WORLD NEWS
Pennsylvania nursing home rocked by twin explosions – DW – 12/24/2025
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
WORLD NEWS
Ties with Turkiye improve “once Libya can patch its internal differences” | Digital Series
Barin Kayaoglu, of the Social Sciences University of Ankara, says that a Libyan general’s plane crash in Turkiye is unlikely to impact the broader framework of Turkiye’s role in Libya.
Published On 24 Dec 2025
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Bangladesh has plunged into renewed violent unrest in recent days following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a popular student leader and parliamentary hopeful.
The 32-year-old, a staunch critic of neighboring India, was a key figure in the 2024 pro-democracy uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi was shot by masked gunmen on December 12 as he was leaving a mosque in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. He died on December 18 while receiving treatment at a hospital in Singapore.
The student leader had planned to contest the general election scheduled for February 12.
Violent protests over the killing
Hadi’s killing set off violent demonstrations in Dhaka. Protesters torched several buildings, including those belonging to two major newspapers deemed to favor India, as well as a prominent cultural institution.
They also hurled stones at the Indian High Commission in the port city of Chattogram. India has since suspended visa services there.
Hadi had planned to contest the general election scheduled for February 12Image: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP
Police said they identified the suspects in Hadi’s killing but have yet to arrest them.
The perpetrator “could be either inside the country or outside,” Bangladeshi Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said. “If his exact location were known,” Chowdhury said, “he would have been caught.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Hadi’s killing and urged the authorities to conduct “a prompt, an impartial, a thorough and transparent investigation, in line with international human rights standards.”
Lynching of Hindu man raises safety fears
In a separate incident, Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old Hindu man, was lynched and burned publicly on December 18 following allegations of blasphemy in Mymensingh district’s Bhaluka subdistrict.
The killing deepened fears of insecurity among religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster.
Minority groups have accused the interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, of failing to protect their safety. The Yunus administration rejects the accusation.
Authorities said at least 12 suspects had been arrested following the killing of Das.
Tensions between Bangladesh and India
The death further heightened tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi, where hundreds of people protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission.
Under Hasina, Bangladesh shared warm ties with India.
New Delhi viewed her as a friend, and th countries intensified bilateral economic and security cooperation.
Hasina’s opponents accused her administration of being subservient to India.
Since her downfall, ties between the countries have deteriorated.
Hasina, who sought refuge in India, was sentenced to death in absentia for her government’s clampdown on the 2024 student uprising. She has denied the charges against her.
India has not acted on repeated requests by Bangladesh’s government for her extradition.
New Delhi’s backing of Hasina and helping her stay in power for years has bred anti-India discontent among Bangladeshis, said Mohiuddin Ahmed, a Dhaka-based political historian. “It also helped her party to manipulate elections in the past,” he said.
Tens of thousands mourn slain Bangladeshi protest leader
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Top leader to return from exile
Against the backdrop of political unrest and heightened regional tensions, Tarique Rahman, one of Bangladesh’s top politicians, is set to return home on Thursday, after spending 17 years in exile in the UK.
He is the heir to the nation’s longtime ruling family and a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is widely seen as the frontrunner in the upcoming elections.
He has lived in London since 2008, saying he fled politically motivated persecution. Rahman was implicated in a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally. He denied the charges but was sentenced in absentia to life in prison.
Since Hasina’s ouster, Rahman has been acquitted of that charge.
He is widely expected to take over the party leadership from his ailing mother, 80-year-old ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Zahed Ur Rahman, a Dhaka-based political analyst, views Rahman’s return favorably.
“Many things will happen due to his return. The administration will start functioning properly. The perception of the election will gain momentum. And his party will regain confidence,” he told DW.
“I think if the BNP acts properly at the grassroots level, the voting will be a good one,” he added.
Ahmed shared a similar view, underlining that Rahman’s return will reinvigorate the BNP, which has been without an active and visible leader for years due to ex-PM Zia’s imprisonment and illness.
Why is India protecting Bangladesh’s Sheik Hasina?
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Will the election be free and fair?
A December poll by the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) indicated the BNP could win a majority of the seats in the February polls.
About 33% of the survey participants said they would vote for the BNP, while Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party, followed with around 29%.
Some 6% said they would vote for the newly established National Citizen Party (NCP), which was formed by students who spearheaded last year’s uprising.
Meanwhile, Hasina’s Awami League party, which has been barred from the election, has threatened to take to the streets in protest. It has cast doubts about the caretaker administration’s ability to hold a free and fair vote.
But Ahmed believes there will be a credible election in February.
“The political parties in our country tend to engage in unruly activities during elections. It’s nothing new. However, if the government wants, it will be able to contain them to ensure a peaceful election,” he said.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
WORLD NEWS
Trump team plans to renovate industrial warehouses so they can hold up to 80,000 migrants: report
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The Trump administration is reportedly planning to acquire at least seven large-scale warehouses across the United States and use them as holding facilities for detained migrants as it seeks to organize its chaotic deportation and detention immigration system.
According to a draft solicitation proposal, obtained by the Washington Post, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking to acquire at least seven large industrial warehouses that could hold 5,000 to 10,000 people after they are processed.
The buildings would serve as a second stop for newly-detained immigrants to prevent detainees from being moved around the U.S. to detention centers that have available space.
As the Trump administration seeks to deport swaths of immigrants, officials are running into problems finding beds for the volume of people detained. Established immigration detention centers are quickly filling up – roughly 67,000 people were in detention centers as of November, per Trace reports.
To make space in overcrowded detention facilities, some detainees have been transferred across the country to unfamiliar places where there is space.
open image in gallery
Over the last year, reports have emerged describing poor conditions in overcrowded detention centers (Getty)
But the warehouses would be part of a new “feeder” system that hopes to organize immigration detentions by having newly arrested detainees first go to processing centers, then to one of the seven large warehouses before being deported.
The Independent has asked the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
The new report from the Post comes more than a month after NBC News reported the administration was considering buying warehouses that were initially designed for Amazon and other retailers, to serve as detention facilities.
A White House official told NBC News in November that the warehouses being considered are more than twice the size of current ICE detention facilities.
The buildings would be renovated with restrooms, showers, kitchens, dining areas, and medical units to house detainees – seemingly a step-up from other makeshift detention centers such as Alligator Alcatraz.
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More than 67,000 people were in immigration detention as of November (Getty Images)
The renovated warehouses would “maximize efficiency” while lowering costs, processing times and lengths of stay, the draft solicitation stated, according to the Post.
The larger warehouses would be located near hubs in Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas and Virginia, according to the draft proposal.
Meanwhile, ICE would add another 16 smaller warehouses, which could hold up to 1,500 people, to serve as processing centers. At least five of the new processing centers would be located in the Northeast, mostly in areas led by Republicans who support Trump’s immigration agenda.
NEED TO KNOW
- Choreographer Mandy Moore met actress Mandy Moore for the first time after years of near encounters and mix-ups
- The two connected at 4 a.m. in an airport lounge and bonded over years of mistaken identity
- Moore, the choreographer, humorously embraced the confusion, naming her corporation “Nope, Not Her” and using it as her Instagram handle
Mandy Moore has finally met her famous name twin.
After years of near misses, the three-time Emmy-winning choreographer — known for her work on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars and for staging Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour — at long last came face-to-face with actress and singer Mandy Moore.
Moore (the choreographer, to be clear) recounted the story on the latest episode of The Joe Vulpis Podcast, released Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Until that point, the two had crossed paths in almost every way except in person. Moore recalled working on That ’70s Show while the actress was dating Wilmer Valderrama, along with multiple red carpet near-meetings and even a lunch planned just before the COVID-19 pandemic that never materialized.
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.
But as the saying goes, good things happen when you least expect it. And one early morning at Los Angeles International Airport, the long-awaited meeting between the Moores happened.
“Literally 4 a.m. at LAX at the American lounge one morning, I look over and I’m like, ‘That’s Mandy Moore,’ ” the choreographer recalled. “And I was like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want to be a dork. But I feel like this moment is important!’ ”
Though she initially decided not to say anything, fate intervened once they boarded the same flight. “I get on the plane, she’s in first class. She’s the first person, I’m sitting right behind her,” Moore said. “I was like, ‘I’m going to say it.’ I was like, ‘Mandy?’ ”
Moore (the actress and singer, now) was thrilled her namesake had said hello. “She goes, ‘Mandy!’ ” the choreographer exclaimed. “And she like, gave me the biggest hug.”
The moment capped off years of confusion between the two, something Moore (the choreographer) said has followed her throughout her career.
“I think this is the funniest thing in the world that I have the same name as a very lovely lady, Mandy Moore,” she said. “Yes, it has been a bit of the bane of my existence for many, many years. But I also love it.”
Choreographer Mandy Moore (left) and actress/singer Mandy Moore (right).
John Nacion/Getty; Stefanie Keenan/Getty
Because of years of being mistaken for one another, the two had already connected online, making the real-life introduction especially meaningful.
“Obviously on like, Twitter and stuff, we’ve gone back and forth because everyone always thinks she’s me and everyone thinks I’m her,” Moore said. “So it was very sweet. And she’s just a rad human.”
And Moore (the choreographer, again) has even embraced the mix-ups professionally, naming her corporation “Nope, Not Her,” which also doubles as her Instagram handle.
“People… they’re like, ‘Nope, another?’ They don’t quite get it,” she explained. “But when you see it, you can’t unsee it.”
Moore, 49, worked as a dancer for years before DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave her one of her first big breaks, hiring her as an assistant for television dance projects. She spent 16 seasons on SYTYCD, crafting some of the show’s most memorable numbers, and has been a mainstay on DWTS, too, even choreographing the ABC competition’s upcoming stage tour.
Other notable choreography credits include films such as La La Land and Snow White, as well as TV hits like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Hairspray Live!. She has also created dance numbers for the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Moore most recently appeared on-screen on Swift’s Eras Tour docuseries, The End of an Era, with fans getting to see a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how she choreographed the record-breaking tour.
The other Moore, 41, first rose to fame in the late ’90s with hit singles including “Candy” before becoming a successful film and television star. Her acting credits include A Walk to Remember, The Princess Diaries, and This Is Us, for which she earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She is also the voice of Rapunzel in Disney’s Tangled franchise.
Fans can see the actress next on screen alongside comedian Nate Bargatze in the upcoming film The Breadwinner, set for release on March 13, 2026.
This is the heart-stopping moment a reckless biker speeds down the outside lane of the A14 near Cambridge whilst in a ‘Superman’ pose atop the vehicle.
The motorcyclist was laid in a ‘plank’ across the seat on their stomach with their legs behind them in a moment labelled ‘pure stupidity’.
Click to watch the moment above.
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Heart-stopping moment reckless biker speeds down A-road in a ‘Superman’ pose
A bizarre video caught the moment a reckless driver rammed his vehicle into a civic Christmas tree at 3am while speeding through the centre of a town in Kazakhstan
This is the moment a driver ruined Christmas after ploughing into his town’s festive tree while staging his own grand prix.
The Lada owner was spotted whizzing around a huge decorated and sparkling Christmas tree. This driver did several speedy circles at 3am in Saryagash, Kazakhstan, before the foolish stunt went terribly wrong. He rammed into the 40ft tree which immediately collapsed and lay flat on the ground, in a nightmare before Christmas. In a Borat-style festive blunder, the driver quickly tried to avoid responsibility by speeding away from the scene.
He was caught by the town’s police – and ordered to cough up the cash to repair the tree.
The moment the driver knocked over a huge Christmas tree(Image: Kazakhstan Police/east2west news)READ MORE: White Christmas chances as UK weather forecast gives last-minute snow prospectREAD MORE: Shoplifting ‘epidemic’ leaves workers ‘dreading’ shifts over Christmas
The reckless driver took the town centre’s empty roads, in the early hours of the morning, to unleash his joyride gone wrong.
This festive disaster took place in Kazakhstan where Sacha Baron Cohen’s hapless comedic character Borat is from.
The person was circling the tree at 3am on a desolate town centre road(Image: Kazakhstan Police/east2west news)
In a statement, local police said: “At around 3 a.m., the Saryagash District Police Department received a report that an unknown driver had crashed into the main Christmas tree installed in the central square and then fled the scene.
“Officers carefully studied the recordings from the area using CCTV cameras. As a result, the identity of the offender was established. It turned out that the driver of a VAZ-2105 [Lada] car, while trying to drive around the tree, lost control and hit it.”
The incident happened in Kazakhstan, where the fictional character Borat is from(Image: Getty Images for MTV)
The driver was losing control of the car as he attempted a bizarre pre-Christmas drift show. Despite this bizarre ride, cops said the driver promised to not pull a similar stunt again.
The police added: “The young driver repaired the damaged tree and promised not to commit similar offences in the future.” His car was impounded and he faced a fine, said police.
This is the first time police have had to step in for a bizarre reason this festive season. A shocking video caught the moment two Santas started brawling in the middle of a supermarket.
Police quickly found the reckless driver and forced him to pay for the damages(Image: Kazakhstan Police/east2west news)
Shocked customers watched on as the heated row turned physical in the fruit and veg section of the shop. The weird fight broke out at a Megastore supermarket in Baku, Azerbaijan, seemingly over a territorial dispute for spreading Christmas cheer to kids, back in November.
A video from the shop caught the moment fruit and a small Christmas tree were sent flying during the scuffle. A security guard tried to intervene, but one of the Santas angrily shoved him away.
The two Father Christmas’ were later questioned by police over the public disagreement.
WORLD NEWS
Palestinian Christians worry about erasure as Israeli settlements grow | Occupied East Jerusalem
NewsFeed
Christmas celebrations have returned to Bethlehem, but Palestinian Christians fear they are being erased by Israeli violence and settlement expansion. Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reports from Bethlehem, where illegal settlements are encroaching on the birthplace of Jesus.
Published On 24 Dec 2025
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Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department – UK politics live | Politics
Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department
Good morning. Christmas is the time of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. But there is not much sign of that in US/UK relations this morning, where the Trump administration has just sanctioned two Britons, among others, for supposedly trying to suppress free speech in the US, and that has led to the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey engaging in a Twitter spat with a senior figure in the US state department.
Let’s start with the sanctions. Yesterday Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, issued this statement saying:
The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose. These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states—in each case targeting American speakers and American companies. As such, I have determined that their entry, presence, or activities in the United States have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.
The state department has sanctioned five Europeans.
The list includes two Britons: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index. Ahmed used to work for the Labour party and he is close to Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. According to Politico’s London Playbook, Ahmed is based in Washington, where he has an American wife and child, and he now faces deportation. Politico also says Melford faces having her US visa revoked.
Last night Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the state department, posted a thread on X defending the decision. She said the Trump administration was targeting the “censorship-NGO ecosystem”.
Today, the United States issued SANCTIONS reinforcing the “red line” I invoked on @GBNEWS. Namely: extraterritorial censorship of Americans.
Today’s sanctions target the censorship-NGO ecosystem.
These sanctions are visa-related. We aren’t invoking severe Magnitsky-style financial measures, but our message is clear: if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.
She also took a swipe at the Liberal Democrats.
None of those sanctioned is a current UK or EU official—however, we know that foreign government officials are actively targeting the United States. This week, the UK’s Liberal Democrats claimed President Trump’s National Security Strategy amounts to “foreign interference” by a “hostile foreign state” because it correctly identifies mass migration and decaying national sovereignty as existential European security concerns.
In fact, Davey did not say the national security strategy amounts to foreign interference in British politics because it is critical of mass migration. He said that because the document explicitly says US policy for Europe should prioritise, among other things, “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations”.
In a direct response to Rogers on X last night, Davey made this point himself.
Donald Trump has made it his explicit policy to ‘cultivate resistance’ in the UK and elsewhere.
So yes, I think that counts as foreign interference.
I will be blogging until about 2pm. If there is time, I may even get round to covering something festive.
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Updated at 10.51 CET
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US visa restrictions over hate speech ‘immoral, unlawful and un-American’, says campaign group
The Global Disinformation Index, which is run by Clare Melford, one of the two Britons on the list of five Europeans facing US visa restrictions because of their work to stop online disinformation and hate (see 9.28am), has described the US state department’s decision as “immoral, unlawful and un-American”. In a reponse, a GDI spokesperson said:
The visa sanctions … are an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.
The Trump Administration is, once again, using the full weight of the federal government to intimidate, censor, and silence voices they disagree with. Their actions today are immoral, unlawful, and un-American.
And, it must be said, deeply ironic. Only the bullies and petty fascists of the Trump administration could miss the irony of decrying “speech suppression” while using state power to silence critics engaging in protected speech.
GDI exists so that the public can understand and evaluate the information they find online. We fight speech with more speech. If only the federal government were brave enough to do the same.
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This is what Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the US state department, said last night on her social media thread about why the two German HateAid campaigners (see 12.28pm) were facing visa restrictions.
WE’VE SANCTIONED: Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, the leader and founder of HateAid, a German organization founded after the 2017 German federal elections to counter conservative groups. HateAid is an official “trusted flagger” (a censor) under the EU’s anti-speech Digital Services Act (DSA) and routinely demands access to propriety social media platform data to help it censor more. Hodenberg cited threat of “disinformation” from “right-wing extremists” online in upcoming U.S. and EU elections when circulating a petition for the DSA to become more strongly enforced to allow data access for “researchers”.
WE’VE SANCTIONED: Josephine Ballon, co-leader of HateAid, who flags disfavored speech throughout Europe under the Digital Services Act. In addition to her running an official “trusted flagger” body under the DSA, she serves on Germany’s Advisory Council of the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), which directly advises Germany’s DSC on the application and enforcement of the DSA. In February 2025, Ballon spoke before an American audience in a notable 60 Minutes interview, outlining her position on censorship succinctly: “Free speech needs boundaries.” In October 2024, she vowed to stop the “emotionalization of debates” by “regulating platforms”.
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German government says US sanctions against anti-hate speech campaigners unacceptable
The German government has also criticised the US decision to impose visa restrictions on five Europeans over their stance on hate speech. There are two Germans on the list: Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, who are co-leaders of HateAid, a German group that tries to counter “hate, violence and systematic disinformation” online.
In a statement, the German justice ministry said the two activists had the government’s “support and solidarity” and the visa bans on them were unacceptable. It went on:
Anyone who describes this as censorship is misrepresenting our constitutional system.
The rules by which we want to live in the digital space in Germany and in Europe are not decided in Washington.
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Macron condemns US visa restrictions over hate speech, calling them ‘intimidation’ to undermine European digital sovereignty
We have not had any response yet from the UK government over the US decision to sanction five Europeans over their stance on hate speech. (See 9.28am.)
But Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has condemned the decision. He issued this statement this morning.
France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures.
These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.
The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council.
They apply within Europe to ensure fair competition among platforms, without targeting any third country, and to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online.
The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe.
Together with the European Commission and our European partners, we will continue to defend our digital sovereignty and our regulatory autonomy.
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Unlike UK party leaders (see 10.48am), and the king, I don’t have a Christmas message for the nation. But I do have one for readers, which is to say: thank you very much for reading, and for taking an interest (journalism does not work without an audience); thank you for your comments, and suggestions, and even your criticisms (at least, some of them) – our reporting is better as a result of the feedback we get; and thank you in particular if you support us financially, because the Guardian doesn’t have a paywall and we can only make our stories available to everyone because enough readers believe we are providing a public good. Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year.
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In her tweet about why Imran Ahmed is being sanctioned (see 9.49am), Sarah Rogers said that one problem was that the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which Ahmed runs, reportedly wants to bring down Elon Musk’s X. She was referring to this report published by the Disinformation Chronicle, a website that says it specialises in reporting on scientific disinformation.
Last night Paul Thacker, one of the reporters who wrote that story, posted a message on X welcoming the news that Ahmed might have to leave the US.
Another person who might feel vindicted by the state department’s decision is Paul Holden, the investigative journalist who recently published The Fraud, a serious, meticulous hatchet job, based on a mass trove of leaked information, examining the way Morgan McSweeney, who is now the PM’s chief of staff, and Keir Starmer went to war with the Corbynites and took control of the Labour party. Holden writes in some detail about how Ahmed and McSweeney worked together and he suggests that Ahmed’s work at the CCDH could eventually damage relations between the Trump and Starmer administrations. He says:
Ahmed and the CCDH would migrate to the US after the spectre of Corbynism had been vanquished. From this new perch, they began targeting populist politicians, including Robert F. Kennedy Jnr. Their influential advocacy for censoring social media sites provoked X’s owner Elon Musk into a ‘war’ against the organisation and attracted the ire of the incoming Trump administration, which promised that CCDH would move to the ‘top of the list’ of investigative targets upon election. If and when the notoriously vindictive Trump administration, in which Musk and Kennedy have played a key role, realises that one of its ‘top’ investigative targets was created by the man who is now chief of staff to the UK prime minister, who knows what might happen.
Holden gets the “top of the list” quote from another Thacker story, published the day after the one about the CCDH wanting to bring down X.
For the purposes of this story, it is important to remember that US rightwingers and European liberals now have very divergent views as to what ‘free speech’ and ‘censorship’ mean. Essentially, the Americans are taking an absolutist approach, while the Europeans are more supportive of restrictions on the grounds of falsehood or hate.
The CCDH has been approached for a comment.
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UK party leaders deliver their Christmas message – with Zack Polanski using his to call for rethink on small boats policy
Keir Starmer has called on Britons to show kindness to struggling friends or family this Christmas, saying being in touch with those in need can make a big difference, Jessica Elgot reports.
Here is Starmer’s video message.
From my family to yours, I wish you a very happy Christmas.
This is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story, and the Christian values that define it.
Let’s look forward and celebrate the joy and hope that Christmas brings. pic.twitter.com/XpjZbBWDm2
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 24, 2025
In her message, Kemi Badenoch talks about her family, and how she has had a “wonderful year” as leader of the opposition.
At Christmas we mark the birth of Christ. A wonderful story of hope, humility and peace at the most special time of year.
Christmas is a time for making merry and seeing friends, but more than anything, it’s about family.
That’s why, to those working tomorrow and spending time… pic.twitter.com/ssCAzmhrRs
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 24, 2025
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is a bit more political in his message, citing the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, an annual gift to the UK from Norway for its support during the second world war, as a statement about friendship, and freedom.
Every year, people mock this tree. But I love it anyway.
It reminds us that if we stand together in tough times, we can overcome anything.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours. 🎄✨ pic.twitter.com/e8qdRk7MtX
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) December 24, 2025
We have not seen a Christmas message yet from Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader.
And Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, is planning to release a video Christmas message at 3pm on Christmas Day – at the same time as the king’s Christmas message on TV.
Polanski has had remarkable success since he became leader in September, but lining up against the king might be touch hubristic. But he wants to deliver a message going beyond platitudes. He filmed it in Calais, where he witnessed the French police destroying the tents used by asylum seekers, and, according to extracts released in advance, he will criticise the “militarisation and securitisation” put in place to stop small boats. Instead, he will call for a new, more compassionate approach to asylum seekers. He will say:
This has to stop – the constant political rhetoric and demonisation of people who are just trying to survive in unimaginable living conditions.
I don’t believe we’re the country who the media paint us to be. I don’t believe that we’re cruel and heartless. And I don’t believe that if people saw what I’ve seen in recent days, they would turn away …
We should be diverting that money to a humanitarian and compassionate response. The rhetoric we hear about ‘stopping the boats’ and ‘smashing the gangs’ – none of this is working.
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Why US state department says it is sanctioning Clare Melford
And this is what Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the US state department, said on her social media thread last night about why Clare Melford is being sanctioned.
WE’VE SANCTIONED: Clare Melford. She leads Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a UK-based organization that monitors websites for “hate speech” and “disinformation”. If you question Canadian blood libels about residential schools, you’re engaging in “hate speech” according to Melford and GDI. This NGO used @StateDept taxpayer money to exhort censorship and blacklisting of American speech and press. They also joined the deleterious EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Rogers’ tweet also includes this picture of an extract from a GDI report published in September 2025 on hate speech and bigotry in Canada.
Extract from GDI report. Photograph: Sarah Rogers
Here is the full passage.
The anti-Indigenous hate speech section demonstrates how deeply rooted colonial tropes have been refashioned to serve contemporary hate speech goals. These narratives frame Indigenous peoples as corrupt, undeserving of treaty rights, or actively damaging to Canadian prosperity, particularly in contexts related to land use, environmental resistance, or constitutional recognition. Digital denialism around residential schools and abuses against native communities reveals coordinated efforts to delegitimise truth and reconciliation, undermining national commitments to redress historic injustice. These findings are vital for Canada’s ongoing reconciliation efforts, including understanding how settler-state narratives are weaponised by adversarial actors in post-colonial democracies.
The analysis of misogynistic and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ narratives reveals that gendered hate speech is a critical entry point into broader extremist movements online. Women with a public profile, especially women of colour, are disproportionately targeted by harassment, hate speech, and threats of violence. Meanwhile, disinformation targeting queer and trans individuals portrays them as morally corrupt or ideologically dangerous, frequently accusing them of “grooming” or social destabilisation. These narratives are central to the rhetorical arsenal of far-right movements and require urgent attention in online safety, education, and digital governance efforts.
The anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant narratives identified in this report draw on a coherent Islamophobic framework that depicts Muslims as culturally incompatible, socially regressive, or strategically infiltrating Western institutions. These narratives often surface in response to refugee policies, equity programs, or the public visibility of Muslim figures in Canadian life. Framed as defenders of Western values, their promoters instrumentalise gender-based language and demographic fear to advance exclusionary policies. These sections highlight how Islamophobia operates not only as individual bias, but as a tool of political mobilisation and disinformation strategy.
There is more on what is meant by residential school denialism in this article for The Conversation.
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Why US state department says it is sanctioning Imran Ahmed
This is what Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the US state department, said on her social media thread last night about why Imran Ahmed is being sanctioned.
WE’VE SANCTIONED: Imran Ahmed, key collaborator with the Biden Administration’s effort to weaponize the government against U.S. citizens. Ahmed’s group, Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), created the infamous “disinformation dozen” report, which called for platforms to deplatform twelve American “anti-vaxxers”, including now-HHS Secretary @SecKennedy. Leaked documents from CCDH show the organization listed “kill Musk’s Twitter” and “trigger EU and UK regulatory action” as priorities. The organization supports the UK’s Online Safety Act and EU’s Digital Services Act to expand censorship in Europe and around the world.
Obviously, among other organisations supporting the UK’s Online Safety Act is – the UK government!
There is more on X trying to close down the CCDH here.
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Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department
Good morning. Christmas is the time of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. But there is not much sign of that in US/UK relations this morning, where the Trump administration has just sanctioned two Britons, among others, for supposedly trying to suppress free speech in the US, and that has led to the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey engaging in a Twitter spat with a senior figure in the US state department.
Let’s start with the sanctions. Yesterday Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, issued this statement saying:
The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose. These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states—in each case targeting American speakers and American companies. As such, I have determined that their entry, presence, or activities in the United States have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.
The state department has sanctioned five Europeans.
The list includes two Britons: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index. Ahmed used to work for the Labour party and he is close to Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. According to Politico’s London Playbook, Ahmed is based in Washington, where he has an American wife and child, and he now faces deportation. Politico also says Melford faces having her US visa revoked.
Last night Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the state department, posted a thread on X defending the decision. She said the Trump administration was targeting the “censorship-NGO ecosystem”.
Today, the United States issued SANCTIONS reinforcing the “red line” I invoked on @GBNEWS. Namely: extraterritorial censorship of Americans.
Today’s sanctions target the censorship-NGO ecosystem.
These sanctions are visa-related. We aren’t invoking severe Magnitsky-style financial measures, but our message is clear: if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil.
She also took a swipe at the Liberal Democrats.
None of those sanctioned is a current UK or EU official—however, we know that foreign government officials are actively targeting the United States. This week, the UK’s Liberal Democrats claimed President Trump’s National Security Strategy amounts to “foreign interference” by a “hostile foreign state” because it correctly identifies mass migration and decaying national sovereignty as existential European security concerns.
In fact, Davey did not say the national security strategy amounts to foreign interference in British politics because it is critical of mass migration. He said that because the document explicitly says US policy for Europe should prioritise, among other things, “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations”.
In a direct response to Rogers on X last night, Davey made this point himself.
Donald Trump has made it his explicit policy to ‘cultivate resistance’ in the UK and elsewhere.
So yes, I think that counts as foreign interference.
I will be blogging until about 2pm. If there is time, I may even get round to covering something festive.
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Updated at 10.51 CET
Santa is speeding through his Christmas deliveries, but a sheriff in Ohio had to stop him on Saturday for “flying a little too fast” with Mrs Claus through Fulton County.
“No coal was issued – just a friendly reminder that even sleighs need to slow down,” the sheriff said.
Skip next section What are the main sticking points that are unresolved?
12/24/2025December 24, 2025
What are the main sticking points that are unresolved?
The two main issues that look likely to hinder progress in the peace talks are over control of territory in eastern Ukraine and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
On Zaporizhzhia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said:
- No agreement has been reached with the US on who controls and operates Europe’s largest nuclear power facility
- The plant is near the front line, but lies in territory that is controlled by Russian forces
- Zelenskyy said the original US plan had been for the plant to be operated by Ukraine, Russia and the United States in a joint enterprise
- Kyiv wants the plant to be split 50-50 between it and Washington
On the issue of territory in eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy said:
- The issue is the most complex point in the negotiations, and remains unresolved. Moscow wants Kyiv to pull all of its forces out of the region, including territory that Ukraine currently controls
- Ukraine wants the fighting to be frozen along the current frontline
- The US has suggested establishing demilitarized zones and a free economic zone in areas of Donetsk that Kyiv still holds
https://p.dw.com/p/55vVU
Skip next section Putin briefed on revised plan, Kremlin says
12/24/2025December 24, 2025
Putin briefed on revised plan, Kremlin says
Putin said this month that Ukraine would pull out of the Donbas region or Russia would take it by force [FILE: December 19, 2025]Image: Vladimir Smirnov/TASS/ZUMA/picture alliance
Russia’s demands for peace have not changed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, while also noting that Moscow’s leadership will convene before responding to the revised plan.
“All the main parameters of the Russian side’s position are well known to our colleagues from the United States,” Peskov told reporters.
“Now, we will take into account the information received by our head of state to formulate our further positions and continue our contacts… as soon as possible,” Peskov said.
Russian officials also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin has received a report on recent meetings between his negotiators and US President Donald Trump’s envoys on a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/55vY5
Skip next section What is in the new 20-point peace plan agreed by the US and Ukraine?
12/24/2025December 24, 2025
What is in the new 20-point peace plan agreed by the US and Ukraine?
Here is a closer look at some of the key points in the modified US-backed peace proposal:
- Ukraine’s state sovereignty will be affirmed by all signatories, including Russia
- Russia and Ukraine will sign a full and unconditional non-aggression pact
- To maintain the peace long-term, a monitoring mechanism will be set up to oversee the line of contact. The mechanism will use space-based monitoring and early-warning systems for violations
- The US, NATO and European nations will provide Kyiv with robust security guarantees that mirror NATO’s Article 5, the alliance’s collective defense clause
- Ukraine will keep its armed forces at the current strength of 800,000 military personnel. The earlier US plan had called for Kyiv to cut the size of its army
- Russia will formally ensrhine a legally-binding policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine in all of its required legislation. This will need to be ratified by an absolute majority in the State Duma, Russia’s parliament
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Russia will not block Ukraine from using the Dnipro River and the Black Sea for commercial purposes
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All remaining prisoners of war (POWs) will be exchanged on the principle of “All for All”, and all civilian detainees and hostages will be returned
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Ukraine must hold elections as soon as possible once the agreement is signed
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The implementation of the legally binding agreement will be monitored and guaranteed by a Peace Council, chaired by President Trump. Ukraine, Europe, NATO, Russia, and the US will be part of this mechanism. Sanctions will be imposed in case of violations
But the issues of what to do with territory in eastern Ukraine and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain unresolved.
The new plan states that a ceasefire can only take effect once those two sticking points have been addressed.
What could push Putin to accept a draft Ukraine peace plan?
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https://p.dw.com/p/55vTQ
Skip next section Trump to sign off on critical issues
12/24/2025December 24, 2025
Trump to sign off on critical issues
Zelenksyy suggested the new draft could eventually lead to Ukraine pulling troops out of Donetsk once demilitarized zones are established.
“This is a document referred to as a framework – a foundational document on ending the war, a political document between us, America, Europe, and the Russians,” Zelenskyy said.
But he said the “most sensitive issues” must be discussed with US President Donald Trump.
Trump ‘frustrated’ about Ukraine and Russia
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“Matters such as territorial questions must be discussed at the leaders’ level,” Ukraine’s president added.
Zelenskyy presented the new plan during a two-hour press conference with journalists on Tuesday night, witth his comments embargoed until Wednesday morning.
https://p.dw.com/p/55vVR
Skip next section Zelenskyy presents revised peace plan after talks with US, European negotiators
12/24/2025December 24, 2025
Zelenskyy presents revised peace plan after talks with US, European negotiators
Zelenskyy said he does not like some aspects of the planImage: Ukrainian Presidential Office/AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed a new 20-point plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The 20-point plan is a revision of a 28-point proposal made by Washington in November, which leaders in Europe and Ukraine considered too conciliatory to Russia’s demands.
Kyiv has managed to secure some concessions in the new plan, which comes after intense consultations in recent weeks between negotiators from the US, Europe and Ukraine.
Key points that Ukraine had objected to in the White House’s original plan have been addressed, namely Kyiv having to immediately withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region and renounce its NATO membership bid. Also, under the new plan, the land currently occupied by Moscow will not be recognized as Russian.
While Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s and Russia’s positions had been brought closer on most points, consensus on two key points remains elusive: control of territory in eastern Ukraine and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.
https://p.dw.com/p/55vSf
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/24/2025December 24, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed a new, 20-point plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The announcement comes after a surge of US-led diplomatic activity in recent weeks.
The plan contains several concessions for Ukraine relative to Washington’s original 28-point proposal, which had been seen as too favorable to Moscow.
The unveiling of the new peace plan also comes a day after Russia pummeled Ukraine with hundreds of drones and missiles, killing at least three people and cutting power to thousands across the country.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest on the efforts to end the nearly four-year war.
https://p.dw.com/p/55vSE
WORLD NEWS
Norad Santa tracker live: Follow Santa Claus and his reindeer as they deliver gifts around the globe
Santa delivers presents for Antarctica
Santa Claus has passed over Antarctica, where he delivered presents for the handful of researchers temporarily living in the continent.
Antarctica has no permanent residents – just scientists carrying out research projects.
With many away from home and family during the Christmas period, a visit from Father Christmas will be very welcome!
He is now heading for the Solomon Islands – and it likely won’t be long before he heads into Australia.
Alex Croft24 December 2025 12:35
How Norad’s Santa tracker works
Norad says it relies on radar technology and satellites to keep track of Santa’s movements.
The aerospace agency says the system is the same as the ones it uses to protect skies over North America.
The system, according to Norad, includes 47 different checkpoints across northern Canada and Alaska.
“Norad makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season,” the agency notes on its website.
“The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we begin to use the same satellites that we use in providing air warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America,” it says.
Alex Croft24 December 2025 12:11
Santa spotted over New Zealand
Santa’s sleigh has now been spotted over New Zealand – the largest country he has visited so far.
The number of presents he has delivered is rapidly growing as he passes through the country with a population of more than 5 million people.
He will soon pass over Christchurch, New Zealand’s second biggest city.
Present deliveries have now passed the 300,000,000 mark.
Santa is now passing over New Zealand (Norad)
Alex Croft24 December 2025 11:51
Santa sets off from the North Pole
Santa Claus has now set off from the North Pole, bringing an end to months of diligent preparation with his elves – and fitness training for the reindeer.
St Nick is currently passing through the South Pacific, and has already delivered all his presents to islands in Oceania such as Tonga and Samoa.
Incredibly, he has already delivered 270,000,000 presents to children around the world.
Santa is currently passing through the South Pacific (Norad)
Alex Croft24 December 2025 11:48
Where’s Santa? The true story behind NORAD’S 70-year tracking tradition
The magic of Christmas Eve often brings a unique question for children and adults alike: Where is Santa?
For 70 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has provided the answer, transforming its Cold War-era mission of monitoring skies for threats into a beloved tradition of tracking St Nick’s global journey.
This Christmas Eve, over 1,000 dedicated volunteers will staff the 1-877-HI-NORAD hotline from 4am to midnight Mountain Standard Time, ready to field calls from eager Santa-seekers.
Here’s the full story behind the Norad Santa-tracking tradition:
Alex Croft24 December 2025 11:33
NEED TO KNOW
- Prince Harry opens up in Meghan Markle’s Netflix special, revealing a Christmas Eve tradition
- In Netflix’s With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, Meghan prepared her mother’s gumbo for Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio
- The moment offers a rare glimpse into Harry’s close relationship with his mother-in-law, Doria Ragland
Prince Harry offered an unexpectedly intimate glimpse into his relationship with his mother-in-law, Doria Ragland, in Meghan Markle’s new Netflix holiday special.
With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, which premiered Dec. 3, features the Duchess of Sussex cooking her mother Doria Ragland’s signature Christmas Eve gumbo for Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. As Meghan stirs a pot at the stove, Harry pops into the kitchen with a kiss for his wife — and a surprisingly heartfelt confession.
“You must have known that I was coming,” he says as he smells the stew. “Gumbo for me is one of my favorites, especially her mom’s. But before the fish goes in.”
Meghan then shares the small but meaningful gesture her mom makes just for Harry.
“She always saves a little portion on the side for him,” Meghan says, teasing that her version uses a spicier andouille sausage. “I’ll give you a little towel because you’re going to sweat.”
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Tom Colicchio in ‘With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration’.
Jake Rosenberg/Netflix
After taking a bite, Harry is taken aback. “I can feel it puncturing through the top of my head right now,” he jokes — before delivering the line that makes Meghan’s jaw drop.
“It is delicious,” he says. “I’m not so sure it’s as good as your mom’s, but it’s certainly close.”
Colicchio lets out a “Wow,” while Meghan bursts into laughter. “What?! Oh my gosh,” she says. “Well, my mom will love you for that. You know what? What a good thing to say for your mother-in-law.”
With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration also features appearances from tennis champion Naomi Osaka, hospitality expert Will Guidara, Meghan’s close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen and her longtime friend and author-producer Lindsay Roth.
“I love the holiday season,” the Duchess of Sussex said in the trailer, which she first shared last month. “It’s about finding time to connect with the people we love, embracing traditions and making new ones.”
Meghan Markle in ‘With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration’.
Jake Rosenberg/Netflix
In the special, she visits a Christmas tree farm, prepares Christmas goodies for visiting friends, and shows off some of her DIY gift-wrapping techniques.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
The new installation of Megha’s lifestyle series also coincides with the release of the first holiday collection from her brand, As ever. The new launch included sparkling wines, hand-poured candles, artisanal fruit spreads and golden California honey — several of which appear in the Holiday Celebration special as part of her hosting spread.
With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration is streaming now on Netflix.
WORLD NEWS
NORAD Santa Tracker 2025: Watch Father Christmas and his reindeers race across world to deliver gifts – live updates
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.
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Watch our NORAD Santa Tracker 2025 stream and follow live updates below
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NORAD Santa Tracker 2025: Watch Father Christmas and his reindeers race across world to deliver gifts – live updates
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.
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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.
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.”
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.”