Watch: White House attacks BBC over Hamas coverage
As ever, these days the Beeb is better at becoming the news than making it. Now the White House has taken a pop at the corporation, with President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing the BBC of having to correct its reporting from Gaza about aid distribution – and of taking Hamas's word as 'total truth'. Ouch.
Pointing to a document of screenshots of the BBC's website, she fumed:
The BBC…had multiple headlines: they wrote Israeli tank kills 26, Israeli tank kills 21, Israeli gunfire kills 31. They had to correct and take down their entire story, saying: 'We reviewed the footage and couldn't find any evidence of anything.'
Her remarks come after Israeli troops were accused of firing at civilians after a number of incidents occurred around aid distribution centres ran by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – resulting in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. For its part, the Beeb has denied Leavitt's claims and said it stood by its reporting.
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North Wales Chronicle
20 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
BBC Bargain Hunt expert jailed over art sales to ‘Hezbollah financier'
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, sold artwork worth around £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a man designated by US authorities as a suspected financier for the Lebanese organisation. Ojiri, of Brent, north London, previously pleaded guilty to eight offences under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. He is believed to be the first person to be charged with the specific offence. The art dealer, who has also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip, was charged with failing to disclose information about transactions in the regulated art market sector on or before dates between October 2020 and December 2021. US prosecutors say Mr Ahmad was a 'major Hezbollah financial donor' who used high-value art and diamonds to launder money and fund the group. He is accused of evading terrorism sanctions by using front companies to acquire more than 160 million dollars (£120 million) in artwork and diamond services. Following the introduction of new money laundering regulations in January 2020 that brought the art market under HMRC supervision, Ojiri is said to have discussed the changes with a colleague, indicating awareness of the rules. The court previously heard the total value of the artwork sold was around £140,000. The defendant was, at the relevant time, the owner and operator of Ramp Gallery – latterly Ojiri Gallery, Lyndon Harris, prosecuting, said. Mr Ahmad is understood to be based in Beirut, the court heard. Mr Harris said: 'The defendant engaged in discussions with and sales over a 14-month period with Nazem Ahmad and his associates, selling art to the value of £140,000 over that period.' The defendant knew Mr Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US, a previous hearing was told. Ahmad's phone number was saved on Ojiri's phone as 'Moss', the court heard. '[It] appears to have been a name deliberately chosen to disguise Mr Ahmad as being one of his contacts,' the prosecutor said. He added that Ojiri was warned by others about his conduct 'but proceeded to engage in dealings with Ahmad in any event'. Gavin Irwin, defending, said Ojiri was arrested while filming a BBC TV programme. He said: 'He has lost the work he loves. He was arrested while filming a BBC television programme. 'He has already lost, of course, his good name, he was until recently a man of good character.' He said the defendant had been 'naive' in relation to his participation in Ahmad's art market, but that he was 'preyed on by more sophisticated others'. Mr Irwin also said the defendant has lost his business, accepted that he had done wrong and wanted to 'apologise for undermining trust in the industry' and also to 'apologise for the distress that he has caused principally to those who know him, who love him, but also those who have supported him throughout his career'. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Ojiri to two years and six months in prison at the Old Bailey on Friday, with a further year to be spent on licence. She told Ojiri he had been involved in a commercial relationship 'for prestige and profit', and that he had been 'seeking the kudos of dealing with an eminent name in the dealing world'. She added: 'You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by someone like him.' Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that until these events he was 'someone to be admired' and added 'this is the nadir – there is one direction your life can go and I am confident that you will not be in front of the courts again.' The judge said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'The prosecution, using specific Terrorism Act legislation is the first of its kind, and should act as a warning to all art dealers that we can, and will, prosecute those who knowingly do business with people identified as funders of terrorist groups. 'Oghenochuko Ojiri wilfully obscured the fact he knew he was selling artwork to Nazem Ahmad, someone who has been sanctioned by the UK and US Treasury and described as a funder of the proscribed terrorist group Hizballah. 'Financial investigation is a crucial part of the counter terrorism effort. A team of specialist investigators, analysts and researchers in the NTFIU work all year round to prevent money from reaching the hands of terrorists or being used to fund terrorist attacks.' Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad's background. 'Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad's name under a different alias in his mobile phone. 'His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector.' Ojiri has appeared on a number of BBC shows including Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. He described himself as 'absolutely obsessed' with collecting contemporary art in a BBC Q&A. He has previously worked as an auctioneer and is known for championing African and European contemporary art. Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon, backed by Iran and known for its armed resistance against Israel. In the UK, the entire organisation – both its military and political wings – has been banned as a terrorist group since 2019.
Leader Live
21 minutes ago
- Leader Live
BBC Bargain Hunt expert jailed over art sales to ‘Hezbollah financier'
Oghenochuko Ojiri, 53, sold artwork worth around £140,000 to Nazem Ahmad, a man designated by US authorities as a suspected financier for the Lebanese organisation. Ojiri, of Brent, north London, previously pleaded guilty to eight offences under section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000. He is believed to be the first person to be charged with the specific offence. The art dealer, who has also appeared on the BBC's Antiques Road Trip, was charged with failing to disclose information about transactions in the regulated art market sector on or before dates between October 2020 and December 2021. US prosecutors say Mr Ahmad was a 'major Hezbollah financial donor' who used high-value art and diamonds to launder money and fund the group. He is accused of evading terrorism sanctions by using front companies to acquire more than 160 million dollars (£120 million) in artwork and diamond services. Following the introduction of new money laundering regulations in January 2020 that brought the art market under HMRC supervision, Ojiri is said to have discussed the changes with a colleague, indicating awareness of the rules. The court previously heard the total value of the artwork sold was around £140,000. The defendant was, at the relevant time, the owner and operator of Ramp Gallery – latterly Ojiri Gallery, Lyndon Harris, prosecuting, said. Mr Ahmad is understood to be based in Beirut, the court heard. Mr Harris said: 'The defendant engaged in discussions with and sales over a 14-month period with Nazem Ahmad and his associates, selling art to the value of £140,000 over that period.' The defendant knew Mr Ahmad had been sanctioned in the US, a previous hearing was told. Ahmad's phone number was saved on Ojiri's phone as 'Moss', the court heard. '[It] appears to have been a name deliberately chosen to disguise Mr Ahmad as being one of his contacts,' the prosecutor said. He added that Ojiri was warned by others about his conduct 'but proceeded to engage in dealings with Ahmad in any event'. Gavin Irwin, defending, said Ojiri was arrested while filming a BBC TV programme. He said: 'He has lost the work he loves. He was arrested while filming a BBC television programme. 'He has already lost, of course, his good name, he was until recently a man of good character.' He said the defendant had been 'naive' in relation to his participation in Ahmad's art market, but that he was 'preyed on by more sophisticated others'. Mr Irwin also said the defendant has lost his business, accepted that he had done wrong and wanted to 'apologise for undermining trust in the industry' and also to 'apologise for the distress that he has caused principally to those who know him, who love him, but also those who have supported him throughout his career'. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Ojiri to two years and six months in prison at the Old Bailey on Friday, with a further year to be spent on licence. She told Ojiri he had been involved in a commercial relationship 'for prestige and profit', and that he had been 'seeking the kudos of dealing with an eminent name in the dealing world'. She added: 'You knew about Ahmad's suspected involvement in financing terrorism and the way the art market can be exploited by someone like him.' Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that until these events he was 'someone to be admired' and added 'this is the nadir – there is one direction your life can go and I am confident that you will not be in front of the courts again.' The judge said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: 'The prosecution, using specific Terrorism Act legislation is the first of its kind, and should act as a warning to all art dealers that we can, and will, prosecute those who knowingly do business with people identified as funders of terrorist groups. 'Oghenochuko Ojiri wilfully obscured the fact he knew he was selling artwork to Nazem Ahmad, someone who has been sanctioned by the UK and US Treasury and described as a funder of the proscribed terrorist group Hizballah. 'Financial investigation is a crucial part of the counter terrorism effort. A team of specialist investigators, analysts and researchers in the NTFIU work all year round to prevent money from reaching the hands of terrorists or being used to fund terrorist attacks.' Bethan David, head of the CPS Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'It is clear that Oghenochuko Ojiri was aware of new money laundering regulations in the art world and that he had knowledge of Nazem Ahmad's background. 'Ojiri engaged in activity designed to conceal the identity of the true purchaser by changing the details on invoices and storing Mr Ahmad's name under a different alias in his mobile phone. 'His motivation appears to be financial along with a broader desire to boost his gallery's reputation within the art market by dealing with such a well-known collector.' Ojiri has appeared on a number of BBC shows including Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip. He described himself as 'absolutely obsessed' with collecting contemporary art in a BBC Q&A. He has previously worked as an auctioneer and is known for championing African and European contemporary art. Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon, backed by Iran and known for its armed resistance against Israel. In the UK, the entire organisation – both its military and political wings – has been banned as a terrorist group since 2019.
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Musk's attack on Trump sparks fears that 'Dark MAGA conspiracy' is coming true
A chilling conspiracy theory claims to know the reason behind Elon Musk 's attacks on President Donald Trump, saying it was his plan all along. Since the 2024 presidential campaign, Musk has been seen wearing and promoting the 'Dark MAGA' cap, a black-colored version of Trump's famously red Make America Great Again apparel. However, believers of the 'Dark MAGA conspiracy' claim this was a signal of Musk's real intentions for joining the campaign despite not having any concrete evidence of a plot existing. The conspiracy claims that a secret group of tech elites is plotting to undermine Trump and turn the US into a 'giant company' run by a new CEO that they would hand-pick. This theory started to gain more attention on social media after JD Vance was chosen as the vice presidential candidate, despite reports that Trump was leaning towards other choices, including Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. Now, as Musk has fired off shocking claims about Trump, including that the president is deeply connected to Jeffrey Epstein and should be replaced by Vice President Vance, the Dark MAGA conspiracy appears to be coming true in real time. Among the tech bosses allegedly part of this plot are Musk and Peter Thiel, the founders of PayPal. Conspiracy theorists believe that the group's ultimate goal is to dismantle American democracy and transform the country into a 'corporate monarchy' run by tech billionaires. Both Musk and Thiel wanted Vance chosen as Trump's running mate last year, according to The Daily Beast. Moreover, their multi-million-dollar campaign war chest for Trump was allegedly tied to the president picking the Ohio senator. According to the Dark MAGA conspiracy, however, the so-called 'PayPal Mafia' and Silicon Valley billionaires have been secretly grooming Vance to eventually replace Trump. Despite the claims Vance is a corporate plant, the vice president came to Trump's defense on Friday morning as he slammed 'corporate media lies' about the president. 'There are many lies the corporate media tells about President Trump. One of the most glaring is that he's impulsive or short-tempered,' he posted on X. 'Anyone who has seen him operate under pressure knows that's ridiculous.' Vance added in a follow up post that 'it's (maybe) the single biggest disconnect between fake media perception and reality.' Also a part of the Dark MAGA (also called the Dark Enlightenment) conspiracy is Curtis Yarvin, a former computer coder and self-proclaimed 'Dark Elf' philosopher. Writing under the pseudonym Mencius Moldbug in a 2008 blog, Yarvin advocated for a dictator-led monarchy to replace democracy in the US. Yarvin's ideas, once fringe, have allegedly gained a following among tech giants like Musk, Thiel, and billionaire software engineer Marc Andreessen. Yarvin compared democracy to 'outdated software' and called for the creation of a tech-driven government where the federal workforce was significantly slashed, elections became obsolete, and billionaires made all decisions for the country. The parallels between Musk's work with the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Dark MAGA conspiracy appear eerily similar. Under Musk's leadership, DOGE has been credited with slashing over 250,000 government jobs since the start of the Trump Administration on January 20. That same day, Dark MAGA conspiracy theorists took note of the eye-opening sight of several tech billionaires in attendance at President Trump's second inauguration. The guests included Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The alleged plot has only gained more attention this week, as Musk's sudden falling out with President Trump reached a new level of animosity. The clash began over Musk's opposition to Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which will reportedly add trillions to the national deficit and wipe out the savings from DOGE. The fight quickly devolved into a string of personal insults between the two men, prompting the president to consider terminating all of Musk's multi-billion-dollar government contracts for SpaceX and Tesla. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump said on Truth Social. Musk fired back right away, saying that SpaceX would begin 'decommissioning' its Dragon spacecraft immediately in response to the threat. The spacecraft is vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and a fierce critic of Elon Musk, quickly weighed in during his 'War Room Live' broadcast on Thursday. He urged the president to seize SpaceX from the billionaire entrepreneur and invoke the Defense Production Act - a national security measure dating back to the Korean War era - to seize control of the company. has reached out to Musk and SpaceX for comment on the status of the Dragon program. In this grim conspiracy, Trump is painted as an unwitting 'messenger of chaos,' with Musk acting as the true director of a tech-driven dystopian society. 'Some of Washington's biggest institutions have been briefed about Dark Enlightenment. They are taking it seriously,' The Daily Beast claimed on Friday. Ironically, Democrats have continued to claim that President Trump is a threat to democracy because of his policies on immigration and government spending. However, the Dark MAGA conspiracy alleges that the real threat comes from those seeking to unseat the 47th president and replace him with a tech-backed CEO. On Friday, Musk continued his assault on the president, re-sharing a stunning clip showing Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein. The clip was from 1992, showing the president and notorious pedophile surrounded by women and dancing at a club. The footage was posted by X user Natalie Danelishen, before Musk re-shared it with an inquisitive faced emoji.
