A man aged just 20 has died and several others have been injured after a crash in Northern Ireland in the early hours of Boxing Day



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The jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to an additional 15 years after he was found guilty of abuse of power, in the biggest trial yet in the multibillion-dollar fraud scandal related to the state fund 1MDB.

Najib’s conviction substantially increases the six-year prison term he is already serving for a separate case related to the 1MDB graft scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial frauds in which billions were plundered from the now defunct sovereign wealth fund.

In the latest case, Najib had been charged with four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of about 2.2bn ringgit ($544.15m) from 1MDB. He has consistently denied wrongdoing in the scandal, which dented Malaysia’s image abroad.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who was presiding, convicted Najib, 72, on all four counts of abuse of power. The former PM will also face a verdict on 21 counts of money laundering linked to the fund, which prompted investigations in several countries, from Singapore to the US.

The judge said in his verdict: “The contention by the accused that the charges against him were a witch-hunt and politically motivated were debunked by the cold, hard and incontrovertible evidence against him that pointed towards the accused having abused his own powerful position in 1MDB, coupled with the extensive powers conferred upon him.”

Malaysian and US investigators say at least $4.5bn was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund Najib co-founded in 2009 while in office. More than $1bn allegedly made its way into accounts linked to Najib, who has denied wrongdoing.

The ruling could add to tensions in the prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim’s, governing alliance, which includes the once dominant United Malays National Organisation, over which Najib, its former leader, has retained significant influence.

Najib has been in prison since August 2022, when Malaysia’s top court upheld a corruption conviction for illegally receiving funds from a 1MDB unit. His 12-year jail sentence in that case was halved last year by a pardons board.

Najib is the son of one of the country’s founding fathers and was groomed for leadership from a young age until his spectacular fall from power. He had been seen as untouchable until public anger over the 1MDB corruption scandal led to the 2018 election defeat of his ruling party, which had governed since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Prosecutors say Najib abused his positions as prime minister, finance minister and 1MDB advisory board chair to move large amounts of money from the fund into his personal accounts more than a decade ago.

According to investigators, proceeds from the state fund were used to bankroll high-end real estate, a luxury yacht and precious artworks.

Najib has repeatedly said he was misled by 1MDB officials and the fugitive financier Jho Low, who has been charged in the US for his central role in the case. Low, whose whereabouts are unknown, has denied wrongdoing.

The judge dismissed several of the defence lawyers’ arguments, including that Najib was duped by Low, his close associate. He also dismissed arguments that the money flowing into Najib’s accounts was “donations” from Middle East funders, calling it a “tale that surpassed even those from the Arabian Nights”.

The prosecution presented bank records, testimony from more than 50 witnesses and documentary evidence.

Najib “paints himself as a victim of rogue subordinates, when in truth, he was the single most powerful decision maker”, the deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib told the court during closing arguments. “The accused wielded absolute financial, executive and political control,” he said.

Najib has apologised for allowing the 1MDB scandal to happen during his tenure, but maintains he knew nothing about illegal transfers from the fund.

His legal battle was dealt a blow on Monday after he lost an application to serve the remainder of his first jail term at home rather than the Kajang prison, outside Kuala Lumpur.

Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press contributed reporting

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Magen David Adom

The attacker drove into people and then carried out a stabbing several miles away, police say

Two people have been killed in what police say was a “rolling terror attack” in northern Israel.

Police said the attacker ran over a pedestrian in the eastern city of Beit Shean, then drove on before stabbing a woman near Ein Harod, about 8 miles (12.5km) to the west.

A 68-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy was hurt in the ramming, officials said, whilst the stabbing victim was an 18-year-old woman.

The suspect was eventually shot and wounded later by a civilian outside the city of Afula, according to police.

A day before the attack, an Israeli reservist was fired after video emerged of him ramming a praying Palestinian with a quad bike.

The suspect in Friday’s attack came from the village of Qabatiya, in the northern occupied West Bank, Israel’s defence minister said.

Following the incident, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was preparing to carry out an operation in the Qabatiya area. Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to act “forcefully and immediately”.

The IDF said the suspect had “infiltrated into Israeli territory several days ago”.

Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster said the 37-year-old man had been working illegally in Israel and had used his employer’s vehicle in the attack.

The incident comes a day after an Israeli army reservist drove a quad bike into a Palestinian man who was praying on a roadside in the occupied West Bank.

Video shows the man, dressed in civilian clothes but with a firearm, ramming the victim with the vehicle. Reports say the victim was unhurt.

The Israeli military said the soldier – who had earlier opened fire in a nearby village – had been fired and his weapon confiscated.

Attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians have surged in the West Bank in recent years, according to the United Nations, with more than a thousand killed since the Hamas attacks on Israel of 7 October 2023 in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted into Gaza.

More than 70,600 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Additional reporting by Tom McArthur

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⁠Israel ‍has recognized ⁠Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, as an “independent and sovereign state,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday.

“Together with Foreign Minister Sa’ar and the President of the Republic of Somaliland, we signed a joint and mutual declaration,” Netanyahu posted to X.

“This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump,” he said.

In doing so, Israel becomes the first country to recognize the breakaway state. 

What to know about Somaliland

Somaliland broke ties with Somalia in 1991, and the region has sought international recognition as an independent state since then.

But no foreign government recognized its sovereignty until this afternoon.

Still, Somaliland remains more stable than Somalia, and some analysts say that the breakaway state has a strong case for independence.

In recent years, Somaliland has struck major power investment deals with foreign powers, including Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates, raising tensions with Somalia.

Somalis face a complete travel ban into the US under the Trump administration.

Somalia and Somaliland: Here are the differences and issues

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Israel to seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, economy

Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and economy.

Netanyahu congratulated Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, praised his leadership and invited him to visit Israel.

Somaliland welcomes Israeli recognition

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said in a statement that the breakaway state would join the Abraham Accords, calling it a step toward regional and global peace.

He said Somaliland was committed to building partnerships, boosting mutual prosperity and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa.

“This is a historic moment,” he posted to X.

What to know about Abraham Accords and why that matters

The Abraham Accords are US President Donald Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement from his first term.

The set of deals to normalize relations between Israel and other Arab nations was considered a big step toward peace in the Middle East region at the time.

There have been some success stories with Israel having normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and others. But progress has stalled.

Trump hopes to expand the number of countries that sign the accords that bring mutual economic and security benefits during his second term.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

A Florida man is suing a major steakhouse chain after one of the restaurant’s toilets “shattered” while he was using it.

Michael Green said in a lawsuit that the incident unfolded during a visit to an Outback Steakhouse in Ocala on March 26.

The lawsuit, which was filed by law firm Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys, alleges that Green left his table to use a handicapped stall during his meal. That was when the seat collapsed beneath him, causing him to fall to the ground.

Green’s lawsuit, which was seen by Ocala News, claims that he suffered “significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function and/or permanent and significant scarring” as a result of his injuries.

Now, he is suing the Australian-themed chain of steakhouses for damages in excess of $50,000. He has also accused the company of negligence on the basis that it failed to “ensure the toilet was secured to the floor.”

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A man is suing Outback Steakhouse after a toilet allegedly collapsed beneath him at a restaurant in Ocala (Getty Images)

Outback Steakhouse has more than 1,000 locations across the world, 670 of which are in the United States, according to its quarterly report.

Founded in 1988, the Tampa-based company is known for its “bloomin’ onions.” The deep-fried dish consists of an onion cut to resemble a flower and is often served with the brand’s dipping sauce.

However, like many restaurant chains, the brand has been forced to close several of its locations as part of a “turnaround plan.”

Two of the sites that have closed are based in Alabama, with another two being located in Florida. Locations in Maryland, Louisiana, New York and Wisconsin were also closed as part of the plan.

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He has claimed that the company failed to check whether the toilet was properly fastened to the floor (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Outback Steakhouse is operated by parent company Bloomin’ Brands which confirmed the news in a statement given to USA Today.

“We considered a variety of factors, including sales and traffic, trade areas, and potential investments to improve performance,” Elizabeth Daly, the company’s spokesperson, wrote.

The wave of closures comes just months after 41 “underperforming” restaurants were shuttered by Bloomin’ Brands in February.

Employees at the axed locations were offered jobs at nearby restaurants if possible.

“Closing restaurants is never easy,” Bloomin’ Brands said in a statement at the time. “This was a business decision that has no reflection on the staff or their service.

“Many team members will have the opportunity to transfer to open positions at another restaurant,” the statement continued. “Employees who do not will receive severance.”

The Independent has contacted Bloomin’ Brands and Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys.

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NEED TO KNOW

• JonBenét Ramsey was 6 years old when her family reported her missing from their home in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 26, 1996
• To the family’s horror, John found her dead in the basement. An autopsy revealed the cause of her death as strangulation
• Now her father believes police are closer than ever to finding her killer

John Ramsey may be closer to finding out the truth about JonBenét’s murder than ever before now that Boulder police say they have “new evidence” in the high-profile case.

“It’s encouraging,” John recently said on NewsNation’s Banfield. “The key really in progress has been the addition of new leadership there. It was not very good for 25 to 26 years. And now, knowing Chief (Stephen) Redfearn…I’ve met with him three or four times. I’m impressed with him. I think he’s sincere and honest.”

JonBenét was 6 years old when her family reported her missing from their home in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 26, 1996. To the family’s horror, John found her dead in the basement. An autopsy revealed the cause of her death as strangulation.

In the Boulder Police Department’s annual report, Redfearn provided an update on the ongoing investigation into JonBenét’s murder — which has given her father hope.

“Last year, we gave you an update about a lot of the work that has been done to solve this crime, and those efforts have continued,” Redfearn said in a video statement. 

“This case remains a top priority for our department,” he said, noting that over the past year, “detectives have conducted several new interviews as well as re-interviewed individuals based on tips we’ve received.” 

“We have also collected new evidence and tested and re-tested other pieces of evidence to generate new leads. Techniques and technology constantly evolve. This is especially true with technology related to DNA testing,” Redfearn said.

Back in January, John met with Redfearn and other officials in Boulder to discuss the case.

“The important thing is that I think they are just certainly committed to getting the case solved,” John told PEOPLE in January 2025. “And I think they’re very interested in using the latest technology that’s out there, this genealogy research, which I think is the key that needs to be employed.”

“I am encouraged and I am hopeful,” he added. “I believe that this case will be solved using the latest DNA technology.”

Shortly after the murder of the little girl who had competed in many beauty pageants in her young life, John, his late wife Patsy, and their son Burke, were considered suspects, but steadfastly maintained their innocence, urging police to look for her actual killer.

Authorities have since apologized for casting suspicion on them.

Redfearn joined the Boulder Police Department in 2021 as deputy chief of operations before being named interim police chief in January 2024. In September 2024, he was named the permanent police chief.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE‘s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In the annual report, Redfearn encouraged anyone with any piece of information to speak up.

“It is never too late for people with knowledge of this terrible crime to come forward, and I urge those responsible for this murder to contact us,” he said.

The Boulder Police Department encourages anyone with any information to contact detectives at BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov or by calling the Boulder Police tip line at 303-441-1974.

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By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 15:21 GMT, 26 December 2025 | Updated: 15:44 GMT, 26 December 2025

BBC bosses have not pulled tonight’s Would I Lie To You Christmas special featuring David Walliams despite recent harassment allegations against the comedian. 

The 54-year-old was accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at HarperCollins following an investigation that began last year.

A junior colleague is said to have complained about his behaviour in 2023, leading to other staff members being interviewed.

One of the women who raised concerns was allegedly given a five-figure payout and has since left the company.

Former employees also described how they were advised to work in pairs when meeting with him and told not to visit his home. 

The Little Britain comedian, who is one of the UK’s most successful children’s book authors, has since been dropped by his publisher. 

But, despite mounting pressure on the BBC to remove Walliams from its TV schedule, the broadcaster appears to have kept him in tonight’s festive episode. 

Walliams has denied any wrongdoing and says he was not informed of any allegations or party to an investigation. He is currently taking legal advice

The BBC has also broadcast two TV adaptations from Walliams’s books earlier this week, as well as a Boxing Day special of the award-winning comedy panel show. 

Mr Stink, adapted from Walliams’s 2009 book and The Boy in The Dress were shown on CBBC on December 21, 2025.

It is understood the BBC also has no plans to remove any content featuring Walliams’ from iPlayer.

A BBC spokesperson said: “While we’re not making any changes to the festive schedules, we have no future projects directly involving David Walliams.” 

David Walliams, 54, is accused of ‘harassing’ junior female employees at the firm, resulting in one staff member being offered a five-figure settlement

Walliams seen here laughing on tonight’s festive edition of the award-winning panel comedy show with Lee Mack

Pictured left to right: David Walliams, Lee Mack and Helen George on tonight’s episode of Would I Lie to You

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BBC bosses refuse to pull controversial Would I Lie To You? Christmas special featuring under-fire David Walliams from tonight’s TV schedules

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The Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was pictured at a hunt on Friday, as was Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, despite foxes still often being torn to shreds by dogs at the events

Nigel Farage has defended the hunts, which often see foxes torn apart by dogs(Image: Getty Images)

Reform and the Tories have been accused of defending “cruelty” after representatives of both parties attended trail hunts on Boxing Day.

Nigel Farage was pictured at a hunt on Friday, as was Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, despite foxes still often being torn to shreds by dogs at the events. Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004.

Labour has vowed to ban the cruel practice as part of its Animal Welfare Strategy, as part of its long-awaited package of policies to improve the lives of pets and animals on farms and in the wild. Animal welfare activists have long criticised the practice as a smokescreen for hunting wild animals.

READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s ‘authoritarian control freaks’ attack on Labour slapped down by No10READ MORE: Boiling lobsters alive to be banned in animal cruelty crackdownTory MP Kevin Hollinrake at the Sinnington trail hunt

Responding to the politicians backing the hunt, Labour MP Luke Charters MP accused both Reform and the Tories of abandoning working people. He said: “The reality is Reform and the Conservatives stopped listening to working people a long time ago, and now they’re too busy defending hunts and chasing cruelty to notice. While Farage and the Tories focus on defending hunts often used as a smokescreen for killing wild animals, Labour is bringing our laws into the 2020s to improve animal welfare practices.

“And that’s of course alongside what we’re doing to deliver on working people’s priorities: cutting the cost of living, reducing waiting lists and bringing about the change Britain voted for last year. Farage and the Tories are simply out of touch.”

Hunt supporters have vowed to fight the plan to ban trail hunting with thousands gathering to watch the traditional Boxing Day meetings. Emma Slawinksi, CEO, League Against Cruel Sports, claimed the trail hunters had brought the ban on themselves. She said: “The hunts have had two decades and hundreds of thousands of opportunities to show the country that trail hunting complies with a law that was laid down to protect wildlife from being hunted by dogs. They have systematically failed.

“Rural communities know, the police know, the courts know and the politicians know that trail hunting is nothing but a smokescreen for old fashioned illegal hunting. The Government’s forthcoming ban on trial hunting is therefore no-one’s fault but the hunts’ themselves.”

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Tensions are flaring along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border in Central Asia with the Tajik government reporting multiple armed incursions this month, straining its fragile relationship with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders.

More than a dozen people have been killed in attacks by men whom Tajik authorities call “terrorists” and the resulting clashes with Tajik forces, officials in Dushanbe and Beijing said. Victims include Chinese nationals working in remote areas of the mountainous former Soviet republic.

In the latest fighting this week, at least five people were killed in Tajikistan‘s Shamsiddin Shokhin district, including “three terrorists”, officials said.

Tajikistan has long opposed the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, a country it shares a largely unsecured 1,340km (830-mile) border with.

Despite cautious diplomatic engagement between the two countries to adjust to new regional realities, analysts said, the frequency of the recent border clashes risks eroding the Taliban’s credibility and raises questions about its capacity to enforce order and security.

Here is all we know about the clashes along the Tajik-Afghan border and why they matter:

A Taliban flag flies on top of a bridge across the Panj river on the Afghan-Tajik border as seen from Tajikistan’s Darvoz district [File: Amir Isaev/AFP]

What’s happening on the Tajik-Afghan border?

The border runs along the Panj river through the remote, mountainous terrain of southern Tajikistan and northeastern Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security said in a statement that “three members of a terrorist organisation” crossed into Tajik territory on Tuesday. The committee added that the men were located the following morning and exchanged fire with Tajik border guards. Five people, including the three intruders, were killed, it said.

Tajik officials did not name the armed men or specify which group they belonged to. The officials, however, said they seized three M-16 rifles, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, three foreign-made pistols with silencers, 10 hand grenades, a night-vision scope and explosives at the scene.

Dushanbe said this was the third attack originating from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province in the past month that has resulted in the deaths of its personnel.

These attacks, Tajik officials said on Thursday, “prove that the Taliban government is demonstrating serious and repeated irresponsibility and non-commitment in fulfilling its international obligations and consistent promises to ensure security … and to combat members of terrorist organisations”.

The Tajik statement called on the Taliban to “apologise to the people of Tajikistan and take effective measures to ensure security along the shared border”.

Tajikistan has not suggested what the motive for the attacks may be, but the assaults have appeared to target Chinese companies and nationals working in the area.

Workers of Talco Gold, a joint Tajik-Chinese mining firm, speak in front of a poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at the Saritag antimony mine in western Tajikistan [File: AFP]

How is China involved in all this?

Beijing is Tajikistan’s largest creditor and one of its most influential economic partners with a significant footprint in infrastructure, mining and other border-region projects.

China and Tajikistan also share a 477km (296-mile) border running through the high-altitude Pamir Mountains in eastern Tajikistan, adjacent to China’s Xinjiang region.

Two attacks were launched against Chinese companies and nationals in the last week of November. On November 26, a drone equipped with an explosive device attacked a compound belonging to Shohin SM, a private Chinese gold-mining company, in the remote Khatlon region on the Tajik-Afghan border, killing three Chinese citizens.

In a second attack on November 30, a group of men armed with guns opened fire on workers employed by the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation, killing at least two people in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district.

Tajik officials said those attacks had originated from villages in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province but did not disclose any affiliation or motive behind the attacks.

Chinese nationals have also come under attack in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

China’s embassy in Dushanbe advised Chinese companies and personnel to evacuate the border area. Chinese officials demanded “that Tajikistan take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese enterprises and citizens in Tajikistan”.

Who is carrying out these attacks?

While the attackers have not been identified, analysts and observers believe the attacks carry the hallmarks of the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP), which, they said, aims to discredit Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders.

“The ISKP has attacked foreigners inside Afghanistan and carried out attacks on foreigners inside Afghanistan as a key pillar of their strategy,” said Ibraheem Bahiss, a Kabul-based analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank.

“The aim is to shatter the Taliban’s image as a security provider with whom the regional governments should engage,” Bahiss told Al Jazeera.

Taliban members participate in a rally to mark the third anniversary of the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul in the Afghan capital on August 14, 2024. [Sayed Hassib/Reuters]

How has the Taliban reacted to these attacks?

Kabul expressed its “deep sorrow” over the killings of Chinese workers on November 28.

The Taliban blamed the violence on an unnamed armed group which, it said, is “striving to create chaos and instability in the region and to sow distrust among countries”, and it assured Tajikistan of its full cooperation.

After this week’s clashes, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, said Kabul remains committed to the 2020 Doha Agreement, its deal with the United States for a phased foreign troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for attacking other countries.

Addressing a police cadet graduation ceremony at the National Police Academy in Kabul on Thursday, Haqqani said Afghanistan posed no threat to other countries and the door to dialogue remains open.

“We want to address problems, distrust or misunderstandings through dialogue. We have passed the test of confrontation. We may be weak in resources, but our faith and will are strong,” he said, adding that security had improved to the extent that Taliban officials now travel across the country without weapons.

The Taliban insists that no “terrorist groups” are operating from Afghanistan. However, in a recent report, the United Nations sanctions-monitoring committee cited the presence of multiple armed groups, including ISKP, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, al-Qaeda, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Jamaat Ansarullah and Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan.

Jamaat Ansarullah is a Tajik group linked to al-Qaeda-aligned networks and active primarily in northern Afghanistan near the Tajik border.

Afghans travel along a border road as seen from Tajikistan’s Darvoz district [File: Amir Isaev/AFP]

How are relations between Tajikistan and the Taliban?

For decades, the relationship between Tajikistan and the Taliban has been defined by deep ideological hostility and ethnic mistrust with Dushanbe one of the group’s fiercest critics in Central Asia.

In the 1990s, Tajikistan aligned with the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, led by Afghan military commander and former Defence Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud.

After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Tajikistan stood as the lone holdout among its neighbours in refusing to officially recognise the new government.

However, pragmatic diplomatic engagement quietly began about 2023, driven by economic necessity and shared security fears over the presence of ISKP. Stepping up the restoration of relations, a high-level Tajik delegation visited Kabul in November, the first such visit since the Taliban’s return to power.

But the two governments continue to trade accusations that the other is harbouring “terrorists”, the major thorn remaining in their bilateral relationship, and that drug smuggling is occurring across their border.

The Tajik-Afghan border has long been a major trafficking route for Afghan heroin and methamphetamine into Central Asia and onwards to Russia and Europe, exploiting the area’s rugged terrain and weak policing.

“The rising frequency [of the clashes] is new and interesting and raises a point: whether we might be seeing a new threat emerging,” Bahiss said.

Badakshan province, from which Tajik authorities said the attacks on Chinese nationals originate, presents a complex security situation for the Taliban as it has struggled to stem the threat from armed opposition groups, Bahiss added.

This security issue has been further complicated by the Taliban’s crackdown on poppy cultivation in the province, he said. The Taliban has faced resistance to this policy from farmers in the north. This is largely because the terrain of Badakshan means poppies are the only viable cash crop.

Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called his Tajik counterpart early this month to express regret about the attacks on Chinese nationals and say his government was prepared to boost cooperation between their border forces [Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters]

How is the Taliban faring with other neighbours?

Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, some of its neighbours have maintained a pragmatic transactional relationship while others have not.

Relations with Pakistan, previously its patron, have particularly deteriorated. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring fighters of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistan Taliban. Tensions over this issue boiled over in November when Pakistan launched air strikes in Kabul, Khost and other provinces, prompting retaliatory Taliban attacks on border posts.

Dozens of people were killed before a ceasefire was brokered by Qatar and Turkiye. However, both sides have engaged in fighting since, blaming each other for breaking the fragile truce.

The Taliban denies Islamabad’s allegations and has blamed Pakistan for its “own security failures”.

Meanwhile, the Taliban is now invested in developing a new relationship with Pakistan’s archrival, India, with delegations visiting Indian cities for trade and security discussions. New Delhi was earlier part of the anti-Taliban alliance. However, that approach has changed with the deteriorating ties between Pakistan and the Taliban.

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Skip next section Zelenskyy to meet with Trump this Sunday in Florida12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Zelenskyy to meet with Trump this Sunday in Florida

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he plans to meet with US President Donald Trump this Sunday in Florida.

Zelenskyy earlier posted to social media that a meeting would take place in the coming days (see below).

But Ukrainian media and others earlier reported a meeting between the two leaders was likely going to take place on Sunday, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Trump is spending his Christmas break there.

“This meeting ‍is specifically for the ​purpose of finalizing everything as ⁠much ​as we can,” Zelenskyy ‌said.

Kyiv and Washington have been working out details of a 20-point peace plan to present to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump comes after a flurry of diplomatic activity last weekend in Miami.  

Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami

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Skip next section WATCH: Coping with uncertainty on Ukraine’s Donetsk front line12/26/2025December 26, 2025

WATCH: Coping with uncertainty on Ukraine’s Donetsk front line

DW traveled to Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region to speak with residents living under Russian aggression since 2014. After a decade of conflict, many say they remain resolved to hold on to their freedom.

Coping with uncertainty on Ukraine’s Donetsk front line

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Skip next section Russian forces hit energy infrastructure in Odesa

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Russian forces hit energy infrastructure in Odesa

Ukrainian energy providers in the Black Sea port of Odesa reported two power supply facilities were damaged in Russian drone attacks on the coastal city.

Teams were working to restore power to Odesa residents, according to regional military administrative chief Sergei Lysak.

“Today, the enemy attacked our city again,” he said in remarks carried by Ukrainian agency Ukrainski Novini, describing the attack as a drone strike and adding he had no reports of casualties.

Russia has been escalating its attacks on Odesa for several weeks, including attacks on its port facilities, an apparent attempt to degrade Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.

https://p.dw.com/p/55zeL

Skip next section EU can rely on US on defense despite Trump, says NATO chief Rutte

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

EU can rely on US on defense despite Trump, says NATO chief Rutte

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says the EU does not need to become fully independent of the United States, despite the direction of Donald Trump’s administration

He added he was “absolutely convinced” that the US was fully invested in the alliance. “There’s no doubt,” he told the dpa news agency.

While the EU was now required to invest more in defense and take more responsibility, the goal was to do so alongside the US, he added.

Many voices in Europe have questioned US’ commitment to its allies amid negative signals coming from the Donald Trump’s administration, including inflammatory rhetoric and economic pressure. On Ukraine, Trump’s has sparked particular concern by feuding with Volodymyr Zelenskyy while making perceived overtures to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

The latest US security strategy also points out that “the days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over,” based on Trump’s “America First” slogan.

Talking to dpa, Rutte pointed out that three-quarters of NATO’s economic output come from outside the EU due to countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Norway and Turkey.

“Let’s not forget that when it comes to Europe (and) NATO, there’s more than the EU,” he said.

https://p.dw.com/p/55zV1

Skip next section Russia claims it shot down 7 Storm Shadow missiles in a week

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Russia claims it shot down 7 Storm Shadow missiles in a week

A day after Kyiv claimed hits on Russia’s oil refineries with Storm Shadow missiles, the Russian defense ministry said its forces shot down seven of the UK-made rockets in one week.

The ministry also said its air defenses destroyed 8 HIMARS-launched missiles and more than 1,350 drones. The numbers could not be independently verified.

Storm Shadow cruise missiles have a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles), fly low to avoid detection, and are designed to blast through hardened enemy targets. They were supplied to Ukraine by the UK in 2023. Initially, the UK limited the missiles’ use to targets within Ukrainian territory, but Kyiv has since used them to strike locations inside Russia.

Germany, allies drop range limits on arms to Ukraine

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https://p.dw.com/p/55zRP

Skip next section Putin says willing to agree limited land swap in Ukraine

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Putin says willing to agree limited land swap in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he might be open to swapping some territory held by Russian forces in Ukraine, while insisting that Moscow wants full control of the Donbas region, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.

The newspaper reported that Putin outlined the position during a late-night Kremlin meeting with senior business leaders on Wednesday.

Kommersant correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov wrote that Putin said Russia remained ready to make the same concessions discussed previously, summing up the position as “Donbas is ours.”

The term Donbas refers to the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Outside Donbas, Kolesnikov reported, a partial exchange of territories controlled by Russia was not ruled out.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv and Washington have moved closer to finalizing a 20-point plan during talks held over the weekend in Miami.

However, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the United States have not found common ground on demands that Kyiv cede parts of Donbas it still controls, or on the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is held by Russian forces.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to end the war, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.

https://p.dw.com/p/55zE4

Skip next section Zelenskyy says he will meet with Trump soon

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Zelenskyy says he will meet with Trump soon

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that he had agreed to a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the “near future.”

“A lot can be decided before the New Year,” he posted on social media.

The announcement follows weeks of stepped-up diplomatic efforts to end Ukraine’s war with Russia.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy gave a positive assessment of his conversation with Trump representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about ending the war.

This followed his presentation of a 20-point draft peace plan developed with US officials on Tuesday.

The draft marked a sharp shift from earlier proposals that would have forced Kyiv to give up territory and abandon NATO ambitions.

It calls for security guarantees to prevent future Russian attacks and includes measures to rebuild Ukraine. It also demands Russia to withdraw from several regions, including Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, while Ukraine would create a demilitarized zone in parts of Donetsk, but only if Moscow reciprocates.

However, the Kremlin, buoyed by battlefield gains, is unlikely to accept the deal. It said it was analyzing proposals brought back from the US.

President Vladimir Putin reiterated last week that Ukraine must leave Donetsk and Luhansk and rule out NATO membership.

https://p.dw.com/p/55z3q

Skip next section North Korea’s Kim orders factories to make more missiles in 2026

12/26/2025December 26, 2025

North Korea’s Kim orders factories to make more missiles in 2026

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has ordered a major boost in missile production.

State media reports that he visited munitions factories and told officials to expand capacity and build new plants to meet growing military demand.

“The missile and shell production sector is of paramount importance in bolstering up the war deterrent,” Kim said according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Pyongyang has sharply increased missile tests in recent years, aiming to improve precision strikes and challenge the United States and South Korea. Analysts say the weapons are also being prepared for export to Russia.

North Korea and Russia have strengthened ties since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang has supplied troops, artillery shells and rocket systems, while Russia provides financial aid, technology and food.

https://p.dw.com/p/55z49

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage 12/26/2025December 26, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Could Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump meet before the New Year?

The Ukrainian president seems to think so.

On Friday, Zelenskyy said he had agreed to meet with his US counterpart, adding: “A lot can be decided before the New Year.”

Washington and Kyiv appear close to finalizing a plan to end the war in Ukraine, though questions remain about Russia’s response and lingering disputes.

A White House meeting could seal the deal, or go off the rails, as one earlier this year did.

We’ll bring you the latest updates right here in this blog.

https://p.dw.com/p/55z3o

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Nigeria said it shared intelligence with the U.S. ahead of Christmas night airstrikes on ISIS targets in the country.

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday that it was “engaged in structured security cooperation” with other nations, including the U.S., adding that the cooperation “led to precision hits on terrorist targets.” The ministry said that the joint security efforts include the sharing of intelligence and strategic coordination.

“Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity. Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security,” the ministry wrote in a statement posted on X.

TRUMP’S WARNING TO NIGERIA OFFERS HOPE TO NATION’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

Members of St. Leo Catholic Church hold a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump announced the Christmas night airstrikes in northwest Nigeria, saying the targets were ISIS militants who he accused of killing Christians. The president also included a warning that further attacks would take place if the violence against Christians continued.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. 

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” he continued. “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

A drone view of Christians departing St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church after a Sunday mass in Palmgrove, Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 2, 2025. (Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters)

NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN LEADER CALLS TRUMP’S SPOTLIGHT ON VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA AN ‘ANSWERED PRAYER’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Christian charity, Open Doors said its sources in Nigeria said, “the airstrikes have hit terrorist camps in Jabo, a rural community in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, with multiple ISIS militants reportedly killed.

Jabo is a predominantly Fulani town in Sokoto State and has been identified as a haven for militants and a link to neighboring states like Kebbi and Zamfara. To the best of our knowledge there is no church presence in Jabo.

Right now, there are fears of retaliation because of the airstrike.”

Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.

Gunmen pick up the belongings left behind by worshippers who ran for cover after hearing gunshots, as they walk into a Church in Eruku, Kwara state, Nigeria, November 18, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)

US AMBASSADOR MICHAEL WALTZ DECLARES ATROCITIES AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA ‘GENOCIDE’

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, who has been outspoken about the violence against Christians in Nigeria, praised the strikes. The ambassador said the precision strikes showed Christians in Nigeria and around the world that Trump would “fight for them.”

Last month, Trump threatened to “do things in Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now disgraced country guns-a-blazing.”

That warning set the stage for the Christmas-night strikes, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said fulfilled the president’s demand that the killings stop. Hegseth also included in a post on X a reference to the U.S.-Nigeria cooperation that led to the strikes.

“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Hegseth wrote on X. “The [War Department] is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come… Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

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Christians and Christian institutions in Nigeria have been under attack in recent months, prompting global outrage and drawing the ire of the Trump administration.

In November, armed gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church, killed two people and kidnapped dozens. The 38 abducted worshipers were freed almost a week later.

The attack on the Christ Apostolic Church was preceded and followed by attacks on Christian schools in Nigeria.

In the days before the attack, gunmen kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staffer. One of the girls managed to escape on the same day as the kidnapping, while the remaining 24 were rescued about a week later, The Associated Press reported.

Days after the attack on Christ Apostolic Church, armed attackers raided the Saint Mary’s School and kidnapped more than 300 students and staff. School officials said 50 of the students were able to escape in the following days, while 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

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Heavy flash flooding has hit southern California over Christmas, forcing hundreds to evacuate and leaving four dead.

An “atmospheric river storm” brought 11 inches (27 cms) of rainfall to some parts of Los Angeles County, triggering huge mudslides which resulted in power outages and road closures.

Video footage shared by San Bernadino County Fire on Wednesday (24 December) shows fast moving floodwater battering properties in a mountain resort.

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in Los Angeles and other southern Californian counties. The California National Guard was placed on standby.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Lance Bass speaks with PEOPLE in honor of Bath & Body Works’ Semi-Annual Sale
• The *NSYNC member tells PEOPLE which classic scents from the brand hold a deep nostalgia for him
• Bass also shares his favorite Bath & Body Works products to buy in the big sale

Lance Bass has his ’90s girlfriend to thank for introducing him to Bath & Body Works.

The *NSYNC member, 46, who is partnering with Bath & Body Works for their Semi-Annual Sale, which kicks off on Friday, Dec. 26, spoke with PEOPLE about the items he’ll be stocking up on, his favorite scents and the smell that will forever remind him of his ’90s girlfriend.

The highly anticipated sale is full of can’t-miss deals, including select candles retailing from $7.99 to $12.99, 75% off select bodycare items, $3.50 for select wallflowers (a particular favorite in Bass’ household) and half off select soaps and sanitizers.

“This is the best sale of the year,” Bass tells PEOPLE. “This is the time you stock up for your whole year. I mean, I literally have a cabinet full of all of my favorite things, from the moisturizers to the fragrances to the candles, of course. The plug-ins are big at our house … I definitely stock up on all the candles. Lots of hand sanitizer.”

Lance Bass with Bath and Body Works bag.

Bath and Body Works

For Bass, collabing with Bath & Body Works was a no-brainer, considering he’s loved the brand since his boy band days.

“Since the ’90s, I’ve loved … this is how old I am, I would always get my girlfriend the pear-smelling, the fragrance sprays and all that,” he says. “That always reminds me of my girlfriend in the ’90s. That always holds a special memory for me.”

The classic Pearberry scent is still in rotation at Bass’ home, which he shares with his husband, Michael Turchin, and their 4-year-old twins, Alexander James and Violet Betty. These days, it’s part of a lineup of scents that he uses in a special guest room in his historic Palm Springs home, which once belonged Marilyn Monroe.

“I’ll always have the Pearberry. I also love the Pink Chiffon,” he shares. “Palm Springs is where I live half the time. It’s a really cool history of the house. Marilyn Monroe lived at this house, so I have her room always full of really fun things, like Pretty as a Peach or Pink Chiffon or Fairytale, those things that just remind me of whimsical Hollywood.”

Lance Bass.

Bath and Body Works

As for his current go-to scents, the children’s book author shares that he’s a seasonal guy, so he loves switching things up: pumpkin spice in the fall and Christmasy scents like Brown Sugar & Fig during the holidays. However, one of his perennial favorites — and a great gift for guys — is a Mahogany Teakwood candle.

“For guys, my go-to is always the Mahogany Teakwood. I’ve been burning that one for years and years and years,” he says. “It’s just my favorite, especially the Intense one.”

Bath & Body Works is also a key part of the actor and musician’s self-care routine, which he notes is extra important in the winter months. “Obviously, the ’90s were huge for me. That’s where I got introduced to Bath & Body Works, again, through my girlfriend, but that’s when I started to really appreciate just self-care at an early age,” Bass explains. “I love lighting a candle, relaxing, taking a nice, hot bath with amazing fragrances.”

“My self-care routine is pretty specific,” he continues. “I love the mornings. I love to take a colder shower to wake you up. For me, it’s always starting with a candle, even in the morning and at night. It’s just what makes me happy, especially [at] nighttime, because the candles, the white and blue light just really keep you awake. Just having the candlelight is just nice to have. Yeah, so I’ll take a nice, cold shower in the morning, but nice and warm at night.”

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. 

Lance Bass.

Bath and Body Works

From there, it’s all about the skincare for Bass. “The different thing I love, especially right now, in the morning, I’ll use the Eucalyptus Spearmint, the moisturizing body wash, and then I’ll do the layer of, like, a Bourbon Body Cream, and then I’ll finish it off with a fragrance mist.”

He is also a fan of “the OG” scents, including “the Bali Mango, which I’m so glad that they’re bringing that back, because it just makes me so happy,” and it’s “just very fresh and a good start of the day.”

Bass adds that it’s easy to forget that the brand’s lotions “are really nourishing and dermatology-tested,” and last for up to 48 hours. He continues, “Ever since the ’90s, I’ve been taking care of my body. I think even at 46, my skin is super soft, thanks to Bath & Body Works.”

The Bath & Body Semi-Annual Sale is happening now online and in stores.

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He can’t vote, can’t drive a car, and still needs a permission slip for field trips — but 14-year-old Dean Roy believes he’s ready to run Vermont.

While most high school freshmen set their eyes on student council or homecoming king, Roy is looking to make history with an eye-popping campaign for governor.

‘I really hope that this mission of mine leads to more youth getting involved,’ Roy told the Daily Mail.

If elected he’d be the first-ever US governor under the age of 18. 

In 2018, 13-year-old Ethan Sonneborn ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Vermont. The youngest-ever US governor was Democrat Stevens Mason, who had just turned 24 when he began serving his term in Michigan in 1835.

Speaking from his bedroom with an American flag hanging vertically behind him, Roy spoke told Daily Mail his long-shot campaign all started with an offhand comment. At his 8th grade graduation, his teacher joked that he wanted the campaign manager job if Roy ever ran for office.

What was likely intended as a throwaway comment struck a moment of curiosity for Roy, who rushed home and looked up the requirements to run.   

He found that Vermont is the only state with no age restrictions to run for governor. A handful of states allow citizens to run at 18, but the majority require a candidate to be 30 at the date of election.

Dean Roy, 14, is running to be the youngest-ever governor in US history

Roy is a freshman at Stoew Middle & High School in Vermont. Pictured: Dean Roy and his parents, Chessie and  James, who are small business owners with a pizza shop the town over

Roy’s classmate Charlie Bass, 14, is running as lieutenant governor. Both are working to collect the 500 signatures needed to get on the ballot – and they only need a few dozen more to make the cut

That unnamed teacher decided to keep his day job, but Roy and his fellow 14-year-old Lieutenant Governor candidate Charlie Bass are now collecting signatures and shaking things up in the halls of Stowe High School in northern Vermont.

Roy and Bass are hoping to mobilize young voters on social media. Both are active on Instagram, regularly posting Reels expressing political stances and promoting the long shot bid to be the youngest governor and lieutenant governor in US history. 

And what’s on the ballot for the high schoolers?: Housing, freedom from electric vehicle mandates and restructuring the school system in Vermont.

‘The cornerstone of my platform is housing, by far housing is the biggest issue for Vermont, for New England and for the country,’ Roy said in a Zoom interview with the Daily Mail, echoing an issue championed by New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. 

The son of small business owners, Roy said that it’s his goal to build houses for $150,000 or lower so ‘younger generations could actually afford’ to buy a home in Vermont.

‘We seriously need new young people in Vermont because our population is aging out,’ the 14-year-old claimed. ‘We are a dying state. We need new workers to keep our economy alive. The only way to get new workers is to incentivize young people to live here.’ 

Vermont is home to one of the oldest politicians in America – 84-year-old Senator Bernie Sanders. Vermont’s median age is 43, making it the third oldest state in the country, behind Maine and New Hampshire.

Roy isn’t running as a Democrat or Republican. And while that decision is partially strategic to avoid a primary, it’s also in-line with his political beliefs and allows him to also become the youngest person ever to found a political party – the Freedom and Unity Party.

He likes the Republican Party in Vermont but thinks the national level stances are too far right, while he believes the Vermont Democratic Party is too far left. Therefore, a third-party bid made the most sense to Roy.

‘I don’t align with the Vermont Democrats politically. They are probably one of the more left Democratic parties in America. And I personally do not sit that far to the left.’

So he made a party with a name paying homage to the Vermont state motto.

If the gubernatorial run isn’t successful, it won’t be the end of the political road for Roy. He hopes the bid will help him in future aspirations for office. He also plans to continue the Freedom and Unity Party.

Current Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, is eligible for another term – as there are no limits in Vermont. He has not yet announced if he will run for a sixth term. If he does not run, Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers has been mentioned as a successor.

On the Democratic side, Attorney General Charity Clark is considering a statewide run, possibly for governor; also reportedly exploring a bid is State Treasurer Mike Pieciak.

No formal declarations have been made outside of Roy’s longshot bid. 

If anything, Roy hopes his gubernatorial campaign will at least inspire young people to get more involved in politics.

On the off chance he does win, Roy told the Daily Mail that he would finish off high school with online classes while serving his duties in the Vermont government.

Roy says he spends time at the Post Office to meet older voters, present his platform and garner the 500 signatures he needs to make it on the Vermont ballot

Roy spent six weeks during the winter of his 8th grade year working as an intern in the Vermont State House, and says that work ‘really inspired me to start getting involved in politics’

Roy says he spoke with the Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas (pictured) to make sure his run is legally sound

The high school freshman has spoken with the Vermont Secretary of State and says he was assured his run is legally sound.

The requirements to run for governor in Vermont are being a resident of the state for at least four years, obtaining 500 signatures and filing on the specified date to make sure your name appears on the ballot. That’s it.

Roy has lived all 14 of his years of life in Vermont, needs only 20 more signatures and is prepared to file the first day he’s able. Major parties must file by the Thursday after the fourth Monday in May of an election year.

But for a minor party candidate, like Roy, he must file by early August – which is usually when the primary election takes place.

The gubernatorial hopeful spends time door knocking for signatures and hanging out at the local Post Office to make inroads with older voters, whom he says have had a very positive reaction to his bid.

Roy’s parents Chessie and James own a pizza shop and were shocked but supportive when their son decided to embark on a longshot bid.

They help him with rides and collecting signatures but have otherwise let Roy take the lead on his political aspirations.

(And don’t worry, Roy’s parents gave the Daily Mail permission to interview their son.)

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Pub chain Wetherspoons’ January sales coincides with a usual dip in demand for the trade (Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)

Pub giant Wetherspoons has announced its own January sale – with a pint from just 99p.

The chain will offer special deals on a host of drinks, as well as food.

Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “Department stores and shops hold their sales in January, so it is the perfect time to have a sale in the pub too.”

The discount event will run from Friday January 2 to Thursday January 15, and from Saturday January 3 in its Scottish pubs.

Among the bargain booze is a pint of Worthington’s beer at 99p, compared with its normal £1.49, at more than 600 of its over 800 pubs. Other drinks featured in the sale include Coldwater Creek wine, with a 250ml glass of Chardonnay, pinot grigio, rose, or merlot for £2.99 each, Johnnie Walker Black Label (25ml including a mixer) at £1.99, and Tanqueray gin (25ml including a mixer) also £1.99.

Wetherspoons is cutting prices across a range of alcoholic and no booze beers (Image: Getty Images)

The chain, known to many as Spoons, is also offering special prices on a range of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks. That could prove especially useful for those taking part in their own “dry January” when they shun alcohol for the month. Given the expense of Christmas for many people, January is often one of the quietest months of the year for pubs.

Wetherspoons’ founder Tim Martin has a track record to cutting prices (Image: Getty Images)

Wetherspoons will offer Guinness 0.0, Corona Cero, Brewdog Punk AF, Stella Artois Alcohol Free, Erdinger Isotonic, Thatchers zero, Koppaberg Alcohol Free, plus Gordons 0. 0 pink gin for £1.69 each, and Beck’s Blue and Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa for 99p each.

On the food front, the firm will have an 11-inch margherita pizza and a crunchy chicken burger, served with chips or side salad, each costing £4.99 with a soft drink, and £6.52 with an alcoholic drink. A jacket potato with a choice of one filling will cost £4.99 including a soft drink, and £6.52 for an alcoholic drink. Gourmet jacket potatoes will cost £6.49 with a soft drink and £8.02 with an alcoholic drink.

Wetherspoons has grown to have more than 800 outlets (Image: Jam Press)

All the above prices will be available at more than 600 Wetherspoons branches, with prices varying at its other 200 sites, including those in central London.

Mr Martin said: “The range of drinks and food on sale in the pub is aimed at suiting a wide variety of tastes. We have included a large selection of low and non-alcoholic drinks. I believe that the January Sale will prove popular with our customers. As always, staff at the pub will serve customers responsibly,” he added.

The chain has a track record of offering discount deals. In September it sold pints for £1.66 to highlight in tax between pubs and supermarkets.

While many parts of the pub trade are struggling, with widespread closures, a number of chains have enjoyed healthy trade despite a sharp rise in costs. In a trading update, JD Wetherspoon said sales in venues open at least a year grew 3.7% in the 14 weeks to the start of November. Drinks sales increased 5.7%, and food by 0.9%.

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