THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) – Authorities in Greece on Saturday detained 313 people in a raid on the university campus of the country’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, after riot police were attacked by mobs of people hurling more than 100 Molotov cocktails.

Greek police said roving groups of people wearing hoods emerged from the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the predawn hours Saturday to attack a squad of riot police. The unit is usually deployed some distance from the campus to quell any disturbances after all-night parties that take place on university grounds.

Police said all 313 people were released without being charged.

Such attacks against riot police near the university campus are not uncommon but it’s the first time that so many people were detained after such a clash during which an unusually high number of firebombs was used.

Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to beat back the attackers. One officer was taken to a military hospital for burns to his face and leg while a 21-year-old civilian was treated for respiratory problems, police said.

The university said in a statement that off-campus “extremists” in conjunction with some individuals from within university grounds had committed the attacks. They said an investigation is underway to determine if any students had taken part. They added that no permission had been granted for any party to take place on university grounds.

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The film that’s been praised by critics for its timeliness may be benefiting from the news cycle at the right time.

“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically-charged thriller, has maintained its frontrunner status for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars since the fall. If you read my review, then you’d know I recommended it for those who are able to compartmentalize their personal politics because it’s very left-wing. 

It’s about a group of self-described revolutionaries on the run from a cabal of white nationalist authoritarians. The opening scene literally depicts them freeing illegal migrants from a detention center — not to mention that they also bomb courthouses and offices of anti-abortion lawmakers. One man’s revolutionary is another man’s domestic terrorist.

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Putting that aside, “OBAA” is a well-made film. Despite its nearly 3-hour running time, it never lags. The performances from the cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, the score, the editing were top-notch. Would I give it Best Picture? No. 2025 was a weaker year for films overall — I’d vote for “Hamnet” if I was a member of the Academy — nonetheless, a Best Picture win was always feasible.

Now, with all the turmoil that’s unfolded in Minnesota, a Best Picture win may already be locked up.

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“OBAA” won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical (it’s neither a comedy nor a musical. Don’t even get me started on how films and TV shows are classified at the Golden Globes). It has since received 13 Oscar nominations, more than any other film besides Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller “Sinners,” shattering records with its 16 nominations.

But the current political climate will likely propel “OBAA” in the Best Picture race. Liberal Hollywood isn’t shy about making a statement. Just look at all the “Be Good” pins worn at the Golden Globes honoring Renee Good and the marathon ICE bashing at the Grammys last week. They’ll use “OBAA” as a giant “F you” to Donald Trump and his administration despite the irony that “OBAA” would’ve been released regardless of whether Trump or Kamala Harris won the 2024 election.

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On top of that, many in the Academy probably feel that Paul Thomas Anderson is finally owed an Oscar. Anderson is now a 14-time nominee and was previously snubbed for films like “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia” and “There Will Be Blood.” In other words, he’ll get the same treatment as Christopher Nolan did two years ago with his Best Picture winner “Oppenheimer” after going decades without a win.

Between national politics and Academy politics, the wind is surely hitting the back of “OBAA.”

Are there chances for there to be an upset? Of course, “Sinners” — surpassing previous record holders “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “All About Eve” in total nominations — is clearly adored by the Academy and will likely nab a few trophies in the craft categories. But as we’ve seen before like last year with “Emilia Pérez,” having the most nominations doesn’t always translate to a Best Picture win. And the Academy may believe that since 39-year-old Coogler will likely have a long career ahead of him as a writer and director, voters will wait before giving him an Oscar and hand it to 55-year-old Anderson instead.

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“Hamnet” may be the darkest of dark horses in this race. It did pull an upset over “Sinners” in winning Best Drama at the Golden Globes, though notably has an entirely different body of voters (mostly foreign press). However, the Academy has increasingly welcomed more and more foreign filmmakers and actors in recent years, which is why we’ve seen more and more foreign films being nominated for Best Picture. They may rally behind the Shakespeare family drama over the very America-centric “OBAA” and “Sinners.” However, perhaps working against “Hamnet” is the fact that its writer/director Chloé Zhao just won two Oscars for her work on the 2021 Best Picture winner “Nomadland.”

The only true indicators that will affirm the frontrunner status of “OBAA” between now and the Oscars are how the various guild awards play out in the coming weeks, mainly the Producers Guild Awards, the Directors Guild Awards, the Writers Guild Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards (now called the Actor Awards) since many guild voters are also Academy voters. If “OBAA” sweeps those, it will be incredibly likely a Best Picture win will follow. If other films like “Sinners” and “Hamnet” emerge as big winners, that could spice up the race.

With all of that in mind, “OBAA” still has the edge. And since the firestorm over ICE isn’t likely to melt away anytime soon, “OBAA” will almost certainly be our next Best Picture winner.

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Lord Rennard has been suspended from the Liberal Democrats as the party launched a new investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

The party said it had received advice that a 2023 probe into accusations made by four women was “flawed in several respects”.

Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey, believes he should not be a member of the House of Lords.

Lord Rennard, a former chief executive of the party, pointed to a number of investigations, by police and lawyers, which had not resulted in any findings of wrongdoing.

Three of the women in the original claim said the latest move by the Liberal Democrats was “the first signs of change”.

‘We did not expect a fair investigation to take so long’

The joint statement by Alison Smith, Bridget Harris and Alison Goldsworthy said: “We decided to speak out in 2013 so that future generations of women could participate in politics safely.

“We did not expect a fair investigation to take so long and hope that the next steps will finally put the matter to rest.”

A spokeswoman for the Lib Dems said: “Rennard has had the Liberal Democrat whip in the House of Lords and his party membership suspended, and the party is conducting a new investigation into these allegations.

“The party has now received legal advice that the 2013 investigation into allegations against Rennard was flawed in several respects.

“Ed Davey has made clear he believes Rennard should not be a member of the House of Lords and that it should be made easier for peers to be expelled from the Lords for serious misconduct.”

A review carried out in 2013, by senior lawyer Alistair Webster, concluded there was a less than 50% chance of the case against Lord Rennard being proved beyond reasonable doubt.

But in a statement summarising his findings, Mr Webster added there was “broadly credible” evidence of “behaviour which violated the personal space and autonomy of the complainants”.

What has the peer said?

Responding to the latest suspension, Lord Rennard said: “All allegations made against me were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2013 in what was acknowledged by one of the complainants to be a ‘thorough and professional investigation’.

“After interviewing all concerned and considering any evidence they decided not to send a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and took no further action.

“A thorough investigation of all allegations was then undertaken by an independent lawyer, Alistair Webster KC, following very extensive appeals for any complaints concerning me and any evidence.

“His report submitted to the party in December 2013 concluded that there was insufficient evidence to hold a disciplinary hearing.”

Lord Rennard added: “The report he submitted did not include the word ‘credible’. His report was accepted by the relevant party body in January 2014.

“A further investigation was conducted by another independent lawyer as to whether there were any grounds at all for any form of disciplinary action against me and it concluded that there were not.

“This conclusion was accepted by the party in August 2014 when all disciplinary action against me ended.”

When I first saw the image of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes come across my social media I thought it must have been fake.

I know the US president and those around him have said and done some despicably racist things in the past – but this?

Read more: Trump says he didn’t make a mistake over Obamas as apes video

Prior to being in office, Donald Trump and his father, Fred, were sued by the US Department of Justice in the 70s for refusing to rent apartments to black tenants.

He then, in the 80s, led calls for the death penalty for five young black men, who became known as the “Central Park Five”, who were wrongly convicted of a brutal rape.

And even when it became clear they were innocent, he continued to claim they were guilty.

And he was the one who led the racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not a legitimate president because, as Trump loudly and wrongly claimed, Obama wasn’t born in the US – that became known as the birther conspiracy.

But even with that history – and there are more examples – I still could not really believe what I was seeing when that image came across my timeline.

Never did I think I’d see a sitting president of the United States posting such a video containing such an overt, unquestionably racist image.

The argument made by some that this video, when played in full, isn’t racist, is laughable in its naivety and offensive in its assumption about the audience which saw it.

Its creator made a decision to depict the Obamas as apes. Its poster made a decision to share it on his platform.

Not that this should need explaining, but the dehumanisation of black people in this way is a trope dating back hundreds of years.

It’s something which had, for many years, been confined to the dustbin of history, while still very much a part of the vocabulary of white supremacists.

But something has changed.

Maybe it’s social media, maybe it’s something else, but something has changed. We are in a new reality where, for more than 12 hours, Trump’s White House thought this was OK.

As I was preparing for today, my five-year-old son was running around the house playing. Each time he passed my screen and that image was up, I had to move my laptop.

I didn’t want him to see it, to have to explain that, to have to have that conversation.

But have that conversation I will, as my mother had with me.

There has been an increase in racist language and behaviour online, where it’s found an audience and metastasised.

It’s hard to quantify how much it’s increased, as social sites are many and disparate.

In the US, a study in the Journal of Epidemiology found in an analysis of 55 million tweets between 2011 and 2021, a 16% increase in racist language.

The New York Times reports antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech jumped by 919% and 422% respectively in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the Israeli response.

And a study from Goldsmiths University here in the UK found 95% of minority groups see racist content online – 16% see it every day and 42% of those asked said it was damaging to their mental health.

So this sort of thing matters.

This will not be the last time something like this happens – the White House has taken it down, blaming a junior staffer – which is odd as we are told Trump does all his own posting and it went up at midnight – but at least it’s not up there anymore.

But the damage has been done, whatever mask there may have been has slipped.

The test for all of us now comes in how we respond the next time it happens.

---

Donald Trump has not apologised for the video, shared on his Truth Social account, depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, saying “I didn’t make a mistake”.

The post was deleted around 12 hours after being shared.

The US president said “of course” he condemned the racist parts of the video.

In 1973, the Department of Justice sued Donald Trump and his father for alleged racial discrimination at Trump housing developments in New York. The case was settled two years later with no admission of guilt.

The five men wrongly convicted of raping a woman in Central Park have sued Donald Trump on accusations of making “false and defamatory” statements during a presidential debate against former vice president Kamala Harris in 2024.

Mr Trump has tried to have the lawsuit dismissed, but has so far been unsuccessful.

The council have pledged to spend £41 on maintaining and repairing council houses, including issues with damp and mould

Cambridge City Council will be increasing rents for its council houses as part of a 10-year plan to improve the properties. The council has set out plans to invest significantly in the repair, maintenance and improvement of its tenants’ homes and build 1,300 more new council homes over the next 10 years.

The proposals include spending £41 million during 2026-2027 for the management, repair, maintenance and improvement of council homes, paid for from housing rents and service charges – a significant investment to improve the condition and energy-efficiency of council homes for its tenants.

As part of this, £9.8 million would be invested in improving the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of council homes in the coming year, as part of a £39.3 million programme over the next four years to make more homes warmer, fit for the future and with lower energy bills. This project will complement the council’s vision for the city to be net zero carbon by 2030.

It also proposes an additional £750,000 per year to address damp, condensation and mould, supporting full compliance with Awaab’s Law. In addition, there would be significant ongoing investment in the management of homes, including using new technology and additional officer posts to boost the council’s tenancy audit programme, its support for tenants and to allow better management of rent arrears.

The report also sets out the council’s proposals on council rents for the year ahead. For 2026-2027, rents are proposed to rise by 4.8 percent, in line with the new Rent Standard issued by the national Regulator of Social Housing this year.

This would mean an average increase of £6.14 per week for tenants on the lowest rents (discounted to around 40 percent of market rents), or £9.44 per week for those on ‘affordable rents’ (discounted to around 60-80 percent of market rents). A £9.44 weekly increase means that some households could be paying up to £490 extra each year.

Currently 65 percent of council tenants receive some form of benefit support, with 55 percent receiving maximum housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs. For most of these households, any rent increase will be fully covered from their benefits, meaning that there will be no net financial impact on the household.

Cllr Gerri Bird, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Despite significant financial challenges as a result of increasing regulation, cost inflation and high interest rates, the council remains ambitious and committed to investing in our existing council homes so that all tenants can benefit from improvements – and in helping tackling the wider housing crisis by building new, modern energy-efficient council homes and homes for private sale.

“Increasing rents is always a difficult decision, and we are mindful of the financial pressures facing our tenants. However, it is necessary so we can continue to invest in high quality housing within the city. We will continue to provide financial and budgeting advice to anyone who needs it and will work with tenants to ensure they are claiming all the financial assistance they are entitled to.”

A beauty queen was crushed to death by her own car while she was unloading her belongings outside her university accommodation.

Eleisha Skinner, 21, who was crowned Miss Faversham in 2022, was studying at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe when the tragedy unfolded.

She was moving her belongings from her car when it rolled backwards and pinned her against the wall of the university accommodation building. 

Her family said Eleisha was able to dial 999 while trapped and the emergency services were there within minutes. 

However, despite desperate efforts by her housemates and medical staff, she died in hospital days later on January 8.

It has been confirmed that the Buckinghamshire New University student will be posthumously awarded a BSc with honours in social work.

The 21-year-old was hugely popular in her hometown, and on Friday her family and scores of well-wishers gathered for a celebration of her life at St Mary of Charity Church. 

More than 200 people turned out to pay their respects at the funeral of the ‘beautiful, kind and selfless’ former carnival queen.

Her coffin was carried by horse and carriage past her old school, The Abbey, before making its way along East Street and up to the church.

It was a traditional ceremony, though mourners were invited to wear pink ties as a nod to Eleisha’s favourite colour.

The funeral heard tributes from her family, best friends and former teachers.

Reading on behalf of the Skinners, Rev Corcoran reflected on her love for Christmas, fashion and her family.

‘Stunning, confident and always beautifully herself,’ he said. 

‘Eleisha was the kind of person who made the world greater, just by being in it. Her impact was immense.

‘We will carry with us always our beautiful Eleisha, forever loved.’

Her older brother Kian reminisced about the last time the siblings spent one-on-one time together and their special bond, which went back to their childhoods.

‘I stand here today as a proud brother, who witnessed Eleisha develop into a brilliant woman,’ he said.

‘There will never be a person who can replace my little sister. God bless her, I will always love you, little sis.’

Eleisha’s grandfather, George, said: ‘We had the privilege of knowing you as a child, watching you grow up, supporting you, celebrating who you’ve become, and loving you unconditionally.

‘Eleisha cared fiercely, fiercely about the people she loved, family matters, friends matter, and love matters.

‘We will always be there for your mum and dad. Family was everything to you, and you mean everything to us.

‘Full of energy and mischief and joy. A presence that made everything brighter.’

Mother Clare Skinner has expressed her gratitude ‘for all the support, kind words and donations from people that knew and did not know Eleisha’.

A GoFundMe has been launched in Eleisha’s name for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance team, which the family say was ‘fantastic’. 

The helicopter emergency medical service paramedic attended in a critical care car and escorted her to the hospital.

In a tribute published after her death, her heartbroken parents, Nigel and Clare Skinner, said: ‘We are utterly devastated by the sudden loss of our precious girl. 

‘Writing these words feels unimaginable, yet we want the world to know who she truly was: a kind, selfless, passionate young woman who always put others before herself.

‘Nothing was ever too much for Eleisha. She had a heart of gold and a smile that could light up any room.’

A star pupil with a passion for learning, Eleisha thrived at school in Faversham, attending St Mary’s Primary School and later The Abbey.

She flourished academically and socially and was always eager to get involved – whether organising the school prom or fundraising for the Faversham Fire Brigade.

Despite her outgoing nature, her family were surprised when she decided to put herself forward for Miss Faversham in 2022.

Demonstrating her beauty both inside and out, Eleisha was crowned and went on to represent the town at events across the county.

She embraced the role with pride, raising money for local charities and Faversham Carnival Club, and loved attending dances and events where she formed lifelong friendships. 

She was later voted Miss Congeniality by the courts at the Miss Kent Dinner, which her family described as a ‘true reflection of her kind spirit’.

‘Eleisha was so proud of her court, and they placed at many events. The carnival community became like a second family to us,’ they said.

‘Her love for her town and her genuine personality shone through,’ said the Skinners.

An inquest into her death was opened this week at Beaconsfield Coroners Court and heard how the parked car had pushed her up against the university accommodation building.

A full inquest into Eleisha’s death will be held at the same venue on June 23.

The International Olympic Committe (IOC) is set to bring in new regulations governing women’s sport at the Olympics “in the next few months”, a spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who was elected in March last year, has made what has been termed the protection of the female category a key target after rows over gender eligibility at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won gold in Paris, found herself at the centre of a media storm after being disqualified by boxing’s disgraced former governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), for having allegedly failed an unspecified sex test before the 2023 world championships.

She was allowed to compete at the Olympics, which were run by the IOC, but has become a lightning rod for debates around gender eligibility in sport. US president Donald Trump has repeatedly incorrectly referred to her as a “male boxer” and cited her in an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

The 26-year-old told French outlet L’Equipe this week that she had undergone medically-supervised hormone treatments to lower her naturally high testosterone levels before competing at the Games, but is not transgender.

She confirmed that she has the sex-determining SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, and was prepared to undertake the compulsory sex testing in order to defend her title in LA 2028.

Asked about Khelif’s comments, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said: “I haven’t seen the interview. In terms of protecting the female category, you’ll know that for the new president, Kirsty Coventry, the IOC protecting the female category is one of the key reforms she wants to put in.

“It’s going to be happening, I would say, shortly or within the next few months. It’s been out for consultation, we’ve had pause to reflect on it. I think generally speaking there is a consensus within the sporting community. I think you will have a new policy in the first half of this year I would say.”

Several individual sports’ governing bodies have already brought in compulsory sex testing to determine eligibility to compete in the female category.

Khelif, who was born, raised as and has always identified as a woman, told L’Equipe: “I have female hormones. And people don’t know this, but I have taken hormone treatments to lower my testosterone levels for competitions.

“We all have different genetics, different hormone levels. I’m not transgender. My difference is natural. This is who I am. I haven’t done anything to change the way nature made me. That’s why I’m not afraid.”

Khelif told CNN last week that she respected the IOC’s authority but added: “They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn’t hurt other women.”

Dear Eric: I have been a preschool teacher for more than 20 years. There are a few times throughout the year where the kids and their parents give us gifts, which of course is optional. Those occasions are Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week and Graduation.

I have never asked for, nor do I expect to receive gifts from the families, but am always thankful when I receive them, and I express my appreciation and gratitude for their gift.

It doesn’t happen often, but it does feel good when the families appreciate all of our hard work.

My boyfriend thinks I should be humble and modest and tell the kids and their families that I don’t want their gifts and to give it to someone else who needs them. He feels that handmade gifts are better. While I do agree that I don’t do this for the gifts, I disagree with me telling the families and especially the 3- and 4-year-old children that I do not want their gifts, especially when they are so excited to give them to me because they bought or picked it out themselves.

I feel like part of the joy is in the giving, and seeing my reaction to their thoughtful gift, and I refuse to crush the giving spirit that their families are trying to instill in their children. I’m not sure how much more humble and modest I can be.

Am I in the wrong for accepting gifts?

— Gifted Educator

Dear Gifted: Not guilty! (Bangs gigantic imaginary gavel!) Your boyfriend is putting too much thought into something that doesn’t really concern him. I don’t have to tell you how hard teachers work or how important you are to the healthy development of the children you teach. If some of the parents want to express their gratitude for the (hopefully well-paid, but usually not well-paid-enough) work you do, let them!

Gift-giving is a form of communication, and it can be quite good for children to learn one way of expressing thanks. It doesn’t sound like you’re making a huge deal out of it or creating a situation where students without gifts would feel ashamed. It sounds like this is something between you, the individual kids, and their respective parents.

Sure, handmade gifts are nice, too. But it strikes me as a bit ungrateful, and perhaps controlling, to demand that parents supervise another craft project rather than buying you a gift card. How they show their thanks is up to them.

If you, in turn, want to pass the gift on to someone else who needs it, that’s your prerogative. But I don’t think you need to protest more to the parents. Sometimes, when people want to say, “thank you,” the best response is “you’re welcome.”

Dear Eric: I have been in a wonderful, committed relationship for nine years but we do not live together. We are both advanced seniors whose families got along and were pleased that we were together.

The day before Thanksgiving his daughter, out of the blue, verbally attacked me over something insignificant. Her rant lasted 10 minutes while my boyfriend just sat there and said nothing.

I was totally surprised by her attack but even more so that he didn’t step in and say something to stop it. Her husband, on the other hand, interjected several times on her behalf.

I have been there for him for numerous hospital stays, Covid, joint replacements and the flu while his daughter only came once for two hours during his last hospital stay. I am disappointed, hurt and angry at both of them. On one hand I want to get past this but then do I really want to be in a situation where my man doesn’t stand up for me?

It’s been really cold in Waterloo region the past few weeks, but local officials say that doesn’t mean local lakes and ponds have ice thick enough for people to be on it.

The City of Waterloo is warning people to stay off the ice after noticing people walking on Silver Lake in Waterloo Park. Other municipalities also warn people to remain off stormwater management ponds with signs reminding people there’s no skating, swimming or fishing in the water.

Jessica Kellerman is the city’s manager of stormwater operations and construction. She says run-off from roads can end up in these ponds, meaning the ice isn’t as stable as people think.

“A lot of these ponds especially are meant as stormwater management infrastructure for flood control and for quality control of the water in our city and so because of that reason, the water that is going to be collected in our waterways and our ponds and our lakes, a lot of the time, will include salts that we’re putting on our roads, material that are going on our roads, material that we’re placing on any other surfaces where water would run off and then go into some of these water feature,” she said.

“What ends up happening is we end up collecting road salts and contaminants of various natures and what those can do is it can create an unstable ice surface.”

Kellerman notes there are plenty of options for outdoor skating in the city, including rinks operated by neighbourhood groups.

“I get wanting to go out and take advantage of the weather and do some recreational activities on ice surfaces,” she said.

“There’s no way for us to know how thick ice is on any waterway within Waterloo at any given time. We don’t know where salt deposits might collect and cause brittle ice or different surfaces. And so we just recommend across the board to avoid going onto our ponds or lakes or even the creeks because of that reason.”

Ice fishing open in certain parks

Ice fishing has opened at Grand River Conservation Authority parks including Belwood Lake, Guelph Lake, Pinehurst Lake and Shade’s Mills in Cambridge.

“Conditions are being monitored closely at these locations to ensure that ice thickness meets safety requirements. When the ice is too thin or unstable due to reservoir operations, the program is suspended,” the conservation authority says.

People who want to go ice fishing at the parks are encouraged to check the conservation area activities status page to ensure the activities are operating.

Clear catch basins to prevent flooding

After another cold warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada was issued on Friday, mild temperatures are expected midweek with temperatures sitting closer to the freezing mark on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Flurries are also in the forecast, so Kellermen recommends people take time to clear out around drains near their homes to prevent melting water from potentially backing up onto the street and causing flooding.

She says it’s also good to do throughout the month, as Feburary and March can be a time when more snow-thaw cycles are seen.

“Our catch basins along our roads are where all of the runoff is ultimately going to end up going,” she said. 

“If they’re blocked, causing roadway flooding or just nuisance problems within your neighborhood. So if you can clean off catch bases in the winter time close to your home, that is super helpful for our winter control operations as well as our stormwater management planning for the spring.”