Ahmed Al Ahmed, the hero who disarmed a gunman during the Bondi Beach terror attack has met with the NSW Premier and the Israeli Ambassador at his luxury hotel. 

Mr Al Ahmed rushed in to wrestle a shotgun from Sajid Akram, 50, when he opened fire on the crowd at a Jewish Hanukkah festival at the iconic beach just before 7pm on December 14.

Akram’s son, Naveed, who is accused of killing 15 and injuring dozens more, allegedly shot Mr Al Ahmed several times in the moment of breathtaking heroism.

Mr Al Ahmed was released from hospital over the weekend after he had a final round of surgery to remove a bullet from his shoulder and to repair nerve damage he sustained while wrestling the shot-gun from Akram’s grip.  

Doctors removed a bullet from his shoulder and repaired nerve damage during his most recent surgery.

It is believed the 44-year-old father-of-two may still suffer permanent damage and could require further surgery.

Mr al-Ahmed’s lawyer Sam Issa said his client has since returned to St George Hospital to have his bandages refreshed. 

He explained Mr Al Ahmed’s health was not under threat, with the 44-year-old returning to Barangaroo for lunch by Monday afternoon. 

Ahmed Al-Ahmed, the hero who disarmed a gunman during the Bondi Beach terror attacks, has returned to hospital just days after being discharged

In the footage Mr Al Ahmed is seen disarming one of the gunmen

‘He’s doing okay at the moment but he had to go back to hospital for some further treatment,’ Mr Issa told The Australian.

‘He needed to have a check up on his condition and to have his bandages changed.

‘He actually came out of hospital a bit earlier than doctors would have liked but he really wanted to be with his family after two weeks in hospital.’

Footage of the incident saw Mr Al Ahmed hailed a hero across the globe, and sparked an online appeal which raised $2.5million, presented to him in hospital last week.

Now Mr Al Ahmed has finally spoken about his heroics in an interview with a US TV network, set to air overnight.

‘I did not worry about anything,’ he told Australian CBS News journalist Anna Coren.

‘My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being – and not killing innocent people.’

On Monday, the father of two was spotted by the Daily Mail living the high life on the 33rd-floor balcony of a lavish suite at the Barangaroo casino’s hotel in Sydney CBD.

He was spotted on the balcony of the Crown Towers hotel after he was discharged from the hospital over the weekend

Mr Al Ahmed, still wearing a sling on his left arm, has been joined by his family at the suite as he comes to terms with his new wealth and fame after saving the lives of countless others.

Despite being hailed as a hero, Mr Al Ahmed said his thoughts remain with those who did not survive.

‘I know I saved lots of people’s lives, innocent kids and women and men,’ he said. ‘I know I saved lots – but I still feel sorry for the lost.’

Dramatic footage showed him leap from behind a parked car to wrestle Sajid Akram to the ground, successfully disarming him before he was wounded in the crossfire of the firefight between police and the second gunman.

‘I jumped on his back, hit him,’ he said.

‘I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word, you know, like to warn him, drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing, and it’s come all in fast.

‘And emotionally, I’m doing something, which is I feel something, a power in my body, my brain.

‘I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help, and that’s my soul asking me to do that.’

Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder following the attack at Bondi Beach

The deadly attack at Bondi Beach unfolded as hundreds of people gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event just before 7pm on December 14. 

Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid allegedly opened fire with military-grade weapons on hundreds attending the first day of the Jewish festival.

During the nine-minute attack, 16 people, including gunman Sajid, were killed, and 42 others were injured.

The 15 victims included 10-year-old Matilda; Edith Brutman, 68; Dan Elkayam, 27; Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61; Alex Kleytman, 87; Yaakov Levitan, 39; Peter Meagher, 61; Reuven Morrison, 62; Marika Pogany, 82; Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41; Adam Smyth, 50; Boris Tetleroyd, 68; Tania Tretiak, 68; and Tibor Weitzen, 78.

Naveed, who allegedly shot at a crowd of hundreds alongside his father, spent two days in a coma after being shot by police.

His 50-year-old father, Sajid, was fatally shot by police.

The 24-year-old faced the Bail Division of Local Court Seven in Sydney from his hospital bed last week.

He was charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder.

He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief bedside court hearing and the case was adjourned until April.

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Three boats were last week engulfed by the giant sinkhole on the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch, and at least 10 people needed to be helped off their narrowboats

Workers are pictured at the scene one week after a stretch of the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

New aerial pictures show narrowboats still stranded in a collapsed canal one week after its 200-year-old embankment caved in.

Emergency workers could be seen positioning boat turners yesterday morning in a bid to winch the stranded boats to safety. Workers began securing the ruined banks today just a week after they breached on December 22 along the Llangollen Canal.

Emergency services were called to the Chemistry area of Whitchurch, Shropshire, following the “significant breach” of the canal last week. Three boats were engulfed by the giant sinkhole which measured 50m (164ft) by 50m (164ft).

At least 10 people had to be rescued after the banks breached shortly after 4.40am. New pictures released yesterday show pumps in place to keep water levels normal and to prevent further catastrophic flooding.

READ MORE: Whitchurch major incident declared as huge sinkhole collapses canal and 15 rescuedREAD MORE: Best waterside pubs along Britain’s rivers perfect for sunny weekendsThe breach in rural Shropshire occurred in the early hours of Monday December 22(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Workers were also seen positioning a boat turner while preparing to rescue the three stranded boats. Canal and River Trust chief executive Campbell Robb said: “Now the initial emergency response, including the concern for boaters’ immediate safety, has passed, our teams have been working hard to refill the Llangollen Canal around the site of the breach.

“This will mean the boats in the immediate area are refloating, and navigation along other affected areas will be restored. We are also delighted to have been able to recover narrowboat Pacemaker from the edge of the breach overnight.

“Alongside this, our engineers are continuing their investigations into why the canal embankment was undermined and will be drawing up plans for its repair.

“We’ll be providing regular updates and assurance to the local and boating community in the weeks ahead. Thankfully, breaches of this scale are relatively rare, but, when they do occur, they’re expensive and complicated to fix.

“I’m thankful that, working with Shropshire Council, initial support has been there for all the people and pets who got caught up in this disaster. With most of the boats now refloating, we’ll continue to support those affected.”

Gallons of water escaped into a nearby field when the incident happened(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Phil Johnson, 56, said he woke up to the sounds of “cracking and banging” and quickly got dressed before leaving his boat to see what was happening. He said: “I saw the water flying past the boat at horrendous speed, I could hear like a waterfall around the corner from my boat. I went and had a look and was greeted by the most horrendous sight of seeing this boat stuck in the breach at the bottom, being basically flooded.”

Mr Johnson added that he saw a second boat “teetering on the edge” before it slowly fell in. He continued: “It’s awful to say but it reminded me of that horrible scene from the Titanic film, because that’s what it was like, when the back goes down and the bow comes up, and it finally just slid into the hole. It was horrible.”

He decided to go back to his boat to grab some clothes, but admitted he was “frightened to death” as it felt like it was going to tip onto its side. Mr Johnson added: “It was probably one of the scariest things of my life, I thought I was going to lose the lot.”

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Two December days in Palm Beach and I have sunburn and whiplash.

The sunburn is my fault. But Donald Trump is to blame for the whiplash, such is his style of diplomacy. He’d have it no other way. He’s busy making things happen. That’s how he frames it.

But let’s take stock because there has been a lot to process. What’s actually been achieved over these past two days, how much was just theatrical hot air, and what surprises were there?

Let’s begin with the Middle East and the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Image:
Mr Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu speak outside Mar-a-Lago

“An outstanding meeting.” That’s how Netanyahu’s spokesman described the day to me as it all wrapped up.

You can see why he might think this. Netanyahu got what he came for.

• Trump’s commitment to bomb Iran again (if US intelligence concludes, as Israeli spooks do, that it is indeed rearming)? Tick.
• Trump to blame Hamas as being wholly responsible for the faltering Gaza ceasefire and for preventing phase two from progressing? Tick.
• Trump to heap praise on Netanyahu as the saviour of Israel and wartime president like no other? Tick (and one for the election campaign video).
• Trump to publicly state that Netanyahu should be pardoned in his corruption case and press Israel’s president to enact the pardon forthwith? Tick.

There’s a lot to process just there.

Trump saying he remains locked and loaded on Iran. Trump threatening “all hell” on Hamas. How will all this play out in 2026? If he follows through (big if), how will his base react domestically? There’s so much to consider.

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Moment Trump sends new threat to Iran

There were some intriguing divergences between Netanyahu and Trump, one on Syria and the other on the West Bank.

On Syria, Trump said he wanted to thaw relations between the new Syrian president and Israel. Good luck to him if he can. It would be an achievement and welcome.

On the West Bank, Trump suggested he was worried about settler violence and expansion. It’s a huge issue, it threatens Trump’s vision for the region. Again – if he can stop the violence and expansion, that would be an achievement.

I’m not holding my breath.

But, as ever, there was more too; the stuff we didn’t expect from the two free-flowing impromptu news conferences at which the American president did almost all the talking.

He was asked about an attack on Venezuela which, casually and vaguely, he’d dropped into an earlier interview.

He confirmed that, yes, he’d ordered an attack on a “big facility” in Venezuela. That’s big news – the first American land attack. Yet it was just another moment in this second day of Mar-a-Lago diplomacy.

Then there was his response to what appears to be a massive Chinese military dress rehearsal for a blockade of Taiwan.

Was Trump worried? No, he said. “Nothing worries me.”

Just chill? Or doesn’t really care? It’s hard to know sometimes.

A day earlier, it had been Ukraine’s president at Mar-a-Lago.

Image:
Mr Zelenskyy meets Mr Trump. Pic: Presidential Office of Ukraine/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Is it ironic or just mad that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was coming from his city of actual palaces, including his own presidential palace, to a Disneyland town called Palm Beach and the faux-palace of a former real estate tycoon to beg for support for his country’s future.

It seemed to go well though.

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Is a Ukraine ceasefire any closer?

Ukrainian officials told me they were very pleased with the commitment Trump gave on security guarantees. They glossed over the wholly important issue of how long those guarantees last or whether they can trust Trump’s word. What choice do they have?

Of course, there was more. President Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin twice – before and after the Zelenskyy meeting. And it was what he said after the second call that piqued interest.

He announced that Putin had told him Ukraine had attacked one of his homes with a swarm of drones.

Zelenskyy had already called the claim out as lies. The suggestion from Kyiv is that if it happened it was a false flag to try to derail the peace process because Putin doesn’t want peace.

But Trump’s tone suggested he was taking Putin’s word for it. Remember, in his first term, Trump took Putin’s word over that of his own intelligence agencies.

And so, a head-spinning two days of news; a fitting way to end the year.

2026 is an election year for Donald Trump. The midterms are in November. He needs to focus on the “home front”, as his vice-president subtly reminded him a couple of months ago. The economy and the cost of living, not foreign conflicts.

Trump knows that. But so to do America’s adversaries and its troublesome allies. What will they gamble on in 2026 knowing that he may not care, or may just go along with it.

Buckle up.

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These are the key developments from day 1,405 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Published On 30 Dec 202530 Dec 2025

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Here is where things stand on Tuesday, December 30:

Alleged attack on Putin’s residence

• Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said that an attack took place on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia’s Novgorod on Sunday, “practically immediately after” talks in Florida between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• The strike “will not go unanswered”, Ushakov said in remarks reported by Russian media, following a call between Trump and Putin.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian air defence systems shot down 91 long-range strike drones used in the attack and that no one was injured.
• Zelenskyy denied the claim, accusing Russia of trying to derail peace talks.
• However, Trump expressed anger over the alleged attack, telling reporters: “I was very angry about it.” When asked if the United States had evidence of the attack, Trump said, “We’ll find out.”
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that “the response to Kyiv’s attacks will not be diplomatic” and that Russia would be revising its negotiating position in the attack’s wake.
• The United Arab Emirates’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it “strongly condemned” the “deplorable attack” and “the threat it poses to security and stability”.

Diplomacy

• White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that a phone call between Putin and Trump on the issue of Ukraine on Monday was “positive”, without elaborating.
• Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone with the leaders of Germany, Latvia and Finland to update them on the outcomes of his meeting with Trump and where peace negotiations stood.
• Lavrov said in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti that “Kyiv and its Western backers must recognise the new territorial realities that have emerged following the incorporation of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the  Luhansk People’s Republic, and the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation.” He was referring to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, which include Donetsk and Luhansk, renamed by Russian-backed separatists as the DPR and LPR.
• A survey published by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF), a Ukrainian think tank, on Monday showed that recognising occupied Ukrainian territories “as part of the Russian Federation” remained deeply unpopular in Ukraine, with 76 percent of Ukrainians saying they considered it “unacceptable”.

Fighting

• Russian forces attacked the front-line town of Orikhiv in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, killing a 46-year-old man and wounding a 49-year-old woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
• Russian forces killed one person and injured five in attacks on Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Sunday, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Facebook.
• Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, said on Telegram that Russian forces killed seven civilians who had been hiding in a basement in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
• Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said it had launched an investigation into reports that Russian soldiers shot dead two captured Ukrainian soldiers in the village of Shakhove, Pokrovsky, on Saturday.
• “The deliberate killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime,” the prosecutor general’s office said.
• Ukrainian attacks injured five civilians in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency, citing local officials.
• Ukrainian attacks also injured four civilians in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia, and three civilians in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Donetsk, TASS reported, citing local officials.
• In a televised address from the Kremlin, Putin made a wide range of claims about Moscow’s ongoing war on Ukraine, including that Russian troops were advancing towards the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
• General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s army chief, said during the same address that Russian forces had captured 6,460 square kilometres (2,494sq miles) of territory in Ukraine in 2025, including 334 villages.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) quoted its director general, Rafael Grossi, as saying that power line repairs near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant had been successfully completed.

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Donald Trump has said he is not worried by China’s live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan and that he has a great relationship with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who “hasn’t told me anything about it”.

The US president made the comments one day into the surprise attack simulation launched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday, and which continued into Tuesday with live missile launches into the Taiwan Strait.

The PLA, which is the armed wing of China’s ruling Communist party, said it had deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, drones and long-range missiles “in close proximity” to Taiwan on Monday to test “sea-air coordination and precise target hunting and neutralisation”, including attacks on submarines and other maritime targets.

Beijing claims Taiwan is a Chinese province and is preparing to militarily annex it, with the aim of being capable of invasion by 2027, according to US intelligence from several years ago. In the meantime it deploys an array of military and non-military forms of harassment and intimidation to convince or coerce Taiwan to accept “peaceful reunification”.

In the 24 hours to Tuesday morning Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected at least 14 navy vessels, 14 coast guard ships, one surveillance balloon, and 130 war planes and drones around Taiwan as part of the exercise China has dubbed “Justice Mission 2025”.

Asked about the drills on Monday, Trump said he had a “great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t told me anything about it”.

“I certainly have seen it … I don’t believe he is going to be doing it,” Trump said, appearing to refer to an actual invasion. “Nothing worries me.”

The US is Taiwan’s most significant backer in its resistance to Beijing’s annexation plans, but Trump’s stance – especially during his second term – has been inconsistent. Trump met with Xi in October but said Taiwan “didn’t come up”. He is expected to visit Beijing for a more formal meeting next year.

On Tuesday morning a volley of live rockets was seen being fired from Pingtan, a Chinese coastal region closest to Taiwan’s main island. A short time later the PLA said in a statement: “At 9:00 am, December 30, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island and achieved desired effects.”

Taiwan’s defence ministry said the impact sites were “scattered around Taiwan’s 24 nautical mile zone”.

The defence minister, Wellington Koo, said the drills disregarded international norms and “clearly aim to achieve cognitive warfare and deplete Taiwan’s combat capabilities … and to create division and conflict within Taiwanese society”.

The PLA and Chinese state media said these exercises focused on simulating a blockade of major ports in Taiwan, and repelling “external foreign interference”. An attack on Taiwan by Beijing is largely expected to draw in the US to defend Taiwan, and potentially Japan, according to recent statements by the country’s prime minister which infuriated Beijing.

This week’s drills are the sixth and largest to target Taiwan since 2022, when major exercises surrounded Taiwan in retaliation for a visit by the then speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Such exercises take extensive planning and are usually part of general training, but the PLA often links them to perceived acts of provocation. This week Chinese officials and state media specifically cited a recent approval by the US government for a record $11bn weapons sales to Taiwan.

“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must of course resolutely oppose and forcefully counter them,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in a speech in Beijing.

An editorial in the official state outlet, Xinhua, said the drills were “a clear reminder for the DPP that the trend of national reunification is unstoppable, and that the will of the people cannot be defied”.

“The DPP’s fanciful attempts to pursue ‘Taiwan independence’ by relying on US support will only heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait and push the island’s residents toward the brink of conflicts,” it said.

However, Taiwan – where the vast majority of people reject the prospect of Chinese rule and support the status quo – said it was clear that China was the aggressor.

Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, said on Tuesday that China was not acting as a responsible world power. Taiwan would defend its sovereignty, he said.

“We will act responsibly and not escalate conflict or stir up disputes.”

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Skip next section Ukraine cannot win war without US support, Zelenskyy says

12/30/2025December 30, 2025

Ukraine cannot win war without US support, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News that Ukraine cannot win the war without US support.

“Can we win without American ‌support? No,” Zelenskyy said.

“I don’t trust Putin and he doesn’t want success ‍for Ukraine,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, the Ukrainian president said that two main issues in a 20-point peace ⁠proposal remained to be resolved: control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is ​in Russian hands, and the fate of the Donbas area.

https://p.dw.com/p/566ja

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/30/2025December 30, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Shakeel Sobhan

Welcome to our coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On Monday, Russia said it would review its stance in peace talks following what Moscow described as a Ukrainian drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the allegation as “a complete
fabrication” and the Kremlin’s own ‌refusal to take necessary steps to end the war.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv.

Trump said he was “very angry” about the news, telling reporters: “I don’t like it. It’s not good.”

Plus, underlining Russia’s intention of standing firm on its territorial ambitions, Putin said his generals should push on with efforts to secure all of Zaporizhzhia region, of
which Moscow already controls around 75%.

Keep reading for the latest updates.

https://p.dw.com/p/566jM

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Irish officials thought they had five times as many free tickets for a U2 tour of the United States, with newly released Government files revealing that diplomats were left in an “embarrassing situation”.

Management for the Dublin rock band had engaged with the Department of Foreign Affairs ahead of their 1987 Joshua Tree tour and offered to include “key people” on the guest list for a range of shows.

In one letter from Dublin to the Irish Ambassador in Washington, it was explained that the band wanted representatives from “semi-state bodies and the like”, with diplomats also hoping it was possible to invite “colleague ambassadors, administration and other notables or their children”.

A list of names was drawn up on the belief up to 60 guests for each concert would be acceptable.

open image in gallery

U2 members (left to right) Dave ‘The Edge’ Evans, Bono, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen in Dublin (PA)

That belief is recorded in a note of a February 1987 meeting with U2 manager Paul McGuinness, where a “possible mutual cooperation towards the benefit of Ireland’s image abroad” was discussed.

A Department official wrote that “U2 would gladly make available a certain number (perhaps 50-60) of backstage seats” for the Ambassador or consul in a particular city on the tour.

This message was relayed to Ireland’s representatives in cities including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC in March.

However, they were told weeks the band wanted to limit the allocation to 10 tickets per night.

The consul general in Boston said this “puts us in an embarrassing situation” as potential guests had already been approached for their preferred dates.

The response from the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs read: “You will appreciate that there is little can be done about U-turn by band in this matter. Why not ask your contact if you could put a few more than the ten per night on your list if situation is embarrassing?”

The documents also state that U2 were in consideration for playing a free concert to 400,000 people at the Eiffel Tower to mark its centenary – after an expression of interest by then Paris mayor Jacques Chirac.

The band did not perform at the tower, with Johnny Hallyday and Stevie Wonder among the main acts on the day.

This article is based on files in a document labelled 2025/124/461 at the National Archives of Ireland

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NEED TO KNOW

• Cardi B spoke out on X in a video posted on Monday, Dec. 29
• In the clip, the rapper addressed the backlash she’s received for her relationship with NFL star Stefon Diggs
• The video comes days after the couple, who recently welcomed their first baby together, appeared to spend Christmas apart

Cardi B has had enough of people dragging her relationship with Stefon Diggs.

After the rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, appeared to spend Christmas without the NFL star, she addressed the hate she’s been getting from her fans about Diggs head on.

“Y’all need to calm down,” began Cardi, 33, in a lengthy X video on Monday, Dec. 29. “Is y’all cool? Y’all been dragging me for three or four days and y’all been a little bit too mean. Like alright now. Y’all being a little bit too mean.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“I can’t change s—” she continued. “I can’t go back in time. I already had a baby. Y’all want me to put my baby back in my p—-? Huh? I don’t know what y’all want me to do. Y’all want me to leave my man and f— yours?”

She added that the only option is to “go forward now.”

Stefon Diggs and Cardi B.

Raymond Hall/GC Images

Diggs and Cardi B welcomed their first baby, a boy, together in November. Cardi’s rep confirmed the arrival at the time, telling PEOPLE, “Cardi is healthy and happy.”

Cardi is also mom to three children — daughter Kulture, 7, son Wave, 4, and daughter Blossom, 1 — whom she shares with her estranged husband, rapper Offset.

Before dating Cardi B, Diggs welcomed daughter Nova in October 2016. Model Aileen Lopera later revealed that he had fathered her daughter, Charliee Harper Diggs-Lopera, whom she welcomed in April 2025.

PEOPLE confirmed that paternity records identified Diggs as the father in November.

Cardi B shares a family photo from Christmas.

Cardi B/Instagram

On Christmas, Diggs shared photos with multiple children on his Instagram Stories and reposted Cardi’s Instagram post that included a photo of her and their son, according to Page Six.

Cardi ended her video on X Monday, sharing that she has “so much work to do once January starts, that is stressing me out.”

Cardi B holds baby on Christmas.

Cardi B/Instagram

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

“I need my support system, my fans, to love me,” she said. “I want you to come to my tour and enjoy yourself with me. Don’t be dragging me. It’s enough, alright, it’s enough.”

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Barron Trump was spotted at his father’s side during Donald Trump’s holiday dinner at Mar-a-Lago after shying away from the spotlight to work on ‘financial interests.’

The youngest of the president’s five children, 19, has kept a low profile since appearing publicly at his father’s inauguration in Washington DC as he continues to study at NYU.

However, he was caught in a photo taken by influencers during the holiday festivities.

Models Valeria Sokolova and Abla Sofy both photographed Barron sitting next to the president while celebrating the Christmas season with family.   

Barron has kept a low profile since his father took office for the second time, but was near his father as he was sworn in, and alongside the tech titans that Trump has welcomed into his vision for his second term.

Trump acknowledged Barron, who towers over the president at 6-foot-9, during his remarks, saying his youngest son helped him reach a younger crowd.

‘I have a very tall son,’ the 6-foot-3 Trump said in the Capital One Arena as the crowd erupted in cheers and Barron triumphantly raised his hands in the air, in a shift from the more reserved Barron the country is used to.

‘He knew the youth vote. We won the youth vote by 36 points. He was saying – “Dad, you have to go out and do this [podcast] or that one,”‘ Trump said.

Barron Trump (pictured left) was spotted at his father’s side but in the background during Donald Trump’s (pictured center) holiday dinner at Mar-a-Lago

Barron was caught at his father’s side during the holiday festivities at Mar-a-Lago

‘We did a lot of them. He respects them all, he understood them very well.’ 

The only child of the president and first lady was not seen at an official White House event or appeared alongside his father for months. 

Despite not being seen out with his dad, Barron was photographed in and around Manhattan.

In April, he was pictured showing off a shaggier, more relaxed mane as he strode with purpose to university classes.

The towering NYU’s Stern School of Business freshman also sported a loose sweater, jeans, and Adidas sneakers.

Barron reportedly commuted to college from the Trump Tower apartment, home to his father and doting 54-year-old mother Melania.

This summer, Barron reportedly turned his back on romance to instead prioritize getting his business ideas off the ground 

According to insiders, Barron has been busy taking meetings with business partners, developing tech projects, and setting up deals.

Barron has kept a low profile since his father took office for the second time, but was near his father as he was sworn in, and alongside the tech titans that Trump has welcomed into his vision for his second term

Despite not being seen out with his dad, Barron was photographed in and around Manhattan. In April, he was pictured showing off a shaggier, more relaxed mane as he strode with purpose to university classes 

‘Barron has been actively working on his own financial interests and has spent time with others who he is involved with in that area,’ a source told People.

‘Still, he has spent a great deal of time with his family.’

In September, Barron sparked mystery after he appeared to be absent from the school’s Manhattan campus for the first week of class.

Shortly after, it was revealed he moved into the White House and started his sophomore year at NYU’s Washington campus. 

NYU Washington, DC is the home to the Stern Executive MBA degree program, which will allow Barron to earn an MBA in two years time. Only about 60-100 students enroll in the program, which runs $32,811 in undergraduate tradition.

In December, a MAGA pastor revealed that Barron is ‘very close’ to embracing his Christian faith fully after a late night phone call.

Influencer pastor Stuart Knechtle, 37, shared details of his conversation with Donald Trump’s youngest son on The George Janko Podcast this week.

‘I was talking on the phone with Barron Trump at 12.30 at night one night and I thought I was hitting him with everything but the kitchen sink when it came to all the evidence for God and Christianity,’ Knechtle said.

The president will finally be reunited full time with Barron as he is set to live in Washington, all while remaining an NYU student

Influencer pastor Stuart Knechtle (pictured), 37, revealed that 19-year-old Barron Trump is ‘very close’ to accepting Christianity after the two had a late night phone call

‘I thought I was really on. I was pumped,’ he added. ‘Then at the very end, I came up pretty much totally open-handed with nothing.’

However, Knechtle claimed the 6ft 9in teenager is ‘very close’ to putting his faith in Christ after he made a last ditch effort to persuade him using ‘evidence’ of dreams and revelations. 

‘I brought up dreams and revelations and I said, “Hey, look, Baron, I usually don’t go by this typically with as evidence, but I’ll just let lastly you know this,”‘ he said.

‘I have a friend over in Africa who witnesses thousands of Muslims coming to Christ through dreams and revelations. How do you explain that? [Barron’s] like, “Oh, that’s a very, very interesting point. And you have eyewitness testimony.” 

‘You know, the way his mind works, it’s like that was the only thing that stuck with him and he’s very close to putting his faith in Christ. Very close. And so I pray that goes through.’

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London Overground, part of the London Underground network, faces challenges on Tuesday following an issue with the electric third rail near Stratford Station in the east of the capital

Some services in and out of Stratford Station will be impacted by the issue (file image)(Image: Mirrorpix)

Commuters face chaos throughout the day as services on part of the London Underground network have been cancelled and delayed.

Services to and from Stratford, east London, have been affected by an issue with a live rail that provides electric power to trains. It has caused problems with signalling along the London Overground line and so, until the fault is rectified, all trains are likely to be delayed or scrapped in both directions between Stratford and Willesden Junction, and Stratford and Gospel Oak.

The busiest station on the London Underground network outside London fare zone 1, Stratford sees commuters arrive from Essex and parts of the East of England, and change for London Underground services across the capital. These passengers should leave with extra time to accommodate for waits at Stratford, authorities say.

The National Rail says: “There is an issue with the electric third rail in the Camden Road area. This is causing issues with the signalling equipment in the area, and has also resulted in a passenger train developing a fault. Until the issue is rectified, services running to / from Stratford may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the service.”

READ MORE: Violent thugs who laughed as they killed retired police officer learn their fateREAD MORE: Despicable moment teenager ‘sets sleeping train passenger on FIRE in heinous rage’The London Overground line is affected by the fault today (file image)(Image: Getty Images)

However, tickets can be used at no extra cost on London buses via any reasonable route in order to complete journeys throughout the day. Several leave and stop at Stratford as part of their routes.

“You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim,” the National Rail continues.

More than 189 million journeys are taken on the Overground Line each year. There are some 113 stations, including Clapham Junction, Richmond and Hackney Central, along the six branches of the London Overground line.

Electric third rails, including the one at Camden Road in the north of the capital, send power to train through conductors placed alongside the tracks. When faults occur with these, trains cannot receive the power they need to make their journeys. These occurrences, though, are rare, the National Rail says.

The Network Rail website reads: “The conductor rail system is a very simple but capable system supporting the requirements of the train service. A high percentage of the Southern network is already electrified. So it can be more cost efficient to extend this system, rather than install other electrification systems. Electrification is a way of decarbonising the railway service. This is done by replacing diesel trains with electric trains.”

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From the election of a new pope to a singer blasting off into space and a president giving a huge body of water a new name, 2025 has been a year of breaking news and bizarre headlines.

Some moments dominated the headlines for weeks, while others flew by, but had just as much of an impact.

As the year draws to a close, here is an opportunity to put your knowledge of the major stories of the year to the test.

How closely were you following it all?

Find out in the quiz below…

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DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Bangladesh’s first female prime minister dies after a prolonged illness in Dhaka, her party says.

Published On 30 Dec 202530 Dec 2025

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Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda ⁠Zia, has died at a hospital in the country’s capital, Dhaka, ​after a ‍prolonged illness, according to her party and local media.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Bangladesh National Party said Khaleda died at 6am local time (00:00 GMT). She was 80 years old.

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“Our beloved national leader is no longer with us. She left us at 6am today” the BNP said in the statement posted on Facebook.

“We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,” it added.

Khaleda had advanced ​cirrhosis ‌of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, chest ‌and heart ‌problems, her doctors said.

She died at the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she was admitted to on November 23 with symptoms of a lung infection, according to The Daily Star.

During her final days, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus had called for the nation to pray for Khaleda, calling her a “source of utmost inspiration for the nation”.

Khaleda was jailed for corruption in 2018 under then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.

There had been plans earlier this month to fly her on a special air ambulance to London, but her condition was not stable enough.

Her son, political heavyweight Tarique Rahman, only returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in self-imposed exile on Thursday, where he was welcomed back by huge crowds of joyous supporters.

Rahman will lead the BNP through the February 12 general election, and is expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.

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Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died, her political party said on Tuesday. She was 80.

“The BNP chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6am, just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer,” the party said in a statement.

“We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,” it added.

Zia was the country’s first female prime minister.

She had faced corruption cases she said were politically motivated, but in January 2025 the supreme court acquitted Zia in the last corruption case against her, which would have let her run in February’s election.

She had returned to the country in May after undergoing medical treatment in the UK.

In early January, Bangladesh’s interim government had allowed her to travel abroad after Hasina’s government rejected previous requests at least 18 times.

Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February 2026 – the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year. Zia’s BNP is widely seen as a frontrunner.

But in late November she was rushed to hospital, where, despite the best efforts of medics, her condition declined from a raft of health issues.

During her final days, interim leader Muhammad Yunus called for the nation to pray for Zia, calling her a “source of utmost inspiration for the nation”.

Zia was married to president Ziaur Rahman, who was killed during a 1981 coup. Zia then helped build a mass movement against the military dictator, who was finally ousted in 1990.

She won her first term in 1991 and served again from 2001. Her opponent in that election and several since was Hasina.

With Associated Press and Agence France-Presse

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Bangladesh’s first female prime minister Khaleda Zia has died at the age of 80 after suffering from a prolonged illness.

“Our favourite leader is no longer with us. She left us at 6am this morning,” Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced on Facebook.

Physicians had said on Monday night that Zia’s condition was “extremely critical”. She was put on life support, but it was not possible to provide multiple treatments at the same time given her age and overall poor health, they said.

Zia became Bangladesh’s first female head of government in 1991 after leading the BNP to victory in the country’s first democratic election in 20 years.

Zia returned to the post of prime minister in 2001, stepping down in October 2006 ahead of a general election.

Her political career had been marred by corruption allegations and a long-standing political rivalry with Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from premiership last year.

Zia, who was the wife of Bangladesh’s late president Ziaur Rahman, was jailed for five years in 2018 for corruption.

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Former Bangladeshi Prime Miniser Khaleda Zia has died aged 80 following a long illness, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party announced on Monday.

“The BNP chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer,” the party said in a statement. “We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul.” 

She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister in the Muslim world. However, she was later imprisoned by her political rival, Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for  more than a decade before being ousted by a student-led uprising in 2024.

Zia had announced plans to contest the upcoming Bangladeshi election in February 2026. Her son, Tarique Rahman, currently serves as the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely seen as a frontrunner.

More to follow…

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

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