Britney Spears says she will sue her sister Jamie Lynn, if she continues to make “derogatory” statements about her while promoting a new book. In a cease and desist letter, Britney’s lawyer Matthew Rosengart claims that the “ill-timed” memoir contains several “misleading or outrageous claims”. Although Britney has not read the book, she believes her sister has “exploited her for monetary gain,” he said. “She will not tolerate it, nor should she,” the letter continued. Jamie Lynn has not yet publicly commented on the letter. “Publicly airing false or fantastical grievances is wrong, especially when designed to sell books. It is also potentially unlawful and defamatory,” Rosengart warns in the letter. “You recently reportedly stated that the book was ‘not about her.’ She takes you at your word and we, therefore, demand that you cease and desist from referencing Britney derogatorily during your promotional campaign.(BBC)…[+]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Russia to take a “diplomatic and peaceful path” as fears mount of a new invasion of Ukraine. An estimated 100,000 Russian troops have been deployed near Ukraine’s borders and Mr Blinken, visiting Kyiv, said Russian plans were in plans to beef them up at short notice.

Russia has repeatedly denied planning to invade neighbouring Ukraine. But senior US officials say Moscow could attack at “any point”. Mr Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart in Geneva on Friday, after talks with European allies in Berlin. Ahead of his visit to Kyiv, senior state department officials indicated that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov may be offered the option of a “diplomatic off-ramp” in Geneva. The White House said no option was off the table.(BBC)…[+]

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning to world leaders that the coronavirus pandemic “is nowhere near over”. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against the assumption that the newly dominant Omicron variant is significantly milder and has eliminated the threat posed by the virus. The intervention comes as some European nations saw record new case numbers. France reported nearly half a million new daily cases on Tuesday. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, more than 100,000 new infections were recorded in Germany within 24 hours on Wednesday. Speaking during a news conference at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, Dr Tedros told reporters that the Omicron variant had led to 18 million new infections across the world over the past week.(BBC)…[+]

A skier who was involved in a fatal collision with a five-year-old British girl in the French Alps has been placed under investigation. The girl, named locally as Ophélie, was taking part in a group lesson at the weekend in Flaine in Haute-Savoie. She received immediate first aid from the man himself, who is a local volunteer fireman, but she died in the helicopter taking her to hospital. Her parents are a British couple living across the Swiss border in Geneva. The man under investigation – a local in his 40s – faces a possible charge of involuntary manslaughter. The local prosecutor also requested that the man, who she reportedly says is “in shock” after the accident, be placed under judicial supervision, which usually means restrictions on the person’s movement. The little girl was one of a group of five children receiving instruction on Saturday morning from a qualified instructor on an easy slope in the resort of Flaine near Chamonix, says the BBC’s Hugh Schofield in Paris. According to the local state prosecutor, the man skiing downhill collided with her at high speed.(BBC)…[+]

Britain is supplying Ukraine with short-range anti-tank missiles for self-defence after Russia amassed about 100,000 troops on its border, the defence secretary said. Ben Wallace told MPs a small team of British troops would also be sent to Ukraine to provide training. He said there was “legitimate and real cause for concern” the Russian troops could be used for an invasion. Russia denies any invasion plans and accuses the West of aggression. Dozens of British troops have been in Ukraine since 2015 to help train their armed forces, and the UK has also made a commitment to help rebuild Ukraine’s navy following Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.

But Mr Wallace said the UK would be providing extra help with security in the light of Russia’s “increasingly threatening behaviour”.(NU)…[+]

The 10 biggest US airlines have warned that the impending switch-on of 5G mobile phone services will cause “major disruption” to flights. They said the start of Verizon and AT&T 5G mobile phone services, planned for Wednesday, would cause a “completely avoidable economic calamity”. Airlines fear C-band 5G signals will disrupt planes’ navigation systems, particularly those used in bad weather. The warning was issued in a letter sent to US aviation authorities. The chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were joined by others in saying: “Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies”, including vaccine distribution.

The BBC has seen the letter outlining their urgent concerns. It was sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the chair of the Federal Communications Commission and the director of the National Economic Council.(BBC)…[+]

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a plea deal which could end his corruption trial, a source close to the talks has said. An agreement could see Mr Netanyahu, 72, plead guilty to reduced charges in return for community service instead of a possible jail term.  Reports say Mr Netanyahu is, however, objecting to accepting a charge which would require him to leave politics. Israel’s longest serving leader was unseated after elections last year. He is head of the right-wing Likud, the largest party in the Israeli parliament, and was prime minister for a record 15 years. In his last five years in office, Mr Netanyahu was dogged by a police investigation into allegations against him, followed by the start of his trial in 2020.(BBC)…[+]

Far-right French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour has been fined €10,000 (£8,350) by a Paris court for hate speech. The case was launched over a TV appearance, where he described unaccompanied migrant children as “thieves”, “rapists” and “murderers”. Former broadcaster Zemmour is known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration views. His lawyer said he would appeal against the court’s decision. Reacting to the verdict on social media, Zemmour complained that his freedom of speech was being restricted, and said there was an “urgent need to drive ideology out of the courts”. He made the comments in September 202 0 on the CNews television channel, where he used to work as a pundit. Answering a question about a recent knife attack by a young radicalised Pakistani immigrant, he said: “They have nothing to do here. They are thieves, they are murderers, they are rapists, that’s all they are. They must be sent back and they must not even come.”(BBC)…[+]

A major winter storm has brought heavy snow and ice to parts of the US and Canada, putting more than 80 million people under weather warnings. More than 145,000 people are without power in some south-eastern states, and thousands of flights are cancelled. Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency. The US National Weather Service (NWS) says more than 1ft (30cm) of snow is expected in some areas. Snow and ice could result in “dangerous travel, power outages, and tree damage”, the NWS warned. Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents, according to the Associated Press news agency.(BBC)…[+]