Richard Irvine-Brown, Kevin Nguyen and Kayleen DevlinBBC Verify
BBC
Investigators are racing to establish how and why the deadly New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort spread so rapidly.
Authorities on Friday said in a press conference that sparklers attached to champagne bottles that were held “too close to the ceiling” appear to have started the blaze in the basement of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.
But how the fire took hold with such ferocity, killing at least 40 people and leaving 119 injured, many seriously, is now a key focus for officials – as is the bar’s safety record.
BBC Verify has been examining videos taken by survivors and onlookers and speaking to fire safety experts to find clues about what went wrong.
Bottles with sparklers held in the air
Two striking images shared widely online show people carrying champagne bottles with lit sparklers above their heads, with a crowd around them.
One image shows flames starting to gather on the ceiling above people holding five of these bottles aloft.
The second image is a closer-up angle, showing a person wearing a crash helmet and holding a bottle with a lit sparkler, sitting on the shoulders of another person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.
The sparks from this bottle appear to be closer to the ceiling.
BBC Verify determined these images were taken after midnight on 1 January by confirming there were not earlier versions and matched them against public photos of Le Constellation – using details including the bar design and distinctive pipework.
And there was no evidence the images had been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI).
In other videos we verified from the night of the fire, some people in the bar can be seen filming the flames as loud club music thumps in the background. In one video, some people start to hurry for an exit stairwell while shouting.
On Friday, Béatrice Pilloud, the attorney-general of the Valais region, said everything led investigators to believe the fire had started from sparklers attached to bottles of champagne that were “moved too close to the ceiling”.
Questions about foam padding on ceiling
Another focus is on foam-like padding on the bar’s ceiling and whether it was compliant with safety standards.
Two fire safety experts told BBC Verify that the materials visible in photos and videos of Le Constellation appeared to show “egg box foam”, a type of sound-absorbing material made from polyurethane (PU).
In the photo of the bottles being held up, flames are visible on a part of the ceiling with a foam-like covering.
PU foam is often treated with fire-retardant before being installed as a noise dampener in factories and entertainment venues.
But untreated, it can be highly flammable.
“Once ignited, polyurethane acoustic foam can exhibit rapid flame spread across its high-surface-area profile and produce dense, toxic smoke, significantly accelerating fire growth and reducing available escape time,” said Dr Peter Wilkinson of Loughborough University.
Professor Edwin Galea, from the University of Greenwich, said the effectiveness of retardant treatment on PU foam can wear off over time.
The Swiss authorities say they cannot confirm what type of foam-padding was used in the bar and whether or not it complied with safety standards.
Professor Galea explained this is what happens when hot gases rise to the ceiling, reach a critical temperature and then ignite the room near instantaneously.
According to Michael Klippel, a fire safety expert at ETH Zurich University, “survival after flashover is very unlikely”.
The authority responsible for overseeing fire safety inspections in Crans-Montana is the Office Cantonal du Feu (OCF) of the Canton of Valais. The inspections are carried out by local officials.
Swiss authorities said in a press conference that inspections on a building the size of Le Constellation should have been carried out each year.
BBC Verify has contacted the OCF to request access to previous inspection documents.
Exit routes from the bar
The authorities say they will also focus on exit routes at the bar, which sits across two levels – a ground floor and a basement. The fire is thought to have started in the basement, where the two images referred to above were taken.
Videos filmed as the fire took hold show people trying to extinguish the flames before trying to get out of the basement up a narrow set of stairs.
Prof Galea said staircase exits can be fatal bottlenecks with people tripping and getting trampled.
He said even if there were other fire exits, panicked people in unfamiliar spaces were more likely to go out the way they came in.
Officials also confirmed there was more than one exit from the building, but added they were “not currently able to say” whether the emergency exit was open or closed at the time.
Valais state councillor Stéphane Ganzer said: “There is not just one door, even though at the time of the fire, it seems that most people left through the main entrance. But this building is a public place. It was obviously equipped with an emergency exit.”
Pilloud told journalists that the two French managers of the bar had been interviewed as well as people who escaped the fire.
One of the bar’s owners reportedly told local media the establishment had been inspected three times in the past ten years and that everything had been done according to regulations.
Sparklers used before
The investigators say they have also been analysing other videos of the venue.
One video we found shows sparklers attached to bottles being used inside the bar as far back as 2024.
YouTube
A still image from a YouTube video posted in 2024 showing someone holding a bottle with a sparkler in Le Constellation bar.
It shows women dressed in distinctive crash helmets carrying the bottles and pyrotechnics to customers, before detaching them and pouring drinks.
The footage was uploaded to YouTube in May 2024 by the account @ConstellationCransMontana, though we can’t be certain when it was filmed.
Victoria Jones, the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, was reportedly found dead at a hotel in San Francisco on New Year’s Day. She was 34.
According to TMZ, the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a medical emergency call at the Fairmont San Francisco early Thursday morning. The paramedics pronounced Victoria dead at the scene before turning it over to the San Francisco Police Department for further investigation, the outlet said.
An SFPD representative confirmed to The Times that officers responded to a call at approximately 3:14 a.m. Thursday regarding a report of a deceased person at the hotel and that they met with medics at the scene who declared an unnamed adult female dead.
Citing law enforcement sources, NBC Bay Area also reported that the deceased woman found in a hallway of the hotel was believed to be Jones and that police did not suspect foul play.
“We are deeply saddened by an incident that occurred at the hotel on January 1, 2026,” the Fairmont told NBC Bay Area in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences are with the family and loved ones during this very difficult time. The hotel team is actively cooperating and supporting police authorities within the framework of the ongoing investigation.”
The medical examiner conducted an investigation at the scene, but Jones’ cause of death remains undetermined. Dispatch audio obtained by TMZ and People indicated that the 911 emergency call was for a suspected drug overdose.
Jones was the daughter of Tommy Lee and ex-wife Kimberlea Cloughley. Her brief acting career included roles on films such as “Men in Black II” (2002), which starred her father, and “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” (2005), which was directed by her father. She also appeared in a 2005 episode of “One Tree Hill.”
Page Six reported that Jones had been arrested at least twice in 2025 in Napa County, including an arrest on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and drug possession.
Rory McIlroy claims United States captain Keegan Bradley could have used his platform to rein in abusive crowd behaviour at last year’s Ryder Cup, but did not take the opportunity.
Europe defeated the US 15-13 at Bethpage Black to retain the trophy and become the first away team to win the event since 2012.
Yet they did so in the face of relentless heckling in New York, with Northern Ireland golfer McIlroy’s wife Erica hit by a drink thrown by an American fan and “horrific” abuse directed towards them both and their young daughter Poppy.
“We knew going to New York that we were going to get a lot of stick, a lot of abuse,” said McIlroy, while appearing on The Overlap., external
“Look, I don’t care if people are saying whatever they’re saying to me.”
McIlroy said he was able to brush off a Bethpage MC joining in with an expletive-led abusive chant about him, while she warmed up the crowd, saying that was “nothing compared to the other stuff we heard”.
“Erica, my wife, would say she’s a grown woman, she’s strong, she can handle that. But then when it starts to get into your family, I heard stuff about my daughter that I couldn’t even repeat here. It’s horrific,” McIlroy said.
The world number two added: “Keegan and I have talked about this. You have to play into the home-field advantage, absolutely.
“But during the competition on Friday night and Saturday night, after the stuff that we heard on the course, there was an opportunity for either Keegan or some of the team-mates to be like: ‘Let’s just calm down here. Let’s try to play this match in the right spirit.’
“Some of them did that, but obviously Keegan had the biggest platform of the week in being the captain. I feel like he could have said something on that Friday or Saturday night, and he didn’t.”
Protests are intensifying in Iran as a deepening economic crisis fuels public anger over soaring prices and falling living standards. Here’s a breakdown of what’s driving the unrest and how authorities are responding.
Federal authorities in the United States have accused an 18-year-old of plotting to carry out a “potential terrorist attack” on New Year’s Eve in the suburban town of Mint Hill, North Carolina, outside Charlotte.
On Friday, officials from the US Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the suspect as Mint Hill resident Christian Sturdivant, a US citizen. The targets of Sturdivant’s alleged plans were a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant in Mint Hill.
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“ Countless lives were saved here,” US Attorney Russ Ferguson said at a news conference.
“On New Year’s Eve, everyone is at the grocery store. We’re all buying the things we need to celebrate. And we could have had a significant, significant loss of life, a significant injury here.”
Ferguson explained that Sturdivant was arrested on New Year’s Eve, the day of his planned attack. The 18-year-old has been charged with “attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation”, and he made his first court appearance on Friday.
Sturdivant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to Ferguson.
But during his news conference, Ferguson, an appointee of President Donald Trump, appeared to voice frustration with the court system for failing to approve an earlier effort to detain Sturdivant on mental health grounds.
“ I think it is notable that, as part of their efforts, the FBI took Mr Sturdivant to a state magistrate judge to try to have him involuntarily committed,” Ferguson said.
“And that was because he had threatened not only other people’s lives, but in the process said that he planned to die by a policeman shooting him. So he had threatened other people’s lives and self-harm, but the state magistrate judge denied involuntary commitment.”
Authorities later specified that the hearing with the magistrate judge took place on Monday, days before his arrest. Sturdivant, they said, turned 18 last month.
Authorities detail arrest
During Friday’s news conference, officials said this week’s arrest was part of a multiyear effort to investigate Sturdivant, whom they described as a “prolific social media user”.
The suspect had previously been an employee at a local Burger King in North Carolina.
James Barnacle, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s North Carolina field office, said the suspect first came to the bureau’s attention in 2022, after he tried to contact the armed group ISIL (ISIS) through social media.
The US considers ISIL a foreign terrorist organisation and has conducted numerous military operations in the Middle East — and one recently in Nigeria — on the premise of combating the group.
Barnacle alleged that Sturdivant received instructions to knock on doors and attack people with hammers, but his initial attempts were thwarted by his family. He was about 14 years old at the time.
“ No charges were filed at that time,” Barnacle said. “He underwent psychological care, of which I don’t know the details.”
Then, in December, Barnacle said the FBI discovered that Sturdivant had returned to social media and posted threatening messages.
He had also allegedly made contact with two undercover officers: one from the New York Police Department and the second a covert agent with the FBI.
“Within just a few days, Sturdivant direct-messaged the online covert employee with a picture of two hammers and a knife,” Barnacle said. “The message was significant since in recent years an ISIS propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terrorist attacks in Western countries.”
Barnacle added that later messages contained a loyalty oath to ISIL and a request for help obtaining firearms.
“The JTTF [Joint Terrorism Task Force] collected evidence showing he turned his back on his country and his fellow citizens by pledging allegiance to ISIS with the intent of becoming a martyr,” Barnacle said of the 18-year-old.
“We allege Sturdivant was willing to sacrifice himself by committing a terrorist attack, using knives and a hammer to support the murder, torture and extreme violence that ISIS represents.”
An FBI search of his home reportedly recovered hammers and knives hidden under Sturdivant’s bed, as well as notes allegedly detailing his attack plans.
“I could tell you the FBI had 24/7 surveillance on this subject, all hours of night, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve,” Barnacle said. He described the suspect’s targets as “Jews, Christians and LGBTQ individuals”.
FBI Director Kash Patel quickly promoted Sturdivant’s arrest on social media, praising his bureau and its partners for “undoubtedly saving lives”.
The arrest comes one year after a pickup truck driver intentionally rammed his vehicle down Bourbon Street, New Orleans’s famed entertainment district, in a deadly New Year’s Day attack.
Fourteen people were killed, and authorities recovered an ISIL flag in the truck.
But critics have questioned the use of undercover agents to make “terrorism-related” arrests with some defence lawyers arguing that agents have encouraged suspects to make incriminating statements or take actions they otherwise would not have.
Lawyers for the 18-year-old have yet to publicly comment.
IT’S shaping up to be a very exciting year for Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash.
I’m told the singers, who you will know better as Noughties girl band Mis-Teeq, have been discussing how they can celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Lickin’ On Both Sides.
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Girl group Mis-Teeq are plotting a comeback for a special show to mark 25 years since their first albumCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
The record, which came out in October 2001, peaked at No3 in the Official Album Charts and bagged them five Top Ten singles including All I Want, One Night Stand and B With Me.
And now the trio are considering reuniting for a special show to mark the milestone.
A source said: “Alesha has been excitedly talking about this for a while and would love a Mis-Teeq reunion with Sabrina and Su-Elise happen.
“Fans shouldn’t expect a Girls Aloud-style comeback tour, though.
“At the minute, lots of things are being discussed and one thing that has come up is the idea of a one-off show. It could be an intimate gig for their die-hard fans or a performance on a big TV programme such as Britain’s Got Talent — which Alesha is a judge on.
“Nothing has formally been offered but nothing is off the table.
“Lickin’ On Both Sides launched Alesha, Sabrina and Su-Elise’s music careers and that record holds a really special place in their hearts.
“They want to celebrate that album with their fans.”
Alesha and Sabrina now appear to be back on good terms after the latter threatened to sue over unpaid royalties in 2020.
Sabrina, who was the group’s lead singer, started legal proceedings against Alesha over royalties going back 15 years as well as action against former label Universal.
She alleged Alesha had “wrongfully claimed” song-writing cash for their first two singles Why and All I Want.
A pal said at the time: “Alesha received five per cent royalties for the girls’ first two songs whereas Sabrina received nothing.
“They both should have got 2.5 per cent. Sabrina wasn’t listed as a writer for the tracks but it was written in her contract that she would get pay parity.
“She feels she is owed thousands.”
At the time, a spokesman for Alesha said: “Alesha wrote the raps on both Why? and All I Want and that is why she gets a split.
“The rest of the song was written by a production team. Sabrina has no reason to sue Alesha.”
Earlier this summer Alesha admitted a reunion could be on the cards but added: “Thinking doesn’t mean we are doing, but we’re thinking.
“Which is more than we’ve done.”
Dua toasts a top year
Dua Lipa opened 2026 in style alongside fiance Callum Turner, celebrating the most lucrative year of her careerCredit: instagram/dualipa
DUA LIPA has been knocking back the cocktails to celebrate a stellar 2025.
I can reveal the Training Season singer raked in £70million in the year to March 2025, making it the most lucrative of her career.
Dua kept it real, though – despite earning the mammoth amount, she only paid herself a paltry £500.
New documents show her live gigs company, Radical22 Live, banked £45.6million, while Dua made a further £45.6million from her management, publishing and production company.
Pop star’s sister Rina poses on quirky wicker chairCredit: instagram/dualipaDua wrote that she is excited to make 2026 her most exciting year yetCredit: instagram/dualipa
It’s almost double the earnings of other big British pop acts, including Ed Sheeran, over the past year – so I’m not surprised she’s busting open the booze.
Sharing snaps of her end-of-year celebrations, with her family and actor fiance Callum Turner, Dua wrote online: “Thank you for making my last year so special.
“I’m excited to make this the best one yet.”
It certainly will be if 2026 is the year she and Callum get married . . .
No more Fab secrets
THE BEATLES’ vaults have been slammed shut after 63 years, with super producer Giles Martin admitting fans will never hear any more secret tracks from the Fab Four.
Giles has spent a number of years scouring through the band’s audio recordings, studio archives and even individual projects penned for them over their history.
His efforts have helped produce the current Disney Plus revived Beatles’ Anthology series and remixed albums and tracks.
Asked how much untouched Beatles content exists now, Martin said: “I don’t think there’s anything. I always say that then something turns up.
“But I don’t think there’s anything. It’s incredible how much interest there still is over Beatles stuff.
“You do [hear new] things on this Anthology box set. There’s that first round of Helter Skelter, which for me is great because it’s really raw.
“It’s proper in your face music.
“And then people go, ‘Well, how come we haven’t released the 20-minute long version of Helter Skelter?’ I think we’re done.” Giles curated the new
Anthology 4 album and remastered the entire collection for the 2025 re-release of The Beatles’ Anthology series.
He believes that collaborating with his late father George Martin, also known as the fifth Beatle, on these projects has been spiritually and professionally fulfilling.
He added: “The Beatles are so powerful that it’s what people want to know about.
“It’s really nice. I love my dad. We were incredibly close.
“Their music and what they did really makes people feel better about themselves. So it’s a complete honour to work on this material and to be close to my dad is a great thing.”
Giles is currently working with director Sam Mendes on the four upcoming Beatles movies, with each focussing on a different member of the band.
On radio in the US, Giles added: “I’m working on these films. They come out in three years.
“What’s amazing about The Beatles is that new generations hear stuff and go back and unearth this catalogue.”
Mel’s bid to mark big hit
THE SPICE GIRLS’ smash hit Wannabe, the song that soundtracked my childhood, turns 30 this year and Mel C has confirmed the group will be celebrating the milestone.
Incredibly, she is still convinced that she can somehow persuade Posh and Ginger to join her, Scary and Baby for a reunion.
Mel C has confirmed The Spice Girls will be celebrating the milestone of 30 years since hit single Wannabe was releasedCredit: Alamy
Spilling the beans herself on Australian radio, Mel joked: “We’ve decided not to tell Mel B anything because she can’t keep her mouth shut – and also she doesn’t know any more because we’re not telling her.”
Speaking of Wannabe’s 30th anniversary Mel added: “We have to acknowledge it in some way.”
And she explained how plans for that are progressing.
“We are talking about what that looks like and for me, myself, Melanie and Emma. We’re going back on stage . . . but sometimes the others may need some convincing.
She said: “Getting the five of us together, it would be the best thing ever. Sometimes I feel like it’s my duty to the world.”
“There’s so much negativity, there’s so much mad s**t going on – let’s just spice up our lives.”
Of her relationships with her bandmates, Mel said: “We have a newfound respect for each other.
“We know when to leave it, we know each other’s irritations and insecurities and we respect that now as adults and mothers.
Recalling their 2019 reunion tour, she added: “The love we had last time that was beamed back from these stadiums was like nothing I’ve experienced as a Spice Girl before.”
Twigs bold and brave
FKA Twigs says she feels she is at the perfect cross point of growth and youthCredit: Courtesy of ELLE UK/Louie Banks
FKA TWIGS has admitted that she’s finally found the courage to speak up for herself.
Speaking in the February edition of Elle UK, which is on sale now, the British singer said: “I’m reaching that age where I can really look back at my life and I can see so many things that have been beautiful and amazing, and other things that have been really brutal and violent.”
Twigs added: “I’m realising that I can hold my love of life and my artistry and the beauty of my life, and I can also hold the brutality and the sadness and the violence.
“I can hold things at the same time, and that feels really good.
“I’ve always wanted to be at this perfect cross point of growth and youth – to be able to be young and sexy and healthy – and also not be an idiot like I was in my 20s.”
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Twigs, no one is that proud of what they did in their 20s.
Ashley is boiling hot
Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts is making everybody jealous with her trip to MauritiusCredit: instagram/iamashleyroberts
ASHLEY ROBERTS is making me green with envy after sharing even more of her holiday snaps.
The Pussycat Dolls singer quit the freezing wind and snow we’re having in Blighty for the boiling hot sunshine of Mauritius.
Ash told her Instagram followers she’d had the “best time”.
I’m thrilled for you, Ashley. Just thrilled.
Harry Styles has been spotted with girlfriend Zoe Kravitz in the Bahamas, it is claimedCredit: Getty
HARRY STYLES and Zoe Kravitz have added another destination to their extensive list of travel hotspots.
Since they started dating, the pair have been seen all over the world – including New York, Paris, Rome and London.
Now it’s claimed they spent the last few days holed up inside a luxury resort in the Bahamas.
This sure is a long honeymoon period.
One fan claimed they spotted the former One Direction singer jogging on a beach over the New Year.
Nick Jonas has been reflecting on whether he is the best possible version of himselfCredit: Getty
NICK JONAS has dropped his reflective new single Gut Punch, before the release of his fifth album, Sunday Best.
On it Nick sings: “Hit me like a gut punch. I hurt my own feelings. How did I get so good at being mean to myself?”
The US star, who is married to Priyanka Chopra, said: “I do wonder if I’m being the best version of myself.
“Am I a present husband and father? Life weighs on you.
“It’s important to remember there was once a carefree version of you loved the world.”
Many people book a January holiday to feel refreshed and recharged, but it could be a mistake if you don’t do your research – here’s what to look for
(Image: Getty Images)
As the UK looks set to be covered in snow over the next few days, many Brits will be looking to book a holiday somewhere warmer.
January is the most popular month for British people to book holidays as the cold sets in, but if you’re one of them then it’s a wise idea to exercise caution, as travel experts warn that some hotels may subtly cut corners during the quieter winter months.
Experts warn that booking hotels in January can be fraught with risk if travellers aren’t aware of what to look out for as some hotels alter their operations once the festive season is over.
But the good news is it’s still possible to bag a bargain holiday and save money, as long as you know the red flags to look out for, according to Ski Vertigo.
1. Significant discounts with ambiguous descriptions.
While substantial price reductions can be enticing in January, experts caution that vague listings often indicate a change. This could encompass closed amenities, restricted services or rooms that aren’t typically available during peak periods.
2. Lack of winter facilities information.
Hotels which don’t explicitly outline their winter operations should raise eyebrows. Factors such as heating, transport accessibility and food options can all be impacted during the colder months. If a hotel fails to clarify this, travellers may find themselves faced with limited services upon arrival.
3. Negative or outdated reviews from winter stays.
Travel gurus suggest that holidaymakers often only consider reviews from summer holidays. Those planning a January getaway are advised to sift through recent winter stay reviews. Complaints about chilly rooms, poor food or closed facilities should raise red flags.
4. Reduced staff or services.
January is a period when many hotels cut back on their workforce. This can result in slower check-in times, limited housekeeping and fewer dining options. If a hotel fails to clearly outline what services are on offer, experts recommend erring on the side of caution.
5. Promising luxury at bargain prices.
Hotels offering spa access, gourmet dining and premium extras at surprisingly low prices in January may not live up to guests’ expectations. Amenities may operate on reduced hours or incur additional charges. ABTA’s industry guidance advises travellers to always verify what’s included in off-peak stays and to confirm facilities directly with accommodation providers prior to booking.
Travel pundits assert that January isn’t a poor time to travel, but it’s a month where meticulous planning is more crucial than ever. A spokesperson from Ski Vertigo highlights that travellers often presume all hotels operate the same way throughout the year, which is seldom the case once the peak season concludes.
Rather than hunting for bargains, specialists recommend prioritising clear communication, recent reviews, and accommodation tailored for winter travel.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees affected by a policy that went into effect Thursday that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs.
The complaint, filed Thursday on the employees’ behalf by the Human Rights Campaign, is in response to an August announcement from the Office of Personnel Management that it would no longer cover “chemical and surgical modification of an individual’s sex traits through medical interventions” in health insurance programs for federal employees and U.S. Postal Service workers.
The complaint argues that denying coverage of gender-affirming care is sex-based discrimination and asks the personnel office to rescind the policy.
“This policy is not about cost or care — it is about driving transgender people and people with transgender spouses, children, and dependents out of the federal workforce,” Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
The complaint, filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, includes testimonies from four current federal workers at the State Department, Health and Human Services and the Postal Service who would be directly affected by the elimination of coverage.
For instance, the Postal Service employee has a daughter whose doctors recommended that she get puberty blockers and potentially hormone replacement therapy for her diagnosed gender dysphoria, which would not be covered under the new policy, according to the complaint.
The complaint notes that the workers are making the claim on behalf of themselves and a “class of similarly situated federal employees.”
The Trump administration has taken other steps to restrict care for transgender Americans, particularly minors. In December, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released proposals that would block gender-affirming care to minors, including a policy that would bar Medicare and Medicaid dollars to hospitals that provide such care to children.
Senior Trump officials, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., call gender-affirming care “malpractice” for minors. But such restrictions go against recommendations from major medical groups such as the American Medical Assn. and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Traditional powers Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama exit the College Football Playoff along with Texas Tech. Upstarts Indiana, Ole Miss, Miami and Oregon continue on.
Kyrylo Budanov, 39, has been named President Volodymyr Zelensky’s new chief of staff. File Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA
Jan. 2 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that he named spy boss Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as his chief of staff.
“I had a meeting with Kyrylo Budanov and offered him the role of the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of the President will primarily serve the fulfillment of these tasks of our state. Kyrylo has specialized experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results,” Zelensky said in a post on X.
“It is both an honor and a profound commitment, especially at this decisive moment in our country’s history, to focus on issues critical to Ukraine’s strategic security,” Budanov said.
“We will continue to do what must be done — to strike the enemy, defend Ukraine, and work tirelessly toward a just peace. Together, we will continue to fight for a free and secure future for Ukraine.”
Zelensky’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Nov. 28 after a raid on his home in a sweeping corruption scandal. Yermak was the most powerful political figure in Ukraine behind Zelensky.
Budanov, 39, has been the leader of the country’s Hur military intelligence agency since 2020. The agency is known as one of the most competent institutions in the country, and Budanov has become a household name, the Kyiv Independent said.
A lawmaker from Zelensky’s party told the Independent that hiring Budanov could indicate that the peace plan for the war between Ukraine and Russia negotiated by President Donald Trump and his team may fall apart.
“We need to prepare for a long, exhausting struggle. And this is exactly the approach that Budanov represents,” the lawmaker said.
Budanov “will need to build his own system, his own vertical of power. I think it will be a different style of leadership for the office,” the source told the Independent. “He’s a spymaster, but he’s not a master of political intrigue.”
Ukrainian demonstrators rally in Kyiv on February 12, 2022 to show unity amid U.S. warnings of an imminent Russian invasion. Photo by Oleksandr Khomenko/UPI | License Photo
Protests about the soaring cost of living in Iran have entered their sixth day after the rial plunged to a record low against the United States dollar in late December.
After a number of deaths as a result of clashes between protesters and security services, the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian appealed for unity and blamed economic pressure on what he said are Tehran’s “enemies”. Despite government promises to enact economic reforms and put more effort into tackling corruption, the protests have continued.
So far, at least seven people have been killed and 44 people have been arrested since shopkeepers in Tehran first shuttered their businesses on Sunday to protest against Iran’s economic crisis.
The tide of protest has continued to rise with economic demonstrations morphing into political protests as unrest has spread across the country.
How significant is the current round of protests, how real are the protesters’ grievances and where might this end? Here are five things you should know:
Worries about the cost of living are very real
Iran is one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. A range of international restrictions means that Tehran is struggling to access international financial markets and frozen foreign assets. The country’s increasing reliance on imports is exacerbating the situation and fuelling inflation.
On Sunday, the Iranian rial dropped to 1.42 million against the US dollar – a 56 percent drop in value in just six months. The plummeting currency has driven inflation with food prices soaring by an average of 72 percent compared with last year.
“If only the government, instead of just focusing on fuel, could bring down the price of other goods,” taxi driver Majid Ebrahimi told Al Jazeera. “The prices of dairy products have gone up six times this year and other goods more than 10 times.”
These protests are large
What began as a single protest about the collapse of the Iranian economy by shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on Sunday had spread to 17 of Iran’s 31 provinces by New Year’s Eve with students and demonstrators from across Iranian society joining the wave of demonstrations.
Thousands of people have mobilised across the country with security forces responding forcefully in some places.
On Thursday, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported that three people had died in confrontations between security forces and protesters in Lordegan in southwestern Iran. A further three deaths were reported in Azna and another in Kouhdasht, both in central Iran.
“Some protesters began throwing stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs Foundation, the town hall and banks,” Fars reported of protests in Lordegan, adding that police had responded with tear gas.
Images posted on social media on December 31, 2025 show protesters attacking a government building in Fasa in southern Iran during nationwide protests [Screengrab via AFP]
It’s hard to know how the government will respond
Tehran’s previous hardline responses to public unrest have been marked by the deaths of protesters. However, so far, despite a number of isolated clashes between protesters and security forces, Pezeshkian’s government has held back from an outright crackdown and appears ready to listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters.
In an effort to address protesters’ concerns, the government appointed a new governor of the central bank on Wednesday. Abdolnaser Hemmati has pledged to restore economic stability after the rial’s dramatic collapse.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Higher Education removed campus security managers from the University of Tehran and two other major universities. Local media reported that their removal was due to “a record of misconduct and failure to properly handle recent student protests”.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday to mark the assassination of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone attack five years ago, Pezeshkian also took the opportunity to emphasise his government’s commitment to economic reforms and addressing corruption.
“We are determined to eradicate all forms of rent-seeking, smuggling and bribery,” he told attendees. “Those who benefit from these rents will resist and try to create obstacles, but we will continue on this path.”
“We must all stand together to solve the people’s problems and defend the rights of the oppressed and the underprivileged,” he added.
Protecting people’s livelihoods is a “red line” for his government, he declared.
Mass protests have happened before
Mass protests erupted across Iran in 2022 after the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in September that year for not wearing her hijab correctly.
Demonstrations first broke out after Amini’s funeral in the western city of Saqqez when women ripped off their headscarves in solidarity with the dead woman before they spread across much of the country.
Iran’s brutal response to the unrest involved the arbitrary arrest of tens of thousands of people, the extensive use of tear gas, the firing of live ammunition and, according to human rights organisations, the unlawful deaths of hundreds of people.
A 2024 investigation by United Nations experts into the government’s response found that its actions amounted to “crimes against humanity”, a claim rejected by authorities in Tehran as “false” and “biased”.
The so-called morality police were briefly suspended in December 2022 after the protests before being reinstated the following year. However, their enforcement of dress codes has since become notably more relaxed although many women still fear a resurgence.
These protests could escalate
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump – who in 2018 unilaterally withdrew the US from a nuclear deal with Iran that limited Iran’s nuclear development in return for sanctions relief – commented on the unrest. He posted on his Truth Social platform: “If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
On Thursday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its Farsi social media account pre-revolutionary Iranian images of a lion and a sun with the lion’s paw resting on an hourglass featuring the country’s current flag. The post read: “The rise of Iranian lions and lionesses to fight against darkness”, continuing: “Light triumphs over darkness.”
In June, Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran during a 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
While that conflict ended with what the US claimed was a decisive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, speculation that Israel has been readying itself for further strikes has continued.
This week, the US news website Axios reported that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed further strikes on Iran as well as potentially targeting Tehran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
Responding on social media, Pezeshkian wrote: “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging.”
I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, host of The Envelope newsletter and the guy wondering how many New Year’s resolutions you’ve broken so far this year.
Let’s take a look back — and a look forward — because that’s what we’re contractually obligated to do this time of year.
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Every year, some editor at The Times buzzes my inbox with a request to gather my hopes and dreams into a purely speculative list of movies I’m looking forward to seeing in the coming 12 months. That email serves as a marker that the Earth has orbited the sun once again and it’s time to buy a new planner — because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Google Calendar know what I’m doing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
I was asked to contribute two movies to the list last year, and I chose “One Battle After Another” and “Materialists.” So … one masterpiece that should go on to win the Oscar for best picture and the movie that seems to be the most hated film of 2025. Seriously, people will approach me at parties and say, unprompted, “You know what movie I despised? ‘Materialists.’” And then, after unloading on how much they loathed the characters in Celine Song’s romantic drama, they’ll shift gears and go on a diatribe about late-stage capitalism.
(My New Year’s resolution: find better parties.)
You could say, then, that I got one right and one wrong, though I was partly looking forward to “Materialists” because Song had regaled me with tales of her Manhattan matchmaking days over a couple glasses of wine one night and I wanted to see how she’d weave these stories into a movie. And it turned out that was the best part of the film. So there. No more emails about “Materialists,” please.
At least Song’s film saw the light of day. Looking back on our 2025 list, there are still movies that haven’t made it to theaters. The “Untitled Trey Parker/Matt Stone Film,” once scheduled for July 4, now has a title, “Whitney Springs,” but no new release date. Neither does Terrence Malick’s biblical drama, “The Way of the Wind,” which Malick has reportedly been editing for a good six years now. That movie didn’t make our 2026 list, but, fingers crossed, it might resurface sometime in the next decade when we throw together another of these.
So what movies am I looking forward to seeing when it stops raining (talk about biblical drama) and we start turning the calendar’s pages? I raised my hand for three, and I’m confident this trio will satisfy, mostly because of their directors’ track record. To see everyone else’s picks — including a few I would have chosen myself — read the full list here.
“Disclosure Day”: I liked it better when this was simply known as “Untitled Steven Spielberg UFO movie.” What more do you need to know beyond that description and a prime summer release date? That’s enough to sell a few hundred million dollars in tickets and make me giddy with anticipation. We don’t know much at the moment, other than that Spielberg is working again with “Jurassic Park” and “War of the Worlds” screenwriter David Koepp. There’s an eye-catching billboard with an image that looks alien and kind of birdlike … unless you study it while standing on your head and then it looks … human? Who knows? ALL WILL BE DISCLOSED, the tagline promises, hence the title. So we’ll just have to wait. But from all appearances, we’re not in “E.T.” territory with this one.
“The Adventures of Cliff Booth”: Do we need a stand-alone Cliff Booth movie? Quentin Tarantino thinks so, though not enough to direct the sequel he wrote to his hit 2019 film “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood.” That’s OK, as Brad Pitt, who won an Oscar for playing Booth, the ass-kicking stuntman, enlisted David Fincher to sub in. It’ll be their fourth collaboration, following “Se7en,” “Fight Club” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” a track record that offers some optimism that a film elevating Booth from Rick Dalton’s loyal sidekick to a leading character is an idea worth pursuing. (Leonardo DiCaprio apparently turned down an offer to reprise Dalton in a cameo.) If nothing else, the movie’s 1977 setting, eight years after the events in “Once Upon a Time,” will give us the chance to revel in another glorious L.A. time capsule.
“Werwulf”: Robert Eggers calls his upcoming medieval werewolf movie the “darkest thing I have ever written, by far.” Let that sink in for a moment. Eggers’ filmography includes the suffocating madness found in “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse” and the chilling terror of a malevolent, shape-shifting, lustful vampire in “Nosferatu.” These are not light movies. So what are we in store for here? Apparently a member of Eggers’ sound team said he needed a hug after reading the “Werwulf” script. I couldn’t verify this, but I want this to be true. There will be blood — and fog. One other thing we know is the setting, 13th century England, which means that the film’s dialogue will be in Middle English. How fareth thoue with that? I’m sure the cast, which includes Eggers regulars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, had fun, verraily.
There you have it: Spielberg, Fincher, Eggers. A sci-fi thriller, a sequel I still can’t believe exists and a monster movie. All three of these might miss the mark. And, honestly, any list missing the guaranteed pleasures of “Practical Magic 2” is immediately suspect.
But that’s the folly of blindly looking ahead. You never know.
Happy New Year! And, as always, thanks for reading.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. But when he gets back to the White House, there’s a military golf course that he’s never played that he’s eyeing for a major construction project.
Long a favored getaway for presidents seeking a few hours’ solace from the stress of running the free world, the Courses at Andrews — inside the secure confines of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, about 15 miles from the White House — are known as the “president’s golf course.” Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden have spent time there, and Barack Obama played it more frequently than any president, roughly 110 times in eight years.
Trump has always preferred the golf courses his family owns — spending about one of every four days of his second term at one of them. But he’s now enlisted golf champion Jack Nicklaus as the architect to overhaul the Courses at Andrews.
“It’s amazing that an individual has time to take a couple hours away from the world crises. And they’re people like everybody else,” said Michael Thomas, the former general manager of the course, who has golfed with many of the presidents visiting Andrews over the years.
Andrews, better known as the home of Air Force One, has two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole one. Its facilities have undergone renovations in the past, including in 2018, when Congress approved funding to replace aging presidential aircraft and to build a new hangar and support facilities. That project was close enough to the courses that they had to be altered then, too.
Trump toured the base by helicopter before Thanksgiving with Nicklaus, who has designed top courses the world over. The president called Andrews “a great place, that’s been destroyed over the years, through lack of maintenance.”
Other golfers, though, describe Andrews’ grounds as in good shape, despite some dry patches. Online reviews praise the course’s mature trees, tricky roughs, and ponds and streams that serve as water hazards. The courses are mostly flat, but afford views of the surrounding base.
‘They all like to drive the cart’
The first president to golf at Andrews was Ford in 1974. Thomas began working there a couple years later, and was general manager from 1981 until he retired in 2019.
He said the Secret Service over the years used as many as 28 golf carts — as well as the president’s usual 30-car motorcade — to keep the perimeter secure.
“It’s a Cecil B. DeMille production every time,” said Thomas, who had the opportunity to play rounds with four different presidents, and with Biden when he was vice president.
He said the commanders in chief generally enjoyed their time out on the course in their own unique ways, but “they all like to drive the cart because they never get an opportunity to drive.”
“It’s like getting your driver’s license all over again,” Thomas laughed.
Trump golfs most weekends, and as of Friday, has spent an estimated 93 days of his second term doing so, according to an Associated Press analysis of his schedules.
That tally includes days when Trump was playing courses his family owns in Virginia, around 30 miles from the White House, and near his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago, where he’s spending the winter holidays. It also includes 10 days Trump spent staying at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where his schedule allowed time for rounds of golf.
Trump has visited Andrews in the past, but the White House and base have no record of him playing the courses.
Another of Trump’s construction projects
Andrews’ military history dates to the Civil War, when Union troops used a church near Camp Springs, Md., as sleeping quarters. Its golf course opened in 1960.
The White House said the renovation will be the most significant in the history of Andrews. The courses and clubhouse need improvements due to age and wear, it said, and there are discussions about including a multifunctional event center as part of the project.
“President Trump is a champion-level golfer with an extraordinary eye for detail and design,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “His vision to renovate and beautify Joint Base Andrews’ golf courses will bring much-needed improvements that service members and their families will be able to enjoy for generations to come.”
Plans are in the very early stages, and the cost of — and funding for — the project haven’t been determined, the White House said. Trump has said only that it will require “very little money.”
The Andrews improvements join a bevy of Trump construction projects, including demolishing the White House’s East Wing for a sprawling ballroom now expected to cost $400 million, redoing the bathroom attached to the Lincoln bedroom and replacing the Rose Garden’s lawn with a Mar-a-Lago-like patio area.
Outside the White House, Trump has led building projects at the Kennedy Center and wants to erect a Paris-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial, and has said he wants to rebuild Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, the Trump administration ended a lease agreement with a nonprofit for three public golf courses in Washington — which could allow the president to further shape golfing in the nation’s capital. The White House, however, said that move isn’t related to the plans for Andrews.
Presidential perks of golfing at Andrews
When the president is golfing, Andrews officials block off nine holes at a time so no one plays in front of him, allowing for extra security while also ensuring consistent speed-of-play, Thomas said.
That’s relatively easily done given that the courses aren’t open to the public. They’re usually reserved for active or retired members of the military and their families, as well as some Defense Department-linked federal employees.
Thomas remembers playing a round with the older President Bush, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee known for fast play, while first lady Barbara Bush walked with Millie, the first couple’s English Springer Spaniel. George W. Bush also played fast, Thomas said, and got additional exercise by frequently riding his mountain bike before golfing.
When he wasn’t golfing at Andrews, Obama tried to recreate at least part of the experience back home. He had a White House golf simulator installed after then-first lady Michelle Obama asked Thomas how they might acquire a model that the president had seen advertised on the Golf Channel. Thomas gave her a contact at the network.
Obama famously cut short a round at Andrews after nine holes in 2011 to hustle back to the White House for what turned out to be a top-secret review of final preparations for a Navy SEAL raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden.
But, while Thomas was golfing with presidents, he said he never witnessed play interrupted by an important call or any major emergency that forced them off the course mid-hole. There also were never any rain-outs.
“If there was rain coming, they’d get the weather forecast before we would,” Thomas said. “They would cancel quick on that.”
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has insisted he wants to “fight with his team” and see out his contract at the club, following reported interest in former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
Saudi-backed Hadramout governor says move under way to ‘peacefully’ take over military sites from STC.
Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026
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Updated: 6 hours agoUpdated: 6 hours ago
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Fighting broke out on Friday in Yemen’s Hadramout province that borders Saudi Arabia, between forces loyal to the region’s Saudi-backed governor and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The STC accused Saudi Arabia of bombing its forces near the border on Friday.
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Seven people were killed and than 20 people were also wounded as seven air strikes hit a camp in Al-Khasah, said Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and Hadramaut Desert.
But Hadramout’s governor Salem al-Khanbashi said on Friday that the efforts to take back bases from the STC were meant to “peacefully and systematically” reclaim military sites in Yemen’s southern province.
“The operation is not a declaration of war or an escalation, but rather a precautionary measure to protect security and prevent chaos,” he said in a statement.
Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Al Attab, reporting from Sanaa, said fighting was reported to be taking place on Friday in positions where STC forces are located along the Saudi border.
But, he added, “we are still waiting for confirmation about what is going on there,” saying that the latest information available from the area suggested the STC had maintained control of its positions.
The outbreak in fighting comes after Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it had appointed al-Khanbashi to take overall command of the National Shield forces in the eastern province, granting him full military, security and administrative authority in what it said was a move to restore security and order.
Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government that it backs have accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the STC and pushing it to seize parts of the Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces in southern Yemen last month. Riyadh has warned that it views the STC’s growing presence in these provinces — which border Saudi Arabia — as a threat to its national security. The UAE has rejected these allegations and said that it is committed to Saudi Arabia’s security.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the STC are all part of a military coalition that Riyadh pulled together a decade ago to confront the Houthis. But the STC’s increasingly aggressive secessionist acts, and allegations that the UAE is assisting the group, have fostered tensions within the coalition.
The head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, warned against any attempt to oppose the government’s decisions to prevent the country from sliding into a new cycle of violence.
“The decision to end the Emirati military presence came within the framework of correcting the course of the [coalition] and in coordination with its joint leadership, and in a way that ensures the cessation of any support for elements outside the state,” al-Alimi said in a statement.
Tensions escalate
The STC has insisted its fighters will remain in place in the southern provinces that Saudi Arabia and the official Yemeni government want them to withdraw from.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen blamed STC leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi for refusing to grant landing permission the previous day for a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden.
“For several weeks and until yesterday, the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation … but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi,” the Saudi ambassador, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said on X.
A halt in flights at Aden International Airport on Thursday continued into Friday as both sides traded blame for the air traffic shutdown.
In a statement on Thursday, the STC-controlled Transport Ministry accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade, saying Riyadh required all flights to go via Saudi Arabia for extra checks. A Saudi Arabian source, however, denied the allegation, saying Yemen’s internationally recognised government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, was behind the requirement for UAE-bound flights to land for inspection in Jeddah.
Yemeni presidential adviser Thabet al-Ahmadi confirmed to Al Jazeera that it had imposed a requirement that applied to one flight route departing from Aden airport. He said the move was meant to prevent STC money smuggling.
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran’s authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington “will come to their rescue”.
In a brief post on social media, he wrote: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” but gave no further details.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by saying Trump should “be careful” if he intervened, warning of potential chaos across the Middle East.
At least eight people are reported to have been killed in Iran after almost a week of mass protests sparked by worsening economic conditions.
In Friday’s post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
In his post, the US president did not specify what action Washington could take against the Iranian authorities.
American officials later argued that the strikes had significantly set back the prospect of Tehran building a nuclear weapon – a claim disputed by Iran.
Shortly after Trump’s latest social media post, Khamenei adviser Ali Larijani issued a warning of his own.
“Trump should know that US interference in this internal matter would mean destabilising the entire region and destroying America’s interests,” he wrote.
But for some of the protesters, intervention from the US would be welcome.
“They [security forces] are afraid and they shake to the bones when Mr Trump says something or Mr (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu says something,” a young woman protesting in Tehran told the BBC’s Newshour programme.
Preferring to stay anonymous for her own safety, she said protesters had been asking for US support for years, because the security forces “believe that if Mr Trump says something, he will do [it]”, and they “know if anything happens, they would have to take the consequences”.
Footage filed by Reuters shows protests in Iran’s Lorestan province outside a police station
On Thursday, six people in Iran were reported to have been killed on a fifth day of protests.
Two people died in clashes between protesters and security forces in the south-western city of Lordegan, according to the semi-official Fars news agency and the human rights group Hengaw, which said they were protesters, naming them as Ahmad Jalil and Sajjad Valamanesh.
Three people were killed in Azna and another in Kouhdasht, all in the west of the country, Fars reports. It did not specify whether they were demonstrators or members of the security forces.
One death was reported in Fuladshahr, central Iran, and another casualty in Marvdasht, in the south.
BBC has not been able to independently verify the deaths.
Footage posted on social media showed cars set on fire during running battles between protesters and security forces.
BBC Persian has verified videos showing Thursday’s protests in Lordegan, Tehran and Marvdasht.
Iranian officials earlier said a young member of the country’s securities forces had been killed on Wednesday in the western city of Kouhdasht. But protesters said the man was, instead, from their ranks and had been shot dead by the security forces.
On Friday, clashes were reported during the man’s burial ceremony attended by thousand of mourners. Uniformed members of the security forces had tried to carry his coffin – but the crowds wrested it from them and chased them away.
The protests began on Sunday in Tehran among shopkeepers angered by another sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency, the rial, against the US dollar on the open market.
By Tuesday, university students were involved and protests had spread to several cities, with people chanting against the country’s clerical rulers.
Many protesters have since been calling for the end of Khamenei’s rule. Some have said they want a return to the monarchy.
“We don’t have any kind of liberty here,” the protester who spoke to the BBC said. “We fight every day – we face the most brutal things every day. We want to end it [the regime], even with the price of our lives, we don’t have anything.”
The protests have been the most widespread since an uprising in 2022 sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman accused by morality police of not wearing her veil properly, but they have not been on the same scale.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he will listen to the “legitimate demands” of the protesters.
But the country’s Prosecutor-General, Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, warned that any attempt to create instability would be met with a “decisive response”.
Follow the twists and turns of Trump’s second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
It’s the second day of a brand new year, and I’d like to take a moment to look back at some of the towering talent we lost in 2025 through the appreciations and obituaries written by the arts staff.
A caveat: The Times strives to acknowledge significant figures in arts and culture when they die, but due to the fast-paced nature of daily news, we often miss people we wish we hadn’t, so this list is far from inclusive.
A preview of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Geffen Galleries, June 26, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Singer Angelique Kidjo performs with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Hollywood Bowl.
(Hon Wing Chiu / For The Times)
The cast of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”: Bisserat Tseggai, left, Jordan Rice, Victoire Charles and Claudia Logan, Oct. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Edward V. Valentine’s “Jefferson Davis,” at the “MONUMENTS” exhibit at MOCA, Oct. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Gustavo Dudamel conducts Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, Oct. 11, 2025, in Inglewood.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
June Squibb, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City.
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
Ben Platt, Dec. 4, 2025, in Los Angeles.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The SoCal scene
The exhibition floor at the LA Art Show in 2022.
(LA Art Show)
Art for 2026 The first big art event of the new year kicks off Wednesday when the 31st edition of the LA Art Show opens downtown. Galleries and institutions from around the world will exhibit art across the vast spaces of the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s program includes the debut of an invitation-only Latin American Pavilion, curated by Marisa Caichiolo, who also curates the DIVERSEartLA program. Among the other featured presentations are works by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri and South African artist Esther Mahlangu, plus a solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Sylvester Stallone. The show continues through Jan. 11.
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Idris Elba arriving at the 2004 Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
That’s Sir Idris to you
Actors Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo were among the more than 1,100 people on King Charles III’s annual New Year Honours List released this week. The British tradition recognizes people who have “made achievements in public life” and “committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.” Elba, known for television roles in “The Wire” and “Luther” and movies including “Beasts of No Nation” and “Thor,” was knighted for services to young people. “Wicked” star Erivo, a Tony and Grammy winner and three-time Oscar nominee, received a Member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama.
Freedom from fascism On a recent fall day, Catherine Rampell of the Bulwark was given a guided tour of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., by the artist’s granddaughter Daisy Rockwell. In an article published this week, “The MAGAfication of Norman Rockwell,” Daisy expressed her displeasure with the Trump administration’s misappropriation of her grandfather’s work to promote the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s anti-immigrant operations. “Norman Rockwell was antifa,” Daisy told Rampell. “They used [the paintings] … as though his work aligned with their values, i.e., promoting this segregationist vision of America. And so of course we were upset by this, because Norman Rockwell was really very clearly anti-segregationist.” Through most of Rockwell’s career, he depicted American life largely through a white lens, but eventually came to a reckoning with some of his own views, chronicling some of the most significant moments of the civil rights movement. In November, the Rockwell family published a letter in USA Today detailing how the artist’s “efforts to eradicate prejudices both within himself and others led him to explore issues of racism, violence and segregation well into his 70s.”
Russia reopens Mariupol theater where hundreds died In March 2022, a Russian air strike killed more than 600 civilians sheltering inside a historic theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This week, the Associated Press reported that Moscow-installed authorities in the now occupied region reopened the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater with a gala concert on the building’s newly rebuilt main stage. Russian state media outlets shared images of the building’s marbled pillars and staircases as dancers, wearing kokoshniks, traditional Russian headdresses, performed. Mariupol’s Ukrainian city council, which left the city when it became occupied, denounced the “restoration,” calling it “a cynical attempt to conceal the traces of a war crime” in a statement on Telegram.
— Kevin Crust
And last but not least
“Twelfth Night,” with Moses Sumney, left, Kapil Talwalkar, Junior Nyong’o and Lupita Nyong’o at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, which was broadcast on PBS’ “Great Performances” in November and is available to stream via PBS Passport.
(Joseph Sinnott)
Times television critic Robert Lloyd wrapped his year with an essay, “6 ways public broadcasting will improve your life. And that’s a promise.” One suggestion is to make a tax-deductible $5-a-month donation to PBS. That gifts gets you “PBS Passport,” public television’s all-access streaming platform, which offers an endless bounty of quality programming. Key among the offerings of interest to readers of this newsletter are programs such as “Great Performances,” “Austin City Limits” and “Artbound,” plus a rabbit hole of regional arts programming with something for every taste. As Lloyd wrote, “If you can’t find something to watch or listen to here, you are simply an incurious person.”
The line will predominantly be used by residents. All you need to ride the cable car is a bus ticket or travel pass that you’d also be using on the metro, and it will only cost around €2 (£1.74).
The purpose of the cable car is to connect poorly served southeastern suburbs like Créteil and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges.
The journey from Créteil to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges by road takes 40sminutes-– the cable car can do it in 18.
It will fly over four municipalities in the Paris region; Créteil, Limeil-Brévannes, Valenton, and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges.
This is the seventh urban cable car to open in France, it cost a whopping €138million (around £120.8 million) to build.
While this might seem a lot – it’s much less than a new Metro line would have cost to build.
You can experience another cable car right here in the UK
The Heights of Abraham in the Derbyshire Dales installed the UK’s first ever alpine-style cable car 40 years ago to get visitors up to its hilltop park.
You’ll find underground tours, play areas and woodland wanders for you and your family to enjoy.
The unique transport system cuts out the need to scramble up the steep hillside and has even inspired the likes of the London Eye and the cable car at Alton Towers.
The trip to the top takes you over trees, rock formations and the river, with incredible views of the town of Matlock Bath below you and rolling countryside stretching as far as the eye can see.
But the cable car voyage is only the start of a day out with a difference deep in the Derbyshire Dales.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ended the lease agreement for three public golf courses in Washington, a move that offers President Trump an additional opportunity to put his stamp on another piece of the nation’s capital.
The National Links Trust, the nonprofit that has operated Washington’s three public courses on federal land for the last five years, said Wednesday that the Department of the Interior had terminated its 50-year lease agreement. The Interior Department said it was terminating the lease because the nonprofit had not implemented required capital improvements and failed to meet the terms of the lease.
While it was unclear what the Trump administration’s plans are for the golf courses, the move gives Trump, whose private company has developed numerous golf courses in the U.S. and abroad, the chance to remake links overlooking the Potomac River and in Rock Creek Park and a site that is part of Black golf history.
Officials for the National Links Trust said in a statement that they were “devastated” by the decision to terminate the lease and defended their management of the courses. They said $8.5 million had gone toward capital improvements at the courses and that rounds played and revenue had more than doubled in their tenure managing the courses. The nonprofit has agreed to keep managing the courses for the time being, but long-term renovations will stop.
“While this termination is a major setback, we remain stubbornly hopeful that a path forward can be found that preserves affordable and accessible public golf in the nation’s capital for generations to come,” the officials added.
The Department of the Interior’s decision comes as Trump rebrands civic spaces in Washington and deploys National Guard members to the streets for public safety. The Kennedy Center added Trump’s name this month after the center’s board of trustees — made up of Trump appointees — voted to change the name of the performing arts space designated by Congress as a memorial to John F. Kennedy. Trump is also in the midst of a construction project to build a ballroom on the White House’s East Wing, and he has put his name on the U.S. Institute of Peace.
“As you know, I need time,” he said. “Give me time and you’re going to see what I do. You can already see what I did before because I didn’t start yesterday.
“I’m going to be a liar if I say, ‘everything is happy, everything is good’. No, it’s not the case, but I knew that before.
“That’s why I’m calm during all the questions you ask me. I’m not pleased to hear people don’t like me, but they have the right to say it because in terms of results, this is not what we want.
“Tomorrow is a big game. But the context is that I’ve only had 13 training sessions with my team. Usually we have four weeks of pre-season.
“It’s totally normal that you guys kill me. I’m fine with that because I know where I want to go. Judge me in a few weeks or months. If you want to judge me now, you can do it. I didn’t have the results we wanted – it’s a fact, I cannot deny that.”
Nancy says he will “die” to achieve his goals at Celtic and believes results under him have not reflected performances.
“It’s totally normal my players need a bit of time and are confused at certain moments,” he explained.
“It’s a process. I don’t like the word process because people think I am going to hide behind ‘process’, but it’s true.
“Judge me, no problem, but have a look at the games since I have been here and analyse if we should have won or lost. Do it.
“I am a clear guy. For the moment, I cannot talk because results are not good enough. I shut my mouth and I take it, but I know where we are going. After that, if it’s going to work or not, I don’t know. We are going to do everything to do it and I am here for that.
“Yes, I want to win every game. Yes, I want to win titles. I want to create a legacy here. I am going to die for this club, for sure.”
Crash kills two men and injures British boxer Anthony Joshua in Nigeria.
Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026
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The driver of a car carrying British boxer Anthony Joshua that was involved in a fatal crash in Nigeria has been charged with reckless and dangerous driving, police in southwestern Nigeria’s Ogun State say.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was driving the boxer and two of his friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan on Monday when the Lexus SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a stationary truck.
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“The defendant was granted bail in the sum of 5 million naira ($3,480) with two sureties. He was remanded pending when he meets his bail condition,” police spokesman Oluseyi Babaseyi told the AFP news agency on Friday.
Kayode has been held in police custody since he was discharged from hospital on Thursday.
Preliminary investigations showed that the vehicle was moving at an excessive speed and had burst a tyre before the crash, the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency in Ogun State, where the accident occurred, told AFP earlier in the week.
After leaving the hospital on Wednesday, Joshua and his mother paid their respects at the funeral home where the bodies of his friends were being prepared for repatriation.
A government source suggested to AFP on Thursday that the remains of the victims may have been repatriated to the United Kingdom. Joshua’s whereabouts are unknown.
Anthony Joshua’s driver has been charged after a crash in Nigeria injured the boxer and killed two of his team members, police have said.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was charged at the Sagamu Magistrate Court on Friday. Police sources told the BBC the charges included causing death by dangerous driving.
Joshua’s personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and strength coach, Sina Ghami, died on Monday after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a stationary truck on a highway in Ogun State, near Lagos.
The former heavyweight champion was taken to hospital with injuries after the crash and was discharged on Wednesday.
Prosecutors brought four charges against Mr Kayode – causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence, a police source told the BBC.
