Israeli authorities are engaged in multiple major efforts, including building settlements and pursuing annexation, to ensure there will be no Palestinian state in the future.

Israeli authorities are expected to advance plans to build 9,000 new housing units in an illegal settlement on the site of the abandoned Qalandiya airport in occupied East Jerusalem, in another attempt to cut off Palestinian lands from each other and block any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state ever emerging.

The so-called Atarot neighbourhood in northern East Jerusalem, reminiscent of the E1 plan to undermine Palestinian statehood, is to be discussed and have its outlines approved on Wednesday by the District Planning and Building Committee, according to Israeli group Peace Now.

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The advocacy group said the new settlement is envisioned to be built within a densely populated Palestinian urban area, stretching from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and Kafr Aqab in the north through the Qalandiya refugee camp, ar-Ram, Beit Hanina and Bir Nabala.

It would build an Israeli enclave in an area where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in close proximity, with the aim of blocking development in a key area and further damaging the likelihood of a sovereign Palestinian state being established.

“This is a destructive plan that, if implemented, would prevent any possibility of connecting East Jerusalem with the surrounding Palestinian area and would, in practice, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel,” Peace Now said.

Translation: The massacre government is working to establish a new ultra-Orthodox mega-settlement across the Green Line north of Jerusalem. The new political attack called ‘Atarot’ is planned to be built in the heart of the Palestinian state that will be established alongside Israel. This involves 9,000 housing units that Israel will have to evacuate. Isn’t it a shame?

The organisation said the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seizing every moment to bury chances for a future of peace and compromise.

“Especially now, when it is clear to everyone that the ideas of ‘managing the conflict’ and ‘decisive victory’ have led to a security disaster for Israel, we must act to resolve the conflict.”

The plan’s advancements date back to early 2020, when Israel’s Housing Ministry sent it to the Jerusalem municipality to prepare it for approval. It completed the bureaucratic preparation process within months, but faced objections from the Environmental Protection and Health ministries, according to Peace Now, which said the administration of United States President Barack Obama had also opposed it.

It would need further government consideration and approval before being given legal effect and moving towards tender processes to select construction contractors.

Most of the plan area is designated as “state land” by Israeli authorities, meaning they would not have to seek permission from Palestinian landowners.

Israel has been quickly advancing with several major projects to build illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory and pursuing annexation of the occupied West Bank, alongside its genocidal war on Gaza that started in October 2023 and has now killed more than 70,000 people.

The E1 plan, which would see the construction of thousands of illegal Israeli homes in the occupied West Bank, is hailed by Israeli officials despite international condemnation.

Israel’s security cabinet last week signed off on plans to formalise 19 illegal settlements across the West Bank.

Demolitions and widespread arrests

Israeli forces continue to launch raids across the occupied West Bank and support violent settlers in attacking Palestinian lands while issuing permits to demolish Palestinian homes.

Israeli authorities began carrying out demolition operations Wednesday morning in the town of Biddu, located northwest of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext that the Palestinian buildings lacked permits.

In the central part of the West Bank, settlers, who have been rampaging with impunity often backed by the Israeli military, burned Palestinian vehicles and wrote racist slogans in the village of Ein Yabrud in Ramallah on Wednesday.

Several Palestinians were also arrested during raids across the West Bank, including in Nablus.

Local authorities said the Israeli military plans to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp this week.

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Streeting gives evidence to Commons health committee

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is giving evidence to the Commons health committee. There is a live feed here.

Wes Streeting answers questions at parliament committee starts – watch live

At the start of the hearing Layla Moran, the chair, said they would cover the resident doctors’ strike in the hearing, but she said she wanted to start with other topics.

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Streeting says, even though staff are on strike, people should still go to hospital if they need emergency help

Streeting says he does not want people to stay away from hospitals today if they need emergency medical help.

The most important message that I want us all to convey collectively as, as parliament and the NHS, is to the public’ I do not want people who need to access health care to think [they’d] better not try.

So if it’s an accident or an emergency, people should have access.

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Streeting says he is in ‘violent agreement’ with BMA on need for action on resident doctors’ jobs

McIntyre moves on to the resident doctors’ strike.

Streeting say he won’t go over all he has said already about the BMA.

He explains what the government has done for resident doctors on pay and on jobs.

On jobs, he says the government is in “violent agreement” with the BMA.

He says the government has proposed legislation that would make it easier for resident doctors to get jobs.

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At the health committee Wes Streeting is now being asked about strikes.

Alex McIntyre (Lab) starts by asking about what he says is the longest running strike in the NHS – the strike by phlebotomists in Gloucestershire.

Streeting says no one has covered themselves in glory in this dispute. He says Unison and the NHS are involved in a “constructive” period of dialogue at the moment. He says he hopes it will be over soon.

He also declares an interest, saying he is a Unison member.

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Streeting says apologises to patients for disruption, saying government did ‘everything we could’ to avert resident doctors’ strike

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has apologised to patients over the strike by resident doctors in England today.

Speaking to broadcasters before he started giving evidence to the Commons health committee, he said:

We did everything we could to avert these strikes and to stop strike action from taking place.

When we came into government, we recognised what resident doctors were saying about pay, and that’s why they received a 28.9% pay rise from this government.

Of course, we’re willing to talk to them about what we do in future years.

I think people can see that I’ve tried my absolute best to avoid these strikes on what is the worst time for the NHS.

I’m really sorry to patients for the disruption that is happening as a result.

Wes Streeting on a visit to NHS England HQ at Wellington House early this morning. Photograph: Lucy North/PAShare

UK inflation falls sharply to 3.2% amid slowdown in food price rises

UK inflation fell by more than expected in November amid a slowdown in food prices, official figures show, strengthening the case for the Bank of England to cut interest rates on Thursday, Richard Partington reports.

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Streeting gives evidence to Commons health committee

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is giving evidence to the Commons health committee. There is a live feed here.

Wes Streeting answers questions at parliament committee starts – watch live

At the start of the hearing Layla Moran, the chair, said they would cover the resident doctors’ strike in the hearing, but she said she wanted to start with other topics.

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Labour support on course to fall to 10% in Senedd elections, poll suggests, with Plaid Cymru set to win most seats

Steven Morris

Steven Morris is a Guardian reporter who covers Wales.

Labour is on course to be crushed in next year’s elections for the Senedd, a new YouGov poll implies.

Previous polls have shown Plaid Cymru and Reform UK on course to be the two largest parties in the Senedd, with Labour and the Conservatives far behind, but the new poll, conducted by YouGov for Cardiff University, shows Labour’s support falling even further, to 10%.

YouGov poll for Senedd elections in 2026 Photograph: Jac Larner/Cardiff University

According to Jac Larner from Cardiff University, these results would result in the following seat distribution.

Plaid Cymru – 39

Reform UK – 34

Labour – 10

Conservatives – 6

Green – 4

Lib Dem – 3

Labour has been in power continuously in Cardiff since the first elections to what was then called the Welsh assembly in 1999 and a result like this – even though it is in line with that polls have been suggesting for months – would be devastating for the party.

Commenting on the poll in a post on his Substack newsletter, Will Hayward, the Welsh political commentator, says:

The magic number under the new Senedd system is 49. You need 49 seats to get a majority. As it is highly unlikely that one party will get that alone, parties will need to work together.

With that in mind here are some key takeaways from the polling:

-Plaid and Labour together have exactly 49.

-Plaid alongside the Greens and Lib Dems are on 46 – three short of a majority.

-Together Reform and the Tories are nine short of a majority.

Once we start getting into the realms of Plaid potentially being able to form a government without Labour we are truly in uncharted waters.

In a joint blog on the poll for Cardiff University, Larner and fellow academic James Griffiths say “while Reform UK’s growth reflects broader British patterns, Plaid Cymru’s consolidation of progressive votes represents a Wales-specific political development”. They explain:

England’s disaffected Labour voters are increasingly drifting to the Greens or Liberal Democrats. Wales’ progressive voters have a credible alternative in Plaid Cymru, but specifically in devolved electoral competition, where the choice is about Welsh governance and Plaid can credibly claim to fight for Welsh interests within Wales.

This creates a bifurcated realignment with different mechanisms on each side. Reform’s consolidation of the British-identifying right reflects British politics playing out in Wales. Plaid’s consolidation of the Welsh-identified left reflects Welsh politics asserting autonomy within the devolved electoral context.

For the first time in a century, Welsh Labour faces the prospect of opposition or junior coalition partnership. That prospect, more than any survey, signals how profound this realignment truly is. The bloc structure that has organised Welsh politics for decades persists, but the hierarchy within those blocs has been overturned.

Commenting on the poll, a Plaid Cymru spokesperson said:

Something big is truly happening in Wales.

Coming so soon after our Caerphilly by-election win, this poll shows the momentum is firmly with Plaid Cymru and that next year’s election is shaping up to be a straight choice for Wales’ future.

After years in power, Labour have given up on Wales. People are tired of broken promises and being taken for granted and yearning for something new: fairness, ambition, and a government that finally puts Wales first.

And a Welsh Labour source told ITV:

There will be many polls before May. This doesn’t mean this is where we’ll be by election day. Welsh Labour is focused on protecting jobs, bringing down waiting lists, supporting our communities. This is what makes a difference to everyone’s everyday lives. We know we’ve got work to do, but we’re determined to earn back the trust that voters have put in us before.

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Updated at 10.53 CET

Jeremy Corbyn speaking with resident doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas’ hospital in London this morning. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PAShare

Updated at 10.26 CET

Labour says Farage’s refusal to apologise over racism allegations shows he’s ‘unfit for high office’

Nigel Farage has been told to apologise for his alleged teenage racism by 26 school contemporaries who have written an open letter telling of their “dismay and anger” at his response in recent weeks. Daniel Boffey, Henry Dyer and Mark Blacklock have the story.

This morning Anna Turley, the Labour party chair, said in a statement that Farage’s refusal to apologise, and to even fully account for what happened, shows that he is “unfit for high office”.

It’s shameful that Nigel Farage’s refusal to have a proper answer as to whether he racially abused people at school has led to this. He should finally do the right thing now and apologise fully to those who have bravely come forward.

His inability to answer basic questions about his past behaviour leaves the impression he may have something to hide. It really shouldn’t be that difficult for him to explain his actions, or to take responsibility for them. Once again, Nigel Farage has proven he’s unfit for high office.

In his various comments on these stories, Farage has veered between denying the allegations in their entirety, suggesting people misremembered what happened, and dismissing the comments alluded to as banter that was not intended to cause offence.

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Starmer urged by Lib Dems to ensure rejoining Erasmus is ‘first step to closer relationship’ with EU

Good morning. As Pippa Crerar revealed for the Guardian yesterday, the government will today announce that the UK is rejoining the EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme.

Photograph: Guardian

The move has been welcomed by pro-EU parties. The Liberal Democrats released this comment from their universities spokesperson, Ian Sollom.

After years of campaigning by the Liberal Democrats, we welcome the news that the UK is finally set to rejoin the vital Erasmus+ student exchange scheme from 2027.

This is a moment of real opportunity and a clear step towards repairing the disastrous Conservative Brexit deal.

However, while this is a welcome breakthrough, it must be viewed as a crucial first step on a clear roadmap to a closer relationship with Europe. Starting with negotiating a bespoke UK-EU customs union, and committing to a youth mobility scheme for benefit of the next generation.

The SNP has also been calling for the UK to rejoin Erasmus, and it issued this statement from Joe FitzPatrick MSP.

Scotland did not vote for Brexit. Our young people, our universities, and our communities have already been paying the price of Farage’s campaign to leave for years while Starmer refuses to admit that the whole thing was a mistake.

The SNP has campaigned tirelessly for Scotland’s access to Erasmus, while Labour and the Tories ignored the voices of the young people most affected by Brexit.

It is baffling how Labour is only now realising what Scots figured out a long time ago. This isn’t leadership, it’s a desperate scramble to fix a mess they helped create. Scottish students shouldn’t be used as pawns in Westminster’s Brexit blunders.

But from the Conservative party and Reform UK – so far, we’ve just had silence. It is not hard to see why. Do they defend Boris Johnson’s decision not to join Erasmus, and the replacement scheme, Turing, that he set up as an alternative (which is not reciprocal, and which is less generous)? And, if they are going to criticise the decision, do they commit to pulling out again if they win the next election – a pledge that would be unpopular with young people, and the university sector?

We may find out later today, although the Tories will probably want to say as little as possible on this topic.

And it is not as if there are not other issues to discuss. Here is our story about the strike by resident doctors in England starting this morning.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, will be speaking to MPs about this within the hour.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: Wes Streeting, the health secretary, gives evidence to the Commons health committee.

Morning: The government is due to confirm that the UK is joining the EU’s Erasmus programme.

10am: Unison is due to announce the results of its leadership election. Christina McAnea, the incumbent who is seen as one of Keir Starmer’s main union allies, is being challenged by a leftwinger, Andrea Egan.

11am: The Green party is due to announce what it calls a “significant” defection. Politico says it’s Jamie Driscoll, the former Labour North of Tyne mayor.

Noon: Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.

With recess starting tomorrow afternoon, the government is also making 14 announcements in the form of written ministerial statements, including ones covering the local government settlement for 2026-27, the bid to buy the Telegraph, and progress on the Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations.

If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.

If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.

I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.

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Updated at 10.11 CET

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On the weekend, the Israeli military issued a warning that has become familiar to civilians living in southern Lebanon.

Israel would shortly attack what they claimed was infrastructure belonging to the militant Lebanon-based group, Hezbollah, in the town of Yanouh.

“You are located near buildings used by Hezbollah, and for your own safety you must evacuate them immediately,” the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military said on Saturday afternoon. 

Then something rather unusual happened. The Lebanese army requested that, instead of an Israeli air strike, it should be allowed to inspect the premises for weapons itself. In what Israeli media would later describe as a “rare” and “unprecedented” event, the Israelis agreed and called the air strike on Yanouh off.

It was a positive moment in what is becoming an extremely difficult situation for Lebanon, as a November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon looks in danger of collapsing. 

After the ceasefire came into effect, Israeli soldiers mostly withdrew and Lebanese civilians were able to return homeImage: Hussein Malla/AP Photo/picture alliance

Why was a ceasefire necessary?

Almost immediately after the attack on Israel by the Gaza-based militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military began to strike at Hezbollah in Lebanon too.

Hezbollah is part of a group of pro-Iranian militias that have long opposed Israel and the US, from inside Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Hezbollah is not just a militia, though; it is also an important political and social force in Lebanon, often described as a “state within a state,” with a social welfare network and military to rival actual Lebanese institutions.

Between October 2023 and November 2024, the Israeli military attacked Hezbollah and Lebanon by land and air. In November, a ceasefire was brokered by France and the US, with one of the conditions being that Lebanon disarm Hezbollah by December 31. In return, Israel would stop attacking Lebanon and withdraw its troops.

As that deadline draws closer, Lebanese authorities are under pressure to prove they’re disarming Hezbollah. They say they’ve achieved a lot. The Lebanese Armed Forces, or LAF, say they have detonated so many arms caches that they ran out of explosives. But, as observers regularly point out, it’s hard to prove this. There’s also ongoing disagreement as to whether the disarmament only happens in the south, nearer the Israeli border, or throughout the whole country.

Additionally, despite the ceasefire, Israel has been bombing Lebanon almost daily since November, with over 120 Lebanese civilians killed as a result, and has not fully withdrawn its troops. 

Israel says a side letter to the ceasefire allows it to respond to alleged violations as long as it informs the US firstImage: Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO

Intractable stalemate

“Both sides allege that the other is not complying with the ceasefire, so they won’t comply with it either,” David Wood, the senior Lebanon analyst at the think tank, Crisis Group, told DW. “So the question is who will blink first.”

For example, Israel says it will only withdraw all of its soldiers from Lebanon when Hezbollah is disarmed. Hezbollah says it will only do that when Israeli soldiers have left and Israel stops bombing the country — that is despite the fact Israel has clear military superiority, Wood points out.

The Lebanese state is caught in the middle and, over the past few weeks, has come under increasing pressure from Israel and the US.

Lebanon has been mired in an economic crisis for around seven years now and the Lebanese army is dependent on foreign aid. The US has said that if the LAF doesn’t hurry up and disarm Hezbollah, it will cut LAF funding. But if the LAF was defunded, they would obviously no longer be able to do this. 

Israel is also pressuring Lebanon, with Defense Minister Israel Katz recently warning that if disarmament didn’t progress faster, Israel would escalate its military operations in Lebanon again. 

But in fact, Israel’s bombing may be hindering that process, Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, argues. 

“The belligerent actions of Israel, ironically, are undermining the process of achieving Hezbollah’s disarmament,” he wrote in an October briefing. “If Israel were to withdraw from Lebanese territory and significantly reduce its kinetic actions, it would place Hezbollah under far greater pressure to relinquish its arms.”

Hezbollah claims the Lebanese government isn’t doing anything to stop Israel and argues it is defending the country because the actual government can’t or won’t.

“The result of all this is a potential stalemate,” Blanford explains. “Even if Hezbollah remains obstinate and refuses to hand over its weapons, the Lebanese government cannot, will not, and should not deploy the LAF against the party, as that would almost certainly lead to the collapse of the army and potentially spark a civil war.”

Even if the LAF could fight Hezbollah, it wouldn’t be able to for fear of upsetting the country’s delicate political balance, he explained.

Most of Hezbollah’s supporters are Lebanese Shiite Muslims who live in the south of the country Image: Fadel Itani/NurPhoto/IMAGO

“Lebanon is trapped between a set of impossible demands,” journalist and commentator Hala Jaber argued in the online media outlet Middle East Eye last week. “Disarm its only deterrent, but expect protection; rely on the army but deny it weapons; trust diplomacy but accept bombs the next morning; believe in mediation, while mediators propose mass-casualty strikes.”

An untenable situation 

The late November Israeli strike on Beirut in which a Hezbollah commander was killed shows that “the status quo that has taken shape since the November ceasefire is unravelling,” Fadi Nicholas Nassar, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, wrote for the Italian Institute for International Political Studies last month.

So is there anything that could break the stalemate before the upcoming deadline?

In November, Israel struck Lebanon’s crodwed capital Beirut in order to kill Hezbollah’s chief of staff; five locals were also killed in the attackImage: Adri Salido/Getty Images

In an October analysis for the Washington-based Middle East Institute, Nassar suggested that gradual steps, with “tangible milestones,” should be taken to build trust. For example, he argues that if the Lebanese state disarmed Hezbollah outside of areas where it has already done so, that could help.

This week, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi criticized Iran for its negative role in Lebanon, although Hezbollah’s main international backer is unlikely to change course with regard to the organization anytime soon. Hezbollah has also argued that the more Lebanon concedes, the more Israel will demand. 

Crisis Group analyst Wood believes tensions will ratchet up further toward the end-of-year deadline. “Based on Israel’s conduct for over a year now, it seems very unlikely that Israel’s leaders would decide to cease military operations [in Lebanon] for as long as they see some sort of security advantage in continuing them,” he told DW.

“But,” he concludes, “that would be exactly the moment where the US, as the main broker of the ceasefire, can step in and say, ‘why don’t we focus on what the Lebanese army has achieved, rather than what they haven’t,’ and to lean on Israel not to overreact and to work constructively rather than continuing to erode public confidence in the [Lebanese] state.”

Edited by: Andreas Illmer

Tensions high between Lebanon and Israel despite ceasefire

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FIRST ON FOX: The leader of an international pro-life organization lauded the Nativity scene set up by the Vatican that highlighted the more than 25,000 babies who were not aborted this year thanks to the group’s outreach initiatives.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life CEO and founder Shawn Carney said the Vatican reached out to his organization about creating a Nativity scene representing the babies he says were saved by the group’s pro-life activism, which includes prayer and vigils outside abortion clinics.

“It’s really beautiful,” Carney said.

“The artist made the straw in the manger where Baby Jesus is and Mary, and Joseph,” he continued. “The straw is made up of 25,000 ribbons. Each ribbon represents a baby boy or baby girl that was saved from abortion during a 40 Days for Life campaign.”

POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS ‘ANTI-SEMITIC VIOLENCE’ AFTER MASSACRE IN SYDNEY: ‘WE MUST ELIMINATE HATRED’

A nativity scene donated by Costa Rica, in which the Madonna is represented pregnant, in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. (Getty Images)

Crafted by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto and donated by the Central American country, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary, Joseph and  thousands of colored ribbons dedicated to the babies who were not aborted.

Pope Leo XIV said at a recent audience with the donors of the Vatican’s Christmas decorations that a sign of life was reflected in the Nativity scene in the Vatican’s audience hall, which he described as a sign of “faith and hope.”

Each of the ribbons that decorate the scene “represent a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayer and support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in need,” said the pontiff, who personally blessed the display.

Leo also thanked the artist for the message affirming that “life is protected from conception.”

Carney said the Nativity was “inspiring” and “beautiful news,” particularly amid a series of recent bad news in the U.S. and around the world.

“It’s so inspiring, and frankly, we’ve had a lot of bad news lately in America and around the world, and this display represents good news,” he told Fox News Digital.

Pope Leo XIV prays in front of Nacimiento Gaudium, a nativity scene in which the Madonna is represented pregnant, at the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. (40 Days for Life)

“It represents babies that have been saved from abortion, and the artist who is a participant in 40 Days for Life who is from Costa Rica, did a wonderful job. She did a fantastic job making this beautiful display that really shows the dedication of so many pro-life volunteers around the world who take time out in the hopes of saving a baby. And now those saved babies are represented in the most important place in the world, which is the Nativity, which is what we pin our hope to, that Jesus came through the womb, that he came through a family to save us from our sins,” he continued.

“So it’s beautiful news, it’s good news, and I think it’s news that’s being well received as we’ve had so much bad news the last few weeks,” Carney added.

Carney went on to explain that the Nativity is “at the heart of Catholicism and all Christians, and certainly at the heart of the pro-life movement.”

“This is why we do what we do,” he said. “Our Lord could have popped out of an acorn and saved us from our sins. He didn’t do that. God chose a family, a holy family, a 14-year-old virgin, to bring his son into the world through the womb, which is statistically now the most dangerous place in the world. He chose the womb, he chose a family, and the family is under attack. So this is a beautiful nativity display, but I think it speaks to the heart of every Christian that looks for hope in the world, that looks for hope for us to overcome our own sins, and certainly hope that we can end the tragedy and the barbaric nature of abortion in our world. America is leading the way through that.” “We just had a historic year for the pro-life movement in 2025, and I think 2026 is going to be even better,” he added. “This display certainly inspires so much hope and confidence that if we pray, if we fast, if we’re faithful and we get to work, we can end abortion anywhere.”

Carney also stressed that the Nativity of a pregnant Mary with an unborn Jesus “speaks to the scientific reality of the unborn child and the Biblical reality that Our Lord came through the womb.”

PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTERS SEE CLIENT INCREASE AFTER SUPREME COURT DECISION: STUDY

Ribbons representing lives saved from abortion according to Catholic organizations are seen on Nacimiento Gaudium, a Nativity scene set in the Paul VI Hall during an audience led by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. (AP)

“The Nativity is one of the most depicted scenes in the history of the world, and it represents that great meeting between Heaven and earth, Christ coming into the world through a child nine months after the Annunciation,” he said. “So it’s absolutely beautiful. It puts emphasis on how we treat our unborn children with 72 million abortions around the world every year. It is by far the greatest moral crisis of our time, and we have to respond to that. We have to respond with great hope, and you don’t find a greater hope than Jesus coming into the world and being with us on Christmas Day.”

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The pro-life leader also stated that the pope “is going to be a stronger voice than most people think” on the issue of abortion.

“I think he’s righting the ship,” Carney said. “I think he’s speaking with a little bit more clarity than what we saw from Pope Francis. Pope Leo has been very supportive of the pro-life movement. He’s certainly been very supportive of 40 Days for Life with this beautiful Nativity at the Vatican, so I’m very encouraged.”

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Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

A recent measles outbreak in West Texas triggered a dramatic surge in school absences, far exceeding the number of children who actually fell ill, a new study reveals.

The disruption was largely due to students being excluded or kept home by their families as a precaution to curb the disease’s spread.

According to a preliminary Stanford University study, which has not yet undergone formal peer review, absences in the Seminole Independent School District – a system at the epicentre of the outbreak – soared by 41 per cent across all grade levels.

This figure is compared to the same period over the previous two years, highlighting the significant impact on student learning.

The findings offer a stark glimpse into the wider consequences of measles, a highly contagious disease that has seen a resurgence in US communities with low vaccination rates.

Nationally, and in Texas, approximately two-thirds of measles cases have been identified among unvaccinated children.

Public health officials typically respond to outbreaks by excluding unvaccinated students from schools.

open image in gallery

In recent years, more parents have sought exemptions to school requirements for the measeles shots, and most states are below the 95 per cent kindergarten vaccination rate that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks (Associated Press)

Thomas Dee, a Stanford economist and education professor who co-authored the study, noted: “The costs of that absenteeism are just not among the sick kids, but all the kids who are kept out of school as a precaution.”

Measles, an airborne illness, poses severe risks, particularly for young children. While the disease was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 thanks to widespread uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, recent years have seen an increase in parents seeking exemptions from school vaccination requirements.

Consequently, most states now fall below the 95 per cent kindergarten vaccination rate experts deem necessary to prevent outbreaks.

In Seminole Independent School District, only 77 per cent of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2024-2025 school year, according to state health department data.

The measles upsurge there launched the United States’ worst measles year in more than three decades, sickening 762 people across Texas in seven months.

That number could have been even higher, as the Texas Department of State Health Services says there were an additional 182 potential measles cases reported in March 2025 among children in surrounding Gaines County that the state excluded from its count due to lack of information.

Absenteeism extended far beyond confirmed measles cases

The study estimated, based on state data, that 141 Seminole district students had confirmed measles cases.

It found the increase in school absences was approximately 10 times what would be expected from just those students.

open image in gallery

Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absences — a 71 per cent increase from the last two school years, according to the study (AP)

State health officials recommend that people sick with measles or suspected measles isolate at home until four days after they get the telltale rash. State guidance calls for unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable students to be excluded from school for up to 21 days after exposure to measles.

Children from preschool to first grade had the most pronounced spike in absences — a 71 per cent increase from the last two school years, according to the study.

Most student absences amid the outbreak were due to local health requirements for children to stay out of school if they may have been exposed to somebody diagnosed with measles, Seminole Superintendent Glen Teal said in a statement.

Beyond the students who were directed to stay home, it’s unclear how many families may have kept children out of school on their own as a precaution.

But there’s a good argument that parental concern played a role, said Jacob Kirksey, a Texas Tech University education policy professor who was not involved in the study but reviewed it.

“If you’re hearing on the news or you’re seeing that there is just an illness outbreak more broadly, the parents are going to be predispositioned to just be more hesitant to send their kids to school,” he said.

Other states with outbreaks see many kids miss school

Outbreaks in other states, such as South Carolina, also have produced spikes in school absenteeism.

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One year-old River Jacobs is held by his mother, Caitlin Fuller, while he receives an MMR vaccine from Raynard Covarrubio, at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department in Lubbock, Texas (Getty Images)

More than 165 people — including 127 students from three schools — were in a 21-day quarantine as of Tuesday because they were unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable to getting sick.

Some children have been quarantined twice due to new cases, said Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, to employment and other factors of people’s lives in our communities,” Bell said.

Missing out on learning time can have long-term implications for a child’s success. Schools have been dealing with learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed also to elevated rates of chronic absenteeism.

More frequent absenteeism also puts a strain on teachers’ ability to educate their students. Most educators aren’t trained on how to handle instructional pacing when a large chunk of their students are absent, Kirksey said.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Kelly LeBrock gave a rare update about her ranch life in California’s Santa Ynez Valley
• The Weird Science actress quipped that she “gave up diamonds for dirt” and claims to have not had a television in over two decades
• LeBrock says she left Hollywood for a quieter life over 20 years ago

Kelly LeBrock is living her best ranch life.

During the Vanderpump Dog Gala on Dec. 11, the ’80s star reflected on her major lifestyle change, moving from Hollywood to a ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, while speaking with The Daily Mail.

“I don’t really go out anymore. I’m sort of a bit of a recluse, but I like it like that,” LeBrock, 65, admitted about how she spends her time since leaving Hollywood over 20 years ago.

“I gave up diamonds for dirt, and I have a big ranch that I have horses and cattle and dogs and chickens, and I take care of it myself,” the Weird Science actress continued. “I have one man, one day a week that comes and helps.”

Kelly LeBrock in Beverly Hills, California in June 2018.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty

LeBrock’s “little gem” of a property is located behind a lake. “The countryside there is so incredible,” she gushed. The former actress has been living on her ranch for over 20 years following her divorce from Steven Seagal, with whom she shares three children.

In late 2021, she told Fox News that the move was to benefit her family. “Hollywood wasn’t a place where I wanted to raise my children. My divorce was very much in the press, and I’m just not a Hollywood girl,” she said at the time.

“Never have been. I never really liked the attention. I wanted to have dirt in my nails and be in the outdoors,” she shared.

LeBrock then quit her career and moved to “the wilderness.” There, she had no television and very little communication from the outside world.

“I became famous when I was very young and it didn’t do me a bit of good. It just caused trauma. Being famous is not for everybody,” she concluded.

LeBrock launched into superstardom in the mid-80s. In 1984, she starred alongside Gene Wilder in The Woman in Red and John Hughes’s Weird Science the following year.

Kelly LeBrock in Beverly Hills, California in March 1985.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

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LeBrock is far from the only celebrity to leave Hollywood behind for country life. More recently, Amanda Seyfried and her family moved to a farm in the Catskills in upstate New York for a “more balanced life.” Additionally, Entourage alum Adrian Grenier left life in Hollywood and lives on a farm in Texas.

Joe Manganiello’s fiancée Caitlin O’Connor confirmed to PEOPLE in December that they moved back to their hometown of Pittsburgh.

“That’s what we really connect on, you know, we share the same upbringing, the same hometown knowledge. And that’s what really connects us as a couple,” O’Connor, 36, told PEOPLE. “So it’s beautiful to be back home together.”

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By ARTHUR PARASHAR, SENIOR REPORTER

Published: 04:09 EST, 17 December 2025 | Updated: 04:14 EST, 17 December 2025

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, Avon and Somerset Police said. 

Aria Thorpe, who had celebrated her ninth birthday with friends just two weeks ago with a Kpop Demon Hunters party, was found dead at a property in Lime Close just after 6pm on Monday. 

A teenage boy was later arrested outside Worle rail station, less than half a mile from the scene. 

The 15-year-old has now been charged and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today.

A post-mortem examination has been carried out and the preliminary finding is that Aria was killed by a single stab wound.

Superintendent Jen Appleford said: ‘Our investigation has continued at pace since Monday evening and we can confirm a 15-year-old boy, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, has overnight been charged with murder. He is due to appear in court later today.

‘This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation. 

‘It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.

Police and forensics at the scene in Lime Close, Weston-super-Mare

‘The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. 

‘We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.

‘We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area. 

‘This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow. 

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Boy, 15, is charged with murder of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston-super-Mare

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Shannon Collins, 46, is a personal trainer who is a super fit and super ripped gym mum. If you want to avoid fat gain over Christmas, she shared simple methods to follow without dieting

08:45, 17 Dec 2025Updated 08:45, 17 Dec 2025

Shannon Collins shared how she avoids fat gain at Christmas(Image: Jam Press/@thegymnurse)

It’s no secret that the festive season is a time for joy, happiness and indulging in all sorts of delicious food, but many people worry about gaining weight at the super decadent time of year. However, you may not need to worry, as a personal trainer, who happens to be a super ripped gym mum, has shared simple things you can do to prevent the problem.

Shannon Collins, 46, is known for sharing fitness advice online and she helps people to tone up and achieve weight loss without imposing huge restrictions. In a post about Christmas, she said people can start making simple changes to aid their bodies and their health over the festive period.

The mum explained you can still enjoy yourself and eat some pretty delicious food. The key, according to Shannon, is ensuring you balance this with exercise and follow a few simple rules along the way.

In an Instagram post, Shannon wrote: “It doesn’t need to be the norm to gain weight over the holidays and start [January] up another 5lbs. Every day and every meal from now until January doesn’t need to be a free for all.

“There is lots of time to be making progress and even lose fat. Wouldn’t it be cool to be starting off in control?

“There is never going to be the perfect time. The key is making the most of your time and keeping the mindset that something is better than nothing.”

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As someone who often posts snaps of herself flaunting her ripped abs, Shannon is someone you probably want to listen to. She knows her stuff, and wants to help others keep on track throughout the holidays.

The mum said you don’t need to be “perfect”, you just need to be consistent enough to avoid the “rebound spiral”. She claimed you should ensure you move every day, and achieve your step goals, while still enjoying yourself.

Another good thing to do, she said, is ensure you add fibre and protein to every meal you eat. Drinking plenty of water is deemed essential, as you can often snack when you feel dehydrated.

According to Shannon, there’s another big mistake people make during Christmas, and that’s “saving calories” for festive treats. She urged people not to skip meals, as this can seriously end up backfiring.

She revealed how she keeps in shape(Image: Jam Press/@thegymnurse)

On the topic of treats, she also noted it’s important to be picky with them. Only opt for the ones you really enjoy, as eating things simply because they’re there can lead to unnecessary weight gain.

Shannon also stressed the importance of sleep. When you’re tired, it can lead to “poor appetite control”, according to the personal trainer.

On the topic of alcohol, she said it’s “best” not to drink it but, if you’re going to drink it, it’s wise to have a few rules in place. Avoid having multiple drinks a week and maybe skip dessert if you’re going to have a few tipples.

Shannon said there’s no need to feel “guilty” for enjoying yourself, as you can always get back on track. However, it’s wise to be mindful about overindulging if you want to avoid fat gain.

What should I be eating every day?

The NHS website states: “You need energy from calories for your body to work properly. Your body uses this energy to function properly.

“To stay at around the same weight, the calories your body uses should be the same as the amount of calories you eat and drink.”

Generally, the NHS says an average man needs 2,500kcal a day and an average woman needs 2,000kcal a day. However, this could differ based on your age, weight, height and how much exercise you do.

If you’re worried about your weight at all, or need to help to control it, contact your GP for further advice. Always seek professional guidance before making any drastic changes to your diet.

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Fans of English novelist Jane Austen have been celebrating the anniversary of her birth 250 years ago. Al Jazeera’s Charlie Angela has been to Austen’s former home in southern England.

Published On 17 Dec 202517 Dec 2025

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A probationary constable who was shot in Sunday’s terrorist attack at Bondi beach has lost the sight of an eye, as questions persist about the experience and numbers of police at the event.

Jack Hibbert, 22, was on duty on Sunday evening having joined the police only four months earlier.

“While serving and protecting the community, Jack sustained two bullet wounds – one to his head and another to his shoulder,” the 22-year-old’s family said in a statement.

“Jack was on duty, patrolling the Hanukah celebration interacting with the community at Bondi Beach, when the incident first occurred. Jack was taken to ICU where he was intubated and underwent multiple surgeries. Although miraculously surviving, Jack’s injuries have resulted in a loss of vision in one of his eyes and he now faces a long and challenging recovery ahead, with additional surgeries required.”

Another officer injured in the attack, Const Scott Dyson, had been attached to the eastern suburbs police area command for 18 months.

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said on Wednesday at least three officers had been patrolling the park where the shooting took place.

“My understanding is NSW police worked closely with CSG noting that there were a number of Hanukah events, including events in Bondi, North Bondi and Dover Heights,” Minns said on Wednesday, referring to the Community Security Group, a private security initiative for the Jewish community.

“I am advised there were around 20 NSW police officers on duty in the Bondi area, including two detectives, with at least three officers patrolling the park.”

The former federal minister Josh Frydenberg said on Wednesday the event at the beach had been inadequately protected.

“How, with some 1,000 people here in a heightened threat environment, did we just have three police, ill-equipped to provide the first and fundamental duty of both the state and the federal government, to protect the safety of their citizens? We need answers, we need solutions, we need action.”

Probationary Const Jack Hibbert was shot twice while patrolling the Hanukah event. Photograph: NSW Police

The NSW’s opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, echoed his concerns, saying more needed to be revealed about the decisions on police resourcing to protect Jewish events.

“The two police officers who ran towards danger and are in critical situations, we owe it to them, we owe it to their colleagues, to be asking questions about what more could have been done,” she told ABC radio.

“The Jewish community is at such an extreme risk. We knew this before the event on the first day of Hanukah.
And I felt like they were sitting ducks, so no blame here at the moment, but we do need to understand what more could have been done and why they weren’t protected.”

The premier said on Tuesday, in response to robust questions about police resourcing and response times, that officers had acted “with bravery and integrity”.

“They didn’t take a backward step,” he said. “They engaged the gunman on the foot bridge with handguns. The offenders had long-range rifles, and New South Wales police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one, and as a result, saving many, many people’s lives.”

‘An impossible mandate’

Dr Vince Hurley, a lecturer in criminology at Macquarie University and a former NSW police officer with 29 years’ experience, said any concern about the officers’ relative youth on the force was unwarranted, and probably would not have made much difference during Sunday’s attack, which threw the entire beach area into “chaos”.

“Regardless of the experience of the police, I don’t think if I was there, or other senior police with years of experience, I don’t think the results would be any different,” he told the Guardian, noting there were hundreds of people in the area at the time of the attack.

“I think it is an impossible mandate … even if there were 10 police there.”

Hurley said the officers on duty in the area would be “initially as shocked as the punters who were there” when two men opened fire on a celebration for the first day of Hanukah. As soon as the attack began, the scene would have been akin to an urban war zone, with officers making split-second decisions about who to help and who to engage on one of the most crowded beaches in the country.

“There’s no amount of police training that can deal with a situation like this,” Hurley said.

Syrian relatives of Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed say his home country is proud of him – video

The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, has maintained the force bases its policing responses “on the threat that exists at the time”, saying officers were moving through the Bondi area at all times during the Hanukah celebration.

Lanyon said on Wednesday NSW police would “absolutely” examine whether front-line police officers should have greater access to more powerful firearms.

“Part of any incident like this, and this is the most significant tragic incident we’ve had in many years, is to review our policies, to look at our resources, to look at the way we go about doing things,” he said.

“Historically, NSW police operational officers have only used hand guns, because our traditional form of contact that we’ve had where we’ve had to use our firearms has been in close quarters.

“What happened on Sunday has changed that dynamic. And it’s important as an organisation we consider everything to keep our officers and the community safe.”

Hurley said in the past, general duty officers had not had access to long arms like rifles because of the danger that they could be overpowered and a rifle turned on the public.

“The risk of them falling into the hands of the offender is incredibly high,” Hurley said.

Lanyon visited Hibbert on Wednesday morning, describing the young officer as a “really positive young man” who had the full backing of the agency. He said Dyson had undergone further surgery and remained in a critical but stable condition.

“All of our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Lanyon said. “For both officers, it will be a long road to recovery.”

• In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and Griefline on 1300 845 745. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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