News Desk

Canadian officials are investigating the death of actor Spencer Lofranco, who died Monday.

The British Columbia Coroners Service confirmed its investigation on Friday, days after the “Gotti” and “Unbroken” actor’s brother announced his death on social media. Lofranco died Tuesday at age 33.

“My brother. You lived a life only some could dream of. You changed people[‘s] lives, and now you are with God,” Santino Lofranco wrote in a Facebook statement shared Thursday morning. “I will always love you and miss you BEAR. RIP.”

The statement did not include a cause of death. A spokesperson for the British Columbia Coroners Service did not share additional details, pending the ongoing investigation.

Spencer Lofranco most notably shared the screen with John Travolta in the critically-panned John Gotti biopic “Gotti” and appeared in Angelina Jolie’s Oscar-nominated World War II-set drama “Unbroken.” His credits also include films “At Middleton,” “Jamesy Boy,” “Dixieland” and “King Cobra” and the 2015 short film “Home,” according to IMDb.

In his “Jamesy Boy” review for The Times, critic Martin Tsai wrote, “newcomer Lofranco deserves credit for carrying the film.” Starring as ex-convict-turned-filmmaker James Burns, Lofranco “holds his own against vets” Ving Rhames, Mary-Louise Parker and James Woods, Tsai added.

Lofranco, born Oct. 18, 1992, told Interview in 2014 that he became interested in acting at age 17 despite his father’s wishes for him to be a hockey player or lawyer. His mother was a dancer, musician and actor and would often take him along to auditions, he said.

Amid his brief acting career, Lofranco faced legal trouble for running over a cyclist with his SUV in Hollywood in 2013. The cyclist suffered severe injuries, including a broken hip and several fractures, according to CBS News. Officials said Lofranco got out of his vehicle after the accident to apologize to his victim before leaving the scene.

A judge, after his victim’s urging for a harsher sentence, sentenced Lofranco in 2015 to 50 days of community service, two years of probation and $161,000 in restitution.

Over the last year, Lofranco often posted to Instagram, sharing photos of his outfits, tattoos and graffiti art. In his final Instagram post, a black-and-white selfie, Lofranco seemingly wrote about starting a new chapter of his life.

“Period the best is yet to come,” he said, after encouraging fans to follow his OnlyFans account. “The hair is on it way it’s got held up customs. Crazy.”

When he spoke to Interview more than a decade ago, Lofranco said his future path included doing “real-life, candid films.”

“I don’t want to be thrown into anything that could jeopardize my career. I want to be wise about what I choose,” he said. “Actors whose choices I’ve liked are Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, River Phoenix.”

Drone sightings caused suspension of air traffic at Eindhoven airport, impacting both civilian and military operations.

Air traffic at the Eindhoven airport in the south of the Netherlands has resumed after a suspension that lasted several hours due to multiple drone sightings, the Dutch defence minister has said.

Traffic resumed around 11pm (22:00 GMT), Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Saturday, two hours after he had first reported the disruption.

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“Defence has taken measures,” the minister said. “Out of security considerations no further information can be shared.”

Eindhoven serves both as a civilian and as a military airport. All types of air traffic were suspended, Brekelmans said.

Asked if it was clear where the drones had come from, the Ministry of Defence had no additional comment.

The incident comes after drones and other airspace incursions caused considerable disruption across Europe in recent months.

In September, more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, and three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes.

Since then, many drone flights, the origins of which are mostly unknown, have disrupted airspace operations in Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions “hybrid warfare”.

Military fires at drones

Separately on Saturday, the Defence Ministry said the Dutch military opened fire at drones over Volkel Air Base in the east of the country on Friday, but no wreckage was recovered.

Security staff at the base reported the drones between 7pm and 9pm on Friday (between 17:00 and 19:00 GMT), prompting the air force to fire ground-based weapons to take them down, the ministry said in a statement.

“The drones left the area and were not recovered,” the statement said.

In recent weeks, a series of incidents involving unidentified drone flights have been reported near military sites in the Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium.

Both the Dutch military and civilian police were investigating, according to the ministry, which said it was unclear why the drones were flying above and around the air base. No further details were provided, citing security reasons.

Volkel Air Base is used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

In the Netherlands, the use of drones near all airports is prohibited for flight safety reasons in addition to other security reasons around military facilities, the statement said.

Pakistan’s infrastructure narrative over the past few years has been painfully instructive. Investments meant to connect markets and power industry have sometimes deepened vulnerability because climate risk and ecological limits were treated as afterthoughts. The scale of recent shocks is no longer anecdote. The catastrophic 2022 floods affected roughly 33 million people and left millions homeless, and the country is again reeling from extraordinary monsoon events in 2025 that, by mid-September, had displaced millions, damaged vast tracts of farmland (2.5 million acres in Punjab alone) and killed hundreds, with some reports putting the affected population in the millions and death tolls approaching the high hundreds. These are not distant statistics but the reality behind submerged villages, broken irrigation, and shattered livelihoods across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

These floods are compounded by mountain hazards: glacial-lake outburst floods (GLOFs) this summer in Gilgit-Baltistan destroyed scores of homes in several villages and briefly formed large, newly emergent lakes that severed roads and tourism circuits in fragile mountain economies. The visible loss of homes, guesthouses and the thin economic base of high-altitude communities illustrates how poorly planned transport and tourism infrastructure can multiply the harm of climate-driven glacier changes.

The thermal extremes of 2025 added a second front. Heatwaves pushed many urban centres and rural plains into temperature ranges far above seasonal norms, April 2025 was the second-hottest April in 65 years, with national mean temperature about 3.37°C above historical standard, daytime highs exceeding norms by 4.66°C, and Shaheed Benazirabad reaching 49°C. Heat stress has direct impacts on labour productivity, public health and the viability of energy systems, spiking demand at exactly the moment supply is least secure. The return of La Niña this winter poses another test of Pakistan’s resilience, as shifting temperature and rainfall patterns will once again reveal how exposed communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure remain to a changing climate. In short, Pakistan is experiencing compound hazards, heat stress, glacial instability, and unusually intense rainfall that together convert ordinary infrastructure failures into humanitarian catastrophes.

Why do these predictable collisions between people, nature and climate still happen? Why are the same infrastructure fail-points recurring? What good is growth if it washes away each year? Why villages again suffer loss, why roads wash away, why power systems falter and why communities bear the worst harm? The patterns are familiar: inadequate spatial planning that ignores biodiversity and hydrology, weak enforcement of EIAs and social safeguards, faulty compensation and resettlement processes that leave families poorer and more exposed, and infrastructure designed to historical standards rather than future climates.

Since most of the infrastructure is still built with the old climate baseline in mind, monsoon design storms, flood embankments, drainage systems calibrated for decades-old rainfall intensities. As rainfall intensifies, drainage and bridges collapse; hydraulic structures (culverts, flood bypasses) are undersized. Embankments along rivers like the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej are overtopped or breached because they were not upgraded to accommodate altered flow regimes, upstream glacial melt, or enhanced rainfall due to La Niña cycles. Recent floods showed how urban drainage systems and river embankments, often built or altered without integrated watershed assessments, were overwhelmed. Releases from upstream reservoirs and poorly coordinated transboundary water management also amplified downstream impacts. Building dams and roads without resilience is no longer progress; it is policy myopia. Where accountability is thin and safeguards are procedural rather than substantive, projects proceed on convenience rather than resilience, and the poorest pay the price.

There is, however, a pragmatic path forward if we align tools, policy and practice. Practical screening tools, the Climate Risk Screening Tool (CRST) to assess exposure and vulnerability across sectors and regions, the Pakistan Climate Information Portal (PCIP) for localized climate projections and hazard mapping, and the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) to track and align financial flows with climate priorities, must be institutionalized into corridor-level planning and project appraisal so that environmental risk is not an advisory footnote but a gating criterion. Infrastructure corridors must be routed to avoid ecological risk zones, embankments upgraded, drainage scaled for extreme rainfall. Finance and contracts must include enforceable safeguards and compensation for those displaced or harmed. Integrating these tools within Pakistan’s emerging climate governance framework, guided by URAAN’s Environment & Climate Change pillar, will ensure assessments translate into actionable, accountable, and climate-aligned planning.

China’s role in Pakistan’s infrastructure landscape is already shifting the technical terms of that conversation. Recent investments and technology transfers have supplied cheap solar modules, wind equipment and battery storage that are rapidly changing Pakistan’s energy mix. Solar already supplied a substantial share, 25% of Pakistan’s utility-supplied electricity, of grid electricity in early 2025. Some road and hydropower projects are now being planned with higher flood levels in mind, more robust drainage, and designs that anticipate glacial-lake outburst risks. Chinese firms are also financing and building large transmission and storage projects that, if governed with green conditionality, can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy resilience. The leverage here is policy: using preferential finance and partnership to insist on climate-proof designs, environmental management plans, local content for green jobs, and decommissioning/redesign clauses that prevent stranded assets under accelerating climate change. Evidence of large Chinese-backed renewables, storage pilots and green energy deals suggests opportunity, but success will depend on domestic governance and procurement rules that prioritize sustainability over short-term cost savings.

Social and regulatory failures compound the damage. If Pakistan is to move from reactive disaster response to proactive resilience, we must redesign how infrastructure is conceived: SEAs and EIAs must be strategic and enforceable, not pro forma; decision-making criteria should explicitly value ecosystem services, social equity and future climate scenarios; and corridor planning should integrate nature-based solutions, wetland restoration for flood attenuation, reforestation for slope stability, and mangrove expansions to protect coasts, alongside hard infrastructure. Equally important is finance architecture that links green bonds, concessional Chinese and multilateral finance, and private investment to verifiable environmental and social performance. These are practical reforms, not theoretical ideals: they change engineering specifications, procurement clauses and contract supervision in ways that reduce risk and cost over the asset’s life.

1 of 3 | South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, talks with European Council President Antonio Costa during a G20 Leaders’ Summit plenary session at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, of Saturday. Photo by EU Press Service/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 22 (UPI) — The South Africa-hosted G20 summit began Saturday with some member states weighing a proposed peace plan to end the Russian-Ukraine war.

The two-day event is being held in Johannesburg amid a U.S. boycott due to South Africa’s policies toward Afrikaners.

The 28-point plan would require Ukrainian leaders to concede territorial gains by Russia, which they previously rejected, and limit the size of their military, The New York Times reported.

The proposed plan would give Russia some parts of the eastern Donbas region and force Ukraine to forego any possibility of joining NATO, according to The Guardian.

President Donald Trump presented the peace plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week and advised him to decide whether to accept or reject it by next week.

European leaders attending the G-20 conference held a side meeting to review the plan and generally agreed that it needs to be revised to gain their support.

The plan “includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace,” they said afterward in a joint statement.

“But it is a basis that will require additional work,” they said, adding: “Borders must not be changed by force.”

Representatives from Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the European Union signed the joint statement.

The peace plan is not a final offer, though, Trump said on Saturday.

While several participating nations weighed the peace proposal, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the opening speech for the gathering of the world’s 20-largest economies, minus the United States.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the summit being held in South Africa and said it’s time for the world’s leading economies support sustainable development.

“With Africa hosting the G-20 summit for the first time, now is the right moment for us to revisit our development parameters and focus on growth that is inclusive and sustainable,” Modi said in a post on X.

“India’s civilizational values, especially the principle of integral humanism, offers a way forward,” he added.

Division marked the COP30 climate summit in Brazil as countries struggled to reach a consensus on several sticking points, including a push to phase out fossil fuels.

As the world seeks to address the climate crisis, experts say scientists, politicians, media and business all have a role to play in keeping the public engaged.

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But are they succeeding?

Presenter: Neave Barker

Guests:

Professor John Sweeney – Contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Nobel Peace Prize-winning assessment report

Professor Allam Ahmed – Leading scholar in sustainable development and the knowledge economy

Michael Shank – Climate communication expert and former director of media strategy at Climate Nexus

LIAM PAYNE’S family is set for more heartbreak as his ex-fiancée Maya Henry is making a documentary about their relationship and break-up.

It comes just over a year after the One Direction singer tragically died.

American model Maya, who was in a relationship with Liam from 2018 to 2022, is working with HBO and an independent production company to make a film about her time with him.

I am told that contributors are being invited to film in Texas, where Maya was born and raised, with those from overseas being flown over.

A source said: “This documentary is going to be hugely upsetting for Liam’s family, who are struggling with unimaginable loss.

“There is also concern within the industry that it is going to be one-sided.

“Of course, Liam is not here to give his side of the story or his version of events. It all just feels terribly sad.”

It comes after disgruntled Maya has already penned a fictional book, Looking Forward, rumoured to be based on her tumultuous romance with the star.

Meanwhile, another mole revealed that Maya will also touch upon trolling she received from 1D fans.

An insider said: “The social media comments were vicious and Maya wants to open up about what she went through and the dark side of dating a world-famous pop star.

“‘It wasn’t just the strain of the relationship itself. She also faced relentless trolling from the band’s fanbase, receiving hateful messages almost daily, which made moving on even harder.

“She hopes the documentary will finally give her the chance to share her experiences and tell her side of the story.”

Last month details of Liam’s emotional second album — which he had finished before he died and features a poignant track called Safe In Heaven — were released.

One industry insider explained that the follow-up to his 2019 debut LP1 was the most self-reflective piece of work he had ever done.

On the few occasions I met Liam he was genuinely a lovely bloke, I think his legacy should be treated with respect . . . 

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, ZARA

ZARA LARSSON lit up Norway in this bright yellow skirt on Friday night.

The Swedish pop star flaunted her incredible figure on stage as part of her Midnight Sun Tour.

Aside from the tracks on her new album, Zara played her hits Lush Life and Never Forget You.

Next week sees her head to Finland for a couple of gigs before a homecoming night in Sweden.

RONNIE ’N’ ZACH LOVING IT

LOVE Island: All Stars is upon us and I hear two former lotharios are busy pressing their trunks for a villa comeback.

Semi-professional footballer Ronnie Vint is hoping it’s third time lucky as he finds himself single again.

The hunk, who originally appeared in the 2024 summer series and then in this year’s All Stars show, is single again after splitting from Harriett Blackmore.

I’m also told that 2023 contestant Zach Noble is giving love another chance after his relationship with Molly Marsh broke down earlier this year.

A source said: “Love Island: All Stars 2026 is shaping up to be a sizzling cast and bosses have scouted these two rebound hunks keen to find love.

“Both lads were fan favourites, with bags of personality and a decent following on social media.”

Female contestants rumoured to be taking part include Millie Court and Andrada Pop.

I can’t wait to watch the chemistry crackle . . . 

PARTY of the WEEK

THE ZYN Rolling Stone UK Awards at The Roundhouse, North London, on Thursday.

Who was there: Sir Bob Geldof, Danny Dyer, FKA Twigs, Lewis Capaldi and Louise Redknapp.

What we ate: Smoked salmon, lamb and chocolate pears.

What we drank: M&S beer and Rockferne English sparkling wine.

Goodie bag: Percy Pigs.

PIPING HOT, BILLIE

BILLIE PIPER looked a sheer delight as she belatedly celebrated her 43rd birthday in this lacy black dress.

The actress, who turned 43 in September, was partying with pals including Dominic Cooper and Richard Madden at Upstairs At Langan’s in central London.

Billie recently starred as music teacher Isadora Capri in season two of Netflix show Wednesday.

She said: “I’ve always wanted to play a sort of floaty, liberal musician or art teacher.”

IT’S TIME FOR 007 AARON

THREE years ago, I revealed that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was the frontrunner to be the next James Bond.

And now the British actor has given the biggest clue yet that he will be taking over the reins from actor Daniel Craig to be the next 007.

Aaron has been announced as an ambassador for Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega, which is Bond’s favourite timepiece.

Since 1995, the secret agent has worn an Omega Seamaster in every film – with special tribute watches made to honour the character.

Aaron said: “My interest in watches first began with my dad, who introduced me to Omega, if you can believe it.

“He was working class and saved his earnings to purchase an Omega watch.”

In 2022 I revealed that Aaron had completed a top-secret screen test at Pinewood Studios, the home of James Bond movies.

Aaron is currently filming in Dartmoor alongside Lily-Rose Depp for upcoming horror film Werwulf, which is scheduled for release next year.

Sounds like the time is ticking for the next Bond to be formally announced.

OLLY: I WOULD GIVE A BOXING BOUT A SHOT

HIS new album Knees Up is about having a good time with your mates – but Olly Murs has revealed that instead of sinking pints down the pub, he prefers throwing punches in the boxing ring.

Olly has struck up a friendship with super-welterweight champ Sam Gilley and now has a “burning desire” to get fighting fit.

Chatting to Bizarre’s Emily at his album launch in East London on Friday, left, Olly said: “I train twice a week without fail. I love it.

“I wanted to learn how to punch properly and move, and I wanted to learn the fundamentals of boxing. Am I open to a fight? Yes. Whether or not my wife lets me is another question. I just know there is definitely a burning desire for me to get into the ring and give it a shot.”

Olly added: “I think it is something in my blood. I did Who Do You Think You Are? on the BBC and I learned so much about my grandad.

“He was Latvian and came here in the Second World War. He was an amateur boxing champion.”

Olly, whose eighth album has been inspired by British ska, said it had “reignited my love for music again­”.

I can safely say the single Run This Town has been in my head all week.

The unions demand the laws be withdrawn before nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday.

Ten large Indian trade unions have condemned the government’s rollout on Friday of new labour codes, the biggest such overhaul in decades, as a “deceptive fraud” against workers.

The unions, aligned with parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be withdrawn before nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday.

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One of the trade unions, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, organised protest marches on Saturday in the eastern city Bhubaneswar, where hundreds of workers gathered and burned copies of the new labour codes.

Modi’s government implemented the four labour codes, approved by parliament five years ago, as it seeks to simplify work rules, some dating to British colonial rule, and liberalise conditions for investment.

It says the changes improve worker protections. While the new rules offer social security and minimum-wage benefits, they also allow companies to hire and fire workers more easily.

Unions have strongly opposed the changes, organising multiple nationwide protests over the past five years.

The Labour Ministry did not immediately respond on Saturday to a Reuters news agency request for comment on the union demands. The government has held over a dozen consultations with unions since June 2024, an internal ministry document on the labour codes shows.

The rules allow longer factory shifts and night work for women, while raising the threshold for firms that need prior approval for layoffs to 300 workers from 100, giving companies greater flexibility in workforce management.

Businesses have long criticised India’s work rules as a drag on manufacturing, which contributes less than a fifth to the country’s nearly $4 trillion economy.

But the Association of Indian Entrepreneurs expressed concern that the new rules would significantly increase operating costs for small and midsize enterprises and disrupt business continuity across key sectors.

It asked the government for transitional support and flexible implementation mechanisms. Not all unions oppose the overhaul.

The right-wing Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, aligned with Modi’s party, called on states to implement them after consultations on some of the codes. Indian states are expected to craft rules aligning with the new federal codes covering wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety.

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Postcolonial scholar Mahmood Mamdani says Palestinian rights helped motivate his son Zohran’s run for New York City mayor. He says Zohran didn’t expect to win, but entered the race “to make a point” and trounced his rivals because he refused to compromise on causes “near and dear” to him.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a Superman comic beyond most of our price range!

A pristine copy of “Superman” No. 1 sold for $9.12 million at Heritage Auctions on Thursday, making it the most expensive comic book ever sold at auction. The closing price smashed the record previously set by another Superman-related comic, a copy of “Action Comics” No. 1, which sold for $6 million through Heritage Auctions in 2024.

The first issue of “Superman” was among a small trove of comic books found by three brothers in Northern California who were sorting through their late mother’s belongings. The collection had been tucked under a pile of old newspapers and cobwebs in the attic of their family home, according to a press release from Heritage Auctions.

The copy of “Superman” No. 1 was graded 9.0 on a 10-point scale by the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), a third-party service that authenticates and grades collectibles, including comics, trading cards and video games. It’s the highest-ever graded copy of the 1939 comic book. (That newspapers helped preserve the comic’s condition would make reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent proud.)

Superman made his comic book debut in 1938 in “Action Comics” No. 1. The anthology comic is often credited as kicking off the superhero genre in comics. The popularity of the Man of Steel — created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster — led to the launch of his own comic book series in 1939.

In addition to the launch issue of “Superman,” the mother’s comic book collection included issues of “Action Comics” Nos. 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21.

According to Heritage Auctions, this copy of “Superman” No. 1 is one of just seven known copies with a CGC grade of 6.0 or higher. A CGC graded 8.0 copy of “Superman” No. 1 sold for $5.3 million in 2022.

Nov. 22 (UPI) — Tyson Foods is closing its Lexington, Neb., beef-processing plant to better position the food company for long-term success.

Tyson announced the change on Friday and said the plan is to “right size” the food firm’s beef business.

The company also is downsizing its beef facility in Amarillo, Texas, to a single shift that will operate at full capacity, but production will rise at other Tyson facilities to meet customer demand for beef products.

“Tyson Foods recognizes the impact these decisions have on team members and the communities where we operate,” Tyson said in a news release.

“The company is committed to supporting our team members through this transition, including helping them apply for open positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits.”

Tyson officials said the changes will ensure it continues to “deliver high-quality, affordable and nutritious protein for generations to come.”

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement that the Tyson Foods’ Lexington plant closure does not reflect poorly on the state and won’t end Tyson’s investment there.

“Nebraska’s cattle industry is resilient and the envy of the world, and our workforce can outwork anybody,” Pillen said.

“Our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned reorganization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants.”

He said Tyson officials have promised to provide new opportunities for Nebraskans.

“The state of Nebraska is ready to build for the future and do what it can do to support employees affected by this change,” Pillen added.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., wasn’t as optimistic about the change.

“As the single-largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region and our state,” Fischer said in a social media post, as reported by Nebraska Public Media.

Lexington has a population of nearly 11,000 and is located 165 miles west of Lincoln.

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An Israeli ‘kamikaze’ drone blew up a vehicle on a busy street in Gaza City on Saturday, the latest test of the fragile ceasefire. It was just one of several Israeli attacks that killed at least 22 people across the enclave.

Sherrie Hewson has revealed which of her Loose Women co-stars jokingly kicked her under the table when she recently went back to the ITV chat show panel after almost a decade away

Sherrie Hewson has claimed that a Loose Women star kicked her under the table. The actress spent more than a decade on the panel of ITV’s lunchtime panel show, putting the world to rights alongside other long-serving stars such as Jane McDonald, Carol McGiffin, and Denise Welch, amongst a whole host of other familiar television faces. The actress, 75, was probably best known for starring as Maureen Holdsworth on Coronation Street in the late 1990s when she landed the job, and was yet to experience further success as hotelier Joyce Temple-Savage on the sunny sitcom Benidorm.

The former Emmerdale star announced in 2016 that she would be stepping down from the panel after a total of 13 years on air, having worked alongside anchors such as Andrea McLean, Carol Vorderman and Kate Thornton, and had appeared in more than 800 episodes by the time she left.

She has now claimed that while she did have intense debates with co-stars like Janet Street-Porter, everything was normally okay once the cameras stopped rolling, but she returned a few months ago for a guest appearance and was ‘kicked’ under the table by one long-serving star in particular.

READ MORE: Loose Women legend reveals ‘massive’ backstage row with co-starREAD MORE: Denise Welch reveals she ‘stormed off set’ over ‘patronising’ director

She said: “I don’t recall anyone back then being offended by what we said or did. Nobody was rude. Yes, we had rows. I had awful ding-dongs with Janet Street Porter – I’d tell her to shut up because I thought she was talking rubbish. But we’d both end up laughing and thinking it was very funny. She was talking rubbish – and maybe I was, too!

“But you have rows and you make up – that’s life! It was never about deliberately creating an argument for the sake of it, like you get on some shows. I don’t mean about it being horrible and nasty, but like: ‘Do you know what? I don’t agree with you. Let’s agree to disagree’. We all have different opinions. And we should be allowed to say them!

“I went on Loose Women a few months ago and I said something slightly outrageous – can’t remember what it was now – and Coleen [Nolan] kicked me under the table!”

During a chat with The Sun, Sherrie went on to say that she told I’m In The Mood For Dancing songstress to not do that to her, and recalled that Coleen simply replied: “But I like kicking you.” But she insisted that was the “kind of banter” that was needed and insisted that there was “no hard feelings” between herself and the former Dancing On Ice star.

The actress recently spoke out about the much-discussed revival of Benidorm, which initially ran from 2007 until 2018 and also featured the likes of Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, and Tony Maudsley amongst its stellar cast. Several big-name guest stars also made an appearance over the years, including Dame Joan Collins, Hi-de-Hi legend Su Pollard and the late Cilla Black.

On the subject of a comeback, Sherrie told the Mirror: “We’re always the last to know when it comes to Benidorm! But wouldn’t it be brilliant? It would be fabulous, wouldn’t it? It still gets great ratings you know, I sit and watch it all the time! I don’t know the answer to if it’s coming back but of course I’m up for it.

“I was lucky because Joyce was a brilliantly written part. Derren Litten could really write for women and you can’t say that about a lot of people.

“He wrote that part and it was such an amazing gift. I had so many incredible years on that show – five months in Benidorm every year, you can’t get better than that, can you? I’d jump on the plane now if they were bringing it back.

“We had the likes of Martin Kemp, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Bananarama, and Tony Hadley come out. None of them wanted to go home. Of course I want to do it again, and it’s the same with Corrie. I’d love to link up with Tony Maudsley [George Shuttleworth] who played Kenneth in Benidorm, could you imagine?”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Nov. 22 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said his proposed peace plan to end the war raging between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 is not his final offer.

Trump has given Ukraine a deadline Thursday to accept the 28-point proposal.

When asked by reporters outside the White House whether it is the final offer, Trump responded, “No. We’d like to get to peace.”

“One way or another we’ll get it ended,” he said, adding his familiar refrain that “the Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened. If I were president, it never would have happened.”

Asked what would happen if Ukraine rejects the plan, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “can continue to fight his little heart out.”

Trump spoke to reporters before playing golf with Jack Nicklaus at the Joint Base Andrews golf course.

The president sent officials to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet Sunday with a Ukrainian delegation, including Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, a top U.S. official told ABC News on Saturday.

National security advisers from Germany, France and Britain are also going to Geneva for talks, a diplomatic source told CNN Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday posted on X about the talks.

“In the coming days, consultations with our partners will take place on the steps needed to end the war,” he said in a video.

“Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and exactly what must be done to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion, another strike against Ukraine — just as it has repeatedly committed crimes against our people and against other nations in the past,” Zelensky said.

His office said Friday noted that “Ukraine never wanted this war and will make every effort to end it with a dignified peace.

“Ukraine will never be an obstacle for peace, and the representatives of the Ukrainian state will defend legitimate interests of the Ukrainian people and the foundations of European security,” they said. “We are grateful for our European partners’ willingness to help.”

There are planned meetings with a Russian delegation.

Russia worked with the United States on the peace plan, which was presented to Ukraine last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin said “it could form the basis of a final peace settlement.”

But the plan includes what Ukraine has said are nonstarters, including giving up land not yet occupied by Russia and cutting its armed forces by more than half.

Ukraine also would be forbidden from possessing long-range weapons and Moscow would retain virtually all the territory it has occupied — notably, its 2014 seizure of Crimea.

Additionally, Ukraine would not be permitted join NATO, which has been a demand by Russia.

“Since the first days of the war, we have taken one, extremely simple position: Ukraine needs peace,” Zelenskyy said in an address on Friday. “And a real peace — one that will not be broken by a third invasion.”

Driscoll met with Zelensky on Thursday about a “collaborative plan to achieve peace in Ukraine,” according to a U.S. official.

Allies: Additional work needed

U.S. allies have been skeptical of the plan, including those attending the G-20 summit in South Africa.

The U.S. is absent because of “human rights violations” in the nation, Trump said on Nov. 8.

Twelve European Union leaders, joined by the Canadian and Japanese prime ministers, released a joint statement saying it welcomed “continued U.S. efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace.”

Bur it noted the draft proposal “will require additional work. We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable. We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”

And these leaders said they must sign off on portions of the agreement that affect them.

“We reiterate that the implementation of elements relating to the European Union and relating to NATO would need the consent of EU and NATO members respectively,” the statement said.

Zelensky, in successive posts on X to leaders, wrote “thank you for your support!”

In a statement ahead of the meeting, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he expected friends and partners of Ukraine to “meet in the margins of the G-20 summit to discuss how we can secure a full ceasefire and create the space for meaningful peace negotiations.”

“We will discuss the current proposal on the table, and in support of President Trump’s push for peace, look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations,” Starmer added.

Republicans unhappy with plan

The plan was also criticized by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former Republican majority leader, as a way to appease Putin.

“Putin has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool,” McConnell posted Friday on Facebook. “If Administration officials are more concerned with appeasing Putin than securing real peace, then the President ought to find new advisors.

“Rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America’s interests. And a capitulation like Biden’s abandonment of Afghanistan would be catastrophic to a legacy of peace through strength,” he said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, called parts of the plan “problematic and can be made better” in a post on X.

“The goal of any peace deal is to end the war honorably and justly — and not create new conflict,” Graham said. “Finally, to the world: what about the fate of the almost 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped by Putin’s forces? This issue has to be addressed in any negotiated settlement.”

A bipartisan coalition of pro-Ukraine legislators will seek to force a House vote to impose crippling sanctions on Russia

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said in an X post Friday that he and his allies have “officially notified both the Clerk of the House and House leadership of our discharge petition to force a vote on crushing Russian sanctions immediately upon our return” from the Thanksgiving holiday recess.

A tragic event shook a compound on Polo Road in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in northeastern Nigeria, this weekend when 11-year-old Mahmud was found dead after reportedly taking his own life. 

The incident has deeply saddened the local community and raised urgent questions about the unseen struggles young children face.

Mahmud was living with extended relatives because his mother passed away last year. His father, who works as a driver in Abuja, was away, meaning Mahmud was already dealing with the pain of loss and being separated from his immediate family.

The sad event, according to those familiar with the incident, happened right after a senior relative scolded Mahmud for not doing his laundry, a simple house chore. Moments later, younger children in the compound cried out, which drew the attention of neighbours.

Neighbours quickly rushed to the scene and found Mahmud hanging. They brought him down immediately and took him to a hospital, but tragically, he was confirmed dead.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Dasso-Kenneth, confirmed the incident to HumAngle, stating: “We received a report from one Muhammad Sheriff, who resides near Polo Road. At about 11:30 a.m., a boy named Mahmoud Adamu was found dead, apparently having hanged himself using an electric cable tied to a door.”

​Police visited the scene, viewed the boy’s body, and subsequently took him to the State Specialists Hospital, where his death was confirmed.

​”Though we are still investigating the circumstances that led to his death, the remains of the boy have been released to the family to be buried according to Islamic rites,” DSP Dasso added.

Sources familiar with the incident said Mahmud may have practicalised some of the uncensored movies kids are being exposed to these days. 

​“I helped bring down Mahmoud’s lifeless body,” said Usman Ali, a cap laundry attendant whose shop is adjacent to the deceased’s family home. “I found he was drenched in his own urine and faeces, which indicates he struggled in immense pain during the hanging before he died. This struggle suggests he was very much unsure of the dire consequences of the act before he committed it.” 

​”We must exercise extreme caution regarding the content our kids watch on TV and mobile phones, as some may venture into practising the misleading or dangerous behaviours they find online,” he said. 

Ahmed Shehu, a civil society actor and chief executive of Peace Ambassador Centre for Humanitarian and Empowerment (PACHE), opined that “when children live through the violence and horror of war, their minds are deeply damaged, pushing them toward self-harm and even acts like suicide.” 

He said children who witness constant fear, death, and loss deal with a crushed spirit, resulting in serious conditions like depression and PTSD. 

“When this pain becomes too much to handle, they often look for ways to cope – even if those ways are harmful. Self-harm or thinking about suicide can sadly become their desperate escape from overwhelming emotional distress, or a way to feel like they have some control over their suffering.

“We have a fundamental duty to offer strong mental health help and support right now. We must help these young people heal the deep scars of trauma to prevent them from taking such tragic, self-destructive paths,” he said.

BILLE Piper just celebrated her birthday in style alongside a host of other celebrities, including Fearne Cotton and her new beau.

The actress and former singer turned 43 on Friday night and celebrated the occasion with a joint birthday party thrown for her and her long-time friend, Jeremy Langmead.

The guests of honour gathered together with their pals at Upstairs at Langan’s in London for the do, filled with drinks, laughs and good company.

Billie looked absolutely gorgeous in a daring black minidress.

Floral lace details scattered over the skimpy sheer number covering up her body, though in certain snaps you can see she’s sporting flesh-coloured undergarments and nipple pasties.

Underneath the venue’s warm lighting, embroidered beads sparkled and shone as Billie moved.

She finished off the look by bundling up her auburn tresses into a chic bun and added a matching black choker around her neck.

Meanwhile her friend Jeremy – brand director of luxury men’s fashion retailer Mr Porter – kept things simple yet handsome in a suit and white shirt.

Other famous faces in attendance included Richard Madden, Jenna Coleman, and David Tennant, as well as two of Billie’s sisters – Harley and Elle.

Fearne Cotton, 43, was also spotted enjoying the evening with her new boyfriend, film director Elliot Hegarty.

The couple looked ever so loved up in their matching party outfits, with Fearne donning a navy dress with light blue flowers and Elliot, 53, wearing a navy suit.

They posed for a series of snaps together, all smiles as Elliot’s arm wrapped around Fearne’s waist.

Fearne’s signature blonde hair now features stunning soft brunette highlights, flowing down from her shoulders.

Though blonde money pieces frame her face beautifully.

Fearne and Elliot started dating after Fearne’s marriage from Reef guitarist Jesse Wood ended in December of last year.

They tied the knot over a decade ago in 2014, after three years of dating, and share two children.

Fearne’s other half has since moved on with Made In Chelsea star Gemma Gregory, becoming Instagram official back in April.

Though Fearne quickly found her own happiness post-divorce, being first spotted out and about with Elliot just two months after her life with Jesse came to a close.

The pair were seen by paparazzi locking lips and holding hands in Soho.

NewsFeed

World leaders broke with tradition and quickly adopted a new declaration at the start of the G20 summit, despite pressure from the Trump administration to avoid a leaders’ declaration in the absence of an American delegation.