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Vladimir Putin Claims Trump Is ‘Not Safe,’ Citing Assassination Attempts

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he expects Donald Trump “will find a solution” on the Ukraine war, adding that he hopes the US president-elect recognises he is “not safe.”

Speaking to reporters in Kazakhstan following a security summit, Putin said President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia could perhaps be part of an effort by Biden to create challenges for the incoming Trump administration.

In either case, Putin said Trump “is an intelligent and already quite experienced person,” according to CNN.

“I think he will find a solution,” he said.

Trump, who has refused to answer whether it would be in the best interest of the US for Ukraine to defeat Russia, has said he could strike a deal between both sides in the conflict “within 24 hours” but has not explained what a potential agreement would entail.

During his remarks, Putin also referred to what he described as “uncivilised methods” deployed against Trump during the campaign, citing the attempts on his life.

“By the way, in my opinion, he is not safe now,” Putin said, according to Reuters.

“Unfortunately, in the history of the United States various incidents have happened. I think he is intelligent and I hope he’s cautious and understands this,” Putin added, the news agency reported.

In July, a gunman targeted Trump while he was delivering a speech at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump’s ear was injured, and a rallygoer died in the attack.

Two months later, US Secret Service agents shot at a man who pointed a rifle through a fence at Trump’s West Palm Beach club as the then-presidential candidate was playing golf. Trump was unharmed.

The Russian leader also decried what he described as “humiliating, unfounded judicial procedures” against Trump, without going into further details on the criminal cases the president-elect has faced.

Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. The judge overseeing the case has postponed the sentencing hearing indefinitely.

Special counsel Jack Smith has also moved to dismiss the criminal cases he brought against Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House in January 2021.

The only criminal indictment against Trump that is still technically proceeding is his Georgia racketeering case.

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Paul Mescal Faces Superfan In A Quiz About Himself — And He Doesn’t Exactly Ace It

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A Paul Mescal superfan was given the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test in a quiz about the Normal People star – against the man himself.

And if ever there a moment that proves you should never underestimate stans’ knowledge, this would be it.

In the clip, Paul gets off to a strong start, remembering exactly which bird he and co-star Fred Hechinger went searching in the wild for, and his favourite dinner (which, should you ever find yourself cooking for him, is carbonara).

But as the quiz unfolded, Larissa truly came into her own.

After reminding Paul about his first movie roles and correctly reeling off his middle names, the pair were questioned about which year the Emmy nominee graduated from drama school.

“2015,” Paul answered confidently. “Did you not know this?”

“Well…” Larissa then replied. “It’s… 2017, no?”

“I got my own life wrong there. I lost that comfortably,” Paul then conceded. “And do you know what? I hate losing. But I lost to a better Paul.”

Check out the full quiz for yourself below:

Gladiator II is in cinemas now.

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Amazon Warns Receiving This Type Of Parcel Can Be A Scam

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I was scrolling through Reddit last night when I noticed an odd-looking picture shared to r/Scams.

Site user u/Various_Ad9010 asked whether the sudden deluge of packages on their doorstep (which they hadn’t ordered) was some type of scam, and wanted to know what to do next.

Some site users suggested this was indeed a scam called “brushing.”

So, I thought I’d check whether or not this was a real thing ― and as it happens, Amazon have a whole page dedicated to the deceit.

What is “brushing”?

Amazon’s site explains that “When a customer receives a package they didn’t order, it may be a scam called ‘brushing.’”

It happens when scammers send parcels to addresses that didn’t order them. They can pick an address from pretty much anywhere.

Staffordshire police write that after a fraudster has gotten a person’s name and address, they create a fake Amazon account to which they then sell their own products.

They pay for the products, sometimes using stolen cards, the police add.

To make the scam look legit, the goods are really shipped to the unsuspecting person’s home.

“After the packages have been delivered, the scammer then writes positive reviews on their own seller accounts, using the recipient’s name,” the Staffordshire police add.

“This helps to boost their ratings and increase their visibility on the platform, in the hope of bringing about genuine sales.”

This is against company policy, as Amazon prohibits third parties from sending unsolicited packages to peoples’ homes.

What should I do if I suspect brushing?

Both the Staffordshire police and Amazon say you should report brushing scams immediately.

If you’ve asked friends and family whether they’ve sent you a gift and you’re sure nobody sent you anything unexpectedly, there are steps you can take on-site and with the UK legal system.

Amazon has a Report Unwanted Package form that you can fill in if you suspect brushing. You can also call customer service ― don’t try to return the packages.

They add investigators will need the following information:

  • Number of unwanted packages received.
  • A tracking number from at least one of the packages (found on the shipping label)
  • Photo of at least one shipping label (optional)
  • Any additional information to assist the investigation.

Meanwhile, Staffordshire police says that on top of reporting it to the e-commerce site, you can also reach out to your local police station or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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It’s Official – Wicked Songs Are Defying Gravity And Flying Up The UK Chart

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Wicked’s cultural dominance is showing no signs of slowing down.

On Friday evening, the Official Charts Company revealed that no fewer than three songs from the hit movie musical’s soundtrack have soared up the UK singles chart, a week on from Wicked’s official release.

Fittingly, it’s Cynthia Erivo’s big number Defying Gravity (featuring vocals from Ariana Grande) that’s flying the highest, entering the chart at number seven, and becoming the first Wicked cut to make it into the top 10.

Slightly lower at number 13 is Ariana’s version of Popular, while the duet What Is This Feeling enters at number 17.

Cynthia and Ariana performing Popular in the movie Wicked
Cynthia and Ariana performing Popular in the movie Wicked

Interestingly, this isn’t Ariana’s first time putting her own spin on Popular, as she previously released a duet with Mika way back in 2012, which interpolated the Wicked cut.

Although it didn’t chart here in the UK, it did enter the lower half of Billboard’s charts across the pond.

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Meanwhile, it’s not just the Wicked soundtrack that musicians have to contend with when it comes to fighting for spots in the charts this week.

Yes, we’ve officially arrived at the time of year when festive songs make their way back into the top 10, with Wham!’s Last Christmas making it to number eight just days shy of its 40th anniversary.

Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You has also had a massive surge in streams, bumping it to number 10.

In fact, an additional eight Christmas songs are in this week’s top 40, including tracks from Brenda Lee, The Pogues, Ed Sheeran, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson and Wicked’s own Ariana.

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