CharlieH

The Lebanese group Hezbollah says one of its commanders has been killed in a strike in southern Lebanon believed to have been carried out by Israel. Wissam Tawil was reportedly a member of the group's elite Radwan Force, and one of the most prominent Hezbollah figures to be killed in the current violence. Israel's military did not comment, but it did say it had hit Hezbollah targets in response to cross-border attacks. The clashes have raised fears of a wider regional conflict. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed group that wields considerable military and political power in Lebanon. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other Western powers. Its fighters have exchanged fire with Israeli forces almost every day along the border since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on 7 October. Israel's prime minister told soldiers stationed on the border with Lebanon on Monday that he was determined to "do everything necessary to restore security to the north". 'We are not afraid of war' Hezbollah warns Israel Hamas leader's assassination sparks wider war fears Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that two people - whom it did not name - were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted a car in the al-Dabsha area of Khirbet Selim at around 10:15 (08:15 GMT) on Monday. The strike caused the vehicle to veer off the road and catch fire, it added. Pictures from the scene showed the burned-out wreck of a car on a roadside. Lebanese security sources said one of those killed in the strike was Wissam Tawil and that the other was also a Hezbollah fighter. Three sources told Reuters news agency that Tawil was the deputy head of a unit within Hezbollah's Radwan Force, whose well-trained members are considered the group's special forces. FULL STORY

Getting very tedious repeating the same things to the same people. Any more unsubstantiated "from anyone" type videos from social media and expect to lose your ability to post.

Watching the terrified faces of the four bloodstained teenage girls being paraded by Hamas gunmen was beyond their parents' worst nightmare. The haunting images were taken just hours after they were kidnapped and Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa and Agam Berger appeared shadows of their former selves. Three months have passed since that recording of them lined up against a wall in Gaza, their hands bound behind them – and still they are in captivity. With negotiations stalling following the collapsed ceasefire, the parents of the youngest female hostages are today sharing the heart-wrenching pictures as they demand their immediate release. They are appealing to mothers and fathers around the world to speak up as horrific new details emerge that some female captives have been raped at gunpoint or had limbs amputated. 'Imagine if it was your daughter, your little girl in their hands,' Daniela's mother Orly, 38, said. 'What would you imagine?' Liri's father Eli, 54, said: 'Think for one day that you don't have connection with your daughter and you know they are in the hands of bad people. Then tell me what you would say after 90 days. This is killing us. Every minute is like an hour.' The girls were snatched from Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, in the first hours of the Hamas attack on October 7 in which 1,200 died and scores of women were raped. FULL STORY

Former President Trump warned Friday that there will be “big trouble” if the Supreme Court does not rule in his favor on his eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot. The Supreme Court is set to hear the Colorado case after the state’s Supreme Court determined last month that Trump should not be on the state’s primary ballot due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. “I just hope we get fair treatment,” Trump said at an Iowa rally Friday. “Because if we don’t, our country’s in big, big trouble. Does everybody understand what I’m saying?” Trump also complained of Democrats casting doubt on the court because Trump appointed three of its justices, claiming that they are attempting to put undue political pressure on the court’s decisions. “They’re saying, ‘Oh, Trump owns the Supreme Court, he owns it. He owns it. If they make a decision for him, it will be terrible. It’ll ruin their reputations,’” he said. “‘He owns the Supreme Court. He put on three judges. He owns the Supreme Court. If they rule in his favor, it will be horrible for them. And we’ll protest at their houses.’” “That puts pressure on people to do the wrong thing. What they’re doing is no different than Bobby Knight,” he continued, referring to the legendary college basketball coach famous for raucous arguments with referees. FULL STORY

Three months ago, speaking to citizens rocked by a horrific day of attacks by Hamas, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a promise. “The IDF will immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” Netanyahu said. “We will destroy them.” Now, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is shifting to a new phase of its war on Hamas in Gaza – and there are signs its objectives are changing too. “The record is not very friendly to military campaigns seeking to eradicate political military movement that are deeply rooted,” Bilal Y. Saab, an associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, told CNN. “IDF leadership understands very well that the most they can do is severely degrade the military capabilities of Hamas,” Saab said. Israel has seen some successes in that regard; its forces claim to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters, including some high-ranking members, and have dismantled some parts of the group’s vast tunnel network under the enclave. But challenges remain and an endgame is far from sight. Few countries at war set deadlines. Israeli officials have warned of a lengthy war that could stretch through the entirety of 2024 and beyond. It will unfold in front of an international community that is increasingly aghast at the extraordinary humanitarian crisis and spiraling civilian deaths in Gaza. And as international pressure increases, so too could domestic unease towards Netanyahu – an embattled prime minister eager to point to tangible victories. “There is a race against time,” said Saab, outlining the key questions facing Israel’s leadership. “At what price is this tactical success going to come, and how much time do the Israelis have to achieve that tactical success without suffering from more significant international outrage?” A ‘new combat approach’ The destruction of Hamas – the goal that Netanyahu touted on October 7 – was lofty, elusive and, according to many analysts, impossible. “This kind of mission cannot be completed – we’ve seen it fail over the years many times,” Saab said. Hamas’ influence extends far beyond Gaza, meaning a total defeat of the group is at least highly ambitious for Israel, if it can be achieved at all. In a speech marking the anniversary of the attacks, Netanyahu reiterated his goals for the conflict: “To eliminate Hamas, return our hostages and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel.” But it remains unclear whether IDF leadership places eliminating Hamas atop its priorities. IDF intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva left out the destruction of Hamas when listing military goals in a speech on Thursday, Israeli media noted. And also on Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant unveiled plans for the next phase of the war in Gaza, emphasizing a new combat approach in the north and a sustained focus on targeting Hamas leaders suspected to be present in the enclave’s southern territory. FULL STORY

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested the Civil War could have been avoided through “negotiation,” arguing that the fight to end slavery in the US was ultimately unnecessary and that Abraham Lincoln should have done more to avoid bloodshed. “So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you,” Trump said at a campaign event in Newton, Iowa. “I think you could have negotiated that. All the people died. So many people died.” The former president’s comments come a little over a week before the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, where he has a significant lead in the polls over his closest rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The Civil War has emerged as unlikely talking point on the GOP primary trail. More than a week before Trump’s comments, Haley answered a question about the cause of the Civil War without mentioning slavery – the driving force behind the war. She has since backtracked, repeatedly saying she thought the fact went without saying. Trump’s remarks were not made in response or reference to Haley’s. FULL ARTICLE

Thanks to @Mike Lister for the contribution of this article. A SIMPLE GUIDE TO PERSONAL INCOME TAX IN THAILAND 10 January, 2024 Version 5, Rev E 1. This purpose of this guide is to provide foreigners living in Thailand with the simplest possible overview of Personal Income Tax (PIT) in Thailand. The scope of this document is limited to PIT. 2. You may have heard that new tax laws came into effect on 1 January this year. In fact, that is not true! The old tax rules still exist and remain valid, albeit just one minor change to them was made in November last year. Previously, anyone who earned money overseas and remitted it to Thailand in a different tax year, received that money free of Thai tax. That loop hole in the Revenue Department (RD) tax code has been exploited by wealthy Thai’s and is now closed. Money earned overseas after 1 January 2024 and remitted to Thailand in any year, is now potentially liable to Thai tax and must be assessed via a tax return, subject to a minimum income threshold . The purpose of the new rule is to reduce tax avoidance and to help detect tax evasion. Unfortunately, it now means that overseas funds transfers by foreigners living in Thailand, also have an increased risk of being taxed. 3. This guide is an overview of the core parts of the PIT system. It is not designed to be exhaustive and it doesn’t cover all aspects of PIT, nor is it intended to override anything produced by the Thai Revenue Department or specialist tax companies such as Sherrings or Mazzars. This guide also does not address all types of income or the rules relevant to people from every country. What this guide will provide is a starting point for readers to manage their own tax affairs and it will also provide most of the answers for those with simple tax affairs, especially the average pensioner. 4. There are also certain types of visa that fall outside of the RD tax code. The LTR visa for example is one of them, it received its tax exempt status by royal decree hence visa holders will not to be assessed for Thai tax and they are specifically excluded from this explanation. 5. Terminology: this document uses the word “assessable” often. Assessable in the context of this document means income that is liable to tax which must be included on a Thai tax return. Not all income is assessable, some is excluded from tax assessment by its very nature or because of the terms of a specific tax agreement. There is assessable income that is taxable and assessable income that is exempt from tax, but "non-assessable" income does not really exist as an entity within the Thai Revenue Code. Consequently, readers should not think that some of your income is non-assessable. Taxable income = Assessable income minus exemptions, deductions, allowances. 6. Dual Tax Agreement/Double Tax Agreement (DTA): is an agreement between two countries that sets out which of the two countries has the right to tax specific types of income and all the associated rules. It’s purpose, in part, is to ensure that the same funds are not taxed twice by two different countries and provides a means by which tax that is paid twice, can be recovered, how and from where. Note: If the taxpayer income is sourced in one country but the tax payer is resident in a second country, use of a DTA can result in increased tax being paid, if the second country has a higher rate of tax on the type of income in question, than the other. 7. This document is being drafted in January 2024. Tax returns are due between now and 31 March 2024 which cover the period, 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2023. The tax changes affecting foreigners in Thailand came into effect 1 January 2024 which means this years income activity is not reportable until at least 181 days from the start of the year. For year round residents, a tax return will be due 1 January next year, 2025. 8. If you stay in Thailand for more than a cumulative 179 days, between 1 January and 31 December each year, you will be and always were considered to be Tax Resident in Thailand during that year, almost entirely regardless of the type of visa you have (special tax exempt classes of visa excluded). It doesn’t matter that you may be Tax Resident in your home country or elsewhere or that you pay tax in those countries, Thailand will still regard you as Tax Resident. Tax Residency and Immigration status (and the visa you hold) are different things. Tax residency is based solely on the number of days you spend in Thailand and where you are at midnight on each day. 9. It should be noted that there always was an obligation on the part of foreigners who were tax resident in Thailand, to report assessable income every year, provided they met the minimum income threshold. This law was not actively enforced in the past and many remained unaware of their obligation. Very little has changed today, that obligation remains unchanged albeit the scope of income that must be reported has now increased and tax collection has taken on a higher profile. 10. Because you are Tax Resident, YOU must review your income each year to determine if it is regarded as assessable to tax in Thailand, nobody else will do this for you. If your income does not exceed 120,000 baht per year, you do not need to file a tax return (60,000 baht if your only income is bank interest paid to you by a bank in Thailand). If your income is over 120,000 baht per year, you must file a Thai tax return between 1 January and 31 March. 11. Your income in Thailand is defined as any money paid to you inside Thailand, as well as, any money you receive from overseas, both types are potentially assessable income for Tax Residents. There are many types of income that can be classed as assessable, the Thai RD lists some of them and is linked below, however, the list is not exhaustive: https://sherrings.com/personal-income-tax-in-thailand.html#:~:text=Section%2040%20of%20Thailand's%20Revenue,Pensions%3B%20and 12. There are also classes or types of income that the RD regards as exempt from assessment and these are also linked below. Note: it is assumed that if the income is not listed as exempt, that it is regarded as assessible: THIS IS A PLACE HOLDER FOR THE CORRECT LINK 13. The definition of income that is derived from within Thailand is fairly clear, if you work and have a job and you are a Tax Resident, the payment you receive is assessable for tax. Interest that is paid to you on Thai bank accounts is regarded as income, as is income from investments such as stocks and bonds within Thailand. As a general principle, any payment you receive for work that arises within Thailand is regarded as income. You should note that if you are generating income by working while staying in Thailand, it is (and has always been) irrelevant where that money is paid and whether you bring the money into the country or keep it offshore. That money arises in Thailand hence it is taxable here. 14. It is not possible to give the same blanket rule to everyone to determine whether income is assessable or not because of the variable factors involved. Overseas income has to pass several tests to determine if it is assessable to Thai tax or not. It is still early days and all the rules are not yet clear. It has been said that tax residents who import funds from countries that have a DTA with Thailand, will not be effected. Exactly how that will work leaves many questions unanswered hence this document attempts to look at only the most popular types of income based on what is known at present. This document does not speculate as to what may happen in the future, other than in the segment at the end concerning likely future Immigration rules. 15. First and foremost, only income that is remitted to Thailand is assessable in Thailand, funds that remain outside Thailand are not. If we take the simplest type of income and say that you transfer personal savings from overseas to Thailand and those savings were earned before 1 January 2024, those funds are not assessable. But savings earned after that date are, hence the date when the income is earned is extremely important. A word of caution, you may be asked to provide proof that savings were earned before 1 January 2024 hence it will help if you store statements of each of your accounts showing valuations that are effective as of 31 December 2023. 16. The way in which the income is received in Thailand does not change its definition. Bank transfers, cheques, cash, overseas ATM and credit card transactions can also be income, the last two because overseas funds were imported to pay for goods or services in Thailand. 17. Another common type of income is pensions, which can be complicated, depending on the type of pension and the country that it comes from. The country of origin is important because there are over 60 different types of Dual Tax Agreements, sometimes called Double Taxation Agreements (DTA’s), between Thailand and those 60+ countries and each one is different. As a general rule, most private or company pensions from most countries appear to be assessable here but YOU will need to confirm that yours is or is not. If that is true, private and company pension income IS assessable income in Thailand. 18. US Social Security payments, a form of pension paid to some older people, can only be taxed by the US under DTA rules and Thailand is forbidden from taxing them, this means those payments are NOT assessable income. UK State pension on the other hand is not covered by a DTA so it is assessable income in Thailand whilst UK Government or Civil Service, Armed Forces and some NHS pensions are not. 19. The proceeds from the sale of a capital item such as overseas property, where funds are remitted to Thailand, is one popular source of expat funds, the sale of some investment products such as stocks, shares and bonds is another. Those proceeds typically comprise two parts, capital and profit. If the capital was acquired before 1 January 2024, it is free of Thai tax. One way to separate capital and profit may be to have an official valuation or statement that is dated 1 January 2024 since anything earned before that date, is not assessable. Also, if the profit has been the subject of a Capital Gains return in the home country, that also may be free of Thai tax but this cannot be guaranteed at this time, until things are made more clear and are once again subject to the terms of any DTA. YOU will need to review the DTA between Thailand and your home country to fully understand what particular clauses affect you. 20. It appears as though most property rental income that is remitted to Thailand is considered to be assessable income and is taxable here, unless of course it has been taxed in the home country and/or the DTA prohibits its taxation (which seems unlikely). 21. YOU are responsible for determining if your assessable income in Thailand exceeds the threshold and means you must file a tax return. That assessable income might comprise, pension payments, investment income, rental income or any of the other types of income listed in the link above. If you have assessable income of over 120,000 baht per year, you must file a tax return (60,000 baht if your sole source of assessable income is bank interest paid in Thailand). 22. Before you can file a tax return in Thailand, you need to acquire a Tax Identification Number or TIN from the RD offices in your area. You will need your passport, a valid and current visa or extension and in many areas, a Certificate of Residency from the Immigration Department. 23. Who must file a tax return? The English language translation of the RD rule says that, "You have to file a return on the income that you received if you meet one of the following conditions: (1) Your total income exceeded 120,000 baht in the tax year. (2) You were married and your income combined with that of your spouse exceeded 220,000 baht in the tax year." This is understood to mean assessable income. https://www.rd.go.th/fileadmin/download/english_form/030265guide91.pdf 24. Completing a tax return is a simple affair for most people, if you have difficulty, the Revenue Department staff are extremely helpful. Tax returns must be filed between 1 January and 30 March each year, if you file later than that, penalties will apply. 25. Thai tax is layered in bands and is payable based on the amount of assessable income that falls within each band and are shown and linked below: Taxable Income per year(Baht) Tax rate 0 – 150,000 Exempt 150,000 – 300,000 5% 300,000 – 500,000 10% 500,000 – 750,000 15% 750,000 – 1,000,000 20% 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 25% 2,000,000 – 4,000,000 30% Over 4,000,000 35% https://www.mazars.co.th/Home/Insights/Doing-Business-in-Thailand/Payroll/Personal-Income-Tax 26. The Thai tax system contains a series of Allowances, Deductions and Exemptions that will help you reduce your tax bill and they are very generous. It is easily possible for the average expat foreign retiree to reduce their taxable income by 500,000 baht or more each year. For example, a retiree aged 65 years of age, married and living here full time, supporting a Thai wife who has no income and doesn’t file tax return, is allowed the following: a. Personal Allowance for self - 60,000 b. Personal Allowance for wife - 60,000 c. Over age 65 years exemption - 190,000 d. 50% of pension income received, up to 100k - 100,000 e. In addition, the first 150,000 of assessable income is zero rated and free of tax 27. Additional deductions and allowances exist for health or life insurance premiums paid in Thailand. A complete list of deductions, allowances and exemptions can be found here https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html or from Sherrings below. https://sherrings.com/personal-tax-deductions-allowances-thailand.html 28. The Thai Revenue tax filing system is on-line but only available in Thai language at present. The tax forms are however available in English and they can be downloaded from the link below. https://www.rd.go.th/english/63902.html 29. A simple sample completed tax form for a person aged over 65 years is shown below as a guide. 30. https://aseannow.com/topic/1312534-taxation-of-ex-pats-pensions-etc/?do=findComment&comment=18532562 31. Tax filing in Thailand is based on the honour system, it relies on you declaring all the right information every year and there are severe penalties for evading Thai tax. It would be foolish and a gross under estimation of RD capabilities to think that doing nothing and keeping a low profile means you should ignore Thai taxation. Very few sane people in the US and UK ignore the tax authorities who tend to have a long reach. It cannot be ruled out that at some point, a link may be established between tax filings and visa extensions. A law already exists that requires foreigners to apply for Tax Clearance Certificates before being allowed to depart the country but it is not being enforced currently. These things are possible because similar things have been adopted in several countries in the past, including the US. 32. The RD tax return requires taxpayers to report assessable income, the tax rules even list some types of income that are not assessable to help in this. In addition, some types of income, from some locations, for some nationalities, are also known to be exempt. 33. If a taxpayer is certain that some of their income is not assessable, they may not want to declare it on their Thai tax return. Alternatively they may wish to ask the RD or employ specialist tax advisor's. It should go without saying that some taxpayers may try to suggest that some of their income is not assessable when really they don’t know for sure, or, they know that it is and say it that it isn’t, a sort of, chancing your arm and hoping you wont get found out. In that situation, the RD will not look favourably on such people and penalties are likely. 34. There are several sources of detailed tax information and these web sites are linked below: https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html https://sherrings.com/personal-income-tax-in-thailand.html https://www.mazars.co.th/Home/Insights/Doing-Business-in-Thailand/Payroll/Personal-Income-Tax UNRESOLVED ISSUES LIST Oz Old age pension taxable in Thailand? - being researched by T&G

Surely, to insert anything would be an acceptance of the presence or existence of such an entity.

Roojai.

It can also depend on what flights and how many need to transfer etc. I have personally known where the flight I was on was behind schedule and as a result they actually announced on the flight that the connecting flight was going to be held up so that passengers needing to transfer would not miss it.

Arrival and departure times in most cases or unless stated otherwise. MOVED to Travel Forum

Or maybe, people dont actually "support" any side and watch with interest at developments and just want the killing to stop.

MOVED to correct forum.

Prince Andrew "spent weeks" at sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein's Florida mansion, according to a third batch of unsealed court files. Juan Alessi, who managed Epstein's residence in Palm Beach, testified that the Duke of York stayed in the guest bedroom and had daily massages. The testimony appears in around 1,300 pages of evidence released on Friday. The records also paint a disturbing picture of how Epstein procured victims for sexual exploitation. Hundreds of pages of legal filings have been unsealed this week under order from a federal court. The legal papers are part of a 2015 defamation lawsuit by one accuser, Virginia Giuffre, against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's imprisoned former girlfriend. In a 2009 deposition, Mr Alessi told investigators that Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, were "friends" of Epstein and Maxwell. The duchess is not accused of any wrongdoing and Prince Andrew has denied misconduct. Asked if they ever had "massages" during visits to the Palm Beach mansion, Mr Alessi answered: "Prince Andrew did." He added that the duchess once briefly visited the house, but "Prince Andrew spent weeks with us", receiving "daily massages". "I can't remember if he had more than one [per day], but I think it was just a massage for him," he added. In one of the court filings unsealed this week, one accuser, Jane Doe 3, believed to be Ms Giuffre, alleges she was "forced to have sexual relations" with Prince Andrew while she was 17 in Maxwell's London apartment, in New York and on Epstein's private resort in the US Virgin Islands in an "orgy" with other under-aged girls. This allegation is not new, and the British royal has long denied any wrongdoing. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, the Duke of York said he had no memory of ever meeting Ms Giuffre. In 2022, he paid her an undisclosed financial settlement to settle her sex assault lawsuit against him, but did so with no admission as to liability. Who is named in Jeffrey Epstein files and why? Recruitment of girls detailed in second Epstein batch Prince Andrew and Clinton named in Epstein files Also in the documents unsealed on Friday, witnesses describe how people in Epstein's orbit were directed to "pick up girls" to "bring back for Jeffrey". FULL STORY

In his first campaign speech of 2024, President Joe Biden cast his likely election opponent, Donald Trump, as a fundamental threat to American democracy. "Whether democracy is still America's sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time," Mr Biden said. "It's what the 2024 election is all about," he added. The speech saw Mr Biden returning to a theme he has invoked over and over in recent years. This time, he explicitly drew a line to the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol to make his case. That day, Mr Trump's supporters violently stormed Congress to stop lawmakers from certifying the presidential election results for Mr Biden, just weeks before he was set to take office. Mr Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, frequently repeats the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The former president has also attempted to reframe the 6 January attack as a "beautiful day." He has referred to the individuals who participated as "patriots" and political prisoners, and vowed to pardon them if he returns to the White House. Taking direct aim at this rhetoric, Mr Biden accused Mr Trump of trying to "steal history", attacking his rival by name repeatedly. "Trump's mob wasn't a peaceful protest, it was a violent assault," Mr Biden said. "They were insurrectionists, not patriots. They were not there to uphold the Constitution, they were there to destroy the Constitution." The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jason Miller, a senior Trump campaign adviser, wrote on X that Mr Biden "has given up on running an issues-based campaign for 2024". "Rather than help those suffering from Bidenomics or our porous southern border, Biden plans on weaponising government against his leading political opponent," Mr Miller wrote. The day that still divides America, three years on What happened on 6 January at the Capitol riot? Mr Biden has returned to the theme of preserving democracy again and again. In 2020, he campaigned as the candidate capable of restoring America to normalcy. Before the 2022 midterms, Mr Biden described that election as a "battle for the soul of this nation". On Friday the venue in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a key site in the American Revolutionary War, was chosen to underscore the themes of Mr Biden's address. FULL STORY

The US Supreme Court has said it will hear a historic case to determine if Donald Trump can run for president. The justices agreed to take up Mr Trump's appeal against a decision by Colorado to remove him from the 2024 ballot in that state. The case will be heard in February and the ruling will apply nationwide. Lawsuits in a number of states are seeking to disqualify Mr Trump, arguing that he engaged in insurrection during the US Capitol riot three years ago. The legal challenges hinge on whether a Civil War-era constitutional amendment renders Mr Trump ineligible to stand as a candidate. The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution bans anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding federal office, but the former president's lawyers argue it does not apply to the president. His lawyers have argued: "The Colorado Supreme Court decision would unconstitutionally disenfranchise millions of voters in Colorado and likely be used as a template to disenfranchise tens of millions of voters nationwide." Mr Trump has also appealed against a decision by electoral officials in Maine to remove him from the ballot. The split 4-3 decision by Colorado's high court last month marks the first time in US history that the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate from the ballot. This is the first time the Supreme Court will consider how to interpret the clause. Mr Trump is the current Republican front-runner for a likely rematch against President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in this November's election. Courts in Minnesota and Michigan have dismissed attempts to disqualify Mr Trump. Other cases, including in Oregon, are pending. The US Supreme Court has a conservative majority - with three justices appointed by Mr Trump when he was president. What Maine and Colorado rulings mean for Trump's campaign New York attorney general seeks $370m from Trump But they overwhelmingly ruled against him in his lawsuits challenging his defeat to Mr Biden in 2020. The court on Friday agreed to take up the case in an expedited manner, with oral arguments scheduled for 8 February. FULL STORY

TROLL TOPIC Contravenes community guidelines CLOSED.

A second batch of court papers linked to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein shows how dozens of girls were recruited at his beachfront mansion. A Florida detective says in testimony that 30 women had spoken to him about "performing massage and work" there. Some were paid to bring their friends. The court filings have been made public under order by a judge. They are part of a lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's imprisoned former girlfriend. She was jailed in 2022 for trafficking girls for Epstein and much of the material in this batch and the 900 pages unsealed on Wednesday had already come to light during her trial. In a 2016 deposition, Joseph Recarey, a police detective in Palm Beach, Florida, said that approximately 30 women had spoken to him about "performing massage and work at Epstein's home" in the beachfront community. He said Maxwell was involved in recruiting the girls. Mr Recarey testified that only two of the girls had any massage experience and the majority of them were under the age of 18. When asked how Epstein was able to gain access to so many underage girls the detective said: "Each of the victims that went to the home were asked to bring their friends to the home." Some were paid to recruit, he said, adding: "When they went to perform a massage, it was for [Epstein's] sexual gratification." Judge Loretta Preska ruled last month there was no longer any legal justification to withhold the names of more than 150 people mentioned in the defamation case filed by Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser, against Maxwell. People are mentioned in passing as part of various legal proceedings and their inclusion does not necessarily suggest wrongdoing related to Epstein. The court records unsealed on Wednesday and Thursday both contain references to the UK's Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton. Prince Andrew and Clinton named in Epstein files Who is named in Jeffrey Epstein files and why? Prince Andrew named in grope claim in Epstein house Among the previously detailed claims against Prince Andrew is that he sexually abused a minor in London, New York and on Epstein's island in the Virgin Islands, after the teenager was told to do it by Maxwell. The Duke of York has already denied these allegations. FULL STORY

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been freed on parole from a South African jail, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Officials confirmed Pistorius was "at home" on Friday morning, having served half of his more than 13-year sentence. Ms Steenkamp's mother said she accepted the decision to release the former athlete - but added her family was the one "serving a life sentence". Pistorius, now 37, shot Ms Steenkamp multiple times in 2013 through a door. The double amputee later claimed he had mistaken her for a burglar. Pistorius was eventually convicted of murder in 2015 after an appeal court overturned an earlier verdict of culpable homicide. What next for Oscar Pistorius? My friend Reeva Steenkamp Parole conditions Under South African law, all offenders are entitled to be considered for parole, meaning early release under certain conditions, once they have served half their total sentence, which for Pistorius was finally set at 13 years and five months. Until his sentence expires in 2029, he will live under strict rules - confining him to the home for certain hours of the day, as well as banning him from drinking alcohol. He is also not permitted to speak to the media. In addition, Pistorius will be required to have therapy to help deal with issues around gender-based violence and anger. He is believed to have gone to live at the home of his uncle Arnold Pistorius in an upmarket suburb of the capital, Pretoria. While in prison, Pistorius drove a tractor in the grounds, worked in the library and cleaned inmates' cells, according to legal documents cited by South African journalist Karyn Maughan. Social workers and psychologists also wrote positive reports about him, she told the BBC's Newsday programme. FULL STORY

Prince Andrew has been reported to the police by an anti-monarchy campaign group after allegations of sexual assault were made against him in unsealed court documents. The Duke of York, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was reported to the Metropolitan Police by Republic after he was referenced multiple times in files relating to disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. This was matched by similar calls from a US attorney who represented some of Epstein's victims, who said police in Britain have a duty to investigate Andrew as he 'still refuses to fully account for his time' with the paedophile. The unredacted documents, which were released on Wednesday in the United States, included allegations Andrew had an orgy with underage girls and touched a woman's breast while posting with a puppet of himself. It is a fresh setback for the late Queen's second son who, just 10 days ago, walked to church on Christmas Day with the King and the rest of the royal family, symbolising his gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy after his public appearance at his brother's coronation in his garter robes in May. It may see the end of his bid to reenter the royal fold, with well-placed sources telling the Mail that while the court claims were not a surprise, they will have served to 'crystallise' King Charles's determination to solve the 'Andrew problem' decisively. Plans were already in train to evict him from Royal Lodge, his ten-bedroom Windsor home since 2003, and move him to a smaller residence in keeping with his 'downgraded' status. The newly released court documents are believed to have strengthened the King's resolve that Andrew will never be allowed to resume royal duties. The 63-year-old prince, who has previously strenuously denied the allegations, paid millions a year ago to settle a civil case out of court with Virginia Giuffre with no admission of guilt after she accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. But he is mentioned more than 70 times in nearly 1,000 pages of interviews and transcripts released in the US in connection with a 2015 defamation case brought by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed for sex trafficking young girls for Epstein. FULL STORY

Prince Andrew will NEVER return to the royal fold and will be 'forced out' of the Royal Lodge after documents relating to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein detailing sexual assault allegations 'crystallise' King Charles's determination to act Papers released by a New York court in the early hours of yesterday thrust the Duke of York's relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein back into the spotlight with claims that the prince committed 'acts of sexual abuse' and took part in an 'underage orgy'. Andrew has vehemently and repeatedly denied all allegations against him. Yesterday well-placed sources told the Mail that while the court claims were not a surprise, they will have served to 'crystallise' King Charles's determination to solve the 'Andrew problem' decisively. Plans were already in train to evict him from Royal Lodge, his ten-bedroom Windsor home since 2003, and move him to a smaller residence in keeping with his 'downgraded' status. The newly released court documents are believed to have strengthened the King's resolve that Andrew will never be allowed to resume royal duties. SOURCE RELATED:

Russia has started using ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to attack Ukraine, the White House has said. Washington also alleged Russia was in talks with Iran to buy short-range ballistic missiles. The US intelligence assessment is that Iranian missiles have not yet arrived in Russia, but that the deal will eventually be done. The US’s national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said on Thursday that Russia fired a North Korean ballistic missile into Ukraine on 30 December, but it landed in an open field. However, Kirby said Russian forces had launched more such missiles as part of a large salvo on 2 January, and their impact had yet to be assessed. “Due in part to our sanctions and export controls, Russia has become increasingly isolated on the world stage, and they’ve been forced to look to like-minded states for military equipment. As we’ve been warning publicly, one of those states is North Korea,” Kirby told reporters at the White House, adding it was a “significant and concerning escalation” in Pyongyang’s support for Moscow. Kirby said the range of the North Korean missiles was 900km (560 miles), and that in return for the weapons, Russia was expected to supply fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armoured vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment and other advanced technologies. “This would have concerning security implications for the Korean peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region,” he said. FULL STORY

A US airstrike in Baghdad on Thursday killed the commander of an Iranian-backed Shia militia that Washington blames for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US officials. One official said that a leader of Harakat al-Nujaba, later named by the Pentagon as Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, was killed in his car as he was about to enter the garage at his group’s Baghdad headquarters. News footage from Baghdad showed damage to the building. Harakat al-Nujaba, which has been active in Syria and Iraq, is loyal to Tehran but also forms part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a collection of largely autonomous militias. The Pentagon said that Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa, had been involved in planning and carrying out attacks on American forces. The Nujaba group had also claimed responsibility for a drone strike on an Israeli school in the southern coastal city of Eilat. Maj Gen Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said that one other Harakat al-Nujaba member was killed and added: “No civilians were harmed. No infrastructure or facilities were struck.” The airstrike prompted outrage from the Iraqi government, who called it a “dangerous escalation and aggression”. The PMF issued a statement describing the airstrike as “brutal American aggression”. Two people were killed in the attack and five were injured, according to militia officials. The killing of an Iranian proxy commander came on the day the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, was due to leave on a new tour of the Middle East, at a time when it is in ever-rising danger of sliding into a regional conflict. In the days before the Baghdad strike, more than 80 Iranians were killed in an apparent suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State, Israel killed a Hamas leader with a missile strike in the Beirut suburbs, and the US issued a joint threat with 11 of its allies to attack positions held by the Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen if there were further Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. FULL STORY