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MICHELLE Keegan melted hearts when she shared an adorable photo of her and daughter Palma wearing matching pyjamas.

The mum-of-one, 38, shares one-year-old Palma with her husband Mark Wright, 39, after welcoming the tot last year.

Former Coronation Street actress Michelle looked every inch the proud mum, as she beamed in the photo.

The Fool Me Once star posted the sweet snap on her Instagram Stories last night.

In the heartwarming photo, which is to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, Michelle is seen posing in matching nightwear with her mum Jacqueline and daughter Palma.

The trio looked adorable all wearing the same PJs that were cream with flowers on them.

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Michelle smiled in the photo, as Palma was seen with her back to the camera and trying to climb up on her mum.

The star wrote on the sweet snap: “Two mummies and a baby.

“How cuuuuute are these PJs from my @veryuk collection??? Perfect for Mother’s Day to match all the generations.”

The latest photo comes just days after Michelle and husband Mark threw a very extravagant first birthday party for Palma last weekend.

To celebrate their only child turning one, they hosted a pink-themed bash for the young tot at their £3.5 million mansion.

No expense was spared, and there was yummy food and drinks for party-goers to enjoy.

There was a themed cocktail bar serving “Palma Tinis”, with vodka, raspberry liqueurs and pineapple juice, and pink gin refreshers called “Bubbly First Birthday”.

Outside in the couple’s huge garden, there was a large marquee which had an inflatable balloon dome, a bouncy slide, and seating areas. 

The couple have kept their firstborn largely out of the spotlight, hiding her face from social media snaps to maintain her privacy.

Michelle and Mark shared the arrival of Palma last year: “Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl.

“Palma Elizabeth Wright 06.03.25.”

There are two very sweet reasons behind both monikers, with the couple having strong links to Mallorca, which is where they announced their pregnancy news to fans.

Palma is the capital of the Mediterranean island.

The couple consider it their “second home”, making no secret it is their “favourite place” to holiday.

Meanwhile, the couple chose Elizabeth for their daughter’s middle name as a tribute to Michelle’s great-great grandmother.

Women and children were among those killed in the attacks, according to the Taliban.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has accused Pakistan of targeting civilian homes in overnight air attacks in the capital Kabul and the southern province of Kandahar, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its third week, overshadowed by the United States-Israel war on Iran igniting the middle East.

Women and children were among those killed in the attacks, according to the Taliban.

Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X Friday that Pakistan’s aircraft also struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s military or government.

Calls for restraint from the international community have gone unheeded by both sides.

On Thursday, the Taliban government said four members of the same family, including two children, were killed by Pakistani artillery and mortar fire in eastern Afghanistan.

The deaths reported on Thursday brought the toll to seven people killed in Afghanistan since Tuesday in cross-border clashes, according to authorities in Kabul. That could rise with the latest attacks on Friday.

Fighting between the two countries intensified on February 26 when Afghanistan launched an offensive along their shared border in retaliation for earlier Pakistani air attacks on the Pakistan Taliban, just two days before the US and Israel attacked Iran, starting a sprawling regional war.

Pakistan maintains that it does not target civilians, and casualty claims from both sides are difficult to verify independently.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters from the Pakistan Taliban, which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan, and from the ISIS (ISIL) affiliate in Khorasan province. Afghan authorities deny the charge.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has said 56 civilians have been killed there, including 24 children, by Pakistani military operations from February 26 to March 5.

Pakistani officials have confirmed about 12 soldiers were killed and 27 wounded in the latest bout of fighting, while the Taliban claims to have killed more than 150.

About 115,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, according to the UN.

Occupied East Jerusalem – Basema Dabash sheds tears daily for the home she and her husband, Raed, were forced to demolish in Sur Baher, in the south of occupied East Jerusalem.

For years, the couple lived under the spectre of losing their home, ever since the Israeli authorities issued a demolition order in 2014. In January of this year, the eviction notice came. And then, on February 12, the family were forced to demolish their home. If they didn’t, they would have been forced to pay the municipality to carry out the demolition.

“We were forced to start demolishing the house ourselves to avoid the municipality’s demolition fees, which can reach 100,000 shekels [$32,000],” Basema, 51, said. “We started by breaking down the inside of the house and sent the municipality photos to confirm that we had begun the demolition, but they demanded that we demolish it from the outside as soon as possible.”

The family soon completed the demolition of the two houses where eight people, including three children, lived. However, this didn’t waive the fine of 45,000 shekels ($14,600), which will continue to be paid in instalments until 2029.

‘Self-demolition’ haunts Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, which has been controlled by Israel since 1967, and illegally merged with West Jerusalem under one Israeli-run administration.

The choice between self-demolition and paying a further fee to the municipality is a simple one – the vast majority of Palestinians can’t afford to pay the exorbitant amount, and resort to demolishing their own homes, despite the immense pain and profound psychological impact it causes.

‘How did we come to this?’

Basema’s troubles started in 2014, when she received a building violation notice from the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem for the building she and her husband shared with their married son, Mohammed, and his family. They appealed at the time to an Israeli court in an attempt to freeze the demolition order.

For more than a decade, the family was forced to pay accumulated fines in an attempt to keep their home. Then, on January 28, they received an eviction notice, giving them a deadline to vacate the house and have it demolished.

The house slated for demolition was 45 square metres (485sq feet), an extension Basema had added to her existing 45-square-metre home. She had also built a similar-sized residence for her married son on top of the extension. The demolition order targeted both the extension and her son’s residence.

The Dabash family tried to obtain a building permit for the house several times, but their requests were rejected by Israel. Despite this, the municipality fines Palestinians and demolishes their homes under the pretext of lacking permits.

“We chose to demolish our own house not only to avoid the fine, but also because the municipal crews show no mercy to anything around the house and deliberately vandalise the entire area under the pretext of demolition, breaking trees and causing extensive damage that we could have done without,” Basema said.

Basema, along with her husband and one of her sons, Abdelaziz, now lives in what remains of their home. Mohammed has also moved in with them, while his wife and children live in her family’s home. The demolition has thus scattered her son’s family, who haven’t yet been able to find a small house to rent due to the high cost of housing.

The family also incurred significant expenses removing the rubble and redesigning the older section of the house to accommodate everyone, not to mention the psychological toll, which has been devastating.

“I stand to wash the dishes and find my tears falling on their own. How did we come to this? Why are we being subjected to this injustice? The house has become cramped and barely fits us. My grandchildren visit us and then cry bitterly when they leave for their grandfather’s house because we have no space,” Basema said sadly.

Increased demolitions

As illegal Israeli settlements continue to expand in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, with building permits easily obtained, Palestinians say the double standards are obvious.

Human Rights Watch has found that Israeli authorities make it “virtually impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits”, and the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem said planning policies in East Jerusalem make it “very difficult for residents to obtain building permits”.

Marouf al-Rifai, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate, told Al Jazeera that 15 self-demolitions were carried out last February, five in January, and 104 in December.

Demolitions, in general, escalated to unprecedented levels after October 2023, when Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began. Al-Rifai said that 400 demolitions were carried out in 2025 in East Jerusalem and its surrounding area, either by municipal crews or by homeowners themselves. Prior to that, the number of demolitions had reached a maximum of 180 per year.

The United Nations has reported that demolitions in 2025 displaced 1,500 Palestinians.

“Even the method of carrying out demolitions changed after the war on Gaza,” al-Rifai said. “Previously, demolitions were only carried out after exhausting all legal avenues and giving residents the opportunity to appeal to the courts and freeze the demolitions.”

But Israeli authorities have taken a more punitive position since demolition policy fell under the influence of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who began pushing for Israeli army bulldozers to carry out demolitions without even notifying the homeowners, al-Rifai said.

In addition, the Palestinian Authority official said, demolition notices for Palestinian homes in Jerusalem increased from 25,000 before the war to 35,000. The town of Silwan alone has received 7,000 demolition notices since 1967.

Fakhri Abu Diab, a member of the Committee for the Defence of al-Bustan Neighborhood in East Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera that self-demolition is a double punishment and pain for the homeowner after the effort and hardship involved in building the house.

“Israel’s goal is to break the morale of the Palestinians and to brainwash them into becoming tools for implementing its plans to demolish homes. When we demolish our own homes, it’s as if we are demolishing a part of our own body,” he explained.

Israel can only demolish a limited number of Palestinian homes annually due to logistical, financial, budgetary, and logistical constraints. Demolition by Palestinians multiplies the number of homes demolished, thus turning the victim into a “demolition contractor”, as he put it.

“I refused to demolish my house myself because of the negative consequences that I and my family would have to live with for the rest of our lives, and the Israeli bulldozers demolished it. If I had done it myself, it would have remained a nightmare that would haunt me.”

No alternative

But the cost of a demolition carried out by Israeli municipal crews ranges between 80,000 and 120,000 shekels ($26,000-$39,000).

Saqr Qunbur couldn’t pay that, and was forced instead, on December 26, to demolish his 100-square-metre (1,076sq-foot) house in Jabal al-Mukabber under the pretext of lacking a permit. He had built it in 2013 and was immediately issued a building violation notice.

Saqr told Al Jazeera that he had lived in the house with his wife and four-year-old child. Since building the house, he has received a total of 80,000 shekels ($26,000) in fines that he’s still paying despite his home being demolished.

Saqr had nowhere to live after being forced to demolish his house, so his neighbour gave him a dilapidated room to live in while he found a place to rent.

“My child has been suffering psychologically since we demolished the house. Every day he asks me why I demolished it, and I don’t know what to tell him. I say it’s so I can build him a better house, but deep down I know I won’t even be able to rent a suitable place,” he explained with anguish.

Saqr chose to demolish his house himself after he says an Israeli officer threatened him, saying, “Demolish it, or I’ll demolish it over your head”. He also wanted to avoid the humiliation that accompanies demolitions carried out by Israel, where police sometimes fire live ammunition and tear gas at family members and carry out assaults, as documented by human rights groups.

“I developed diabetes and high blood pressure after my house was demolished. The doctor said it was due to anger and grief. This is an occupation that wants to expel us from our land, and we want to stay,” he concluded.

PLANS to build a new railway station and more than 1,000 homes on the site of an apocalyptic bunker have been unveiled.

The proposals include building a range of affordable housing, shops, a secondary school, health centre and train station on the site of a former RAF base.

Part of a large housing development at Alconbury Weald in  Huntingdonshire, the new community will sit on top of a sprawling nuclear bunker, built in 1988.

RAF Alconbury was an active airbase from 1938 up to 1995, surviving attacks from Luftwaffe during World War Two.

The construction of the bunker began in the 1980s with the site “designed to withstand a direct nuclear attack”.

Sitting on a bed of gravel, the bunker is made of steel and reinforced concrete – costing £50 million to construct.

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One purpose of the site was to secretly analyse data collected by spy planes during the Cold War.

Blast-proof guillotine doors divide a number of corridors inside, and further underground is a power plant and communications hub with an entire wall filled with buttons and dials.

Already 6,000 new build homes now surround the former military base and bunker after a major development which saw the first residents set up home in 2020.

The developer, Urban&Civic, now plan to expand the Cambridgeshire by building more houses and new railway station, which has been backed by Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Mike Jenner, Development Manager from Urban&Civic, said: “Phase 4 has an important role to play in the delivery of Alconbury Weald, connecting green spaces and key infrastructure.

“The design of Phase 4 ensures walking, cycling and public transport links connect to the wider site seamlessly, and supports the aspirations of our local transport partners to progress a rail station, which will benefit many.”

In homage to the area’s history dedicated green space has been named Runway Park, which the proposed plans include adding “pockets of play space near a water body” to.

Four siblings who were part of Michael Jackson’s secret “second family” have filed a lawsuit revealing the depths of the alleged sexual abuse they suffered as children, including claims that the singer molested one of the boys at the homes of Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor.

The lawsuit, filed against Jackson’s estate in California’s Central District Court on Friday, accuses the late singer of grooming, drugging, raping and sexually assaulting four of the Cascio children — Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo — over the course of more than a decade, beginning when some of them were as young as 7. A fifth sibling, Frank Cascio, is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The pop icon used code phrases such as “Can I have a meeting,” “Yogi Tea,” “Neverland,” and “Go to Disneyland” to encourage the children to engage in “extreme sex acts” with him, the suit alleges. He plied them with wine — “Jesus Juice” — and hard liquor — “Disney Juice “ — and used drugs to make them more compliant, according to the lawsuit.

The “Thriller” singer’s connection to the Cascio family began in the 1980s when he met their father, Dominic Cascio Sr., at a luxury hotel in New York where the father worked.

The lawsuit accuses Jackson of “insinuating himself” into the Cascio family by using “obsessive attention, lavish gifts, access to his celebrity lifestyle, and declarations that he loved and needed each of them.” He invited them to travel around the world with him and celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas and his own birthday with them. He often spent long periods of time at their New Jersey home, where he also brought his own children, according to the complaint.

The chart-topping artist is accused of raping and molesting Edward “Eddie” Cascio at Elizabeth Taylor’s house in Switzerland as well as at Elton John’s home in the United Kingdom. Representatives for Jackson’s estate, Taylor’s estate and John did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch. That property became a central focus of the 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” in which two of Jackson’s accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, detail the abuse they suffered as children.

The complaint states that Jackson’s staff would help conceal and normalize his abuse of the Cascios; employees would deliberately book the parents hotel rooms away from their children, the suit says, so they could not tell how much time Jackson was spending with them.

The entertainer showed the siblings pornography and photos of naked children to desensitize them, the complaint alleges. He told them that his life, their lives and that of their family members would be destroyed if people knew what was going on.

“He told them to stay away from therapists and to avoid women, who he told them were ‘evil,’ ‘sneaky,’ ‘liars,’ and could ‘smell’ if something sexual had happened,” the complaint states.

For decades after the initial 1993 sexual assault claim against Jackson surfaced, the Cascio family did not speak up against the singer.

The performer convinced the parents to withdraw Aldo Cascio and Marie-Nicole Cascio from school on two occasions to “prevent disclosure of the abuse and gain more access to them,” the complaint alleges. The second time was shortly after authorities raided Neverland Ranch in 2003.

The Cascios’ longtime relationship with the superstar became known to the public when they appeared on Oprah in 2010.

During the appearance, they were billed as Jackson’s secret “second family” and said that they were reluctant to come forward but wanted to “show the world who Michael really was.” At the time, the family said that the siblings were never abused and that they didn’t believe the accusations against Jackson.

As the four siblings aged and exposés such as “Leaving Neverland” came out, their statements about their childhood relationship with the pop star shifted. In 2019, several members of the Cascio family entered a confidential settlement agreement with Jackson’s estate agreeing to remain silent about their relationship to the singer.

That agreement provided for Jackson’s estate to pay each sibling five annual payments of about $690,000 as compensation “for the many years that Jackson abused each of them and that the Jackson Organization enabled and covered up the abuse,” according to the complaint. The Cascios say that this amount is “wholly inadequate,” noting that the singer reportedly paid $25 million in 1994 to settle the abuse allegations made against him in 1993.

Now, the four siblings are challenging the agreement as part of their recently filed lawsuit, alleging that they were coerced into signing it without understanding their rights.

“Buried within the Document’s legalese was a purported release of the Estate from liability for Jackson’s crimes, and language that prohibited Plaintiffs from reporting Jackson’s crimes to law enforcement or anyone saying anything negative about Jackson, or holding the Estate accountable in court for its and Jackson’s wrongdoing,” the complaint alleges.

Marty Singer, an attorney for Jackson’s estate, decried the lawsuit as “a desperate money grab” in a statement to People. A representative for Singer did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

“The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct,” Singer told People. “This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies.”

The four Cascio siblings are asking a jury to award them financial damages — including some potentially tripled damages because they were abused as children — over their allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up. They are also asking the court to throw out the 2019 agreement they say was used to silence them and are also seeking a ruling that the estate cannot force their claims into private arbitration.

The historic city has been named a better place to live than the likes of Leeds, Cardiff, York and Bath.

Dunfermline, Scotland’s historic former capital, has claimed the top spot in a new league table as Britain’s best value city. Despite only gaining official city status in 2022 ahead of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the ancient Scottish settlement has beaten major competitors including Leeds and Cardiff to secure first place in The Telegraph’s value-for-money rankings.

Analysis by property specialists Savills shows Dunfermline emerges as the most attractive and affordable option for young graduates grappling with today’s cost of living crisis. The league table saw Newcastle, Salford, Leeds and Cardiff round out the top five most economical cities across the country.

Dunfermline’s success lies in its combination of “well-paid jobs, comparatively low house prices, a favourable ratio of property costs to household income and somewhere which is teeming with culture and amenities”.

Whilst Aberdeen boasts marginally lower property prices and a slightly superior house price-to-income ratio, Dunfermline secured the title due to its robust employment market and vibrant cultural offerings.

The research highlights Dunfermline’s advantageous proximity to Edinburgh, with rail connections transporting commuters to Scotland’s capital in just 32 minutes.

Despite sitting merely 30 minutes apart, homes in Dunfermline cost more than £133,000 less than comparable Edinburgh properties on average. Savills’ research reveals that typical properties in the Fife city command £206,900, with average household earnings sitting at £56,225.

By comparison, the average London home cost £723,132 last year, against a Great Britain average of £346,683.

Those making the move to Dunfermline can enjoy the breathtaking woodland surroundings of Pittencrieff Park, whilst a mere five minutes from the city centre lies the exciting Townhill Country Park and Town Loch – the national training centre for waterskiing and wakeboarding.

The area also boasts a wealth of wild swimming spots, including Aberdour Silver Sands Beach, as well as a flourishing community of independent craft artisans.

The former Art Deco fire station has been reinvented as Fire Station Creative, a buzzing arts hub home to artists, printmakers and jewellers. Newcomers can also discover up-and-coming bands through the city’s lively open mic scene.

Steeped in history, this ancient Scottish capital serves as the burial ground for some of Scotland’s most celebrated monarchs – among them Robert the Bruce.

Local campaigner Michelle McWilliams, who took part in the city status bid, said at the time: “We were Europe’s fastest-growing town. Now we’re one of its most creative and historic small cities.”

London failed to make the top ten, with Lucian Cook, head of residential research for Savills, observing: “House prices are as high as eight times household incomes across 75 percent of the capital.”

Separately, jobs platform Adzuna has found that Leeds offers the most lucrative employment prospects of any city outside London.

Currently, approximately 90,000 properties across the Balearic Islands are owned by foreign nationals

British purchasers could find themselves locked out of some of Spain’s most desirable locations under proposals to prohibit non-residents from buying properties.

Lawmakers in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, the Balearic Islands, are set to consider legislation that would prevent property acquisitions by anyone who hasn’t resided on the islands for at least five years. The measure, put forward by Left-wing party Més per Mallorca, is directly targeting overseas purchasers – including thousands of Britons who acquire holiday homes in the Mediterranean sunshine.

Currently, approximately 90,000 properties across the Balearic Islands are owned by foreign nationals – representing 16% of all housing stock. Additionally, nearly 12,000 Spanish properties were purchased by British buyers in 2024, according to property portal Idealista.

Activists argue that the extent of foreign ownership is eroding local communities and making housing unaffordable for residents. The islands attracted 19 million tourists last year, intensifying frustration about excessive tourism and the transformation of residential properties into holiday rentals and second homes.

Lluís Apesteguia, MP for Més per Mallorca, said “extraordinary measures were necessary” to tackle the pressures. He said: “We have to prioritise the houses that are for living in – not for those who want to speculate and continue with this game of Monopoly.”

If given the green light, the measure could serve as a template for similar restrictions across other parts of Spain. Advocates highlight Denmark’s regulations, which require UK-born buyers to have resided in the country for at least five consecutive years before purchasing property.

Opposition parties remain doubtful the plan would withstand legal challenge. Sebastià Sagreras, spokesman for Centre-Right party People’s Party (PP), said EU regulations meant the plans “cannot be fulfilled” and confirmed his party would vote against them.

Marc Pons of Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) said that whilst the policy could ease price rises, the regional government could “not rely solely on this solution to the problems”.

The debate comes against a backdrop of soaring property values. The average price of a 90-square-metre home in the Balearics has climbed to €461,269 (£403,265) up from €283,825 (£248142) in 2020 – a rise of more than 62%. Foreign buyers accounted for 13.8% of all Spanish property sales last year, totalling almost 97,300 transactions – a record for non-Spanish nationals, according to Idealista.

Ferran Rosa, MP in the Balearic parliament, said: “Housing is certainly the largest problem for Mallorcans, as prices have been rising for years and more and more houses are devoted to non-residential uses.

“Our plan is to ensure that houses are used for living, rather than ‘tourist’ uses, considering second homes for non-residents a tourist use. In this respect, we base our bill in similar regulations existing across the EU that intend to guarantee the right to housing.”

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has showcased a newly constructed residential street for families of soldiers who have died fighting in Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to state media.

Intelligence agencies from South Korea and Western nations have reported that North Korea has dispatched thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia, and Seoul estimated they have suffered 2,000 casualties.

Experts suggested North Korea receives financial aid, military technology and essential supplies from Russia in exchange for this support.

Its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released photographs showing Kim touring the new homes on Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang with his daughter, Ju Ae, widely regarded as his heir apparent.

South Korea’s intelligence agency recently claimed she has been “designated as a successor”, citing her involvement in high-profile events with her father.

One image depicted families inspecting utilities in their new apartments.

“The new street has been built thanks to the ardent desire of our motherland, which wishes that … its excellent sons who defended the most sacred things by sacrificing their most valuable things will live forever,” Kim said in a speech released by KCNA.

Although Monday’s report did not mention Russia, Kim recently pledged to “unconditionally support” all policies and decisions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Before their death, the heroic martyrs must have pictured in their mind’s eye their dear families living in the ever-prospering country,” he added.

The unveiling preceded the ruling Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang, the nation’s most significant political event, scheduled this month. Observers are closely monitoring Kim’s announcements on foreign and domestic policy directions as well as whether Ju Ae will be granted any official party titles.

Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told the AFP news agency that the timing of the street inauguration represents a “highly calculated political move to justify its soldier deployment” before the party congress.

“It visualises the state providing tangible compensation to the families of fallen soldiers … as a symbolic showcase,” he said.