UK - The Independent

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1. Trump was ‘most culpable’ for Jan 6 riot and would have been convicted in court, Jack Smith told Congress in newly released testimony

   Smith led both Justice Department prosecutions of Trump following the Jan 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters after he lost the 2020 election, and his alleged concealment of classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida

2. Venezuelan security forces have detained several Americans since Trump began military campaign: report

   State Department is considering designating two Americans as wrongfully detained while others face real criminal charges, according to U.S. official

3. Hackers replaced Silicon Valley crosswalks messages with Elon Musk’s voice after exposing ‘weak password,’ report says

   Investigations revealed that the Caltrans system was hacked because the company did not change the passwords on the crosswalk system, despite being advised to by the manufacturers

4. UK prepares to usher in New Year as crowds brave cold to gather in London

   Firework displays are taking place across the country to see in 2026

5. Disney World worker is injured trying to stop runaway boulder at Indiana Jones show

   A Walt Disney World worker in Florida was injured while trying to stop a runaway prop boulder during the park's Indiana Jones live show

6. Kate Beckinsale opens up about recent weight loss

7. US imposes sanctions on 4 Venezuelan oil firms and 4 more tankers in Maduro crackdown

   The U.S. has imposed sanctions on four firms in Venezuela's oil sector and designated four additional oil tankers as blocked property

8. US military strikes three more alleged drug boats, killing 3 and possibly leaving survivors

   The U.S. military says it struck three more boats that were allegedly smuggling drugs

9. Times Square revelers brace for coldest New Year’s Eve in years as nasty weather derails iconic celebrations

   Snow flurries could hit hundreds of thousands of people in Times Square

10. Trump riffed on Ukraine’s ‘beautiful’ women during peace talks and called former Miss Ukraine to speak with Zelensky, report says

    Trump’s side conversation about Ukrainian women ultimately lowered the ‘temperature’ of peace talks with Zelensky, an official claimed