Stefanos Tsitsipas says he considered retiring from tennis because of serious back pain during the 2025 season.

The 27-year-old has been as high as number three in the world and was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open and 2023 Australian Open.

Now ranked 36th in the world after playing just two Davis Cup matches since a second-round exit at the US Open in August, he said he is finally seeing progress through ongoing medical treatment.

“I’m most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back,” Tsitsipas said.

“My biggest concern was if I could finish a match,” added Tsitsipas, who said the injury had haunted him “for the last six or eight months”.

“I would ask, ‘Can I play another match without pain?'”

“I got really scared after the US Open loss [to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier]. I could not walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.”

Tsitsipas added he was satisfied with his current care plan after completing five weeks of off-season training without pain.

He will play for Greece, who are grouped with Naomi Osaka’s Japan and the Emma Raducanu-led Great Britain team in the United Cup, which will take place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January, the week before the Australian Open.

“My biggest win for 2026 would be to not have to worry about finishing matches,” he said.

“It makes great feedback knowing you had a pre-season without pain – I hope it stays that way. I want to deliver for 2026 and the United Cup.

“I put in the work. The most important thing is full belief that I can come back to where I was. I will try everything to do that.”

An explosion and fire ripped through a popular bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana during New Year’s celebrations. Police say at least 10 people are dead, and many more wounded.

Strategic planning could help UK workers ‘stack’ their annual leave days around bank holidays to stretch standard holiday entitlement into significantly longer blocks of time, subject to employer approval

As the festive cheer begins to fade and the dreary ordeal of January looms, we’re all on the hunt for a silver lining to brighten up the year ahead.

This glimmer of hope might just be found in recent research that reveals how many of us could potentially maximise our holiday allowance next year – bagging up to 63 days off by using only 28 days of annual leave.

Most UK employees, who work a standard five-day week, are typically entitled to about 28 days of annual leave. However, with some clever planning, astute workers can ‘stack’ their annual leave days to extend their standard holiday entitlement into considerably longer periods of time.

The experts at TargetJobs have detailed how you can effectively double your annual holiday entitlement with a bit of careful manoeuvring.

Do keep in mind though, that your colleagues might also be privy to similar advice, so you’ll need to act swiftly to secure those prime holiday dates before someone else beats you to the punch!

The first holiday you should aim to book is tomorrow (Friday, January 2) – although this might be a tad last-minute for some. Taking into account weekends and bank holidays, this could see you enjoying a four-day break for the price of just one day’s leave.

Next on the agenda is your Easter break. This year, Good Friday falls on April 3, followed by Easter Monday on April 6.

By booking from Monday, 30 March to Thursday, 2 April and then from Tuesday, 7 April to Friday, 10 April, you’ll only use eight days of leave but score a whopping 16 days off work.

You could use this time to soak up some spring sunshine as resorts in southern Europe begin to heat up. Alternatively, if lounging on the beach isn’t your cup of tea, you might still be able to fit in a late-season ski trip at high-altitude resorts like Val Thorens in France’s Tarentaise Valley.

The following month, there will be two official bank holidays. If you book four days off over each, you’ll bag a nine-day break.

That’s plenty of time to jet off to the Mediterranean, or even further afield. If your budget allows, you could squeeze in a week in the Caribbean.

The final bank holiday of 2026 falls on Monday, 31 August, which can give you an additional nine-day break, if you take four days of leave immediately afterwards.

Finally, fast-forwarding to next Christmas, the big day lands on a Friday. As Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, that day off is moved to Monday, 28 December. This means you could use just seven days worth of leave to secure yourself 16 consecutive days off.

You could embrace the festive spirit with a snowy getaway in Lapland, or dodge the season entirely and opt for some winter sun.

Bear in mind, though, popular dates like Christmas and Easter tend to fill up quickly, so it’s best to put in your leave request as early as possible.

Additionally, some employers may block out busy periods, prohibiting you from booking individual days off or even outright refusing to permit staff absence during certain times.

The US says a search is underway for survivors after it bombed what it said was a suspected drug trafficking convoy. The attack is believed to have taken place off the coast of Venezuela.

ADAM Peaty refused to back down from his family feud with a telling New Year’s Eve post.

The Olympic swimmer tied the knot with Gordon Ramsay‘s daughter on Saturday in a festive ceremony at Bath Abbey.

But the nuptials had been overshadowed by Adam’s ongoing feud with his family, including his parents who were uninvited from the wedding.

Instead of holding out an olive branch, Adam appeared to take a final dig at his family in a new post.

The sport star appeared grateful for how things had panned out this year – even if it meant falling out with his family.

He shared a quote, which read: “It’s the last day of 2025. Thank you Jesus for everything this year.”

GIFT SPLURGE

Holly Ramsay & Adam Peaty spend HUGE sum on gifts for 200 wedding guests

WEDDY TO RUMBLE

Adam Peaty & Holly’s wedding war with his family to feature in Netflix show

It’s been a tumultuous time for Adam and his family.

On Tuesday, The Sun revealed that Adam uninvited his great aunt and uncle from his wedding – just four days before the ceremony.

The lead up to their nuptials was fraught with drama, after Adam, 31, uninvited his mum Caroline when a feud erupted over her failing to be invited to Holly’s hen do.

It was then revealed that Adam had said his dad Mark could attend the wedding – but he would have to sit at the back of the church.

Unsurprisingly, Mark chose not to attend, as did Adam’s brothers James and Richard.

Now, The Sun can reveal that his great aunt Janet, 73, and uncle Eddie were uninvited in a very brutal way just four days before the ceremony.

A source said: “They got an automated message basically saying they were off the guest list and to respect Adam and Holly’s decision.

“It was so impersonal, and just four days before the big day.”

The brutal text came despite the fact the couple had already shelled out hundreds of pounds on accommodation, outfits and gifts.

Adam’s older sister Beth was the only family member to be invited to the big day – and along with Holly’s sisters Tilly, 24 and Megan, 27, she was one of the three bridesmaids.

Following the wedding ceremony, a reception was held at Kin House in Kington Langley, Wiltshire.

It saw Holly’s dad Gordon deliver a fiery speech where he made a dig at Adam’s absent parents.

The 59-year-old chef said his wife Tana “will be a good mum to them both”.

Gordon gushed at how beautiful Holly looked and told Adam he was a “lucky man”, adding: “Look at Tana and that’s what you have to look forward to.” 

And in a sly dig at Adam’s parents he told Holly, 25: “Shame you don’t have the same.” 

His words left Caroline “outraged and hurt” with an insider telling the Daily Mail: “Caroline can’t believe Gordon brought their family troubles up his speech. It is outrageous and very hurtful.

“By him saying Tana will be a good mum to them both makes Caroline sound like a bad mum. It was a cruel dig at her.

“She has always done her best for all her children. She is a very good mum.”

However, the newlyweds brushed off any further drama as they were pictured leaving Gordon’s London home on Monday to jet off on honeymoon.

Their trip comes after Adam changed his name on social media to Adam Ramsay Peaty, a move that was quickly criticised by his ex-girlfriend.

Eiri Munroe – who shares five-year-old son George with Adam – told friends she thought it was “hypocritical”.

A friend of his artist ex – who he split from in 2021 – says she wanted George to take her surname plus Adam’s, but claims he refused.

Eiri’s pal told The Sun: “It feels a bit rich to Eiri that Adam has been quick to change his name but didn’t allow her the same right for their son.”

The world’s largest indoor beach can be found inside the Tropical Island Resort in Krausnick, Germany, which is an hour drive from Berlin where Brits can fly to in under two hours

The world’s largest indoor beach is double the length of a Premier League football pitch – and it is 26C all-year-round.

The man-made sandy beach stretches 200 metres and is dotted with palm trees and sunloungers. It is nestled inside the Tropical Island Resort in Krausnick, Germany, which is also home to the largest indoor swimming pool and one of the biggest indoor rainforests.

Brits can book return flights to its nearest airport – Berlin Brandenburg Airport – for as little as £47 from London Stansted Airport.

The mammoth indoor waterpark, once the biggest in Europe, is an hour drive from Berlin, and it was built in 2004.

The 10,000sqm space includes four attractions which are Water Worlds, Tropical Rainforest, the outdoor Amazonia area and the Tropical Village where visitors can buy food, drinks and gifts.

The complex is so large that it can accommodate 6,000 visitors at a time who can even take air balloon rides inside the unique resort that is inside a gigantic dome hangar.

Being a balmy 26C no matter the season, there are 900 sunbeds available, and the giant swimming pool in the Water Worlds section is the size of three Olympic sized ones. There is also Bali-style huts that surround a water lagoon while kids can play in a Jungle Splash water playground.

The resort is also home to a sizable slide tower that stands at 27 metres (equivalent to a four-storey building) and a power turbo slide reaches speeds of 43mph. And if that wasn’t enough excitement, there is a huge twisty water slide that is 149 metres long.

Some 50,000 plants can be found inside the Tropical Rainforest also boasting butterflies, flamingos and turtles. There are also mini golf games and a Balinese-inspired village.

Adults can also take advantage of the spa and sauna complex where there are seven spa areas in total while there are also caves inspired by Cambodia, Australia and Malaysia.

Visitors can choose to stay in rooms inside the resort or there are tents available to hire for overnight stays too.

Last year, the Hawaiian themed Ohana Town was constructed, where visitors can stay overnight in lodges, play bowling, eat in a restaurant and sing their hearts out in karaoke.

Day tickets for adults start from around £30, children between four and 12 from £26 while kids three and younger are free.

In a recent review on TripAdvisor, one person wrote: “Prices rise annually. It’s starting to be quite expensive fun. In winter still good, because you feel like on holiday.”

Another called it “beach paradise for families with children” before adding: “Large, warm pools and several waterslides for those who like it.

“Lots of sunbeds but they get busy very quickly so if you want these you need to come early in the morning, then they dibs all day.”

Package holidays have become the go-to option for many Brits, but the first package holiday in 1841 was worlds away from a sizzling trip to Spain – and passengers only travelled 11 miles from home

As the festive decorations are packed away and Brits brace themselves for a dreary, rain-soaked January, many will be planning their summer getaways. When it comes to chasing the sun, Brits have long loved the ease of a package holiday.

ABTA data reveals that 62% of people who ventured abroad last year opted for a package holiday, bundling together flights and accommodation with extras from coach travel to car hire and dining packages.

The surge in package holidays has gone hand in hand with the rising popularity of overseas destinations. So, you might assume that first package breaks involved jetting off to sunny Costa Blanca or the chic south of France.

However, the origins of the package holiday are far more modest, and there’s one man to thank next time you’re basking in an all-inclusive in Alicante or lounging in Lanzarote, reports the Express.

Thomas Cook and the birth of the package holiday

The first package holiday in 1841 was a rather tame event. A Baptist preacher named Thomas Cook chartered a train and organised a trip for his fellow temperance movement members, advocates of abstaining from alcohol.

For a mere shilling, passengers could journey the 11-miles from Leicester to a temperance rally in Loughborough, complete with a cup of tea and a ham sandwich to enjoy on the train.

It may have been a modest start, but spurred on by the sale of 485 tickets, Thomas established Thomas Cook & Son, which became a household name in package holidays for many years. The entrepreneur recognised that railway companies offered discounts for bulk bookings or charters, and the public appreciated the ease of booking a package with everything organised for them.

Following his whirlwind journey to Leicester, Thomas Cook expanded his offerings with further trips across the Midlands, before branching out to London for the Great Exhibition. In 1855, he ventured overseas, leading tour groups to Belgium, Germany, and France, and in 1863, he introduced the first tour of Switzerland.

Opening up the world

Given the popularity of his European excursions, Thomas Cook presented his most ambitious itinerary yet in 1872. For 200 guineas, roughly equivalent to £25,000 today, travellers could embark on a 222-day tour encompassing the USA, Japan, China, India, and Egypt.

Around this time, Thomas also pioneered the use of circular notes, later known as traveller’s cheques, making it easier for holidaymakers to spend money abroad.

By 1888, Thomas Cook & Sons had established a global presence with offices worldwide, including three in Australia and one in New Zealand. By 1890, they were selling tickets to over three million travellers annually.

Previously, travel was a luxury only the wealthy could afford, but many of Cook’s new clientele were from the burgeoning middle classes. France, Germany, and Switzerland were popular destinations, and packages often included cultural excursions to museums, theatre and opera visits, in addition to outdoor pursuits like mountain climbing.

Fast forward to 1949, when the first modern package holiday, as we know it today, was introduced. Vladimir Raitz, a Moscow-born businessman who had relocated to London, was holidaying in Corsica when a business associate challenged him to attract more Brits to the island.

Vladimir calculated that for £35 per person (equivalent to around £1,100 in today’s money), he could charter a plane and offer British holidaymakers two weeks of sun-soaked bliss on the French island.

Despite facing some hurdles, Vladimir’s offer of a flight, tent accommodation, and twice-daily meals with meat proved irresistible to those still grappling with post-war austerity. The first charter flights took off in May 1949.

Vladimir went on to found Horizon Holidays, the first in a long line of package holiday companies promising sun-drenched getaways.

By 1950, the post-war holiday surge saw a million Brits venturing abroad, and in 1957, the now-obsolete British European Airways capitalised on this trend by offering flights to Valencia, situated approximately two hours north of Alicante. To market this fresh destination, the nickname Costa Blanca was created, encompassing the towns and cities along the 120-mile coastline.

During this period, a quaint fishing village named Benidorm was witnessing a decline in its fishing industry and needed a new income source. The local council, seizing an opportunity, began approving new developments.

In 1956, the General Plan was initiated, which moulded the destination that Brits adore today. While the area had been a tourist hotspot for some time, this plan incorporated more high-rise buildings and large public spaces, completely changing the skyline of the Spanish city.

1950 also marked the debut of the first resort to offer a version of the modern all-inclusive. Club Med launched a resort in Alcúdia, Majorca, where holidaymakers could have all their meals included in the price.

Tourists, primarily from Belgium and France, stayed in tents or beach huts and meals were a communal event, yet it laid the groundwork for a popular style of holiday that persists to this day.

Golden age

In the 1960s, a mix of factors like improved flight accessibility, increased wages and more paid holidays led to Brits swapping their local getaways for foreign adventures. Many embarked on their first overseas journeys, basking in the sun-soaked climes of Spain, Greece, and Italy, immersing themselves in diverse cultures and sampling exotic cuisines.

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Fast forward to today, and not much has changed with package holidays. A week or two under the sun remains the summer highlight for many Brits.

While new destinations have emerged, early favourites like Costa Blanca and Majorca continue to draw crowds. And even though the internet has opened up a world of travel opportunities, the continuing popularity of package holidays shows that sometimes all you need for a great holiday is a bit of sunshine and a comfy sunlounger.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

A state Senate candidate whose picture was erroneously published on primary day with a story about a fraud case asked a judge to order a new election and make the Star Tribune pay for it. John Derus of Minneapolis said in his lawsuit that the use of his photo with the unrelated story about a charity fraud in Philadelphia hurt him in the election. Derus, a Democrat, lost to Linda Higgins by 104 votes out of about 6,300 cast in the Minneapolis district Sept. 10. He wants the newspaper to pay for a new primary, estimated at $20,000.

Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo is close to joining Manchester City after they activated a £65m release clause in his contract.

The 25-year-old is likely to complete the move after making a final appearance for the Cherries in Saturday’s game against his soon-to-be-club’s title rivals Arsenal.

Most of the big-spending clubs in the Premier League had been interested in the Ghana international after he became one of the stars of the 2025-26 season.

Semenyo is the third top scorer in the league with nine goals, plus has three assists.

And now the former Bristol City man will finally have the opportunity to play in Europe – and the Champions League.

But the question is – and this is why Semenyo is facing a big 2026 – how quickly can he break into the City XI with so much competition for attacking places?

Mali and Burkina Faso have announced they are imposing full visa bans on United States citizens in retaliation for US President Donald Trump’s ban on US visas for their citizens this month.

The two West African countries, which are both governed by the military, on Tuesday became the latest African nations to issue “tit-for-tat” visa bans on the US. These follow Trump’s new visa restrictions, which now apply to 39 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. The White House said they were imposed on “national security” grounds.

“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens,” the Malian ministry said in a statement.

Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, in a separate statement similarly cited a reciprocity rule for his country’s visa ban.

Which countries have issued bans on visas for US citizens?

The US directive issued on December 16 expanded full US visa bans to citizens of five nations other than Mali and Burkina Faso: Laos, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Syria.

Travellers holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority were also banned from entering the US under the order.

The US cited the countries’ poor screening and vetting capabilities, information-sharing policies, visa overstay rates and refusal to take back their deported nationals for the ban.

Trump’s order also noted countries were additionally assessed based on whether they had a “significant terrorist presence”.

The US ban takes effect on Thursday.

Mali, Burkina Faso and neighbouring Niger have been plagued by violence from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) for years. The violence in those countries has displaced millions of civilians.

On Friday, Niger banned entry for US citizens, also citing the US ban on its citizens. The country is also military-led like its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso. All three formed the Alliance of Sahel States in July 2024 to tackle security problems and improve trade relations.

In its own reciprocal move, Chad stopped issuing visas to US citizens on June 6 with an exception for US officials. Only US citizens who were issued visas before June 9 are now allowed entry into Chad.

The country was on an initial list of 12 nations whose citizens the Trump administration issued a full visa ban on from June 9.

Which countries are affected by the US visa bans?

Citizens of 39 countries are now under full or partial entry restrictions to the US, according to the US-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

Those fully banned are:

• Afghanistan
• Burkina Faso
• Chad
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Laos
• Libya
• Mali
• Myanmar
• Niger
• Republic of Congo
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Syria
• Yemen
• Holders of travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are also fully banned.

Those partially restricted are:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Ivory Coast
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Tonga
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Is Trump specifically targeting African countries with visa bans?

Trump’s approach to Africa regarding visa entries in his second term as US president is similar to that of his first administration when he issued a “Muslim ban”, which included citizens of three African nations – Somalia, Sudan and Libya – as well as Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

In later updates to the ban, Sudan was removed while Chad was added.

Most countries under US entry restrictions since Trump took office on January 20 are in Africa. Of the 39 affected countries, 26 are African nations.

How have US-Africa trade relations fared under Trump?

Tradewise, the US has shifted away from its preferential African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade programme to a tariff-based regime that has also been applied to most other countries around the world under Trump’s tariffs policy.

From 2000, AGOA provided African nations with duty-free access to US markets, bolstering African exports to the US of a wide range of goods, from wine to cars.

AGOA created an estimated 300,000 jobs in African countries and indirectly sustained another 1.2 million jobs, according to the US-based Center for Strategic International Studies.

However, AGOA expired in September after the US Congress failed to renew it. Although the Trump administration said it supported a one-year extension, no steps have been announced to revive the programme.

Instead, African countries now face often steep tariffs as the US sometimes justifies them on political grounds.

South Africa, Africa’s richest country, for example, was slapped with a 30 percent tariff after Trump made debunked allegations of a “genocide” on the country’s white Afrikaner minority. The US government has since prioritised resettling Afrikaners as refugees in the US.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Trump at the White House in May and explained that crime in the country targets the population at large – not just its white citizens – but was unable to persuade Trump.

Trump’s administration is also prioritising its access to critical rare earth minerals, used to develop high-tech devices, in a bid to remain competitive with China, which mines about 60 percent of the world’s rare earth metals and processes 90 percent of them.

Trump took up a mediator role in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Rwanda this year after the DRC government proposed a minerals deal with the US. The US and United Nations accuse Rwanda of backing a rebellion by the M23 armed group in the eastern DRC.

Trump did not commit to US military intervention in the DRC but successfully secured a peace pact between the two countries on December 4 after applying diplomatic pressure on Rwanda.

Attacks on civilians by M23 have nonetheless continued despite the peace deal.

A clause in the pact granted US firms priority access to both the DRC’s and Rwanda’s mineral reserves, which include cobalt, copper, lithium and gold.

How about aid and security cooperation?

In early 2025, the Trump administration shut down the US Agency for International Development and cut billions of dollars of US foreign aid, affecting many African countries that greatly depended on the world’s largest funder of health and humanitarian aid.

Aid groups have since reported rising hunger in northern Nigeria, Somalia and northeastern Kenya.

Health observers and analysts have also raised the alarm about the risk of undoing work to prevent and contain the spread of HIV in Lesotho and South Africa.

In northern Cameroon, officials have reported a spike in malaria deaths as drug supplies fall. This month, the US unilaterally pledged $400m in health funding to the country over the next five years on the condition that Cameroon raises its own annual health spending from $22m to $450m.

African nations were also most affected when Trump recalled 30 career diplomats appointed by former President Joe Biden from 29 countries last week.

Fifteen of them had been stationed in African nations: Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.

Meanwhile, the US has continued to intensify strikes against armed groups linked to ISIL and al-Qaeda, similar to those during Trump’s first term as president from 2017 to 2021.

In Somalia, the US launched strikes in September targeting al-Shabab and the ISIL affiliate in Somalia Province, according to the US-based New America Foundation think tank.

The US also targeted ISIL- and al-Qaeda-linked groups in northwestern Nigeria for the first time on Thursday.

While those strikes were carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian government, a war of narratives prevailed between the two countries.

The US claims to be “saving” Nigerian Christians, who it alleges are experiencing a genocide.

Nigerian authorities, on the other hand, deny claims of genocide and say people of all religions have been badly affected by armed groups operating in the country.

LOOKING for somewhere cheap to visit in 2026, that won’t have you stuck on a plane for hours?

We’ve put together a list of some of the most affordable short-haul destinations to visit, with insider tips on where to eat and stay for cheap.

Whether it’s a weekend city break, a romantic getaway or a quick foodie trip – here’s our top picks for the best in short-haul holidays.

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is one of Europe’s most exciting and lively capital cities, with loads to see and do, and plenty of good craic to be had.

There are plenty of fun experiences like the Guinness Storehouse (from €22 (£19) or Jameson’s Distillery tour (from €26 (£22.80)), both of which are worth every penny.

But there’s also no need to spend on days out when there is so much to see just by strolling through the city.

SHORT BREAK

Popular city named underrated winter city break is still 20C with £28 flights

WEEKEND WONDERS

2 Euro city breaks perfect for a weekend of gorging on food, wine & culture

Wander down Grafton Street to listen to some of the most talented buskers you’ve ever heard.

Or take a picnic to Stephen’s Green to feed the resident swans, relax and watch the world go by.

And if you’re looking for the best pint, we have some insider tips.

Whilst it’s worth visiting the famous Temple Bar for a photo op, there are some much more authentic (and cheaper) places to get a drink.

Grab your pint of Guinness from bars loved by locals such as Gravediggers or Mulligan’s for a more authentic experience.

Flights from multiple UK airports to Dublin are often only £14.99 each way with Ryanair.

Plus the flight over is so fast, cabin crew barely have the time to get the trolley down the aisle before you’ve landed!

Stay at a hostel like Generator Dublin for an urban, industrial vibe right in the heart of the city, whilst paying as little as £14 to stay the night.

Milan, Italy

Milan might be known as one of Europe‘s top fashion capitals, but this sleek Italian city is a surprisingly cheap stay.

Skip the pricey guided tours – Milan is best explored on foot.

Stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, admire the Duomo (or climb the rooftop for €15 (£13)), and unwind in Parco Sempione behind Sforza Castle.

There are loads of architectural masterpieces which are free to enter, such as the grand Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio and the stunning San Maurizio – often dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Milan.

There are also some great museums with free entry, such as the Palazzo Morando art museum and the Mudec – Museum of Cultures.

Another major perk of Milan is that you can feast on authentic Italian food to your heart’s content – without breaking the bank.

Head to the Navigli district, famous for its canals and buzzing nightlife, where you can order an aperitivo for around €10 (£8.80) and you’ll get a cocktail plus a plate of free snacks, or even a mini buffet to go with it.

Or for some traditional pasta, visit restaurants such as Il Brutto Anatroccolo for mains from €8 (£7).

The flight from London to Milan is only 2 hours long, and costs as little as £14.20 each way with easyJet.

There are plenty of cheap hotels to choose from, including the 4-star Cosmo Hotel Palace for £54 per night.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest might look like a luxury city break at first glance, with its grand architecture, thermal spas and classy rooftop bars.

But the Hungarian capital actually one of the most affordable capitals to visit in Europe.

Start your trip in the city’s famous ruin bars – once crumbling buildings turned into quirky bohemian pubs.

Here you can grab a pint for 1000 HUF (£2.25) and dance the night away without burning a hole in your pocket.

Szimpla Kert is the most iconic ruin bar, packed with vintage furniture, fairy lights, and live music most nights.

To relax, skip the expensive spas and head to the picture-perfect Széchenyi Thermal Bath.

It’s the largest medicinal bath in Europe, and costs 12,500 HUF (around £28) to visit.

Soak in your choice of 15 steamy outdoor pools surrounded by Budapest’s signature neo-baroque architecture.

The city is also dotted with street vendors selling delicious chimney cake, or ‘Kürtőskalács’ – a delicious sweet pastry that is a must-try when in Budapest.

It’s made by wrapping dough around a spit before rolling it in cinnamon sugar or chocolate, and you can grab them for as little as 445 HUF (or £1).

Return flights to Budapest cost as little as £42 with Ryanair, and city centre hotels such as the Benczúr offer rooms for as little as £30 a night.

Girona, Spain

Girona might not be the first place that comes to mind for a Spanish break, but it should be.

This colourful Catalan city has all the charm of Barcelona – without the chaos or the price tag.

Wander through the Old Town”s medieval streets to see sights like the impressive Gothic Cathedral and the famous colourful houses that line the Onyar River.

There are plenty of fascinating historic sites to visit, like the arching Arab Baths and the Força Vella, the Roman fortress remains.

You can even walk along the city walls for some unbeatable views.

There’s also some quirky places to visit such as the Cinema Museum, Game of Thrones filming sites and the Pont de las Peixateries Velles – the city’s iconic red bridge.

Food is where Girona really shines.

A coffee costs €1.50 (£1.30) and you can tuck into a menu del día (a hearty three-course lunch) for under €15 (£13).

Rocambolesc is known for its tubs of ice cream and gelato with lashings of delicious chocolate toppings.

Don’t miss out on xuixos, the city’s signature cream-filled pastry that’s best enjoyed warm with an espresso.

One-way flights from Manchester to Girona with Ryanair start from £14.99.

For a cheap place to stay, opt for the Ibis Budget Girona Costa Brava – with doubles from £48 per night.

As we enter 2026, one truth is impossible to ignore: children around the world are facing their greatest levels of need in modern history – just as the humanitarian system meant to protect them and their futures is battling some of its biggest challenges in decades.

The events of 2025 marked a dramatic rupture in global humanitarian and development efforts. When the United States abruptly halted foreign aid in January, billions of dollars vanished overnight. Critical programmes were suspended, offices closed, and millions suddenly lost access to food, healthcare, education, and protection. Overnight, lifelines that communities had depended on for decades were thrown into jeopardy – and children, as always, paid the highest price.

For international NGOs, the shock was immediate and severe. At Save the Children, we were forced to take some of the toughest decisions in our 106-year history. We had to close country offices, cut thousands of staff positions, and wind down life-saving operations. We estimated that about 11.5 million people – including 6.7 million children – would feel the immediate impacts of these cuts, while many more would be impacted in the longer term.

The aid cuts came at a time when children globally were already facing major challenges, from conflict to displacement, to climate change, with decades of progress at risk of being reversed.

The facts are startling. In 2025, one in every five children was living in an active conflict zone where children are being killed, maimed, sexually assaulted and abducted in record numbers. About 50 million children globally are displaced from their homes. Nearly half the world’s children – about 1.12 billion – cannot afford a balanced diet, and some 272 million were out of school.

These numbers point to a global failure. Behind each statistic is a child whose childhood is being cut short, a childhood defined by fear, hunger and lost potential.

For children, the collapse of aid was not an abstract budgetary decision, but it was deeply personal.  Health clinics closed, classrooms closed, and protection services disappeared just as violence, climate shocks and displacement intensified. Years of hard-won progress in child survival, education and rights were suddenly at risk of being undone, leaving millions of children more vulnerable to hunger, exploitation and violence.

The crisis also revealed the fragility of the global aid system itself. When humanitarian support is concentrated among a handful of government donors, sudden political shifts reverberate directly through children’s lives. The events of 2025 showed how quickly international commitments can unravel – and how devastating that can be for the youngest and least protected.

Yet amid this turmoil, something extraordinary happened.

In many places, families, teachers, health workers and local organisations found ways to keep learning going, to provide care, and to create spaces where children could still play, heal and feel safe. These efforts underscored a simple truth: Responses are strongest when they are rooted close to children themselves.

There were also moments of progress. In a year marked by pushback against human rights, important legal reforms advanced children’s protection – from a ban on corporal punishment in Thailand, to the criminalisation of child marriage and the passing of a digital protection law in Bolivia. These gains reminded us that change is possible even in difficult times, when children’s rights are put at the centre of public debate and policy.

Out of the shocks of 2025 has come a moment of reckoning and an opportunity: to adapt, to innovate, towards approaches that are more sustainable, more locally led and more accountable to the people they are meant to serve. For children, this shift is critical. Decisions made closer to communities are more likely to reflect children’s real needs and aspirations.

This period of reinvention has also revived difficult questions that can no longer be postponed. How can life-saving assistance be insulated from political volatility? How can funding be diversified so that children are not abandoned when a single donor withdraws? And how can children and young people meaningfully participate in decisions that shape their futures?

Innovation alone will not save children, but it can help. When digital tools, data and community-led design are used responsibly, they can improve access, accountability and trust. Used poorly, they risk deepening inequalities. The challenge is not technological — it is political and ethical.

Children do not stop wanting to learn, play or dream because bombs fall or aid dries up. In camps, cities and ruined neighbourhoods, they organise, speak out and imagine futures that adults have failed to secure for them. They remind us why our work – and our ability to adapt – matters so profoundly.

In Gaza this year, I witnessed the horrors that children are living through daily, with the war now raging for more than two years and most of the Strip covered in rubble. I saw children facing malnutrition at our healthcare clinics and heard how some now wish to die to join their parents in heaven. No child should ever be living under such terror that death is preferable. They are children, and their voices need to be heard.

If 2025 exposed the failures of the old aid model, 2026 must become a turning point. A different choice is possible — one that builds systems resilient to political shocks, grounded in local leadership and accountable to the children they claim to serve. The challenge now is to reshape our systems so that, no matter how the world changes, we can put children first, always, everywhere.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

DAVID Beckham sent out a major olive branch to estranged son Brooklyn tonight in a series of emotional family posts.

The proud dad, 50, shared pictures of his brood, including son Brooklyn, 26, who has been absent from all family occasions this year, on Instagram and wrote: “You are my life [heart emojis]. I love you all, love daddy. On to 2026 x”

One black and white image saw wife Victoria on a sofa cradling baby daughter Harper and snuggling up to her three sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

Even more tellingly, David posted a picture of him and Brooklyn cheek to cheek and wrote: “I love you all so much.”

Brooklyn, who lives in LA with wife Nicola Peltz and is eight hours behind his Cotswolds based dad, has yet to post ahead of the New Year.

The loving family posts from David follow hot on the heels of his 2025 highlights reel, none of which featured Brooklyn.

READ MORE ON DAVID BECKHAM

BECKS SNUB

David Beckham posts tribute to family but Brooklyn & wife are left out of snaps

BECKS’ APPEAL

David Beckham sends emotional message to son Brooklyn amid family feud

Among his greatest hits were huge life milestones like turning 50 and being knighted by King Charles.

Other features included Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show and snaps of his children Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20 and Harper, 13, on holiday enjoying quality time together.

David wrote: “I feel very lucky to have had the year I’ve had in 2025 full of moments that I will never forget from my 50th to my knighthood (still pinching myself ) and then finishing with winning the MLS as an owner.“

Despite not mentioning Brooklyn by name, David sweetly praised his “kids” and shared his love for them.

He added: “I‘m so grateful to my incredible wife, my amazing children, my friends and team I work with every single day nothing would have been possible without you all… But as Sir Alex Ferguson would say ‘On to the next‘.

“Thank you for the incredible memories I will forever remember 2025. Victoria I love you & our kids.”

Today, former Manchester United ace Becks also wished his old boss Sir Alex a happy birthday.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Nicola put on a united front this week as they continued their festive love-in Stateside.

In a photo, the pair were seen relaxing on a sofa in matching clothes.

Writing next to the picture, Nicola said: “We didn’t plan our outfits.”

Replying to her post, her husband wrote: “You’re my sweetie pie!”

WEDDING NO SHOW

The post came days after Brooklyn skipped childhood pal Holly Ramsay’s wedding.

The Ramsays and Beckhams are longtime friends and Brooklyn was once close pals with Holly as they grew up in LA together.

All of his family were in attendance to see Holly marry Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty on Saturday at Bath Abbey.

Victoria even designed the mother-of-the-bride’s dress.

Adam hailed the 200 guests’ support during his own “difficult time” after banning his mum Caroline from the wedding. 

FAMILY FALLOUT

The Beckham family feud has been rumbling on for most of the year, worsening since Brooklyn and Nicola snubbed his dad’s 50th birthday in May.

The couple have also shared subtle digs at his family in recent days after his brother Cruz revealed the Beckhams woke up to being blocked by the couple.

In a TikTok post after Cruz spoke out, Brooklyn played Lady Gaga’s song Telephone and wrote the lyrics: “Sorry I cannot hear you I’m kinda busy.”

Nicola also penned: “I love being home” in a selfie posted to social media, after the couple both shared photos from their Christmas with her parents.

CHRISTMAS APART

Victoria and David revealed a glimpse of their Christmas in Oxfordshire without Brooklyn.

In a touching video shared on social media, the couple – who have been together for 28 years – sang to each other as they slowed danced on Christmas Day.

And in what appeared to be a pointed message to their estranged son, Brooklyn the couple delivered the lyric: “And we’ve got nothing to be sorry for…”

They were dancing to Guilty sung by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb.

Sharing the video, Victoria penned: “David and Victoria giving their very best Barry and Barbra on Christmas Day xxx kisses from us both xx @davidbeckham.”

AS the Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor, I have racked up the air miles – hopping on a plane at least once a month.

And I know the best times to visit cheap destinations all over the world, as well as how to find those £15 flights and the best free attractions to visit.

Choosing the best month to visit a place can be tricky when it comes to balancing the best weather and affordable flights.

So I’ve broken it down month by month, explaining which destination to visit and when – ranging from short haul city breaks to longer haul winter sun.

I’ve even thrown in some of the best free things to do there if you’d like to keep to a budget.

And with some flights from as little as £15 each way – it’s hard to say no, isn’t it?

January – Senegal

Let’s face it, January is a hard month for us all. We’re tired, we’ve overeaten and we are counting down the days until our next paycheck.

But one of the best places to escape the misery in is beautiful Senegal.

Not only is there no risk of jet lag due to us being in the same time zone, but you can guarantee 30C weather when the rest of the UK is freezing.

It is one of the more affordable mid-haul destinations with good weather, where you can nab an all-inclusive package with TUI for £690 each – and that’s with your flights, hotels and drinks.

TUI also have some £0 deposit schemes if you needed time pre-Christmas to save.

One of the best day trips is from Dakar to Goree Island, a former slave trading post now home to a museum and street markets.

Otherwise see it as fly and flop destination, and make the most of that heat from your hotel sunlounger.

TUI has seven-night all-inclusive packages with flights from £689pp.

Free things to do:

• African Renaissance Monument
• The Mosque Of The Divinity
• Dakar Railway Station

February – Marrakech

The Moroccan city of Marrakech starts to hit highs of 20C from February onwards.

The main draw is the iconic souks, where you can pick up homeware and clothing bargains.

Be prepared to haggle – locals say you should get items for 30 per cent of the starting price. But if that feels a bit mean, try and knock off at least 20 per cent.

If you need a break from the chaos, head to Le Jardin Secret for some peaceful respite.

Or take to the roof for some amazing views of the plaza, a popular one being on top of the El Fenn hotel.

EasyJet has flights from London Stansted, London Luton and Liverpool to Marrakech from £14.99.

Free things to do

• Walking tour
• Dar Si Said, Museum of Moroccan Arts (free tickets on fridays for students and teachers)
• Moroccan Culinary Art Museum (MCAM)
• Jemma el Fna Square
• Koutoubia Mosque

March – Seville

As one of Spain‘s hottest cities, you can expect some warm weather in Seville, even in March.

Squeeze into Bar Alfafa with the locals for a cheap breakfast of coffee and pan con tomate for a few euros, before heading over to El Rinconcillo, Seville’s oldest bar, for a cheap glass of wine.

Time your visit to catch the Sunday art market outside the gallery too, where you can pick up some beautiful paintings.

Otherwise, if you want to find the best local food spots, book the Secret Food Tour which takes you to some of the city’s finest restaurants and cafes.

Ryanair has flights to Seville from both London Luton and London Stansted from £16.99.

Free things to do

• Royal Alcazar Palace (free tickets for last hour)
• Seville Cathedral (free tickets for the last hour)
• Salsa shows at Jardines de Murill

April – Tokyo

One of the most popular times to visit Tokyo is during cherry blossom season.

But if you head there just after, so late April, you can see much cheaper hotels and flights while still enjoying some of the world famous Sakura trees in some of the parks.

Face the hustle and bustle of the iconic Shibuya Crossing, before a some peace and quiet at the Meiji Shrine.

Try your luck at Akihabara Street which is lined with games and arcades, although one of the most fun things to do is the go karts through the city.

My favourite spot? Harajuku Gyoza-Ro for the crispiest dumplings, followed by Aoyama Flower Market, a tea shop-come-garden-centre.

British Airways has four-night holidays with return flights from £1,066pp.

Free things to do:

• Ueno Park
• Sensoji Temple
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Room
• Toyosu Fish Market
• Sumo Museum
• The Ad Museum

May – Singapore

The month of May is just after the popular February-April season, so you can still expect good weather but cheaper flights for Singapore.

The city is the perfect stopover destination, but there is more than enough to do here to make a full trip out of it.

One of the best ways to get around the city is a side car tour, with stops along the way at some of the top attractions.

Visit speakeasy-like Jigger + Pony, named one of the world’s best bars, or Long Bar for the famous Singapore Sling.

For a breakfast with the locals, stop at Joo Chiat, for a ‘prata’ (crispy pancake) with fish curry for about £1, or get chilli crab-cracking at Keng Eng Kee (free bibs are necessary).

British Airways has four-night holidays with return flights from £791pp.

Free things to do:

• Henderson Wave Bridge
• The Merlion
• Garden by the Bay

June – Puerto Rico

A destination that unexpectedly blew me away was Puerto Rico.

One of the most fun times to visit is on June 23, to celebrate La Noche de San Juan.

Expect big street parties, fireworks and people running into the sea at midnight for ‘good luck’.

Outside of this, the food scene is a must, with a mix of Caribbean and American influences (try the Mallorca, a sweet bread with ham and cheese, followed by a ‘beermosa’).

And of course, being the home of Bacardi, a trip to the museum is a must for your fix of pina coladas.

Or head over to Flamenco Beach, often named one of the best beaches in the world.

JetBlue has flights to Puerto Rico via New York from £486pp.

Free things to do:

• Flamenco Beach
• El Yunque National Forest
• Puerto Rico Museum (free from 5pm to 8pm on Thursdays)
• Herminio Torres Grillo Tobacco Museum
• Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

July – El Gouna

Families visiting Egypt will be heading straight to Hurghada in the summer months if they want good weather and affordable resorts.

But travel in the first few weeks and head to El Gouna and you can skip the prices and the crowds.

Just 30 minutes from Hurghada, the man-made, gated lagoon island is extremely safe.

It’s also where you can find some very affordable five star resorts, spa treatments and some laidback luxury on a budget.

Loveholidays has seven nights all inclusive with return flights from £399pp.

Free things to do:

• Abu Tig Marina
• Zeytuna Beach
• Fanadir Marina

August – Gothenburg

One of the best alternative city breaks to visit in the height of summer, in my opinion, is Gothenburg.

In August, it hosts the Way Out West music festival, and is a great alternative to some of the busier European alternatives.

It’s also not a camping festival so you can head straight to your hotel after.

One of the quaintest places to explore outside of the festival is Haga district, lined with cosy cafes and pretty shops.

Ryanair has return flights from London Stansted to Gothenburg from £15.

Free things to do:

• Museum of World Culture (free tickets for under 19)
• Natural History Museum (free tickets for under 19)
• Museum of Art (free tickets for under 25)
• Slottsskogen city park
• Frihamnen Public Sauna
• Gothenburg Opera (free concerns in foyer on some Saturdays)

September – Milan

Milan gears up for its Fashion Week in September, but if you can avoid the expensive week (normally the last of the month) then it makes for a great post-summer city break.

Head straight out of town to Navigli, the trendy canal lined with bars and restaurants.

Ignore the tourist crowd and head down one of the side streets to Iter, a cosy bar where you can sample local wines alongside a big bowl of olives.

They also own Bar43, named one of the world’s best and more an immersive experience than a bar (although you’ll need to book a few weeks in advance).

Visit on the last Sunday of the month, for the huge flea market Mercatone dell’Antiquariato.

EasyJet has flights from Birmingham to Milan Linate from £16.99 while Wizz Air has flights from London Luton to Milan Malpensa from £18.

Free things to do:

• Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
• Parco Sempione
• Brera Botanical Garden
• Hangar Bicocca
• Galleria d’Arte Moderna (free first Sunday of the month)
• Museum of Natural History (free first Sunday of the month)

October – Madrid

Madrid is great any time of year but you can also expect good weather in October without the summer crowds.

Visit on a Sunday to shop for hours at El Rastro, one of Europe‘s biggest street markets.

It’s bustling and busy but a great place for some bargain clothes and jewellery.

One of my favourite ways to spend a few hours is to relax at Sala Equis, a former adult cinema now home to a bar and live music.

Don’t forget to grab some Spanish omelette at Pez Tortilla with a glass of vino tinto (red wine) too – you’ll be dining with the locals so make sure to brush up on your Spanish.

Ryanair has flights from Bristol to Madrid from £14.99 while easyJet has flight from London Gatwick from £18.99.

Free things to do:

• Atocha Train Station’s Tropical Garden
• Museo de Prado (Free tickets from 6pm to 8pm all week or 5pm to 7pm on Sundays)
• Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace (free to watch on Wednesday and Saturday at 11am)
• Río Park
• Museo Reina Sofía (free tickets for under 18, over 65 or students)

November – Lille

Lille is the perfect autumn/winter escape without much effort needed, being the first stop in Europe on the Eurostar.

The manageable city has it all – from pretty Sunday markets to delicious waffles (try the famous chestnut filled ones at Meert).

Hop in a Citroën 2CV for a very fun vintage car tour of the city, before ending at NU rooftop for views over the train station.

Eurostar has tickets from London St Pancras to Lille from £39.

Free thing to do:

• Palais des Beaux-Art (free on the first Sunday of the month)
• Grand Place
• Lille-Saint-Sauveur Station
• Porte de Paris

December – Copenhagen

Copenhagen is one of the best places to get in the festive mood.

Wrap up warm and get ready to cafe hop, from the porridge specialists Grod to the Scandi brunch Atelier September.

Tivoli Garden is great for fairytale fans who want to feel the Disney magic without the price, with twinkly lights, rides and stalls.

Make sure to stay at Hotel SP34, which has a free wine and cheese hour every evening.

Ryanair has flights from Bristol to Copenhagen from £14.99 while easyJet has London Gatwick flights from £18.99.

Free things to do:

• Bakke theme park
• Explore the district of Christiania
• Frederiksberg park
• The National Museum of Denmark
• The Marble Church

SACRAMENTO — California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer recently said he was retiring from public office next year, so how does he explain filing papers this week to form a campaign committee for a possible run for lieutenant governor in 2018?

He probably won’t run for lieutenant governor in 2018, but the filing allows him to keep his large political war chest in play to influence elections of other candidates, a spokesman said.

As many other politicians have done, Lockyer is exploiting a much-criticized loophole in the campaign finance law so he can continue to use more than $2.2 million in surplus campaign funds after he leaves office next year.

Normally, an elected official would have to close his campaign committee no later than nine
months after the date he leaves office or the term of office ends.

But many politicians form new committees for offices they do not intend to seek so they can continue to have use of the money for years to come. That way they can contribute to candidates and causes using political funds rather than personal funds.

“His decision to retire from elective office stands,” spokesman Tom Dresslar said. “He hasn’t changed his mind. But at this point he doesn’t want to completely foreclose any options in 2018.”

“Besides, to make sure he can continue using the money to support select candidates and causes beyond 2014 he was gonna have to transfer his campaign funds to a new committee eventually. He decided the sooner the better,” Dresslar said.

ALSO:

States try to tackle ‘secret money’ in politics

States crack down on campaigning nonprofits

Obama picks California watchdog for FEC

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

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Some of the biggest deals completed this month could be contract renewals for a number of big-name players.

England’s Georgia Stanway, 26, has attracted lots of attention, with Arsenal among those to have held talks with the midfielder. Her deal at Bayern Munich ends in the summer, and while she has an offer to extend, she could sign a pre-contract agreement in January to join another club in the summer.

Another England midfielder, Ella Toone, is out of contract at Manchester United in July. She can begin talks with other clubs outside the WSL this month.

Manchester City top scorer Khadija Shaw, 28, has had positive discussions over a contract extension, which is a huge priority for the club.

European champions Arsenal want to keep US international Emily Fox and she joins Katie McCabe, Kim Little and Stina Blackstenius in having a deal that expires this summer.

Chelsea are also due to hold negotiations with just six months remaining on the contracts of senior players Sam Kerr, Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze.

Aston Villa captain Rachel Daly is also out of contract in the summer, but will the club offer a new deal to the 34-year-old?

Elsewhere, Everton forward Kelly Gago, 27 on 5 January, has reportedly attracted interest from Paris St-Germain but with a valuation of £500,000, can the Toffees keep hold of her?

All eyes will be on US striker Trinity Rodman, who could be on the move from Washington Spirit depending on the outcome of salary negotiations with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Chelsea are among those tracking Rodman’s situation, while Japan midfielder Maika Hamano could leave the Blues to join Tottenham on loan. US forward Catarina Macario also has interest from the NWSL, while Germany midfielder Sjoeke Nusken could seek more game time elsewhere.

Reports suggest West Ham might have to fend off interest in England defender Anouk Denton, while Amber Tysiak previously attracted suitors in the summer.

Severe weather warning is issued by the Palestinian Meteorological Department, with heavy rain and hail expected across Palestine.

Nestled in the heart of a green valley, surrounded by lush rolling hills, this small Yorkshire village has been dubbed the perfect place to escape to – and it even has a river flowing through it

A charming village in North Yorkshire, home to a mere 400 residents, is rapidly becoming a ‘must-see’ destination for travellers.

Nestled at the base of a steep ravine known as Crunkly Ghyll, this idyllic village is celebrated for its quintessential English allure, stunning landscapes, and a gently flowing river adorned with quaint stepping stones for visitors to traverse. Situated within the civil parish of Glaisdale, this picture-perfect hamlet in the North York Moors is characterised by its enchanting stone cottages, lush green surroundings, and the tranquil River Esk meandering through it. Renowned for its natural splendour and timeless charm, the village perfectly embodies the spirit of rural England. Visitors can indulge in leisurely riverside walks, exhilarating cycling paths, challenging hikes across the moors, and unwind in highly recommended pubs and local shops.

The village’s name, Lealholm, translates to ‘the settlement by the willow trees’, a fitting moniker given its scenic beauty. It’s a visual treat and an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, serving as the perfect crossing point for the River Esk, reports Yorkshire Live. Over the years, Lealholm has become a magnet for tourists, particularly during the summer months. Thanks to the Lealholm railway station on the Esk Valley railway line, it’s an easily accessible getaway.

The Lealholm Stepping Stones are a renowned feature of the village, providing both locals and tourists with an enjoyable way to explore the surrounding areas and have a bit of fun in the river. A significant portion of the local community is engaged in farming, thanks to the fertile Eskdale slopes.

Adding to the allure of the village is a popular tea-room and bakery, a traditional 16th-century pub known as The Board Inn, and charming cottage stays, making it a top choice for those wanting to discover the UK’s natural beauty. Its location within the North York Moors National Park only enhances its stunning appeal. Lealholm also boasts the 17th-century Lealholm Bridge that stretches over the River Esk, making it a favourite spot for fishing – with salmon and sea trout aplenty – and picnicking.

Other historical attractions include the 12th-century St James’ Church and the medieval stone cross standing tall in the village square, known as the Lealholm Cross. The vibrant local community of Lealholm hosts various events throughout the year, such as the Lealholm Village Show and a Sports Day.

Getting there

Situated roughly 10 miles from the famous coastal town of Whitby – made famous by Bram Stoker’s Dracula – visitors can reach Lealholm by car or public transport, with regular bus and train services operating to and from the village. Holidaymakers also have the option to continue on to Whitby or venture into the nearby North York Moors National Park.

Deir el-Balah and Nuseirat, Gaza Strip – In her tent made of fabric sheets with a roof covered in white plastic tarp, Sanaa Issa tries to steal a quiet moment with her daughters.

Sanaa spoke to Al Jazeera as the new year approached, and with a ceasefire officially in place in Gaza. But, lying on a wet blanket in a tent with rain pouring down, Sanaa doesn’t have a huge amount to be positive about.

“We didn’t know whether to blame the war, the cold, or the hunger. We’re moving from one crisis to another,” Sanaa told Al Jazeera, describing a harsh year she, and other displaced Palestinians like her, have faced in the Gaza Strip.

Amid worsening humanitarian conditions, the once-ambitious hopes of Palestinians in Gaza, dreams of a better future, prosperity, and reconstruction, are gone. In their place are basic human needs: securing flour, food and water, obtaining tents to shield them from the cold, accessing medical care, and simply surviving bombardments.

For Palestinians like Sanaa, hope for the new year has been reduced to a daily struggle for survival.

Sanaa is a 41-year-old mother of seven, who has been solely responsible for raising her children after her husband was killed in an Israeli strike in November 2024, at the end of the first year of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“Responsibility for the children, displacement, securing food and drink, making tough decisions here and there. Everything was required of me at once,” Sanaa, who fled with her family from al-Bureij to Deir el-Balah, both in central Gaza, said.

Sanaa’s biggest challenge in 2025 was securing “a loaf of bread” and getting her hands on even a kilogram of flour every day for her family.

“During the famine, I slept and woke up with one wish: to get enough bread for the day. I felt I was dying while my children were starving before me, and I could do nothing,” she said bitterly.

The search for flour eventually saw Sanaa decide to go to the US-backed GHF aid distribution points that opened at the end of May across Gaza.

“At first, I was scared and hesitant, but the hunger we live through can force you to do things you never imagined,” Sanaa said, describing her weekly visits to the aid points.

Visiting the sites, which the US and Israel supported as alternatives to long-established aid organisations, was inherently dangerous. More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed in and around GHF sites, according to the United Nations, before the GHF officially ended its mission in late November.

But going to the sites wasn’t just a risk to Sanaa’s life, it was a path that “took away her dignity”, leaving lasting scars.

On one occasion, Sanaa was hit by shrapnel in her arm while waiting for aid at the Netzarim distribution point in central Gaza, and her 17-year-old daughter was injured in the chest at the Morag point east of Rafah.

But her injuries didn’t stop her from trying again, although she began to go alone, leaving her children behind in relative safety.

Desperation

The war in Gaza led to severe interruptions in food and humanitarian aid, the last of which began in late March 2025, eventually leading to the declaration of a famine. It continued until October 2025, gradually easing after the ceasefire announcement.

During this period, the United Nations officially declared a state of famine, confirming that parts of Gaza had entered catastrophic hunger stages, with acute shortages in food, water, and medicine, and high rates of malnutrition among children and pregnant women.

Thousands of residents had to search for food using dangerous methods, including by waiting for long hours at the GHF sites.

“Hunger lasted a long time; it wasn’t a day or two, so I had to find a solution,” Sanaa said. “Each time, people crowded in their hundreds of thousands. Some would spend the night there, hundreds of thousands of displaced people – men, women, children, old and young.”

“The scenes were utterly humiliating. Bombing and heavy gunfire on everyone, not to mention the pushing and fighting among people over aid.”

The crowds meant that Sanaa often returned to her tent empty-handed, but the rare times she brought back a few kilos of flour felt like “a festival”, she recalled.

“One time, I got five kilos [11 pounds] of flour. I cried with joy returning to my children, who hadn’t tasted bread for days,” she added.

Sanaa divided the five kilos over two weeks, sometimes mixing it with ground lentils or pasta dough. “We wanted to recite a spell over the flour so it would multiply,” she said with dark humour.

A heavy silence followed as Sanaa adjusted the plastic tarp over her tent against the strong wind, then said:

“We witnessed humiliation beyond measure? All this for what? For a loaf of bread!” she added with tearful eyes. “If we were animals, perhaps they would have felt more pity for us.”

Despite the hardships she has endured and continues to face, Sanaa has not lost hope or her prayers for Gaza’s future.

“Two years are enough. Each year has been harder than the previous one, and we are still in this spiral,” she added. “We want proper tents to shelter us in winter, a gas cylinder to cook instead of burning wood, we want life and reconstruction.”

“Our basic rights have become distant wishes at year’s end.”

The only survivor

Sanaa’s husband was one of the more than 71,250 Palestinians killed by Israel during the war.

Twenty-year-old Batoul Abu Shawish can count her father, mother, two brothers and two sisters – her whole immediate family – among that number.

Batoul comes into the new year wishing for only one thing: to be with her family.

Her heartbreaking loss came just a month before the end of the year, on November 22.

Despite the ceasefire, an Israeli bomb struck the home her family had fled to in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.

“I was sitting with my two sisters. My brothers were in their room, my father had just returned from outside, and my mother was preparing food in the kitchen,” she recalled, eyes vacant, describing the day.

“In an instant, everything turned to darkness and thick dust. I didn’t realise what was happening around me, not even that it was bombing, due to the shock,” Batoul added, as she stood next to the ruins of her destroyed home.

She was trapped under the debris of the destroyed home for about an hour, unable to move, calling for help from anyone nearby.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening. I wished I were dead, unaware, trying to escape the thought of what had happened to my family,” Batoul said.

“I called for them one by one, and there was no sound. My mother, father, siblings, no one.”

After being rescued, she was found to have severe injuries to her hand and was immediately transferred to hospital.

“I was placed on a stretcher above extracted bodies, covered in sheets. I panicked and asked my uncle who was with me: ‘Who are these people?’ He said they were from the house next to ours,” she recalled.

As soon as Batoul arrived at the hospital, she was rushed into emergency surgery on her hand before she could learn about what had happened to her family.

“I kept asking everyone, ‘Where is my mom? Where is my dad?’ They told me they were fine, just injured in other departments.”

“I didn’t believe them,” Batoul added, “but I was also afraid to call them liars.”

The following day, her uncles broke the news to Batoul that she had lost her mother and siblings. Her father, they told her, was still in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

“They gathered around me, and they were all crying. I understood on my own,” she said.

“I broke down, crying in disbelief, then said goodbye to them one by one before the funeral.”

Batoul’s father later succumbed to his injuries three days after the incident, leaving her alone to face her grief.

“I used to go to the ICU every day and whisper in my father’s ear, asking him to wake up again, for me and for himself, but he was completely unconscious,” Batoul said as she scrolled through photos of her father on her mobile phone.

“When he died, it felt as if the world had gone completely dark before my eyes.”

‘Where is the ceasefire?’

Israel said that it conducted the strikes in Nuseirat in response to an alleged gunman crossing into Israel-held territory in Gaza, although it is unclear why civilian homes in Nuseirat were therefore targeted.

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office and the Ministry of Health, around 2,613 Palestinian families were completely wiped out during the war on the Gaza Strip up until the announcement of the ceasefire in October 2025.

Those families had all of their members killed, and their names erased from the civil registry.

The same figures indicate that approximately 5,943 families were left with only a single surviving member after the rest were killed, an agonising reflection of the scale of social and human loss caused by the war.

These figures may change as documentation continues and bodies are recovered from beneath the rubble.

For Batoul, her family was anything but ordinary; they were known for their deep bond and love for one another.

“My father was deeply attached to my mother and never hid his love for her in front of anyone, and that reflected on all of us.”

“My mother was my closest friend, and my siblings loved each other beyond words. Our home was full of pleasant surprises and warmth,” she added.

“Even during the war, we used to sit together, hold family gatherings, and help one another endure so much of what we were going through.”

The understandable grief that has overtaken Batoul leaves no room for wishes for a new year or talk of a near future, at least for now.

One question, however, weighs heavily on her: why was her peaceful family targeted, especially during a ceasefire?

“Where is the ceasefire they talk about? It’s just a lie,” she said.

“My family and I survived bombardment, two years of war. An apartment next to our home in eastern Nuseirat was hit, and we fled together to here. We lived through hunger, food shortages, and fear together. Then we thought we had survived, that the war was over.”

“But sadly, they’re gone, and they left me alone.”

Batoul holds onto one wish from the depths of her heart: to join her family as soon as possible.

At the same time, she carries an inner resignation that perhaps it is her fate to live this way, like so many others in Gaza who have lost their families.

“If life is written for me, I will try to fulfil my mother’s dream that I be outstanding in my field and generous to others,” said Batoul, a second-year university student studying multimedia, who is currently living with her uncle and his family.

“Life without family,” she said, “is living with an amputated heart, in darkness for the rest of your life, and there are so many like that now in Gaza.”

The Netflix sci-fi fantasy epic has finally wrapped up forever but fans have questions

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from the Stranger Things season 5 finale

Stranger Things season five, volume three finally arrived after much anticipation and one last teaser trailer giving fans a sneak peek at the ending. As promised, audiences got a cinematic, feature-length runtime as the story wrapped up for good and viewers bid farewell to characters they’ve grown to love over nearly a decade.

With the show now wrapped up, many audience members still have many questions about how Stranger Things finally finished, including who died, who made it to the end and whether the Hawkins gang defeated the Mindflayer and Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) for good while closing the wormhole between the two dimensions. Here’s the lowdown on the Stranger Things grand finale.

READ MORE: Netflix quietly removes Stranger Things mistake after fans spot ‘obvious’ blunderREAD MORE: Did Jonathan and Nancy break up in Stranger Things?

Who dies in the Stranger Things finale?

The body count was surprisingly low in the Stranger Things finale, given that the show is known for killing off beloved characters without hesitation. Vecna and the Mindflayer were killed, with Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) finishing off the evil villain in true style. The gang closed the wormhole between the two dimensions in the process.

Sadly, Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) also died after she was shot by Akers (Alex Breaux) as the soldier threatened Hopper (David Harbour). Tragically, Eleven was unable to save her sister who died in her arms.

Hopper took out several members of the Wolf Pack Unit led by Akers as they launched their assault on them, while Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman). Most crucially though, it also appeared that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) had perished as she seemed to sacrifice herself and end the vicious cycle whereby her powers were exploited.

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

Is Eleven dead in Stranger Things?

Eleven’s fate at the end of Stranger Things was left ambiguous. It was thought she’d met her maker, along with the Upside Down, when she chose to stay behind after the bomb was detonated to close the rift. El vanished as the rift closed and everyone, including the army, thought she’d died.

However, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) had a different theory after hearing distortion on the speakers at his graduation ceremony. Mike told his friends his theory that shortly before Kali’s death, the two sisters had devised a plan. Kali would use her powers to make it look like El had died, but this was just an illusion.

This was Kali’s last gift to her sister before she died and meant that Eleven would never be hunted down again by the military for her powers. Instead, Mike believed El had escaped from everyone by faking her death and was now living somewhere else and exploring the rest of the world alone.

There was a scene of El finding the three waterfalls that Mike had promised to take her to if they both survived. It was unclear whether this was real or just how Mike imagined El’s new life. Although it was a theory, it offered solace to Mike and his friends.

There was also the feeling that Mike wanted to find her one day as he clung on to hope. According to the Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, it’s up to audiences to decide if El survived or not. Ross Duffer told Netflix ’s Tudum: “[S]he lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not.”

The final scene of Stranger Things saw Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and her friends playing Dungeons and Dragons in the basement, signalling the passing of the baton to a new generation. This moment saw the whole of Stranger Things coming full-circle with the show also beginning with the original group playing D&D in the Wheelers’ basement.

Stranger Things season 5 is streaming on Netflix now