DEMI Moore poses in a cage-style dress — but says she feels freer than ever.

The screen star, 62, was in celebratory mood after being named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year.

It comes after she won a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role in horror flick The Substance.

Demi was interviewed by Substance co-star Margaret Qualley for the mag.

She said: “With everything I’ve been through, which has been a lot, I wouldn’t trade where I am today.”

She added a difference with her younger self is the “freedom to know I don’t have to have the answer, and life is not going to be completely stolen from me if I somehow don’t know”.

NO MOORE PARTIES

Demi Moore skips distributor’s Oscars after-party following shocking loss

During Demi Moore’s emotional Golden Globes acceptance speech, she spoke of having been at a “low point” and not thinking she was “enough”.

The actress has battled countless traumas and rejections during her life – including her biological dad leaving before she was born, saving her drug addicted mum from suicide, two spells in rehab and being raped aged 15. 

The star of Ghost, Indecent Proposal and A Few Good Men’s return to form in the satirical horror movie The Substance is one of the greatest Hollywood comebacks of all time.

Having struggled to land a hit movie over the past couple of decades, Demi thought “this was it.”

And when you learn of what the mother-of-three has been through, you’ll know why her best actress win at the Globes on Sunday meant so much.

In her speech, which has gone viral, Demi said: “In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough, or pretty enough, or skinny enough, or are basically just not enough, I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know you will never be enough but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.’”

The Trump administration is sending federal agents to San Francisco following weeks of threats from the president to deploy the National Guard to the Bay Area.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a statement on X confirming and criticizing the agents’ upcoming arrival. He called deployment a “page right out of the dictator’s handbook” intended to create the conditions of unrest necessary to then send in the National Guard.

“He sends out masked men, he sends out Border Patrol, he sends out ICE, he creates anxiety and fear in the community so that he can lay claim to solving that by sending in the [National] Guard,” said Newsom. “This is no different than the arsonist putting out the fire.”

Around 100 federal agents, including members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are en route to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Alameda base, according to reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Coast Guard and DHS did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Trump has suggested for weeks that San Francisco is next on his list for National Guard deployment, after the administration sent troops to Los Angeles and Chicago and is battling in court to send them to Portland, Ore.

On Sunday, Trump told Fox News, “We’re going to San Francisco and we’ll make it great. It’ll be great again.”

Trump has suggested that the role of the National Guard in San Francisco would be to address crime rates. However, the National Guard is generally not allowed to perform domestic law enforcement duties when federalized by the president.

In September, he said that cities with Democratic political leadership such as San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles “are very unsafe places and we are going to straighten them out.”

Trump said he told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training for our military, our national guard.”

Newsom urged Californians to remain peaceful in the face of the arrival of federal agents.

“President Trump and [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Stephen Miller’s authoritarian playbook is coming for another of our cities, and violence and vandalism are exactly what they’re looking for to invoke chaos,” said Newsom on X.

The sending of federal agents to San Francisco comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on immigration across the nation in an attempt to carry out what the president has proclaimed is the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.

Oct. 22 (UPI) — Police in Vermont are continuing to search for a missing college student who hasn’t been seen in five days.

On Sunday afternoon, Lia Smith, 21, a senior at Middlebury College, was reported missing to the Middlebury Police Department..

Smith, who is a California native, was last seen around 9 p.m. Friday in a building on campus, police said.

A drone is being used to “identify potential search area,” police said Monday.

Vermont State Police on Wednesday activated a Search and Rescue Team to be Thursday in full force.

Middlebury Fire Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FBI and New York State Police are assisting in the search.

“We will do everything we can to find Lia,” three Middlebury administrators said Monday in a statement. “She is a beloved member of our Middlebury family and there is nothing more important than the health, safety, and well-being of our students and of our entire community.”

She is 5-foot-11, approximately 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Smith, a double computer science and statistics major, competed on the college’s women’s swimming team and was a member of the chess club.

“If anybody knows anything, even if it’s a friend that’s just afraid that maybe the information they may have might not be useful, please share it with the police because anything is worth us looking into and trying to decipher whether it benefits the investigation,” police Sgt. Nathan Hayes said Monday.

“If there’s any concern, or if Lia thought she was in trouble for anything, she’s not. Nnobody’s in trouble for this. We just truly want to find out where she is and make sure she’s safe.”

Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1800, has about 2,800 undergraduate students and about 700 graduate students in International Studies in Addison County in the state’s Champlain Valley.

Middlebury is among the schools considered as Little Ivies.

Real Madrid see off improved Juventus in UCL win, while Liverpool come back in Frankfurt and Victor Osimhen stars again.

Jude Bellingham scored his first goal since June as Real Madrid saw off a spirited performance by Juventus to win 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and maintain their 100 percent record in this season’s Champions League.

The goal on Wednesday was created by Vinicius Jr, who in the 58th minute took on three Juventus players and made space to shoot. His attempt rebounded off the post for Bellingham to slot home his first goal of the season since returning from shoulder surgery.

Juve are winless since September 13 and have gone seven consecutive matches without a victory in all competitions. They have secured just two points from three Champions League games, while Madrid have nine points.

The Italians did, however, draw a number of fine saves from Real keeper Thibaut Courtois as they defied the record Champions League winners for nearly an hour.

The Belgium international stopper remained pivotal even in the dying moments as Juve applied the pressure in search of an equaliser, with Filip Kostic’s long-range strike needing to be pummelled away.

Liverpool come from a goal down in Frankfurt

Liverpool emphatically rebounded from a miserable run as it won 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.

There were also comfortable wins for Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Liverpool travelled to Germany on a four-game losing streak that included Sunday’s home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League. Among its recent setbacks was also a loss at Galatasaray in its second league-phase match.

Rasmus Kristensen gave the home side the lead in the 26th minute, but Liverpool levelled nine minutes later through former Frankfurt player Hugo Ekitike, who outsprinted three of his former teammates before firing a low effort under Michael Zetterer.

Ekitike didn’t celebrate but raised his hands in an apologetic gesture.

Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate headed in corners within five minutes of each other to give Liverpool a comfortable halftime lead.

Florian Wirtz provided his first Champions League assist in the 66th, setting up Cody Gakpo for a tap-in, and he did it again four minutes later for a low drive from Dominik Szoboszlai from 30 meters out.

Chelsea beat Ajax 5-1, while Bayern topped Club Brugge 4-0.

Nigeria’s Osimhen shines again for Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen continued his impressive scoring record in Europe to help Galatasaray to a 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt.

Osimhen netted two first-half goals to extend his scoring streak in continental competition to seven outings – with nine goals in that period – stretching back to Galatasaray’s Europa League campaign last term.

The Nigerian forward came close to a hat-trick on several occasions, notably in the 60th minute when his attempt was parried by Nikita Haikin, but Yunus Akgun tucked away the rebound for Galatasaray’s third.

Substitute Andreas Helmersen grabbed a consolation for Bodø/Glimt shortly after coming off the bench.

Substitute Roberto Navarro had an immediate – and stunning – impact as he helped Athletic Bilbao to its first points in this season’s Champions League, with a 3-1 comeback victory over Qarabag.

Navarro was brought on in the 65th minute, with the score 1-1, and gave the hosts the lead five minutes later with a delightful curled finish into the far corner.

Qarabag, which was surprisingly perfect going into the encounter, had taken the lead after just 49 seconds through Leandro Andrade.

But Gorka Guruzeta levelled shortly before halftime and also gave his team a two-goal cushion with full-time looming.

Four years after the “Rust” movie shooting, New Mexico officials have moved Alec Baldwin’s lawsuit alleging malicious prosecution to federal court.

This week’s filing is the latest twist in the long legal saga after the October 2021 on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin, the 67-year-old star and a producer of the western film, had been facing a felony involuntary manslaughter charge for his role in Hutchins’ accidental shooting. But the judge overseeing Baldwin’s case abruptly dismissed the charge against him during his July 2024 trial after concluding that prosecutors withheld evidence that may have been helpful to his legal team.

Six months later, Baldwin sued New Mexico’s district attorney and special prosecutors, asserting malicious prosecution. The actor claimed he had been made a celebrity scapegoat because of the intense media pressure on local authorities to solve the high-profile case.

His lawsuit targeted New Mexico special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey, 1st Judicial Dist. Atty. Mary Carmack-Altwies and Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies, who led the investigation into Hutchins’ death.

The defendants have denied Baldwin’s allegations.

Baldwin’s wrongful prosecution suit was first filed in New Mexico court in Santa Fe.

On Tuesday, the defendants, including Morrissey, exercised their legal right to shift the case to federal court. The decision was made, in part, because “Mr. Baldwin brought federal civil rights claims in his lawsuit,” said Albuquerque attorney Luis Robles, who represents the defendants.

In addition, Baldwin does not live in New Mexico, where the case was filed.

Baldwin could object to the move and petition for it to be brought back to state court. On Wednesday, his team was not immediately available for comment.

A New Mexico judge had dismissed Baldwin’s malicious prosecution claims in July, citing 90 days of inactivity in the case. Baldwin’s legal team petitioned to get the case reinstated and the judge agreed to the request.

That prompted the defendants’ move to shift the case to the higher court.

During his Santa Fe trial last year, Baldwin’s lawyers had sought to turn the focus away from whether Baldwin pulled his gun’s trigger in the accidental shooting to where the lethal bullet came from.

Baldwin’s attorneys repeatedly accused law enforcement officers and prosecutors of bungling the case, including by allegedly hiding potential evidence — a batch of bullets that they said may have been related to the one that killed Hutchins.

WASHINGTON — The White House started tearing down part of the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for the first lady, to build President Trump’s $250-million ballroom despite lacking approval for construction from the federal agency that oversees such projects.

Dramatic photos of the demolition work that began Monday showed construction equipment tearing into the East Wing façade and windows and other building parts in tatters on the ground. Some reporters watched from a park near the Treasury Department, which is next to the East Wing.

On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that the plan now called for the demolition of the entire East Wing and that the tear-down should be completed by Sunday. Citing a source, The Times said it marks an escalation over earlier plans for the ballroom.

Trump announced the start of construction in a social media post and referenced the work while hosting 2025 college baseball champs Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport in the East Room. He noted the work was happening “right behind us.”

“We have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically,” he said, adding, “It just started today.”

The White House has moved ahead with the massive construction project despite not yet having sign-off from the National Capital Planning Commission, which approves construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.

Its chairman, Will Scharf, who is also the White House staff secretary and one of Trump’s top aides, said at the commission’s September meeting that the agency does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.

“What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said last month.

It was unclear whether the White House had submitted the ballroom plans for the agency’s review and approval. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and the commission’s offices are closed because of the government shutdown.

The Republican president had said in July when the project was announced that the ballroom would not interfere with the mansion itself.

“It’ll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said of the White House.

The East Wing houses several offices, including those of the first lady. It was built in 1902 and and has been renovated over the years, with a second story added in 1942, according to the White House.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said those East Wing offices will be temporarily relocated during construction and that wing of the building will be modernized and renovated.

“Nothing will be torn down,” Leavitt said when she announced the project in July.

Trump insists that presidents have desired such a ballroom for 150 years and that he’s adding the massive 90,000-square-foot, glass-walled space because the East Room, which is the largest room in the White House with an approximately 200-person capacity, is too small. He also has said he does not like the idea of hosting kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers in pavilions on the South Lawn.

Trump said in the social media announcement that the project would be completed “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly.”

The ballroom will be the biggest structural change to the Executive Mansion since the addition in 1948 of the Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn, even dwarfing the residence itself.

At a dinner he hosted last week for some of the wealthy business executives who are donating money toward the construction cost, Trump said the project had grown in size and now will accommodate 999 people. The capacity was 650 seated people at the July announcement.

The White House has said it will disclose information on who has contributed money to build the ballroom, but has yet to do so.

Trump also said at last week’s event that the head of Carrier Global Corp., a leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, had offered to donate the air-conditioning system for the ballroom.

Carrier confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday that it had done so. A cost estimate was not immediately available.

“Carrier is honored to provide the new iconic ballroom at the White House with a world-class, energy-efficient HVAC system, bringing comfort to distinguished guests and dignitaries in this historic setting for years to come,” the company said in an emailed statement.

The clearing of trees on the south grounds and other site preparation work for the construction started in September. Plans call for the ballroom to be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.

Superville writes for the Associated Press.

For much of the year, the Dodgers’ starting rotation felt broken.

In large part, because the pitcher acquired to be its anchor was struggling to find himself.

It’s easy to forget now, with Blake Snell in the midst of a historic October performance that has helped lead the Dodgers back to the World Series. But for most of his debut season in Los Angeles, the two-time Cy Young Award winner and $182 million offseason signing was grappling with frustration, enduring what he described recently as “the hardest year of my career.”

First, there was well-documented early adversity: A shoulder problem that Snell quietly pitched through in two underwhelming starts at the beginning of the campaign, before sidelining him on the injured list for the next four months.

Then, there was an ordeal Snell detailed last week for the first time: In late August, on the same day his wife Haeley gave birth to the couple’s second child, Snell got so sick in the hospital that he fainted, was taken to the emergency room, and kept overnight hooked up to IV fluids.

“This is awful,” he thought to himself then.

Which now, has made his dominant postseason — including an 0.86 ERA in his first three playoff outings, and a scheduled Game 1 start in the World Series on Friday night — all the more gratifying.

“It’s been a lot,” Snell told The Times last week, while reflecting on a difficult season now primed for a triumphant final act. “But that’s what this is all about. Find the best in yourself. Fight through all the doubt, the bull—. And figure it out.”

In many ways, figuring things out has been the story of the Dodgers’ entire season. From their inconsistent and injury-riddled offense. To their underperforming and injury-ravaged bullpen. To their ever-evolving rotation, most of all.

Early in the year, that group dealt with its own rash of injuries, losing Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and others in a harrowing flashback to 2024.

This time, most of their top arms returned healthy. But up until six weeks ago, they still faced genuine questions for the fall.

At that point, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mired in an up-and-down stretch following his All-Star selection in the first half of the year, raising worries he could be tiring en route to making a career-high 30 starts.

Glasnow had returned from his early-season shoulder problem, but grinded through six starts from July 29 to Aug. 30 with an ERA above 4.00.

And while Shohei Ohtani was pitching well, he was also continuing to build up in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery.

Suddenly, it all left Snell to be the linchpin for the pitching staff — thrusting him to the center of the late-season resurgence that was soon to come.

“With every great starting staff, you got to have that anchor,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Having him get back to pitch the way he did, sort of raised the bar for everyone.”

This past winter, the Dodgers made Snell their top priority for a reason.

They looked at the patchwork rotation that nearly derailed their 2024 World Series run, and decided the year’s staff needed another star to build around.

Yamamoto, Glasnow and Ohtani already provided a well-established foundation. Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May offered plenty of depth to withstand a 162-game marathon.

What was missing, however, was another bona fide ace; the kind capable of swinging postseason series and transforming October fortunes. In Snell, they saw such potential. His presence, they hoped, would complete their title-defense blueprint.

“As we were talking about ways that we could put ourselves in the best position to win a World Series in 2025,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the day Snell was introduced by the club, “all conversations kept coming back to Blake.”

For most of the year, of course, Snell’s impact was limited. After his two injury-hampered starts at the beginning of the season, he remained out of action until after the trade deadline.

During that time, the Dodgers slow-played Snell’s recovery — putting him through a meticulous process (similar to their handling of Glasnow and Ohtani) that was designed to have him ready for the stretch run of the season, and hopefully peaking in time for the start of the playoffs.

Upon his initial return in early August, Snell seemed to be on track, with the left-hander posting a sub-2.00 ERA in his first four outings off the IL.

Then, however, came another unforeseen setback, after he rushed home from an Aug. 22 outing in San Diego for the birth of his child.

By the time Snell’s wife went into labor later that week, the 32-year-old arrived at the hospital feeling “extremely sick,” he recounted last week. At one point, as he got up from a couch to go hold his newly born baby, he said he passed out and fainted right there in the room.

Snell was taken to the emergency room and stayed there overnight, getting two IVs to combat an unspecified illness undoubtedly compounded by exhaustion.

“I couldn’t really stand,” he said. “I just felt awful.”

And yet, a few days later, there Snell was back atop the Dodger Stadium mound; making sure that, after his extended absence earlier in the campaign, he wouldn’t miss another start.

“That’s what I signed up to do,” Snell said. “When I pitch, I just forget about it. I don’t allow a lot of excuses.”

Snell’s illness was unknown at the time, but the physical toll it had taken quickly became obvious. His velocity was noticeably down in a three-run, 5 ⅓ innings start on Aug. 29 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Six days later, he toiled again during a “frustrating” outing in Pittsburgh, yielding a season-high nine hits and five runs to the lowly Pirates.

Pushing through those games, though, gave Snell a key to hone in on for the rest of the season. “If this is who you are today, figure it out,” he told himself. And finally, with no more disruptions to his routine, improvement flowed quickly.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell puts his arm around catcher Ben Rortvedt as they walk back to the dugout together on Sept. 17.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Snell struck out a season-high 11 batters over six scoreless innings in a Sept. 10 win against the Colorado Rockies. He topped that a week later with 12 punchouts in seven scoreless frames against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Snell said after that outing, which was followed by one more six-inning, one-run start in his regular-season finale in Arizona: “[I’m] starting to be able to play catch with more intent and work on stuff … Coming through in the push to the postseason, and being able to make it, that’s what the whole season is for.”

The old adage in baseball is that hitting can be contagious.

In the case of this year’s Dodgers, starting pitching evidently can be, too.

As Snell got hot in September, so did the rest of the team’s resurgent rotation. Yamamoto rediscovered his early-season form, winning National League pitcher of the month with an immaculate 0.67 ERA in four starts. Glasnow finished the month with a 2.49 mark, after finally refining the mechanics of his throw. Ohtani, meanwhile, got stretched out to six innings, maintaining his two-way dominance over repeated full-length appearances.

The bar had been raised, with the constant cycle of gems continuing to push it a little bit higher.

The pitchers rode off the momentum and relished in their shared success; to the point that Roberts joked they almost seemed to be competing to outdo one another.

“I think we’re all good,” Glasnow said. “So it was just a matter of time until all of us did good at the same time.”

But in these playoffs, no one has been more lethal than Snell. In his 21 innings so far, he has thrown a scoreless frame in all but one.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell walks off the mound after striking out the last batter of the second inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

He was good in his first start, producing seven innings of two-run ball against the Cincinnati Reds in the wild-card round. He was superb in the next, going six scoreless against the Phillies in a hostile road environment.

His masterpiece, however, came in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series, when he tossed eight scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters, and ruthlessly toyed with a Milwaukee Brewers lineup helpless to adjust to his manipulative changeup.

“We’ve all known this: Blake, when he’s right, is the best pitcher in the game,” Kershaw, his future Hall of Fame teammate, said afterward. “To have a guy that can do that, set the tone, and just have a guy that you can count on like that, it’s huge.”

For his part, Snell continues to insist that “I feel like I could be way better.” After his repeated setbacks earlier this year, he claims that, “even now, I’m still battling.”

The numbers, of course, tell a different story. In the live-ball era (since 1920), only three other pitchers with 20 or more innings in a postseason had at least 20 strikeouts and a sub-1.00 ERA (Sandy Koufax in 1965, John Smoltz in 1996 and Justin Verlander in 2013).

On Friday night, Snell will be on the bump once again, trying to continue a dazzling streak for himself and his rotation.

What once felt like the hardest year of his career, is now four wins away from being the most fulfilling.

“It’s what you have to go through to win a World Series,” he said. “You can find an excuse, or you can find a way to figure it out.”

Oct. 22 (UPI) — The East Wing of the White House is undergoing a more extensive renovation than initially announced during the $250 million ballroom-construction project.

President Donald Trump in July said the 90,000-square-foot ballroom construction would not affect the East Wing, but a White House spokesperson confirmed the entire East Wing is being “modernized,” ABC News reported on Wednesday.

A 7-foot-tall fence was placed around the East Wing that blocked views of the demolition and eventual construction on Wednesday.

Officials for the Washington-based National Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday asked for the demolition to stop in an open letter to the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service, according to USA Today.

“We respectfully urge the administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes,” the letter said.

The organization’s leaders want a project consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, “both of which have authority to review new construction and the White House and to invite comments from the American people,” the letter said.

A White House official on Wednesday told CBS News the ballroom’s plans will be submitted to the NCPC “at the appropriate time and hoping to do so soon.”

Those whose offices are subject to the renovation have relocated to the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

White House officials on Wednesday called the project a “transformative addition that will significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations and other dignitaries.”

Workers operating bulldozers on Monday began demolishing much of the East Wing, which houses the office of the first lady, a military office and other facilities.

Private donors are funding the reconstruction project, which includes strengthening the East Wing, and many attended a White House dinner on Thursday.

The East Wing ballroom project is the latest White House improvement planned by the president.

Trump earlier this year paid to install two flagpoles on the White House lawn and had part of the Rose Garden lawn covered with stone to support outdoor events.

Other presidents, likewise, have made changes to the White House and its East Wing.

President Theodore Roosevelt authorized the East Wing’s construction in 1902, which President Franklin Roosevelt rebuilt and expanded in 1942, among other renovation projects done by other presidents.

President Harry Truman also oversaw a complete reconstruction and modernization of the White House interior from 1948 to 1952 due to the building’s extensive state of disrepair.

The kidnapped man is a pilot for an evangelical organisation, a diplomatic source says.

A US missionary working for an evangelical Christian organisation has been kidnapped in Niger’s capital Niamey, the US State Department has said, in the latest kidnapping of a foreign national in the country.

The US State Department confirmed the abduction to the AFP news agency on Wednesday, saying its embassy in Niamey was doing what it could to secure the man’s safe release.

The victim, a man in his 50s, was seized on Tuesday night and was “already en route for the border with Mali”, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The Reuters news agency, citing another diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man was a pilot for the evangelical organisation Serving in Mission (SIM).

SIM describes itself on its website as a “global mission family of more than 4,000 people, serving in more than 70 countries”, whose focus is on “taking the gospel to places where there are no, or very few, Christians”.

The diplomat said the victim was abducted by three unidentified men in Niamey’s Plateau neighbourhood as he was heading for the airport. The group then headed for Niger’s western Tillaberi region, where armed fighters linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda are known to operate.

In a post on X, Wamaps, a collective of journalists in West Africa, said the abducted man had been working in Niger since 2010, and had been kidnapped just a few streets away from the presidential palace in central Niamey. It said no group had yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping or claimed a ransom.

String of kidnappings

The abduction is the latest in a spate of kidnappings this year in Niger, a country that has been battling armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL for years. Security threats ramped up after the military toppled the country’s democratically elected government in July 2023.

In April, 67-year-old Swiss woman Claudia Abbt was kidnapped in the northern city of Agadez, three months after the abduction of Austrian Eva Gretzmacher, 73, in the same city. Neither has been released.

ISIL was considered responsible for the kidnappings, carried out by local criminal groups on its behalf, AFP reported, citing observers of armed groups in the region.

According to Wamaps, other abductions of foreign nationals this year have included four Moroccan truck drivers in January, two Chinese petroleum company workers in February, and five Indian power company technicians in April.

Niger is one of several West African countries battling armed conflict that has spread from Mali and Burkina Faso over the past 12 years, killing thousands of people and uprooting millions.

Following Niger’s 2023 military coup, US and French forces that had been involved in the fight against armed violence in the region were expelled from Niger, as the country turned to Russian mercenaries in an effort to maintain stability.

In May, General Michael Langley, the former head of the US Africa Command, said that the withdrawal had removed the US military’s “ability to monitor these terrorist groups closely, but [we] continue to liaison with partners to provide what support we can”.

Hollyoaks fans were left floored at a cameo in the soap’s Brookside crossover episode

Hollyoaks delivered a spectacular crossover episode with Brookside, leaving viewers spotting a truly remarkable cameo appearance.

E4 broadcast a special one-off Brookside episode on October 22, marking the legendary soap’s return to television after a 22-year absence to commemorate Hollyoaks‘ milestone 30th anniversary.

Soap enthusiasts were delighted with a nostalgic journey as iconic characters made their comeback to Brookside Close, featuring Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston, Paul Usher, Philip Olivier, Suzanne Collins, Michael Starke, Louis Emerick and John McArdle.

Both cherished Channel 4 series were the brainchild of Grange Hill genius Sir Philip Redmond, with Brookside later serving as inspiration for the Chester-based Hollyoaks.

In a masterstroke, Sir Philip himself appeared in the Channel 4 drama on Wednesday, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The scene unfolded when Mick Johnson (Louis Emerick) made his return to Brookside Close following a lift from Chester courtesy of Thomas Sweeney, better known as Sinbad, portrayed by Michael Starke.

Whilst taxi driver Sinbad reconnected with former neighbours Nikki Shadwick (Suzanne Collins) and Tinhead (Philip Olivier), an enigmatic figure strolled down the street.

Nikki questioned Sinbad: “Is that your fare?”, to which he swiftly replied: “I think so, yeah.”

Sir Philip then enquired: “You going to Chester, mate?”, prompting Sinbad to ask: “You’re not from around here, are you?”.

In a touching tribute to bygone days, Sir Philip responded: “Used to be, but you know. Do you know the Dog In The Pond pub?”. “There’s been a big to-do there today”, Sinbad chimed in as Sir Philip, cheekily replied: “Story of my life, mate. From one drama to another.”

Fans of Hollyoaks and Brookside were quick to express their delight at seeing the soap’s creator, Sir Philip, make an appearance on screen.

One fan took to X to share their thoughts, writing: “Had to watch the #Hollyoaks #Brookside mashup. Phil Redmond’s cameo is genius especially the “… one drama to another” line. I join the call to bring back #Brookie!”.

Another viewer exclaimed: “Phil Redmond cameo! #Brookside #Hollyoaks #Hollyoaks30.”

A third added: “Omg Phil Redmond making a cameo too, omg, i cannot cope! So proud to be scouse right now #hollyoaks #brookside.

“This is just too good. Mick, Sinbad, Sheila, Tinhead, Nikki, Bobby, actual Phil Redmond! #Hollyoaks #Brookside”, one fan gushed.

“Phil Redmond saying “from one drama to another”.. see what he did there! Brilliant! ! #Hollyoaks #Brookside”, another fan pointed out.

The Hollyoaks and Brookside Crossover is available to stream on Channel 4.com

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republican legislative leaders completed their remapping of the state’s U.S. House districts on Wednesday, intent on picking up one more seat to help President Trump’s efforts to retain GOP control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections.

The new boundaries approved by the state House could thwart the reelection of Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, who currently represents more than 20 northeastern counties. The state Senate already approved the plan in a party-line vote on Tuesday.

Republicans hold majorities in both General Assembly chambers, and Democratic Gov. Josh Stein is unable under state law to use his veto stamp on redistricting maps. So the GOP’s proposal can now be implemented unless likely litigation by Democrats or voting rights advocates stops it. Candidate filing for 2026 is scheduled to begin Dec. 1.

Republican lawmakers made the intent of their proposed changes crystal clear — it’s an attempt to satisfy Trump’s call for GOP-led states to secure more seats for the party nationwide, so that Congress can continue advancing his agenda. Democrats have responded with rival moves in blue states. A president’s party historically loses seats in midterm elections, and Democrats currently need just three more seats to flip House control.

“The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation,” GOP Rep. Brenden Jones said during a debate that Republicans cut off after an hour.

Democratic state Rep. Gloristine Brown, an African American who represents an eastern North Carolina county, made an impassioned floor speech in opposition, saying “You are silencing Black voices and are going against the will of your constituents.”

“North Carolina is a testing ground for the new era of Jim Crow laws,” Brown said.

Republican-led Texas and Missouri already have revised their U.S. House districts to try to help Republicans win additional seats. Democratic-led California reciprocated by asking the state’s voters to approve a map revised to elect more Democrats, and Jones accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of ramping up the redistricting fight.

“We will not let outsiders tell us how to govern, and we will never apologize for doing exactly what the people of this state has elected us to do,” Jones said.

North Carolina’s replacement map would exchange several counties in Davis’ current 1st District with another coastal district. Statewide election data suggests this would favor Republicans winning 11 of 14 House seats, up from the 10 they now hold, in a state where Trump got 51% of the popular vote in 2024.

Davis is one of North Carolina’s three Black representatives. Map critics suggested this latest GOP map could be challenged as an illegal racial gerrymander in a district that has included several majority Black counties, electing African Americans to the U.S. House continuously since 1992.

Davis is already vulnerable — he won his second term by less than 2 percentage points, and the 1st District was one of 13 nationwide where both Trump and a Democratic House member was elected last year, according to the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Davis on Tuesday called the proposed map “beyond the pale.”

Hundreds of Democratic and liberal activists swarmed the legislative complex this week, blasting GOP legislators for doing Trump’s bidding with what they called a power grab through a speedy and unfair redistricting process.

“If you pass this, your legacy will be shredding the Constitution, destroying democracy,” Karen Ziegler with the grassroots group Democracy Out Loud, told senators this week. She accused the state GOP of “letting Donald Trump decide who represents the people of North Carolina.”

Democrats said this map is a racial gerrymander that will dismantle decades of voting rights progress in North Carolina’s “Black Belt” region. Republicans counter that no racial data was used in forming the districts, and the redrawing was based on political parties, not race.

Based on last week’s arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a Louisiana redistricting case, the Democrats may lose this line of attack. A majority of justices appears willing to neuter a key tool of the Voting Rights Act that has protected political boundaries created to help Black and Latino residents elect favored candidates, who have tended to be Democrats.

State GOP leaders say Trump won North Carolina all three times that he’s run for president — albeit narrowly last year — and thus merits more GOP support in Congress. Senate leader Phil Berger called it appropriate “under the law and in conjunction with basically listening to the will of the people.”

Robertson writes for the Associated Press.

Same result, different day.

A glimmer of hope, a door creaked slightly ajar, a creeping sense of “what if” drifting through the crowd and the commentary box – but in the end, Australia win.

This was England’s long-awaited Ashes reunion, their first competitive meeting since the ill-fated 16-0 drubbing.

In some ways, this was a free hit, considering the fact that a semi-final spot at the Women’s World Cup had already been secured for both teams.

Throughout the tournament, England have shown – despite being far from perfect on occasions – that this is not the same dejected England that left the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in February, having barely left a scratch on their opponents – let alone a punch.

Against their great rivals in Indore, they had spells where they competed – again, something that was nothing more than a pipe dream at the beginning of the year.

Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont dominated the first eight overs, cashing in as the Australian seamers bowled too wide and lacked control.

Alice Capsey played an enterprising cameo to get England to 244, which always felt below par, but when Lauren Bell removed Phoebe Litchfield’s off stump with a beauty and Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were dismissed shortly after, England were in unfamiliar territory.

They were favourites.

But against a team of such greatness, a line-up littered with stardom from one to 11 and the three left on the bench, you cannot and will not win a game in moments.

England learned a harsh lesson in Indore. They have improved massively in the field, they look fitter, they look a more cohesive unit willing to fight and scrap for everything.

Still, you can do all of that, and still be outplayed. You can take four top-order wickets for 68 runs and the next two will add a chanceless 180 between them, turning a wobble into a crushing victory with nearly 10 overs to spare.

England’s unbeaten run came to an end, ever so predictably, with a bump down to earth dealt by Australia.

Cars slogged through the flooded streets of Santo Domingo as Tropical Storm Melissa dumped heavy rain and wind gusts up to 80 kilometres per hour. The stom, which also drenched Haiti, is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy checked out the cockpit of a Gripen fighter jet in Sweden on a visit to buy 150 of the aircraft. Ukraine’s military hopes to start using some already manufactured jets next year.

KEANU Reeves’ security team slammed a fan to the ground after she attempted to get into the actor’s car.

A woman could be heard screaming for the star’s attention before attempting to get inside his vehicle.

The shock footage came just seconds after the actor graciously waved and smiled at waiting fans and photographers outside of his hotel.

At one point, the lady in question could be heard insisting she was his “divine wife” during the altercation.

Having waved to the crowds, Keanu can be seen calmly getting into his car.

Just seconds later, the woman appears to shove past his security details as she heads for his car door.

With the bodyguards attempting to hold her back, the woman screeches: “Let go of me.”

She then shouts at the window: “Keanu, it’s your divine wife!”

After repeatedly saying the star’s name, she runs around the vehicle to the other side before shouting: “Don’t let them hurt me.”

As the car attempts to drive away, the woman manages to reach the car door handle.

The bodyguards then manage to get to the woman and forcibly pull her away from the car.

Latching onto her, two men appear to pull at her before she stumbles and falls onto her back on the road.

She can be heard branding the men “a*****es” before managing to get back up.

One of the men shouts: “Get her out of here. Get her out of here.”

Someone else can be heard shouting: “You guys need a restraining order on this one.”

Keanu is currently appearing on-stage in a Broadway play.

The 61-year-old star has been performing in Jamie Lloyd’s adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting For Godot.

The production has been entertaining guests at the Hudson Theater. 

BRITS could be set to welcome a new mega zipline after the world’s biggest tunnel flopped.

The Olympic Park’s iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit was crowned the world’s longest tunnel after it was built in 2012.

But, despite all its glory, the site never attracted enough visitors to operate a sustainable business.

In a bid to save the location from ruin, Zip World took over in September and vowed to install a huge zipwire.

The company has submitted a planning application which, if accepted, would see a switchback zipwire made.

Tourists would be strapped into a chair that takes them from the top of the Orbit and back up again.

PLACE TO BE

The trendy London neighbourhood with world-famous new museum and cool hotels

The wire would measure a whopping 440m and stretch over to London Stadium.

Plans need to be approved by Tower Hamlets and Newham council officials.

If they are given the greenlight, it is estimated the attraction would fetch 60,000 visitors each year.

Designed by Sir Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond for London 2012, the ArcelorMittal Orbit delighted visitors during the games before reopening to the public in 2014.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit isn’t just a huge sculpture, it’s also home to the world’s biggest tunnel slide, the Helix.

Standing at 76m and stretching for 178m, brave visitors can reach speeds of up to 15mph on the slide.

The huge tunnel slide also features 12 turns, which twist and snake around the Olympic Park sculpture, making for a dizzying journey.

If this sounds too stomach-churning, then visitors can also take in panoramic views over London from the ArcelorMittal Orbit 360 viewing deck.

Located at the top of the sculpture, the viewing platform boasts views for as far as 20 miles on a clear day.

Roughly, 1.2million have visited the London-based attraction since it opened to the public.

Visitors have praised the attraction in their reviews on TripAdvisor, with one person writing: “The views across London are spectacular, and you get great views across the park, the stadium, and the city”.

ZipWorld boss, Andrew Hudson, said earlier this year: “We are excited to announce the re-opening date for the ArcelorMittal Orbit at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, ready for half term.

“This is just the start for Zip World in London, and we can’t wait to welcome both locals and thrill-seekers from around the world. 

“We’ve got many more epic adventures lined up that will redefine urban excitement in the heart of the city.

“We’ll continue working closely with LLDC as we expand our off world-class experiences to bring something truly unique to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.”

Entry tickets to the ArcelorMittal Orbit 360 viewing deck start from £7, with tickets for Helix starting from £14.

Adventure giant Zip World has a host of other attractions in the UK, including the UK’s first zipline rollercoaster at Penrhyn Quarry in Snowdonia.

The Aero Explorer ride opened in 2023 and offers thrill-seekers a “high-speed journey across the quarry” like no other.

An overhead track is connected to a harness on the rider, which enables them to glide around as if they’re on a rollercoaster.

The track is found high above the quarry, offering views of the landscape as people fly around connected to the circuit above.

This comes as The Sun revealed London’s best free indoor attractions for families – perfect for rainy days.

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We also shared the 15 attractions in the UK that have £1 per person tickets from huge castles to kid-friendly museums.

Plus, how London’s newest tourist town in a “forgotten” district is a £1.3billion attraction with hotels, theatre and a rooftop bar.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has built up an unusually large force in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off the coast of Venezuela since this summer, when the Trump administration first began to shift assets to the region as part of its so-called war against narcoterrorism.

Here is a look at the ships, planes and troops in the region:

Ships

The Navy has eight warships in the region — three destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser and a smaller littoral combat ship that’s designed for coastal waters.

The three amphibious assault ships make up an amphibious readiness group and carry an expeditionary unit of Marines. As a result, those ships also have on board a variety of Marine helicopters, Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and Harrier jets that have the capability of either transporting large numbers of Marines or striking targets on land and sea.

While officials have not offered specific numbers, destroyers and cruisers typically deploy with a missile loadout that contains Tomahawk cruise missiles — a missile that can strike hundreds of miles from its launch point.

A U.S. Navy submarine, the USS Newport News, also is operating in the broader area of South America and is capable of carrying and launching cruise missiles.

Planes and drones

A squadron of advanced U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II jets have been sent to an airstrip in Puerto Rico. The planes were first spotted landing on the island territory in mid-September.

MQ-9 Reaper Air Force drones, capable of flying long distances and carrying up to eight laser-guided missiles, also have been spotted operating out of Puerto Rico by commercial satellites and military watchers, as well as photojournalists, around the same time.

It has been widely reported that the Navy is operating P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft out of the region as well.

Earlier this month, the military released a photo of an U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider, a heavily armed plane capable of firing its large guns with precision onto ground targets, also sitting on the tarmac in Puerto Rico.

There have been a multitude of other military aircraft that have temporarily flown through the region as part of military operations there.

For example, the U.S. Air Force flew a group of B-52 Stratofortress bombers through the region last week for what the Pentagon dubbed as a “bomber attack demo” in photos online.

Troops

All told, there are more than 6,000 sailors and Marines that are now operating in the region based on the ships that have been confirmed by defense officials.

The Pentagon has not offered specific numbers on how many drones, aircraft or ground crew are in the region so their impact on that broader figure is unknown.

Toropin writes for the Associated Press.

Oct. 22 (UPI) — The International Court of Justice said Wednesday that Israel must allow humanitarian aid to Gaza by the United Nations.

The opinion by the United Nations’ highest court is non-binding but has moral and diplomatic weight.

It also said that Israel has not proven its allegations that the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees had a significant number of employees that were members of Hamas. The United Nations denied those claims. There are 13,000 employees of the UNRWA in Gaza.

“The occupying power may never invoke reasons of security to justify the general suspension of all humanitarian activities in occupied territory,” Judge Iwasawa Yuji said while delivering the opinion. “After examining the evidence, the court finds that the local population in Gaza Strip has been inadequately supplied.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the opinion was “entirely predictable from the outset regarding UNRWA.”

“This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of ‘international law,'” it added. Israel said it will not cooperate with UNRWA.

Israel has alleged that UNRWA has more than 1,000 Hamas-affiliated employees and that they teach hatred of Israel in its schools.

In December, the U.N. General Assembly asked the ICJ to decide what legal obligations Israel had regarding U.N. relief agencies. This happened after Israel’s parliament passed a law banning any UNRWA activity in Israeli territory.

Sam Rose, UNRWA’s acting Gaza director, told the BBC that the opinion “underscores the obligations of Israel under international law.”

“The ruling of today says that Israel’s laws against UNRWA have gone against those obligations, as have its actions on the ground,” he said.

While the world recognized that there was famine and starvation in Gaza last summer, Israel continued to deny it, often blocking any aid to reach hungry Gazans.

“The IDF emphasizes that there is no starvation in Gaza,” an IDF post said in July. “This is a false campaign promoted by Hamas.”