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Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein said their alleged abusers “remain hidden and protected” after the US government released millions of new pages from files related to the convicted sex offender on Friday, adding fuel to the case that has dogged President Donald Trump.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the White House played no role in the Justice Department’s review of the extensive files on Epstein, a former friend of Trump.”They did not tell this department how to do our review, what to look for, what to redact, what to not redact,” Blanche told a news conference.More than three million documents were released on Friday that included mention of numerous powerful figures, including 79-year-old Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.The Justice Department said some of the documents contained “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump that were submitted to the FBI before the 2020 presidential election.Blanche, formerly Trump’s personal lawyer, denied suggestions that embarrassing material about the president had been redacted from the newly released files, which included at least 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.”We did not protect President Trump,” he said.Blanche said all images of girls and women had been redacted aside from those of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of trafficking underage girls for Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.However, a statement from survivors of Epstein’s alleged abuses claimed identifying information about them still remained in the files, “while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected.”The letter was signed by 19 people, some using aliases or initials, and demanded “the full release of the Epstein files” and that Attorney General Pam Bondi directly address the matter when she testifies before Congress next month.- Executives, politicians, celebrities -A wealthy US financier, Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls. His death was ruled a suicide.Previous document releases have shed light on Epstein’s ties to top business executives such as Microsoft’s Gates, celebrities such as filmmaker Woody Allen, academics and politicians, including Trump and former president Bill Clinton.In a draft email among the latest published documents, Epstein said Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs, a claim the Gates Foundation denied in a statement to The New York Times.Another document showed an email exchange between Musk and Epstein in 2012 in which Musk asked: “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”Musk said in a post on his X platform on Saturday he was aware that the email correspondence could be “misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name.”He called for the prosecution of “those who committed serious crimes with Epstein.”In other emails, Epstein connected Steve Tisch, 76, producer of the movie “Forrest Gump” and the co-owner of the New York Giants football team, with multiple women.In one exchange with Tisch, Epstein describes a woman as “russian, and rarely tells the full truth, but fun.”Former prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles over his ties to Epstein, is mentioned in one document inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace in 2010 after Epstein proposed introducing Andrew to a Russian woman.- Conspiracy theories -Trump’s right-wing base has long been obsessed by the Epstein saga and conspiracy theories that the financier oversaw a sex trafficking ring for the world’s elite.Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, is the only other person charged in connection with his crimes and Blanche appeared to play down expectations that the latest files would lead to further prosecutions.Trump and Clinton both figure prominently in the records published so far but neither has been accused of wrongdoing.A Republican-led House panel voted recently to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its probe into Epstein.Trump, who moved in the same social circles as Epstein in Florida and New York, fought for months to prevent release of the vast trove of documents about the disgraced financier.However, a rebellion inside his Republican Party forced him to sign off on a law mandating release of all the documents.Trump has given varying accounts of why he eventually fell out with Epstein. He has criticized the file dumps, saying that people who “innocently met” Epstein over the years risked having their reputations smeared.The Epstein Files Transparency Act called for all the documents held by the Justice Department to be published by December 19.Blanche said Friday’s release “marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process”. He blamed the delay on work on redactions to protect the identities of Epstein’s more than 1,000 alleged victims.

Thousands of protesters rallied in Minneapolis on Friday in the latest show of anger over US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, as a prominent journalist was charged over his coverage of protests in the northern city. Crowds marched with signs blasting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency leading Trump’s mass deportation drive, in response to a call for a “national shutdown” across the United States.Minneapolis has become the epicenter of the immigration policy backlash after two protesters, both US citizens, were shot dead by federal agents this month.”I don’t think our federal government should be terrorizing our people like this,” Sushma Santhana, 24, told AFP as demonstrators chanted “our streets!” around her.The crowd gathered in freezing temperatures after Bruce Springsteen performed at an anti-ICE concert in the city. The US rock legend recently released “Streets of Minneapolis,” a tribute to the pair who were gunned down in separate incidents.Another protester, 24-year-old Max Maffor, said he was demonstrating “to conserve what we would consider our democracy and all the liberties that we get from living in America.”Demonstrators also held rallies in New York and across Los Angeles, where immigration raids last year sparked protests, with thousands carrying signs outside City Hall.In Washington, the federal government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Friday following Democratic anger over the violent immigration crackdown, which derailed talks over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).- Journalist charged -Earlier Friday, the Trump administration charged former CNN anchor Don Lemon and eight others with civil rights violations, after Lemon and other reporters covered a protest at a church where an ICE official is a pastor.The journalist’s lawyer said he was taken into custody in Los Angeles overnight, adding that his work covering the protest “was no different to what he has always done.”Lemon faces two charges of conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with First Amendment rights, a DHS spokesperson told AFP, referencing the constitutional protection for freedom of expression, including religion.Political figures and media advocates condemned Lemon’s arrest, with Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling for his immediate release.”This is an egregious attack on the First Amendment and on journalists’ ability to do their work,” the Committee to Protect Journalists’ chief Jodie Ginsberg said.Lemon was released from custody after a short court hearing in Los Angeles, US media reported. His next hearing is in Minneapolis on February 9. “I will not stop now,” he said after his release.”In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”- Civil rights probe -Trump meanwhile walked back his conciliatory tone to describe Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse killed last week, as an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist” after new footage allegedly showed him in a scuffle with federal agents.AFP could not immediately verify the video, in which a man said to be Pretti is seen kicking and breaking the taillight of the agents’ car before they emerge and tackle him to the ground.Some Minneapolis residents were unstirred by the footage.”So the guy kicked a car’s light, does that mean he deserved to die?” Pedro Wolcott, a Latino sandwich shop owner, told AFP. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters Friday. There is no similar probe for Renee Good, who was shot dead by agents on January 7.- Mass deportation to continue -Trump had claimed he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” in the fallout of the deaths and appointed a new point man in Minneapolis, top immigration adviser Tom Homan.Homan said that “certain improvements could and should be made,” a marked difference in tone from his predecessor on the ground, combative Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.Homan also said his staff was “working on a drawdown plan” for some of the more than 3,000 federal agents, if there was greater cooperation from the local authorities in the Democratic-run city.He told Fox News on Friday that Trump was still “going to have a mass deportation.” The administration was in Minneapolis “to save lives — to save lives of officers, to save lives of the community and do smart law enforcement operations”, he said.

Late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein proposed introducing a Russian woman to King Charles III’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, newly released documents showed Friday.The discussion about the woman appears in some of the millions of new pages released Friday by the US Justice Department, as well as an apparent exchange weeks later about an invitation to Buckingham Palace.In one August 12, 2010 email, Epstein told Andrew — addressed as “The Duke” — that he had “a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with” and said she would be in London from August 20 to 24, the documents show. Andrew asked what Epstein had told her about him and whether she would be bringing “a message” from Epstein, the messages indicate.In a subsequent email, Andrew replied that he would be in Geneva on August 22, but “would be delighted to see her”.Epstein said the woman was 26, Russian, clever and beautiful, adding that she had the prince’s email.There is no suggestion in the materials that any meeting took place.Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was last year stripped by the king of all his royal titles over his association with Epstein.Weeks later, they apparently discussed dinner at Buckingham Palace.According to one message, Epstein contacted Andrew on September 27, 2010 during a stay in London, writing: “What time would you like me… we will also need (to)… have private time.”Andrew replied that he was just leaving Scotland, adding: “We could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy.”Two days later Andrew emailed again.”Delighted for you to come here to BP (Buckingham Palace). Come with whomever and I’ll be here free from 1600ish to 2000,” he wrote.It was not clear whether any dinner at the palace — then the official London residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II — ever took place.Epstein had been released on probation from house arrest in August 2010 following his sentencing for procuring for prostitution a girl below the age of 18.In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Andrew claimed he had cut ties with the sex offender after December 2010, but court documents revealed later showed he continued to communicate with him.Other documents made public last year and a posthumous memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre — who had accused Andrew of sexual assault — reignited UK anger over his ties to Epstein.It culminated in the king deciding to remove all of his brother’s royal titles and honours and announcing that he would be ousted from his 30-room mansion on the royal estate at Windsor, west of London.The former prince, now known by as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has always denied that he sexually abused Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to have sex with him on three occasions, twice when she was just 17.After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, died by suicide at her home in Australia in April.Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019.

The US government entered a partial shutdown Saturday as a midnight funding deadline passed without Congress approving a 2026 budget, though disruption was expected to be limited with the House set to move early next week to ratify a Senate-backed deal.The funding lapse followed a breakdown in negotiations driven by Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, which derailed talks over new money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin posted on social media.”This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”Roughly three-quarters of federal operations are affected, potentially triggering shutdown procedures across a wide range of agencies and operations, from education and health to housing and defense. Federal departments were expected to begin implementing shutdown plans overnight, but congressional leaders in both parties said the Senate’s action made a short disruption far more likely than a prolonged impasse.If the House approves the package as expected early next week, funding would be restored within days, limiting the practical impact of the shutdown on government services, contractors and federal workers.If the shutdown extended more than a few days, however, tens of thousands of federal workers would risk being put on unpaid leave or working without their money until funding is restored.Late Friday, the Senate passed a package clearing five outstanding funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, along with a two-week stopgap measure to keep DHS operating while lawmakers continue negotiations over immigration enforcement policy.The House of Representatives was out of session as the deadline expired and is not scheduled to return until Monday. President Donald Trump backed the Senate deal and urged swift House action, signaling he wanted to avoid a prolonged shutdown — the second of his second term — after a record-length stoppage last fall disrupted federal services for more than a month.- Political backlash -The Senate breakthrough came only after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lifted a procedural block that had stalled the package late Thursday. Graham had objected to provisions in the DHS stopgap and to House-passed language repealing an earlier measure that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized during past investigations.Graham agreed to release his hold after Senate leaders committed to holding future votes on legislation he is sponsoring to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation operations.Democrats, meanwhile, have remained united in opposing new DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.Their deaths intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct and hardened opposition to approving money for immigration agencies without new guardrails.Party leaders have accused immigration authorities of operating with insufficient oversight and have demanded reforms including tighter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics and greater accountability for agents in the field.Much of the US media interpreted the White House’s willingness to split DHS funding from the broader budget package as a recognition that the administration needed to recalibrate its deportation strategy after the political backlash over the Minneapolis deaths.Republicans are divided over that approach. While some lawmakers have acknowledged the need for changes following the shootings, conservatives have warned against concessions they say could weaken immigration enforcement. Several have signaled they will push their own priorities during the upcoming DHS negotiations, including measures targeting states and cities that limit cooperation with federal authorities.Although Congress has already approved six of the 12 annual funding bills, those measures account for only a minority of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund large swaths of the federal government, making the lapse significant if it ends up being prolonged.The Office of Management and Budget on Friday night issued a memo ordering agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” saying: “It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”

Venezuela’s acting president announced on Friday a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.Delcy Rodriguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chavez assumed the presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro, who oversaw an increasingly authoritarian government and whose two re-elections were widely dismissed as fraudulent.”This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fueled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country,” Rodriguez said, also announcing a “major national consultation for a new judicial system.”She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro’s intelligence services.The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a “sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighboring communities,” Rodriguez said.A mother interviewed by AFP near El Helicoide was overjoyed that her son, imprisoned inside, may soon be released under the law.”It’s wonderful! I haven’t heard from my son in six months, so, damn it, this is a huge joy, it’s an amnesty, my God, it’s total liberation,” said Betsy Orellana, 63.- Wary opposition -Formerly Maduro’s vice president, Rodriguez, 56, has quickly moved in less than four weeks in power to overhaul Venezuelan society in ways sought by the United States, earning high praise from US President Donald Trump.Along with her brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, she has passed a new law opening up the country’s critical oil sector to private investments — a key demand of Trump.The move on Thursday was almost immediately followed by a rollback on US sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry.The government also agreed on January 8, five days after Maduro was seized in a deadly US military operation, to free inmates considered political prisoners by rights groups.Families — many of whom began camping outside the prisons — and rights groups have criticized the slow pace of the releases, with the Foro Penal NGO counting less than 300 in total released since January 8.Opposition figures in Venezuela have voiced reserved optimism at the changes taking place, wary that Maduro’s closest allies still remain in power.Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said Friday that Rodriguez’s amnesty proposal came only after she was pushed by Washington.”This is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but a response to pressure from the United States government. And I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to be with their families,” she posted on social media.Opposition lawmaker Tomas Guanipa, whose two brothers are imprisoned, said he hope the amnesty would end “an era of repression.””May this be the beginning of a path that leads us to freedom and democracy, definitively and forever,” he told AFP in an interview at his home in Caracas.- Americans freed -US authorities on Friday announced that all Americans known to be held prisoner in Venezuela had been released. The announcement came hours after the release of Peruvian-American political prisoner Arturo Gallino Rullier, whom the Foro Penal group said was on his way to the United States.For years, Venezuela has routinely arrested foreigners and domestic opposition actors on a range of charges from spying to plotting attacks — charges critics dismiss as fabricated.In a sign of Trump’s satisfaction with the new Venezuelan authorities, his administration lifted a ban on US flights to the South American country.And after years of the US embassy being shuttered, Washington is also preparing to re-establish its diplomatic presence in Caracas.Seasoned diplomat Laura Dogu was recently named US charge d’affaires for Venezuela — the highest level representative below an ambassador.Dogu is expected to arrive in Caracas on Saturday, diplomatic sources told AFP.

“Melania,” the Amazon MGM-produced documentary following the typically guarded US first lady as she prepares for her husband Donald’s second inauguration, opened in theatres Friday.The wide release came a day after a lavish premiere at the Kennedy Center, recently redubbed the Trump-Kennedy Center, where the 55-year-old former model’s outspoken husband called the film “glamorous, very glamorous.”At a showing in Washington, where a major winter storm has snarled transit, Savannah Harrison told AFP she had purchased her ticket because she “was just very intrigued to see the behind the scenes.”Unlike most reviewers in US media, she was delighted by the film.”In contrast of what we see from President Trump everyday, it’s just another aspect that it humanizes them a little bit more,” she said, admitting that she went into the film with a positive view of the first lady.In Los Angeles, where voters opted against Trump 2-to-1 in 2024, a billboard for the documentary was defaced to make it appear as if the first lady was defecating on an American flag.The 1 hour 44 minute film follows the normally guarded Melania during the 20 days leading up to the January 20, 2025 inauguration. After its theatrical release it will be available for streaming on Prime Video.From the presidential couple’s Florida estate to Trump Tower in New York and the White House, the first lady goes from appointment to appointment, preparing her outfits for Inauguration Day and deciding on decor for their return to Washington.There are no sensational revelations, though she does discuss the deep impact of her mother’s death. She also says her favorite singer is Michael Jackson.Surprise guests also make appearances, including French first lady Brigitte Macron, who holds a video call with her incoming American counterpart.- Critiques -While the film grants rare access into her life, “Melania” has also given an insight into the way US business titans have lined up to pay tribute to the Trump administration in the past year.Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos has grown notably closer to Trump, securing a prime seat at the inauguration and telling the Washington Post newspaper he owns to favor pro-business editorials.US media say that of Amazon’s $40 million licensing deal for the film, Melania, who served as executive producer, will receive 70 percent. The next highest bid, from Disney, was reportedly only $14 million.At a viewing in Florida, Jannet Iglesias was enthusiastic about the film, calling it “incredible.””I think that everyone has to come and see it. I’m going to come for the second time,” she said.US media has been less enthusiastic in its reviews, with The Atlantic calling the documentary a “disgrace” and the Variety trade magazine describing it as a “shameless infomercial.”Expected viewership for the film has also been much discussed online, with many anticipating weak sales.In South Africa, the film was withdrawn from major theaters just before its release, with the distributor citing “the current climate.”South Africa’s government has had very tense relations with Trump, notably over his unfounded allegations of there being a “genocide” against White people in the country.The film has also been roundly critiqued for its director: Brett Ratner.The director behind the “Rush Hour” franchise was in 2017 accused of sexual assault by actresses Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn, as well as four other women, in the midst of the #MeToo movement. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Only 10 years ago, Bad Bunny worked bagging groceries — a shocking contrast with the cosmic fame the artist now commands.But his bestselling albums, last year’s monumental concert residency in Puerto Rico and an endless string of smashed records are somehow just the beginning.On Sunday, the artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio could make Grammys history. Then a week later, he will take the world’s most visible stage as the Super Bowl’s halftime performer.Bad Bunny is in the running for six prizes at the Grammy Awards, including the night’s most prestigious Album of the Year gramophone.His acclaimed “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” is just the second Spanish-language record ever nominated for the most coveted Grammy — the first was also his, when “Un Verano Sin Ti” was tipped in 2022.A win would be historic. But the nominations — it’s the first time work in Spanish has been simultaneously recognized for best album, best record and best song — are meaningful all the same, said Petra Rivera-Rideau, an American studies professor at Wellesley College whose research focuses on Latin music and racial politics.Bad Bunny’s success is particularly poignant as President Donald Trump’s administration carries out a hardline immigration crackdown that in part targets Latinos.”We have ICE raids, we’re watching videos every day of people being profiled for speaking Spanish, whether or not they’re US citizens,” Rivera-Rideau, co-author of “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance,” told AFP.”The current political moment just kind of ups the ante of what is already a profoundly significant thing.”- Inherently political -Bad Bunny, 31, grew up near Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, honing his vocal skills in a church children’s choir before developing into a pre-teen who loved creating beats on his computer.He went viral on the DIY platform SoundCloud — and thus began his rapid ascent to the top of global music.But even as his star rose, Bad Bunny remained firmly rooted in his heritage.Both at the Grammys and the Super Bowl, his mere presence is “deeply political,” said Jorell Melendez-Badillo, a University of Wisconsin-Madison historian who collaborated with Bad Bunny on visual elements of the latest album.The artist is a US citizen: Puerto Rico is a Caribbean territory under US control since 1898.But, Melendez-Badillo says, he’s also a colonial subject — a reality explored on “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” which features an ingenious melange of traditional sounds including salsa, bomba and plena, with infusions of reggaeton.Bad Bunny’s commitment to singing in Spanish in a music industry that has historically marginalized Latino voices makes his mammoth success even more emblematic.For Melendez-Badillo, language has become “coded for the broader sort of racialized understandings of immigrants and immigration… this sort of nationalist idea of who gets to belong in the United States.”- Multi-generational appeal -Since 2000, the Latin Recording Academy has celebrated Spanish- and Portuguese-language music at the Latin Grammys.The Grammys also honor Latin music in specific categories.Both are important for ensuring representation, but they have also enabled Recording Academy voters to ignore Latin music’s mainstream popularity.This year, Latin Recording Academy voters are eligible to vote for the main Grammy winners as well, a bid to create a more globally representative pool.That could make a significant difference for the likes of Bad Bunny — but even then, Rivera-Rideau said, it’s complicated. Much like Grammy voters long overlooked hip-hop, Latin Grammy voters have long sidelined the influence of reggaeton and Latin trap — hugely popular genres Bad Bunny came up in.But his latest album has found multi-generational appeal, and that could improve its chance, as it is “more digestible” to Grammy voters, Rivera-Rideau said.- Super Bowl-bound -One week after the Grammys, Bad Bunny will reach yet another milestone as the headliner of the National Football League’s Super Bowl halftime show — a booking that prompted hand-wringing especially from conservatives over the “woke” choice.But the Super Bowl is among the world’s top broadcasts and its halftime presentation is for massive stars.Clearly, Bad Bunny fits that bill.”The NFL wants to go global,” Melendez-Badillo said, citing games held in Europe and Brazil. “Benito sells tickets. Benito draws crowds.”And of course, Bad Bunny is hugely popular across the United States, which has among the largest Spanish-speaking populations globally — so why wouldn’t he take part in one of the country’s cultural touchstones?”In that context, it’s just incredibly meaningful,” Rivera-Rideau said.

Grammys night is sure to deliver top-notch performances, in-your-face fashion, a few poignant moments — and maybe even some music history.Here are five things to watch out for on Sunday in Los Angeles:- New Album of the Year winner? -Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year’s winner could make history in several ways.None of the eight nominees — Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, R&B singer Leon Thomas, Tyler the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) and pop superstar Justin Bieber — has ever won in the category before. If Lamar’s “GNX” takes the title, he will be the first male solo rapper to triumph in the category. Only rappers Lauryn Hill and duo OutKast have come before him.If Bad Bunny takes the prize for “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” it will be the first time a Spanish-language album receives the top honor.- Song of the Year: multilingual battle -Three of the eight nominees for Song of the Year, another main award, are not entirely in English — a major shift.”Golden,” the wildly popular hit song from Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” and “APT” from Blackpink singer Rose and Bruno Mars, have taken the music world by storm with their lyrics in English and Korean.A Grammy for either one would mark the first bilingual song to take the award for songwriting.If Bad Bunny wins for his Caribbean-infused “DTMF,” it would be a first for a Spanish-language song.- For host Noah, sixth time is a charm -South African comedian Trevor Noah will be back to host the Grammys for a sixth time — and organizers say it will be his last.The 41-year-old Noah made his hosting debut on music’s biggest night in 2021, at a scaled-down gala in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.The biracial funnyman has offered a mix of political satire and light-hearted showbiz banter, and has generally earned decent reviews for his efforts.”His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we can’t wait to do it together one last time,” the show’s executive producer Ben Winston told The Hollywood Reporter.- Bieber takes the stage -Among the stars already confirmed to perform at Crypto.com Arena is Justin Bieber, who is up for four awards including Album of the Year for “Swag,” his first studio album in four years, which he dropped in a surprise move last July.The 31-year-old pop superstar has been battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that partially paralyzed his face, which forced him to cancel the final leg of a world tour last year.Bieber — who first shot to stardom as a teenager in 2009 — is scheduled to headline this year’s Coachella festival in the California desert in April.Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Clipse are also scheduled to perform, organizers say.- New categories -The Recording Academy awards dozens of prizes each year. This year, they have added two more — and subtracted one — for a whopping total of 95.A new award for best traditional country album has been added, after some in Nashville felt that the more modern pop-country sound was drowning out artists with a more pure country sound.The former best country album is now called best contemporary country album.The other new category is best album cover. “These additions further the Recording Academy’s commitment to recognizing a broader spectrum of artistic craft and honoring the evolving ways music is created and experienced,” the academy says.Two existing categories — best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package – have been consolidated into one category, best recording package.

Venezuela’s acting president announced on Friday a push for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.Delcy Rodriguez, in a speech at the Venezuelan Supreme Court attended by top government officials, said she will propose a “general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”Leftist revolutionary Hugo Chavez assumed the presidency in 1999, and was succeeded upon his death in 2013 by Maduro.”This law will serve to heal the wounds left by political confrontation, fueled by violence and extremism. It will allow us to put justice back on track in our country,” Rodriguez said, also announcing a “major national consultation for a new judicial system.”She also announced plans to close the notorious El Helicoide prison in Caracas, where rights groups say political prisoners were tortured by Maduro’s intelligence services.The massive facility, originally built as a shopping mall, will be turned into a “sports, cultural and commercial center for police families and neighboring communities,” Rodriguez said.Formerly Maduro’s vice president, Rodriguez, 56, has quickly moved in less than four weeks in power to overhaul Venezuelan society in ways sought by the United States, earning high praise from US President Donald Trump.Along with her brother, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, she has passed a new law opening up the country’s critical oil sector to private investments — a key demand of Trump.The move on Thursday was almost immediately followed by a rollback on US sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil industry.The government also agreed on January 8, five days after Maduro was seized in a deadly US military operation, to free inmates considered political prisoners by rights groups.While the government claims more than 800 people have been freed since last year, NGOs have counted less than 400 since December — and under 300 in total since the January 8 announcement, according to the Foro Penal rights group.Opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said Friday that Rodriguez’s amnesty proposal came only after she was pushed by Washington.”This is not a voluntary gesture by the regime, but a response to pressure from the United States government. And I hope that the prisoners will soon be able to be with their families,” she posted on social media.- All US prisoners released -Families of dozens of detainees have anxiously waited for three weeks outside prisons for their release. US authorities on Friday announced that all Americans known to be held prisoner in Venezuela had been released. “We are pleased to confirm the release by the interim authorities of all known US citizens held in Venezuela,” the embassy in Caracas posted on social media. The announcement came hours after the release of Peruvian-American political prisoner Arturo Gallino Rullier. “He is already on his way to the USA,” Gonzalo Himiob of the Foro Penal NGO posted on X. Gallino was arrested last November on unspecified charges.For years, Venezuela has routinely arrested foreigners and domestic opposition actors on a range of charges from spying to plotting attacks. Foreign governments have long alleged the charges were trumped up and the arrests amounted to little more than hostage-taking.In a sign of Trump’s satisfaction with the new Venezuelan authorities, his administration lifted a ban on US flights to the South American country.And after years of the US embassy being shuttered, Washington is also preparing to re-establish its diplomatic presence in Caracas.Seasoned diplomat Laura Dogu was recently named US charge d’affaires for Venezuela — the highest level representative below an ambassador.Dogu is expected to arrive in Caracas on Saturday, diplomatic sources told AFP.

Marchers braving arctic cold to join thousands of others appalled by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis lauded how peaceful the protests have remained despite fury over masked federal agents’ arrests and killings.”We learned so much from the Floyd protests. We had a bunch of cops that were rogues — white supremacists. They had warrior training. Now we have a wonderful police department and now I think people… know to speak up and to act peacefully,” said protester Mary, 67.The Midwest’s largest city, Minneapolis saw prolonged unrest after the 2020 murder by police of George Floyd, a Black man whose killing sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.At the protest Friday, police were barely visible as tens of thousands of people turned out under the banner of “National Shutdown,” with Minneapolis police telling AFP there were no arrests, and no reports of injuries or property damage.Ahead of the protest, President Donald Trump accused Alex Pretti, shot dead by federal officers in Minneapolis while helping women who had been pepper sprayed, of “abuse and anger” after video emerged of him in a heated exchange with agents.Mary, who declined to give a last name, said she was horrified by how federal officers including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have executed their push to round up undocumented migrants across Minnesota, a deployment that has seen officers shoot dead two US civilians.”They’re scooping up anybody. You know, there’s innocent people getting scooped up right and left, and it’s far more terrifying than when George Floyd was here. I think it’s important for our voices to be heard,” said Mary.There have been daily noisy protests at the Whipple federal building where ICE agents stage ahead of raids. On Friday morning, sheriffs deputies ran into a hostile crowd of activists and dragged away one of the demonstrators, AFP saw.- ‘Proud to be a Minnesotan’ -One gloved protester held up a widely shared image of a federal officer deployed to the city skidding on ice, captioned “baby’s first winter,” while another clutched a sign reading “gnomes in, Noem out” — a reference to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — at Friday’s protest.Sporting a giant papier mache head modeled on Noem, protester Connie described the official and Trump as “the criminals at large that are really causing so much trouble.”She said the peaceful demonstrations since the start of the sprawling immigration raids were a strength of the movement galvanizing against the raids.”We’re just trying to get them out of here. That’s all we want…They say, ‘Oh, you want all these criminals?’ Yeah, we’ll take them. You just get out of here. You’re the criminal. “We have 2,000, 3,000 ICE here — they’re the criminals.”She added that she was “100 percent” sure federal officers were seeking to provoke local people.”(ICE) are extremely aggressive, very intimidating. They’re out to cause trouble,” she said.Native Minnesotan protester Paul Chouinard said he thought Trump would “probably love for it to turn into something more so he could make an example — but that’s not what Minnesotans want.””You don’t fight force and guns with violence, you know? We’re gonna use our voices in the right way and make our opinions known to hopefully change this.”Nearby a child screamed “ICE out of Minnesota” into a bullhorn to huge cheers from the crowd, many of whom wore ski gear to brave the temperatures that hovered around 1F (-17C). There were protest actions and marches in cities across the United States including New York, Boston and Los Angeles.Protester Shushta Santhana, 24, whose parents emigrated to the United States 30 year ago, said “it’s really cool to see the community come together.”She pointed to “grassroots organizations pulling together to get groceries to people and protect (migrant) people when they’re leaving work and leaving the courts and all sorts of things.””We’ve done a good job here. I’m very proud to be a Minnesotan right now.”Retiree Lisa Schmid told AFP that Minneapolis would become known as “the city that stood up for freedom.”