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Patches of the moon to become spacecraft graveyards, say researchers | The moon
Patches of the moon are destined to become spacecraft graveyards where dead lunar satellites and other defunct hardware can be crashed into the ground, far away from sites of cultural and scientific importance, researchers say.
The number of satellites circling the moon is set to soar in the next two decades as space agencies and private companies build moon bases and dabble with mining operations and constructing scientific instruments on the barren terrain.
The surge in activity will be supported by constellations of lunar satellites for positioning, navigation and communications. But when the satellites run out of fuel, operators have few options other than steering them into the ground, where they will be smashed to pieces.
“These satellites will have to be crash-landed on the moon, so it will potentially become a rubbish site,” said Dr Fionagh Thomson, a senior research fellow at the University of Durham, who convened an expert panel on the issue at the Space-Comm meeting in Glasgow in December.
Beyond scattering satellite parts across the surface, researchers fear that if scores of dead satellites rain down across the moon, they risk causing damage to buildings, scientific instruments, historic sites such as the first astronaut footprints, and pristine sites of scientific interest.
With impact speeds of 1.2 miles per second, the collisions will produce intense vibrations, which could disrupt the sensitive instruments scientists want to build on the moon. The scars carved into the surface are expected to stretch for tens of metres and produce vast clouds of abrasive dust that could obscure telescopes and damage equipment.
“It’s not an immediate concern, given the surface area of the moon, but the more lunar satellites there are, the greater the chance that some may crash into scientifically or culturally sensitive locations,” said Prof Ian Crawford of Birkbeck, University of London. “We do need a plan going forward.”
Satellite operators routinely use Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of dead satellites drifting around the planet. Each year, thousands of defunct satellites are incinerated on re-entry. But because the moon has no atmosphere, lunar satellite operators need other solutions.
And they need them soon. More than 400 moon missions are planned in the next two decades. They include the Nasa-led Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the moon, and the Artemis base camp on the surface. A second moon base is planned by China and Russia.
Next year, the European Space Agency will launch the Lunar Pathfinder satellite, a testbed for its Moonlight constellation of lunar satellites that should be operational by 2030. Work is under way on how to dispose of Lunar Pathfinder at the end of its eight-year lifetime.
Lunar satellite operators have three main options. With a propulsion unit and sufficient fuel, a satellite can fly off and orbit the sun. But this is costly. Alternatively, it could move to a more remote lunar orbit, but the moon’s lumpy gravitational field makes this difficult. Finally, satellites can be crashed into the ground, but this needs careful planning.
Sarah Boyall, the head of the Office of Regulation at the UK Space Agency, said the UN’s Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (Atlac) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), which the UK currently chairs, are working to establish best practices for disposing of lunar satellites.
Spacecraft graveyards are a leading contender, with operators required to crash old satellites at designated spots, or into giant craters that would contain the dust kicked up on impact. Both the UK Space Agency and signatories to the US Artemis accords, a set of principles for future space exploration, are pursuing the approach.
“Establishing graveyard zones on the moon is the most practical solution,” said Ben Hooper, senior project manager for Lunar Pathfinder at SSTL, the Surrey-based satellite manufacturer. “Designating specific regions as ‘impact zones’ would limit the spread of human artefacts across the lunar surface, preserving other areas for scientific exploration and future operations.”
Charles Cranstoun, the head of the ESA’s Moonlight programme office, said when the time came, the satellites would be crashed into the surface in a controlled manner “in specified zones”, to avoid “sites of scientific interest and historical importance and ongoing missions”.
John Zarnecki, emeritus professor of space science at the Open University, said crash-landing satellites in graveyard zones could be put to good use because the impacts generate seismic waves at known spots, to shed light on the moon’s structure. “If you have an object of known mass, known geometry and known speed, and you know pretty much where it impacted, that’s a fantastic experiment in seismometry,” he said.
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At least three killed in Israeli attack on southern Lebanon’s Sidon | Israel attacks Lebanon News
Deadly Israeli air strike is latest in Israel’s near-daily violations of 2024 ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
At least three people have been killed in an Israeli attack near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, the country’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting, in the latest Israeli breach of a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said on Monday that the three people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a vehicle on Quneitra Road in the southern Sidon district, according to NNA.
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The Israeli military said in a statement that it had targeted Hezbollah members in the Sidon area, without providing further details.
The deadly strikes come a day after another Israeli attack on southern Lebanon on Sunday killed one person and wounded two others. The Israeli army said it killed a Hezbollah member in that attack.
Israel has repeatedly violated the November 2024 ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese group, carrying out near-daily attacks across Lebanon, particularly in the south, that have drawn widespread condemnation.
Between January and late November, Israeli forces carried out nearly 1,600 strikes across Lebanon, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
Late last month, the United Nations said at least 127 civilians had been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect, prompting a call from the United Nations human rights office for a “prompt and impartial” investigation.
Delegations meet in southern Lebanon
Israel’s attacks have continued despite the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which includes provisions for Hezbollah’s disarmament in parts of southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon was close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah in the area south of the Litani River.
That is a key provision of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which designates the zone between the Litani River and the Israeli border as an area where only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers are permitted to operate.
Hezbollah has long rejected calls for full disarmament, saying its weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon against Israeli attacks and occupation.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has consistently said the group will end its military presence south of the Litani River in line with the ceasefire, but insists it will retain its weapons elsewhere in Lebanon.
Under the 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were also required to withdraw fully from southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, by January. But Israeli troops have only partially pulled back and continue to maintain a military presence at five border outposts inside Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah officials have previously said the group would not fully implement its commitments under the ceasefire while Israeli forces remain deployed in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, a committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement continues to hold talks in southern Lebanon as Israel and the United States increase pressure on Hezbollah to disarm.
Civilian and military delegations from Israel and Lebanon met in the southern town of Naqoura on Friday in closed-door discussions.
Following the talks, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with diplomat Simon Karam, who has been appointed as Lebanon’s chief civilian negotiator.
Hezbollah has been critical of the appointment of Karam, who has previously served as the ambassador of Lebanon to the US.
In a statement, the Lebanese presidency said Aoun stressed that enabling tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians to return to their villages and homes was “an entry point for addressing all other details” of the agreement.
Aoun said the committee’s next meeting is scheduled for January 7.
He also welcomed a separate diplomatic agreement reached in Paris between the US, France and Saudi Arabia to organise an international conference in early 2026 to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces.
Donald Trump has sparked a fresh row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has said he would like to annex.
Trump announced on Sunday that Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, would become the US’s special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Gov Landry said in a post on X it was an honour to serve in a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US”.
The move has angered Copenhagen, which said it would will call the US ambassador for “an explanation”. Greenland’s prime minister said the island must “decide our own future” and its “territorial integrity must be respected”.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth.
He has refused to rule out using force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a Nato ally that has traditionally enjoyed close relations with Washington.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands. While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, described the appointment of Landry as “deeply upsetting” and warned Washington to respect Danish sovereignty.
He told Danish broadcaster TV2: “As long as we have a kingdom consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, we cannot accept actions that undermine our territorial integrity.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the territory was willing to cooperate with the US and other countries, but only on the basis of mutual respect.
He said: “The appointment of a special envoy does not change anything for us. We decide our own future. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and territorial integrity must be respected.”
Writing on social media, the US president said Landry understood how “essential Greenland is to our national security” and would advance US interests.
The significance of this appointment is both the US presumption that Greenland is separate to Denmark and the new appointee’s assertion that he will help the island become part of the US.
Envoys are informal appointments and unlike official diplomats, do not have to be approved by the host country.
What this appointment shows is that Trump’s ambition to control Greenland remains undimmed.
As with his military and rhetorical aggression towards Venezuela, it indicates Trump is determined to gain greater control over what his recent National Security Strategy called “the Western hemisphere”, a sphere of influence that he hopes will cover the whole of the Americas.
Landry has previously voiced his opinion on Greenland, writing on his personal X account in January: “President Donald J. Trump is absolutely right! We need to ensure that Greenland joins the United States. GREAT for them, GREAT for us! Let’s get it done!”
Landry is a military veteran and former police officer who was a US Congressman and Louisiana’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2023. He said his new role would not affect his duties as governor.
The dispute over his appointment comes as strategic competition in the Arctic grows, with melting ice opening new shipping routes and increasing access to valuable mineral resources.
Greenland’s location between North America and Europe also makes it central to US and Nato security planning.
The US has maintained a base in Greenland since World War Two, after invading to establish military and radio stations across the territory after the Nazis occupied Denmark during the conflict.
Vice-President JD Vance visited the base in March as he asked Greenland’s people to “cut a deal with the US”.
The US reopened a consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, in 2020 – during Trump’s first term – after closing it in 1953. A number of European countries, as well as Canada, have honorary general consulates in Greenland.
British singer and songwriter Chris Rea has died at 74, his family’s spokesperson said.
Rea, the artist behind the holiday hit “Driving Home for Christmas,” passed away after a brief illness.
The singer had his pancreas removed in 2001 due to pancreatic cancer, while also suffering a stroke in 2016.
The spokesperson said he was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing.
A star of the 80s, 90s
After finding success in the 1970s and 1980s, including a Grammy nomination for the song “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” he became one of the biggest solo artists in the UK just before the nineties, with two of his solo albums making it to the top of the charts in the UK.
“Driving Home For Christmas,” which was released in 1986, also featured in this year’s festive advert of British retail giant M&S.
Chris Rea was born in 1951 to an Italian mother and an English father in the northerastern city of Middlesbrough, England.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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Australian authorities say the suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting filmed a video manifesto that was littered with antisemitism and Islamic State leanings.
Investigators say that the father-son pair accused of carrying out the attack, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram, may have been planning it for several months. Only the son survived the attack, and he now faces charges of murder and terrorism.
Police referenced a video found on the son’s phone that displayed the pair’s “political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to Islamic State,” police said.
AUSTRALIA’S HANUKKAH MASSACRE: THE HORROR OF BEING PROVEN RIGHT
A split image shows an ISIS flag held by masked men, left, and a police-secured crime scene at Bondi Beach in Australia following a shooting. (Tauseef Mustafa/David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
Some of the footage, shot in October, shows the pair firing shotguns in the woods and “moving in a tactical manner.”
The two hurled four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd but the devices failed to detonate, authorities said.
The attack has placed heightened scrutiny on rising antisemitism in Australia and what Jewish leaders say was the government’s refusal to act against it.
AUSTRALIA TERROR ATTACK EXPOSES ISIS RESURGENCE AS EXPERTS WARN OF GLOBAL JIHADIST NETWORKS
Naveed Akram, the accused in the shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, conducting firearms training at a location suspected to be in New South Wales, Australia, in this still image taken from a court document released Dec. 22, 2025. (NSW Police/Handout via REUTERS)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese was met with boos while attending a vigil honoring the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday.
An estimated 10,000 mourners, including Albanese and various Australian politicians and members of the Jewish community, gathered on Bondi Beach to commemorate the victims. David Ossip, who serves as president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, remarked on Albanese’s presence to the crowd and received a chorus of boos.
Meanwhile, the crowd cheered at the mention of opposition leader Sussan Ley. Ley has said that a coalition government under her leadership would reverse a decision by Albanese’s government to recognize a Palestinian state.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (C), his wife Jodie Haydon (2nd L), Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles (2nd R) and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (R) arrive for a memorial for the victims of the mass shooting that took place last week at Bondi Beach on December 21, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Izhar Khan/Getty Images)
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The Dec. 14 attack left 15 people dead and dozens more hospitalized. The father was killed in the attack, while the son was critically injured. He woke from a coma last week and is now facing charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.
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Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are once again teaming up to ensure the release of the Epstein files, this time by pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi to comply with their legislation or face contempt of Congress charges.
Massie and Khanna, who co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said Sunday they were in the process of drafting “inherent contempt” against Bondi and building a bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives to punish her for not releasing the full files by the December 19 deadline.
“Todd Blanche is the face of this, but it’s really the Attorney General’s Office, Pam Bondi, who is responsible,” Massie told CBS’s Face the Nation. “The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi.”
Inherent contempt is a congressional power that allows lawmakers to arrest and hold individuals until they comply with a congressional subpoena or punish them for obstructing investigations. It’s a self-enforcing power that gives Congress the ability to circumvent the typical civil or criminal court process.
Bondi’s office released hundreds of thousands of pages of redacted documents in the Epstein files Friday to comply with the law’s deadline. However, it was only a partial release of the materials in the Justice Department’s possession, which arguably defies the law’s language. Trump administration officials aid they would release more information from the files at a later date.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s department said it needed more time to redact sensitive information in the Epstein files and would release more documents in the coming weeks, angering lawmakers. (Getty)
The DOJ said it could only release the files in batches because they required redactions to protect survivors, the integrity of ongoing litigation, national security and omit details of physical or sexual abuse.
But Massie said the department’s decision to only release some now and some later was a “very troubling posture.”
Khanna called it a “slap in the face” to survivors, claiming one had their name accidentally released, but information about the people who abused her remained with the DOJ.
The lawmakers told CBS their contempt measure would only need to pass in the House to take effect and would fine Bondi every day the remainder of the Epstein files were not released. Khanna told the Washington Post, they would likely give the attorney general a 30-day grace period before they implemented the punishment.
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Massie (center) broke from Republicans to co-sponsor the Epstein Files Transparency Act with Khanna (left) (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
It’s unclear how much support Massie and Khanna could drum up in the House to pass the measure.
Blanche, the deputy attorney general, told NBC News’s Meet the Press that he is not taking lawmakers threats seriously and insisted the DOJ was doing “everything we’re supposed to be doing to comply with this statute.”
In the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday morning he would introduce a resolution directing the Senate to initiate legal action against the department for “its blatant disregard of the law.”
But Democratic Senator Tim Kaine indicated any punishment against Bondi was “premature.”
NEED TO KNOW
- A mom asked for advice on getting their toddler son to sleep through the night, saying his sleeping habits are “ruining my life”
- In a post on a subreddit, the original poster (OP) explained that her 22-month-old son was always rocked to sleep and “fairly easy to put down to bed”
- However, a month ago, OP explained that all had changed
A parent is asking for advice on getting their toddler son to sleep through the night, saying his sleeping habits are “ruining my life.”
In a post on a toddler subreddit, the original poster (OP) explained that her 22-month-old son has always been rocked to sleep and “fairly easy to put down to bed.” She shared that her son used to be rocked with a bottle an then transferred into the crib after he fell asleep. However, a month ago, that all changed.
“Last month he started waking up at 5am every morning. This went on for 2 weeks, so I’m thinking ok it’s a phase it will pass,” she shared. “Then, he starts waking at 3:30am and crying hysterically not wanting to go back to sleep and only sleeping in our arms in his rocking chair.”
“Then, ever since last week, he’s been really hard to put to bed,” she added. “We need to attempt to transfer him three times before he stays in crib. Then he wakes up at 1am and 3am and then 5am, not wanting to sleep unless he is either in our arms rocking him, or I am lying next to him on the floor (I repeatedly have to say mommy’s here so he can settle).”
Stock photo of a mom and toddler.
Getty
OP added that her little one even attempted to climb out of his crib, so she and her husband had to remove the bars.
“Now he can escape and leave his room any time, which makes it more difficult as we can no longer just let him cry or contain him in his crib,” she explained. “I haven’t slept more than 4 hours in over 3 weeks. I’m at my wits end.”
“His bad sleep is affecting my mood, my marriage, my work and my ability to just function. I want to cry all the time. I love him so much but I feel like this is ruining my life,” she continued. “He sleeps fine at daycare, without any crutch. We tried to do a gentle version of sleep training tonight (husband was in the room and didn’t rock him, just placed him in bed) and he screamed like I’ve never heard a kid scream for 45 mins. I couldn’t take it so I went in and ruined the sleep training.”
OP ended her post asking the Reddit community for advice, adding she was “desperate for any info.”
Many users chimed in offering advice to the mom. One commenter suggested OP try cosleeping with her toddler, explaining that while it may be hard to stop, it’s more preferable in this situation.
“I would cosleep. It will be hard to stop once you start but it seems preferable to the current situation,” they shared. “Our son has a floor bed and we lie next to him on it after bedtime routine to get him to sleep. We typically then go and sleep in our own bed, but if he’s waking up in middle of the night (when he’s sick or anything) one of us will sleep there with him, which helps ensure he can fall back asleep easily.”
Stock photo of a stressed mom and toddler.
Getty
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Other users shared well wishes and messages of comfort with OP. One person reassured her that she didn’t “ruin sleep training,” but tending to her son.
“You did not ruin sleep training. You responded with love and kindness to your child in distress. You helped your baby regulate by being their calm,” they wrote. “You are a super star. a super mom. ❤️.”
Another commenter shared they didn’t have tips, but were going through a similar situation.
“Honestly, no tips, only solidarity. My boy will be 2 in a week and this has been ongoing for a couple of months. We can’t seem to nail down his schedule,” they wrote. “I know there is a regression around this time and it’s often seen as one of the most brutal, but this has been no joke. I’m wishing you luck and rest!”
WORLD NEWS
Whitchurch canal sinkhole: Major incident declared in Shropshire as 14 people rescued from narrowboats days before Christmas
A narrowboat owner has described the dramatic moment when he woke to a ‘crash’ and ‘everything falling over at 4am.
Paul Smith-Storey runs a YouTube channel called Narrowboat Life Unlocked which follows his life on his narrowboat with his partner Anthony.
He was on the Shropshire Union Canal in Whitchurch when he woke up to the sound of a crash.
His boat had been moored just 18 yards away from a huge sinkhole which developed into a crater, around 50 metres by 50 metres in size.
Mr Smith-Storey said everything on the boat began falling over and he rushed to get off the boat, fearing there may have been a breach on the canal.
After getting off their boat, he saw the huge sinkhole and saw another boat teetering over the crater.
He then captured the dramatic moment when the narrowboat was tipped into the air and dragged into the sinkhole.
A major incident was declared this morning as fire crews rushed to rescue 14 people after the section of the canal they were moored in completely drained of water.
Youtuber and Narrowboat owner Paul Smith-Storey captured the moment one of the boats was dragged into the sinkhole
The back of the boat was tipped into the air as the vessel was plunged into the sinkhole
Three boats were left stranded, with two inside the hole following the incident this morning
Aerial images show the destruction caused to two of the boats which have been left at the bottom of the sinkhole
Two narrowboats have fallen into the hole and are left sitting on the canal bed today, while one remains teetering over the edge.
Crews battled through ‘unstable ground and rapidly moving water’ as they began to rescue 14 members of the public.
The canal bank collapsed leaving large volumes of water escaping into the surrounding land.
Residents have been urged to avoid the area, while emergency services respond to the incident.
A ‘multi-agency’ response has since been set up but no injuries have been reported.
Mr Smith-Storey captured the moment he was woken up by the sinkhole as objects could be heard rattling inside his narrowboat.
He said: ‘It is 20 past four in the morning, we have just heard a crash, it woke us both up.
‘The boat is lifting badly, we have gone outside. Phil has just got up, he said he walked forward and there is a breach.
‘Everything has fallen over on the boat, the level has gone down by at least two feet and the flow of water is incredible, I am going to get off.’
A sinkhole, 50 metres by 50 metres in size opened up in a canal in Shropshire
Firefighters rushed to rescue around 10 crew members from canal boats as the sinkhole opened up
Later in the video, he revealed that they had originally planned to move the boat to the area where the sinkhole opened up underneath the canal.
He said he was ‘shocked to see a boat at the bottom of the hole about 12 feet down’.
Mr Smith-Storey said they spoke to one of the owners who lost their boat in the sinkhole.
‘Thank the lord he got off his boat’, he said.
‘He heard the noise and got off his boat thankfully in time because his boat was basically washed away in the bottom of that sinkhole.
‘As we were chatted, the hoile seemed to get bigger and was teetering over the edge, more of the bottom of the canal washed away and that boat went over the edge as well.’
Mr Smith-Storey said it was ‘heartbreaking to see’.
He added: ‘I am glad everyone is alright but it is their homes and it is a few days before Christmas.’
Councillor Andy Hall who represents Whitchurch North said the focus would be on looking after the people evacuated from the scene.
He said ‘We have a team coming down looking at how we are going to house and look after those 14 residents.
‘It is Christmas, so all their belongings, their life is there and our duty is we have to put our arm around them and look after them at this time of year. That is our priority.’
Water rapidly drained from the section of the canal where three narrowboats were moored
Pictures show the damage caused to the two narrowboats which were caught in the sinkhole
Aerial images show the point where the water came bursting out of the canal, trapping two boats in the sinkhole
Floodwater spilled out onto a nearby field after much of the canal was drained
A canal boat resident told of his miracle escape after his boat got swallowed by the sinkhole.
Bob Wood, 75, was sleeping on his canal boat shortly before it was sucked into the giant hole on the Llangollen Canal at around 4am today.
Mr Wood, who has been living on the boat for eight years, had only moored up at the site last night.
He told how he woke and had to flee the boat as it descended into the giant hole.
He said: ‘I was in the boat asleep and I thought I needed to go to the toilet so I got up and thought ‘we are leaning a bit’.
‘I thought I was in the middle of a big storm, there was the sound of a lot of water.
‘I opened the back door to see why we were tilting and realised it was not raining at all and it was the water running away under the boat.
‘I jumped on the back and stepped off and that bit was going down at that second.
‘The back went eight foot in the air and I landed on my front.’
Pictures show the damage caused to one of the boats which has been left in the pit of the sinkhole
The sinkhole caused large volumes of water to escape onto land in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch
Mr Wood said he quickly went to the boat next to him to alert the occupants hammering on the boat to wake them up.
He said: ‘He got out really quickly and his boat went down as well.
‘My boat went nose down and his went stern first.’
Mr Wood said he could not see anything because it was black at the time, adding: ‘All I could hear was rushing water.’
Mr Smith-Storey said he had met Bob and his dog George two days ago before they had both moored in the same area last night.
Cllr Hall said the occupants of the boats described the incident as feeling ‘like an earthquake’.
He added: ‘It was terrible for the people in their canal boats at that time in the morning.
‘They described it as like feeling like an earthquake.
‘We’ve lost a couple of boats, one is sitting at the bottom of the sinkhole at the moment.
‘There’s one teetering on the edge and could slide down at any time. More has fallen away since we’ve been here this morning.
‘The fire and rescue teams have been all over it. Their biggest worry this morning was making sure everyone was safe and off their boats.’
Cllr Hall praised the fire service for their ‘quick thinking’ which prevented a potential disaster for the nearby town.
Water gates were quickly erected by the fire service to prevent more floodwater reaching surrounding fields and the town centre.
Cllr Hall added: ‘It could have been a lot worse than it is now.
‘Nobody was hurt, everyone is safe and well and we’re looking after 14 people at the moment who live on the boats.
‘It was very scary for them – that is their home and where they live.’
The canal bank collapsed leaving large volumes of water escaping into the surrounding land
Councillor Andy Hall said the council will look at housing the residents of the boats who have lost their homes just days before Christmas
Three boats remain at the bottom of the sinkhole, while others remain stuck on the bottom of the canal
Lib Dem Councillor Sho Abdul said the lack of casualties was an ‘absolute miracle’.
Mr Abdul, who represents Whitchurch West for Shropshire Council, said: ‘Around 4.45am the fire service and the river trust were alerted to the sinkhole.
‘Obviously there was reduced water levels and you can see the impact of what has happened.
‘There were three or four canal boats which have been impacted by the sinkhole which rapidly happened.
‘Thankfully nobody was injured. The lack of casualties is an absolute miracle.
‘I just want to thank the fire service, police and the River and Canal Trust for everything they have done this morning.
‘They have been fantastic at securing the area and making sure nobody was hurt.
‘We were so shocked and seeing it – it was like an explosive had gone off.
‘It’s an absolute crater, it’s devastating – especially for the people who use this area often.
‘I walk my dogs around here and I know a lot of people will want to around Christmas, so its sad.
‘But more importantly it is just incredible nobody was hurt.
‘The most important thing is to assess the situation further down the canal and making sure there’s no further impact’.
Three boats were caught up in a section of the canal which completely drained with water
One boat can be seen teetering perilously close to the edge of the sinkhole
A water gate installed not long after the disaster which is preventing further water flooding into the field below the sinkhole
Fire crews were joined by West Mercia Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service (including HART), the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, local authority emergency planning officers and National Resilience.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘Firefighters have been working in challenging conditions with unstable ground and rapidly moving water, crews immediately established upstream and downstream safety sectors and began mitigating water flow using barge boards and water gate systems.’
Area Manager Scott Hurford added: ‘We can confirm no persons are believed to be on board the affected canal boats, and no injuries have been reported.
‘Approximately 14 residents from nearby moored boats are being supported and relocated to a welfare centre at the former Whitchurch Police Station.
‘A major incident was declared at 5.17am however as of 8.30am the situation was stable with water flow reduced and there is no ongoing search and rescue activity.
‘Multiagency attendance remains in place to manage the environmental impact, protect nearby properties, and ensure public safety. Please avoid the area while we continue to deal with this significant incident.’
Paul Donnelly, from Middlewich-based Floating Holidays, came to assess the scene amid concerns about the impact on the canal.
He said the canal is a ‘huge focus for tourism’ and the sink hole will have a major long term impact for businesses that use the canal.
He said the route is known to attract people from across the world.
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What does this sinkhole disaster reveal about the state of our infrastructure and emergency planning?
Paul Donnelly, from Middlewich-based Floating Holidays, said the sinkhole will have a major long term impact on local businesses
The flooding caused to the nearby field after water came flooding out of the canal
The Canal and River Trust (CRT) advised boaters and residents that an emergency closure is in place along the canal.
A spokesperson for the CRT said: ‘Please be advised that due to an incident, there is an emergency closure in place between Lock 6 Grindley Locks and Bridge 31A, Whitchurch By-Pass bridge.
‘Please do not approach from either direction and we will provide an update in due course.’
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: ‘A major incident had been declared in Shropshire following reports of a sinkhole affecting a canal in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch.
‘Emergency services are currently on scene, and a multi-agency response has been set up, co-ordinated through the Shropshire Tactical Co-ordination Group (TCG).
‘There are currently no reports of any casualties, and residents are being assisted by the fire service.
‘We ask that people avoid the area and seek alternate routes. Further updates will be provided when we are able to do so.’
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Christmas card left King Charles’ former butler stunned after he noticed key differences between it and Prince William and Kate Middleton’s
Simon Green Head of Trendswatch
14:45, 22 Dec 2025
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Christmas card with their family(Image: @KensingtonRoyal/Josh Shinner)
A former royal staff member says he was surprised by a “strange” detail in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Christmas card, compared to that of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The Sussexes’ festive photo featured Prince Harry tenderly holding Prince Archie’s face, while Meghan was seen clasping Princess Lilibet’s hands.
This came just hours after the Prince and Princess of Wales released their family’s 2025 card – a snapshot taken earlier this year.
In the Cambridge’s picture, Kate and William were seen sitting with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on the grass in Norfolk. Both photos unsurprisingly caused quite a stir online upon their release.
Now, Grant Harrold, who served the then Prince Charles from 2004 to 2011 and has had ample experience meeting Princes William and Harry, has shared his thoughts.
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, he expressed his surprise at the Sussexes’ decision to once again not show their children’s faces in the photo.
Meghan Markle released a Christmas photo with her family last week(Image: INSTAGRAM/@MEGHAN)
He elaborated: “Meghan and Harry have kept the royal tradition of sending a Christmas card with a family photo on the front, which is of course a big American tradition as well. They’ve cherry picked the traditions they want to keep from royal life, keeping the ones that work for them.
“However I find this year’s photo a bit strange. They don’t want to show their children’s faces, and I completely understand their choice to keep their children’s faces out of the spotlight. However I think it just comes across a bit odd in this picture. Again, they’re kind of sitting in the middle. Why send out a photo of your children if you don’t want them to be seen? For me, it doesn’t make sense.”
Meghan and Harry have made a deliberate effort to shield their children from public attention, which frequently results in concealing their faces in photographs and footage.
Grant Harrold worked for the then-Prince Charles for seven years(Image: Daily Record)
The image stands in “sharp contrast” to the Wales’ “very traditional” photograph, according to Grant. He added: “It’s a proud family photo. Their picture oozes confidence, while Meghan and Harry’s still looks a bit off in my opinion.
“The only similarity between the photos is their choice of an outdoor setting. Again, this is very normal for royal Christmas cards, however I think it’s also symbolic as both families love being outside. Kate has spoken regularly about the benefits of spending time outdoors, and Meghan has also spoken of her love of being in her garden.”
Grant also highlighted a “sad difference” between the two brothers’ cards, considering who he believes will receive them. He further commented: “To my understanding, Kate and William’s Christmas card list still includes friends they’ve held close for years and years – I bet a lot of the names I knew from my time working with them are still on the list. However, Prince Harry has parted with so many of his friends so I doubt he’ll be in touch with them this Christmas.”
Denmark is incensed at the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as new US special envoy to Greenland as President Donald Trump continues to heap pressure on the Nordic nation and looks to take over the autonomous territory from Copenhagen.
In appointing Landry on Sunday, Trump — who has threatened to take Greenland by force from ally Denmark if necessary — wrote that the southern governor, “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”
Landry took to the social media platform X to thank Trump for the appointment, writing, “It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”
On Monday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the move left him “deeply angered” and said Washington must respect Denmark’s sovereignty, with Copenhagen vowing to summon the US ambassador in protest.
“As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland,” said Rasmussen, “we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty.”
Rasmussen told Denmark’s TV 2 that he was “particularly upset by his [Landry’s] statements,” calling them “completely unacceptable,” and adding to the Reuters news agency: “We insist that everyone — including the US — must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Donald Trump continues push for Greenland to join the US
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Greenland PM: Appointment ‘doesn’t change anything’
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said news of the appointment, “might sound like a big deal,” but added that it “doesn’t change anything for us here at home.”
“We will determine our future ourselves,” he said.
In a joint statement with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Nielsen added: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the US shall not take over Greenland.”
Though most Greenlanders say they want to be independent of Denmark, they have also voiced very clear opposition to becoming the property of the US.
Why is Trump so insistent on taking over Greenland?
Trump, who floated the option of buying Greenland and established a new consulate there during his first term, has repeatedly threatened to get it no matter what since returning to office in January 2025.
He has sought to emphasize Greenland’s location and mineral riches as key to US national security and has ignored the wishes of Greenlanders and Danish leaders in his pursuit.
The US has also dispatched high-level representatives such as Vice President JD Vance as well as Donald Trump Jr., to Greenland in an apparent effort to push the president’s agenda.
This August, Denmark — a NATO ally — summoned US representatives over reports suggesting Washington was attempting to interfere in Greenland.
Greenland, located halfway between the US and the Arctic, is a former Danish colony that has held the right to declare its independence since 2009.
Trump appoints special envoy to Greenland
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Edited by: Rana Taha
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A Russian general was killed in a car bombing in Moscow on Monday, with investigators saying they suspect Ukrainian intelligence may have been behind the attack.
The bombing targeted Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, and he died from his injuries. He was the third senior Russian military officer to be killed in a bombing this year.
“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about Sarvarov’s killing.
PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT
This undated image provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, shows Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, who was killed Monday morning after an explosive device detonated under his car in southern Moscow. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and taken part in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
Ukrainian forces have yet to take responsibility for the attack.
Prior to Sarvarov, Russia lost the head of its nuclear, biological and chemical protection force, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, in a similar bombing earlier this year. Ukrainian forces took responsibility for that attack.
PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA’S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY
Policemen secure the area near the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Russian military officer Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a car bombing in Moscow in April.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the aftermath of that attack that he had received reports about the successful “liquidation” of Russian military leaders, though he did not mention Moskalik directly.
The Monday bombing comes as Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. remain in peace talks. Russian officials said they were proceeding “constructively” on Sunday, even as missiles rained down on Ukraine’s port city of Odesa.
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to a journalist’s question during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Putin also noted on Friday that the nation’s “troops are advancing,” and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its goals by military force if Ukraine does not accept its peace terms.
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“The goals of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved. We would prefer to accomplish this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic means,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.