NewsBeat
Hamas attack survivor Yuval Raphael to represent Israel
Culture reporter
Yuval Raphael, who survived the 7 October attack in 2023, has been chosen to represent Israel at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Raphael, 24, was at the Nova musical festival when Hamas attackers killed 360 young partygoers and took 40 more hostage.
The amateur singer was attending with friends and says she survived by hiding under dead bodies inside a bomb shelter for eight hours.
Raphael has been sharing her story while competing on Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star) and winning it means she gets to compete at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland in May.
She said after winning the show: “I can’t explain how excited and ready I am! Thank you for giving me this huge honour and trusting me to represent my country on the grand Eurovision stage in Switzerland.”
Raphael, who says she still has shrapnel in her head and leg from the festival attack, only began singing professionally last year.
During the final of the music competition, she sang a version of ABBA’s Dancing Queen, dedicating it to “all the angels” who were killed at the festival.
She also told viewers that “music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process” during the show.
Raphael, who is fluent in English and French as well as Hebrew, has taken part in advocacy for Israel over the last year, including speaking to the UN Human Rights Council about her experience of surviving the attack.
Her official song will be revealed in the coming weeks by Israeli public broadcaster Kan, according to the Eurovision Song Contest website.
Last year’s winner of The Next Star, Eden Golan, represented Israel at Eurovision with Hurricane, which came fifth in the competition.
The show previously selected Netta, who won Eurovision in 2018 and Noa Kirel, who came third in 2023.
Golan’s Eurovision entry was met with criticism, as it was Israel’s first time performing at Eurovision since the outbreak of its most recent war in the Middle East.
Her team were also forced to alter the lyrics and name of Golan’s song – from October Rain to Hurricane – after it was seen to break rules on political neutrality.
There were several campaigns to block Israel from taking part altogether, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosts the event, ruled Israel was allowed to compete.
Golan was booed whilst performing at a dress rehearsal for the competition, which took place in Malmo, Sweden and confined to her hotel room when she wasn’t performing, due to threats of harm to the Israeli delegation.
Israel and Gaza are currently upholding a ceasefire after 15 months of fighting, which began in October 2023 after Hamas gunmen breached Israel’s Gaza perimeter fence at multiple locations and attacked nearby Israeli communities, IDF bases and a music festival.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
The IDF responded by launching an air and ground campaign in Gaza, during which more than 47,100 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
NewsBeat
Singer thwarted sale of ‘haunted’ £6m house, owner says
BBC News, South East
Adele has been accused of sabotaging the sale of a £6m mansion she used to live in by its owners, who claim she once said it was haunted.
The award-winning singer rented the Grade II-listed Lock House in Partridge Green, West Sussex, in 2012.
The owner has submitted planning permission to transform the property from a single dwelling to three residential units and convert an existing garage and flat into a separate cottage.
In the submission, the owner said comments made by Adele about the 10-bedroom house being haunted during an interview had hindered the selling process.
“The first tenant, Adele, stayed for six months and blighted the property by saying it is haunted,” it said.
“This comment negatively impacted future marketing efforts and continues to affect the property’s reputation to this day.”
‘The creeps’
Discussing Lock House in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS when she lived at the property, Adele said: “This bit’s all quite scary, really.
“I’m not rattling around here on my own. It gives me the creeps.”
Adele did not use the word “haunted” during the interview.
After the singer vacated the property, it was relisted for sale, but received no offers.
It was then rented to a tenant who wanted to use the property to run a bespoke dressmaking business. But it was later discovered the tenant was running a residential retreat with 11 guest bedrooms and a fitness boot camp, the application said.
According to the application, the owner has actively tried to sell the property for about 14 years.
The only offer ever received was in August 2020, but the prospective buyer withdrew after learning about the property’s supposed haunted status, it added.
Lock House was originally constructed in about 1909 before it underwent a major reconstruction programme in 1940.
In 1971, it was divided up and sold at auction in 26 separate lots. But it was subsequently bought by the church and became the Convent of the Visitation.
The current owner acquired Lock House in 2003 from a property trader, who had previously purchased it after the convent relocated to Albourne.
According to its current listing, Lock House and its 32-acre estate features 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a helicopter pad and a cinema room.
It is up for sale for £5,995,000.
Politics
‘Bickering’ councillors accused of acting like ‘nasty children on school playgrounds’ in heated meeting
A Gloucester City Council meeting descended into chaos as councillors were accused of acting like “nasty children” in a playground during what should have been a straightforward budget discussion.
The four-hour meeting at North Warehouse on January 20 was marked by “bickering, nastiness and finger-pointing from councillors,” according to scrutiny committee vice-chairman Tree Chambers-Dubus.
The Labour councillor for Moreland condemned the behaviour during the single-item budget meeting, which she said had become “ridiculous” and resembled a playground rather than a civic forum.
The meeting was intended to discuss spending proposals for the 2025/26 financial year, but quickly veered off course into unrelated topics.
Tree Chambers-Dubus was speaking at the meeting
GCC/WikICommons
Instead of focusing on budget matters, councillors spent time debating whether the UK Government should ban the controversial herbicide, glyphosate. The meeting also became mired in accusations about councillors allegedly concealing information regarding indoor market rent issues.
Additional time was spent discussing how rough sleepers are counted in the city and methods for tackling graffiti.
“I thought it was a budget meeting,” Chambers-Dubus told chairman Andrew Gravells three hours into the proceedings.
“Why are we getting into nitpicking at people, pointing the finger at people, making accusations at people,” Chambers-Dubus demanded during the meeting.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Chairman Andrew Gravells
GCC
She insisted the focus should have been on “how the finances translate to what our priorities should be”.
“We probably could have got this meeting done in a fraction of the time,” she said.
“A lot of what has been said, and the bickering, nastiness, quite frankly, is not actually going to have done anything or any good this evening other than keep people sitting here.”
“It’s ridiculous. It’s like a playground,” she concluded.
The conduct of council members has reportedly been a long-standing concern, with dozens of complaints recently submitted about councillor behaviour.
Labour councillor Tree Chambers-Dubus
GCC
A special panel has been established to address these complaints, according to council insiders.
The issues came to light publicly last May when then-mayor Kathy Williams used her outgoing speech to highlight bullying within the council.
Williams pledged to campaign for changes in legislation that would require councillors to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
NewsBeat
This Is Rigged activist who damaged Stone of Destiny display case ordered to undertake unpaid work | UK News
A graduate who vandalised a display case containing the Stone of Destiny at Edinburgh Castle has been handed a community payback order with unpaid work.
This Is Rigged activist Joe Madden, 22, attacked the cabinet containing a crown and the stone during a demonstration over the cost of living crisis, causing around £3,000 of damage.
He was with two other students, Jamie Priest, 26, and Catriona Roberts, 22, who were also spared jail for their role in the protest on 15 November 2023.
Madden pleaded guilty to damaging the display cabinet in the crown jewels room by hitting it with a rock, hammer, chisel and similar implements, when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
He returned to the dock on Thursday, where he was sentenced to a 12-month community payback order and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Sheriff Kenneth Campbell said: “There is a right to express oneself and engage in political activity but it is not unqualified and this crossed the line.”
The court previously heard Madden, of Dunbar in East Lothian, was seen holding a “brick or stone which he attempted to smash the cabinet with” by a tour guide who pressed a panic button.
Fiscal depute Nadia Stewart said the tour guide, who saw what appeared to be spray paint being sprayed on the cabinet, heard someone earlier say “this is a peaceful protest”.
Defending, Clare Ryan noted the damage was around £3,000.
She added: “Mr Madden has no previous convictions. He pled at first diet. He is now residing in Dunbar just after finishing his degree.
“It’s very important principles he still adheres to. He is working with the organisation, but he has no interest in taking part in further protest that ends up in the justice system.
“He has found it quite difficult.”
Read more from Sky News:
Storm Eowyn brings rare danger to life
Thousands flee as fire erupts north of Los Angeles
The Stone of Destiny has been associated with the Scottish and UK monarchies for centuries.
It was long used in the inauguration of Scottish monarchs but was seized by King Edward I of England as war loot in 1296 and taken to London.
It was built into a coronation chair at Westminster Abbey and was used in the coronation ceremonies of kings and queens of England and, later, Great Britain after the Scottish and English crowns were united in the early 17th century.
In 1950, a group of students carried out an audacious raid to steal it from Westminster Abbey and return it to Scotland to try and advance the cause of independence.
The incident led to the sandstone block splitting in two but it was later recovered.
The Stone of Destiny was used in Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and also in the coronation of the King in 2023.
It was formally returned to Scotland in 1996 to go on display at Edinburgh Castle, but in March last year it left the capital for Perth Museum as the centrepiece of a £27m redevelopment.
NewsBeat
Storm Eowyn live: Rare ‘stay at home’ weather warning issued as dangerous 100mph winds pose threat to life
Hundreds of schools will close, all trains in Scotland will be suspended and police have warned people not to travel in areas under a rare red “danger to life” weather warning for high winds issued for parts of the country on Friday.
The Met Office issued a rare red warning across Northern Ireland and Scotland, where winds are forecast to pick up rapidly during the Friday morning rush hour, with peak gusts of 80-90mph, and perhaps up to 100mph along some exposed coasts.
Forecasters warn that flying debris could put lives in jeopardy, and people are urged to stay indoors.
Around 4.5 million people will receive an emergency alert to their mobile phone at 6pm to warn of the risks.
Police said no road users should travel in or to the red weather warning area, and motorists in areas affected were advised not to drive unless absolutely essential.
The Met Office red warning, which runs from 10am to 5pm, covers the central belt including Glasgow and Edinburgh, stretching north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute and south to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.
Schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to close on Friday.
20 Scottish local authorities to close schools
A total of 19 local authorities in Scotland have now announced all schools in their respective areas will be closed because of storm Eowyn on Friday.
Stirling, Falkirk, Angus and Fife councils all announced via social media that all of their schools would be shut with the red weather warning due to come into effect at 10am on Friday.
The four councils join Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk councils, which have said all schools and nurseries will be closed.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 16:57
Travel services suspended in Northern Ireland
Bus and train services have been suspended in Northern Ireland during the red weather warning in place on Friday morning for Storm Eowyn.
Translink’s director of service operations, Ian Campbell, said: “We have worked closely with the multiple emergency planning agencies, and this decision to cancel services is necessary to ensure the safety of all our customers and employees.
“Amber alerts for strong winds are also in effect for most of tomorrow which will likely impact services even after the red alert ends.
“We will be working collaboratively with all agencies to assess any damage to both road and rail routes and only resume services when it is safe to do so.
“There is likely to be fallen trees and extensive debris that will need to be cleared, and bus and train services may need to operate with speed restrictions or operate diversions for bus services if roads are impassable.”
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 16:24
Train operators issue “Do Not Travel” warnings for Friday
Northern Trains has issued a Do Not Travel warning covering all services in Cumbria, Blackpool North to York, Wigan to Leeds, Manchester Victoria to Leeds via Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield to Sheffield, Leeds-Nottingham and the new Northumberland line from Newcastle to Ashington.
TransPennine Express has already urged passengers not to attempt to travel from northern England to Scotland on Friday.
It is now telling passengers: “We are advising customers to avoid travelling, unless absolutely essential, between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. Services which we are able to operate across the rest of the TransPennine Express network will run to an amended timetable and may be subject to significant disruption with short notice delays, alterations and cancellations all possible.”
Simon Calder23 January 2025 15:42
Dramatic footage shows high wind pulling shed off ground
Dramatic footage has been circulated online of extremely strong winds in Cornwall.
Several videos and pictures shared on social media shows objects being swept away in winds and even an entire shed being lifted from the ground.
Earlier, European Storm Forecast Experiment published a map putting southern England under a level 2 tornado warning for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible.
They said: “a strong event cannot be ruled out”.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:40
More schools and nurseries to close
All schools and nurseries across Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Fife and Falkirk councils will be closed on Friday because of Storm Eowyn.
The four councils are the latest to confirm closures in Scotland, taking the total to 16.
Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils previously said all schools and nurseries will be closed on Friday.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:30
Thousands of train journeys suspended
Britons are facing a day full of disrpution on Friday, as rare red weather warnings come into place triggered by 100mph winds brought by Storm Eowyn.
Thousands of train journeys have been cancelled, with ScotRail suspending all of its services on Friday.
The company, who operate more than 2,000 rail services a day, said it “would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions”.
A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, and Grand Central have told customers not to travel on routes across parts of North Wales and Scotland as “very strong winds, rain and snow” are expected to disrupt train services from Friday.
National Rail said in a statement published on Thursday: “Strong winds can blow trees into infrastructure, damaging the overhead lines that power electric trains.
“The winds can mean it’s unsafe to carry out repairs at height – or with certain machinery until the winds have dropped.
“Trains may have to run at a reduced speed causing delays to your journey.”
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 15:14
Widespread cancellations on Irish Sea by Stena Line
Stena Line has cancelled almost all of its sailings between Wales and Ireland on Friday. The Fishguard-Rosslare link will not operate at all. In addition, tonight’s 10.30pm sailing from Holyhead to Dublin is cancelled – as are most on the route on Friday. But the 4.30pm and 10.30pm ferries from the Irish capital are currently showing as on time.
From Cairnryan in southwest Scotland to Belfast, Stena Line has cancelled the 11.30pm departure on Thursday. The corresponding ferry from Belfast will sail early to try to avoid the worst of the weather. Friday’s first four sailings each way on the route are cancelled, with the 7.30pm departure in each direction “in doubt”.
Stena Line says: “You can amend your booking online to an alternative sailing or route without any charge fee or fare difference applied.”
Alice Reynolds23 January 2025 14:56
All ScotRail services suspended on Friday
ScotRail said that all its services will be suspended on Friday January 24.
In a statement posted on X, it said: “With the safety of customers and staff of paramount importance, we will not be safe to operate passenger services due to the forecast weather conditions across Scotland during #StormEowyn.
“All ScotRail services are suspended on Friday, January 24.
“We strongly advise you not to travel, as there will be no train services, and no alternative transport will be available.”
It said that high winds “could lead to trees and other debris falling onto the tracks, trapping trains and putting people in danger. It can also impact service recovery times due to poor road and driving conditions”.
“Once the warnings pass, the network will have to undergo safety inspections before services can be reintroduced.”
The company advised people to check the ScotRail website or app before travelling on Saturday morning.
Athena Stavrou23 January 2025 14:41
Rail: East Coast main line in disarray all weekend
Passengers on the UK’s flagship railway, the East Coast main line, face disruption all weekend.
The line connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland. On Friday passengers are advised not to travel north of York, and the stretch from Newcastle to February is completely closed.
Passengers booked on LNER for Friday can use their tickets for Friday on Thursday or up to Monday 27 January – but at the weekend London-Peterborough is closed for engineering work.
The rail firm says: “LNER services will start and terminate at Peterborough, where rail replacement coaches will operate to Bedford for train services to London St Pancras.”
Hull Trains is running services via Sheffield to St Pancras, with journey times increased by about an hour.
Barney Davis23 January 2025 14:30
More Scottish schools to be closed tomorrow
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop there will be widespread disruption to the transport network as more counties announce their schools will close.
She said: “I would urge people to follow police advice and avoid travel in the area affected by the red warning for wind. If you do need to travel, your journey is likely to be badly disrupted and there will likely be cancellations to rail, ferry and air services.
“Traffic Scotland will provide the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts.
“The conditions will inevitably cause major disruption to rail, ferry and aviation services too, so please contact your operator to see if your journey has been affected.”
North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils have all confirmed their schools would be closed with the red weather warning for wind in force.
They join Glasgow, East Ayrshire and West Lothian, which made the same announcements on social media earlier on Thursday, bringing the total number of authorities with all schools closed to 12 in Scotland.
Barney Davis23 January 2025 14:06
NewsBeat
Southport murderer caught on dashcam before attack
Footage from a taxi’s dashcam captured the moment that murderer Axel Rudakubana arrived at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class to carry out his murderous attack.
The video showed Rudakubana, who had booked the taxi under a fake name, ignoring the driver’s request for payment and going to the doors of The Hart Space in Southport on 29 July 2024.
He then went into a side entrance and carried out his crimes.
After admitting three murders and ten attempted murders, he was jailed for 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court.
Politics
Labour LOSING London to Tories and Reform as report shows 585,000 illegal migrants in capital
Labour’s grip over London is breaking as voters desert Starmer’s party for the Tories and Reform, a shocking map has shown.
It comes after a report put the number of illegal migrants in the nation’s capital at 585,000, intensifying concerns migration is putting unsustainable strain on Britain’s public services and infrastructure.
The map, which has been generated by aggregating recent national polling weighted for recency and historic pollster accuracy, shows Labour’s heartland crumbling from the outside in.
It shows Starmer’s party losing eight seats around the edge of London to three different parties if an election was held tomorrow.
Hendon, Chelsea and Fulham, Chipping Barnet and Uxbridge and South Ruislip would all go Conservative, Bethnal Green and Stepney and Ilford North would fall to independents while Bexleyheath and Crayford and Dagenham and Rainham would swing right to Reform.
The map also shows Reform gaining Hornchurch and Upminster from the Tories in what would be historic ‘firsts’ for the disruptor party.
EXPLORE: Current voting intention of London constituencies
Projected electoral map of London. Note Reform gains in the east, Tory gains in the north west and two independent gains in Wes Streeting and Rushanara Ali’s seats.
GBN
Current Electoral Map of London.
GBN
Voter frustration with uncontrolled migration has been a major driver in Labour’s dwindling fortunes in the capital.
A recent report compiled on behalf of Thames Water estimated one in 12 of the population was living in London illegally.
The report combined migration estimates from the Pew Research Center in the US, the London School of Economics, Office for National Statistics with the number of National Insurance registrations for non-EU foreign nationals over a nine-year period.
The analysis put the number of illegal migrants in London at a minimum of 390,355 and a maximum of 585,533, with a median figure of 487,944.
The Home Office does not have any comprehensive data on the number of people coming to the UK illegally, aside from Channel crossings.
In 2025, 1,019 have crossed the Channel is small boats so far this year, the joint fastest rate since records began in 2018.
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Farage blasts Labour as Channel crossings soar
NIGEL FARAGE
Reform UK London AM, Alex Wilson said: “The news that one in 12 Londoners are illegal migrants is a truly shocking revelation. The establishment’s mass immigration experiment has ruined the fabric of our once great capital city.
“Given these numbers, it’s no shock it’s impossible to get on London’s housing ladder. It’s no shock crime is hitting record highs, year after year. It’s no shock that a rape is reported every hour in London.
“These eye watering numbers should be a wake up call for the establishment. Enough is enough, London expects better. It’s time to take back control of our capital city. Only Reform UK will save London.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government is strengthening global partnerships and rooting out the criminal gangs who profit from small boat crossings which threaten lives.
“We have also removed 16,400 illegal migrants in just six months, the highest figure in half a decade, making it clear that those who arrive illegally will be returned.”
A Thames Water spokesman said: “Water companies have a regulatory obligation to undertake a ‘water balance’, which includes understanding how much water our customers use on a per-person basis, and how it is distributed across our supply area.
“Analysis to estimate ‘hidden and transient’ populations is carried out by an independent firm of consultants, who draw from publicly available sources including census, surveys, and published academic research. Thames Water played no part in the writing of the report and the conclusions drawn are those of the independent firm that carried out the research.”
NewsBeat
Five injured in knife attack at Argos warehouse in Croydon | UK News
A man has been arrested after a knife attack in which five people were injured at an Argos warehouse in Croydon, south London.
One of those who was hurt in the incident, on Thursday morning, told the PA news agency the person who attacked him was “stabbing at me like a serial killer” and that he fought him off by hitting him on the head with a fire extinguisher.
Five people were treated for injuries after the incident at the Argos depot on Marlowe Way in the Beddington area of Croydon.
One was taken to a major trauma centre in London and four others were transported to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.
Joseph Denton, 29, described being at the site for an audit and hearing shouting from the warehouse.
He said: “We thought we’ve got to go and help them.
“[The attacker] was stabbing at me, and I was deflecting it. He sliced my finger open and got a couple of other cuts on my arms, and then basically fought him off there.
“I picked up a fire extinguisher and opened the door and hit him on the head with it. There were about six of us all attacking him at this point, and then he ran off.”
Police said one of those taken to hospital was a 54-year-old man whose “injuries were deemed non-life-threatening”.
It is not clear whether one of those taken for treatment includes the arrested man.
Read more from Sky News:
Storm Eowyn triggers red warning
Oscar nominations revealed
Asked about the knife, Mr Denton said: “It was literally the size of my face. It was a Rambo knife about eight inches, with all jagged edges.
“He had his thing just stabbing at me like a serial killer,” he added.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.21am this morning to reports of a stabbing incident in Marlowe Way, Croydon.
“We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer, members of our Tactical Response Unit and London’s Air Ambulance.”
An air ambulance was seen in nearby Beddington Park, as part of the response.
An Argos spokesperson said: “We’re doing everything we can to support the teams on site and gathering as much information as possible to support the police with their investigation.”
NewsBeat
Trump’s new meme-coin sparks anger in crypto world
US President Donald Trump has been criticised for launching a meme-coin while saying he “doesn’t know much” about the cryptocurrency.
The digital coin called TRUMP appeared on his social media accounts ahead of his inauguration on Monday and quickly became one of the most valuable crypto coins. The value of a single coin shot up to $75 within a day, but since has fallen to $39.
But the launch of the so-called meme-coin – a cryptocurrency with no utility other than for fun or speculation – has been widely criticised by industry insiders.
“Trump’s comments about not knowing much about the coin back up my opinion that he is making a mockery of the industry. It’s a stunt,” says Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner.
The latest dip in value came after Trump told reporters: “I don’t know much about it other than I launched it, other than it was very successful.”
When he was told his coin raised several billion dollars for him, he played it down saying “several billion – that’s peanuts for these guys” pointing to tech billionaires assembled for a press conference about AI.
It’s not the first time Trump has sold crypto products. He made millions from launching a series of NFTs of him in various superhero poses in 2022.
Some industry analysts say the president having his own meme coin is a sign that others should follow as a way to make money from supporters.
“TRUMP token just signaled to every company, municipality, university & individual brand that crypto can now be used as a capital formation and customer bootstrapping mechanism,” Jeff Dorman from investing firm Arca posted online.
However, the overall sentiment seems to be negative towards the president’s meme coin.
Many in the crypto world are waiting for Trump to back up campaign promises to help boost the industry in the US. People like Danny Scott hope to see focused plans, particularly around Bitcoin, from the administration.
Last year Trump promised Bitcoin fans he would make the US the “crypto capital of the planet”. A few days into his term, the president has not issued executive orders involving cryptocurrency, nor has he mentioned it in his speeches.
TRUMP coin is now the 25th most valuable crypto coin with a value of around $8 billion, according to the website CoinMarketCap.
Trump and the team behind it own 80% of the coins so, in theory, they would make billions of dollars if they sold their shares and the price remained the same.
This set-up has been described by crypto researchers at K33 as outdated for similar tokens.
“There’s no sugar-coating this – these tokenomics are horrendous for a meme-coin,” said David Zimmerman, a K33 analyst.
However, K33 analysts acknowledge that the remaining 80% of coins can’t be dumped on the open market so investors are partially shielded from price shocks.
There are thousands of cryptocurrency coins and anyone can create one.
First Lady Melania Trump launched her own meme-coin on the eve of the inauguration, which now has a value of $700m since slumping from $13 a coin to $2.70.
Meme-coins are often launched for fun and used by speculators to make money or to allow fans to show support to a celebrity or moment in internet culture.
But many have led to big losses for people investing in them.
Dan Hughes, from crypto firm Radix, thinks the president and his wife launching their meme-coins undermines the positives of the industry.
“This pattern of celebrity-driven token launches, particularly from political figures, potentially marks a concerning trend in crypto markets where influence and liquidity manipulation could overshadow fundamental value creation,” he said.
Others in the cryptocurrency world think that launching meme-coins to make money is degrading.
“The introduction of these coins during the presidential inauguration raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and may undermine the dignity of the president and the first lady,” said Grzegorz Drozdz, market analyst at investment firm Conotoxia.
NewsBeat
Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana jailed for life | UK News
Southport triple murderer Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years.
Warning: This article contains details of violence that some readers might find distressing.
The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club on the first day of his trial on Monday.
Southport murders latest – Killer likely to never be freed
He also admitted attempting to murder eight other children, aged between seven and 13, along with class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes at the Hart Space in the Merseyside town on 29 July last year.
He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, but was not present for the judge’s remarks after telling his lawyer he would be “disruptive” during proceedings.
During sentencing earlier in the day he was twice ordered out of the dock after shouting that he “felt ill”.
Rudakubana told his lawyer he had chest pains, was too ill to continue and wanted to see a paramedic, but the judge said two paramedics had deemed him fit to continue.
Rudakubana was 17 when he walked into the dance studio before silently, indiscriminately stabbing his victims with a kitchen knife – a 20cm blade he had earlier bought on Amazon using encrypted software to hide his identity.
He stabbed some of his victims in the back as they tried to escape, pulling one girl back inside to attack her.
Rudakubana was arrested at the scene and while in custody was heard to say he was glad that the children were dead and that he was pleased by what he had achieved.
Police found a plastic kitchen box containing ricin under his bed in a search of his home in the village of Banks, Lancashire, along with other weapons including a machete and arrows.
An analysis of his devices revealed an obsession with violence, war and genocide, with documents discovered including an academic study of an al Qaeda training manual.
Police believe he used techniques he learned from the PDF file, which contained instructions on how to commit knife and ricin attacks, to carry out the mass stabbing.
Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to charges of producing ricin and possession of information useful for the purposes of terrorism.
But Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said there was no evidence he ascribed to any political or religious ideology and was not fighting for a cause, so the “cowardly and vicious attack” was not treated as terrorism.
“This is a young man with an unhealthy obsession with violence,” she said.
“His only purpose was to kill the youngest and most vulnerable and spread the greatest level of fear and outrage, which he succeeded in doing.”
The government announced an inquiry into how the state failed to recognise the risk posed by Rudakubana and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will consider changing the definition of terrorism if necessary.
The teenager was referred three times by schools to the government’s anti-extremism programme between 2019 and 2021 over concerns about his interest in school shootings, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, and the London Bridge attacks.
He also had repeated contact with police, the courts, the justice system and the mental health services in the years before he carried out the attack, including over using school computers to research acts of violence.
Rudakubana was expelled from school for saying he was carrying a knife in October 2019, but returned to attack another pupil with a hockey stick, while carrying a knife in his backpack.
He pleaded guilty to assault, possession of an offensive weapon, and possession of a knife over the incident and received a youth justice referral order focused on knife crime.
His parents called police four times about his behaviour, including on one occasion in May 2022 after they restricted his access to a computer.
On another occasion in March of the same year, a bus driver called the police because he had not paid the fare, and he told officers he had a knife, but they took him home to talk to his mother about securing knives at home.
No disciplinary proceedings have been brought against anyone involved in dealing with his case.
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Politics
Drivers given matter of weeks until Rachel Reeves tax hikes start impacting millions of Britons
Drivers have been warned they have just weeks to prepare for significant changes to motoring laws, with electric vehicle owners set to face the biggest impact from April.
The warning comes as a series of new regulations and tax changes will come into force impacting millions of drivers across the UK.
One of the biggest changes involves EVs losing their Vehicle Excise Duty exemption, while also facing the end of London Congestion Charge benefits later in the year. The changes mark a substantial shift in how vehicle ownership is regulated and taxed in the UK under a Labour Government.
Petrol and diesel drivers will also be affected by various updates, including changes to fuel pricing transparency and new safety requirements.
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Under the rules announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Budget last year, from April 1, electric vehicle owners will be required to pay Vehicle Excise Duty for the first time, marking the end of their tax-free status. Newly registered EVs will face a £10 charge in their first year of registration.
This will increase significantly to £195 annually from the second year onwards. For luxury electric vehicles priced over £40,000, owners will face an additional expensive car supplement of £410 per year, payable for five years.
The changes are part of the Government’s standard uprating of Vehicle Excise Duty rates, which aims to maintain tax receipts in real terms.
London’s electric vehicle drivers will face another significant change later in the year as their Congestion Charge exemption comes to an end on December 25.
From this date, all vehicles including electric and hydrogen-powered models will need to pay the full £15 daily charge when driving through central London.
This replaces the current system introduced by Mayor Sadiq Khan where EV owners can pay £10 for an exemption from the Congestion Charge.
However, due to the seasonal closure of the charging zone, the new rules will effectively begin from January 2, 2026, as there is no Congestion Charge between December 25 and January 1.
Meanwhile company car drivers will see Benefit-in-Kind tax rates increase by one per cent from April with electric vehicle rates rising from two per cent to three per cent.
But petrol and diesel vehicles will face even steeper increases in their company car tax rates. New regulations for EV charging providers will require them to meet strict Government standards for reliability and accessibility.
Providers who fail to comply with these standards could face fines of up to £10,000 per charger. The measures aim to enhance the charging experience for EV drivers while ensuring consistent access to reliable infrastructure across the UK.
John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco.com, said: “These upcoming changes show a significant shift in how vehicle ownership is incentivised and regulated in the UK particularly for electric vehicles.
“The removal of key EV financial perks, such as the VED exemption and Congestion Charge discounts, will undoubtedly impact the cost effectiveness of owning or leasing an EV.”
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He added: “For many drivers, these incentives were a major factor in the decision to transition to electric. So its possible that these changes could actually slow the momentum of EV adoption, particularly among drivers who were on the fence about making the switch.”
Additional changes coming in 2025 include the nationwide Fuel Finder scheme, requiring all petrol stations to share real-time fuel prices.
HGV operators in Greater London will need safety permits from May 4 under the Direct Vision Standard, assessing driver visibility of vulnerable road users. Elsewhere, Scotland is set to implement a nationwide 20mph speed limit in urban and residential areas during 2025.
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