At least two people killed in clashes in northern city of Aleppo during Turkish FM Fidan’s visit to Syria.

By News Agencies and Reuters

Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025

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Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to stop fighting in the northern city of Aleppo, after a wave of attacks left at least two civilians dead.

Syria’s state news agency SANA cited the defence ministry as saying that the army’s general command issued an order to stop targeting the SDF’s fighters after the deadly clashes erupted during a visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

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Fidan, whose country views the SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a ‘terrorist’ organisation, said on Monday that the SDF appeared to have no intention of honouring its pledge to integrate into the state’s armed forces by an agreed year-end deadline.

Following the SANA report on Monday evening, the SDF said in a later statement that it had issued instructions to stop responding to attacks by Syrian government forces following de-escalation contacts.

More to follow.

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People from the poorest backgrounds in England with serious lung conditions are more likely to be admitted to hospital for emergency care than their more affluent counterparts, according to research.

Analysis of NHS admissions data for November by Asthma + Lung UK found people from the most deprived backgrounds in England were 56% more likely to be admitted for emergency care, while 62% were more likely to be readmitted within 39 days of an emergency admission, which is linked with an increased chance of dying.

The research also found that people in deprived areas were almost twice as likely to be admitted to hospital for a respiratory condition.

One expert said the findings should act as a wake-up call to end the “postcode lottery”.

The highest rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admissions per population are in deprived areas including Blackpool, Manchester, Hastings and Burnley.

COPD is a group of diseases that causes breathing difficulties and includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. More than 20,000 people a year in England die from COPD.

Dr Hugo Farne, a respiratory consultant at Imperial College London, said the figures “lay bare a stark and avoidable injustice in respiratory health”.

“The fact that nearly half a million respiratory admissions could be avoided each year if deprivation gaps were closed should be a wake-up call,” Farne said.

“We know what works: timely diagnosis, smoking cessation support, pulmonary rehabilitation, clean air and properly resourced community respiratory services. Yet these are least accessible in the places carrying the greatest burden.

“Tackling COPD outcomes means tackling inequality head-on – through sustained investment in deprived areas, joined-up health and social care and treating respiratory health as a national priority, not a postcode lottery.”

The NHS is anticipating its worst-ever winter crisis as flu cases continue to rise. NHS England data released on Thursday found an average of 3,140 people were in hospital with flu each day by the end of last week, an increase of 18% compared with the previous week. At the same time last year, an average of 2,629 patients were in hospital, while in 2023 the number was 648.

Sarah Sleet, the chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Many patients now in hospital with flu complications will have underlying lung conditions like COPD and shockingly, those from the lowest income groups will be more likely to lose their lives this winter.

“Poor housing, smoking, and exposure to air pollution put someone at higher risk of developing COPD but deprivation determines the progression of the disease too.

“At the heart of the problem is delayed diagnosis and poor care. Vital diagnostic tests are not available in parts of the country, with poorer, more populated areas – where the pressure on health services is the greatest – tending to struggle the most to provide lung testing and basic levels of care.

“Lung health is in a critical state in this country, and we know what changes need to be made, they just need implementing – which is why we need a dedicated national strategy to improve respiratory outcomes.”

Previous analysis of NHS figures has found that serious breathing problems including COPD have led to more emergency admissions in hospitals than any other medical condition.

NHS England has been approached for comment.

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Jack Hibbert had been working as a police officer for just months before he was shot

A young police officer who was shot in the head during the Bondi Beach attack has been released from hospital.

Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert – who is just four months into the job – was patrolling a Hanukkah event when two gunmen opened fire, injuring over 40 people and killing 15.

The 22-year-old, who was also hit in the shoulder, has lost vision in one of his eyes but is now recovering at home, his family confirmed in a statement.

“As a family, we couldn’t ask for anything more – having our Jack home, especially for Christmas, truly feels like a miracle.”

They thanked the public for their “overwhelming support” and praised medical staff for their “exceptional” care and dedication.

“While he is home, he is still recovering and will need space, support, and continued positive thoughts during this time,” the statement added.

Even after he was shot during the attack, Constable Hibbert continued to help festival attendees until he physically couldn’t, his family previously said.

“Many of his colleagues who were present on the night of the incident have visited in hospital and given testaments to Jack’s bravery during the incident… They described how Jack acted, he moved toward people in need, not away from danger,” they said.

He was one of two police officers injured in the shooting, with the second officer Constable Scott Dyson, 25, still recovering from his injuries in hospital, according to the last police update.

Last week, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon visited Constable Hibbert in hospital, praising him as a “positive young man”.

Lanyon added that the force would rally around Constable Hibbert and find “appropriate duties for him” after his recovery.

Police have alleged the suspected gunmen were inspired by Islamic State ideology and targeted the Jewish festival in what has been declared a terror attack.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of terror. A second gunman – his father, Sajid Akram – was shot dead by police at the scene.

On Monday, new court documents alleged the pair “meticulously” planned the attack for months, and two days prior to the shooting, visited Bondi for reconnaissance.

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Key points

• Vince Zampella died after his Ferrari crashed and caught fire near Los Angeles
• He was a renowned video developer whose studios have created some of the world’s best-selling games
• One of his crowning achievements was the creation of the ‘Call of Duty’ franchise

Renowned game designer Vince Zampella has died, US video gaming company Electronic Arts said in a statement on Monday. The gaming juggernaut did not mention the cause of death.

A separate report by the NBC Los Angeles, however, stated that the 55-year-old had been driving a Ferrari with another passenger on Sunday afternoon when the car slammed into a concrete barrier and caught fire.

Zampella died at the scene, while the passenger later died in hospital, the broadcaster said.

Police told the LA Times that the identities of the deceased were pending release by the county coroner.

Zampella’s role in the ‘Call of Duty’ saga

Zampella co-created Infinity Ward, the studio that published the wildly popular “Call of Duty” video games.

The first-person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has since spawned dozens of spin offs and sequels, the most recent being “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” which was released in November 2025. The franchise has sold over 500 million copies globally and came to dominate the first-person-shooter genre, especially among the millennial generation of gamers.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is set in the near futureImage: Jimin Kim/SOPA Images/IMAGO

A feature film based on the game is also in production with Paramount Pictures.

But Zampella isn’t just known for “Call of Duty.”

In 2010, he cofounded Respawn Entertainment, an EA subsidiary. As head of the studio, he led the creation of successful games such as “Titanfall,” and “Apex Legends.”

The story-driven single-player games “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” and “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” also received widespread acclaim, particularly among fans.

EA says Zampella was a ‘visionary creator’

In its statement, Electronic Arts said that Zampella’s influence on the video game industry was “profound and far-reaching.”

“A friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world,” the statement said.

The ‘Call of Duty’ franchise has started as a WWII shooter but subsequent versions of the game were set in various points in time, including the futureImage: Paul Sakuma/AP Photo/picture alliance

Video game journalist Geoff Keighley, who is also founder of annual The Game Awards celebrating the industry, said he was shocked to hear of Zampella’s sudden death.

He called Zampella a “titan of the video game industry” in a post on X.

“Vince was an extraordinary person — a gamer at heart, but also a visionary executive with a rare ability to recognize talent and give people the freedom and confidence to create something truly great,” Keighley wrote on social media on Monday.

In a separate post, Keighley posted an old interview he did with Zampella about Call of Duty.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

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The icy ground crackling under their feet, members of an elite Ukrainian drone-hunting team set up for a long night.

Antennas and sensors are clipped to a light stand. Monitors and controls are pulled from hard cases, and a game-changing new weapon is readied for deployment.

The Sting, shaped like a flying thermos, is one of Ukraine’s new homegrown interceptors.

The unit’s commander says the interceptors can effectively counter Russia’s fast-evolving suicide drones, which are now flying faster and at higher altitudes.

“Every destroyed target is something that did not hit our homes, our families, our power plants,” said the officer, known only by the call sign “Loi”, in line with Ukrainian military protocol.

“The enemy does not sleep, and neither do we.”

Nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and power infrastructure have forced Kyiv to rewrite the air defence rule book and develop cut-price drone killers costing as little as $1,000.

Interceptors went from prototype to mass production in just a few months in 2025 and represent the latest shift in modern warfare.

Effective defence in Ukraine depends on mass production, rapid adaptation and layering low-cost systems into existing defenses instead of relying on a few expensive, slow-to-replace weapons.

Models like the Sting – made by the volunteer-driven startup Wild Hornets – and the newly appeared Bullet can surge in speed before crashing into enemy drones.

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An engineer assembles an FPV drone (AP)

They are flown by pilots watching monitors or wearing first-person-view goggles.

The economics are crucial. Andrii Lavrenovych, a member of the strategic council of the fast-growing startup General Cherry which develops the Bullet, says the drones they destroy cost anywhere from $10,000 to $300,000.

“We are inflicting serious economic damage,” he said.

Russia favours the Iranian-designed Shahed suicide drone and has produced multiple variants of the triangle-winged craft, armed with jammers, cameras and turbojet engines in a constant battle of innovation.

“In some areas they are one step ahead. In others, we invent an innovative solution, and they suffer from it,” Mr Lavrenovych said.

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An engineer working on FPV drones (AP)

Federico Borsari, a defence analyst at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis, says interceptors are a valuable addition to Ukraine’s — and Europe’s — anti-drone arsenal.

“Cheap interceptor drones have become so important, and so quickly, that we can consider them a cornerstone of modern counter-unmanned aerial systems,” he said. “They realign the cost and scale equation of air defense.”

Their mobility and low cost allow them to defend more targets, but Borsari added: “It would be a mistake to see them as a silver bullet.”

Their success, he said, depends on sensors, fast command and control as well as skilled operators. They can be used in a menu of options that starts with multimillion-dollar missiles and ends with nets and antiaircraft guns.

Defense planners in Ukraine and NATO expect the hyper-scaling of drone production on both sides of the conflict to continue in 2026, adding urgency to European plans to create a layered air-defense system known as the “drone wall.”

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FPV drones are seen in storage (AP)

The network along Europe’s eastern borders, to be rolled out over two years, is designed to detect, track and intercept drones, with Ukrainian-style interceptors playing a potentially central role in destroying threats.

Ukrainian drone makers are set next year to expand coproduction with U.S. and European firms. Merging battle-tested designs and valuable data with Western scale and funding, the collaboration would boost output and embed Ukraine in NATO-member supply chains.

Another inevitable trend, Mr Lavrenovych argues, is increased automation.

“Our mobile groups shouldn’t have to approach the front line, where they become targets,” he said.

“Drones must become fully autonomous robots with artificial intelligence — as scary as that may sound — to help our soldiers survive.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• YouTuber Adam the Woo died at 51 on Monday, Dec. 22
• The vlogger posted videos exploring theme parks, abandoned cities and Disney parks on his YouTube channel, the Daily Woo
• Williams was found dead in his home, and an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death

YouTuber Adam the Woo has died at 51.

Adam the Woo, whose real name was David Adam Williams, was found dead in his home in Celebration, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office confirms to PEOPLE.

TMZ was first to report the news.

“The residence was secured, and no contact was made with the adult male residing there,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told PEOPLE in a statement. “Deputies then responded back to the location for an unattended death at 2:53 pm. A friend had borrowed a ladder and looked in the 3rd story window to see a male on a bed that was not moving. Upon entering the residence with Fire Rescue, the male was reported deceased.”

The OCSO confirmed it notified Williams’ father of his death.

The medical examiner will complete an autopsy to determine the cause of death, which remains under investigation, the OCSO said.

Adam The Woo.

Adam The Woo/Facebook

“This breaks my heart and I want to say nothing right now,” Williams’ friend and fellow YouTube vlogger Justin Scarred wrote in a Facebook post. “I don’t have the right photo or the right words. But with all the rumors, I feel I need to say what I can. The world has lost a giant, and I have lost a friend closer to me than blood.”

Scarred went on to ask people to “Please pray for his parents Jim and June and his sister Faith.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Scarred for comment.

“I can’t believe I’m typing this…..I’m absolutely devastated to hear of the sudden passing of my good friend Adam The Woo,” Williams’ friend Chris Yon wrote in an Instagram post, featuring photos of him visiting his friend.

Yon’s caption continued, “I just visited him four days ago in Celebration Florida. We rode around town in his golf cart checking out the decorations, talking about his recent international travel, his excitement for upcoming plans on his YouTube channel, and even a Rays game Adam and I were talking about going to next year. I truly don’t know what to say. I’m in complete shock. RIP David Adam Williams 💔.”

Adam The Woo.

Adam The Woo/Instagram

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Williams initially started a YouTube channel in 2009, and went on to create his most notable channel, The Daily Woo, in 2012, according to Fox 4. On The Daily Woo, he posted a vlog every day for five years, and went on to vlog all 50 states. He also shared videos visiting theme parks, haunted houses, small towns and other events, per the outlet.

A Disney expert, Williams regularly visited Disneyland and Disney World. He also filmed videos of historical sites in Kansas City, Mo. linked to Walt Disney, including the site of Laugh-O-Gram Studios and Union Station.

Williams’ final episode on The Daily Woo was published on Saturday, Dec. 21, and featured a tour of Christmas decorations in Celebration.

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A new Immigrations and Customs Enforcement advertisement has turned Santa Claus into an ICE agent as part of a brutal message to illegal immigrants in America.

The holiday-inspired video focuses on a jolly man, wearing Santa’s customary red coat, hat and long white beard, as he straps himself into a bullet proof vest with his weapons around his waist.

It cuts to Santa, wearing an ‘ICE’ logo on his chest, arresting illegal migrants on the street, supported by other officers.

Santa is then seen processing the illegal migrant at a facility before leading him onto a plane to be deported.

The advertisement encourages illegal immigrants hiding in America to ‘avoid Santa’s naughty list’ by ‘self deporting today.’

‘AVOID ICE AIR AND SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST! Self-deport today with the CBP Home app, earn $3,000 and spend Christmas at home with loved ones,’ a caption for the ad reads.

‘Holiday incentive is valid through the end of 2025.’

The self-deportation stipend has been tripled as part of this Christmas push, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The holiday-inspired video focuses on a jolly man, wearing Santa’s customary red coat, hat and long white beard, as he straps himself into a bullet proof vest with his weapons around his waist.

Santa is seen processing the illegal migrant at a facility before leading him onto a plane to be deported

The stipend would be given to people in the U.S. illegally who sign up to leave the country by the end of the year, DHS said. 

The offer would include a free flight back to their home countries.

‘Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport,’ DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Monday.

‘If they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.’

The Trump administration in March launched a rebranded app called CBP Home to make it easier for people to self-deport. 

The app, previously called CBP One, was used by the Biden administration to allow migrants to enter the US legally.

DHS said in May that the average cost to arrest, detain and deport someone without legal status was around $17,000.

Trump, who took office in January promising record levels of deportations, has ramped up crackdown on immigration despite backlash even amongst his base. 

The advertisement encourages illegal immigrants hiding in America to ‘avoid Santa’s naughty list’ by ‘self deporting today’

While he has promised to remove one million immigrants each year, his administration has so far managed to deport some 622,000 immigrants this year – including a significant portion who opted to self deport.

But administration insiders have signaled Trump is preparing for a more aggressive immigration crackdown in 2026 with billions in new funding, including by raiding more workplaces — even as backlash builds ahead of next year’s midterm elections. 

While federal agents this year conducted many high profile raids on businesses, they largely avoided raiding farms, factories and other businesses that are economically important but known to employ immigrants without legal status.

ICE and Border Patrol will get $170 billion in additional funds through September 2029 – a huge surge of funding over their existing annual budgets of about $19 billion after the Republican-controlled Congress passed a massive spending package in July.

Administration officials say they plan to hire thousands more agents, open new detention centers, pick up more immigrants in local jails and partner with outside companies to track down people without legal status.

In addition to expanding enforcement actions, Trump has stripped hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan and Afghan immigrants of temporary legal status, expanding the pool of people who could be deported.

White House border czar Tom Homan argued Trump had delivered on his promise of a historic deportation operation and removing criminals while shutting down illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Homan said the number of arrests will increase sharply as ICE hires more officers and expands detention capacity with the new funding.

Trump, who took office in January promising record levels of deportations, has ramped up crackdown on immigration despite backlash even amongst his base

‘I think you’re going to see the numbers explode greatly next year,’ Homan said.

Homan said the plans ‘absolutely’ include more enforcement actions at workplaces.

The expanded deportation plans come despite growing signs of political backlash ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Miami, one of the cities most affected by Trump’s crackdown because of its large immigrant population, elected its first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades last week in what the mayor-elect said was, in part, a reaction to the president. 

Other local elections and polling have suggested rising concern among voters wary of aggressive immigration tactics.

‘People are beginning to see this not as an immigration question anymore as much as it is a violation of rights, a violation of due process and militarizing neighborhoods extra-constitutionally,’ said Mike Madrid, a moderate Republican political strategist. 

‘There is no question that is a problem for the president and Republicans.’

Trump’s overall approval rating on immigration policy fell from 50 percent in March, before he launched crackdowns in several major U.S. cities, to 41 percent in mid-December.

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A balcony of onlookers stare as three diggers gnaw at the four-storey building that was a fixture of their daily view.

The roads of Silwan’s Wadi Qaddom neighbourhood are blocked off by Israeli police as residents watch the demolition in the valley from every vantage point. The block of flats was home to around 100 of their neighbours – many of them are now homeless.

An elderly woman sits at the bus stop near the police checkpoint closest to the demolition site. As she walks back down the hill, she looks back at the destruction. Her cheeks are red with anger when she hails that God is their only protection.

“Where are the Arab countries? No one is here to help us,” she exclaims.

Of the 230 buildings demolished in East Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighbourhoods in 2025, the block of roughly 13 flats is considered to be the largest and took 12 hours to completely demolish.

Image:
The demolition of a building in Silwan’s Wadi Qaddom neighbourhood

The building was without a permit, like many in Silwan, and stood on land that was not licensed for residential use. The residents were challenging long-standing demolition orders and applying for licensing when diggers arrived at dawn.

The Jerusalem Municipality said the demolition of the building in Silwan was based on a 2014 court order, and that residents were granted extensions for the execution of the order and were offered various options in order to find a solution, but they declined to do so.

But an architect and urban planner from the Israeli NGO Bimkom (Planners for Planning Rights) – which is supporting the families in their bid to license the land of the building – says their time to act was cut short.

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Architect Sari Kornish speaks to Sky’s Yousra Elbagir

“They were told that the demolition order would be implemented, and then they would get another six months’ recourse to try to continue with their planning. Six months is not enough for these planning processes. They take a long time,” Sari Kornish tells us in front of the Jerusalem Municipality after meeting with the building residents’ lawyer there.

Are permits granted for Palestinians in East Jerusalem?

“Very, very few, and in recent years, since October 7, less and less,” says Sari.

“It has always been discrimination. It has always been not enough.”

Far-right minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir posted on X about the building’s demolition.

He said: “Proud to lead the policy of demolishing illegal buildings – not only in the Negev, this morning in East Jerusalem (Silwan neighbourhood) a building that was built illegally and 100 people lived in it – was demolished! Strengthens the police and the district commander.”

Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank is illegal under international law.

Read more from Sky News:
Is Israel building a wall on Lebanese land?
Mother of last hostage in Gaza speaks to Sky News

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Sky’s Yousra Elbagir watches the demolition in Silwan

On Sunday, Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the security cabinet approved 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Half a million Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank, and over 230,000 live in East Jerusalem, where some are taking over homes instead of seizing land.

At least 500 Palestinians have lost their homes to lack-of-permit demolitions in East Jerusalem, and at least 1,000 people, including 460 children, are at risk of forced displacement from eviction cases filed against them in Israeli courts by settler organisations.

Image:
Zuhair al Rajabbi looks out at the homes of his neighbours now marked by demolition sites

In the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Batn al Hawa in Silwan, Zuhair al Rajabbi looks out from his balcony at the homes of his neighbours.

The landscape is marked by demolition sites, and former homes of his neighbours are marked by Israeli flags. Settlers are busy renovating the rooftops to make their own.

“They have five children, and a grandmother was in one room. Downstairs, there was a family of seven children, with the wife and mother, in that one,” he says, pointing at the roof of his neighbours.

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Israeli settler flags on a building in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem

As we watch, a woman quietly mops the dirty water into a hole in the fence and onto the roof of the house next door.

“Look, they are even putting the dirty water on our neighbour’s roof,” Zuhair says with a sad bitterness.

“We used to live together like we live here at home – eating and drinking with them. It makes me sad when I see their home disappearing.”

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The US president says the new vessels will ensure naval dominance and include AI and laser technology.

United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to build a new “Trump-class” of battleships that he said would be larger, faster and 100 times more powerful than the biggest of any previous American-built warships.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, Trump said the battleships would be part of a larger vision to create what he called a “Golden Fleet” that would help ensure US naval dominance.

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The US president announced the plans while standing next to a rendering of the new ships, which appeared to have his image emblazoned on them.

“We had big battleships. These are bigger. They’ll be 100 times the force, the power [of the old ships], and there’s never been anything like these ships,” Trump said.

He added that the vessels would be “cutting edge” and equipped with the latest technology, including artificial intelligence and directed energy lasers. They will also be armed with hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles and rail guns – all technologies that are in various stages of development by the US Navy.

“Each one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest battleship in the history of the world,” he said.

Trump downplayed the idea that the new ships were meant to counter any particular country, saying that they were “a counter to everybody”.

The US president said that production would start with two ships, but could scale up to 10, and as many as 25, over an unspecified period of time.

Trump said work on the first two would begin “immediately” and that the first ship would be named the USS Defiant.

Both Trump and Navy Secretary John Phelan spoke about the new Trump-class warship as a spiritual successor to the battleships of the 20th century, but historically, that term has referred to a very specific type of ship – a large, heavily armoured vessel armed with massive guns designed to bombard other ships or targets ashore.

This type of ship was at the height of prominence during World War II, and the largest of the US battleships, the Iowa-class, were roughly 60,000 tonnes. But after World War II, the battleship’s role in modern fleets diminished rapidly in favour of aircraft carriers and long-range missiles.

Trump referenced the Great White Fleet, commissioned by former President Theodore Roosevelt during the early 20th century as a symbol of US naval strength, as well as a documentary about naval warfare during the second world war.

“Victory at Sea. I don’t know if anyone has seen Victory at Sea, but it was a classic,” he said, adding that the new ships would help “maintain American military supremacy”.

According to a newly created website for the Golden Fleet, this new “guided missile battleship” is set to be roughly the same size as Iowa-class battleships, but only weigh about half as much, approximately 35,000 tonnes, and have far smaller crews – between 650 and 850 sailors.

Its primary weapons will also be missiles, not large naval guns.

Trump said the naval expansion would also be paired with renewed pressure on defence contractors to ‌speed up production and rein in costs.

He said he will meet with major defence firms next week to address delays and overruns, ‌and to examine whether executive compensation, stock buybacks and dividends ⁠are contributing to missed production targets.

“We don’t want to have executives making $50m a year, issuing big dividends to everybody, and also doing buybacks”, while production of F-35s and other jets languishes, Trump said.

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The prime minister has announced travel entitlements for the families of parliamentarians will be wound back, after the government sought advice from the expenses watchdog.

Anthony Albanese confirmed he had received advice from the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) on the weekend of 13 December, and has subsequently written to the Remuneration Tribunal to review and put in place the new rules.

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That advice was sought after ministers including Anika Wells, Don Farrell and Michelle Rowland were forced to defend claims of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded travel entitlements to bring family to events such as the Australian Open and major NRL and AFL matches.

“I do not have the power at a stroke of a pen, to change entitlements. The [remuneration] tribunal had the power, and we have written to the remuneration tribunal,” Albanese told a press conference on Tuesday.

“We have recommended a number of changes as a result of the consideration by the independent parliamentary expenses authority.”

The current rules under family reunification entitlements state that parliamentarians may claim the equivalent of nine business class flights to bring their spouses to Canberra, and up to three business class flights to travel between their home and another location within Australia.

Under the new rules, parliamentarians will be limited to claiming travel expenses for their partners to travel between their home and Canberra, and to travel within their electorate if an MP, or their state if a senator. Spouses and family members will only be allowed to travel via economy class.

Spouses and family members will no longer be eligible for travel between their home and another location in Australia.

The current rules allow unlimited travel for senior office holders, including government ministers, the opposition leader and deputy opposition leader, who are allowed to bring their spouses almost anywhere, with no cap on costs. Spouses of senior office holders can travel with, or even without a minister, if they have been invited to an “engagement” in their “capacity as the spouse of a senior office holder”.

The new rules would seek to curb these entitlements.

“We would restrict travel to events where … the spouse or partner has got an invitation as part of the official invitation to the senior office holder, and that the events are connected with the senior office holders portfolio, that is, if you’re environment minister connected to the environment,” Albanese said.

The prime minister said he had written to the remuneration tribunal to ensure parents of young children would not be disadvantaged. The remuneration tribunal will next meet in January to consider the changes.

Albanese was pressed on whether the rule changes would see any more MPs refer themselves to IPEA. He said the process, which will see the rules considered by the remuneration tribunal, has been “at arm’s length”.

On Tuesday, Rowland said she has repaid thousands in public expenses she claimed for a trip which included time on a family holiday in Perth.

At the height of the expenses and travel spending saga earlier this month, Rowland said she had received advice from the parliamentary expenses watchdog that “a portion of the family reunion travel expenses were outside the guidelines”, relating to a trip she’d taken to Western Australia in July 2023, at the total cost of $22,000.

Rowland’s office said she had undertaken at least 10 official engagements during the trip, which also included her flying family members to join her there.

“I received advice from the Independent Authority that a portion of that, for one use two and a half years ago, was outside the guidelines. So, I sought advice on that and repaid that amount,” Rowland told ABC radio.

“The full figure will be publicly released in time. It was around $10,000. Again, I point out this is the point of IPEA. We sought advice so that that could be acted on, and that was.”

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What you need to know

• The US Food and Drug Administration approved using Wegovy in pill form to treat weight loss
• Starting dose to be available in January
• Daily pill could replace weekly injection

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill version of the drug Wegovy from Novo Nordisk as a treatment for weight loss.

The pill was approved for chronic weight management ‌in adults with obesity or overweight and at least one related health condition.

The oral medication contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, which is also made by Novo Nordisk and primarily prescribed for type 2 diabetes.

The FDA had already approved an oral semaglutide made by Novo for ⁠diabetes called Rybelsus.

Daily pill could replace a weekly injection for weight loss

Novo said the 1.5-milligram starting dose of the Wegovy pill will be available in early January and will cost $149 (€126) per month from some providers.

Additional information on cost will be available in January.

A daily pill gives doctors another option for prescribing GLP-1 medicines for obesity and could broaden patient access and reduce costs.

Wegovy as well as Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound are normally injected once a week.

Popular weight-loss drugs are currently injected once a weekImage: Lise Åserud/NTB/picture alliance

Obesity is epidemic in the United States, where some 40% of adults and 21% of children and teens are obese, according to the Trust for a Better Health’s State of Obesity Report 2025.

One in eight Americans (or 12%) say they currently take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss or another chronic condition, according to a November poll by health policy research organization KFF.

But many more have trouble affording the costly weekly shots.

Last month,US President Donald Trump announceddeals with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to lower the prices of some of their weight-loss drugs in exchange for certainty around tariffs.

Billions made from weight-loss injections

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Novo looks to gain market share for weight-loss pill ahead of rival Lilly

The ‍approval could help spur a turnaround for the Danish pharmaceutical giant after a rocky year of sliding shares and slowing sales of its injectable Wegovy.

Lilly’s Zepbound currently dominates the US weight-loss drug market.

US-listed shares of Novo jumped 8% after the approval announcement for its Wegovy pill.

Novo is manufacturing the pill in the United States and has been building up supplies of the pill “for some time” to ensure that it has “ample supply”, David Moore, Novo’s executive vice president of US operations said.

Lilly also has a daily weight-loss pill orforglipron under review for diabetes and weight loss. The FDA is expected to approve it early in 2026.

Novo’s oral semaglutide needs to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before eating, drinking or using any other oral medication.

Lilly’s pill will not have those restrictions, if approved.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah

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A trip to Europe isn’t complete without a shopping spree in a really, really cute outfit — just look at Gwyneth Paltrow. 

In October, the Goop founder, 53, hit up the shops in Milan, Italy, with her husband, Brad Falchuk. She wore a gray polo shirt layered on top of a blue button-up and had some sporty striped sneakers in tow. The most noteworthy thing about the look, though, was her pair of baggy blue jeans. 

Come to think of it, “baggy” may even be an understatement. Her jeans were so loose that they fit more like sweatpants or pajama pants. And yet, they were still polished enough to strut the streets of what many have dubbed as one of the “fashion capitals” of the world. 

Baggy Jeans Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow

Luca Sgro for Cobra Team / BACKGRID

Flamingals Baggy Wide-Leg Jeans

Amazon

If you love how drapey Paltrow’s pants look, you want to focus on a wide-leg silhouette like this pair. They don’t squeeze the thighs or taper inward at the hems. And even with all that extra fabric, these jeans are still “really flattering,” said one shopper. Another shopper also claimed that the mid blue wash looks “upscale and fashion forward.” So TL;DR: The jeans are nice enough to rep out in public at dinner, brunch, and more. 

Rag & Bone Miramar Knit High-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans

Anthropologie

There is also such a thing as actual sweatpant jeans. These Rag & Bone pants, for example, look like your average jeans, only they’re made from a terry fabric that’s so soft I could sleep in them. (The brand sent me a different pair from its Miramar collection earlier this year.) They also look so real you could wear them to work — a few of us even tried it — plus, they’ve won over Paulina Porizkova and Brittany Mahomes.  

Gap Mid-Rise UltraSoft Baggy Jeans

GAP

While this on-sale Gap pair was designed to have a more “authentic feel,” according to the brand, they’re still “more comfortable to wear around than sweats,” said one shopper. We’re guessing that’s because of their non-restrictive fit that’s loose everywhere except the waist (you don’t want them falling down, do you?) and the wide variety of sizes and inseams available. Choose from regular, petite, and tall options, then bid adieu to the tailor. 

Keep scrolling to shop more baggy jeans inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow now. 

Madewell Superwide-Leg Jeans

Madewell

Chartou Baggy Wide-Leg Drawstring Jeans

Amazon

Levi’s Cinch Baggy Jeans

Amazon

Good American Good Standard Baggy Cuffed Jeans

Anthropologie

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• MA Services Group enters voluntary administration
• Up to 1,700 workers’ jobs at risk 

By CAITLIN POWELL – NEWS REPORTER

Published: 21:45 EST, 22 December 2025 | Updated: 22:08 EST, 22 December 2025

Up to 1,700 Aussie workers risk losing their jobs just two days before Christmas after a major security company entered voluntary administration this week.

It was revealed on Tuesday that MA Services Group, which operates across Australia, had collapsed.

Alvarez & Marsal administrators Jason Tracy and Glen Kanevsky said there had been ‘breaches’ of key licensing conditions.

This means the company is unable to lawfully continue certain core functions, which triggered the news that there will be redundancies.

‘We recognise the seriousness of this situation for the 1,700 employees whose roles are directly affected,’ they said in a statement shared with the Daily Mail.

‘We are investigating the circumstances that led the company to this point, including obtaining information from Founder and Director, Micky Ahuja.

‘We are engaging with Fair Entitlement Guarantee (FEG) team within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to ensure employees receive the support they need regarding their entitlements.’

The Alvarez & Marsal team will be the point of contact for staff as the administration progresses. The Daily Mail has contacted MA Services Group for comment.

Up to 1,700 Aussie workers risk losing their jobs at MA Security Group just two days before Christmas

The administrators are also evaluating a range of options to ‘preserve continuity of services and future employment opportunities wherever possible’. 

This includes fielding enquiries from a number of parties that may be interested in acquiring the company’s assets.

MA Services’ collapse follows reports from Fairfax Media in the last month that it was linked to suspected tax evasion, worker exploitation and a bikie gang.

The publications also alleged there were serial sexual harassment accusations against the business owner.

MA Services Group published a statement on December 1, in which it denied any wrongdoing.

‘MA Services Group acknowledges the recent media coverage and the concerns raised in relation to the organisation. We take these matters seriously and want to reaffirm our position clearly and transparently,’ it said.

‘We categorically deny any wrongdoing.

MA Services Group has cooperated fully with all relevant authorities and continues to remain open to any further review, audit or investigation required. 

‘We welcome appropriate regulatory scrutiny and operate with the highest commitment to governance, compliance, and ethical business practices.’

The company said its compliance, vetting and employment processes are ‘well-established, robust, and continually reviewed to meet industry and legislative standards’.

MA Services Group has said on its website that its clients include Aldi, Amazon, Coles, Kmart and City of Kingston in Victoria.

The Age then reported last week that it had been ditched by four AFL clubs, Sydney University and Melbourne’s Formula 1 grand prix. 

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Hundreds of Aussie workers face shock axing just two days before Christmas as MA Services Group enters voluntary administration

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The small Mexican plane was carrying out a medical mission when it crashed off the Texas coast, five people have been confirmed dead as a result and a search mission is underway

02:08, 23 Dec 2025Updated 02:36, 23 Dec 2025

At least five people were killed in a Mexico Navy plane crash (Image: AP)

A small Mexican plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others has crashed, killing at least five people. The plane crashed on Monday, December 22 near Galveston and officials are now searching waters off the Texas coast.

Mexico’s Navy have confirmed that four people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child. It was not immediately clear which of them died.

Two of the passengers were members from the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children who have suffered severe burns. The US Coast Guard have confirmed that five were killed and the cause of the crash is being investigated.

It happened on Monday afternoon near the base of a causeway near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) southeast of Houston. In a statement, the Mexican Navy said that the plane was helping a medical mission when it had an “accident”

They continued that they are helping local authorities with the search and rescue operation.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol were responding to the crash. Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are also on scene.

The Sheriff’s office said: “The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.”

The popular beach destination has been experiencing foggy weather over recent days and it is not clear if this was a contributing factor. National Weather Service meteorologist said that at about 2:30 pm Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility. The foggy conditions are expected to persist through Tuesday morning.

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United States President Donald Trump has issued a new warning to Nicolas Maduro, saying “it would be smart” for the Venezuelan leader to step down, as Washington escalates a pressure campaign that has drawn sharp rebukes from Russia and China.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump suggested he was prepared to further ratchet up the tensions after four months of mounting pressure on Caracas.

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When asked if the ⁠goal was to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think it probably would… That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re gonna find out.”

“If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the ​last time he’s ever able to play ‌tough,” the US leader added.

Trump levied his latest threat as the US Coast Guard continued for a second day to chase a third oil tanker that it described as part of a “dark fleet” that Venezuela uses to evade US sanctions.

“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said.

The US president also promised to keep the two ships and the nearly 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil the coastguard has seized so far.

“Maybe we’ll sell it. Maybe we’ll keep it. Maybe we will use it in the strategic reserves,” he said. “We’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also.”

Maduro fires back

The campaign against Venezuela’s critical oil sector comes amid a large US military buildup in the region with a stated mission of combating drug trafficking, as well as more than two dozen strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.

Critics have questioned the legality of the attacks, which have killed more than 100 people.

Venezuela denies any involvement in drug trafficking and insists that Washington is seeking to overthrow Maduro to seize the country’s oil reserves, which are the world’s largest.

Caracas has condemned the US’s vessel seizures as acts of “international piracy”.

Maduro responded to Trump’s latest salvo hours later, in a speech broadcast on public television, saying the US president would be better served if he focused on his own country’s problems rather than threatening Caracas.

“He would be better off in his own country on economic and social issues, and he would be better off in the world if he took care of his country’s affairs,” Mauro said.

The escalating rhetoric preceded a United Nations Security Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday to address the growing crisis.

Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov expressed “deep concern” over Washington’s Caribbean operations in a telephone conversation with Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil, warning of potential consequences for regional stability and international shipping.

Moscow “reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” according to a Russian foreign ministry statement.

US blockade

China also condemned the US’s latest moves as a “serious violation of international law”.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Beijing “opposes any actions that violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and infringe upon the sovereignty and security of other countries”.

“Venezuela has the right to develop independently and engage in a mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations. China understands and supports Venezuela’s stance in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests,” he added.

Rubio had last week dismissed Moscow’s support for Caracas.

Washington, he said, was “not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela” as “they have their hands full in Ukraine”.

US-Russia relations have soured in recent weeks as Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow over the lack of a resolution on the war in Ukraine.

Gil, the Venezuelan foreign minister, meanwhile read a letter on state television, signed by Maduro and addressed to UN member nations, warning that the US blockade would disrupt global oil and energy supplies.

“Venezuela reaffirms its vocation for peace, but also declares with absolute clarity that it is prepared to defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and its resources in accordance with international law,” he said.

“However, we responsibly warn that these aggressions will not only impact Venezuela. The blockade and piracy against Venezuelan energy trade will affect oil and energy supply, increase instability in international markets, and hit the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.”

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