News Desk

Two former I’m A Celebrity campmates have now addressed rumours about a potential ‘romance’ between Aitch and Shona McGarty as the speculation continues

In recent weeks speculation has been brewing about a potential ‘romance’ between two of the I’m A Celeb campmates.

Said speculation centres around Aitch, 25, and EastEnders actress Shona McGarty, 34, whom some have suggested may be close.

Following Ruby Wax’s suggestion to the Mirror that Aitch wasn’t Shona’s “type” another former campmate, this time, Vogue Williams, has aired her opinion.

Speaking on her podcast about whether it was real or a ‘fromance’, Vogue said: “I’m trying to be very politically correct in talking about them because I do think that they got on very well.

“But I don’t know if it’s anything romantic, because I don’t know if either of them are in that situation to get into anything romantic.

“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m sure that they will talk when they come out, but there was nothing, like, romantic about them in there.”

Vogue’s comments echo those of fellow former campmate Ruby Wax who claims that Shona confided in her. She said: “He’s not her type at all. She said she likes hunky, bigger men so that she feels female, so he wasn’t on the list at all.”

Despite this Ruby said she had high hopes of the two getting together, she explained: “I wanted her to marry him. I thought we could have children and we’d live in the forest forever.

“But she said that’s not her type. I thought we would have the next generation living in the forest, but no go.

“I just saw the two youngest people, and they both sing. Why not? I was doing mating rituals. But then she wasn’t interested. He wasn’t either. No, I think he just liked her. She’s into big guys.”

Whilst one jungle relationship has been ruled out, another has been strengthened with Vogue and her husband Spencer Matthews extolling their love and support for each other.

The pair have been unable to be together as Vogue has been in the jungle and Spencer has been completing a triathlon challenge.

Whilst they were apart Spencer wrote Vogue a letter that was read out in the jungle, one which made Vogue emotional in front of her campmates.

Meanwhile, following the completion of his seven triathlons Vogue took to social media to express her support for him.

She said: “Waking up here and to the best news that Spenny has completed his seven triathlons in seven continents all in aid for James’ Place, which is such an amazing charity for male suicide prevention.

“I’m so proud of him. I’m so proud of him – it was such a tough thing and he did it. He now has two new World Records so, yeah, I mean he’s difficult to compete with, isn’t he? So proud of him. He must be wrecked. I can’t wait to see him!”

Thousands of people have poured into the streets of Syria’s central city of Hama to mark one year since forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad were expelled days before the longtime ruler’s ouster.

The atmosphere in the city – long a stronghold of opposition to al-Assad – is one of “hope and belief” in Syria’s future, reported Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig from Hama’s al-Assi Square.

“As far as I can see on balconies on roofs, people are out celebrating this day,” said Baig. “They’re waving flags, they’re chanting slogans, they’re singing, and there’s hope for the future.”

On December 5, 2024, rebels led by Syria’s now-President Ahmed al-Sharaa took control of Hama, marking their second breakthrough in a lightning offensive towards the capital. Days later, they captured Damascus, ending al-Assad’s 24-year reign and his family’s dynasty, as he fled to Russia.

Al-Assad’s fall carries particular weight in Hama, which in 1982 suffered a brutal crackdown under his father, former President Hafez al-Assad.

In quelling an uprising there, government forces besieged and bombed the city, while rounding up and shooting young men and boys. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 people, including entire families, were killed.

‘People are joyous’

Baig said today’s atmosphere in Hama is markedly different from when he last visited two decades ago.

“Back then, people would whisper, there was a sense of fear that the wrong word, the wrong sentence, could cause you to end up in trouble, disappeared to the regime forces’ prison or maybe even worse,” he said. “Now people are happy, celebrating, joyous.”

Syria’s new leader, al-Sharaa, who once led al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria and then the splinter group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has made a stunning turnaround since taking the reins of the country, largely restoring Syria’s international standing and securing critical sanctions relief.

Serving as president for a five-year transitional period, al-Sharaa has toured capitals from the Gulf to Europe to Washington, and this week hosted a delegation from the United Nations Security Council in Syria.

In September, he was the first Syrian leader to address the United Nations General Assembly in six decades.

‘New chapter’

But there are concerns about continuing sectarian bloodshed in Syria’s Alawite and Druze minority heartland, which some government forces and their allies have been implicated in and faced trial for.

Clashes and reprisals targeting the Alawite community, from which al-Assad hails, killed more than 1,700 people in March, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

Then, further clashes in south Syria’s Druze-majority Suwayda province left hundreds more dead in July, including many Druze civilians, according to the monitor.

Israel intervened, under the pretext of protecting the Druze, and bombed the south and Damascus. It continues to carry out deadly incursions and strikes in Syria to this day. Last week, at least 13 people, including children, were killed as Israel launched another incursion into Syrian territory in the Damascus countryside, in Beit Jinn.

Nanar Hawach, a senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, said “Syria has opened a new chapter that many once thought impossible” by rebuilding diplomatic ties and drawing foreign investment. But “international rehabilitation means little if all Syrians don’t feel safe walking their own streets”.

Gamal Mansour, a researcher at the University of Toronto, says that many Syrians, terrified of the potential chaos a power vacuum could unleash, still view al-Sharaa as “the only option that provides guarantees”.

In al-Hama, Baig says there’s hope “the government will be able to deliver … unity and freedom for all Syrians.”

Netflix has agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72bn (£54bn) in a major Hollywood deal.

The streaming giant emerged as the top bidder for Warner Bros ahead of rivals Comcast and Paramount Skydance after a drawn-out battle.

Warner Bros owns franchises including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, and the streaming service HBO Max.

The takeover is set to lead to a radical reshaping of the US film and media industry, but analysts have warned that the final deal is still subject to approval from competition authorities.

Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said the streamer was “highly confident” it would receive the regulatory approval it needs and that it was running “full speed” towards this.

He said that by combining the library of Warner Bros shows and movies with the streaming platform’s series such as Stranger Things, “we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling”.

“Warner Bros have defined the last century of entertainment, and together we can define the next one,” he said.

Asked whether HBO should remain a separate streaming service, co-chief executive Greg Peters said Netflix believed the HBO brand was important for consumers, but added: “We think it’s quite early to get into the specifics of how we’re going to tailor this offering for consumers.”

Netflix estimates it will find $2-3bn in savings, mostly through eliminating overlaps in the support and technology areas of the businesses.

Films made by Warner Bros will continue to be launched in cinemas, it said, and Warner Bros television studio will continue to be able to produce for third parties. Netflix will keep producing content exclusively for its own platform.

Labelling it a “big day” for the companies, Mr Sarandos acknowledged the acquisition may have surprised some shareholders but it was a “rare opportunity” to set Netflix up for success “for decades to come”.

David Zaslav, president and chief executive of Warner Bros, added the agreement would combine “two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world”.

“By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come,” he said.

The cash and stock deal is worth $27.75 per Warner Bros share, with a total enterprise value – which includes the company’s debts and the value of its shares -of about $82.7bn. The equity value, or cash price, is $72bn.

Both boards of directors from each company unanimously approved the deal.

The acquisition of Warner Bros is expected to enable Netflix to expand its studio production capacity and increase its investment in original content.

Netflix will complete the takeover after Warner Bros finalises its previously announced plans to separate its streaming and studios division from its global networks division into two publicly traded companies next year.

Its global networks division includes its cable channels such as CNN, as well as its sports brands and free-to-air channels in Europe.

Paolo Pescatore, founder and technology media and telecom analyst at PP Foresight, said the sale was “a huge statement of intent and underlines Netflix aspirations to be a global leader in the new world order of streaming”.

But he warned that while the “surprising move” made sense for Warner Bros, it could “provide a headache for Netflix” when trying to combine the companies given the size of the deal.

While the agreed deal is for part of the Warner Bros business, rival Paramount had tabled a bid to buy the whole company, including its cable networks, in October.

Warner Bros rejected this move before putting itself up for sale.

Ahead of Friday’s announcement Emma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the US competition regulator was likely to get involved given the size of the new company.

“This will create a global mega power in broadcast entertainment which the regulator will want to look at,” she said.

Tom Harrington, head of television at Enders Analysis, said it was hard to gauge whether the deal would be approved by regulators, but if it went through it would have a massive impact on cinema.

“Were it to go through it would reorient Hollywood,” he said.

“Netflix has always had some limited use for the cinema but generally its offering undermines it.”

Mr Harrington said there was likely to be “big reductions” in television and film output from a newly-merged company, which would lead to resistance to the move from parts of Hollywood and relevant unions.

For consumers, Mr Harrington said a merger was likely to lead to higher prices.

“Netflix would get more expensive and even though HBO Max would be shuttered/become non-essential, the greater penetration of Netflix households would likely mean an increase in total overall subscription revenues.”

JAMIE Laing hinted at the secret meaning behind their newborn baby’s name weeks before wife Sophie Habboo gave birth.

The Made In Chelsea stars became parents to little Ziggy earlier this week.

The tot will no doubt find themsevles in the spotlight growing up thanks their TV star parents.

But the most infamous Ziggy is the messianic rock-star character David Bowie created.

The fictional alter ego came from his 1972 album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Jamie and Sophie revealed weeks ago that they were fans of the late legendary British rocker Bowie.

READ MORE ON JAMIE AND SOPHIE

end of an era

Sophie Habboo breaks down in tears as she counts down to birth of first baby

blimey babe

Inside Jamie Laing’s wife Sophie Habboo’s baby shower at luxury hotel

The podcast hosts shared a glimpse inside their stunning home where a framed artwork of Starman singer Ziggy Stardust is displayed pride of place on their wall.

The couple announced Ziggy’s arrival with sweet photos of the family in the hospital.

Alongside a photo of their new arrival, Jamie wrote: “Ziggy, you have our whole hearts.”

The happy couple revealed back in June they were set to expand their family.

Since then, podcast host Sophie has kept fans up to date with her first maternity journey.

She showcased her baby bump as well as claimed her teeth were “rotting“.

This year, Jamie also admitting that the couple had been going through a “dry spell” when it comes to sex since Sophie fell pregnant.

Opening up on NearlyParents – her joint podcast with hubby Jamie – Sophie admitted she’d been struggling with the unique pregnancy problem.

“Your coccyx bone, your tailbone, it goes in, it curves in,” she said.

“Mine’s now popped out because of the pressure of the weight on my frame.

When Jamie asked how much pain she was in, Sophie replied: “Every time I sit down, it just feels like I’ve broken a bone in my bum… it’s like stabbing needles in my bum.”

South Korea and the United States on Friday officially launched a visa support desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to help Korean companies investing in America with smoother entry procedures, the foreign ministry said.

The rollout of the Korean Investment and Travel (KIT) Desk comes as Seoul and Washington work to clarify visa rules for Korean investors and their skilled employees, after the shocking detention and release of more than 300 Korean workers in an immigration sweep in Georgia exposed ambiguities in the U.S. work visa system.

The KIT Desk will allow subcontractors of major South Korean companies investing in America to apply for work visas for their employees through the prime contractors, including Samsung, SK, LG and Hanwha, a measure expected to expedite the visa issuance process.

Subcontracted workers previously had to apply for work visas on their own, and that has often resulted in delays or denials of entry into the U.S.

As for the case of B1 business visas, an annotation specifying the purpose of their U.S. visit and other details, like the name of the projects involved and the location of their workplace, will be attached to the ones issued to South Korean workers.

“This will also help minimize risks of denial of entry,” a foreign ministry official said.

Providing visa annotations for B1 holders of a specific country is considered an unprecedented step by U.S. authorities, and it is expected to help increase visa reliability and facilitate smoother entry for Korean workers.

The U.S. Embassy has released a visa fact sheet for Korean workers, outlining the scope of eligible business activities under the B1 visas and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waiver program for short-term stays.

Many of the workers who were arrested in the raid had come to the U.S. on either of the two visas. Korean companies have called for setting clearer visa criteria for work visa applicants.

The KIT Desk, which has been on a trial run since October, will operate on collaboration between relevant U.S. government agencies, including the State Department, the Department of Homeland and Security and the Customs and Border Protection.

The U.S. has added more staff to the KIT desk to exclusively handle visa-related matters.

South Korea’s diplomatic missions in the U.S. will work with U.S. customs authorities to ensure a smooth entry for Korean workers into Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta — regions with a strong South Korean business presence.

Going forward, Seoul plans to continue talks with Washington on improving the “fundamentals” of the U.S. work visa system concerning its citizens, including creating a fixed visa quota for highly skilled Koreans, the ministry said.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina echoed the commitment during a visit to the KIT Desk on Friday for the official launch, where she was joined by acting U.S. Ambassador Kevin Kim.

The vice minister underscored the need to make the fundamental visa improvements in a way that “would contribute to rebuilding American manufacturing and creating jobs,” the ministry quoted her as saying.

The “Partner with Korea Act” has been introduced in the House to create an allotment of 15,000 E4 work visas for Korean nationals with specialized expertise. But the bill has made little progress amid negative sentiment over illegal immigration and the Trump administration’s stricter border controls.

The vice minister and acting ambassador agreed to continue working together to provide practical support for Korean companies’ investment in the U.S.

In a separate media note, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said the KIT Desk will serve as a “central resource” providing investment and travel support to South Korean companies undertaking major investments in the U.S. and facilitating a smooth process for investment-related travel.

The embassy said it will work with Korea’s top investors into the U.S. to address business travel challenges, provide guidance on visa-related travel and promote clear communication regarding U.S. immigration requirements to support investment in America, in compliance with U.S. law.

“The U.S. Embassy will continue to meet with members of the business community to reaffirm the Embassy’s commitment to supporting Korean investment in the United States through the efforts of the KIT Desk,” it said.

The establishment of the KIT Desk underscores its commitment to encouraging Korean investment that “supports American reindustrialization, strengthens the U.S.-ROK Alliance and enhances shared prosperity,” the embassy added.

ROK is short for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

The U.S. military has stood up its first operational unit armed with Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones, a design reverse-engineered from the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, in the Middle East. The establishment of Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS) is a major development, and offers a way “to flip the script on Iran,” according to a U.S. official. Earlier this year, TWZ laid out a detailed case for why America’s armed forces should be investing heavily in rapidly-produced Shahed-136 clones as an adaptable capability that could be critical in future operations globally, as you can read here.

U.S. Central Command announced the creation of TFSS today, which it said is a direct response to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” initiative that kicked off earlier this year. TFSS falls more specifically under the auspices of U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), which oversees U.S. special operations activities across the Middle East. CENTCOM’s Rapid Employment Joint Task Force (REJTF), established in September to help fast-track the fielding of new capabilities in the region, was also involved.

You can read our analysis of the capabilities of these drones in our latest story on the topic here.

TFSS consists of about two dozen troops that will oversee the establishment and operations of drones, the U.S. official told us, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. The delta wing LUCAS drone, which is roughly 10 feet long and has a wingspan of eight feet, was developed by Arizona-based SpektreWorks in cooperation with the U.S. military.

“I do not want to get into numbers [of drones fielded], but they are definitely based and delivered at an amount that provides us with a significant level of capability,” the official added. The LUCAS design includes features that allow for “autonomous coordination, making them suitable for swarm tactics and network-centric strikes.”

“Costing approximately $35,000 per platform, LUCAS is a low-cost, scalable system that provides cutting-edge capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional long-range U.S. systems that can deliver similar effects,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, also told TWZ. “The drone system has an extensive range and the ability to operate beyond line of sight, providing significant capability across CENTCOM’s vast operating area.”

“LUCAS drones deployed by CENTCOM have an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously,” CENTCOM added in a press release. “They can be launched with different mechanisms to include catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff, and mobile ground and vehicle systems.”

“We can push them from various points,” the U.S. official told TWZ when asked about whether the LUCAS drones could be launched from ships. “They can be launched through various mechanisms, and land is not the only place from which to launch these.”

As an aside here, TWZ has previously explored in great depth the arguments for adding a variety of drone types to the arsenals of U.S. Navy ships to provide additional layers of defense, as well as enhanced strike, electronic warfare, intelligence-gathering, and networking capabilities, which you can find here.

Overall, the LUCAS drone’s core design was based directly on the Shahed-136.

“The U.S. military got hold of an Iranian Shahed,” according to the U.S. official. “We took a look and reverse-engineered it. We are working with a number of U.S. companies in the innovation space.”

“The LUCAS drone is the product of that [reverse-engineering] effort,” they added. “It pretty much follows the Shahed design.”

SpektreWorks’ website provides basic specifications for a related target drone design called the FLM 136, which has a stated maximum range of 444 miles and can stay aloft for up to six hours. Its total payload capacity, not counting fuel, is 40 pounds, and it cruises at a speed of around 74 knots (with a dash speed of up to 105 knots). Whether these details reflect the capabilities of the operationalized LUCAS design is unclear.

For comparison, the baseline Shahed-136, which is powered by a small 50-horsepower internal combustion engine, has a top speed of around 100 knots (185 kilometers per hour) and a maximum range of approximately 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) while carrying an 88-pound (40-kilogram) warhead, according to the U.S. Army’s Operational Environment Data Integration Network (ODIN) training portal. It was designed to strike static targets based on targeting data programmed in before launch. Iran has shown additional versions over the years with other guidance options, as well as a jet-powered derivative. Russia also now produces a still-expanding array of variants and derivatives of this design, referred to locally as the Geran. Iran and Russia have both been notably working to integrate more dynamic targeting capabilities into their respective versions of the drone.

Iranian forces, as well as the country’s various regional proxies in the Middle East, have extensively employed variations of the Shahed-136 in combat in recent years, especially against targets in Israel. Russian forces routinely use their versions of the drones in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. U.S. military experience aiding in the defense of Israel, as well as observations from the war in Ukraine, have been key drivers in recent pushes to develop and field new drone and counter-drone capabilities, now including the LUCAS design.

Beyond the particulars of the LUCAS drones themselves, the confirmation that an operational American unit in the Middle East is now armed with them is a major development. Before now, at least publicly, the U.S. military had only shown concrete interest in LUCAS and similar designs for use as threat representative targets for testing and training purposes rather than as operational weapons.

“We are now at a point where not only are we building them in mass, but we have already based them in [the] Middle East for the first time,” the U.S. official stressed to TWZ. “In essence, we are able to flip the script on Iran.”

“I’ll let you read between the lines, but the fact that we are basing it where we are basing it, and the fact that we have seen what the Russians have done to Ukraine, what Iran has done to fomenting instability with the use of drone technology, the 12-Day War threats they posed to Israel and how partners and allies have to expend vast amounts of resources to defend against these attacks, we are now taking a page from their playbook and throwing it back at them,” the U.S. official continued. “In essence, Iran enjoyed overmatch and an advantage through the high volume of drone attacks they were able to effectively deploy, and they are hard to defend against at such a high volume.”

The video below includes a montage of clips from Iranian state media showing Shahed-136s being employed during an exercise.

To date, TFSS has not employed its LUCAS drones in real combat operations, but they have been launched at test targets in the region to demonstrate their capabilities, according to the U.S. official.

“We are shoring up our defense, and a good defense can sometimes be a good offense, as well,” they added. “We are adding an offensive firepower capability that we have seen, [that] can be effective, especially when you have a country [that] previously wreaked havoc with this technology, now vulnerable.”

In addition to Iran, “we don’t have a problem hitting the [Iranian-backed] Houthis [in Yemen], we could throw it in their face as well,” the U.S. official continued. However, “with the Houthis, you have more of a target-find problem, [rather] than sending a bunch of things into Iran with lots of stuff to hit.”

The official also noted that the U.S. government currently has a formal ceasefire in place with the Houthis.

As mentioned, the benefits that Shahed-type drones could offer U.S. forces extend well beyond the Middle East. This includes the sheer mass of additional strike capacity and the ability, by extension, to overwhelm finite enemy defensive assets. This all aligns well with broader efforts across the services to extend the scale and scope of their long-range fires capabilities, especially when it comes to fielding new, lower-cost, and readily producible weapon systems. TWZ‘s feature in September explored these realities in deep detail.

These are capabilities that could also be steadily built upon as time goes on, especially if the designs are highly modular and put emphasis on open architectures for the integration of new and improved capabilities. As we wrote:

“Modern positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies will only improve upon this resilience to electronic warfare, even for those drones configured to strike with precision. Basic infusion of artificial intelligence (AI) is fast approaching over the horizon for lower-end drones, which will enable adaptive autonomous navigation without GPS and strikes even on mobile targets of opportunity. Again, you can read all about this in our previous feature linked here. Electronic warfare will not be able to impact these systems.”

“The key takeaway is that having tens of thousands of real threats that cost a fraction of the price of a standard cruise or ballistic missile, ready to gobble up precious air defense effectors, will be an absolutely critical factor in any major future conflict.”

“We will continue to develop these platforms,” like LUCAS, the U.S. official also told us. “One of the upsides to them is that they are not only scalable systems, but they can be developed and improved over time.”

SpektreWorks is not the only company in this marketspace. In the United States, at least one other firm, Griffon Aerospace, has been pitching a Shahed-esque drone called the MQM-172 Arrowhead to America’s armed forces.

While the general concept has existed for decades, similar delta-winged one-way attack munitions are steadily emerging globally among allies and potential foes alike, including in China. Russia is also said to be assisting North Korea in establishing its own domestic capacity to produce Shahed-136s, or derivatives thereof, as part of an exchange for Pyongyang’s help in fighting Ukraine.

At the same time, while today’s announcement about TFSS and its LUCAS drones is significant, it is still being presented heavily as a regionally limited capability to be employed by special operations forces. Whether or not there are efforts to stand up similar units elsewhere within the U.S. military in other locales is unclear. Top U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force officers have openly expressed an extremely high desire to field a Shahed-like kamikaze drone capability as soon as possible.

Still, the U.S. military’s standing up of its first operational unit armed with Shahed-like long-range kamikaze drones is a major development — one that has a high chance of serving as a springboard to much broader fielding of similar capabilities.

Update: 9:16 AM Eastern –

The Pentagon published three photos of the LUCAS drones on its image-sharing portal, which you can see below. We will have an analysis of these weapons shortly.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Everything is a matter of taste, and most people know what they like. If you are not already aboard the “Spartacus” express, of which “Spartacus: House of Ashur” is the fifth installment and the first since 2013, you should know in short order whether its mix of soft porn, graphic violence and scrabbling for power is your goblet of wine.

In this reboot, piloted again by Steven S. DeKnight and premiering Friday on Starz, Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay), who was a bad guy in the previous series, killed by Spartacus on Mount Vesuvius, finds himself in the underworld, facing Lucy Lawless, returning for a cameo as Lucretia, who recaps the story and sends him back to Earth in a timeline where he killed Spartacus instead — no reason given, or how it’s being managed. And, presto, Ashur wakes up in bed with “body slaves” Hilara (Jamaica Vaughan) and Messia (Ivana Baquero) as the boss of the ludus — a school for gladiators — where he once was employed by Lucretia’s husband. (And not a very pleasant boss, either.)

All that business with Spartacus and his slave rebellion is done. There is some political backdrop to the show, with Pompey and Crassus going at each other offscreen and an amusingly narcissistic Julius Caesar (Jackson Gallagher) dropping in to draw attention to himself. But at least for the five episodes, out of 10, available to review, “House of Ashur” is mostly a sort of show business story, as Ashur attempts to get his troupe into the big time while banking on an untested newcomer. Call it “Gold Diggers of 71 BC.” With sex and blood.

The newcomer is Achillia (Tenika Davis), a newly enslaved Nubian Ashur finds down at the docks taking apart her guards. (In her lust for freedom, she’s the Spartacus of this “Spartacus.”) But the boys at the ludus, whose ranks notably include decent guy Celadus (Dan Hamill) and his hotheaded son Tarchon (Jordi Webber), are not keen to admit a woman to their ranks and are doubly peeved that Ashur is skipping her into a headlining role. For her part, she’s got a lot a lot of learning to do; trainer Korris (Graham McTavish), the person here you’d most want on your side, may be of help. Ashur doesn’t actually tell her, “You’re going out a youngster but you’ve got to come back a star,” as Warner Baxter said to Ruby Keeler, but the idea is roughly the same.

Ashur’s juggling for a spot on the bill at the big arena brings him into contact with the hoi polloi of Capua, the town where the story takes place; they generally regard him as something to avoid stepping in. (That he’s an ex-slave and a Syrian, whom people call “the Syrian,” doesn’t help.) This gang includes rival Proculus (Simon Arblaster) and his trio of deadly little people, Senator Gabinius (Andrew McFarlane); Real Housewife of Capua, Cossutia (Claudia Black); and their lovely young daughter Viridia (India Shaw-Smith), who has been holed up at home since the death of her husband in the Spartacus wars.

The dialogue appears crafted to set a world record for profanity; practically the only adjective these people use begins with “F.” At the same time, there is a sort of Shakespearean lilt to much of of it; many lines, in my random examination, resolve into iambic pentameter. Most notably, there’s an attempt to mirror Latin grammar by omitting articles and possessive pronouns: “We stray from point.” “What do eyes behold?” It’s a cute but nonsensical idea that just makes the characters come off as comical; there are no articles in Russian either, but we add them when we translate Chekhov, or else Vanya and Yelena would sound like Boris and Natasha. (The original “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” didn’t bother with this device, though it did have characters saying “gratitude” for thanks and “apologies” for sorry.)

The series takes its melodrama seriously, with evident dedication to its staging its complicated fight scenes, of which there are many, and its investment in sets and costumes and effects; the fake blood budget alone must be staggering. (The domestic architecture accords with the Life in Ancient Rome videos I’ve been known to watch, minus the wall paintings, which would, of course, cost more money, and distract the eye from the orgies.) And yet so extreme is it in its violence, and so resolute in its naughtiness, that I also find the series kind of hilarious. It possibly doesn’t help that whenever I hear the name Spartacus I think of Tom Everett Scott declaring “I am Sparta-coos” in “That Thing You Do,” and sometimes of Magnus Scheving as Sportacus, the athletic superhero of the 2004 kids show “LazyTown.” But that’s on me.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi as talks began on boosting trade with India, the top buyer of Russia’s arms and seaborne oil. The visit comes as India holds talks with the Unites States to cut tariffs imposed over its Russian oil purchases.

UK fans have waited months for the hotly-reviewed crime drama, exploring the murderous world of art and antiques dealing

A smash-hit crime thriller starring EastEnders icon Larry Lamb and True Blood star Stephen Moyer is finally landing in the UK – and fans can stream it for free.

Art Detectives, which became Acorn TV’s most-watched premiere ever when it launched in North America this June, follows a specialist Met Police unit tackling the dark underbelly of the art world, from stolen Viking gold to the murder of a wealthy, Titanic-obsessed collector.

Stephen stars as DI Mick Palmer, an art-loving but world-weary cop paired with ambitious and straight-talking newcomer DC Shazia Malik, played by Nina Singh.

Together they make up the Heritage Crime Unit, a tiny team tasked with solving the big, bizarre cases connected to the ruthless world of antiques and art trading.

Other cases include a vintage wine tasting that turns deadly, the brutal killing of a vinyl obsessive and the sudden disappearance of a priceless Chinese vase.

Stephen and Nina are joined on the cast by Sarah Alexander as Rosa, a museum curator who doubles as Mick’s love interest, and Larry Lamb.

The TV legend shines in the fan-favourite role of Ron, Mick’s charismatic but wayward father who just so happens to be one of Britain’s most notorious art forgers.

Art Detective’s official synopsis teases: “Each episode follows Mick and Shazia through a world driven by greed, obsession, lust and revenge,” promising everything from fake Vermeers to Titanic relics.

Stephen has said he loved the show’s special blend of chaos and culture, adding: “The writing team have cleverly woven together intriguing storylines, notable pieces of art and a bit of history for good measure.

“I’m excited to lead the cast alongside the lovely Nina Singh, brilliantly funny Sarah Alexander and my dear old pal Larry Lamb.”

US watchers have lapped it up, with the series holding an 83% Rotten Tomatoes rating. It has been praised as a stylish, sophisticated twist on the classic buddy-cop formula, with all the usual action transplanted into the snobby, cut-throat world of fine art.

British viewers can finally get in on the action as the hotly anticipated drama arrives exclusively on UKTV’s free streaming service U and its free-to-air channel U&DRAMA and it is arriving on DVD on 8 December.

Dec. 5 (UPI) — The United States has fined a New York property management company more than $7 million, near the statutory maximum, for doing business with sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

Deripaska, considered one of Russia’s richest men — and at one point its richest — was sanctioned by the United States in 2018 in connection with the Kremlin’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea. He was also indicted in the United States on sanctions-evasion charges.

According to the U.S. Treasury, New York’s Gracetown Inc. received 24 payments totaling $31,250 on behalf of a company owned by Deripaska between April 2018 and May 2020.

“Treasury will act firmly against those who ignore our sanctions and aid our adversaries,” Treasury Under Secretary John Hurly said in a statement, adding that the penalty totaled $7,139,305.

The Treasury officials said that Gracetown was founded in 2006 to manage three U.S. real estate properties for Deripaska, who was the ultimate owner of the company until he was sanctioned in 2018.

After he was designated, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sent Gracetown notices of its obligations to comply with sanctions and the consequences of violations.

Following receipt of the notification, Gracetown continued its arrangement with an entity owned by Deripaska to receive monthly payments in the United States, according to the Treasury, which added that the company failed to report the blocked assets in its possession or control for 45 months.

The initiative is helping Gaza’s children ‘glimpse a better reality’, says Palestinian filmmaker Mustafa al-Nabih.

Children in Gaza City, traumatised from more than two years of mass bombardment and displacement, the loss of family, friends and the destruction of their homes and schools in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, are getting a brief reprieve through a local cinema initiative.

Volunteers have set up a makeshift screen in one of the city’s displacement camps to show films, offering children a rare space to have fun and experience moments of normalcy and solace despite the war and ongoing ceasefire violations by Israel.

“We’re here trying to present so many activities for children to live in a positive vibe,” said Minass al-Jabour, the initiative’s media coordinator. “So we are trying to make them skip the scenes, the hard scenes that they were living during the war in Gaza.”

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 20,000 children and left tens of thousands more injured since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s health authorities. At least 55,000 children have lost one or both parents.

With 92 percent of the enclave’s schools severely damaged or destroyed, most children have had no access to formal education for two years.

For many, the screenings offer the first chance to watch a movie since the conflict began.

“This is something new for me. I came out of the war, and they are giving us many activities, including cinema … and we really enjoyed it,” Sara Abu Sharbi, a displaced girl in the camp, told Al Jazeera, against a backdrop of flimsy tents and rubble-strewn buildings.

Palestinian filmmaker Mustafa al-Nabih, who is also taking part in the initiative, said he believes art, like cinema, is a way for children to hold on to hope and imagination.

“A child who has seen so much blood and loss can, through cinema, glimpse a better reality,” said al-Nabih.

“Cinema transports a child into a world of imagination, love and beauty. It moves their mind, lets them reach for a distant horizon, and shows them colours, stories, and moments that take them out of the ruin around them,” he said.

MOLLY-MAE Hague has given fans a health update on daughter Bambi days after she was taken to hospital.

The two-year-old fell ill and was left “shaking” and “crying in her sleep” after dad Tommy battled a nasty bout of sickness.

She was diagnosed with the flu, given medicine and Molly was told to monitor the situation.

Just days later, Molly and Bambi were back at the doctors as she still wasn’t right.

In her latest vlog, Molly explained: “Long story short, they think Bambi has croup, it’s basically like a bad cough.

“They were amazing actually. they said they want to see her tomorrow because her heart rate is very high and they want to monitor that.

OH MAE!

Molly-Mae has been ‘in tears’ multiple times & admits Bambi’s ‘rules the roost’

OH MAE!

Molly-Mae rushed both Tommy Fury & Bambi to hospital after ‘traumatic’ illness

“It could indicate she’s got some sort of infection in her body.”

Croup can affect breathing and cause a bad cough. The NHS says it is a common condition that usually affects young children and is often mild.

The condition usually improves on its own within 48 hours and is helped along by keeping those affected well hydrated and upright.

Afterwards, Molly picked up antibiotics and admitted Bambi has never had the medication before.

Later in the vlog, the mum-of-one revealed she cancelled the follow-up appointment after noticing an improvement.

She said: “I used my mother’s instinct. I actually cancelled it. I felt her chest and I knew she’s calmer today and her temperature is coming down.”

Molly added that she feared taking Bambi out in the driving rain could prove detrimental and so decided she would continue monitoring her at home.

In her previous video upload, Molly lifted the lid on boxer boyfriend Tommy’s sickness that left him clinging to the toilet.

They guessed it was either a sickness bug or food poisoning, and Molly said his “soul was leaving his body in that toilet”.

“It was so traumatic, it was awful,” she said. “I’ve just felt so sorry for him, he can’t keep any food down, any liquid down.

“He’s fine within himself but when he’s eating and drinking, he’s just ill, it’s so bizarre.”

The YouTube star claimed that Tommy’s illness “wasn’t normal,” saying: “He’s not eaten a proper meal in over a week, he’s lost so much weight, his face is gaunt, literally black circles under his eyes.”

Not long after that she was left panicking about Bambi’s condition.

She said: “Her body was on fire, I took her temperature and it was 40 degrees. 

“I obviously freaked out, I panicked. She was shaking, her temperature was so high. She was freezing but her body felt boiling and her heart was racing.

“We decided to go to the walk-in hospital, managed to get seen straight away.

“They’ve just said they think she’s got the flu – do Calpol, Nurofen, keep monitoring her and if it doesn’t clear up, go back again.”

Sharing more on her panic, Molly-Mae, who recently admitted to committing a ‘cardinal sin’ as a parent, acknowledged: “I don’t know why I panicked so much, I think because I’ve never seen her like that I just worried badly and also had such a weird night with Tommy being sick.

“It’s just quite a lot…This is just the life of a mum, this is how parenthood looks – you’re just playing catch up all the time. I live in a state of fight or flight recently.

“We’re back home now, I’ve just put her down for a nap, I’m just going to monitor her really closely.

“I feel really sorry for her, she just looks so sad.” 

Dorien Ballout, a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaigner, talks about the impact of the Netherlands and other countries boycotting Eurovision 2026 after Israel was allowed to compete.

Less than a month after announcing its opening date, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art told staff that chief curator Pilar Tompkins Rivas is leaving the museum this week.

“There are no immediate plans to replace Pilar’s role as Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Curatorial and Collections,” wrote interim Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos in an email obtained by The Times. “George Lucas will continue to oversee curatorial content and direction.”

Rivas did not respond to a request for comment.

The $1-billion Lucas Museum, which remains on track to open on Sept. 22, 2026, issued a statement that said, “We thank Pilar Tompkins Rivas for her hard work over the last five years, which has been instrumental in preparing the museum for its opening. We wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Rivas’ departure comes nine months after former museum director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont stepped down from her role. Jackson-Dumont did not comment publicly about her departure, but the museum said in a statement at the time that her decision was based on a “new organizational design” that would split her job into two positions, with Lucas responsible for content direction and Gianopulos, the former chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, assuming the CEO title until a permanent one could be found.

Three months after that, the museum laid off 15 full-time employees, many from the organization’s education and public programming team — amounting to 14% of the full-time staff. An additional seven part-time, on-call employees also lost their jobs. At that time, two employees, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, described the layoffs as shocking and chaotic.

In 2020, the Lucas Museum was touted for appointing six women — five of whom were women of color — to leadership roles. That number did not include Jackson-Dumont. With Rivas no longer in her job, only two women hired at that time remain: Larissa Gentile, managing director of special projects, and Erica Neal, director of computing and infrastructure.

“I’m an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, that’s a huge part of who I am,” Jackson-Dumont told The Times in 2020. “But when I’m hiring, I’m looking for the best and most qualified candidates — and that was them.”

Rivas is known for her connection to Los Angeles and its diverse communities. She was formerly the director and chief curator at the Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College. Prior to that she worked as coordinator of curatorial initiatives at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her resume also includes curatorial and project coordinator positions at Santa Monica’s 18th Street Arts Center, the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the Claremont Museum of Art.

Dec. 5 (UPI) — A federal grand jury has rejected the Justice Department’s bid to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to reports, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump‘s effort to prosecute political opponents.

The Norfolk, Va., grand jury decision comes less than two weeks after a federal judge threw out criminal cases against James and FBI Director James Comey.

“The grand jury’s refusal to re-indict Attorney General James is a decisive rejection of a case that should never have existed in the first place,” Abbe Lowell, James’ lead defense attorney, told Politico in a statement.

James successfully sued Trump in a major civil case that found he had committed long-running financial fraud by overstating asset values in order to obtain favorable loans and insurance terms.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has used the presidency to target perceived political foes, from law firms associated with lawyers who prosecuted him to Democratic critics.

Trump has sought a criminal mortgage fraud case against James, with a grand jury in mid-October indicting her for falsely claiming a Norfolk property she bought in 2020 would be her primary residence to secure better mortgage terms.

That indictment was thrown out last month by U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie of South Carolina who said it was unlawful because of the appointment of the interim attorney, Lindsey Halligan, was invalid.

Trump appointed Halligan, a White House aide without prosecutorial experience, after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, abruptly resigned in September amid concerns he’d be fired for failing to bring charges against both James and Comey, another political opponent.

Siebert had been appointed in January to serve as interim U.S. attorney, a position only t be filled for 120 days.

“A federal court threw this case out after President Trump illegally installed a U.S. attorney to file baseless charges against Attorney General James that career prosecutors refused to bring,” Lowell said, The Hill reported.

“This should be the end of this case.”

In response to the decision, James said she was “grateful” to the members of the grand jury.

“As I have said from the start, the charges against me are baseless. It is time for this unchecked weaponization of our justice system to stop,” she said in a statement.

“Now, I will continue to do my job standing up for the rule of law and the people of New York.”

Fallout continues after Japanese prime minister said use of force against Taiwan would be ‘survival threatening’ for Japan.

Japan and China have escalated their war of words at the United Nations following unprecedented remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Tokyo’s role in a potential Taiwan conflict.

Japan’s ambassador to the UN wrote to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, disputing allegations from Beijing that Takaichi had violated “the basic norms governing international relations” while speaking to the Japanese Diet last month.

“The assertions contained therein are inconsistent with the facts, unsubstantiated, and are categorically unacceptable,” UN ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki wrote.

The letter marks the second time Japan has written to Guterres on the issue in as many months. Both times were in response to separate letters from China to the UN about Takaichi.

The dispute began in November when Takaichi told Japanese legislators that should China ever use force against Taiwan, the move would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, according to Japanese media.

Taiwan and Japan do not have diplomatic relations, but they are close neighbours and unofficial allies. Their legislators also regularly engage in party-to-party meetings.

Still, experts say that Takaichi’s comments marked a break in tradition for Tokyo, which is typically more circumspect on Taiwan issues.

“This has been the unofficial position of Japan and the unspoken position of Japan for many years, but prime ministers just don’t say it [out loud],” Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer in Japanese studies at Kanda University of International Studies, told Al Jazeera.

Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, is claimed by Beijing, which has pledged to one day annex it by peace or by force amid an ongoing military modernisation campaign. Beijing considers issues surrounding Taiwan to fall within its internal affairs.

In addition to the UN letters, a Chinese diplomat in Osaka implied in a now-deleted social media post that Takaichi ‘s head should be cut off over her remarks on Taiwan, according to the Reuters news agency.

Chinese state media have also started posting articles questioning Japan’s claims to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, in what has been described online as “geopolitical trolling”.

Takaichi, like her late mentor Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has advocated for a stronger Japanese military – known as its “self-defence force” – and revising the country’s post-war pacifist constitution.

While the decision to rearm is still controversial within Japan, the recent dispute with China has helped to raise Takaichi’s popularity, according to Hall.

The Japanese public has been displeased that Beijing has tried to equate contemporary Japan with its World War II past, he told Al Jazeera, when the Empire of Japan brutally colonised large swaths of East and Southeast Asia.

Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, alluded to Japan’s historical legacy in his second letter to the UN this week about Takaichi.

He called Takaichi’s remarks “erroneous”, adding they “openly challenge the victorious outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order and constitute a serious violation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.

The police drama starring Nathan Fillion has been No.1 on NOW for weeks and viewers are hooked

Anyone living with a significant other will recognise the severe consequences of sneaking ahead with episodes of a programme “we’re watching together”. With a partner who frequently jets off abroad for business, I’ve had to get rather creative with my solo viewing choices from time to time.

So, browsing through NOW TV’s packed catalogue for suitable entertainment one evening last month, I was drawn to the programme that’s been dominating the Sky-linked platform’s ‘most watched’ rankings for weeks on end.

After checking out just one episode of The Rookie, I found myself with a single question: “Why haven’t I been watching this all along?”.

Fast-forward a month and I’ve nearly caught up with all seven seasons of the show. That might sound like something between an epic binge-watching session or a deeply worrying obsession, but it becomes clearer when you understand that The Rookie isn’t just another television show. It’s every other TV show.

The Rookie simultaneously functions as a soap opera, a sitcom, a romantic drama and – occasionally – almost ventures into science fiction territory.

With its rose-tinted depiction of the LAPD, a force that has carried a troubling reputation for systematic police brutality, corruption, civil rights abuses and discriminatory practices since the 1940s, The Rookie produces the same impact that The West Wing had on our understanding of American politics.

It offers a window into an alternative reality where everything is reassuringly fine, and everyone involved seems to have our best interests at heart.

Indeed, the show’s overly optimistic tone reportedly led to one cast member abruptly leaving the show, given the current state of affairs in American society.

At the heart of the series is Canadian-born actor Nathan Fillion. Recognised for his role in the prematurely axed cult sci-fi series Firefly, he’s also a close pal of director James Gunn, and has made appearances in all of his Guardians of the Galaxy films, even following Gunn to Warner Brothers to participate in his new Superman franchise.

Fillion plays John Nolan, a calm, supremely capable everyman who leaves behind his home, marriage, and construction career (which proves unexpectedly handy in his new role) to become the LAPD’s oldest rookie cop.

Empathetic, competent, and surprisingly handy in a firefight, John Nolan also has a knack for attracting strikingly beautiful women. It’s baffling why the show resonates so strongly with middle-aged blokes like myself.

Over seven seasons, Nolan gradually sheds his rookie status and is progressively supported by an ensemble cast that assists him in his face-offs with wicked villains, comedic characters, and at least one character that unpredictably oscillates between the two.

If there’s one consistent trait of The Rookie, it’s its tonal rollercoaster. One moment our heroes are being hassled by a quirky indie band, the next they’re hopping on a private jet for an unlikely yet exhilarating showdown with a cartel boss on his own turf.

It’s the epitome of escapism. To label The Rookie as mere comfort viewing would be a disservice, given its knack for delivering unexpected emotional blows when a beloved character we were just chuckling at suddenly takes a bullet.

The only character seemingly immune to plot twists is John Nolan himself. Despite this, Fillion, now 54, is gradually reducing his on-screen presence and holds executive producer credits on two spin-off shows centred around older individuals delving into various facets of police work.

The show could potentially outlast John Nolan’s narrative, as it thrives on a fresh batch of rookies each season – from psychics and aspiring cowboys to a gender-swapped Amanda Knox with a hint of Kardashian glamour.

While this unabashedly escapist telly might be dismissed as nothing more than an older man’s fantasy, astonishingly, it’s rooted in a true story.

LAPD officer William Norcross, a university mate of one of the show’s producers Jon Steinberg, pitched an idea for a series based on his own experience as an older rookie cop.

Norcross was 44 when he decided to leave his family’s printing business in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in late 2015 and head to LA to realise his lifelong dream of joining the police force.

His dream became the inspiration for what I believe to be the most wildly entertaining and delightfully unrealistic television show of the current era.

Although my Rookie journey began as a means to keep the peace at home, I now find myself covertly retreating to my home office, laptop in tow, for just one more episode….

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have kicked off a daylong summit in the capital of India, where trade and Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine were set to loom large.

Friday’s summit is the first time Putin has visited India since the start of Russia’s full-fledged war on Ukraine in 2022, and comes as India is seeking a reprieve from United States sanctions related to its purchase of Russian oil.

Moscow, in turn, is hoping to boost ties with India, already the top buyer of Russian arms. Officials have said they want to increase trade with India to $100bn by 2030 — up from an already all-time high of $68bn in 2024.

Modi gave Putin a warm welcome on Thursday, personally greeting him on the tarmac in New Delhi with a hug and a handshake. He later hosted the Russian leader for a private dinner at his residence.

Friday’s agenda began with morning visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, for a meeting with India’s ceremonial head of state, Droupadi Murmu. Putin will then travel to Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Putin and Modi will then hold meetings at the Hyderabad House complex. They are scheduled to address the media before a gathering with business and trade leaders.

The Russian leader is set to depart India at 9pm local time (15:30 GMT).

A balancing act

Russia and India have had a strategic partnership for 25 years, stretching back to Putin’s first year in office as the country’s head of state.

However, the balancing act between maintaining ties with both the US and Russia has become more difficult in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian operation disrupted a longstanding tradition of the leaders trading annual visits. That partially resumed last year, when Modi visited Russia.

As Western countries curtailed their reliance on Russian crude oil amid the war, India ramped up its purchases.

But in August, the US doubled the 25 percent tariffs it had previously imposed on Indian goods to 50 percent, as a penalty for India’s Russian oil purchases, as Trump looked to pressure Putin into accepting a ceasefire.

India, however, continued buying Russian oil.

That is now changing: in November, Trump’s sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil went into effect, along with a threat of sanctions against companies from other countries that trade with these firms.

Purchases from the two companies account for about 60 percent of India’s oil imports.

New Delhi has said it was being unfairly targeted, noting that Western nations continue to do business with Moscow when it is in their interests. Speaking to Indian journalists in an interview before he arrived in New Delhi, Putin made a similar argument.

“The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants,” he said.

He added that if the US has the right to buy Russian fuel, India should enjoy “the same privilege”.

Putin is also expected to push India to buy more Russian weapons, another area where New Delhi has faced pressure from Washington.

Moscow has been hoping to sell India additional S-400 missile defence systems and Su-57 stealth fighter jets.

Friday’s meeting comes days after Putin met with a US delegation in Moscow, pushing for an end to the war in Ukraine. Both sides hailed progress after the meeting, but no breakthrough was reached.

On Thursday, US officials met with a Ukrainian delegation.

India has resisted condemning Russia over the war and has called for peace through dialogue and diplomacy.

This is an important series for Smith, playing in an Ashes for the first time. He was promoted to the England team at the beginning of the 2024 summer at the expense of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow with this tour in mind.

Smith has made an exceptional start to his Test career. Before the Test at the Gabba he averaged almost 47 with the bat. His glovework has often been tidy.

But there have also been signs that the 25-year-old has some challenges to overcome.

Since making a stunning 184 not out and 88 in the second Test against India in July, then following up with 51 in the first innings of the third Test at Lord’s, Smith’s highest score in seven knocks is 33.

He looked increasingly lethargic as the India series wore on, with both his batting and keeping suffering as a result.

The Surrey man was in uncharted territory in a series where each of the five Tests went to the final day.

Because he is not the first-choice keeper for his county – Foakes takes the gloves at The Oval – he was experiencing a workload like never before.

This Ashes will be similar – another five-Test series. Yes, the first Test in Perth was over in only two days, but there are other challenges to throw to a keeper in Australia.

The steep bounce and true carry should be an advantage, yet takes some getting used to, and the fearsome heat can be sapping.

The edge off Head appeared to take Smith by surprise. It was a superb delivery from Archer, nipping away from round the wicket. In a spell where Archer averaged 89.3mph, he got one to leap at Head, and the ball was still on the rise when it got to Smith.

Moving to his left, Smith got both hands to the ball, only to parry in the direction of the slips, who could not grab the rebound.

“That was a beauty from Archer, it went quickly to Jamie Smith but you’ve got to take those chances,” said former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special.

Former wicketkeeper Matt Prior, part of the England team when they won the Ashes in Australia in 2010-11, said on TNT: “It’s the worst place in the world to be having just dropped that catch.

“He didn’t do a lot wrong. He got done for a bit of pace, a bit of extra bounce here at the Gabba. It hit him quite high on the gloves.

“That’s a chance you’d want to be taking more times than not.”

According to data analysts Cricviz, Smith’s glovework stands up to other keepers in Test cricket.

This was only the fourth drop of his career, having held 54 previous chances. Smith has a 93% catching efficiency in Tests and for all wicketkeepers in Tests since the start of 2024, the efficiency is around 89%.

Interestingly, of the four drops in his Test career, three of them have been against left-handers.

Smith is also playing in a pink-ball match of any kind for the first time.

The debate over whether England should have sent more players to a floodlit match between England Lions and a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra in the weekend before this Test was tempered by the vastly different conditions in Brisbane when compared to the capital.

While Smith has had five training sessions with the pink ball in the run-up to this Test – two of them under lights – he was out for a second-ball duck in England’s first innings and dropped the first chance that came his way.

HELEN Flanagan sizzled in red lingerie as she flashed her bottom in a thong after hitting back at trolls.

The Coronation Street star, 35, left fans blushing as she modelled the new Ann Summers festive range.

In a clip shared to her Instagram, Helen showed off her incredible figure in a sheer red chemise with a bow on the front.

The TV favourite, who split from her boyfriend Robbie Talbot in May, then slipped off her black robe and cheekily flashed her bottom.

Helen was also seen adjusting the large bow on plunging see-through top.

The soap star’s blonde sleek tresses were loose over her shoulder and she added some bright red lipstick.

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Helen stood in front of a Christmas tree as she modelled the underwear.

She completed her look with a pair of black stockings and red thong.

It comes after the star defended her reality TV and sexy modelling careers, insisting it has no bearing on her talent as an actress.

The actress has made her name as a child actor on Coronation Street, playing Rosie Webster between 2000 and 2012, before reprising the role for a year in 2017.

She has successful modelling career, sharing racy lingerie snaps on social media.

“I’m kind of like open-minded really. I’ve always enjoyed doing reality TV as well,” she exclusively told The Sun.

“The last reality show I did was like Celebs Go Dating. I loved that. I had literally the best summer. Like I really, really enjoyed it.

“I think there’s this thing as well. I feel like if you can do reality TV or modelling doesn’t make you any less of an actress.

“It doesn’t affect your acting talent. I think sometimes it’s silly when there’s that thing that you think, ‘Oh, well, if you’re an actress, you don’t do this’. That’s ridiculous.”

HELEN’S EXES

An insider said the former Coronation Street actress was planning on causing fireworks with her stint on the MTV show Ex On The Beach.

Mum-of-three Helen, who played Rosie Webster in the ITV soap, was overseas filming her scenes just last week.

She has been single since splitting from her boyfriend Robbie Talbot in May.

A source said: “Helen was so excited to take part on Celebrity Ex On The Beach.

“She is a massive signing for MTV and they know what she can bring to the table.

“Helen is sexy, feisty, and won’t hold back on the show and she wants to cause some fireworks.

“This is a big show for her because it’s opening her up to a whole new audience who might not be familiar with what she’s done before.

The Sun previously revealed Towie star Ella Rae Wise and Love Islander Anton Danyluk were taking part.