News Desk

A beloved Coronation Street star has candidly opened up about their struggle with alcohol

A Coronation Street actor has opened up about their alcoholism, and revealed that soap bosses sent them to rehab.

Kevin Kennedy joined the ITV soap in 1983 as Curly Watts, renowned for his hapless romantic endeavours and succession of peculiar employment roles. Throughout his tenure on the enduring show, he featured in numerous major storylines.

From his passion for astronomy to his turbulent love life, his years in Weatherfield were packed with drama. Nevertheless, he was last spotted in 2003 when he departed alongside wife Emma (Angela Lonsdale) for a fresh start in Newcastle.

Following his departure, Kevin has remained active, featuring in programmes including BBC’s Doctors, Mrs Browns’ Boys and Holby City.

And on Wednesday (October 14), he turned up on Good Morning Britain to discuss his latest musical, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Kevin also opened up about his battle with alcoholism, disclosing that he has remained sober for 28 years.

He said: “Well, ITV and Coronation Street, effectively saved my life, sending me into rehab. And I was very, very, I still am very grateful for that. You know, I was in there 4 weeks and came out slightly different.”

When questioned about whether his addiction had been impacting his work on the soap opera, he revealed: “Well, that’s the thing about addicts. They’re very resourceful, intelligent people. They have to be. This is why for the charity [Kennedy Street Foundation] that we do, we promote visual recovery.”

Regarding what guidance he would offer those concerned that alcohol or drugs may be becoming an issue, Kevin said: “Well, the rule of thumb with alcohol or any drug or addiction is if it’s costing you more than money, then maybe it’s time to look at it.

“What I would say to you is, we do recover. We do recover. It’s not all doom and gloom. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment, and you have to go to various health centres; there’s enough out there.

“And if you do, as you’re told, and if you do, as is suggested, then you will recover. I can guarantee you if you put down that drink and that drug, do what’s suggested, your life will get better.”

While on GMB, Kevin spoke fondly about his time on Corrie, saying: “Oh, I mean, all of it is my favourite, actually. I’m very proud of that body of work, yeah, poor boy [Curly], he went through it!”

Kevin continued: “Even now when people come up and they do and they say, ‘oh, I remember when you did that’. I think that’s really humbling experience and I really love it. So it’s great.”

Good Morning Britain airs Monday to Friday at 6am on ITV1.

His predecessor, Francis, once wrote that he had started his papacy thinking he might only have a few years in the role, having already suffered health complications throughout his life.

As such, it was clear that he was intent on making waves quickly and implementing what some saw as fairly radical change in the Church at a swift pace.

While Pope Leo’s papacy has undoubtedly started in what appears to be a comparatively measured way, he has still grown quickly into being a powerful, uncompromising and compassionate moral voice on the world stage.

His messaging in opposition to war, in support of the dignity of migrants and on the dangers of AI in particular has stood out in its clarity.

To some extent, he has already done what many Catholics had feared was barely possible, in starting to bring closer together different factions of a Church that had seemed somewhat divided.

Noticeably, both progressive and traditionalist followers often talking of him as a voice that reflects their own.

But even after successful surgery, and with no details yet about what happens now, speculation has already begun as to whether a cancer diagnosis will mean an evident shift in Pope Leo’s pace in implementing changes he sees as necessary.

On the other hand any dramatic moves, such as on doctrine, would certainly feel out of character for a Pope who for nearly a year and a half has shown himself to be measured, thoughtful and discerning, as well as having a focus on stability.

ROMEO Beckham’s girlfriend Kim Turnbull has suffered a nasty injury after being bitten by a wild dog on holiday.

The model, 24, shared a photo of her getting a rabies vaccination after the unfortunate incident.

She told fans on Instagram: “I just fed this stray dog and it was blowing away from him and I went to fix it and thought I was taking it back and he bit me.”

Kim shared a clip of the four-legged animal standing on the beach, while she also showed off the bite mark.

She wrote over the photo: “Best believe I went back and fed him a second time after he bit me.

“Now he’s back. Is he apologising right now or does he want more food.”

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Kim was then forced to have emergency treatment by getting a rabies jab.

She wrote: “The most on brand move I could have pulled.

“Rabies jab is on the way for all friends messaging concerned.”

Earlier this month, the Beckham family rallied together to support Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show in a heart-warming family snap.

But as the Beckhams supported Victoria, her eldest son Brooklyn was nowhere to be seen.

Posing for a sweet family snap, the entire clan stood together and smiled, as Victoria gushed over the support she received.

David and Victoria stood in the middle, with youngest child Harper by their side.

Romeo and Kim stood on the left hand side, Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel stood on the other side.

Victoria shared the snap online, writing alongside it: “To my friends and family, I feel so blessed to have you all by my side xxx.”

The Beckhams were all in attendance for the launch of Victoria’s new clothing collection in the French capital – with Brooklyn the only absent child of the famous couple.

Despite also being in Paris for fashion week, Brooklyn, who has publicly fallen out with his family, has shown no sign of an olive branch, instead attending other events with his wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham.

Brooklyn let loose on his family in a scathing social media post in January, with things remaining tense ever since.

Brooklyn said at the start of the year that he did “not want to reconcile” with his family, and accused his parents of “controlling” the narrative.

His initial statement read: “I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private.

“Unfortunately my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

“I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”

He then went on to recall the night of his wedding and how his mother danced in an “inappropriate way”.

A source in the Ukrainian defence ministry later told the BBC: “Last night, we detected restrictions affecting Starlink connectivity at speeds above 160 km/h, although we are still verifying the exact speed threshold.

“This situation is significantly complicating operations, particularly logistics, unmanned systems, middle-strike missions, and other activities,” the source said, adding the “root cause” of the issue was being investigated.

The Starlink system has become a vital tool to give troops in Ukraine internet access, allowing them to effectively control drones heading towards Russian targets.

In February, Musk’s decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink blunted Moscow’s advance in Ukraine and caused confusion among Russian commanders.

Musk’s SpaceX has not commented on the reported speed restrictions.

Zelensky has said the US threatened to restrict intelligence sharing if he did not sign up to Trump’s energy ceasefire. Trump on Tuesday denied that Washington was withholding intelligence.

Ukraine’s air force said that overnight, Russia had launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones, and that four of those missiles and 115 drones had been shot down.

It is the second night in a row Kyiv has been hit by Russian missiles, and comes as Zelensky prepares to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss accelerating air defence supplies to Kyiv.

During the past two nights, ballistic missiles have struck targets in the Ukrainian capital without any warning, before air raid sirens could be sounded.

Ukraine relies on US satellite systems to track Russian missiles in order to issue alerts and to try to shoot them down.

LONDON — It’s the day after the London premiere of “Sense and Sensibility,” and its stars, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, have shed the glamour of the evening before. Both are curled in chairs in an otherwise empty room in an upscale Hyde Park Corner hotel, modestly dressed in jeans, sneakers and casual tops. Each drinks from an enormous glass bottle of water rather than wasting time with a cup.

The spectacle of a blockbuster red carpet is familiar for Edgar-Jones, whose career took off after the 2020 limited series “Normal People” and has since included “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “Twisters.” But last night marked the biggest such occasion so far for Creed-Miles, best known for the Prime series “Hanna.”

“I was a bit nervous with my friends and family all there,” admits Creed-Miles, who plays the more emotional of Jane Austen’s Dashwood sisters, Marianne. “I’m very lucky because Daisy has done it before and she’s so cool about it.”

“Absolutely not,” says Edgar-Jones, who plays the sensible Elinor. She grins sheepishly. “If anything, I think I’m getting more nervous.”

Both actors understood the high stakes of remaking Austen’s 1811 debut novel, most famously adapted in 1995 by screenwriter and star Emma Thompson and director Ang Lee — a movie that became a generational touchstone nominated for seven Oscars. The new version, in theaters Friday, was adapted by Diana Reid and directed by Georgia Oakley, best known for her evocative 2022 feature debut, “Blue Jean.”

Oakley wanted to re-create the emotions of reading the book as a teenager.

“In comparison to other Austen novels, I remember it feeling quite wild,” Oakley says, speaking separately over Zoom. “I also wanted to capture the spirit of the two older sisters as the beating heart of the story. My memory of it was that their story was the main love story of the book.”

Daisy Edgar-Jones, left, as Elinor and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne in a new version of “Sense and Sensibility.”

(Focus Features)

Oakley’s “Sense and Sensibility” emphasizes that relationship between Elinor and Marianne. Although they approach the world differently, they find common ground in each other. It was essential to find the right actor for each role, but also to ensure there was both tension and chemistry between them. Edgar-Jones, 28, was cast first without an audition. There was never any question as to which sister she would play.

“I have played a significant Marianne before,” Edgar-Jones says in a nod to affluent, tortured outcast Marianne Sheridan, her role in “Normal People.” “And I love both characters, but I’m moving into my late 20s now. Elinor has a maturity and a wise older soul quality that I really liked and felt I was right to occupy. I have always been attracted to characters who don’t necessarily have the words to express how they feel.”

Oakley appreciated Edgar-Jones’ restraint. “She is able to show so much by seemingly doing very little,” Oakley says. “Elinor has a lot on her shoulders, so I was looking for an actor who could give a sense of that from the very beginning.”

Creed-Miles, 26, faced a more uphill climb to become Marianne. She describes her first audition as awful.

“It was really bad,” she says. “Maybe I was nervous. I can be a bit of a mess. But someone saw something in me, I guess, and they called me back. This time I worked my ass off and spent days preparing the scenes. They liked that audition enough to bring me in for chemistry reads with Daisy and some of the boys.”

“There’s an earthy, undone nature to the world Georgia made,” Edgar-Jones says of director Oakley’s take on Austen.

(Erik Carter / For The Times)

“The first audition didn’t go exactly to plan,” says Oakley, who didn’t expect to see the actor again. “But [the second time] I was so moved by Esmé performance. We have this idea of how we think people are supposed to speak in a period drama, and Esmé seemed to not be affected by any of that.”

Edgar-Jones and Creed-Miles had previously worked together on the 2018 drama “Pond Life,” which was an asset going into “Sense and Sensibility.”

“It’s a summer I have never forgotten,” Edgar-Jones says of the experience, her first film role. “I met Esmé and we fell in love. We watched a lot of ‘Love Island.’ And then COVID happened and we weren’t reunited until our chemistry read.”

Although they hadn’t completely stayed in touch, there was a natural rhythm between them. “We had so much history and nothing was ever overly discussed,” Edgar-Jones adds. “It was instinctual. That level of intimacy takes time to develop and the fact that I already had years with Esmé meant that it felt very lived in.”

“Sense and Sensibility” was filmed entirely on location around England, primarily in the sweeping countrysides and dramatic coasts of Devon and Dorset. Oakley wanted to emphasize nature and to show how the Dashwood women’s emotional landscapes evolved alongside the shifting landscapes around them, both in the countryside at Barton Cottage and in the more confining social landscape of London. There is a naturalistic aesthetic to the film, augmented by the locations, the costumes and the hair and makeup design. The characters wear muted, sweeping gowns, their hair often loose.

“There’s an earthy, undone nature to the world Georgia made,” Edgar-Jones says. “Sometimes there’s distance you can sometimes get from watching a period drama because obviously we no longer wear corsets and bonnets and ride in horse-drawn carriages. But even though this feels very much of the Regency time, it also feels very close.”

“I loved how authentic everything felt,” Creed-Miles adds. “It didn’t feel frilly for the sake of itself. The clothes helped me find a sense of Marianne. I needed the costumes to close that gap.”

“We wore no makeup, even to the point where sometimes I’d put on some lip balm and Georgia would be like, ‘Take it off,’ ” Edgar-Jones recalls.

“The characters started to feel like real people in my life who I knew,” says Creed-Miles. “It was almost like a split personality.”

(Erik Carter / For The Times)

Creed-Miles says the unbuttoned aesthetic felt more true to the time, even if some commenters online have claimed it’s not period accurate.

“We don’t have depictions of women’s internal lives in the way that we do now,” she says. “When you look at a portrait there’s a composure that’s not the same as having a phone picture of someone when they’re getting out of bed in the morning.”

Oakley fills the screen with a palpable yearning. The camera often lingers over the actors’ faces, revealing Elinor’s inner turmoil and Marianne’s dramatic heartbreak. For many scenes, Oakley asked the cast to do silent takes.

“We wanted to tell a story that had space for some quieter moments,” the director says. “The actors were free to speak or make noises, but they couldn’t say the words of the scene.”

“In making this, I realized Elinor isn’t devoid of emotion,” Edgar-Jones says. “She’s full of it, but she’s learned how to govern it. Realizing that she was an extraordinarily passionate person and not a stone was really important for me. By the end, I felt completely marinated in it.”

“The characters started to feel like real people in my life who I knew,” Creed-Miles agrees. “It was almost like a split personality.”

“Circumstances have changed for young women quite drastically over the past 200 years,” director Oakley says. “But the fundamental contradictions around what it means to be a young woman haven’t changed nearly as much as we would like to think.”

(Erik Carter / For The Times)

Oakley’s interpretation of “Sense and Sensibility” has a wistful, almost Brontë-like quality. You can feel each character’s pain and joy and hopefulness. At the premiere, the audience audibly gasped and cheered, even though Austen’s story is well known to many. Oakley didn’t want to make her film overly contemporary, but she feels the story resonates today because Austen is so timeless.

“Circumstances have changed for young women quite drastically over the past 200 years,” Oakley says. “But the fundamental contradictions around what it means to be a young woman haven’t changed nearly as much as we would like to think. There’s this enormous gap between what we tell young women that they can reasonably expect from their lives and what the world is prepared to offer them.”

Creed-Miles admits that she’s recently fought with someone on Instagram about whether Austen was a feminist.“They didn’t have that terminology back then, but she was a rebellious author in that she used these sociocultural structures to explore the trials and tribulations of femininity,” Creed-Miles says. “It was really important to Georgia that we kept that alive. Reading Austin as an adult, I have so much respect and admiration for the themes she was exploring with a really deft hand. It’s never rammed down your throat.”

Edgar-Jones, an Austen fan, agrees that she captured a truth about the human experience. That’s what allows the author’s work to be retold and reimagined over decades.

“The joy of adaptation is that every new person who says these words will bring a piece of themselves and give it new meaning,” Edgar-Jones says. “And every time we explore something again, it will be colored with the context of today. Great art, like this, should be brought to life again and again.”

The woman’s young daughter was rescued from a large fire inside the apartment caused by the attack.

An Israeli air strike on an apartment block in Gaza has killed a woman and wounded two other people, hospital officials said.

Reem Asaad Awad, 33, was killed in the attack early on Wednesday in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported, quoting a source at Al Shifa hospital.

The source said the strike caused extensive destruction to the targeted apartment and nearby buildings.

The daughter of the woman who was killed was rescued from a large fire that broke out after the attack.

Israel says it is investigating the strike and claims it targeted a member of Hamas, without providing evidence.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili said the strike happened at 4am (01:00 GMT).

Israel has killed 1,501 Palestinians in Gaza since it agreed a “ceasefire” with the Palestinian group Hamas last October. The truce was part of a wider United States-backed proposal to end Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

Talks aimed at advancing to the second phase of the US plan, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas, have stalled.

The agreement states that 600 trucks of humanitarian aid are to be allowed into Gaza each day, but Israeli authorities have continued to impose severe restrictions on supplies entering the enclave, and reconstruction of the war-shattered territory has not begun.

Two whole seasons of a new imagining of a classic detective drama will be streaming for free before the year is out.

Fans of detective dramas need to add a “fabulous” series to their watchlists.

Fans of cosy crime and detective dramas like Vera are urged to keep an eye out for a detective series hailed as “superb” by viewers. Based on Georges Simenon’s iconic detective novels, the series follows a rising young detective in the Paris Police Judiciaire, who heads La Crim, the serious crime unit.

Unlike previous adaptations, the series is set in the present day and is produced by Playground, the team behind hit shows like All Creatures Great and Small and Wolf Hall. Maigret is the series in question and it stars Benjamin Wainwright as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret, the titular unconventional young detective rising up the ranks.

The Last Kingdom actress Stefanie Martini also stars as Louise Maigret, Maigret’s wife and confidante, who works as a psychiatric nurse. The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison stars as Sergeant Joseph Torrence.

UKTV has acquired the rights to two seasons of Maigret for its free streaming service, U and linear channel U&DRAMA. Season one premieres on U and U&DRAMA in December, and season two will follow in 2027.

UKTV teased: “In series one, Chief Inspector Maigret and his team of maverick but loyal detectives, Les Maigrets, solve a series of complex crimes in Paris. Maigret’s unconventional methods and unique sense of justice put him at odds with his superiors and the judicial system he is supposed to represent. Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.”

Karin Marelle of UKTV and BBC Studios hailed Maigret “one of the most recognisable detective brands in the world“, while Simon Cox, who led on the acquisition of the series for Banijay Rights, said: “The series combines gripping mysteries and rich character storytelling all centred around one of crime fiction’s most iconic and enduring detectives.”

Fans took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts on the series, with one hailing it “outstanding”, adding: “I have not been a fan of either the books or previous movies or shows about Maigret. So I came to this with no preconceived notions.

“Overall I found it an outstanding beginning to what I hope will be a long series. Well written, well-acted, and highly entertaining. Just a sort of thing that I was looking forward to take my mind off with many problems that we now see in our world.”

Another called it a “fabulous show”, sharing: “We are enjoying this programme ever so much! My mum and I are huge fans of the original Maigret and this is a great modern remake!

“I am not usually very enthusiastic about remakes, but this is an exceptionally good one. I can’t wait for more episodes, and hopefully many more seasons to come! Overall a great programme with a really fabulous cast.”

Another viewer said it was a “superb” watch, adding: “This iteration reminds me a lot of another detective series using British actors in a non-British setting, Vandervalk. Regardless, I thought the plotting, writing, acting, and direction was superb, especially in the last episodes of this first series.”

The series premiered on PBS Masterpiece in the US in October 2025, and on ABC Television in Australia in November 2025.

Series 1 of Maigret premieres on U and U&DRAMA in December and Series 2 will follow in 2027.

German authorities briefly closed an airport and scrambled fighter jets to escort a passenger plane on Tuesday following an emergency alert indicating a hijacking was taking place on board. However, the alert had been accidentally triggered by a radio “malfunction”.

Corendon Airlines said its Boeing 737-800, which was en route from the Greek holiday island of Corfu to Nuremberg, Germany, sent out an emergency code while it was flying over Croatia “due to a brief malfunction in the radio communication system”.

In a statement, the airline said that “no emergency situation occurred”, and the 178 passengers, flight crew and aircraft had not been in danger at any point. The plane landed safely in Nuremberg.

What happened?

German police said Corendon Airlines flight XR456 “inadvertently” sent out an emergency “squawk” alert with the code 7500 while flying over Croatia on Tuesday.

A squawk is a four-digit code a pilot sends via the jet’s transponder to air traffic control. The code 7500 tells air traffic controllers that a hijacking is in progress.

However, air traffic controllers were unable to make contact with the pilots or crew, causing the alarm to be raised further. It is unclear why this happened.

“The aircraft could no longer be reached by radio to clarify the situation”, prompting warnings to be activated in several European countries, police said.

A Rafale fighter jet was scrambled from Croatia to intercept the Boeing passenger jet, while the German military also dispatched warplanes.

Police cordoned off the Albrecht Dürer airport in Nuremberg as a precaution until they knew the reason the pilot had sent the hijack alert.

Police spokesman Michael Petzold explained that authorities had “received a code directly from the cockpit that suggested a hijacking”.

“Since we were then unable to reach the cockpit, and the tower was also unable to contact the cockpit, we had to assume the worst – that it might indeed be a hijacking,” Petzold said.

The incident disrupted flights, with six flights delayed and two inbound flights diverted to other airports as a precaution, a Nuremberg airport spokesperson said.

Why are aviation authorities so concerned?

The hijack scare has come amid heightened concerns about aviation security after the copilot on board a Flydubai jet bound for Israel from Dubai attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe, forcing the flight to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on September 30.

On Friday, the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor general said the copilot was on a “suicide” mission to crash the plane at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv and called the incident a “terrorist attack”.

Also, before the false hijack alert in the early hours of Tuesday, flights had been briefly disrupted at Nuremberg ‌airport after pilots reported suspected drone sightings.

Authorities across Europe have already stepped up surveillance of the skies in recent weeks after a series of mostly mysterious drone incidents and concerns about Russian hybrid warfare.

Western nations, including Germany, have accused Moscow of launching a campaign of sabotage, espionage and disruption to undermine European support for Ukraine and destabilise the continent.

Several German airports have had to suspend operations for brief periods in recent months due to drone activity, with suspicion often falling on Russia.

Last month, the German government blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle airport in August using a drone laden with explosives. Berlin closed the Russian consulate among other measures.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the allegations, saying Berlin “fabricated” the evidence. However, in light of the concerns, NATO’s top general told the Warsaw Security Forum earlier this week that the alliance has a new war plan for countering a Russian attack on its members, embedding lessons learned from the Ukrainian front lines.

How common are radio glitches and false hijack alerts?

Radio glitches are common, but incidents rarely escalate to major security events because pilots use back-up radios to communicate with air traffic controllers when they lose communication signals.

In 2019, a pilot flying an Air Europa jet from Amsterdam to Madrid accidentally transmitted hijack alert 7500. For half an hour, aviation authorities thought the alarm was a genuine emergency and followed safety protocols, which disrupted flights and led to the evacuation of part of Schipol airport in the Netherlands.

In 2011, a flight from Chicago to Germany was diverted to Toronto when a pilot spilled coffee and accidentally set off a hijack alarm. The spill caused distress signals to go out, including the 7500 transponder code.

Caracas, October 13, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Hundreds of Venezuelan workers took to the streets on Tuesday to demand that the acting Delcy Rodríguez government address a series of labor grievances.

The mobilization in Caracas was called by healthcare trade unions to deliver a petition at Miraflores Palace. Education and higher education unions likewise endorsed the rally, which had a turnout estimated at 2,000 people. 

Venezuelan police shepherded the march through the center of the Venezuelan capital but protesters were ultimately stopped a few blocks from the presidential palace. A commission of union representatives delivered the document, which reportedly collected over 45,000 signatures from healthcare professionals, to Venezuelan government representatives.

“It looks like the plan is to invite foreign capital by offering cheap labor,” FETRASALUD union leader Pablo Zambrano told press. “The Venezuelan workers must struggle to be fairly compensated for their work.”

Protesters echoed a longstanding demand that existing bonuses be converted into wages. The monthly minimum wage was last increased by the Venezuelan government in March 2022 and currently stands at 130 bolívars, around US $0.15. Instead, the Nicolás Maduro and Rodríguez administrations have relied on non-wage bonuses which have no impact on vacation pay, social security contributions, or severance. The income floor for public sector workers was raised to $240/month in May.

The petitions delivered on Tuesday included a demand that holiday bonuses be computed based on workers’ present incomes as opposed to the actual salary. It likewise called for the “professional responsibility bonus,” which ranges from $40 to $170 per month and is discretionally assigned to certain sectors, to be extended to retired workers, and for unions to participate in the drafting of new wage scales.

“Holiday bonuses are fundamental labor rights, and we need to have them based on the real incomes,” said Yilbert Giménez, director of the SINTRACUPEM healthcare workers’ union in Miranda state. “We are also opposed to any regressive reforms on labor matters.”

Pedro Eusse, from the CUTV labor confederation, called on workers’ organizations to unite to “defeat the plan to dismantle labor rights.”

“The government is allied with business elites whose goal is to destroy the working class’ existing social benefits and social security rights,” he told reporters. “We need a broad unity to defeat this plan.”

Labor Minister Carlos Castillo has drawn criticism in recent days over comments that he “relates to business owners” on labor costs.

“Nowadays, as I run a ministry with a significant labor weight on its shoulders and have to calculate payroll every month, I have truly started to relate to business owners,” he said during his keynote address at business association FEDECÁMARAS annual summit on Friday.

Castillo went on to say that he “understood that business owners are not an evil abstraction from ideological manuals” but rather “makers of reality who risk their capital, their mental health, and their daily effort.”

FEDECÁMARAS, the Caribbean nation’s most influential private sector lobby, has actively campaigned for labor reform reducing responsibilities for employers and eliminating the retroactive nature of social benefits and severance pay, which trade unions consider a red line.

Former FEDECÁMARAS President Jorge Roig, who currently serves as a business sector representative in a “labor dialogue” initiative mediated by the International Labor Organization (ILO), recently expressed “optimism” about securing consensus with the Venezuelan government and worker organizations.

Roig argued that the current labor conditions “are not working” and proposed the creation of a Law of Labor and Social Consensus to introduce temporary solutions adjusted to different economic sectors.

Venezuela’s historic Labor Law, approved in 2012 by former President Hugo Chávez, prohibits unfair dismissal and outsourcing, enshrines the world’s third-longest maternity leave, guarantees the right to work for both women and people with disabilities, and extends retirement pensions to all workers, including full-time mothers and the self-employed.

The ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) also staged a march in Caracas on Tuesday afternoon. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that Venezuelan workers are “the bulwark of peace” in the South American country.

“We have delivered a document supporting all the actions by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the ongoing dialogue process while also demanding the lifting of sanctions against Venezuela,” Cabello told those present.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

KATIE Price has taken a subtle swipe at Lee Andrews after she ended their marriage last month.

The former glamour model is currently bracing herself for a “messy” divorce battle with her ex as the conman vows to return to the UK.

The Sun revealed that Katie ended their marriage via WhatsApp last month after finding out he had just £2.22 in his bank account.

Katie has now has taken another step towards being entirely free from Lee with a social media swipe.

She has deleted all of their photos together and it looks as though she has blocked him, too.

Katie has likely blocked Lee because all of his comments and likes have disappeared from her posts.

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Lee was recently released from the notorious Al Awir prison after a four-month stint, but is now eyeing up flying back to his home country.

The conman launched a Go Get Funding page last week in a bid to collect bail cash so he can return to Britain.

And as Lee vows to fly back to England, Katie is understood to be “naturally worried” that Lee will come after her money, in what could be one of showbiz’s messiest divorces.

A source previously said: “Katie is determined not to be in financial trouble again.

“She’s been working really hard to get enough income to be comfortable – with her OnlyFans and various other projects, but she is all to aware of how easily it can be lost.

“There is a real worry Lee is going to try and take half of what she’s worth.”

They added: “She does not want to be his next con, and is hoping they can split amicably.”

Earlier this month, Lee appeared to fake his own death on social media, which left fans baffled.

Lee’s death hoax Instagram story, which was posted to his account in the early hours, was swiftly deleted.

Alongside a black and white picture of Lee posing in a car, the post said: “With a huge heart of sadness.

“And this heartfelt message, we say our final goodbyes to this beautiful soul, to our loving Lee who has tragically passed away.”

Lee’s ex Alana Percival, who he dated in 2025, took to her own Instagram to address the post and accused him of faking his own death via the post.

But Lee later took to his account to share another post with a red cross over the original image. 

Lee added: “Please don’t believe any of this I have been clearly targeted for the death hoax by sick individuals. 

“I’m very much alive and well this is terrible as I have family that had to see it.

“My account is back with me.”

One recently employed trainee accountant, who didn’t want us to use his real name, told the BBC he’d applied for 50 graduate jobs and used AI in every application. But he says it was only for researching roles, tidying up his CV and generating mock practise questions for video interviews.

While he says he would never use the tech to cheat on assessments he knows people who would.

“I know people who have applied for 100 jobs and after a while they become desperate. If they see everyone else is using AI, they think how can I compete?”

According to the ISE, the graduate market has stabilised after a sharp fall last year but remains tough. Graduate roles currently attract an average of 141 applications each, it says.

And while only 16% of employers it surveyed are using AI to screen candidates, more than half plan to introduce it due to the large volumes of applications they are receiving.

Hollie Moody says EDF does not currently use AI screening but may have to in future.

For her, the use of AI in job applications remains a “moral dilemma” that employers and candidates will continue to grapple with. But she stresses it cannot replace what her firm is looking for in new recruits.

“It’s about authenticity, but also personality. We want diversity of thought in the business.”

THE Pussycat Dolls shrugged off the Lil Kim ‘tour axe’ while stripping to some striking outfits at their packed London gig on Tuesday night. 

Lady Marmalade star Lil Kim, 52, didn’t appear for the final night of the Pussycat Dolls’ run at London’s O2 Arena, with the headline act fed-up of her unpredictable behaviour.

A source said: “Kim didn’t show up to their gig in Manchester on Saturday night, and it was all very last minute. It threw everything into chaos and a sign just went up at the last minute to say she wouldn’t be performing. 

“As a result, she hasn’t been asked back for the closing night in London tonight, which was seen as the grand finale.” 

But shrugging it off entirely, Nicole Scherzinger and her glam bandmates  Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt looked sensational in racy outfits at the gig. 

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The girls opted for silver leotards, with Ashley wowing in a two piece and showing off her toned physique. 

Kimberly had her long pins on display with cut out tights on and white boots. 

And Nicole looked as glamorous as ever in her dazzling bodysuit, embellished with sequins. 

The Pussycat Dolls all rocked beautiful makeup looks and styled their hair down, while having the time of their lives on stage.

The girls wowed their fans and put Lil Kim’s tour axe. 

No official reason for support act Kim’s absence in Manchester was given, though some fans claimed she was ill.

However, others noticed she had shared social media videos of herself on her tour bus in the build-up to the gig where it looked she was playing video games.

One fan wrote on TikTok: “She was on the tour bus prepping for GTA 6.”

Another posted: “Omg we were there last night how bad is that, not even a comment on sorry she’s no show or anything, playing GTA in the trailer apparently, previous videos of her trying glad she didn’t show.”

Kim also came under fire from baffled fans at a previous gig in Paris when a music video playing on the big screens behind her during her set appeared to be synced from her phone and private messages kept popping up before the feed was quickly pulled.

Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Denise Jones, shot to fame in 1994 after being discovered by late rap legend The Notorious B.I.G.

The larger than life star then invited Kim to join the Brooklyn-based rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A, before she launched her solo career with her double-platinum album Hard Core, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200.

Grammy-winner Kim’s biggest hits in the UK are all collabs, including the 2001 number one ‘Lady Marmalade’, a cover commissioned for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and 2003 track ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ with Christina Aguilera, which reached number six.

The Sun contacted representatives for the Pussycat Dolls and Lil’ Kim.

Russian air attacks have killed at least six people in Ukraine and caused power cuts in parts of the capital Kyiv, days after United States President Donald Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” in the more-than four year war.

The ⁠Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces had carried out a “massive” strike ‌against communications and energy infrastructure facilities ⁠in Ukraine, the Interfax ⁠news ⁠agency reported.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged people to remain in shelters.

“Energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region have come under a massive ballistic missile strike. There are power disruptions in the capital,” he wrote on Telegram.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, said the attack had caused emergency power cuts in several urban districts of Kyiv.

A Russian strike on a multistorey building in the capital’s Desnianskyi district killed two people, while another attack in Golosiivsky district killed one, Ukraine’s state emergency service said.

The Ukrainian military also reported that two people were killed and six wounded in Russian attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region. Another person was killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

Further Russian missile attacks were reported in the Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions, while other strikes hit Sumy and Chernigiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian attacks on Kyiv had come without Ukraine receiving advance warning from its Western allies.

“A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners,” he wrote on Facebook. “This is absolutely unjust: when they are destroying our infrastructure, and Ukraine is not even receiving early warnings about ballistic missile launches.”

The president said Ukraine detected the missiles only as they neared Kyiv.

He also accused Russia of violating the “energy ceasefire” Trump announced on Sunday.

“A targeted Russian ballistic missile strike specifically against energy infrastructure – the very infrastructure covered by the ceasefire announced by the American President,” he wrote on X.

“The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale – Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States.”

Russia also reported Ukrainian drone strikes overnight. The governor of Russia’s Saratov region, Roman Busargin, said a Ukrainian drone strike had killed one person in the city of Balakovo.

Busargin said all ⁠infrastructure ⁠facilities were operating as usual. Balakovo is home ⁠to a data centre of Russia’s ⁠top lender Sberbank, a ⁠nuclear power ⁠plant and a hydropower station, whose dam spans ‌the Volga River, among other facilities.

Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defence forces had downed nearly 500 drones flying towards the Russian capital overnight. Russian authorities said about 160 more were brought down over the Rostov region, while others targeted Moscow.

Russia’s military later put the number of downed Ukrainian drones overnight at 902, of which 180 were shot down near the capital Moscow.

STAR Wars actor John Boyega has revealed he secretly married wife Lashontae Heckard and the pair have also welcomed their first child.

Londoner John, 34, shared a cute video of him cradling his baby and told fans the little one arrived some time ago.

He wrote: “Our bundle of joy has been with us for some time now but thank you for all the well wishes. Also my sister is about to pop! Wish her well too!

“Back to feeding this big baby!”

In the comments, Lashontae, 48, paid tribute to her man, writing: “Love and blessings to my Blessing!!!!”

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One fan posted: “She looks like Rashad’s old girlfriend from ATL, she was in one of Neo’s videos and Keyshia Cole… in a Dru Hill video… I think that’s her.

“You sho right!! She is so freaking pretty. Congrats to them.”

Fast and Furious star Tyrese said: “Praise God!!!!! I love you both…. You guys are amazing already great parents and now it’s new favor and new blessings!!!!!! Congratulations on the new angel….. Jon sir you are applying a lot of pressure for a brother like me!!!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!! Lol.”

John and Tae largely keep their relationship out of the spotlight, and he recently explained why they opted for a small ceremony for their wedding nearly two years ago.

He told the Guardian: “We both like the idea of celebrating something established, rather than celebrating the entry.”

However, he’s confident the pair will have a huge celebration in the future and said it will be so big they’ll “have to shut Nigeria down!”

Both of John’s parents are Nigerian and he often speaks of his pride in his heritage. He wore traditional Nigerian dress to the Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker premiere in 2019 and introduced co-star Harrison Ford to a Nigerian restaurant in South London while filming.

At the time of the interview, John revealed Tae was pregnant and spoke glowingly of his domestic situation.

He said: “We got a baby cooking. My life is completely, completely fulfilled in terms of family. It’s been so nice with the timing.”

Tae is already mum to son Brandon Jennings Jr from her relationship with ex-NBA star Brandon Jennings.

More than three years into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan is desperately in need of a political settlement. The fighting has caused immense suffering, and a military solution alone cannot rebuild the state or reunify its fractured society. Under such circumstances, any effort aimed at encouraging Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue deserves serious consideration rather than outright rejection.

In August, a self-appointed committee of 19 Sudanese public figures, chaired by Ahfad University President Qasim Badri, launched an initiative to prepare the ground for national dialogue inside Sudan. Its members had earlier met SAF chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and called for legal restrictions on opposition politicians to be lifted. The authorities subsequently issued a decree to drop certain politically motivated charges against Sudanese abroad returning for dialogue and grant participants temporary legal protections. These are limited but important confidence-building measures.

The initiative has nevertheless faced strong opposition. The civilian coalition Sumoud, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and Ta’sis, an alliance that includes the RSF, have opposed the proposed internal dialogue. They question its independence and warn that holding talks in army-controlled areas could legitimise al-Burhan’s authority and entrench the country’s divisions. These concerns are legitimate and deserve serious attention. But the committee says it is not seeking to negotiate Sudan’s future or determine the agenda of a national dialogue. Its role is to help create the conditions for Sudanese political actors to engage one another directly. The question is whether it can fulfil that role without allowing one side of the conflict to dominate the process. Dismissing the initiative before it has had an opportunity to demonstrate its value would be premature.

The country’s political actors and civil society organisations remain deeply divided, previous mediation efforts have faltered, and the war continues to make comprehensive political engagement increasingly difficult. The committee’s initiative is an attempt to break the deadlock. Efforts to prepare for political dialogue should not be postponed until the fighting stops. Securing a ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian access are urgent priorities, but preparations for political dialogue can proceed alongside efforts to achieve them.

The committee’s members were not elected, and they do not represent every political constituency. Yet the committee’s legitimacy cannot be judged solely by how it was created. It must also be judged by whether it can help bring a broader range of political actors into a national dialogue.

Good intentions alone cannot resolve concerns about credibility. Political dialogue can succeed only if participants believe the process is fair and independent. The legitimacy required to facilitate a political opening is not necessarily the same as that required to negotiate a national settlement. But even a preparatory initiative must earn the trust of those it seeks to bring together.

The committee’s meeting with al-Burhan was a practical necessity. As army chief and head of the Sovereignty Council, he was in a position to respond to the committee’s demands for legal protections. Engaging with al-Burhan does not in itself amount to an endorsement of his authority. But if the initiative becomes too closely associated with the army, other political actors may view it as an extension of al-Burhan’s political agenda rather than an independent facilitator. The committee must therefore demonstrate that its engagement extends beyond the military authorities and that it is prepared to work with political forces that oppose them.

The initiative was launched in Khartoum, which is under army control. This raises a genuine concern about whether a process beginning in territory controlled by one side of the war can attract the confidence of political forces across the country. A national dialogue cannot be confined to one geographical or political constituency. Entire regions have experienced different realities of war, governance, displacement and insecurity. The committee must find ways to reach those living outside army-controlled areas, including Sudanese displaced by the fighting, and ensure they can participate freely and without intimidation.

Sumoud and Ta’sis’s decision to reject the initiative does not automatically invalidate the process. Their concerns deserve consideration, but outright rejection at this early stage risks closing off an opportunity for political engagement. At the same time, their absence matters. Sudan’s crisis is too deep and complex to be addressed by any single political current. The committee cannot expect every stakeholder to endorse its initiative immediately, but it must create conditions that persuade reluctant actors to participate. If it fails to do so, the initiative itself will have failed.

The African Union Commission and the Arab League have also welcomed the initiative, providing an important measure of regional support. Their endorsement lends weight to the effort to revive Sudanese-led political dialogue, although external backing cannot substitute for the confidence of Sudan’s own political forces.

The committee’s initiative should therefore be judged without excessive optimism or automatic suspicion. The legal measures announced following its engagement with al-Burhan are an encouraging first step, but the real test lies ahead. Does it help remove legal and political obstacles facing opposition actors in practice, not just on paper? Can it win the confidence of those who have rejected it? Can it ensure that Sudanese across the country’s political and geographical divides have an opportunity to participate freely?

What is clear, however, is that Sudan’s crisis will ultimately require Sudanese actors with profoundly different visions of the country’s future to sit together and engage one another politically. No committee can do that on their behalf. No external actor can do it for them. At best, a preparatory initiative can help create the conditions under which such engagement becomes possible. The concerns raised by its critics should not be dismissed, but neither should they be grounds for rejecting the initiative before it has had an opportunity to address them. Those who have rejected it should remain open to reconsidering their position if the committee demonstrates that it can build an independent and inclusive process. If it succeeds, it will have rendered an important national service.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has set aside the death sentence handed to a Sri Lankan migrant worker over a comment he made on Facebook, Colombo’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said.

Anojan Sivarasa, 27, was sentenced to death in September after a Saudi appellate court convicted him of blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad over his comment.

The case sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka, spurring diplomatic efforts to seek clemency.

Saudi Arabia’s top court set aside the sentence on Wednesday, Hemachandra said in a post on Facebook, where he thanked the authorities and legal teams of both nations for their efforts.

In late June, footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims circulated widely on social media, triggering religious arguments online.

During the exchange, a user posted derogatory remarks about a Hindu deity, leading Sivarasa to respond in Tamil insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

Although Sivarasa promptly deleted the comment and posted an apology video, a screenshot of it was brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi officials, leading to his arrest in July.

It is not clear if there will be further legal proceedings or whether Sivarasa will remain in detention, and for how long. He was initially sentenced to five years in prison as well as a fine of three million Saudi riyals ($0.8m; £0.6m) by the Al-Ahsa Criminal Court.

Faizer Mustafa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker who is involved in legal negotiations with Saudi Arabia regarding Sivarasa’s case, confirmed to BBC Sinhala that Saudi Arabia had overturned the death sentence, adding that they are reviewing the Supreme Court’s latest ruling.

Sivarasa’s family had earlier said they have had no direct contact with him since 28 September.

International rights groups had also joined calls for Saudi to spare his life.

“Saudi authorities should end their use of abusive laws to hand out extraordinary sentences for speech-related offenses, especially against migrant workers who are already in a vulnerable position with limited protections,” Joey Shea, senior Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said on Tuesday.

“Sinners” director Ryan Coogler’s “The X-Files” series reboot has been picked up by Hulu.

Described as a “reimagining” of the original series, the new title stars “Station Eleven” alums Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”

Coogler wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot and will serve as executive producer along with showrunner and executive producer Jennifer Yale. Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian (Proximity Media) and “The X-Files” original series creator Chris Carter also serve as executive producers.

“What Chris Carter created is special,” Coogler said in a statement, “and we wanted to honor everything that made the original series connect with so many people while also finding our own way into that world. Danielle and Himesh, along with the rest of our cast, have brought such original perspectives and performances to these characters, and watching that come together has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.”

“The X-Files” original series starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, seen in the Season 5 episode “Patient X.”

(Fox)

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson starred in the original series as paranormal-phenomenon believer Fox Mulder and skeptic Dana Scully, respectively, two FBI agents in an odd-couple pairing who investigate reports of alien lifeforms and monster-of-the-week tales.

The series won 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, including the 1997 award for lead actress in a drama series for Anderson, with 62 total nominations.

“The X-Files” premiered in 1993 and ran through 2001, returned in 2016 for two more seasons (for a total of 11), and resulted in two feature films, “The X-Files” and “The X-Files: I Want to Believe,” as well as video games, toys, books and comics.