FOUR major UK airports have rung in the new year by hiking their drop-off fees.
Nearly all UK airports now charge for kiss and fly parking following Newcastle airport scrapping its free drop-off policy in December.
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New year, new charges as four major UK airports raise drop-off fees within the first week of 2026Credit: GettyLondon City has introduced its first-ever drop-off charge, setting an £8 fee for up to five minutes and £1 for each additional minute to a 10-minute maximumCredit: Getty
These include London City Airport, which has introduced a fee for the first time from 2026 – setting an £8 charge for up to five minutes with each additional minute costing £1 until a maximum stay of 10 minutes is reached.
The airport, based in the Royal Docks area of East London, said the measure is intended to maintain efficient access for all users, with Blue Badge holders and black cabs exempt.
Gatwick, the country’s second-busiest airport after Heathrow, became the most expensive for drop-offs by increasing its 10-minute fee from £7 to £10, having only raised it to £7 in May last year.
It attributed the rise to higher costs, including business rates that have more than doubled.
At the moment, councils usually have to use a Traffic Regulation Order – a slow, complicated legal process often limited to one street at a time.
But under the new approach, they will be able to bring in area-wide bans more easily and can also allow sensible exemptions where a bit of pavement parking helps traffic flow on narrow streets.
Gatwick becomes the UK’s most expensive airport for drop-offs, lifting its 10-minute fee from £7 to £10Credit: GettyHeathrow raises its drop-off fee from £6 to £7 on New Year’s Day and imposes a strict 10-minute rule in its forecourt areasCredit: GettyBristol Airport pushes its drop-off prices to £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, with stays of 10 to 20 minutes climbing from £9 to £10.50Credit: Getty
A mental health diversion granted to a former Kern County politician is coming under fire from numerous California lawmakers and child welfare advocates, who say a repeatedly amended state law is allowing an accused child abuser to avoid prosecution and possible jail time.
Zack Scrivner, a former Kern County supervisor, was charged with felony child abuse in February after he was accused of inappropriately touching one of his children in 2024. But because of a Dec. 19 ruling by a judge, he will avoid a trial and instead be funneled into a mental health diversion program — an initiative aimed at helping defendants with mental health disorders get treatment instead of imprisonment for certain crimes.
While supporters say mental health diversions help certain defendants get needed mental health treatment, lawmakers in both parties have blasted the Scrivner decision and the legislative changes that led to it. Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) issued a scathing statement, describing the ruling as an “Epstein loophole,” a reference to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I specialize in family and addiction medicine, so I know the value of mental health diversion … It was designed to help people get treatment and rehabilitation in appropriate cases, not to provide an escape hatch to sexually assault children,” she said. “This Epstein loophole needs to be closed.”
At the end of their 2018 legislative session, California lawmakers approved a number of legal reforms, many aimed at keeping homeless people out of jail. One of these altered what defendants could qualify for mental health diversions. The change specifically excluded people accused of crimes such as murder, rape and child sex crime but did not exclude those accused of child abuse. Then, in 2022, another amendment to the law directed courts to allow a diversion if a diagnosed mental health disorder played a significant role in the alleged crime unless there is “clear and convincing” evidence it wasn’t a motivating factor.
Since then, controversies have arisen over several judicial decisions. In 2024, a judge granted a mental health diversion to a Pasadena doctor accused of trying to kill his family by driving the family Tesla off a cliff with his wife and two children inside. In Sacramento County, Sheriff Jim Cooper and other officials have criticized a mental health diversion granted to a father arrested in connection with the death of 1-year-old “Baby A,” who had suffered from severe injuries while in her father’s custody.
Emergency personnel respond to a vehicle over the side of Highway 1 on Jan. 1, 2023, in San Mateo County. A Pasadena doctor, Dharmesh Patel, was charged that year with three counts of attempted murder in crashing the car over a cliff, injuring his two young children and his wife. A judge granted him a mental health diversion in 2024, allowing him to live with his parents while receiving treatment.
(Sgt. Brian Moore / Associated Press)
“People are becoming very skeptical of mental health treatment because it’s being used in ways nobody ever intended,” said Matthew Greco, deputy district attorney of San Diego County and author of the California Criminal Mental Health Handbook. The 2022 law change limited the discretion of judges — one reason the California District Attorneys Assn. opposed it, he said. Greco has since heard from judges across the state that they feel their hands are tied. In San Diego County, the number of mental health diversions granted has steadily risen since 2019.
The 2018 law establishing the program had good intentions, he said, but lacked proper legislative vetting.
“We know the central premise behind mental health diversion is that if we obtain mental health treatment for those that are mentally ill that are committing crimes, the public will be safer,” he said. “But we need to have both public safety and treatment.”
In Kern County, Scrivner has numerous political connections in the Republican Party and beyond. He served for 13 years as a county supervisor before resigning in August 2024. He also served on the Bakersfield City Council and had spent four years working for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Kern County Dist. Atty. Cynthia Zimmer is also the aunt of Scrivner, and before recusing herself from the case, she played a key role in alerting law enforcement to his actions.
At a news conference in April 2024, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said he received a call from Zimmer that Scrivner was armed and experiencing “some type of psychotic episode” at his Tehachapi home. Deputies responded and found that Scrivner had fought with his children, with one of them stabbing him in his torso amid allegations that he had sexually assaulted another of his children, Youngblood said. While Scrivner’s four minor children were at the house at the time, his wife, who had previously filed for divorce, was not.
According to Youngblood, detectives obtained a search warrant and ended up seizing 30 firearms, psychedelic mushrooms, electronic devices and possible evidence of sexual assault in the house.
Things got complicated at that point, given that Kern County’s district attorney was obligated to recuse herself and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office took over the case.
In February 2025, Bonta’s office charged Scrivner with two felony counts of possessing assault weapons and three felony counts of child abuse. The charges, however, did not include sexual assault, even though the state’s complaint said Scrivner had “consumed mind and/or mood altering drugs and substances, got into bed” with a child and inappropriately touched the child.
On Dec. 19, a Kern County Superior Court judge approved a motion filed by Scrivner’s attorney, H.A. Sala, to allow the former county supervisor to enter a mental health diversion program. Sala, who has not returned multiple requests for comment, presented the court with a medical diagnosis conducted by doctors that Scrivner had been suffering from mental health disorders, including alcohol-use disorder, depression and anxiety, according to a report in the Bakersfield Californian. Sala argued that a treatment program would be the best option for Scrivner, in keeping with the intent of the Legislature.
ln her ruling, Superior Court Judge Stephanie R. Childers sided with Sala, noting the state had “offered no alternative” to the medical diagnosis of Scrivner that had been submitted to the court, according to the Bakersfield Californian.
In response, the state attorney general’s office released a statement saying that it opposed the judge’s decision and “we are reviewing our options.” It added that the office filed charges that it believes the state “can prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.” So far, the Kern County Superior Court has declined to release Scrivner’s attorney’s motion, stating it is confidential.
During Scrivner’s Dec. 19 court appearance, according to the Californian, Deputy Atty. Gen. Joe Penney stated that Scrivner “got into bed with the minor victim — while he had alcohol, Ambien, benzos (benzodiazepines) and cocaine metabolites in his system — and fondled her breast area and genital area for a period about 10 minutes while she was frozen in fear.”
State Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) is one of the lawmakers calling for reform of the program in light of Scrivner’s case. She questioned when the state justice system would prioritize vulnerable victims over “the monsters who harm them.”
“A program intended to promote treatment must never be allowed to erode accountability for the most serious and violent crimes against children,” she said in a statement online.
Several lawmakers have introduced bills to modify the mental health diversion law. In 2024, Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) was unsuccessful in her attempt to exclude defendants from qualifying from the program if they had been charged with child abuse and endangerment, domestic violence that causes great bodily harm or human trafficking.
Krell, a former deputy attorney general, said cases that have stirred outrage seem to be appearing in just about every county, including in her district.
“We should ensure that people who are mentally ill are receiving treatment,” she said, but there has to be accountability when people break the law as well. Krell said she intends to try to submit the bill again. “We need to give courts discretion to make these determinations. We also need to make sure we’re keeping victims safe. There’s just too many examples where this has failed.”
Although some elected officials are seeking reforms to the program, Kern County organizer Flor Olvera said she thinks the focus should include whether Scrivner received preferential treatment.
“You can have a mental health diversion granted, but what is the justice system doing to hold people accountable?” she said. “When it’s people in these powerful positions, it does seem like the system moves differently for them.”
In a Dec. 20 statement, Bains said she sent a letter asking U.S. Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon and U.S. Atty. Eric Grant to investigate whether Scrivner violated federal civil rights statutes by leveraging his former status as an elected official.
“This is not justice, and this is not over,” she said.
In a Dec. 24 interview with radio host Ralph Bailey, Sheriff Youngblood said that deputies arrived at Scrivner’s home that day in 2024 and confirmed that the county supervisor was unarmed. Scrivner then got on the phone and asked the sheriff to send the deputies away.
“My response was, ‘no, they’re going to do what they have to do,’” he said. A deputy said there was more to investigate, and Youngblood supported it. Zimmer, the Kern County district attorney, did not ask for a favor, Youngblood said.
Yet questions remain as to why deputies did not arrest Scrivner immediately. Speaking to local media, Youngblood said he had no one who could arraign the supervisor within a limited time frame, but Kern County prosecutors dispute that. Late Wednesday, the sheriff’s office directed inquiries to the state attorney general’s office, after declining to respond to questions over the last week.
Joseph A. Kinzel, the county’s assistant district attorney, said in an email that because Scrivner was not arrested that night, there was no request from law enforcement that charges be filed. Kinzel said that the office immediately determined it would be inappropriate to get involved with the case, and that the office “did everything it should have to ensure that a conflict-free prosecution would occur.”
In the radio interview, Youngblood said that he believed the state attorney general’s office “didn’t do their job correctly” by letting Scrivner avoid a sex crime charge.
“I can only speak for the sheriff’s office, and I can tell you that the deputies that investigated that did absolutely the right thing,” he said. “I believe that the children were all on board and would have done exactly what the court asked them to do, and that is, tell the truth. So from my standpoint, this stinks.”
Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury’s relationship is once again under the spotlight in the new episodes of her Prime Video documentary after the couple decided to give their romance another go
18:15, 06 Jan 2026Updated 18:16, 06 Jan 2026
Molly and Tommy are back together(Image: INSTAGRAM/mollymae)
The new Molly-Mae Hague documentary series will focus on her moving back in with Tommy Fury as she tells fans: “My life’s gonna change, everything’s gonna be different.”
The trailer for the final part of the second series of Molly-Mae: Behind It All dropped online tonight ahead of the launch on Prime Video on January 16. It initially shows how Molly’s sister Zoe has moved in with her to help her with childcare and growing her business Maebe.
But also in the 80 second clip, Molly is shown trying to gain self confidence ahead of moving back in with Tommy. She tells the cameras: “I am very proud of me and Tommy for working through things. It’s just gonna bring us even closer as a family.”
As the trailer shows a removal van she adds: “I’m closing the door and leaving behind such an incredible chapter of my life. It’s very bittersweet. It’s also just that fear of not knowing what to round the corner. So just a few things going on.”
Molly-Mae is engaged to Tommy after the couple met on Love Island in 2019. They became the most famous and celebrated romance from the ITV series. But after they got engaged and had their daughter Bambi together, they split in August 2024 amidst rumours Tommy had cheated, something he has always denied.
In the first series of the Prime Video documentary released a year ago, things had been very different and Molly-Mae and Tommy were not together and living apart. Tommy only featured on the phone and not in scenes on screen.
At that time on screen she said: “The last couple of months have been like the worst couple of months of my life. The feeling of a break up, it’s like a physical pain, like your heart actually hurts. For everyone else, it’s news, a bit of gossip. But for us, it’s real life. Your whole world just feels like it’s over.
“You don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m dealing with the falling apart of our relationship.” But in a look toward what ended up happening in the future she also told the cameras her love for Tommy “didn’t disappear overnight” after they were spotted kissing at a party on New Year’s Eve to see in the year 2025.
Some of the problems at the time had been blamed on alcohol. Molly said back then: “There were exterior issues going on for him that were causing our relationship to have problems. It was drinking isn’t it?
“I never, ever wanted to be with someone that drank, because my mum had a period of time in her life where she struggled because her marriage of 25 years had just ended, and she turned to drink, probably more than she should have.
“I was only about 14,15 when that happened, and I saw my mum in some like states, going through a really, like vulnerable time. So I have never, ever, ever been around it in a positive light.
“Tommy wanted to have a family life, but then also have the life of a 25-year-old boy with no responsibilities. And the two don’t go hand in hand. He’s never had an alcohol problem. It’s just that alcohol caused problems for us. It got to a point where I wasn’t really looking forward to anything, because alcohol affected it so much.”
In the new trailer Tommy is shown with Bambi in a clear sign they are back together as a family. They have recently all been to the Maldives and posted photos showing them all together on social media.
Molly-Mae: Behind It All Series 2 Part 2 (Episodes 4-6) will launch on 16th January 2026.
‘Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching,’ Fury said in a post announcing his return.
Published On 4 Jan 20264 Jan 2026
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Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has announced his return to boxing, having retired from the sport in December 2024 after losing to Oleksandr Usyk in a bout for three of the four major world titles.
The British star confirmed his comeback in a post on social media, which sets up the prospect of a long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Fury posted on Instagram that “2026 is that year. Return of the mac.”
“Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching,” he said. “Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it.”
Before his two bouts with Usyk, Fury was unbeaten in 35 fights, winning 34 and drawing one.
Fury did not mention potential opponents, but his announcement comes after increased speculation about a clash with British rival Joshua in 2026. Joshua, who is also a former world champion, last month knocked out YouTube star Jake Paul. But he was injured in a fatal car crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria this week, which has resulted in uncertainty over his immediate plans.
Fury is a two-time world champion. He ended the reign of Wladimir Klitschko with a points win in 2015 that saw him crowned Super WBA, IBF and WBO champion.
He didn’t fight again until 2018 – but a thrilling trilogy with American Deontay Wilder resulted in a draw and two victories for him to claim the WBC title.
Fury previously said he was retiring after he beat Dillian Whyte in 2022, but was back in the ring the following year.
A fight with Joshua has long been anticipated. There is also the potential of a trilogy-capping fight with Usyk or a clash with WBO champion Fabio Wardley.
Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay have caused a splash on their wedding plansCredit: GettyHolly and Adam have banned the public from their wedding venue for an entire dayAdam with the Ramsay family at the premiere for Gordon’s new Apple TV seriesCredit: Getty
But they have block-booked Bath Abbey so no one else can get hitched there on the day.
Sources at the abbey said it was an “all-day booking” and tourists will also be stopped from entering the landmark.
A security team is set to patrol to stop people trying to take pictures of the couple.
The cost of hiring the facility for a wedding can be around £2,500 — but the couple are thought to be paying several thousand more for exclusivity.
One local said: “It seems rather selfish to be hiring the abbey for the whole day when your wedding service only lasts for an hour and a half or so.”
Around 200 people are set to attend, including Holly’s chef dad Gordon and their close friends David and Victoria Beckham — but a falling-out has led to Adam’s mum Caroline being left off the guest list.
The couple have a “special connection” to the abbey — meaning they comply with a rule that anyone hiring it must have a link to it.
In its list of conditions for eligibility to be wed there, it is on offer to “parishioners, members of the congregation and those with a qualifying connection to the abbey”.
It is unknown what the connection is that the couple have which qualifies them.
Adam’s spokesman declined to comment, saying: “It’s a private, family wedding.”
Meanwhile, Adam has been branded “spiteful” after he left most of his family off his Christmas gift list amid their wedding falling-out.
He did not get anything for his parents, or brothers James and Richard.
He did get Richard’s daughter presents, along with his sister Bethany and her two kids.
But he ignored the young sons, aged 11 and seven, of James, who was arrested for allegedly making threats against him last month.
A family source said: “Kids are innocent and shouldn’t be included in any family fallout. To do this is cruel and spiteful.”
The Sun asked Adam’s team for comment.
Sources at Bath Abbey said it was an ‘all-day booking’ and tourists will also be stopped from entering the landmarkCredit: GettyAdam’s mum Caroline has been left off the guest listCredit: ShutterstockAdam has been called ‘spiteful’ after he left most of his family off his Christmas gift list amid their wedding falling outCredit: instagramOlympic swim star AdamCredit: Getty
Mike Crosby, who was served the panini lunch on a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Luton Airport following a work trip, has shared his anger on social media to raise awareness
05:12, 24 Dec 2025Updated 06:33, 24 Dec 2025
Mike Crosby claims Ryanair served him ‘the worst plane food ever’(Image: Kennedy News & Media)
A Ryanair passenger has slammed what he has described as “the worst plane food ever” — an “inedible” £11 panini lunch.
Mike Crosby, aged 60, claims “even cabin crew agreed” the sandwich “was terrible” after he complained on the flight from Dublin to Luton Airport on December 10. Mike said the meal, which also included a coffee and a Snickers bar, cost £10.98 (Euro 12.50), looked “nothing like the photo”.
The father of two, who had spent three days working in Dublin, said: “I don’t like to complain and I’m the first to say how remarkable it is when you get a good meal served 35,000 feet in the air. But, I was disappointed with this one.
“It was supposed to be cheese and ham but that doesn’t look like ham of any sort I recognise and it doesn’t look like the picture showing more of it than was in there. The cheese wasn’t cheese but more of a paste. It was a cheesy spread.”
A photograph shows the opened panini with two thin slices of ham inside and “unrecognisable cheese paste” slathered on a small section of the bread. Mike, who is from St Albans, Hertfordshire, asked for a refund but staff allegedly told him they were unable to offer this “in the air”. The dad claimed Ryanair has also rejected his appeal since then too.
Mike is now speaking out about his Ryanair sandwich experience as a warning to others. He said before buying one next time he wants to inspect the contents of the bread first — and will continue doing so until he finds one he likes the look of.
Mike, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, said: “The coffee, Snickers and sandwich was part of a meal deal and I paid 12 euros and 50 cents – and for plane food [the price] wasn’t that bad.
“It was all very horrible. I had a couple of bites and thought I’m not eating this and threw it away. It’s the worst plane food I have ever received on a plane and it’s up there with the worst sandwich too.
“It looked nothing like the photo. I don’t actually know what that meat was. I didn’t even get to taste the cheese. I said to the people on the plane that [the panini] is terrible and the cabin crew agreed and gave me a miniature pot of Pringles instead.
“I think the most disappointing thing is not actually what they served, but the way they refused to take any responsibility for serving up rubbish.
“Next time, I’m going to say can you bring me one [a sandwich] before you cook it and before I pay. I’m then going to open the packet up and say that’s no good and keep doing that until I find one I like the look of. I don’t think it’ll ever look like the picture.”
Since returning home, Mike, who is a project manager, has contacted Ryanair twice on their live chat system but says he was still unsuccessful in getting his refund.
Mike said: “I’ve moved on now and I’m not wasting any more time. I’m not expecting anything from them. It’s a lesson learnt and I won’t be parting with my money until I see what I get next time and have inspected the sandwich.”
After sharing the photos of his panini online, most users agreed with Mike’s disappointment but some suggested he take his own snacks next time.
One user said: “Don’t fly with Ryanair. Do not buy food on Ryanair if you fly with them. You know what they are. Do not waste your valuable time complaining. They do not respect you as a customer.”
Another added: “Ryanair would always be my very last resort when flying. I’d rather pay more, than to increase the owner’s wealth. Not far short of a con man.”
A third said: “Take your own sandwiches.” A fourth commented: “Yes, book with Ryanair…you get Ryanair.”
It is suggested the rules could be going ahead as soon as January 7.
However, Rome‘s city council said they were considering the new fee but that there was no confirmation it would be going ahead next month.
The new rule has divided people with some backing it in the hopes to reduce crowds.
One person said on social media: “Good idea. I tried walking through the area last November and could barely move, so many people.”
However, most said it would “ruin the charm” of the fountain.
Others said: “Nothing like taking away from the beautiful view of the fountain.”
Another agreed: “More companies making money!”
A third said: “How does one completely ruin and destroy the beauty of historical Italian architecture and monuments? Stick an ugly turnstile entrance and barriers in front of it.”
Most people visit it to throw a coin in, with legend saying one coin to return to Rome, two for love and three for marriage.
MOLLY-MAE Hague and Tommy Fury looked all loved up as they cuddled up on a festive day out with daughter Bambi.
The influencer and businesswoman, 26, hailed the moment “everything” as they posed for a selection of snaps.
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Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury looked all loved-up in sweet family snaps from their festive day out with BambiCredit: InstagramThey were joined by the tot’s pal StorieCredit: InstagramThey enjoyed a fairground ride with Molly-Mae’s BFF, TaylaCredit: InstagramThe little family snuggled up in the snowCredit: Instagram
They headed to a winter themed event where their two-year-old daughter looked delighted as she pulled on a helmet and some chunky winter snow boots.
Doting dad Tommy, 26, wearing a black puffer jacket held Bambi tight as she hovered above the snow while Molly-Mae beamed at his other side.
She donned a long-line black coat and matching scarf as she wrapped up against the elements.
The Maebe brand founder styled her hair in a chic bun and opted for natural make-up.
The bunch then posed for a super sweet selfie before following up with another playful snap which Molly-Mae captioned with a series of white love heart Emoji icons.
She then captured a glimpse of Bambi on a roundabout with the star’s pal Tayla-Blue Watts and Tommy, as well as Tayla’s daughter Storie.
The little girls were then treated to a visit from Santa.
Molly-Mae uploaded a snap of their very special visit and wrote: “Went and found Santa going around the houses.
“Pjs and dressing gowns.”
Tommy also captured Santa’s visit on his Instagram Stories with the words: “Ending the day with finding Santa and making sure he knows we’ve been good this year.”
He also shared snaps of the family playing in the snow and put: “Another special weekend with my family.
They have since gotten back on track and are in the process of renovating their new family home and preparing to have their first Christmas together since reuniting.
However, things haven’t been smooth sailing when it comes to parenting Bambi, as the couple admit she’s a handful.
The first-time mum, who previously confessed parenting so far has been an “emotional rollercoaster”, said last week that Bambi is like having a “teenager”.
“The way Bambi acts it’s like she’s a teenager in a two year old’s body. She knows exactly how to work both me and Tommy.”
Tommy and Bambi also enjoyed a daddy daughter date night over the weekendCredit: instagramThe businesswoman recently opened up on difficulties parenting their firstbornCredit: Youtube/Amazon Prime VideoThe pair reignited their romance earlier this yearCredit: Instagram/MollyMae