Suspect is in police custody; no information about potential motive.

A man has carried out a mass stabbing attack at a Japanese tyre factory, also spraying victims with a chemical substance, according to local officials.

Eight people were stabbed and seven others were injured after being sprayed by a bleach-like agent at the Yokohama Rubber Co tyremaker in Japan’s Mishima, southwest of Tokyo, on Friday, said the Fujisan Nanto Fire Department.

Japanese media named the suspect as a 38-year-old who is now in custody. He is being charged with attempted murder, reported Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper, citing the Shizuoka prefectural police.

The suspect was carrying a survival knife and wearing what appeared to be a gas mask, according to investigators cited in the Asahi report. He is believed by police to have acted alone, the report added, though there was no immediate information about a potential motive.

The Associated Press news agency cited the fire department as saying five of the stab victims are in serious condition, but conscious.

An employee of a nearby car dealership said she was “shocked” to learn of the attack in what is generally a “quiet” area.

“I’m scared, but I’m also shocked that it could have happened in a place like this,” the unnamed employee told Asahi Shimbun.

Violent crime is relatively rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.

However, there are occasional stabbing attacks and even shootings, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.

In June, Japan executed a man dubbed the “Twitter Killer”, after he was convicted of killing and dismembering nine people he met on social media. The execution was the country’s first use of capital punishment in nearly three years.

A Japanese man was also sentenced to death in October for a shooting and stabbing rampage that killed four people, including two police officers, in 2023.

The series finale lands on Netflix in just a matter of days

*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5.*

The second part of Stranger Things season five has finally dropped and with it came some major bombshells.

Following on from part one, which ended with Will (Noah Schnapp) discovering he had super powers, the three new episodes shed light on Henry’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) long-term plans.

It turns out the Upside Down isn’t an alternate dimension like the gang originally believed. It is actually a wormhole that was created during Dr Brenner’s experiments on Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and it connects Hawkins to another world called The Abyss.

Henry plans to use the children he has abducted to increase his powers so he can merge the Abyss, which the gang named after Dungeons and Dragons, with Hawkins. As far as we know, this other world is where the Mind Flayer and demogorgons are really from.

Episode 7 ended with Henry sitting around a table with all the children he has stolen and seemingly starting his master plan. So when can Netflix viewers dive back into the action?

Watch Stranger Things on Netflix for free with Sky

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.

When does Stranger Things season 5, episode 8 come out?

Stranger Things season five, episode eight (aka the series finale) is set to release on New Year’s Eve (December 31) for US audiences, and in the early hours of New Year’s Day for UK viewers.

If you’re keen to catch the episode as soon as it drops, it will be available to stream in the UK on Thursday, January 1st from 1am GMT.

How long is the Stranger Things finale?

The series finale has a huge runtime of 2 hours and 8 minutes. Co-creator Ross Duffer confirmed the final runtime ahead of volume two’s release and fans had mixed reactions.

Considering how much ground the show still has to cover, some viewers aren’t convinced two hours will be long enough. But we’ll have to hold on and see how it unfolds.

After almost a decade on our screens, Stranger Things will be coming to an end with this episode.

Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 8 comes out on January 1st.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

IF you’re ready to look ahead to 2026 and start planning your family trips for spring and summer, you might be looking at big names like Butlin’s, Haven and Eurocamp.

My family of five has had some great breaks at all three, but prices can quickly add up – especially if you need to travel during the school holidays. So how can you bag a bargain and get away for less?

Here’s my top tips for shaving some money off your booking, so you’ll have more cash to splash when you’re on your break. 

Before you book

There’s a few tricks of the trade that work across all three brands, whether you are sucker for a staycay or fancy a foreign foray.

The first thing to do is to check out any discount schemes available to you, to to see what savings they offer. 

A Blue Light Card, which is available to teachers, emergency services and military personnel, offers money off holidays at Butlin’s, Haven and Eurocamp.

Costing £5 for two years, I usually save about £20 to £30 per break, which all adds up if you’re going on a few getaways over the course of the year. 

If you have roadside cover with the AA or are in a scheme like Kids Pass, they often have holiday discounts – including £50 off at Haven currently.

Cashback sites like Quidco or Topcashback are also a great way to claw back a bit of holiday cash.

By signing up to one of these websites, you get a percentage of your spend back by clicking through a link to book at Butlin’s, Haven or Eurocamp.

You can also sometimes get an added bonus on top, especially during sales periods like Black Friday or the January sales.

I’ve had a payout of almost £50 on a Butlin’s booking before, although it can take several months for cashback to be tracked and appear in your account, so this method isn’t instant as an upfront discount.

Supermarket loyalty schemes partner with some holiday chains and are a good way of making money you spend on your food shop work harder for you.

If you’ve saved a stash of Tesco Clubcard points, these can be converted into vouchers to use at either Eurocamp or Butlin’s and are worth double what they would be if spent in store.

So if you’ve got £10 of points, you’ll get a voucher worth £20 to spend.

Bear in mind that using Clubcard vouchers can tie you in to paying the list price for your holiday, so you do need to be a bit savvy and work out if a discount code would save you more than your Clubcard points are worth.

If you don’t shop at Tesco, you could collect Nectar points when you’re booking with Eurocamp and those points can then be spent on Eurostar or British Airways to travel abroad at a later date.

Price promises and spreading the cost

There’s lots to be said for booking early and spreading the cost of your holidays, whichever of the big names you’re using.

I’m currently paying a bit each month towards holidays at both Haven and Butlin’s in 2026, because both of them have a price promise that means you’ll get money back if your holiday costs less at a later date.

You do need to keep checking to see if you’ve bagged the best price, but if you’ve booked direct and find your holiday cheaper on either Haven or Butlin’s websites, they will refund you the difference.

I’ve seen some people enjoy payouts of hundreds of pounds using the price promise, so it is worth keeping an eye out in the run-up to your break.

If you’re booking Eurocamp, you can also pay in instalments.

If you book for 2026 before the end of January, you’ll put down a 15 per cent deposit when booking, then pay 10 per cent when you reach 150 days before your departure.

The remainder is then split in two payments at three months before your break and 56 days before departure.

Return guests can get a discount, particularly if you’re booking more than one break in the same season, so that’s worth a look before you book.

Saving big bucks at Butlin’s

There’s lots of ways to save at Butlin’s, so you just need to give yourself time to look at all the options and pick which one is right for you.

With three sites (at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness) and lots of different types of accommodation, including room-only and self-catering, there can be a huge disparity in prices for the same week, depending on your destination.

I also find it’s worth checking out the last-minute deals at Butlin’s, as the prices do drop as you get closer to the departure date. 

But if you like to get a booking in your diary sooner rather than later, you can make the most of the repeat booking discount while on site or within 30 days of a recent stay at Butlin’s.

My Haven holiday hacks

Once you’ve booked a break, it does pay to keep checking the offers section of the website to see what comes up, particularly before the Haven holiday season starts up in March. 

There’s been great deals by bulk-buying activities or food and drink in recent years, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Haven introduces this year. 

My favourite from recent trips was a bulk-buy bundle where you got the cheapest session free if you spent £45 or more on activities in one go. 

That meant that if you booked three spaces on a £20 activity, you would actually only end up paying £40, as one of the spaces would be free. 

There have also been some fantastic food and drink offers, including a preloaded card that you could use in the bars and restaurants, which was topped up by an extra 10 per cent if you bought it before your break. 

I’ll be keeping an eye out in the next month or so to see if either of those offers return this year in time for my summer staycay.

Saving your euros at Eurocamp

We’ve had some lovely trips abroad to holiday parks in the Netherlands, Spain and France, but Eurocamp is just one way of booking these sites. 

It’s worth considering whether you can get a better deal by booking direct with the individual park or if you’d prefer to pay a bit extra for some of the perks that come with a Eurocamp booking.

This includes extras such as a holiday rep who speaks English or the ability to change your dates, destination or accommodation once you’ve booked.

We enjoyed an October half-term stay at Duinrell in the Netherlands a few years ago and only paid £80 for the week.

But we did discover that you had to pay extra to get into the swimming pool on site.

So it may have been better to book direct with Duinrell, as then entry to the waterpark would have been included and we could have chosen from tents, caravans and lodges for our accommodation. 

Another top tip is to check out the Sun £9.50 holidays abroad, which we made the most of when we had younger children and were still travelling a lot in term time.

While we booked through the Sun, the actual booking is then passed to a holiday provider like Eurocamp if you’re going abroad or Parkdean if you’re staying in the UK.

So you can sometimes get the same accommodation and facilities as you would for a Eurocamp holiday but for a fraction of the price, if you pick a break where you only pay £9.50 per person without any added extras. 

Bear in mind that you sometimes need to pay extra to add bed linen or towels to your booking abroad.

You can bring your own if you don’t want to pay, but that’s only really an option if you’re traveling by car and not by plane, when you’re trying to keep luggage to a minimum.

So whether you off to the summer sun abroad or you’re on a Brit bucket-and-spade break, now could be the perfect time to get your family getaway booked for 2026, whatever your budget.

Conor McDermott-Mostowy would like to compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. And he certainly has the talent, desire and ambition to do so.

What he lacks is the money.

“You could definitely reach six figures,” David McFarland, McDermott-Mostowy’s agent, said of what the speedskater needs annually to live and train while chasing his Olympic dream.

In the last year, finding that money has been increasingly difficult because McDermott-Mostowy is gay. Since President Trump returned to the White House in January, bringing with him an agenda that is hostile to diversity, equity and inclusion, sponsors who once embraced LGBTQ+ athletes and initiatives have turned away from the likes of McDermott-Mostowy, with devastating effect.

“There’s definitely been a noticeable shift,” said McFarland, who for decades has represented straight and gay athletes in a number of sports, from the NFL and NBA to professional soccer. “Many brands and speaking opportunities that previously highlighted LGBTQ athletes are now being pulled back or completely going away.”

“And these aren’t just symbolic partnerships,” he added. “They’re vital income opportunities that help athletes fund training, fund their competition and their livelihoods.”

The impact is being felt across a wide range of sports where sponsorship dollars often make the difference between winning and not being able to compete. But it’s especially acute in individual sports where the athletes are the brand and their unique traits — their size, appearance, achievements and even their gender preferences — become the things that attract or repel fans and financial backers.

“What’s most frustrating is that these decisions are rarely about performance,” McFarland said. “They’re about perceptions in the LGBTQ community. And that kind of fear-driven retreat harms everyone involved because, beyond the human costs, it’s also very short-sighted. The LGBTQ community and its allies represent a multitrillion-dollar global market with immense buying power.”

Travis Shumake, the only openly gay driver on the NHRA circuit, ran a career-high five events in 2022 and said he once had deals with major brands such as Mission Foods, Procter & Gamble and Kroger while using a rainbow-colored parachute to slow his dragster.

Kroger is the only one whose support has yet to shrink and as a result, Shumake had to keep his car in its trailer for the final eight months of the year.

And when he did race, his parachute was black.

Travis Shumake competes at the NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in November 2024.

(Marc Sanchez / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“It was looking very optimistic and bright,” said Shumake, who spends about $60,000 for an engine and as much as $25,000 for each run down the dragstrip. “Being the only LGBTQ driver would have been very profitable. I ended last season with plans to run six to eight races. Great conversations were happening with big, big companies. And now it’s, I did one race, completely based on funding.”

“When you’re asking for a $100,000 check,” he added, “it’s very tough for these brands to take that risk for a weekend when there could be a large backlash because of my sexual identity.”

A sponsorship manager for a Fortune 500 company that had previously backed Shumake said he was not authorized to discuss the decision to end its relationship with the driver.

Daniel T. Durbin, director of the Institute of Sports, Media and Society at the USC Annenberg school, said there could be several reasons for that. A shrinking economy has tightened sponsorship budgets, for example. But there’s no doubt the messaging from the White House has had a chilling effect.

“It certainly makes the atmosphere around the issue more difficult because advertising and promotion tied to social change has come under fire by the Trump administration,” Durbin said.

In addition, corporate sponsors that once rallied behind diversity, whether out of conviction or convenience, saw the election results partly as a repudiation of that.

“We may be pissing off 50% of the population if we go down this path. Do we really want to do that with our brand?” Durbin said of the conversations corporations are having.

Backing away from causes such as LGBTQ+ rights doesn’t necessarily mean those corporations were once progressive and are now hypocritical. For many, the only color of the rainbow they care about is green.

“You’re trying to give people a philosophy who don’t have a philosophy,” Durbin said. “And even if they believe in causes, they’re not going to self-destruct their company by taking up a cause they believe in. They’re going to take it up in part because they think it’s positive for the bottom line.

“That’s the way it works.”

As a result, others have had to step up to try to help fill the funding gap. The Out Athlete Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, was recently created to provide financial assistance and other support to LGBTQ+ athletes. McDermott-Mostowy was the first to get a check, after a November event in West Hollywood raised more than $15,000.

“We’re here to help cover their costs because a lot of other people aren’t doing it,” said Cyd Zeigler, a founding board member of the group and co-founder of OutSports, a sports-news website focused on LGBTQ+ issues.

That kind of retrenching, from deep-pocketed corporate sponsors to individuals giving their spare change, is threatening to derail the careers of athletes such as McDermott-Mostowy, who relies on his family and a modest U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee stipend for most of his living and training expenses. And since he’ll turn 27 before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games open in February, he may not be able to wait for the pendulum to swing back to have another chance at being an Olympian.

“I’m 99% sure I qualify for [food] stamps,” said McDermott-Mostowy, who medaled in the 1,500- and 500-meter events in October’s national championships, making him a strong contender for the U.S. heading into the Olympic long track trials Jan. 2-5 in Milwaukee. “What really saves us every year is when we travel. Almost all of our expenses are paid when we’re coming [with] the team.

“If I didn’t make the World Cup one year, I would be ruined.”

McDermott-Mostowy’s past success and his Olympic potential are what he pitches to sponsors, not that he’s gay. But that’s what makes him stand out; if he qualifies for Milano Cortina, he would be one of the few gay athletes on the U.S. team.

“I have always been very open about my sexuality. So that wasn’t really a debate,” he said.

“I have definitely heard from my agent that, behind closed doors, a lot of people are like ‘Oh, we’d love to support queer athletes. But it’s just not a good time to be having that as our public face.’”

The debate isn’t a new one, although it has evolved over the years. Figure skater Amber Glenn, who last year became the first out queer woman to win the U.S. championship, remembers gender preferences being a big topic of discussion ahead of the 2014 Games in Russia, where public support for LGBTQ+ expression is banned.

“At that point I wasn’t out, but I was thinking, ‘What would I do? What would I say?’” Glenn said. “Moving forward I hope that we can make it where people can compete as who they are and not have to worry about anything.

“Figure skating is unique. We have more acceptance and more of a community in the queer space. That’s not the case for all sports. We’re definitely making progress, but we still have a long way to go.”

Conor McDermott-Mostowy hopes to be competing for the U.S. in speedskating at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games in February.

(Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images)

In the meantime, athletes such as McDermott-Mostowy and Shumake may have to find ways to re-present themselves to find new sources of support.

“It’s not like I’m going back in the closet,” said Shumake, who has decided to rent out his dragster to straight drivers next year rather than leave it parked and face bankruptcy. “It’s just that maybe it’s not the main storyline at the moment. I’m trying a bunch of different ways to tell the story, to rebrand.”

“It’s been weird to watch,” added Shumake, who once billed himself as the fastest gay guy on Earth. “I know it will swing back. I also fear, did I make the right choices when I had a partnership with Grindr and I had rainbow parachutes? Like did I come on too strong?

“I’ve chosen to go the gay race car driver route and it’s just a little bit of a slowdown. I don’t think I need to blame myself. It’s just a fear people are having at the moment.”

A fear that’s proving costly to the athletes who can least afford to pay.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — Israeli police said a Palestinian man from the West Bank killed two people in a so-called “terror attack” in northern Israel on Friday.

The assailant allegedly ran over a 68‑year‑old man in Beit Shean before driving to Ein Harod, where he fatally stabbed an 18‑year‑old woman and injured a teenager.

“This was a rolling terror attack,” police said.

Hebrew-language media identified the victim of the northern Israel terror attack as 19‑year‑old Aviv Maor of Kibbutz Ein Harod. The other victim’s identity was not released.

A civilian shot and wounded the suspect, who was taken to a hospital.

The two victims were declared dead on scene.

Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered a military response in the attacker’s hometown of Qabaitya to prevent further violence.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military stated it was “preparing for an operation” in the area.

Tensions are flaring along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border in Central Asia with the Tajik government reporting multiple armed incursions this month, straining its fragile relationship with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders.

More than a dozen people have been killed in attacks by men whom Tajik authorities call “terrorists” and the resulting clashes with Tajik forces, officials in Dushanbe and Beijing said. Victims include Chinese nationals working in remote areas of the mountainous former Soviet republic.

In the latest fighting this week, at least five people were killed in Tajikistan‘s Shamsiddin Shokhin district, including “three terrorists”, officials said.

Tajikistan has long opposed the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, a country it shares a largely unsecured 1,340km (830-mile) border with.

Despite cautious diplomatic engagement between the two countries to adjust to new regional realities, analysts said, the frequency of the recent border clashes risks eroding the Taliban’s credibility and raises questions about its capacity to enforce order and security.

Here is all we know about the clashes along the Tajik-Afghan border and why they matter:

What’s happening on the Tajik-Afghan border?

The border runs along the Panj river through the remote, mountainous terrain of southern Tajikistan and northeastern Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said in a statement that “three members of a terrorist organisation” crossed into Tajik territory on Tuesday. The committee added that the men were located the following morning and exchanged fire with Tajik border guards. Five people, including the three intruders, were killed, it said.

Tajik officials did not name the armed men or specify which group they belonged to. The officials, however, said they seized three M-16 rifles, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, three foreign-made pistols with silencers, 10 hand grenades, a night-vision scope and explosives at the scene.

Dushanbe said this was the third attack originating from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province in the past month that has resulted in the deaths of its personnel.

These attacks, Tajik officials said on Thursday, “prove that the Taliban government is demonstrating serious and repeated irresponsibility and non-commitment in fulfilling its international obligations and consistent promises to ensure security … and to combat members of terrorist organisations”.

The Tajik statement called on the Taliban to “apologise to the people of Tajikistan and take effective measures to ensure security along the shared border”.

Tajikistan has not suggested what the motive for the attacks may be, but the assaults have appeared to target Chinese companies and nationals working in the area.

How is China involved in all this?

Beijing is Tajikistan’s largest creditor and one of its most influential economic partners with a significant footprint in infrastructure, mining and other border-region projects.

China and Tajikistan also share a 477km (296-mile) border running through the high-altitude Pamir Mountains in eastern Tajikistan, adjacent to China’s Xinjiang region.

Two attacks were launched against Chinese companies and nationals in the last week of November. On November 26, a drone equipped with an explosive device attacked a compound belonging to Shohin SM, a private Chinese gold-mining company, in the remote Khatlon region on the Tajik-Afghan border, killing three Chinese citizens.

In a second attack on November 30, a group of men armed with guns opened fire on workers employed by the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation, killing at least two people in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district.

Tajik officials said those attacks had originated from villages in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province but did not disclose any affiliation or motive behind the attacks.

Chinese nationals have also come under attack in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

China’s embassy in Dushanbe advised Chinese companies and personnel to evacuate the border area. Chinese officials demanded “that Tajikistan take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese enterprises and citizens in Tajikistan”.

Who is carrying out these attacks?

While the attackers have not been identified, analysts and observers believe the attacks carry the hallmarks of the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP), which, they said, aims to discredit Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders.

“The ISKP has attacked foreigners inside Afghanistan and carried out attacks on foreigners inside Afghanistan as a key pillar of their strategy,” said Ibraheem Bahiss, a Kabul-based analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank.

“The aim is to shatter the Taliban’s image as a security provider with whom the regional governments should engage,” Bahiss told Al Jazeera.

How has the Taliban reacted to these attacks?

Kabul expressed its “deep sorrow” over the killings of Chinese workers on November 28.

The Taliban blamed the violence on an unnamed armed group which, it said, is “striving to create chaos and instability in the region and to sow distrust among countries”, and it assured Tajikistan of its full cooperation.

After this week’s clashes, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, said Kabul remains committed to the 2020 Doha Agreement, its deal with the United States for a phased foreign troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for attacking other countries.

Addressing a police cadet graduation ceremony at the National Police Academy in Kabul on Thursday, Haqqani said Afghanistan posed no threat to other countries and the door to dialogue remains open.

“We want to address problems, distrust or misunderstandings through dialogue. We have passed the test of confrontation. We may be weak in resources, but our faith and will are strong,” he said, adding that security had improved to the extent that Taliban officials now travel across the country without weapons.

The Taliban insists that no “terrorist groups” are operating from Afghanistan. However, in a recent report, the United Nations sanctions-monitoring committee cited the presence of multiple armed groups, including ISKP, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, al-Qaeda, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Jamaat Ansarullah and Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan.

Jamaat Ansarullah is a Tajik group linked to al-Qaeda-aligned networks and active primarily in northern Afghanistan near the Tajik border.

How are relations between Tajikistan and the Taliban?

For decades, the relationship between Tajikistan and the Taliban has been defined by deep ideological hostility and ethnic mistrust with Dushanbe one of the group’s fiercest critics in Central Asia.

In the 1990s, Tajikistan aligned with the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, led by Afghan military commander and former Defence Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud.

After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Tajikistan stood as the lone holdout among its neighbours in refusing to officially recognise the new government.

However, pragmatic diplomatic engagement quietly began about 2023, driven by economic necessity and shared security fears over the presence of ISKP. Stepping up the restoration of relations, a high-level Tajik delegation visited Kabul in November, the first such visit since the Taliban’s return to power.

But the two governments continue to trade accusations that the other is harbouring “terrorists”, the major thorn remaining in their bilateral relationship, and that drug smuggling is occurring across their border.

The Tajik-Afghan border has long been a major trafficking route for Afghan heroin and methamphetamine into Central Asia and onwards to Russia and Europe, exploiting the area’s rugged terrain and weak policing.

“The rising frequency [of the clashes] is new and interesting and raises a point: whether we might be seeing a new threat emerging,” Bahiss said.

Badakshan province, from which Tajik authorities said the attacks on Chinese nationals originate, presents a complex security situation for the Taliban as it has struggled to stem the threat from armed opposition groups, Bahiss added.

This security issue has been further complicated by the Taliban’s crackdown on poppy cultivation in the province, he said. The Taliban has faced resistance to this policy from farmers in the north. This is largely because the terrain of Badakshan means poppies are the only viable cash crop.

How is the Taliban faring with other neighbours?

Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, some of its neighbours have maintained a pragmatic transactional relationship while others have not.

Relations with Pakistan, previously its patron, have particularly deteriorated. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistan Taliban. Tensions over this issue boiled over in November when Pakistan launched air strikes in Kabul, Khost and other provinces, prompting retaliatory Taliban attacks on border posts.

Dozens of people were killed before a ceasefire was brokered by Qatar and Turkiye. However, both sides have engaged in fighting since, blaming each other for breaking the fragile truce.

The Taliban denies Islamabad’s allegations and has blamed Pakistan for its “own security failures”.

Meanwhile, the Taliban is now invested in developing a new relationship with Pakistan’s archrival, India, with delegations visiting Indian cities for trade and security discussions. New Delhi was earlier part of the anti-Taliban alliance. However, that approach has changed with the deteriorating ties between Pakistan and the Taliban.

Nobody does a jaw-drop reaction like Bobby Berk. It’s only surprising when you assume he’s probably seen it all after eight seasons traveling the world as the interior design expert on Netflix’s reboot of “Queer Eye”; writing his 2023 book, “Right at Home: How Good Design is Good for the Mind”; making many TV appearances (including a Taylor Swift video) and selling pretty much anything to make your home shine on BobbyBerk.com.

But in his new HGTV series “Junk or Jackpot?”, premiering Friday at 9:30 p.m. Pacific, genuine reactions come often from Burke as he enters the homes of Los Angeles collectors and sees not only rooms jam-packed with action figures, pinball machines, puppets, marionettes and more, but also some jackpot items just sitting on a bookshelf. In one episode, for example, a collector shows Berk a trading card he has that is appraised in the $100,000 range. “I’m pretty sure I said, ‘What the f—?’ though I assume it was bleeped because it’s HGTV,” says Berk from his Los Angeles home. “I’m used to Netflix, where I could say whatever I wanted. But, yeah, that was just crazy to me.”

Reactions aside, the real marvel on “Junk or Jackpot?” is watching an enthusiastic Berk swoop into people’s homes to help them learn how to come to terms with a collecting hobby that has grown into something that’s stifling homes and putting a damaging strain on relationships. “Obviously, I’m not a therapist. I’m a designer, even though in our field, we often make the joke that we’re not just designers, we’re marriage counselors,” he says.

But Berk, born in Houston and raised in conservative Mount Vernon, Mo., is a self-taught pro at identifying what isn’t working and doing everything possible to fix it, including in his own life. Case in point: Berk, not feeling safe coming out in Mount Vernon, left home at 15 and bounced around for several years in various cities, never finishing high school. “From 15 to 22, I moved around and can’t even count the amount of places I had to move around to just due to finances and situations going on in life,” he recalls.

Eventually, he landed in New York City and worked for stores like Restoration Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond and Portico before he opened his first online store in 2006 and first physical store in Soho in 2007. Soon thereafter, Berk was racking up appearances on networks like HGTV and Bravo before “Queer Eye” came calling in 2018 and took him to new heights, including his 2023 Emmy win for structured reality program. He also received an honorary degree from Otis College of Art and Design in 2022.

Now, with “Junk or Jackpot?” about to launch, the 44-year-old Berk spoke about how he was handpicked by pro wrestler and movie star John Cena for the show, the key to helping collectors let go of things that are weighing down their lives, and, after living many places and traveling the globe, where he considers home with husband Dewey Do and their mini Labradoodle, Bimini.

“I’m not a therapist. I’m a designer, even though in our field, we often make the joke that we’re not just designers, we’re marriage counselors,” Berk says.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

What are the origins of “Junk or Jackpot?” and what does John Cena have to do with it all?

I’ve been toying back and forth with HGTV for years, even when I was still on “Queer Eye,” but with my exclusivity with Netflix, I couldn’t do design shows with anybody else. We always just kept that line of communication open, so then when this specific opportunity came about, Loren Ruch, the head of HGTV, who’s unfortunately since passed, reached out. He said, “Hey, John Cena’s created the show for us and you’re the top of his list of who he wants it to host it.” John was a big “Queer Eye” fan, so I said yes. It shot here in L.A., which was really important to me. We were really lacking for entertainment jobs here in the city so that was a big plus for me to be able to bring jobs here to L.A. to all of our amazing crews.

And it’s not your typical design show. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with a typical design show and they do help people. But coming from “Queer Eye” where everyone we helped was because it was somebody deserving, somebody that was going through something and needed that extra boost in their life. That’s what this was with “Junk or Jackpot?”

Every single collector, as we’re calling them, had a story going on. With Patrick and Roger [in the premiere episode], Roger had moved out and their relationship was on the rocks because there was literally no space for Roger. With Carly and Johnny in another episode, they had a kid that they weren’t expecting to have in their early 40s, so it was a life-changing moment for them. Their priority needed to be their son, J.D.

I love the show because it was helping people at these moments in their life where they’re like, “We have this thing that we love and has brought us joy, but now this thing is actually starting to have negative things happening in our life.” I wanted to come in and really bring back the joyous part of their collection.

HGTV hasn’t given you a huge budget to revamp the homes and the collectors have to work themselves to sell off their collectibles to pay for the renovation. How did that angle come about?

It was a bit of therapy and I wanted the collectors to really realize that, yes, the collection that they have has value but this other thing that is happening in their life because of this collection has value, too. I wanted them to either be able to prove to themselves that what they were wanting to change in their life had more value than those things. Like with Patrick, Roger had a value.

I wanted them to go through the exercise of “You need to start parting with things.” And if you notice, I never pushed them to get rid of the most precious pieces of their collection. I pushed them to get rid of the things that often they had duplicates of but weren’t necessarily something like, “Oh, I got this as a child” or “somebody got this for me.” I wanted them to emotionally disconnect with those things so they could prioritize things better in life and in the future, they would have a lot easier time letting go even if I wasn’t there to push them.

Swatches and mood boards in Berk’s office. The host of “Junk or Jackpot?” says it is not your typical design show. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

How do you consider budget with the collectors? In one episode, you choose to cover a brick wall instead of tearing it down and building a new one.

The homeowners are the ones footing the bill for this, because again, a portion of this is the exercise of letting go. To your point, if we had just come in at HGTV and said, “Here’s all the money!” They’re like, “All right, I have no motivation to get rid of anything.” I wanted to make sure we made budget-conscious decisions and I think that’s also a really important thing to share with people at home that you don’t always have to go out and knock out a fireplace if you hate the material. You can do a thing like micro cement and you can completely change it for a minimal cost.

What would you say you learned from shooting the first season of “Junk or Jackpot?”

I wouldn’t say I learned anything necessarily new, but it was reaffirmed to me the emotional attachment and mental health aspect that your space and design can have on you, either in a good way or a bad way.

In the bad way, your house becomes so cluttered and overwhelmed with something that used to spark joy for you, but it’s now having an effect on not only your mental health, but your relationships with other people. On the other hand, the difference in your mental health just redoing that space, reorganizing that space, reclaiming that space can have on your mental health and your relationships not only with yourself, but with your family and your friends.

Vivian, who collects Wonder Woman memorabilia, her friends stopped coming over because there was just nowhere to sit. Her best girlfriend used to come in from Vegas all the time, where she lives, and she would spend the night and now she’s like, “I just can’t anymore because I’m surrounded literally. It’s too much and I just can’t do it anymore.” You see how just changing your space really can change your life.

“I wanted to make sure we made budget-conscious decisions and I think that’s also a really important thing to share with people at home, that you don’t always have to go out and knock out a fireplace if you hate the material,” Berk says.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Season 1 is set in Los Angeles but assuming you get more seasons, would you want to do other cities or countries?

I personally would always love just to keep doing L.A. I live there and with “Queer Eye” for eight years, we traveled all over America. That being said, this is a very niche show, so it might be hard to continue doing it in the same city season after season, so we probably will have to go to other cities, and I’d be fine with that. But I would at least like another season or two in L.A. After spending the last eight years filming “Queer Eye,” I like being home.

That said, you have lived in New York, you’re in L.A. now and you also have a place in Portugal. Where do you call home?

L.A. is definitely home for me. Portugal’s great, but L.A. is definitely home. Although the more time we spend in Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam, since my husband’s originally from there, that also feels like home. I believe in reincarnation, and I was definitely from over there in my last life. Like when I landed in Vietnam, in China, anywhere in Southeast Asia — I just feel very at home.

“Queer Eye” was such a roller coaster for all you guys but what are your reflections now that it is behind you? Were you able to enjoy it at the time?

Yes and no. It was an amazing roller coaster. I enjoyed most of it, but there were times where we were just exhausted. I don’t know if you know the flight app “Flighty,” but it tracks your flights and tells you how many hours you’ve been in planes every year and how many times you’ve been on the exact same plane. I was looking the other day at how much I flew in 2019. Keep in mind in 2019, five months of the year I was filming, so I wasn’t flying anywhere. So this was just seven months, and I flew 200 flights. I flew over 500,000 miles. I don’t miss that. That was a lot. But as much as I can remember of it, I look back with fondness.

Last week, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security offered a sharply different account of Venezuela’s 1976 oil nationalization. It is provocative, but it does not hold up to the record.

President Carlos Andrés Pérez (1974-1979) proclaimed the takeover of the petroleum industry on January 1, 1976. The announcement occurred at the Mene Grande oilfield in Zulia. Crucially, the transfer from private control to a state-run model went smoothly. The major multinationals were compensated, invited to work with the new state-owned company, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as service and technology providers, and the process triggered no diplomatic incident with the United States. A brief look at the facts does not support claims of “theft of American wealth and property,” since “the tyrannical expropriation” was precisely engineered to avoid the kind of rupture Miller describes.

The nationalization of the Venezuelan petroleum industry responded to global events unfolding in the Middle East around 1970. To be sure, Venezuelan politicians had long dreamed of granting the state full control over the most important sector of the country’s economy. However, plans for an eventual state takeover of the oil fields remained nebulous, a goal set for a distant future. Muammar Qaddafi (1969-2011) in Libya, of all figures, provided Venezuelan lawmakers with a concrete horizon for materializing full control over the hydrocarbon sector. The Libyan strongman unilaterally increased royalties and taxes on multinationals, with Iran pursuing a similar approach. OPEC then formalized this push for higher prices at its December meeting that year. What followed in 1971 sent shock waves across the world: Libya nationalized its oil industry, followed by Algeria and Iraq. This process quickly expanded to the rest of the Middle East, setting the backdrop for the fuel shortages of that decade and the energy crisis of 1973. 

This global context greeted President Rafael Caldera (1969-1974), a Christian Democrat of COPEI, who was intent on capitalizing on these favorable winds. Soon, every political faction in Congress sought to outdo the other in displaying their anti-corporate credentials. Caldera stood at the top as the most nationalist of the pack, passing an unprecedented package of bills and decrees destined to expand government control over the industry significantly. By the time he handed power to Carlos Andrés Pérez from Acción Democrática (AD), de facto state control over the entire industry was already in place. Nationalization became the only politically safe position when the electoral campaign of 1973 started. Once elected, Carlos Andrés Pérez authorized the creation of a Presidential Commission in charge of studying the state takeover and proposing a bill to that effect, to be approved by Congress in 1975. Ordinary Venezuelans shared this renewed fervor for ownership over the national riches of the country, though in a conflicted way.

Polls by the weekly political magazine Resumen showed broad support for nationalization. Yet respondents also rated working conditions at the foreign oil companies very favorably and many wanted foreign capital to remain involved after the takeover because they trusted the firms’ experienced managers. At the same time, they doubted the state’s capacity to run complex industries, while still believing it could improve over time and that a state-run oil sector was in the nation’s interest. That nuance rarely appeared in Congress.

The nationalization became a fait accompli without antagonism with the U.S. government or the multinationals

COPEI and a constellation of center-left and leftist organizations pushed for an immediate, total takeover without any foreign role. Some opposed compensation altogether and even welcomed a showdown if necessary, seeing local employees working for these multinationals as threats to a “genuine” nationalization of the industry. Venezuelan managers soon came under attack from politicians accused of having “their minds colonized” by the American and British firms. They were also viewed as “centers of anti-Venezuelan activity.” Insults in the press and public spaces galvanized domestic employees to take action. Led by Venezuelan mid-level managers such as Gustavo Coronel from Royal Dutch Shell, the managerial class came together to form Agrupación de Orientación Petrolera (AGROPET). The nonprofit aimed to help the country prepare to take full responsibility for the hydrocarbon sector.

From March 1974 through 1975, AGROPET ran a public campaign for an orderly, compensatory nationalization built on continuity, not a politicized break. Their activities included appearing on radio programs, giving TV interviews, publishing in newspapers, and participating in public forums, including congressional meetings, and talks with members of the  Presidential Commission mandated by President Pérez. The irony of this body is that it gathered representatives from prominent sectors of society. And yet the Commission excluded the people who actually ran the industry.

AGROPET quickly steered the nationalization debate back toward a technocratic solution. The organization’s pivotal moment came in January 1975, when its leaders met with President Pérez and laid out what became the blueprint for the 1976 nationalization. They argued for an industry built on administrative efficiency, technological progress, apoliticism, and sound management not a politicized rupture. Their model envisioned a holding company with four affiliates that would absorb concessionaire operations. The new organizational culture would blend practices inherited from the Creole Petroleum Corporation and Shell, and the nationalized industry would retain ties to its foreign predecessors. Under this proposal, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) became, in effect, the direct descendant of the multinationals that built Venezuela’s modern oil industry. It perpetuated the business philosophy of the multinationals. Persuaded by Venezuelan managers, Pérez sided with the technocrats and sent an amended nationalization bill to Congress, crucially allowing foreign capital to return under Article 5. The AD-dominated legislature defended the bill and enacted it in August 1975. Two months later, Creole and the other firms accepted a compensation package of about $1 billion for their expropriated assets.

The nationalization became a fait accompli without antagonism with the U.S. government or the multinationals. It constituted less a watershed than a continuation of relationships the Venezuelan state and foreign oil companies had built across the twentieth century on new terms. PDVSA quickly signed service and technology agreements with the very companies it had expropriated. What’s more striking is that this smooth outcome became, in part, an unintended consequence of Venezolanization: the deliberate integration of Venezuelans at every level of the corporate ladder, a policy initiated by Creole and Shell in the 1940s. Unusual in the industry at the time, it stood out as a strand within a broader set of corporate social responsibility practices these companies implemented in Venezuela. Locals trained through that system helped make the transition to state control orderly and broadly beneficial.

For much of the political opposition, however, the outcome felt bittersweet. They denounced its chucuta nature (a “half-baked” nationalization) and framed Article 5 as outright betrayal. Many wanted the kind of dramatic showdown associated with Cárdenas in Mexico, Mossadegh in Iran, or Velasco Alvarado in Peru, cases where claims of expropriation and “theft” of U.S. property could at least be mounted. Venezuela in 1976 stood far away from that drama, and once the transfer was complete, business continued as usual despite the lamentations of certain congressmen. Venezuela’s 1976 oil nationalization was engineered to preclude confrontation. Getting the history right matters. If the current U.S. administration wants to cite this episode to justify pressure, escalation, or exceptional measures, it has chosen a poor example, precisely because the process avoided the kind of rupture Mr. Miller invokes. So, por este camino no es.

The city has cosy cabins, scenic walks and the chance to explore connected islands.

If you’re on the hunt for a snug winter weekend escape, the UK offers an abundance of options. With so many stunning locations to choose from, it can be quite the task to decide.

From vibrant cities to ancient woodlands and charming villages, the UK is brimming with beautiful spots. However, one location has been singled out as the ideal winter retreat.

The team at Go Outdoors have recently unveiled their top choices for a winter escapade, and the favourite is a delightful blend of urban and rural attractions that cater to all tastes.

Using data on snowfall, woodland walks, cosy pubs with log fires, and cabins, they’ve ranked the top UK adventure destinations – and the Scottish city of Inverness has emerged as the champion.

Boasting over 200 winter cabins and a wealth of breathtaking walking trails, it’s not hard to see why Inverness clinched the top spot.

One of the most favoured walks is the Inverness Castle and River Circular, which guides you on a stunning 4.5km journey through some of Scotland’s most majestic landscapes, reports the Express.

During your hour-and-a-half stroll, you’ll also pass by the iconic Inverness Castle, nestled in the city centre.

Inverness even provides the opportunity for island hopping – without ever having to leave the city.

The Ness Islands are a chain of islands in the river, all interconnected by beautiful Victorian-era footbridges.

You can start on one side of the riverbank and end up on the other, meandering through the islands and spotting sculptures along the way. It’s the perfect way to spend a wintry day exploring.

Though Inverness is a small city that’s easy to navigate, it also serves as an excellent base for exploring the wider Highlands.

Just beyond the city limits, you’ll find the renowned Loch Ness, home to its elusive, legendary creature – perhaps you’ll be the lucky one to spot her.

Twisting and tying shoelaces into a knot became a formidable task for Justin Herbert in the days following hand surgery.

Every time the Chargers quarterback leaned over to tie his shoes, his cast would nudge in the way, complicating a once-menial task.

For Herbert, it became a constant reminder of the broken bone he suffered during a 31-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 30 — a helmet-to-hand hit from Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn that required surgery on his non-throwing hand the next day.

And while the 27-year-old, who earned his second Pro Bowl honor Tuesday, has been far from perfect since the injury, the Chargers (11-4) have managed to win four consecutive games, including two against last season’s Super Bowl teams.

“The days went on, and as I got better and more mobility with (the left hand), I think it’s become more normal, and it feels a bit better, so that’s also a positive,” Herbert said earlier this week.

Eking out wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, Herbert increased his yards-per-pass attempt from 5.3 yards to 7.2 yards. His completion percentage improved from a season-low 46.2% against the Eagles to a respectable 65.5% against the Chiefs.

Against the Dallas Cowboys, Herbert recorded a 132.8 passer rating, his best since December 2021 in Week 14 against the New York Giants. He passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-17 win over the Cowboys that led to the Chargers clinching a playoff berth Monday with San Francisco’s win over Indianapolis.

“To me, that’s just a test of the type of person, type of player he is,” said wide receiver Quentin Johnston, who made a spectacular, one-handed touchdown catch and finished with 104 receiving yards against Dallas. “I mean, shoot, still playing and executing at a high level — I’m really happy to be on the team with him. I would rather be with nobody else but him.”

The Houston Texans (10-5) on Saturday at SoFi Stadium will allow Herbert the chance to build on his impressive season, and exorcise at least some of his playoff demons.

Herbert’s nightmare performance against the Texans in the wild-card playoffs last season remains seared into his memory. He threw a career-worst four interceptions in a 32-12 defeat that dropped him to 0-2 in career playoff games.

“No one felt worse than I did,” Herbert said. “I think it’s important to continue to move forward and realize that it’s what happened, and it would be crazy of me to deny the truth of what happened and to live in this reality where, if I tried to block it out, I don’t think that’s gonna be any good.”

Plenty remains at stake for the Chargers. They remain in the hunt for the AFC West title and the AFC’s top playoff seed. If the Chargers beat the Texans and follow with a win over the Denver Broncos in Week 18, they’ll win the division. The Chargers need to win out and hope the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots both lose at least once to secure the No. 1 seed.

While coach Jim Harbaugh says the team is approaching the next two weeks one game at a time, the Chargers’ defense — inspired by Herbert’s efforts — sees the path to continuing their red-hot run.

“It’s a hell of a statement he’s making throughout the building, and everybody can feel it,” outside linebacker Khalil Mack said.

SEOUL, Dec. 26 (UPI) — Shinhan Card, one of the country’s top credit card issuers, reported a massive data leak Tuesday.

The Seoul-based company said more than 190,000 cases of potential data exposure have been identified that involve merchant partners’ personal and business information.

The incident seems to stem from employee actions rather than an external cyberattack. Against this backdrop, Shinhan Card CEO Park Chang-hun issued a formal apology.

“We would like to express our deepest apologies,” he said. “Upon discovering the incident, we immediately took measures to block any further leaks and completed a thorough review of our internal processes.”

“To ensure the protection of personal information in the future, we will conduct a full investigation into the cause and circumstances of the leak and strictly discipline the employees involved,” he said.

Despite the steps, criticism intensified as a series of security failures have taken place throughout this year.

In late November, the country’s leading online retailer, Coupang, acknowledged that the names, email addresses, phone numbers and delivery addresses of 33.7 million customers had been leaked.

The New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation could face fines amounting to a maximum of 3% of its related revenue, which is levied by the state-run Personal Information Protection Commission.

Since Coupang logged sales of some $28 billion in 2024, potential fines could surpass $800 million.

Earlier this year, SK Telecom admitted that a cyberattack had breached its network, exposing sensitive data and compromising critical information of about 23 million subscribers.

As a result, the top mobile operator was fined $92 million and ordered to suspend adding new customers for nearly two months, in accordance with government guidelines.

Criticizing companies that failed to protect customer information, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok vowed to more than triple the fines for similar violations.

“Urgent legislative tasks, such as the introduction of punitive administrative fines, will be swiftly advanced so that they can be passed as soon as possible,” Kim said at a government meeting Wednesday.

“For repeated and serious violations, we will introduce punitive fines of up to 10% of a company’s total revenue and strengthen the obligation to notify individuals of personal data breaches,” he said.

When corporate data leaks are reported, the South Korean government is quick to lash out at companies. However, critics argue that the government and state-operated organizations have failed to adequately protect their own data.

In 2021, the Atomic Energy Research Institute, the state-run outfit responsible for nuclear power research, was breached by a suspected North Korean state-backed group through a virtual private network server.

Last year, police found that North Korean hackers had stolen data from the National Court Administration during June 2021 and January 2023. The compromised data exceeded 1 terabyte, equivalent to more than 1.5 billion pages of documents, including personal information.

Despite these threats, the government is reluctant to spend more money to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

For example, the Seoul administration cut the 2026 budget for the operation and maintenance of integrated security control centers run by local governments by almost 30% compared with this year.

It also reduced the 2026 budget for reinforcing security and protection facilities at government complexes by more than 40%.

This contrasts with the 8.1% year-on-year increase in the national budget for 2026.

“When hacking incidents occur, harsh penalties are imposed on private enterprises. For government agencies, however, it seemingly ends up with only a slap on the wrist. Such asymmetric punishments are not difficult to understand,” economic commentator Kim Kyeong-joon, formerly vice chairman at Deloitte Consulting Korea, told UPI.

“Moreover, the government is required to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure. And leaks of public data or documents are even more dangerous when they are related to national defense. I wonder whether our government is doing enough in these areas,” he said.

Park Tae-hwan, head of the AhnLab CyberSecurity Center, called for stronger efforts to counter online threats and data breaches. AhnLab is the country’s leading cybersecurity vendor.

“Following a series of cyber intrusion incidents of late, regulations centered on bigger fines and punitive measures have come to the forefront, raising the burden on companies,” Park told UPI.

“To enable a meaningful shift in perception, a parallel policy approach is needed, like one that provides incentives to companies with strong security practices, thus encouraging greater voluntary investment in cybersecurity by the private sector,” he said.

EVER wondered the tips and tricks that cabin crew have picked up along the way as they travel the world for a living?

After all, no one knows the ins and outs of travelling smart better than cabin crew.

From reusable fashion choices to tiny gadgets that make life on the go easier, these are the 12 essentials that cabin crew always pack.

And the best part? Some of these essentials are under £1.

Shampoo bar

Here’s a handy tip to max out your liquid items allowance.

If you’re travelling with hand luggage only, swapping out liquids for solids can make all the difference.

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Experts told Bristol Live it’s worth switching to “solid products like shampoo bars, toothpaste tablets, and deodorant sticks to maximise your liquid allowance.”

Not only do they save space and hassle at airport security, but they also last longer and are spill-proof — perfect for stress-free packing.

It’s also ideal for longer trips, since one bar can last for dozens of washes.

This shampoo bar from Foamie is only 50p.

Packing cubes

Take a look inside any crew member’s luggage and you’ll almost always find this one item: packing cubes.

Packing cubes can save you a ton of extra space in your suitcase.

And if you opt for compression packing cubes, some can save you up to 60% more room!

These lightweight organisers also keep your belongings neatly separated, so you can find what you need without tearing through your suitcase.

Many frequent flyers swear by them for maximising space and keeping outfits wrinkle-free.

They’re also a lifesaver if your bag gets opened at security; everything stays tidy and contained.

Once you’ve tried them, you’ll never go back to chaotic suitcase stuffing.

This set from Primark is particularly stylish, and at only £8 you’re paying £1 per cube.

Compression socks and sleeves

Carin Ryan, with 10 years as cabin crew and six million air miles under her belt, revealed that compression sleeves are the “biggest game changer” when flying.

“Think about the extra walking, unfamiliar sleeping accommodations, and cramped airplane seats all working together to make for miserable body aches and pains on your trip” she said in Travel and Leisure.

“Circulation is your best friend in helping alleviate everything that ails you”.

Compression sleeves improve your circulation by supporting the blood flow in your body.

“Compression sleeves are great as a preventative measure or to put on after a long day exploring.”

These funky compression socks from Koala Socks look just like regular socks, and are only £8.99.

Portable kettle

Have you ever heard of a portable kettle? Well, now you have!

Flight attendant Krystal (@krystal_lilian) shared the item as one of her must-haves in a TikTok post.

“Trip is cancelled without these” she writes.

A portable kettle might sound like a niche gadget, but once you’ve travelled with one, you’ll never look back.

They’re perfect for tea or coffee lovers, guaranteeing you can have a proper cuppa wherever you are.

Hotel kettles can be questionable at best, with some travellers even using them to wash their underwear.

They’re often compact and lightweight, as many models fold down to save space in your luggage and boil just enough water for one or two cups.

It’s also a great option for campers, road trippers, or anyone who likes the comfort of a hot drink before bed.

This collapsible option from Amazon is just £7.98.

Sewing kit

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re packing, but a small sewing kit can be a real life saver.

easyJet cabin manager Dave Morris always makes sure to bring one.

“I always pack a travel sewing kit — you never know when a needle and thread will save the day,” he told Condé Nast Traveller.

“Safety pins are incredibly useful too. They can replace a broken zip pull, add extra security to a bag, or even help rethread the drawstring on a hoodie.”

Whether it’s a popped button before dinner or a torn hem in your favourite dress, bringing a sewing kit can spare you the stress of a wardrobe malfunction abroad.

Look for a compact version with needles, thread, scissors and pins – it takes up barely any space, but can fix just about anything in a pinch.

This one from Waitrose is only £4 and is a handy addition to your packing list.

Portable cutlery

Flight attendant Amy Cooper (@amycooperxoxo) listed a reusable knife and fork as part of her “crew essentials” in a post on TikTok.

Reusable travel cutlery might not sound like an essential, but it’s one of those items you’ll be thankful for time and again.

Whether you’re grabbing a supermarket salad during a layover, or picnicking on the beach – portable cutlery saves many a situation.

Most sets come neatly packed in a small case, so they won’t make a mess in your bag.

Plus they’re easy to rinse and reuse throughout your trip.

This £1.49 set from Wilko is the perfect size.

Multi-purpose scarf

Finnair cabin crew member Elina Poutanen suggests keeping it simple when packing to save yourself from overpacking.

Especially as many people now travel with cabin luggage only, it’s important to make sure that you choose the clothes you pack carefully.

“Clothes with multiple purposes are the best because you can wear them many times and for many occasions” she says.

Elina recommends “A big scarf that can be worn as a beach cover-up during the day and in the evening when it gets chilly”.

This £3.99 option from Amazon wouldn’t look amiss as a beach skirt or stylish scarf.

Travel extension lead

A travel extension lead is one of those unglamorous but genius essentials that makes travels so much easier.

Cabin crew member Heather (@onlyheather) shared this to be one her essentials with followers on TikTok.

With hotel rooms often short on plug sockets (or worse tucked behind furniture) having your own mini extension lead is a life-saver.

Being able to charge all your devices in one spot is a luxury you’ll thank yourself for later.

Many travel-friendly versions come with multiple USB ports and universal adapters, so you can power your phone, laptop, and camera all at once.

It’s especially handy for long-haul travellers juggling several gadgets or sharing a room with others.

At £3.99 from Argos, this small addition to your packing list will save you a lot of hassle.

Neck pillow

Though it seems like an obvious choice, far too many people still travel without a neck pillow.

“Neck pillows are great for long flights or any flights where you’re stuck in a middle seat” says ex-flight attendant Arina Bloom in Business Insider.

“Once you use one, you’ll never go back. It’s so much more comfortable to fall asleep — plus it saves you from accidentally waking up on your neighbor’s shoulder”.

Just make sure to buy one ahead of time to avoid expensive airport options.

This one from Flying Tiger is made of memory foam and has its own clip to attach to your luggage – and it’s only a tenner.

Mini lint roller

Virgin Atlantic crew member Sophie Firth (@sophie.firth) shared a peek inside her cabin crew topper bag with her followers on TikTok.

Sophie packs a mini lint roller, to make sure her uniform is looking spic and span at all times.

There’s nothing worse than having dust and hairs cling to your clothing, especially when needing to remain polished and presentable as possible.

A mini travel-size lint roller can be purchased for £2.89 on Amazon.

Sophie also packs a mini travel hot water bottle as she explains she is “always cold, especially in crew rest”.

Electrolytes sachet

easyJet cabin crew member Sasha Anthony (@sailwithsasha) swears by electrolyte sachets when flying.

Airplane cabins are notoriously dehydrating and the low humidity levels can leave you feeling tired, sluggish, and jet-lagged after you land.

Mixing an electrolyte sachet into your water mid-flight helps to replenish essential minerals, and keep you hydrated through the dry air and caffeine.

It’s a simple trick that keeps your energy up and your skin feeling fresher when you land.

Pop a few sachets in your bag and you’ll arrive feeling far more human – especially after a long-haul flight.

These sachets from ViDrate are 8 for £5, plenty to get you through multiple flights.

Perfume decanter

Ever wished you could bring your favourite perfume away with you, but you simply have no space for it in your luggage?

A perfume decanter is the ultimate hack for bringing your favourite scent, without lugging around a heavy bottle.

Flight attendant Nicola Findlay (@nicolafindlay_) even shared it in her “must have items” on TikTok.

“We still want to smell sweet without bringing the whole bottle” she says.

These pocket-sized bottles let you transfer a small amount of perfume into a sleek, travel-friendly container that fits easily in your hand luggage.

They help you stay within the 100ml liquid limit whilst still smelling your best.

They’re also perfect to pop in your handbag for refreshing after a long flight or before dinner.

This option from Temu is only 93p, and is easy to attach to your perfume bottle to fill up.

EXPLAINER

In a revamp of the 1973 mixed singles match, Aryna Sabalenka will play Nick Kyrgios on Sunday in Dubai.

Who: Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios
What: “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition tennis match
Where: Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
When: Sunday at 7.45pm (15:45 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition tennis match in Dubai on Sunday.

Sabalenka, 27, will face the 30-year-old former Wimbledon finalist in a modern rendition of tennis icon Billie Jean King’s 1973 showdown with fellow American Bobby Riggs, which turned out to be a watershed moment for both tennis and the women’s movement.

Here is all to know before their much anticipated showdown:

How did the Sabalenka-Kyrgios match come about?

Kyrgios, who was ranked as high as 13 in the world in men’s singles, threw down the gauntlet to Sabalenka during the US Open in September, saying in an interview he would easily dispatch the Belarusian without having to try “100 percent to win”.

He said women cannot return professional men’s serves and claimed he would defeat the world’s top-ranked female player.

Sabalenka responded by saying she was ready to “kick a**”, which eventually led to Evolve, the marketing agency that represents both players, organising this weekend’s matchup.

What’s the history behind the ‘Battle of the Sexes’?

The original “Battle of the Sexes” took place in 1973 between King, then 29, and Riggs, 55, at the Houston Astrodome.

King, a 12-time singles Grand Slam champion, made history when she defeated the former men’s world number one amateur player 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a matchup that drew an estimated 90 million TV viewers worldwide.

King’s straight-sets victory was considered a pivotal moment for women’s sport at the time and solidified her status as a sports and feminist icon of her generation.

What are the rules for ‘Battle of the Sexes’?

Sabalenka, speaking on the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube show on December 9, said it would be “really tough” to compete against a male player of Kyrgios’s standard using a full court and standard rules.

As a result, there are several rule modifications for this match:

• The players will be limited to just one serve instead of two.
• Sabalenka’s side of the court will be 9 percent smaller than a normal tennis court.
• It will be a best-of-three-sets contest – with a 10-point tiebreaker in the final set if required.

What has Sabalenka said about the match?

“I’m proud to represent women’s tennis and to be part of this modern take of the iconic Battle of the Sexes match,” Sabalenka said in a news release.

“Dubai is my home, and I know this city loves big, entertaining events. I have a lot of respect for Nick and his talent, but make no mistake, I’m ready to bring my A-game.”

What has Kyrgios said about the match?

Kyrgios said he’ll defeat the four-time Grand Slam champion without having to try hard.

“I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win,” Kyrgios said.

“She is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 percent? I’m gonna try because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say like 6-2 maybe.”

“I think I’m going to be OK. I’m going to go there, and I don’t want her to win. That’s for sure,” he added.

Is oft-injured Kyrgios planning a return to professional tennis?

Kyrgios will compete at ‍next month’s ‍Brisbane International after receiving a wildcard entry, organisers said on Sunday, as he works towards a potential ​return to the 2026 Australian Open.

His career has been ravaged by injury over the past couple of ‍years, and ⁠he played only five singles matches in 2025, the most recent at the Miami Open in March.

Kyrgios, the 2018 Brisbane champion, is now ranked ​673rd in the ‌world with no protected ranking and will also need a wildcard to compete at Melbourne ‌Park.

How to watch the ‘Battle of the Sexes’

The match is being broadcast live and free in the United Kingdom on BBC 1 and streamed on BBC iPlayer.

Please check local guides for access in other countries.

Al Jazeera will provide live text commentary of the match.

Has there been a year this decade when we’ve been sad to see it go?

I thought about that while reading our “25 ways to banish this no good, very bad year” list, which contains some terrific ideas, and I’d be very happy to watch you jump into the Pacific on New Year’s Day, if you feel so inclined. But they’re all predicated on the idea that this year has given off a stench that needs to be smothered, the same way you’d cleanse your dog in tomato juice after an encounter with a skunk.

And this is true. Even Game 7 of the World Series can’t erase the heartache that 2025 has inflicted upon us, though props to Kiké Hernández for doing his best to distract from the headlines.

I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter, wishing you and yours a better new year. It’s a low bar. I’m optimistic we can jump it.

Predicting ‘Avatar’s’ Oscar chances

Did anyone really want to see a third “Avatar” movie?

Sure, someone must have. It sold $89 million in tickets last weekend, though that number fell short of analysts’ forecast for James Cameron’s three-hour movie. For comparison, 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” brought in $134 million in its opening weekend. That movie, like the series’ 2009 first film, built its $2-billion-plus box office over time.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” may well do the same.

Still, doesn’t it feel like there should be more excitement to go see a movie that might gross $2 billion worldwide? Maybe you were among the first in line to see it last Friday. No judgment. I’ve seen every Cameron movie in a theater, a streak I suspect will continue as long as he’s making films.

The thing is, Cameron himself is giving the distinct impression that he’s ready to move on from “Avatar,” even though he has already written scripts for the fourth and fifth entries in the franchise. He has other projects in the works, adapting “Ghosts of Hiroshima,” which revolves around the true story of the only survivor of both atomic bombs dropped on Japan. And he has teased a “Terminator” reboot.

Cameron is 71, a kid compared to Ridley Scott (88) and Martin Scorsese (83), but still … the clock is ticking.

Do you want him devote another three years (or more) to the lush, gorgeous world of Pandora?

Maybe if “Avatar: Fire and Ash” had spent less time repeating the same themes — and, sometimes, the same scenes — almost beat for beat from the “The Way of Water,” I’d feel differently. The new movie is, of course, a visual feast, though with just three years between the second and third films, the technological advances don’t feel as awe-inspiring this time around. Cameron remains adept at world-building and creating tense action set pieces. He’s also unrivaled at serving up lumpy dialogue, and the new film has serious pacing issues. “Fire and Ash” feels every bit like a 197-minute movie.

When I did my last set of Oscar best picture power rankings on Nov. 3, I put “Fire and Ash” at No. 10, sight unseen. This was in part because Cameron is Cameron and deserves respect and also because would-be contenders like “A House of Dynamite,” “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” “The Smashing Machine” and “After the Hunt” weren’t connecting with voters.

But the franchise fatigue with “Avatar” feels real. It’ll still probably win the visual effects Oscar and pick up a nomination for sound. But I suspect it’s going to fall just outside the 10 movies nominated for best picture.

If that happens, will anyone cry “snub”? Likely not. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” can still inspire wonder, but for the first time in his career, Cameron is spinning his wheels. It feels like he’s ready to return to Earth.

More coverage of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

The Chargers have never won five in a row under coach Jim Harbaugh, but they have a chance to do so Saturday. It won’t be easy against this Houston Texans defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

The Texans crushed the Chargers in the first round of the playoffs last season, intercepting Justin Herbert four times in a 32-12 drubbing.

Now, the Texans are riding a seven-game winning streak and haven’t dropped a game since a three-point home loss to Denver at the beginning of November.

The Chargers clinched a playoff berth this week but are looking for more than a wild-card spot. If they win Saturday, the AFC West title — and at least one more game at SoFi Stadium — is within reach. Even the AFC’s No. 1 seed is in play.

How the Texans can win: Houston’s defense can hold up against the run and has the secondary to challenge Herbert, but the Texans offense has been one of the league’s worst in the red zone. The Texans need to convert those opportunities into touchdowns. C.J. Stroud is at his best throwing between the numbers when protection holds, although he has a suspect offensive line, and the Texans will lean on short passes to compensate for a shaky running game. Forcing a turnover or two is critical. Houston thrives when it shortens the field and avoids asking the offense to sustain long drives. Field goals alone won’t be enough.

How the Chargers can win: Control the game with balance and patience. Houston’s defense is opportunistic and excellent at forcing turnovers, but it can be stressed if Herbert has time and the Chargers stay committed to the run. That won’t be easy if Kimani Vidal is out. Even modest success on the ground forces the Texans to respect play-action fakes and opens throwing lanes, particularly over the middle. Herbert’s ability to escape pressure and run, especially up the middle against man coverage, could be a hidden weapon late. If the Chargers protect the ball and finish drives instead of settling for field goals, they can keep Houston from dictating the tempo.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

Breakaway region achieves diplomatic breakthrough after more than 30 years without international recognition

Israel has become the first nation in the world to formally recognise Somaliland, ending the breakaway region’s three-decade quest for international legitimacy.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Friday that Israel and the Republic of Somaliland had signed an agreement establishing full diplomatic relations, including the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies in both countries.

The historic accord marks a significant breakthrough for Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has failed to gain recognition from any United Nations member state.

Somaliland controls the northwestern of the former British Protectorate on what is today northern Somalia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the new friendship as “seminal and historic” in a video call with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, inviting him to visit Israel and calling it a “great opportunity to expand their partnership.”

Saar said the agreement followed a year of extensive dialogue between the two governments and was based on a joint decision by Netanyahu and Abdullahi.

“We will work together to promote the relations between our countries and nations, regional stability and economic prosperity,” Saar wrote on social media, adding that he had instructed his ministry to immediately institutionalise ties across a wide range of fields.

More to come…

Beijing urged the US to cease ‘dangerous’ efforts to arm the island, which it claims as its own.

China has sanctioned a group of United States defence companies and senior executives over weapons sales to Taiwan, the latest move against Washington’s support for the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the measures on Friday, targeting 20 US defence firms and 10 individuals. It said the sanctions are retaliation for the US’s newly announced $11.1bn weapons package for Taiwan, one of its largest ever for the territory.

“Any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue ‌will be met with a strong ⁠response from China,” said a statement from the ministry, urging the US to cease “dangerous” efforts to arm the island.

The sanctioned companies include Boeing’s St Louis branch, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services and Lazarus AI.

The measures freeze these companies’ assets in China and bar domestic organisations and individuals from working with them, according to the ministry. They also seize the China-held assets of sanctioned individuals and ban them from entering China.

Targeted individuals include the founder of defence firm Anduril Industries and nine senior executives from the sanctioned firms. The measures take effect on December 26.

The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan, which rejects Beijing’s claim to the territory, with the means to defend itself. But US arms sales to the island have deepened tensions with China.

The latest US weapons deal with Taiwan, announced by President Donald Trump on December 17, includes the proposed sale of 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS – worth more than $4bn.

The defence systems are similar to what the US had been providing Ukraine to defend against Russian aerial attacks.

The deal also includes 60 self-propelled howitzer artillery systems and related equipment worth more than $4bn and drones valued at more than $1bn.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence praised the US for assisting Taiwan “in maintaining sufficient self-defence capabilities and in rapidly building strong deterrent power”.

ADAM Peaty’s mum has U-turned on her decision to gatecrash his wedding to Holly Ramsay.

The Olympian uninvited his mother Caroline Peaty and the rest of his relatives from their big day after a family fallout.

Distraught Caroline had been intent on travelling to the lavish ceremony in Bath tomorrow despite being snubbed.

However, the swimming star’s mum has backed down, with a family member telling The Sun: “She will not be there because it would be too sad and she don’t want to spoil his big day.”

The change of heart comes as Holly Ramsay and her family were spotted leaving their £7.5m mansion to travel to the wedding venue.

Dad-of-one Adam, 30, and Holly, 25, are due to wed at Bath Abbey in Somerset on Saturday, December 27.

COUNT DOWN

Holly Ramsay celebrates last Xmas as a Miss as she prepares to marry Adam Peaty

MISSING YOU

Adam Peaty’s mum shares Christmas heartbreak after being uninvited from wedding

Caroline had previously insisted: “I will be there and I will watch from the street.”

But she changed her mind after her devoted husband Mark made her see sense, telling her it would be “too upsetting’ to be there.”

Around 200 people are set to attend Adam’s wedding including Holly’s chef dad Gordon and their close friends David and Victoria Beckham.

But there won’t be any surprises from unwanted guests.

Sources say the couple have booked Bath Abbey “all-day” and tourists will also be stopped from entering the landmark.

A security team is also set to patrol to stop people trying to take pictures of the couple.

Untold riches awaited Adrian Kempe as one of the NHL’s top unrestricted free agents next summer.

Mitch Marner, among last summer’s top targets, got $12 million a season from Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal with Toronto hours before he would have hit the open market. With more goals than Marner over the last four full seasons, how much could Kempe — in his prime at 29 — have demanded?

We’ll never know. Because whatever amount it might have been, Kempe decided it wasn’t worth more than his happiness. So last month he signed an eight-year contract extension worth a reported $85 million with the Kings that figures to keep him with the only organization he’s ever known for the rest of his career.

“There’s probably some teams that would have given me offers. But I never really got to the part where that was something that I wanted,” he said. “I’m really happy here. Always have been. Family-wise, the same.

“So there was never anything else in my mind.”

That’s a mind that is apparently at ease now that Kempe’s hockey future has been determined. With 13 goals and a team-high 17 assists, he leads the offensively challenged Kings with 30 points and seven of those goals have come in the 17 games since he signed his extension.

But that’s done little to lift the team, which has lost six of their last seven heading into Saturday’s game with the Ducks. The last time the Kings had a seven-game stretch this bad it cost coach Todd McLellan his job.

“I’m not happy, but I really believe in this group,” said winger Kevin Fiala, who shares the team goal-scoring lead with Kempe. “I really believe this is a great team, great players. We just have to kind of find the game. And not just for some minutes, not even for one game, 60 minutes.

“We have to go for a stretch here, get some wins in a row. Start feeling good, start playing good.”

That might be tough given how the Kings will finish 2025. After Saturday’s home game with the resurgent Ducks, the team travels to Colorado to face the Avalanche, who lead the NHL in points.

If the Kings are to turn things around, they will have to jump start an offense which is second-to-last in the NHL, averaging 2.52 goals a game, and a power play that has converted on less than 14% of its chances, also 31st in the 32-team league. And the responsibility for making that happen probably will fall to Kempe, who has scored as many goals over the past four full seasons as Sidney Crosby and has just six fewer assists than Alex Ovechkin, keeping the Swedish Olympian in heady company.

Kings forward Adrian Kempe shoots during a win over the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 4.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

“Adrian is a bit of a streaky scorer,” coach Jim Hiller said. “A lot of his recent goals are goals that we’ve seen him score before, where he’s either beating someone with speed, a nice deke.

“So to me it’s the type of goals he’s scoring right now that’s got me encouraged.”

That’s not all that’s encouraging. Kempe, a quick and physical two-way forward, is averaging a career-high 19:18 of ice time per game and is on pace to score 30 goals and top 68 points for a second straight season.

With captain Anze Kopitar retiring at the end of the season and defenseman Drew Doughty in the penultimate year of his contract, re-signing Kempe, the team’s future leader on and off the ice, was at the top of Ken Holland’s to-do list when he took over as general manager last spring. And while the length of the contract he offered Kempe never wavered, the price did.

In the end, media reports said Kempe blinked first, telling agent J.P. Berry to lower his salary demands to get a deal done, eventually accepting an average annual value of $10.625 million beginning next season. That nearly doubles the $5.5 million he’ll earn this season and makes him the fifth-best-paid Swede in the NHL, according to the Sweden Herald. But it’s less than he would have gotten on the open market.

“I think it says two things,” Hiller said of the deal. “What it says about the franchise is that the player was known, was drafted here, was developed here.”

What it says about Kempe, he continued, is that he values that loyalty more than money.

Kings forward Adrian Kempe against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 18.

(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)

“I think he probably appreciates the time and energy spent on his career, getting him to where he was,” Hiller said. “Now it’s his choice and he says, ‘You know what? I want to stay in place.’”

He’s not alone. A number of the Kings’ recent cornerstone players — among them Dustin Brown, Kopitar and Doughty — spent their entire NHL careers with the team. If he avoids serious injury and a major dropoff in play, Kempe will almost certainly rank among the top five in franchise history in games, goals and points when his contract runs out.

That’s the long-term return on investment Holland and the Kings are hoping for. For the time being, however, they’re counting on Kempe to save a season that seems in danger of spiraling.

Like Fiala, Kempe believes in the Kings.

“If I weren’t happy here, obviously I would consider not playing here,” Kempe said. “We have a good core. We have a good group of younger guys coming up. I think we’re in a good spot.

“Obviously you have to take that in consideration, too, when you sign a new deal. You want to play on a good team, you want to win cups.”

And it’s hard to put a price tag on that.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu gave the U.S. government the “go-ahead” to carry out airstrikes on ISIS targets, Nigeria’s foreign minister said Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the strikes Thursday, calling them retaliation against “ISIS terrorist scum” for violence on “primarily, innocent Christians.”

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told Al Jazeera the country cooperated with the U.S. Defense Department on the “fight against terrorism” in the northwestern region.

Citing local news sources, the news outlet said at least one missile landed in the village of Jabo in Sokoto state. Residents told Al Jazeera there were no casualties in the village.

“The bomb fell and burst into many pieces. There were two big pieces of debris. One of them was carried by two people,” resident Abdulrahman Mainasara said.

Resident Ismail Umar told the outlet the village hadn’t received any armed attacks from ISIS in more than two years.

Tuggar said the Nigerian government provided intelligence to the U.S. government, and he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the phone twice before the strikes. He added that Tinubu was also involved in the decision-making process.

“Now that the U.S. is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would ensure, just as the [Nigerian] president emphasized yesterday before he gave the go-ahead, that it must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other,” Tuggar said in an appearance on Channels Television‘s Sunrise Daily program.

Tuggar and other officials, though, took issue with Trump’s rhetoric saying that ISIS violence targets only Christians in Nigeria.

“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians,” Tuggar said.

Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the director of the non-profit organization Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, said suggestions that ISIS is primarily targeting people based on religion could incite ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria.

“Muslims are being killed and harassed every day by the same criminals,” Rafsanjani said, according to the local news outlet Leadership. “This conversation should be about human life, not religion or geography.”

Drone attacks hit fuel market in city that serves as headquarters for RSF’s alternative government.

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group says the country’s army struck a fuel market in the city of Nyala, the RSF’s administrative capital, as part of an intensified aerial campaign against its positions in South Darfur.

For three consecutive days ending Thursday, military drones and warplanes pounded strategic RSF sites across Nyala, including the international airport, military positions and training facilities.

The strike on the fuel market triggered a huge blaze as barrels of fuel exploded, according to footage circulated on social media, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air.

Youssef Idris Youssef, who heads the RSF’s civil administration in South Darfur, accused the army of deliberately targeting civilians. He described the attack as part of “a systematic policy” to punish Darfur residents for not resisting the RSF presence in their communities.

The Sudanese military has not issued any statement regarding the strikes.

Casualties were reported among both civilians and RSF members involved in the fuel trade.

In the aftermath, RSF intelligence services conducted mass arrests near the targeted site and Nyala’s main market, detaining civilians and military personnel on accusations of providing coordinates to the army, according to local sources.

Nyala holds particular strategic importance as the seat of the RSF’s parallel government, known as TASIS, which the group declared in July. Led by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, the alternative administration has been widely condemned as possibly fracturing Sudan, but controls significant territory across Darfur.

The city was struck by the army in October when it targeted the RSF and Nyala airport, which has been reportedly used by the RSF as a logistics hub for its forces.

Fighting continues across Darfur

Fighting has raged across Darfur since the RSF captured el-Fasher in October, an offensive marked by atrocities documented by rights groups.

The United States has said the RSF has committed genocide in Darfur.

This week, the RSF announced it had seized the Abu Qumra region in North Darfur and claimed advances towards Um Buru, though joint forces allied with the army disputed RSF assertions that they had also taken the town of Karnoi.

The attack on Nyala came just two days after Sudan’s prime minister, Kamil Idris, presented a peace proposal to the United Nations Security Council calling for RSF withdrawal from captured areas, disarmament in camps, and eventual elections.

The RSF rejected the plan, with spokesman Alaa el-Din Naqd telling Sudanese outlet Radio Dabanga it amounted to “wishful thinking”.

Sudan’s de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was in Ankara for talks on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at which Erdogan expressed his support for peace efforts and his opposition to dividing Sudan.

Hours earlier, a senior official in Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council ruled out any negotiations, declaring there could be “no truce and no negotiation with an occupier”.

The war, which erupted in April 2023, has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced nearly 14 million, in what the UN describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Since the RSF seized el-Fasher – the last major army stronghold in Darfur – the conflict has shifted to Central Kordofan, splitting Sudan between territories controlled by the military and the RSF.