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- Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Arsenal vs Chelsea
- Netflix Drops Warner Bros Bid After Paramount’s Offer Is Labeled ‘Superior’
- Hungary’s Orbán to Consult Slovakia’s Fico on Joint Response to Ukraine
- Hillary Clinton Testifies in Epstein Probe, Denies Knowing the Financier
- Police Officer Dismissed for Secretly Working as Barista at Bike Shop
- Hillary Clinton Defends Against Epstein Questions, Links to UFOs and Pizzagate
- Green Party Wins Gorton and Denton By-Election, Defeating Reform UK and Labour
- Study Reveals AI Ready to ‘Go Nuclear’ in Wargames Amid Pentagon Lab Tensions
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Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Arsenal vs Chelsea
12:00 pm
Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Arsenal vs Chelsea | Football
TL;DR – Two-minute read
Alan Shearer shared his Premier League predictions for the upcoming weekend, highlighting key matches including Arsenal hosting Chelsea and Manchester City facing Leeds United. He noted that if City won, they’d close the gap to Arsenal to two points. Manchester United aimed to secure a top-four spot against Crystal Palace, while Fulham faced Tottenham.
Alan Shearer provides Premier League predictions ahead of key fixtures
Alan Shearer shared his Premier League predictions ahead of a crucial weekend in the title race on Friday. Arsenal will host Chelsea in a London derby, while Manchester City seeks to apply pressure on Arsenal by facing Leeds United at Elland Road.
Shearer noted that Arsenal could be just two points ahead of Manchester City if they claim victory. The former England international predicts multiple outcomes across various matches, emphasising the tightness of the league.
Crucial match-ups for top and bottom teams
Manchester United aims to solidify their place in the top four against Crystal Palace, while Fulham looks to inflict further woes on Tottenham at Craven Cottage. Elsewhere, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest face challenging away fixtures against Liverpool and Brighton, respectively.
Shearer highlighted the significance of the matches for teams battling relegation, with Burnley attempting to boost their survival chances against Brentford.
Shearer’s predictions for the weekend
In his predictions, Alan Shearer foresees victories for Aston Villa over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bournemouth against Sunderland, Liverpool against West Ham, Newcastle United against Everton, and Manchester City against Leeds. He has also predicted draws in the Brighton vs Nottingham Forest match, while Fulham is expected to win against Tottenham. Manchester United is favoured to overcome Crystal Palace, and Arsenal is tipped to prevail over Chelsea.
The outcomes of these matches could significantly impact the standings in the Premier League, with critical implications for both the title race and relegation efforts.
Netflix Drops Warner Bros Bid After Paramount’s Offer Is Labeled ‘Superior’
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Get you up to speed: Netflix Drops Warner Bros Bid After Paramount’s Offer Is Labeled ‘Superior’
MEDIA ACQUISITION STRATEGY
Paramount Skydance’s bid to acquire Warner Bros Discovery was preferred by its board over Netflix’s offer amid regulatory scrutiny and competition concerns.
REGULATORY CONCERNS
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, stated that shareholder and regulatory approvals are necessary to assess competition implications before finalizing the Paramount takeover bid.
STATUS UPDATE
Warner’s board now views Paramount Skydance’s offer as “superior,” but final approval from shareholders and regulators, led by CEO David Zaslav, is still pending.
What we know so far
Paramount Skydance is on course to win the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) takeover battle after rival Netflix stepped away.
The World’s largest streaming service had been in pole position to land a deal by which it would pay $27.75 per share for Warner’s studio and HBO Max streaming businesses, valuing the divisions at almost $83bn (£61.6bn) including debt.
Netflix had been invited to raise its bid after Paramount submitted a final offer, for the whole WBD business, of $31 per share earlier this week that ultimately concluded a ping-pong process of sweetened bids.
That final offer valued WBD at $111bn (£82.4bn) including debt.
Warner’s board declared on Thursday night that while it continued to recommend the offer by Netflix, it now considered the proposal from Paramount as “superior” – its first hint of support for the bidder declared as hostile when the saga began back in December.
Netflix responded by pulling out of the process just hours later, declaring that a deal was “no longer financially attractive.”
Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said: “We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros’ iconic brands. But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”
The decision to withdraw does not mean that Paramount has WBD in the bag just yet.
The board is yet to give its blessing to the deal though WBD has changed its tone and voiced support for the bid for the first time.
CEO David Zaslav used a statement to declare that Paramount’s offer “will create tremendous value”, adding that WBD was “excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery.”
Warner shareholders and regulators will also have to agree to the takeover, with the process for the latter facing competition concerns along with questions over political influence.
If Paramount Skydance is successful in its takeover attempt, it would own the news channel CNN as well as CBS News, sparking concern about concentrating news services within a small number of companies linked to Donald Trump‘s allies.
Paramount’s chair and chief executive David Ellison is the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, an ally of the US president who has put up tens of billions of dollars to satisfy funding guarantees for the WBD bid.
A Paramount-Warner combination would encompass two of Hollywood’s five legacy studios.
Beyond Harry Potter, Warner movies like Superman and Barbie – as well as hit TV series like Succession – would join Paramount’s content library.
Paramount’s line-up of titles include Top Gun and The Godfather and includes the Paramount+ streaming service.
There were big movements for share prices in after-hours trading as the developments played out.
Netflix saw its stock climb by 8.5% in a relief rally while those for Paramount were also up sharply – by 6.2%.
WBD shares were trading almost 2% lower at $28.80 – well below the Paramount offer price of $31.
Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said of the moves: “While there was clearly scope for Netflix to push higher, management chose discipline over empire building, removing a major acquisition overhang that had been weighing on the shares.
“The bid always looked like a mix of offence and defence – shoring up content and scale, while keeping competition from gaining any edge, but at a very high price – and with that risk now off the table, investors are free to refocus on Netflix’s core strengths: pricing power, margins and execution.
“For now, at least, the market seems to be pricing this as a win for everyone”, he concluded.
Hungary’s Orbán to Consult Slovakia’s Fico on Joint Response to Ukraine
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Get you up to speed: Hungary’s Orbán to Consult Slovakia’s Fico on Joint Response to Ukraine
REGIONAL SECURITY ESCALATION
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will consult with Slovak counterpart Robert Fico on a unified response to Ukraine amid ongoing Druzhba pipeline tensions.
EU RESPONSE
According to a Commission spokesperson, the EU is monitoring the situation closely and expects adherence to energy supply agreements amid escalating tensions between Hungary and Ukraine.
CONSULTATIONS
Orbán will consult with Fico on a joint response to the Ukraine oil pipeline dispute, as he pushes for immediate restarting amidst Hungary’s election campaign.
What we know so far
Published on
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he will hold consultations with his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, on a joint response against Ukraine as the dispute over the Druzhba oil pipeline continues.
Orbán again urged Kyiv to restart the pipeline immediately, which Kyiv says was damaged in a Russian drone hit. Druzhba, which delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, has been offline for a month, impacting transit via Ukraine.
Hungary and Slovakia have accused Ukraine of “lying” about the impact of the attack, which they argue did not affect the core structure of the pipeline, for political reasons in order to force them out of Russian energy. Slovakia and Hungary are the only two countries that still import seaborn Russian crude, providing revenue to Russia.
“We expect the President of Ukraine to fulfil his obligations towards the European Union and its member states and to restart the Friendship oil pipeline,” Orbán said on Friday.
Orbán, once again, attacked the Ukrainian president, accusing him of conspiring against Hungary. The Hungarian leader is presenting the issue as a critical matter for national security in the midst of an aggressive election campaign due April 12.
He is trailing in polls faced with opposition from younger conservative Peter Magyar.
Orbán: Zelenskyy is dodging inspection on the ground
Speaking on Hungary’s national radio broadcaster on Friday, Orbán said Zelenskyy had not responded to his proposal to send experts to assess the pipeline.
In a letter sent Thursday, Orbán told the President of the European Council that a “fact-finding mission” should be deployed on the ground to break the impasse.
“The Ukrainians are not willing to accept a verification, fact-finding mission,” he said. “I think Western Europeans are starting to sober up, and more people are realizing that the Ukrainians are lying. President Zelenskyy is lying; he is not telling the truth.”
Orbán also claimed Hungary was under attack and accused Kyiv of seeking to create economic instability ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections in April.
“Let’s not forget, the Ukrainians blew up Nord Stream. Ukraine is a country that is capable of blowing up the basic infrastructure of Germany’s energy supply and economic operations on the high seas. This is state terrorism,” Orbán said.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was sabotaged in 2022. In 2024, Germany issued arrest warrants for Ukrainian nationals in connection with the investigation.
Orbán considers turning to Croatia’s Adria pipeline
In the same interview, Orbán urged Croatia to allow the transit of Russian oil through the Adria pipeline. The Croatian operator JANAF said deliveries of non-Russian oil are underway and suggested it has capacity to supply Hungary and Slovakia.
Still, deliveries so far have been limited to non-Russian oil. Croatia is analysing whether it can import Russian oil sanctioned by the US and the EU. Until now, it has refused to.
“This is not an opportunity for Croatia, but an obligation, and they cannot afford not to deliver this oil to Hungary,” Orbán said.
“The Croatians have a proposal to make this pipeline a main pipeline, which we are not opposed to. But this requires various developments and tests,” he added.
Orbán added that Russian crude is on average 13 to 20% cheaper than the alternatives for Hungary, and Budapest is not willing to pay above its standard rate.
Hillary Clinton Testifies in Epstein Probe, Denies Knowing the Financier
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Media Lens: Hillary Clinton Testifies in Epstein Probe, Denies Knowing the Financier
Hillary Clinton testified that she never met Jeffrey Epstein and accused the GOP of attempting a cover-up related to his crimes. This testimony took place during a session of the House Oversight Committee investigating Epstein’s actions.
Quick links:
What has happened |
Confirmed details |
What remains unclear |
One story, four angles |
What’s missing |
Related links
What has happened
Hillary Clinton recently testified in a House Oversight Committee regarding allegations related to Jeffrey Epstein. During her testimony, she firmly denied ever having met Epstein and accused the GOP of conducting a “cover-up.” This statement came as part of an ongoing investigation into Epstein’s activities and the implications for various high-profile individuals.
The testimony has stirred considerable attention and debate, particularly regarding Clinton’s connections to Epstein’s network. Critics within the GOP have seized upon her remarks to further their narrative, claiming a broader pattern of cover-up among prominent Democrats. Clinton’s statement was met with mixed reactions, highlighting the continued political tensions surrounding the Epstein case.
Confirmed details
- Hillary Clinton testified in front of the House Oversight Committee regarding the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
- During her testimony, Clinton denied ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein.
- She accused GOP members of conducting a “cover-up” related to Epstein.
- The hearing took place a few weeks after the Supreme Court allowed a group of women to file their lawsuits against Epstein’s estate.
- Witnesses in previous sessions have allegedly implicated various high-profile individuals connected to Epstein.
- The investigation focuses on Epstein’s extensive network and the extent of abuse that occurred.
What remains unclear
- The specific context or details of Hillary Clinton’s testimony are unclear.
- What evidence, if any, supports Clinton’s claims regarding the GOP’s alleged cover-up.
- The implications of the testimonies on the ongoing Epstein probe remain vague.
- The reaction from the House Oversight Committee to Clinton’s testimony is not well reported.
- Statements made by other committee members during the deposition are not detailed.
One story, four angles
Axios – Hillary Clinton testifies she never met Epstein, accuses GOP of “cover-up”
Publication: Axios | Primary framing pattern: Accountability | Tone register: Investigative | Intensity level: High (8/10) | Sentiment: +0.5 | Legal precision: High
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Espresso Shot:
The framing effectively highlights Clinton’s assertion of innocence while positioning her testimony against the GOP as a focal point of scrutiny.
Quote unavailable (paywall/limited preview).
Framing analysis:
Clinton’s narrative is constructed to challenge GOP narratives, emphasizing accountability and transparency.
Bias:
Selection: Focuses on Clinton’s perspective and allegations against the GOP.
Language: Use of terms like “cover-up” suggests collusion or malfeasance.
Omission: Lacks exploration of broader implications or GOP responses.
Assessment:
The article constructs a critical viewpoint of the GOP while positioning Clinton as a victim of political machinations.
The New York Times – Hillary Clinton Denies Knowing Epstein or His Crimes in a Tense Deposition
Publication: The New York Times | Primary framing pattern: Denial | Tone register: Defiant | Intensity level: Medium (5/10) | Sentiment: 0.0 | Legal precision: High
Expand
Espresso Shot:
This article emphasizes Clinton’s firm denial and the emotionally charged environment of her deposition, shaping a narrative of resilience against accusations.
Quote unavailable (paywall/limited preview).
Framing analysis:
The focus on Clinton’s denials creates an image of a beleaguered figure defending her reputation amidst heavy scrutiny.
Bias:
Selection: Highlights Clinton’s denial without substantial counter-narratives.
Language: Words like “tense” evoke a dramatic context that elevates the stakes.
Omission: Lacks mention of public opinion or opposing viewpoints.
Assessment:
The article portrays Clinton as a defensive character, emphasizing the emotional aspects of her testimony amidst a cloud of suspicion.
Sky News – The Epstein committee shouldn’t be defined by politics – but it is hard to avoid
Publication: Sky News | Primary framing pattern: Political Dynamics | Tone register: Analytical | Intensity level: Low (3/10) | Sentiment: +0.3 | Legal precision: Medium
Expand
Espresso Shot:
The framing presents a nuanced perspective on the interplay between the Epstein committee’s work and the surrounding political controversies, signalling complexities beyond partisan lines.
Quote unavailable (paywall/limited preview).
Framing analysis:
The article attempts to step back from partisan narratives, instead evaluating the broader implications of political influence on the investigation.
Bias:
Selection: Focuses on the political ramifications over the legal proceedings themselves.
Language: The use of “hard to avoid” suggests an inevitability of politicizing the inquiry.
Omission: Lacks detailed exploration of specific political actors’ influences.
Assessment:
The article encourages consideration of political impacts on legal inquiries, albeit with a subdued intensity.
USA Today – Hillary Clinton’s neighbors sound off on her Epstein testimony
Publication: USA Today | Primary framing pattern: Public Reaction | Tone register: Community Voice | Intensity level: Low (4/10) | Sentiment: +0.2 | Legal precision: Medium
Expand
Espresso Shot:
This article emphasizes local reactions to Clinton’s testimony, providing insights into how public sentiment affects perceptions of high-profile legal events.
Quote unavailable (paywall/limited preview).
Framing analysis:
By centering community voices, it reveals a broader societal impact while contextualizing Clinton’s situation in a communal setting.
Bias:
Selection: Prioritizes neighbor opinions over legal ramifications or expert commentary.
Language: Uses informal community sentiment terminology, which downplays legal gravity.
Omission: Lacks expert legal analysis or in-depth exploration of Clinton’s legal maneuvers.
Assessment:
The article illustrates public sentiment towards Clinton’s case through neighborhood reactions, promoting a grassroots perspective on high-profile incidents.
What’s missing across coverage
- Lack of context surrounding Epstein’s crimes and their implications for public figures.
- Insufficient details on the specific allegations against Epstein and related investigations.
- Absence of differing perspectives or responses from various political parties and their leaders.
- Limited analysis of the long-term impact of such testimonies on public trust and political accountability.
The headlines from various publications present contrasting narratives surrounding Hillary Clinton’s testimony regarding Epstein. Axios emphasizes Clinton’s assertion of never meeting Epstein while critiquing the GOP for alleged cover-ups, showcasing a strong legal focus on accountability. The New York Times frames her deposition as tense and defensive, hinting at deeper legal ramifications and emphasizing tension, making it the most escalatory in tone. USA Today diverts the focus to community responses, suggesting a less direct confrontation. Sky News reflects on political contexts, acknowledging the intertwining of politics with legal matters, thus increasing scrutiny on political accountability. This consequence-driven framing may amplify political pressure as critics leverage the narratives to question integrity and transparency among political leaders. The facts do not change. What changes is where scrutiny lands.
Related links
Axios
Hillary Clinton testifies she never met Epstein, accuses GOP of “cover-up”
The New York Times
Hillary Clinton Denies Knowing Epstein or His Crimes in a Tense Deposition
Sky News
The Epstein committee shouldn’t be defined by politics – but it is hard to avoid
USA Today
Hillary Clinton’s neighbors sound off on her Epstein testimony
Police Officer Dismissed for Secretly Working as Barista at Bike Shop
8:00 am
Get you up to speed: Police Officer Dismissed for Secretly Working as Barista at Bike Shop
POLICE MISCONDUCT
PC Stanley Kennett has been sacked from the Metropolitan Police for gross misconduct after running The Coffee Cycle while receiving full pay.
METROPOLITAN POLICE
Commander Andy Brittain emphasised that PC Stanley Kennett’s actions, including social media promotion, demonstrated a clear disregard for police integrity and professional standards.
CURRENT STATUS
PC Stanley Kennett has been dismissed from the Metropolitan Police and placed on the College of Policing’s barred list following a misconduct hearing.
What we know so far
A police officer has been sacked for moonlighting as a barista while receiving full pay from his force.
PC Stanley Kennett, 31, ran The Coffee Cycle, based in a bike shop in Storrington, West Sussex, while employed by the Metropolitan Police.
He tried to register it as a business interest while suspended from duty in April 2024, but was rejected.
Despite not appealing the decision, he continued working at the coffee shop.
The misconduct hearing found this amounted to gross misconduct, and he has been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.
Commander Andy Brittain said: ‘This was not simply a volunteering opportunity, this was a full-blown and expanding business supported by incorporation of that business, the granting of a director’s loan and employment of staff.’
‘PC Kennett is also noted to have been actively engaged on social media promoting that business.
‘This was a sophisticated operation, and PC Kennett appears heavily involved at all points.
‘All of which appears to undermine the submission on his behalf that at relevant points he lacked capacity to understand the significance of the consequences of his actions.
He added: ‘Running a business, whether for financial gain or not, whilst suspended on full pay, brings policing and the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) in particular into disrepute.
‘Members of the public would not expect serving police officers to act in this way.’
It comes as an officer, referred to as Sergeant X by Avon and Somerset Police, has been barred from working in any UK law enforcement agencies after she used a work-from-home hack.
She was found to have weighed down her keyboard with a picture frame, while her keystrokes were identified as ‘significantly high’ in 2024 by the force’s Professional Standards Department.
An investigation was opened, and it was discovered the majority of shifts she worked had between three to eight times higher keystroke count than her colleagues in a similar role.
She admitted to using the corner of a picture frame to weight down her keyboard so her laptop would not go into ‘sleep mode’ while going through challenges in her personal life.
Hillary Clinton Defends Against Epstein Questions, Links to UFOs and Pizzagate
6:00 am
Get you up to speed: Hillary Clinton Defends Against Epstein Questions, Links to UFOs and Pizzagate
HOUSE OVERSIGHT TESTIMONY
Hillary Clinton criticized the US House Oversight Committee for its questioning during her deposition regarding Jeffrey Epstein, emphasizing a perceived lack of seriousness and focus.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT
Hillary Clinton told reporters the House Oversight Committee’s questioning was unproductive and merely a distraction from President Trump‘s alleged actions, according to witnesses at her deposition.
DEPOSITION STATUS
Hillary Clinton was compelled to testify before the US House Oversight Committee, marking the first time a former president’s spouse will also testify this Friday.
What we know so far
Hillary Clinton has denied knowledge about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and attacked US politicians for their line of questioning.
The former US secretary of state was compelled to appear before the US House Oversight Committee in New York and asked about the disgraced financier.
After the deposition, she told reporters: “I thought it was very repetitive… they asked literally the same questions over and over again, which didn’t seem to me to be very productive.
“I did not know Jeffrey Epstein. I never went to his island. I never went to his homes. I never went to his offices.”
She then added that the questions became more bizarre and “off subject”.
She said: “It then got, at the end, quite unusual, because I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet.”
Pizzagate was a conspiracy theory used to smear Clinton when she ran as the Democrat candidate at the 2016 US election.
The long-debunked theory alleged high-profile Democrats ran a paedophile abuse ring from a Washington pizza restaurant.
At one point, Ms Clinton’s testimony in New York was suspended after a photograph of her at the committee was published on social media, violating the rules for depositions.
The image was posted on X by Benny Johnson, a right-wing political commentator and YouTuber, claiming it was provided to him by Republican representative Lauren Boebert.
Sky News’s US correspondent James Matthews said Ms Clinton made a “blistering attack” on the oversight committee, which she accused of “partisan political theatre” and “alleging a cover-up to protect Donald Trump”.
In an opening statement, which she shared on social media, she said the committee “run by elected officials with a commitment to transparency would ensure the full release of all the files… if it wanted to get to the bottom of reports that DoJ [Department of Justice] withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accuses President Trump of heinous crimes”.
She claimed she was being compelled to testify “to distract attention from President Trump’s actions”.
Democrats claim material from the Epstein files was withheld, including records of a woman who accused the president of sexually abusing her when she was a child. Mr Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Ms Clinton said Epstein was a “heinous individual” but is “far from alone”, calling the crimes he committed a “global scourge with an unimaginable human toll”.
Meanwhile, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have been backing Ms Clinton, and criticised the leak of a photo from inside the deposition.
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari described the deposition as an “incredibly unserious clown show”.
Fellow Democrat Robert Garcia also spoke to call for President Trump to testify: “We want to understand right now where the missing FBI files are.
“These are files that accuse the president of the United States about serious, serious accusations around sexual abuse,” he said.
Donald Trump has denied all accusations of wrongdoing, saying the Epstein files exonerated him.
Hillary Clinton, and her husband Bill, agreed to appear before the committee after their offers of sworn statements were rejected by the House Oversight panel.
Mr Clinton’s testimony on Friday will be the first time a former president has been forced to testify before Congress.
A close friend and former aide of the Clintons has told Sky News that Republicans have “created a trap” for Donald Trump by enforcing a summons on Bill Clinton to testify about Jeffrey Epstein.
Sidney Blumenthal said the Democrats will surely respond by forcing Mr Trump to testify himself “if and when” they take control of Congress.
He says cabinet members such as Howard Lutnick, commerce secretary, and Pam Bondi, attorney general, could also be called to testify, as could Melania Trump over her previous relationship with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
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