‘Tis the season for hopeful New Year’s resolutions — and keeping my apartment tidy in 2026 is at the top of my list. 

I’ve found that having a dedicated space for everything makes it so much easier to stay organized, but no matter how much storage space you have, it never feels like enough. Maximizing every square inch of space with clever organizers is the key to banishing clutter — and this Amazon find is the ideal fit for transforming cluttered cabinets and shelves. 

Take advantage of that newfound motivation heading into the new year — and the 40 percent discount on the Pougny Pull-Out Organizer — and add it to your cart now. 

Pougny Pull-Out Under Sink Organizer, Pack of 2

Amazon

What makes this set of Pougny Pull-Out Organizers so game-changing? They help utilize otherwise unused vertical space in your cabinets, making it easy to access and take a visual inventory of all your products, which makes “eliminating clutter easy,” according to one shopper. The shelves measure 12.8 inches tall, so they can slide into most under-sink cabinets and can even be useful for organizing the pantry, too. 

The bottom shelf slides out for easy access to your things without reaching around the stationary top shelf. The four hanging hooks on the side of each organizer add additional storage for scrub brushes, coffee cups, and other hanging items. 

This pull-out organizer would be great for storing food or cleaning supplies in the kitchen, but it can also help you tidy up personal care items in the bathroom or detergents and stain sprays in the laundry room, and more. 

“I have a small home with very minimal storage. This really helped me organize what looked like clutter,” one shopper shared, adding that it “fits well under [their] sink for all [their] cleaning products.”

“The drawers slide out smoothly, which makes it so much easier to grab what you need without pulling everything else out first. Installation was super simple, and I love that they maximize vertical space without being bulky or getting in the way of pipes,” a second shopper wrote, dubbing them a “small upgrade” that makes a “big difference.”

Grab this Pougny Under Sink Organizer while it’s on sale for just $15 at Amazon. Then keep scrolling to shop more organizational must-haves on sale at Amazon for a clutter-free new year. 

More Organizers on Sale at Amazon

Criusia Acrylic Drawer Organizers, Set of 6, $20 with Prime

Amazon

Lamu 2-Tier Lazy Susan Organizer

Amazon

Mudeela Pot and Pan Organizer Rack

Amazon

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For the Prince and Princess of Wales’s eldest son Prince George, 2026 is shaping up to be a year og big changes as the second-in-line to the throne celebrates a landmark birthday

Prince George at Wimbledon in July (Image: Visionhaus via Getty Images)

He’s been growing up away from the spotlight, only joining his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales for the most important of royal events. But 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for future King Prince George – with a seismic change ahead.

Not only will Prince William and Kate’s eldest son enter secondary school next September, his next birthday in July will see him officially turn a teenager when he hits 13. It comes as the second-in-line to the throne appears to be ever so slowly and gently being introduced more and more to his royal life ahead of him.

He currently attends Lambrook school with his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, with his parents dropping sweet snippets about his life when out and about on royal duties such his love of planes and Airfix models and joining dad William at Aston Villa matches.

READ MORE: Queen Camilla’s ‘heartbreaking fear’ as King Charles told world of cancer battleREAD MORE: Kate Middleton’s moving note revealed after emotional surprise cancer outingGeorge on an engagement with his parents to mark VE Day(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

But speculation is ramping up as to where George will continue his schooling in September once he turns 13. So far, William and Kate have kept their cards close to their chest as to which school he will attend, with top picks believed to include his father’s former school Eton and the school his mum went to, Marlborough College.

Previously, George and his parents had been spotted visiting Eton College, while Marlborough College is considered one of the UK’s top boarding schools, catering for both boys and girls. But wherever he ends up continuing his education, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells the Mirror that she is sure George will have had a say in his next move.

She said: “When William was 13, he began his secondary education at Eton College. I remember standing a few yards away from him as he was welcomed by his housemaster, Dr Andrew Gailey – who became an important figure in the young Prince’s life. Both his parents were at his side but, by then, they were officially separated.

George with mum Kate at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall (Image: PA)

“William and his brother had witnessed the painful breakup of the marriage over many years. So, in a way, being at boarding school became a haven for William. Things are very different for George, who has been brought up in a household full of love and harmony.

“So it might be tougher for him to suddenly find himself living away at boarding school – if that is, indeed, the decision his parents have made. But I’m sure it will have been a family decision – and not one simply imposed on the young prince.”

But when it comes to George, it seems that William and Kate are not only faced with a big decision with his schooling – but also with another dilemma that also faces parents up and down the country.

Earlier this year, William revealed that none of his children have been allowed smartphones but later admitted the stance had become a struggle with his oldest son. He told Luciano Huck in an interview for Brazilian TV: “When George moves on to secondary school, maybe he’ll have one with limited access.

George in his 12th birthday portrait(Image: INSTAGRAM)George with his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

“It’s getting to the point where it is becoming a bit of a tense issue. But I think he understands why, we communicate why we don’t think it’s right.” And Jennie added: “I imagine a big question for George will be: is this the year he’s finally allowed smartphone? We know there are some tensions between George and his parents over this thorny issue.

“My money is on him not being allowed a smartphone for a few years yet, but this may be the time for him to be allowed a brick phone – so he can at least keep in touch with his family and friends, like so many young people of his age.” When it comes to public appearances, they are still few and far between, but the last 12 months has seen him make two of his most high-profile outings to date.

In May, he joined his parents in chatting to Second World War heroes at a Buckingham Palace tea party on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. He won praise as he listened intently to their important stories and asked questions about their experiences. Then just last month, he joined mum Kate at the annual Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall to pay his respects to the nation’s war dead.

George and William together at The Passage earlier this month

George shuffled a little in his seat between musical performances and watched intently as emotional videos of veterans speaking about their experiences and paying tribute to their lost friends and comrades played.

Meanwhile, just earlier this month, George joined his father to don an apron and help with Christmas lunch preparations at a shelter for the homeless. The father and son wore The Passage charity’s aprons as William poured Brussels sprouts onto an oven dish and George laid Yorkshire puddings out onto a tray ahead of cooking.

Visiting the shelter in Victoria, central London, at Christmas time has become something of a tradition for the Prince of Wales, who helped out in 2023 and 2024. He first visited the charity with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was 11 and brought his 12-year-old son along to follow in his footsteps.

It’s led many to hope that with the young prince growing up fast, more high-profile royal engagements might be on the cards. However, Wiliam and Kate are known to be very protective of all of their children – and keen to give them as normal an upbringing as possible.

And with this in mind, Jennie added: “However, I don’t think it’s one that will bring any major increase in his public appearances. This is a time for him to get used to his new circumstances, to knuckle down and start studying for important exams and to enjoy his school life. So I think his parents will continue to protect him for as long as possible from the public glare that lies ahead.”

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The Balkan nation votes again as PM Albin Kurti seeks majority to break the stalemate and form a government.

Published On 28 Dec 202528 Dec 2025

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Kosovo is voting to elect a new parliament for the second time in 11 months, as nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s party seeks a majority to end a yearlong political deadlock.

Polls opened at 7am local time (06:00 GMT) and will close at 7pm (18:00 GMT) on Sunday, with exit polls expected soon after voting ‌ends.

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The snap parliamentary vote was called after Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement (LVV) party failed to form a government despite winning the most votes at a February 9 ballot.

Failure to form a government and reopen parliament would prolong the crisis at a critical time. Lawmakers must elect a new president in April and ratify 1 billion euros ($1.2bn) in loan agreements from the European Union and ‍World Bank that expire ⁠in the coming months.

The Balkan country’s opposition parties have refused to govern with Kurti, criticising his handling of ties with Western allies and his approach to Kosovo’s ethnically divided north, where a Serb minority lives.

Kosovo’s acting PM and leader of the LVV party, Albin Kurti [File: Armend Nimani/AFP]

Despite international support, the country of 1.6 million has struggled with poverty, instability and organised crime. Kurti’s tenure, which began ‌in 2021, was the first time a Pristina government completed a full term.

To woo voters, Kurti has pledged an additional month of salary per year for public sector workers, 1 billion euros per year in capital investment and a new prosecution unit to fight organised crime. ​Opposition parties have also promised to focus on improving living standards.

Opinion polls are ‌not published in Kosovo, leaving the outcome uncertain. Many voters say they are disillusioned.

“There wouldn’t be great joy if Kurti wins, nor would there be if the opposition wins. This country needs drastic changes, and I don’t see that change ‌coming,” Edi Krasiqi, a doctor, told Reuters news agency.

Tensions with Serbia

Formerly a province of Serbia, Kosovo, whose population is almost exclusively Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following an uprising and NATO intervention in 1999.

It has been recognised by more than 100 countries, but not by Russia, Serbia, Greece or Spain. It is seen as a potential candidate for accession to the EU.

Tensions with Serbia flared in 2023, prompting the EU to impose sanctions on Kosovo.

The bloc said this month it ‍would lift them after ethnic Serb mayors were elected in northern municipalities, but the measures likely cost Kosovo hundreds of millions of euros.

Kosovo remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. It is one of the six Western Balkan countries striving to eventually join the EU, but both Belgrade and Pristina have been told they must first normalise relations.

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Two of Nepal’s most popular political leaders have formed an alliance ahead of next year’s election in the wake of deadly youth-led protests earlier in the year that ousted the government.

Television host Rabi Lamichhane, the 51-year-old chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra party (RSP), and the 35-year-old rapper turned Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah pledged to address the demands of the younger generation following September’s deadly anti-corruption protests.

At least 77 people were killed during the 8-9 September youth-led uprising that was triggered by anger over a brief government ban on social media, building on public frustration after years of economic stagnation and allegations of entrenched political corruption.

According to the agreement, Lamichhane will remain the party’s chairperson, while Shah will be the candidate for prime minister in the 5 March election.

“Consensus should not be as the leader seeks, it should be what the country needs,” Lamichhane said in a statement after the deal was signed on Sunday.

Lamichhane, who was recently released on bail in connection with cooperative fraud and organised crime, is a popular television host in the Himalayan republic.

He set up the RSP in 2022, tapping into widespread discontent at Nepal’s elderly political leadership and becoming the deputy premier and interior minister.

Shah, popularly known as Balen, is seen as a popular figure in the political transition and helped form the interim government led by Sushila Karki after the ousting of KP Sharma Oli’s government.

On Saturday, Karki held meetings with Oli, the Nepali Congress president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and the Nepali Communist party coordinator, Pushpa Kamal Dahal – the first such consultation since the uprising.

After the meeting, Karki wrote on social media that the election was a shared responsibility of all stakeholders. “The government is committed to guaranteeing a free and fear-free environment. We are working in a manner that leaves no room for doubt.”

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Kelly Ngand

BBC Burmese,Mandalay

EPA

Myanmar’s military is holding a phased election over the next month

Myanmar is voting in an election widely dismissed as a sham, with major political parties dissolved, many of their leaders jailed and as much as half the country not expected to vote because of an ongoing civil war.

The military government is holding a phased ballot nearly five years after it seized power in a coup, which sparked widespread opposition and spiralled into a civil war.

Observers say the junta, with China’s support, is seeking to legitimise and entrench its power as it seeks a way out of the devastating stalemate.

More than 200 people have been charged for disrupting or opposing the polls under a new law which carries severe punishments, including the death penalty.

Polling began on Sunday and there were reports of explosions and airstrikes across multiple regions in the country as voting took place.

Three people were taken to hospital following a rocket attack on an uninhabited house in the Mandalay region in the early hours of Sunday, the chief minister of the region confirmed to the BBC. One of those people is in a serious condition.

Separately, more than ten houses were damaged in the Myawaddy township, near the border with Thailand, following a series of explosions late on Saturday.

A local resident told the BBC that a child was killed in the attack, and three people were taken to hospital in an emergency condition.

Further reports of casualties have emerged following other explosions.

Voters have told the BBC that the election feels more “disciplined and systematic” than those previously.

“The experience of voting has changed a lot,” said Ma Su ZarChi, who lives in the Mandalay region.

“Before I voted, I was afraid. Now that I have voted, I feel relieved. I cast my ballot as someone who has tried their best for the country.”

First-time voter Ei Pyay Phyo Maung, 22, told the BBC she was casting her ballot because she believed that voting is “the responsibility of every citizen”.

“My hope is for the lower classes – right now, the prices of goods are skyrocketing, and I want to support someone who can bring them down for those struggling the most,” she said.

“I want a president who provides equally for all people.”

EPA/Shutterstock

Voters queue to cast their ballots in Yangon, Myanmar

The Burmese junta has rejected criticism of the polls, maintaining that it aims to “return [the country] to a multi-party democratic system”.

After casting his vote at a highly fortified polling station in the capital, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told the BBC that the election would be free and fair.

“I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a civil servant. I can’t just say that I want to be president,” he said, stressing that there are three phases of the election.

Earlier this week, he warned that those who refuse to vote are rejecting “progress toward democracy”.

Win Kyaw Thu/BBC

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in the capital Nay Pyi Taw

Film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut and comedian Ohn Daing were among the prominent figures convicted under the law against disrupting polls, which was enacted in July.

They were each handed a seven-year jail term after criticising a film promoting the elections, state media reported.

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Sunday called on the international community to reject the election – saying “nothing legitimate” can come of it.

“An election organised by a junta that continues to bomb civilians, jail political leaders, and criminalise all forms of dissent is not an election – it is a theatre of the absurd performed at gunpoint,” he said.

The military has been fighting on several fronts, against both armed resistance groups who oppose the coup, as well as ethnic armies which have their own militias. It lost control of large parts of the country in a series of major setbacks, but clawed back territory this year following relentless airstrikes enabled by support from China and Russia.

The civil war has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, destroyed the economy and left a humanitarian vacuum. A devastating earthquake in March and international funding cuts have made the situation far worse.

All of this and the fact that large parts of the country are still under opposition control presents a huge logistical challenge for holding an election.

Voting is set to take place in three phases over the next month in 265 of the country’s 330 townships, with the rest deemed too unstable. Results are expected around the end of January.

There is not expected to be any voting in as much as one half of the country. Even in the townships that are voting, not all constituencies will go to the polls, making it difficult to forecast a possible turnout.

Six parties, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, are fielding candidates nationwide, while another 51 parties and independent candidates will contest only at the state or regional levels.

Some 40 parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy, which scored landslide victories in 2015 and 2020, have been banned. Suu Kyi and many of the party’s key leaders have been jailed under charges widely condemned as politically motivated, while others are in exile.

“By splitting the vote into phases, the authorities can adjust tactics if the results in the first phase do not go their way,” Htin Kyaw Aye, a spokesman of the election-monitoring group Spring Sprouts told the Myanmar Now news agency.

Ral Uk Thang, a resident in the western Chin state, believes civilians “don’t want the election”.

“The military does not know how to govern our country. They only work for the benefit of their high-ranking leaders.

“When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s party was in power, we experienced a bit of democracy. But now all we do is cry and shed tears,” the 80-year-old told the BBC.

Western governments, including the United Kingdom and the European Parliament, have dismissed the vote as a sham, while regional bloc Asean has called for political dialogue to precede any election.

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A supposedly empty Minnesota daycare has reportedly received $4 million in taxpayer funds as the state grapples with allegations it failed to stop widespread fraud in its social safety programs. 

The allegations circulated on social media this week following a video posted to X by independent journalist Nick Shirley, which accused Minnesota authorities of allowing the ‘largest fraud in US history’ to go unchecked. 

The video reached over 65 million views in less than two days, according to X viewing statistics, as Shirley visited the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis to question where the taxpayer money went.  

The business’s name is misspelled as ‘Quality Learing Center’ in a sign above the front door, and according to the video, the parking lot is mostly empty. The lobby also appears to be dark.

‘Four million dollars of hard-earned tax dollars going to an education center that can’t even spell learning correctly. Care to explain this one, Tim Walz?’ Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer wrote on X in response to the clip. 

This comes after it was alleged that Minnesota’s government was defrauded out of billions in public funds for programs meant to feed children, assist the homeless and provide autism therapy. So-called providers submitted false invoices to be reimbursed for services that were never provided, according to federal prosecutors.

The alleged fraud is so severe that, in early December, Dr. Mehmet Oz threatened Governor Tim Walz that he would withhold federal Medicaid funding from the state unless significant changes were made. Many of these programs are funded, in whole or in part, by Medicaid. 

Oz serves as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Pictured: Nick Shirley, a pro-Trump influencer, stands outside the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The daycare center has racked up 121 violations, many of them serious, since May 2022

Governor Tim Walz has presided over a $1 billion fraud against Minnesota’s social safety net by criminals who submitted false invoices to receive taxpayer dollars. The Quality Learning Center has not been accused of wrongdoing

🚨 Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet. We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day. Like it and share it around like wildfire! Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable

We ALL… pic.twitter.com/E3Penx2o7a

— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 26, 2025

Vice President JD Vance has also addressed the scandal in Minnesota, most recently on Saturday. 

‘What’s happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system. Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich. But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans,’ he wrote in a social media post.

The Quality Learning Center has not been officially accused of wrongdoing by authorities. Still, according to Shirley, a pro-Trump influencer, it has received up to $4 million in state and federal dollars. 

In Shirley’s clip, he was seen trying to speak with staff at the center. He was instead met with a screaming woman accusing him of being an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. 

‘Don’t open up! It’s ICE!’ the woman repeatedly shouted.

Shirley eventually got through to her and convinced her he wasn’t ICE and that he was a YouTuber merely asking about potential fraud.

Another man with Shirley held up a paper that he said was evidence that the Quality Learning Center had received $1.9 million in taxpayer funds in fiscal year 2025, specifically through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). He claimed that the daycare had received $4 million in total from this program.

Local news station KSTP reached a different conclusion after investigating the facility in January. The station reported it received $7.8 million in federal dollars since 2019, though it isn’t clear whether this figure includes funding from sources other than CCAP. 

The claims prompted questions about where taxpayer money went, as the daycare center racked up 11 violations during a state inspection on June 23, 2025, according to government records.

These violations included failing to keep areas where children play from falling into disrepair, keeping items in cribs for infants, not following a doctor’s instructions when giving children prescription medicine, and hiring an unqualified substitute caregiver.

Since May of 2022, there have been 121 violations at the daycare, records showed, including allegedly failing to request background checks for 14 employees.

Congressman Tom Emmer, a Republican of Minnesota caught onto the news about the Quality Learning Center and urged Governor Walz to look into it

Pictured: Shirley gets into an argument with a woman outside the daycare center who believed for a while that he was a member of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The only punishment the daycare has faced in this three-year period is paying two separate $200 fines, according to state records.

Minnesota House Speaker Designate, Rep. Lisa Demuth, a Republican, told KSTP in earlier this year that this is an example of how ‘oversight is incredibly lacking’.

‘You have pages here that are publicly available, with repeated failure to keep hazardous items away from children,’ Demuth said in January. ‘Failure to maintain adequate staff-to-child ratios. Background checks. Failure to keep personnel files. These are repeated violations.’ 

If the Quality Learning Center is found to have been a beneficiary of CCAP funds, the scandal could broaden.

The allegations of fraud at the Quality Learning Center led to a growing number of Minnesota non-profits facing similar claims. 

At the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, the organization claimed to serve tens of thousands of meals to low-income children during the pandemic.

But in a recent court filing, prosecutors allege most of those meals never existed, and instead, the taxpayer money went to luxury homes, cars, jewelry and real estate abroad. According to court documents, the nonprofit misappropriated $250 million.

One housing program in Minnesota ballooned from an expected $2.6 million to $104 million, mostly due to fake billing. Hundreds of providers were reimbursed for services that were never provided.

Another program that was supposed to provide therapy to autistic children did nothing of the sort, according to prosecutors.

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It’s quite common to have a cold around this time of the year, but how do you know if your chesty cough and runny nose is actually a sign you have the flu instead?

Christine Younan Deputy Editor Social Newsdesk

05:05, 28 Dec 2025

It’s important to know the difference between a cold and flu(Image: Getty Images)

Getting a cold in the winter is more common because viruses spread easier in crowded indoor spaces and the weather can also weaken the immune response in the nose, making it harder to fight off germs.

Now it’s one thing having a blocked nose and slight cough, but often people mistake their illness for a cold, rather than the flu. Symptoms for a flu are usually more severe as you might experience a fever, headache and muscle aches, as well as a dry cough and sore throat. Meanwhile, a cold has symptoms peaking in 2-3 days, with a recovery taking around a week or so.

And with a super flu wrecking havoc across the UK, it’s never been more important to know the difference between a cold and flu. According to Berkshire NHS, who boasts 17,100 followers on TikTok, there are three differences between the two illnesses.

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In a caption, the community NHS trust said: “Cold and flu symptoms are similar but flu tends to be more severe. The flu vaccine helps protect against flu. Visit the NHS website to find out more.”

The video shows an NHS worker revealing three symptoms as she walks to the correct answer. The first was the flu appears quickly within a few hours, while a cold would affect mainly your nose and throat.

As for the final sign, a flu can make you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal.

A flu will often get better on its own, but it can make some people seriously ill so it’s important to get a vaccine if you’re advised and to practice safe distancing to prevent passing on your germs.

What are the symptoms of a flu?

• A sudden high temperature
• An aching body
• Feeling tired or exhausted
• A dry cough
• A sore throat
• A headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea or tummy pain
• Feeling sick and being sick

What are the symptoms of a cold?

• A blocked or runny nose
• Sneezing
• A sore throat
• A hoarse voice
• A cough
• Feeling tired and unwell
• A high temperature
• Aching muscles
• A loss of taste and smell
• A feeling of pressure in your ears and face

Generally you can treat a cold without seeing a GP, you should begin to feel better in about 1-2 weeks with symptoms coming on over 2-3 days.

It’s worth noting symptoms of a cold can last longer in a young child. They might be more irritable and have difficulty eating and sleeping. They would probably breathe through their mouth and get sick after coughing.

Make sure you get plenty of rest around the Christmas holidays (if you can), drink lots of fluids and eat healthy food to prevent any illness.

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The United Kingdom has imposed visa restrictions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accusing its government of failing to cooperate with its new policy on the return of undocumented migrants and those who commit criminal offences.

The UK Home Office announced the measures in a statement late on Saturday. It also said that Angola and Namibia have agreed to step up efforts to take back their citizens.

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The agreements mark the first major change under sweeping reforms unveiled by Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood last month to make refugee status temporary and speed up the deportation of those who arrive without documents in the UK.

There was no immediate comment from the DRC, Angola or Namibia.

The Home Office said the DRC failed to meet the UK’s requirements for cooperation and has now been stripped of fast-track visa services and preferential treatment for VIPs and decision makers.

Mahmood said the UK could escalate measures to a complete halt of visas for the DRC unless cooperation rapidly improves.

“We expect countries to play by the rules. If one of their citizens has no right to be here, they must take them back,” she said.

“I thank Angola and Namibia and welcome their co-operation. Now is the time for the Democratic Republic of Congo to do the right thing. Take your citizens back or lose the privilege of entering our country.

“This is just the start of the measures I am taking to secure our border and ramp up the removal of those with no right to be here,” she added.

Prime Minister Keir Streamer’s centre-left government unveiled sweeping changes to the UK’s asylum system last month, including drastically cutting protections for refugees and their children, as part of a bid to stem the arrivals of irregular migrants that have fuelled rising anger on the far-right.

More than 39,000 people, many fleeing conflict, have arrived in the UK on small boats this year, more than for the whole of 2024 but lower than the record set in 2022, when the Conservatives were in power.

Mahmood told lawmakers that the reforms, modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum system, would discourage refugees and asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel from France on small boats.

She described the current system as “out of control and unfair”, adding that it was an “uncomfortable truth” that the government must face.

Under the reforms, refugee status will become temporary and will be reviewed every 30 months. Refugees will be forced to return to their home countries once those are deemed safe.

They will also need to wait for 20 years, instead of the current five, before they can apply for permanent residency.

The government has also said it will legislate to make it harder for irregular migrants and foreign criminals to use the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to stop deportation.

Since July last year, the UK has “removed more than 50,000 people with no right to remain”, a 23 percent increase on the previous period, and instructed diplomats to make returns a top priority, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Yvette Cooper said.

The policy has been facing criticism, however, with Mark Davies, a former adviser to the Foreign Office, calling it “shameful” and a departure from “Britain’s historic commitment to support refugees”.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also described the policy as “draconian”, adding that it tries to “appease the most ghastly, racist right-wing forces all across Europe”, while undermining the UN Convention on Human Rights.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, urged the government to reconsider, warning the plans “will not deter” crossings, and that refugees who work hard should be able to build “secure, settled lives”.

Official figures cited by the AFP news agency showed that asylum claims in the UK are at a record high, with about 111,000 applications made in the year to June 2025.

But the number of initial positive decisions the UK authorities granted fell from 2023 to 2024.

Most asylum seekers and refugees arrive in the UK legally. Net migration reached a record high of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, before it fell to 431,000 in 2024, partly reflecting the tighter rules.

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An Australian cruise ship being investigated after allegedly leaving behind a passenger who died alone has run aground off the coast of Papua New Guinea with more than 120 people aboard.

The Coral Adventurer ran aground early on Saturday morning, about 30km from PNG’s second-largest city, Lae. The vessel’s operator, Coral Expeditions, said no one was hurt in the incident.

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“Coral Adventurer had a grounding incident in coastal Papua New Guinea yesterday. All passengers and crew are safe,” the spokesperson said.

“An initial inspection indicates no damage to the vessel. The incident has been reported to authorities and will undergo further official inspections to the hull and marine environment as a standard procedure.”

The passengers are on Papua New Guinea while a team tries to refloat the ship and inspects the hull.

The Coral Adventurer is under investigation, after Suzanne Rees, 80, from Sydney, died when she left her hiking group on Lizard Island during an excursion on day two of a planned 60-day luxury circumnavigation of Australia.

Her body was found on the island on Sunday 26 October, after a land and sea search was mounted when the ship’s crew realised she was not on board. Rees’ absence was noticed when she did not show up for dinner at about 6pm, with the ship turning round and heading back towards Lizard Island at 8.43pm. According to satellite tracking data, the Coral Adventurer was about 100km away when it turned back for Rees.

The cruise company ended the tour early with all passengers flown home from the Torres Strait islands.

The company’s chief executive officer, Mark Fifield, said “following the tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues, the decision had been made to cancel the remainder of the voyage” and that passengers would receive a full refund.

Balcony rooms on the 120-guest cruise are priced at $86,400 a person, according to a listing on Clean Cruising.

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Myanmar on Sunday saw early voters queuing up outside polling stations to cast their ballot in the military-ruled nation’s first general election in five years.

The heavily restricted polls are being conducted under the supervision of Myanmar’s military junta which has touted the exercise as a path to reconciliation and a return to democracy.

However, western governments and human rights groups see the elections as a sham designed to keep the military secretly in power through affiliated parties.

In 2021, The Tatmadaw — Myanmar’s powerful army —  seized power by removing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup triggered a deadly civil war, which has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

The civil war continues to rage through much of the Southeast Asian nation even as the elections take place.

Opposition groups have called for a voter boycott.

Myanmar to hold first general election since 2021 coup

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What do you need to know about the elections in Myanmar?

The month-long election is divided into three phases.

In Sunday’s first round —  which began at 6 am local time (2330 GMT) —  the vote is being held in 102 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, including in the capital Naypyidaw and the cities of Yangon and Mandalay.

The next two phases are slated for January 11 and January 25.

There will be no voting in rebel-held areas.

Over 4,800 candidates from 57 parties are contesting in the elections.

Only six parties —  including the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party —  have candidates competing nationwide. The Union Solidarity and Development Party is widely projected to win.

The other 51 parties and independents will contest only for regional legislatures. 

Former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned. Her hugely popular party, the National League for Democracy, was dissolved in 2023 and is not taking part.

UN decries ‘repression’

The junta has passed legislation that it says forbid “disruption” of the election, including protest and criticism.

It is pursuing prosecution against more than 200 people for violating the laws.

“These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement last week.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing cast his ballot in Naypyidaw alongside other military personnel, the French AFP news agency reported.

“We guarantee it to be a free and fair election,” he told reporters. “It’s organised by the military, we can’t let our name be tarnished.”

Myanmar junta holds elections amid civil war

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Edited by: Rana Taha

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Caroline Ellison, the former girlfriend of crypto swindler Sam Bankman-Fried, is set to be released from prison just over a year into her sentence. 

The 31-year-old was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2024 for wire fraud and money laundering, after admitting to helping Bankman-Fried’s FTX platform steal billions from clients. 

According to Federal Bureau of Prisons records seen by the Daily Mail, Ellison is now set to be released from custody on January 21, 2026, nine months before the end of her original sentence. 

Ellison was CEO of Alameda Research, a trading company owned by Bankman-Fried’s FTX, and she admitted that he illegally loaned Alameda billions of clients’ money before the platform collapsed in November 2022. 

She pleaded guilty to fraud charges soon after FTX collapsed and was initially sent to federal prison in Connecticut following her sentencing. After serving 11 months of her two-year sentence, she was transferred to community confinement in October 2025, as first reported by Business Insider. 

Community confinement means Ellison is either under house arrest or is in a halfway house, and in January, she will be freed less than four years after she first pleaded guilty to a slew of charges related to the collapse of FTX. 

In Bankman-Fried’s 2023 trial, Ellison became the prosecution’s star witness against her former on-and-off lover. 

Ellison cooperated with prosecutors and offered key testimony that brought down Bankman-Fried, as she confessed to knowingly engaging in illegal business tactics with the disgraced FTX founder, including telling jurors that he gave Alameda ‘unlimited’ access to FTX client money. 

Caroline Ellison, the former girlfriend of crypto swindler Sam Bankman-Fried, is set to be released from prison in January 2026, just over a year into her sentence for her role in the $8 billion FTX cryptocurrency fraud  

Ellison was the former girlfriend of Sam Bankman-Fried, and sensationally turned on him and worked with prosecutors to bring him down at trial in 2023

Ellison’s sentence of two years in federal prison surprised legal experts at the time in September 2024, as she was expected to be rewarded for her cooperation with the prosecution against Bankman-Fried. 

Before her sentencing, the CEO of the FTX bankruptcy estate, John J Ray, told the judge that Ellison deserved to avoid prison time because she ‘provided the Debtors with valuable assistance and cooperation, which resulted in the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars in Debtor assets for the benefit of creditors.’ 

Earlier this month, after being placed on community confinement, Ellison also agreed to a 10-year ban on serving as an officer or director of cryptocurrency exchanges or public companies. 

She was the star witness at Bankman-Fried’s trial and her three days of testimony, which revealed how Alameda stole billions of dollars from FTX customers to finance risky trades and lavish spending, was ‘crucial’ in securing a conviction for the fraudster. 

After pleading guilty to seven charges in late 2022, including wire fraud and money laundering, Ellison faced as much as 115 years in prison, but was expected only to receive supervised release. 

Ellison surrendered to authorities in the chaotic aftermath of the FTX collapse, which followed the platform loaning billions in client cash to Alameda. 

A court sketch depicts a moment during the Bankman-Fried trial when Ellison was overwhelmed by emotion on the stand

She was the former on-again, off-again girlfriend of Sam Bankman-Fried, who founded both FTX and Alameda Research

When FTX customers tried to withdraw their money, the company couldn’t pay out and went bankrupt. 

When she was sentenced, Ellison grew emotional in court, saying she was sorry for her part in the fraud and for not being ‘brave’ enough to stop it. 

‘I participated in a criminal conspiracy that ultimately stole billions of dollars from people who entrusted their money with us,’ she said. ‘Not a day goes by that I don’t think about all of the people I hurt.’

She cried and sniffled at times throughout her remarks.

The days of the trial when she was on the stand consistently drew the most attendees, as she recounted the salacious details of her toxic relationship with SBF and the shockingly brazen means through which the young crypto executives at FTX and Alameda, herself included, committed one of the largest financial hoodwinks in American history.

Ellison testified that Bankman-Fried ‘directed me’ to commit fraud. She said that Bankman-Fried told her to take $14 billion from the failed crypto exchange’s customers to repay the eyewatering loans Alameda had racked up to fund its often disastrous trades.

She also said that Alameda took FTX deposits for ‘whatever’ it needed.

Ellison cooperated with prosecutors and offered key testimony that brought down Bankman-Fried, as she confessed that she knowingly engaged in illegal business tactics with the disgraced FTX founder

Bankman-Fried is pictured with Gisele Bundchen at a Crypto Bahamas conference

Part of what Ellison said Bankman-Fried instructed her to do was to draft seven different balance sheets to send to Genesis, one of Alameda’s leading lenders, when it recalled its $500 million loan to Alameda in June 2022.

Many lenders were demanding their money back at this time because crypto markets were in the red.

Bankman-Fried denied telling her to do this, even though prosecutors showed he opened the Google document containing the seven balance sheets.

Ellison sent ‘alternative seven’ to Genesis and others. The document inflated Alameda’s asset value and downplayed its liabilities by billions of dollars.

By this time, she and Bankman-Fried had broken up but they had dated from summer 2020 to summer 2021.

‘I would say the whole time we were dating he was also my boss at work which created some awkward situations,’ she said at trial, adding that ‘I wanted more from our relationship and often felt he was distant or not paying attention to me.’

Ellison found herself intertwined with the bushy-haired crypto boss years before FTX’s bankruptcy, once valued at $32 billion by venture capital firms.

At Bankman-Fried’s trial, she said he directed her to tweet out a defense of the FTX and Alameda in the wake of insolvency rumors

Ellison, the daughter of two MIT professors, first met Bankman-Fried in the summer of 2015 while she was working at Jane Street Capital, a proprietary trading firm.

He was two years older than her and a full-fledged trader, while she had just taken an internship before her senior year at Stanford University.

In fall 2017, the two crossed paths again, meeting at a coffee shop in the San Francisco Bay Area to discuss what Bankman-Fried was working on: Alameda Research.

Ellison joined the company shortly after this in what she described as ‘a blind leap into the unknown.’

With Ellison now facing freedom in January, Bankman-Fried has also been actively seeking clemency from President Trump, appealing for a pardon and claiming his prosecution was politically motivated because of the ‘anti-crypto’ Biden administration.  

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Cities around the world have scaled back New Year’s Eve celebrations amid security concerns, as the FBI says it foiled an alleged bombing attack planned for Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve

Fireworks light up the sky during the New Year celebrations in Hong Kong(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Several cities worldwide are calling off their New Year’s Eve festivities due to credible threats of terrorist attacks.

This follows the FBI’s thwarting of an alleged planned bombing attack in Los Angeles set for New Year’s Eve. The four suspects were nabbed earlier this month in the Mojave Desert, east of Los Angeles, while rehearsing their plot, revealed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli at a press conference.

Officials presented surveillance aerial footage of the suspects moving a large black object onto a table in the desert. They managed to arrest the suspects before they could assemble a functional explosive device, officials said.

People gather on the Champs-Elysee as they wait for the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Paris in 2022(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

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The criminal complaint identifies the four suspects as Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. All hail from the Los Angeles area, according to Essayli.

As it stands, Los Angeles city officials have not announced any plans to cancel New Year’s Eve gatherings, but several cities have scaled back their celebrations, reports the Mirror US.

Paris

In Paris, the concert scheduled for New Year’s Eve has been scrapped, reports local news outlet sortiraparis.com, citing a request from Paris police due to security concerns.

Authorities reportedly urged the mayor to call off the concert to minimise the threat of crushes and disorder, given that massive crowds usually flock to the Champs-Elysées performance.

However, a fireworks spectacular will still go ahead, meaning not all festivities have been scrapped.

Sydney

New Year’s Eve pyrotechnics have been axed following the tragic Bondi Beach shooting that occurred earlier this month. The spectacular was expected to attract 15,000 revellers to Bondi Beach.

Waverley Council confirmed the cancellations, stating: “Due to the current situation on the ground, Waverley Council has made the decision to cancel New Year’s Eve events at Bondi Beach, including elrow XXL Bondi and Local’s Lawn,” according to Sky News.

The broadcaster reported that event organiser Fuzzy also explained the choice was made to maintain focus on demonstrating “compassion and care for Sydney’s Jewish community.”

Paris at new year(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Tokyo

Much like Paris, Tokyo officials scrapped the scheduled New Year’s Eve countdown at Shibuya Station over fears that massive gatherings could become targets for attacks and might trigger deadly stampedes, Japan Today reported.

The publication noted that Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe also expressed worries about the potential consequences of public drinking.

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Amid the forward momentum, it’s telling that Trump touched the brakes.

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” is how he trailed Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s upcoming visit to Mar-a-Lago.

The Ukrainian leader has spoken of a peace plan that’s “90% ready” but, as the guest markets its potential, the host isn’t buying – yet, at least.

Any breakthrough breaks down on Russian refusal and Donald Trump needs no reminding – it’s the evergreen reality that has undermined peace efforts and tested his diplomatic muscle with Moscow, often with unflattering results.

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‘Tough night’ after Ukraine hit by Russia

Zelenskyy and coalition allies have talked him back from the brink – a sell-out, as they saw it, when the US floated a 28-point plan that read like a Russian wish list.

The 20-point version crafted in Kyiv includes compromise and Zelenskyy talks of a “good conversation” with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, in teeing up a tete-a-tete with the man himself.

So far, so promising – but relative silence from Moscow screams otherwise.

Russian officials have made some optimistic noises but they have been measured and minimal. Vladimir Putin has barely shifted from his original position on Ukraine and there’s limited expectation that will change this weekend.

Why would it?

This is a Russian leader basking in the bonhomie of a president reshaping US relations to Moscow’s advantage and he senses opportunity to pursue territorial ambitions. Antagonism between the US and European allies is but another benefit to Putin of things as they are.

Read more:
Peace talks: What are the main issues remaining?

In such circumstances, a framework proposal that locks down his ambition, long-term, won’t necessarily land well in Moscow.

Is that why he played down the significance of the Zelenskyy plan?

Not for the first time, any Russian reluctance will be a test for Donald Trump – of strength, diplomacy, and of where his loyalties lie.

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Polls have opened in Myanmar’s first general election since the country’s military toppled Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a 2021 coup.

The heavily restricted election on Sunday is taking place in about a third of the Southeast Asian nation’s 330 townships, with large areas inaccessible amid a raging civil war between the military and an array of opposition forces.

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Following the initial phase, two rounds of voting will be held on January 11 and January 25, while voting has been cancelled in 65 townships altogether.

“This means that at least 20 percent of the country is disenfranchised at this stage,” said Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. “The big question is going to be here in the cities, what is the turnout going to be like?”

In Yangon, polling stations opened at 6am on Sunday (23:30 GMT, Saturday), and once the sun was up, “we’ve seen a relatively regular flow of voters come in,” said Cheng.

“But the voters are generally middle aged, and we haven’t seen many young people. When you look at the ballot, there are only few choices. The vast majority of those choices are military parties,” he said.

The election has been derided by critics – including the United Nations, some Western countries and human rights ⁠groups – as an exercise that is not free, fair or credible, with anti-military political parties not competing.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who was deposed by the military ​months after her National League for Democracy (NLD) won the last general election by a landslide in 2020, remains in detention, and her party has been dissolved.

The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is widely expected to emerge as the largest party.

The military, which has governed Myanmar since 2021, said the vote is a chance for a new start, politically and economically, for the nation of 55 million people, with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing consistently framing the polls as a path to reconciliation.

The military chief cast his ballot shortly after polling stations opened in Naypyidaw, the country’s capital.

The polls “will turn a new page for Myanmar, shifting the narrative from a conflict-affected, crisis-laden country to a new chapter of hope for building peace and reconstructing ‌the economy”, an opinion piece in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said on Saturday.

‘A resounding USDP victory’

But with fighting still raging in many areas of the country, the elections are being held in an environment of violence and repression, according to UN human rights chief Volker Turk. “There are no conditions for the exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, association or peaceful assembly that allow for the free and meaningful participation of the people,” he said last week.

The civil war, which was triggered by the 2021 coup, has killed an estimated 90,000 people, displaced 3.5 million and left some 22 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 22,000 people are currently detained for political offences.

In downtown Yangon, stations were cordoned off overnight, with security staff posted outside, while armed officers guarded traffic intersections. Election officials set up equipment and installed electronic voting machines, which are being used for the first time in Myanmar.

The machines will not allow write-in candidates or spoiled ballots.

Among a trickle of early voters in the city was 45-year-old Swe Maw, who dismissed international criticism.

“It’s not an important matter,” he told the AFP news agency. “There are always people who like and dislike.”

In the central Mandalay region, 40-year-old Moe Moe Myint said it was “impossible for this election to be free and fair”.

“How can we support a junta-run election when this military has destroyed our lives?” she told AFP. “We are homeless, hiding in jungles, and living between life and death,” she added.

The second round of polling will take place in two weeks’ time, before the third and final round on January 25.

Dates for counting votes and announcing election results have not been declared.

Analysts say the military’s attempt to establish a stable administration in the midst of an expansive conflict is fraught with risk, and that significant international recognition is unlikely for any military-controlled government.

“The outcome is hardly in doubt: a resounding USDP victory and a continuation of army rule with a thin civilian veneer,” wrote Richard Horsey, an analyst at the International Crisis Group in a briefing earlier this month.

“But it will in no way ease Myanmar’s political crisis or weaken the resolve of a determined armed resistance. Instead, it will likely harden political divisions and prolong Myanmar’s state failure. The new administration, which will take power in April 2026, will have few better options, little credibility and likely no feasible strategy for moving the country in a positive direction,” he added.

The Southeast Asian nation of about 50 million is riven by civil war, and there will be no voting in rebel-held areas, which is more than half the country [Nhac Nguyen/AFP]



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Large parts of north Queensland are set to be battered by days of heavy rain, with some areas expected to receive up to 500mm in the coming week, according to the weather bureau.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall in the gulf region, and is expected to issue another for the coastal region around Townsville later today.

It has also issued flood warnings in the gulf, with a flood watch active for parts of north-western Queensland and the tropical north coast.

BoM senior meteorologist Andrea Peace said parts of the gulf region, such as Mount Isa, had received between 30 and 80mm of rain in the past day or so, with isolated areas receiving up to 120mm.

The same areas are expected to receive up to 100mm of rain on Sunday.

Peace said the system was very broad and was gradually intensifying, while remaining “almost stationary”. It will “impact Queensland at least for the next three to four days”, she said.

“We are expecting to pick up a lot more rainfall through that region in the coming days,” she said.

Pearce said the system would move farther east on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Seeing totals in excess of 500mm broadly across the region this week is not out of the question,” she said.

Pearce said there was a risk to livestock, comparing the rain event to the 2019 Townsville flood that caused massive inland flooding.

The Queensland police minister, Dan Purdie, said the state disaster coordinator had spent the past week preparing for the potential flood.

“The biggest concern in north-west Queensland is livestock and fodder, and the plan is in place to drop fodder [if roads are cut off],” Purdie said.

The bureau has issued a moderate flood warning for the town of Winton, with the Diamantina River expected to flood on Sunday.

There is also a longer-term major flood warning for Walkers Bend, for the Flinders and Cloncurry catchments. Flooding is expected in Cloncurry today.

A second system is expected to cause heavy rain in the coastal regional around Townsville and Cairns. The area has already seen totals of about 100mm in the past day.

Peace said the area is likely to see an additional 60 to 80mm today, with up to 200mm in isolated pockets. On Monday it will intensify with totals of 70 to 120mm, with some areas seeing 300mm or more.

“At this stage, our flood team is looking at issuing some flood warnings, particularly for the regions around just to the north of Townsville, around the Bohle River,” she said.

The wild weather is being driven by a monsoon trough inland and a monsoon low offshore, both driven by very high sea surface temperatures. It’s likely to continue all week, with rain slackening off later in the week, Peace said.

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