Avicii narrates the film from his perspective and offers insight into his life away from the stage. The documentary also features previously unseen material from the Swedish artist’s life and conversations with his collaborators, including Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
The Stockholm-born sensation ruled the EDM world during the 2010s with number-one anthems like Wake Me Up and Levels. However, he battled health and substance abuse issues away from the spotlight, reports the Daily Record.
Audiences were moved by the film at the time of its release, with many urging others to tune in. On X, formerly Twitter, one excited supporter declared: “AVICII’S LAST SHOW AND HIS DOCUMENTARY ARE ON NETFLIX RUUUUUUN.”
Someone else commented: “I have just finished watching ‘I’m Tim’ the new Avicii documentary on Netflix. It was very nicely put together and helps show the true genius and character of Tim Bergling. I recommend checking it out” whilst a third shared: “Avicii doc on Netflix… A must-watch.”
Another viewer lauded the film, saying: “This Avicii I’m Tim documentary that was just released on Netflix was absolutely incredible.”
Some reflected on the DJ’s personal battles, with one X user stating: “Avicii’s documentary on Netflix is one of the saddest stories I have ever watched.”
Music fans also took to Reddit to commend the documentary, with one admitting: “I really enjoyed the ‘I’m Tim’ documentary. Very well done.
“And to watch the last show after that was…bittersweet. Sad that Tim just wanted to make music and the success of his music became too much for him.”
The film quickly climbed Netflix’s charts when it premiered in December 2024, and it was released alongside a concert special of his final performance in Ibiza, titled Avicii: My Last Show.
The gig took place on 28 August 2016, at the renowned party hotspot, Ushuaïa Hotel. Despite 2016 marking his final live performance, Avicii continued to produce music for another two years before tragically ending his own life in April 2018.
Avicii – I’m Tim and Avicii: My Last Show are streaming now on Netflix. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
The celebration of Christmas in late December is certainly as a result of pre-existing celebrations happening at that time, marking the Winter Solstice.
Most notable of these is Yule(meaning ‘Feast’), a winter pagan festival that was originally celebrated by Germanic people. The exact date of Yule depends on the lunar cycle but it falls from late December to early January. In some Northern Europe countries, the local word for Christmas has a closer linguistic tie to ‘Yule’ than ‘Christmas’, and it is still a term that may be used for Christmas in some English-speaking countries.
Several Yule traditions are familiar to the modern celebration of Christmas, such as Yule Log, the custom of burning a large wooden log on the fire at Christmas; or indeed carol singing, which is surprisingly a very ancient tradition.
Most Norwegian towns and cities have Christmas fairs and markets, seasonal concerts and performances at this time. Oslo’s largest Christmas market is the one at the Folk Museum on Bygdøy. Bergen, meanwhile, is famous for its Gingerbread Town, which is erected on Torgallmenningen every year.
The mining town of Røros in eastern Norway is a truly magic place to visit in December, and Tregaarden’s Christmas House in Drøbak is a must-see as Scandinavia’s only permanent Christmas shop.
PHOENIX — Austin Reaves returned from a left calf strain that sidelined him for three games, but the Lakers’ second-leading scorer did nothing to fix the team’s most glaring weakness.
The Lakers’ defense collapsed in a 132-108 loss to the Suns on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center, giving up a season-high field goal percentage (59%) and tying their mark for most points allowed in a loss this season. Led by a combined 17-for-29 shooting from star guard Devin Booker (21 points) and Dillon Brooks (25 points), the Suns easily eclipsed the 56.5% they shot against the Lakers on Dec. 1.
“The theme with our team again is like these young teams that move, we just can’t move,” said coach JJ Redick, whose team is 1-2 against the Suns (16-13). “So it’s like we’re stuck in mud.”
The Lakers (19-9) remain in the top half of the competitive Western Conference, but with blowout losses to Atlanta, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, L.A. is clinging to a plus-1.1 in point differential. They lost consecutive games for the first time Tuesday and limped into a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets with a multitude of injuries.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Playing without Luka Doncic, who is day to day with a left leg contusion he sustained Saturday against the Clippers, LeBron James led the Lakers with 23 points on seven-for-14 shooting. Deandre Ayton had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double while Reaves came off the bench for the first time in two seasons and scored 17 points with two assists and three turnovers.
Redick said Reaves was not on an official minutes restriction after his weeklong absence, but that the team would monitor his workload “in real time.”
“It’s hard for me to start, at the rotation that Bron has, for me to stay around that 20-25 minute mark,” said Reaves, who played 21 minutes and 46 seconds. “So [coming off the bench] got brought up in my shooting time. I said I was open to whatever. Definitely felt weird coming off the bench, but it’s basketball at the end of the day.”
Calf injuries, even the most minor, have been major concerns for the NBA since three stars suffered Achilles tendon tears during last season’s playoffs. Reaves, who carried the team during the early part of a season that has featured injury absences from James and Doncic, led the team in minutes per game. His 775 minutes entering Tuesday were second-most on the team behind Rui Hachimura. The Japanese forward missed his second consecutive game with right groin soreness.
Lakers star Lebron James puts up a shot against the Suns on Tuesday night. James finished with 23 points.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
When asked whether Reaves needed a physical reset after carrying such a large load, Redick acknowledged a break may have been necessary.
Reaves looked out of sorts when he entered with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter. He fumbled the handoff on his first touch coming off a screen. When he tried to thread bounce passes through tiny windows, the ball was kicked away or deflected. He got attacked on defense and gave up consecutive driving layups to Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea.
Bouyea had 14 points off the bench, including a layup over Marcus Smart, who failed to draw a charge call, in the third quarter. While Smart laid in the key appealing to officials, Bouyea didn’t hesitate to leap over the Lakers’ guard and score. The Lakers fell behind by as many as 29 in the third quarter, and Redick quietly waved the white flag with 5:22 remaining in the third when he put reserve forward Maxi Kleber and rookie Adou Thiero onto the floor.
The Phoenix crowd started to file out in bunches with seven minutes remaining when the lead reached 30.
Even courtside seats were empty in the final minutes. Brooks took advantage, sitting in a courtside seat on the baseline as Thiero stepped to the free throw line with 1:16 remaining. Brooks waved his arms as a distraction. Thiero split his two shots.
Etc.
Center Jaxson Hayes left the game with left ankle soreness in the second quarter and didn’t return.. Redick said it was an aggravation of a previous injury suffered last week.
Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Asfura speaks during an election day event in Tegucigalpa on Nov. 30. He was declared the winner on Wednesday. Photo by EPA
Dec. 24 (UPI) — Nasry Asfura, with backing by U.S. President Donald Trump, on Wednesday was declared the winner of Honduras’ presidential election that took place one month ago and included fraud allegations.
The 67-year-old right-wing candidate received 40.27% of the vote, with center-right Salvador Nasralla getting 39.53%. The margin was 28,000 votes out of 3.7 million for the election on Nov. 30.
Naralla, 72, served as vice president in the current Liberty and Refoundation, or Libre, but joined the right-wing Liberal Party in his fourth bid for president. Nasralla is a sportscaster and host of the long-running game show on television.
Asfura, nicknamed Tito and Papi, is a construction magnate and former mayor of Tegucigalpa, the capital, from 2014 to 2022.
“Honduras, we now have the official declaration from the CNE [electoral council],” he posted on X. “I recognise the great work carried out by the councillors and the entire team that ran the election. Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down. God bless Honduras.
His four-year term will begin Jan. 27.
The electoral council declared him the winner before finishing an audit.
There was a review of all tally sheets under “special scrutiny” last week to recount ballots flagged as Inconsistent.”
The electoral council comprised three councillors: one aligned with Asfura’s party, one with Nasralla’s and one with the party of the leftist president, Xiomara Castro, whose candidate finished third, Rixi Moncada, with 19.2%.
Only two councillors declared him the winner. The representative linked to the president’s party alleged that an “electoral coup” was underway and filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office.
Nasralla, refusing to concede, alleged fraud in the counting process, including “forgery of public documents,” claiming “the data from the original tally sheets were altered.” He made the allegations in a series of posts on X.
The results could be challenged in court.
“I have not found proof of widespread or large-scale fraud,” Hector Corrales, the director of the Honduran research institute NODO, who worked for the European Union’s electoral observer mission, said Tuesday.
But there already were doubts about the election integrity, he said.
“That will have an impact on the government’s credibility,” Corrales said. “And that is going to ruin his administration if he doesn’t know how to handle it.”
The top two candidates were different politically than the leftist Libre party, focusing on concerns about crime and corruption.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X: The people of Honduras have spoken: Nasry Asfura is Honduras’ next president. The United States congratulates president-elect Asfura and looks forward to working with his administration to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere.”
Like Asfura, Nasralla also tried to appeal to Trump. His wife was seen wearing a MAGA hat.
A few days before the election, Trump publicly backed Asfura, and the United States would only support the next government if he won. He called the other leading candidates communists or allies of Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolas Maduro.
On the day before the election, Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was sentenced to 45 years in U.S. prison for allegedly creating a “cocaine superhighway to the United States.”
He was president for eight years until Jan. 27, 2022.
Lift the spirits and venture into nature by planning a unique late winter or spring getaway for the family – uncover the delights the stunning UK countryside has to offer from the Lake District to the Jurassic Coast
A swim with a Lake District view
At around this time of year, a relaxing hotel stay with the family could be just the thing to give us a lift amid the winter gloom. Or maybe your thoughts have already turned to spring, when the family will be ready for a break.
There’s nothing better to blow away the cobwebs of the cooler months than getting out into nature and letting the kids run or swim free while the adults in the family can enjoy a relaxing spa or indulge in some fine-dining cuisine.
As the new Good Hotel Guide goes live online, we asked their team to suggest five great family-friendly hotels. There’s something to delight all ages with stays in star-gazing treehouses, sea views of a beach where you can go dolphin-spotting, and even a hotel with a lakeside ice rink. Here are their top picks.
Toddlers up to age three stay for free in their parents’ room at this resort on the 500-acre Farncombe Estate in Cotswold countryside above photogenic Broadway. Centred on a Scandi-style lodge, with accommodation scattered over the hillside, it comprises rooms and suites in a former coach house, stables and other buildings, as well as adults-only shepherds’ huts and three ‘treehouses’ with bunks for kids aged up to 12.
Tiny tots will like the outdoor play area, but this is more a destination to appeal to adventurous older children, with paid-for activities for those aged 12 and upwards, including archery and axe-throwing. Falconry is open to all from age four; wine tastings are for adults only, and duck herding is for large groups.
The rooms are country chic, with a soothing pale palette, all with an espresso machine, smart TV, Temple Spa toiletries. Some have a private terrace with views over the Vale of Evesham, and a few interconnect. A bar/lounge menu provides a casual dining option, with burgers, hot dogs, salads and light bites. For more sophisticated dining, Hook by Martin Burge has a fairly wide-ranging menu, strong on seafood, with such options as haddock schnitzel with smoked anchovies, sauce gribiche and seaweed fries alongside steak bèarnaise with roasties. A children’s menu, vegan dishes and Sunday roast beef should keep everyone happy.
And if raptors, axes and bows, and arrows aren’t your thing, you can borrow maps from the boot room and explore, or, when the sun shines, bag a deckchair beside a small lake.
B&B doubles from £220, family suites from £295, rooms with terrace from £275, extra bed for child 3-16 years £60.
Close to and a world away from Salcombe, lapped by gently rolling National Trust countryside, wildflower bejewelled and ablaze with gorse in summer, this low-built hotel is the perfect child-friendly, dog-friendly bolthole for an outdoorsy break. Formerly the 10-bedroom Sea View Guest House, unofficial officers’ mess for Bolt Head Airfield, and once famed for its meringue afternoon teas, it has been owned, run and cherished by the Makepeace family since 1978.
The 22 smart-contemporary rooms and suites – all but one at ground level – have glass doors to a patio and were designed to optimise the stunning views. The sheltered beach is one of the loveliest in South Hams, perfect for paddling, sandcastle-building, crabbing, dolphin-spotting. Guests have use of the spa and indoor saltwater swimming pool, a lounge with books and board games.
Activities locally include sea safaris and seal-watching trips. You can order a picnic (crab sandwiches!) and walk the Southwest Coast Path, return for a cream tea (no meringues now), dine in the glass-walled, sea-facing restaurant on such dishes as Fowey mussels with sea herbs and mussel velouté, Dexter beer burger, fish and chips, cauliflower steak with sauternes raisins, cauliflower purée, pickled shallots and romesco sauce. There is a short kids’ menu, and the night’s desserts might include the Pavlova that Audrey Hepburn declared ‘divine’ when she visited in 1987. Mobile coverage here is limited, so it’s a detox for screen-addicted teens – no Facetime, just pure quality time.
Family rooms from £211.50 (continental breakfast; cooked breakfast £15).
Kids stay free when sharing with parents at this Jacobean manor house in 14-acre grounds amid the Wiltshire countryside, part of the small Luxury Family Hotels collection. Everything is geared to making families feel welcome and relaxed, with the Ofsted-registered Four Bears Den, where children aged eight and under enjoy arts and crafts, toys, dressing up and outdoor adventures.
There is a spa, indoor pool and, in summer, a heated outdoor pool, a library with pool table, air hockey and table football, the Green Fingers gardening club in the walled garden with its resident ducks and hens. Organised activities include Cooking with Chef, jewellery-making and tropical-animal discovery sessions.
Book a Baby’s First Break package and they’ll provide a Bugaboo cot and giraffe highchair and a baby monitor. With all the family bases covered, the hotel is not short on the promised luxury, with comfy lounges, beautifully presented bedrooms, indulgent spa treatments and adults-only swim times.
You can order a cream tea in the garden, dine informally in the Orangery, or in either of two dining rooms, one dog friendly, from a menu of steaks, burger, fish and chips, maybe lentil dahl, garden pumpkin, chickpea, smoked onion and coriander, or sea trout with crushed potato and fennel. Literary buffs should check out also, sister properties Fowey Hall, Cornwall, believed to have been Kenneth Graham’s model for Toad Hall, and Moonfleet Manor, Dorset, which inspired John Meade Faulkner’s 1898 novel of shipwrecks and smuggling, Moonfleet.
B&B family rooms for around £246.
‘A very strange stranger it must be who does not see the charms in the immediate environs of Lyme,’ wrote Jane Austen in Persuasion. Like Austen, Kathryn Haskins spent happy family holidays in this historic resort on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. In fact, her parents were so smitten with its charms that, in 1982, they bought Lyme’s landmark hotel. A Georgian house built for the Earl and Countess of Poulett, it is now owned by Kathryn, who brings to it her experience of working in hotels around the world, and who can personally vouch for its appeal to a child.
The ambience is informal, the interiors achieving a kind of unshowy chic without upstaging the glorious sea views. Some larger bedrooms can sleep four, or families might take one of two self-catering apartments, each big enough for six. Apartment guests have access to all hotel facilities, and menu items can be delivered by room service.
In the light-filled Ammonite Restaurant, typical dishes include pan-fried halibut, fried polenta, cauliflower puree, cranberry gel; ribeye steak and chips; gnocchi. ‘It’s like staying in a comfy country-house hotel,’ says Guide readers, all of whom have particularly warm words for the staff. And, since family is not just about children, a word of praise for the ‘personal touches’ that really made the stay for one reader and her parents on their Golden Wedding anniversary. Ask for a packed lunch and spend the day fossil hunting, walking the coastal paths, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, and return with an appetite for afternoon tea.
B&B large doubles from £330, cots £8, extra bed for a child £44.
There is a real Swallows and Amazons vibe at this dog-friendly new lifestyle resort, the frumpy old Rampsbeck Hotel reinvented as a cool destination. As well as fabulously stylish bedrooms and suites, some for families, in the original Georgian house and modern wings, there is a two-bedroom treehouse with decking and outdoor bath, and shepherds’ huts, some with an extra bunk room, all with a log burner and star-gazing roof.
This is a place that revels in the landscape and in its lakeside situation, where days might be spent wild swimming, paddleboarding, hiking and fell walking. Right now, too, because it’s winter, there’s even a lakeshore ice rink. Other facilities include a 20metre indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, cardio and treatment rooms. The Ofsted-registered Kids’ Zone encourages learning through play: staff take the youngsters outside as much as possible to follow animal footprints, build campfire and go on nature hunts with ‘bingo’ sheets for outdoor I-Spy.
In the fine-dining Rampsbeck Restaurant, menus feature such locally sourced dishes as roast Cartmel Valley venison haunch, caramelised celeriac puree, savoy cabbage, Anna potato, pickled walnut ketchup, venison samosa, juniper sauce (from the children’s menu maybe garden patch soup, mac and cheese, chocolate brownie). There is more casual dining in the Living Space (steak and fries, rice bowls, wraps and burgers), woodfired pizzas in the Glasshouse by the vegetable garden, and hearty pub grub at sister venture The Brackenrigg.
B&B doubles, Stay and Skate from £240, family room from around £340, extra bed for age 3-plus 25% of double room price.
These are the key developments from day 1,400 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025
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Here is where things stand on Thursday, December 25:
Fighting
An explosion in Moscow killed three people, including two police officers, just days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking Russian general in the same area of the capital.
An official from Ukraine’s military intelligence, known as GUR, told The Associated Press news agency that the attack had been carried out as part of a Ukrainian operation and the two police officers were targeted for taking part in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russian air defence units downed 16 Ukrainian drones en route to Moscow throughout Wednesday, the capital’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Sobyanin said the drones were repelled over a period of about 17 hours, and emergency crews were examining fragments where the drones hit the ground, but no damage was reported.
Two of four major airports servicing Moscow were forced to limit operations for a time due to the drone attacks, Russia’s civil aviation authority said on Telegram.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its aerial defence units destroyed 172 Ukrainian drones overnight, nearly half of them over regions bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine said its drones had struck the Yefremov synthetic rubber plant in Russia’s Tula region, south of Moscow, and a storage facility for marine drones in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Tula regional governor, Dmitry Milyaev, said debris from a downed Ukrainian drone ignited a fire at an industrial site, and Russian air defence units destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over the region.
A sunflower oil spill, caused by Russian aerial bombardments, has contaminated the shoreline around the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, killing wildlife and triggering warnings from conservationists, the AFP news agency reports.
“The cause was damage to sunflower oil tanks as a result of massive enemy attacks on port infrastructure, causing some of the oil to spill,” Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement. The Pivdenny port in the region was temporarily closed on Wednesday to help with the cleanup.
A Russian-backed court in occupied Ukraine sentenced a Colombian man to 19 years in prison for fighting for Kyiv’s army.
Russia’s Prosecutor General said the Supreme Court in the Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Donetsk region sentenced Oscar Mauricio Blanco Lopez, 42, to 19 years in jail. The Colombian arrived in Ukraine in May 2024 to sign up with the Ukrainian army and had been “taken prisoner by Russian servicemen” in December 2025.
Ceasefire talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed for the first time details of an agreement between the United States and Ukrainian negotiators on ending the war with Russia. The 20-point plan, agreed on by US and Ukrainian negotiators after marathon talks, is now being reviewed by Moscow.
As part of the plan, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland if Moscow also pulled back and the area becomes a demilitarised zone monitored by international forces.
A similar arrangement could be possible for the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader said that any peace plan would need to be put to a referendum in Ukraine.
Asked about the latest development in ceasefire talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would decide its position based on information received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with US envoys in Florida over the weekend.
Russia has given no indication that it will agree to any kind of withdrawal from land it has seized in Ukraine. Moscow has also insisted that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory it still holds in the Donbas. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70 percent of Donetsk – the two areas that make up the Donbas.
Politics and diplomacy
A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, Russia’s state pollster VTsIOM said, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.
During the pollster’s year-end presentation, VTsIOM Deputy Head Mikhail Mamonov said 70 percent of the 1,600 respondents saw 2026 as a more “successful” year for Russia than 2025, while for 55 percent that hope was linked to a possible end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A Russian court has scheduled the first public hearing in a criminal case against German sculptor Jacques Tilly, who is accused of discrediting the Russian military through his satirical Carnival floats depicting Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
The court in Moscow said the trial will begin on December 30 and proceedings will be held in absentia, as Tilly – who faces up to 10 years in jail or a fine – is not in Russia.
Zelenskyy said in his Christmas address on Wednesday that despite marking the holiday at a “difficult” time, the nation’s unity remains intact. “Ukrainians are together tonight,” Zelenskyy said, adding the country had “without a doubt” been changed by the war. “It hardly matters what dishes are on the table – what matters is who is at the table,” he said.
Artillerymen of the 44th Separate Artillery Brigade fire a M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on December 24, 2025 [Reuters]
Regional security
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with NATO chief Mark Rutte to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the work undertaken by the “coalition of the willing”. “Starting in January in Paris, we will continue the work begun within this framework to provide Ukraine with solid security guarantees, a prerequisite for a robust and lasting peace,” Macron said on social media.
Democratic senators in the US have urged President Donald Trump to reverse a recall of nearly 30 career ambassadors, warning the move leaves a dangerous leadership vacuum that allows adversaries like Russia and China to expand their influence. The Trump administration in recent days has ordered career diplomats serving across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America back to Washington to ensure US missions abroad reflect its “America First” priorities.
Economics
Kazakhstan’s exports of its flagship CPC Blend of oil will be their lowest in 14 months in December, as bad weather delays efforts to repair Russian loading infrastructure after Ukrainian drone strikes last month, two sources told the Reuters news agency.
On November 29, Ukrainian drones hit the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal located near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, leaving just one out of three jetties operational and prolonging export delays. Poor weather has added to the difficulty of carrying out maintenance work necessary to allow exports to recover.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance said it completed the settlement of a deal to restructure $2.6bn of growth-linked debt.
A report revealed: “The directors believe that the gross core income from royalties, sponsorship and endorsement income will continue to be generated in the immediate future at a satisfactory level.
“The directors use many key performance indicators to monitor the performance of the company. They regard the following as the key financial indicators of performance, all of which can be observed in the attached financial statements.
“The directors’ expect the performance of the company to be comparable in the following year as a result of similar activity within artist sponsorships and royalty distributions.”
Dua Lipa maintains lucrative multi-million dollar deals as a global ambassador for YSL Beauty, along with partnerships with Porsche, Versace, and Puma.
Her media platform Service95, which includes a newsletter, podcast, and book club, has become a core part of her business empire.
Dua, who lives in London, said that her parents’ struggle as immigrants to the UK from Kosovo influence her work ethic.
She said previously: “What’s maybe the immigrant mentality…this thing I have in my head where I know that, if I don’t work hard enough, the rug could just be pulled from under my feet.”
Part of that work ethic is keeping immaculate records and schedules to maintain her sanity.
Dua added: “I don’t even want to show you my phone [calendar], because I’m embarrassed about it, but it’s really down to the minute: where I’m going, what I’m doing: ‘Wake up, glam, prep for podcast.
“I have to watch Succession, so I’ve got to schedule that.”
The couple, who got engaged last Christmas, ranked in the under 40 rich list, which included Louis Tomlinson and Zara McDermott.
They’re on the lookout for a place in the sun – after spending the summer months soaking up the rays in Ibiza.
The star is thought to be worth £130mCredit: Getty
They called on a property expert to tap up a series of very posh holiday homes in Andalusia in southern Spain, with a source telling The Sun: “Dua and Callum are looking for a sunny bolthole to enjoy with their families.
“Their preference has been pretty clear: nice weather and properties that have space.
“They have a man scouting for homes in Portugal and Andalusia, which have amazing weather all-year round.
“The house has to be able to comfortably fit Dua and Callum, as well as their family and friends.
“They also want peace and tranquility, that has been made very clear.
“Dua and Callum have a healthy budget too. They’ve been sent details on properties priced between £3million and £9million and are weighing them up.
“They’ve been shown massive mansions overlooking the sea, as well as a huge retreat in the hills of Marbella.
“Dua and Callum have been spending time looking through all the properties and are expected to put an offer in soon.
They’re really excited about getting a secret bolthole in the sun.”
Matthew Stafford was voted to the Pro Bowl this season, but the Rams veteran quarterback stopped concerning himself about the recognition more than a decade ago.
In 2011, the then third-year pro passed for more than 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.
Stafford thought he had a chance to make the NFC roster, but Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Cam Newton got more votes.
“Wasn’t even close,” Stafford said, chuckling, on Wednesday. “So at that point, I kind of reserved myself to just go play, have fun and whatever happens, happens.
“But it is cool to be a part of it.”
Stafford, who also was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023, is a leading contender for perhaps the NFL’s most prestigious award — most valuable player.
Stafford, 37, has passed for a league-leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, while leading a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded No. 6 in the NFC going into Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Rams are averaging 30.5 points and 396.7 yards per game, both tops in the NFL. They rank second in passing (270.5 yards per game) and fifth in rushing (126.3 yards per game).
In last Thursday’s 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Yet he was outdueled by fellow Pro Bowl pick Sam Darnold, who led a touchdown drive in overtime and capped it with a game-winning two-point conversion pass.
Stafford is preparing to face a Falcons defense that ranks 14th overall, but eighth against the pass, giving up 195.1 yards per game.
Asked if he was surprised that Stafford has only been voted to the Pro Bowl three times, Rams coach Sean McVay said yes, adding that there were “a lot of layers to the Pro Bowl stuff.”
“You talk to the real football people. … I think he’s seen as a guy that’s one of the best ever to do it,” McVay said. “I think that’s been very well acknowledged this year but I think it’s probably overdue.”
Stafford has “elevated” everybody around him since the Rams traded for him in 2021, McVay said.
“The best part about Matthew is, he’s got this great humility,” McVay said, adding, “What he cares about are the respect of his teammates, his coaches and the people he’s playing against. And I think when you talk to those who know, hes got great respect and admiration for the way that he competes, the way he goes about it and what type of player he is.”
Etc.
Receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (ankle) are making “good progress,” but McVay did not provide a definitive update on their status for the game against the Falcons. … The Rams opened the 21-day window for cornerback Roger McCreary (hip) to return from injured reserve. McVay said “most likely” that the Rams will open the 21-day window for safety Quentin Lake (elbow) next week to return from injured reserve. Lake is expected to be ready for the playoffs, or possibly for the final game against the Arizona Cardinals. … The Rams are off Thursday. They are expected to practice Friday at SoFi Stadium, and Saturday at their Woodland Hills facility.
Pope Leo XIV presides over a Christmas Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, late Wednesday night, which is the first held there in 31 years. Photo by Giuseppe Lami/EPA
Dec. 24 (UPI) — Pope Leo XIV brought back the Christmas Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday night, which is the first held there since 1994.
About 11,000 attended the mass, inside and out, despite rainy conditions, the Catholic News Agency reported.
Regarding the birth of Jesus, Pope Leo described it as, “God gives us nothing less than his very self, in order to ‘redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own.'”
To find the savior, he said, “We must look below to find God among us in the manger.”
A baby’s need for care “becomes divine since the son of the father shares in history with all his brothers and sisters,” he continued.
“The omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn; the eloquence of the eternal word resounds in an infant’s first cry; the holiness of the Spirit gleams in that small body, freshly washed and wrapped in swaddling clothes.”
Pope Leo also discussed the “infinite dignity of every person” and contrasted that with a world in which humanity often tries become god-like while dominating others, according to Vatican News.
“In the heart of Christ beats the bond of love that unites heaven and Earth, creator and creatures,” the Pope said, adding that the key to changing history is to recognize such realities.
“As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then ‘there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger,'” he added, quoting Pope Benedict XIV’s homily at Christmas Mass on Dec. 24, 2012.
“These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on Earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person,” the pontiff said.
The pope afterward greeted those standing in the rain in St. Peter’s Square and told them that, while St. Peter’s Basilica is large, it is not large enough to hold all of them.
He thanked those who attended the mass while outside, wished them a merry Christmas and gave them his blessings.
About 6,000 attended the mass that started at 10 p.m. local time in the basilica, while another 5,000 watched on large video screens placed outside in St. Peter’s Square.
The blast tore through a mosque in Maiduguri as worshippers gathered for evening prayers, witnesses say.
Published On 24 Dec 202524 Dec 2025
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An explosion has ripped through a mosque in northeastern Nigeria as worshippers gathered for their evening prayers, killing and wounding several people, according to media reports.
The blast took place at about 6pm on Wednesday (17:00 GMT) in the city of Maiduguri in Borno State, the Reuters and AFP news agencies reported, citing witnesses.
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Police spokesman Nahum Daso confirmed the explosion and told AFP that an explosive ordnance team was already on site at the mosque in Maiduguri’s Gamboru market.
There was no official word on casualties.
But mosque leader Malam Abuna Yusuf told the AFP at least eight people had died, while a militia leader, Babakura Kolo, put the figure at seven.
Another witness, Musa Yusha’u, told AFP that he saw “many victims being taken away for medical treatment”.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known, but it occurred in a city that has been at the heart of an armed rebellion waged by Boko Haram and ISIL’s (ISIS) offshoot in the region, the Islamic State West Africa Province, for nearly two decades.
The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced about two million from their homes since 2009, according to the United Nations.
Though the violence has waned since its peak about a decade ago, it has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Concerns are also growing about a resurgence of violence in parts of the northeast, where armed groups remain capable of mounting deadly attacks despite years of sustained military operations.
Maiduguri itself – once the scene of nightly gun battles and bombings – has been calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021.
Fans of the show have been given a ‘Christmas Eve gift’ from the streaming service
Samantha King Content Editor
21:00, 24 Dec 2025
Fans of the Netflix romcom have been given an early Christmas present(Image: Netflix)
Netflix has given fans of its beloved romcom Emily in Paris an early Christmas present just days after the release of the eagerly-awaited fifth season.
In a post to its official social media accounts, Netflix shared a video featuring Lucien Laviscount, who plays Alfie Peterson on the show, dressed in a brown trench coat and holding a number of large white placards while standing in a road. It captioned the clip: “Lucien Laviscount has a Christmas Eve gift for you.”
In a nod to classic Christmas film Love Actually’s placard scene, the star then looks directly into the camera as he reveals what each card says, with every single one bearing a handwritten message.
“Hey beautiful. Can you stop scrolling for a second?” the first reads, as Lucien waves to viewers before revealing a second that says: “Please read everything I’m about to show you in a British accent.”
“The holidays bring lots of feelings. This is your sign to exhale,” reads the third. The message continues: “You are my favorite gift this year. Your smile sparkles brighter than the Eiffel Tower and your lips are made to be under a mistletoe.”
The subsequent cards continue: “Aside from your beauty you are an incredible soul, an incredible mother/daughter/sister/best friend. Your optimism is infectious. It even makes me blush.
“I am proud of you and love how you show up for yourself. You deserve all the love that you abundantly give. happy holidays, I love you.”
Fans were quick to react to the surprise clip, with one commenting: “This is such a charming holiday surprise and definitely the best reason to stop scrolling today.”
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A second fan agreed, adding: “A very on-brand Christmas Eve surprise from Lucien Laviscount, consider this gift happily received,” while a third gushed: “Cheers, Lucien – feeling the holiday warmth now.”
Despite being Emily Cooper’s (Lily Collins) love interest in past seasons of Emily in Paris, Alfie was shown pursuing a connection with her best friend Mindy Chen (Ashley Park) in the latest series which released on December 18.
However, Mindy’s reluctance to go public with their situationship causes the duo to go their separate ways. The synopsis for Season 5 reads: “Now the head of Agence Grateau Rome, Emily faces professional and romantic challenges as she adapts to life in a new city. But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks.”
Emily in Paris Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix
NEW YORK — Four years ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams swept into office with swaggering confidence, pledging to lead a government unlike any other in history and declaring himself the “future of the Democratic Party.”
On the first promise, the mayor more than delivered. But as his tumultuous term comes to an end, Adams, 65, finds himself in the political wilderness, his onetime aspirations as a party leader now a distant memory.
Instead, he has spent his final weeks in power wandering the globe, publicly mulling his next private sector job and lashing out at the “haters” and “naysayers” whom he accuses of overlooking his accomplishments.
For many of his supporters, the Adams era will be looked back on as a missed opportunity. Only the second Black mayor in city history, he helped steer New York out of the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, often linking the city’s comeback to his own rise from humble roots in working-class Queens.
At a moment when many Democrats were struggling to address voter concerns about public safety, he drew national attention for a “radically practical” agenda focused on slashing crime and reactivating the economy.
But while most categories of crime returned to pre-pandemic levels, Adams will probably be remembered for another superlative: He is the only New York City mayor of the modern era to be indicted while in office.
“That’s a disappointment for voters, especially for Black voters, who had high expectations and aspirations,” said Basil Smikle, a political strategist who served as executive director of the state’s Democratic Party. “He entered with a lot of political capital, and that was squandered, in part because of his own hubris.”
Equally memorable, perhaps, were the strange subplots along the way: his hatred of rats and fear of ghosts; the mysteries about his home, his diet, his childhood; and his endless supply of catchphrases, gestures and head-scratching stories that could instantly transform a mundane bureaucratic event into a widely shared meme.
“So many mayors want to be filtered, they want to pretend who they are and act like they are perfect,” Adams said during a recent speech at City Hall, a freewheeling affair that ended with the mayor burying a time capsule of his achievements beneath a Manhattan sidewalk. “I am not.”
Swagger versus seriousness
Adams took over from Mayor Bill de Blasio in January 2022, amid a COVID-19 spike that was killing hundreds of New Yorkers every day, along with a worrisome uptick in both violent crime and unemployment.
Adams, a former police captain, Brooklyn borough president and state senator, increased patrols on streets and subways, brought back a controversial anti-crime unit and appointed the department’s first female police commissioner. He also raised eyebrows for installing many of his former Police Department allies, including some ex-officials with histories of alleged misconduct.
As he encouraged New Yorkers to return to their pre-pandemic lives, Adams made an effort to lead by example, frequenting private clubs and upscale restaurants in order to “test the product” and “bring swagger back” to the city, he said.
But if New Yorkers initially tolerated Adams’ passion for late-night partying, there seemed to be a growing sense that the mayor was distracted, or even slacking off, according to Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime Democratic consultant and supporter of Adams.
“There was a tension between swagger and seriousness,” Sheinkopf said. “New Yorkers wanted to see more seriousness. They didn’t want to see him out partying at some club they couldn’t afford to go into.”
It didn’t help that Adams often declined to say who was footing the bills for his meals, his entry into private clubs or his flights out of the city. When reporters staked out his nighttime activities, they found that Adams, who long professed to be a vegan, regularly ordered the branzino.
Asked about his diet, the mayor acknowledged that he ate fish and occasionally “nibbled” on chicken, describing himself, as he often would in the coming years, as “perfectly imperfect.”
City Hall in crisis
The corruption investigation into Adams’ campaign, launched quietly in the early stages of his mayoralty, first spilled into public view in the fall of 2023, as federal agents seized the mayor’s phones as he was leaving an event. It loomed for nearly a year, as Adams faced new struggles, including a surge of migrants arriving in the city by bus.
Then, on Sept. 26, 2024, federal prosecutors brought fraud and bribery charges against Adams, accusing him of allowing Turkish officials and other businesspeople to buy his influence with illegal campaign contributions and steep discounts on overseas trips.
Investigators also seized phones from the mayor’s police commissioner, schools chancellor and multiple deputy mayors. Each denied wrongdoing, but a mass exodus of leadership followed, along with questions about the mayor’s ability to govern.
Adams insisted, without evidence, that he had been politically targeted by the Biden administration for his criticism of its immigration policy. But his frequently invoked mantra — “stay focused, no distractions, and grind” — seemed to lose potency with each new scandal.
Among them: a chief adviser indicted by state prosecutors in a separate alleged bribery scheme involving a bike lane and minor TV role; another longtime adviser forced to resign after handing a chip bag filled with cash to a reporter; and a string of abuse and corruption allegations within the Police Department, many of them linked to longtime friends Adams had installed in high-ranking positions.
Looking back at what went wrong, both supporters and critics of the mayor tend to agree on at least one point: Adams could be loyal to a fault, refusing to distance himself from long-serving allies even after they appeared to cross ethical lines.
“There was one City Hall made up of dedicated and competent leaders focused on executing his priorities,” said Sheena Wright, Adams’ former first deputy mayor. “There was another City Hall made up of people who knew the mayor for a long time, and who were allowed to operate outside the norms of government.”
‘A nuclear bomb’
Facing a plummeting approval rating and the prospect of years in prison, Adams began aligning himself with President Trump, going to great lengths to avoid criticizing the Republican and even leaving open the possibility of switching parties.
That seemed to work: Weeks after Trump took office, the Justice Department dismissed the corruption case, writing in a two-page memo that it had interfered with Adams’ ability to help with the president’s immigration agenda.
But in the view of Evan Thies, one of Adams’ closest advisers at the time, that was the moment that sealed Adams’ fate as a one-term mayor.
“The memo hit like a nuclear bomb,” Thies said.
The damage worsened a few days later, when Adams appeared on “Fox & Friends” alongside Trump’s border director Tom Homan, who threatened to “be up his butt” if the mayor didn’t comply with Trump’s agenda.
“It seemed to confirm the belief that he had traded his duty to New Yorkers for his personal freedom,” Thies recalled. “It wasn’t true, but that was perception.”
Adams adamantly denied striking a deal with the Trump administration. He has continued to suggest a broad conspiracy against him, at times blaming bureaucrats in the “deep state.”
Even with his case behind him, Adams struggled to build a reelection campaign. Earlier this year, his approval rating sank to a record low. In September, he abandoned his efforts, throwing his support behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a onetime rival he’d recently referred to as a “snake and a liar.”
As of late December, Adams’ plans for life after he leaves office remain uncertain.
“I did what I had to do, I left everything I had on the ice, and I’m looking forward to the next step of my journey,” he said during a farewell speech at City Hall.
Then, for the third time in as many months, Adams took off on an international trip. This time, the destination was Mexico.
Under the Julian calendar, the winter solstice was fixed on December 25, and this date was also the day of the popular Roman holiday ofSaturnalia, in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture; which was later superseded bySol Invictus, a day that bundled up the celebration of several sun based gods into one easy to manage festival.
As Christianity began to take hold across the Roman empire and beyond, the date of when to celebrate the birth of Christ became a bit of an issue, with several different dates proposed.
It wasn’t until 350 AD, when the then Bishop of Rome, Pope Julius I, fixed the official Christmas day on December 25. Unfortunately, Julius, I didn’t show his working out on how he reached this date; some scholars later suggested that it was calculated as nine months after the Annunciation (March 25), when the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary and told her she would bear the son of God. Whatever the reasoning, it is clear that, just as key pagan sites were being chosen for new churches, so too the date was chosen with the intention to catapult Christmas into becoming a major festival by placing it over the pre-existing pagan festivals.
A little-known fact about Christmas Day is that it was once banned in England during the 17th century. From 1647 to 1660, under Puritan rule led by Oliver Cromwell, Christmas celebrations were outlawed because they were seen as pagan and frivolous. People were expected to treat December 25 as a regular working day, and festivities like feasting or decorating were suppressed, though some continued in secret.
Christmas celebrations return to Bethlehem as thousands gather in Manger Square for the first time since 2022.
Thousands of people have gathered in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve for the first public celebrations since 2022 after the city cancelled or muted festivities for two years out of respect for the thousands killed during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Families filled Manger Square in the occupied West Bank city as a giant Christmas tree returned to the plaza, replacing a nativity display used during the war that showed baby Jesus amid rubble and barbed wire, symbolising the devastation in Gaza.
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The celebrations were led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, who arrived in Bethlehem from Jerusalem in the traditional Christmas procession and called for “a Christmas full of light”.
Clergymen and alter boys wait ahead of Christmas service in the Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity (R) in the biblical city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Christmas eve on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
Scout bands from towns across the West Bank marched through Bethlehem’s streets, their bagpipes draped with tartan and Palestinian flags.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, its forces have carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank, arresting thousands of Palestinians and sharply restricting movement between cities.
Palestinians say the intensified military presence, road closures and checkpoint delays have deterred visitors, paralysing the tourism sector on which Bethlehem’s economy depends.
The vast majority of those celebrating were local residents, with only a small number of foreign visitors.
Unemployment in Bethlehem surged from 14 percent to 65 percent during the genocidal war on Gaza, Mayor Maher Nicola Canawati said earlier this month. As economic conditions deteriorated, about 4,000 residents left the city in search of work, he added.
Israeli raids and settler attacks
The return of Christmas celebrations comes despite continued raids and large-scale military incursions across the occupied West Bank, even after a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has been repeatedly violated by Israeli forces, took hold in October.
The raids often entail mass arrests of Palestinians, home searches and demolitions, as well as physical assaults that sometimes lead to deaths.
Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have reached their highest level since the United Nations humanitarian office began recording data in 2006. The attacks have involved killings, beatings and the destruction of property, often under the protection of the Israeli military.
Earlier on Wednesday, more than 570 Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under police protection, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Palestinians say such incursions violate the longstanding status quo governing Islam’s third-holiest site.
Israel’s security cabinet has also signed off on plans to formalise 19 illegal settlements across the West Bank, in a move Palestinian officials say deepens a decades-long project of land theft and demographic engineering.
The United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and other countries condemned the move on Wednesday.
“We call on Israel to reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements,” said a joint statement released by the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
“We recall that such unilateral actions, as part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fuelling instability.”
HONOLULU — A federal judge’s ruling clears the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help cope with climate change, a levy set to go into effect at the start of 2026.
U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake on Tuesday denied a request seeking to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruises.
In the nation’s first such levy to help cope with a warming planet, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green signed legislation in May that raises tax revenue to deal with eroding shorelines, wildfires and other climate problems. Officials estimate the tax will generate nearly $100 million annually.
The levy increases rates on hotel room and vacation rental stays but also imposes a new 11% tax on the gross fares paid by a cruise ship’s passengers, starting next year, prorated for the number of days the vessels are in Hawaii ports.
Cruise Lines International Assn. challenged the tax in a lawsuit, along with a Honolulu company that provides supplies and provisions to cruise ships and tour businesses out of Kauai and the Big Island that rely on cruise ship passengers. Among their arguments is that the new law violates the Constitution by taxing cruise ships for the privilege of entering Hawaii ports.
Plaintiff lawyers also argued that the tax would hurt tourism by making cruises more expensive. The lawsuit notes the law authorizes counties to collect an additional 3% surcharge, bringing the total to 14% of prorated fares.
“Cruise tourism generates nearly $1 billion in total economic impact for Hawai‘i and supports thousands of local jobs, and we remain focused on ensuring that success continues on a lawful, sustainable foundation,” association spokesperson Jim McCarthy said in a statement.
According to court records, plaintiffs will appeal. They asked the judge to grant an injunction pending an appeal and requested a ruling by Saturday afternoon, given that the law takes effect Jan. 1.
Hawaii will continue to defend the law, which requires cruise operators to pay their share of transient accommodation tax to address climate change threats to the state, state Atty. Gen. Anne Lopez said in a statement.
The U.S. government intervened in the case, calling the tax a “scheme to extort American citizens and businesses solely to benefit Hawaii” in conflict with federal law.
Watch: President Trump’s name added to facade of Kennedy Center
Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Last week, the board of the Kennedy Center – which Trump filled with allies – voted to rename the performing arts centre the Trump-Kennedy Center.
Beatty is one of several Democratic lawmakers designated as members of the board by US law. She claimed in her lawsuit that the renaming was illegal because changing the name requires “an act of Congress”.
The suit says Beatty had called into the meeting about the name change but was muted when she tried to voice her opposition.
Beatty argues that Congress intended for the centre to be a “living memorial” to former President Kennedy.
“[I]n scenes more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than the American republic – the sitting President and his handpicked loyalists renamed this storied center after President Trump,” the lawsuit states.
In a statement provided to the BBC, the White House said Trump had “stepped up” and saved the Kennedy Center “by strengthening its finances, modernizing the building, and ending divisive woke programming”.
“As a result, the Board of the Kennedy Center voted unanimously to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center — a historic move that marks a new era of success, prestige, and restored grandeur for one of America’s most iconic cultural institutions,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said.
On Friday, the president’s name was added to the exterior of the building, and the centre’s website logo now reads “The Trump Kennedy Center”.
The name change has been met with harsh criticism, particularly in Washington DC where the centre has been an iconic landmark since it was built and named for Kennedy.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Construction began on a performing arts centre in the 1950s and after Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Congress decided to name it after him.
Shortly after taking office, Trump fired a slew of the centre’s board members and replaced them with allies, who then voted to make him chairman of the board. His close adviser Richard Grenell became board president.
The centre’s board of trustees currently has 34 members appointed by Trump and 23 others designated as members by US law, according to the centre’s website.
Trump also secured about $257m (£190m) in congressional funding to pay for major renovations and other costs at the venue, saying it was in “bad shape”.
Several members of the Kennedy family took to social media to criticise the name change.
Joe Kennedy III, a former House member and grandnephew of the late president, said that “the Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law”.
“It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says,” he added.
Coronation Street icon Carla Connor (Alison King) was revealed to have become a victim of evil Becky Swain on the Christmas Eve episode of world’s longest-running TV soap
21:15, 24 Dec 2025Updated 21:16, 24 Dec 2025
Coronation Street’s Carla Connor has become a victim of kidnap again(Image: ITV)
Having managed to move her way into number six after claiming that a gang was after her, Becky was thrilled when Carla announced last week she was off to the Canary Islands. But in the latest episode if the world’s longest-running TV soap, things took a shocking turn when it was revealed that was not where she had ended up at all.
Before the twist involving Carla came to light, Becky set about taking full advantage of Lisa when they were in the house alone. What started as a massage ended up with the pair heading upstairs. When all was said and done, Becky told Lisa: “I never stopped loving you, you know. We do need to think about…where do we go from here? “
Lisa insisted: “I’ve lost so much trust. I still love Carla too,” and Becky shot back: “Of course. Complicated Carla. I’m not being horrible, but which one of us is here? Carla was just a tourist, and it looks like she heard the bell ring and finally it was time to jump off the bus.”
Later that evening, Lisa voice noted Carla. She said: “It’s Christmas Eve, babe. I can’ stop thinking about you. I want you back in my life and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get you back. It’s you. And it will only ever be you. I love you. Merry Christmas.” To Lisa’s relief, a message from Carla popped back up almost straight away.
In the very next scene, it turned out that Becky had gone back to her flat, and was texting Lisa herself, from Carla’s phone. This would mean that all of Carla’s social media pictures of herself on a beach were in fact, fake.
Becky threw down the mobile phone, got out of her chair and a terrified Carla appeared on screen, having been bound and gagged. She kicked Carla and coldly said: “Get back in the closet, Carla,” before slamming the door. Fans of the Manchester-based soap will remember that this is not the first time the businesswoman has found herself in this sort of sticky situation.
In 2010, Carla’s now-late husband Tony Gordon returned to Underworld from prison and, seeking revenge, he held Carla hostage along with fellow Street legend Hayley Cropper in the factory as he set it on fire. They both made it out alive, just before the building exploded, but earlier this year, Carla was held hostage by her brother Rob Donovan at number one, who had escaped from prison after almost a decade behind bars for the murder of Tina McIntyre.
Reacting to the latest kidnap twist, fans predicted that even if Carla does manage to make it out of her latest scrape, there will never be a reconciliation between herself and Lisa, and that the policewoman will likely be leaving Weatherfield for good.
One fan wrote on Reddit: “I don’t see a way back for Carla and Lisa at present and more importantly I can’t see a way back for Lisa as a character in 2026 in general and I am someone that actually likes her character.”
Another said: “I said about a month ago Lisa wants her cake and to eat it too and that’s what’s transpired. She’s quite happy to have Becky around and enjoys her being there regardless of Betsy or fake gangs. She was lying to herself saying otherwise at the start. She expected Carla to be fine with that which is just ridiculous.”
A leading staycation operator has highlighted a big rise in people opting to use Christmas Day to make their holiday booking
Those putting their feet up on Christmas Day may have other plans on their mind(Image: Getty Images)
There was a time when Christmas Day was all about opening the presents, over doing it on the festive feast, then sleeping it off in the front of the telly.
But times changes, and it seems a growing number of people are using the time off to plan ahead. And one emerging trend identified by holiday park operator Haven has been a big rise in the number of advanced bookings it has taken on December 25.
Historically, Christmas Day was quiet for the firm and other holiday companies ahead of a normal rush just after the new year. But Haven says that in recent years bookings have increased steadily, with a 46% leap on Christmas Day last year. While it did not provide exact numbers, bosses said it equated to hundreds of bookings on the day. Given the success last year, Haven says it is now anticipating a record breaking Christmas Day again.
Others will leave it 24 hours, but Boxing Day has also become ever more popular for families thinking of their holidays to come. Haven says Boxing Day bookings last year were up 28%, and it expects to take thousands of bookings over the two peak festive days this year.
Simon Palethorpe, the company’s chief executive, said: “Once the presents are unwrapped, carols sung and turkey stripped, more families are using their time together to book their Easter and summer holidays. Not only is selecting your family holiday on Christmas Day less likely to lead to a row than a board game – booking early with Haven can result in a great deal and big savings compared to those who book later.”
The coming weeks are when many people turn their attention to next summer’s getaway, with the dark months of winter encouraging many to dream of sunshine breaks to come. Experts certainly say that booking early can mean big savings, with operators traditionally launching early bird deals amid a marketing blitz around this time of year.
A peak of bookings is expected on January 3, or what is dubbed ‘Sunshine Saturday’ given the spike in business. Research released by trade body ABTA ahead of 2025’s big day revealed that 68% of people were planning to go abroad this year, and 45% were looking to explore a new country for their holiday.
Trade experts at consumer group Which? has this advice: “Don’t feel pressured into booking in a hurry. Time-limited deals aren’t always everything they promise so take the time to consider your options, and shop around to make sure you’re getting the right holiday for you, at the right price.
“Holiday booking scams are common at this time of year so if something looks too good to be true, always think twice. There are lots of dodgy ‘deals’ on social media, and fake listings can even make their way onto booking sites. Always avoid listings requesting payments by bank transfer, and consider doing a reverse image search on villas or rentals to check the images haven’t been lifted from elsewhere.”
NEW YORK — A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a holiday tradition dating back more than 20 years, has been canceled. The show’s host, musician Chuck Redd, says that he called off the performance in the wake of the White House announcing last week that President Trump’s name would be added to the facility.
As of Friday, the building’s facade reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. According to the White House, the president’s handpicked board approved the decision, which scholars have said violates the law. Trump had been suggesting for months he was open to changing the center’s name.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told the Associated Press in an email Wednesday. Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has toured with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Ray Brown, has been presiding over holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center since 2006, succeeding bassist William “Keter” Betts.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to email seeking comment. The center’s website lists the show as canceled.
President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Congress passed a law the following year naming the center as a living memorial to him. Kennedy niece Kerry Kennedy has vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office and former House historian Ray Smock is among those who say any changes would have to be approved by Congress.
The law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.
Trump, a Republican, has been deeply involved with the center named for an iconic Democrat after mostly ignoring it during his first term. He has forced out its leadership, overhauled the board while arranging for himself to head it and hosted this year’s Kennedy Center honors, breaking a long tradition of presidents mostly serving as spectators. The changes at the Kennedy Center are part of the president’s larger mission to fight “woke” culture at federal cultural institutions.
Numerous artists have called off Kennedy Center performances since Trump returned to office, including Issa Rae and Peter Wolf. Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled a planned production of “Hamilton.”
January has traditionally been the harshest time of the year for the Kings, who haven’t had a winning record in that month the last three seasons. But winter grew dark and gloomy a little earlier than usual because December has hardly been a walk in the park.
With Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, the Kings head into the NHL’s three-day Christmas break having lost six of their last seven. And things aren’t getting easier any time soon: when the team returns to the ice Saturday, it will play host to the Ducks, who lead the Pacific Division in wins, before closing out 2025 Monday on the road against the Colorado Avalanche, who lead the NHL in wins.
“It’s not going the way we all want to,” forward Kevin Fiala said. “But you know, that’s going to happen for everybody. So it’s us who have to do something about it. Who can pull us out of it? Nobody else.
“I’m not worried. Like, I’m sure we’re gonna get out of this. But it’s not acceptable right now.”
And if it doesn’t change right now, the rest of the season will be as cold as a winter frost for the Kings.
It’s not just that the team is losing, but how it’s losing that is most concerning. The Kings (15-12-9) are 31st in the 32-team NHL in scoring, 31st on the power play and have scored more than two goals just twice in 11 games this month. That’s negated a defense that is second in the league in goals allowed.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of things,” coach Jim Hiller said when asked to explain a slide that has dropped the Kings into the middle of the division standings. “We just feel like we haven’t had a good run of games where we felt like, win or lose, we really like how we’re playing.
“That’s something that we’ll keep driving towards. We just haven’t had it yet.”
Last season, Hiller’s Kings tied franchise records for wins and points in the regular season and had the best home mark in team history. This season, they’re 4-8-4 at Crypto.com Arena, the second-worst home record in the Western Conference. And that has general manager Ken Holland answering questions about Hiller’s future behind the bench.
“I expect him to be here the rest of the season,” said Holland last week, not exactly a full-throated vote of confidence.
Yet for all their struggles, December has just been a continuation of the things that have plagued the Kings all season.
“We all have high expectations for ourselves,” Hiller said. “We just haven’t hit our stride yet. That’s the part that we’re chasing. That’s what we have to focus on. We have to hit that stride.
“It’s a difficult time right now, for sure.”
On Tuesday, Hiller tried to shake things up by mixing up his lines, most significantly pairing Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko with center Alex Turcotte. And while Fiala and Kuzmenko responded with goals, they didn’t come until the Kraken had taken a 3-0 lead.
The first goal came from Jordan Eberle, who was left alone in front of the Kings’ net, giving him plenty of space to settle a pass from Matty Beniers before lifting the puck around goaltender Pheonix Copley and under the crossbar for his 13th goal of the season. It was the fourth power-play goal the Kings had given up in the last two nights and the sixth in four games.
The Kraken doubled their lead on a quirky goal less than eight minutes later, with Copley misjudging a deflected shot from Seattle’s Frederick Gaudreau, allowing the puck to knuckle off his glove then trickle through his legs for the goal.
Ben Meyers extended Seattle’s lead to 3-0 with less than four minutes left in the second before the Kings finally got on the board with an unassisted goal from Fiala, his 13th of the season, 11 seconds later.
Kings coach Jim Hiller watches from the bench during the second period of a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Now the Kings will have three days to think about that, although Fiala said he’d gotten over the game by the time he finished showering.
“If you win five in a row or lose five in a row or whatever, it’s forgotten. It’s in the past,” he said. “I think we take the good things with us and the bad things we hopefully analyze and get better at.”
For Hiller, the break couldn’t come at a better time. Or a worse time since the team’s current seven-game slump is its deepest since the winter of 2023-24. That one cost coach Todd McLellan his job.
“I hope the players are able to relax and refresh themselves,” Hiller said. “It’s been from September till now, with the schedule and how busy it is. And 85% of our games, we’ve been playing within one goal.
“It’s taxing physically and mentally. So I’m sure those guys need a break.”
A lone goal by the Manchester United forward is enough for Ivory Coast to successfully begin their AFCON title defence.
Published On 24 Dec 202524 Dec 2025
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Holders Ivory Coast squandered a number of chances, but Amad Diallo’s goal early in the second half was enough to beat Mozambique 1-0 and give them a winning start to their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defence.
In the opening Group F game on Wednesday in Morocco, the Ivorians battled to break down their opponents in a competitive first half but took firm control after the break without converting the many chances they created.
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Diallo side-footed the ball into the net in the 49th minute to ensure the three-point haul in rainy conditions, but the scoreline would have been a lot more emphatic had the Ivorians been sharper in front of goal.
Wilfried Zaha, playing his first international in more than two years after his surprise recall for the Cup of Nations finals, wasted several chances, and Franck Kessie had two point-blank efforts saved by Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan.
Ivorian substitute Vakoun Bayo also had an opportunity with an easy header in front of goal but somehow put it wide, and in the 89th minute, Bayo had an effort cleared off the line with Ernan caught well out of his goal.
Mozambique brought on winger Dominguez as a second-half substitute at the age of 42 years, one month and six days, making him the oldest outfield player in tournament history behind only former Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who was 44 when he played in the 2017 final.
Mozambique are still to win a match at the finals, stretching back to their tournament debut in 1986. This is their sixth appearance with a record of four draws and 12 losses.
Diallo, centre, scores the only goal of the contest in the 49th minute [Khaled Desouki/AFP]
