Entertainment
Russell Brand to appear in court over new allegations
Russell Brand is alleged to have committed two new counts of ra** and sex*ual assault, police confirmed tonight.
The comedian and actor by profession,50, is already facing one count each of ra**, indecent assault and or** ra**, as well as two counts of sexual assault, involving four separate women.
Russell appeared in court in May and pleaded not guilty to these five counts.
The new charges relate to two additional women, the Metropolitan Police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi from the Metropolitan Police who is leading the investigation said: ‘The women who have made reports, including those connected to the two new charges, continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
‘The Met’s investigation remains ongoing, and detectives urge anyone affected by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak with police.’
He is due to appear before magistrates next month over the two new charges, which relate to incidents alleged to have happened in 2009.
Lionel Idan, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS, said: ‘These new charges relate to separate reports of non-recent offences in 2009, involving two additional women.
‘These additional charges follow an investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
The original incidents, alleged by four women, are said to have occurred between 1999 and 2005.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah has confirmed the news of the death of the country’s army chief of staff, Mohammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad after his aircraft lost radio contact in Turkey’s airspace.
Dbeibah announced the death of Haddad on Tuesday evening, December 23, as reported by Reuters.
The prime minister officially issued a statement mourning the loss of the chief of army staff noting he was accompanied by other military officials on the flight as well.
Earlier, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed finding wreckage of the lost plane.
The plane was enroute to Tripoli from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.
However, it lost radio contact 42 minutes after its departure.
In the last communication, aircraft reported an emergency landing request over the Haymana district.
The Libyan military delegation including Haddad had been in Turkey for official meetings with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and senior Turkish military commanders earlier in the day.
Pop star Taylor Swift has donated $1 million to Feeding America just days before Christmas, the nonprofit said Tuesday.
Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said the organization, which oversees a network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs, was “incredibly grateful” for the gift.
“This holiday season, (Swift’s) continued support is a powerful reminder of what is possible when we unite to end hunger,” Babineaux-Fontenot said on Instagram. “When we join together alongside people facing hunger, we can make sure families have a full table this holiday season and beyond.”
Swift has not publicly commented on the donation. Swift’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.
Roughly 14% of U.S. households reported being food insecure between January and October of 2025, Purdue University researchers recently found. Babineaux-Fontenot said during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” last month that Feeding America has been seeing more demand than it can keep up with.
“Unfortunately the lines are longer than the food that is available,” she said.
It’s not the first time Swift has made headlines for her donations. The singer-songwriter donated $100,000 to the family of a local radio host who was killed in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade in February 2024. Swift also donated $1 million to Tennessee tornado relief in 2023.
The self-made billionaire also gifted large bonuses to the dozens of crew members who were part of her record-breaking Eras Tour.
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) Director General Nadir Shafi Dar on Tuesday said the successful privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was a clear testament to the government’s resolve to transform the country’s aviation sector.
In a statement, Dar credited Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Secretary Defence Lt Gen Muhammad Ali for extending critical support that enabled the PCAA to carry out key reforms, leading to the removal of aviation restrictions imposed by the European Commission and the United Kingdom.
He said the lifting of these restrictions played a pivotal role in the success of the privatisation process, significantly enhancing investor confidence and pushing PIA’s bid value from Rs10 billion in 2024 to Rs135 billion in the latest auction.
The DG CAA noted that the successful bidding of PIA would help spur the growth of Pakistani airlines and pave the way for opening new global destinations with direct connectivity from Pakistan.
He further said that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has expressed full confidence in the oversight and regulatory capabilities of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, terming it a key endorsement of the reforms undertaken in recent years.
The Arif Habib Corporation Limited–led consortium acquired a majority stake in PIA with the highest bid of Rs135 billion in an auction held for the privatisation process of the national flag carrier.
During the open auction round, Arif Habib raised its bid from Rs115 billion to Rs135 billion after the Lucky Cement Limited–led consortium increased its earlier bid of Rs101.5 billion to Rs134 billion in the second round of the open-bidding.
Arif Habib, the chief of Arif Habib Group, described the development as the “triumph of Pakistan”.
He maintained that the PIA privatisation would help boost investment in the country, adding that it would also attract foreign investment in Pakistan.
The businessman lauded the government for successfully conducting the bidding process, saying the Privatisation Commission completed the entire process in a transparent manner. “We will work hard to make this airline great again,” he added.
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