After Friday afternoon’s practice, USC football coach Lincoln Riley said he had no update on D’Anton Lynn, who has been the target of Penn State’s defensive coordinator search.
Penn State showed interest in Lynn last year before he received a contract extension from USC. Lynn was hired by the Trojans after a successful season as the defensive coordinator at UCLA.
“This is what happens this time of year, especially when you have a really good staff and are doing a lot of positive things,” Riley said. “We’re excited about having the opportunity to keep continuity but if there is turnover, not just with that position but any position, these are coveted jobs. It’s just part of the world we live in.
“Obviously, D’Anton has done a really good job here and we’ll see how it turns out.”
Being prepared for change is a must in the current college football climate, Riley said.
“Contingency plans for coaches, players, staff, everyone because so much can and does change,” Riley said. “Our job is to be prepared and have flexibility. You can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen but you have to be ready to adjust. Yeah, every team goes through it on some level and you try to handle it as well as you can.”
Riley has liked what he has seen in practice as USC (9-3) prepares for its Alamo Bowl matchup against Texas Christian on Dec. 30.
“We’ve done a really good job the last couple of years of going to work and we’re not thinking about what players or coaches are here or aren’t here,” Riley said. “It’s all about trying to maximize this time and build for the future.”
USC announced Tuesday that redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava had re-signed for the upcoming season and is not joining Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane — USC’s two best receivers — in declaring for the 2026 NFL draft.
“It’s great. Anytime you can get a returning guy like that who has played a good amount of football, it’s important,” Riley said of Maiava. “He’s also become a good leader in this program and I’d expect that to continue to improve. The majority of this team has already re-signed, we know those guys are going to be here and it’s cool for those guys to show how much they believe in this place and what we’re doing.
“The exciting thing is you look ahead and you start to imagine pairing what we have coming back with what’s going to be walking through the door here in three weeks or so, but it starts with your veterans who have been through the fire and we have a lot of them back.”
Maiava, one of the last players to leave the practice field Friday, made it clear why he chose to stay.
“Coach Riley,” Maiava said. “Of course, the staff too and my brothers. I’m super grateful to be back out here. I’m focused on a day at a time, staying level-headed, making the right decisions and just taking care of the ball.”
Maiava is happy for Lemon, who won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver after catching 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior this season.
“It was awesome, everybody was there in the lobby when we found out … it’s well-deserved,” Maiava said. “He and Ja’Kobi set the standard for everyone. He won the award, so I’d say we had pretty good chemistry even off the field going out to eat and places. I had to do my job, but he did his job, too, as best he could.”
Defensive end Braylan Shelby also is grateful to be back with the Trojans for another season.
“I always knew I wanted to be here, he said. “Bowl games mean a lot and it’s a time for the team to put it all together and play together one last time.”
Regarding the new NFL model for announcing re-signings, Shelby said: “Some people love it, some hate it. … USC is a step ahead of the game and I think it’s the right step. In this NIL era, it helps fans know who’s returning.”
Having re-signed, junior safety Christian Pierce is excited about being a potential starter next fall.
“The bowl game is a huge start going into next season in terms of building the culture,” Pierce said. “My focus is on trying to understand the defense even more and the skills and techniques I’ll need to get better at. The talk after re-signing was more on the coaching staff and the program.”
Riley praised offensive lineman Tobias Raymond on his willingness and ability to play multiple positions on the front line.
“He was one of the most important players on the entire team,” Riley said. “His toughness was off the charts, his versatility with all the different lineups we played, being able to physically and mentally handle that. He was just a steadying presence. He’ll be a huge key coming back as a captain, a leader and a player. As many of those guys as you can have in a locker room — you’ll be a lot closer to winning.”
Much to his coach’s liking, Raymond has embraced his leadership role.
“I’ve just tried to be more vocal, set an example and hold other people to the standard our coaches have put out for us,” said the 6–foot-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore out of Ventura. “Pick people up when things are low and when things are high making sure we’re keeping level-headed.”
Regarding the transfer portal, Riley said he plans to be less reliant on it than in previous years.
“The number we’re talking about is so much less than before, so moving forward we’ll be able to zero in on what we’re going to go after. So the picture is starting to become clearer on what we’ll be targeting.”
In order to speed up flights and improve punctuality, it will install AI-powered turnaround tech.
This will involve a network of cameras being installed across Heathrow.
Using AI to analyse data, the airport will speed up turnaround times between flights, which will make journeys more punctual.
Coverage is expected to be across all terminals by the end of 2026.
Other upgrades will be to accessibility, which will have dedicated access to security for the first time.
Alongside new mobility equipment, Heathrow is investing in upgrades to assistance areas across the airport.
Terminal 2 will improve its baggage facilitiesCredit: Alamy
There will be a purpose-built assistance area and the UK’s first Tailored Travel Guide.
Passengers with various access needs can input their travel details and get a personalised step-by-step guide to navigate the airport.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: “Passengers should expect that every time they travel through Heathrow their journey is better than the last.”
He added: “I’m excited to unveil next year’s programme which will make Heathrow more user-friendly, more efficient and more resilient for our customers.
“This investment will flow directly into our nationwide supply chain helping to drive economic growth whilst we make Heathrow even better and more efficient for our customers.”
The upgrades made in December 2025 are part of Heathrow’s current five-year investment plan.
AI-tech should improve passenger journeys and there will be improvements to accessibilityCredit: Getty Images
In 2024, the airport saw almost 30million passengers, but with the new plans could see 20million more.
The airport in question is London Stansted in Essex which has plans for more flights, but no structural changes.
London Stansted could rise to become the UK’s second busiest airport, rather than the fourth, after councillors agreed to increase its annual passenger numbers to 51million.
The owner, Manchester Airports Group’s, latest plan is to increase passenger capacity at the airport to between 48 and 51million people per year by 2040.
In comparison, London Gatwick sees between 40 to 43million passengers each year.
While you might think that the airport would need an additional runway, there are no plans to build one.
There won’t be a second runway, or exceed the airport’s limit of 274,000 flights a year.
The way it will increase its passengers is by accommodating larger planes.
On December 17, 2025, Uttlesford District Council’s Planning Committee ruled in favour of the application.
Rita Simons has admitted she would happily sit down with EastEnders bosses to discuss a return even though her soap character was killed off almost a decade ago
Rita Simons has admitted that she would consider a return to EastEnders(Image: Getty Images)
Rita Simons has admitted that she would consider a return to EastEnders. The actress, 48, became an instant fan-favourite on the BBC soap when she arrived to play Roxy Mitchell in 2007, turning up alongside Samatha Womack as her on-screen sister Ronnie.
The pair were involved in multiple dramas over their decade-long stay in Albert Square, but it all came to a fatal head on New Year’s Day 2007 when Roxy drunkenly jumped into a swimming pool, and Ronnie jumped in to save her, only to be weighed down by her wedding dress as they both drowned.
Despite being killed off, there have been rumours of a return in one way or another, and Rita initially made a brief reappearance as Roxy in the form of a hallucination in 2023, where she comforted her on-screen daughter Amy. But almost a decade since being axed, Rita, who recently enjoyed a stint in Hollyoaks as Marie Fielding, has admitted she is always asked about a comeback and would happily discuss the idea with soap bosses.
She said: “It just doesn’t, it doesn’t stop! Someone, I won’t name them, said to me the other day ‘the resilience of your fans is impressive. And it is. Listen, if it was a meeting, we’d be there. But no, I’ve been having lots of very sort of, I’m looking at the gritty dramas, the comedies, the gangster stuff.
“Of course, if EastEnders came knocking, we’d definitely have a conversation.” After leaving EastEnders, Rita starred in a UK tour of the musical Legally Blonde and then competed in the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! jungle.
Speaking to The Sun, she added: “I think that’s kind of another reason I knew it was time to leave Hollyoaks because I knew that I always wanted to do more drama. And I think it’s easier to transcend when you don’t hang around too long,” before noting that she’d “hung around long enough” in the BBC soap that a comeback might be possible.
Rita’s on-screen sibling Samantha has also enjoyed a successful career on screen and stage since leaving EastEnders, and recently admitted during an appearance on Loose Women that she had been through “all sorts” personally amid her time on the soap and was “terrified” at the thought off leaving, but it altered her outlook on life, especially after facing a battle with cancer.
She said: “When you’re in a place for nine years and you’re playing that character every day, and you’re embedded in that family structure, so you believe that the people who are your sisters, brothers, uncles, cousins, whatever, then you believe that they really are because you see them every day.
“You go through all sorts of emotional things together, the birth of your children, funerals, and this is with the crew as well. You get to know such this wonderful group of people for such a long time and then Ronnie drowned in a pool.
“I thought it was shot beautifully. In retrospect, it’s very easy to hold onto safety, isn’t it? Particularly in our game, being self-employed is terrifying. I don’t know if it was a favour [killing me off], but my whole outlook on life has changed.”
“I got diagnosed with breast cancer and survived it for no,w but the beauty of everything that happens to you, the ups, the downs, is the beautiful chaos of it all and what you’d miss if you weren’t here.”
Earlier this year, the former Mount Pleasant star admitted that she started saying no to a lot of opportunities after her treatment, but knew she needed to do something to get back to earning a sustainable income. She told The Mirror: “After my year-and-a-half of treatment, I started turning down a lot of stuff – and I didn’t have the bank balance to match that confidence, trust me.
“It was me saying the word ‘no’ and my bank account creaking. But there was empowerment in that because I thought, ‘OK, I need to go through this, spend time with myself and figure out stuff that I’ve never figured out – maybe stuff I’ve buried under a rug.’”
IF the Beckhams expected a heartwarming reunion with their oldest son for Christmas, they could be disappointed.
Recent efforts to reach out to estranged Brooklyn — who has been missing from all the family’s milestones this year — appear to have been met with a frosty reception.
The Beckhams’ recent efforts to reach out to estranged Brooklyn appear to have been met with a frosty receptionCredit: Instagram26-year-old Brooklyn was absent from all the family’s milestones this yearCredit: AFPBrooklyn has not been pictured with his family since Christmas last yearVictoria shared a photo of her mum Jackie’s fireplace adorned with stockings. Each bore the name of one of her grandchildren — including BrooklynCredit: Instagram
It is fast approaching 12 months since the rift began, but David and Victoria remain optimistic that their icy relationship might still thaw.
However, 26-year-old Brooklyn was absent from them all. In fact, he has not been pictured with his family since Christmas last year.
This week, his brother Cruz, 20, tried to bridge the divide by sharing throwback snaps on Instagram. One showed Brooklyn with an arm around his youngest sibling on a beach in Brazil when they were little.
And last month, their grandmother Jackie left a sweet comment with a heart emoji under one of Brooklyn’s social media posts.
Overnight, David also shared an old snap of him winning the MLS Cup when he played for LA Galaxy.
But so far, Brooklyn has failed to respond. And his most recent online post made no mention of the rest of the Beckham clan.
If the chance to hang out with the squad’s superstar strikerLionel Messi did not tempt him to turn up, few things will.
David and Victoria are not giving up on reconciling with Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz, 30.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, a Beckham insider tells us Victoria, who is also mum to Harper, 14, and Romeo, 23, is still struggling to make sense of the fallout.
But ever the showwoman, she is focusing on keeping things merry and bright for the rest of the clan.
We are told: “Victoria is determined not to let the argument with Brooklyn ruin Christmas, even though she is absolutely heartbroken by it.
“It’s been a year since they last all saw each other and it’s something she will never come to terms with.
“But she won’t let it get her down over the festive period as she needs to be strong, especially for Harper, as well as her parents and David’s parents.
“They have done nothing in all of this, but it seems like they’re the ones being punished the most.”
Last month, Victoria shared a photo of her mum Jackie’s fireplace adorned with stockings. Each bore the name of one of her grandchildren — including Brooklyn, who has reportedly cut his grandparents out of his life, too.
Victoria is determined not to let the argument with Brooklyn ruin Christmas, even though she is absolutely heartbroken by it
Insider
Days later, David’s mum Sandra left a comment under a festive social media post Brooklyn had shared. In it, he was seen wrapping up a bottle of his own hot sauce brand, Cloud23, to which Sandra replied, “That for me” alongside a heart emoji.
Her question went unanswered, but followers flocked to the comment section begging Brooklyn to reach out to his family before it’s too late.
One raged: “Go and see your parents . . . you only get one set and that’s it,” while another simply said, “Ring your mother!”
Victoria may be famous for not smiling, but now, in a bid to keep the family’s spirits up, she’s plastering on a big one.
Our source said: “Brooklyn spent so much time with her parents Jackie and Tony for the first few years of his life and they had such a special bond, while Sandra looked after him so much growing up. It’s awful they no longer have that close relationship.
“Harper really misses her big brother and Nicola. Victoria is hoping that Brooklyn at least calls his grandparents over Christmas. She’s given up on him calling her.”
We are told that, as usual, the family will spend Christmas Day surrounded by loved ones at their £12million Cotswolds pile.
Brooklyn stayed deafeningly silent when dad David was finally awarded his knighthood in JuneCredit: InstagramHe was also the only member of the family not celebrating last week when David lifted the MLS Cup again, this time as co-owner of Inter MiamiCredit: GettyDavid shared an ‘olive branch’ snap to Brooklyn amid their family’s feudCredit: Instagram
“They feel it’s a case of the more, the merrier, as it’s then less obvious that Brooklyn isn’t there,” our source revealed.
It’s safe to say that no one could have predicted how bitter things would get this time last year. Granted, there had been simmering tensions between Brooklyn and Nicola and his family since their wedding in 2022.
At the time, there was confusion over Nicola’s decision to wear a Valentino gown instead of one designed by her mother-in-law. It was later claimed Victoria offered to dress her son’s bride, then backed out.
Despite the rumoured tension that followed, Nicola and Brooklyn continued to represent the family brand for a while. But that support is gone.
In May, Brooklyn and Nicola — who live in a $16million Los Angeles mansion — failed to attend David’s birthday celebrations or even acknowledge his 50th online.
She won’t let it get her down over the festive period as she needs to be strong, especially for Harper, as well as her parents and David’s parents
Insider
Brooklyn also did not wish his mum a happy birthday a month earlier, but posted gushing tributes to Nicola, including the pointed comment: “I always choose you, baby.”
Likewise, he stayed deafeningly silent when David was finally awarded his knighthood in June, and snubbed November’s investiture.
Brooklyn also failed to give a nod to Victoria’s Netflix documentary, Victoria Beckham, which came out in October. That month, she debuted her spring 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week, again without her eldest son’s backing.
But by all accounts, Brooklyn’s biggest two-fingered salute to his parents had to be his very lavish, very loud, vows renewal in August.
According to insiders, he did not even tell them about the event, which was held at his in-laws’ mega-mansion in New York.
Nicola’s billionaire father Nelson Peltz presided over it, and the bride wore her mother Claudia’s wedding dress. The message was clear: They’ve officially jumped off the Beckham bandwagon.
But Brooklyn’s biggest two-fingered salute to his parents had to be his very lavish, very loud, vows renewal in AugustCredit: InstagramBrooklyn pictured with the Peltz familyCredit: Instagram/brooklynpeltzbeckham
To that end, there have even been whispers in recent weeks that Brooklyn and Nicola — who both go by double-barrelled Peltz-Beckham — are planning to drop the Beckham from their surname.
Nepo baby Brooklyn has long capitalised from his famous family name — and Nicola, who was not that well known before marrying him, has benefitted from it, too.
They don’t need the Beckham name any more and they would like any future babies to be Peltzes
Insider
Her family’s wealth, estimated at $1.7billion, may eclipse the Beckhams’ £500million fortune, but her in-laws’ social cache in showbiz circles has opened myriad doors to the aspiring actress and model.
But now it is feared they are determined to cut ties for good.
‘Ultimate insult’
An insider told Heat magazine: “They both feel their double-barrelled name is associated with the feud and they want to move on.
“They don’t need the Beckham name any more and they would like any future babies to be Peltzes.
“Obviously, it would be the ultimate insult to David and Victoria — they’ve spent nearly 30 years building up Brand Beckham and, if Brooklyn dropped the family name, there would be no going back.
“It feels like he’d be making their current estrangement permanent.”
Cruz’s tried to bridge the divide by sharing throwback snaps on InstagramCredit: Instagram/ @cruzbeckhamThe snap shared by the brother showed Brooklyn with an arm around his youngest sibling on a beach in Brazil when they were littleCredit: Instagram/ @cruzbeckham
Ironically, despite the documentary, plus TV and podcast chats, showing Victoria’s more authentic side, she is having to stay tight-lipped about her personal anguish.
However, amid the turmoil, she has been wowing the US, popping up on late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live and featuring on podcast Call Her Daddy.
The Beckhams famously lived in LA when David played football there but, while well received by the celebrity jet-set, they never fully found their footing, with Victoria still carrying the mantle of a WAG.
Now, though, the US is taking her seriously as a fashion designer, beauty impresario and a pop icon with a wicked sense of humour, which she would no doubt love to celebrate with her whole family.
After Christmas, we are told the Beckhams will head to Bath for Holly Ramsay and Adam Peaty’s wedding on the 27th.
They are long-time pals with the bride’s family — Gordon Ramsay, and his wife Tana, plus their six children. But while the Ramsays were all there to see Brooklyn and Nicola say “I do”, it’s unlikely they’ll return the favour.
The fact Olympian Adam’s mum Caroline is banned from the nuptials amid a fallout will no doubt resonate with David and Victoria.
Still, some Beckham fans reckon there is still hope of a reconciliation. Firstly, Brooklyn’s stocking on his grandma’s fireplace proves that he will always have a place in the family.
Then, Cruz’s memories of the siblings as kids may hint he is mellowing after backing his parents and, along with brother Romeo, unfollowing Brooklyn on Instagram.
He has also lashed out at whispers the row erupted as Romeo was dating Brooklyn’s ex, Kim Turnbull — rumours she strongly denied.
Still, the question remains: Will Brooklyn take his cue and bury the hatchet for good? All signs so far point to a stubbornness that’s set to continue into the new year.
Brooklyn has made it clear that Nicola is his priority and, with her also showing little interest in a reconciliation, Victoria knows rooting for a reunion could be futile.
Then again, there’s always hope of a Christmas miracle.
Victoria’s mum Jackie pictured with a young BrooklynCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdDavid’s mum Sandra left a comment along with a heart emoji under a festive social media post Brooklyn had shared for his own hot sauce brand, Cloud23Credit: instagram/brooklynbeckhamBrooklyn with his grandmother Sandra watching his father during Real Madrid’s victory against Mallorca in the Spanish Super CupCredit: Big Pictures
WASHINGTON — FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Wednesday that he will resign from the bureau next month, ending a brief and tumultuous tenure in which he clashed with the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and was forced to reconcile the realities of his law enforcement job with provocative claims he made in his prior role as a popular podcast host.
The departure, which had been expected, would be among the highest-profile resignations of the Trump administration. It comes as FBI leadership has been buffeted by criticism over Director Kash Patel’s use of a government plane for personal purposes and social media posts about active investigations.
Bongino announced his planned departure in a post on X in which he said he was grateful for the “opportunity to serve with purpose.” He did not say precisely when in January he would leave or detail his future plans.
President Trump said earlier Wednesday, in response to a question about Bongino’s fate: “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.”
Bongino was always an unconventional pick for the No. 2 job at the FBI, a position that historically has entailed oversight of the bureau’s day-to-day operations and typically has been held by a career agent. Though he had previously worked as a New York City police officer and Secret Service agent, neither he nor Patel had any experience at the FBI before being picked for their jobs.
Nonetheless, Bongino was installed in the role in March by Trump after years as a conservative podcast host, where he used his platform to repeatedly rail against FBI leadership and to encourage conspiracy theories related to the Epstein sex-trafficking case and pipe bombs discovered in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
Once in the position, Bongino struggled to placate elements of Trump’s base who expected him to quickly deliver the reform he had claimed was needed at the FBI and to uncover the truths he had said had been hidden by the federal government.
On the Epstein case, for instance, he had previously challenged the official ruling that the wealthy financier had taken his own life in a New York jail soon after his 2019 arrest. But once in the FBI, he said in a Fox News interview: “I’ve seen the whole file. He killed himself.”
Bongino had separately speculated as recently as last year that the pipe bombs placed on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot were an “inside job” and part of a “massive cover-up.” But after the FBI earlier this month arrested a 30-year-old Virginia man with no evident connection to the federal government, Bongino was pressed about his prior comments.
“I was paid in the past for my opinions,” Bongino said in a Fox News interview. “One day I will be back in that space, but that’s not what I’m paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts.”
A PLAN to expand one UK airport has been approved – meaning it could become the second busiest in the country.
In 2024, the airport saw almost 30million passengers, but with the new plans could see 20million more.
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London Stansted wants to expand to welcome 20million additional passengers by 2040Credit: AlamyBut this won’t require any additional runways or physical expansionCredit: Alamy
The airport in question is London Stansted in Essex which has plans for more flights, but no structural changes.
London Stansted could rise to become the UK’s second busiest airport, rather than the fourth, after councillors agreed to increase its annual passenger numbers to 51million.
The owner, Manchester Airports Group’s, latest plan is to increase passenger capacity at the airport to between 48 and 51million people per year by 2040.
In comparison, London Gatwick sees between 40 to 43million passengers each year.
Israeli authorities are engaged in multiple major efforts, including building settlements and pursuing annexation, to ensure there will be no Palestinian state in the future.
Israeli authorities are expected to advance plans to build 9,000 new housing units in an illegal settlement on the site of the abandoned Qalandiya airport in occupied East Jerusalem, in another attempt to cut off Palestinian lands from each other and block any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state ever emerging.
The so-called Atarot neighbourhood in northern East Jerusalem, reminiscent of the E1 plan to undermine Palestinian statehood, is to be discussed and have its outlines approved on Wednesday by the District Planning and Building Committee, according to Israeli group Peace Now.
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The advocacy group said the new settlement is envisioned to be built within a densely populated Palestinian urban area, stretching from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and Kafr Aqab in the north through the Qalandiya refugee camp, ar-Ram, Beit Hanina and Bir Nabala.
It would build an Israeli enclave in an area where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in close proximity, with the aim of blocking development in a key area and further damaging the likelihood of a sovereign Palestinian state being established.
“This is a destructive plan that, if implemented, would prevent any possibility of connecting East Jerusalem with the surrounding Palestinian area and would, in practice, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel,” Peace Now said.
Translation: The massacre government is working to establish a new ultra-Orthodox mega-settlement across the Green Line north of Jerusalem. The new political attack called ‘Atarot’ is planned to be built in the heart of the Palestinian state that will be established alongside Israel. This involves 9,000 housing units that Israel will have to evacuate. Isn’t it a shame?
The organisation said the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seizing every moment to bury chances for a future of peace and compromise.
“Especially now, when it is clear to everyone that the ideas of ‘managing the conflict’ and ‘decisive victory’ have led to a security disaster for Israel, we must act to resolve the conflict.”
The plan’s advancements date back to early 2020, when Israel’s Housing Ministry sent it to the Jerusalem municipality to prepare it for approval. It completed the bureaucratic preparation process within months, but faced objections from the Environmental Protection and Health ministries, according to Peace Now, which said the administration of United States President Barack Obama had also opposed it.
It would need further government consideration and approval before being given legal effect and moving towards tender processes to select construction contractors.
Most of the plan area is designated as “state land” by Israeli authorities, meaning they would not have to seek permission from Palestinian landowners.
Israel has been quickly advancing with several major projects to build illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory and pursuing annexation of the occupied West Bank, alongside its genocidal war on Gaza that started in October 2023 and has now killed more than 70,000 people.
The E1 plan, which would see the construction of thousands of illegal Israeli homes in the occupied West Bank, is hailed by Israeli officials despite international condemnation.
Israel’s security cabinet last week signed off on plans to formalise 19 illegal settlements across the West Bank.
Demolitions and widespread arrests
Israeli forces continue to launch raids across the occupied West Bank and support violent settlers in attacking Palestinian lands while issuing permits to demolish Palestinian homes.
Israeli authorities began carrying out demolition operations Wednesday morning in the town of Biddu, located northwest of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext that the Palestinian buildings lacked permits.
In the central part of the West Bank, settlers, who have been rampaging with impunity often backed by the Israeli military, burned Palestinian vehicles and wrote racist slogans in the village of Ein Yabrud in Ramallah on Wednesday.
Several Palestinians were also arrested during raids across the West Bank, including in Nablus.
Coronation Street viewers blasted one character’s sudden exit storyline as they struggled to believe it could happen and labelled the whole thing as a ‘disaster’
22:52, 16 Dec 2025Updated 22:57, 16 Dec 2025
Dee Dee Bailey looks set to wave goodbye to Weatherfield for good (Image: ITV)
Coronation Street fans described Tuesday’s episode as a “disaster” after Dee Dee Bailey announced her plans to leave. The lawyer, who has been played by Channique Sterling-Brown, 28, since 2022, decided on the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap that it was time to move on from the Weatherfield backstreet.
The programme normally airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but there was a slight schedule change owing to ITV’s upcoming coverage of the the Carabao Cup. It has been known for some time know that Dee Dee was set to leave the show, and in newest episode, she revealed she had been offered a new job – but there was a catch.
At first, she was hesitant to tell her father Ed about it, but over a celebratory lunch with him and her brothers at the Bistro, she revealed that it was in Singapore.
Fans will know that Dee Dee is mother to baby Laila, who was born in March, but there had been a lot of back-and-forth over whether her brother James would take on the guardianship. Once James realised what this meant, he raged: “A creche in Singapore, 24/7? You really think that’s in her best interests? What do they even speak out there?”
Pleading her case, Dee Dee said: “I have agonised over this. And yes, it’s the right thing for me, but I’m sorry, it is also the best thing for Laila. A job where I can make a difference!” James raged: “I was there for you. I was there for Laila. I provided a solution. This was your idea! This was always, always going to happen.”
He then told his sister that she had “timed” everything to make sure things turned out this way and when he and Michael were in the pub later on, things had still not calmed down. When Dee Dee walked in, she offered to buy James a drink but he refused. He then headed into the pub toilets where he burst into tears, and text on/off lover Carl Webster to see if he wanted to meet up.
As details of Dee Dee’s exit plans came to light, fans took to social media to share their reaction. One wrote: “Losing Dee Dee but keeping the rest of the Baileys is such a disaster,” whilst another said: “So Dee dee has been a solicitor in New York Wethersfield and now Singapore. Where next Seaham Harbour?”
A third added: “I like Dee Dee but I wish this new job was a bit more believable. She is going to Singapore alone, no support, with a baby. If she took a job near her ‘gone to look after her aunt and never seen again mother’, I could believe it,” and a fourth wrote: “Dee Dee never spends any time with her kid now when she’s surrounded by family, so she’ll probably never see her in Singapore. She’ll be fobbed off to a nursery or nanny.”
Actress Channique, 28, announced her departure to The Mirror and other press, explaining for the first time her reasons for stepping down from the role. Channique said it felt like the right time “to be brave” and try new roles, as she got tearful in her exit chat.
Becoming emotional, she revealed she would miss her character, as she explained her decision that she made months ago. She said: “I made the decision in spring, and it wasn’t a rash decision. You know, I really took a couple of months from being offered my next year contract to actually even respond.
“I felt really torn, but I really just had, you know, the sense that it just felt like the time. I feel like I’ve been so privileged, and I’ve got to tell some great stories, and it’s been so wonderful. And obviously I’m very led by my faith as well.
“So I just really took my time over it and prayed into it. And I think, yeah, I found a real sense that I had done what I’d come to do, if that makes sense, not that I ever knew exactly what it was, but it just felt like I had achieved what I was sent here to do, so it was time to be brave.”
She told us: “I think Dee-Dee has changed a lot. She’s been through a lot. She was so ditsy and all this stuff when she came. But I think she very quickly, like we saw her heart with her being with Paul a lot, and we saw her strength standing up to Adam.
“We saw her, you know, soft side with all the stuff with her dad and the gambling. So I think, you know, she, she still has all those things. I think she’s definitely, obviously a bit worse for wear.
“But I think she’s finding her way back to herself at the minute. I think that’s really lovely, where we see her on screen. She’s finding some happiness. She’s finding herself again. And I think that’s life, isn’t it? You obviously change and things shape you, but it’s how many times you get back up? That’s what counts.”
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Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin, elected unopposed in 2023 as a nominee of the Awami League, has announced his intention to step down midway through his term following February’s parliamentary election. His decision comes amid tensions with the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Although the presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, Shahabuddin gained national prominence during the student-led uprising in August 2024, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi and parliament was dissolved. During this period, Shahabuddin remained the last constitutional authority in the country.
Conflict with Interim Government
Shahabuddin described feeling sidelined by Yunus, citing instances such as being excluded from meetings, the removal of his press department, and the sudden elimination of his portraits from Bangladeshi embassies worldwide. “A wrong message goes to the people that perhaps the president is going to be eliminated. I felt very much humiliated,” he told Reuters in his first media interview since taking office.
Despite these grievances, he affirmed that he would remain in office until elections are held, respecting constitutional norms, and would allow the next government to determine his successor.
Political Landscape Ahead of Elections
Opinion polls suggest the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and hardline Jamaat-e-Islami are the leading contenders to form the next government. Shahabuddin has emphasized that no party has asked him to resign in recent months, and he maintains regular contact with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, who has assured him of no intention to seize power.
Military and Democratic Context
Bangladesh has a history of military intervention in politics, but Shahabuddin indicated that the army leadership is committed to democratic processes. During the August 2024 protests, the military largely stayed out of the conflict, which helped shape the political transition.
Personal Analysis
Shahabuddin’s planned resignation reflects a deeper struggle over the symbolic authority of the presidency amid political instability. Although the role is ceremonial, the treatment he received from the interim government appears to have eroded his sense of institutional respect. His public statements highlight not only personal frustration but also the fragility of democratic norms in transitional periods.
Furthermore, the situation underscores the delicate balance between civilian authority and the military in Bangladesh, where past interventions have shaped governance patterns. By signaling his willingness to step down while remaining constitutionally compliant, Shahabuddin seeks to preserve institutional legitimacy while avoiding direct confrontation, potentially smoothing the path for the incoming administration and reducing political friction in a tense electoral environment.
Overall, his resignation would mark a symbolic transition, emphasizing both the limitations of the presidency in Bangladesh’s political system and the ongoing influence of military and interim authorities in shaping the political landscape.
The Danish government has announced a new plan to restrict the use of social media for anyone under the age of 15, though in some cases parents will be able to let their children use social platforms from age 13. The reforms come amid concerns that kids are getting too swept up in a digital world with harmful content.
Tourists from 42 countries may soon need to also disclose email accounts, extensive family history and biometrics to enter US.
Visitors who are eligible to enter the United States without a visa may soon be required to provide the Department of Homeland Security with significantly more personal information, including details about their social media activity, email accounts and family background.
According to a notice published on Wednesday in the Federal Register, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is proposing to collect up to five years of social media data from travellers from certain visa-waiver countries.
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The proposed requirement would apply to travellers using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 42 countries – including the United Kingdom, Germany, Qatar, Greece, Malta, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Israel and South Korea – to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days.
Currently, the ESTA automatically screens applicants and grants travel approval without requiring an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, unlike standard visa applications.
At present, ESTA applicants are required to provide a more limited set of information, such as their parents’ names, current email address, and details of any past criminal record.
A question asking travellers to disclose their social media information was first added to the ESTA application in 2016, though it has remained optional.
New rules also target metadata, email history
The new notice also states that the CBP plans to request additional personal information from visitors, including telephone numbers used over the past five years and email addresses used over the last 10 years.
Authorities also said they plan to add what they describe as “high-value data fields” to the ESTA application “when feasible”. These would include metadata from electronically submitted photographs, extensive personal details about applicants’ family members, such as their places of birth and telephone numbers used over the past five years, as well as biometric information, including fingerprints, DNA and iris data.
The announcement did not say what the administration was looking for in the social media accounts of visitors or why it was asking for more information.
But the CBP said it was complying with an executive order that US President Donald Trump signed in January that called for more screening of people coming to the US to prevent the entry of possible national security threats.
Travellers from countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program system are already required to submit their social media information, a policy that dates back to the first Trump administration. The policy remained during US President Joe Biden’s administration.
The public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposed changes before they are finalised, the notice in the Federal Register states.
The NFL is advocating a more performance-driven model for its game officials, one linking bonuses and postseason assignments to regular-season grades as opposed to seniority.
The plan was outlined in a memo distributed to the league’s 32 teams Wednesday and obtained by the Los Angeles Times. It comes with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with game officials expiring at the end of May and negotiations slowed to a crawl.
The topic was part of a two-hour virtual owners meeting on Wednesday.
In the memo, sent by NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent and Management Council General Counsel Lawrence Ferazani Jr., the league said it is looking to implement changes that will “improve the performance of game officials, increase accountability, and ensure that the highest-performing officials are officiating our highest profile games.”
The NFL is pushing for mandatory training and development programs for low-performing and probationary officials, and contends the union is “resisting our efforts to give these officials access to more practice repetitions.”
The league is also seeking to extend the probationary period for assessing new game officials to have more flexibility to identify and remove those who are underperforming. According to the document, the union’s latest proposal seeks to eliminate the probationary period entirely.
“Our union’s negotiating committee is working diligently on behalf of members, and we will continue to respect that process,” said Scott Green, Executive Director of the NFL Referees’ Assn., in a statement. “We look forward to our continued conversations with the league as we make progress towards a new CBA.”
As it stands, the NFL has no communication with game officials following the Super Bowl through May 15. The league wants to shorten that so-called “dead period” and increase access to officials for rules discussions, video review and the like.
The league is also proposing a practice squad for game officials to deepen the bench of talent.
The next formal bargaining session between the NFL and officials union is scheduled for Dec. 30 in Atlanta.
Ed Sheeran is planning to turn a piggery and farm into a “rural Abbey Road” as he gears up for a massive renovation projectCredit: GettyThe farm isn’t far from Sheeranville (pictured), which is Ed’s massive estateCredit: RexThe space will be split up into a studio on one floor and an office/library on the otherCredit: Getty
Dating back to the 19th century, recent pictures show the piggery and barn in ruins, but the singer has grand plans to turn this historic farmstead into a music-making haven.
Ed quietly bought the farm estate, which includes a Grade II-listed farmhouse – around 400 years old – for £1,100,000 over two years ago.
Since then, his team of planners and architects have been liaising with the council regarding planning rights when it comes to converting the outbuildings.
Plans for the piggery reveal that it will be given a dramatic overhaul with a large main studio in the middle, “studio space” either side of this, plus equipment storage.
This application faced little opposition from council departments especially after an ecology report showed that there was minimal impact to any protected species.
The piggery had “negligible suitability for roosting bats”, “very low potential for great crested newts”, although it would provide “potential habitat for nesting birds”.
So Ed’s team promised to work around the nesting season, ideally just the September to February months.
It wasn’t quite as simple converting the barn into a “flexible commercial space”, which, for Ed, will be a music studio to rehearse and make his hit-selling records.
Plans show this smaller space will be split over two levels; on the ground floor will be a studio, storage, kitchen, shower and toilet. While the upper floor is to be an “office/library”.
Some council teams were concerned and initially objected.
Land contamination wanted a “desk study conducted by a qualified geo-environmental consultant’ rather than a ‘simplified’ questionnaire, which Ed’s team had initially submitted but was told it was ’not suitable for this development”.
Environmental protection also objected about the potential of ’noise impact’ on a nearby farmhouse, although it was quickly realised that this was Ed’s own farmhouse.
Highways and the public right of way were concerned about ‘significant increases’ in vehicle movements and the impact this would have on a nearby public footpath.
But these were only minor hitches before the council gave the green light last month.
If Ed and his backing crew end up making a record-breaking album in the barn, then it would be breaking strict planning conditions.
ED’S PROPERTY EMPIRE
Sheeranville, Suffolk – £3.7M
Sheeranville, which is Ed’s main residence, is a sprawling 16-acre countryside estate in Suffolk.
From a treehouse and wildlife pond to a pub and cinema, the estate isn’t short of facilities for Ed and his family.
While the price of Ed’s Italian residence is unknown, the villa does come equipped with its own vineyards, so undoubtedly wasn’t cheap.
Notting Hill mansion – £20M
Ed’s Notting Hill home was previously used a backdrop for his music video and sits near the cafe he owns on Portobello Road, “Bertie Blossoms.”
22 flats and homes across London
As well as his mansion in Notting Hill, Ed owns at least 22 properties across London’s most sought after areas including Covent Garden, Battersea, Kensington, Chiswick and Whitechapel.
He rents out the majority of these properties, meaning Ed could be your landlord!
Office building in Soho – £8.25M
This office was Ed’s first commercial property purchase
The council’s approval notice states: “The use of the barn shall remain functionally linked to the adjacent dwelling as a personal studio space.
“[The] reason to safeguard the residential amenity of nearby occupiers and to ensure that the development remains acceptable in terms of noise impact.”
This condition came after Ed’s team stated in its planning statement that the barn’s music studio would be solely for the owner’s use.
It said: “The barn sits within a large private space with a formal, established, access from the adjacent road. The change of use can be easily achieved within the existing structure of the barn, with no extensions or alteration works proposed.
“As noted above the proposed use will be limited to personal use by the owner / occupier of the adjacent Tannington Barn. We would be happy for any consent to include a condition to this effect.”
According to regulations, Ed cannot bring his band into the recording studio to make any musicCredit: GettyEd lives in Suffolk with his wife, Cherry Seaborn, and their childrenCredit: Instagram/Ed Sheeran
ONE regional airport in the south of the UK has had a huge increase in passengers over the last year.
Thanks to an extra TUI aircraft and the introduction of KLM flights to Amsterdam, the summer of 2025 bought in thousands more flyers to Exeter Airport.
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Exeter Airport has seen a huge growth in passenger numbers over 2025Credit: AlamyTUI placed a second aircraft there over the summer and has plans for new route in 2026Credit: Alamy
It said that over 450,000 customers passed through the terminal between April and October 2025 – which is an increase of 100,000 people.
This was followed by the decision for TUI to base a second aircraft at the airport over the summer which meant it had capacity for 50 flights per week to 13 destinations.
Exeter Airport said that TUI’s increased capacity meant that there were over 65,000 seats to Greece.
Another 60,000 seats to the Balearics and 40,000 to the Canary Islands were also added.
There are plans to continue the growth of the regional airport too with TUI already announcing a new and direct route to Kos which will start in summer 2026.
There are flights only as well as packages so customers can book seven or 14-night holidays there.
Flights only will start from £377pp based on travelling in June 2026 with 15kg hold luggage.
Daily flights started between Exeter and Amsterdam earlier this year
Package deals start from £1013 per person for a seven-night trip to staying at the4T+ Holiday Village Atlantica Mikri Poli Kos on an all-inclusive basis in June 2026.
Stephen Wiltshire, the airport’s managing director said: “We’re delighted with TUI’s announcement of new flights to Kos from Exeter Airport for summer 2026, and it’s the first time this beautiful Greek island will be directly served from here.
“This exciting addition expands the choice of sunshine destinations available to our passengers and reflects the continuing strength of demand for holidays from Exeter.
“We look forward to working closely with TUI to make the route a great success.”
Talking about her trip, she said: ” It only took us 90 minutes to drive from one end to the other and there is one main road too, so it wasn’t stressful. The first stop was the Melissa honey farm near the town of Kefalos in the west.
“We tasted all different types of the sticky, sweet stuff — including wild strawberry, pine and thyme — and left with plenty of jars, as well as a rich honey hand cream for me and baklava pastries packed with nuts.
“If you’re a nature fan then head to Plaka Forest, a natural park in the centre of the island which has trails for walkers. For a bit of culture, Antimachia Castle is bursting with history.”
Exeter Airport is experiencing an increase in passengers and additional TUI routesCredit: Alamy
