Naijil Paul has been sentenced to almost 8 years in jail after the former care home manager was extradited to the UK from India following his sickening crimes



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Syrians are celebrating the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al Assad with military parades – and a fresh promise to rebuild the country.

The former Syrian leader was toppled when rebels, commanded by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al Sharaa, seized Damascus in a lightning offensive last December.

Mr Assad fled for Russia, bringing an abrupt end to his 24 years of rule.

Official celebrations are taking place on Monday across the country, and the central Umayyad Square in Damascus has been packed with jubilant crowds.

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Damascus was a scene of jubilation on Monday. Pic: Reuters

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Pic: Reuters

Mr Sharaa, a Former al Qaeda commander, has been marking the occasion with dawn prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA.

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Ahmed al Sharaa made a fresh pledge to rebuild Syria. Pic: AP

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Pic: AP

Dressed in military fatigues similar to those he wore during the victorious rebel campaign, Mr Sharaa promised to rebuild Syria.

“From north to south and from east to west, God willing, we will rebuild a strong Syria with a structure befitting its present and past,” he said, according to SANA.

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The Syrian army holds a parade in the nation’s capital. Pic: AP

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A paraglider flies over the crowds in Damascus. Pic: AP

The country is struggling to heal a year after the Assad dynasty’s repressive 50-year reign came to an end.

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Pic: AP

The fall of Mr Assad came after 14 years of civil war which analysts said had left an estimated half a million people dead, millions more displaced, and the country battered and divided.

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Pic: AP

In late November 2024, rebel groups launched an offensive on the city of Aleppo.

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Pic: AP

They were surprised when the Syrian army collapsed with little resistance, first in Aleppo, then the key cities of Hama and Homs, leaving the road to Damascus open.

Mr Assad was whisked away by Russian forces, and remains in exile in Moscow.

Read more:
Trump hosts Syrian leader at Oval Office
Ahmed al Sharaa: From US enemy to ally?

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1:17

Sectarian violence in Syria explained

Crippling Western sanctions have largely been lifted, and Mr Sharaa has promised to replace Mr Assad’s brutal police state with an inclusive and just order.

But hundreds of people have been killed in bouts of sectarian violence, causing new displacements and increasing mistrust among minorities towards Mr Sharaa’s government.

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As Syrians mark one year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, people across Damascus say they’re celebrating a long-awaited sense of freedom, safety, and national renewal after decades of oppression and years of war.

Published On 8 Dec 20258 Dec 2025

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Storm Bram will lead to strong winds and heavy rain in the UK later on Monday and throughout Tuesday, forecasters have warned.

Named by Met Éireann, Ireland’s equivalent of the Met Office, Storm Bram will move north and to the west of the UK on Monday, bringing heavy rain and winds to parts of the country.

Many areas of Britain will be affected on Tuesday, with yellow and amber warnings for wind and rain across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and parts of north-west and south-west England.

The Met Office said strong winds would last from Monday evening until Wednesday, with 50 to 60mph winds expected widely, and 70 to 80mph in the north-west of England.

Heavy rain is also expected across western areas, with 40-60mm of rain in places and up to 80-100mm in Wales and south-west England.

A Met Office amber warning for wind, valid from 4pm on Tuesday until midnight, covers north-west Scotland.

Heavy rain may bring flooding and travel disruption in places, and there is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to homes and businesses.

The warning covers possible flooding to homes and buildings, and delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

Strong winds could cause delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport alongside buses and train services, the Met Office said.

Coastal regions can also be affected by large waves.

The Met Office chief forecaster, Dan Suri, said: “Storm Bram will bring a very wet and windy spell of weather, with very strong winds and further heavy rain which, falling over saturated ground, could cause flooding impacts.

“Within the amber wind warning over north-west Scotland, gusts of up to 90mph could be recorded. More widely, gusts of 50-60mph, and perhaps 70mph in a few spots, are expected across Wales, south-west England and Northern Ireland.

“Rain is an additional impact from Storm Bram, with the possibility of 100mm over higher ground in the south of Wales and parts of Devon.

“This could require escalations to existing warnings, so it’s important to stay up to date with the forecast in your area, as well as any flood warnings from your local environment agency.”

Advice to the public includes to secure loose objects such as ladders and garden furniture, close and securely fasten doors and windows, and park cars in a garage.

The Met Office said Storm Bram would slowly pull away during Wednesday, leaving the day windy, especially in the north of England.

Thursday will be a drier day for many across the UK, with the chance of frost in central and the south-eastern parts.

The RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Strong winds can make vehicles harder to control, so it’s best that drivers slow down and keep a firm grip on the wheel. Rural and coastal routes will feel the worst of the gusts, with fallen branches or even trees likely to cause disruption.

“We recommend drivers check local forecasts and consider delaying non-essential trips until the storm passes.”

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Security forces in Benin are searching for the soldiers who tried to seize power on Sunday morning, with the president saying they have taken an unknown number of hostages.

The coup plotters appeared on state TV to announce they had taken over, and gunfire was heard near the presidential residence.

However, President Patrice Talon later announced that the situation was “totally under control” in the West African country.

Regional power Nigeria assisted in thwarting the mutiny, saying its fighter jets had helped “dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp” following a request from Benin’s government.

On Sunday afternoon, huge explosions were heard in Cotonou, Benin’s largest city and seat of government. They were thought to have been the result of an air strike.

Prior to the explosions, flight-tracking data showed that three aircraft had entered Benin’s airspace from neighbouring Nigeria before returning home.

The extent of the damage is not clear.

Earlier on Sunday, Benin government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji told the Reuters news agency that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the attempted coup.

A journalist in Benin also told the BBC that of those reportedly arrested 12 are believed to have stormed the offices of the national TV station – including a soldier who had previously been sacked.

The coup plotters said they were led by Lt Col Pascal Tigri, whose whereabouts are not known.

In Sunday evening’s national address, the 67-year-old president said that loyalist forces had “cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers”.

“This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these opportunists and avert disaster for our country. This treachery will not go unpunished,” he added.

“I would like to reassure you that the situation is completely under control and therefore invite you to go about your business peacefully.”

It is not clear if there have been any casualties, but the president expressed his condolences “to the victims of this senseless adventure, as well as to those still being held by fleeing mutineers”.

There had been a series of coups in West Africa before Sunday’s thwarted attempt in Benin, heightening fears that the security of the region could worsen.

Benin, a former French colony, has been regarded as one of Africa’s more stable democracies. But Talon has faced accusations of suppressing criticism of his policies.

The nation is one of the continent’s largest cotton producers, but ranks among the world’s poorest countries.

Nigeria, Benin’s large neighbour to the east, has described the coup attempt as a “direct assault on democracy”.

The French and Russian embassies on Sunday urged their citizens to remain indoors, while the US embassy’s advice was to stay away from Cotonou, especially the area around the presidential compound.

The rebel soldiers justified their actions by criticising Talon’s management of the country, complaining first about his handling of the “continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin”.

Benin’s army has suffered losses near its northern border with insurgency-hit Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years, as jihadist militants linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda spread southwards.

The soldiers’ statement cited “the ignorance and neglect of the situation of our brothers in arms who have fallen at the front and, above all, that of their families, abandoned to their sad fate by Mr Patrice Talon’s policies”.

The rebels also hit out at cuts in health care, including the cancellation of state-funded kidney dialysis, and taxes rises, as well as curbs on political activities.

Talon, who is regarded as a close ally of the West, is due to step down next year after completing his second term in office, with elections scheduled for April.

A businessman known as the “king of cotton”, he first came to power in 2016. He has endorsed Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his successor.

Talon has been praised by his supporters for overseeing economic development, but his government has also been criticised for suppressing dissenting voices.

In October, Benin’s electoral commission barred the main opposition candidate from standing on the grounds that he did not have enough sponsors.

Last month, constitutional amendments were passed by MPs, including the creation of a second parliamentary chamber, the Senate.

Terms for elected officials were extended from five to seven years, but the presidential two-term limit remained in place.

Sunday’s attempted coup comes just over a week after Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló was overthrown – though some regional figures have questioned whether this was staged.

In recent years, West Africa has also seen coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger, prompting concerns about the region’s stability.

Russia has strengthened its ties with these Sahel countries over recent years – and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the West African regional bloc Ecowas to form their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States.

News of the attempted takeover in Benin was hailed by several pro-Russian social media accounts, according to BBC Monitoring.

Ecowas and the African Union (AU) both condemned the coup attempt.

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12/08/2025December 8, 2025

Report says Merz filed hundreds of insult complaints, prompting two home searches

Merz’s office said he donated the fines from the insult cases to charityImage: Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa/picture alliance

Chancellor Friedrich Merz filed hundreds of criminal complaints for insult during his time as leader of the conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag,according to a media report.

In two cases, this was followed by police searches of the homes of the suspected authors, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported, citing documents such as lawyers’ letters and investigation files.

The insults in question on social media included terms such as “a**hole,” “filthy drunk,” and “little Nazi.” According to the report, the latter two expressions led to house searches, though in the case of “filthy drunk” a court later ruled the search unlawful.

The period in question was before Merz became the chancellor, at which point he ceased to be the parliamentary group leader.

In Germany, insulting a person can constitute a criminal offense under the criminal code, allowing authorities to investigate if the alleged victim files a complaint.

Merz’s parliamentary office “largely” confirmed the incidents, the report continued. According to the newspaper, the current Chancellor donated compensation payments and fines “in full to charitable causes in the Hochsauerland district,” where Merz’s constituency is located.

About a year ago, a house search following a criminal complaint by then-Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party sparked a public debate about proportionality.

That case involved an insult using the word “idiot.” The author was later sentenced to a fine, though not for the insult itself, but for a different post with a Nazi reference. The incident was taken up particularly in right-wing circles and triggered accusations of alleged state censorship.

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Hundreds of rare books were damaged when a pipe burst inside the Louvre’s Egyptian antiquities library, a setback that comes just weeks after the museum was rocked by a brazen jewel heist.

The museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, told BFM TV that the flooding happened in one of the three rooms housing the Egyptian antiquities library.

“We have identified between 300 and 400 works, the count is ongoing,” he said, adding that “no precious books” were lost. Many of the damaged items were periodicals and archaeology journals regularly used by Egyptologists.

Steinbock said staff were still assessing the full number of damaged books and had begun drying those soaked in the flooding, including dehumidifying them page by page with Buffard paper and modifying plants.

FOUR MORE ARRESTED IN LOUVRE JEWEL HEIST, AUTHORITIES SAY

People walk outside the Louvre Museum, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

The art site La Tribune de l’Art blamed the burst pipe on deteriorating infrastructure, reporting that the department had long sought funding to protect its collection. Steinbock acknowledged the issue had been known for years and said repairs were scheduled for September 2026.

The leak underscores the museum’s aging infrastructure just weeks after thieves stole crown jewels in a brazen daytime heist that exposed glaring security gaps at the museum.

A police car parks in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum, one week after the robbery, on Oct. 26, 2025, in Paris. (Thomas Padilla, File/AP Photo)

A four-person team stormed the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in broad daylight on Oct. 19, stealing jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) in less than eight minutes.

AMERICANS MUST PAY HIGHER FEE FOR A TICKET TO THE WORLD’S MOST VISITED MUSEUM

Police arrested and charged four men suspected of being a part of the robbery crew in the subsequent weeks. A woman was also arrested, though she has denied involvement through her lawyer.

Police secure the area outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, where burglars used a truck-mounted moving lift to reach a second-floor window and steal royal jewelry valued at more than $100 million. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

The stolen items have not been recovered. They include a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels tied to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara.

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The emerald-set imperial crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson has said he is buying a property in Qatar, a revelation that swiftly reignited MAGA accusations that he is too closely aligned with the Gulf state.

Carlson made the claim while interviewing Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on stage at the Doha Forum Sunday.

“I have been criticized as being a tool of Qatar, and I just want to say – which you already know – which is I have never taken anything from your country and don’t plan to,” Carlson told the PM.

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Tucker Carlson interviews Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday (The Tucker Carlson Show)

“I am, however, tomorrow buying a place in Qatar. I like the city, I think it’s beautiful, but also to make a statement that I’m an American and a free man and I’ll be wherever I want to be. I have not taken any money from Qatar, but I have now given money to Qatar.”

The declaration invited an immediate backlash from Laura Loomer, a longstanding enemy of Carlson’s and President Donald Trump’s self-appointed “loyalty enforcer,” who wrote on X: “Qatar is the financier of the Muslim Brotherhood and they continue to allow HAMAS officials to live in Doha, where Tucker now wants to buy a place to live.

“The Prime Minister then admitted Qatar spends ‘a lot of money on lobbying’ by paying people to come to Qatar so they can ‘protect’ the U.S.-Qatari relationship.”

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, whom Carlson humiliated in an interview this summer, also attacked him on social media in vulgar terms.

Carlson repeated his defense of the decision to Doha News, saying: “I like it here a lot. By the way, I’m an American, I can go wherever I want and speak to anyone I want to because I’m a free man.

“That’s the promise of my country. And some are seeking to change that and to put our population into mental bondage. And I’m not participating in that.”

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Laura Loomer led the attack on Carlson by accusing him of taking money from Qatari lobbyists, an accusation he has repeatedly denied (AP)

Carlson previously clashed with Loomer and Cruz in June after the right-wing commentator, typically an isolationist on foreign policy issues, broke ranks with Trump. He shared his disapproval of U.S. air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, arguing that America should not allow itself to be drawn into another regional conflict out of loyalty to Israel.

That prompted the more hawkish members of Trump’s MAGA coalition to accuse him of taking money from Qatar when he interviewed Al Thani previously in March, mocking him with the nickname “Qatarlson.”

“They know I’m not working for Qatar,” Carlson subsequently told Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon on his War Room podcast.

“I’ve never taken a dime from any foreign country or anybody. They’re the ones who have these weird, complex motives, and so they project onto everyone else the same.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• The 2026 Golden Globe nominations are being announced on Monday, Dec. 8
• Comedian Nikki Glaser will host the 83rd annual Golden Globes live on Sunday, Jan. 11
• There are 28 categories this year, including a new one for Best Podcast

It’s time for the 2026 Golden Globe nominations.

Starting at 8:15 a.m. ET, Monday, Dec. 8, Marlon Wayans and Matlock star Skye P. Marshall are announcing the nominees for the 83rd annual Golden Globes, highlighting the best movies and TV of the year. Plus, this year marks a new category: Best Podcast.

Comedian Nikki Glaser will return to host the award show live on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Read on for the complete list of nominees. (This list is being updated live. Refresh the page for updates.)

Movies

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Best Director

Best Screenplay

Best Original Score

Best Original Song

TV

Best Television Series – Drama

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy

Best Podcast

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‘It used to be lovely here.’

10:57, 08 Dec 2025Updated 10:57, 08 Dec 2025

‘People came to the area because they knew it was a place they could get work — I’m not sure that’s the case anymore,’ says Janet Pilkington(Image: Andrew Dowdeswell / YorkshireLive)

Residents of a once-“rammed” town have expressed concerns about deteriorating living conditions, shop closures and dwindling employment opportunities as increasing numbers of residents relocate elsewhere. Stocksbridge, situated in north Sheffield, was once a thriving steelwork community. Samuel Fox established a wire works there in 1842.

Over 180 years on, Liberty Speciality Steel continues to operate a steel mill locally, but locals claim it no longer generates the commercial activity it once did, reports Yorkshire Live.

“When I was a child it was absolutely buzzing,” said one resident, who wished to remain anonymous. “We used to have buses coming in three times a day with workers from Barnsley, Penistone and other places. They were rammed.”

She claimed the town has been neglected in terms of investment recently, with retailers shutting down and commerce being drawn away.

“There were shops all down here,” she explained, gesturing towards the high street. “There were bakers, green grocers, butchers. Now it’s just a lot of takeaways. It’s sad to have seen it decline like that.”

She recalled how workers, including her husband, would previously receive their wages on Thursdays, before completing their weekly shopping on Fridays. A substantial portion of earnings was circulated within the local economy.

Stocksbridge is one of 25 areas in South Yorkshire that have witnessed a population decline over the past two decades. According to the 2021 census, the population has dipped by 3.8% over the last 20 years. In contrast, South Yorkshire’s overall population has grown by 9%. As of 2021, Stocksbridge was home to 7,263 residents, a decrease from nearly 7,500 in 2001.

The dwindling steel industry and the subsequent job losses have been frequently cited as significant factors contributing to the town’s shrinking population. Janet Pillkington, a lifelong resident of Stocksbridge, reminisces about the bustling steel works of her youth.

“You can sometimes hear the clink of metal,” she shared. “It’s a lovely sound as I remember it from my childhood, but you don’t hear it very often anymore.”

Eric and Jean Yeardley have lived in the Stocksbridge area for nearly 60 years and love it here(Image: Andrew Dowdeswell / YorkshireLive)The Fox Valley Shopping Centre, a £50 million development that launched in 2018, is ‘always busy’(Image: Andrew Dowdeswell / YorkshireLive)

However, there are people who still love living here.

“We like it here,” expressed Eric, 82, and Jean Yeardley, 78. The couple, who have resided in the Stocksbridge area for the majority of their 61-year marriage, cherish the local walking routes.

“There’s plenty of walks around here,” Eric noted. “Bolsterstone and the moors. It’s lovely.”

Jeansaid the town has been neglected in recent years and believes it requires rejuvenation.

“It’s never had the investment,” she stated. “There’s a lot of money that needs putting into it. It’s not been helped because it’s so old. They have not updated anything.”

Strolling down the high street reveals shuttered storefronts, an abundance of takeaways and some worn-out signage. Yet there’s also the Fox Valley Shopping Centre, a £50 million development that launched in 2018 and remains “always busy”, locals report.

A sense of community pride is something another resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, believes has disappeared.

“Everybody had pride outside their houses,” she explained. “People used to sweep and clean and be proud of it. But new people are coming in and they are turning it into an area that’s not well kept. They are throwing litter on the floor. They stand around shops, smoking. It used to be lovely here, but they do drag it down.”

Those relocating to Stocksbridge are also unlikely to be employed locally. Locals noted that many commute elsewhere for employment, with fewer people settling in Stocksbridge specifically for work opportunities in the town.

Janet explained: “My family came to work in the steel works. My friends dad came from Ireland to find work in the steel industry. He came to the area looking for Fox Valley Steelworks. People came to the area because they knew it was a place they could get work. I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.”

Stocksbridge registers a deprivation score of 18.03 on the index of multiple deprivation. This figure sits considerably beneath both the national average of 21.81 and Sheffield’s rating of 27.57. The scoring system evaluates seven elements of deprivation, encompassing income, health and additional factors to produce an overall deprivation rating. Consequently, the locality is considered far more deprived than comparable areas within Sheffield or nationwide.

At the same time, Liberty Speciality Steel, operating facilities in Stocksbridge, Rotherham and Wednesbury, entered government ownership earlier this year with its future remaining unclear. Officials are seeking a purchaser for the business, though a government-sanctioned liquidator acknowledged that without securing a buyer, closure of the sites would be inevitable. Industry minister Chris McDonald MP has expressed optimism that an agreement can be reached.

This sense of uncertainty, economic decline and neglect resulted in Stocksbridge and Don becoming Sheffield’s first ward to return a Reform councillor. John Booker secured victory in June’s by-election, narrowly defeating the Liberal Democrats. Labour, previously dominant in the ward, slipped to third place.

Upon taking office, Booker claimed his party had “galvanised public opinion”. He stated he “believes in common sense” and would offer an “alternative voice” within Sheffield City Council.

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