I’m Matt Brennan, editor in chief of The Envelope, and each Wednesday from now until Jan. 7, I’ll be sending you a (digital) editor’s letter with some highlights from our Phase I issues.
Our first issue of the 2025-2026 campaign features stories on documentaries, films about the Palestinian experience and “Marty Supreme’s” Odessa A’zion.
A Deeper Dive: Documentaries
(Illustration by Daniel Stolle / For The Times)
I won’t pretend to be Nostradamus when it comes to Hollywood’s top awards — my Gold Derby Emmys ballot didn’t even crack the top 1,000 — but most anyone who ran into me at this year’s Sundance Film Festival heard at least one bold prediction that turned out to be correct: 2025 has been a sterling year for documentaries.
With journalists under attack in the U.S., Ukraine, Gaza and beyond, the form’s close connection to reportage has never felt more urgent, at least not to me. In the contraband prison images of “The Alabama Solution,” the body camera footage of “The Perfect Neighbor,” the conflict coverage of “2000 Meters to Andriivka” and “Love + War,” the portraiture of “Cover-Up” and much more besides, the year’s finest documentaries — no, the year’s finest films — manage to unearth new ways of seeing our society’s most pressing issues, often with more precision and subtlety than scripted films much longer (and costlier) in the making.
I can confirm Tim Grierson’s reporting that Odessa A’zion is a hugger: I received several myself from the “Marty Supreme” and “I Love L.A.” performer when she stopped by The Times newsroom recently for an Envelope digital cover shoot, her own 16mm still camera in hand.
As Grierson notes of the actor, A’zion “doesn’t behave like a rising star” — and she’s not particularly comfortable with the label, either.
“A’zion has heard those predictions before, so she’s wary about being anointed the next big thing,” he writes. “After all, she remembers all the auditions that went nowhere. She remembers being behind on her rent. She remembers almost being evicted. She remembers getting fired from gigs. Simply being cast in a Josh Safdie film doesn’t make those old wounds disappear. ‘To all of a sudden be like, “OK, I’m done [worrying about my career]!” — I don’t see that feeling coming anytime soon.’”
A trio of Palestinian films in the international feature race
A scene from “All That’s Left of You.”
(Watermelon Pictures)
Palestinian stories are no stranger to awards season. But this year, as Gregory Ellwood writes, a trio of films from female directors — each submitted by a different country and each set in a different time period — make for a particularly remarkable confluence.
“In a way, the movie lived what most Palestinians live: war, exile, fleeing,” “All That’s Left of You” filmmaker Cherien Dabis told Ellwood of her film having to shift production after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. “All of the uncertainty, the financial and logistical crisis of it all. I think that what really grounded me during that time was just knowing that the movie was more relevant than ever, and that it had to get done.”
1 of 2 | Larry Summers (R), then-director of the U.S. National Economic Council, pictured Feb. 2010 next to then-U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the White House in Washington, D.C. Summers, 70, revealed Monday that he will “step back” from all public duties, but it was unclear if that was to include his role with the artificial intelligence firm. File Photo by Andrew Harrer/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 19 (UPI) — Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from the OpenAI board of directors following intensified scrutiny over emails between him and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he announced Wednesday.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” Summers told CNBC and CNN in a statement.
Summers, 70, revealed Monday that he will “step back” from all public duties, but it was initially unclear if that was to include his role with the artificial intelligence startup.
This week, Summers said he was “deeply ashamed” after emails released last week revealed years of correspondence with the late billionaire financier and convicted sexual predator Epstein.
The AI company said it respected his decision.
“We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the board,” the OpenAI board of directors said in a statement.
Summers, former secretary of the United States Treasury under former U.S. President Bill Clinton, was later president of Ivy League Harvard University from 2001 to 2006 and director of the National Economic Council under then-President Barack Obama.
NASA will release new images on Wednesday of an interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS, identified as a comet likely older than our solar system. 3I/ATLAS was first discovered in July by an ATLAS telescope in Chile and has been monitored since due to its unique path through the solar system. NASA confirmed that it poses no threat to Earth, passing no closer than 170 million miles away. It came within about 19 million miles of Mars last month.
During a briefing in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA officials, including Amit Kshatriya and Nicola Fox, will discuss 3I/ATLAS and share the new images. This comet is believed to have formed over eight billion years ago, making it older than our solar system, which is around 4.5 billion years old. 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object ever observed, following 1I/’Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Researchers found that 3I/ATLAS consists of materials similar to known comets, with carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide, and other molecules detected. Some nickel has also been observed, reminiscent of previous comets. The comet is now leaving the solar system after its closest approach to the sun in October, with its closest pass to Earth expected next month.
Some speculation suggested that 3I/ATLAS could be alien technology due to its characteristics, but most experts reject this idea. Researchers emphasize that the object’s behavior aligns with what is expected from a natural comet influenced by the sun’s gravity. University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau stated that all evidence supports the conclusion that 3I/ATLAS is a natural object, not an alien spacecraft.
This Morning star Michelle Elman has revealed that she is set to undergo another brain surgery after a scan showed another cyst on her brain
This Morning’s Michelle Elman shares that she’s set to undergo brain surgery after scan discovery(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
She has earned herself a legion of fans on the back of her life changing advice as This Morning’s relationship and life coach. But away from the cameras the TV expert has been battling a debilitating condition.
Michelle Elman recently revealed that she is to undergo surgery after a scan showed a new cyst had grown on her brain. The 32 year old star has been dealing with a condition called hydrocephalus.
This condition is caused by fluid building up on the brain creating pressure, that can be fatal if left untreated. Taking to social media, Michelle told her followers that she plans to remove the cyst next year.
On her Instagram story, she penned: “Yesterday I found out I need another brain surgery. I have a cyst in my brain again and also the magnet in my brain needs replacing.”
Currently, Michelle lives with a metal magnet on her brain which doctors inserted to control the flow of fluid to reduce a build up.
Michelle continued: “It’s not urgent but it is needed so now I have to figure out when to schedule this so it disrupts my life as little as possible. Inevitably I will have to pause my life and go deal with this, likelihood it will be next year, but until then it’s business as usual.”
But this is not the first time Michelle has been under the surgeon’s knife. She previously revealed that she has battled a brain tumour, a punctured intestine and obstructed bowels. And on the back of her various conditions, she has undergone 15 surgeries.
The TV personality has not had the best of luck. As she also shared with viewers on This Morning that she was engaged for a mere 24 hours after finding out that her fiancé, who she had been darting for three years, was cheating on her.
Hours after her partner popped the question a woman contacted her to expose her boyfriend’s deceitful behaviour.
Sat on the TV show’s infamous sofa, she revealed: “He was with me when I got the first message saying ‘Is this person your fiance?’ “I thought it was a colleague, like this person knows you, and it took a while to figure out. My first reaction was shock.”
She continued: “I was shaking and I kept saying, ‘Please tell me first I don’t want to find out from her’.”
Last year, she told hosts Ben Shepherd and Cat Deeley :”We met on a dating app, he was my first date after the pandemic. Love of my life, healthiest relationship I had ever had. I was engaged and then a woman reached out and asked if he was my fiancé. I ended up speaking to her for an hour on the phone. He was on a dating app, he was on a business trip and yeah…”
She continued: “I fully back myself. I am emotionally intelligent, smart, intelligent woman. I have every tool in my tool kit to notice red flags. If someone wants to lie to you they will. Wholeheartedly I did not see any red flags. As a red flag the second you go on their phone, the relationship is gone. The trust is gone.’
Unpacking how the revelation unfolded, she went on to say: “Then it was screenshots of the dating profile and his number, I believed her from the get go, but I needed evidence. She told me the hotel, and I said put that in your email, and it came up, then he admitted it. He admitted it and to others as well but I think my reaction was just was ‘you have ruined a good thing, this is supposed to be happiest day of my life’.”
CSI officers teams comb the trackside at Huntington railway station the morning after a man with a knife attacked 10 people on board a train traveling from Doncaster to London on Nov. 1. Anthony Williams, the man charged in the incident, was due in court again Wednesday to face two additional but separate attempted murder counts. File photo by Tayfun Salci/EPA
Nov. 19 (UPI) — A British man awaiting trial on charges of attempting to murder 10 people on board a high-speed train was due in court again on Wednesday after being charged with two further attempted murder counts.
Anthony Williams, 32, will appear before Peterborough magistrates to face charges he attempted to murder a man and a 14-year-old boy and attempted to seriously wound a third man in separate incidents in the city on Oct. 31.
West Midlands Chief Crown Prosecutor Siobhan Blake said she had also authorized a theft charge against Williams in relation to knives taken from a supermarket in Hertfordshire, a charge of carrying a knife and a charge of affray following an incident at a Peterborough barber shop on Oct. 31.
Williams would also be charged with assault following an alleged attack on a train en route to Peterborough from Herfordshire on Nov. 1, she said.
Blake said the decision to file the charges followed an extensive investigation by British Transport Police into incidents leading up to a stamping rampage aboard a London and North Eastern Railway train as it sped toward London on the evening of Nov. 1 in which 10 people were injured.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings,” she added.
BTP Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said the train stabbings incident “had also focused on other offenses previously reported to police, or identified by our investigation.”
“We have worked closely with our colleagues in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Police, alongside the Crown Prosecution Service, to bring these charges,” said Cundy.
Williams was arrested at Huntingdon station Nov. 1 after the train switched off the high-speed line onto a local district line to divert to the town, a move authorities believe prevented the attack from being much worse.
He is being held on remand pending his next court appearance in relation to the LNER train attack at Cambridge Crown Court on Dec. 1, where in addition to the 10 attempted murder counts he also faces an eleventh charge of attempting to murder a man at a Docklands Light Rail station in London and possessing a knife.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it would seek to tie all the cases together on a single docket at the hearing in Cambridge.
Trump thanks Ronaldo as football superstar makes surprise appearance alongside Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the surprise guests at a lavish White House dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump for the visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The famous footballer was among the last guests to be seated before Prince Mohammed, known as MBS, took his place at the table on Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know about his presence at the White House:
Why did Ronaldo attend the White House dinner?
Ronaldo plays for the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr after signing with them following the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
He spent two decades playing for European clubs and signed a two-year extension in June with Al Nassr. The 40-year-old has indicated he is ready to hang up his boots soon, making Saudi Arabia the last stop in his glittering career.
Over four seasons with Al Nassr, Ronaldo has scored 83 goals with 17 assists in 84 starts.
Since his 2023 signing for the Riyadh-based club – majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that the crown prince chairs – Ronaldo has been the face of the Saudi league and has featured in promotional videos for the Saudi Tourism Authority.
In a recent interview, Ronaldo referred to MBS as “our boss [in Saudi Arabia]”.
Ronaldo was seated near the front of the East Room, not far from where the president and crown prince gave remarks to officials from both nations, along with major business leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Trump, in his speech, made a point of recognising Ronaldo, who he said he introduced to his teenage son.
Trump thanked the athlete for attending. He said that his youngest son, Barron, is a “big fan” of Ronaldo and the 19-year-old was impressed that he got to meet the player.
“I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you,” the president said.
What has Ronaldo said about Trump?
Ronaldo has recently said that Trump is “one of the guys who can help change the world”.
“[Trump is] one of the guys I want to meet. I think he can make things happen, and I like people like that,” the football icon said in an interview with media host Piers Morgan.
However, Ronaldo was quick to boast that he was more famous than Trump.
“People know me more than him. In the world, nobody’s more famous than me.”
No, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has previously featured at events with Trump, was also among the guests.
Infantino was making another appearance at the White House ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which the US is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, after meeting Trump at his residence two days earlier.
The FIFA chief will also be present when the US hosts the draw for the World Cup on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, where Trump is likely to oversee the event.
Will Ronaldo play in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the US?
Ronaldo said earlier this month that the next World Cup will be his last.
He hasn’t played in the US since August of 2014, when he was a substitute for Real Madrid in their exhibition match against Manchester United in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
CYNTHIA Erivo ended up in floods of tears after paying a visit to her old school in South London to watch students perform one of the hit songs from Wicked.
Cynthia, 38, took time out of her busy schedule pre Wicked: For Good hitting cinemas to surprise the lucky students of La Retraite Roman Catholic Girl’s School in Clapham Park, who had no idea she would be paying them a visit.
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Elphaba returned to her old stomping ground to surprise some singing pupilsCynthia was reduced to tears hearing the choir singCredit: BBC Radio 1The visit left Cynthia very emotional
The star made her dazzling entrance in the best possible way: by quietly sneaking into the room as students one by one noticed she was standing there.
The students looked on in utter disbelief, tinged with obvious excitement, before squealing and jumping for joy.
During the surprise gesture, organised by Greg James and his team at Radio 1, Cynthia sat front row in the audience of an auditorium while a starstruck group of teenage girls sang Wicked’s song For Good.
It was a very emotional moment for Cynthia, who couldn’t help but break down in tears.
Speaking about the touching performance once the song had wrapped up, Cynthia described how it was “very overwhelming” for her to be back at the school where she herself performed in a number of stage productions.
“I went to this school and left over 20 years ago so to come back and listen to you singing that song is really wonderful.
“Well done everyone, it’s so nice to see you all and be back here.”
As her voice was breaking, Cynthia told the equally emotional students: “I’m just really glad to have heard that. I’m not OK at all!”
The star then took questions from the teenagers, where one fan asked when she knew she wanted to perform for a living.
Cynthia replied: “I knew when I was five-years-old, there was something I just knew about singing, what it felt like to sing, what it felt like to connect and what it felt like to perform which I’ve always loved. That never changed.
“When I was five I was asked to sing Silent Night at the nativity play, I don’t know why they asked me to sing, I was playing a shepherd.
“But something about the way people reacted sparked a bit of joy. And I loved the fact that something I did made people happy.”
After taking more questions Cynthia, who didn’t have a father figure during adulthood, imparted words of encouragement to the group, encouraging them to never diminish the power of dreaming alongside putting in the work.
“I was right where you were, literally.
“I had some really wonderful teachers who helped and guided.
“Don’t be afraid of dreaming of those things and don’t be afraid of the hard work.”
Cynthia is currently finishing off her leg of premieres for Wicked’s eagerly anticipated sequel Wicked: For Good, set to come out in cinemas on Friday.
Alongside co-lead and pop powerhouse Ariana Grande, she’s walked many red carpets, defended Ari on the Yellow Brick Road from a recent fan attack, and undertaken countless amounts of interviews.
Though the leading ladies have created many unintentional memes during their Wicked days, it’s been a whirlwind of fun, emotion, and amazing talent watching everything unfold.
Cynthia used to perform at school productions there over two decades agoCynthia broke out into song in a treat for the young performersThe surprise was organised by Radio 1 DJ Greg James
The volcano has spewed ash clouds as tall as 5.6km (3.48 miles) into the sky, authorities say.
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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Indonesia’s Semeru volcano has erupted, unleashing fast-moving pyroclastic flows as the country’s volcanology agency increased the alert level of Java island’s tallest mountain to the highest.
The volcano spewed ash clouds as tall as 5.6km (3.48 miles) into the sky, the agency said on Wednesday, adding that residents should stay a 2.5km (1.55-mile) distance away due to risks.
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The eruption began at about 4pm (09:00 GMT), according to a written report from Mukdas Sofian, an officer at Indonesia’s volcanology monitoring post.
“Pyroclastic flows are still occurring, with the runout distance reaching seven kilometres [4.3 miles] from the summit, and the eruption was ongoing at the time this report was prepared,” Sofian said.
Mount Semeru, located in a densely populated region of Java, is Indonesia’s highest peak at 3,676 metres (12,060 feet) and sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a seismically active arc where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common.
Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times in the past 200 years, including a deadly episode in 2021 that killed 62 people and buried villages in hot ash.
Indonesia is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes – more than any other country, and Semeru’s frequent activity is closely monitored because of the risks it poses to nearby communities, transport routes and aviation.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to the White House, declaring the Kingdom a major non-NATO ally and signaling a push to deepen US-Saudi ties. Here’s what we know about what they agreed on.
Hugh Jackman never thought he’d be a karaoke guy. But then Neil Diamond happened.
Starring opposite Kate Hudson in the Christmas Day release “Song Sung Blue,” the 57-year-old Australian actor portrays not the legendary Grammy winner and shaggy-haired sex symbol, but rather a Neil Diamond “interpreter,” the real-life Mike Sardina, who, with his wife and stage partner, Claire (Hudson), found unexpected success with a tribute band in mid-1990s Milwaukee.
It was this film that recently brought the “Greatest Showman” star to Diamond’s Colorado ranch, where the two participated in a singing session that convinced Jackman to buy his own karaoke machine.
The only guide you need for holiday entertainment.
“Normally, I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do that,’” says Jackman, over Zoom from a New York hotel room, as if he’s confessing a mortal sin. “But I did karaoke with Neil, and I’m like, ‘All right, now I’m in.’”
What did they sing? Diamond soloed on “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Misérables,” paying tribute to Jackman’s musical theater bona fides, before the two duetted on Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and, of course, Diamond’s own “Sweet Caroline.” The good times never seemed so good.
It was a hang session so epic that Hudson, joining the call, seems green with an envy that matches her sweater. “I can’t believe I missed this karaoke party,” she says. “I have a whole karaoke setup at my house with a microphone and everything. I feel very left out.”
Thankfully, when it came to making “Song Sung Blue,” it didn’t seem so lonely for her. Based on Greg Kohs’ 2008 documentary of the same name, the film is as much Claire’s tale as it is Mike’s, following the real couple’s love story set to the tune of Diamond’s extensive songbook. At the height of their success, which included playing with Pearl Jam at Eddie Vedder’s request, the Sardinas became local celebrities, billed as the duo “Lightning & Thunder.”
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the movie “Song Sung Blue.”
(Focus Features)
A Vietnam vet and mechanic with a dream of entertaining, Sardina seems a role tailor-made for Jackman, who can go from Wolverine to Broadway in a single season. “Song Sung Blue” writer-director Craig Brewer, who first saw the documentary at a small film festival in Memphis, Tenn., never envisioned anyone but Jackman as the insatiable Wisconsinite.
“It was always Hugh because there’s not anybody else out there who could understand the wild showmanship that Mike Sardina had,” says Brewer, calling from his Memphis home. “He’s doing two layers of a character. He’s playing this working-class guy that loves to entertain any way he can. If he’s got to wear sequined shirts, he’s going to. He’s going to give you everything he has.”
The role presented a puzzle for Jackman, despite having played career impresarios like pop idol Peter Allen and P.T. Barnum. “I had to lose Hugh Jackman to be Mike,” says the actor, relaxed in an umber-colored button-down shirt. “How does Mike find himself within his love of Neil? It took me a second to find him and lose my shtick, because I’m a performer too.”
Ultimately, the solution wasn’t his Neil Diamond impersonation, though Brewer encouraged Jackman to make a meal of that. “You can lay a little bit more butter on it,” the director remembers telling him.
Instead, Jackman’s breakthrough came via deep self-identification.
“His dream was always huge but this was not how he thought it was going to go,” Jackman says. “It was that ‘one plus one equals three’ thing where, all of a sudden, they found themselves being the next big thing.” Similarly, Jackman never intended to become a movie star synonymous with musical theater. He’d never even sung before a post-university audition changed the course of his life.
“One of the hardest things to do is fake chemistry,” Kate Hudson says. “You can’t do that. You have to actually fall in love with each other and find the chemical connection.”
(Victoria Will / For The Times)
Hudson is a less-obvious casting choice. Though she’s made a career playing rom-com heroines, with “Song Sung Blue,” she’s already generating awards buzz for her turn as a guileless Midwestern mom miles away from the glittering women Hudson typically portrays, and one with her fair share of trauma. She has to go to some dark places, channeling Claire’s depression, addiction to painkillers and more — but despite her penchant for playing more carefree women, Hudson says she wasn’t intimidated by the role’s meatier aspects.
“When you grow up with storytellers,” she says, referencing her actor parents Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, “you forget the camera’s there. You’re not thinking about anything glamorous. You’re looking at the role and what it needs. It’s what you long for as a performer. It allows you to almost leave your body.”
For Hudson, the opportunity also dovetailed with a new act in her own life as a recording artist. Even though she released her debut album “Glorious” only last year, Hudson has long identified as a singer-songwriter. “I was always so scared of it,” she confesses of her fear of going public about her songwriting. “But the studio is where I’m very happy. I’ve been in the studio since I was 19, but I just never shared my music because I was too scared to put it out.”
It was a discovery Jackman made while they were recording their vocal tracks for the film. “I said, ‘You’re a musician,’” he recalls, Hudson beaming at him. “You were so relaxed and in your home.”
“I’ve always had a lot of cheerleaders for me to do music,” Hudson replies, sheepishly.
Some might see it as a full circle moment for Hudson, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the groupie Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 rock memoir “Almost Famous.” It was such a formative experience that Hudson still remains close with Crowe. She tells me she’s reading his new book, “The Uncool,” to prepare to interview him on his tour.
But no matter how much Penny Lane has shaped her life, Hudson doesn’t see a through line from her to Claire. Instead, she draws a line between fandom and musicianship, specifically the distinction between those who chase the high of being in the room or backstage living the lifestyle, and those who have a song they have a visceral need to share.
“With Claire, it needs to come out,” she continues. “It doesn’t matter where or what we’re doing or how we’re doing it — we just need to do it. That is also how I feel about music.”
The real-life Claire Sardina and her two children (played by Ella Anderson and Hudson Hensley on-screen) threw their full support behind “Song Sung Blue.” But Hudson’s instinct was to build her own version of Claire without too much outside influence. “You want to make a choice in a film because it’s the right choice for the character, not because you’re trying to mimic something,” says Hudson.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the movie “Song Sung Blue.”
(Focus Features)
That need to avoid mimicry and feel the moment was particularly crucial for the film’s heartbreaking second act, in which Claire is hit by a car in her front yard and loses a leg, plunging into self-loathing, depression, body dysmorphia and addiction. Hudson had to do extensive physical work to prepare to authentically represent Claire’s lived experience. “Movement is a huge part of what actors do,” she says. “There’s the emotional part but the physicality is like rebalancing your brain.”
In addition to watching YouTube videos of amputees and speaking with those in the disabled community, Hudson got useful advice from another screen legend — her dad.
“Kurt said that Claire is like Rocky,” she says, referring to the iconic character’s grit and determination to go the distance. “The part that really got my dad emotional was that she just wanted to figure out how to get on her feet.”
Jackman marvels at the bravery and skill of Hudson’s performance, noting that she even captured something the real Claire told him off-camera.
“Claire said, ‘The thing is Mike was a leg guy,’” he remembers. “Kate played that so well. That feeling of shame about: Is my partner attracted to me anymore? I found that incredibly moving.”
Hudson welcomed the challenge, but she did worry about one thing outside her control. For “Song Sung Blue” to work, the actors playing Claire and Mike need to be in perfect alignment: one the words, the other the tune.
“One of the hardest things to do is fake chemistry,” Hudson says. “You can’t do that. You have to actually fall in love with each other and find the chemical connection. That was my biggest anxiety.”
Jackman shared this concern. “I remember the first day after our table reading, you said, ‘This movie works if we work,’” he reminds her.
They needn’t have worried. “They were a net for each other as the other one was up on a tightrope,” Brewer says. “It was incredibly inspiring for the crew to see that kinship and respect.”
Their mutual generosity is evident in the way Jackman checks in with Hudson after each anecdote during our interview, confirming she has nothing to add or correct. Though this is their first film together, their repartee is so easy and warm it’s hard to believe they haven’t co-starred in at least a dozen movies.
“It felt easy to just inhabit these characters,” Jackman says. “The word that comes to me is trust. All of the scenes, particularly in that darker period, we could just live in that — the frustration, the paranoia, the anger, the loss, the fear. Every take felt really very different. I felt very free.”
Hudson agrees, adding with a giggle, “I told Hugh, ‘I’m really tactile. Just tell me if I make you uncomfortable. I’m going to kiss you all the time.’”
It helps that Hudson and Jackman are naturally sunny, curious people, celebrities who’ve never cared for the sound of being alone. “We like to connect with people,” Hudson says. “There’s no internal process that removes us. We’re both community people. We like to be in the circus. When we’re on set, we sit on set. There’s no separation of crew and cast. It’s very rare that you work with someone who is like that.”
Ultimately, that openness allowed Hudson and Jackman to approach Claire and Mike with honesty, essential for a film that’s a fullhearted paean to dreamers at their highest and lowest.
“Eddie Vedder told me something that moved me so much,” Jackman says, a note of emotion in his voice. “He goes, ‘Some might say these people led small lives. Their dreams were so huge and perhaps, naive. But dreams are so powerful that 30 years later, it’s come true.’”
From playing Milwaukee dive bars to becoming the subjects of a major motion picture, the Sardinas have far exceeded even their own expectations. To quote another beloved Diamond tune, it’s enough to make anyone a believer.
Ukrainian emergency personnel work in the early hours of Wednesday to extinguish blazes in Kharkiv in the northeast of the country after Russian drone strikes that injured at least 30 people. The attacks were part of a major, deadly airborne assault across Ukraine. Photo by Sergey Kozlov
Nov. 19 (UPI) — At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 injured after Russian forces unleashed more than 500 drones and missiles against targets across Ukraine overnight.
The deadliest strike was in the western city of Ternopil, 70 miles southeast of Lviv, where 20 people died and 66 were injured, including 16 children, when a nine-story apartment building was almost completely destroyed, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
Images and footage from the scene show the residential building reduced to smoldering rubble above the third floor.
Emergency rescue teams were continuing to search the wreckage for victims Wednesday morning and local authorities ordered residents to stay in their homes and keep windows closed due to the presence of harmful gases and particulates in the air at six times the normal levels.
The neighboring Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi provinces were also hit in attacks targeting energy, transport and other civilian infrastructure. Three people were injured in Ivano-Frankivsk while in Khmelnytskyi, damage to power-generating and distribution facilities left as many as 2,000 people without electricity in sub-zero temperatures.
At the other end of the country, at least 30 people were injured after drones attacked three districts of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, setting buildings and cars on fire.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that the Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Dnipro regions were also struck in the attack, which he said involved more than 470 attack drones and 48 missiles, mostly cruise missiles.
In a social media update, the Ukrainian military said that while 442 of the drones and 41 cruise missiles were intercepted, seven missiles and 34 drones were able to penerate air defenses, successfully targeting 14 locations. A further six locations were impacted by falling debris from downed drones and missiles.
The attacks came as Zelensky headed to Turkey from Spain on Wednesday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he was seeking to “reinvigorate” peace talks with Moscow which have been stalled for months.
Reports have emerged that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been engaging behind the scenes with his Russian counterpart, Kirill Dmitriev, to work toward a peace plan.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov would not confirm the U.S.-Russia negotiations and said Moscow would not be sending any representative to Wednesday’s talks in Ankara.
The move was linked to a meeting between Zelensky and U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in Kyiv on Thursday. Driscoll and George are the most senior U.S. officials to visit Ukraine in nine months.
James began his 23rd NBA season in Lakers’ home win as Curry’s Warriors lost to Orlando Magic despite his 34 points.
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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LeBron James has broken the record for most NBA seasons after appearing for the Los Angeles Lakers in his 23rd after missing almost the first full month of the campaign due to sciatica.
The 40-year-old superstar, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, missed the Lakers first 14 games before taking the court at home against Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
The Lakers rallied for a 140-126 victory over the visiting Jazz.
James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, practiced with the Lakers on Monday and had no pain or soreness after his first game-style workout with the club since last season’s playoffs.
That set the stage for him to start against the Jazz, breaking a tie with Vince Carter for the most career seasons in NBA history.
The home crowd cheered as James was introduced and moments later James made history when the game tipped off.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons stretched their longest winning streak since 2008 to 11 games with a 120-112 victory in Atlanta, snapping the Hawks’ five-game win streak.
The Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference at 13-2, got 25 points and 10 assists from Cade Cunningham and 24 points with eight rebounds from Jalen Duren.
Jalen Johnson sparked Atlanta (9-6) with 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
At Brooklyn, Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and Payton Pritchard added 22 and 10 rebounds to spark the Boston Celtics in a 113-99 victory over the Nets.
Desmond Bane scored 23 points and reserve Anthony Black added 21 to lead the Orlando Magic over the visiting Golden State Warriors 121-113.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors (9-7) with 34 points while Jimmy Butler added 33 in a losing cause.
Stephen Curry’s 34 points were not enough to lead Golden State Warriors to a win over Orlando Magic in Orlando [John Raoux/AP]
At San Antonio, De’Aaron Fox scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half and Harrison Barnes added 23 to spark the host Spurs over Memphis 111-101.
The Spurs (10-4) were without star big man Victor Wembanyama due to a left calf strain and guard Stephon Castle with a left hip flexor strain while Memphis star guard Ja Morant was sidelined by a right calf strain.
“We are trying to do this as a collective. There’s no replacing Vic,” Barnes said. “Were just trying to find ways to win, share the ball, move the ball, that’s how we’ll do that.”
Barnes scored the first seven points in an 11-0 game-closing run to secure the victory.
“Harrison Barnes carried us through this. That’s just what a vet does,” Fox said. “It felt great winning the game with all the guys we have out.
“We have a team and we know that when one guy goes down we have a number of guys that can step up. No one guy will take up the slack for one being out.”
I’m A Celebrity fans have already picked their finalists after just a few days of the ITV competition’s new series, with three stars in the running for King or Queen of the Jungle
Ant and Dec have had a roaring start to this year’s I’m A Celeb(Image: ITV)
I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here has only been back on our screens for a few days, however some viewers have already picked their final three contestants – and it’s an unlikely trio. The 2025 series kicked off on Sunday night, with the likes of Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, presenter Alex Scott, comedian Eddie Kadi and TV personality Jack Osbourne entering camp.
However, some fans are already predicted which three stars will make it to this year’s final – and many are backing rapper Aitch, comedian Ruby Wax and YouTuber star Angry Ginge – real name Morgan Burtwistle. Taking to X, one fan wrote alongside a picture of the three: “If this ain’t the final 3, I don’t want it #ImACeleb.”
Another replied: “Great jungle trio.” A third person wrote: “Final 3 are 1. Ruby 2. Aitch 3. Ginge #ImACeleb.” A fourth tweeted: “Aitch is the cutest!! I truly hope he gets to the final!! #ImACeleb.”
“Just want Aitch and Ginge in the Final, that’s all I care about #ImACeleb,” another said. A sixth wrote: “Love watching Ruby Wax since ‘Girls On Top’ in the 80’s. She needs to be kept in that camp until the final. #ImACeleb.”
While others were impressed with Aitch’s performance in last night’s Bushtucker Trial, which saw him win 10 stars for camp. “Definitely voting for Aitch to win #ImACeleb fellow manc he bossed that bush tucker trial. I think it will be out of him and Kelly Brook in the final,” one fan said.
Another wrote: “I’m not even familiar with Ginge or Aitch because I’m too old, but they have the potential to go all the way to the final i think! Great attitudes. #ImACeleb.”
It comes after some fans were calling for Ruby to be kicked off the show after some viewers considered her introductory conversation with Angry Ginge to be rude. When asked by Alex Scott what they should call him when the group arrived on the show, Angry Ginge said: “Ginge or Morgan.” Ruby replied: “We’ll never call you that.”
When asked what his surname is, Angry Ginge said: “Burtwistle,” with Ruby quipping: “Oh, I see why you changed it. It’s so not cool.” She later asked him to “get out of [her] way” in front of the cameras, joking: “Don’t ever in this show get in my way. Do you understand?
“Especially when there’s a light. You’re in my light again. I’ll just be moving you throughout the show, okay?”
However, the pair seem to have grown close on the show, having taken part in the very first Bushtucker Trial in Monday night’s episode. Ruby even said that she knew Ginge would have her back in the challenge.
I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Moscow accuses Poland of Russophobia, pledges to respond by reducing Polish diplomatic and consular presence in Russia.
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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Poland has announced it will close its last remaining Russian consulate in the northern Polish city of Gdansk following the targeting of a railway line to Ukraine from Warsaw, blaming Moscow for the incident.
“I have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the Russian consulate in Gdansk,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told journalists on Wednesday.
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Sikorski said he had repeatedly warned Russia that its diplomatic and consular presence would be reduced further if it did not cease hostile actions against Poland, Polish news agency PAP reported.
The move means the only Russian diplomatic mission that will remain open in Poland will be the embassy in Warsaw.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, second right, visits the site of rail line sabotage in Mika, near Deblin, Poland, November 17, 2025 [KPRM via AP]
The Kremlin responded to the allegation by accusing Poland of “Russophobia”.
“Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration – the Polish authorities’ desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the consulate closure.
“One can only express regret here … This has nothing to do with common sense.”
Later on Wednesday, Russia’s state news agency TASS quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying Moscow will respond by reducing Poland’s diplomatic and consular presence in the country.
‘Unprecedented sabotage’
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has described the weekend explosion on a line linking Warsaw to the border with Ukraine as an “unprecedented act of sabotage”.
On Tuesday, Tusk told the Polish parliament that the two suspects had been collaborating with the Russian secret services for a long time.
As a result of the investigation, we now know it was the Russian Secret Services that commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it. We also know the identities of the perpetrators who immediately fled Poland for Belarus.
He said their identities were known but could not be revealed because of the ongoing investigation, and that the pair had already left Poland, crossing into Belarus.
Western officials have accused Russia and its proxies of staging dozens of attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, according to data collected by The Associated Press news agency.
Moscow’s goal, Western officials say, is to undermine support for Ukraine, spark fear and divide European societies.
Award-winning rapper Nicki Minaj has publicly backed President Donald Trump’s allegations that Christians face persecution in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted,” Minaj said on Tuesday at an event organised by the US, adding: “Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart… simply because of how they pray.”
Analysts say that jihadists and other armed groups have waged campaigns of violence that affect all communities in the West African nation, regardless of background or belief.
This week alone, two people were killed in an attack on a church, while a group of 25 girls, who the BBC has been told are Muslim, were abducted from a school.
Two of the girls later managed to escape from their abductors. A teacher and a security guard – both Muslim – were also killed in the attack on the secondary school in the north-western Kebbi state.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria “guns a-blazing” if its government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”.
Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, told an event organised by the US embassy to the UN in New York that calling for the protection of Christians in Nigeria was “not about taking sides or dividing people… but about uniting humanity”.
“This is about standing up in the face of injustice. It’s about what I’ve always stood for,” she added.
The 42-year-old rapper, who has previously spoken of her Christian faith, thanked Trump for “prioritising this issue and for his leadership”.
The Nigerian government has pushed back on these claims, describing them as “a gross misrepresentation of reality”.
An official said that “terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike”.
Other groups monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of the jihadist groups are Muslims.
The country’s 220 million people are roughly evenly split between followers of the two religions, with Muslims in the majority in the north, where most attacks take place.
On Wednesday, Nigeria police in the south-western Kwara state confirmed a deadly attack on a church in the town of Eruku, where gunmen opened fire on worshipers the previous day, killing two people and abducting several others.
Local media say armed men, identified by residents as bandits, stormed the Christ Apostolic Church during an evening programme on Tuesday evening, shooting the pastor and rounding up worshipers at gunpoint.
Images and short video clips – believed to be from the church’s CCTV cameras – have circulated widely online, showing terrified worshippers scrambling for safety, including an elderly woman seen desperately trying to escape the gunmen.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu confirmed that jihadist forces had killed a senior army officer, after he had been captured in an ambush.
The Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) said on Monday its fighters had killed Brigadier General Musa Uba in the north-eastern state of Borno.
The Nigerian army had earlier denied that the officer had been abducted and killed.
The latest attacks have triggered frustration and anger across Nigeria, with many lamenting what they see as an unending wave of insecurity affecting rural communities, churches, schools and major transport routes.
Minaj described Nigeria as “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions” and even acknowledged the “beautiful Barbz” – her fans – in the West African country.
The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, thanked the rapper for “leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria”.
For months, right-wing campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants were systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria.
Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay have a VERY pricey wedding gift listCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThis £1.8k BBQ is just one of the lavish gifts the couple have asked for on their wedding listIt comes as it is revealed that Adam’s mum is no longer invited to his weddingCredit: ShutterstockThe couple are busy planning their huge weddingCredit: Instagram
Taking to Instagram, Caroline shared a quote which read, “The moment you realise: the little sister who once drove you crazy is now the one who keeps you sane.
“Your loudest supporter and forever best friend.”
Her post continued, “She eventually becomes the comfort zone which every elder sister secretly needed all along.”
Caroline wrote alongside the upload, “Louise I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my protector through this difficult time x.
“To the people are being so cruel to my sister, please stop. Sadly you obviously don’t understand the bond of sisters,” she said.
Caroline’s sister Louise had spoken out against Holly after it was revealed that Caroline hadn’t been invited to her hen do at Soho Farmhouse.
This £350 BABY changing table can also be bought for the couple
POLICE CALLED
Ina further twist in the ongoing feud, it was reported that Holly called the police while her husband-to-be was on his stag do in Budapest.
CJ Olive Young, South Korea’s leading beauty and wellness retailer, said Wednesday it will open its first U.S. outlet in California in May next year. Photo courtesy of CJ Olive Young
CJ Olive Young Corp., the distribution unit of South Korea’s food-to-cosmetics conglomerate CJ Group, said Wednesday it will open its first U.S. outlet in California in May next year.
The store will be located in Pasadena, a city about 18 kilometers northeast of Los Angeles, with several additional locations set to open in California by the end of next year, the company said in a press release.
“The location is expected to attract Younger consumers interested in K-beauty products, as well as high-income customers in an area near the California Institute of Technology and other research organizations,” the company said.
In February, CJ Olive Young established CJ Olive Young USA in Los Angeles to bolster its presence in the world’s largest beauty market.
The company views Japan and the United States as key strategic markets for its global expansion amid rising global interest in K-beauty.
Last year, it opened an office in Japan to supply its cosmetic products to local distribution channels.
CJ Olive Young currently sells products in global markets only through online platforms, without operating any offline stores overseas.
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.
A massive fire tore through more than 170 buildings in the Saganoseki district of Oita city on Japan’s southern coast on Wednesday, claiming one life and injuring at least one person. Military and firefighting helicopters were deployed to battle what is being described as the largest urban blaze in Japan in nearly half a century. Aerial footage showed homes reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising over the hilly district, which overlooks a fishing harbor famous for its premium Seki-brand mackerel. The flames spread to nearby forested slopes and even an uninhabited island over a kilometre offshore, likely driven by strong winds.
Why It Matters
The fire has devastated roughly 48,900 square meters about the size of seven soccer fields forcing 175 residents to evacuate to emergency shelters. Power outages have affected approximately 300 households. Given the scale of destruction, the incident represents the most severe urban fire in Japan since 1976, when a blaze in Sakata destroyed a similar number of buildings. Fires of this magnitude have significant humanitarian, economic, and infrastructural impacts, disrupting local life and commerce in the affected district.
The primary stakeholders are the residents of Saganoseki, many of whom have lost their homes or are displaced, and the Japanese government, which is coordinating relief efforts. Local authorities, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, and Kyushu Electric Power are all actively involved in firefighting, evacuation, and restoring essential services. The incident also has implications for Japan’s emergency response planning and public safety policies.
What’s Next
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. The government has pledged maximum support to affected residents, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressing condolences and commitment to relief efforts. Recovery will involve rebuilding homes, restoring power, and ensuring the safety of residents while authorities assess measures to prevent future large-scale urban fires.
They performed together with Frank Sinatra. With Harry Belafonte. With Fred Astaire. And on Monday, Germany’s Kessler twins — Alice and Ellen — ended their lives together at age 89.
Police confirmed the death to the Associated Press, stating in an email that it was a “joint suicide.” The women shared a house in the suburb of Grünwald, just south of Munich,
The sisters, who were born in the town of Nechau on Aug. 20, 1936, “no longer wanted to live” and “had chosen to end their lives together,” the German outlet Bild reported Monday, according to an automated translation. Medically assisted dying is allowed in Germany under certain conditions, the outlet said, for people who are legally capable and acting of their own free will.
The women were inseparable in life as well as death, learning to dance when they were children and applying their skills with the Leipzig Opera children’s ballet, the AP said. In 1952, after World War II ended and the family found itself living in the newly created German Democratic Republic, East Germany, they all fled to West Germany.
The tall twosome — reportedly 5-foot-10 — was discovered three years later while dancing in Düsseldorf in 1955, by the director of Paris’ Lido cabaret, according to German news agency DPA International. That launched an international career for the Kesslers, who moved to Rome, toured the world and performed with luminaries, DPA said.
They refused an offer to appear in “Viva Las Vegas” with Elvis Presley, the AP said, not wanting to get pigeon-holed in American musical films. But according to IMDb, they had a decent career in film and TV, which included mostly Italian and German projects. They sang on “The Ed Sullivan Show” three times in the early 1960s and on “The Red Skelton Show” in 1963.
The Kesslers worked well into their 80s, telling DPA at one point, “Being on the road as a duo only has advantages. You’re stronger together.”
The women told Bild in 2024 that they had “stipulated in [their] wills” that they wanted to be buried in the same urn, alongside their mother and a beloved dog. They never married.
On Monday, Radio Monte Carlo posted a tribute to Ellen and Alice Kessler on social media.
“Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable,” the radio station, which broadcasts out of Monaco and Milan, said in Italian on Instagram. “Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, including music, dance and television. In Italy, they became celebrities as the ‘legs of the nation,’ icon[s] of elegance and stage presence since the Fifties.
“A unique artistic couple, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination.”
Army blames armed opposition groups for allowing scam centres to operate under their protection.
Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025
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Myanmar’s military says it has raided an internet scam hub on the Thai border, arresting nearly 350 people, as part of a highly publicised crackdown against the booming black-market compounds.
The army on Wednesday blamed armed opposition groups for allowing scam centres to operate under their protection but said it had taken action after wresting back territorial control.
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Myanmar’s military descended on the gambling and fraud hub Shwe Kokko on Tuesday morning, according to state-run The Global New Light of Myanmar.
“During the operation, 346 foreign nationals currently under scrutiny were arrested,” the daily reported. “Nearly 10,000 mobile phones used in online gambling operations were also seized.”
It said the Yatai firm of Chinese-Cambodian alleged racketeer She Zhijiang was “the entity involved” in running the Shwe Kokko area.
She was arrested in Thailand in 2022 and extradited last week to China, where he faces allegations of involvement in online gambling and fraud operations. She and his company, Yatai, were previously under British and US sanctions.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the border regions linking Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia have emerged as centres for online fraud.
According to the United Nations, these areas have generated billions of dollars through the trafficking of hundreds of thousands of people coerced into working in scam compounds.
China pressure
Myanmar’s military government has long been accused of turning a blind eye but has trumpeted a crackdown since February after being lobbied by key military backer China, experts say.
Additional raids beginning last month were part of a propaganda effort, according to some monitors, choreographed to vent pressure from Beijing without badly denting profits that enrich the military government’s militia allies.
Since a 2021 coup led to a civil war, Myanmar’s loosely governed borderlands have proven fertile ground for scam hubs, which analysts say are staffed by thousands of willing workers as well as people trafficked from abroad.
In October, the military arrested more than 2,000 people in a raid on KK Park, an infamous scam centre on the border with Thailand.
In September, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned more than 20 companies and individuals in Cambodia and Myanmar for their alleged involvement in scam operations.
London, United Kingdom – David Lesperance, a Canadian wealth adviser based in Poland, is working against the clock for one of his British clients.
John*, who requested anonymity, is trying to relocate from London to Dublin, the Irish capital, ahead of November 26, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the budget – a statement presenting the Labour government’s plans for public finances for the year ahead.
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Having built a company worth around 70 million pounds ($92m) that he plans to sell soon, John wants to avoid a hefty capital gains tax bill.
As his children are in university, upping sticks is possible. He hopes to take advantage of the Republic of Ireland’s non-domiciled, or “non-dom”, tax regime, which would exempt him from Irish taxes as well.
“We’ve been moving fast to organise his immediate departure to Ireland,” said Lesperance, who has been assisting him in shifting his assets abroad. “With higher taxes looming, the costs of leaving early are a rounding error.”
John is not alone.
Kate Ferdinand and Rio Ferdinand, who have moved to Dubai, are pictured arriving for the Burberry catwalk show, during London Fashion Week in London, on September 16, 2024 [Mina Kim/Reuters]
The footballer Rio Ferdinand has recently moved to Dubai, citing tax as a push factor, while Egyptian billionaire and Aston Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris, who moved his residency to Italy and the United Arab Emirates from Britain, told the Financial Times earlier this year that everyone in his “circle” is considering moving.
Herman Narula, the 37-year-old British Indian founder of Improbable, a tech company, announced this month that he is fleeing to Dubai. Worth about 700 million pounds ($920m), he is said to be Britain’s richest young entrepreneur. Among his reasons for fleeing were reported plans by the Labour government to impose an exit tax on wealthy people leaving the United Kingdom.
While that proposal appears to have been ditched, the overall business environment for entrepreneurs is increasingly unpredictable, Narula and a few others say.
“There is alarming evidence that some entrepreneurs are leaving the UK,” reads a recent open letter to Reeves, signed by more than a dozen wealthy business owners, including Nick Wheeler, founder and chair of the men’s clothing retailer Charles Tyrwhitt, and Annoushka Ducas, a jewellery designer.
“As the government prepares for this year’s Budget, it must carefully consider the cumulative impact of these policies on entrepreneurs,” the letter warns.
Young climate activists from Green New Deal Rising protest outside the British government Treasury building, demanding wealth taxes on the superrich ahead of the upcoming budget by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, on October 27, 2025 [Toby Melville/Reuters]
When the budget is delivered, all eyes will be on any changes to taxation – an issue affecting everyone in the UK. In recent months, speculation about tax amendments on property, incomes and pensions has repeatedly made headline news.
Rumours about the superrich abandoning the UK have been swirling for an even longer period, triggered by the mere prospect of a Labour government last year. Since the Keir Starmer-led government was elected last July, a range of media outlets have homed in on case studies suggesting that Labour is driving wealth out.
The first Labour budget last October outraged some high-earning individuals in the UK, who said they were already taxed too much.
“Last year’s Budget measures, including changes to Capital Gains Tax, Entrepreneur’s Relief, and Employer National Insurance, have increased costs for many entrepreneurs and enterprises,” read the recent open letter from wealthy business owners to Reeves.
Those changes came after the Conservatives abolished the non-dom regime, a status that allows for people with a residency abroad to avoid taxes in the UK.
But experts have offered words of caution on the supposed flight of the rich.
There is no official data on the number of wealthy individuals leaving because of Labour’s tax changes.
“The most recent tax data on wealthy individuals with non-dom status from HMRC [His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the UK’s tax revenue department] shows that the number of non-doms leaving the UK is in line with or below official forecasts,” said Mark Bou Mansour, an advocate at the Tax Justice Network.
Claims that recent revenue-boosting tax reforms have triggered a massive non-dom exodus are false and part of a wider rhetoric that is detrimental to the UK’s fiscal and economic health, he said.
“Talking about whether the superrich will move if we tax can be a distraction from talking about the harms to economies and democracies that arise from not taxing extreme wealth,” he said.
Mansour pointed to a 2024 study by the London School of Economics that interviewed a number of wealthy individuals. It found the most important factors underpinning their reluctance to migrate were their attachment to the capital’s cultural infrastructure, private health services and schools, and the ability to maintain social ties.
“There’s plenty of strong evidence showing that the superrich don’t choose to relocate just to pay less tax,” said Mansour.
Behind a large number of articles predicting an exodus of wealthy people was a report by the passport advice firm Henley & Partners.
However, the report was found to be based on flawed methodology, and was later amended.
Even so, Lesperance said he has worked with a number of clients who have left the UK since Labour came into power.
He argued that while not necessarily large in number, the group makes up a high percentage of overall tax revenue raised by the government.
“The tax contribution of a non-dom is about 220,000 pounds ($289,000) a year, which is about six or seven times the UK average,” he said, “They’re super contributors” who need to be protected, or else, “You’re going to actually see a drop in annual tax collections because these people have left.”
Some of his clients have chosen to relocate to Milan and Dubai.
“As one of my clients said, ‘London’s nice, but it’s not that nice,’” he said.
But Michelle White, head of private office at UK wealth management firm Rathbones, said that while her clients are internationally mobile and could move away, the majority have stayed put so far.
“Since some of these articles started coming out saying the floodgates are open, we haven’t seen that,” she said.
Britain’s schools, legal system and business environment continue to be pull factors, she argued.
Those who have left usually have ventures or properties abroad and can easily relocate, or are considering selling their business in the next two years or so, and do not want to pay capital gains tax on sales.
Others have big payouts from private equity or hedge funds and want to avoid paying income tax.
“It means that they’ll go and spend more time somewhere else and less time here in order to not pay UK tax on that sale,” said White.
A large extent of her clientele in the end decides to stay in the UK to raise families, and mitigates taxation through smart planning.
“I tell people to look at the next 50 years and plan taxes around that,” she said, “People take a long view.
“Tax is one thing, but quality of life and how you actually want to live as a family often overrides the tax aspect.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves prepares to speak to the press during a visit to a branch of the Tesco supermarket chain in London, Britain, November 19, 2025 [Leon Neal/Pool via Reuters]
Former Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe revealed he had written the note to 11-year-old Dominic McLaughlin who is taking over the iconic role from the British actor
Rory Gannon Showbiz Journalist
09:29, 19 Nov 2025
Daniel Radcliffe starred as Harry Potter for a decade and is now passing the baton to his successor(Image: WARNER BROS)
Daniel Radcliffe has admitted he sent a letter to the next Harry Potter, as filming for the new HBO series gets underway. He revealed that he even received a small note back from the actor, as the baton was passed from one star to the next.
Filming for the TV adaptation of the legendary book series has already started, with a host of famous faces taking on the roles of the iconic Harry Potter franchise. But with three fresh-faced stars about to walk into their biggest project yet, Daniel offered his counterpart some words of advice to get him through.
The show is not set to hit our screens until 2027, but production officially got underway back in July. Daniel reflected on how his own filming stint for the series went, and how history is repeating on set for the new cast.
As reported in People, Daniel, 36, told Good Morning America on Tuesday (November 18) that he had written a note to give to 11-year-old star Dominic McLaughlin, who is set to take over as the title character. He explained it was not a mandatory thing, but felt it was necessary as the first shoots began for the show.
“I wouldn’t say that anyone who is going to play Harry has to [reach out],” Radcliffe explained. “I know a few people who are working on the production so I wrote to Dominic and I sent him a letter and he sent me a very sweet note back.”
Daniel was the face of Harry Potter for decades, growing up in front of audiences in the film adaptation of the book series by JK Rowling. When asked why he wanted to send the kids the letter, he admitted that he did “not want to be a spectre in the light” of their own portrayals of the characters.
He added: “I just wanted to write to him to say, ‘I hope you have the best time, and an even better time than I did — I had a great time, but I hope you have an even better time.’ And I do, I just see these pictures of him and the other kids and I just want to hug them.”
Radcliffe revealed he was astounded when he saw the pictures of the up-and-coming actors who will play the trio of Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, admitting he thought they looked “so young”. However, he realised he faced similar concerns when he took on the role back in 2001, when he was aged just 12.
HBO has said that each book in the series will be adapted into its own separate season, and will gradually be released over the coming years. A slew of famous faces have also joined the cast to breathe life into iconic characters such as Dumbledore and Professor Snape.
On top of this, some actors who appeared in the original adaptation will reprise their roles for the HBO show. Warwick Davis has confirmed he will return to the franchise, once again taking on Filius Flitwick in a touching nod to the films.
In a statement announcing the commission of the series, HBO has said it is aiming to be as “authentic to the original books” as possible, whilst bringing new viewers into the world of Harry Potter. Radcliffe added that he would not be making a ceremonial cameo in the series.
Revealing all in an interview with E! in May 2024, Daniel said he was now “very excited to watch as an audience member”. When asked if he thought it was a good idea not to have the original trio back, he said: “I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it.”
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