Rob Reiner’s artistic legacy was rooted in empathy and connection
I think about Rob Reiner almost every time I put on my socks.
I am old enough to remember the famously hilarious (and largely improvised) bit from “All in the Family” in which Reiner’s Mike “Meathead” Stivic and Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker argue about the correct order of donning footwear — both socks first (Archie’s method) or sock/shoe, sock/shoe (Mike’s).
The straight-faced back and forth was, and is, a pitch-perfect exhibition of how much time and energy we waste judging, and arguing about, personal differences that are none of anyone’s business and matter not at all.
I also think about Reiner whenever my now-adult children and I sit down for a movie night. When all other suggestions fail, at least one of his films — ”Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Misery” — will achieve consensus, in large part, because of that same understanding.
Reiner was, above all, a compassionate filmmaker, willing to excavate all manner of conflict and tension in search of the essential humanity that connects us all.
Reiner helped shape the culture of my youth and early adulthood with such brilliant empathy that his random appearances on television — as Jess’ (Zooey Deschanel) father in “New Girl” or, more recently, Ebra’s (Edwin Lee Gibson) business mentor on “The Bear” — sparked immediate reflexive delight, as if a beloved uncle had shown up unexpectedly at a family dinner.
It helped, no doubt, that I share his political leanings. Reiner’s advocacy for gay marriage and early education were well-known, as was, in recent years, his unvarnished criticism of President Trump, who Reiner, like many others, considered a danger to democracy.
That criticism should have prepared me for the chilling invective unleashed by some, including Trump, in the wake of the news that Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home on Sunday night, victims of a knife attack, and that their son Nick, who has a history of drug addiction, was in police custody.
Even as the millions who were touched by Reiner’s work struggled to process their shock, grief and horror, Trump responded with a post in which he claimed that the Reiners’ murders were “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.”
Horror unfolds around the world on a daily basis. This weekend, a father and son opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia, killing 15 and wounding many others; a gunman killed two and wounded nine at Brown University; and two members of the Iowa National Guard were killed and three others injured by gunmen in Syria.
Even so, between the shocking news of the Reiners’ deaths, the possible involvement of their son and the unhinged and cold-hearted response of the president of the United States, it is difficult to know how to react, short of tearing out one’s hair and screaming up to an indifferent sky.
No person’s life means intrinsically more than any other — many people are killed by violence each and every weekend, often by family members; that we seem to have become inured to mass shootings is another sort of horror.
But Reiner’s work, in film, television and politics, affected millions around the world personally and culturally. In “All in the Family,” his young leftie was far from the hero of the piece — Mike’s values were more humane and progressive than the bigoted Archie’s, but he could be just as narrow-minded as his father-in-law and just as capable of change.
As a director, Reiner championed independent filmmaking, which is to say smartly written movies that told interesting stories about characters that were recognizable in their humor and humanity (which is one reason he was so successful in adapting Stephen King’s work, including the novella “Stand by Me” is based on and “Misery”).
His political activism too was grounded in the desire to make life better for those historically marginalized by policy and culture. He campaigned against tobacco use and for Proposition 10, which increased the tax on cigarettes, and funded early education. In 2009, he used his considerable influence to co-found the American Foundation for Equal Rights and successfully fought to legally challenge Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
As an artist and a public figure, he put his money where his mouth was and remained invariably sincere, a powerful and compelling trait that has become increasingly rare in a time of the sound-bite inanities, muddy thinking, obvious contradictions and outright falsehoods that threaten our public and political discourse.
Reiner mastered many mediums and wielded a broad palette but his signature artistic trait was empathy. No story was too small, or too brutal, to be examined with kindness and an understanding that the most grave injustice we can commit is to choose apathy or revenge when connection and transcendence are always possible.
The news cycle surrounding the Reiners’ deaths is likely to get worse, as details emerge and reactions of all kinds continue. For a long while, it will be difficult to think of Reiner and his wife as anything but victims of a brutal crime of truly tragic proportions and the regrettable heartlessness that our political divisions have created.
Ironically, and mercifully, solace for this loss, and so many others, can be found in Reiner’s work, films and performances that are impossible to watch without feeling at least a little bit better.
As Hollywood and the world mourns, I will try to think of Reiner as I always have. After all, no matter the order, we all put on our shoes and socks one at a time.
And then, as his artistic legacy teaches us, we stand and try to do the best we can with whatever happens next.
Farmers must not be sacrified for the profit of a few industries, lawmaker says on Mercosur
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Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz (The Greens) told Euronews that the European Commission should rethink its budget plans in order to shield EU farmers from the impact of the Mercosur agreement, which could be adopted this week.
Under the Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 budget, funding for the Common Agricultural Policy would fall by 20%. Critics of the Mercosur deal argue it would expose EU farmers to unfair competition, as imports from South American countries could be more competitive on the European market.
“You cannot cut the funds by 20% literally and by 40% if you include inflation and sacrifice the farmers just for the profit of a few national companies or European industry,” Waitz told Euronews.
He said large agribusinesses stand to gain from the agreement, while small and medium-sized farmers would bear the costs.
EU farmers protest deal
The coming days are decisive for the trade pact, concluded in 2024 between the European Commission and Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay – to establish a transatlantic free trade zone.
The European Parliament remains sharply divided over the deal. Tuesday will see lawmakers vote on a Commission-backed safeguard clause to monitor potential market disruptions from Mercosur imports, while EU member states are also expected to take a position at the Council in the coming days.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hopes to travel to Latin America on Saturday to sign the agreement in Foz do Iguaçu, on the Argentina–Paraguay border,Euronews has learned.
EU farmers are set to protest on Thursday as national leaders gather for a European summit.
If no agreement is reached beforehand, the issue will be pushed to the top of the summit agenda, with tense negotiations expected.
Full ratification, however, requires the backing of a “qualified majority” of the EU’s 27 member states. France remains firmly opposed and is seeking to delay a Council vote. Hungary, Poland and Austria have also aligned with farmers against the deal.
Ireland and the Netherlands, previously critical of the deal, have yet to clarify their positions. Italian farmers are also voicing opposition, putting pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to declare her stance.
“If we lose them, we lose the rural areas and the ability to supply our population independently with food,” Waitz added.
Brit Benidorm megafans spend Christmas at all-inclusive with Chinese buffet and bottomless booze
Benidorm superfans, Roger and Sue Topp, have visited the Spanish beach resort more than 100 times – and this year they’re taking it a step further for their Christmas celebrations
Swapping Turkey for tapas and sprouts for sangria, one UK couple is set to spend Christmas Day in Benidorm – the Spanish seaside resort they’ve visited more than 100 times.
Roger and Sue Topp, from Leicester, have been travelling to Benidorm for more than 35 years and said they practically raised their children there, as it became their “second home.” Roger explained: “We used to do UK holidays, but it was always a gamble with the weather, then we came to Benidorm once, and that was it.
“It’s friendly, clean, safe, and the value is unbelievable. You can get a glass of wine for one to two euros and a full meal for less than you’d spend on a takeaway back home.” In the eyes of the couple, there’s nowhere else that quite compares to Benidorm with its sunshine, entertainment and community.
So much so that they visit the beach town around three times a year, flying from East Midlands Airport, and spend a lengthy period of time during the brisk British winter months. The couple stay at the popular Hotel Rio Park, located just a short 10-minute walk from Benidorm’s lively main strip, and this year it’s where they’ll be spending Christmas.
The couple, who have been married for 55 years, will fly to Benidorm on December 23, which impressively, will be their eighth visit this year alone. Their favourite buffet is already on the agenda, ditching the Brussels sprouts altogether, and they already plan to FaceTime their families at home, before celebrating in the winter sun.
“The first time we tried Christmas over there, we were blown away. The Rio Park Hotel puts on a feast for us, its breakfast, a huge traditional Christmas lunch, entertainment all day, and you can have as much wine and beer as you like. It’s brilliant and takes away so much stress, that’s why we’ve always loved TUI holidays,” they said.
They added: “We just love the Hotel Rio Park, it has everything you need and it is so close to the beach, plus the staff are just amazing and have become lifelong friends”.
When they’re not lapping up the hotel’s facilities, Roger and Sue spend time soaking up the sunshine of one of the sprawling golden sand beaches or wandering around the Old Town. But a Chinese buffet called Puente De Oro, where they can “eat like kings”, is one of their personal highlights.
“We love the Chinese buffet out there, you can get plates piled high and unlimited drinks for 19 euros. The food is fresh, delicious and amazing value. We go there all the time, sometimes there are big groups of 20 of us who are Benidorm regulars,” they revealed.
Not to mention the extensive selection of Tapas they get to devour. “There is a Tapas bar called Zodiac right near the Rio Park Hotel, and it does the most delicious 6 plates of tapas and a bottle of wine for 9 euros. You really can’t beat that. We go back time and time again because the quality is amazing and it’s a great price.”
Having booked their trips to Benidorm with TUI on multiple occasions, they’re well-known at their local store and credit the team for making it so seamless. “We pop in for a chat or a cuppa. They always look after everything for us, and they’ve become like family,” said Roger.
TUI Travel Agent Cameron Morton, who works at the Hinckley store, has been helping the couple book their Benidorm trips for more than a decade. “They’ve been booking with us in-store for around 10 years and usually plan three trips at a time for the year ahead. They love the Rio Park and won’t go anywhere else, they always say it feels like a home from home and that they meet friends there every time,” Cameron shared.
“Benidorm is such a great value destination, with affordable hotels, food and entertainment, which is why it works so well as a destination with TUI.”
Despite visiting the Spanish resort more than 100 times, Roger and Sue have no intention of stopping their yearly trips, and they have nothing but praise for the destination. “Ignore the stereotypes. It’s one of the friendliest, best-value places you can visit, with something for every age and budget. If you don’t enjoy Benidorm, you’ve only yourself to blame,” they shared.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
ATP introduces new rules over playing in extreme heat from 2026 season
The new rule is based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which measures heat stress in direct sunlight. It involves observing temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud cover.
If the WBGT reaches 30.1C or higher during the first two sets of a best-of-three match, either player can request a break of 10 minutes to cool off.
Under the supervision of ATP medical staff, players can hydrate, change clothing, shower and receive coaching.
Play will be suspended when the WBGT exceeds 32.2C.
“The new heat rule provides a structured, medically supported approach to managing extreme heat, with the objective of safeguarding player health, while also improving conditions for spectators, officials, ball persons and tournament staff,” the statement added.
Prospect of Trump–Kim summit rises in 2026, report says
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (UPI) — The likelihood of a renewed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has increased, even as Pyongyang presses ahead with nuclear weapons development, a South Korean think tank said Tuesday.
In an annual forecast released by the Foreign Ministry-linked Korea National Diplomatic Academy, analysts said Trump is expected to continue a top-down approach to North Korea under which leader-level talks could resume.
“The likelihood of a North Korea-U.S. summit has increased somewhat due to common ground in the two leaders’ desire to hold a summit, pursue peaceful coexistence and lower the priority of the denuclearization issue,” the report said.
Trump met Kim three times during his first term — in Singapore in 2018, in Hanoi in 2019 and briefly at the Demilitarized Zone later that year — but talks collapsed amid disagreements over sanctions relief and steps toward denuclearization.
Since returning to office, Trump has floated another summit with Kim on numerous occasions, telling reporters in October he “would love” to meet the North Korean leader during a visit to South Korea.
Kim has also signaled a willingness to resume diplomacy with Washington, saying he has “fond memories” of Trump, while warning that any discussion of giving up his regime’s nuclear arsenal would be off the table.
Despite the prospect of renewed diplomacy, the KNDA report said engagement with Washington is unlikely to slow Pyongyang’s military buildup.
North Korea is expected to “accelerate the production of nuclear materials and the development and deployment of new missile systems” in 2026 as it works to operationalize a broader range of nuclear strike capabilities, the report said.
The academy added that a seventh nuclear test remains a “military and technological necessity,” although Pyongyang is likely to exercise restraint as it weighs the impact on its relations with China and the United States.
North Korea last conducted a nuclear test in September 2017 at its Punggye-ri site. During a period of detente with Seoul and Washington the following year, Pyongyang demolished the entrances to two test tunnels in a highly publicized move.
Those steps have since been reversed, however. The U.N. nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency said North Korea began restoring tunnels at the site in 2022, and a 2025 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment concluded the country is now “postured to conduct a seventh nuclear test at a time of its choosing.”
Prospects for inter-Korean relations remain dim, the report said, despite efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to rehabilitate ties since taking office in June
Communication between Seoul and Pyongyang is unlikely to resume as the North continues to promote its “hostile two-state doctrine,” which defines the two Koreas as permanently separate adversaries.
“The likelihood of inter-Korean dialogue reopening is not high,” the report said.
England’s most beautiful building is a ‘must visit’ — and it’s not in London
The stunning cathedral has been at the heart of Christianity in the north of the country since the 7th century
From the towering Big Ben to Birmingham’s Mailbox, England boasts a wealth of iconic structures. However, new research from Angi has crowned York Minster as the most beautiful building in England.
York Minster has been a cornerstone of northern Christianity since the 7th century.
Its breathtaking stained glass windows and intricate architecture draw tourists from every corner of the globe.
The Minster’s Rose Window is renowned worldwide, crafted in 1515 by Master Glazier Robert Petty.
The panels showcase alternating Lancaster red roses and Tudor red and white roses, commemorating the union of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York, reports the Express.
One awestruck tourist penned on Tripadvisor: “Must see cathedral in York, not religious visitors but this building is simply outstanding.”
Another echoed: “Although we aren’t religious, this is a must visit. The splendour and grace cannot fail to be appreciated.
“The majesty of the building alone is worth the entrance fee but there is so much more than that.”
A visitor chimed in: “Spectacular! Truly stunning, never appreciated the history of York before, incredible place to visit!”
In 1984, the renowned Minster was hit by a bolt of lightning, leaving townsfolk stunned as they watched the roof become consumed by flames.
Bob Littlewood, superintendent of the Works, recalled: “We suddenly heard this roar as the roof started to come down and we just had to run as the whole thing collapsed like a pack of chairs.”
The fire caused the glass in the cathedral’s world-renowned Rose Window to crack, but miraculously, the window remained intact.
Following the blaze, children’s TV show Blue Peter organised a competition for youngsters to design new bosses for the cathedral roof.
The victorious designs depicted Neil Armstrong’s inaugural steps on the moon and the 1982 recovery of Henry VIII’s warship, the Mary Rose.
Visitors who arrive before January 5 will have the chance to experience York Minster’s Christmas Tree Festival, which features 40 trees displayed throughout the cathedral.
These magnificent trees are individually themed and adorned by local businesses, schools, and charities.
Youngsters can try their hand at the Christmas Tree Trail, hunting for several intriguing features around the Cathedral.
The study sought out the most beautiful buildings in each country worldwide. The world’s most stunning building was named as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Paris’s iconic Notre Dame secured second place, while Turkey’s Blue Mosque made it into the top 10.
India’s Taj Mahal, Austria’s Schonbrunn Palace, and the Hungarian Parliament Building were among the top 12 structures.
In the USA, the most stunning structure is Biltmore in Asheville, an 8,000-acre estate constructed by George Vanderbilt.
Most beautiful buildings in the world.
- Sagrada Familia
- Notre Dame
- Biltmore
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center
- Grand Central Terminal
We’ve been to Benidorm over 100 times
ONE couple is swapping the chilly UK for sunny Benidorm this Christmas – having been to the Spanish resort around 130 times.
Instead of a turkey dinner, they’ll be at the Chinese buffet and ditching the classic Christmas get-together for time on the beach at the Spanish seaside resort which they call their ‘second home’.
Roger, 75, and Sue Topp, 74, have been travelling with TUI to Benidorm for more than 35 years first starting in 1987 and have racked up over 100 trips there.
The pair say they practically raised their three children in Benidorm who are now ages 52, 50 and 45.
This Christmas the pair are flying from East Midlands Airport on December 23 which will mark their 8th visit of the year.
For the festive season, they’ll be staying at the popular Hotel Rio Park – which they visit around three times each year.
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The hotel has an outdoor pool, three bars, a restaurant and a playground with easy access to Benidorm’s main strip.
You might think the couple are missing out on cosy nights in front of the fire, and of course a classic Christmas lunch with all the trimmings.
But Sue and Roger are content on soaking up winter sun on the beach, wandering the Old Town, and eating at their favourite Chinese buffet; Puente De Oro.
Roger said: “We love the Chinese buffet out there, you can get plates piled high and unlimited drinks for €19 (£16.67).
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“The food is fresh, delicious and amazing value. We go there all the time, sometimes there are big groups of 20 of us who are Benidorm regulars.”
That’s not the only cheap food option at the seaside resort – there’s also a spot where the couple get tapas for less than £9.
Roger added: “There is a Tapas bar called Zodiac right near the Rio Park Hotel, and it does the most delicious 6 plates of tapas and a bottle of wine for £7.90.
“You really can’t beat that. We go back time and time again because the quality is amazing and it’s a great price”.
When it comes to Christmas, Sue and Roger reveal that the hotel makes them feel right at home.
On Christmas day, the Rio Park Hotel puts on a “feast” with a traditional Christmas lunch, all day entertainment and unlimited wine and beer.
Sue and Roger insist there’s still a big misconception about Benidorm and advised other Brits to “ignore the stereotypes.”
They went on to say that it’s one of the “friendliest, best-value places you can visit, something for every age and budget.”
You can still book to go to Hotel Rio Park this Christmas with a seven-night stay from December 21 to December 28 for £689.94pp – including flights from London Stansted to Alicante.
And while Benidorm is just two and a half hours away from the UK, you can still enjoy some winter sun there.
The average daytime temperature has highs of 16C with cooler nights dropping to around 7C.
Here’s where you can find the iconic Solana Hotel from ITV’s Benidorm…
The Solana resort from the show is actually the Sol Pelicanos Ocas in Benidorm.
Unlike most TV shows that are filmed away from their on-screen location, the Sol Pelicanos Ocas is actually in Benidorm.
It has has 783 rooms spread across two apartment buildings.
There are two pools, one of which is the lagoon-style swimming pool with a swim-up bar which featured heavily on Benidorm.
Alongside it are three hot tubs, a swim-up bar and plenty of loungers.
The complex has two buffet restaurants where you can grab breakfast, lunch and dinner, and for drinks, there are five bars so you won’t struggle to get a cocktail.
For the kids there’s a playground, watersports in the pool, archery, and table tennis. There’s also an entertainment programme for children and a kids’ club with a ball pit.
Sadly Neptune’s karaoke bar isn’t actually in the hotel – instead it’s over the road in Morgan’s Tavern.
The hotel is handily a two minute walk to Levante Beach where you can swim, bodyboard, and jet ski in the water.
For more on Benidorm, one influencer decided to move there after one visit – he calls it paradise with £1 beers and cheap bills.
Plus, one traveller found a ‘secret’ paradise 30 minutes from Benidorm – it’s nothing like the busy strip but still has double G&Ts for £5.
The best family attractions in Cornwall from scenic open-top bus journeys to award-winning adventure parks
Cornwall might be best known for its show-stopping beaches and natural beauty – but there’s a whole host of family-friendly attractions, from theme parks and soft plays to historic jails and kid-friendly museums.
It’s a good idea to have some wet weather ideas up your sleeve, or if you simply want an alternative to exploring Cornwall’s golden sands and picturesque fishing villages.
We’ve asked Cornwall experts, holiday park staff and Sun readers who have holidayed here for their recommendations of the best family attractions in the county, located near your next £9.50 Holiday park. Here’s what they said…
Hop on a bus
Carol Harris, 72, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, stayed at Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point and her top tip is to take the double decker bus, which stops right outside the holiday park.
She said: “Taking the bus was an unexpected highlight. We took a double decker to Penzance for just £4 for an all-day ticket. The sea views from the top deck were brilliant – and, as passengers instead of driving, we both got to enjoy them.
“We jumped off at Marazion for St Michael’s Mount, which is beautiful. In Penzance we walked along the quay and got unlimited refills of coffee in Wetherspoons for £1.56.”
Cornwall expert and Sun travel writer Ellie Ross also recommends the Atlantic Coaster.
She said: “On a sunny day, children will also love the thrill of riding this open-top bus.
“It links Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay with Padstow, offering amazing views out to sea, and you can hop on and off as you please. It’s also a bargain – with single fares from £2.”
Take a boat
A short ferry ride can add a dose of excitement to a day out, especially for little ones.
You can hop on board the St Mawes Ferry from Falmouth, like Laraine Wells, 73, from Taunton in Somerset, did during her £9.50 Holiday to St Ives.
She said: “Falmouth is a great place to mooch about – there are loads of small, independent shops selling interesting things.
“You can also catch the ferry to St Mawes – it’s a nice boat trip over and St Mawes is a pretty fishing harbour that you can explore or just have a cup of tea in one of the cafes.”
Family tickets cost from £7.56 return for five people; under-threes travel free. You can take a (foldable) buggy on the ferry.
Toddler-friendly attractions
If you’ve got tots in tow, rainy day activities can be a challenge.
In which case, take a trip to Lappa Valley, a train-themed attraction set in beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Newquay.
As well as the steam engine that chugs you into the park from the car park, it features mini golf, outdoor play areas and indoor soft play (tip: check the train timetable before you arrive – they only run every 40 minutes in low season).
It was recommended by Dani Fillery, Owner and Guest Experience Manager at White Acres Holiday Park.
Dani also recommended Newquay Trampoline and Play Park, which has an under-twos area as well as huge soft play for older children (tip: rainy days are especially busy, so book online to avoid disappointment).
Meanwhile, Camel Creek is an adventure park that’s great for kids of all ages. Dani said: “There’s a huge indoor soft play where you can hide away if it rains. It’s reasonably priced, we’ve been going for years with my son who is now six.”
For older kids
Cornwall expert Ellie Ross said: “Located just off the A30, Bodmin Jail is a great option en route to or from Cornwall – or if you’re happy to head half an hour inland from your holiday park.
“The 18th-century prison has recently been redeveloped into an attraction and hotel, and is a great option for families with older children, offering educational tours for children up to the age of 16 (Key Stage 4).
“Highlights include an interactive walk back in time, offering a glimpse into life inside the historic jail.
“Or pop over to Falmouth, where the National Maritime Museum has loads of interactive exhibitions that will engage youngsters while teaching them about Cornwall’s seafaring past, from pirates to packet ships.
“Tickets – which last a year – cost £18 for adults and £9 for under-18s. Under-fives get in free.”
How Israel’s expansion push deepens Palestinian suffering in West Bank | Israel-Palestine conflict News
A new wave of Israeli policies is changing the reality and boundaries on the ground in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli government has approved the formalisation of 19 so-called settlement outposts as independent settlements in the occupied West Bank. This is the third wave of such formalisations this year by the government, which considers settlement expansion and annexation a top priority. During an earlier ceremony of formalisation, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “We are advancing de facto sovereignty on the ground to prevent any possibility of establishing an Arab state in [the West Bank].”
Settlement outposts, which are illegal under international law, are set up by a small group of settlers without prior government authorisation. This does not mean that the settlers, who are often more ideological and violent, do not enjoy government protection. Israeli human rights organisations say that settlers in these so-called outposts enjoy protection, electricity and other services from the Israeli army. The formalisation opens the door to additional government funds, infrastructure and expansion.
Many of the settlement outposts formalised in this latest decision are concentrated in the northeastern part of the West Bank, an area that traditionally has had very little settlement activity. They also include the formalisation of two outposts evacuated in 2005 by the government of Israeli then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
While these government decisions may seem bureaucratic, they are in fact strategic in nature. They support the more ideological and often more violent settlers entrenching their presence and taking over yet more Palestinian land, and becoming more brazen in their attacks against Palestinians, which are unprecedented in scope and effect.
The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem estimates that settler attacks against Palestinians have forcibly displaced 44 communities across the West Bank in the past two years. These arson attacks, vandalism, physical assault and deadly shootings are done under the protection of Israeli soldiers. During these settler attacks, 34 Palestinians were killed, including three children. None of the perpetrators has been brought to justice. In fact, policing of these groups has dropped under the direction of Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is a settler himself.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently sounded the alarm about Israel’s record-breaking expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the unprecedented levels of state-backed settler violence. In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Guterres reminded states that all settlements are illegal under international law. He also warned that they erode Palestinian rights recognised under this law, including to a state of their own.
In September, United States President Donald Trump said he “will not allow” Israel to annex the West Bank, without offering details of what actions he would take to prevent such a move.
But Israel is undeterred. The government continues to pursue its agenda of land grab, territorial expansion and annexation by a myriad of measures that fragment, dispossess and isolate Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and continues its genocidal violence in Gaza.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from their homes in three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank for nearly a year. The Israeli army continues to occupy Nur Shams, Tulkarem and Jenin refugee camps and ban residents from returning. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have demolished and damaged 1,460 buildings in those camps, according to a preliminary UN estimate. This huge, destructive campaign has changed the geography of the camps and plunged more families into economic and social despair.
This is the state hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank find themselves in because of Israeli restrictions, home demolitions and land grabs. The Israeli army has set up close to 1,000 gates across the West Bank, turning communities into open-air prisons. This has a direct and devastating effect on the social fabric, economy and vitality of these communities, which live on land that is grabbed from under them to execute the expansion of illegal settlements, roads and so-called buffer zones around them.
According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Israeli practices and policies over the past two years have cost the Palestinian people 69 years of development. The organisation recently reported that the Palestinian gross domestic product (GDP) has shrunk to 2010 levels. This is visible most starkly in Gaza, but it is palpable in the West Bank as well.
The results of these policies and this reality are Palestinians leaving their homes and Israel expanding. During the summer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a local news station he was on a “historic and spiritual mission”, in reference to the vision of the Greater Israel that he said he was “very” attached to.
Best paid stars at BBC as Donald Trump sues broadcaster for $5billion
As Donald Trump threatens legal action against the Beeb, the Mirror takes a look at the broadcaster’s most recent list of top earners, which includes some surprises
US President Donald Trump is suing the BBC to the tune of $5 billion, yesterday claiming, “they put words in my mouth”.
POTUS is here referring to an episode of Panorama which aired a week before the 2024 US election, which showed comments he made to supporters ahead of the deadly 2021 Capitol riots. The episode appears to show Trump telling crowds: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.”
However, these words were created from different segments of the 79-year-old’s speech, delivered nearly one hour apart. The BBC has since issued an apology over the edit, admitting to an “error of judgment” while clarifying there was no legal basis for Trump’s claim. As the row continues, the Mirror takes a look at the Beeb’s list of top earners.
READ MORE: Donald Trump sues BBC $5 billion for Panorama speech edit: ‘They put words in my mouth’
Back in July, the BBC published the salaries of its highest-paid stars as part of its annual report, and a number of significant changes amongst the top earners. Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who this year left the corporation was once again the top earner with a take home salary of £1.35million. This was followed by former Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball, who took home £515,000 despite being replaced on the Breakfast Show by Scott Mills.
Match of the Day Host Alan Shearer emerged as the third highest paid BBC star of the year, increasing his salary from the year before after covering the Euros last year. The former Newcastle star boosted his paycheck to almost half a million pounds with his punditry at the tournament.
Radio host and political expert Nick Robinson also had a pay rise last year, while Radio 2 host Vernon Kay joined the top 10 for the first time. Perhaps surprisingly, BBC North America Editor Justin Webb also made the top 10, with a very impressive salary of £365,000.
The BBC’s top earners:
- Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)
- Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)
- Alan Shearer £440,000-445,000 (up from £380,000-£384,999)
- Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)
- Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 (up from £405,000-£409,999) and Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (Up from £345,000 and £349,000)
- Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (up from £400,000-£404,999)
- Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)
- Vernon Kay £390,000 – £394,999 (joined Radio 2 in May 2023)
- Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)
- Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)
- Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000 – £319,999)
Last year, Vernon Kay made the list for the very first time after joining BBC Radio 2. The Bolton born presenter replaced Ken Bruce and took home a whopping £320,000 from the corporation in his first year. Despite this staggering sum, his take-home pay was almost 20 per cent less than what Ken earned in the previous year in the slot.
Meanwhile, disgraced BBC News host Huw Edwards also remained on the list last year, coming in at third place with a wage of £475,000-£479,999 (up from £435,000-£439,999). Edwards, who had been off-air since July 2023, left the BBC after being named as the presenter at the centre of days of allegations and speculation regarding his private life.
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READ MORE: M&S’ coffee and cake hampers are now under £5 in time for Christmas gifting
World’s longest flight takes nearly 19 hours with no economy cabin
Singapore Airlines’ ultra-long-haul route covers 9,537 miles – but it doesn’t come cheap.
The world’s longest flight links America to Asia, with travellers buckled in for nearly 19 hours. Singapore Airlines currently holds the record for the lengthiest long-haul journey, operating from New York’s JFK Airport to Singapore Changi.
The epic 9,537-mile trek boasts a scheduled flight time of 18 hours and 50 minutes and first took to the skies back in 2018.
Singapore Airlines deploys their cutting-edge A350-900ULRs on this route, aircraft capable of remaining airborne for over 20 hours non-stop.
These planes achieve such endurance thanks to a specially adapted fuel system. This enhancement boosts the aircraft’s total fuel capacity to an enormous 24,000 litres.
Yet this mammoth journey isn’t available to all, as Singapore Airlines doesn’t provide economy seating on this route. The carrier instead provides 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats.
Premium Economy travellers can relish additional legroom, a footrest, and an adjustable headrest. Passengers also benefit from noise-cancelling headphones and WiFi throughout their journey, reports the Express.
Business class flyers experience ultimate privacy, with their seats transforming into completely flat beds for proper rest during travel. Singapore Airlines maintains that the A350-900ULR delivers passengers a “more comfortable travelling experience”.
The aircraft boasts a host of additional amenities including elevated ceilings, expansive windows and specially engineered lighting systems to combat jet lag.
The carrier maintains that the aircraft’s cutting-edge carbon composite construction also enables superior air quality throughout the cabin.
Prospective passengers will need deep pockets, as tickets routinely command prices well into five-figure territory.
Singapore Airlines’ chief executive, Mr Goh Choon Phong, has previously stated that the new service will provide the “fastest way” to journey between these two metropolitan hubs.
He said: “Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR.
“The flights will offer our customers the fastest way to travel between the two cities – in great comfort, together with Singapore Airlines’ legendary service – and will help boost connectivity to and through the Singapore hub.”
Stumbling Clippers lose again, this time to Grizzlies
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21 of his 31 points in the first half and Cam Spencer added a career-high 27 points as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Clippers 121-103 on Monday night.
Jaylen Wells scored 16 points and rookie Cedric Coward had 12 as the Grizzlies earned a victory over the Clippers for the third time in less than three weeks. Ja Morant also scored 12 points for Memphis in his second game since returning from a calf injury.
While Morant has returned, Grizzlies center Zach Edey missed his second game of an extended absence because of a left ankle injury. Santi Aldama started at center for the second consecutive game and was held to just three points with two rebounds.
Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points and Kris Dunn added 17 for the Clippers, who have lost 12 of their last 14 games.
James Harden was held to 13 points, while John Collins and Jordan Miller each had 10 for Los Angeles in its eighth straight home loss. The Clippers last won in their own building on Oct. 31.
The Clippers led 64-63 on Leonard’s three-pointer just before the midpoint of the third quarter. The Grizzlies took charge from there, going on a 9-0 run for a 72-64 lead, while taking a 90-76 advantage into the fourth quarter. Wells had four points in the run.
Spencer made four three-pointers in less than six minutes of the fourth quarter and made a career high seven shots from long range on 10 attempts.
Jackson scored 20 points for the first time in six games, after he averaged 10.2 points over the previous five contests while shooting 42.6%. He was 13 of 18 (72.2%) from the floor.
Has Benin’s foiled coup made ECOWAS a West African heavyweight once more? | Politics News
When armed soldiers in the small West African nation of Benin appeared on national television on December 7 to announce they had seized power in a coup, it felt to many across the region like another episode of the ongoing coup crisis that has seen several governments toppled since 2020.
But the scenes played out differently this time.
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Amid reports of gunfire and civilians scampering to safety in the economic capital, Cotonou, Beninese and others across the region waited with bated breath as conflicting intelligence emerged. The small group of putschists, on the one hand, declared victory, but Benin’s forces and government officials said the plot had failed.
By evening, the situation was clear – Benin’s government was still standing. President Patrice Talon and loyalist forces in the army had managed to hold control, thanks to help from the country’s bigger neighbours, particularly its eastern ally and regional power, Nigeria.
While Talon now enjoys victory as the president who could not be unseated, the spotlight is also on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The regional bloc rallied to save the day in Benin after their seeming resignation in the face of the crises rocking the region, including just last month, when the military took power in Guinea-Bissau.
This time, though, after much criticism and embarrassment, ECOWAS was ready to push back against the narrative of it being an ineffective bloc by baring its teeth and biting, political analyst Ryan Cummings told Al Jazeera.
“It wanted to remind the region that it does have the power to intervene when the context allows,” Cummings said. “At some point, there needed to be a line drawn in the sand [and] what was at stake was West Africa’s most stable sovereign country falling.”
Is a new ECOWAS on the horizon?
Benin’s military victory was an astonishing turnaround for an ECOWAS that has been cast as a dead weight in the region since 2020, when a coup in Mali spurred an astonishing series of military takeovers across the region in quick succession.
Between 2020 and 2025, nine coup attempts toppled five democratic governments and two military ones. The latest successful coup, in Guinea-Bissau, happened on November 28. Bissau-Guineans had voted in the presidential election some days before and were waiting for the results to be announced when the military seized the national television station, detained incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and announced a new military leader.
ECOWAS, whose high-level delegation was in Bissau to monitor the electoral process when the coup happened, appeared on the back foot, unable to do much more than issue condemnatory statements. Those statements sounded similar to those it issued after the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea. The bloc appeared a far cry from the institution that, between 1990 and 2003, successfully intervened to stop the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and later in the Ivory Coast. The last ECOWAS military intervention, in 2017, halted Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh’s attempt to overturn the election results.
Indeed, ECOWAS’s success in its heyday hinged on the health of its members. Nigeria, arguably ECOWAS’s backbone, whose troops led the interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, has been mired in insecurity and economic crises of its own lately. In July 2023, when Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the ECOWAS chair, he threatened to invade Niger after the coup there.
It was disastrous timing. Faced with livelihood-eroding inflation and incessant attacks by armed groups at home, Nigerians were some of the loudest voices resisting an invasion. Many believed Tinubu, sworn in just months earlier, had misplaced his priorities. By the time ECOWAS had finished debating what to do weeks later, the military government in Niger had consolidated support throughout the armed forces and Nigeriens themselves had decided they wanted to back the military. ECOWAS and Tinubu backed off, defeated.
Niger left the alliance altogether in January this year, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with fellow military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso. All three share cultural and geographic affinities, but are also linked by their collective dislike for France, the former colonial power, which they blame for interfering in their countries. Even as they battle rampaging armed groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the three governments have cut ties with French forces formerly stationed there and welcomed Russian fighters whose effectiveness, security experts say, fluctuates.
But Benin was different, and ECOWAS appeared wide awake. Aside from the fact that it was one coup too far, Cummings said, the country’s proximity to Nigeria, and two grave mistakes the putschists made, gave ECOWAS a fighting chance.
The first mistake was that the rebels had failed to take Talon hostage, as is the modus operandi with putschists in the region. That allowed the president to directly send an SOS to his counterparts following the first failed attacks on the presidential palace at dawn.
The second mistake was perhaps even graver.
“Not all the armed forces were on board,” Cummings said, noting that the small group of about 100 rebel soldiers had likely assumed other units would fall in line but had underestimated how loyal other factions were to the president. That was a miscalculation in a country where military rule ended in 1990 and where 73 percent of Beninese believe that democracy is better than any other form of government, according to poll site Afrobarometer. Many take particular pride in their country being hailed as the region’s most stable democracy.
“There was division within the army, and that was the window of opportunity that allowed ECOWAS to deploy because there wasn’t going to be a case of ‘If we deploy, we will be targeted by the army’. I dare say that if there were no countercoup, there was no way ECOWAS would have gotten involved because it would have been a conventional war,” Cummings added.
Quickly reading the room, Benin’s neighbours reacted swiftly. For the first time in nearly a decade, the bloc deployed its standby ground forces from Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. Abuja authorised air attacks on rebel soldiers who were effectively cornered in a military base in Cotonou and at the national TV building, but who were putting up a last-ditch attempt at resistance. France also supported the mission by providing intelligence. By nightfall, the rebels had been completely dislodged by Nigerian jets. The battle for Cotonou was over.
At least 14 people have since been arrested. Several casualties were reported on both sides, with one civilian, the wife of a high-ranking officer marked for assassination, among the dead. On Wednesday, Beninese authorities revealed that the coup leader, Colonel Pascal Tigri, was hiding in neighbouring Togo.
At stake for ECOWAS was the risk of losing yet another member, possibly to the landlocked AES, said Kabiru Adamu, founder of Abuja-based Beacon Security intelligence firm. “I am 90 percent sure Benin would have joined the AES because they desperately need a littoral state,” he said, referring to Benin’s Cotonou port, which would have expanded AES export capabilities.
Nigeria could also not afford a military government mismanaging the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, as has been witnessed in the AES countries, Cummings said. Armed group JNIM launched its first attack on Nigerian soil in October, adding to Abuja’s pressures as it continues to face Boko Haram in the northeast and armed bandit groups in the northwest. Abuja has also come under diplomatic fire from the US, which falsely alleges a “Christian genocide” in the country.
“We know that this insecurity is the stick with which Tinubu is being beaten, and we already know his nose is bloodied,” Cummings said.
Revelling in the glory of the Benin mission last Sunday, Tinubu praised Nigeria’s forces in a statement, saying the “Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order”. A group of Nigerian governors also hailed the president’s action, and said it reinforced Nigeria’s regional power status and would deter further coup plotters.
Not yet out of the woods
If there is a perception that ECOWAS has reawakened and future putschists will be discouraged, the reality may not be so positive, analysts say. The bloc still has much to do before it can be taken seriously again, particularly in upholding democracy and calling out sham elections before governments become vulnerable to mass uprisings or coups, Beacon Security’s Adamu said.
In Benin, for example, ECOWAS did not react as President Talon, in power since 2016, grew increasingly autocratic, barring opposition groups in two previous presidential elections. His government has again barred the main opposition challenger, Renaud Agbodjo, from elections scheduled for next April, while Talon’s pick, former finance minister Romuald Wadagni, is the obvious favourite.
“It’s clear that the elections have been engineered already,” Adamu said. “In the entire subregion, it’s difficult to point to any single country where the rule of law has not been jettisoned and where the voice of the people is heard without fear.”
ECOWAS, Adamu added, needs to proactively re-educate member states on democratic principles, hold them accountable when there are lapses, as in the Benin case, and then intervene when threats emerge.
The bloc appears to be taking heed. On December 9, two days after the failed Benin coup, ECOWAS declared a state of emergency.
“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community,” Omar Touray, ECOWAS Commission president, said at a meeting in the Abuja headquarters. Touray cited situations that constitute coup risks, such as the erosion of electoral integrity and mounting geopolitical tensions, as the bloc splits along foreign influences. Currently, ECOWAS member states have stayed close to Western allies like France, while the AES is firmly pro-Russia.
Another challenge the bloc faces is managing potential fallout with the AES states amid France’s increasing closeness with Abuja. As Paris faces hostility in Francophone West Africa, it has drawn closer to Nigeria, where it does not have the same negative colonial reputation, and which it perceives as useful for protecting French business interests in the region, Cummings said. At the same time, ECOWAS is still hoping to woo the three rogue ex-members back into its fold, and countries like Ghana have already established bilateral ties with the military governments.
“The challenge with that is that the AES would see the intervention [in Benin] as an act not from ECOWAS itself but something engineered by France,” Adamu said. Seeing France instigating an intervention which could have benefitted AES reinforces their earlier complaints that Paris pokes its nose into the region’s affairs, and could push them further away, he said.
“So now we have a situation where they feel like France did it, and the sad thing is that we haven’t seen ECOWAS dispel that notion, so the ECOWAS standby force has [re]started on a contentious step,” Adamu added.
Topuria says “false allegations of domestic abuse” behind UFC 324 absence | Mixed Martial Arts News
UFC title holder IIia Topuria took a break from the sport in November to fight what he is calling “attempted extortion”.
Published On 16 Dec 2025
Undefeated UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria explained his withdrawal from the UFC 324 title bout on Monday, alleging he is addressing an extortion attempt and will return to the cage at the appropriate time.
Topuria is not on the UFC 324 card. An interim lightweight championship bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett headlines the January 24 event in Paradise, Nevada.
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The 28-year-old Georgian had already denied that an injury forced him out of a title defence. Topuria (17-0) said Monday he wanted to address rumours and speculation about his absence from the sport since November.
“Over the past several weeks, I have made the difficult decision to temporarily step away from defending my title. This was not a decision I took lightly. However, when circumstances arise that threaten your personal integrity, your family, and your reputation, there comes a point when you must address them directly,” Topuria said in a statement posted to Instagram on Monday.
“In recent months, I have been subjected to severe and unacceptable pressure, including threats to disseminate false allegations of domestic abuse unless financial demands were met. These allegations are entirely unfounded. The truth is not a matter of opinion – it is a matter of evidence. All relevant evidence has been carefully preserved and documented, including audio recordings, written communications, witness statements, and video material. This evidence has been submitted to the appropriate judicial authorities in order to pursue legal action for attempted extortion, falsification of evidence, misappropriation of funds and personal property, and multiple threats.”
Topuria has two knockout wins to defend the belt since he won it from Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024 with a knockout victory.
Topuria’s most recent fight was a June 28 knockout victory against Charles OIiveira at UFC 317 and made him the first undefeated two-division champion in UFC history.
Peter Andre gives heartbreaking update on sick mum as he shares concerns this will be her ‘last Christmas’
PETER Andre has shared a heartbreaking update on his mother’s health, admitting he worries this Christmas may be her last.
89-year-old Thea, who lives in Australia, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s back in 2023.
Peter has spoken over the last year about his mother’s deteriorating health and the heartache that comes with it.
And in a new interview with OK! Magazine, he admitted: “Of course I worry this could be Mum’s last Christmas.
“She’s very delicate. Her Parkinson’s has progressed quite a bit. Her speech is almost gone. She’ll say a word or two. It’s heartbreaking, because she’s our world, our pillar of strength.”
Peter, who was raised in Australia, often goes back Down Under to visit Thea and his dad Savvas, 92.
His older sister, Debbie, also resides back home and helps to look after their parents.
Admitting that it’s tough to also see his dad’s health decline with age, the dad-of-five said: “Then I see Dad and he’s 92 and with her every single day. But he’s getting delicate now, too.
“His memory’s going, but I am so grateful that they made that milestone I prayed for – 70 years of marriage in September.”
“It’s a raw pain. I’m a grown man, but I still can’t accept in my heart that these things happen to the people I love the most,” he added.
In September last year, Peter shared a heartwarming clip of his parents to social media as they celebrated their 69th anniversary,
His dad, Savvas, could be seen in the clip bringing wife Thea a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
He wrote at the time: “You inspire me so much mum and dad. Love you so very much.
“My 91-year-old dad giving flowers to my beautiful mum.”
Last year, Peter’s eldest children, 20-year-old Junior and Princess, 18, took a solo trip to visit their grandparents last year.
The holiday fell just days after his wife Emily MacDonagh had given birth to their third child together, Arabella.
The couple also share kids Theo and Amelia, while Peter shares his eldest children with ex-Katie Price.
At the time, the singer shared how proud he was of Princess and Junior for taking the time to visit Emily in hospital after labour before then flying to Austrlia.
He said on Instagram: “Junior and princess. The fact that you drove to Somerset to be with us hours before and the days that followed to see the arrival of your baby sister,”
“AND THEN to get on a plane and travel 12,000 miles to be with your grandmother in a very difficult time for her shows me what beautiful children you are.”
Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Date, time, how to vote & nominees list
BBC Sports Personality of the Year is back for 2025, celebrating a phenomenal 12 months of sporting drama and triumph.
It has been a year to remember in sport, including England winning the Women’s Euros and Women’s Rugby World Cup, Team Europe winning the Ryder Cup, Liverpool’s Premier League title, Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League success, and the Lions’ series win in Australia.
There were also record-breaking moments in cricket, athletics, golf, tennis, rugby league and many more.
Turtle Island Liberation Front quartet charged for California NYE bomb plot | News
Pro-Palestine, antigovernment, anti-colonial group accused of targeting immigration agents and companies in ‘massive and horrific terror plot’.
Published On 16 Dec 2025
Federal authorities in the United States have arrested four members of an antigoverment left-wing group over an alleged bomb plot targeting immigration agents and companies, among others, in California, officials have said.
Announcing the arrests on Monday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had disrupted “a massive and horrific terror plot” being prepared by the Turtle Island Liberation Front.
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“The Turtle Island Liberation Front – a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group – was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve,” Bondi said in a statement.
She was careful to note that among the group’s planned targets were Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and their vehicles.
Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, have been charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Officials said additional charges are expected.
Desert meeting
The suspects, who are all from the Los Angeles area, were arrested on Friday in the Mojave Desert as they were working on the plot, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli told a news conference.
Officials showed reporters’ surveillance footage of the suspects in the desert moving a large black object to a table. The group was arrested before they had the opportunity to build a functional bomb, the officials said.
Essayli said Carroll had created a detailed plan to bomb at least five locations. The plot included the targeting of two “Amazon-type” logistics centres operated by US companies in the Los Angeles area on New Year’s Eve.
Backpacks filled with IEDs that were to be detonated simultaneously at midnight were to be left at the locations. The group believed the explosions would be less likely to be noticed due to fireworks detonated during the celebrations.
Two of the suspects had discussed plans for attacks targeting ICE agents and vehicles with pipe bombs early next year, according to the complaint.
Officials said the suspects were an offshoot of a group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front, which says it is for the “liberation of all colonised peoples”.
The group, which has a small social media following, describes itself on Facebook as a political organisation advocating for the “Liberation of occupied Turtle Island and liberation of all colonized peoples across the world”.
The term “Turtle Island” is used by some Indigenous peoples to describe North America in a way that reflects its existence outside the colonial boundaries put in place by the US and Canada. It comes from Indigenous creation stories where the continent was formed on the back of a giant turtle.
Activists affiliated with the group have previously organised campaigns against detentions and deportations by ICE, as well as anti-colonial issues.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said while federal and local officials disagree on the Trump administration’s immigration raids, they still come together to protect residents.
Frozen in time village used huge film like ‘stepping into period drama’
Lacock village in Wiltshire is steeped in history and has been used as a filming location for Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and Wolf Hall, making visitors feel like they’re living in a period drama
A key filming spot for the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, Lacock’s charming cottages and stunning countryside make visitors feel as though they’ve stepped into a period drama.
Its Wiltshire timber-framed buildings and magnificent cloisters have drawn numerous productions beyond Austen’s tale to its grounds. Lacock’s famous medieval Cloister, dating back to around 1450, also houses a verdant Cloister Garth. This striking architectural feature appeared in countless Downton Abbey scenes, and doubled as sections of the castle in the original Harry Potter films. It also featured in the BBC’s Wolf Hall adaptation. One TripAdvisor reviewer awarded the destination five stars, saying: “An absolute must if you are in the area! A beautiful village, which you can visit by parking just across the road in the National Trust car park.
“The village is a pleasure to walk around, totally untouched throughout history and is quintessentially English! From the rows of tiny cottages, the church, the tiny bakery, the village pub and a hotel, it has everything and all these are open and running. We stayed for a couple of hours and then had a wander around the Abbey which is also impressive.”, reports Gloucestershire Live. Another reviewer described the village as “frozen in time”, with Explore the Cotswolds concurring that the location “looks a lot like it would have done 200 years ago.”
Lacock’s magnificent abbey began life as an Augustinian nunnery, shuttered during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. Subsequently, John Ivory Talbot constructed the mock-Gothic hall – both are now in the care of the National Trust and available for afternoon exploration. A stone’s throw away stands St Cyriac’s Church. Initially believed to be a Saxon worship site, it later became Norman-controlled. The Church was erected near the close of the 11th century by Edward of Salisbury and William of Eu. The dedication to St Cyriac honours a beloved Norman saint.
The church houses numerous later memorials to the Baynards, Bonhams, Crokes, Sharingtons, Talbots and Awdreys. Yet for Harry Potter enthusiasts, the cloisters steal the show. For one devotee, exploring the cloisters topped her agenda upon arriving in Britain. She wrote: “Harry Potter fans NEED to do this! We’re from Canada. As soon as we landed in London, this was the very first thing we did. We did the Harry Potter Tour of London for Private Groups by Black Taxi. “Our guide was Richard and we can’t say enough good things about him! He was absolutely incredible! Ask him how he knows so much about this…such an interesting person, so knowledgeable and passionate about it all.”
Victorian seaside gem dubbed ‘queen of resorts’ with history going back centuries
The Victorian seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales has been attracting holidaymakers since the 1800s with its picturesque beaches, historic Great Orme clifftop and palm-lined promenade
This North Wales resort boasts an extensive history of drawing holidaymakers from across Britain, having secured the coveted title “Queen of the Welsh Watering Places”.
The Victorian seaside gem of Llandudno, with its rich heritage, is thought to have origins stretching back to the Bronze Age. These unique characteristics draw visitors keen to witness the stunning vistas of the Conwy Valley and explore the area’s captivating history.
Indeed, Llandudno has previously been recognised as among the most secure places to reside in Britain, home to roughly 19,700 lucky residents. Additionally, it’s far more budget-friendly to visit and stay in than many competing coastal resorts.
Two main beaches stretch across the shoreline – North Shore Beach and West Shore Beach. The northern section boasts an extensive promenade characteristic of any British seaside town.
Yet, what sets it apart from others is its palm-fringed pathway – evoking memories of a Mediterranean paradise. Tucked away behind North Shore Beach sits the Great Orme headland, offering an adventure on the Great Orme Tramway, carrying passengers to elevated viewpoints via cable cars.
One thrilled visitor said: “The cable car ride was amazing; for the length of the journey, £14 per return (this was the price in 2024) is pretty reasonable. The views are stunning, and you can see for miles on a really clear day, which we had.”
On the West Shore, tucked away on the opposite side of the town, visitors can soak up sweeping vistas of the Snowdonian peaks. One TripAdvisor reviewer says: “One of my favourite beaches anywhere: unspoilt, dog-friendly, free of kiosks and vendors – just sea, rock and sand. Stunning views of the Great Orme. Lots of parking.”
The delightful seaside resort of Llandudno possesses a fascinating past spanning from the Stone Age right through to the Iron Age, with countless communities established over centuries on the slopes of the limestone promontory, more commonly recognised as the Great Orme. This headland draws tourists from across the region and beyond, providing a four-hour hike packed with spectacular scenery.
The Victorian seafront, lovingly dubbed The Parade, alongside the famous pier represent two of the resort’s most treasured features, both constructed in 1877. Following major renovations, the pier has secured recognition as among Britain’s finest.
One holidaymaker described their pier adventure, explaining: “Excellent pier experience. A Punch and Judy, plenty of arcades, hair braiding/colouring, a good walk, fun stalls and a cafe with a wonderful lady singer belting out Amy Winehouse numbers. There’s even a little display of historical photos to show when the pier was used for the ferries. Well worth a visit.”
Trump sues BBC for defamation over Panorama speech edit
US President Donald Trump has filed a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit against the BBC over an edit of his 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary.
Trump accused the broadcaster of defamation and of violating a trade practices law, according to court documents filed in Florida.
The BBC apologised to Trump last month, but rejected his demands for compensation and disagreed there was any “basis for a defamation claim”.
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of defaming him by “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech”. The BBC has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Trump said last month that he planned to sue the BBC for the documentary, which aired in the UK ahead of the 2024 US election.
“I think I have to do it,” Trump told reporters of his plans. “They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth.”
In his speech on 6 January 2021, before a riot at the US Capitol, Trump told a crowd: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
More than 50 minutes later in the speech, he said: “And we fight. We fight like hell.”
In the Panorama programme, a clip showed him as saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The BBC acknowledged that the edit had given “the mistaken impression” he had “made a direct call for violent action”, but disagreed that there was basis for a defamation claim.
In November, a leaked internal BBC memo criticised how the speech was edited, and led to the resignations of the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, and its head of news, Deborah Turness.
Before Trump filed the lawsuit, lawyers for the BBC had given a lengthy response to the president’s claims.
They said there was no malice in the edit and that Trump was not harmed by the programme, as he was re-elected shortly after it aired.
They also said the BBC did not have the rights to, and did not, distribute the Panorama programme on its US channels. While the documentary was available on BBC iPlayer, it was restricted to viewers in the UK.
In his lawsuit, Trump cites agreements the BBC had with other distributors to show content, specifically one with a third-party media corporation that allegedly had licensing rights to the documentary outside the UK. The BBC has not yet responded to these claims, nor has the company with the alleged distribution agreement.
The suit also claims that people in Florida may have accessed the programme using a VPN or by using streaming service BritBox.
“The Panorama Documentary’s publicity, coupled with significant increases in VPN usage in Florida since its debut, establishes the immense likelihood that citizens of Florida accessed the Documentary before the BBC had it removed,” the lawsuit said.
Carl Carlton, funk singer behind ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama,’ dies at 72
Carl Carlton, the funk and R&B singer known for upbeat, era-embodying singles like “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” has died. He was 72.
Carlton’s son, Carlton Hudgens II, posted to social media confirming the death on Sunday. “RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton singer of She’s a Bad Mama Jama. Long hard fight in life and you will be missed.” The post did not cite a cause of death.
Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit in 1953, he debuted as “Little Carl” Carlton, but changed his stage name and moved to Houston after he was signed to the local label Back Beat Records. He had a minor soul-scene hit in 1971 with “I Can Feel It,” and broke through nationally in 1974 when his regal cover of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love” hit No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and spent 15 weeks on that chart.
Carlton is perhaps best known for his 1981 single, “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” a grooving and awestruck ode to the female form that hit No. 22 on the Hot 100 and helped his self-titled album that year reach gold status.
The song has enjoyed a long life in popular culture — it’s been sampled by rappers like Foxy Brown, BigXThaPlug and Flo Milli, and frequently appeared on soundtracks for TV shows and films like “Friends.”
He continued releasing records into the ‘80s, and appeared several times on “American Bandstand” and “Soul Train,“ though his output slowed in the ‘90s. In 2003, he performed for Barry Glazer’s TV special, “American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love, and Soul,” which featured Aretha Franklin and other marquee R&B and soul acts. His last album was 2010’s gospel LP “God Is Good.”
High school basketball: Monday’s scores
MONDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 43, Valley Oaks CES 25
Arleta 70, Monroe 59
Bell 52, South East 34
Bravo 83, View Park 82
CALS Early College 36, Magnolia Science Academy 20
Contreras 86, Belmont 15
Downtown Magnets 65, Lincoln 61
East College Prep 51, Brio College Prep 38
East Valley 46, Van Nuys 31
Fulton 63, Lakeview Charter 20
Garfield 48, South Gate 34
Granada Hills Kennedy 68, Reseda 23
LA Roosevelt 60, Legacy 47
Locke 59, Animo Watts 56
Orthopaedic 69, Annenberg 44
RFK Community 58, Mendez 49
Sun Valley Poly73, North Hollywood 58
Triumph Charter 69, LA Marshall 59
Vaughn 73, Panorama 58
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 82, PAL Academy 54
Alta Loma 48, Diamond Ranch 41
Anaheim 70, Magnolia 27
Arroyo 71, El Monte 28
Bell Gardens 68, Glenn 39
Bonita 60, San Dimas 56
Chaparral 76, California 71
Colton 83, Desert Hot Springs 67
Costa Mesa 75, Savanna 68
Crossroads Christian 39, Grove School 28
Desert Christian 67, Lancaster Baptist 54
Eastside 71, Quartz Hill 64
El Rancho 66, Duarte 30
Elsinore 58, Great Oak 55
Gabrielino 51, Rosemead 46
Highland 53, Antelope Valley 34
Hillcrest 68, Indian Springs 61
Knight 86, Lancaster 32
Lakeside 54, Patriot 42
Liberty 67, Beaumont 64
Magnolia Science Academy 55, Legacy College Prep 31
Malibu 69, Nordhoff 34
Mary Star of the Sea 64, Chadwick 60
Mesa Grande Academy 85, RSCSM 30
Mesrobian 47, New Covenant Academy 44
Montclair 84, Rim of the World 45
Moreno Valley 53, Vista del Lago 44
Ontario 68, La Sierra 27
Orange 59, Pasadena Marshall 37
Paloma Valley 56, San Jacinto 48
Pasadena 80, Burbank 53
Placentia Valencia 60, Santa Ana 32
Perris 81, Heritage 45
Redlands 46, Banning 41
Rialto 65, Norco 64
Riverside King 57, Riverside Poly 55
Santa Maria 86, Valley Christian Academy 69
Serrano 48, Arroyo Valley 37
Sherman Indian 59, California Lutheran 53
Summit 73, Yucaipa 56
Thousand Oaks 72, Simi Valley 40
Valley Torah 100, St. Monica Academy 68
Valley View 75, Jurupa Valley 45
Vasquez 98, PACS 40
Viewpoint 60, Hillcrest Christian 37
Westlake 51, Oak Park 37
Whitney 69, Godinez 63
Woodbridge 69, El Toro 48
INTERSECTIONAL
Compton 74, Crenshaw 53
Gahr 76, Rancho Dominguez 52
Marquez 65, Whittier 30
New Roads 47, Animo Venice 28
San Gabriel 66, Sotomayor 39
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Animo Robinson 37, Smidt Tech 33
Animo Watts 55, Locke 29
Brio College Prep 24, East College Prep 20
Contreras 42, Belmont 4
Crenshaw 41, Torres 16
Granada Hills Kennedy 67, Reseda 15
Grant 64, Chavez 3
Hollywood 44, Roybal 12
Northridge Academy 58, East Valley 9
Orthopaedic 25, Annenberg 14
RFK Community 27, Mendez 18
Sherman Oaks CES 75, Fulton 7
South East 35, Bell 27
Verdugo Hills 56, Eagle Rock 31
SOUTHERN SECTION
Aliso Niguel 60, Edison 23
Arroyo 34, El Monte 25
Arroyo Valley 42, San Gorgonio 29
Baldwin Park 60, La Puente 15
Bonita 48, San Dimas 39
Burbank 64, Pasadena 40
Carter 77, Adelanto 54
Chino 58, Ayala 38
Citrus Valley 54, Liberty 52
Coachella Valley 45, Palo Verde Valley 36
Covina 49, Sierra Vista 40
Desert Christian 46, Lancaster Baptist 27
Don Lugo 53, Bloomington 16
Eastside 56, Quartz Hill 24
El Modena 40, Irvine University 15
El Segundo 60, Montebello 18
Flintridge Sacred Heart 50, Muir 43
Fontana 50, Patriot 42
Foothill Tech 35, Santa Barbara 23
Gabrielino 40, Rosemead 27
Garden Grove 53, Garden Grove Pacifica 17
Glenn 36, Firebaugh 11
Heritage 56, Corona 38
Highland 60, Antelope Valley 26
Hillcrest 61, Valley View 37
Irvine 36, Tustin 34
Jurupa Valley 47, Norco 19
Laguna Beach 42, Savanna 39
Lancaster 55, Knight 22
Loma Linda Academy 42, Desert Chapel 13
Los Altos 60, Mayfair 23
Los Amigos 43, Artesia 25
Mesa Grande Academy 80, River Springs Charter 10
Monrovia 39, Ramona Convent 31
Newbury Park 55, Santa Paula 26
Nordhoff 54, Cate 31
Paramount 58, Lakewood 40
Redlands 35, Banning 19
Royal 47, Channel Islands 39
San Jacinto Valley Academy 34, Santa Rosa Academy 26
Santa Maria 61, Valley Christian Academy 37
Schurr 45, California 37
Segerstrom 49, Long Beach Wilson 46
Silver Valley 55, Sultana 30
Southlands Christian 49, Bassett 10
Temple City 35, San Gabriel 27
Twentynine Palms 55, Cathedral City 13
Vasquez 45, Palmdale Academy Charter 6
Vista Murrieta 40, Beaumont 37
Western Christian 64, Workman 14
West Torrance 74, Torrance 36
Whittier Christian 68, NOVA Academy 13
Wiseburn-Da Vinci 66, South Torrance 60
Woodbridge 66, Katella 37
Yucaipa 51, Summit 46
YULA 64, ISLA 26
INTERSECTIONAL
Compton Centennial 43, Rancho Dominguez 16
Dominguez 50, LA Jordan 8
LACES 62, Inglewood 35
Warner 40, Anza Hamilton 33
Westchester 53, Leuzinger 52