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Shoppers ring up £3.4bn Christmas debt time-bomb More consumers than ever turn to unregulated form of credit to fund Christmas New rules to protect shoppers will not be brought in until at least 2026 Experts say delay will leave consumers at risk of falling into debt for longer By JESSICA CLARK Updated: 16:50 EST, 28 December 2024 e-mail View comments British shoppers risk starting the New Year with a debt time-bomb after spending a record £3.4 billion using the buy now, pay later (BNPL) type of credit over the festive period. New figures showed that more consumers than ever have turned to the unregulated form of credit to fund Christmas this year. Despite Labour's vow to overhaul the sector, new rules to protect shoppers will not be brought in until at least 2026. Experts say that the delay will leave consumers at risk of falling into unaffordable debt for a further year. BNPL is a form of credit that allows shoppers to defer payments or pay for products in instalments. Critics say that it can trap users in a spiral of debt, and claim that information is not clear enough for customers and that affordability checks are only surface-level. Providers also charge fees or interest on late payments. Time-bomb: BNPL is a form of credit that allows shoppers to defer payments or pay for products in instalments Platforms have welcomed the Government's commitment to new rules that would end years of uncertainty after plans for regulation were first floated in 2021. BNPL giants such as Swedish firm Klarna, which is still planning a long-awaited US listing, and Clear Pay dominate the market in the UK. Some banks, such as Monzo, and retailers including Mike Ashley's Frasers Group offer their own BNPL services to customers. But despite the popularity of BNPL in the UK, another big player, Laybuy, collapsed into administration this year as customers tightened their belts. The amount spent through BNPL in November and December is expected to have climbed by 8.3 per cent year-on-year, according to forecasts by Adobe. And separate figures have shown that one in 12 UK adults – or 4 million people – will rely on credit over the Christmas period. Around 38 per cent of those will use BNPL, amounting to more than 1.5 million shoppers. That is a two percentage-point rise compared with 2023, when 36 per cent or 1.4 million borrowers used BNPL products over the festive period, according to debt charity StepChange. And women are particularly at risk, with 42 per cent of female borrowers relying on the lending compared with 32 per cent of men. The splurge comes despite retail sales over the festive period taking a tumble. 'Super Saturday', the final Saturday before Christmas Day, saw a disappointing 0.9 per cent rise in shopper numbers compared with 2023. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Retailers face collapse as costs rocket and High St distress... Over 400 shop jobs lost every day this year as bleak retail... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Boxing Day, when people traditionally hit stores in search of post-Christmas bargains, also failed to provide a much-needed uplift for struggling retailers. Shopping activity on the morning of December 26 was down by nearly 9 per cent compared with last year, with high streets experiencing the sharpest declines, according to MRI Software. Analysts noted that rather than queuing outside of shops to hunt for bargains, many people were instead using Boxing Day to spend time with their families, dining out or attending sports matches. Simon Trevethick at StepChange said: 'BNPL services have grown in popularity over the last few years, but of course at this time of year using this type of interest-free credit can be even more popular as people see their budget stretched by Christmas expenses. 'While BNPL can be a useful way to spread the cost of gifts, food and other festive items, consumers can be at risk of falling into difficulty if the repayments become unaffordable in the New Year.' When regulation is introduced, BNPL firms will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. That will mean providers will have to check that shoppers can afford the repayments before offering a loan. 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MOLLY-MAE Hague has shared a brand new update about her fashion brand Maebe. The social media star faced major backlash recently after fans were left disappointed at failing to get their hands on the pieces amid with Molly herself admitting stock issues were "frustrating". 3 Molly-Mae Hague has shared a brand new Maebe update Credit: Instagram 3 The star is launching three brand new T-shirts after facing backlash over stock Credit: Instagram It caused her to tell her fans that she would be working hard to improve the brand's stock levels in the New Year but it appears as though the mum-of-one has managed to sort it earlier. In a new update on the Maebe Instagram account, it was revealed that the brand had THREE brand new T-shirts available for sale. The Power Tee comes in three different colours - Black, White and Wine , a deep red colour. The T-shirts are already available to purchase with Molly's fans likely desperate to get their hands on the garments amid the recent issues. Read More on Molly-Mae Family Time Molly-Mae reveals how she co-parented Bambi with Tommy Fury over Christmas all change Molly-Mae reveals she’s having Botox again - two years after ‘make-under’ The Love Island alum, 25, launched Maebe - her quality range of staples including boxy jackets, adjustable-waist jeans and short-sleeve knit tops - earlier this year. Huge fan demand saw the garments sell-out completely in 24 minutes - while others took aim at the price point and quality. Molly recently took to her Instagram comments section as fans talked of their struggles to get their hands on the garments , which combine comfort with style. One potential buyer put: "I've never been interested quite frankly. Most read in Celebrity baby joy Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan announce she's pregnant with first baby NEIL BY MOUTH Moment Rangers hero says he needs RESCUED on live TV during Motherwell clash GER OUT Moment raging Rangers fans BOO their own players and say 'go away' at Motherwell WELL 2 GERS 2 Shambolic display leaves Clement on brink as horror Christmas week continues "It's very over-priced for what it is, but I genuinely just liked the set! "It's a rubbish experience, it's just a game of whoever can type the fastest or who has their details saved, most shops allow you a bit of time to check out." Molly Mae says Bambi cried for two days straight and ‘hated’ lapland UK The YouTube star - who already owns fake tan brand Filter - then directly commented underneath. In a candid reply she wrote: "I couldn't agree with you more on the stock front, it's really frustrating. "Unfortunately I just didn't back myself enough when we planned these quantities a very long time ago. "I promise you this is something I am in total agreement with you on and it's something that in the New Year we will improve upon now that we have an understanding of the demand. "I'm really sorry you feel let down - I'm learning as I go and will make this a better buying experience for you as soon as we can." A Molly-Mae fan's opinion on the Maebe range, and its prices EVER since Molly-Mae Hague, 25, walked into the Love Island villa back in 2019, I’ve always been a mega fan. After hearing the news that she was coming out with a fashion brand, of course I was excited. But as much as I hate to admit it, I’m disappointed. I understand that she’s launched Maebe as a more high class brand. I know it’s not going to be Shein quality. But with prices varying from £35 to £140, I’m definitely not impressed. Maebe’s “ultimate blazer” is priced at an eye-watering £140, whilst a very simple, plain white tee is a whopping £35. Not only this, but the “contour popper top” is £50, and a seemingly boring white shirt will set you back a whopping £65. And if that wasn’t bad enough, £90 for a pair of jeans? I understand paying £50 for a pair of good quality denims, but £90?! That’s incredibly steep considering you can get Levi’s, a well-established brand that’s been going for donkey years, for just a tenner more. So, will I be buying anything from Maebe? The only thing I can say to that is Maebe (definitely) not. by Abigail Wilson, Senior Digital Writer 3 She launched the brand earlier this year Credit: instagram/maebeOmani stock market extends losses for fifth week amid regional tensions

An American University professor quoted in a recently published Star article labeled Kari Lake a "flawed candidate." That is fictitious logic by an egotistically bloated, politically biased academic. In reality, the flawed candidate was Ruben Gallego, who outspent his opponent over 2 to 1 to eke out a slim electoral victory. This 2 to 1 figure does not include the millions of dollars of in-kind contributions provided Gallego by fawning, biased, DNC gravitating media outlets. Clearly, the cost per vote for Gallego far exceeded that spent by Kari Lake. If Lake is so flawed, how come she accomplished so much with so little? Rich Wiersma Catalina Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star. Follow these steps to easily submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion to the Arizona Daily Star. Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

DAMASCUS — Insurgents in Syria advanced to the suburbs of Damascus on Saturday, marking a major escalation in their offensive and prompting the government to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The advances, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, have drastically reduced government control, leaving it with only four of Syria’s 14 provincial capitals. The insurgents' progress has sparked panic in Damascus, with residents rushing to stockpile essentials and some fleeing to the border with Lebanon. Shops in the capital shuttered, and basic goods sold out or were priced exorbitantly. For the first time since 2018, opposition fighters have reached the outskirts of the city, including areas such as Maadamiyah and Daraya. The rapid offensive has been attributed to minimal resistance from government forces, who have shifted their focus to defending the central city of Homs. HTS has captured key cities such as Aleppo and Hama in recent days and is reportedly encircling Damascus. Diplomatic efforts to address the crisis unfolded in Doha, Qatar, where foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight nations, including Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, held discussions on Syria's future. U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen has called for urgent talks in Geneva to implement a political transition, emphasizing the deteriorating situation on the ground. As insurgents continue their push, the Syrian government faces increasing isolation, with Russia and Iran unable to provide the support they once did. Meanwhile, international leaders are urging swift diplomatic action to prevent further destabilization and preserve Syria’s territorial integrity. — Agencies < Previous Page Next Page >Some have called TikTok’s “onion boil” the best thing to happen to the allium since the battered, blooming steakhouse favourite . Others have labelled it “ recession-core ,” a reference to the aesthetic trend “that prioritizes usefulness over embellishment.” Little more than a hollowed-out, butter-stuffed whole onion, this may be accurate, but according to @thishealthytable , “Recession-core has never been so delicious.” Let’s get one thing straight: onion boil isn’t boiled but baked. According to Allrecipes , its name is a nod to the communal seafood boils (a.k.a. Low Country boils ) of the East Coast, where everything goes into a pot with a spice mix such as Old Bay before being drained and drenched in butter. To try it yourself, peel the skin from an onion, trim both ends and hollow it out using a paring knife. (TikTokers also used melon ballers or spoons.) Some creators then seasoned the onion with spices and poured melted butter over the top. Others, such as @stephpappas , sliced it crosswise, stuffed the hollowed-out centre with a knob of butter and placed pats in the slits before adding seasoning, wrapping it in foil and baking it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly an hour. As one astute TikTok user commented, “Wait till people hear about dolma.” Admittedly more involved than making onion boil, to make Iraqi stuffed onions (dolma), Turkish sogan dolmasi or Greek salantourmasi , for example, cooks layer an aromatic mixture of rice, herbs and spices in the softened allium before baking. From cottage cheese to cucumber , TikTok food trends can have outsized impacts. With 6.9 million followers, known for his “Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber” catchphrase, Ottawa TikTok star Logan Moffitt ‘s viral shaken salad was such a hit that Iceland experienced a cucumber shortage . While some trends are dubious, a whole-baked onion confit is hard to find fault with. Onions are a foundational ingredient in stocks, stews, soups and braises the world over. So much so that Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions; in one form or another, their flavour blends into almost everything in the meal except the dessert.” Enjoying them whole, as in Adeena Sussman’s balsamic-glazed onions and leeks , or caramelized and gratinéed like Mary Berg’s onion soup , is all fair game. As commonplace as onions are, “they’re anything but ordinary,” author Mark Kurlansky said at a talk about his 2023 book, The Core of an Onion . “One of the things that’s extraordinary is that it’s a vegetable with a defence mechanism. If you mess with an onion, it’s going to spit sulfuric acid in your eye.” According to Kurlansky, humans are the only mammals up to this particular challenge. Our tears are a small price to pay for the onion’s mellow sweetness — whether doused in butter and eaten whole à la TikTok or not. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here .Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined JetsShoppers ring up £3.4bn Christmas debt time-bomb More consumers than ever turn to unregulated form of credit to fund Christmas New rules to protect shoppers will not be brought in until at least 2026 Experts say delay will leave consumers at risk of falling into debt for longer By JESSICA CLARK Updated: 16:50 EST, 28 December 2024 e-mail View comments British shoppers risk starting the New Year with a debt time-bomb after spending a record £3.4 billion using the buy now, pay later (BNPL) type of credit over the festive period. New figures showed that more consumers than ever have turned to the unregulated form of credit to fund Christmas this year. Despite Labour's vow to overhaul the sector, new rules to protect shoppers will not be brought in until at least 2026. Experts say that the delay will leave consumers at risk of falling into unaffordable debt for a further year. BNPL is a form of credit that allows shoppers to defer payments or pay for products in instalments. Critics say that it can trap users in a spiral of debt, and claim that information is not clear enough for customers and that affordability checks are only surface-level. Providers also charge fees or interest on late payments. Time-bomb: BNPL is a form of credit that allows shoppers to defer payments or pay for products in instalments Platforms have welcomed the Government's commitment to new rules that would end years of uncertainty after plans for regulation were first floated in 2021. BNPL giants such as Swedish firm Klarna, which is still planning a long-awaited US listing, and Clear Pay dominate the market in the UK. Some banks, such as Monzo, and retailers including Mike Ashley's Frasers Group offer their own BNPL services to customers. But despite the popularity of BNPL in the UK, another big player, Laybuy, collapsed into administration this year as customers tightened their belts. The amount spent through BNPL in November and December is expected to have climbed by 8.3 per cent year-on-year, according to forecasts by Adobe. And separate figures have shown that one in 12 UK adults – or 4 million people – will rely on credit over the Christmas period. Around 38 per cent of those will use BNPL, amounting to more than 1.5 million shoppers. That is a two percentage-point rise compared with 2023, when 36 per cent or 1.4 million borrowers used BNPL products over the festive period, according to debt charity StepChange. And women are particularly at risk, with 42 per cent of female borrowers relying on the lending compared with 32 per cent of men. The splurge comes despite retail sales over the festive period taking a tumble. 'Super Saturday', the final Saturday before Christmas Day, saw a disappointing 0.9 per cent rise in shopper numbers compared with 2023. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Retailers face collapse as costs rocket and High St distress... Over 400 shop jobs lost every day this year as bleak retail... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Boxing Day, when people traditionally hit stores in search of post-Christmas bargains, also failed to provide a much-needed uplift for struggling retailers. Shopping activity on the morning of December 26 was down by nearly 9 per cent compared with last year, with high streets experiencing the sharpest declines, according to MRI Software. Analysts noted that rather than queuing outside of shops to hunt for bargains, many people were instead using Boxing Day to spend time with their families, dining out or attending sports matches. Simon Trevethick at StepChange said: 'BNPL services have grown in popularity over the last few years, but of course at this time of year using this type of interest-free credit can be even more popular as people see their budget stretched by Christmas expenses. 'While BNPL can be a useful way to spread the cost of gifts, food and other festive items, consumers can be at risk of falling into difficulty if the repayments become unaffordable in the New Year.' When regulation is introduced, BNPL firms will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. That will mean providers will have to check that shoppers can afford the repayments before offering a loan. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: Shoppers ring up £3.4bn Christmas debt time-bomb e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Former Trump policy adviser now expected to be pick for Agriculture secretary

Love, lust and billion-dollar trust funds: How one of Australia's richest dynasties is about to have its dirty laundry aired for all to see - and then there is bombshell nude pics row... Late billionaire Richard Pratt's daughter at war with ex-husband Heloise Pratt suing Alex Waislitz over alleged business dealings Heiress dating Jodhi Meares' former fiancé, rock star Jon Stevens Also locked in legal tussle with her father's lovechild, Paula Hitchcock Waislitz engaged to pop singer and actress Rebekah Behbahani Couple being sued by Behbahani's Real Housewives sister Venus All comes in the midst of an unrelated sordid nude photo extortion scandal By STEVE JACKSON FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 21:40, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 21:40, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments The dirty laundry of one of Australia's richest dynasties is set to be exposed in a series of explosive court cases after a vicious feud erupted between billionaire divorcees Héloise Pratt and Alex Waislitz. The former couple have begun trading barbs in the Supreme Court of Victoria, with the legal action threatening to expose all their juicy romantic and financial secrets. The sensational tussle centres around control of the $1.3bn stock investment empire run by Mr Waislitz which is co-owned by Ms Pratt. But the estranged lovers now also find themselves engaged in fierce legal battles on multiple fronts. And it comes in the midst of a sordid nude photo 'sextortion' scandal involving one of their new lovers. Ms Pratt is the eldest daughter of late billionaire cardboard king Richard Pratt, chair of the philanthropic Pratt Foundation and, according to the 2024 Forbes Rich List, the country's 29th richest person with a personal net worth of $1.93b. She is also the sister of Donald Trump-confidante Anthony Pratt, who recently donated $15million to the president-elect's campaign earlier this year. Ms Pratt, 62, married Mr Waislitz in 1994, with the businessman turning $1.15m lent to him by his Rich List father-in-law into a billion-dollar funds management company and a personal net worth of $1.48b. Although the couple officially separated in 2015, they initially maintained amicable relations over joint ownership of Thorney Investments, and their shared custody of their three children, Jake, Milly and Joseph. They both moved on romantically following their split, with Ms Pratt coupling up with newly-single rock star Jon Stevens, who had just broken up with fiancée Jodhi Meares. Billionaire socialite Heloise Pratt is now in a relationship with rock star Jon Stevens Billionaire businessman Alex Waislitz is engaged to singer Rebekah Behbahani The former Noiseworks singer's 18-month engagement to James Packer 's first wife ended in a torrid row at their mansion in Sydney 's eastern suburbs in February 2015. Meares, now 53, had Stevens, 63, charged with common assault and domestic-related assault, and slapped with an apprehended violence order, following the argument, with the allegations effectively confirming the end of their relationship. Police eventually dropped the charges, which Stevens described as 'ridiculous', two months later - but by then the singer had been booted out of his new band, the Dead Daisies, and had more than 30 appearances cancelled as a result of the accusations. Around the same time, Mr Waislitz was spotted in Ibiza with UK nightclub singer Vanessa Von Tain but, despite calling the Melbourne investor her 'loved one' on social media during the trip, the romance soon fizzled out. Mr Waislitz, 66, has now found a new partner in the arms of 34-year-old singer and actress Rebekah Behbahani. The couple moved in together in February 2019 and welcomed a daughter, Storm, later that year before briefly breaking up. They are now being sued by Ms Behbahani's sister, former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Venus Behbahani in Victoria's Supreme Court. The 40-year-old lawyer and mother-of-four claims her younger sibling promised to gift her a townhouse in Melbourne's exclusive Toorak in exchange for helping her launch her pop career and caring for her and her daughter throughout her brief estrangement with Mr Waislitz. Heloise, with brother Anthony, is the eldest child of late cardboard king Richard Pratt Jon Stevens was engaged to Jodhi Meares until their acrimonious split in 2015 Meares is the first wife of billionaire James Packer Stevens rocking with his band the Dead Daisies According to court documents, Venus Behbahani claims Mr Waislitz agreed to give Rebekah two townhouses and $2.5m as part of a separation agreement after they broke up in October 2019. She alleges her sister agreed to then give her one of the homes as part of a Deed of Gift and Confidentiality agreement they drew up that December. However, Mr Waislitz and Rebekah ended up reconciling a couple of months later in February 2020 and their separation agreement was never enforced. They instead went on to announce their engagement in November that year. Despite the couple's reconciliation, Venus maintained her sister's promise to gift her the Toorak townhouse still stood and commenced legal action against them last year after placing a caveat on the property. In their defence filed with the Supreme Court, Rebekah claimed she was in a distressed state when she signed the agreement with her sister while Mr Waislitz denies they have any obligation to give Venus anything. In a counterclaim, Mr Waislitz accused his soon-to-be sister-in-law of living in the home with her family without permission since November 15, 2022 and sought orders to force her out and have the caveat she placed on the property removed. That case has been listed for trial on May 27 and is expected to run for 15 days. In the meantime, Ms Pratt has also launched legal proceedings against her ex-husband, filing her own explosive claim in the Victoria's Supreme Court last month. She has accused Mr Waislitz of 'acting 'dishonestly' by paying himself and his charitable foundation $1.147m without her knowledge or approval. Sisters Venus Behbahani and Rebekah Behanhani are fighting over a Toorak townhouse Venus Behbahani starred in season four of The Real Housewives of Melbourne Read More Ex-Real Housewives of Melbourne star is dragged into messy court battle with her sister over luxury house in one of Australia's wealthiest suburbs Ms Pratt also accused him of withholding board documents and financial information from her in relation to Thorney Investments, which Mr Waislitz runs and she co-owns, and their other related companies. The heiress commenced the action following a breakdown in their one-time friendly relationship after finalising their divorce and spending much of the past two years trying to divide their financial interests through lawyers. Mr Waislitz hit back at his ex-wife on Christmas Eve when he filed his defence with the Supreme Court furiously rejecting her allegations. In it, he described her case against him as 'embarrassing' and insisted she had failed to involve herself with their business and that her claims against him were liable to be struck out. Like Mr Waislitz and his fiancé, Ms Pratt is also fighting a separate legal battle with a sibling. The socialite's half-sister, Paula Hitchcock, won a small legal battle in her separate fight to claim a slice of the Pratt family's vast multi-billion-dollar fortune in October The 27-year-old love child of Ms Pratt's late father and his mistress Shari-Lea Hitchcock is suing her half-siblings, Ms Pratt, her brother Anthony Pratt and sister Fiona Geminder, after being cut out of the Pratt Family Trust. Ms Hitchcock has asked the NSW Supreme Court to nullify a deed of exclusion that prevented her from claiming inheritance as a Pratt child under the terms of the Trust. She argued she was always acknowledged and accepted as a full family member by both her late father and his wife, Jeanne. Paula Hitchcock is suing her half-siblings for a share of the vast Pratt family fortune Ms Hitchcock is the love child of late billionaire Richard Pratt and mistress Shari-Lea Hitchcock Richard Pratt and wife Jeanne both acknowledged Ms Hitchcock as his daughter Jeanne Pratt with her three children, Anthony, Heloise and Fiona She claimed Mrs Pratt assigned a bedroom to her at the couple's family homes, regularly invited her to attend the weekly family Shabbat and that the couple had listed her as their financial dependent in 2007. Her half-siblings argued Ms Hitchcock's case should be dismissed because she was not a child of both their parents as required under the Trust and insisted their mother's acceptance of Ms Hitchcock didn't 'convert' her into Mrs Pratt's child. However, Justice Michael Meek rejected their argument and granted Ms Hitchcock time to amend her claim that she fits the criteria of a 'child' of the Pratt family. 'I reject the siblings' submission that there is no rational basis to conclude that (Ms Hitchcock) being acknowledged by Mr Pratt as a member of his family implies that she could be considered as a 'child' of Mrs Pratt,' he determined. 'What seems to be relatively clear is that the definition of 'child' ... is cast in broad terms that may include a child who is not the biological child of both Mr Pratt and Mrs Pratt'. Meanwhile, on yet another unrelated legal front, Rebekah Behbahani was forced to call in police earlier this year after a trove of 'intimate images' of her were posted online on June 20 by an anonymous social media account without her permission. A second cache was uploaded by the account the following day before the profile disappeared, with Ms Behbahani telling police she was the victim of an 'extortion' attempt. There is no suggestion that any members of the Pratt family, Ms Behbahani's sister or Mr Waislitz were responsible for posting the images. 'I am deeply distressed by this malicious invasion of my privacy. No one deserves to be subjected to such appalling acts,' Ms Behbahani said in a statement at the time. 'This unlawful conduct is part of a long running and escalating campaign which is now the subject of investigation by the police. 'It has been a living nightmare. We will not give in to the extortion. I trust that the perpetrators will face the full force of the law.' Share or comment on this article: Love, lust and billion-dollar trust funds: How one of Australia's richest dynasties is about to have its dirty laundry aired for all to see - and then there is bombshell nude pics row... e-mail Add comment5 top tech gifts for the holidaysHomeless women will benefit from local 100 WHC network's hefty donation

The Shocking Truth Behind Nvidia’s Stock PlungeNo. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media

Incarnate Word beats East Texas A&M 38-24 to finish undefeated in conference playGame 9: Iowa at Michigan Recap

Brock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saintsrobtek/iStock Editorial via Getty Images We have been saying for some time that it is getting more difficult to find undervalued stocks in the U.S. market ( VTI ), particularly in the tech sector. For example, a good proxy is The Technology Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities. Before buying or selling shares, you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion, or consult a financial advisor. Investing includes risks, including loss of principal. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.