FBI Director Kash Patel revealed the bureau is cracking down on fraud in Minneapolis after a daycare was accused of stealing $4 million in taxpayer money.

In a lengthy X post on Sunday, Patel said the FBI has long been aware of the situation, vowed to ‘protect the children,’ and warned this is just ‘the tip of a very large iceberg.’

A Minnesota daycare with misspelled signs and no children inside reportedly received millions in taxpayer funds, sparking immediate outrage among lawmakers demanding answers. 

Allegations spread on social media this week after independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a video on X claiming state authorities allowed the ‘largest fraud in US history’ to go unchecked. 

Lisa Demuth, running for governor, is now pushing for stricter scrutiny to uncover fraud in the Democrat-led state. 

On Sunday, Patel announced that the FBI had already ‘surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota,’ even before the social media discussion took off running.

‘The FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota,’ Patel wrote, claiming that the bureau has moving to ‘dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.’

‘Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide,’ he added. 

A supposedly empty Minnesota daycare has reportedly received $4 million in taxpayer funds, according to a video posted to X by independent journalist Nick Shirley that received over 65 million views in under two days

FBI Director Kash Patel updated X, saying the FBI had already ‘surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota,’ even before the social media discussion took off running 

Lisa Demuth, running for governor, is now pushing for stricter scrutiny to uncover fraud in the Democrat-led state

Shirley, who visited the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, shared a video of the trip that racked up over 65 million views in under two days. 

The sign above the front door misspells the name as ‘Quality Learing Center,’ and the video shows an almost empty parking lot and a dark lobby. 

In his announcement, Patel emphasized that the FBI has been aggressively targeting a massive fraud network that stole COVID-era food aid meant for children in Minneapolis.

The FBI has toppled a $250 million fraud network that targeted vulnerable children and exposed a ‘large-scale money laundering’ operation, Patel said.

‘The investigation exposed sham vendors, shell companies and large-scale money laundering tied to the Feeding Our Future network,’ he wrote. ‘The case led to 78 indictments and 57 convictions.’

Prosecutors alleged that most of the meals intended for low-income children during the pandemic never existed, and instead, the taxpayer money went to luxury homes, cars, jewelry and real estate abroad. 

Some defendants – including Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, Ahmed Ali, Hussein Farah, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, Asha Farhan Hassan, Ousman Camara and Abdirashid Bixi Dool – faced charges ranging from wire fraud to conspiracy. 

‘These criminals didn’t just engage in historic fraud, but tried to subvert justice as well,’ Patel wrote.

In a lengthy X poston Sunday, Patel said the FBI has long been aware of the situation, vowed to ‘protect the children,’ and warned this is just ‘the tip of a very large iceberg’

Allegations spread on social media this week after Shirley posted a video on X claiming state authorities allowed the ‘largest fraud in US history’ to go unchecked

He said Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and others tried to bribe a juror with $120,000, pleaded guilty, and were then sentenced to 10 years in prison and nearly $48 million in restitution in related cases. 

‘The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg,’ Patel said. ‘We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing.’

‘Furthermore, many are also being referred to immigrations officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible,’ he added. 

Additionally, a campaign staffer for Ilhan Omar, a congresswoman of Somali origin who has represented Minnesota’s 5th district since 2019, claimed he served 5,000 meals a day under fake food site Advance Athletic Development.

He instead pocketed millions and pleaded guilty to fraud in August of this year. 

On Omar’s 2018 and 2020 campaigns, he acted as an ‘enforcer,’ managing a high-intensity voter mobilization effort in Minneapolis’ Somali community. 

Patel’s announcement followed outcry from powerful figures over rampant Minnesota fraud that had slipped past federal agents without repercussions. 

‘Fraud is easy to find – if you’re willing to look for it,’ Demuth said following the allegations of fraud within the daycare. 

‘Many of these seemingly vacant businesses have been cited by the Walz admin for licensing violations which should have made it easy to catch and stop millions from being stolen,’ she added. 

Congressman Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, went further, stating that ‘folks need to be arrested and prosecuted’ and that ‘the Governor of Minnesota needs to be held accountable.’ 

Elon Musk also waded into the controversy, saying that once more Americans find out about the alleged fraud, they ‘will be horrified at what your tax money is doing.’

Vice President JD Vance addressed the apparent scandal in Minnesota, though didn’t name the daycare center specifically.

‘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,’ Vance wrote in a social media post on Saturday.

‘But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans,’ he added. 

This comes after it was alleged that Minnesota’s government lost at least $1 billion in public funds intended for feeding children, helping the homeless and providing autism therapy. 

Federal prosecutors said so-called providers submitted false invoices for services never delivered. 

Over the past five years, people mostly from Somali communities grew rich running companies that charged the state millions for social services that never happened, according to The New York Times.

Given the scale of the situation, President Donald Trump weighed in and criticized Governor Tim Walz for allowing Minnesota to become ‘a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.’ 

He said the perpetrators should be ‘sent back to where they came from.’ Later, he said he would be revoking the temporary protected status of the roughly 700 Somali nationals who have it, which prevents them from being deported. 

On Thanksgiving, Trump Walz ‘seriously retarded’ and also attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minnesota’s immigration policy. 

Earlier this month, Omar spoke out against the massive welfare fraud, warning it has a significant impact on the Somali community.

‘You know, this also has an impact on Somalis because we are also taxpayers in Minnesota,’ she said during a segment on Face the Nation, as reported by The Hill.

‘We could have also benefited from the program and the money that was stolen,’ she added, stressing that the scandal has given Somalis ‘a bad name.’

When asked if the stolen money had funded terrorism, the congresswoman said she was ‘pretty confident’ it didn’t – but any such link would reflect a major failure by investigators. 

Omar said: ‘There are people who have been prosecuted, and who have been sentenced.’

‘If there was a linkage in that the money they have stolen going to terrorism, that is a failure of the FBI and our court system in not figuring that out,’ she added.

As of now, the Quality Learning Center has not been officially accused of wrongdoing by authorities. Still, according to Shirley, a pro-Trump influencer, it has received millions in state and federal dollars.

In the viral clip this week, Shirley is seen attempting 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.

Shirley and another man held up a document alleging the Quality Learning Center pocketed $1.9 million from Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in 2025 – and $4 million in total. 

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.

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Red weather alerts were issued in Spain this week as flooding hit the Costa del Sol – one man has now tragically died as authorities search for more who are missinng



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Nick Kyrgios has defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis exhibition match.

The injury-wracked Australian maverick, currently ranked 671 in the world, beat the women’s world number one in straight sets 6-3 6-3.

Sunday’s match in Dubai had modified rules where each player was restricted to one serve only rather than two, and Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced in size by 9% to compensate for the difference in speed between men and women.

Image:
Aryna Sabalenka. Pic: Reuters

After his victory, Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, said it was a “really tough match, she is a hell of a player and such a great champion”.

He added: “She broke my serve numerous times, and I had to strap in.”

“I would love to play her again and showcase her talent and what I have left in the tank.”

There was laughing and joking between the players, some under-arm serves, and even dancing from Sabalenka during a timeout to entertain the crowd at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena.

The players are represented by the same agency which arranged the exhibition match.

Before the Dubai event, Kyrgios had been limited to just six tour-level singles matches since 2023 because of wrist and knee injuries. His most recent match was in March this year.

The event had divided opinion in the tennis world.

The so-called “Battle of the Sexes” was a name borrowed from a 1973 match, when Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome.

King won in straight sets and the match took place amid King’s efforts to start a female tour and get equal pay in tennis.

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The annual food fight festival ”Els Enfarinats” has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.

Every year participants wear military-style costumes and stage a fake coup using eggs, flour and firecrackers.

The eggers go around asking for “taxes” – donations to charity – from local people and if you don’t pay you could end up getting splatted.

The festival, held in the province of Alicante, is more than 200 years old and takes place on the 28 December each year to coincide with the Day of the Innocents – Spain’s equivalent of April Fools’ Day.

Video edited by Zahra Fatima and Jack Burgess

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LONDON: A battle over British identity and the nation’s flag is just the latest issue to widen the political divide in the United Kingdom in 2025. As the Labour government continues to face growing criticism over a number of issues, from cracking down on free speech to its migration policies, many Britons are concerned about their country’s future.

The issue simmered over the summer amid concerns of a growing rift between the ruling elites and members of the public centered on the nation’s flag. The debate, while ongoing for several years, gained new life since anti-Israel protests erupted after Hamas’ mass terror attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Britain saw a proliferation of Palestinian flags across the country.

Tensions were further heightened over the display of Palestinian flags on public buildings, with critics arguing it represents an abandonment of traditional British values, and that immigrant communities are dictating community values. Several councils in major cities bowed to public pressure. Those cities — all with sizable immigrant communities — including Sheffield, Preston, Bradford and others chose to raise the Palestinian flag last month to honor the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

SHOCKING CASES REVEAL BRITAIN’S ORWELLIAN FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN

Palestinian flags on display in Sparkhill, Birmingham, after the UK took the largely symbolic step of recognising a Palestinian state on Sunday. Picture date: Monday Sept. 22, 2025. (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)

“There’s only one flag that should be flying on public buildings in the U.K., and I include the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and that’s the Union flag. We need to start cohering around national stories and symbols, and the flag is the simplest, most visual, visceral way of doing that,” Colin Brazier, a commentator on British culture, told Fox News Digital.

Brazier is calling for a “strategy of national cohesion” with a ban on foreign flags on taxpayer-funded buildings. He said that Britain should follow America’s model of nation-building as the U.K. wrestles with “imported disintegration” and attempts to return to Britain’s core values.

Current GOV.UK guidance indicated councils should prioritize the Union flag.

The flag of the United Kingdom and the Flag of St George hang from lamposts in Birmingham. Operation Raise the Colours  have been flying and painting Union and St George’s Cross flags as part of a U.K.-wide campaign. Sunday Sept. 14, 2025. (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)

In August, a group of concerned citizens started ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ which called for people to put their flags up where they live and in their everyday lives to rally Britons. The online movement encouraged Britons to continue putting up England’s St. George’s Cross and Union Jack flags.

ENGLAND FLAG DISPLAYS POWERFUL SYMBOL IN IMMIGRATION FIGHT AS TRUMP-STYLE POPULISM SWEEPS THROUGH UK

Yet the sudden resurgence of British and English flags has been met with suspicion and criticism from the left, with many angered at the proliferation of the flags complaining they represent anti-migration and far-right sentiment.

Critics warn the U.K. is becoming increasingly divided — so much so that it is deemed controversial to fly the Union flag in public — and that parts of the country seem to care more about causes happening thousands of miles from its borders.

Anti-Israel protesters hold a banner at a protest against the Jewish state in London, UK in Dec, 2023.  (Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.)

UK FACES BACKLASH AS TEACHER DISMISSED FOR TELLING STUDENT BRITAIN IS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY

The controversy over the flags continued after Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognized a Palestinian state in September. A few days later, Starmer delivered an impassioned speech to the Labour Party’s annual conference as his center-left party pushed back against critics who said it had abandoned patriotism.

Speaking to flag-waving supporters, Starmer tried to reprise his party’s patriotic roots, urging a cheering crowd, “Let’s fly all our flags, conference, because they are our flags, they belong to all of us and we will never surrender them… And with resolve, with respect, with the flag in our hands, we will renew this country.” He also made clear the flag was for all citizens ,noting, “Our flags — flying proudly, as we celebrate differences and oppose racism.”

Yet opposition politicians were quick to dismiss Starmer’s flag speech, with one Member of Parliament, Lee Anderson, Reform’s chief whip, saying: “You’re more likely to see a Labour member fly the flag of Palestine than a St. George’s flag. That tells you all you need to know,” the Daily Telegraph reported.

Delegates wave flags as Sir Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party delivers his speech to several standing ovations at the 2025 Labour Party Conference on the 30th of Sept. 2025 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images)

While many councils ignored Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Belfast City Council in Northern Ireland justified its decision by declaring the flag was hoisted, “In recognition of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to erect the national flag of Palestine above the City Hall on the next available day from midnight.”

This issue, however, is also viewed as a symbol of shifting power. Brazier lamented the government’s indifferent attitude toward immigration and says “importing 10 million people in 25 years has a ruinous impact.”

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According to a March 2025 report by the Muslim Council of Britain, the country’s Muslim population increased by 1.2 million between 2011 and 2021, with the total number of Muslims accounting for about 6% of the U.K. population.

A recent YouGov study found mixed views on the Union flag and England’s flag of St. George. 58% of 2024 Labour voters perceive the English flag as a racist symbol but just 19% of Conservative voters and 8% of Reform voters feel the same way. The poll said that a majority of ethnic minority adults (55%) believe those putting up St George’s flags do so “mostly as a way of expressing anti-migrant and/or anti-ethnic minority sentiment”, with a plurality (41%) saying the same goes for the union flag.

It also found that “White adults too tend to believe anti-migrant/minority motivations are primarily behind the flag raisings, with 49% saying so for the English flag and 39% for the British one.”

A British Union flag flies from a souvenir stall near the Houses of Parliament in London, UK, on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Another finding of the YouGov study found that those of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage were, “the most likely to see racist sentiment in the flag displays. This is particularly marked when it comes to the belief that the England flag has become a racist symbol with 68% of Pakistani/Bangladeshi adults believing this, compared to 54% of those of mixed ethnicity, 51% of those with Indian heritage and 43% of Black adults.”

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Michael Saunders is a U.K.-based journalist.

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NEED TO KNOW

• A body found on a farm in rural Nebraska has been identified as missing mom Jerica Hamre
• The woman’s loved ones first reported her missing over 18 months ago
• Hamre was a certified nursing assistant and mother to three daughters, according to her social media

Remains found on a rural farm in Nebraska have been identified as belonging to a missing mother of three, over 18 months since her loved ones last heard from her.

The body of Jerica Hamre was discovered on a farm in rural Furnas County on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Lincoln Police Department (LPD) announced in a news release and an accompanying press conference days later, on Monday, Dec. 22.

In the wake of months of unsuccessful search efforts for Hamre, who was 30 years old when she was reported missing by her parents, the woman’s body was found by a man working in a field, police said.

The man called authorities on Dec. 17 to report that he discovered human remains in an “old farm shed,” LPD Capt. Ben Miller said in a press conference streamed by 10/11 News. Two days later, the remains were confirmed to be those of Hamre.

The discovery followed search efforts led by several different agencies and community groups, as well as Hamre’s loved ones, said Miller.

Jerica Hamre.

 Jerica Hamre/Facebook

“The effort of searching over a thousand square miles of timber, lakes, rivers and farmland was daunting and never ended as the commitment to find her was unwavering,” he said during the presser.

Hamre’s parents reported her missing in Lincoln on July 3, 2024. She was last heard from on June 25, 2024, according to police. (That was the same date the woman shared a final post on Facebook.)

Miller said Hamre’s remains had been at the location where they were found “for a long period of time.” Her cause of death is not yet clear, as police had not yet received final autopsy results as of Dec. 22.

Police are investigating Hamre’s death as a homicide, and a person of interest was in custody as of Dec. 22, police said.

They added that “there is no ongoing threat to the community” and the individual detained was “already in custody on unrelated charges.”

Miller also said investigators do not think the individual has “any connection” with the farmland on which the Nebraska mom’s remains were found.

Jerica Hamre.

 Jerica Hamre/Facebook

The Lincoln Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 28.

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

Hamre was a certified nursing assistant and mom to three daughters, according to social media posts viewed by PEOPLE. Hamre’s parents have been raising her daughters since her disappearance, according to CBS affiliate KOLN.

“It’s not the outcome any of us wanted — our hearts are broken for her family and loved ones,” the LPD wrote while announcing that Hamre’s body had been discovered. “Our condolences go out to them as they learned this news just days before the holidays.”

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By ALEXA CIMINO, US REPORTER

Published: 16:15 GMT, 28 December 2025 | Updated: 16:22 GMT, 28 December 2025

FBI agents have lifted the lid on alleged diva-behavior by Director Kash Patel as they accused him of using the agency as a personal branding platform.

Current and former agents told The Daily Beast that Patel instructed staff to alert him to ‘noteworthy arrests’ so he could appear for media coverage. 

The security chief also instructed agents to keep interactions with him to a minimum and insisted on wearing an FBI windbreaker instead of a suit, his colleagues told Axios.

Patel rose to the FBI’s top job by vowing to dismantle entrenched Washington bureaucracy but has come under scrutiny for bungling responses to several security incidents.

Concerns about his leadership were detailed in a leaked dossier, obtained by the New York Post, from current and former agents this month, which outlined what they called repeated management failures.

Among the incidents cited was Patel’s alleged meltdown following Charlie Kirk’s killing in Utah. 

His staffers complained to Axios about his social media etiquette after the assassination, citing a post where he hinted at an arrest in the probe before a suspect was actually in custody.

The dossier claims Patel flew to Provo the day after the shooting, refusing to leave his private jet until given a size-medium FBI raid jacket. 

Kash Patel with his girlfriend, country music star Alexis Wilkins

FBI Director Kash Patel has been accused by current and former agents of demanding ‘screen time’ at major arrests

When he complained it lacked enough sleeve patches, SWAT members reportedly stripped patches from their own uniforms and delivered them to the airport. 

‘Patel apparently did not have his own FBI raid jacket with him and refused to step from the plane without wearing one,’ the report stated.

During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Patel rejected the account, calling it ‘100 percent false,’ and said he was ‘honored’ to wear the jacket when it was offered and did so with ‘pride’.

The complaints come amid scrutiny of Patel’s lifestyle, including private jet use, luxury cars, and frequent high-profile trips with his musician girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. 

Former FBI executive Christopher O’Leary told MSNBC that Patel exploited his title for self-promotion, earning the nickname ‘Make-a-Wish director’.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Patel for comment.  

The move comes as Patel faces mounting scrutiny over his leadership style and spending decisions.

President Donald Trump stands with FBI director Kash Patel as he participates in a Diwali celebration in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Washington D.C.

Last week, MSNOW reported that Patel ordered four luxury armored BMWs to replace the Chevrolet Suburbans traditionally used by the bureau. 

A person close to Patel, who spoke anonymously to MSNOW to share details, said the government would have paid about $480,000 for a new armored suburban, which was more than twice the cost of the BMW.

He has also drawn criticism for using FBI aircraft for personal travel, responding to backlash by saying, ‘I’m entitled to a personal life.’

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FBI agents spill Kash Patel’s ‘diva’ demands on the job including ‘ensuring he gets screen time for any big arrests’

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You may not realise that you could qualify for 100 per cent off your bill

Certain people could qualify to get 100 per cent taken off their council tax bill(Image: Getty)

Brits might be entitled to a full 100 per cent discount on their council tax bill if they fall into certain categories. As per Government guidelines, certain residents are exempt from the total cost, while others may be eligible for a partial reduction.

Council tax is an annual charge levied by your local council. The sum is set by your council and contributes towards the provision of local services. The amount you pay in council tax is contingent upon both your location and the valuation of your property. Generally, if you’re 18 or older, you’re obliged to pay council tax.

Full council tax is calculated based on at least two adults living in a home. Couples cohabiting are jointly accountable for paying the bill.

However, not everyone is required to pay council tax. For example, some households may be eligible for a council tax reduction, potentially leading to a discount of up to 100 per cent.

Others may also be granted a 100 per cent reduction if they are deemed severely mentally impaired and fulfil other criteria. Furthermore, households where every occupant is a full-time student are exempt from payment altogether. Here’s what you need to know.

Your council tax is set by your local authority(Image: Getty)

Students

GOV.UK clarifies that households where everyone is a full-time student are exempt from paying council tax. If you receive a bill, you can apply for an exemption.

To be considered a full-time student, your course must:

• Last at least one year
• Involve at least 21 hours of study per week

If you’re studying for a qualification up to A-level and you’re under 20, your course must last at least three months and involve a minimum of 12 hours study per week. However, it’s crucial to note that if there’s someone in your household who’s not a full-time student, you’ll receive a council tax bill, but your household might still be eligible for a discount.

Severe mental impairment

You may be able to apply for a discount on your council tax bill if you or someone you live with is severely mentally impaired. You’ll need to:

• Obtain a certificate confirming severe mental impairment from a medical professional, such as your GP
• Demonstrate your eligibility for certain benefits – check with your local council

If you qualify as severely mentally impaired, you’ll receive a 100 per cent discount if one of the following applies:

• You live alone
• Any other adults in your household either qualify as severely mentally impaired or are full-time students

There’ll be a 50 per cent discount on the council tax bill if everyone else in your household is “disregarded”.

Not everyone is obligated to contribute towards council tax(Image: getty)

Council tax reduction

If you’re on a low income, you can apply to your local council for council tax reduction (sometimes referred to as council tax support).

GOV.UK states: “You could be eligible if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. Your bill could be reduced by up to 100 per cent. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.”

Your eligibility for council tax discounts or exemptions depends on several factors, including your location as each council runs its own scheme. Other considerations include your personal circumstances such as income, number of children, benefits, and residency status.

Your household income, which includes savings, pensions and your partner’s income, is also taken into account, as well as whether your children live with you and if other adults reside in your home. To check your eligibility, visit the Government website here.

Being ‘disregarded’ for council tax

Certain people, like students, are considered “disregarded” for council tax purposes. Other people who fall under this category include those who are:

• Under 18 years old
• On certain apprentice schemes
• Under 25 years old and receive funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency
• A student nurse
• A foreign language assistant registered with the British Council
• A live-in carer for someone who is not your partner, spouse, or child under 18
• A diplomat

Even if you’re disregarded, you still need to apply for a council tax discount or exemption. For more information, visit the Government website here.

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Iran’s former foreign minister argues Israel, backed by the US, has killed every opportunity for peace.

Months after being attacked by the United States and Israel, Iran finds itself in the crosshairs again, with Israeli officials lobbying US President Donald Trump to address Tehran’s ballistic missiles.

Veteran Iranian diplomat Javad Zarif tells host Steve Clemons that “everybody lost any faith in diplomacy” after Israel and the US attacked Iran following five rounds of reconciliation talks between Washington and Tehran.

Zarif added that Israel has historically thwarted every opportunity for reconciliation between Iran and the US, and that Trump’s style of diplomacy is disastrous, as it creates “negotiations that end up in war”.

Published On 28 Dec 202528 Dec 2025

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Amber cold health alerts have been issued for northern England, with low temperatures predicted to cause a “rise in deaths” among vulnerable and elderly people.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued two amber warnings for north-east and north-west England, which will be in place between 8pm on Sunday until midday on Monday 5 January.

The agency warned that expected low temperatures would probably result in the increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and could lead to a rise in the number of deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or those with pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Vulnerable younger people and those sleeping rough may also be affected.

Temperatures inside buildings such as hospitals, care homes and clinics are predicted to drop and it will be challenging for people to keep indoor temperatures at the recommended level of 18C, leading to more risk to vulnerable individuals, the agency warned.

All other regions in England will be under a less serious yellow alert for this period, indicating that there is still potential for a significant impact on the health services in these regions.

The agency also warned of staffing issues owing to external factors such as travel delays and said infrastructure sectors, such as transport and energy, could be affected.

The Met Office forecast that most of England will be cloudy overnight, and there will be patches of frost and fog also, bringing “tricky travelling conditions” on Monday morning.

Temperatures are expected to fall to as low as -1C overnight in Penrith and hover around 0C in areas of the Lake District where the amber cold health alert is in place, while temperatures in northern areas of Scotland will fall further, to -6C or -7C.

There will be a “brisk northerly breeze” along the north-east coast of England.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, recommended checking on friends, family and neighbours as cold weather sets in.

“The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions,” he said.

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Noor NanjiCulture correspondent

Brigitte Bardot: From French cinema to international fame

French actress Brigitte Bardot, who revolutionised 1950s French cinema and became a symbol of sexual liberation, has died aged 91.

The cinema icon – “BB” as she was known in her home country – acted in almost 50 films, including And God Created Woman, but retired in 1973 to devote her life to animal welfare.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the nation was mourning “a legend of the century”, while the Brigitte Bardot Foundation remembered her as a “world-renowned actress”.

Later in life, Bardot’s reputation was damaged after she made homophobic slurs and was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.

Thomas Samson via Getty Images

Brigitte Bardot – pictured here in 2006 – gave up acting to concentrate on animal welfare at the age of 39

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation she established said in a statement that it was announcing her death with “immense sadness”.

The animal welfare organisation said she was “a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation.”

It did not specify where or when Bardot died.

Paying tribute, Macron wrote: “Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.

“French existence, universal brilliance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century.”

Meanwhile, French far-right politician Marine Le Pen said France had lost “an exceptional woman, through her talent, her courage, her frankness, her beauty”.

Bardot’s husband, whom she married in 1992, was Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to the late far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen – the father of Marine.

Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images

Bardot tore up the rule book of French cinema in the 1950s

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris in 1934 to a wealthy family, who wanted her to become a ballerina.

She was discovered in her teens after posing on the cover of Elle magazine, swiftly becoming a sensation in her home country, and was persuaded to enter the cinema world.

She played iconic roles, most notably in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim, in which she played a sexually liberated woman.

The film scandalised the American public and was banned in some US states, while the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir hailed her as an icon of “absolute freedom”.

Through the late 1950s and 1960s, she became a global phenomenon with roles in The Truth, earning critical acclaim for her dramatic depth; Contempt, a Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece; and Viva Maria!, showcasing her comedic flair alongside Jeanne Moreau.

Beyond her most iconic roles, Bardot showcased her versatility in films like Love on a Pillow, where she portrayed a complex, emotionally-torn character, and Two Weeks in September, a romantic drama that highlighted her ability to convey vulnerability.

In The Bear and the Doll, she brought playful charm to a comedic role, proving her range across genres. These films, though less celebrated, underscored her ability to captivate audiences in diverse narratives.

As well as her work in film, Bardot will also be remembered as a fashion icon, with her blonde tousled hair and bold eyeliner setting beauty trends worldwide. After wearing an off-the-shoulder number in Cannes in 1953, similar styles became known as the Bardot neckline.

She was married four times and had one son, Nicolas, with French actor and film producer Jacques Charrier, who died in September.

Nicolas later sued his mother for emotional damage after she wrote in an autobiography that she would have preferred to “give birth to a little dog”.

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

Bardot, Jacques Charrier and their three-day-old son Nicolas in 1960

Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress.

At the height of her fame, she announced she was retiring at the age of 39 to devote her life to animal welfare.

“I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals,” Bardot famously declared.

In 1986, she launched the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which works to protect wild and domestic animals.

She became a vegetarian, and in 2013 even threatened to apply for Russian citizenship in protest against plans to kill two sick elephants in a French zoo.

Reacting to her death, France’s oldest animal protection association – The Société Protectrice des Animaux – paid tribute to an “iconic and passionate figure for the animal cause”.

Charly Hel/Prestige/Getty Images

Bardot, pictured here in 2001, became an increasingly controversial figure in her later life

But for all her cinema successes and animal welfare work, Bardot leaves behind a controversial legacy, with a string of remarks later in life about Islam, gay people and the #MeToo movement impacting her reputation.

From the late 1990s, Bardot was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred after comments she made online and in interviews about Muslims. She was fined €15,000 (£12,000) in 2008 after complaining on her website that Muslims were “destroying our country by imposing their ways”.

Bardot faced fierce criticism for her 2003 book, A Cry in the Silence, where she argued gay people, modern art, politicians and immigrants destroyed French culture.

In 2018, Bardot also dismissed actresses who commented on sexual harassment via the #MeToo movement as “hypocritical, ridiculous, uninteresting”.

“There are many actresses who flirt with producers in order to get a role,” Bardot said in an interview with French magazine, Paris Match.

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Watch: Zelensky arrives in Miami ahead of Trump talks

Zelensky arrives in Miami ahead of Trump talks

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 15:30

Zelensky and Trump to hold call with European leaders

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump will hold a call with other European leaders as they’re set to continue discussions surrounding ending the war between Russian and Ukraine later on today in Florida.

The Ukrainian president previously said he hoped European leaders could also be involved in talks either on Sunday or at a future date.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday he would speak with the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and the EU ahead on the chances for peace ahead of the Florida talks.

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 15:09

Three Iranian satellites launched from Russia, state media says

Three more ‌Iranian satellites were sent into space on Russia’s Soyuz launchers on Sunday, Iranian state media said, ‌as the two US -sanctioned nations extend their space collaboration.

Iran has increasingly relied on its ally Russia to put satellites ‌in orbit ​in recent ​years, with the latest three intended to help with ‍monitoring agriculture, natural resources and the ‍environment.

“These ​satellites were designed ‍and produced by Iranian scientists … despite all the sanctions and threats,” Iran’s ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told state TV in reference to Western measures over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 14:39

Russian submarine followed spy ship into British waters as it mapped gas pipeline

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 14:15

In pictures: Moments from Kyiv’s power outage after Russian bombardment

(AFP via Getty Images)(AFP via Getty Images)

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 14:00

Russia says situation at Zaporizhzhia power plant is stable

The situation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia ‌nuclear power plant is stable and power is ‌being ​supplied ​through one high-voltage ‍line, the state RIA ‍news ​agency cited ‍a spokesman at the ‍plant as saying. An ⁠IAEA team is monitoring repairs near the plant after a local ceasefire brokered by the agency ‌began. The ​work is expected to last several ⁠days.

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 13:30

Peace decisions depend on Kyiv partners, says Zelensky

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has said decisions on peace depend on Kyiv’s partners ahead of his meeting with US president Donald Trump today.

Zelensky arrived in Florida yesterday for discussions as he affirmed that the 20 point peace plan draft was 90 per cent complete.

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 13:10

Watch: Putin warns Russia will accomplish goals by force if Ukraine doesn’t want to resolve conflict peacefully

Putin warns Russia will accomplish goals by force if Ukraine doesn’t want to resolve conflict peacefully

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 12:50

Ukraine says it struck Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region

The Ukrainian military said on Sunday that ‌it struck the Syzran oil refinery ‌in ​Russia’s Samara region ​in an overnight ‍drone attack.

The ‍strike ​on the ‍facility caused a fire and ‍damages were still ⁠being assessed, Kyiv’s General Staff said in a statement.

It added that a recent Ukrainian strike on ‌the Volgograd ​oil refinery had damaged a pipeline ⁠and equipment for ‍producing lubricants.

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 12:25

In pictures: Russian service members hold flags in front of a chapel in the town of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia

(via REUTERS)

Bryony Gooch28 December 2025 12:00

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NEED TO KNOW

• Brigitte Bardot’s last public appearance before her death took place over a year ago
• The actress and model was photographed in her car in France on Sept. 28, 2024 — her 90th birthday
• Bardot’s foundation announced her death at age 91 on Sunday, Dec. 28

Brigitte Bardot’s last public appearance before her death took place over a year ago.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced on Sunday, Dec. 28, that the French actress and model has died at age 91.

Bardot was last seen publicly in 2024, when she was photographed in her car in Saint-Tropez, France, on Sept. 28 — her 90th birthday.

Prior to that, Bardot, who was born Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot in Paris in 1934, was seen in public posing with a dog in France in July 2023.

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Brigitte Bardot posing with a dog in France in July 2023.

APS-Medias/ABACA/Shutterstock 

In its statement announcing Bardot’s death to the French news agency AFP, The Brigitte Bardot Foundation didn’t specify the time or place of her death.

Bardot’s death comes after reports surfaced in October that she had undergone surgery amid a “serious illness.”

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The star began her career as a model, appearing on the cover of Elle at the age of 15 in 1950, and she later rose to international fame after her role in the controversial 1956 film And God Created Woman.

Bardot retired from acting in 1973 at the age of 39 and ventured into a new career path: animal rights activism. (She launched the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986.)

Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s.

 Hulton Archive/Getty

Over the years, Bardot faced multiple health setbacks, including a suicide attempt and a breast cancer diagnosis.

She also surrounded herself in controversy throughout her life, being fined multiple times by the French government for inciting racial hatred and making headlines when she called the #MeToo movement “hypocritical, ridiculous and uninteresting,” among other instances.

Bardot wed four times throughout her life. She was married to Roger Vadim from 1952 to 1957, to Jacques Charrier from 1959 to 1962, to Gunter Sachs from 1966 to 1969, and she was married to Bernard d’Ormale since 2002.

She and Charrier welcomed a son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, in Paris on Jan. 11, 1960. Bardot spoke openly about her distaste for being a mom, including in her memoir Initiales B.B., in which she wrote, “I’m not made to be a mother.”

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By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 13:31 GMT, 28 December 2025 | Updated: 14:06 GMT, 28 December 2025

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are preparing to meet to discuss a peace agreement which could end almost four years of war between Russia and Ukraine.

The US President will host his Ukrainian counterpart at Mar-a-Lago where he has been spending the holidays at 1pm EST, the White House said. 

They will discuss three key issues – raising pressure on Russia, security guarantees, and investment in postwar reconstruction, according to the Washington Post. 

It comes just a day after Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv, killing at least one person and injuring 20 more, according to the mayor of the Ukrainian capital. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little interest in negotiating a peace deal, while Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ‘willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war’. 

Writing on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy said: ‘For us, priority number one – or the only priority – is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. 

‘We need to be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: Europe and the United States.’

Zelenskyy said his country needs more air defenses, weaponry, and money. 

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are poised to discuss three key issues as they discuss a peace agreement which could end almost four years of war

Russian President Vladimir Putinhas shown little interest in negotiating a peace deal, while Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ‘willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war’ in the post above

‘If the whole world – Europe and America – is on our side, together we will stop Putin,’ he wrote.  

Trump told Politico he thought their Palm Beach meeting would go well, but he added that ‘Zelenskyy doesn’t have anything until I approve it’. 

‘We’ll see what he’s got,’ the US president said in the comment published Friday. 

The engagement will be the sixth meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy this year, with their relations improving since the fiery Oval Office feud on February 28. 

This first meeting degenerated into a heated argument, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance accusing Zelenskyy of failing to show gratitude for US support.

In a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday, Zelenskyy said the key to peace is ‘pressure on Russia and sufficient, strong support for Ukraine.’ 

To that end, Carney announced $2.5 billion Canadian (US$1.8 billion) more in economic assistance from his government to help Ukraine rebuild.

Denouncing the ‘barbarism’ of Russia’s latest attacks on Kyiv, Carney credited both Zelenskyy and Trump with creating the conditions for a ‘just and lasting peace’ at a crucial moment.

Trump and Zelenskyy sitting down face-to-face also underscored the apparent progress made by Trump’s top negotiators in recent weeks as the sides traded draft peace plans and continued to shape a proposal to end the fighting. 

Zelenskyy told reporters Friday that the 20-point draft proposal negotiators have discussed is ‘about 90 percent ready’ — echoing a figure, and the optimism, that US officials conveyed when Trump’s chief negotiators met with Zelenskyy in Berlin earlier this month.

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Trump and Zelensky to discuss three key issues as they’re set to meet today… while Russia launches thousands of strikes on Ukraine

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A massive blaze broke out at the Wetherspoons pub, The Hippodrome, in Market Drayton, Shropshire, with diners and drinkers forced to flee before firefighters tackled the blaze



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