Dictators in Russia and China should be denied further control of raw materials used in electronics, writes John E Havard . Plus a letter from Fawzi Ibrahim

A footnote to the excellent article by Timothy Garton Ash ( What if Russia wins in Ukraine? We can already see the shadows of a dark 2025, 21 December ). The so-called rare earths are essential raw materials for advanced electronics industries. China – with the world’s largest economically exploitable reserves – has a major strategic advantage in access to rare earths, underlined by the tight export controls that it has recently imposed. In Europe, it is eastern Ukraine that has the best reserves. To gain and maintain control of Ukraine’s reserves would be a major boost for Russia.

A defeat here for Ukraine, enabled by the failure of the west to provide the long-term support that it has promised, would signal to China that it should not be too concerned about western resolve in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Taiwan is a dominant supplier of the advanced electronics, incorporating rare earths, that will continue to be a major determinant of economic success.

Blaze engulfed landmark building where Jim Morrison and bandmates posed for a photograph for their 1970 LP

Flames engulfed the historic Morrison Hotel, featured on the cover of The Doors’ 1970 album of the same name, after a fire hit the landmark downtown Los Angeles building.

More than 100 firefighters responded to the fire, which began around 11am Thursday, and had the burn under control in under two hours. Several dozen people inside were able to escape, including possible squatters and three people rescued by firefighters on the third floor.

• Unbeaten runner imperious in defeat of Ballyburn
• Val Dancer grabs the glory in Welsh Grand National

What looked likely to be a duel in the fog turned into more of a rout in the gloom at Kempton on Friday, as Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino made one of the more memorable debuts over fences in recent years, and established a strong claim to be the best two-mile novice chaser in Britain or Ireland.

Ballyburn, a Grade One winner over hurdles at Cheltenham in March, simply could not live with the speed and accuracy of Sir Gino’s jumping in the Wayward Lad Novice Chase, a race that has been won by an extensive list of future two-mile champions from the Henderson yard over the years. Remittance Man, Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Shishkin are all on the roll of honour, and Sir Gino, who is now odds-on with most bookmakers for the Arkle Trophy at next year’s festival, could yet prove to be as good as any of his illustrious predecessors.

Jane Doe alleges Shaun Carter and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexually assaulted her at a 2000 MTV awards afterparty

Jay-Z ’s legal efforts to dismiss a case accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 have been denied by a judge in New York , with the judge in the case condemning a lawyer for the hip-hop mogul for aggressive tactics.

Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, has denied the allegations, but the judge in the case used strong language in attacking his legal team’s actions.

Coroner calls for improvements after Chloe Every was wrongly prescribed morphine shortly before she died

A coroner who ruled that “gross failure” in the hospital care of a disabled woman “possibly contributed to her death” has called for improvements to protect patients.

Graeme Irvine, the senior coroner for east London, said the inquest into the death of Chloe Every had revealed matters “giving rise to concern” while she was in the care of Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust.

Jihad Abousalah worked as a driver for Haya Al-Thani and began to think they were a couple, court hears

A chauffeur has received a community order after being convicted of stalking a Qatari princess with whom he believed he was in a relationship.

Jihad Abousalah, 47, worked as a driver for Haya Al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, and began to believe they were a couple, Westminster magistrates court heard.

If you’re looking to heat the human not the home – or just love snuggling under something cosy on your sofa – these are our best buys

Aside from hugging a fluffy hot-water bottle, sipping the Christmas whisky and ramping up the thermostat, an electric blanket or heated throw is the best way to keep out the winter chill. More than half of a typical household’s fuel bills goes on heating and hot water , so finding alternative ways to keep warm – and heating the person, rather than the whole home – is always a good idea.

Many of the best electric blankets and heated throws boast running costs of about 1p to 3p an hour, so it’s hard to ignore their potential energy- and money-saving benefits.

Best overall electric blanket:
Fogarty Wonderfully Warm
_{King, £80 at Dunelm}

Best budget electric blanket:
Slumberdown Sleepy Nights
_{King, £33.60 at Amazon}

Best quilted electric blanket:
Dreamland Pure Comfort bamboo underblanket
_{King, £139.99 at Amazon}

Best overall heated throw:
Beurer heated snuggle blanket
_{Extra-large, £84.99 at Beurer}

Best budget heated throw:
OHS electric heated fleece over blanket
_{£34 at Online Home Shop}

Manchester-raised entertainment mogul is ambassador for scheme helping businesses in creative industries succeed

He is the man behind 3bn streams, a string of chart-topping artists – and Wetherspoon’s newest brand of tequila.

Ask Michael Adex how he has achieved all this by the age of 28 and he gives some credit to his “immovable” will to make things happen.