Tehran, Iran – The Iranian state has rejected a resolution by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council that strongly condemned the “violent crackdown on peaceful protests” by security forces that left thousands dead.

After a detailed meeting and discussions in Geneva on Friday, 25 members of the council, including France, Japan and South Korea, voted in favour of the censure resolution.

Seven votes against, including from China, India and Pakistan, as well as 14 abstentions, among others from Qatar and South Africa, failed to stop the resolution.

The human rights council called on Iran to stop the arrests of people in connection with the protests, and to take steps to “prevent extrajudicial killing, other forms of arbitrary deprivation of life, enforced disappearance, sexual and gender-based violence” and other actions violating its human rights obligations.

Iran said that the Western-led sponsors of the emergency meeting on Friday had never genuinely cared for human rights in Iran, or else they would not have imposed sanctions that have devastated the Iranian population over the past decade.

Ali Bahreini, Iran’s envoy in the meeting, reiterated the state’s claim that 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, 2,427 of whom were killed by “terrorists” armed and funded by the United States, Israel and their allies.

“It was ironic that states whose history was stained with genocide and war crimes now attempted to lecture Iran on social governance and human rights,” he said.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has confirmed at least 5,137 deaths during the protests, and is investigating 12,904 others.

UN special rapporteur on Iran, Mai Sato, has said the death toll could reach 20,000 or more as reports from doctors from inside Iran emerge. Al Jazeera has been unable to independently verify the figures.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk told the council that “the brutality in Iran continued, creating conditions for further human rights violations, instability and bloodshed” weeks after the killings on January 8 and January 9, when a communications blackout was also enforced.

Turk pointed out that executions for murder, drug-related and other charges continue across Iran, with the state executing at least 1,500 people in 2025, marking an enormous 50 percent increase compared with the year before.

Payam Akhavan, a professor and former UN prosecutor of Iranian-Canadian nationality who was at Friday’s meeting as a civil society representative, called the killings “the worst mass-murder in the contemporary history of Iran”.

He said as a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, he had helped draft the indictment for the Srebrenica genocide in which some 8,000 Bosniaks were killed in July 1995.

“By comparison, at least twice that number had been killed in Iran in half the time. This was an extermination,” he said.

The adopted UN council resolution also extended the mandate of the special rapporteur for another year, while adding two more years to the mandate of the independent fact-finding mission that was formed to investigate killings and rights abuses during Iran’s nationwide protests in 2022 and 2023.

More videos emerge despite internet blackout

Meanwhile, the internet blackout continues to be enforced amid growing frustration and anger from the public and businesses alike.

Global internet observatory Netblocks reported that international internet remained effectively blocked on Saturday despite brief moments of connectivity.

Some users have been able to overcome the digital blackout over recent days for short periods of time using a variety of proxies and virtual private networks (VPNs).

The limited number of users who have managed to get online, whether by using a combination of circumvention tools or leaving the country’s borders, continue to upload horrifying footage of killings during the protests.

International human rights bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have attested that many of the reviewed videos show state forces firing live ammunition at protesters, including from heavy machineguns.

The state rejects all such accounts, claiming that security forces only fired at “terrorists” and “rioters” who attacked government offices and burned public property.

Threat of war looms

The back and forth over one of Iran’s bloodiest chapters since its 1979 revolution continues as the threat of war looms large over the embattled 90-million-strong nation once again.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in Iran if it kills protesters. Washington is moving the USS Abraham Lincoln supercarrier, along with its strike group of supporting vessels, towards the Middle East in a move that has raised fears of more US strikes on Iran in the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel in June.

More US military aircraft, including fighter jets, have also been deployed to the region despite interventions from regional powers in an attempt to prevent an escalation.

Top Iranian authorities continue to send defiant messages to US President Donald Trump amid the rapid military buildup.

“He [Trump] certainly says many things,” Majid Mousavi, the new aerospace chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state television on Saturday. “He can be certain that we will respond to him in the field of battle”.

“He can say better things even if he is trying to escape the wishes of others who want to impose things on him,” said Ali Shamkhani, a top security official and representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the newly formed Supreme Defence Council.

One of Iran’s top judicial authorities also shot back at Trump after the US president last week called for the end of Khamenei’s 37-year-rule in the country.

“These acts of insolence and audacity are, in our view, tantamount to a declaration of all-out war, and based on this approach, in the event of any aggression, US interests around the world will be exposed to threat by supporters of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Mohammad Movahedi, the hardline cleric who heads the prosecutor general’s authority.

VICTORIA and David Beckham have shared heartfelt words about “great memories” with Brooklyn in the mum’s first public comment since her son’s scathing rant.

The parents posted love hearts as they responded to a poignant post about a tender family moment with their eldest son when he was just seven years old.

It is far removed from the agonising split and heartache they are enduring today.

In a series of bombshell Instagram posts earlier this week, the fashion designer was slammed by her eldest child.

Victoria’s eldest son accused her of “humiliating” him at his wedding, after she allegedly danced on him “very inappropriately”.

The wedding proved to be the breaking point for Brooklyn, as he said it was where his family’s true nature was revealed to him.

Read more on the beckhams

SPICE REUNION

Mel B drops huge Spice Girls reunion hint as Victoria Beckham tops the charts

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW

Brooklyn’s ‘brattish’ wife ‘flounced out of wedding after DJ comment’

The former Spice Girl, 51, is said to be “devastated” after her estranged son accused her of “hijacking” his wedding, leaving him “humiliated”.

She is understood to be distraught after being teased by cruel fans – as memes mocking her alleged dancing go viral. 

Dad David broke his silence while appearing at the 56th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Premier League and England legend, 50, admitted his children had “made mistakes” on social media.

And in the latest twist in the Brooklyn saga, the pair wrote about “good memories” in response to a photography shoot in 2006.

A photographer recalled the shoot with Becks when his kids gate-crashed the session and he witnessed a “spontaneous moment of affection”.

Brooklyn, then seven, ran up to his famous Dad in front of a crowd of onlookers and adoringly hugged his leg.

It prompted an unscheduled family group hug.

In one picture, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star can also be seen with his eldest son’s name tattooed on his back.

Responding to the post, Victoria wrote: “Brings back great memories!”

It comes after a week of Beckham bombshells…

David also penned: “Good memories”.

The shoot in Spain came when the England skipper was one of the world’s biggest superstars.

Famous snapper Platon Antoniou recalled: “That day his family came to visit.

“Victoria arrived with Brooklyn, who was seven years old, Romeo, who was four and Cruz, who was just a baby.

“Brooklyn and Romeo charged into the studio wearing football kits, kicking balls, doing headers and other tricks.

“While Victoria was busy with the children, I started work with David.

“At one point, Brooklyn ran on set with his football under his arm and hugged his dad’s right leg. Then, Romeo joined his older brother.

“Then, Victoria also appeared with baby Cruz in her arms. The whole family turned away from us for a private heartfelt group hug.

“It was a poignant thing to see – this spontaneous moment of affection happening on a giant photography set in front of 60 people.

“Celebrity comes with a heavy price and often it is family members who also pay.”

It seems to be the first time Victoria has acknowledged her son’s scathing comments on Instagram.

The parents’ outpouring at a time of deep pain and family division prompted support from followers.

Cruz, his girlfriend Jackie Apostel and Romeo Beckham were spotted out and about in Paris for fashion week.

Fans were quick to pile praise on the “devastated” mum-of-four.

Lynne Ross told Victoria: “Best mum.” while Jane Murphy told her: “Keep smiling and hold your head up high.”

Another fan told the former Spice Girl: “You do an amazing job in all areas of your life Victoria.”

The 57-year-old portrait and documentary photographer has captured world leaders including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

He added: “To see this tenderness was very moving.

“I knew it would make a beautiful picture, especially as this famous family were not facing my camera.

“But my portraits are always collaborative and I never feel comfortable stealing a moment.

“If I had taken a single frame, it would have betrayed trust and invaded privacy. So, I put down my camera and took a picture only with my eyes.”

David responded to the photographer’s post around midnight yesterday.

It came as we revealed how “brattish” Nicola Peltz blamed Victoria for ruining her 2022 wedding for dancing inappropriately with her son, despite having already had a ‘first dance’.

Brooklyn is the only person who holds video footage of what was meant to be a first dance with his bride – but was instead hijacked by his mum.

This means that Brooklyn, 26, and his American actress wife, 31, have the sole control over all photos and footage from the ceremony.

Sources claim the “uncomfortable” dance at his 2022 wedding was filmed by the videographer after the couple imposed a strict no-phones rule.

The entire wedding proved to be the breaking point for Brooklyn, as he said it was where his family’s true nature was revealed to him.

And we also exclusively told how Nicola gave husband Brooklyn Beckham an ultimatum.

After feeling upstaged by his mum Victoria at their wedding, the actress told him: “It’s me or her, you can’t have both.”

A butler at the 2022 bash says tearful Nicola stormed out in front of guests including new dad-in-law David.

She was devastated after singer Marc Anthony called Victoria to the stage as the “most beautiful woman in the room”.

Nicola saw it as the “final straw” after pre-wedding rows including the decision not to wear a ­Victoria-designed bridal gown.

The butler said: “To suggest the meltdown between Brooklyn and his parents was caused by Victoria twerking with him is misleading.

“Nicola was upset by the words from Marc Anthony that preceded the dance.

“After the dance row, she told Brooklyn in regard to David and Victoria: ‘I don’t want to be around them… you have a decision to make: Me or her’.

“She gave him an ultimatum and he was helpless in that scenario to do anything other than choose his wife.”

Wedding DJ Fat Tony also chipped in, adding: “There was no slut-dropping, there was no black PVC catsuit, there was no Spice Girl action.”

In a ruthless six-page statement on social media this week, Brooklyn aimed dozens of explosive accusations at his “blindsided” family.

He also berated those around him and made it clear he has no desire to reconcile.

Claiming to be standing up for himself for the first time, he called out his famous parents for their “inauthenticity”.

The aspiring chef went as far as accusing them of making bribes and scolded his family for their treatment of his wife, Nicola, 31.

Launching a furious tirade at his mum Victoria, 51, he accused her of ruining their wedding in April 2022.

He alleged the former Spice Girl cancelled making Nicola’s wedding dress “at the 11th hour” – throwing the whole event into disarray.

Brooklyn also claims his mum called him “evil” over table arrangements at the wedding and accused her of “hijacking” his first dance with his wife.

He wrote: “During the wedding planning, my mum went so far as to call me ‘evil’ because Nicola and I chose to include my Nanny Sandra, and Nicola’s Naunni at our table, because they both didn’t have their husbands.

“Both of our parents had their own tables equally adjacent to ours.”

And recalling the “embarrassing” first dance, the former photographer blasted his mum for performing “inappropriate moves”.

Part of the statement detailed: “In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife, but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me.

“She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”

Friends of the Beckhams have told The Sun both David, 50, and Victoria have been left “floored” by their son’s accusations.

It’s easy enough to forget – but if you’re one of the many who do, it can get expensive fast.

Cruises remain an incredibly sought-after getaway option for travellers of all ages. The most recent figures from Cruise Lines International Association reveal that a record-breaking 2.4 million passengers embarked on cruises in 2024.

If you’re planning to become part of that statistic this year, it’s crucial to understand the typical pitfalls many holidaymakers encounter. While cruises offer fantastic experiences, they’re not without their hazards.

Post Office Travel Insurance has highlighted several frequent errors travellers commit that can leave them significantly out of pocket. Among these is cabin confinement.

Should you become unwell during your voyage, there’s a possibility you’ll be isolated from other passengers, resulting in the loss of hundreds of pounds’ worth of entertainment and dining experiences.

If you contract something infectious like norovirus – a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, confinement becomes highly probable, reports the Express.

Without thoroughly examining your travel insurance policy, these costs could fall entirely on your shoulders.

More concerning than mere isolation, if you suffer a serious illness or injury requiring evacuation, the expenses can escalate dramatically. Should you need transportation to a mainland medical facility, costs can rapidly climb into the thousands.

Cruise-specific cover includes emergency medical treatment, rejoining the ship and repatriation, allowing you to focus on recovery rather than worrying about finances.

Occasionally, cruises will bypass scheduled ports owing to adverse weather conditions or safety concerns.

If you have pre-booked excursions at these ports, you’ll be left out of pocket, with cruise operators often not obliged to issue refunds.

Similarly, cruises can be subject to last-minute itinerary changes due to weather or port conditions.

Should you have hotel reservations or transport arrangements planned and subsequently miss them, the cruise company is unlikely to reimburse you, which is why securing appropriate insurance is absolutely crucial.

Adam Edinburgh, head of Post Office travel & new products, commented: “Cruising has become one of the most exciting ways to travel, especially for younger generations seeking flexibility and adventure.

“But with spontaneity comes responsibility. It’s about making sure your trip is memorable for the right reasons.”

A travel insurance expert has shared the top ten most annoying habits of tourists – but one could now land you with an on-the-spot fine.

With spring on the horizon, chances are you’re already fantasising about your next getaway. But as families gear up for half-term escapes and plan their 2026 adventures, a travel insurance specialist has unveiled the ten most irritating tourist behaviours.

These typical annoyances are probably things you’ve been caught doing yourself, but one particular habit could now see you slapped with an immediate fine. Research from Tiger.co.uk reveals that the most despised in-flight behaviour is passengers who recline their seats.

However, it’s the second most loathed action that might leave you £50 out of pocket.

When your plane touches down, the urge to get off quickly is understandable – but being overly eager could land you in trouble.

Not only is jumping up straight after landing the second most irritating habit, but it could be expensive.

If you’re jetting off to Turkey, it’ll cost you instantly, reports the Express.

This is due to new regulations brought in by Turkey’s aviation authority.

Following a surge in passenger complaints, Turkey’s aviation authority has brought in fresh rules.

These new rules allow travellers to be hit with a £53 on-the-spot fine if they stand up before the aircraft has fully stopped.

The BBC reports that Turkey’s aviation authority has instructed commercial airlines flying into the country to make an in-flight announcement about the regulation, and to report anyone who flouts it.

All travellers must be informed to keep their seatbelts fastened and remain seated until the aircraft has completely stopped and the seatbelt sign has been switched off.

The ten most annoying habits

1. Seat reclining – 14%
2. Standing before the seatbelt sign has been turned off – 12%
3. Not being prepared for security or passport checks – 11%
4. Using devices without headphones – 9%
5. Standing in your row before the plane doors are open – 9%
6. Queuing to board before the flight is called – 8%
7. Fiddling with cabin baggage above your head – 7%
8. Clapping as the plane touches down – 6%
9. Asking to swap seats – 6%
10. Talking during the safety demonstration – 6%

I WANDER through lush vines laden with grapes, clutching a wine glass to sample the produce as I go.

I could be in France’s Champagne region – but no, I’m at the Oxney Organic Estate in East Sussex.

Oxney, near the pretty coastal town of Rye, is the largest single-estate producer of organic wine in England and welcoming more tourists than ever, all keen to learn more and explore its 35 acres.

As well as vineyard tours, there are wine-flight tastings and lunches.

I enjoyed a picnic of local cheeses, breads and home-made brownies, served in a basket and accompanied by a glass of wine.

Oxney, which planted its first vines in 2012, is part of Sussex’s recently launched Rother Wine Triangle, connecting six vineyards in the Rother Valley.

VIN-TASTIC

You can sleep inside a giant wine jar in the middle of a vineyard

WINE NOT?

I stayed at one of England’s oldest vineyards in the Cotswolds with wine tours

Visitors can use local transport or go by foot or bicycle along marked trails through rolling countryside.

Or firms such as Vine and Country ferry visitors between vineyards by minibus, serving up lunches cooked by private chefs.

Figures from WineGB, the trade association for the UK industry, show the number of vineyards across the country has increased by seven per cent in the last year alone.

There are now around 1,100 – and many are in the South East, which enjoys similar climate, soil and topography to the Champagne region of north east France.

Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB, tells me: “The thought of growing Chardonnay here 30 years ago would have been seen as crazy. However, we now have a climate more suited to viticulture.

“Our data shows the number of days above 30C gradually increasing, and the number of days from flowering to harvest gradually decreasing.”

Wine tourism is also booming, with 1.5million visits to vineyards and wineries in 2023, up 55 per cent compared with the previous year.

Not far from Oxney, wine buffs are also sampling the produce at Mountfield, Oastbrook, Sedlescombe and Tillingham.

My next stop, though, is Charles Palmer Vineyard, just outside the ancient East Sussex town of Winchelsea.

It’s a laidback spot, with picnic tables and wooden pods set up for tastings with views over the lush green vines in the valley below.

Next year will mark 20 years since the first of these were planted by hand.

The first vintage was produced three years later, in 2009, with just shy of 1,000 bottles released.

Today, the site produces tens of thousands of bottles a year and offers 18 tastings a week, with sparkling wines including a Classic Cuvée among the favourites.

But whichever of all these fabulous Sussex wine producers you visit, you’ll experience the very best of the increasingly tasty and moreish English wine.

You might even delay that pricey jaunt to Champagne for a few more years.

SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan. 23 (UPI) — Rising public debt has again become a central concern for Latin American economies, amid low growth, higher financing costs and an uneven fiscal recovery after the pandemic.

The trend reflects broader regional pressures that mirror a more restrictive global financial environment.

Chile illustrates this dynamic. Public debt reached 43.3% of gross domestic product in September, the highest level in more than four decades, according to the latest report from the Budget Office at the Finance Ministry.

The agency said the increase was driven mainly by new debt issuance, exchange rate movements and a reduced impact from inflation.

Budget Director Javiera Martinez said the current administration inherited “a very complex fiscal situation marked by post-pandemic macroeconomic imbalances: high inflation and a historic structural deficit of minus 10.6% of GDP.”

She added that after spending was reoriented and budget adjustments were implemented, “the growth trend was reversed, making this administration the one with the smallest increase in debt since President Michelle Bachelet‘s first term from 2006 to 2010.”

From a regional perspective, analysts say the challenge extends beyond Chile.

Economist Carlos Smith, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Development’s Center for Business and Society Research, said Chile’s figures “do not represent an imminent default risk” but should be viewed cautiously in a low-growth environment.

“The country is growing at around 2% to 2.5%. That is potentially low growth and it creates risks for the economy because interest payments absorb about 9% of fiscal revenues,” Smith said. It’s a pattern he noted is common across several Latin American economies.

Even so, Smith said Chile still holds comparative advantages in the region.

“It is concerning because of the speed of growth and budget rigidity, but compared with other countries, debt remains low. Chile has access to financial markets at reasonable rates and a credit rating that remains in a solid position,” he said.

Chile also operates under a fiscal rule that sets a public debt threshold near 45% of GDP to ensure long-term sustainability. Smith warned that failing to rein in debt growth could carry additional concerns.

“There could be other risks, such as losing the credibility of the fiscal rule, which would limit access to the rates we currently enjoy and that are quite privileged within the region,” he said.

In comparative terms, the International Monetary Fund projects Latin America will have closed 2025 with public debt equal to 73.1% of GDP, reflecting years of fiscal deficits, higher social spending and reduced capacity to absorb external shocks.

The IMF has also warned that global debt is on track to exceed 100% of GDP by 2029, the highest level since 1948.

Within the region, debt levels are highest in Brazil at 91.4%, followed by Argentina at 78.8%, Uruguay at 66.6%, Colombia at 60.0% and Mexico at 58.9%. Chile at 42.7% and Peru at 32.1% remain among the least indebted.

“Chile is among the strongest in a difficult neighborhood. It remains solid by comparison, but that advantage gap has narrowed,” Smith said. “It carries a lighter fiscal burden than Brazil, Mexico, Colombia or Argentina, which provides greater resilience to shocks such as a rate hike by the Fed.”

Smith said Brazil’s high debt stems from the fact that “virtually all state revenue goes to paying pensions and interest,” leaving “very little room for public investment.”

By contrast, Peru maintains low debt levels, but faces structural constraints.

“Low debt alone is not enough if there are no political institutions that allow investment to be projected,” he said.

Other countries face different challenges.

Venezuela, for example, posts debt levels above 150%, alongside hyperinflation, international sanctions and a prolonged economic collapse.

Argentina, with debt above 100% of GDP, faces the task of stabilizing its economy “without triggering a complex social crisis,” Smith said.

Low-debt economies, such as Paraguay, also show vulnerabilities.

“It has low debt, thanks to hydropower and agriculture, but it is very vulnerable to climate conditions,” Smith said, adding that the regional challenge is to invest in infrastructure without undermining fiscal sustainability.

JPMorgan has also flagged risks in Colombia, noting that higher public spending in 2025 aimed at boosting consumption widened the current account deficit. The bank said growth is being driven by resource injections rather than productivity gains.

“The region’s weak performance is rooted in a combination of political instability, fiscal fragility, inequality and insecurity,” said Nur Cristiani, JPMorgan’s head of investment strategy for Latin America.

“Political volatility has led to frequent policy reversals, undermining long-term investment. Fiscal deficits and procyclical spending have left countries vulnerable to external shocks.”

“Ultimately, Chile sits in a group with relatively low debt in the region but faces the challenge of boosting productivity and consolidating its fiscal position,” Smith said, warning that the country risks converging toward the regional average if it fails to protect both institutional strength and fiscal discipline.

Australia has taken the next step in its wide-ranging program to overhaul its air force with the arrival of its first MC-55A Peregrine. The platform, configured for “airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare” (AISREW), is a highly modified version of the Gulfstream G550 business jet, an increasingly popular choice for adaptation for these kinds of specialist missions.

Aviation photographer @airman941 shared with TWZ photos of the arrival of the MC-55 at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia, its future home base. The jet touched down there at 3:53 p.m. local time today, after a multi-leg delivery flight that took it from the L3Harris facility in Greenville, Texas, to Australia via stopovers at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Wake Island; and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

The MC-55, which is still wearing its U.S. civilian test registration N584GA, is one of four currently on order for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), supposedly the third to be built. On its tailfin, the jet already wears the marking of its operating unit, No. 10 Squadron, which previously flew the AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, including the RAAF’s secretive electronic warfare versions.

In 2017, the U.S. State Department gave approval for Australia to purchase up to five of the modified jets, plus their specialized systems. Two years later, Canberra announced the AISREW program, confirming the $1.6-billion acquisition of four of the modified G550 aircraft under Project AIR 555.

By the spring of 2022, the first MC-55 was spotted flying test sorties from Gulfstream’s plant in Savannah, Georgia, as you can read about here.

The MC-55’s comprehensive AISREW suite is reflected in the numerous antennas around the fuselage as well as the huge belly ‘canoe’ and bulbous tail cone containing additional sensors. An unidentified dome projects from below the tail. Below the fuselage, an extensive antenna ‘farm’ likely serves electronic and communications intelligence-gathering and communications relay functions. Other standout features of the modification include a satellite communications array in the dorsal position and a prominent satcom antenna fairing atop the tailfin.

Unlike certain other G550 conversions, the MC-55 lacks the conformal ‘cheek’ fairings that contain active electronically scanned array (AESA) antennas, as found on the U.S. Navy’s NC-37B range tracking jet and the U.S. Air Force’s EA-37B Compass Call, for example.

The aircraft is also intended to serve as a networking relay and data-fusion platform. In this way, it will serve as a node within Australia’s joint warfighting network, linking together aircraft such as the F-35A, E-7A Wedgetail, and EA-18G Growler, as well as Royal Australian Navy surface combatants and amphibious ships, and ground forces.

This would involve the MC-55 creating an ‘active net’ across the battlespace, which would also cover lower flying drones and networked cruise missiles, for example, as well as everything else. Such a function is similar to that provided by the U.S. Air Force’s E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, or BACN, fleet.

Details of the various sensors have not been revealed, but in the past, we speculated that the belly ‘canoe’ and bulbous tail cone likely contain AESA arrays, which would be used for standoff electronic attacks, as well as intelligence-gathering. Potentially, the antenna below the belly could be multi-function, since AESA radars can be used for both pinpoint electronic attacks as well as for sensing and communications. This could possibly include being used for ground mapping and ground-moving target indication (GMTI) functions, although arrays that are more finely tuned to the electronic attack role seems most likely.

On the other hand, it could be the case that the MC-55 will serve primarily as a passive intelligence-collection platform, without AESAs or other active electronic warfare emitters. Nevertheless, the tail and the large ventral antenna fairings make this less likely.

Regardless of its precise functions, it’s clear that the MC-55 is intended as a multirole aircraft, encompassing a variety of functions that would have previously been distributed across discrete platforms. Putting all of this into a relatively small airframe is aided by advances in miniaturization, more powerful sensors, and the ability to transmit data to other nodes, in near real-time, using high-bandwidth satellite datalinks.

Even the U.S. Air Force’s new EA-37B, which can perform both electronic intelligence-gathering and electronic warfare missions, is likely less flexible than the MC-55. Notably, contractor L3Harris Technologies is responsible for integrating the mission systems on the EA-37B and the MC-55.

Ultimately, the MC-55 has been tailored to meet the requirements of what Australia has dubbed its “fully networked fifth-generation air force.”

Central to this effort is a major expansion of the RAAF’s electronic warfare and ISR capabilities, which we discussed at length in this past TWZ feature. In this regard, Australia has very much taken a lead when it comes to operating at the cutting edge of the radio-frequency spectrum.

It’s worth noting that the RAAF’s key crewed combat aircraft, the F-35A and F/A-18F Super Hornet, are both well-equipped with electronic warfare self-protection equipment, while the EA-18G is a specialist in the field of electronic attack. The opportunity to have all of these and more working closely with the MC-55 as part of a wider electronic attack and electronic intelligence collection ecosystem is significant.

Another area in which the RAAF is playing a pioneering role is in the introduction of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).

Australia has already acquired eight MQ-28A Ghost Bat drones, all pre-production prototypes, also referred to as Block 1 aircraft. The service previously awarded Boeing a contract to deliver at least three more examples in the improved Block 2 configuration.

So far, the RAAF has tested the E-7 as a control platform for the MQ-28, including in multi-ship formations. In the future, the MC-55 would also appear to be an ideal platform for this kind of crewed-uncrewed teaming. While the MQ-28 has been used to test-fire the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), electronic warfare is also seen as a very likely future mission. As such, the drone could carry electronic payloads into more contested airspace, working collaboratively with the MC-55, which is not a highly survivable asset. Controlled from aboard the MC-55, the drones could extend the crewed aircraft’s reach, as well as provide an extended-range self-protection escort function.

Operating out of RAAF Base Edinburgh, the home base of the service’s Surveillance and Response Group (SRG), also known as No. 92 Wing, the MC-55 will certainly work closely with maritime surveillance aircraft, in the shape of the P-8A Poseidon (co-located at the same base) and the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance drone. At one time, MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones were also planned to join the SRG, before Australia canceled its order and redirected funds elsewhere.

Outside of Base Edinburgh, dedicated MC-55 support facilities are planned for RAAF Base Darwin in the Northern Territory, RAAF Base Townsville in Queensland, and on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, ensuring even greater regional coverage and operational flexibility.

With the growing Chinese military threat in the Indo-Pacific region, evidenced by an increasing number of incidents involving the Australian Defense Force and China’s military, the MC-55 will almost certainly be used to keep tabs on this potential adversary. The aircraft’s ISR capabilities mean it will be well-suited to surveilling Chinese military expansion and monitoring Beijing’s activities in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. In this regard, the option to operate the MC-55 out of the Cocos Islands, deep in the Indian Ocean, approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka, will be especially valuable.

The MC-55 looks set to be one of, if not the most prized, low-density, high-demand assets within the RAAF. It also points to the Gulfstream bizjet as being among the platforms of choice for these kinds of modifications. Platforms like these are becoming increasingly cost-effective, thanks in no small part to steady improvements in jet engine technology, and their popularity has been proven out by continued new orders.

Whether Australia buys more MC-55s remains to be seen. At one time, five were planned, but the program has also suffered from delays. Previously, the first example had been slated for delivery in 2022.

For the time being, however, the Royal Australian Air Force will be looking forward to the introduction to service of its first MC-55A Peregrine, an aircraft that is set to radically enhance its wider ISR and electronic warfare capabilities.

With thanks to @airman941 for sharing photos with us. You can find more of his work here.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

KATIE Price’s concerned family even “haven’t met” her new fiance yet, and fear she’s “moving too fast” after her split from JJ Slater just weeks ago.

Mum-of-five, Katie, 47, sent fans wild yesterday when she announced she was set to get married for a FOURTH time.

Katie‘s latest whirlwind romance is with Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews.

The star announced the big news that she had got engaged again on her Instagram stories yesterday, leaving fans shocked.

The post included a picture of rose petals arranged to read “will you marry me?”.

Katie also showed off her huge new diamond engagement ring.

TIME TO REFLECT

JJ Slater says ‘do not disturb’ as ex Katie Price reveals shock engagement

KATE ESCAPE

The TRUTH about Katie Price’s split with JJ Slater as pals reveal ‘real reason’

But The Sun can reveal that fans aren’t the only ones to find out about the reality star’s surprise engagement on Instagram – according to sources, her family did too.

An insider exclusively told us: “The family found out about the engagement on Instagram – they were stunned.

“It came as a massive shock to them all.”

Our source added: “Katie’s family are so worried as it’s all happening so fast.

“They were upset when she split with JJ and now they haven’t even met this new man and she’s engaged.”

The Sun has contacted Katie’s representative for comment.

Katie’s family’s concern comes as this latest engagement is her NINTH – and will be her FOURTH marriage.

It comes as the star shocked fans further when she unveiled her latest tattoo today.

Posting on Instagram Stories, her new fiance Lee shared a sweet pic of the couple holding hands.

However, on Katie’s left hand you can clearly see his name inked on it.

SPLITTING FROM JJ – JUST WEEKS AGO

It was only a few weeks ago that Katie was in a relationship with JJ Slater.

But, after a lot of speculation, she very recently confirmed they had parted ways.

“I don’t wanna waste my time,” Katie bluntly said on her podcast.

“You know, if I’m not loved up and it’s not going, these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.

“You stay, just go along, and then it ends up getting nasty.

“Yeah. And I don’t want that. So I’d rather have nipped it in the bud sooner rather than later.

“But yeah, I was there at Christmas, because, you know, the family and stuff, because it was already arranged, but it was over ages ago, really.”

JJ’S REACTION TO ENGAGEMENT NEWS

As news that his ex had got engaged just weeks after their split, JJ fled the country for some time alone.

The Married At First Sight star shared a clip of himself going on a hike on a winter sun break.

He set the short video to Drake‘s song Do Not Disturb.

This could be his way of saying he needs some time to think after his ex’s shock news.

JJ wrote over the top of the clip: “Staying on track even when daily routine changes.

“Simple, achievable and enjoyable plans put together, all I have to do is do the work.”

Katie Price’s relationship history

We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.

1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.

1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.

2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.

2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.

2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.

2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.

2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.

2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.

2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.

2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They had two kids together, Jett and Bunny, before their break-up and divorce.

2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.

2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.

2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years. They broke up for a final time last year.

2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.

2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she is engaged to businessman Lee Andrews.

THERE is a beach in the UK that people say feels more like being abroad – but you will have to look at it from a distance.

Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps beach in Cornwall has been praised as looking like paradise.

The only catch? It’s currently closed to the public.

Due to the risk of rockfall, and damage to the stairs that lead to the beach, it has been closed since

Luke, who is known as adventureswith.luke, said on his social media: “A stairway to paradise. Can you believe this is in the UK?”

In the footage, Luke filmed himself at the top of the cliff before panning the camera down to showcase the views of the sandy beach.

HEATING UP

UK beaches with the warmest water to visit this summer

SHORELY NOT

‘Enchanting’ UK beach Brits say is like the Med & rated higher than Seychelles

The video has been watched thousands of times, with users in the comments describing the beach as “amazing”, while others couldn’t believe it was in the UK.

And Luke isn’t the only holidaymaker on TikTok who has been praising the beach.

Jennny (@alievskaya.uk) also visited the beach earlier this year and said it was a “must-visit coastal location in England“.

Holidaymakers have also been raving about the beach on Tripadvisor.

One added: “Stunning views of beautiful coast and countryside.”

Someone else wrote: “An absolutely beautiful walk across the cliffs, the views were outstanding.”

Access to the beach has been closed off since 2019 after a landslide caused some of the steps to topple.

Holidaymakers have been advised against finding alternative routes onto the sandy beach by the National Trust and RNLI.

But there are other beaches in the area that holidaymakers can visit like Pentire Steps Beach.

This sandy cove is nestled between Padstow and Newquay, but access isn’t for the faint-hearted as it requires a climb down via a footpath.

Other nearby activities include surfing lessons, kayaking lessons, and cave and cliff coasteering lessons.

The Isles of Scilly in Cornwall have sandy beaches, peaceful waters, and exotic wildlife.

Meanwhile, this little-known beach has been voted the best in the UK.

Protesters march in icy conditions to protest against the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies, demanding ICE leave the city.

Thousands of demonstrators have braved bitter cold to march through the streets of Minneapolis in the United States and demand an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in their city.

Friday’s march started with temperatures as low as minus 29 Celsius (minus 20 Fahrenheit), with organisers saying that as many as 50,000 people took to the streets, a figure that could not be independently verified.

Many demonstrators later gathered indoors at the Target Center, a sports arena with a capacity of 20,000.

Organisers and participants said dozens of businesses across Minnesota closed for the day as part of the “ICE OUT!” show of defiance that organisers billed as a general strike.

Workers headed to street protests and marches, which followed weeks of sometimes violent confrontations between US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protesters opposed to Trump’s surge.

“It is 23 degrees below zero but the stores are closed and these demonstrators are out braving the coldest day on record since 2019 all to send a simple message to ICE: Get Out,” Al Jazeera’s John Hendren said, reporting from Minneapolis.

Just a day earlier, US Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis in a demonstration of support for ICE officers and to ask local leaders and activists to reduce tensions, saying ICE was carrying out an important mission to detain immigration violators.

In one of the more dramatic protests, local police arrested dozens of clergy members who sang hymns and prayed as they knelt on a road at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, calling for Trump to withdraw the 3,000 federal law enforcement officers sent to the area.

Organisers said their demands included legal accountability for the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good, a US citizen, in her car this month as she monitored ICE activities.

They ignored commands to clear the road by officers from local police departments, who arrested and zip-tied dozens of the protesters, without resistance, before putting them onto buses.

Organisers said about 100 clergy members were arrested.

‘Largest strike’

Faith in Minnesota, a nonprofit advocacy group that helped organise the protest, said the clergy were also calling attention to airport and airline workers, who they said had been detained by ICE at work. The group asked that airline companies “stand with Minnesotans in calling for ICE to immediately end its surge in the state”.

Across the state, bars, restaurants and shops were closing for the day, organisers said, in what was intended to be the largest display yet of opposition to the federal government’s surge.

“Make no mistake, we are facing a full federal occupation by the United States government through the arm of ICE on unceded Dakota land,” said Rachel Dionne-Thunder, vice president of the Indigenous Protector Movement.

She was one of a series of Indigenous, religious, labour and community leaders to speak, calling on ICE to withdraw and for a thorough investigation into Good’s shooting.

Trump, a Republican, was elected in 2024 largely on his platform of enforcing immigration laws, with a promise to crack down on violent criminals, saying his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, was too lax in border security.

But Trump’s aggressive deployment of federal law enforcement into Democratic-led cities and states has further spurred political polarisation in the US, especially since the shooting of Good, the detention of a US citizen who was taken from his home in his underwear, and the detention of schoolchildren, including a five-year-old boy.

The numerous Fortune 500 companies that call Minnesota home have refrained from public statements about the immigration raids.

Donald Trump’s latest attempt to seize Greenland shows that the president is willing to use US force to determine international borders, even at the expense of sovereignty.

Western allies – NATO countries included –  publicly formed a united front, but private messages have revealed a more deferential approach to dealing with Trump.

This latest crisis may have been averted, but the question remains: Does the so-called rules-based international order apply to Trump?

Contributors: 
Louise Bokkenheuser – Writer and editor
Branko Marcetic – Staff writer, Jacobin
Anchal Vohra – Columnist, Foreign Policy
Ulrich Bruckner – Professor for European studies, Stanford University

On our radar:

Donald Trump launched his highly-publicised “Board of Peace” initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.

The signing ceremony followed a familiar pattern for this White House – a carefully staged event centred on Trump, his overblown claims of peacemaking, and speeches in praise of him. But the turnout appears to have fallen short of the hype.

A conversation with Ellie Leonard

Trump’s Justice Department was ordered to publish documents from the Epstein files more than a month ago. Only 1% of the heavily redacted material has been made public.

While the Trump administration floods the zone with news that mainstream outlets have been chasing, an unconventional team of investigators is digging into the Epstein files to see what’s there. They are led by online investigator Ellie Leonard in New York City.

Featuring: 

Ellie Leonard – Contributing editor, Blue Amp Media

SCARY Spice has dropped a huge hint that the famed noughties girl group could reunite.

Mel B was spotted liking a clip about the Spice Girls getting back together after they officially split in 2001.

Speaking on the Shouldn’t Laugh But… podcast Laura Smyth suggested the only way Victoria Beckham, 51, could escape the PR “disaster” which ensued after her son Brooklyn’s explosive statement, is to get the group back together.

The Beckham’s estranged son accused his mum and dad of 12 blistering allegations on Monday – which seems to have put an end to any rumours of reconciliation.

But now Pop singer Mel B seems to agree with the podcast hosts as she dropped a cheeky like on the post.

Fans couldn’t help but see it as a sign – they went wild begging for a new album and a tour.

SCARY COINCIDENCE

Mel B used to babysit former England star and Match of the Day pundit

VIVA FOREVER

Mel B’s daughter Phoenix hints Spice Girls is set for 30th anniversary reunion

Speaking directly to Posh Spice Laura said: “There is only one way on this earth you will ever come back from this PR disaster.

“Three words. Spice Girls reunion. It will eclipse it all and I want you there. I don’t want four of them. I want all five.

“And that is the only way your going to get past this.”

Mel, 50, seemed to think the reunion was a stellar idea as she shared her seal of approval on Instagram.

One fan wrote: “Hahahaha she’s already number 1 – she don’t need no comeback!”

Another said: “We need 5 for the power of SPICE.”

A third viewer said: “Yeah, she needs to do it. Let’s bring them back I want a new album and a new tour. They could do a 30 year reunion.”

A fourth fan added: “And Mel B ‘liked’ this (shocked face emoji).”

This comes as Brooklyn, the Beckham’s eldest son, launched a scathing attack on his mum and dad earlier this week.

His furious tirade, which he posted to Instagram in a bid to defend himself and his wife Nicola Peltz accused Posh and England footie legend David, 50, of a dozen allegations.

The 26-year-old aspiring chef alleged Victoria cancelled making Nicola’s wedding dress “at the 11th hour” and that his mum then “hijacked” their first dance.

In the six-page explosive statement he also claimed both of his parents have been trying to “endlessly ruin my relationship” with Nicola.

Fans and celebrities were left gobsmacked by the revelations and even began to weigh in on what side they were choosing in bitter Brooklyn vs Beckham feud.

It seems many fans have chosen to back the Beckhams as they rallied around Victoria soaring her solo single Not Such An Innocent Girl to number one on the iTunes chart.

The single went viral after a post encouraging fans to “fix the national tragedy” that “Victoria is the only Spice Girl without a solo #1″ emerged online.

20-year-old Cruz Beckham even through his support behind the surprising campaign as he reposted the tune to his Instagram story.

IT’S early afternoon as we settle at a tiny wooden table on the cobbles outside Cafe Sant Antonio in the sleepy Sicilian village of Pollina.

Sitting at 2,500ft above sea level, the historic hamlet on the northern coast delivers astonishing views of the Madonie mountains and Tyrrhenian Sea.

But it’s not just the views that have our eyes widening as we peruse the cafe menu.

My husband chooses a beer for £1.50. My glass of wine sets us back £2.15.

A little peckish, a snack is in order.

I opt for a piadina, a traditional Italian flatbread stuffed with oozing mozzarella and slices of ripe tomatoes.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

More than enough for lunch, it costs just £3.

The other half goes for a meaty panini roll generously filled with prosciutto ham and cheese for £3.50.

The food is fresh and delicious.

And paying just over a tenner for the two of us to enjoy it while admiring the picture-perfect views is even more delightful.

Pretty Pollina is one of those wonderful hilltop Sicilian villages you have to visit, much like Corleone — although it doesn’t have the latter’s infamous Mafia history.

We walk off the cheese with a turn around the twisting medieval alleyways and step-filled streets, passing a scattering of shops and bars with elderly gentleman shooting the breeze outside.

Local beers cost just 40p in the supermarket, a bottle of rosé only £1.80

A few turns later, we find ourselves at the Pietra Rosa amphitheatre, carved directly from the pinkish rock.

As if we couldn’t feel more smug, it turns out we also have the place to ourselves.

Sicily in mid-September is a delight.

The summer crowds are gone, but we’ve got glorious blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine with temperatures hovering in the high 20s.

And we make the most of every last drop of that sunshine at our beachfront villa, Ad Astra in Finale di Pollina.

Part of the collection hand-picked by Wish Sicily and with direct access to the beach, this much-loved family holiday home has been recently refurbished — and its white walls sparkle in the sunshine.

Inside, there are four generously-sized bedrooms, three bathrooms and a lounge diner decorated with charming family treasures.

The well-equipped kitchen leads on to the real star of the show — the spectacular outdoor space.

A shaded terrace runs the length of the back of the villa, with a huge dining table and comfy cushioned lounge furniture.

Beyond that is a substantial pool for daytime dips and a hot tub, perfect for a soak on the slightly cooler evenings.

Add to that a lovely lawn with sun loungers and two outdoor kitchens, this villa really is set up for making the most of its spectacular setting.

Glass walls frame the expansive sea view, and through the little gate, more hammocks, sofas and tables are set up under parasols on the pebbly beach.

A shaded terrace runs the length of the back of the villa, with a huge dining table and comfy cushioned lounge furniture

With bikes, paddle boards, snorkel gear and pool toys aplenty, everything you need is on hand.

Stocking up for al-fresco meals and drinks as the sun set was easy — the local shops and restaurants in Finale di Pollina again had us raising our eyebrows at the bargain prices.

Local beers cost just 40p in the supermarket, a bottle of rosé only £1.80.

At the pizzeria, a takeaway margherita set us back £4.

Another great find was the rustic Beach Club Costa Turchina, a three-minute walk along the beach from our villa.

Luxury escapism

This family-run restaurant offers superb local dishes at great prices.

A huge bowl of shell-on langoustine prawns and pasta was from £10, freshly deep-fried seafood from £8 and a juicy steak the size of a dinner plate for £14.

For 2026, the owners are expanding and are offering yurt stays with private hot tubs in a field next to the restaurant, and you can hire bikes, scooters and boats from the club as well.

We had a hire car from the airport and it definitely gave us the freedom to explore.

The seaside town of Cefalu was just a 30-minute drive along the winding coastal roads and perfect for a day trip.

Parking right by the seafront, we wandered along the promenade by the wide, sandy beach and into the old town, passing the many shops and restaurants in the tiny alleyways.

At medieval sea gate Porta Pescara we joined the Instagram crowds to take our obligatory shots before wandering past the quirky Lavatoio Medievale — an ancient wash house fed by a river that falls into the sea.

The seaside town of Cefalu was just a 30-minute drive along the winding coastal roads and perfect for a day trip

The 12th-century cathedral with its soaring twin towers and elaborate Byzantine mosaics was well worth a visit, with a reviving drink in the square below it just as delightful.

Lunch was back on the seafront.

The Porta Ossuna restaurant and pizzeria had a table right above the beach for us to enjoy the freshest of salads with burrata and prawns.

Lovely as lunch was, it was still a joy to arrive back at adorable villa Ad Astra for a snooze in the sunshine on the terrace before yet another astonishing sunset enjoyed on the beach, alongside crisp, cold wine and fat olives bought on our day out.

The villa proved the ultimate in laid-back, luxury escapism.

And travelling out of season meant no crowds, just peace and sunshine.

This Sicilian secret was something beyond all the movie myths of the infamous crime families.

And the only protection you’ll need to pay for here is suncream.

The incident happened after 10-time champion Djokovic, leading 6-3 4-2 at the time, saw a pacy return from world number 75 Van de Zandschulp go long for deuce.

In a split-second, Djokovic casually hooked the ball left.

“I don’t even think he knew the ball kid was there. But it was three inches from getting defaulted,” said former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who was analysing the third-round match for BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He’s hit that in an area where nine times out of 10 is probably a default. He’s managed somehow to sneak in between the ball kid and the spectators to the left.”

In New York little over five years ago, it was a clear-cut case.

Djokovic took a ball out of his pocket and hit it behind him, striking the female line judge in her throat.

It was an infamous incident which the Serb swiftly apologised for, saying it had left him “really sad and empty”.

Given he felt he needed to apologise again in Melbourne, many will question whether Djokovic has learned his lesson.

He also fell awkwardly during the third set and, shortly afterwards, received treatment for a blister on his right foot.

But ultimately Djokovic won in two hours and 44 minutes, keeping up his record of not yet dropping a set at this event, and a lighter workload could prove critical for his hopes of winning standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

He will play Czech 16th seed Jakub Mensik in round four.

Brits are following Martin Lewis’s advice on booking flights from different airports at certain times – and you could save money too with these clever tips and hacks

January marks the period when countless families begin contemplating their summer getaway destinations, but if you’re raising school-aged youngsters it might end up draining your wallet.

Costs for package holidays can more than treble throughout the school breaks which explains why some mums and dads remove their kids from lessons during term-time.

However, we’ve found a way you can still experience the ideal family break during the school holidays without emptying your savings account.

One Martin Lewis supporter revealed she slashed £6,000 from the price of three getaways by heeding his guidance. And the MSE website highlights a deal where you can save £1,148 on a holiday for four.

READ MORE: ‘I paid off £16,000 debt in two years using 8 simple tips – anyone can do it’

As Martin outlines on his MSE platform: “Most schools in England and Wales break up around the week starting 20 July.

So book for before then if your school finishes sooner, eg many in Leicestershire break up 8 July this summer.We found a week’s four-star self-catering in Dalaman for £449pp leaving 10 July, but £736pp two weeks after.”

If you reside in northern England or northern Wales it could be worthwhile looking at departing from Scotland because their school holiday schedules differ.

“Fly from Scotland in the last two weeks of August, even if you don’t live there. As Scottish schools generally return around 12 Aug, you can make big savings by flying the family out from Scotland instead.

“We saw the same Rhodes all-inclusive holiday flying from Edinburgh for £354pp less than flying from Manchester. It works in reverse too.”

And if you reside in southern Scotland, why not consider departing from northern England? As the website clarifies: “Fly from England in late June/early July, even if you don’t live there. So on 27 Jun, the day after most Scottish schools break up, a three-star all-inclusive week in Majorca was £1,010pp flying from Glasgow, but just £695pp from Liverpool.”

Alison informed MSE: “We saved about £6,000 over three holidays flying with Tui from Manchester instead of locally at Glasgow and Edinburgh. That includes petrol, extra meals and a hotel the night before.”

If this approach doesn’t suit you, then remember that the final two weeks of summer are typically more affordable as costs plummet sharply at the end of August. MSE discovered a week’s three-star self-catering in Lake Garda was £1,019pp departing 29 July, but £752pp departing 22 Aug..

Finally, think about having your ‘summer’ break during October half-term instead. MSE found a week’s five-star all-inclusive in Crete for £1,121pp in Oct half-term, but £1,832pp in early August.

And it’s one I can personally endorse – I consistently saved several hundred pounds taking my daughter on her main getaway in May when she was of school age.

READ MORE: £10 Dunelm dehumidifier that stops condensation and dries laundry fast

Jan. 23 (UPI) — Vice President JD Vance told March for Life participants that he understands their frustration but assured them that more progress will be made to curb abortions.

Vance addressed the 53rd annual March for Life event on Friday, telling attendees that the proverbial “elephant in the room” is that little progress has been made to rein in abortion at the federal level.

“We are going to continue to make strides over the next three years to come,” Vance said, adding that abortion is an existential matter.

“It is about whether we remain a civilization under God, or whether we will ultimately return to the paganism that has dominated the past,” Vance told march attendees.

“There is still much road ahead to travel together,” he said, as reported by PBS. “Let the record show, you have a vice president who practices what he preaches.”

The annual pro-life event drew many participants who expressed frustration that more has not been done to restrict abortion after the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v Wade and left such laws up to respective states.

Vance, 41, called that decision the most important made by the Supreme Court during his lifetime.

He also cited the expansion of the federal government’s policy against providing foreign aid to organizations that support providers of abortion services.

“We believe that every country in the world has the duty to protect life,” Vance told March for Life participants.

The annual event drew tens of thousands to the nation’s capital, where they gathered on the National Mall before proceeding to the Supreme Court.

Many were dismayed that the Trump administration has not done more to follow up on the Supreme Court ruling.

“This administration has not moved when it absolutely could move,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told media on Thursday.

“This is not the direction that we were hoping for,” she added.

While the Trump administration has focused on other matters during the president’s second term in office, the abortion matter largely has been relegated to individual states.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing an ambitious trade diversification strategy aimed at reducing Canada’s heavy reliance on the United States and positioning the country as a leader in a new, more flexible global trading order. Triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy and threats against allies, Carney has accelerated efforts to forge new economic partnerships, including a rare recent trade deal with China. His approach goes beyond that of many Western allies, reflecting a belief that the traditional, U.S.-led rules-based trading system is fragmenting.

Carney’s trade vision:
Carney has openly argued that multilateral institutions and global trade rules are being eroded, making smaller “plurilateral” agreements between select countries more viable than broad global deals. He has cast Canada as a bridge between the European Union and Pacific Rim economies and pledged to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. Diplomatic outreach to countries long peripheral to Canadian trade policy including Qatar, Ecuador, Indonesia, and the UAE signals a deliberate effort to widen Canada’s economic map.

China as a necessary partner:
China has emerged as a central, if controversial, pillar of Carney’s strategy. As Canada’s second-largest trading partner, Beijing offers the scale required to meaningfully offset U.S. dependence. Carney’s assertion that China has become a more “predictable” partner than the United States underscores Ottawa’s frustration with Washington, but it has raised alarms among trade experts. Economists warn that deeper integration with China risks exposing Canadian industries to market flooding and long-term strategic vulnerabilities, particularly as Chinese exports are increasingly redirected away from the U.S. to other markets.

Limits of diversification:
Despite diversification efforts, the United States still absorbs close to 70% of Canadian exports—far more than the EU’s roughly 20% exposure to the U.S. market. Analysts note that reducing U.S. export share by even 10% would require Canada to double exports to multiple large economies simultaneously, an extraordinarily difficult task. Energy trade illustrates the challenge: while Ottawa hopes to expand oil exports to Asia, about 90% of Canadian crude continues to flow south of the border.

Comparisons with Europe:
The European Union’s parallel push to diversify trade through deals with Mercosur, Indonesia, and renewed talks with India and Southeast Asia highlights both inspiration and contrast for Canada. Europe’s lower baseline dependence on the U.S. gives it greater room to manoeuvre, whereas Canada’s economy remains deeply integrated with U.S. supply chains. Ongoing negotiations over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement further limit how aggressively Canadian firms are willing to pivot away from the American market.

Expanding the deal pipeline:
Carney has markedly increased the pace of trade diplomacy. Canada has concluded agreements with Ecuador and Indonesia, signed investment deals with the UAE, and restarted talks with India after a diplomatic freeze under the previous government. According to Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Ottawa is now targeting the Philippines, Thailand, Mercosur, Saudi Arabia, and India, aiming to complete multiple agreements in a timeframe that traditionally yielded just one deal per year.

Analysis:
Carney’s strategy reflects a clear-eyed assessment that U.S. economic leadership can no longer be taken for granted. His emphasis on plurilateralism and diversification is politically resonant and strategically necessary, but structurally constrained. Canada’s geography, supply chains, and energy infrastructure tie it to the U.S. in ways that cannot be rapidly undone. Engagement with China may provide short-term relief and bargaining leverage, yet it introduces its own economic and strategic risks. Ultimately, Carney’s bid to shape a new trade order is less about replacing the United States than about buying insurance against American volatility. Whether that insurance proves sufficient will depend on how quickly Canada can translate diplomatic activism into durable, balanced trade flows.

With information from Reuters.

Bangladesh have decided to boycott next month’s men’s T20 World Cup and will be replaced by Scotland.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to formally announce the step but BBC Sport understands Scotland are now in line to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C as the highest-ranked team not already at the tournament.

Bangladesh had asked for their games to be switched from India citing safety concerns amid growing tensions between the countries and demanded to play them in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament, instead.

Earlier this week the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request, saying there was an “absence of any credible security threat” before the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) subsequently reaffirmed their position.

A source close to the ICC board said the BCB were given a final 24 hours to confirm they would travel to India.

That deadline has now passed and ICC officials have decided to press ahead with an alternative plan to invite Scotland to participate instead.

The ICC, Cricket Scotland and the BCB are expected to issue statements in due course.

Cricket Scotland officials had been closely monitoring developments for the past few weeks and it is understood that internally they have taken some operational steps to prepare for this scenario.

Scotland’s players were already back in training as they had been preparing for a one-day international tri-series with Namibia and Oman in Windhoek in March.

Nevertheless it will be a tight turnaround for Scotland’s players to obtain visas to enter India with their first match scheduled to be on the opening day of the tournament, against West Indies in Kolkata on 7 February.

Also in Scotland’s group are England – who they face in Kolkata on 14 February – plus Italy and Nepal.

A fourth-place finish at last summer’s Europe Qualifier had looked to have cost Scotland a place at the 2026 T20 World Cup as the Netherlands and Italy secured the two spots on offer for the region.

Zimbabwe withdrew from the 2009 T20 World Cup in England for political reasons and were replaced by Scotland who were the ‘next best’ team in a pre-tournament global qualifying tournament.

But with qualifying for T20 World Cups, which were expanded to 20 teams in 2024, now done on a regional basis it is not quite so straightforward and this was a discretionary decision by the ICC based on rankings.

Scotland are currently 14th in the ICC T20 rankings and also represent a low-maintenance choice from the ICC’s perspective.

Jen Carr (aka The Travel Mum) has just taken her family skiing without the eye-watering price tag and reveals why a resort you may not have thought of might be Europe’s best-kept secret when it comes to a budget skiing trip

When you hear the word skiing, chances are you picture luxury chalets and a holiday bill that rivals a small mortgage – add children into the mix and suddenly a week on the slopes feels completely out of reach.

But what if skiing didn’t have to mean the Alps, or eye-watering prices? Jen Carr who writes a blog called The Travel Mum says she recently took her family to Zakopane, which is tucked away in southern Poland.

With ski hire from just £55 for kids, affordable lessons, cosy chalets and plenty to do off the slopes, this charming mountain town delivers all the winter magic without the financial hangover, she says.

And she adds that it’s easy to reach, refreshingly family-friendly and far cheaper than many European resorts, meaning it’s fast becoming the go-to choice for savvy travellers planning a ski trip in 2026.

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“When most people think of skiing, they imagine eye-watering prices in the Alps – luxury chalets, expensive lift passes and a holiday bill that quickly spirals,” Jen says. “But skiing doesn’t have to cost a fortune, especially if you’re travelling with children or trying it for the first time. Poland’s winter capital, Zakopane, offers a brilliant ski experience at a fraction of the price of many European resorts. Family-friendly, easy to reach and refreshingly affordable, it’s fast becoming a go-to destination for budget-conscious travellers who still want proper winter magic”

Zakopane is a picturesque mountain town tucked into the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland, close to the Slovakian border. It’s long been a favourite winter escape for locals, known for its wooden alpine-style architecture, hearty Polish food and welcoming atmosphere – but it’s only recently begun to appear on the radar of UK skiers. Getting to Zakopane from the UK is surprisingly straightforward. “Fly into Kraków Airport, which is well served by low-cost airlines from cities including London, Manchester and Edinburgh,” the travel expert adds. “From Kraków, Zakopane is around a two-hour drive.

“The cheapest option is a direct FlixBus, which runs regularly and costs as little as £5–£10. Private transfers and car hire are also easy to arrange if you’re travelling with children or lots of luggage.” During Jen’s week in Zakopane, they stayed in a chalet with Snomads – a small, independent company offering fully hosted ski trips with a strong sustainability focus. “The chalets are cosy, warm and ideal for families or groups of friends looking to split costs,” she says. “They care of everything from ski hire and lessons to transfers and days out. Our host, Maks, ensured everything ran seamlessly, meaning we didn’t waste any time navigating logistics. For first-time skiers and families, it takes away a huge amount of stress.”

According to Jen, one of Zakopane’s biggest selling points is just how affordable skiing is. Equipment hire and lessons cost a fraction of what you’d expect elsewhere in Europe. “To put the prices into perspective, five days of ski hire (skis, boots and helmet) for a child under 13 cost just £55. For adults, five days of skis, boots, poles and helmet came in at around £90. “We found five days of skiing to be the perfect amount. We arrived on Saturday evening, took Sunday to relax and acclimatise, skied Monday to Friday, and travelled home the following Saturday. It gave us time to enjoy the trip without feeling rushed.”

Jen says that if you’re travelling with young children, Zakopane is an excellent place to introduce them to skiing. “Our children were aged between three and six. The three-year-olds gave it a good go, but anything longer than 30 minutes was a stretch. The five- and six-year-olds, however, absolutely loved it and made huge progress over three days of three-hour lessons. Private lessons with two children per instructor cost around £90 per child for three hours. Jen spent £270 on nine hours of lessons for their eldest child, which she says was money extremely well spent, as he now loves skiing.

Zakopane is also particularly well suited to beginners, with several smaller ski areas offering gentle slopes, modern lifts and excellent instruction, she adds. And when you’re taking a break from skiing, the region is famous for its geothermal spas, where soaking in warm mineral-rich pools after a cold day could be just the tonic. Entry costs around £15–£20, making it great value for families.

You could also try a traditional kulig sleigh ride. A kulig is a horse-drawn sleigh ride through snow-covered forests – particularly magical in the evening when the trails are lit by lanterns. Many tours include a bonfire, warm drinks and grilled sausages. Or take a trip to Snowlandia, which is a winter wonderland featuring a giant snow maze, ice sculptures, a small farm and a huge sledging hill – a big hit with kids.

And if skiing isn’t for you, sledging is just as fun, you can rent a sledges for as little as £3–£5 per day. Jen says Zakopane proves that a ski holiday doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag. “It’s ideal for families, first-time skiers and anyone wanting to test the waters without spending thousands.

“With affordable accommodation, low-cost ski hire and lessons, and plenty to do off the slopes, this charming Polish town offers genuine winter magic – without the financial sting. If you’ve ever wanted to try skiing but feared the cost, Zakopane might just be the perfect place to start.”

Jen worked out that the trip came in at £208 per person for flights, transfers and 7 nights accommodation (based on £30 flights, £10 return bus and 8 people sharing a Chalet.

• Flights £30pp
• Bus transfer £5pp
• Accommodation based on 8 people sharing £168pp
• 5 day ski hire £90 p/adult
• £20 per hour per person for a private lesson, based on a group of 4
• Ski Hire for children under 13 – £55

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