By REBECCA ENGLISH, ROYAL EDITOR

Published: 19:01 EST, 11 December 2025 | Updated: 02:18 EST, 12 December 2025

The King has recorded a ‘personal message’ about his cancer diagnosis and recovery which will be played in a ground-breaking broadcast today.

Charles’s address will be shown as part of ‘Stand Up To Cancer 2025’, a joint campaign by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

The King, 77, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease in early 2024 and has been receiving weekly treatment ever since.

Despite this he has continued with a packed working diary, with five state visits this year alone.

In his message, the monarch will stress the importance of cancer screening programmes in enabling early diagnosis and will ‘reflect on his own recovery journey’.

It was recorded during the last week of November in the Morning Room at Clarence House.

This year’s Stand Up To Cancer event is designed to drive awareness of the importance of early diagnosis, as well as raising funds for cancer research and support all those affected by the illness.

His Majesty’s message will form part of Channel 4’s flagship night of programmes and will be aired at 8pm, shortly before a unique live broadcast from a cancer clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, presented by presenter Davina McCall, who was herself recently treated for breast cancer.

King Charles has recorded a message about his cancer diagnosis and recovery, which will be broadcast on Channel 4 today

His Majesty was diagnosed with the disease in early 2024 and has received weekly treatment for the past two years

Earlier this year the King visited patients at the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Birmingham and spoke to them candidly about his own experience of cancer

As far as royal communications are concerned, particularly for a head of state, it is a major break with tradition to offer a personal, televised message on a private medical matter.

Buckingham Palace has always chosen not to reveal the King’s own cancer or treatment, although they have confirmed that it is not prostate-related.

This is partly out of medical privacy, but also because Charles has been personally keen for his openness in speaking about living a full life with the disease, while undergoing treatment, to appeal to the widest possible audience.

His decision to speak publicly about such a difficult personal matter sparked a huge uptick in people seeking information from NHS and charity websites.

The monarch was diagnosed in February last year, days after going into hospital for routine surgery for an enlarged prostate.

At the time Buckingham Palace said: ‘During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.

‘His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties.

‘Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.

The King has continued with a packed working diary including a visit from US President Donald Trump in September

His Majesty also met Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City in October in the first meeting from a British monarch in 500 years

‘The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure.

‘He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.

‘His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.’

This year’s Stand Up To Cancer initiative has launched a simple online screening checker – screeningchecker.co.uk – which helps users determine which breast, bowel and cervical screening programmes they may be eligible for, provides trusted information from Cancer Research UK, and directs users to further support where needed.

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King Charles is releasing a ‘personal message’ about his cancer diagnosis today

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Eagle-eyed viewers spotted a number of Taylor Swift’s products on the side of a bath in the background of The End of an Era documentary series on Disney+

Abigail Nicholson Content Editor

06:00, 12 Dec 2025

Taylor Swift has surprised fans once again with her choice of products, especially as they can be bought on the high street(Image: GC Images)

When it comes to celebrities such as Taylor Swift, you would expect them to spend thousands of pounds on their hair products due to the huge amount of disposable income. But the singer from Pennsylvania has surprised fans once again with her choice of products, especially as they can be bought on the high street.

While performing on her 21 month tour, The Eras Tour, the 35-year-old allowed cameras to follow her every move for a documentary series on Disney Plus. In the first trailer for the six part series, The End of an Era, fans got a glimpse of Taylor’s life after getting off stage, including her starting to run a bath in her hotel.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that there was a line up of products on the side of the bath, including Swift’s shampoo, conditioner and bodywash. Fans have now used their detective skills to find out exactly what products the 14-time Grammy Award winner was using during The Eras Tour.

For Shampoo Taylor used the Christophe Robin Delicate Volumising Shampoo With Rose Extracts with the matching conditioner. The Shampoo can be bought for £24 at Sephora UK, with the conditioner costing just under £28 at the same store.

On the Christophe Robin website, people have described the duo of products as “smelling absolutely beautiful” and claim that it makes their hair feel “full and voluminous”.

As for body cleanser, Taylor was using OUAI in the sent St Barts, which is described as smelling like dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose, with a base of amber or musk. The product costs £19.50 from Boots, which again surprised fans.

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One commented: “I actually thought it would be more expensive.” Another penned: “I had that body wash in a Sephora birthday gift it’s genuinely amazing.”

A third said: “Honestly, I’m buying all that right now.”

Other items in the bathroom included Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Cleansing Cream, which is around £45 and Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser which comes in at £84.

The End of An Era behind-the-scenes docuseries shows the inner workings that created the phenomenon that was Taylor Swift The Eras Tour. It gives fans an intimate look at Taylor’s life as her tour made headlines and thrilled fans around the world.

In addition, the series spotlights performers, family members, and friends including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Florence Welch. The first two episodes of the series were released on December 12.

After that, two episodes will be released each week. Taylor wrote about the decision to make the series on social media: “It was the End of an Era and we knew it. We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives.

“So we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film the final show in its entirety.”

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A 25-year-old British backpacker has been sentenced to four years in prison after a fatal collision with a father-of-two while riding an electric scooter in Perth, Western Australia.

Alicia Kemp, from Redditch, Worcestershire, appeared at Perth District Court on Friday, where she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death while under the influence of alcohol.

Judge Wendy Hughes handed down a four-year sentence, backdated to June 2025 for time served, with a non-parole period of two years.

Kemp could be eligible for release in mid-2027, and her driver’s licence has been suspended for two years.

She was over the legal blood alcohol limit when she struck 51-year-old Thanh Phan on 31 May. Mr Phan later died in hospital from a brain bleed.

Kemp and a passenger on the e-scooter sustained minor injuries.

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The incident has sparked a national debate about e-scooter safety, prompting Perth and several surrounding councils to suspend hire services indefinitely.

In a statement, Mr Phan’s family described him as a “beloved husband, father-of-two and dear friend”.

Dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in Western Australia.

E-scooter riders in the state must be over 16, wear a helmet, carry no passengers, and remain sober while riding.

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Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand has entered its fifth day, with Cambodia accusing the Thai military of continued shelling and Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirming that he is scheduled to speak with United States President Donald Trump.

Thai forces allegedly carried out new attacks in three Cambodian provinces in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Cambodian news outlet The Khmer Times.

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The newspaper reported that Thai forces opened fire in the Ta Moan, Ta Kra Bei and Thmar Daun areas of Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.

It also reported Thai shelling in the Phnom Khaing and An Ses areas of the country’s Preah Vihear province, as well as the areas of Prey Chan Village and Boeung Trakuan in nearby Banteay Meanchey province.

No new casualties were reported following the renewed fighting.

At least 20 people have been killed across both countries, with nearly 200 more wounded, since fighting resumed on Monday.

An estimated 600,000 people have also been displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodia border since the breakdown of a peace agreement brokered by Trump in October.

Displaced people carry boxes with drinking water distributed at a temporary camp in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province on December 11, 2025 [Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP]

In a Facebook post, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence also rejected as “fake news” a claim from the Thai military that it was using foreign mercenaries to operate suicide drones in its attacks on targets in Thailand.

“The Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia would like to reject propaganda disseminated on the Thai 2nd Army Area Facebook page, which accused Cambodia of using foreigners to help launch FPV [first person view] drones in the Cambodian-Thai border conflict,” the ministry said.

Separately, the ministry also rejected accusations from Thai media outlets alleging that it was preparing to launch Chinese-made PHL-03 missiles in the border dispute.

The PHL-03 is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher that can fire guided and unguided rockets with a range of 70km to 130km (43.5 miles to 81 miles), according to a US military database, while Cambodia’s BM-21 Soviet-designed multi-rocket launchers have a range of just 15km to 40km (9.3 miles to 25 miles).

“Cambodia demands the Thai side to deliberately stop spreading false news in order to divert attention to its violations of international law by painting Cambodia as a pretext to use more violent weapons on Cambodia,” the Defence Ministry said.

The Southeast Asian neighbours accuse one another of reigniting the conflict that centres around a centuries-old border dispute along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier, where both sides claim ownership over a smattering of historic temples.

The continued fighting involving artillery, fighter jets, tanks and drones comes as Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin confirmed he was scheduled to speak with President Trump at 21:20 local time (14:20 GMT) on Friday.

Trump promised on Wednesday to reach out to the leaders of both countries, saying he thinks he “can get them to stop fighting”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Trump had yet to call the Thai and Cambodian leadership, but added that “the administration is obviously tracking this at the highest levels and is very much engaged”.

Thailand’s top diplomat Sihasak Phuangketkeow spoke with US counterpart Marco Rubio on Friday ahead of the planned call between Trump and Anutin, Thailand’s foreign ministry said.

Sihasak told Rubio that Thailand was committed to a peaceful resolution, but said sustainable peace must be backed up by actions and genuine commitment, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Rubio confirmed US readiness to constructively promote peace.

Anutin also said his decision to dissolve parliament on Thursday – earlier than expected – would not affect the management of the ongoing border conflict.

The move comes following a breakdown in relations between Anutin’s Thai Pride Party and the opposition People’s Party, the largest bloc in the Thai legislature.

Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said a legislative impasse had paralysed the government’s agenda, meaning Anutin’s party “can’t go forward in parliament”.

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the dissolution, the country’s official Royal Gazette announced on Friday, making way for early elections.

The national polls must now be held within 45 to 60 days in Thailand.

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Lucy WilliamsonMiddle East correspondent, Jerusalem

Anadolu via Getty Images

More than 800,000 Gazans are at risk from flooding, the UN says, as a powerful winter storm sweeps through the Strip.

The heavy rain has already deluged camps, and led several buildings to collapse.

A steady stream of water trickles through openings in the tent Ghadir al-Adham shares with her husband and six children in Gaza City. Her family is still displaced after the war, and waiting for reconstruction to begin.

“Here we are, living a life of humiliation,” she told the BBC. “We want caravans. We want our homes rebuilt. We long for concrete to keep us warm. Every day I sit and cry for my children.”

Two months into an American-imposed ceasefire, Gaza is stuck in the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan – its territory divided between the warring parties, its people still displaced and surrounded by rubble.

Ghadir al-Adham is longing to move her children into a solid home

Sticking point

Plans for new homes – and new government – lie frozen in the next stage of Donald Trump’s peace deal, as the search continues for Israel’s last remaining hostage, Ran Gvili.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has insisted Hamas must return all Israel’s hostages – living and dead – before the two sides move on to the next, more difficult, stage of the peace deal.

But several searches of Gaza’s rubble have so far shown no sign of him. Gvili was captured during the 7 October Hamas attacks – a police officer, recovering from a broken shoulder, who went to defend nearby kibbutz Alumim.

Handout

Yellow flags have been hung for Ran Gvili near his home in southern Israel

His parents, Talik and Itzik, were told last year he had not survived.

Their road to their home in Meitar, in southern Israel, is lined with banners paying tribute to him, the yellow flags of remembrance for Israel’s hostages fluttering alongside.

“They stole our kid, they stole him,” his mother Talik told me.

“They know where he is,” Itzik said. “They just try to hide or keep him. They’re play[ing] with us.”

They believe Hamas wants to keep their son as an insurance policy against future negotiations, after returning all the other hostages, both living and dead.

Itzik Gvili (right) accuses Hamas of trying to hide hi

In response, a Hamas official told the BBC their allegations were untrue, and that Israel was trying to avoid implementing the agreement.

But with no sign of Gvili’s body, and pressure from Washington growing, his parents say they are counting on Israel’s leaders not to move forward before their son is found.

“Everyone in Israel[‘s] government says to us, ‘No, we don’t move to the second level until Ran comes back.’ This is their promise,” Talik said.

Many in Israel believe it would be politically difficult for Netanyahu to carry out the next steps in the deal, including withdrawing Israeli forces further back towards Gaza’s perimeter, if even one hostage is still missing in Gaza.

Time ‘running out’

Both Israel and Hamas face difficult concessions in the next stage of the deal. For Hamas, it means handing over weapons and power. For Israel, handing over security to an international stabilisation force.

And this is also why leaders on both sides may be hesitating, says retired General Israel Ziv, a former head of Israel’s military Operations Directorate.

“Israel and Hamas are sharing the same interests not to move so fast into the second stage,” he told me. “Hamas doesn’t want to lose control, and the Israeli side for political reasons also prefer to stay in Gaza, as nobody wants to explain to their base that they have to withdraw.”

He says Trump is the only one who can force the two sides forward, and that time is running out.

“By waiting I think we might miss the opportunity because Hamas is reorganising and [its] strength is coming back,” he explained. “We have to take a deep breath and go forward with that plan, because staying in the situation as it is, it’s the worst-case scenario.”

Disarming Hamas – in a way both sides will accept – is seen as the first major hurdle. Without that, no foreign countries are likely to commit troops to secure the Strip, and no reconstruction is likely to begin in Hamas-controlled areas.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu suggested he was sceptical that foreign nations could complete the task in place of Israel.

“Our friends in America want to try to establish an international force that will do the job,” he said. “We know that there are certain tasks that this force can do. I don’t want to go into detail, they can’t do everything, and maybe they can’t do the main thing, but we’ll see.”

Trump eager to move fast

Gaza is currently divided in two by the so-called yellow line, marking the limits of Israeli forces under the first stage of the ceasefire deal.

Israel’s military chief of staff recently referred to it as a “new border line”, sparking accusations that Israel was signalling an intention to remain there long term.

Key issues, including how to disarm Hamas, are due to be discussed at a meeting between Israel’s prime minister and Donald Trump in Florida later this month.

The US president – who has already brokered a ceasefire in Gaza and pushed his peace plan through the UN Security Council – has been outspoken about his desire to move the process forward.

He told journalists this week that he would announce the membership of a newly created Board of Peace for Gaza early next year. “It will be one of the most legendary boards ever… Everybody wants to be on it,” he said.

Getty Images

The floods make it hard for Gazans to keep children dry

There are also widespread reports that, under pressure from Washington, Israel is beginning work to clear rubble, in preparation for a new temporary housing project in the Israeli-held area of Rafah, in the south of the Strip.

The new housing could reportedly provide shelter for tens of thousands of Gazans, on condition that they are willing to cross into Israeli-held areas, and submit to checks for any links to Hamas.

Some see it as part of a plan to draw Gazans across into Israeli-held areas, in order to isolate Hamas. A small number of people have already crossed into these areas, to camps set up by armed groups supported by Israel there.

But many Gazans – even those who want to replace Hamas – say they refuse to live under Israeli control.

It’s a glimpse of an alternative future for Gaza, if this second stage of Trump’s plan fails; a future where Gaza, already divided, becomes more divided still.

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Skip next section Ukraine peace plan: what are the key issues?12/12/2025December 12, 2025

Ukraine peace plan: what are the key issues?

The US has been pressing Moscow and Kyiv to agree to its peace proposal, but despite intensified diplomacy in recent weeks, there has been no significant breakthrough yet. These are some of the main sticking points for any ceasefire in Ukraine:

• Russia’s demands for a Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region, including from areas not under Russian occupation
• US proposals for a demilitarized “free economic zone” as a buffer area
• Ukraine’s insistance on firm security guarantees against any future Russian aggression

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has always insisted that it would be politically, morally and constitutionally impossible for him to simply cede Ukrainian territory, said the US had proposed some sort of demilitarized “free economic zone.” 

In addition to repeating that a referendum or election would be required to allow such a move, Zelenskyy questioned who would police such a zone and called for concrete security guarantees.

“If one side’s troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops?” he asked, referring to the Russians. “What will stop them disguising themselves as civilians and taking over this free economic zone? This is all very serious. If you are talking about a compromise then it has to be a fair compromise.”

https://p.dw.com/p/55CIx

Skip next section Will the US provide security guarantees for Ukraine?

12/12/2025December 12, 2025

Will the US provide security guarantees for Ukraine?

Ukraine is particularly unwilling to give up its remaining territory in Donetsk since it contains a key belt of heavily defended “fortress cities” such as Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and the besieged town of Pokrovsk. 

“If Ukraine gives up the fortress cities in the Donbas, the only security they can have is by being heavily armed and being backed by their allies in some way,” said Sky News UK’s military analyst Michael Clarke.

“The only thing that would stop Russia is deterrence: the knowledge that either European forces were sitting in Ukraine ready to fight for them, which is hard to imagine at the moment, and that they are backed up by American forces, which is even harder to imagine,” he said.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement that “security guarantees are among the most important elements for all subsequent steps,” and his US counterpart Donald Trump  suggested that Washington would be prepared to help in some form.

“We would help with security because, in my opinion, it’s a necessary factor,” he said, without giving further details.

https://p.dw.com/p/55CIz

Skip next section Trump: US may attend meeting on Saturday

12/12/2025December 12, 2025

Trump: US may attend meeting on Saturday

US President Donald Trump suggested the US may attend a potential meeting “on Saturday” to discuss a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.

CNN reported the meeting will take place in Paris.

“We’ll see whether or not we attend the meeting,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We’ll be attending the meeting on Saturday in Europe if we think there’s a good chance. And we don’t want to waste a lot of time if we think it’s negative.”

Earlier on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was “extremely frustrated” with both Russia and Ukraine. “He is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting,” she said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said there could be another meeting in Berlin next week.

https://p.dw.com/p/55CIp

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/12/2025December 12, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Good morning and welcome to DW’s coverage of developments in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

As Ukraine’s European allies met Thursday to further discuss a revised 20-point peace plan that Kyiv sent to Washington, the US President Donald Trump said Washington would send a representative to a meeting this weekend “if we think there’s a good chance” of making progress.

But key differences still remain over US demands for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the Donbas region and security guarantees for Kyiv against future Russian aggression.

On the battlefield, Russian forces claim to have taken the town of Siversk in northern Donetsk as they continue to make incremental gains.

https://p.dw.com/p/55CIo

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Conservative firebrand Candace Owens tore into Erika Kirk after she publicly rejected conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of her husband, activist Charlie Kirk.

In her most recent podcast episode, Owens suggested that Erika’s behavior was suspicious, claiming she attempted to dismiss inconsistencies surrounding the murder of Charlie, whom Owens was close friends with. She also accused Erika of exhibiting “Meghan Markle syndrome,” which, she claims, is “where you want privacy when you want it, you want publicity when you want it.”

It comes three months after Charlie was shot and killed while speaking to a large crowd at Utah Valley University. Officials have said that the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, acted alone.

Owens has repeatedly, and baselessly, charged the government with concealing information and has suggested that other countries may have been involved.

Erika, the CEO of Turning Point USA — the conservative organization her late husband founded — was interviewed by FOX News on Wednesday, during which she rebuffed the conspiracy theorists who have leveled unproven claims about the assassination.

open image in gallery

Candace Owens went on a rant against Erika Kirk, claiming she suffers from ‘Meghan Markle syndrome’ after Kirk pushed back against conspiracy theories about her husband’s death. (Candace Owens)

“Come after me,” she said. “Call me names. I don’t care. Call me what you want. Go down that rabbit hole. Whatever. But when you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my ‘Charlie Kirk Show’ family. When you go out for the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love, because somehow they’re in on this? No.”

“This is righteous anger because this is not okay,” she continued. “It’s not healthy. This is a mind virus. Yes, I believe in our judicial system. I do. We have a hell of a team working on this — excuse my French — but this is not okay.”

Still, she said she remains unflappable and added she doesn’t have time to “address the noise.”

open image in gallery

Erika Kirk said ‘it’s not healthy’ to spread theories on her husband’s death like many have (Fox News/ Jesse Watters Primetime)

open image in gallery

Erika Kirk clapped back at the ‘conspiracy theorists’ probing her husband’s death (Getty Images)

Owens, who has millions of followers and subscribers online, quickly responded, going on a lengthy rant about Erika during an episode of her podcast released on Wednesday.

She said that her Fox News’ interview “completely missed the mark for me. I am sorry it just has.”

Owens honed in on Erika’s comment about not having enough time to address conspiracy theories, pointing out that she’s participated in numerous interviews with reporters in recent weeks.

“None of this is passing the vibe check,” Owens added. “You are not changing my mind about the fact that something weird happened that day and that TPUSA is acting funny because you give an impassioned plea and speak about Nehemiah on Fox News.”

The Independent has contacted TPUSA and Owens for comment.

Later in the episode, she applauded Tucker Carlson — another conservative media personality — for backing her claims about Charlie’s assassination.

In a video posted on X on Wednesday, Carlson said, “We should not necessarily trust the FBI…no American is under some moral obligation to believe everything the government tells you, particularly institutions or agencies that have a long documented, factually documented track record of committing crimes.”

Owens’ comments prompted a flurry of reactions online.

“Candace Owens has bigger balls than 99% of men who post their opinions online,” manosphere influencer Tristan Tate wrote on X. “She’s ready and willing to face the fire.”

“Never thought I’d unfollow Candace Owens,” Deon Joseph, a law enforcement veteran, wrote on X. “When you decide weeks after a woman and her children lost a husband/father so tragically, to exploit that man’s death, spread rumors about his family and close friends calling yourself his friend, I can’t roll with that.”

“It’s hard to watch,” he added. “A widow can’t even simply morn her husband. It’s a question of decency for me.”

Owens previously claimed that Charlie hired her “on the spot” after their first meeting in 2017. They participated in multiple speaking engagements together and formed a close friendship. In a video posted after his death, she said they “were always laughing” and bickered “like an old couple.”

It’s hardly the first time Owens has courted controversy.

In 2024, she began promoting a conspiracy theory that French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte is secretly transgender. In response, the Macrons launched a defamation suit against Owens, accusing her of spreading “outlandish” and “far-fetched fictions.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• Army gynecologist Maj. Blaine McGraw has been charged with indecent visual recording, among other charges, after allegedly secretly filming his patients
• McGraw was formally charged on Dec. 9, following an investigation from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division
• A majority of the alleged offenses occurred when McGraw conducted medical exams at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas

Army gynecologist Maj. Blaine McGraw has been formally charged with allegedly secretly recording women.

McGraw, 47, was charged on Tuesday, Dec. 9, with 54 counts of indecent visual recording, five counts of conduct unbecoming an officer, one count of willful disobedience of a superior officer and one count of making a false official statement, according to The New York Times. 

McGraw has been held in pretrial confinement at the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas since Dec. 2, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) said in a statement.

The OB-GYN worked at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, from June 2019 to June 2023, before beginning practice at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas. 

During his time in Texas, McGraw is accused of making secret recordings of 44 patients from Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2025, CBS News reports. A majority of the alleged offenses occurred when McGraw conducted medical exams at Darnall Army Medical Center. 

A source connected to the case told NBC News that as many as 1,500 people have been notified that they may have been recorded without their consent during McGraw’s Army tenure.

Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 30, 2014.

Alamy

A patient made allegations against McGraw on Oct. 17. That same day, the Army CID suspended him, revoked his access to medical records and launched its investigation “within hours,” according to a statement.

On Nov. 5, Texas law firm National Trial Law announced in a statement that it is representing a group of several victims in a lawsuit against the U.S. government, alleging that “victims had previously reported the doctor’s inappropriate behavior to the Army, but allege that nothing was done and the provider was allowed to continue treating patients.”

“The allegations involve one of the most egregious violations of medical trust imaginable: non-consensual videotaping and photographing of patients during intimate medical examinations, coupled with improper sexual touching during OB-GYN procedures,” National Trial Law’s statement continued.

On Nov. 12, National Trial Law filed an administrative complaint against the U.S. Department of the Army on behalf of an anonymous complainant identified as Jane Doe 1.

Two days prior, on Nov. 10, the Cobos Law Firm, also a Texas-based law firm, filed a lawsuit on behalf of a group of alleged victims in Bell County District Court.

Cobos represents 56 of the alleged victims, USA Today reports. The firm is representing a Jane Doe, who is identified only as a military spouse. The lawsuit alleges the U.S. Army covered up McGraw’s alleged abuse.

“The Army knew,” the lawsuit reviewed by PEOPLE reads. “Complaints had been made about Defendant McGraw—at Fort Hood, and years earlier at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii—yet leadership dismissed the warnings, laughed off credible allegations, and allowed McGraw to continue practicing. By doing so, the Army gave cover to a predator in uniform.”

On Dec. 3, the Army’s CID said its extensive investigation now includes hundreds of interviews and a review of over half a terabyte of digital media.

Then on Monday, Dec. 8, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and more than 50 other congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General. The politicians requested the office investigate if the Army allegedly ignored reports and dismissed complaints about McGraw.

“The allegations against Dr. McGraw are extremely serious, and the Army’s criminal investigation of this matter must continue unabated,” the letter read. “We are committed to demanding justice for victims of sexual assault and harassment, and we will not stay silent while the safety of women is at risk.”

A preliminary hearing for McGraw has not been scheduled.

PEOPLE reached out to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division for comment. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.          

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have teased an upcoming project which will ‘be great for children’ as they dazzled at the annual Congressional Ball on Thursday.

The First Lady stunned in a semi-sheer black lace blouse and a tailored black blazer, while Trump opted for a traditional tuxedo and bow tie.

Speaking to the crowd ahead of the celebration, Melania unveiled a new initiative she has in the pipeline for 2026.

‘I hope you will be excited to support my new legislative initiative in 2026. Some of you already know about it, because it is already in the works,’ she said.

‘I wish you and your families a very happy and merry Christmas, and a healthy New Year.’

Trump backed his wife’s project, despite admitting he only ‘just heard about that for the first time.’

‘The only thing I can tell you,’ he said, ‘I know one thing for sure: It is going to be great for children.

‘I don’t know what it is she’s doing, but it’s going to be great for children, because she loves children.’

President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have teased an upcoming project which will ‘be great for children’ as they dazzled at the Congressional Ball on Thursday

The First Lady stunned in a semi-sheer black lace blouse with high collar and a tailored black blazer

The duo hosted the annual Congressional Ball on Thursday night – a standing White House tradition for lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle

The duo hosted the annual Congressional Ball on Thursday night – a standing White House tradition for lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle.

It is billed as an evening to celebrate the holiday season and recognize the hard work carried out throughout the year.

On Thursday, Trump praised Melania in his initial remarks, acknowledging: ‘It wouldn’t be possible without you. I want to thank my great wife, my great First Lady, for helping me.’

Few others in his orbit received individual praise.

Trump mentinoed both Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Whip Steve Scalise as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

He opted not to single out other high profile members of his Cabinet, some of whom have been battling public relations nightmares in recent weeks.

Vice President JD Vance, who attended Thursday’s celebration with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, has been under fire after an image emerged earlier this week appearing to capture a tense conversation between the pair.

He mocked the authenticity of the image, which appeared to have been taken at a restaurant while he was dressed down in a t-shirt.

Vice President JD Vance attended Thursday’s celebration with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance

Pete Hegseth also appeared at the Congressional Ball with his wife Jennifer Rauchet despite facing mounting public backlash

The duo hosted the annual Congressional Ball on Thursday night – a standing White House tradition for lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle

‘I always wear an undershirt when I go out in public to have a fight loudly with my wife,’ he dead-panned.

But critics pounced on the image regardless of his statement after weeks of speculation about the state of his marriage, after Usha was repeatedly spotted without wearing her wedding ring and Vance admitted he had pleaded with his wife to convert from Hinduism to Catholicism.

Both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have also faced mounting backlash within their portfolios.

‘We got ’em all here. Every single one,’ Trump said.

‘I won’t call them out because they’re not names that are going to get any huge applause from this very substantially Democrat[ic] audience. But you know what, they’re working toward making America great again. It’s very simple.’

The Trumps’ revelation about Melania’s new project for children come just days after she faced backlash for an accidental ‘faux pas’ while reading to children at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.

During the visit, a group of kids gathered around and Melania sat down to read How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? As she turned the pages, however, she appeared to forget to show any of the illustrations or pictures from the book to the crowd.

‘She is looking at the illustrations herself and not sharing them. It is really bizarre,’ one critic said.

Another added: ‘It was obvious by the fact that Melania never turned the book to show children the pictures that she has never read a book to a child in her life.’

After Trump returned to the White House in January, Melania set to work building and implementing the Take It Down Act.

The policy criminalizes the distribution of non-consensual intimate images and deepfakes, and demands platforms remove any such content within 48 hours of being notified. 

‘Our greatest triumph in my office in 2025 is the Take It Down Act,’ Melania said.

And just last month, Melania set her sights on a new initiative, launching the Fostering the Future policy to help improve the lives of children in foster care.

The initiative aims to secure new educational and employment pathways for youths who are transitioning out of the foster care system.

Trump praised Melania in his initial remarks, acknowledging: ‘It wouldn’t be possible without you. I want to thank my great wife, my great First Lady, for helping me’

Elsewhere in his speech as Trump acknowledged House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, he was heckled by someone in the crowd who called for the deportation of Somalis living in America.

‘Tom is very friendly with the Somalians. You know, he’s doing a great job. He’s a big fan. He’s a big fan of Somalia,’ Trump had started saying.

‘Send them home! Send them home!’ someone in the crowd chanted.

Trump ignored the interruption, continuing to heap praise on Emmer.

‘Thank you, Tom. Thank you,’ he said. ‘He’s a great guy. He’s done a fantastic job and we really appreciate it.’

Melania Trump has been criticized over her reading to a group of young children 

Trump has been highly critical of the Somali community across the United States in recent weeks, after it emerged a group of Somalis in Minnesota had been accused of defrauding taxpayers out of as much as $1 billion.

‘The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world, from places that you don’t want to even know about. No country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival,’ Trump said last month. 

‘An example is Minnesota, where hundreds of thousands of Somalians are ripping off our country and ripping apart that once great state.’

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Over the last five years, Tristan Cork said the festive display in in Hethersett, Norfolk has “snowballed” in popularity and around £30,000 has been donated to his charity Finnbar’s Force

Just five months after he was diagnosed, Finnbar sadly passed away(Image: Tristan Cork / SWNS)

The dad behind a Christmas display set up in memory of his five-year-old son has been left devastated after hundreds of pounds was stolen from a wishing well by a heartless thief.

Tristan Cork creates a winter wonderland every Christmas to honour his son Finnbar Cork, who he lost in 2016 to a brain tumour. Over the last five years, Mr Cork said the festive display in in Hethersett, Norfolk has “snowballed” in popularity and around £30,000 has been donated to his charity Finnbar’s Force.

But on the night of December 8, a handmade wishing well that forms part of the light trail was broken into by a thief who is believed to have snatched hundreds of pounds donated by locals.

Mum Claire, sister Nell, dad Tristan and Finnbar(Image: Tristan Cork / SWNS)

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The 43-year-old said: “We are really proud of the display. I don’t want to stop doing it, but an incident like this has made me question whether we will be able to keep the display up. It’s sad people want to destroy that. Usually, we empty the well, but on this particular night, a volunteer had forgotten to.”

The display was set up in 2017 by a small group of neighbours, and after the first few years, Mr Cork started accepting donations. The wishing well raises money for Finnbar’s Force – a charity which supports families and children affected by childhood cancer and brain tumours.

Tristan and Claire Cork’s son Finnbar started to complain that he felt dizzy in November 2015 – just a few months after his fifth birthday. In early 2016, Finnbar began to deteriorate with headaches and projectile vomiting.

Finnbar was diagnosed with a Grade Two Astrocytoma – a type of brain cancer which is fast-growing and recurring(Image: Tristan Cork / SWNS)

He underwent emergency brain surgery to relive high pressure but Finnbar sadly continued to worsen and doctors told the family the initial diagnosis was probably incorrect and that the tumour was a much more aggressive type.

On August 5, 2016, just five months after he was diagnosed, Finnbar sadly passed away.

Mr Cork said: “It’s to remember Finnbar but also for the community. Things like this do make you question if you want to put the effort into doing it in the future. We start putting the collection boxes and lights up on October 1 and turn them on on October 29.

Tristan Cork next to the wishing well.(Image: Newsquest / SWNS)

“It’s a lot of work so when something like this happens, you can’t help but feel disheartened. That’s not just because someone took the money, sometimes it feels like people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into it.

“The outpouring of support that we’ve had since has soldified that we want to carry on. The whole reason why we do this is to remember Finnbar. We feel the purpose of bringing the community together – we’ve had offers of donations and to fix the well.”

Mr Cork said he was unsure of the total amount of money stolen as volunteers had not tallied before it was thieved. Last year, £10,000 worth of donations were collected for Finnbar’s Force.

Tristan Cork’s Christmas lights display in honour of his late son Finnbar Cork.(Image: Tristan Cork / SWNS)

Mr Cork, who helps run Finnbar Force’s support centre in Norwich, said: “Our aim is to make sure families get all of the support that they can when they need it. There are gaps in the support available and we provide a more holistic support.

“We’re fundraising at the moment for a 1-1 support worker for families going through diagnosis. It’s an awful time. You’re going through the worst time of your life but all of the other stuff in your life carries on. You still have children to look after, your car goes wrong, the toilet leaks.

“It’s difficult to deal with when you’re at your emotional capacity. If we can help relieve some of the burden and the weight, that’s what we’re here for.”

Norfolk Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident, has any information or doorbell footage to get in touch by quoting reference 36/88815/25.

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