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‘I went on The Traitors and Claudia Winkleman showed her true colours with one question’

Claudia Winkleman has been the host of The Traitors since its launch in 2022, admitting she has now become ‘obsessed ‘ with the show, but one contestant has revealed what she’s like off screen

A former contestant on The Traitors has revealed what iconic host Claudia Winkleman is really like. Many fans of the hit BBC show will remember Paul Gorton as the cunning Traitor from 2024.

He managed to “murder” a fan favourite on the show and even initially found himself considered a well trusted Faithful. Paul however was eventually banished from the castle during one of the most intense round tables to date.

It paved the way for fellow Traitor Harry Clark to secure the prize pot in the final. Now in its fourth year The Traitors sees two teams, the Faithful and the Traitors, battling it out for a £120,000 prize pot.

Since its launch, the BBC One series has been presented by former Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia. The 53-year-old’s theatrical persona and deadpan commentary on the show have made her a favourite with fans.

And Paul says the humour fans see on screen seeps into Claudia’s personality off camera. Speaking to Heat, he said: “She’s a full-on stand-up comedian.

“Like, she is the funniest, driest person and an extraordinary woman. I’m so glad that she is getting her own chat show off the back of it – I still think there’s so much more that people haven’t seen from her.”

Last month it was announced that Claudia would be launching a new BBC chat show in the spring. It will be produced by the same company that makes The Graham Norton Show.

Claudia said: “I can’t quite believe it and I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity. I’m obviously going to be awful, that goes without saying, but I’m over the moon they’re letting me try.”

And while her career continues to take off, Paul says Claudia still occasionally keeps in touch with the former contestants from The Traitors. He says he gets the “odd message every now and again” and occasionally sees the TV presenter leaving a comment or like on Instagram.

Paul, 37, however says Claudia really showed her true colours when he bumped into her at the Royal Albert Hall last year. He said: “Claudia came over and said, ‘How are your kids? I love them,’ and you think, ‘Oh you’re invested in me. You’re not just a host and then you disappear.”

While The Traitors now pulls in millions of viewers each episode, Claudia admits she never thought it would be such a success. Speaking to Grazia magazine , she said: “We didn’t foresee this.

“We went to Scotland with the amazing people who make it and a pair of red fingerless gloves and gave it our best shot. I think people like it because the psychology is extraordinary – just watching people work out whether they’re being lied to. The dynamics feel addictive. I’m completely obsessed.”

The Traitors returns at 8pm on BBC One tonight (January 14).

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Ask our new 9.50 Hols Agony Aunt a holiday park question and win a £100 Amazon voucher

THERE’S some serious holiday savings to be had with our Sun £9.50 holidays.

Your next getaway can cost as little as £9.50 per person.

You can book resorts like Seal Bay with Sun £9.50 holidaysCredit: Cove UK

One of the best ways to book The Sun’s Hols from £9.50 is through Sun Club, as you can an skip the token collecting and also get access to booking early. To book your £9.50 Hols this way, simply head to thesun.co.uk/club and sign up to Sun Club for just £1.99 a month.

With over 300 parks to choose from across the UK and Europe, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

But the treats don’t stop there.

We’re picking a new question each week to answer about our £9.50 holidays.

TAKE FIVE

Our top picks for ‘fun under £5’ across all £9.50 Holiday destinations in the UK


TOP TIPS

Our new Hols From £9.50 Agony Aunt’s top tricks for booking the best Sun holiday

And if your question is picked to be answered, you could be rewarded – as we’re giving a £100 Amazon voucher to the best question of the week.

Simply send in a question to our £9.50 hols agony aunt, Tracy Kennedy, and you’ll be in with the chance of getting an Amazon voucher for £100.

All you have to do is fill out the short form at the bottom of this article with your details, and ask a question about Sun £9.50 holidays.

Your question can be about anything to do with £9.50 holidays or the booking process.

From which parks are best for outdoors-y families, to how to make the most of holiday park entertainment passes – Tracy’s here for any queries.

Tracy Kennedy is The Sun’s new £9.50 hols agony aunt columnist, answering any questions you have about making the most of your holiday.

She has oodles of holiday park knowledge, having gone away on Sun holidays for 29 years and saved hundreds of pounds doing so.

Tracy Kennedy is queen of the £9.50 holiday, and even owns a Facebook group with 280k+ membersCredit: Paul Tonge
Tracy has been saving with Sun holidays for 29 yearsCredit: Tracy Kennedy

And she’s got plenty of tips and tricks up her sleeve when it comes to booking the ultimate £9.50 holiday,

Some of Tracy’s favourite parks she’s visited using Sun £9.50 holidays include Lyons Robin Hood in Rhyl, Wales and Lower Hyde on the Isle of Wight.

“There were queues were out the door at Lyons waiting to get into the entertainment. Honestly they need a bigger room! It was so good”.

“I loved the entertainment at Lower Hyde too. I bought the pass and we really had great fun”.

She recommends taking a trip to the Isle of Wight if you’ve never been, as there’s loads to do, plus you get discounted travel over on the ferry.

“The Isle of Wight is great for getting out and seeing the outdoors. There’s not one bit of the island you won’t like”.

Lyons Robin Hood in Rhyl is one of Tracy’s favourites
Tracy Kennedy enjoys the entertainment at Lyons parks in particularCredit: Tracy Kennedy

“Plus you get a discount on the ferry with Sun hols. It’s definitely worth visiting if you’ve never been”.

The Sun £9.50 holiday parks stretch across the UK from Silver Sands in Scotland to Carmarthen Bay in Wales.

And if you want to get abroad this year, we’ve got parks in countries like Spain and Italy, too.

Competition is open to UK residents (excluding Northern Ireland), aged 18+ only. Competition ends at 23:59pm on Saturday, January 31 2026. See here for the full Terms & Conditions.

You could be rewarded with a £100 Amazon voucher for asking your questionCredit: amazon

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Bangladesh’s big question: Will Khaleda Zia’s son build on her legacy? | Politics

Dhaka, Bangladesh – On Tuesday, the premises of Evercare Hospital in Bangladesh’s capital turned into a sombre focal point for a nation’s grief as news filtered out of the medical facility: Khaleda Zia, three-time prime minister and longtime leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was dead.

Khaleda had been receiving treatment at the hospital since the night of November 23.

Supporters, party leaders and common citizens stood silently in front of the hospital gates, wiping away tears and offering prayers. “The news made it impossible for us to stay at home,” said BNP activist Riyadul Islam. “Since there is no opportunity to see her, everyone is waiting outside. There are tears in everyone’s eyes.”

Her funeral at Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday drew tens of thousands of BNP supporters from across the country, alongside leaders of other political parties, interim government head Muhammad Yunus and foreign diplomats – underscoring the imprint of Khaleda’s legacy, and how it extended well beyond Bangladesh’s borders.

But beyond the grief, Khaleda Zia’s death marks a decisive political rupture for the BNP at a critical moment, say political analysts.

With national elections scheduled for February 12, the party is entering the campaign without the leader who remained its ultimate symbol of unity, even during years of illness and political inactivity.

Her passing pushes BNP into a fully post-Khaleda phase, concentrating authority and accountability on her son and acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, as the party seeks to consolidate its base and compete in a reshaped political landscape following the July 2024 upheaval and the subsequent banning of the Awami League’s political activities.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses before the funeral prayers for his mother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at the Parliament building area of Manik Mia Avenue, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 31, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses mourners before the funeral prayers for his mother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at the Parliament building area of Manik Mia Avenue, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 31, 2025 [Stringer/Reuters]

Legacy as anchor, absence as test

For decades, Khaleda Zia’s relevance extended beyond formal leadership.

Even when absent from front-line politics, she functioned as the party’s moral centre and final authority, helping to contain factionalism and defer leadership questions.

Mahdi Amin, adviser to Tarique Rahman, told Al Jazeera that Bangladesh had lost “a true guardian”, describing Khaleda Zia as a unifying symbol of sovereignty, independence and democracy.

He said the BNP would carry forward her legacy through its policies and governance priorities if elected.

“The hallmark of her politics was a strong parliamentary democracy – rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression,” Amin said, adding that the BNP aims to restore institutions and rights that, he claimed, were eroded during the Awami League’s 15-year rule, between 2009 and 2024, under then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda’s longtime rival.

Amin insisted that Tarique has already emerged as a unifying figure, citing his role in coordinating the movement against Hasina and formulating a 31-point reform agenda aimed at restoring voting rights and institutional accountability.

Despite these assertions, however, analysts say Khaleda’s absence removes a critical layer of symbolic authority that long helped stabilise the BNP’s internal politics.

Writer and political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmed said Khaleda’s personal charisma played a key role in keeping the party energised and cohesive.

“That rhythm will be disrupted,” he said. “Tarique Rahman now has to prove his leadership through a process. His leadership remains untested.”

Ahmed noted that Khaleda herself was once an untested political figure, rising to national prominence during the mass pro-democracy movement of the 1980s that ultimately led to the fall of military ruler General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Her husband, the then-President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981 during a failed military coup.

Ahmed argued that the February election could play a similar defining role for Tarique Rahman: Success would validate his leadership, while failure would intensify scrutiny.

Leaders of National Citizen Party (NCP) chat during an interview of an aspiring candidate to find out the right choice for the country's upcoming national election, at the party's candidate interviewing event in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 24, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Jahan
Leaders of the National Citizen Party chat during an interview with an aspiring candidate ahead of the country’s upcoming national election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 24, 2025. The NCP, founded by students who led the July 2024 movement against Sheikh Hasina, has now tied up with the Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s biggest Islamist force, in a coalition for the election [Sam Jahan/Reuters]

A tougher electoral terrain

BNP’s challenge is compounded by a transformed opposition landscape.

For more than three decades, Bangladesh’s electoral politics were shaped by a near-binary rivalry between the Awami League and the BNP, a pattern that emerged after the fall of military rule in 1990 and hardened through successive elections in the 1990s and 2000s.

With the Awami League now absent – its political activities banned by the Yunus administration – that two-party dominance has fractured, forcing BNP to compete in a more crowded field that includes a strong alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s biggest Islamist force. The Jamaat coalition includes the National Citizen Party, launched by many of the youth leaders who drove the July 2024 mass movement that forced Hasina out of power and into exile in India.

“This will not be easy for BNP,” Ahmed said. “Post-July [2024] politics has changed the equation. New polarisation is emerging, and the dominance of two parties no longer holds,” he added.

Analysts also point to key uncertainties that linger: whether the election will be held on time, whether it will be peaceful, and whether major parties can ensure public confidence in the process.

Dilara Choudhury, a political scientist who observed both Khaleda and her husband closely, said Khaleda Zia functioned as a “guardian figure” for not just her party, but also the country, and that her death represents the loss of a senior stabilising presence in Bangladesh politics.

Tarique, Khaleda’s son, was in exile in the United Kingdom from 2008 until December 25, 2025, when he returned after a series of cases against him that were initiated by a military-backed government in power between 2006 and 2009, or by the subsequent Hasina government, were closed.

She argued that Tarique’s return to the country has reduced fears of internal division within the party and that his recent speeches – reaffirming Bangladeshi nationalism, rejecting authoritarianism and honouring victims of the 2024 July uprising violence – have reassured party supporters about ideological continuity.

“BNP and Awami League have both been personality-centred parties,” she said. “After Khaleda Zia, it is natural that Tarique Rahman occupies that space within the BNP.”

Thousands of people gather to attend funeral prayers for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia outside the national Parliament building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Thousands of people gather to attend funeral prayers for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia outside the national Parliament building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, December 31, 2025 [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]

From legacy to verdict

Yet BNP leaders acknowledge that legacy alone will not determine the party’s future.

Allegations of extortion involving some party activists continue to surface – an issue that adviser Mahdi Amin described as mostly exaggerated, though he said the party plans to address it through stricter internal controls.

At the grassroots level, some party members say Tarique’s leadership transition will not be without challenges.

“It would be unrealistic to say there will be no difficulties,” said Kamal Uddin, senior joint secretary of the Chakaria upazila unit of Jubo Dal, the BNP’s youth wing, in Cox’s Bazar district. “In the past, there were disagreements with senior leaders who worked closely with Khaleda Zia – and even with Ziaur Rahman. That could be a challenge in decision-making. But I believe he will be able to manage.”

Kamal Uddin travelled with three other BNP activists from Cox’s Bazar, a coastal city on the Bay of Bengal about 350km (217 miles) south of Dhaka, to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral on Wednesday.

Senior BNP leaders, however, dismiss doubts over Tarique’s authority.

Standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, who served as commerce minister in Khaleda Zia’s cabinet from 2001 to 2004, said Tarique’s leadership credentials were already established.

“His leadership has been proven,” Chowdhury told Al Jazeera earlier this month. “He is capable of leading the party effectively.”

As BNP prepares for the polls, analysts say the party’s ability to ensure discipline, project reform and contribute to a peaceful election will itself be a test of Tarique’s leadership.

A separate discussion has emerged on social media and among political rivals.

On November 29, ahead of his eventual return, Tarique wrote on his verified Facebook page that the decision to come home was not “entirely within his control” and not “under his sole control”. Critics interpreted this as raising questions about possible external influence – particularly India – on whether and when he would return.

BNP leaders rejected these claims, insisting his return was a political and legal matter tied to domestic realities rather than foreign negotiation, and that national interest would guide the party’s policy if it comes to power.

For many supporters, however, politics remains deeply personal.

Fifty-seven-year-old Dulal Mia, who travelled from the northeastern district of Kishoreganj to attend Tarique’s reception rally in Dhaka on December 25, still recalls the moment that made him a lifelong BNP supporter.

When he was a sixth-grader in 1979, he said, then-President Ziaur Rahman visited the paddy field where he was working and shook his hand. Ziaur Rahman is remembered for addressing drought by digging canals across the country and visiting remote areas barefoot, often without formal protocol.

“Tarique Rahman will have to carry the legacy of his parents,” Mia said. “If he doesn’t, people will turn away. The BNP’s politics is people’s politics – it began with Ziaur Rahman and was carried by Khaleda Zia for so long. I believe Tarique Rahman will do the same. Otherwise, it is the people who will reject him.”

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Democrats Question Timetable for Troop Cuts : Defense: Pentagon chief sees the Soviet Union pulling its forces out of Europe by 1995. Senators argue that events call for faster negotiations.

Defense Secretary Dick Cheney predicted Thursday that the Soviet Union will withdraw all of its troops from Europe by 1995, a forecast that prompted key Senate Democrats to question whether President Bush’s new proposal for cutting U.S. forces should be faster and deeper.

As the Senate Armed Services Committee opened congressional debate on reshaping the nation’s military structure, Cheney and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin L. Powell, were repeatedly challenged on the Administration’s troop-reduction plans.

195,000 Force Level

Cheney, disclosing the Pentagon’s rough timetable for cuts in Europe, testified that it may take a year or two to carry out any U.S.-Soviet agreement on the issue.

Bush announced Wednesday night that he was recommending that each side cut its combat forces in Central Europe to 195,000, with the United States allowed to have an additional 30,000 elsewhere in Europe. Currently, the United States has 305,000 troops on the continent.

Sen. Alan J. Dixon (D-Ill.), sharply criticizing the pace of negotiations, declared that he would push the subcommittee he heads to legislate an immediate reduction of 50,000 American troops in Europe and 10,000 in Korea.

Dixon said events are overtaking negotiations, with NATO allies West Germany and Belgium already planning their own deep cuts and Soviet forces certain to be kicked out by new governments in Eastern Europe.

“I’m not saying we should strip until we’re naked,” Dixon said. “There are reasonable, moderate, fair reductions we can make.”

Later, Committee Chairman Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) applauded Bush for going beyond his proposal of last May and advocating the withdrawal of 80,000 U.S. troops, not just the 30,000 he called for then. He called it “much more relevant to the changes in Europe and to the budget realities here at home.”

But Nunn voiced strong concern when Cheney seemed to advocate keeping 225,000 U.S. troops in Europe indefinitely, despite his prediction that the Soviets would pull all of its forces out of Eastern Europe and the two Germanys would be reunited.

Nunn warned that unless the United States had plans to make substantial withdrawals in such a case, it could wind up supplying most of the ground forces for NATO as other allies disbanded their units.

The influential senator got Cheney to concede that the Administration would “take another look” at U.S. troop levels in the event of a sweeping Soviet pullback and German reunification.

Despite Cheney’s expression of flexibility, the defense secretary firmly defended Bush’s new plan. He asserted that any effort by Congress to make unilateral troop cuts before the conclusion of U.S.-Soviet arms control talks would undermine the NATO alliance and encourage greater instability in Europe.

“We are on the verge of winning one of the greatest victories in the history of the world without a shot being fired,” Cheney said. “We should not unilaterally bring them (U.S. troops) home before we get an agreement.”

Republicans Cautious

Several Republicans on the committee strongly backed that position.

“We cannot let the euphoria sweeping this nation drive us to unilateral and hasty reductions in these forces,” Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S. C.) said.

Although members of both parties warmly pledged to work cooperatively with Cheney and Powell in the battles ahead, several Democrats served notice that they would press for deep cuts in the Administration’s proposals for increased spending on strategic weapons programs.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) proposed a “Democratic alternative” that he said would carve a $169-billion “peace dividend” out of the defense budget over the next five years, more than quadrupling the savings proposed by Bush for the same period.

Kennedy singled out the B-2 Stealth bomber, the “Star Wars” anti-missile program and other major programs for deep slashes. He argued that Bush’s budget fails to reflect a dramatically diminished Soviet military threat and a massive upgrading of U.S. strategic weapons in the last decade.

“We have to have a modernization program,” he said, “but does it have to be at the madcap pace of the 1980s?”

Cheney, while acknowledging major changes in the world, said that the Soviets continue to modernize their own strategic arsenal. “The Soviet Union remains the only nation on earth capable of destroying the United States,” he said.

Powell likewise contended that this was no time for the nation to let down its guard.

“I never want to return to that leisurely, comfortable ‘From Here to Eternity’ attitude of the 1930s that helped invite global conflict to an unsuspecting world,” he said.

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‘I worked in a hotel – a lot of guests ask one question that makes us hate them’

As a former hotel receptionist, I received requests and questions from guests that often left me baffled. One in particular became the most annoying, and most people do it

Receptionists are at the heart of a hotel, handling reservations, addressing guest inquiries, and supporting other departments. But there’s one question that is instantly frustrating, and it’s more common than you might think.

I spent around four years working on the front desk of a hotel, and during that time, I gained a real insight into the hospitality industry from the good, the bad, and the ugly. One of our most popular phone calls was, unsurprisingly, to make a reservation, whether for an overnight stay or dinner at one of the two restaurants.

Friday nights, in the hotel and two restaurants, were often fully booked. The weekends were the busiest times for every staff member in every department, with a buzz and a hint of overwhelming stress seeping through the corridors as we did our best to make the guests’ experience as smooth as possible.

READ MORE: I worked at a hotel – you won’t get a room upgrade if you ask at the wrong time

Author avatarAmy Jones

As front-of-house staff, the often overwhelming demand for tables in the restaurant and rooms for the night landed on us. We’d have people calling up on a Friday afternoon asking for a table in the cosy pub, or attempting to book a last-minute staycation over a weekend.

We’d always politely explain that we were fully booked, whether in the restaurant or hotel, but they’d inevitably reply in the same way. And it went a little something like this:

Me: ‘I’m sorry we’re fully booked in the restaurant tonight’. Them: ‘Don’t you have any tables?’ Me: ‘No, I’m sorry, it’s a Friday night, every table is booked’. Them: ‘Can’t you squeeze us in anywhere?’

It was bewildering how many people would ask these questions, as if we could magically add an extra table and chairs to an already packed restaurant. More often than not, people would fail to understand the concept of reservation times.

Frequently, we might only have had a table free at 5.30pm or 9pm, both of which are awkwardly inconvenient. Yet, people would always push for the time they desired, not understanding how table turnovers work and the running of a restaurant. After all, 90 people can’t sit down all at once to eat at 7pm in a restaurant that only seats 45 at a time.

And it didn’t just happen for restaurant bookings. After explaining to would-be customers that the hotel was fully booked all weekend, we would get the response: ‘Don’t you have any rooms available?’ To which we’d reply, ‘I’m sorry it’s fully booked’. But that wouldn’t stop them.

I had people explain that they wouldn’t mind being in the smallest room, or squeezing their family of five into a room only suitable for double occupancy. While it’s always worth asking, to some extent, these questions became irritating. It was as if those on the other end of the line thought we were making it up.

Hotels and restaurants really do get fully booked, and no matter how much they want to cater to you, sometimes there really is no way around it.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

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Lee misunderstood question on North detainees, families unconvinced

Family members of victims of abductions, detentions and forced disappearances attend a public hearing calling for international solidarity at the Ministry of Unification in Seoul on Aug. 29, 2024. From left: Choi Jin-young, Kim Jeong-sam, Lee Shin-hwa, Choi Seong-ryong and Park Hye-ja. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Dec. 26 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Unification Ministry and the National Security Office have told families of South Korean nationals detained in North Korea that President Lee Jae-myung’s recent remarks on the issue resulted from a misunderstanding of a question and problems with on-site interpretation, according to relatives.

Family members said Unification Vice Minister Kim Nam-joong and officials from the ministry met relatives of detainees, including the families of missionaries Kim Jeong-wook and Choi Chun-gil, ahead of Christmas. They offered condolences and said the government would address the detainee issue, while explaining that Lee’s comments at a foreign press briefing on Dec. 3 stemmed from a misunderstanding of the question.

Relatives also said the National Security Office contacted families after the Dec. 3 briefing at the presidential guesthouse and said the detainee issue had been reported to Lee in September. Officials said Lee confused it with a separate case involving a South Korean detained in connection with a Cambodia scam incident, and said interpretation problems prevented an appropriate response, the families said.

At the Dec. 3 briefing, Lee responded to a question about South Koreans detained in North Korea by saying he was hearing about it “for the first time” and asked national security adviser Wi Sung-lak whether it was true. After the question was clarified, Lee said he lacked specific details and would review the matter.

The presidential office said the next day that six South Korean nationals, including defectors, were detained from 2013 to 2016 on charges including espionage.

Choi Jin-young, the son of detained missionary Choi Chun-gil, said he was told Lee knew about the detainees but there had been “a slight misunderstanding.” Choi said the government promised to handle the issue going forward.

But he said the explanations “sounded like nothing but excuses” and argued the case risks being forgotten. He said he urged the government to at least run a public awareness campaign.

Choi also criticized remarks in government briefings suggesting there is little that can be done without inter-Korean dialogue, saying families consider that “heartbreaking.” He said the government could still pursue cooperation by raising the issue with senior Chinese officials.

Kim Jeong-sam, brother of detained missionary Kim Jeong-wook, said he hoped the incident would prompt the government to focus more on the detainee issue. He said he was told the matter is included in the administration’s 100 key policy tasks, adding that the explanation about Lee’s remarks eased some concerns.

South Korea says six of its nationals have been detained in North Korea since 2013 through 2016 on charges including espionage. They include missionaries Kim Jeong-wook, detained in October 2013, Kim Guk-gi, detained in October 2014, and Choi Chun-gil, detained in December 2014, along with three former North Korean defectors. A defector journalist working for a North Korea-focused outlet is also reported to have been abducted by North Korea in China.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

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Passenger asked same question 3 times on 1 flight says rude habit must stop

A woman has issued a stark message to anyone travelling by plane this holiday season – as she reminds them to ‘be generous’ following her recent experience on a flight

When travelling on a long-haul flight, many people make sure to pre-book their seats to ensure extra comfort throughout the journey. That’s exactly what one woman decided to do before setting off to visit her family in San Juan, Puerto Rico, knowing she faced a long, uncomfortable journey otherwise.

She pre-booked a first-class window seat on the left side of the plane so she could see her grandma’s house from above before landing. But her peace was disrupted throughout the flight, as no fewer than three people stopped at her row to ask her the same question. Taking to Reddit, she said: “I was asked to switch seats three times by three separate people on one flight.

“When I arrived to my seat there was a very elderly woman in the aisle seat and another woman in the aisle seat across the way. The younger woman said, ‘this is my mother, she has dementia and she can’t even feed herself. Can we switch so I can care for her during the flight?'”

Feeling awkward, the woman regretfully switched seats with her – but her problems didn’t stop there. She said: “I know I made the choice to switch, this is about the frequency of asks.

“Then two other women come up and gave me another ‘we couldn’t book together but we want to sit together can you move to this other aisle seat please?’

“At that point I was seething, but seeing as I’d barely touched my butt to the new aisle seat, I just said ‘whatever’ to them and moved.

“When a third person came up to me to start the ‘hi um’ I immediately said ‘I have switched twice already, you can take it up with someone else’.

“I know I chose to move for these people, but I’m so upset that I paid for that specific window seat and my options were basically, help a woman with dementia but enjoy my view, or move and sit in an aisle seat by the bathrooms.

“I don’t know. It’s also not lost on me that I don’t look like the traditional first class passenger.”

Sharing a message to anyone who asks other to switch mid-flight, she added: “Listen, if you borked your booking and you want to switch with people, be generous.

“Send me a free drink or something, slip me a £20, tell the cabin crew so I get my preordered meal, be generous.”

Commenting on her post, one user said: “Don’t let other people’s problems become your problems. Sit in your assigned seat. If people need accommodations, they can take it up with the FAs (flight attendants).”

Another user added: “I never understand why they can’t bug the person next to them.”

A third user said: “I would happily move for the grandma but the others are on their own after that.”

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Emily in Paris fans question what happened to Camille as season 5 debuts

Emily in Paris is back for even more drama, this time around though, one of its key stars was missing.

Emily in Paris season five has dropped but subscribers have been left scratching their heads over the whereabouts of Emily’s friend and rival, Camille deLalisse.

From the get-go of the Netflix rom-com drama, Camille deLalalisse (portrayed by Camille Razat) played a pivotal role, forming part of the love triangle with Emily ( Lily Collins ) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo).

So when fans noticed that Camille was absent from all 10 new episodes, it sparked speculation about her fate and potential return.

Camille’s journey in Emily in Paris seemed to reach a natural end in season four after she called off her wedding to Gabriel, but her story wasn’t quite finished.

She soon found out she was pregnant, only to later discover it was a false positive. However, Camille kept this secret for a while, hoping to keep Gabriel in her life.

At the same time, Camille was navigating a budding relationship with artist Sofia, but due to lingering feelings for her ex-fiancé, things didn’t pan out.

Eventually, she revealed the truth, and the entire ordeal made Camille realise her desire for a family, leading her to announce plans to adopt a baby on her own.

Season four concluded with Camille moving into a new flat, complete with nursery space, leaving behind her tumultuous past with Emily and Gabriel.

While Camille was noticeably missing from season five, this doesn’t necessarily rule out her return in future series.

Taking to Instagram to discuss her departure from the programme, Razat revealed: “After an incredible journey, I’ve made the decision to step away from Emily in Paris.

“It has been a truly wonderful experience, one filled with growth, creativity, and unforgettable memories.

“I’m deeply grateful to @starmandarren and the entire team at @netflix and @paramountpics for their trust and for giving me the opportunity to bring Camille to life and leaving the door open for her return, as she will always be a part of Emily In Paris world.”

However, Razat has numerous other ventures lined up, revealing she’s wrapped filming on Nero The Assassin for Netflix and The Lost Station Girls for Disney+.

The 31-year-old also disclosed that she’s launched her own production company Tazar Production, which will concentrate on developing music videos and short films, though has already begun work on a feature film.

Wrapping up her Instagram message, Razat noted: “This character has meant a lot to me, and I feel that her storyline has naturally come to an end. It felt like the right moment to explore new horizons.

“I leave the show with nothing but love and admiration for the cast, crew, and fans who have supported us along the way. Thank you for the beautiful ride.”

Emily in Paris is available to stream on Netflix.

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Puka Nacua’s social media judgment tested Rams’ patience. Lesson learned?

Puka Nacua promised he would learn from his mistakes, but his pledge was unconvincing.

His speech was rushed. What he said barely made any sense.

And there was this: On Thursday night, two days after criticizing referees on a livestream, Nacua posted a sarcastic message about the officials following the Rams’ 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

“Can you say I was wrong,” he wrote on X. “Appreciate you stripes for your contribution. Lol”

The post was quickly deleted. The questions about Nacua’s judgment remained.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua criticized referees immediately after the Rams' overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua criticized referees immediately after the Rams’ overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night before deleting the post on X.

Nacua, 24, is in line for a monster contract extension in the upcoming offseason, as the Rams view their record-breaking receiver as a cornerstone. But here he was basically repeating a mistake he made only two days earlier, which can’t be what any team wants from its most popular player.

Are the Rams really about to entrust him with the responsibility of projecting their virtues?

Ironically, the most controversial aspect of his recent livestream appearance could be the most defensible. Hours before the Rams played the Seahawks, Nacua offered an explanation for the antisemitic gesture he made on Adin Ross’ and N3on’s show.

“At the time,” Nacua posted on Instagram, “I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people.”

The story was believable. The offensive hand movements were part of a touchdown celebration Ross encouraged Nacua to perform if he scored against the Seahawks.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 38-37 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night.

Ross is Jewish. Earlier in the livestream he wished his viewers a Happy Hanukkah, which prompted Nacua to share that he accepted a friend’s invitation to attend Shabbat last week.

When Nacua was informed of the undertone of the celebration he practiced with Ross, he apologized. He reached the end zone twice on Thursday and didn’t perform the dance either time.

“I know this guy’s heart and for anybody that was offended, terribly sorry about that,”Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I know he feels that same exact way.”

The guess here is that he won’t ever make the gesture again.

Less certain is whether Nacua will be able to continue building his personal brand without becoming a distraction to his team.

The Rams should be concerned.

In a short week, the Rams were forced to bar Ross and N3on from entering their building.

Later that afternoon, their most visible player joined the streamers in their vehicle and traveled to a club, where he claimed that referees purposely made egregious calls because they wanted TV airtime.

This is a brave new world for athletes and the teams that employ them. Younger audiences want their heroes to be open, whether they are athletes or entertainers. For stars such as Nacua, the challenge is to strike a balance between being accessible and protective of their teams.

Nacua failed to do that this week.

“Coach (McVay) has just echoed that he’s always in continuous support of me, disappointed in some of the actions that just distracted my teammates and that’s something that I know I’ll learn from and I don’t want to be a distraction in any week, especially in a short week, so we had talked about that and he’s right there behind me,” Nacua said.

Nacua nonetheless voiced his displeasure with referees again on Thursday, posting to X minutes after the Seahawks won the game by scoring a two-point conversion in overtime.

What inspired the message, Nacua said, was “just a moment of frustration after a tough, intense game like that, just thinking of the opportunities that I could have done better to take it out of their hands.”

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, right, celebrates next to teammate Jordan Whittington after making a touchdown catch.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, right, celebrates next to teammate Jordan Whittington after making a touchdown catch in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks on Thursday.

(Soobum Im / Getty Images)

Whatever that meant.

McVay declined to comment about Nacua’s post, saying he was first informed of its existence when he was asked about it in his postgame news conference.

“I have to have more information before I answer any of those kinds of questions,” McVay said.

However, McVay said of Nacua’s comments about referees on the livestream, “Yeah, we don’t want to do that.”

Being asked about an unpleasant subject in the wake of a crushing defeat made McVay testy. Asked if the fallout from Nacua’s livestream was a distraction, McVay snapped, “Did you think his play showed that he was distracted?”

Nacua caught 12 passes for 225 yards.

But McVay caught himself and apologized.

“I love this team,” he said. “And, man, when you put out as much as our group does and you care so much about something and you come up short, it’s incredibly disappointing.”

Such presence of mind explains why McVay is the voice of the Rams. As competitive as he is, as intense as he can be, he knows how to keep his impulses from compromising his team’s long-term objectives.

Nacua has to figure out how to do that. By next season, he won’t be an underpaid star on his original rookie contract. He will have a deal that reflects his stature as a player, and with that comes responsibility. Recent days raised questions about whether he is capable.

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Watch our live 2025 Dodgers Debate Christmas Special

It’s timmmme!

Join Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat reporter Jack Harris and columnists Dylan Hernández and Bill Plaschke for our very special 2025 Dodgers Debate Christmas Special.

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The trio will discuss the signing of Miguel Rojas and Edwin Díaz, who else might be on the 2026 roster, the World Baseball Classic, whether the Dodgers can three-peat and more.

Video replay will be available at latimes.com/dodgers and our YouTube channel to bring joy all holiday season.

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