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Eurostar trains are set to resume this morning after “unprecedented” flooding in a tunnel brought travel chaos for thousands of people – as a severe weather warning was issued for large parts of the UK on New Year’s Eve.

Eurostar said all services would run to Paris, Brussels, London and Amsterdam on Sunday – but warned there could still be delays and packed stations.

Southeastern and Thameslink rail are also predicting serious disruption.

Weather latest: Severe winds forecast for New Year’s Eve

With New Year’s Eve celebrations hours away, the Met Office warned severe gales and heavy showers may lead to disruption.

A yellow weather warning for wind is in force from 10am until around midnight tonight.

The warning covers the south and southwest of Wales, much of the south of England, including the Isle of Wight, and the South West.

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People have been told to expect gales and severe gales, with heavy showers potentially leading to disruption to road, rail, air and ferry journeys.

Bus and train journeys may also be affected and short term losses of power are possible in some areas.

Get the latest weather forecast for your area

The yellow weather warning covers parts of the south of the UK
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Pic: Met Office

In London and the south, winds are expected to strengthen, while scattered, blustery showers are expected to develop throughout the day, possibly thundery along southern coasts.

Some brighter spells are possible between showers.

Eurostar problem ‘under control’

Travellers were stranded yesterday when all Eurostar trains to and from London St Pancras were cancelled.

Many were forced to frantically arrange a last-minute flight, ferry or road journey – with some people’s holiday plans ruined.

A man in St Pancras was seen holding an iPad reading “taxi to Paris”, while images showed the track near Ebbsfleet in Kent being deluged by a burst pipe.

Thames Water said it believed it was caused by a “fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe”.

However a spokesman for HS1, which operates the track, said: “The source of the flooding will be the subject of an investigation, but at this stage we have no evidence to suggest that the fire control system was related to the issue in any way.”

Eurostar said trains would soon resume after the problem was “brought under control”, adding that it was “sorry for the inconvenience”.

“At least one tunnel can now be used”, it announced, while still warning “some speed restrictions” in the morning could cause more delays and “very busy” stations.

All Eurostar trains have been cancelled
Eurostar trains have been cancelled
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Passengers were left stranded at a packed St Pancras station in London

Southeastern rail services were also disrupted by the flooding – and the company said problems were likely to linger on Sunday with a reduced service between St Pancras and Ashford.

“Whilst service recovers, trains running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed or revised to terminate at Ebbsfleet International,” it said.

Thameslink is also predicting “major disruption” until the early hours of 1 January – due to a “shortage of train crew”.

Services between Bedford and London, Brighton and London, and Three Bridges and London are expected to be worst hit.

There will also be no overnight services on the network for people heading back from New Year celebrations.

A spokesperson for HS1 also confirmed the Eurostar line “will be operational in the morning”.

“We understand how frustrating this has been for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year,” the firm added.

The Met Office said bad weather was unlikely to have been the cause of the tunnel flood as there hadn’t been any heavy rain in the area at the time.

People stand on a platform at the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord train station, as an unexpected strike by French workers at Eurotunnel, the undersea link between Britain and continental Europe, interrupted cross-Channel rail traffic, threatening the Christmas holiday plans of many travelers, in Paris, France, December 21, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
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The first Eurostar to Paris is set to leave London at 8.01am on Sunday

A tunnel flooded near Ebbsfleet
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The flood happened in the tunnel near Ebbsfleet in Kent

One of many travellers whose plans were ruined by the cancelled Eurostar trains was Matthew Hulls, 40, from Colchester.

He said he was “devastated” and had to return home after a surprise trip to Cologne for his partner was scuppered.

“My partner and I are big ice hockey fans of the local team and I’d purchased VIP tickets as a surprise for her, so (I’m) pretty devastated,” said Mr Hulls.

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It’s the second time this month that people have been left stranded due to Eurostar problems.

All services were temporarily suspended in the days before Christmas after an unexpected strike by French staff unhappy about their end-of-year bonus.

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Russell Brand: Comedian and actor pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges

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Russell Brand: Comedian and actor pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges

Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as he appeared in court in London.

The British comedian and actor, from Hambleden in Buckinghamshire, was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape as well as two counts of sexual assault.

The charges relate to alleged incidents involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.

The 49-year-old, who has been living in the US, was flanked by two officers as he pleaded not guilty to all the charges at Southwark Crown Court today.

Russell Brand appears at Southwark Crown Court.
Pic: Reuters
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Russell Brand appears at Southwark Crown Court. Pic: Reuters

Brand stood completely still and looked straight ahead as he delivered his pleas.

The comedian, who has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago, is due to stand trial in June 2026.

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Russell Brand arrives in court
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Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court on Friday

He previously told his 11.2 million followers on X that he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.

The allegations were first made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches in September 2023.

As Friday’s hearing finished, Brand replaced his sunglasses before exiting the dock and calmly walking past reporters.

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Tom Daley says ‘it’s scary how LGBT rights are being dangerously threatened’

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Tom Daley says 'it's scary how LGBT rights are being dangerously threatened'

Even as someone who has grown up in the public eye, Tom Daley has vulnerabilities and concerns to finally reveal.

The five-time Olympic medallist has an even greater perspective as the British diver who first competed at the Games aged 14 in 2008, who is now retired and a father of two.

Having grown up in the public eye when social media was still in its infancy, Daley is deeply troubled by the toxicity online, especially for someone with an opinion.

And the 31-year-old has spoken out from a young age – from LGBTQ+ rights to bullying and mental health – but he is ready to go further now.

“There’s lots of things I think we’ll look back on this last five, 10 years of human history as being quite shocking in a way,” Daley said in an interview with Sky News.

Tom Daley competing at Tokyo 2020. Pic: PA
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Tom Daley competing at Tokyo 2020. Pic: PA

“When social media came to prevalence – and cancel culture and people not being allowed to make any mistakes or be able to share too many opinions – it can be very scary and intimidating for certain groups of people.

“I think it definitely pits lots of people against each other and I think we always have to remember that we’re all in this together at the end of the day.

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“And there’s so many more important things – being able to come together as one human race and I know that sounds very like hippie-dippie.

“But it really is as simple as that, about just being kind to each other.

“Where has that kindness and compassion gone because everybody feels like they have something to say about very small groups of people.”

(L-R) Tom Daley and Matty Lee celebrate winning gold in the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Pic: PA
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(L-R) Tom Daley and Matty Lee celebrate winning gold in the Men’s Synchronised 10m Platform Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Pic: PA

A front row seat to LA 2028

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion revealed he was gay in 2013 and went on to marry Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

They now live as a family in Los Angeles – the city hosting the 2028 Olympics.

Tom Daley and Noah Williams took silver at the Paris Olympics last year. Pic: PA
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Tom Daley and Noah Williams took silver at the Paris Olympics last year. Pic: PA

Having retired from diving after a final silver medal at Paris 2024, Daley will have a front row seat to the Games taking place in an America where Donald Trump has seemed to roll back LGBTQ+ protections early in his second presidential term.

“It is scary in some parts of the world how the rights of LGBT people are kind of being reversed or they’re being dangerously threatened,” Daley said when asked about Trump.

Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black at the Brit Awards 2023. Pic: AP
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Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black at the Brit Awards 2023. Pic: AP

“It’s something again where minorities have to come together for the greater good because it is scary.

“And you may see someone else’s rights going away and I think it’s important that everybody, especially minorities, come together because it won’t just be one group that gets targeted.

“Once one group has been targeted, it will move on to the next, and the next, and the next.

“I think the most important thing is staying visible. I think lots of people ask, ‘What can you do to be an activist? What can you do to an advocate?’

“I think it’s being truly and authentically yourself. As long as you’re happy, your friends and family are happy, and you’re not hurting anyone else, then I think just being visible is a great form of activism.”

Donald Trump and his wife Melania at his election night rally on 6 November 2024. Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump and his wife Melania at his election night rally on 6 November 2024. Pic: Reuters

Trump election victory was a ‘shock’

“For lots of people living in the West Coast bubble, it was like a bit of a shock when Trump won the election in November,” Daley said.

“But I think it’s also given everybody a wake-up call. I just always believe in leading with kindness, care and compassion and trying to make life worth living for every single person.”

Daley knows what it is like to feel targeted for abuse.

The sports star attends a screening in London for Tom Daley 1.6 Seconds. Pic: PA
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The sports star attends a screening in London for Tom Daley 1.6 Seconds. Pic: PA

In a new documentary featuring family video growing up, Tom Daley 1.6 Seconds, there is a sense of disbelief that he gave interviews as a child talking about being bullied in school after his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008.

“I never really saw it back then as something that was strange because it’s something that I had lived and grown up and just was part of how my life existed,” he said.

“But, looking back on it, I kind of was like, ‘Oh my gosh, imagine if it could have all been so different’.”

London 2012 poster boy

During the build-up to London 2012, Daley was the poster boy of the home Olympics.

But he was dealing with bulimia and body dysmorphia in private. It’s still difficult to talk about, knowing people would comment on how he seemed in great shape.

“But that’s not what an eating disorder is,” he said. “An eating disorder is not being able to think about your body, what you eat, what you put into your body rationally.

“And I think that’s something that people don’t necessarily understand with eating disorders, which is why going through that, I went through it alone.

“Because I was embarrassed to be thinking about those things. I didn’t think anybody would believe me.”

To this day, Daley feels people online are dismissive of his concerns. In interviews, he grates when it is pointed out that in retirement he is not fat.

“I’m constantly reminded of that,” he said. “So it’s definitely something that triggered the way that I think about my relationship with food.”

This is not to take away from how fondly Daley looks back on a career that saw him reach the pinnacle with Olympic gold in 2021 at the pandemic-delayed Olympics.

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There is no sign of coming out of retirement again as he did in Paris last year.

“I feel incredibly proud of what I’ve been able to achieve in terms of my perseverance and resilience through lots of different things,” he said. “I do miss being on that diving board.

“It is like there is no other feeling than being on top of a diving board in a competition where you’re putting all of the work that you put in into that 1.6 seconds and I think I will forever miss that.”

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Kyle Enos: Man who made and sold poisonous diet pills is jailed

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Kyle Enos: Man who made and sold poisonous diet pills is jailed

A man who made and sold poisonous diet pills has been jailed.

DNP is poisonous to humans and has been banned for human consumption in the UK.

The industrial chemical, which is officially known as 2,4-Dinitrophenol, has been illegally sold as a pill for weight loss, according to police.

Kyle Enos, 33, from Maesteg, Bridgend, was jailed for three years on Thursday after a multi-agency investigation.

DNP can cause serious physical side effects or death, according to the Food Standards Agency.

Enos was found to have purchased the pure form sodium salt of the powder from China via the dark web.

He made the pills using cutting agents and a pill press in his bedroom and advertised them on a website he had made.

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After receiving orders via email, he would ship the products within the UK and beyond, disguising them as vitamins and minerals.

Following the investigation, he was charged with multiple drug offences and pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 1 May.

‘Extremely ill or even dying’

He was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for one count of member of public import/acquire/possess/use of a regulated substance without licence, one count of supply regulated substance to member of public without verifying licence and one count of supply of regulated poison by person other than a pharmacist.

He was also found to have failed to comply with a serious crime prevention order (SCPO) after a previous conviction for the supply of the Class A drug Fentanyl.

Detective Constable Kieran Morris, of South Wales Police’s regional organised crime unit (ROCU) Tarian, said Enos was supplying the pills “with no safety precautions in place”, which could have led to buyers “becoming extremely ill or even dying”.

“Tarian ROCU are committed to safeguarding members of the public not only within our region, but across the United Kingdom and beyond,” he added.

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Alison Abbott, head of the National Crime Agency’s prisons and lifetime management unit, said SCPOs were “a powerful tool” to help prevent those convicted of “serious offences” from reoffending after their release from prison.

“This case should serve as a warning to others,” she added.

“As we did with Enos, we will actively monitor all those who are subject to such orders, and they will stay on our radar even after they are released from jail.”

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