenland’s 57,000 residents but did not propose a timeline for a referendum.
“The history and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not achieved full equality,” Egede said. “It is now time for our country to move forward and remove barriers to true cooperation.”
FILE PHOTO: Snow covered mountains rise above the harbour and town of Tasiilaq, Greenland, June 15, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo
Despite broad support for independence among Greenlanders, debates continue over its timing and potential economic impacts. Greenland’s economy remains fragile, heavily reliant on fishing and annual financial grants from Denmark. Though the island holds vast mineral, oil, and natural gas resources, these have yet to be fully developed.
Egede also reiterated Greenland’s stance against foreign ownership, indirectly referencing past offers by former U.S. President Donald Trump to buy the island. Greenland rejected Trump’s bids in 2019 and again last year, with Egede asserting, “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale.”
The prime minister’s speech made no direct mention of the United States or Trump. Greenland’s capital Nuuk, located closer to New York than Copenhagen, has become a geopolitical focal point in the Arctic amid rising global interest in the region’s resources.
Greenland is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections before April 6. The outcome could further influence the island’s independence trajectory. Egede called for unity among Greenlanders to build a future shaped by their own decisions, a message resonating with a population seeking greater self-determination.
