SIMON Cowell has revealed he was so devastated by Liam Payne’s death that he fled to a “private place” to be alone to grieve.

The former X Factor boss, 66, helped make Liam famous when he put One Direction together on the ITV show back in 2010 and was extremely close with the star.

Liam died aged 31 in October last year after falling from a balcony in Argentina.

Now Simon has recalled how he felt when he heard this tragic news for the first time.

The music mogul revealed he was at a Britain’s Got Talent audition when he was told the life-changing news.

Describing the impact, Simon told the Daily Mail: “Nothing has affected me like that since I lost my mum and dad. I remember how that felt and this was not far off.”

READ MORE ON SIMON COWELL

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last words

Simon Cowell reveals final conversation with Liam Payne

He then revealed how he needed time alone to grieve and process what had happened.

He said he told his partner Lauren Silverman: “I’ve got to just go away somewhere on my own for a few days.”

Asked where he went, the star replied: “A private place. Like a retreat, where I was able to switch off. I just sort of meditated and thought about things, because I was so upset. Then you have to come back to your life again.”

Simon added: “I was so close to him. Obviously you drift apart over the years, but it’s true: you don’t know how you feel about someone until you lose them. People pass away, but when they’re so talented and young it’s hard.”

REACHING OUT

Last month, Simon revealed how he immediately reached out to Liam’s parents after learning of his death last year.

Speaking on The Interview podcast from The New York Times, Simon said:“It’s very difficult to put into words how you feel. It’s just shock.

“At that point, you’re not really thinking clearly. I just remember saying: ‘I really need to speak to his mum and dad. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible please?’

“God, as a parent, what that must have felt like.

“I knew his mum and dad, and I wanted to reach out, just to say how I felt.
“It was just awful, awful.”

Recalling the last time he was with Liam, Simon added: “I’d seen him like a year before in this room and I was talking to him about there’s more to life than just music.

“You’ve got to a point in your life where you’ve got choice now.

“We just hung out as friends. That’s why I was so shocked and surprised when I heard the news.”

FINAL CONVERSATION

Heartbroken Simon also recently opened up about his final conversation with Liam before the singer’s tragic death. 

Simon worked with the group right from the start – putting them together on The X Factor in 2010 with the help of Nicole Scherzinger. 

Now the music mogul has shared details of the last time he saw Liam, revealing they spoke about his son Bear, seven, whose mum is Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy. 

Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said: “When I heard the news, it really hit me. I saw him a year before this happened. He came over to my house. We talked about his son and being a dad.”

Simon also shared the advice he gave Liam, continuing: “I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything. Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about’.”

And Simon insisted he doesn’t feel responsible for the way Liam’s life played out – revealing he’s been in touch with the late musician’s family. 

He said: “You ask yourself that question, ‘Could I have done anything more? What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?’

“Having spoken to his mum and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved. I wish I could turn back the clock, of course.

“When I spoke to him that day, I felt really good about him. I thought, ‘Wow, you seem in a really good place’.

“The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.”

WASHINGTON — Iran, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium and the winner of a March playoff featuring Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Northern Ireland will join the U.S. in playing World Cup group-stage games at SoFi Stadium next June. The Inglewood venue will host eight World Cup games in 28 days, beginning with the U.S. opener with Paraguay on June 12.

The tournament will kick off June 11 in Mexico City with Mexico facing South Africa in a rematch of the 2010 tournament opener in South Africa. It will end July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J., with the final beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

The schedule for the largest and most complex World Cup ever was announced Saturday at the Hilton Capital Hotel in Washington and it isn’t a favorable one for Southern California businesses hoping to cash in on the tournament. Of the five group-stage matches, two feature Iran, whose citizens have been banned from traveling to the U.S. by the Trump administration. Although Southern California is home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran, those fans won’t be booking flights or hotel stays, dampening the economic effect on the region.

Following the U.S.-Paraguay game, SoFi will stage two Group G matches featuring Iran against New Zealand on June 15 and Iran-Belgium on June 21. In between, Switzerland will face the European playoff winner on June 15. The U.S. will then return to Inglewood on June 25 to face the winner of a March playoff featuring Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey and Romania.

In addition to the five first-round games, SoFi will host three knockout-stage games — two in the round of 32 and one quarterfinal. Among the most attractive teams that could play in Inglewood during the round of 32 are Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Austria and Algeria. Reigning champion Argentina could also come to Southern California in the second round if it stumbles in group play.

New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium drew arguably the best schedule of any of the 16 World Cup venues. In addition to the final, the stadium will host group-play games featuring Brazil, Germany, France and England.

Defending champion Argentina will play its first game in Kansas City then finish the group stage in Dallas while Spain, the tournament favorite, will play its first two games in Atlanta and its final match in Guadalajara.

BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 5 (UPI) — Income-based poverty in Argentina fell to 36.3% of the population in the third quarter of this year, down from 45.6% in the same period in 2024, according to a report from the Social Debt Observatory at the Catholic University of Argentina.

Poverty in 2024 had climbed to the highest level recorded since the series began in 2005, while it now stands at its lowest point since 2018.

The report also shows an improvement in the extreme poverty rate, which fell to 6.8% in the third quarter from 11.2% in the same period in 2024, confirming a decline in the share of the population with income too low to meet basic food needs.

“The recent reduction in poverty is explained mainly by slowing inflation and a partial recovery in income, while the drop in extreme poverty is strongly linked to the impact of cash-transfer social programs. Without these policies, the extreme poverty rate would nearly double, even under current conditions,” the report said.

However, the report acknowledges that structural inequalities persist.

“Lower socio-educational groups remain the most affected, but there is also significant deterioration among middle-income sectors. The top 25% remains practically immune to economic hardship,” the report said.

It adds that in the recent period poverty has improved more than what the report calls “economic stress.” “Some households have higher incomes, but not necessarily greater purchasing power or less financial strain,” the report said.

Lucas Gobbo, a professor and researcher at the National University of Avellaneda, told UPI the data show a statistically significant improvement in poverty and extreme poverty indicators.

According to the economist, the most significant policy change was the sharp increase in the Universal Child Allowance — a benefit that was increased shortly after Javier Milei became president.

The same report notes that the Argentine government gave significant weight to this subsidy as its main social assistance policy, doubling its amount in real terms after it had been eroded by accelerating inflation.

“Despite its low amount, the expansion of the child allowance partially eased economic hardship for a significant share of Argentine households, slightly reducing poverty rates and, above all, extreme poverty,” the Catholic University report said.

Beyond that specific adjustment, Gobbo said no additional targeted policies were implemented for low-income sectors afterward.

Another factor behind the improvement is the sharp drop in inflation.

“Today we have year-over-year inflation around 30%, when two years ago it exceeded 200%,” the researcher said.

“That translates into a steep drop in poverty, because inflation hits poorer households the hardest,” he added.

Despite the short-term improvements, Gobbo said Argentina still lacks a comprehensive long-term policy. “What we do not yet see is a model of growth and development with social inclusion,” he said.

“What we are seeing is an economy run almost exclusively by the market, which may balance out through the growth of some sectors and the collapse of others, leaving very high unemployment and informality, with a state that remains distant from these problems,” he warned.

Gobbo said Argentina needs a state that can support productive sectors capable of generating quality jobs. He added that part of the situation “could be eased with a more decisive update of the minimum wage, which has been falling behind.”

Four people have been arrested after custard and apple crumble were flung at a display case containing part of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

Police were called shortly before 10:00 GMT on Saturday after the case containing the Imperial State Crown – which is typically worn by the King at formal ceremonies – was defaced.

The Metropolitan Police said four people had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. The Tower’s Jewel House was temporarily closed to the public while the police investigated.

Take Back Power – which appears to be an offshoot of Just Stop Oil and which describes itself as a new non-violent civil resistance group – has claimed it was behind the incident.

The group said it carried out the stunt to demand the UK government establishes a permanent citizen’s assembly, or “House of the People”, with the power to “tax extreme wealth and fix Britain”.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said that the incident was “disgraceful”, adding: “There is a clear difference between the democratic right to protest and unacceptable behaviour.”

Footage shared by Take Back Power on social media showed one protester removing a large foil tray of crumble from a bag before slamming it against the glass protecting the Imperial State Crown.

Another then poured a tub of bright yellow custard on the front of the case.

“Democracy has crumbled,” one protester could be heard shouting. Another added: “Britain is broken. We’ve come here to the jewels of the nation to take back power.”

Meanwhile, surprised tourists could be seen reacting to the stunt.

Historic Royal Palaces confirmed that the Imperial State Crown was not damaged.

The Jewel House reopened to the public early in the afternoon.

This is the second demonstration claimed by the group in the past few days.

On Wednesday, three protesters emptied bags of manure onto the floor of the Ritz hotel lobby under its 25ft Christmas tree.

Take Back Power has emerged in recent weeks on social media channels used by Just Stop Oil activists. The environmental protest group refers to Take Back Power as a “new project”.

Just Stop Oil – responsible for a number of high-profile protests including throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and climbing onto motorway gantries – announced it was ending its use of direct action in March.

The Imperial State Crown is a famous symbol of the monarchy and was worn by King Charles III as he left Westminster Abbey on his coronation day in 2023.

Beyond coronations, the priceless working crown is only used during formal occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament.

When it is not being used, it is kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

It was originally made in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI and contains 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, four rubies and 269 pearls and weighs over a kilogram.

Jessica “Decca” Mitford was one of the 20th century’s indomitable mavericks. Born and bred into British aristocracy, Mitford rejected her bloodline and spirited herself to America in 1939 to pursue a life dedicated to social justice. By that time, her antisemitic parents had declared their public support for Hitler, as had two of her five sisters, while Mitford gravitated toward the Communist party. Working as a dedicated New Dealer and party advocate in Oakland, Mitford fought tirelessly for civil rights and against institutional corruption. Approaching middle age, she swerved into writing; her best-selling book “The American Way of Death” was a savage takedown of the funeral industry.

Carla Kaplan explores all of this and much more in a gripping new biography, “Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford,” which places Mitford’s achievements within the context of America’s roiling political climate in the mid-20th century.

I chatted with Kaplan, who is the Davis Distinguished Professor of American Literature at Northeastern University, about Mitford and her legacy.

✍️ Author Chat

Mitford essentially runs away from her very wealthy family as a teenager.

Leaving that family at 19 was a very difficult and brave thing to do because she’s grown up so isolated from others. The family was such a self-enclosed world — tribal, the neighbors called them — so she didn’t have much exposure to anything beyond her family when she left them. At the same time, she left with Esmond Romilly, who almost immediately became her lover and husband. He was dazzling and brave and charming and took charge, so he mitigated some of that difficulty.

Mitford was seemingly unbreakable. Despite losing Esmond during the war, she trudges on with her work.

Her husband Esmond was killed in World War II. By then, she had an infant daughter, she was under 25 years old and truly alone with no education or resources or family connections — there weren’t Mitfords in America. Her family had disowned her. … She had to make her own way. She succeeded at making a new life. She remarried a wonderful man and learned to be a really effective worker, but it was all very tough and it could have worked out very differently for her.

She threw herself into political causes, first working in the Office Of Price Administration, which fought against profiteers during the war, and later in the Civil Rights Congress, working on housing and labor reform in Oakland.

The Civil Rights Congress was truly Decca’s training ground. She called herself a “foot soldier” in the CRC and she certainly worked hard. But she also learned to be a really effective political investigator and organizer. And she did a lot of organizing work in Black Oakland on housing, labor and difficult police brutality issues.

Carla Kaplan is author of “Troublemaker,” a new biography about the British aristocrat-turned-American Communist Jessica Mitford.

(Robin Hultgren)

What’s interesting is that she renounces her family, yet never tries to conceal her roots.

She found that she could be a very effective organizer — an effective ally, as my students would say — by playing into her differences from those she was advocating for. She didn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t. Her British upper-crust accent only got stronger every year. She knew how to use being different and kind of fascinating to her own advantage.

In 1963, Mitford’s book “The American Way of Death” was published and it rips open the predatory and extortionate practices of the funeral services industry. But according to your book, Mitford’s husband co-wrote the book without credit, as her editor Bob Gottlieb thought it would hurt sales.

Decca’s second husband, Bob Treuhaft, was smart, very funny, shared her politics, had a great sense of fairness and also a sense of play. Most importantly, he wanted Decca to shine. He never needed to diminish Decca to feel good about himself. On the contrary, he was delighted when she was at the microphone, got a byline, was celebrated. He wrote half of “The American Way of Death,” but was happy for the book to come out only with her name on it. And I think part of the real appeal of that book, its electrical charge in a sense, is the energy of their 50/50 collaboration that went into it. None of her other books were co-written in the same way and I think they don’t have quite that electric energy that went into the book they wrote together.

She was very close with Maya Angelou.

Her true running buddy as a writer. They pushed each other to think of themselves professionally, to demand respect, to never accept second best. Angelou encouraged Decca to demand good contracts and advances, and to expect to be treated with respect. And Angelou, like Decca, was very funny and playful, and also an incredibly hard worker. They loved describing one another as sisters — they could hardly have looked more different — and refused to qualify or explain that. And Maya did that as a fellow writer.

How would you sum up Mitford’s legacy?

Decca completely transformed herself, and she built her own life and found deep fulfillment as an activist and progressive writer. Decca fought fascism and authoritarianism all her life and saw how things like the Red Scare devastated progressives she knew and loved, some of whom killed themselves. But she never let the bastards steal her joy either. She insisted on a joyful life of dinner parties and vacations. She made that part of the fight and she kept up the fight by keeping up her spirits — and the spirits of those around her.

(This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.)

📰 The Week(s) in Books

(Los Angeles Times photo illustration; Photo by Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

To commemorate what would have been Joan Didion’s 91st birthday this week, six writers weigh in on her legacy. Lili Anolik’s favorite piece of Joan Didion writing is “Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream.” “It’s trashy noir yet elevated and totally dead-eyed — as if Flannery O’Connor took a crack at writing a James M. Cain story.”

Olivia Nuzzi, the disgraced journalist, has written a memoir, “American Canto,” and Leigh Haber says it’s OK to hate-read it. Nuzzi’s “version of the events that laid her low remain stubbornly unprocessed — as blurry and borderless as the book itself,” she writes.

Actor Tim Blake Nelson has written a Hollywood satire called “Superhero” and Carolyn Kellogg chatted with him about it. “It was certainly my intention, to use a world I know really, really well, to examine bigger issues in American culture,” says Nelson.

And what are the best books to read in December? Bethanne Patrick gives us the scoop.

📖 Bookstore Faves

Jeff Mantor, pictured here in 2011, was an employee at Larry Edmunds Bookshop for 16 years before purchasing the shop in 2007.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Now approaching its 88th birthday, Larry Edmunds Bookshop on Hollywood Boulevard is L.A.’s oldest independent bookstore, and the only store devoted to books about the performing arts. I chatted with store manager Jeff Mantor about what titles are rolling out the door right now.

Larry Edmunds is an L.A. institution that has somehow kept its doors open. Who is your primary audience now?

Our audience is across the spectrum, but we get a large percentage of students and young cinephiles that are really starting to learn about cinema. Our other main audience is classic Hollywood-based, people who probably would consider Turner Classic Movies their channel of choice.

A sea of books cover the walls inside Larry Edmunds Bookshop in 2011.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

What’s selling right now?

“Reflections: On Cinematography” by Roger Deakins, “Pre-Code Essentials” by Danny Reid and Kim Luperi, “Joan Crawford: A Woman’s Face” by Scott Eyman and “The Uncool” by Cameron Crowe.

The entertainment business has changed so profoundly. Is there still an appetite for books about movies?

Absolutely! Stories about the making of classic films and the people who made them, books about technique and filmmaking, photography books and a never-ending public fascination with Kubrick, Lynch, Burton, Tarantino and others. Also, I can frequently be found at the Egyptian Theatre, the Aero Theatre, Old Town Music Hall, the Hollywood Heritage Museum and many other venues where we are putting classic screenings and conversations together with books about the films or with the people who made the movies.

Larry Edmunds Bookshop is located in Hollywood at 6644 Hollywood Blvd.

(Please note: The Times may earn a commission through links to Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.)

All times BST

England – Group L

21:00, Wed, 17th June v Croatia – Dallas

21:00, Tue, 23rd June v Ghana – Boston

22:00, Sat, 27th June v Panama – New Jersey

Scotland – Group C

02:00, Sun, 14 June v Haiti – Boston

23:00, Fri, 19 June v Morocco – Boston

23:00, Wed, 24 June v Brazil – Miami

Kohli wins player of the series award as India win by 9 wickets and 10 overs to spare in the third ODI of the series.

Virat Kohli says he has rediscovered his peak batting level for the first time in three years after inspiring India to a series-clinching victory over South Africa in their three-match one-day international (ODI) series.

Capping a remarkable turnaround from recent struggles, the 37-year-old former skipper walked away with the player of the series trophy following India’s 2-1 series triumph on Saturday.

Kohli amassed 302 runs, which included two tons and an unbeaten half-century at a stunning average of 151. His series-ending flourish came in the decisive match in Visakhapatnam as India chased down 271 for victory.

After Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden ODI hundred and Rohit Sharma’s 75 laid the foundation, Kohli smashed 65 off 45 balls with three sixes before dramatically scoring the winning runs by charging down the pitch.

His performance marked a spectacular resurrection for a player who endured intense scrutiny following back-to-back ducks in Australia, but has since compiled 376 runs in his last four innings.

The 23-year-old Jaiswal, who now has tons in all three international formats, struggled at the start with Rohit leading the batting charge to raise his 61st ODI half-century.

Rohit got past 20,000 international runs during the knock to be only the fourth Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli and Rahul Dravid to achieve the feat.

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj cut short Rohit’s innings after seven fours and three sixes in his 73-ball knock.

Jaiswal switched gears after his fifty and hit a string of boundaries to ease into the target.

The bowlers set up victory after left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna took four wickets each to bowl out South Africa for 270 in 47.5 overs.

With the series level at 1-1, India finally won an ODI toss after losing 20 in a row as skipper KL Rahul broke the scarcely believable jinx and put South Africa in to bat.

Opener Quinton de Kock made 106 off 89 balls and put on 113 runs with skipper Temba Bavuma, who made 48, as South Africa looked set for a big total at 168-2 but the batting collapsed.

“We probably should have been smarter as we gifted wickets,” said Bavuma. “The Indian team showed their quality, kudos to them.”

‘I feel free in my mind’

“Honestly, just playing the way I have in this series has been the most satisfying thing for me. I don’t think I’ve played at this level for a good two-three years now and I feel really free in my mind. The whole game is coming together nicely,” Kohli said.

“It’s very exciting to build on and something that I’ve always tried to do as a player, kind of maintain my own standards that I’ve set for myself and play at the level that I can make an impact for the team.

“And I know when I can bat like that out there in the middle, it helps the team in a big way because I can bat long, I can bat according to the situation. Just being confident makes me feel like … I have what it takes to handle that situation and bring it in favour of the team.”

The veteran, who retired from tests and T20 internationals, admitted that even players of his experience – with more than 16 years in ODI cricket – faced periods of self-doubt, especially when one mistake could affect a batter’s confidence.

“You tend to go into a space where you feel like, ‘Maybe I’m not good enough’ The nerves take over and that’s the beauty of sport. Especially a skill like batting, where you have to keep overcoming that fear,” Kohli explained after the match.

“Every ball that you play, and eventually play long innings, and get into a zone again where you can start playing confidently. So it’s a whole journey of learning and getting to know yourself better and becoming better as a person along the whole way.

The ODI series win is some consolation for the 2-0 Test whitewash by the Proteas although it was achieved after the team was boosted by the presence of veterans Kohli and Rohit who now play just the 50-over format.

The two teams now head into five T20 matches starting Tuesday in Cuttack.

French authorities reportedly took defensive measures against five drones flying over an extremely sensitive base that is home to the nuclear submarines that make up the nation’s second-strike deterrent force. The incident is the latest in a string of incursions seen over military installations and other sensitive areas in Europe that some have linked to Russia.

The drones were reported over the Île Longue submarine base at about 7:30 PM local time Thursday, according to AFP. The base is located on the Crozon Peninsula in the westernmost part of France. The facility is the homeport for the French Navy’s four nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs): Le Triomphant, Le Téméraire, Le Vigilant, and Le Terrible.

After the drones were spotted, a “counter-drone and search operation was launched,” AFP reported, citing the gendarmerie. “The marine rifle battalion, which is responsible for protecting the base, carried out several anti-drone strikes.”

The marines “used a jammer, not a firearm,” against the drones, Public Prosecutor Frédéric Teillet said.

A French official confirmed to TWZ that there was an overflight on the Crozon Peninsula and that military personnel at the base “reacted promptly and appropriately in full accordance with protocol.”

That protocol, according to the official, holds that when there is a case of doubt about what is flying over a military base, “personnel are mobilized to detect and jam it.”

Despite efforts to stop the drones, none were brought down, and no operators were identified, the Rennes prosecutor’s office told AFP.

“Therefore, no link to foreign interference has been established,” added Teillet, the Public Prosecutor. His office has “jurisdiction over military matters,” and opened up an investigation into the incident, AFP noted.

Investigators “must, in particular, identify and interview the individuals who reported the sightings in order to confirm or deny that they were indeed drones” and determine “the type and number of devices,” the prosecutor explained.

“It is too early to characterize” the origin of the drones, Commander Guillaume Le Rasle, spokesperson for the maritime prefecture, told AFP. He did, however, believe that these flights over the Île Longue submarine base were “intended to alarm the population.” 

Still, “[s]ensitive infrastructure was not threatened by the overflight,” Le Rasle explained.

Thursday was not the first time drones have flown over the restricted area on the Crozon Peninsula. There was an overflight reported “during the night of Nov. 17-18,” AFP stated.

The first reported incursion near the facility took place a decade ago, according to the French Le Telegramme news outlet.

“The detection of a drone flying near the highly secretive base for nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) triggered an impressive deployment of forces on Tuesday morning on the Crozon peninsula, south of Brest,” the publication reported in January 2015. “The overflight occurred at a critical moment: just as an SSBN was about to move.”

The reported incursion over the French submarine base comes amid a rash of such sightings across Europe that have sparked military responses and closed civilian airports.

Earlier this week, there was a reported incursion in Ireland as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was arriving.

“Four unidentified military style drones breached a no-fly zone and flew towards the flight path of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane at sea near Dublin Airport late on Monday night,” The Journal, an Irish publication, reported. “The plane landed, slightly ahead of schedule, just moments before the incident happened at about 11 p.m. The drones reached the location where Zelensky’s plane was expected to be at the exact moment it had been due to pass.”

On Friday, CBS News confirmed that “[u]nidentified drones breached Ireland’s airspace this week” during Zelensky’s visit.

As we have frequently reported, Europe has experienced dozens of drone sightings that have temporarily closed airports and buzzed military facilities. In many instances, the armed forces of those countries have had to intervene. In one such example, the Dutch military last month “opened fire at drones over Volkel Air Base in the east of the country, but no wreckage was recovered,” the Ministry of Defense said.

“Security staff at the base reported the drones between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m…prompting the air force to fire ground-based weapons to take them down,” the ministry said in a statement, according to ABC News.

Volkel is one of several bases in Europe where the U.S. military keeps B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs, which could be released to select NATO members for use on their aircraft as part of the alliance’s nuclear weapon sharing agreements.

European leaders have suggested Moscow might be behind at least some of these drone overflights.

Denmark has called drones of unknown origin flying over its airspace part of a “hybrid attack.” While some officials there have stopped short of saying definitively who is responsible, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen suggested it could be Moscow, calling Russia the primary “country that poses a threat to European security.”

“It’s possible,” that there is a Russian connection to the drone incursions, “but there are currently no concrete indications,” Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said earlier this year. “That needs to be investigated. Personally, I think these drones are very often an example of a hybrid threat. This is a way to sow unrest. That has been Russia’s pattern for many years.”

Still, little proof has emerged of such a connection, which the Kremlin denies.

In an earlier story about incursions over Germany, we noted that: “it is quite possible that many, if not most of these sightings are mistaken identity. It is a pattern that emerged last year when thousands of people claimed to see drones in the New Jersey region of the U.S. The overwhelming majority of those sightings were airplanes, planets and other benign objects in the sky.”

“… just like in the New Jersey case, we do know that a significant number of the sightings over military bases were confirmed by the government. The reality is that these drone incursions over critical facilities in Europe have been happening for years, but just how much it has exploded in recent weeks is blurred by media reports and sightings not supported by independent analysis or corroborated by sensor data.”

However, the U.S., as we have frequently reported, has seen numerous drone incursions over military facilities like those over Langley Air Force Base in 2023, as well as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Picatinny Arsenal, and others late last year that we were the first to report. There were numerous incursions over bases in Europe as well, which we were also the first to report. To date, the operators of the drones spotted over U.S. or NATO ally bases have not been definitively identified.

Overall, security challenges posed by the uncrewed aerial systems only continue to grow, as now underscored by the newly reported intrusion over Ile Longue.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

Call the Midwife’s Nurse Trixie Franklin will be delighted as a familiar face returns to Poplar this Christmas

Call the Midwife is airing two festive specials this Christmas, and the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus House are welcoming back a familiar face.

The countdown to Christmas is in full swing, and the BBC One drama has delighted fans with sneak peeks of the exciting new episodes, which will air on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Set in 1971, the episode is expected to kick off with Fred (Cliff Parisi) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) leaving Poplar, East London, and travelling to Hong Kong to spend Christmas with her son, Derek (Nicholas Atkinson).

However, tragedy strikes when they learn that the Hong Kong Branch House has collapsed, and there are multiple fatalities.

A rescue mission is hastily organised, and a team from Nonnatus House make emergency plans to head out to Hong Kong to do what they can to help.

Dr Turner (Stephen McGann) and Shelagh (Laura Main) join the rescue team in an attempt to track down Esther Tang (Yennis Cheung), their adopted daughter May’s (April Rae Hoang) biological mother, whom they have not heard from in over a year.

Back in Poplar, Nurse Trixie Franklin (Helen George) will reunite with her beloved brother Geoffrey, played by Christopher Harper.

The character first arrived during series 12 in time for Trixie’s wedding to Matthew Aylward (Olly Rix). He then returned for the 2023 Christmas special before making several appearances in season 13, which aired in 2024, as his sister, Trixie, struggled in her new marriage.

Geoffrey also made an appearance toward the end of series 14, which aired earlier this year.

However, it appears the much-loved character is returning for the Christmas specials as the BBC teases all the new Call the Midwife drama with a series of photos.

Christopher Harper, 48, is pictured in the snaps, meaning his character, Geoffrey Franklin, is returning to the show for all of the festivities.

In one snap, Geoffrey sports a 70s hairstyle as he joins the ladies of Nonnatus House for tea. In another photo, he is pictured beside his sister Trixie; however, it remains unclear what brings Geoffrey back to Poplar, and what is the latest between Trixie and Matthew?

Who was Christopher Harper in Corrie?

In 2016, Christopher arrived in Weatherfield as villain Nathan Curtis, who groomed and raped Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) as part of a child grooming gang, before letting another gang member assault her.

In 2017, Nathan was jailed for his heinous crimes, but he was released in 2024. He reinvented himself as a man called Joe and got a job as a construction worker.

Bethany discovered Nathan had been set free and suspected he had a part to play in the recent disappearance of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton), who resembled the type of victim that Nathan would target.

Nathan was eventually attacked and brutally beaten by a hooded figure, who was later revealed to be Gary Windass (Mikey North), in order to make him leave Weatherfield for good.

Christopher has also starred in a long list of other popular television shows, including: “Doctors, Holby City, Upstairs Downstairs, Endeavour, Hearbeat, The Bill, and many more.

Call the Midwife returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day

Sunday’s game vs. the Panthers was a particularily brutal loss suffered by the Rams to an inferior team.

Yes, Matthew Stafford and Emmanuel Forbes were very bad, but the responsibility for this debacle should fall squarely on the coaching staff.

Sean McVay needed only to the run the ball down Carolina’s throat on their last possession, killing the clock and in the process, at worst, getting a tying field goal. Instead McVay chose to pass, pass, pass, resulting in a Stafford fumble/turnover and effectively ending the game. His platitude of “humility is only a day away” feels more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Axel Hubert
Santa Monica

Dec. 6 (UPI) — An 18-year-old high school senior has been charged with lighting a sleeping man on fire on the subway in New York City.

Hiram Carrero, 18, allegedly lit a piece of paper next to a 56-year-old man sleeping on a northbound train earlier this week, the Department of Justice said Friday in an indictment.

“Hiram Carrero showed a complete disregard for human life when he allegedly set a sleeping New Yorker on fire inside a subway car,” Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York Police Department, said in a press release. “This attack is among the most serious acts of violence a person can commit, and it has no place in our city — above or below ground.”

According to the Department of Justice, Carrero entered a northbound train, where he picked up a piece of paper on the subway car, lit it on fire near the sleeping man, dropped it and then jumped off the train before the doors closed.

As the train traveled north, the fire flared up, lighting the man’s legs and part of the train on fire, the DOJ said security cameras show.

The burning man left the train when it pulled into the next stop where law enforcement extinguished the fire and took the man to the hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition.

Carrero has been charged with arson resulting in injury to another person, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison, DOJ said.

“The New York City subway is the hear of our city, with millions of people who live and work here relying on it every day,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in the release. “New Yorkers have the right to be safe and feel safe when they ride the subway.”

Whilst the Abraham Accords have held throughout the war in Gaza, there can be no doubt they have changed. It is clear that we are no longer in the era of normalization that we saw in 2020. Arab states like Saudi Arabia are hesitant to make high-profile deals with Israel; a December 2023 poll showed that 96% of Saudis wanted Arab states to cut ties with Israel during the Gaza War. A practical solution to this issue is triangulation—third countries that host, finance, or oversee less public deals. This would shift the center of cooperation to a third country, entrenching economic ties and spreading both the benefits and reputational risk. Perhaps most importantly, it creates countries outside of bilateral agreements that have a stake in keeping the gears of the Accords turning. These quiet triangles are not a substitute for those normalization deals; they are a bridge to stability and ultimately more high-profile announcements, culminating in normalization with Saudi Arabia.

The first phase of the Accords was heavy on optics—summits, highly publicized Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and big press conferences. Since then, crises in the Middle East have pushed cooperation off camera. ‘Quieter’ forms of cooperation like trade have held steady since October 7th. In fact, trade between Israel and the UAE increased by 11% in 2024 compared to 2023. This happened largely thanks to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which removed tariffs on 96% of goods and streamlined customs on most goods. Thus, a rules-based system was created that kept trade flowing, even when it was deemed too dangerous for Israelis to be in the UAE.

With trade holding throughout the Gaza War, third-country triangulation presents opportunities to get the Accords back on track. The case study for effective triangulation is I2U2, launched in July 2022, which brought together India, Israel, the UAE, and the US in practical sectors—food, water, energy, transport, health, and space. The joint statement by the leaders committed the UAE to invest up to $2 billion in integrated food parks in India. India would provide land and regulatory facilitation. US and Israeli private sectors would supply technologies across the chain. I2U2 also gave the green light to a 300 MW hybrid renewable energy project in Gujarat. These are formal commitments, although somewhat under the radar—and yet they have deepened relations between Israel and the UAE in a joint project.

The value of I2U2 lies in its architecture: a neutral venue in India, Emirati capital, and US-Israeli tech working together in measurable sectors is precisely the template that must be replicated. However, delivery has been slow, with projects moving at policy speed, rather than startup pace. But the goal is to build durable and sustainable frameworks, not short-term projects. The slow speed is therefore not a flaw but a cost of a system that outlasts political tensions.

A crucial consideration is the location of these projects. Triangulation can often collapse when tensions peak. The 2022 Jordan-UAE-Israel water and energy deal, known as ‘Project Prosperity,’ is the clearest cautionary example of this. The project proposed to use UAE-backed solar capacity, built in Jordan, to export electricity to Israel. Israel would then, in return, supply desalinated water to Jordan. The deal brought opposition even before it was signed. In Jordan, in 2021, thousands protested against it, and in November 2023, Jordan confirmed that they would not sign the deal, citing ‘Israel’s barbarism in Gaza’ as the reason. This does not invalidate the model. It does, however, emphasize its constraints. When the host country is directly exposed to the politics of the conflict, as Jordan is, it raises public backlash and therefore stalls development. Thus, it is crucial to create buffers. For example, if costs are front-loaded, it becomes expensive to cancel. Low visibility milestones, before any grandstanding, will allow for slow but steady development.

In stark contrast, the 2022 EU-Egypt-Israel gas framework shows how triangulation can overcome this issue. Israeli gas goes to Egypt’s Idku and Damietta plants, where it is treated and sent to European buyers. While the exports have not been constant, the route has stayed open. This is because the value is processed in a third venue and sold to a fourth constituency in the EU. By utilizing existing infrastructure and contracts while being grounded in bureaucracy rather than the state directly, the deal was allowed to function away from political posturing. In contrast, Prosperity placed the solar plant, its core asset, in Jordan, with few external buyers and few sunk costs; therefore, pausing the deal had little effect on either party. Prosperity reflected politics. Like I2U2, the deal with Egypt reflects business interests and thus far more stability.

Saudi Arabia is the scaler of triangulation. Riyadh has already taken the meaningful step to open its airspace to all carriers. The next strategically valuable project that Saudi can invest in is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The Saudi segments of the route include rail links, dry ports, and standards. These segments are all low-visibility, high-impact infrastructure that anchors cooperation without triggering domestic backlash. Crucially, these steps can be taken without formal recognition, which Saudi public opinion is not ready to support. The US and Saudi Arabia look to be coming to an agreement on a defense package. This deal can be utilized as leverage to create concrete milestones for IMEC. If Saudi helps move this corridor towards construction, it will do more to stabilize the Accords than any summit. In the Middle East, it is far easier to reverse speeches and words than sunk costs and investment into projects like IMEC. Saudi Arabia can act, quietly and without domestic backlash, to knit the architecture of the second phase of the Accords.

The Accords do not need another summit. They need projects that hold because of strong structures, despite a volatile Middle East. By building in third countries, front-loading sunk costs, and not having state-run projects, triangulation can be incredibly effective. I2U2 shows the success of this template, Project Prosperity shows its limits, and the EU-Egypt-Israel gas route shows its durability. Saudi corridors can be the scaler for these projects. Quiet triangles, not grandstanding, will not only keep the Accords alive but also deepen and strengthen them, allowing the Accords to ultimately grow.

TAYLOR Swift has pulled out all the stops in planning her fairytale wedding to her fiancé, Travis Kelce, including multiple bachelorette parties and an $8 million price tag.

More details have emerged about the celebrity couple’s impending nuptials, and it’s expected to be quite the extravagant event.

It appears there’s not much that the billionaire songwriter and the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end haven’t ironed out regarding their big day, which, according to Page Six, is only six months away.

Multiple sources told the outlet that Taylor, 35, and Travis, 36, plan to exchange vows on Saturday, June 13, 2026 – which has numerical significance to the multi-Grammy Award winner as 13 is her favorite number and the date is her half birthday – at Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, near the singer’s mansion.

However, it wasn’t the Cruel Summer singer’s first choice, as The U.S. Sun exclusively reported last month that Taylor initially had her eye on transforming her sprawling $32 million pad into a flower-filled oasis for the occasion.

“Taylor dreams of being fully surrounded by flowers, with lush floral bushes everywhere, making her teenage dream of marrying in a sea of flowers come true,” an insider revealed.

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Recent reports claimed the bride wrote a sizable check to another couple who had already booked the venue, but The U.S. Sun confirmed with Area Director of Sales & Marketing for Ocean House, Stephanie Leavitt, that wasn’t the case.

Still, Taylor is expected to get the dream wedding she’s always envisioned, and she has the support of her A-list pals all the way.

The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed in November that Taylor asked her closest girlfriends, Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez, to be a part of her bridal party.

Sources also said that her mother, Andrea, and Travis’s mom, Donna, are very involved in the planning process and have been exchanging ideas with the bridesmaids to make it a memorable experience.

Taylor has Selena to offer advice on bringing her vision to life, as the actress recently said “I do” to music producer Benny Blanco in a lavish ceremony, which Taylor attended.

Gigi was also “thrilled” to get the coveted invite and accepted immediately, an insider told The U.S. Sun.

The Era’s Tour performer made the moment special and planned to ask everyone involved in person to make sure they knew how much they meant to her.

“Taylor wants to start the wedding process this way — building her bridesmaid group and getting everyone involved in the preparations, celebrations, and planning,” the source said of the Blank Space singer’s bridal crew.

“She wants it to be fun and memorable for everyone, with parties, trips, and time spent together leading up to the big day.”

And her bridesmaids intend to return the gesture by organizing three big trips to have numerous bachelorette celebrations.

A source also shared with The U.S. Sun that the ladies have been working hard to plan “at least three or four girls’ trips or bachelorette-style getaways” to some of Taylor’s favorite spots, including New York, Nashville, the Bahamas, and Italy.

“The goal is to have fun, spend weekends together, and enjoy the process while also working on the planning in beautiful locations where they can relax, celebrate, and bond,” they explained.

Taylor and Travis are executing a similar idea for the wedding, which will be a multi-day event, per the insider.

“The plan is to organize an entire wedding weekend — from Friday to Sunday — not just a single ceremony,” the source said about the summer nuptials.

“Taylor and the girls are working on a multi-day celebration, wanting to make it a unique, unforgettable memory they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.”

It appears she’ll achieve just that, given the amount she’s reportedly spent on the shindig.

In August, The Mirror reported that Taylor and Travis’ wedding “could cost over $8 million,” as predicted by a professional wedding planner when calculating the potential costs of the bride’s dress, ring, flowers, decor, venue, and entertainment.

Travis popped the question in August with a $1 million old-mine brilliant-cut ring that he designed himself.

The NFL star proposed in the garden at his home, surrounded by hundreds of roses.

The engagement came two years after the lovebirds’ romance began.

L.A. County is gearing up for another fight with the Trump administration.

This year has given the supes no shortage of opportunities to go head-to-head with the federal government: homeless funding cuts, revoked health grants and the much-decried deployment of National Guard troops into the city, to name a few.

On Tuesday, the county arrived at a new proposal that sets yet another collision course with the Trump administration. This time, the dispute is over masked immigration agents.

Supervisors voted 4-0 on a law barring immigration officials from wearing masks when conducting raids in unincorporated parts of the county. The rule would also require all law enforcement officers, including local ones, to clearly identify themselves.

No longer, supervisors say, will immigration enforcement be able to keep their faces hidden by balaclavas, neck gaiters and ski masks.

‘“It’s a fundamental right of everybody to know who is arresting you,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who spearheaded the ban, at a news conference Tuesday. “We need them to unmask.”

ICE has shown zero interest in complying. The day after the board’s vote, U.S. Border Patrol agents raided a La Puente food stand, capturing three workers and sending a woman fleeing into a nearby fire truck, according to an account from L.A. Taco.

The event had all the signatures of the raids that have become routine across the county: An unmarked van. Masked agents. In other words, everything the supervisors are asking ICE to stop doing.

The mask ban still has a bit to go before it reaches the finish line. The supes will have another perfunctory vote next week. Assuming it passes, the ban will take effect in early January.

Even then, legal scholars and the county’s own lawyers say the federal government is almost certainly not going to listen — and they likely don’t have to.

Under the supremacy clause of the Constitution, legal scholars say federal law takes precedent when there’s a conflict with local law. That’s no shock to the supes, the majority of whom seem to be relishing another fight with the Trump administration.

A lawsuit, Hahn said, is almost inevitable.

“Yes, this is going to be argued in court. Yes, we will have the judge ultimately decide the legality of what we’re asking,” said Hahn, who added she felt the court fight was worth it to stop the masked agents, whom she described as “secret police.”

But not everyone’s chomping at the bit for another costly legal battle. Supervisor Kathryn Barger has questioned the wisdom of passing a rule the county has no clear way to enforce. She abstained from the vote.

“I feel like it’s a false sense of — and I don’t even want to use the word security — because I don’t think anybody feels secure,” said Barger this summer as the board debated the merits of a mask ban almost certain to be challenged. “I know that people have asked who’s going to enforce it? I honestly don’t know.”

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin already told reporters she believes the ban is invalid under the supremacy clause, teeing up a likely challenge.

The legal battle looming in L.A. County is already playing out at the state level.

Earlier this year, the California Legislature passed a similar bill requiring agents to identify themselves and barring on-duty officers from covering their faces.

The U.S. Department of Justice moved swiftly to block it, arguing officers needed the masks to “provide an extra layer of security” given the “personal threats and violence” they face on the job. The government has claimed that assaults against ICE officers jumped by more than 1,150% compared to last year.

But recent Times reporting suggests the severity of those threats may be dramatically overstated. The Times reviewed thousands of pages of court records and found most officers were not injured by alleged assaults.

In more than a third of those cases, federal law enforcement officers were either shoved, spat on, flailed at, or the target of a hurled water bottle, The Times found.

State of play

— WAGE WAR REIGNITES: The battle over a $30 per hour minimum wage for L.A.’s hotel and airport workers looked like it had been put to rest earlier this year. But the debate was ripped back open on Friday, when City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced a motion to slow down the implementation of the wage law, spreading it out over two additional years, or to 2030. Labor leaders immediately denounced the move.

— CANDIDATE CAMPOUT: One of the candidates running against Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said this week that he’ll live in a trailer next to MacArthur Park if he is elected next year. Community organizer Raul Claros said he would stay there until things got better at the park, which has been plagued by crime, homelessness, drug addiction and other problems.

— DSA DELIVERS: Organizers with Democratic Socialists of America-Los Angeles announced this week that they have endorsed Deputy Atty. Gen. Marissa Roy in her race against City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto. As we’ve previously reported, DSA is running a number of candidates and hoping to secure six council seats by the end of next year.

— THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS: Appalling as it sounds, we’re now less than six months away from the June 2 local elections, where L.A. city voters will select their candidates for mayor, city attorney, city controller and in some areas, council members. Candidates for county supervisor will also be on the ballot, along with Sheriff Robert Luna.

— NO MORE COAL: The Department of Water and Power ended its reliance on coal this week, with that particular fossil fuel no longer being used for L.A.’s energy needs at the Intermountain Power Project in Utah. “This is a defining moment for the city of Los Angeles,” Mayor Karen Bass said. One of Bass’ opponents, former First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, also took a victory lap, saying his work in 2010 under then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa “laid the foundation for this milestone transition.”

— FIGHTING CITY HALL: Attorney Robert P. Silverstein battled the city over Hollywood development for roughly two decades, racking up wins against the Millennium skyscraper project, a 20-story residential tower on Hollywood Boulevard and a three-story Target shopping center. Silverstein’s death on Nov. 13 at the age of 57 spurred an array of recollections from friends and foes alike about his legal work.

— ‘LESS-LETHAL’ WEAPONS: The City Council rejected an effort to bar the Los Angeles Police Department from using tear gas and weapons that launch hard-foam projectiles. The proposal, defeated on an 8-4 vote, comes at a time of heightened concern about the LAPD’s responses to anti-ICE protesters.

— GO OFF, GONDOLA: Metro’s 13-member board signed off the latest environmental review for the proposed gondola linking Union Station with Dodger Stadium, despite some boisterous protests in the audience.

— FUNDING FALLOFF: Officials are deeply worried that more than 14,500 formerly homeless households in the county could be forced back onto the streets or into shelters over the next year, in large part due to a loss of federal funding.

— A MODEST DROP: Hate crimes in L.A. County remained near record-high levels in 2024, despite slight decreases in several types of violent incidents, according to a report released Thursday. The findings from the Commission on Human Relations identified 1,355 reported hate crimes, a 1% decrease from the prior year.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program to combat homelessness returned this week to the Skid Row section of downtown L.A., an area represented by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. More than 20 people went inside, per a Bass aide.
• On the docket next week: Hahn, the county supervisor, is making a push for more programming at Los Padrinos, the county’s dysfunctional juvenile hall in Downey after reports of minimal activities for the youth incarcerated there.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

Russell looked at times as if he might become an interloper in the title fight – and he may yet be if he gets a good start – but after a messy session with a few mistakes on his laps, the Briton ended up 0.438secs off the pace in fourth.

Leclerc dragged the Ferrari into fifth after another difficult session for the team.

His lap in second qualifying was lurid, and he said over the radio that he was “surprised” to make it through because he was “driving like rallying”.

Team-mate Hamilton suffered his third consecutive knockout in the first session and said he had “no answer” as to his lack of performance. He was 0.231secs behind Leclerc in the first session.

He had earlier crashed in final practice after losing the car into Turn Nine. “The car was feeling great, just had some bottoming and lost the back end,” he said.

Alonso ended Aston Martin’s season on a relative high with sixth place on the grid – and in so doing became the only driver on the grid to complete a grand prix qualifying clean sweep over his team-mate.

Alonso is 24-0 over Lance Stroll, and the Canadian has beaten him only once over one lap all season, in sprint qualifying in China at the second race of the season.

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Tsunoda completed the top 10, with British Haas driver Oliver Bearman in 11th.

Dec. 5 (UPI) — U.S. presidents have the power to fire members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

A three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled 2-1 that NLRB and MSPB positions are at-will and can be ended at any time without cause.

The ruling overturns several lower court rulings to the contrary in cases in which plaintiffs sought to stop President Donald Trump‘s attempts to fire members of both boards, CNBC reported.

“Congress may not restrict the president’s ability to remove principal officers who wield substantial executive power,” the majority decision said, while citing a 2020 ruling in the Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Protection Financial Bureau federal case.

Prior rulings that relied on fired board members did not apply to the NLRB and the MSPB because they “wield substantial powers that are both executive in nature and different from the powers” cited in the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor case that established protections against removal, the majority ruled on Friday.

“Congress cannot restrict the president’s ability to remove NLRB or MSPB members,” Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in the 37-page majority opinion, with Judge Justin Walker agreeing.

The NLRB hears and rules on matters involving labor relations, while the MSPB’s purview regards appeals filed by federal employees.

Dissenting, Judge Florence Pan said the majority ruling makes”us the first court to strike down the independence of a traditional multimember expert agency.”

“It appears that no independent agencies may lawfully exist in this country,” Pan said.

The majority opinion “suggests that no agencies can be independent” and “redefine[s] the type of executive power that must be placed under the exclusive command of the president and effectively grant[s] him dominion over approximately 33 previously independent agencies.”

Katsas and Walker are Trump appointees to the federal court, while Pan is a Biden appointee.

The case involved the removal of former NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, who was the first black woman to serve on the NLRB and the first black woman to chair it, and Cathy Harris from the MSPB in February.

Trump removed Wilcox from the board on Jan. 27 and ahead of her term’s expiration date of Aug. 27, 2028. It was her second term as an NLRB board member, according to the NLRB.

Wilcox’s firing left the NLRB with only two board members, which deprived it of the quorum needed to decide related cases.

Harris also was scheduled to serve in her respective position on the MSPB until 2028.

AS a golf buggy whizzes past me,  blaring festive tunes and with a fully decorated tree tied to the rear, it occurs I might be in possibly the most Christmassy place this side of Lapland.  

I am with my family on our first visit to the popular Kingdom Of The Elves experience at the five-star Bluestone Resort — seen by many as like a Center Parc, but ­better value. 

Every year the holiday park nestled in the breathtaking scenery of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park goes crazy for Christmas.  

And if you have ever wondered what it feels like to live inside a  snow globe then look no further than  Bluestone this winter. 

At the heart of the resort’s Christmas-themed experience is the Snow Dome — a huge glass- covered area transformed for the winter into a life-sized snow globe, complete with snowstorms several times a day, festive tunes, glittering lights and white dusted trees.  

It’s a breathtaking sight by day and night,  when it is lit up and has giant snowflakes projected on the side. 

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Even the resort’s year-round Blue Lagoon swimming dome gets a Christmas makeover, with candy-cane-coloured covers on the flumes, decorations and festive tunes pumping out on a loop. 

I was there with my husband, children aged 11, eight and four  and my parents. And we weren’t the only multi-generational family making the most of the Christmas spirit. 

Secret location 

Regulars arrived armed with their own festive decorations to dress up their holiday lodges. I even saw a large Christmas tree in one window. 

But the most fun is spotting the Christmas pimped-up golf buggies that guests use to zip around the eco resort’s 500 acres of beautiful Welsh countryside. 

Some accommodation, like our Platinum Carningli Lodge, comes with the use of a buggy but they can be hired for those that don’t. 

Our comfortable lodge had two en-suite master bedrooms and two twin rooms for the children, plus another bathroom. 

They are tastefully decorated and have fully equipped kitchens. Arranged in an “upside down” style, the large living area is upstairs, making best use of the tranquil views — especially from the glass-walled sun lounge.  

Kicking off our break we took my youngest to the charming Elf School experience. 

  Youngsters are ushered through a wooden door from The Hive soft-play and activity area to a delightful interactive theatre experience. 

Children move through a series of rooms helping some friendly elves along the way.  

Tasks include collecting letters to Santa, exploring a giant advent calendar and helping feed “belief balls” into a madcap machine. 

My daughter Estella was captivated. She was even given a special cape as an Elf School “uniform” (which she refused to take  off for the duration of our trip) and a graduation certificate at the end. 

But of course no Christmas weekend would be complete without a visit to the big guy himself. 

We headed to the Snow Dome for the all-important appointment at Santa’s Lodge.  

An elf in a decked-out golf buggy whisked us to a secret location where we wound our way through a wicker maze to a charming cabin. There, we met an extremely authentic Santa who surprised the children by dropping personalised details about them into their conversation — wonder how he knew those! 

It was a lovely experience and the kids were each given a gorgeous Christmas keepsake. 

Also a must is the resort’s Christmas panto. It’s Jack And The Beanstalk, but as you have never seen it before.  

Kids will love the silly jokes and parade of current pop hits with the lyrics tweaked for Christmas. 

Other special seasonal offerings at the resort at this time of year include the Elf or Reindeer Breakfast, where guests start the day by being serenaded with festive hits. 

These Christmas experiences do come at an extra cost, but there is plenty on offer for free, including a Reindeer Village Light Show, Jingle Jive dance party and Polar Postal, where Santa himself tours the resort on a tractor collecting kids’ letters. 

And of course Bluestone’s usual array of activities is on offer including the huge indoor soft play featuring the biggest bouncy castle I have ever seen. 

My eldest son also loved the Woodland Warriors laser tag, which comes at an extra cost. Zip wires, climbing towers and archery are also among the activities offered to keep kids busy. 

And when you need to refuel, there are lots of options, many found in Bluestone’s charming village area, with its quaint winding streets decked out for Yuletide. 

We enjoyed a delicious barbecue meal at the Farmhouse Grill. Also excellent was The Knights Tafarn pub. 

Everything from waffles to crepes and of course hot chocolates is available at the quaint wooden snack stands. 

And if you are able to give your little elves the slip for an hour, there is even a spa for grown-ups. 

With lovely surroundings, immaculate accommodation, yummy food and more Christmas spirit than you could shake a candy cane at, Bluestone really does feel a ho ho home from home. 

The Øresund Bridge has been connecting Sweden and Denmark for over 24 years, with around 70,000 people crossing daily.

For over 24 years, the 8-kilometre Øresund Bridge has been a vital link between Sweden and Denmark, offering a combined railway and motorway connection across the Øresund strait.

The bridge, a collaborative project between Swedish company Svedab and Danish firm A/S Øresundsforbindelsen, forms half of the journey from Sweden to the Danish Island of Amager.

Starting near the city of Malmo on the Swedish coast, it stretches to the man-made Danish Island of Peberholm, nestled in the heart of the strait.

From Peberholm, a tunnel completes the remaining journey to the island of Amager, home to Copenhagen airport, bringing the total distance travelled to around 16 km.

Work on the bridge kicked off in 1995, and it officially opened its lanes to traffic in July 2000. Just two years later, it was honoured with the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.

Peberholm serves as a junction between the tunnel and the bridge.

It’s equipped with a motorway exit, restricted to authorised vehicles only, and a helicopter pad for use in the event of road accidents.

The bridge, which sees an average daily footfall of 70,000 people, came with a hefty price tag of around £3.4 billion. The cost is expected to be recouped by 2037.

Crossing fees vary depending on the type of vehicle. Motorcyclists are charged £25.68, passenger cars £50.77, and vans, motorhomes or passenger cars with a trailer pay a whopping £178.55.

The Øresund Bridge takes the silver medal for being the second-longest bridge in Europe, only surpassed by the 18.1km Kerch Bridge.

The latter stretches across the Kerch Strait, connecting the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea.

At the Doha Forum, UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese outlined how US sanctions imposed over her Gaza reports have effectively removed her from the global financial system. She said the measures, which she calls unlawful, have had a major impact on her everyday life.

“Are you ready? Then we shall begin.”

This narration, over an image of three moons hanging in the sky, begins Julia Jackman’s “100 Nights of Hero,” which she adapted from Isabel Greenberg’s 2016 graphic novel and directed. It signifies that we’re in for a level of heightened, self-reflective fantasy storytelling and, in fact, the revolutionary power of storytelling itself is the beating heart of this film.

Jackman takes her own stylistic approach to “100 Nights of Hero” without replicating Greenberg’s aesthetic. You can almost immediately tell this fantastical film has a feminine touch in its colorful, highly stylized look and sound; there’s a certain girlish wit in the vibrant pink hues and the centering of women’s narratives within the mannered compositions. The setting is a secluded, cult-like community that reveres their god, Birdman (Richard E. Grant, in a cameo), and fashions their patriarchal society around the usual tenets: controlling women, producing heirs.

Young bride Cherry (Maika Monroe) is married to Jerome (Amir El-Masry) and though he claims they are trying to have a baby, he is not. Too bad she’s the one who will suffer the consequences of failing to get pregnant. Soon, the hunky Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) shows up and the two men engage in a cruel bet: Manfred has 100 nights alone in the castle to seduce Cherry while Jerome is away on business. If he fails, he has to find a baby for Jerome, who is uninterested in sex with women. If Manfred succeeds, he gets the castle. But if Cherry strays, she hangs. (It’s a lose-lose situation for the wife, as expected.)

Cherry has one person on her side, Hero (Emma Corrin), her cunning maid, who distracts Manfred from his goal by telling the story of three sisters who engage in the “sinful, wicked and absolutely forbidden” (for women) pleasure of reading and writing. One of the sisters, Rosa (Charli XCX), is married off to a merchant who soon discovers her “witchcraft.”

Every night, Hero tacks on a new chapter of the three sisters, their story interwoven with Cherry and Manfred’s, while we discover that Hero is a part of the League of Secret Storytellers: women who collect tales and weave them into tapestries, their work hiding their true intention while the stories spread from ear to ear.

The issues here are basic and elemental: the trials and tribulations of sex, marriage, fidelity and procreation. Though brides are trapped in castles and men wearing bird masks want to burn the witches, this story is not so out of our time or place. The pressure to “produce an heir” lives on in current pro-natalist arguments and “trad wife” discourse, and the control of women’s bodies — and minds — is required to fulfill the goal of producing more and more babies. This tale doesn’t seem so ancient or fantastical at all.

However, there’s little nuance to the storytelling of “100 Nights of Hero” itself. It feels a bit like feminism for tweens, a young-adult approach to explaining how the liberation of minds is necessary for the liberation of bodies. The film is blunt and obvious to its detriment. Its quirky, opulent aesthetic can only sustain the exercise for so long.

As our interest wanes over the course of this 90-minute modernist fable, Manfred starts to slip away — natural for a folktale that seeks to deprioritize men. Unfortunately, Galitzine’s screen presence is just too powerful to ignore and we notice his absence. Perhaps it’s that Manfred is so swaggeringly confident, Galitzine’s embodiment of fluid sensuality standing in stark contrast to Monroe’s stiff, anxious, breathy performance as Cherry.

The most powerful image of the film, which is made up of interesting images, is of Galitzine covered in blood as he hauls a freshly killed stag home for lunch. If the film is about women discovering their own pleasure and sensuality outside of men, they shouldn’t have made Manfred the most appealing and earthy character on screen.

While “100 Nights of Hero” has compelling actors and beautiful visuals, its storytelling (about the power of storytelling) is unfortunately less than riveting. The urgency of the message is clear but the delivery leaves something to be desired.

Who’s No. 1?

Not the Rams. Not for now anyway.

Before last Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, the Rams held the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

After their defeat, the Rams (9-3) are No. 2 heading into Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals (3-9) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Chicago Bears (9-3) currently hold the top spot.

How closely are Rams coach Sean McVay and his players tracking the race for the No. 1 seed — and home-field advantage for the playoffs?

“It’s not important to me at all,” McVay said.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford apparently feels the same.

“That’s the last thing on my mind at the moment,” he said.

Understandably so.

The Panthers ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak and knocked the Rams from their perch atop the NFC.

The Rams are attempting to regain momentum and stay atop the NFC West.

“Last week serves as a phenomenal reminder of… you get all ahead of yourself, we won’t even be in the playoffs if we’re not careful,” McVay said.

Or, as receiver Davante Adams put it: “They were just singing our praises a week ago, and now, ‘We suck’ just because we go out and don’t win the game.”

Barring a complete collapse, the Rams appear on their way to the postseason. But the Seattle Seahawks (9-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) — also of the NFC West — are among the teams that remain in contention for the top seed.

This is the time of year when playoff projections are omnipresent.

“I’m not naive to the fact that every time you flip on NFL Network or ESPN or you’re watching games… and it pops up,” McVay said. “Our guys see it, but I think they’re also smart enough and humble enough to know that none of it really matters. … It’s something that you’re aware of, but it doesn’t move the needle for us at all.”

In his first eight seasons with the Rams, McVay led them to the Super Bowl twice, and neither road included home games for every round.

In 2018, the Rams had a bye in the wild-card round, and then defeated the Dallas Cowboys at the Coliseum and the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome en route to Super Bowl LIII, where they lost to the New England Patriots.

In 2021, the Rams did not have a bye. They defeated the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa and the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium to advance to Super Bowl LVI. The Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium to win the title.

After Sunday’s game, the Rams play host to the Detroit Lions and then play a “Thursday Night Football” game at Seattle. They travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons, and finish the season at home against the Cardinals.

“If you said, ‘would I be happier if we ended up being able to be in a position where that means we won more games that maybe gave you a chance to get an automatic bid to the Division Round?’ Yeah, of course,” McVay said.

The last two seasons, the Rams were eliminated from the playoffs on the road.

In 2023, the Lions beat them in a wild-card game at Ford Field. Last season, the Rams lost in the divisional round at Philadelphia to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Eagles.

“I don’t think being on the road had anything to do with us coming up short in those games,” McVay said.

If the Rams have clinched the No. 1 seed or a playoff spot before the finale against the Cardinals, McVay, as he did the past few seasons, might opt to rest most starters.

“We’re trained to do whatever is right in front of us and if that is to go play a game for this seed, all the marbles or whatever it is, we’ll go do it,” Stafford said. “If it’s to sit, rest and take care of yourself, you do that.

“We’re not anywhere near that conversation at the moment. We’re laser focused on Arizona and trying to get the result that we want.”

EUROSTAR has relaunched their winter snow trains this winter.

Eurostar Snow is their ski train that launches during the peak season to connect passengers to popular resorts.

Destinations include Chambéry, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime-La-Plagne, Landry, and Bourg St Maurice.

Anyone arriving at Bourg St Maurice will find coaches to resorts including Val Thorens, Val d’Isère, Courchevel, La Tania, Tignes, Meribel, or Les Menuires.

Brits will have to travel from London St Pancras to Lille, and make a simple change there.

The trains operate every Saturday morning at 9:01am, with the first train departing on December 20.

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The last train of the season from London to the ski resorts will be on March 28.

The return trips take place on Sunday, departing Bourg-Saint-Maurice at 10.54am and 1.45pm until April 4.

The journey takes around eight hours from London, with the return journey around nine hours.

Passengers can take a lot of luggage onboard too, which is great news for skiiers.

This includes two pieces of luggage up to 85cm, as well as one piece of hand luggage and either skis or a snowboard.

There is also food and drink at the Eurostar Cafe, and free WiFi onboard although can be very patchy in the tunnels.

Passenger can even bring their own booze onboard but there are limits – one 750ml bottle of wine or four 440ml beers or ciders.

All passport checks are done in the UK so you can head straight to the resort when you arrive.

And if you’re wondering about passport checks, they’re all done in the UK. You can just grab your bags and skis and step straight off the train and onto a coach.

Eurostar once had train routes to other places in Europe.

Eurostar once travelled to Marseille, taking six hours, although this was scrapped in Marseille.

A direct route from the UK also went to Lyon, taking four and half hours.

This ran four times a week in the summer from 2002 to 2014 before becoming permanent, only to be scrapped in 2018.

The UK to Avignon was scrapped in 2020 after 18 years, while direct trains to Disneyland Paris have also been scrapped.

The only two French routes remaining are Paris and Lille.

Here are some new routes Eurostar could soon be launching.