By NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 11:41 GMT, 24 December 2025

Father Christmas and his reindeers have left the North Pole as they embark on an epic round-the-world mission to deliver presents to children across the globe.

Anyone wanting to keep tabs on St Nick’s sleigh or wondering when to leave out the mince pies and carrot can keep on top of his movements with the annual NORAD Santa Tracker.

NORAD, otherwise known as North American Aerospace Defense Command, has tracked Santa for the past 70 years using advanced radar and satellite technology.

Families can visit the official NORAD Tracks Santa website or use dedicated apps to follow his journey in real-time.

Your browser does not support iframes.

]]]]]]>]]]]>]]>

Watch our NORAD Santa Tracker 2025 stream and follow live updates below

The year 2022: A dark year for the Santa tracker

The year 2022 was a dark one, as far as the Santa tracker is concerned.

Carnage unfolded as the entire system momentarily went down.

It was never quite clear why the Santa tracker crashed. It could have been due to the amount of people trying to use the site, or related to the ferocious storm which hit the US overnight.

Blizzard conditions were seen across much of the country on that dark day, causing power outages, crashes and long delays to travel.

As the Norad tracker relies on US satellites, there’s a chance damage to communications lines on US soil may have delayed engineers desperately working to reconnect Father Christmas with his fans.

But anyway, after a few minutes … everything returned to normal.

As Keir Starmer vows to ‘stop the boats’ – will Santa make it to Britain?

Amid Keir Starmer’s vows to ‘stop the boats’, will Santa actually make it to Britain?

The odds say yes – as the Prime Minister’s plans have so far remained in tatters.

The latest Home Office figures showed some 803 people made the dangerous journey across the English Channel in 13 dinghies from northern France, starting overnight on Friday and into Saturday.

The total number of Channel crossings for 2025 now stands at 41,455 people. The annual record stands at 45,755, recorded at the end of 2022.

And it looks like those arriving by sleigh will only have more joy…

When will Santa arrive at your house?

While NORAD tracks Santa, only the man himself knows his route which means experts are unable to predict what time he will visit your home on Christmas Eve.

However, NORAD notes it appears Santa arrives only when children are asleep with most of his drop-ins taking place between 9pm and midnight.

If children are awake when he does arrive, he may move on to other houses, only returning when they are asleep.

Santa reaches RUSSIA

Santa has now reached Russia. He was last spotted in Anadyr.

There have been good flying conditions so far with no weather or travel delays, so it’s so far, so good.

The number of gifts delivered is rising … and rising …

At the time of posting, Santa has already delivered over 30million gifts.

He was last spotted in the North Pole, which is understandable given he’s only just left…

Breaking:SANTA LEAVES HIS GROTTO

Santa has TAKEN OFF.

This is not a drill.

DAILY MAIL GETS IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Down at the Daily Mail office reporters are already getting in the festive spirit…

We’ll leave you with this gem while we wait for Santa to get a move on.

Our journalists are working hard to deliver you the latest news from Britain and all the world over this Christmas Eve.

What do you think of their MOVES

What route does Santa travel?

After leaving his workshop on the North Pole, Santa usually starts his journey at the international date line, an imaginary line in the Pacific Ocean, and heads west.

It means he often heads to the South Pacific first before flying across New Zealand and Australia. Afterwards he goes to Japan, across Asia before flying to Africa and Western Europe before crossing the Atlantic to homes in Canada, the United States, Mexico before ending up in Central and South America.

Santa ‘getting ready for take-off’

‘The time is near’.

It isn’t long now – we’ve just heard from our elf sources in the North Pole that Santa is getting ready for take-off.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates…

Santa will take off WITHIN THE HOUR

Can you hear those sleigh bells ringing yet? NORAD have confirmed Santa’s takeoff is expected ‘within the hour’.

I don’t know about you but here in the office we are on the edge of our seats…

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of a certain Olly Murs who was spotted at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship in Alexandra Palace yesterday.

The singer, 41, rocked a festive darts themed Christmas jumper which had ‘You miss, you drink’, written across the front.

Let’s hope Santa doesn’t miss today as he drops his piles upon piles of presents down the million of great British chimneys.

Or indeed, that he still can fit. Chimney flues should never be less than 5′′ diameter – here’s to Brits abiding by the planning rules.

Why does NORAD track Santa?

The annual Christmas Eve tradition of tracking Santa began in 1955 when a child in the US accidentally dialled the number of NORAD’s prededecessor CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command) after seeing an advert in a Colorado-based newspaper urging children to call Santa.

The then director of operations Colonel Harry Shoup, answered the phone and instructed his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole.

The tradition continued when NORAD was formed in 1958 and every year since it has reported Santa’s location on Christmas Eve to millions of children and families across the globe.

Brits baffled over ‘conflicting’ Santa trackers

A few Father Christmas fans have been left distraught amid ‘conflicting’ Santa trackers.

It just goes to show you’re probably best off sticking with our Daily Mail live blog as we bring you accurate and verified updates from trusted sources.

Share or comment on this article:
NORAD Santa Tracker 2025: Watch Father Christmas and his reindeers race across world to deliver gifts – live updates

SOURCE PAGE

A hotel owned by Andy and Kim Murray has made a major announcement

A business owned by Andy and Kim Murray is set to close for refurbishment(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)

Andy and Kim Murray’s five-star Cromlix Hotel in Kinbuck is set to temporarily shut its doors in the New Year. The couple, who have owned the 34-acre estate since 2013, will be closing the hotel due to ongoing construction work.

Since retiring from tennis last year, two-time Wimbledon champion Andy has had time to focus on his business ventures, including his Perthshire hotel. Earlier this year, Cromlix announced plans for two new restaurants, with construction getting underway in October.

The major revamp will also include a wellness facility and three additional suites. However, from January 4, the hotel will close for renovations, with a planned reopening in spring 2026.

The Courier reports that the new restaurant will accommodate up to 80 guests, offering views overlooking the estate. The kitchen will be relocated and upgraded to serve more diners, while the existing Glasshouse restaurant will host afternoon teas and other events.

The extensive refurbishment is expected to take several months, with the reopening scheduled for May 2026. Despite the closure, Cromlix’s booking team and online shop will continue to operate.

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz sent ‘outrageous’ contract message after split from coachREAD MORE: Carlos Alcaraz announces sudden split from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven years

The Doune-based Kings Group is leading the construction work, with Perthshire architect Fergus Purdie and interior designer Suzanne Garuda also contributing to the project.

Upon the announcement of the restaurant plans, Kim said: “I’m really excited about this next phase for Cromlix.

“The Glasshouse, our current restaurant, has been doing really well and is fully booked most of the time, but the space lacks a bit of personality and doesn’t deliver aesthetically in the same way that the rest of the hotel does.

The married couple have owned the Cromlix Hotel since 2013(Image: John Phillips/Getty Images)

“We appointed a new executive head chef (James Mearing) earlier this year and he’s doing a great job, and it will be fantastic for him to put his stamp on this new food experience at Cromlix.”

The hotel has garnered numerous awards in recent years. In 2024, Cromlix was crowned Scottish hotel of the year at the AA Hospitality Awards and featured in The Times’ top 100 places to stay in the UK.

The Murrays purchased the hotel for £1.8million in February 2013. It had been closed since 2012 but reopened its doors under the new ownership in April 2014.

SOURCE PAGE

A teenage British boy who was stabbed to death in Portugal has been named.

The country’s criminal police (Judicial Police) said it is investigating the death by stabbing of 13-year-old Alfie Hallett and the alleged attacker.

Local media say Portuguese police believe the perpetrator, who has also died, was the former partner of the boy’s mother.

The mother was found “showing signs of having been restrained and assaulted, and was subsequently taken to the nearest hospital”, police said in a statement.

“Both the alleged assailant and the minor presented several injuries caused by a bladed weapon but, despite vital signs still being detectable, death was declared at the scene moments later.”

Police said the GNR (National Republican Guard) were called out after the alarm had been raised about what was feared to be a domestic violence situation, in the city of Tomar in central Portugal.

“Inside the house, there was a strong smell of gas which, moments later, resulted in an explosion that injured one of the GNR officers,” the police statement added.

“The alleged perpetrator had already served a prison sentence for aggravated homicide, and the family had been flagged following domestic violence cases registered in 2022 and 2023.”

Image:
The attack took place in Tomar in central Portugal. Pic: iStock

Sport Club Operario de Cem Soldos’s basketball team in Tomar paid tribute to Alfie, saying he will “always be in our hearts”.

In a Facebook post, the club said: “(Alfie) played his last game on Saturday, played so well seemed like he knew it was his last game.

“We want to tell you how much we love you and that you will always be in our hearts.”

Chamusca Basket Clube, the club Alfie had played against in Saturday’s match, also posted a tribute on Facebook.

They wrote: “In this time of sorrow, we express our solidarity to the family, friends and all those who share this irreparable loss. May you find comfort in good memories and strength to face this difficult time.”

The British Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Portugal, and stand ready to provide consular support.”

SOURCE PAGE

A man accused of posting an antisemitic social media message in support of the Bondi massacre will spend Christmas behind bars.

Martin Thomas Glynn, 39, was arrested in the Perth suburb of Yangebup and charged after a concerned member of the public reported him to police.

Officers said they raided Glynn’s home on Tuesday and seized several firearms, large quantities of ammunition and flags linked to banned terrorist organisations Hezbollah and Hamas.

Glynn appeared before Fremantle magistrates court on Wednesday to face charges of alleged conduct intended to racially harass, carrying or possessing a prohibited weapon, and failing to properly store a firearm.

He appeared without legal representation and was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance in February.

Glynn allegedly posted on social media in the hours following the 14 December terror attack at Bondi beach, where 15 people were killed after two gunmen allegedly opened fire on a crowd of Jewish faithful celebrating Hanukkah.

“It is appalling that, in the wake of Bondi, anyone would say anything that supports, in any way the actions of a horrific, vile, criminal terrorist act,” Western Australia’s police minister, Reece Whitby, told reporters on Wednesday.

“Words are dangerous. Words have potential to lead to catastrophic outcomes … anyone that says anything remotely intimidatory, suggestive of violence needs to be acted on very quickly.”

The state’s acting premier, Rita Saffioti, and its police chief, Col Blanch, have commended the member of the public who spoke to police after coming across the alleged post online which led to Glynn’s arrest.

“The report from the member of the public was critical and demonstrates just how important it is that the community in Western Australia is kept safe, but also the community in Western Australia engage in this process,” Whitby said.

Police said Glynn had a gun licence for hunting, and all but one of his firearms were registered, but Blanch has instructed his officers to initiate a process to cancel Glynn’s permit.

The accused is being investigated by officers linked to Operation Dalewood, which was launched by WA police in response to the Bondi attack.

He was not known to WA, NSW or federal authorities before his arrest, and there is no evidence to suggest any attacks are being planned, Blanch said.

“We don’t think there is an ongoing threat. We don’t believe there to be a network involved. We think this is an individual who has made these comments online,” he said.

Whitby reiterated WA’s tough penalties for hate-related crimes, including up to five years imprisonment for displaying Nazi symbols or performing Nazi salutes and up to 14 years for conduct intended to incite racial hatred.

SOURCE PAGE

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has given details of an updated peace plan that offers Russia the potential withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east that Moscow has demanded.

Giving details of the 20-point plan agreed by US and Ukrainian negotiators in Florida at the weekend, Zelensky said the Russians would respond on Wednesday once the Americans had spoken to them.

Describing the plan as “the main framework for ending the war” Zelensky said it proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again.

On the key question of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas, Zelensky said a “free economic zone” was a potential option.

He told journalists that as Ukraine was against withdrawal, US negotiators were looking to establish a demilitarised zone or a free economic zone.

“There are two options,” Zelensky said, “either the war continues, or something will have to be decided regarding all potential economic zones.”

The 20-point plan is seen as an update of an original 28-point document, agreed by US envoy Steve Witkoff with the Russians several weeks ago, which was widely seen as heavily geared towards the Kremlin’s demands.

The Russians have insisted that Ukraine pulls out of almost a quarter of its own territory in the eastern Donetsk region in return for a peace deal. The rest is already under Russian occupation.

Sensitive issues including questions over territory would have to be resolved “at the leaders’ level”, but the new draft would provide Ukraine with strong security guarantees and a military strength of 800,000, Zelensky explained.

Much of the updated plan resembles what came out of recent talks in Berlin involving US negotiators Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Ukrainian and European leaders. The setting then moved to Miami last weekend where US President Donald Trump’s team spoke separately to Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and then Ukrainian and European officials.

There now appears to be far more detail on the territorial issue, although it is clear the Ukrainian side was unable to reach a consensus.

If Ukraine was prepared to pull its heavy forces back by five, 10 or 40km in the 25% of Donetsk it still holds to create a “free economic zone”, making it virtually demilitarised, then Zelensky explained Russia would have to do the same “accordingly by five, 10, or 40km”.

He emphasised that an economic zone would also have to be set up around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant currently occupied by Russia, and that Russian troops would have to pull out of four other Ukrainian regions – Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

SOURCE PAGE

For more than four years now, General Mamady Doumbouya has been serving as Guinea’s “transitional president,” having led a coup d’etat against then-President Alpha Conde on September 5, 2021.

Doumbouya had originally promised to return power to civilians, but it appears that he has changed his mind, as he is now running for the election scheduled for December 28.

The country’s new constitution, which was adopted in September, will allow the future president to serve a seven-year term. Voters will get to choose between nine candidates, but Doumbouya’s eight rivals are largely unknown to the general public in Guinea, as the most important opposition politicians in the country have been excluded from the election. 

Guinea’s main opposition candidates Cellou Dalein Diallo (left) and Sidya Toure (right) were suspended from the election campaignImage: Str/AFP

Doumbouya’s main rivals sidelined by edict

Guinea’s new constitution also stipulates that presidential candidates must have their main residence in the country.

Using this new prerequisite, two opposition heavyweights living in exile were stopped from running for office in one fell swoop: Former Prime Minister Sidya Toure, chairman of the Union of Republican Forces Republicaines (UFR) party, and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) party.

Guinean authorities had suspended the entire UFDG at the end of August — alongside several other parties. The suspension was initially intended to last for 90 days, but in the case of the UFDG, that has now been extended: In a statement issued two weeks before the election, the Guinean Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization said that the documents submitted by the party showed “significant shortcomings” for its participation.

It added that the UFDG now has six months to “bring its political organization fully into line with the new legal provisions.” Otherwise, the party will lose its legal status.

Among various criticisms, the ministry underscored the fact that the UFDG has not held a party conference since Guinea’s junta dissolves government without explanation in 2015; however, authorities at the same time prohibited the UFDG from doing just that at the beginning of this year — again with little rhyme or reason.

Many people initially supported the coup by junta chef Doumbouya in 2021 but human rights’ groups now speak of a “climate of terror” Image: Cellou Binani/AFP

A ‘climate of terror’

Since 2022, the military government led by Doumbouya has banned all demonstrations in the country and has arrested, prosecuted, or driven into exile several opposition leaders. 

At the same time, reports of abductions and kidnappings of political opponents have increased significantly.

Amnesty International says that this has created a “climate of terror,” and has joined 24 other Guinean and international human rights organizations to call on “authorities to comply with their international human rights obligations, to which they committed themselves in April 2025 before the UN Human Rights Council.”

Presidential candidates: From 66 to nine

According to the election commission, 66 people originally submitted their presidential candidacies to the Supreme Court. However, the vast majority of candidates were squarely rejected.

Makale Camara, former foreign minister and the only woman among the remaining nine candidates, hopes to boost her chances by focusing on connecting with citizens: “My strategy is to mingle with the people, especially women. Wherever I can find young people,” says the chairwoman of the Front for National Alliance (FAN) party.

Ibrahima Toure, of the Union for Progress and Renewal (PRUN) party, is one of the candidates who was not approved to run — as a person who splits his time between Guinea and Germany.

His platform would have been the country’s education system — or rather a lack thereof: “The education system is a disaster. The classrooms are dilapidated and completely broken. Those who have no money cannot send their children to school.”

Dwindling support for Doumbouya?

Toure also criticizes the country’s judiciary, describing it as “corrupt.” “People are kidnapped, and there is no way to file a lawsuit. If one is filed, it is not taken seriously because the government simply has its hand in it.”

Together with several other parties, Toure has decided to support Faya Millimouno, chairman of the Liberal Bloc (BL) party, who is one of the total of nine approved candidates on the ballot.

Millimouno told DW that the initial support for Doumbouya right after the coup has long dwindled: “Very big promises were made. We know what we have today. We know what we are experiencing today under [Doumbouya’s] government. In fact, his team has come to deceive Guineans,” Millimouno explained, denouncing a “strategy of terror” which he says is aimed at  suppressing dissenting voices.

Opposition supporters were banned from holding protests against the ruling junta after the 2021 coupImage: CELLOU BINANI/AFP

Doumbouya’s political brand: Stability

On the other hand, there still is support for the strongman in certain camps: Alassane Diallo is a supporter of the controversial leader, who lives in Germany.

Diallo is optimistic about the December 28 polls: “I am convinced that Doumbouya is the right man for the job. He is the one who is capable of bringing Guineans together, uniting them across all their differences and getting them to work,” he told DW, saying he fully expected constitutional order to return to the country after the elections.

The general’s campaign headquarters are located in the city of Kankan, which was also the political stronghold of the ousted former president Alpha Conde. “In Kankan, for example, there is a project to build a 15 kilometer-long, two-lane road. We owe that to the arrival of the president,” says activist Lamine Touta Kaba.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s also praise for the leader from his closest ranks: Sports Minister Keamou Bogola Haba, for instance, sees an impeccable record in his leadership: “Four years of positive results in terms of security, the economy, and leadership — and thus also in terms of stability,” he said.

It is perhaps that sense of stability that is election serves as a test for, though the outcome might already be decided.

Are elections in Africa eroding trust in democracy?

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Edited by: Sertan Sanderson

SOURCE PAGE

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

A 65-year-old woman was fatally stabbed at a Barnes & Noble in Florida while shopping for Christmas presents.

The suspected attacker, a 40-year-old man, has been charged with murder after the attack which took place shortly before 8 p.m. Monday, in Palm Beach Gardens.

Rita Loncharich was reading a magazine when she was attacked, CBS12 reports. Her husband told reporters his wife called him on her cell phone to tell him she had just been stabbed after the attack.

First responders provided aid after rushing to the scene but Loncharich died from her injuries after being taken to a local hospital for further treatment.

open image in gallery

The attack took place at the Barnes & Noble store on 1380 Legacy Avenue, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (Google Street View)

Her husband told CBS12 that police had told him the alleged attacker is a homeless person from Alabama who is mentally ill and had been in Florida for just a week.

Police have not confirmed this, but said the suspected attacker, 40-year-old Antonio Moore, ran out of the store following the stabbing.

Moore was charged with first-degree premeditated murder Tuesday and is now being held without bond, online jail records show according to ABC News.

Police say that investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the attack, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

open image in gallery

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said they are trying to establish a motive in the killing (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

Local Barnes & Noble customers said they were shocked by the fatal attack, that took place just days before the holidays.

Carol Finger, a Barnes & Noble customer, told CBS12: “I think it’s very distressing. I really do. I’m sorry to hear that. I feel a little upset to say the least. I’m sorry that it occurred. It’s a terrible thing.”

Quinn Davis, another customer, said it is “awful”, adding that “you hear these stories, and you don’t expect it to happen, and it’s just gut wrenching”.

The Independent has contacted the Barnes & Noble press office, but the company has told other outlets that it does not comment on ongoing police investigations.

SOURCE PAGE

NEED TO KNOW

• Kim Kardashian shared a glimpse of her festive preparations on Tuesday, Dec. 23
• The reality star filmed a pile of her Christmas gifts wrapped in red plaid flannel fabric stacked on the floor by a towering Christmas tree at her home
• Kardashian revealed that her daughter North helped her select the wrapping

Kim Kardashian’s 2025 Christmas wrapping paper comes with a personal festive touch.

The SKIMS founder, 45, unveiled her Christmas wrapping paper as the SKIMS pajama flannel fabric from the clothing line’s latest holiday collection in a video posted on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Kardashian filmed a pile of her Christmas gifts wrapped in red plaid flannel fabric stacked on the floor by a towering Christmas tree at her home as she explained the choice of wrapping paper in the clip.

“Hey, I wanted to show you guys my Christmas wrapping this year,” said Kardashian. She then revealed that her 12-year-old daughter, North West, “picked it out,” saying, “We wanted to be a little bit more festive.”

Kim Kardashian’s 2025 Christmas gift-wrapping is from the SKIMS pajama holiday collection.

Kim Kardashian/Instagram

“It’s so cute and actually, I’m wearing it right now,” Kardashian said as she panned the camera to herself wearing the SKIMS pajama set in the same plaid print.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“So that’s the vibes we wanted to give this holiday season, feeling very flannel and it is a fabric,” she said, adding, “Of course, they got the snow all over it,” referring to her four children.

SKIMS customers can also get the same festive gift-wrapping as Kardashian when they purchase holiday gifts from the company’s website.

Kim Kardashian with her children North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm West.

Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Christmas gift-wrapping has become an annual competition between members of the Kardashian-Jenner family in recent years.

In 2023, Kardashian revealed her gift-wrapping that year as white cotton fabric — again from her clothing line SKIMS.

“I wanted to show you my wrapping this year,” she said in a video posted at the time. “I’m putting some presents in front of the tree, and I just wanted to show you guys that I used SKIMS cotton fabric for my wrapping this year.” 

“I thought it was a really fun, cool way to just have something that you can use over and over again,” Kardashian shared. “I just love the fabric and how it looks and the technique that we used to wrap it, and it looks so pretty with my tree.”

SOURCE PAGE

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER

Published: 09:02 GMT, 24 December 2025 | Updated: 09:38 GMT, 24 December 2025

Christmas traffic is estimated to be at its busiest level in five years today as 4.2million getaways have been planned.

Roads and motorways will likely be filled with cars, train services will be overcrowded and airports will be packed.

Today, Christmas Eve, could be one of the most nightmarish days to travel home on as the RAC estimate there will be 4.2million leisure trips planned, the highest of any day in the seven days leading up to Christmas and the highest level since Covid. 

There are a total of 37.5million trips planned in the same period from December 17 to December 24.

This is the highest number since the RAC began recording data in 2013 and a huge increase of 8million more trips than last year’s 29.3million.

At the same time, the AA predict there will be 22.7million cars driving home for Christmas today, causing even more chaos on the roads, though this is a slightly lower figure than on the five days leading up to it.

Road closures will also be another thorn in the side of drivers as major routes will be shut off starting today.

The busy port at Dover last Saturday. 37.5million trips are estimated to be planned in the week leading up to Christmas Day

Massive delays were also seen on the M6 last weeks as people make their way home for Christmas

From Christmas Eve, the M27 will be shut in both directions between Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate) and Junction 11 (Fareham East/Gosport) from 8pm until 4am on January 4. 

The RAC has set out the worst and best times to drive on Christmas Eve.

The most congested times will be 1pm to 7pm while the best times to travel will be before 11am.

See the routes which are most likely to be congested today in our list at the bottom of this page. 

Avoiding the roads could also lead to running into more congestion on the rail network as vital several services are not running during the Christmas period, particularly from London.

Rail closures may force more people onto the roads too, spelling yet more misery for drivers. 

Stations will likely be rammed with people travelling home for Christmas like here in Kings Cross

No trains will run to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January.

• No trains to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January. 
• No trains between Leeds and York between Christmas Day and 6 January. 
• No trains between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport from Christmas Day until 5 January.
• No trains between Stratford and Liverpool St from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• No trains between Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, 24 December – 2 January.
• No trains between Milton Keynes and Rugby between Christmas Day and 5 January.
• No trains between Preston and Carlisle, 31 December- 15 January.
• No trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 January and 7 January.

A total of 42,046 departures are scheduled from UK airports between 19 December and 4 January

Airports are also bracing for an influx of Christmas travellers, particularly with the record number of getaways planned.

A total of 42,046 departures are scheduled from UK airports between 19 December and 4 January, according to data from Cirium, up 2 per cent from last year.

Thankfully, the busiest day has already come on Friday December 19 when 2,853 flights were scheduled to depart UK airports.

However, Christmas Day itself is becoming more and more popular as a flight day, with 889 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports – 10 per cent higher than last year’s and 33 per cent higher than pre pandemic levels in 2019. 

The busiest days to travel from major UK airports is are as follows, according to UK Aviation News:

• Heathrow – 19 December
• Gatwick – 21 December
• Manchester – 21 December
• Stansted – 19 December
• Birmingham – 22 December
• Luton – 19 December
• Edinburgh – 22 December
• Newcastle – 19 December
• Bristol – 19 December

Worst congested roads in UK at Christmas 

• M27 closed between Junction 9 and 11
• 90 Queensferry / Forth Road Bridge (north of Edinburgh)
• M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow
• M74 (Glasgow)
• M60 around the Trafford Centre – Greater Manchester
• M62 Simister Interchange – Near Manchester
• M1 around Meadowhall – Sheffield
• M6 J4-11 (M42–Wolverhampton) – West Midlands
• M5/M6 interchange – Near Birmingham
• M42 J3A–J8 (M40 to M6 interchanges) – West Midlands
• M1 J10–15a (Luton to Northampton) – East Midlands / South Midlands
• A34 Oxford to Newbury – Oxfordshire to Berkshire
• M25 around Bluewater – Kent (east of London)
• M3/M25 interchange – Surrey (southwest of London)
• M25 around Heathrow Airport – West London
• M4/M5 interchange – Near Bristol
• M4 around Cardiff and Newport – South Wales

Share or comment on this article:
The final rush for home: Traffic will hit its busiest in five years today with 4.2million getaways planned as experts say avoid roads between 11am and 7pm with airports packed and rail services finishing early

SOURCE PAGE

The DoJ has branded a rape allegation ‘untrue and sensationalist’ after the latest release of Epstein files contained a report in which an unnamed woman says ‘he raped me’, referring to Donald Trump

Trump has formerly expressed his frustration at people appearing in photographs alongside Epstein released by the Justice Department being unfairly associated with the disgraced paedophile financie(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The DoJ has said that a rape allegation against President Donald Trump made in the newest release of the Epstein files is “untrue and sensationalist”.

Among more than 11,000 files which were released in the latest cache of documents is the FBI case file (EFTA00020518) from October 2020 that includes an allegation of rape involving Trump.

The Department of Justice and the Press Office responded promptly denying there was no truth to the claim. In the partially redacted file, a record of an interview with an unnamed woman, she says, “he raped me,” in reference to Donald Trump. She also asserted that “Donald J. Trump had raped her together with Jeffrey Epstein.”

The allegation in the report released by the DoJ

The document does not identify the person making the accusation, as all names and other identifying information have been redacted.

The Department of Justice immediately responded to the rape allegation, saying that “the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.” They added that the accusations were “untrue and sensationalist”.

Trump has formerly expressed his frustration at people appearing in photographs alongside Epstein released by the Justice Department being unfairly associated with the disgraced paedophile financier.

Inside a 1992 party with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein(Image: Internet Unknown)

Speaking during an unrelated event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, the president, who has always denied any wrongdoing in his association with Jeffrey Epstein, said: “You probably have pictures of other people who innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, many years ago. And they’re, you know, highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.”

The FBI document from the Epstein Files containing this accusation can be read in full here.

SOURCE PAGE

A teenage British boy has reportedly been stabbed to death in Portugal.

The country’s criminal police (Judicial Police) said it is investigating the death by stabbing of both the boy and the alleged attacker.

Local media have identified the boy as a British teenager, while Portuguese police believe the perpetrator was the former partner of the boy’s mother.

The mother was found “showing signs of having been restrained and assaulted, and was subsequently taken to the nearest hospital”, police said in a statement.

“Both the alleged assailant and the minor presented several injuries caused by a bladed weapon but, despite vital signs still being detectable, death was declared at the scene moments later.”

Police said the GNR (National Republican Guard) were called out after the alarm had been raised about what was feared to be a domestic violence siutation, in the city of Tomar in central Portugal.

“Inside the house, there was a strong smell of gas which, moments later, resulted in an explosion that injured one of the GNR officers,” the police statement added.

“The alleged perpetrator had already served a prison sentence for aggravated homicide, and the family had been flagged following domestic violence cases registered in 2022 and 2023.”

The British Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Portugal, and stand ready to provide consular support.”

SOURCE PAGE

Palestinian, Jewish and Indigenous groups say they will launch constitutional challenge to anti-protest laws described as ‘rushed’.

The state of New South Wales (NSW) will have the toughest gun laws in Australia as well as wide-reaching new restrictions on free speech in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, which left 15 people dead.

Less than two weeks after the attack on a Jewish celebration, new legislation was passed by the state’s legislative assembly in the early hours of Wednesday morning, including restrictions that appear to target speech in solidarity with Palestinians.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

Notably, the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 gives police powers to restrict public protests for up to three months “following a terrorism declaration”, while the public display of symbols of prohibited organisations will be banned.

“Once a declaration is made, no public assemblies can be authorised in designated areas, including by a court and police will be able to move people on if their behaviour or presence obstructs traffic or causes fear, harassment or intimidation,” the NSW government said in a statement.

In the statement, NSW Premier Chris Minns and other top officials said that the sweeping changes would involve a review of “hate speech” and the words “globalise the Intifada” were singled out as an example of speech that will be banned. The term is often used in solidarity with Palestinians and their civil struggle against Israeli military occupation and illegal settlement expansion, dating back to the 1980s.

Minns acknowledged that the new laws involved “very significant changes that not everyone will agree with” but he added, “our state has changed following the horrific anti-Semitic attack on Bondi Beach and our laws must change too.”

He also said that new gun laws, which restrict certain types of guns to use by farmers, would also help to “calm a combustible situation”.

Constitutional challenge

Three NSW-based pro-Palestinian, Indigenous and Jewish advocacy groups said on Tuesday, before the final vote on the legislation, that they would be “filing a constitutional legal challenge against the draconian anti-protest laws”.

Palestine Action Group Sydney said in a statement shared on Facebook that it was launching the challenge together with the Indigenous group Blak Caucus and Jews Against the Occupation ’48.

“These outrageous laws will grant NSW Police sweeping powers to effectively ban protests,” the Palestinian advocacy group said, accusing the NSW government of “exploiting the horrific Bondi attack to advance a political agenda that suppresses political dissent and criticism of Israel, and curtails democratic freedoms”.

Changes to the state’s protest laws also come just months after more than 100,000 people marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in protest against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, after a court overturned an attempt by the Minns government to try to stop the peaceful protest from taking place.

Following the huge display of public support for ending Israel’s war on Gaza, Australia joined more than 145 other UN member states in recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September this year, much to the outrage of Israeli officials.

Within hours of the Bondi attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), linked the shooting to Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.

UN special rapporteur Ben Saul, who is also an international law chair at the University of Sydney, criticised Netanyahu’s comments.

Saul, whose UN mandate focuses on ensuring human rights are protected while countering terrorism, called for a “measured response to the Bondi terrorist attack”.

“Overreach does not make us safer – it lets terror win,” Saul said in a post on social media.

Heroes to be honoured

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he plans to create a special honours list to recognise the people who rushed in to try to stop the two attackers as they targeted the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14.

Australian public broadcaster the ABC reported those honoured would likely include Australian-Syrian shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed, as well as Boris and Sofia Gurman, a local couple who tried to stop the gunmen but were among those killed in the attack.

While al-Ahmed has been widely hailed as a hero around the world, less is known about a second Muslim man who ran in to help, even as he was tackled by bystanders because he was mistaken for being an attacker.

The man’s lawyer, Alisson Battisson, says that her client, whom she did not name, is a refugee who is potentially facing deportation due to a past criminal record, despite his repeated attempts to help stop the Bondi attack.

SOURCE PAGE

A 13-year-old British boy has reportedly been stabbed to death in Portugal.

The country’s Judicial Police said it was investigating the deaths of the teenager, who was identified by local media as a British national, and the alleged perpetrator, who police say was the former partner of his mother.

The mother “was found by authorities showing signs of having been restrained and assaulted, and was subsequently taken to the nearest hospital”, police said in a statement.

“Both the alleged assailant and the minor presented several injuries caused by a bladed weapon but, despite vital signs still being detectable, death was declared at the scene moments later.”

Police said the National Republican Guard (GNR) responded to the incident in the city of Tomar after receiving an alert about suspected a domestic violence situation.

“Inside the house, there was a strong smell of gas which, moments later, resulted in an explosion that injured one of the GNR officers,” the police statement said.

“The alleged perpetrator had already served a prison sentence for aggravated homicide, and the family had been flagged following domestic violence cases registered in 2022 and 2023.”

The Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Portugal, and stand ready to provide consular support.”

SOURCE PAGE

At least two people were killed and several were missing after a pair of explosions rocked a nursing home in Bristol Township, outside the US city of Philadelphia.

The explosions on Tuesday sparked a fire and caused part of the nursing home’s building to collapse, officials and police said.

The blasts at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center in Bristol Township, about 21 miles (33 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, are believed to have been caused by a gas leak.

Firefighters carried people out of the burning building, officials saidImage: Bastiaan Slabbers/Reuters

What do we know about the nursing home explosions?

Five people were believed to be missing hours after the explosions and fire tore through the facility, Bristol Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito told a press conference on Tuesday evening. However, some may have left the scene with family members, he added.

In addition to the two confirmed deaths, Dippolito said an unspecified number of people had sustained injuries.

Dippolito said firefighters found a “major structural collapse”  after receiving the first reports of an explosion on Tuesday afternoon and rushing to the scene.

News footage from local TV showed large flames and smoke billowing from the destroyed building shortly after the first blast.

The local gas company PECO said its personnel were at the facility responding to complaints of a gas leak when the first explosion occurred.

“PECO crews shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to ensure the safety of first responders and local residents. It is not known at this time if PECO’s equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident,” the company said in a statement.

Smoke billows from the collapsed part of the nursing homeImage: Monica Herndon/AP

Second blast hit seconds after rescuers retreated

The fire marshal added that numerous nursing home patients and staff who were initially trapped in the collapsed part of the building had been rescued by first responders.

Several victims were removed from the debris. Firefighters were able to pull at least two more people from the collapsed basement before retreating due to lingering gas fumes, Dippolito said.

“We got everyone out that we could, ​that we ​could find, that we could see, and we exited the building,” the fire marshal explained.

“Within approximately 15 to 30 seconds of us exiting the building, knowing there was a heavy odor of natural gas around us, there was another explosion and fire,” he added.

The explosions happened while work to fix a gas leak was being carried outImage: Monica Herndon/AP

It was not immediately clear exactly how many patients and staff were at the nursing home, which is certified for up to 174 beds, at the time of the explosions.

A nurse working at the facility told local TV news that more than 50 patients aged between 50 to 95 were normally in the building at any given time.

“We are still in rescue mode until we know the building is clear,” Dippolito said.

Pennsylvania governor hails ‘heroism’ of first responders

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said the facility had been acquired by new owners this month. He also said state health inspectors had visited the facility on December 10 and met with staff to devise a plan to update the standards at the nursing home.

Shapiro said the ‘heroism’ responders and locals ‘showed tonight will not be forgotten’Image: Bastiaan Slabbers/Reuters

Shapiro praised the emergency response, saying in a post on X, “Tonight, we saw real heroism in Bucks County.”

Shapiro praised the firefighters “who rushed towards danger to put out this fire and rescue people from the burning building,” as well as the police officers who “literally carried them on their backs to safety.”

The governor also highlighted the solidarity shown by nearby residents who had “rushed out of their houses, away from their families” to help the victims.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

SOURCE PAGE

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

A 13-year-old British boy has died after a stabbing in Portugal, police said, adding that the suspect was the former partner of the child’s mother.

Authorities received a report of domestic violence in a home in Tomar, where officers found the teenager and the suspected attacker suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Moments after police arrived at the scene a suspected gas explosion tore through the house, believed to have been deliberately caused by the attacker, injuring one officer in the process.

The suspected perpetrator, 43, and the 13-year-old boy both died at the scene.

The mother “was found by authorities showing signs of having been restrained and assaulted, and was subsequently taken to the nearest hospital”, police said in a statement.

open image in gallery

The stabbing occurred in the historic city of Tomar in central Portugal (Getty Images)

Police said the suspect had already served time for homicide, and that complaints of domestic abuse dated back to 2022.

The suspect allegedly attacked the boy with a bladed weapon, before barricading himself inside the house, Diario de Noticias reported.

“Both the alleged assailant and the minor presented several injuries caused by a bladed weapon but, despite vital signs still being detectable, death was declared at the scene moments later,” the statement added.

Luis Freire, who is the president of the local parish council, told Portugese media that the domestic case had already been flagged by authorities due to previous episodes of domestic violence.

He stressed it was a “complicated situation” which the GNR (National Republican Guard) was already aware of.

“Inside the house, there was a strong smell of gas which, moments later, resulted in an explosion that injured one of the GNR officers,” the police statement said.

“The alleged perpetrator had already served a prison sentence for aggravated homicide, and the family had been flagged following domestic violence cases registered in 2022 and 2023.”

The Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Portugal, and stand ready to provide consular support.”

SOURCE PAGE