Trump goes on the defence after seeing footage of agent fatally shooting woman in the head

The federal government has barred Minnesota investigators from participating in the investigation into the fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said Thursday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is part of the Department of Justice, reversed an earlier decision to coordinate with state officials and said that the investigation would now only be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to The Associated Press.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother-of-three, was shot dead in her car Wednesday morning in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis where there was a heavy presence of ICE agents as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Video footage shows Good sitting inside her SUV in the middle of an icy road as agents order her to get out. When she begins to move the vehicle, one agent fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking her in the head, then walked away.

The Trump administration has claimed that the ICE agent was acting in self-defense, while the mayor of Minneapolis accused the officer of acting recklessly. But bystander videos do not support that allegation.

Good’s mother told The Minnesota Star Tribune that her daughter, a poet who had recently moved to the city, “was probably terrified.” Her death leaves her six-year-old son without parents as his father died in 2023. “There’s nobody else in his life,” his grandfather said, characterizing her death as murder, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Following Good’s killing, protests broke out in Minneapolis and in locations across the country.

ICE killing takes America a step closer to George Orwell’s nightmare

Orwellian” is a word that gets chucked around far too much, but there is surely something quite sinister in the official response to the shooting of a civilian, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Obviously, in such circumstances, there’s always some room for argument about what happened and why, but not about the more obvious facts, backed up by videos and eyewitness accounts.

The ultimate boss of ICE, the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, declared that Good was involved in an act of “domestic terrorism”, as if she were an Isis operative – and with zero evidence to back up that extreme claim, and little sign that Good was deliberately using her vehicle as a weapon.

Donald Trump, who is responsible for militarising Democrat‑run cities for his own reasons, even claimed – having viewed a video – that she had “viciously run over” the ICE agent, even though the agent in question can apparently be seen walking away from the incident towards an ICE vehicle and has since been released from hospital.

The president likes to put his spin on a story as quickly as possible; soon enough, the ICE-Noem-Trump version of events formed the basis for Maga “talking points” on social and mainstream media. Meanwhile, none of the local authorities in Minnesota, so far as can be seen, agree with the “federal” view. Points of law – such as the degree of force permitted in these circumstances – are disputed.

Fortunately, ubiquitous video coverage now allows us to see and judge for ourselves, and as we pore over the facts, it’s fair to say that they do not unequivocally support the account given by Trump and Noem.

Good’s car, for example, does not appear to be driving at great speed directly towards the ICE agent; rather, it seems to be pulling away and steering clear of the officers. Three shots were fired, seemingly deliberately, and with fatal consequences.

There will be official investigations and extensive media analysis – and, of course, the usual crop of conspiracy theories. But, given the video and the wider political climate in Trump’s America, one is inevitably reminded of one of Orwell’s more famous lines from Nineteen Eighty-Four: “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

There has also been a “Ministry of Truth” element to President Trump’s rewriting of history over the past few weeks. Not content with throwing random, misleading remarks into the ether during his increasingly aimless “weaves”, he has ordered official versions of past presidencies and of the insurrection on 6 January 2021.

They are such ludicrous, self‑glorifying inversions of the truth that it is hard to believe anyone would take them seriously – but, as someone (not Orwell, though he’d agree) once said, “A lie told once remains a lie, but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.”

The White House timeline of 6 January portrays the president promoting peace; Mike Pence – who was almost murdered – as a villain; the rioters as patriots; and the brave police as killers.

Trump’s potted biographies of his predecessors in the “walk of fame” are entirely unreliable and designed solely to flatter his ego. He is such an insecure man, behind the bluster, that he must be sustained by fantasies such as the “stolen” election of 2020; it is possible that, schizophrenically, he sometimes believes truth and falsehood simultaneously, depending on which is most useful to him – consistency, except in his fixation on Joe Biden, is unnecessary.

To use another fashionable term, this is “gaslighting” on a grand scale – everything from falling egg prices to who started the war in Ukraine to who pays for tariffs is up for revision.

The world is used to it, and many of us are clear‑sighted enough to find it almost comical. Yet there are sufficient allies of the president across media and the tech giants, and bogus “journalists” now given spurious respectability in Washington, for lies to be propagated and facts suppressed, making rational political debate and genuine choice harder than ever.

We already know that the FBI investigation led by director Kash Patel (an ultra even in Trumpworld) into the Minneapolis shooting will not be believed by many; nor, likely, will the version prepared by the State of Minnesota.

The memory of poor Renee Nicole Good will be desecrated as she is cast as a terrorist, and America will take another step into the darkness Orwell warned us about. When you start rewriting history, it never ends well.

Former Labour minister tells Starmer’s government to quit X

A former Labour cabinet minister has called on the government to quit social media platform X (Twitter) amid concerns about the creation of sexualised images of adults and children.

In an intervention which will pile pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to take a stand against the platform, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, Louise Haigh said it was “unconscionable to use the site for another minute”.

She called on the Labour Party and government to “remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality”.

It came as the prime minister demanded that X urgently “get their act together” and threatened to take action against the platform following reports that its AI tool Grok is being used to make sexualised images of children.

But ministers have so far rejected calls for a boycott, with a government source telling The Independent: “We will not be bullied out of a public space. It is up to Elon Musk to make sure this is a platform where everyone can feel welcome.”

An internet safety organisation said its analysts have confirmed the existence of “criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13 which appears to have been created using the (Grok) tool”.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said the material was being shared in a dark web forum by users “boasting how they had used Grok, and how easy it had been”.

In a post to X, Ms Haigh, who resigned as transport secretary last year after it emerged she had previously been convicted of a fraud offence, said: “I have not personally used X/Twitter for some time now. It was already an unpleasant place prior to its takeover by Elon Musk, but since his acceptance of hate speech and anonymous online abusers, it has become utterly unusable.

“I continued to maintain an account and occasionally post because a critical mass of people, including the government and journalists who we need to communicate with as MPs, remained on the site.

“However, the revelations around the enablement, if not encouragement, of child sexual abuse mean it is unconscionable to use the site for another minute.”

She added: “I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.”

Her intervention came just one day after the Women and Equalities Committee confirmed it had stopped using the social media platform, piling pressure on Downing Street to stage a boycott.

Committee chair Sarah Owen, who stopped using X in 2024, said she and her colleagues no longer see it as appropriate to use the platform to share their work.

In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, Ms Owen said: “It is surely no longer tenable for the government to have a continued presence on such a platform, not least given the government’s mission in tackling violence against women and girls.”

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio on Thursday, Sir Keir said: “This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated.

“X has got to get a grip of this. And Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this. This is wrong. It’s unlawful.

“We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table.

“It’s disgusting. And X need to get their act together and get this material down. And we will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”

The prime minister’s official spokesperson described what had happened with the creation of sexualised images on Grok as “a disgrace” and “completely unacceptable”.

The No 10 spokesperson added: “No one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate deepfakes of themselves online and we won’t allow the proliferation of these demeaning images.

“X needs to deal with this urgently, and Ofcom has our full backing to take enforcement action wherever firms are failing to protect UK users.

“It already has the power to issue fines of up to billions of pounds and even stop access to a site that is violating the law.

“And when it comes to keeping people safe online, all options remain on the table.”

Asked if the government would stop using the app, the spokesperson said: “All options are on the table.”

A post this month on the Grok X account said that there have been “isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing”, and added: “AI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.”

‘I gave birth to sound of shelling’: Inside Gaza’s maternity crisis

Wafa’s waters broke while she slept in a flooded tent – with no signal to call an ambulance. She was carried in the rain on her mattress by family and neighbours before being transferred to a car that took her to a medical point in al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip.

She gave birth without painkillers, undergoing a cleaning procedure without anesthesia for fear of a haemorrhage.

“I gave birth to my child to the sound of shelling,” says the mother-of-two.

Thousands of other women and children in Gaza are subject to the same fate as healthcare support is dire despite a ceasefire. More than 400 people have died in the aftermath of the peace deal, including an 11-year-old girl killed in her home on Thursday.

A recent Unicef report revealed a 75 per cent increase in infant mortality as“thousands of mothers who’ve been left starving [by the war inside Gaza] are now giving birth to underweight or premature babies who die in intensive care units or struggle to survive acute malnutrition”.

Last week, Israel banned 37 international aid organisations from operating in the strip, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF). MSF delivers one in three of Gaza’s babies, and experts warn that immediate action must be taken to prevent a catastrophe.

It has prompted more than 100 leading members of the arts, including Dames Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Joanna Lumley, Sienna Miller, Suranne Jones and singer Paloma Faith, to sign a letter urging popular online platform Mumsnet to join them in demanding urgent government action ensuring maternity care is accessible in Gaza.

“While sharing the magic of Christmas with our children, it was heartbreaking to see images of little boys and girls just like ours in flooded tents and without food or warmth or medical support in Gaza, after everything they’ve already been through,” the letter, reads.

It calls on the UK government to insist Israel allows the entry of mobile maternity clinics currently waiting in Egypt, full access for independent NGOs including Oxfam, Save the Children and Medical Aid for Palestinians to deliver more than 6,500 trucks of aid waiting to be let into Gaza, and the delivery of sanitary pads.

The Israeli military body Cogat, which controls Gaza’s crossings and co-ordinates aid deliveries, has said that the NGOs facing suspension “did not bring aid into Gaza throughout the current ceasefire”. It has claimed that “even in the past” before the ceasefire begain 12 weeks ago “their combined contribution amounted to only about 1% of the total aid volume”.

Mumsnet told The Independent that it has received the letter and are arranging for a meeting with Dame Judi and other signatories to discuss the issue.

Wafa still lives in the tent where she carried her newborn baby – named Zain – several kilometres in the pouring rain half an hour after his birth. Two weeks later the area was struck by missiles that killed several family members, including her mother and niece. It left her father severely injured.

“From the shock, fear, and lack of food, my milk dried up,” she says of the experience. A doctor prescribed formula but her baby was found to have a lactose allergy.

“I lost my father months later… as a result of his injury.” Wafa adds. “The war ended…But the pain of loss did not.”

Joshua pays emotional tribute to ‘special’ friends lost in car crash

Anthony Joshua has paid an emotional tribute to his two friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele after their deaths in the fatal car crash near Lagos, Nigeria.

‘AJ’ is back in the UK after attending their funerals and is recovering from minor injuries suffered in the accident.

Both men died after their vehicle collided with a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos on Monday.

Joshua, who was left in agony after being hauled out of the vehicle and then received hospital treatment before being discharged, has shared some words on his long-time friends on social media, alongside a black and white picture of both men in the sky with several doves.

And the British heavyweight said in a statement: “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

It is the second post from Joshua since the accident, having first posted a shot of himself alongside family members, with a portrait shot of Ghami.

The support from the boxing community for Joshua has been overwhelming and his latest post has been no different, with fellow boxers Richard Riakporhe, Abdulla Mason, Dalton Smith and Adam Azim, among others.

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, who was driving the car with Joshua as a passenger, had been charged over the crash at the Sagamu Magistrate Court.

Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps suggested speeding and an overtake attempt were to blame for the crash, but Ogun state’s police commissioner later told ESPN that a burst tyre on Joshua’s vehicle caused the driver to lose control and “swerve into the stationary truck parked along the road”.

Joshua, who was born in Watford to Nigerian parents, was on holiday in the African country following his sixth-round knockout win over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.

Plans had been made for Joshua to fight again in February, likely in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh Season boss Turki Alalshikh proposing a future fight in 2026 against long-time British rival Tyson Fury.

Your dream cruise formula: From Caribbean islands to European cities

If your ideal holiday is one that blends fuss-free adventure with great culinary choices and sumptuous relaxation, then book yourself onto a cruise immediately. From experiencing rich cultures, visiting breathtaking beauty spots, and dining on delicious delicacies – cruising has become one of the most luxurious ways to travel.

This dream-holiday formula is something that Virgin Voyages has perfected with its multi-award-winning, adult-only cruises, which sail across Europe, North America and the Caribbean. From entertaining onboard experiences and modern facilities to exciting escapades on land, these are the types of trips that are worth writing home about, and why Virgin Voyages has been named Travel + Leisure ® World’s Best #1 Mega Ship for an impressive three years in a row.

Here’s what would-be Sailors can expect from a Virgin Voyages cruise…

Whichever of the 150-plus destinations you choose to sail to, one thing remains guaranteed, you’ll get an unforgettable journey, and leave with happy stories to share with loved ones back home. Why not make those memories on Virgin Voyages’ impressive Lady Ships, with Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady each offering a distinct personality which is encapsulated in everything from decor to destinations. Expect enough amenities and activities to entertain a small city: from tequila tasting to spa days and over 20 premium eateries serving menus curated by Michelin starred chefs. There’s a whole holiday’s worth of experiences before you’ve even docked at your first port.

Be gone any thoughts of pokey, old-fashioned interiors and get ready to embrace charming cabins with a super-yacht aesthetic. No matter which of the Virgin Voyages sleeping quarters you choose from, you’ll be met with super comfortable beds, a roomy rainshower, mood lighting, free Wi-Fi and a large flat-screen HDTV. Want to really push the boat out? Opt for luxury suites that promise five-star comfort and opulence, with champagne tables, sun loungers, handwoven terrace hammocks and in-room bars. Virgin Voyages ‘RockStar’ Sailors can also enjoy everything from VIP entrances to private access to rooftop terraces.

Whether your spirit is one of a dancing queen or a sophisticated theatre-goer, Virgin Voyages has nightlife and entertainment options to suit every taste – developed with the help of the world’s most-talked-about directors, choreographers, and artists. Choose from 80s parties, festival acts or classic stories like Romeo and Juliet – reinvented with a circus twist. Each ship offers something different, so if you’re a Virgin Voyages regular, you’ll never see the same thing twice. Save your vocal chords for the private karaoke rooms, while the casinos and gaming arcades could elevate an already winning mood even further.

Don’t want to leave your full-on fitness regime behind when you go on holiday? Or are you just curious to try a new healthy group class? Whatever your wellness wishes, there’s plenty to keep you busy onboard with workouts for every level. There’s yoga, HIIT, weight training, boxing, meditation and more, plus running or walking the signature 255-metre-ish Virgin red running track, which curves around the top of the ship in a halo shape. If relaxation is your main goal, head to the spa for everything from steam room and sauna to hot stone massage and seaweed wrap. The beauty salon offers a range of professional treatments, from manicures, pedicures and nail art to IV therapy, Botox and fillers.

While you’re free to enjoy port cities at your own leisure, Virgin Voyages also curates an array of land excursions or ‘Shore Things’ for those who want to immerse themselves in local culture. Why not enjoy a barefoot fish cookout on the Mexican island of Cozumel, a late night party on the Greek Island of Mykonos or visit the historic halls of Harvard University when sailing through Boston, Massachusetts. If you’re cruising the Caribbean, choose from a beach day in St Vincent and The Grenadines; explore the private island of Mustique or visit the colourful buildings of the capital Kingstown. Do as much or as little as you like – you’re always in charge!

Proving that there really is a cruise for everyone, Virgin Voyages’ child-free cruises visit almost endless destinations that span Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Choose a five-night cruise from New York to Bermuda, taking in the paradise pink-sand beaches, maritime history and cafe culture of the island, or maybe a seven-night voyage starting in Los Angeles and sailing to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan in Mexico. For a trip closer to home, soak in the Mediterranean sunshine while visiting Europe’s most famous cities and islands starting in the homeports of Greece and Spain. Tick off an array of bucket list destinations with the Idyllic Ibiza cruise aboard the Valiant Lady; set sail from Rome to Barcelona with stop offs at the superluxe Amalfi Coast, Cannes and Ibiza – now, that’s what you call an A-list adventure.

With so many incredible destinations to visit and on-board luxury to explore, a cruise with Virgin Voyages is a holiday you’ll never stop talking about.

Discover Virgin Voyages luxury range of cruises and plan your next adventure today

Man who threw six-year-old off Tate Modern balcony sentenced for attacking nurses at Broadmoor

A man who threw a six-year-old boy off a balcony in the Tate Modern has been jailed at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for 16 weeks for attacking two nurses at Broadmoor.

Jonty Bravery was found guilty of assaulting nurses Linda McKinlay and Kate Mastalerz after he kicked one in the thigh and “clawed” at the face of another, leaving her with blood dripping down her cheek, at Broadmoor Hospital in September 2024.

The 24-year-old was previously handed a life sentence for hurling a French boy from Tate Modern’s 10th-storey balcony in 2019 and is now being held at Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital, in Berkshire.

Sentencing him on Thursday, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring, who found Bravery guilty of two counts of assault, said that those who “care” for Bravery were the targets of his attacks.

The defendant, who refused to appear at the hearing by video link, was sentenced to 16 weeks, which will run concurrently with his 15-year minimum term. He has also been fined a total of £350.

The judge said it is “very unlikely” that Bravery will be deemed safe for release at the end of the 15-year term, “unless something significant changes”.

The nurses had been trying to stop Bravery, who has to be supervised by three members of staff at all times, from climbing a ledge to throw himself from it, a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court previously heard.

Speaking of the Broadmoor attack, prosecutor Tom Heslop told the court: “At around 9.30 at night, Mr Bravery asked to go to the toilet. After he used the bathroom, he attempted to climb a ledge and throw himself from it.”

The nurses tried to restrain him, putting him on his mattress before turning him onto his back, Mr Heslop said.

Bravery “kicked out towards Ms Mastalerz”, hitting her in the thigh and “clawed across” Ms McKinlay’s face, leaving her with blood dripping down her cheek, the court heard.

Body-worn footage played to the trial showed the nurses struggling on the floor with Bravery before other staff rushed into the room to help.

Ms McKinlay, a grandmother, told the court it was the first time she had been attacked at Broadmoor in her long career.

In 2020, Bravery was jailed for another 14 weeks after admitting to attacking Broadmoor Hospital staff. He had punched assistant Sarah Edwards in the head and face before pulling her hair. He then bit Maxwell King, a rehabilitation therapist assistant, on his finger when he came to help his colleague.

The family of a young boy who survived being thrown from the 10th floor of London’s Tate Modern art gallery has since said he has been able to achieve his goal of being able to run, jump and swim again.

He survived the 100ft (30m) fall in 2019 but suffered life-changing injuries, including a bleed on the brain and multiple broken bones.

In October, the family gave an update on a GoFundMe page, which the family set up for medical care and rehabilitation.

“Our little knight had long set himself the goal of being able to run, jump, and swim again. He can’t do it like other children his age, of course, but we can no longer describe what he does in any other way than by saying it’s running, jumping, and swimming,” the family said in a statement.

The boy’s memory skills are still limited, the family added, but they are “functional and still improving”, meaning he will acquire general knowledge at his own pace.

Streeting warns NHS ‘not out of the woods yet’ as flu cases spike

Health secretary Wes Streeting has warned the NHS is “not out of the woods yet”, as flu cases have spiked following festive and new year gatherings.

Figures published on Thursday showed that the number of patients in hospital beds with flu has risen by 9 per cent on the previous week to 2,924, following two weeks where that number had fallen.

Norovirus and Covid figures have also increased, with the average number of patients in hospital up on the previous week.

Overall bed occupancy was up 5 per cent on the previous week at just under 92 per cent.

“Today’s data shows we are not out of the woods yet. While the NHS is better prepared and performing more strongly than this time last year thanks to the tireless work of staff, the current cold snap is putting fresh pressure on frontline services,” Mr Streeting said.

“Flu can be serious, particularly for older people, young children and those with underlying conditions, and vaccination remains the best protection. I urge everyone who is eligible to get their flu jab as soon as possible.

“By acting now, we can help keep people out of hospital, support our NHS staff through the toughest weeks of winter, and ensure emergency care is there for those who need it most.”

It comes after data in December suggested the UK could face the worst flu season in decades. In the first week of December 1,717 patients were admitted to hospitals in England with the infection, up 56 per cent on the same week in 2024, according to NHS England.

Although flu cases reached a peak in the first week of December according to UKHSA data, they have since dropped.

The UK’s flu season was underway weeks before it would usually start to put pressure on the NHS. It’s thought that a new strain of influenza, named influenza A H3N2 subclade K, was infecting the majority of people. This strain has seven mutations that differentiate it from the previous H3N2 strain.

In the run-up to Christmas, an average of 19,120 resident doctors were on strike each day between 17 and 22 December – that’s slightly higher than the 17,236 average in the last set of November strikes.

However, the majority of hospital appointments still went ahead and more than 5,000 fewer patients were in hospital on Christmas Day compared to last year, with 78.8 per cent of beds occupied.

But following this week’s rise in flu cases, NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit has warned the “worst is far from over for the NHS this winter”.

“The cold weather also means we are also seeing more vulnerable patients with respiratory problems in A&E and more injuries from slips and falls due to the icy conditions, so it remains an extremely busy time,” she added.

“Staff continue to work incredibly hard, and we are seeing teams across the country pulling out all the stops to ensure patients get the care they need. It remains important that people come forward for care as usual, and there are still plenty of opportunities to get vaccinated and get protected against flu.”

There were 101,177 ambulance handovers – that’s over 5,100 more than the same week last year. These figures include New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest nights of the year for ambulance crews.

Despite the pressure, the average ambulance handover time of 37 minutes 44 seconds was more than 16 minutes quicker than the same time last year – although it was slower when compared with the week before.

The data comes with demand on the NHS remaining high as it manages the impact of a cold snap.

Data published last week showed it received the second-highest number of calls to 111 in two years on Saturday 27 December, with 87,318 calls answered.

A total of 414,562 calls to NHS 111 were reported as answered during Christmas week, almost 24,000 more than the previous week.

Responding to the figures, Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, said: “The NHS faces a frosty start to 2026 with pressure on NHS services running hot in the face of a cold snap and a rebound in winter viruses. The health services talk of a period of ‘calmer waters’ before the new year has come to an end, but with the number of beds occupied by flu patients 46 per cent lower than this time last year, the pressure is not as acute as the previous winter.”

Although bed occupancy rates are “slightly better” than expected for this time of year, Ms Woolnough stresses this level should not be considered as “sustainable”.

She added: “Many NHS staff and leaders have worked around the clock to protect patients as best they can, planning for months in advance, despite the additional disruption caused by industrial action and spikes in flu cases.

“There is no doubt these actions have prevented the system from becoming overwhelmed, with bed occupancy rates standing at 92 per cent for the first week of January – slightly better than we have come to expect for this time of year. But this should not be treated as a sustainable level of pressure and is certainly not one that is providing the best possible outcomes for patients.”