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Former New Zealand rugby player Campbell Johnstone has been praised for his "strength" and "bravery" after becoming the first All Black to come out as gay. The 43-year-old, who played three Test matches for New Zealand in 2005, said he had been “leading a double life”, but hoped his decision will put an end to “the pressure and stigma surrounding the issue”. Johnstone said he told his family and friends “a long time ago” before coming out publicly on New Zealand’s Steven Sharp current affairs programme.

US President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite renewed calls from Ukrainian officials for urgent air support. Asked by a reporter on Monday if the US would be providing the planes, Mr Biden simply replied "no". His comment comes a day after Germany's leader also ruled out sending jets. Ukraine has long been pushing its allies to send advanced war planes to help Kyiv take control of its airspace in its ongoing war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the country's top military officials say there should be no taboos on such military aid - but the US and its partners fear this would lead to further escalation with a nuclear-armed Russia.

Passed date. CLOSED

CNN — Ford is boosting production of its popular Mustang Mach-E electric SUV and dropping its sticker price weeks after Tesla dropped prices of its vehicles. The move represents a substantial roll-back of price hikes Ford announced last summer on the 2023 models – but buyers may still be paying somewhat more than before the increases.

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He didnt expect this either..........

Wagner defector details brutal executions he witnessed Anderson Cooper 360 In a CNN exclusive, former Wagner mercenary Andrei Medvedev tells CNN's Anderson Cooper about how the brutality he witnessed led him to defect.

Cindy Williams, an actress best known for her role in the popular 1970s sitcom Laverne & Shirley, has died at the age of 75, her family said. Williams had a long show business career, also appearing in movies including George Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti. She died peacefully last week after a brief illness, according to the statement from her children. Emily and Zak Hudson called their mother "kind and hilarious". Her death "has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed", they said in a statement on Monday that was shared by family spokesperson Liza Cranis. "Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humour and a glittering spirit that everyone loved."

In the 30-odd years since she first ran along the California beaches in Baywatch - the lifeguard drama that remains one of the most-watched series ever - fans and critics have become acquainted with different parts of Pamela Anderson's life story: Playboy covers, a leaked sex tape and many marriages. A stolen VHS, featuring intimate footage of Anderson with her first husband Tommy Lee, was distributed for more than $75m (£60m) in sales in the first year alone, and a fictionalised account of the ordeal made by Hulu earned widespread acclaim and 10 Emmy nominations. On Tuesday, the Canadian-born platinum blonde will tell that story herself, in both a memoir and a nearly two-hour Netflix documentary.

BBC News Poland has announced a sharp increase in defence spending, saying the change is needed because of the Ukraine war. It is the latest European country to say it is increasing military spending as a result of the conflict. Poland has a military budget of just less than 2.5% of its GDP, but the prime minister says he wants to increase the figure to 4% this year. Last week, Mateusz Morawiecki urged Germany to allow his country to export Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. "The war in Ukraine makes us arm ourselves even faster. That is why this year we will make an unprecedented effort: 4% of GDP for the Polish army," Mr Morawiecki said.

Even before Boeing's 747 flew its first passengers back in 1970, the world knew this was something special. And from day one, the Anderson family has quite literally had their hands on nearly every single 747 built, working on the production line in Everett, Washington. Kelvin "Andy" Anderson was a supervisor on the prototype; his son, Vic, is now a lead mechanic on the last one (and about 875 before it). "He turned them on, and I'll be turning them off. Means a lot to our family," Vic said.

(CNN) — More than 700 US flights have been canceled on Monday as winter weather bears down on a wide swath of the United States. As of 1 p.m. ET, just over 700 flights within, into or out of the US had been canceled Monday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. More than 2,000 flights were delayed. The bulk of the cancellations so far are affecting Dallas Love Field and Dallas-Fort Worth International airports in Texas, with about 100 cancellations to or from Denver International Airport in Colorado. There's a winter storm warning in effect for a large portion of Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, until 6 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines had canceled about 330 flights within, into or out of the US by 1 p.m. ET on Monday.

CNN — The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a deadly blast in a mosque in Peshawar on Monday, the latest attack on the city in northwest Pakistan. A powerful explosion killed at least 61 people and left about 157 injured, according to Peshawar Police Chief Mohammad Aijaz Khan. Rescue operations are now underway in the mosque, which is situated inside a police compound and is mostly attended by law enforcement officials.

Couples in China's Sichuan province will be allowed to have as many children as they want, as the country continues to try and get a grip on its declining population. Last year, the population in China fell for the first time in 60 years. For decades, the country had a one-child policy - increased nationally for married couples to three in 2021. As part of the policy change in Sichuan, unmarried individuals will also now be able to raise children. Previously there was a ban on single women registering a birth. In 2016, China scrapped its controversial one-child policy, which was introduced in 1979. Families that broke the rules were fined and, in some cases even lost jobs. In a culture that historically favours boys over girls, the policy also led to forced abortions.

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Gentle giant is tied up and tortured as punishment for 'bad behaviour': Elephant tries in vain to break free as it is stabbed with spears in Thailand The elephant was tied to a tree by its legs and tusks in Surin, North East Thailand Footage showed the animal charging to escape as onlookers videoed it Disturbing video shows the distressed animal thrashing around in a bid to free itself as the group of screaming men stabbed and prodded it with vicious 15ft-long bamboo spears. Full Story 640x360_MP4_4216723149086999307.mp4

Brits are cold, hungry, struggling to get medical care this winter amid the cost of living crisis, according to a new survey. Almost a quarter of adults have not been able to 'keep comfortably warm' in the two weeks before they were surveyed, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). As many fear running out of money to buy food, around one in 5 adults reported eating smaller portions and food past its use by date.

North Korea has denied the U.S.' claims that the country is providing Russia with weapons in its ongoing war with Ukraine. In a statement to the Korean Central News Agency, Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs, accused the U.S. of concocting a "groundless rumor of ‘arms dealing between the DPRK and Russia,’ in a foolish attempt to justify its offer of weapons to Ukraine."

Champion of justice "The Lone Ranger" and trusty steed Silver rode across the Wild West and into American lore for the first time on this day in history, Jan. 30, 1933. Lone Ranger was soon joined by Native American sidekick Tonto to become the original crime-fighting dynamic duo of multimedia fame. The program debuted on WXYZ in Detroit — the first of more than 3,000 radio episodes over the next two decades.