By DAN WOODLAND, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 21:47 GMT, 27 December 2025 | Updated: 21:57 GMT, 27 December 2025

Ex-England and Premier League footballer Andy Carroll has been charged with breaching a non-molestation order after being arrested at an airport. 

The former Newcastle and Liverpool striker, 36, was arrested in April, with the alleged offences relating to an incident in March. 

Carroll was reportedly pounced on by police shortly after landing in the UK from France at Stansted Airport. 

He was questioned by officers and held for a short period, a source told the Sun at the time of his arrest.

‘It seemed as if an issue was flagged up to the Border Force officers at passport control at Stansted, which led to police being called. He was questioned then taken away,’ they said.

‘It caused quite a kerfuffle as there were lots of other passengers around where he was arrested.’

Essex Police told the newspaper: ‘A man has been charged with breaching a non-molestation order.  Andrew Carroll, 36, of Epping, was arrested on April 27 and the alleged offences relate to an incident in March. 

‘He is due to appear at Chelmsford magistrates’ court on December 30.’ 

Ex-Premier League footballer Andy Carroll who has been charged with breaching a non-molestation order

Carroll earned nine England caps during his career. He is pictured playing for the Three Lions during the Euro quarter-final match against Italy in 2012

He is currently dating make-up artist Lou Teasdale, 41. The couple are pictured at the Debenhams x ASHISH Launch Event on October 8 

Carroll, who earned nine England caps during his career, is currently playing for non-league side Dagenham and Redbridge.

The striker joined the National League South side in the summer, after returning to England following spells at French clubs Amiens and Bordeaux.

He is currently dating make-up artist Lou Teasdale, 41, after parting ways with his estranged wife Billi Mucklow in 2024.

Andy split from his TOWIE star ex Billi, 37, in July last year after a turbulent two year marriage. They began divorce proceedings in September this year. 

Just weeks after their split, he went public with Lou, having reportedly met at Glastonbury in June the same year.

Representatives for Andy Carroll have been contacted for comment. 

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Ex-England, Liverpool and Newcastle United footballer Andy Carroll ‘charged with breaching non-molestation order’

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Julius Grant Jackson, 40, and his daughter Mackenzie Elizabeth Hicks, 20, are facing incest charges in North Carolina after DNA tests allegedly confirmed Jackson had fathered Hicks’ baby boy

Charlie Jones Senior US News Reporter and Alana Loftus Boston reporter

21:49, 27 Dec 2025

Julius Grant Jackson, 40, and his daughter Mackenzie Elizabeth Hicks

A father and his daughter are facing incest charges following DNA tests that allegedly confirmed the man had fathered his daughter’s baby boy.

Detectives Charles Norris and Ethan Core from Erwin Police Department have been conducting witness interviews and gathering evidence in the investigation since 9 May 2024.

This is when Mackenzie Elizabeth Hicks, then aged 18, came to the station alleging her father, Julius Grant Jackson, had sexually assaulted her multiple times starting when she was around 13 years old.

When first speaking with investigators, Hicks claimed, “Jackson was aware of the incidents and wanted to file a report but never did,” according to a search warrant filed in the case.

During the conversation in May 2024, Hicks reportedly told police she was reluctant to proceed with the case as her father could potentially face charges too, reports the Mirror US.

Records show that Mackenzie’s mother reached out to authorities to report that her daughter had been molested by Jackson

Four months later, on 18 September 2024, Danielle Hicks, Mackenzie’s biological mother, contacted Detective Core and revealed that her daughter was pregnant as a result of being abused by Jackson, according to online court records associated with the case.

Mackenzie’s mother allegedly told Core that she suspected some of the sexual encounters between her daughter and Jackson were consensual.

On 25 September, Norris obtained and executed a search warrant for DNA samples from Jackson and Hicks, along with any items that might hold evidentiary value to any crimes.

DNA results from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed Jackson’s paternity of the son. When police attempted to arrest Jackson, he and his accomplice reportedly fled the scene in Jackson’s lorry, leading to a brief pursuit that culminated in their capture.

During an inspection of the lorry involved in the chase, police reported discovering several high-powered, loaded firearms.

Jackson, now 40, residing at 214 St. Matthews Road in Erwin, is facing charges including felony incest; committing a felony crime against nature; felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle; committing a hit and run, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage; resisting a public officer; possessing a fictitious driving licence; and failing to stop for a stop sign or flashing red light.

Hicks, now 20 and living at the same address, has had her bail set at a hefty £1 million. She faces charges of felony incest and committing a felony crime against nature.

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A bus plunged into a ravine along Guatemala’s Inter-American Highway, killing at least 15 people, authorities said.

President Bernardo Arevalo declared three days of national mourning following the crash, which occurred on 26 December near the 174km marker of the highway.

The mountainous area is known as Cumbre de Alaska, in the western department of Totonicapan.

The bus was traveling from Guatemala City to Totonicapan when it lost control and fell approximately 330 feet (100 metres) into a ravine.

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Pic: AP

Emergency crews spent more than two hours trying to rescue the injured and retrieve the bodies of the dead.

Authorities also worked to clear the wreckage, which led to a temporary suspension of traffic along the busy route.

In a message posted online, President Arevalo expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.

Image:
Pic: AP

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“I deeply regret the tragedy that occurred on the Inter-American Highway,” he said.

“From the government of Guatemala, we have been coordinating all necessary assistance for those affected, while standing with those who have lost family members and loved ones.”

Traffic accidents involving public transportation remain a major concern in Guatemala.

Between January and October 2025, the National Transit Safety Observatory recorded 446 accidents involving public transport vehicles, which led to 111 deaths and 623 injuries.

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The Bayeux tapestry will be insured for an estimated £800m when it returns to the UK in 2026 for the first time in more than 900 years.

The Treasury will insure the 70-metre embroidered cloth, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, for damage or loss during its transfer from France and while it is on display at the British Museum from September.

It will back the cover under the Government Indemnity Scheme, an alternative to commercial insurance that allows art and cultural objects to be shown in the UK.

The Financial Times reported the Treasury had provisionally approved an estimated valuation for the tapestry with the final valuation expected to be about £800m.

An HM Treasury spokesperson said: “The Government Indemnity Scheme is a longstanding scheme that allows museums and galleries to borrow high value works for major exhibitions, increasing visitor numbers and providing public benefits.

“Without this cover, public museums and galleries would face a substantial commercial insurance premium, which would be significantly less cost effective.”

The scheme is estimated to have saved UK museums and galleries £81m compared with commercial insurance.

The Bayeux tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings and events leading up to it. At the battle William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson and became the first Norman king of England.

The cloth consists of 58 scenes and is widely accepted to have been made in England during the 11th century and was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux.

It will be on loan while the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Normandy closes for renovation until its scheduled reopening in October 2027.

Visitors will have the chance to view it in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery of the British Museum in London between autumn next year and July 2027.

It is part of a major loan agreement between the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced in July. The British Museum will loan the Sutton Hoo collection, the Lewis Chessmen and other items to France in return for the tapestry.

In France, voices from the art and conservation fields have called on President Macron to abandon the project because of concerns transportation would cause irreparable damage to the tapestry.

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At the end of a little side street in the Beirut neighborhood of Ras Beirut, a faded poster points the way. If you follow the sign, head up a steep path to the left and through a heavy door, you’ll find yourself between tall bookshelves. Novels, political analyses, out-of-print editions about the culture and history of the region.

A few steps further, around the corner you’ll enter a second room. And here the atmosphere changes, it’s more dense and colourful. It’s here where poster heaven begins. Fascinating colors, so many faces, and typographies from over a century of trends in print.

There, at the back of the store, sits Abboudi Bou Jaoude, friendly, unassuming, always ready to tell a story. Behind him, Lebanese and Egyptian film posters from the 1960s and 70s, alongside posters from Iraq, Tunisia and Morocco. In between, there are magnets, postcards and coasters. An archive, but one that is alive and ready to evoke memories.

The entrance to Abboudi Abou Jaoude’s shop is hidden in a small side street in Beirut.Image: D. Hodali/DW

“This shop is an archive for Lebanon, but also for the entire region,” Bou Jaoude says. With more than 20,000 posters, his collection is considered one of the largest of its kind in the region. Many of the posters now hang in private homes — and even in the nearby Cafe Kalei, where film enthusiasts sip espresso while gazing at the faces of iconic Lebanese singers Fairuz or a young Sabah.

A life in cinema

“I was already going to the cinema at the age of six,” the 66-year-old says. “My father always took me along, he was the director of various cinemas in Bourj Hammoud, a predominantly Armenian suburb of Beirut.” While other children played football, Bou Jaoude sat in the dark, absorbing the cinema of his city.

Around the age of 14, he began collecting cinematic memorabilia, initially unintentionally, because he always just got posters from the cinemas. This was in the early 1970s.

“Like many teenagers back then, I wasn’t particularly interested in Arab films, I was more into foreign films. But I liked reading Arabic books,” he said.

Beirut, the region’s former film capital

To understand why Bou Jaoude’s archive is so unique, it’s important to know about the role that Lebanon used to play in Arab cinema.

Officially, the first Lebanese film was made in 1929, but local production remained in the shadow of Egypt’s film industry for a long time. With Lebanon’s independence and an economic boom, this changed. The 1960s were a golden era and Beirut became a regional center for literature and film. In 1965, UNESCO opened the Arab Cinema Center in Beirut, a regional hub for film in the Arab world and the first of its kind. In 1971, Beirut hosted the first international film festival in the region.

Beirut also had over 300 cinemas, with new films playing every week. “The cinema was for many a first destination,” says Bou Jaoude. “Before the civil war, people went to the cinema every week.”

All of this came to an abrupt end with the civil war, which went from 1975 to 1990 and nearly destroyed the cinema scene. Bou Jaoude preserved what remained — film by film, poster by poster. Decades later, he compiled this knowledge in a book, a comprehensive documentation of Lebanese cinema through posters from 1929 to 1979.

Abboudi Abou Jaoude has written a book about the movies between 1929 and 1979Image: D. Hodali/DW

An archive of Arab societies

He never thought that one day he would be considered one of the most important collectors in the region. It wasn’t until the 1990s, he says, that he understood the value of these posters. “At the beginning of my collecting, I didn’t realize what I was contributing.”

Today, he sees each poster as a historical document. “These posters are an expression of what society wanted at the time, what it was interested in, and what it wanted to see in the cinema, what it dreamed of.” 

Yet his archive includes much more than just film posters from Lebanon. During his work as a publisher — he founded the Al Furat publishing house in 2000 — he regularly traveled through the region.

One of his most valuable sub-collections comes from Iraq; he has around 4,000 posters from there. “I always made sure to take an extra two or three days to visit local cine (EN): The man saving L… mas. And there, I always asked if I could get a poster.”

Other posters in his collection come from Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and places like the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk, Syria. In the 1960s, when Egyptian films were banned in Syria, small cinemas carefully preserved their posters. “The staff would often sell them to me for a few lira.”

In Abboudi Abou Jaoude’s shop, you can not only buy posters but also coasters, stickers, and postcardsImage: D. Hodali/DW

Sometimes he came across posters that had long been lost in the country they came from. During the time of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian films were banned in Iraq. “So the film reels were simply smuggled through Lebanon to make it look like the film came from here,” he explans.

Between nostalgia and identity

Many visitors to the store are young Lebanese looking for something that connects them to a past they only know from stories, he notes. Others no longer live in the country. “Many have emigrated and are looking for something that reminds them of home or tells them something about their parents’ or grandparents’ past.”

He often sees the reaction in the faces of the people who watched the films in the cinemas or heard about them from their families. “When people come in here and see a poster of the singer and actress Fairuz, they remember a time that many have pushed aside. People have forgotten a lot due to the war.”

The posters of singer and actress Fairuz are especially popular.Image: D. Hodali/DW

When asked if he has a favorite poster, he smiles almost apologetically. “I can’t decide, but I especially like the posters from the 1960s and early 70s.” It sounds like the answer of a man who knows every film, every color, every crease of a poster and wants to preserve them all.

If you head back out onto the street of Ras Beirut, something of this place lingers. The feeling that the past doesn’t fade, as long as someone guards it. That is what Bou Jaoude is doing, albeit quietly, modestly, in a shop that is more of a cultural and emotional archive than a business. 

This article was originally published in German.

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A Long Island man has been arrested for the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old CVS employee on Christmas Day.

John Pilaccio, 43, of Lindenhurst, is charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly stabbed Edeedson Cine, of West Babylon, in the chest about an hour before the store was set to close, Suffolk County police said Friday.

Officers responded to the scene just before 7 p.m. Thursday at the CVS store at 20 East Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. The suspect initially fled the scene on foot and Cine was rushed to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead.

Pilaccio was identified as a person of interest based on witness descriptions and surveillance video from outside the store, Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said on Friday.

“It appears this poor kid went to work on Christmas and he was assaulted while he was working behind the counter in the store,” Catalina added.

Cine had worked at the store for about 10 months, according to police and CVS representatives. Investigators have not said what led to the stabbing or whether the suspect and victim knew each other. Pilaccio was taken into custody later that day and is set to be arraigned on Saturday.

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Edeedson Cine was fatally stabbed at a CVS store on Long Island on Christmas, the Suffolk County Police said on Friday (GoFundMe)

“We’re devastated over the tragic stabbing that occurred inside our East Montauk Highway store on Christmas night,” a CVS spokesperson said in a statement. “Edeedson Cine was a valued member of the store team, known for his strong work ethic – his loss will be felt by all of us.”

Cine’s family told CBS News that he was not scheduled to work on Christmas, but that he had picked up an extra shift.

“Why inside of CVS?” Cine’s grandmother, Rose Cine said. “Why where he was working? He just gets up and goes to work – that’s all he does.”

She said her grandson lived with his parents, attended a Seventh-day Adventist church and was “very loving.”

A makeshift memorial was set up outside the store Friday, where community members stopped to honor Cine, who made a lasting impression on customers.

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A makeshift memorial was set up outside the CVS store in Lindenhurst on Friday, where community members stopped to honor Edeedson Cine, who made a lasting impression on customers (Google Maps)

”He would go above and beyond. If you needed something, he would be responsive to you,” customer Margaret Reichling said. “He was always a nice, polite kid.”

A GoFundMe that describes Cine as “a remarkable young man who was taken from this world far too soon,” had raised more than $36,000 by Saturday.

“He had a fierce heart for service, and his love for his family and friends was unwavering,” the campaign read. “That love will continue to live on through all who were blessed to know him.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• Billie Lourd is marking nine years since her mom Carrie Fisher’s death
• In a lengthy post on Instagram, Billie said she will “never stop missing” her mom and reflected on how Fisher “lives on through” the joy she experiences with her kids
• Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016, at the age of 60 after going into cardiac arrest on a flight

Billie Lourd is remembering her mom, Carrie Fisher, on the ninth anniversary of her death.

On Saturday, Dec. 27, Billie, 33, shared a touching post on Instagram, sharing that she will “never stop missing” her mom and reflecting on how Fisher “lives on through” the joy she experiences with her kids.

After recounting a sweet early morning moment she had with her 3-year-old daughter, Jackson, Billie wrote about the special bond Jackson shares with Billie’s father, Bryan Lourd — and how Fisher is at the heart of it.

“[They are] like 2 old souls that have known each other forever,” she said of Jackson and Bryan. “Watching my dad with my kids is one of the greatest joys I’ve ever known. … Then I started thinking about how this joy wouldn’t be possible without my mom. This joy only exists because she existed.”

“So even though she is not physically part of this joy, she is part of the reason for it,” Billie continued. “Even though she is not alive she lives on through this joy. My grief takes on many shapes – today, right now in this moment, that shape is this joy I get to experience watching my kids with my dad.”

“Thank you momby. I will never stop missing you,” she concluded her post, which featured a 25-year-old photo of Fisher and Bryan with a young Billie, as well as a recent Christmas photo of Bryan embracing Jackson and Billie’s son Kingston, 5.

Fisher, who was perhaps best known for her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, died on Dec. 27, 2026, after going into cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” Lourd said in a statement at the time. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Adding to Billie’s heartbreak, her grandmother and Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, died from a stroke at age 84 just one day later on Dec. 28.

Since Fisher’s death, Billie has opened up about the loss of her mom on several occasions. When Fisher was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in May 2023, Billie unveiled the plaque alongside Fisher’s Star Wars costar Mark Hamill.

Billie Lourd and characters from ‘Star Wars’ at Carrie Fisher’s posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in May 2023.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

For the emotional occasion, Billie wore a dress adorned with an image of her mom as Princess Leia, and took a moment to sprinkle some glitter on Fisher’s star to symbolize how her mother “left a mark of her sparkle on everyone she met.”

“My mom isn’t just Princess Leia,” she said during a speech at the unveiling ceremony. “She is Carrie Fisher. She was an incredible actress who infused her wit and strength into every character she played from her first role at only 16 years old in Shampoo to her last role in Catastrophe.”

In October 2024 — on what would have been her mother’s 68th birthday — Billie posted a tribute on Instagram, sharing that she tries to celebrate Fisher “as much as possible” on her special day each year.

Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd in 2015.

Barry King/WireImage

“Some years my grief makes me feel the warmth of her love, some years it makes me angry, some years I feel numb but today when I woke up I just felt sad. I didn’t want to celebrate, I just wanted my mom,” she wrote.

“60 is too damn young to die,” Billie added later in the post.

Billie shared a similar sentiment on what would have been Fisher’s 69th birthday on Oct. 21. “My mom would’ve been 69 years old today. Which still feels shockingly young because this is the 9th birthday of hers I’ve ‘celebrated’ without her,” she wrote on Instagram.

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Billie went on to express her sadness that Fisher “never got to meet her grandchildren and see them grow into the magical smart hilarious kind creatures they are today.”

“She was a brilliant magical human and I want them to know that,” she added.

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Billionaires are planning to pack up and leave California in protest over a proposed ballot measure seeking to heavily tax the state’s wealthiest residents.

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel and Google co-founder Larry Page are among those plotting to flee, according to The New York Times.

Three companies associated with Page have filed documents of incorporation in Florida, the outlet reports. 

Tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya also confirmed earlier this week that he has given ‘serious consideration’ to relocating to Texas if the measure goes ahead.

‘The inevitable outcome will be an exodus of the state’s most talented entrepreneurs who can and will choose to build their companies in less regressive states,’ Palihapitiya said. 

The threats come in response to a ballot measure proposed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West union which was cleared for campaign by the state Attorney General’s Office.

The union proposes hitting Californian’s worth over $1 billion where it hurts most with a five percent tax on every dollar of their vast fortunes.

If the measure gathers enough signatures, lands on the November ballot and wins voter approval, it would affect anyone living in the West Coast state as of January 1, 2026.

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel (pictured)  is among the billionaires reportedly plotting to flee California over a proposed super wealth tax

Two sources familiar with the private discussions told the NYT that Google founder Larry Page (pictured), a longtime Palo Alto resident, had discussed leaving California before the end of the year

Tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya (pictured) confirmed earlier this week that he has given ‘serious consideration’ to relocating to Texas if the measure goes ahead

High-net worth tax advisor David Lesperance (pictured) admitted that nearly all of his clients are ‘taking steps as quickly as possible both to sever California residence and to move assets out of the state’

High-net worth tax and immigration advisor David Lesperance admitted that nearly all of his clients are ‘taking steps as quickly as possible both to sever California residence and to move assets out of the state’, according to the NYT. 

Miami real estate agent Brett Harris also told the outlet that five California billionaires had already contacted him, exploring a move to Florida to ‘offset their risk of exposure to the billionaire tax’.

However, Harris noted, if the measure fails, those same billionaires ‘may end up moving back to California.’

According to the union, the measure aims to tackle the ‘growing gap’ between hefty executive salaries and the real-world challenges faced by patients and frontline staff.

‘At a time when healthcare executives are collecting multimillion-dollar paychecks while patients delay care and frontline workers struggle to make ends meet, it’s clear the system is broken,’ ultrasound technologist Mayra Casteneda said.

‘This initiative is about putting healthcare dollars where they belong – into patient care, safer staffing and expanding access – instead of rewarding healthcare executives for maintaining a status quo that puts profits over patient care.’

One term of the measure would cap pay for executives, administrators and managers at both nonprofit and for-profit hospitals and medical groups at $450,000 per year.

Miami real estate agent Brett Harris (pictured) revealed that five California billionaires already contacted him exploring a move to Florida

Suzanne Jimenez (pictured), the union’s chief of staff, said some ideas in their proposal stem from her belief that California billionaires are the ‘most fortunate people in this state’

California Governor Gavin Newsom described the proposed wealth tax as ‘not pragmatic’

Newsom has even raised funds for a committee dedicated to opposing the measure, which has since received a $100,000 donation from venture capitalist Ron Conway (pictured)

Frontline staff argue that the cap is ample and that investing the excess in the workforce is long overdue. 

Californians with $20 billion in assets would also owe a one-time tax of $1 billion, with five years to pay under the proposed measure.

This means that Page, who is worth roughly $258 billion, would be hit with a $27.5 billion one-time tax, while Thiel, with $27.5 billion, might owe $1.2 billion.

The union said the proposed tax could generate up to $100 million from roughly 200 billionaires, potentially offsetting federal budget cuts, as reported by the NYT.

However, California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office and Department of Finance project that the wealth tax ‘would collect tens of billions of dollars’ in onetime payments. 

Suzanne Jimenez, the union’s chief of staff, said some ideas in the proposal stem from her belief that California billionaires are the ‘most fortunate people in this state’.

‘We looked at how could we generate the revenue to fix this kind of hole, and this group of folks just made sense,’ she told the outlet.

Thiel, who runs a personal investment firm in Los Angeles, has reportedly begun seeking to open Thiel Capital – an office for his firm – in another state, according to three close sources who spoke to the NYT.

The proposal would tax the state’s wealthiest residents a five percent tax on every dollar of their riches

Two sources familiar with the private discussions told the NYT that Page, a longtime Palo Alto resident, had discussed leaving California before the end of the year.

Governor Gavin Newsom and  other Silicon Valley investors have also criticized the measure, with Newsom describing the proposed wealth tax as ‘not pragmatic,’ as reported by the outlet.

A spokesperson said the governor continues to oppose ‘state-level wealth taxes’, arguing they give people an incentive to relocate to another state. 

Newsom has even raised funds for a committee dedicated to opposing the measure, which has since received a $100,000 donation from venture capitalist Ron Conway. 

But tax advisor Lesperance said it would be a lengthy and challenging process for people to successfully claim non-residence in California, according to the NYT.

Known for its aggressive revenue collection, the state’s tax agency considers multiple factors to determine residency: principal residence, voter registration, drivers license information and precise locations of their banks, investments and family members. 

Meanwhile, the state’s Department of Finance warned that California could lose hundreds of millions annually in income tax revenue if these billionaires were to leave, according to the outlet.

The wealth tax debate emerges amid widening income inequality in the United States, which increased consistently over a 33-year span ending in 2022. 

The result is striking, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office. The top ten percent hold 69 percent of the nation’s riches, while the bottom 50 percent share a mere three percent.

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Maps show every county in the UK could soon see snow, while a weather phenomenon which the Met Office says can be ‘extremely hazardous’ is also on the cards for some

Snow (in purple) is expected to hit the UK from January 4(Image: WX Charts)

A rare and dangerous weather phenomenon looks set to impact some parts of the country as maps show a major snowstorm is on the cards.

Every UK county can expect to see some snow, the GFS weather model suggests, as flurries sweep across the country at the start of next month. The data shows snow falling from January 4 to January 7, hitting major cities including London, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

By the evening of January 7, snow coverage maps show almost every inch of the country could see some of the white stuff settled on the ground. However, the maps also suggest that some regions face a weather phenomenon which the Met Office says can prove “extremely hazardous”.

London could see snow on January 7(Image: WX Charts)READ MORE: UK snow forecast maps show eight-inch blizzard to bury major cities within daysREAD MORE: What to know about UK snow bomb bringing ‘one inch per hour’ in just days

Areas marked in orange on the maps indicate “freezing rain” could fall on January 7. The freezing rain is expected in Scotland in the early hours, but could hit the Midlands and possibly parts of Wales by midday. It could then fall in East Anglia and Bedfordshire at around 9pm.

What is freezing rain?

The Met Office describes freezing rain as a “rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface and freezes almost instantly”. It forms when snow falls through warmer air, which makes it turn into rain, before falling through colder air again.

Freezing rain (in orange) could impact Scotland on January 7(Image: WX Charts)

This means the droplets become “supercooled” and have a temperature below zero, despite still falling in liquid form. The Met Office explains: “When this ‘supercooled’ droplet hits the ground (which is below zero too) it spreads out a little on landing, and then instantly freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice. This is why it is called freezing rain.”

Freezing rain is also expected in the Midlands(Image: WX Charts)

Dangers of freezing rain

Freezing rain can pose a number of risks. According to the Met Office, the weight of the ice can bring down trees and power lines. The ice also effectively turns roads and pathways into ice rinks. The national weather agency adds: “The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.”

Met Office weather forecast for January

The Met Office says “wintry hazards” are on the cards at the start of January. This could include snow, which may even impact low-lying regions.

Freezing rain can pose a number of risks(Image: WX Charts)

The Met Office forecast for January 1 to 10 states: “An area of low pressure moves through the North Sea at first, which leads to rain and showers spreading south across the UK.

“Thereafter high pressure will likely be centred to the northwest with low pressure to the east, which allows a cold, showery, northerly flow develop for a time. For many this leads to a fairly settled period but there will be some wintry hazards including perhaps snow to low levels to north facing coastal areas at times.

“Showers will likely spread further inland at times and there may be some windier periods with more prolonged rain, however on the whole it will be drier than average. Temperatures will likely be below average for much of the period though it may turn near average or above average later.”

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for further talks aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader has said he and the US president will discuss several issues, including land and security guarantees.

Here, Sky News looks at the major issues they are likely to discuss as a 20-point peace framework and security guarantee deal appear to be close.

Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy hoping for ‘very constructive’ talks

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Ukraine and US agree updated 20-point peace plan

What can we expect from the talks?

Mr Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan to be discussed “is about 90% ready” and that “a lot can be decided before the New Year”.

He said security guarantees and an “economic agreement” will also be discussed, but he did not say “whether anything will be finalised by the end”.

Ukraine will also raise “territorial issues”, he added.

What security guarantees could be agreed?

Mr Zelenskyy has said he will prioritise discussing security guarantees for Ukraine, adding that these depend on Mr Trump and “what he is ready to give, when he is ready to give it, and for how long”.

Earlier this week, he told Axios the US had offered a 15-year deal on security guarantees, subject to renewal, but Kyiv wanted a longer agreement with legally binding provisions to help guard against future Russian aggression.

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Russia bombarded Kyiv in a huge attack the day before the talks. Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump has said the United States is the driving force behind the process and told Politico: “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got.”

Mr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine and the US had a “common vision” for co-operation on Ukraine’s post-war recovery, which included the creation of several investment funds.

The US has committed to providing guarantees mirroring NATO’s Article 5, which means an attack on Ukraine would trigger a collective military response from the US and its allies – but key details remain.

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‘Give and take’ important during Ukraine peace talks, analyst says

Why is territory a major sticking point?

Territorial issues remain a major sticking point in the negotiations.

Mr Zelenskyy has said he will discuss both Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the talks, but stressed Ukraine would never recognise any territory as Russian “under any circumstances”.

Moscow has demanded Ukraine withdraw from parts of the eastern Donetsk region, which Russian troops have failed to occupy during almost four years of war, as it seeks to gain full control of the Donbas, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

However, Kyiv has argued the fighting should be halted along the current frontlines.

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What could be next for Ukraine?

Seeking a compromise, the US has proposed a free economic zone if Ukraine leaves parts of the Donetsk region – but the proposal gives no details on how such a zone would function.

Axios cited Mr Zelenskyy saying if he is not able to push the US to back Ukraine’s “strong” position on the issue of land, he is willing to put the 20-point plan to a referendum – as long as Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to prepare for and then hold the vote.

According to Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, Mr Putin told some of Russia’s top businessmen he might be open to swapping some territory controlled by Russian forces elsewhere in Ukraine, but he wanted the whole of the Donbas in exchange.

Image:
A Russian soldier stands guard at a checkpoint near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. File pic: Reuters

Nuclear power plant issue remains unresolved

Another unresolved issue is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control since early in the war.

Although almost all countries consider that the plant, Europe’s largest, belongs to Ukraine, Moscow claims it is owned by Russia and a unit of Russia’s state-owned Rosatom nuclear corporation runs it.

Mr Zelenskyy has said the US side has proposed joint trilateral operation of the plant between the US, Ukraine and Russia.

But he said the Ukrainian proposal envisages Ukrainian-American use of the plant, with the US determining how to use 50% of the energy produced.

Oleksandr Kharchenko, the director of the Energy Research Centre in Kyiv, said Moscow intends to use the plant to cover a significant energy deficit in Russia’s south.

He said it would take Ukraine five to seven years to build the generating capacity to compensate for the loss of the plant.

What has Russia said?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Moscow can see Kyiv is in no hurry to end the conflict by peaceful means, according to the Interfax news agency.

Mr Putin said if Ukraine does not want to resolve the conflict peacefully, then Russia will accomplish all goals of its “special military operation” by force, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

It came after Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight, which Mr Zelenskyy said demonstrated Moscow wanted to continue the war while Kyiv wanted peace.

Mr Trump has said he believes the meeting on Sunday will go well, and he also expects to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon, as much as I want”.

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The US president says air strikes are against ISIL, claiming the group targets Christians.

“More to come”: Those are the words of United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his country carried out a wave of air strikes against ISIL (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.

Hegseth said the aim is to stop the group’s killing of what he called “innocent Christians”.

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Back in November, President Donald Trump warned the US would take action against the group if the Nigerian government continued to allow what he claimed was the targeting of Christians.

Many say Trump was pressured by his right-wing Christian base in the US to carry out the recent attacks in Nigeria. But what could be the fallout on the African country with a highly complex religious makeup?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Malik Samuel – Senior researcher at Good Governance Africa

Ebenezer Obadare – Senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

David Otto – Deputy director of counterterrorism training at the International Academy for the Fight Against Terrorism

Published On 27 Dec 202527 Dec 2025

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Southern Californians are facing an epic clean-up operation after the region’s wettest Christmas holiday in recent history turned areas of the state into a panorama of mud and debris.

A year ago, record wildfires scorched the dry neighborhoods of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. But now, in what scientists call “hydroclimate whiplash”, the picture is reversed after an atmospheric river off the Pacific brought the elemental opposites of winds and rain.

Southern California recorded its wettest Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ever, with Santa Barbara airport getting 5.91in of rain. More than 17in fell in one single area of the Ventura county mountains.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were the rainiest for many parts of southern California, with more than 10in of rain falling in parts of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles county.

The stormy weather brought down trees, caused hundreds of car crashes and knocked out power for thousands across the state. Hundreds found their homes and gardens hit by flows of mud.

The weather system spawned a tornado on Christmas, the National Weather Service confirmed, that damaged a home and a commercial strip mall in Boyle Heights.

With a wind speed of up to 80mph, the twister travelled for one-third of a mile soon after 10am on Thursday. It was classified as an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The destruction it caused included damage to the roof of a home, and breaking windows and tree branches, bending a utility pole and destroying commercial signage in a shopping plaza.

“The safety of every Angeleno is my top priority,” said Los Angeles’ mayor, Karen Bass, who earlier declared a temporary state of emergency, in a statement pointing to the tornado and “consecutive days of wet weather”.

Firefighters in Los Angeles county rescued more than 100 people just on Thursday, with one helicopter pulling 21 people from stranded cars. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, declared emergencies in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Shasta counties.

With the heaviest rains now past, there is still a risk of flash flooding and mudslides, the National Weather Service warned.

“Still not quite out of the woods, but for the most part, the worst is over,” said Mike Wofford, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles. Forecasters anticipate a dry weekend before more rain around New Year’s Eve.

Sherry Tocco described to the Los Angeles Times how her mountain town of Wrightwood, 80 miles north-east of Los Angeles, was pummeled by rain that turned the roads into rivers and buried cars under rocks, debris and mud.

The river, she said, was raging before “it just came through and destroyed, took everything with it”. Tocco said firefighters helped her evacuate and she had slept in her car.

But what fell as rain in the lowlands fell as snow in higher elevations. As much as 2in of snowfall an hour fell in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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Germany may need to return to conscription before the end of the government’s current term, the chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, Thomas Röwekamp, said.

Röwekamp, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told Die Welt newspaper he doubts the government’s voluntary model will be enough to expand the Bundeswehr.

“I personally expect that we will have to return to conscription before the end of this legislative period,” he said.

Merz’s government introduced a revamped voluntary service earlier this year to make short‑term enlistment more appealing to young recruits.

Röwekamp, however, warned that the Military Service Modernization Act, which was intended to boost recruitment voluntarily, “will not be sufficient.” 

NATO’s planning rules require Germany to be able to field around 460,000 soldiers by 2035 in the event of a crisis or war.

The country’s military, the Bundeswehr, must also replace the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers who leave active duty each year.

A new conscription framework, recently approved by lawmakers, will take effect in the new year. It is designed to identify who could be drafted if conscription is reactivated.

All 18‑year‑old Germans will receive a questionnaire on their motivation and suitability for service.

Completing the questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women.

Men will also be required to undergo a medical examination; for women, this remains optional.

Germany agrees on conscription framework

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President Donald Trump said that the 2026 midterm elections will revolve around “pricing” despite repeatedly describing affordability as a “hoax” perpetuated by Democrats.

During an interview with Politico on Friday, the Republican president expressed confidence that midterm voters — who will decide which party controls Congress next year — will embrace his economic agenda.

“I think it’s going to be about the success of our country. It’ll be about pricing,” Trump told the outlet. “Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down.”

The president’s recent emphasis on the cost of living comes after Democrats romped to victory in a string of states earlier this year, largely by tapping into economic concerns.

Recognizing the potency of the issue, Trump went on the offensive, hitting the campaign trail in Pennsylvania earlier this month to highlight his economic agenda and assuage anxieties. However, he veered off script and repeatedly downplayed worries.

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President Donald Trump said the 2026 midterms will revolve around ‘pricing’ — despite claiming affordability is ‘hoax’ perpetuated by Democrats (AFP via Getty Images)

“They have a new word. You know, they always have a hoax. The new word is affordability,” Trump said during a December 9 speech in Mount Pocono.

Democrats have complained that “prices are too high,” Trump added. “Yeah, they’re too high because they caused them to be too high. But now they’re coming down.”

He also advocated for austerity measures, stating that American children should be content with “one or two” pencils and “two or three” dolls.

A day earlier, the president appeared supremely satisfied at the state of the U.S. economy, giving it an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” rating in an interview with Politico.

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‘I think it’s going to be about the success of our country. It’ll be about pricing,’ Trump said on Friday, when asked about the upcoming midterm elections. ‘Because, you know, they gave us high pricing, and we’re bringing it down. Energy’s way down. Gasoline is way down’ (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump’s latest comments come on the heels of a series of economic reports showing the economy performing better than many expected.

In November, inflation fell to 2.7 percent year-over-year, the smallest increase recorded since July, according to the latest consumer price index report from the Labor Department. And data published by the government this week revealed that the economy grew at an annual rate of 4.3 percent, the fastest clip in two years.

“You saw the 4.3 percent?” Trump said to Politico on Friday. “The Democrats were exploding. Their heads were exploding.”

“Electricity is down. It’s way down,” Trump added. “You know, when the gasoline goes down and when the oil and gas go down, the electricity comes down naturally. But it’s all coming down. It’s all coming down. It’s coming beautifully.”

Still, other indicators paint a less favorable picture of the economy. For example, between January and November, corporate bankruptcies soared to a 15-year high as companies struggled to cope with Trump’s trade wars.

And recent polls show that most Americans — including many of Trump’s own voters — are indeed feeling squeezed by the present economic climate.

A Politico survey conducted in November revealed that 46 percent of respondents believe the current cost of living is the worst they can remember. This figure includes 37 percent of Trump 2024 voters and 53 percent of voters who cast their ballots for former Vice President Kamala Harris.

At the same time, nearly half reported struggling to afford essentials like groceries, health care and housing, while more than a quarter said they’ve skipped medical appointments in the past two years due to high costs.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Joe Burrow surprised his Bengals teammates with unique Christmas gifts, including authentic dinosaur, bear and mammoth fossils
• “I think it speaks to his intelligence and interests, and his desire to do something unique,” Bengals center Ted Karras told ESPN of Burrow’s gifts
• Last year, the quarterback gifted his linemen authentic Japanese Kata swords

Joe Burrow has mastered the art of gift-giving. 

After presenting his offensive linemen with authentic samurai swords for Christmas last year, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, 29, decided to stick with a historic theme this year, surprising his teammates with a collection of real dinosaur, bear and mammoth fossils as holiday gifts, according to ESPN. 

“I think it speaks to his intelligence and interests, and his desire to do something unique,” center Ted Karras told the outlet about Burrow’s gifts. “I thought it was really special.”

Burrow invited his teammates to his home in Cincinnati, where they were greeted by the array of old bones mounted on displays to choose from, per ESPN.

While Karras picked the tusk of a woolly mammoth, Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims each chose to take home cave bear skulls. Rookie left guard Dylan Fairchild even left with a historic piece of a Tyrannosaurus rex. 

Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys.

Cooper Neill/Getty

In Netflix’s Quarterback, a docuseries that follows Burrow, Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff on and off the field during the 2024-25 NFL season, the athlete makes his affinity for fossils and archaeology known.

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“We went to the Natural History Museum. They took us behind the scenes and showed us some really cool stuff. It’s like a library of fossils that they don’t show everybody else,” he says in the series.

“It’s like you go to a shoe store, and they’re like ‘Maybe we have it in the back,’ ” Burrow adds. “And it was, like, all the fossils back there. It was pretty sick.”

Burrow wasn’t the only quarterback to spoil his teammates for Christmas this year.

Patrick Mahomes gifted other Kansas City Chiefs members a Hublot watch, some of which can retail for over $40,000, as well as a Full Swing KIT, an indoor golf practice tool that analyzes swings and captures replay videos that can be viewed from an app. 

Some of the smaller gifts from the NFL star also included Beats Studio Pro headphones, Oakley Meta HSTN AI sunglasses, Rimowa aluminum suitcases and Aventon e-bikes. 

“Christmas came early for the O-line,” the Kansas City Chiefs wrote on Instagram alongside photos of the players opening their gifts from Mahomes, 30. “Shoutout to QB1 for the gifts 🎄.”

Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, gifted his Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman a Can-Am Maverick side-by-side vehicle.

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