Month: December 2025

The holidays bring good cheer — an opportunity to reflect but also, most likely, the anxiety of family. Jim Jarmusch’s latest film isn’t set during the season, although the faint flickers of awkwardness, resentment and guilt that pass across its characters’ faces may be painfully familiar to audiences who have an uneasy relationship with their parents. “Father Mother Sister Brother” is here to commiserate, but because the veteran indie auteur remains a sharp chronicler of the quotidian, he has no patience for sentimentality or pat resolutions. The movie glides by so unassumingly, you may be stunned how moved you are by the end.

“Father Mother Sister Brother” is divided into three chapters, each examining a separate family. In the first segment, set somewhere in the Northeast, siblings Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik) visit their unnamed father (Tom Waits). The second tale shifts to Dublin, where sisters Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps) arrive at the home of their mother (Charlotte Rampling) for their annual tea party. And in the final chapter, twins Skye (Indya Moore) and Billy (Luka Sabbat) reunite in Paris to close up the apartment owned by their parents, who recently died in a small-plane crash.

Jarmusch has occasionally sliced his narratives into pieces: His films “Night on Earth” and “Coffee and Cigarettes” were anthologies tied together conceptually. Initially, “Father Mother Sister Brother” appears to be similar, but there’s a cumulative power to the movie, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, that reveals a subtle but profound thematic undercurrent.

The first clue comes in the “Father” chapter, which begins with Jeff and Emily in the car. There’s a stilted quality to the conversation as they discuss their eccentric, inscrutable dad. The visit has the heavy air of obligation — they don’t see Dad very often — and when he clumsily welcomes them into his ramshackle house, pregnant pauses and pursed lips ensue. Nothing much happens, until the segment’s finale introduces a twist that suggests the yawning chasm between what we think we know about our parents and what the truth of their lives is.

Once we move to the “Mother” sequence, we’ve started to acclimate to the movie’s discomfiting rhythms — which is good considering that, if anything, Timothea and Lilith’s relationship with their mom is even frostier. Their mother’s polite, excessively formal demeanor cannot mask her befuddlement regarding how to relate to her children. Decked out in an unflattering haircut and eyeglasses, Blanchett plays Timothea as terminally mousy, still craving her aloof mom’s approval. By comparison, Krieps’ Lilith is more assertive, proudly showing off her pink-dyed hair and bragging about a Lexus she doesn’t actually have. Rampling crackles as a matriarch who can sniff out her kids’ lies and insecurities but has the good manners not to say anything. Or maybe it’s not kindness at all but, rather, a way to reassure herself that she will always have the upper hand.

The film’s persistent brittleness may make some viewers antsy. That’s partly the point, but hopefully, they’ll soon be swept away by the movie’s melancholy undertow. Working with a minimalist keyboard score he co-wrote, Jarmusch fills the silences with an ineffable despair. You can feel it in the way Emily looks out her father’s window to the lake beyond, the wintery tableau both tranquil and poignant. You sense it when Timothea quietly inspects herself in a bathroom mirror, wishing her life was more than it is.

Such moments could make you cry. But Jarmusch’s deadpan approach often chases that sadness with a wry chuckle during instances of unfiltered honesty. Krieps relishes portraying her character, a big-talking phony hoping to wow her mother and sister. (At one point, Lilith announces, “I almost hate to say it, but my life’s been like a dream.” Blanchett’s reaction is delicious.) Eventually, we learn to look past Jarmusch’s deceptively mundane surfaces to see the fraught, unresolved issues within these guarded families. The characters occasionally expose their true selves, then just as quickly retreat, fearful of touching on real conflict.

Which brings “Father Mother Sister Brother” to its most affecting sequence. It would be a spoiler to disclose anything about Skye and Billy’s intimate saga, but what becomes clear is that Jarmusch has fashioned the “Father” and “Mother” installments in such a way that the final “Sister Brother” segment hits differently. Just as importantly, Moore and Sabbat’s lovely performances slyly alter our impressions of those previous chapters, building to some of the tenderest moments of Jarmusch’s career.

Turning 73 in January, Jarmusch has lost none of his edge or preternatural cool, but the depth of feeling in recent works like 2016’s “Paterson” becomes, here, a bittersweet meditation on the anguish of trying to unlock the mystery of our aging parents. In “Father Mother Sister Brother,” family can be hell, but the only thing worse is when they’re no longer with us.

In a historic appointment, Satsuki Katayama became Japan’s first female finance minister in October, taking the reins of the powerful portfolio at a moment of acute economic tension in the country.  

A veteran bureaucrat and politician, she brings deep institutional knowledge. Katayama previously climbed the ranks of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), including a high-profile role in the influential Budget Bureau. That’s a rare feat for a woman in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Katayama’s immediate challenge is managing newly seated Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s core economic priority: growth through fiscal expansion.

Takaichi is betting big on a stimulus package, estimated at over $65 billion, that aims to bolster household consumption, energize regional economies, and spur the “virtuous cycle” of sustained wage and price growth.

Such aggressive spending puts Katayama at cross-purposes with economists concerned about Japan’s financial health, however. 

With the country holding the world’s highest debt-to-GDP ratio and committed to achieving a primary surplus in fiscal 2025, she must convince financial markets that the new spending is both “proactive and responsible” while working to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio. 

The external environment adds layers of complexity. The Bank of Japan held its policy rate steady, focusing on securing its 2% inflation target. But the recent economic contraction and pressure from Takaichi for cautious rate hikes create a difficult path for monetary normalization. The prime minister recently voiced concern over the yen’s “very one-sided, rapid” weakening, a development that threatens to undermine consumer purchasing power and exacerbate import costs just as the government rolls out its spending plan. 

The Bank of Japan subsequently increased its benchmark interest rate to 0.75 percent.

Looking ahead, the finance minister’s success hinges on her ability to walk this policy tightrope: reconciling the MoF’s mandate for fiscal discipline with the political imperative for bold, stimulus-led growth. Katayama’s task is about execution.

Booking a trip abroad can come with a hefty price tag, but one traveller was left baffled by the cost of food while visiting a European supermarket, as he claimed, ‘food costs more than the flight’

Food in one European country is so expensive that some tourists are packing food in their suitcases.

Iceland is a prime spot to catch the awe-inspiring Northern Lights, offering a spectacular getaway with its stunning Nordic landscapes, mountainous backdrops, and hot springs.

Yet, the European destination is notoriously pricey, to the extent that holidaymakers have resorted to packing their suitcases with food just to avoid the extortionate prices.

One traveller visited the Nordic island in the North Atlantic earlier this year and visited a local supermarket to see just how much the cost of food really was. In a video, @jesusansal explained that tourists often travel to Iceland with their own food stashed in their luggage because “food costs more than the flight.”

He videoed himself heading into a supermarket, and said: “Let’s see if it’s as expensive as people say”. And it didn’t take long before he found some costly everyday items that are almost double the price of what we’d find in an English supermarket.

Firstly, he found that a small pack of strawberries would set him back 800 Icelandic króna, which is around £4.75. For lunch, there was a baguette on offer for 1,065 króna, which is approximately £6.32, or a cheese sandwich for 750 króna (£4.45).

Elsewhere, a medium-sized bottle of olive oil costs 1,300 króna (£7.72), while instant noodles would set someone back 800 króna (£4.75) – a considerable hike compared to the 45p packs you can find in Tesco. “Mari, this is so expensive,” the TikToker said as he walked around the Iceland supermarket, but it didn’t end there.

He also found slices of Serrano ham for 500 króna (£2.97) and a small jar of the traditional Icelandic delicacy, hákarl, for 1,300 króna (£7.72). When it comes to making a basic breakfast during a stay in Iceland, the influencer found that it would cost someone around 2,000 króna (£11.87), which includes a couple of doughnuts, water, and juice.

Research from The Drinks Business found that Iceland is the most expensive place in Europe to purchase a bottle of wine, with the average cost of a mid-range wine setting someone back £18.30. This is compared to the European average of around £7.17 for the same quality of wine.

Having been left baffled by the prices of essential items, the Spanish traveller ended his video with: “Iceland may have spectacular views, but it’s quite expensive.” And he’s not the only one who feels this way.

Commenting on his TikTok video, one follower wrote: “What surprised me most was definitely the bread.” Another asked: “Can you get a mortgage at the supermarket?”

However, others noted the reason behind the higher prices could be due to their higher salaries. One commented: “In Iceland, the basic monthly salary is €6,000, so I even consider it cheap.”

One more added: “Well, the ham seems cheap to me, and the individual hams there will be five times more expensive than ours.” Another compared the prices to those in Europe and said: “The price of oil and ham is almost the same as in Spain.”

While you can find cheap flights to Iceland and affordable accommodation during your stay, the cost of food items can quickly add up. However, if you keep a budget for food each day and have this in mind before your trip, it’s still well worth a visit.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Ulster lock Cormac Izuchukwu says “pride in the province” is what helps make Irish derbies special as the side prepare to take on Connacht this weekend.

Richie Murphy’s side travel to the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (17:30 GMT) for what is their second of three games in a row against Irish rivals in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The northern province are looking to bounce back following a narrow 24-20 loss against Leinster last time out.

The home side, meanwhile, come into the match off the back of a loss comprehensive reverse against Dragons.

“Connacht away, Leinster away and Munster at home, they are special,” Izuchukwu told BBC Sport NI.

“There is something about them, they are class and class to play in.

“For me it is having pride in the province, going down there and showing what we are about.”

Izuchukwu, who hasn’t played since early October because of a recurring foot injury followed by an illness last week, has just signed a new two-year contract to keep him at Ulster until the summer of 2028.

The 25-year-old second row added that he has “grown as a person and a player” since joining the Ulster academy in 2020.

“It has been on my mind for a while now, so really happy to get it done and to get back to playing rugby,” Izuchukwu continued.

“I came here back in 2020, I didn’t have many options, and they gave me a chance. I came here, have made friends and have grown as a person and a player.

“I have made great memories here and, for me, with how the club is growing I am so happy to be here.”

Picturesque Yorkshire Dales village is famous for its award-winning cheese from Wensleydale Creamery and unique attractions including The Forbidden Corner

Nestled peacefully along the upper reaches of the River Ure, this idyllic village represents a haven for food enthusiasts.

Whilst Wensleydale is widely recognised for its delicious cheese, there’s far more to explore and experience in this delightful Yorkshire village. Interestingly, Wensleydale stands as one of the few dales not named after its river, deriving its name instead from the historic market town of Wensley. Located within the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park, it’s home to the renowned Wensleydale Creamery, situated in the Hawes area. Guests can immerse themselves in the award-winning Flagship Cheese Experience and Visitor Centre, which honours a legacy spanning up to 1,000 years of regional artisan cheesemaking.

Employing recipes refined across generations using fresh locally-sourced milk, according to the company’s time-honoured tradition, the practice traces back to when Cistercian monks originally introduced cheesemaking to the locale. The region happens to be an ideally open, expansive valley, carved by glaciers, and its wide river provided the perfect environment for dairy cattle.

A recent visitor to the factory described their visit as a “cheese lover’s dream”. They said: “The cheese is delicious, and you can taste a huge variety both in the tasting room and in the cafe!. Especially enjoyed the traditional Wensleydale cheeses with added dried fruits, including apricots, blueberries and cranberries.

“Next time we’d definitely do the cheese experience and eat in the restaurant too!” The unique terrain of Wensleydale has shaped its most famous export – the cheese beloved by Britons nationwide – whilst its stunning scenery continues to benefit the area every single day.

Among its most breathtaking sights is Aysgarth Falls, a natural wonder that captivates numerous walkers who explore the region. A recent visitor to the location described it as “Beautiful. Unspoiled. Not commercialised.” They shared on TripAdvisor: “It had rained heavily overnight, and the falls were spectacular. Ignore what AI says about the distance from the visitor centre car park – it’s a gentle stroll through woodland to the middle falls.”

During your journey to Wensleydale, you’re also likely to discover “the strangest place” on Earth, better recognised as The Forbidden Corner. This attraction presents an extraordinary maze of tunnels, concealed pathways, sculptures, water installations and various curiosities nestled within its mysterious gardens.

The Yorkshire Dales location boasts peculiar features including a temple of the underworld, a glass pyramid, and sculptures depicting various historical periods. It’s an excellent family outing that keeps you connected with nature whilst offering a far more engaging experience.

With its fascinating heritage, exceptional culinary options and vast countryside, it provides an ideal combination of tradition and charm in the Yorkshire Dales. Who would have thought that so much could be tucked away in the valleys just a stone’s throw from your home, whether it’s for a day trip to one of its numerous attractions or a staycation to discover everything?

Her Missing Son Returns In Her Dreams 

“I enjoyed editing several stories this year, but this one stayed with me because of how Sabiqah narrated it with an intimate voice that draws you directly into the woman’s inner world: the dreams, the dread, the relentless memory of her child. 

The writing does more than tell a personal story; it brings the national crisis of missing persons in Nigeria into sharp, human focus. The storytelling lets the reader feel the ache without forcing it, turning one woman’s sorrow into something universally recognisable and impossible to look away from.”

– Johnstone Kpilaakaa, Sub-editor and head of standards.

Widowed by Boko Haram, Swept by Floods, but She Refused to Sink

“It was written by Abdulkareem Haruna; therefore, there was almost no serious work from my side. It’s best for me because it tells a story of resilience. The story of a woman who could have abandoned everything and buried herself in despair, but she refused to be drowned in the abyss of two big tragedies: the Boko Haram war and a natural disaster.”

– Aliyu Dahiru, Head of the Extremism and Radicalism desk

From Elephants to Warthogs: The Shadow Wildlife Trade Financing Boko Haram in Nigeria

“One thing I love about this story is the adrenaline of promptness and emergency it gave while editing it. We were working on a tight deadline, and it needed to be delivered excellently. The reporter, Al-amin Umar, made this a lot easier because he understood his role and did it to the best of his ability. He followed guidelines religiously and ensured the story came out well. The subject matter was also crazy to probe within limited time and resources. But we pulled it through regardless. It’s a story worth celebrating.” 

– Ibrahim Adeyemi, Investigations Editor

Displaced People with Disabilities Face Severe Struggles in Borno Camps 

“Disabled people’s stories are usually underreported, especially those in IDP camps. This story, by Abubakar Mukhtar Abba, is very in-depth and takes us on a journey into what it means to be displaced and disabled in an unaccommodating environment. It pointed out their struggles with accessibility and how that impacts their health and the community generally, highlighting why accessibility is a fundamental right and benefits society in general. It also shows how a lack of inclusion pushes disabled people away from camps, causing social, environmental and health problems due to how they are excluded from society. 

This story brings those at the fringes of society into the spotlight while maintaining their full humanity and dignity.”

– Hauwa Abubakar Saleh, Assistant Editor, Features Desk

The Intersection Between Healthcare and Loyalty to Terror Groups 

“We are still finding out the ways lives have been affected following the USAID suspension. I find this story particularly enlightening because it shows us how everything affects everything, you do not readily think loyalty to a terror group intersects with healthcare.”

— Shade Mary-Ann Olaoye, Audience Growth and Engagement Editor 

CHRIS Rea became the third of his siblings to die in just three months – sending his heartbroken family “into shock”.

Devastated relatives of the Driving Home for Christmas singer revealed he had welcomed his first grandchild shortly before his “tragic” death.

Chris died in hospital following a short illness, a spokesperson for his family said on Monday.

In a statement on behalf of his wife and two children, they said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.

“He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

The singer songwriter’s death – just three days before Christmas – becomes the latest heartbreak for his family.

His older sister, Camille Whitaker, revealed two of Chris’ siblings had also sadly passed away just months ago.

She told how her youngest sibling, Nicholas, died in hospital aged 66 in October after battling brain cancer.

Just days after his funeral, Camille’s twin sister Geraldine Milward died suddenly – sending the family into shock.

She told the Daily Mail: “It is an awful pain. It is gut-wrenching what happened. The family has been quite shocked by it.

“It is tragic. We can’t sort of get around it.”

Camille, who says she last spoke to Chris less than a week ago, admitted his family will be “wrecked” by his passing.

The iconic hit writer lived with his wife and family at home in Buckingham and remained “very close” with his family.

Camille also told how Chris was “very pleased” when he became a grandfather for the first time this year.

Prior to his death, the singer-songwriter battled a number of health issues after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over 40 years ago.

Chris reportedly went under the knife for serious ops nine times, spending over half a year in hospital following his cancer diagnosis at the age of 33.

Discussing the shock prognosis with Saga, he told how it had been his “Mount Everest” to climb.

Chris explained: “The original illness hit me hard. I almost had a nervous breakdown with the shock of it. That was the Mount Everest to climb.

“When they said it was pancreatic cancer, I could not believe it. It seemed that if your DNA says you are going to have cancer, then you can.

“They did not think I would recover from the first operation, but I was determined to do so for my wife and the girls.”

Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League at Christmas, but it is BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton who leads the way when it comes to predictions.

“I’m number one at Christmas – again,” said Sutton, who as a player led the Premier League table at this point with Norwich in 1992 and Blackburn in 1994, and went on to win the title with Rovers.

“It’s a big deal for me to be top, as well as for Arsenal.

“AI is the go-to for virtually everyone in the world whenever they have to ask anything, so the fact that I am beating it – and let’s face it, I have stuffed it for half a season now – is pretty incredible. It says a lot about me, and I’m delighted.

“Rather than asking AI about everything, maybe people should come to me to tap into my intelligence instead?”

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

For week 18 – the festive fixtures on Boxing Day and the weekend of 27 and 28 December – he takes on Jonny Stewart, bass singer with sea shanty folk supergroup The Wellermen, who is a Newcastle fan.

The Wellermen were the originators of the sea shanty trend on TikTok, with their versions of Misty Mountain, Nancy Mulligan and Hoist the Colours racking up billions of views.

Do you agree with their scores? You can make your own predictions below.

The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

Dec. 23 (UPI) — A judge in Oregon ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot require states to account for how deportations have affected their populations in order to receive emergency or disaster preparedness funds.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy Potter’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit from 11 states challenging new requirements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which they argued created undue burdens on access to hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used to prepare for floods, storms, acts of terrorism and other potential catastrophes.

The ruling is a setback for President Donald Trump as he has sought to remake the federal agency that is central to responding to disasters after earlier calling for it to be dissolved.

The ruling concerned a new FEMA policy that shortened the duration of grants to states from three years to one. The agency argued that the shorter period would allow it to better gauge the effectiveness of how states were using the money.

FEMA also required states to provide updated figures on their populations to reflect the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation efforts. Population counts have traditionally been the responsibility of the U.S. Census Bureau.

A group of 11 states – including Michigan, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Kentucky – sued in response to the new requirements.

They argued that the requirements violated the Administrative Procedures Act and imperiled funding used for outreach programs in Hawaii, the deployment of emergency management personnel in North Carolina during tropical storms and staff to respond to flash floods in Maryland.

“This abrupt change in policy is particularly harmful to local emergency management,” wrote Potter.

In Oregon, affected funds were used to help cover the expenses of local emergency managers across the state, she wrote.

It’s opening night at Scotland’s newest community pub, Oakbank Inn, which sits on the Holy Loch in the village of Sandbank, Argyll. It’s a clear, cold night, and the inn couldn’t look more welcoming: a cosy glow from within the historic building, the Cowal hills beyond. The Christmas lights are twinkling, the glasses are charged and there’s a palpable sense of goodwill, cheer, and plenty of pride in the air. By 6pm, it’s buzzing. Locals are already propping up the bar as a stylish woman sweeps in and bags the last table. She is Debbie Rycroft, a local haberdasher. “A pint in my own local,” she smiles happily, relishing a toast with her husband and equally dapper 19-year-old son.

First-night hiccups are limited to a wonky nozzle and a brief worry about a small radiator leak. “How many people to fix a heater?” quips someone as a line of concerned faces survey the scene. Almost immediately, a punter walks in with a radiator key. All sorted. Someone orders a Guinness; the bartender pulls it off. A two-part pour, pitchblack perfection with a balanced, creamy top. Good things come to those who wait? Well, this one’s been three years in the making.

The Oakbank, a landmark building at the heart of Sandbank for the last 160 years, closed at the end of 2022, like so many businesses that struggled in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Next came the closure of the nearby Holy Loch inn. The village was left without a pub – a huge loss for a rural community.

A group of locals got together in early 2023, formed a committee, chaired by Sue McKillop, and began the long slog to buy the Oakbank. “It’s been an uphill struggle,” says Ian MacNaughton, another founding committee member. “I just didn’t think the hill would be so steep!” Now retired, MacNaughton remembers sneaking into the Oakbank for a pint, aged 16. These days he’s learning about compliance laws. “We must do everything right.”

After an initial rejection, their persistence finally paid off last December with the award of a Scottish Land grant just shy of £150,000, covering most of the purchase price. In January, McKillop advertised shares, raising more than £23,000 and an “inspiring amount of enthusiasm” from locals. By April this year, they had the keys. It’s been nonstop ever since up until opening night last Saturday, she says.

While the shares didn’t reach the £90,000 target, people have contributed “thousands of volunteer hours” to get the place ready, Dawn Petherick tells me. They shifted and updated the bar, now an airy sky blue, while the old wood burner’s still there but “needing work”. Another one for the list. And Petherick’s list is long. She is Oakbank’s development officer, a fixed-term post funded by the initial grant, and, like everyone else involved, she’s been busy all year.

The Oakbank has been running pop-ups, workshops and charity mornings during the refurbishment. More events are being added all the time. “Whatever the community wants – knitting groups, book clubs, exhibitions, ‘sober nights’ – it should be a hub more than a pub,” says Petherick. “Somewhere to alleviate social isolation.”

And that is needed more than ever. Yet another local pub, the Strone Inn across the bay, is set to close at the end of the year. Like many local business owners, Stephen Mitchell is supportive of the Oakbank project. “Fair play to them,” he says. “It’s taken them three years, so it’s a real result.” But, he warns, “the hard work starts now as things are really tough”.

McKillop agrees. “It’s exciting but a wee bit scary,” she says. “We are under no illusions as to the challenges that lie ahead. Like any pub venue, we will need to keep innovating in order to survive.” But she can take comfort from recent figures; community pubs are doing well. According to the charity Plunkett UK, community-owned businesses are “highly resilient”, with a five-year survival rate of 98%.

“We’re delighted that the Oakbank Community Inn is opening under community ownership,” says James Alcock, Plunkett UK’s chief executive. “We see time and again how saving local assets like village pubs protects vital services and social spaces, helping to reduce isolation and strengthen communities.”

Future plans include refurbishing accommodation upstairs, a studio/gallery space in the adjoining cottage and renovating the commercial kitchen. In a nice piece of alchemy, the pub sits opposite Sandbank’s community-owned garden, so its polytunnels and raised beds will be nurturing hyper-local vegetables destined for that kitchen.

But the best thing about the Oakbank is the bit you see last. At the back of the bar, big glass doors offer views across the Holy Loch. It’s inaccessible now, but outside the doors, a grassy verge leads to the Holy Loch marina below. It has its own regulars hauling out on the slipway – giant Atlantic grey seals. With neighbours like that, you can see why McKillop has ambitious plans. “We’re going to rebuild the rotten deck and make a bridge to connect to the marina,” she says.

That should please boat-owners Tony, Rob and Alan, enjoying a pint beside the bar. “Sailors don’t like going places where you can’t go to a pub,” says Rob. “And Sandbank’s had absolutely nothing to offer.”

“Hang on,” offers Tony. “It’s got a lot of history.”

But Rob’s having none of it. “You can’t drink a pint of history.”

Russian attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region kills at least one and injures three, according to its governor.

“South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who this summer landed one of the richest TV deals ever, are being called Scrooges by performers at their Casa Bonita restaurant near Denver.

In late October, the performers, including the famed cliff divers, went on a three-day strike, citing unsafe working conditions and stalled negotiations over their first contract. The performers voted unanimously to unionize with Actors’ Equity Assn. a year ago.

The strike ended when the restaurant’s management agreed to bring in a mediator to assist in the negotiations.

But the standoff has continued, prompting Actors’ Equity to take out an ad in the Denver Post this week that depicts a “South Park” cartoon-like Parker and Stone awash in hundred-dollar bills while their staff, including a gorilla and a person clad in a swimsuit, shivers outside in the Colorado cold.

The union said its goal is to prod the star producers to resolve the labor tensions by giving about 60 Casa Bonita performers, including magicians and puppeteers, a pay increase and other benefits along with their first contract.

A full page ad is running in the Denver Post on Dec 24.

(Actors’ Equity Association)

Other Casa Bonita workers voted earlier this month to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 7.

“At Casa Bonita, we value all of our team members and their well being,” the restaurant management said in a statement. “We are negotiating in good faith with our unionized team members in the hopes of concluding fair collective bargaining agreements.”

Parker and Stone declined to comment through a spokesperson.

The pair, who also created the hit Broadway play “The Book of Mormon,” rescued the kitschy, bright-pink Mexican-themed eatery in Lakewood, Colo., from bankruptcy in 2021 and have since plowed more than $40 million into the restaurant to upgrade and correct unsafe electrical, plumbing and structural issues after the facility had fallen into disrepair.

For “South Park” super-fans, the venue has become something of a mecca since first being featured in the seventh season of the long-running Comedy Central cartoon.

In that episode, Cartman flips out when Kyle invites Stan, Kenny and Butters Stotch to his birthday party at Casa Bonita (not Cartman), where they are serenaded by the restaurant’s ubiquitous mariachi bands.

Along with legions of other kids who grew up in Colorado, Parker and Stone fondly remember making the trek to the Casa Bonita of their 1980s youth. Restoring the restaurant has become a passion project for the writers, a journey that became grist for a documentary, “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!,” which streams on Paramount+.

In July, Paramount managers were eager to tie up loose ends to facilitate the company’s sale to David Ellison’s Skydance Media and RedBird Capital Partners. The incoming management team also became involved in the protracted negotiations to strike a new deal with Parker and Stone’s production company, Park County, to avoid having the situation unravel, possibly tripping up their corporate takeover.

Paramount ultimately agreed to extend the overall deal for Park County as well as lock up the show’s exclusive global streaming rights for $300 million a year over five years. Until this year, the show streamed exclusively on HBO Max.

The overall deal is slated to bring Parker and Stone’s firm $1.25 billion through 2030.

As part of the pact, the team agreed to create 50 new “South Park” episodes for Paramount. The series has enjoyed a ratings bounce and increased cultural resonance this year as it routinely roasts President Trump.

Actors’ Equity, which also represents Broadway performers, is seeking pay raises for its members at Casa Bonita. Union representatives said performers’ wages there average $21 to $26 an hour.

“Matt and Trey have become fabulously wealthy by pointing out the hypocrisy of rich and powerful people,” said David Levy, communications director for Actors’ Equity. “And now they are behaving exactly like the people they like to take down.”

Zedwell’s Capsule Cocoons in Piccadilly Circus start from £35.82 per night, offering budget accommodation in central London – but it won’t be to everyone’s taste

People with claustrophobia might want to look away now.

A hotel in central London is offering beds from just £35.82 a night, but there’s a catch. Instead of a room, you’ll be sleeping in a capsule or ‘Cocoon’ as they’re named. But does the location and low price make up for the cramped accommodations?

Reporter Christopher Sharp went to stay at the Zedwell Piccadilly Circus, and his first impressions of the space were a little morbid. Writing for the Express, he said: “One thing I do know, is that at some point after dying, I may well find myself in a coffin of some sorts.

“This isn’t my last will and testament, but one of my first thoughts after entering one of Zedwell’s Capsule Cocoons at their Piccadilly Circus venue earlier this month. The ‘Cocoons’ are effectively small windowless boxes that can be yours for as little as £36 a night.

“Stacked in columns of two, they’re an option for someone looking to spend not very much money for a room in the heart of London.”

He was impressed by the location, saying: “The room is located in just a stone’s throw from the likes of Soho, Covent Garden, Regent’s Street, Leicester Square, and a short walk from Hyde Park, Green Park, and the Serpentine.”

He described the experience of checking in, which was straightforward: “Once you’ve found the entrance to the hotel, currently located underneath a lot of scaffolding, it’s easy to check in using your booking number and email address. With your key card, you receive a small lock and key to secure your belongings, along with some compostable slippers. The check-in is 24 hours a day, so whenever you show up, you’ll be fine. If you want to check out at 3am, you can do that as well.

“Once you’ve got your key, it’s off to find your cocoon, which you’ll discover in one of several dorms stretched across several floors. Each set of cocoons is behind a locked door that can only be accessed with your key.”

However, his impressions of the hotel could be summed up by the words: “unfinished and tired”. Christopher said: “I spoke to one regular user of the Zedwell venue, and he explained that building works were still continuing. The bathrooms were not in a very good state when I was there, and the fact that an open lift shaft was visible behind a small hole in the wall didn’t fill me with much confidence.”

He felt, even for the cheap price, it didn’t represent the best value for money: “You might very well argue that for the price one pays, one shouldn’t expect high quality, but ragged toilets, an unfinished building, and an open lift shaft? I expected more.”

Zedwell’s spokesperson said: “Our targeted completion timeline is Q2 2026. When we opened a few months ago, we did so as a soft launch, with a couple of floors still in preparation. These floors have now opened and we’re finalising certain construction elements to better serve guests and optimise the way the spaces are used. This approach allows us to adapt quickly to guest feedback and ensure the hotel meets evolving needs.”

But what was the pod itself like? Christopher described the unusual accommodation: “Looking past the human safe store coffin simulation aspects, the cocoon itself was very roomy, thanks to a light at the end of the room that bounced off a full-length and full-width mirror.

“This sat in front of a ledge on which sat a three-pin socket, a USB-A and USB-C plugs, as well as a dial for the light and a switch for the fan. That fan is quite important as it’s one way of circulating air through the box after the small grills at the entrance.

“Next to said entrance are a couple of hooks for your bag and coat, and all in it’s quite an accommodating place to be and an easy enough space to crawl into. You get a much better sense of the logistical mortality of it all once you pull the shutter door down and turn out the lights and fan. It’s dark enough that you can’t see your hand in front of your face, which, given the shape of the space, is quite unnerving.

“Sleeping was difficult, but not as bad as expected. I got a couple of two or three-hour stretches before my 6am alarm the next morning. The moment the alarm went off I was out of the venue quicker than you can say Lando Norris (Max Verstappen takes a little longer to say).”

Christopher said the cheap price was clearly bringing in the crowds, writing: “The venue is clearly popular. One member of staff told me that businesspeople use it as well as tourists, theatergoers, and members of the military. I still felt there must be better options out there, even if the price is incredibly low.

“The hotel itself doesn’t claim to be the cheapest in London, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anything for less. (If you do, please email webtravel@reachplc.com and let us know). It suits travellers and tourists on a budget, but unless you’re comfortable in such a small space or value your privacy more than dealing with a night of claustrophobia, I would avoid it.

“Was it an interesting experience? Definitely. But that doesn’t mean that I would go again or that I’d recommend it, unless you only want to be in that part of central London and have no more than £40 to spend.”

A spokeperson for the hotel told us: “Zedwell Capsule Hotel Piccadilly Circus is the first hotel of its kind on this scale, not only in the UK but globally. It’s been incredibly valuable to see how guests interact with the space and to understand what features and amenities enhance their experience. We actively encourage guest feedback, especially during these early stages, as it helps us refine the experience and ensure every stay is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. We’re excited about the improvements we’re rolling out and have some exciting announcements planned in the new year.”

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Price and booking

Prices vary by date, with the cheapest rooms currently showing at £35.82. Towel hire is an extra £5. There are also women’s dorms which cost slightly more but include a towel, and have hairdryers in the bathrooms and dedicated female housekeeping staff. Check prices and book a room on Zedwell’s official site.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Replacing Pope with Bethell is the latest stage of long-running speculation around England’s number-three position.

Pope’s highest score in six innings on this Ashes tour is 46, extending his run of eight Tests against Australia without a half-century.

In the 27-year-old’s past seven Tests since making a century against India at Headingley in July, he averages 24.38.

Overall, he averages 34.55 in 64 Tests. This is the first time he has been left out of a Test since the 2022 tour of West Indies.

The Surrey man has been under pressure since Bethell made his Test debut in New Zealand at the end of last year, when the left-hander made three half-centuries in as many matches.

However, Bethell has endured a stop-start year since that breakthrough tour of New Zealand.

He has played only three first-class matches in the past year, one of which was the fifth Test against India at The Oval, when he made scores of six and five.

The 22-year-old did make 71 for England Lions against Australia A in Brisbane earlier this month.

Speculation that Bethell may come in for the start of the Ashes series grew when Pope was replaced as vice-captain by Harry Brook when the England squad was announced in September.

Instead, Pope has become the first selection victim of the failed bid to regain the urn.

“He’s not going to be the only one who’s disappointed in the dressing room with how things have gone,” said Stokes. “Being 3-0 down, it’s a tough place to be on a trip like this.

“There’s going to be a lot of disappointment within the dressing room from everyone who’s in there.”

Algeria’s parliament has begun debating a draft law that would criminalise France’s colonial rule from 1830 to 1962. Al Jazeera’s Nada Qaddourah explains what we know about the bill.

There is a growing presence of U.S. special operations forces (SOF) assets in the Caribbean as the Trump administration prepares for possible kinetic actions against Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. These SOF elements are part of a large buildup of U.S. military equipment and personnel in the region. You can catch up to our most recent coverage of Operation Southern Spear here.

Satellite images emerging online show at least five MC-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport planes are now at Rafael Hernandez International Airport (RHIA) in Puerto Rico. The Commando IIs appear to have arrived on Dec. 17. There are at least nine Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft there as well, according to a recording of air traffic control conversations shared with The War Zone. The presence of the Ospreys was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. Special Operations Command and Air Force Special Operations Command declined comment when we inquired about the deployment. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees military operations in the region, also declined comment, citing operational security concerns.

The presence of these aircraft provides a drastic expansion of special operations aerial support capability for Operation Southern Spear. The CV-22s offer greater range and speed compared to their traditional rotary-wing counterparts. This allows them to penetrate deeper into contested territory without tanker support, which could prove highly beneficial for a country as large as Venezuela. They also get to where they are going faster and in any weather. This is especially important for combat search and rescue (CSAR) duties where every minute counts. Typically, USAF CV-22s execute special operations infiltration and exfiltration missions and CSAR.

The MC-130J is an extremely capable special operations transport and tanker, that can deliver cargo and personnel deep inside contested territory in any weather. They can do this by landing on rough fields or air dropping cargo and personnel. They commonly refuel CV-22s, HH-60s, MH-60s, and MH-47s, but can also provide refueling for other probe-equipped helicopters. Setting up forward arming and refueling points in austere areas is another mission they execute, along with providing communications support and other ancillary duties. It’s worth noting that the 160th Special Operations Air Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, is also in the region, including aboard the special operations mothership MV Ocean Trader. MH-47s and MH-60s from the 160th would make use of the MH-130J’s refueling capabilities.

HC-130Js, which are more focused on CSAR operations, are also deployed to Puerto Rico along with a contingent of HH-60W Jolly Green CSAR helicopters.

Other special operations C-130s are also in the region, including the deployment to El Salvador of at least one AC-130 Ghostrider gunship. A video posted on Monday of the latest U.S. military strike on a suspected drug boat clearly shows it being raked by a Ghostrider’s gunfire.

Back in October, we suggested that the AC-130s were being used in at least some of the boat attacks, of which there have been more than two dozen, killing more than 100 people.

This looks like an AC-130J Ghostrider’s work. Two shots from the 30mm. We know AC-130 is deployed to PR.

Compare here: https://t.co/AtARMKHvGp

As we have discussed before, engaging small boats is something AC-130 crews train for & is an established mission set for the type. https://t.co/VIoNpHBYE3

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) October 19, 2025

The strikes have generated a great deal of controversy, with claims they violate the rules of armed conflict and have been carried out without Congressional or judicial approval. The White House and Pentagon have pushed back on those claims. Earlier this month, Congress closed out investigations into the first of these attacks, on Sept. 2, which were called after it was revealed that survivors of the first strike were killed in a follow-on attack.

It’s also worth noting that there are other special operations aircraft surely in the region, such as U-28 Dracos and others. These are just the ones we see in relatively public places or areas where U.S. activity is already prevalent.

Back to military aircraft at Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Puerto Rico, the airport plays host to MQ-9 Reaper drones, images of which first began appearing online in September. MQ-9s been used in boat attacks as well.

???Reapers in the Caribbean
Unclassified satellite imagery reveals two MQ-9 Reaper drones at Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico (Aguadilla).

With a long endurance and advanced sensors, these assets are critical for counter-narcotics and maritime surveillance,… pic.twitter.com/MUq70nhxNC

— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) September 11, 2025

The airport has a long history of hosting U.S. military aviation assets. Originally opened up in 1936 as Borinquen Field and later was renamed as Ramey Air Force Base before being closed in 1973. During its time in operation, the base hosted a variety of bombers, including B-17s, B-24s, B-29s, B-50s, B-36s and B-52s, according to the Ramey Air Force Base Historical Association.

The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen still operates from the airport. A compendium of satellite imagery dating back to early October shows a large-scale construction project at the airport. A big swath of land adjacent to the runway and next to the original military ramp has been cleared and there appears to be construction of new hangars or other structures. These additions are a strong indication that the U.S. military presence at the airport is growing and will be sustained for some time to come.

In addition to the special operations aircraft, online trackers show that C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets have landed in Puerto Rico from Lawson Army Airfield at Fort Benning, Georgia. That’s the home of the 75th Ranger Regiment, a special operations airborne unit used to seize airfields, among other operations. A spokesman for the regiment on Monday declined comment on these movements, referring us to SOUTHCOM, which has also declined comment.

Online trackers also showed flights to Puerto Rico from Fort Campbell in Kentucky and Fort Stewart in Georgia, The Wall Street Journal reported. The publication added “that military personnel and equipment were transported on planes” from those bases. SOUTHCOM declined to comment on those movements as well.

Meanwhile, as the Trump administration increases military pressure on Maduro, it is also continuing to take aim at Venezuelan oil shipments in an effort to squeeze him economically as well. As one of the world’s largest oil producers, Venezuela relies heavily on it. Since Trump enacted a blockade on sanctioned ships entering or leaving Venezuela, the U.S. has seized two and has pursued a third. Amid these actions, both China and Russia raised protests at the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, calling the blockade and tanker seizures “cowboy behavior” and “intimidation.”

Russia’s UN Envoy Nebenzya:

For several months now, the entire world has had the opportunity to observe the way that the United States has been continuing to deliberately foment tensions around the friendly nation of Venezuela under the pretext of combating drug trafficking and… pic.twitter.com/bRLhwG6wmA

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 23, 2025

So far, U.S. kinetic actions in the Caribbean have been contained to the boat strikes. However, Trump issued a warning to Maduro on Monday after suggesting the Venezuelan leader should step down.

“He can do whatever he wants, it’s alright, whatever he wants to do,” Trump told reporters after unveiling his proposed Trump class battleships. “If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”

Regardless of the overt messaging, if anything ends up happening, it’s clear the Pentagon is planning for the special operations community to provide a disproportionate contribution to the overall operation.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

ADAM Peaty and Holly Ramsay have made waves over their wedding plans — by banning the public from the venue for an entire day.

The ceremony for the Olympic swimmer, 30, and his model bride, 25, is scheduled to last for just 90 minutes on Saturday.

But they have block-booked Bath Abbey so no one else can get hitched there on the day.

Sources at the abbey said it was an “all-day booking” and tourists will also be stopped from entering the landmark.

A security team is set to patrol to stop people trying to take pictures of the couple.

The cost of hiring the facility for a wedding can be around £2,500 — but the couple are thought to be paying several thousand more for exclusivity.

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One local said: “It seems rather selfish to be hiring the abbey for the whole day when your wedding service only lasts for an hour and a half or so.”

Around 200 people are set to attend, including Holly’s chef dad Gordon and their close friends David and Victoria Beckham — but a falling-out has led to Adam’s mum Caroline being left off the guest list.

The couple have a “special connection” to the abbey — meaning they comply with a rule that anyone hiring it must have a link to it.

In its list of conditions for eligibility to be wed there, it is on offer to “parishioners, members of the congregation and those with a qualifying connection to the abbey”.

It is unknown what the connection is that the couple have which qualifies them.

Adam’s spokesman declined to comment, saying: “It’s a private, family wedding.”

Meanwhile, Adam has been branded “spiteful” after he left most of his family off his Christmas gift list amid their wedding falling-out.

He did not get anything for his parents, or brothers James and Richard.

He did get Richard’s daughter presents, along with his sister Bethany and her two kids.

But he ignored the young sons, aged 11 and seven, of James, who was arrested for allegedly making threats against him last month.

A family source said: “Kids are innocent and shouldn’t be included in any family fallout. To do this is cruel and spiteful.”

The Sun asked Adam’s team for comment.

Venezuela’s UN ambassador denounces US military strikes and naval blockade at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

Venezuela has told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the United States has “continental ambitions” over much of Latin America as it wages an unofficial war to remove the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

“It’s not just about Venezuela. The ambition is continental,” Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada, told a meeting of the 15-member UNSC on Tuesday.

“The US government has expressed this in its National Security Strategy, which states that the future of the continent belongs to them,” Moncada said.

“We want to alert the world that Venezuela is only the first target of a larger plan. The US government wants us to be divided so it can conquer us piece by piece,” he said.

Venezuela, earlier this month, requested that the UNSC meet to address the “ongoing US aggression”, which began in September when the White House launched air strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The White House claimed, without providing any evidence, that the vessels were trafficking drugs to the US.

At least 105 people have been killed so far in the attacks by US forces, which legal experts and Latin American leaders have branded “extrajudicial killings”, but which Washington claims are necessary to stem the flow of drugs to US shores.

At the UNSC meeting, Moncada also accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of violating both international and US domestic law, since the White House has been acting without the approval of the US Congress, whose authority is required to formally declare war on another country.

Moncada said that Trump’s imposition last week of a naval blockade on all Venezuelan oil tankers sanctioned by the US was a “military act aimed at laying siege to the Venezuelan nation”.

“Today, the masks have come off,” Moncada said. “It is not drugs, it is not security, it is not freedom. It is oil, it is mines and it is land.”

US envoy denounces ‘Maduro and his illegitimate regime’

US forces have seized at least two Venezuelan oil tankers and confiscated at least 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, according to Moncada, in a move he described as “a robbery carried out by military force”.

The US has defended its naval blockade of Venezuela as a “law enforcement” action to be carried out by the US coastguard, which has the authority to board ships under US sanctions. A naval blockade, by contrast, would be considered an act of war under international law.

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the UNSC that Latin American drug cartels remain the “single most serious threat” and that Trump would continue to use the full power of the US to eradicate them. Waltz also said that Venezuelan oil is a critical component in funding the cartels in Venezuela.

“The reality of the situation is that sanctioned oil tankers operate as the primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime,” he said.

The White House earlier this year designated several international drug cartels, including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, as terrorist organisations. Washington also added the “Cartel de los Soles,” which it claims is headed by Maduro, to the list in November.

The Venezuelan leader has denied the US allegations and accused the Trump administration of using the drug trafficking claims as a cover to carry out “regime change” in his country.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN separately warned that US “intervention” in Venezuela could “become a template for future acts of force against Latin American states”.

China’s ambassador told the UNSC that the US actions “seriously infringe” on the “sovereignty, security and legitimate rights” of Venezuela.

Mike Crosby, who was served the panini lunch on a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Luton Airport following a work trip, has shared his anger on social media to raise awareness

A Ryanair passenger has slammed what he has described as “the worst plane food ever” — an “inedible” £11 panini lunch.

Mike Crosby, aged 60, claims “even cabin crew agreed” the sandwich “was terrible” after he complained on the flight from Dublin to Luton Airport on December 10. Mike said the meal, which also included a coffee and a Snickers bar, cost £10.98 (Euro 12.50), looked “nothing like the photo”.

The father of two, who had spent three days working in Dublin, said: “I don’t like to complain and I’m the first to say how remarkable it is when you get a good meal served 35,000 feet in the air. But, I was disappointed with this one.

“It was supposed to be cheese and ham but that doesn’t look like ham of any sort I recognise and it doesn’t look like the picture showing more of it than was in there. The cheese wasn’t cheese but more of a paste. It was a cheesy spread.”

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A photograph shows the opened panini with two thin slices of ham inside and “unrecognisable cheese paste” slathered on a small section of the bread. Mike, who is from St Albans, Hertfordshire, asked for a refund but staff allegedly told him they were unable to offer this “in the air”. The dad claimed Ryanair has also rejected his appeal since then too.

Mike is now speaking out about his Ryanair sandwich experience as a warning to others. He said before buying one next time he wants to inspect the contents of the bread first — and will continue doing so until he finds one he likes the look of.

Mike, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, said: “The coffee, Snickers and sandwich was part of a meal deal and I paid 12 euros and 50 cents – and for plane food [the price] wasn’t that bad.

“It was all very horrible. I had a couple of bites and thought I’m not eating this and threw it away. It’s the worst plane food I have ever received on a plane and it’s up there with the worst sandwich too.

“It looked nothing like the photo. I don’t actually know what that meat was. I didn’t even get to taste the cheese. I said to the people on the plane that [the panini] is terrible and the cabin crew agreed and gave me a miniature pot of Pringles instead.

“I think the most disappointing thing is not actually what they served, but the way they refused to take any responsibility for serving up rubbish.

“Next time, I’m going to say can you bring me one [a sandwich] before you cook it and before I pay. I’m then going to open the packet up and say that’s no good and keep doing that until I find one I like the look of. I don’t think it’ll ever look like the picture.”

The Ukrainian military says its forces have withdrawn from ​​the battle-scarred town of Siversk in the eastern Donetsk region after heavy fighting with Russian forces.

In a statement on Telegram on Tuesday, Ukraine’s General Staff said that Russian troops had a “significant advantage” in manpower and equipment and had exerted constant pressure on the defending Ukrainian troops by staging small-unit assaults in difficult weather conditions.

Ukraine’s decision to withdraw its forces was made to “preserve the lives of our soldiers and the combat capability of the units”, the General Staff said.

Heavy losses were inflicted on Russian forces before the order to retreat was given, and Siversk remains “under the fire control of our troops”, and “enemy units are being blocked to prevent their further advance,” the General Staff added.

Ukraine’s DeepState military monitoring site reported late on Tuesday that Russian forces had occupied Siversk as well as Hrabovske, a village in Ukraine’s Sumy region close to the border with Russia.

Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Medvedev had told Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 11 that troops had taken Siversk, where fighting has been fierce in recent months, but Ukrainian officials denied the Russian reports at the time.

Ukraine’s military said at the time that Russian troops were “taking advantage of unfavourable weather conditions” to launch attacks, but were mostly being “destroyed on the approaches”.

The Kyiv Independent news site said that, despite Siversk’s modest size – it had a pre-war population of 10,000, and now, just a few hundred civilians remain – the town was key to the defence of northern Donetsk.

The town had helped shield the larger Sloviansk and Kramatorsk areas, “the main bastions of Ukraine’s so-called ‘fortress belt’”, which Russia has been unable to conquer since the start of fighting, the Kyiv Independent said.

Donetsk is one of three Ukrainian regions at the centre of Russia’s territorial demands, which are the stumbling blocks to reaching an agreement on a ceasefire. Ukraine’s leaders have said they will not concede their country’s territory taken during Moscow’s invasion.

Russian forces had already seized an estimated 19 percent of Ukrainian territory as of early December, including Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, all of the Luhansk region, and more than 80 percent of Donetsk, according to the Reuters news agency.

Russian forces also control about 75 percent of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, and small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to Reuters.

A 28-point peace plan first put forward by the administration of US President Donald Trump last month says that a negotiated settlement would see Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk “recognised as de facto Russian, including by the US”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said that the United States is pushing for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region to establish a “free economic zone” in the area, which he said the Russian side is referring to as a “demilitarised zone”.

Pope saddened as fighting continues over Christmas

The latest setback for Kyiv on the battlefield came as Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Russian forces had launched another “massive attack” on Ukraine on Monday night, killing at least three people, including a four-year-old girl, across 13 regions targeted with drones and missiles.

In Russia, Ukrainian drone attacks killed four people in the Belgorod region over the past two days, local officials said.

Pope ‍Leo ‍expressed disappointment on Tuesday that Russia had apparently refused to agree to a ceasefire on December 25, the date many Christians celebrate Christmas.

“I will make ​an appeal one ‌more time to people of goodwill to respect at least Christmas ‌Day as a day of ‌peace,” Leo said, speaking to reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.

“Maybe they will listen to us, and there ‌will be at least 24 hours, a day of peace, ‍across the world,” he said.

While most people in Ukraine and Russia are Christians, many are Orthodox, meaning they observe Christmas on January 7.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an unexpected 30-hour unilateral truce a day before Easter this year, a rare pause in Russia’s war on Ukraine, which has now continued for close to three years, after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.