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Today — 20 December 2025Main stream

ICE Allows Democratic Lawmakers Inside Migrant Cells in New York City

The immigration agency had barred elected officials from the holding facilities. A federal judge this week said they must be given access.

© Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

Representative Daniel Goldman on Friday visited immigrant holding cells at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Try Making Their Case for a Merger

20 December 2025 at 02:01
Regulators will decide whether a merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would improve shipment times or stifle competition. A decision is expected in 2027.

© Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times

If the merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern goes through, it would put about 40 percent of the nation’s rail freight in the hands of one railroad.

美国暂停进口一家中国公司在塞尔维亚生产的轮胎 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

20 December 2025 at 02:15
19/12/2025 - 18:56

美国海关与边境保护局(CBP)周四晚间暂停进口由一家中国公司控股的塞尔维亚工厂生产的轮胎,原因是该工厂涉嫌强迫劳动。

法新社报道,美国海关与边境保护局在对有关该工厂存在强迫劳动的指控进行“调查和信息审查”后,下令在美国所有港口立即扣押玲珑轮胎公司位于塞尔维亚北部“兹雷尼亚宁”工厂生产的轮胎。

美国海关边保局表示,其评估基于“工人的证词、文件、照片、非政府组织的报告、新闻报道和学术研究”。

玲珑轮胎于2024年9月在塞尔维亚工厂启动量产,这是该公司在欧洲的首家工厂,也是北京在巴尔干地区支持的一项旗舰投资。

但该工厂在2021年建设期间曾登上新闻头条,当时数百名越南工人因招聘过程中存在欺诈行为而举行罢工。

2024年2月,塞尔维亚民间社会组织还报告了另外14名印度工人据称遭受强迫劳动的案件。

塞尔维亚当局驳斥了有关玲珑公司存在不当行为的指控,该公司也否认自己对此负有责任,声称这些工人是由其一家分包商雇佣的。

随后,欧洲议会要求对有关越南工人被贩运至塞尔维亚并遭受强迫劳动的指控展开调查。

美国国务院在2025年人口贩运报告中指出,塞尔维亚政府“在调查该工厂强迫劳动指控方面几乎没有进展”。

在暂停进口的决定中,美国海关与边境保护局表示,证据表明存在扣留身份证件、恐吓、隔离、过度加班、拖欠工资、债务奴役、虐待性工作条件、欺骗和剥削弱势群体等行为。

美国海关与边境保护局局长罗德尼·斯科特在该局网站发布的声明中表示:“信息很明确:美国不会容忍供应链中的强迫劳动。”

美国海关表示,进口商现在可以寻求将扣留的货物重新出口或销毁,或者证明这些货物并非使用强迫劳动制造的。

美国海关与边境保护局表示,(美国)进口商可以寻求将被扣留的货物再出口或销毁,或证明这些商品并非使用强迫劳动制造。

在2024年玲珑工厂的开业典礼上,塞尔维亚总统亚历山大·武契奇称赞这是塞尔维亚有史以来最大的“绿地投资”项目(指企业在第三国新建工厂的直接投资形式)。

他表示,这座耗资“10亿美元”的工厂已雇佣1200多名员工,计划再招聘600人,预计到2025年将创造5亿欧元的出口额。

法新社说,塞尔维亚作为欧盟候选国,因对中资企业监管不力而屡遭批评。

北京与贝尔格莱德去年七月签署的自由贸易协定将两国连接起来。

High Winds in Denver Prompt Warnings About Dangerous Fire Risk

20 December 2025 at 01:57
Thousands of people were without power in Colorado early Friday, and forecasters said some of the most extreme conditions were expected later in the day.

© Rj Sangosti/The Denver Post, via Associated Press

Power poles along U.S. Highway 93 near Golden, Colo., were snapped in half during a wind storm this week.

US plan for $1.6m hepatitis B vaccine study in Africa called ‘highly unethical’

20 December 2025 at 00:34
closeup of a hand holding a vaccine dose

The Trump administration has indicated that it will fund a $1.6m study on hepatitis B vaccination of newborns in the west African country of Guinea-Bissau, where nearly one in five adults live with the virus – a move that researchers call “highly unethical” and “extremely risky”.

The news follows an official change in recommendations on hepatitis B vaccines at birth from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which called the shots an “individual” decision, despite decades of safe and effective vaccination and no evidence of harm. It is part of sweeping changes to childhood immunizations by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, which have global repercussions – including cutting funding for programs that bring vaccines to countries around the world.

“He has a fixed, immutable belief that vaccines cause harm,” said Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “He will do everything he can to try and prove that.”

The actions taken this year by Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, have “a global impact”, said Elizabeth Jacobs, professor emerita at the University of Arizona and a founding member of the grassroots group Defend Public Health. “It is spreading like an infection all its own throughout the globe.”

Testing established vaccines in a country with high rates of hepatitis B and a fragile health system “reeks of a neocolonialist attitude” and risks expanding global mistrust of the US and science, said Gavin Yamey, professor of global health at the Duke Global Health Institute.

When Kennedy announced in June that the US would end funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has vaccinated more than 1.2 billion children and saved an estimated 20.6 million lives, he sent shock waves through global health – and he cited an unusual study from 2018 to justify the action.

The study made an alarming claim: the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine caused death in young girls in Guinea-Bissau. It was published by a group of Danish researchers, including a married couple named Peter Aaby and Christine Stabell Benn.

But when Kennedy made his announcement in 2025, he did not mention a 2022 paper from some of the same authors on the same topic finding completely different results, essentially nullifying the first study.

“We did not find that early-DTP was associated with increased female mortality as found in a previous study,” the researchers wrote.

It is one example of their questionable research, which has drawn criticism from other researchers and journalists examining their findings.

Now those same researchers will be the ones carrying out the new study on hepatitis B vaccination in Guinea-Bissau. US funding will go to the Bandim Health Project, led by Aaby and Stabell Benn, at the University of Southern Denmark.

Aaby and Stabell Benn did not respond to the Guardian’s inquiries about the details of the five-year study, set to begin in early 2026.

Babies in the randomized, controlled trial will or will not receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Researchers will then compare early-life mortality, illness and development between the groups, according to the award announcement from the CDC.

The World Health Organization recommends giving the vaccine to all babies at birth, but Guinea-Bissau has struggled to roll out the shots to every newborn, instead recommending the dose at six weeks of age. The country has pledged to fill that gap and plans on recommending hepatitis B vaccines to all newborns in 2027.

It is a major breach of scientific ethics to withhold an intervention that has been proven safe and effective. “It’s highly unethical to choose to give a vaccine to some children but not others,” Offit said.

Yamey noted: “There’s already an RCT [randomized, controlled trial] showing superior outcomes with the birth dose, so why is another one needed?”

The study does not appear to be looking at whether the vaccine is more effective at birth, which Jacobs said was “concerning” as “nowhere in this do they say that they’re going to study the efficacy of the vaccine itself.”

Instead, the trial will examine whether there are “overall health effects” – not specific outcomes, such as preventing infection from the virus – when the shot is given at birth, according to the Bandim Health Project.

“This announcement has set alarm bells ringing in the global health community,” said Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, calling it a symptom of “a policy desperately searching for evidence”.

“It is not clear what the research question is. It seems to be about the safety of the vaccine rather than its effectiveness, but both are already well-established, and to undertake such a study in a population where almost one in five of the adult population has a marker of infection seems extremely risky,” McKee said.

He also questioned whether participants could truly give informed consent, given the ethical concerns about how the study is being conducted.

In a recent survey, about 18% of Bissau-Guinean adults had hepatitis B, a virus that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, especially among young children. If a baby is infected in the first year of life, there is a 90% chance they will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer; between the ages of one and five, there is a 25% chance. Among adults, about 5% have a chronic infection.

In a recent study of toddlers in Guinea-Bissau, about 11.2% already had hepatitis B infection, which means not enough babies are getting the shots, said Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford. Across sub-Saharan Africa, only about 17% of babies receive the recommended birth dose, he added.

“The priority should be to increase vaccination with the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and protect more babies from the risk posed by this virus,” Pollard said.

In the US, recommending the vaccine at birth to all babies – not just those who appeared to be at risk of infection – caused rates among children to drop precipitously, from 20,000 to about 20 a year.

“We virtually eliminated hepatitis B in children less than 10,” Offit said. Children may be infected at birth, but they may also come into contact with other children and adults carrying the virus – which can remain infectious on surfaces for up to a week.

The experts voiced concerns about how the study would take place. It is unusual for a trial like this to take place in Guinea-Bissau instead of the United States or Denmark, they said.

“Why on Earth is this study happening in a high-endemic setting where the birth dose matters the most?” Yamey asked.

In Denmark, where only three in 1,000 people have the virus, the shot is not currently recommended at birth either, which means the same study could be conducted there. Denmark also has health registries, making it easier to access complete medical records. Instead, by working in a country with precarious healthcare and high rates of the illness, studies like this may lead to “expanding distrust in global public health”, Jacobs said.

The US canceled much of its global aid and research earlier this year, Jacobs said.

“In the face of the US canceling all this funding for vulnerable countries, and then it’s still going to pay for this research to be done – that is really worrying,” she said. “It seems to say we don’t value your lives enough to continue to provide support overall, but we won’t hesitate to experiment with your population.”

The study is single-blinded, which means the patients will not know who got the vaccine and who didn’t, but the research team will – which can affect the way they collect and interpret the data. “This means they can stamp their own biases on the results,” Yamey said. And the endpoints – “overall health effects” – are “very squishy”, which leaves the results vulnerable to manipulation, Jacobs said.

Henrik Støvring, a professor of statistics and pharmacometrics at Aarhus University who co-wrote about red flags in Bandim Health Project research for the journal Vaccine this month, said “broad hypotheses like these carry a high risk of false positive findings, and in general the research group has previously been reluctant to use appropriate statistical methods to curb such a risk.”

“I think conflicts of interests are always an issue when the donor so explicitly seeks out a research group and funds a study,” Støvring said.

The Danish journalist Gunver Lystbæk Vestergård has also written about major issues with research conducted by Aaby and Stabell Benn.

After the CDC sparked outrage by changing the recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination with no evidence, Jacobs said, “they’re now funding this to try to give themselves cover for having done that.”

“Because Robert F Kennedy Jr is an anti-vaccine zealot, he will somehow contort that study to look like the hepatitis B birth dose causes harm” or that it is better to delay the shots, Offit said.

Scientists, doctors and medical organizations are speaking out against Kennedy, he said, but “this is a political problem, and it requires a political solution.”

In the meantime, children will bear the brunt of these decisions, Offit continued: “This breaks my heart. It really does. It’s hard to sleep knowing that children are constantly being put in harm’s way by the administration.”

Putin vows no more wars if West treats Russia with respect

20 December 2025 at 00:06
Alexander NEMENOV/AFP Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on December 19, 2025Alexander NEMENOV/AFP
Putin has offered little sign of compromise to end the war, although talks are set to continue in the US

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said there will be no more wars after Ukraine if Russia is treated with respect - and claims that Moscow is planning to attack European countries are "nonsense".

In a marathon televised event lasting almost four and a half hours, he was asked by the BBC's Steve Rosenberg whether there would be new "special military operations" - Putin's term for the full-scale war.

"There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours," he asserted.

His remarks were in line with a recent comment in which he said Russia was not planning to go to war, but was ready "right now" if Europe wanted to.

He also added the condition,"if you don't cheat us like you cheated us with Nato's eastward expansion".

He has long accused Nato of going back on an alleged 1990 Western promise before the fall of the Soviet Union. It was denied years afterwards by late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The "Direct Line" marathon combined questions from the public at large and journalists from across Russia in a Moscow hall, with Putin sitting beneath an enormous map of Russia that encompassed occupied areas of Ukraine, including Crimea.

Russian state TV claimed more than three million questions had been submitted.

EPA Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) attends his annual live broadcast press conference with Russian federal, regional, and foreign media at the Gostiny Dvor forum hall in Moscow, Russia, 19 December 2025EPA
Organisers of the event said three million questions had been submitted to Putin

Although it was largely choreographed, some critical comments from the public appeared on a big screen, including one that referred to the event as a "circus", another bemoaning internet outages and one that highlighted poor-quality tap water. Mobile internet outages have been blamed by authorities on Ukrainian drone attacks.

Putin also addressed Russia's faltering economy, with prices rising, growth on the slide and VAT going up from 20 to 22% on 1 January. One message to the president read: "Stop the crazy rise in prices on everything!"

The Kremlin regularly uses the end-of-year event to highlight the resilience of the economy and, as Putin spoke, Russia's central bank announced it was lowering interest rates to 16%.

Foreign policy issues were mixed with musings about the motherland, praise for local businesses, fish prices and the importance of looking after veterans.

But the issue of almost four years of full-scale war in Ukraine was never far away and it was often in the background of many of the questions.

Putin again claimed to be "ready and willing" to end the war in Ukraine "peacefully" but offered little sign of compromise.

He repeated his insistence on principles he had outlined in a June 2024 speech, when he demanded that Ukrainian forces leave four regions Russia partially occupies and that Kyiv gives up its efforts to join Nato.

Chief among Russia's demands is full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas, including about 23% of Donetsk region which Russia has not been able to occupy.

Map of Ukraine

Putin argued Russian forces were making advances across the front line in Ukraine and he ridiculed Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the front line at Kupiansk last week, when the Ukrainian leader was able to refute Russia claims that it had captured the town.

Putin has also demanded new elections in Ukraine to be included in the peace proposals that US President Donald Trump has submitted as part of his efforts to bring the conflict to an end. At his news conference, Putin offered to stop bombing Ukraine when voting took place.

Ukraine's SBU security service said on Friday it had for the first time hit an oil tanker operating as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Mediterranean. Putin said it would not lead to the result that Kyiv wanted and would not disrupt Russian exports.

Most of the questions from Russian media or from the public made little attempt to challenge Putin, but two were allowed from Western correspondents, Keir Simmons of US network NBC and the BBC's Steve Rosenberg.

When Simmons asked if Putin would feel responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians if he rejected the Trump peace plan, Putin praised the US president's "sincere" efforts to end the war, but said it was the West not Russia that was blocking a deal.

"The ball is in the hands of our Western opponents," he said, "primarily the leaders of the Kyiv regime, and in this case, first and foremost, their European sponsors."

Trump has said a peace deal is closer than ever and, despite Putin's apparent refusal to compromise, the US president has said he hopes "Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there".

A Ukrainian delegation is holding talks in Miami on Friday with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. German, French and British officials are also there, days after they met the US officials in Berlin.

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is also expected in Miami over the weekend, according to reports.

Putin told the BBC's Russia Editor: "We are ready to work with you - with the UK and with Europe in general and with the United States, but as equals, with mutual respect to each other.

"We are ready to cease these hostilities immediately, provided that Russia's medium- and long-term security is ensured, and we are ready to cooperate with you."

He accused the West of creating an enemy out of Russia. Skating over his decision to mount a full-scale invasion in February 2022, he said: "You are waging a war against us with the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis," he added, repeating his regular diatribe against Ukraine's democratically elected leaders.

European intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is only a few years away from attacking Nato. The Western defensive alliance's chief Mark Rutte said this month that Russia was already escalating a covert campaign and the West had to be prepared for war.

While many of the questions were benign, including several from children, from a one reporter from Yakutia in north-eastern Siberia highlighted a tenfold increase in energy prices in the past four years. Putin told her that his team would look into alternative sources of energy and "keep Yakutia in mind".

Towards the end of the TV marathon, Putin was asked a series of quickfire questions, touching on his views on friendship, religion, the motherland and love at first sight. He said he believed in love at first sight - then added that he himself was in love, without divulging any more details.

Family of stabbed girl say 'our hearts are broken'

20 December 2025 at 01:07
Family photograph Aria Thorpe standing in a white party dress, and wearing a pink rosette. She also has a silver tiara on her head, and has long brown hairFamily photograph
Aria Thorpe's family said her death had left them "devastated"

The family of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died from a single stab wound in Weston-super-Mare on Monday, have described her as "the most beautiful little soul".

In a statement, they added: "Our hearts are broken in a way we never imagined possible."

Aria's father, Tom Thorpe, said her death was "devastating" and added: "You will be greatly missed, you special little angel. A life gone far too early but I hope a life lived well. We all love you dearly. Goodnight darling."

A 15-year-old boy appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday charged with her murder.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Resident doctors in Scotland to go on strike for first time

20 December 2025 at 00:44
Getty Images Three medics in blue scrubs, two men and a woman, walk along a hospital corridor. One of the men is holding a clipboard, the other some papers and the woman has a stethoscope around her neck. They are walking side by side, engaged in conversation. In the foreground, there is woman sitting on a black cushioned chair. She is turned away from the camera, looking towards the medics.Getty Images

Scotland's resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay - the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers.

Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.

With 92% voting in favour, strike dates have been set for 07:00 on Tuesday 13 January to 07:00 on Saturday 17 January 2026.

However, BMA Scotland said it still believed a resolution could be found and called for the Scottish government to get back to the negotiating table and present a "credible offer".

The Scottish government has been contacted for comment.

Resident doctors - who used to be called junior doctors - make up almost half of the medical workforce in Scotland.

They range from newly qualified doctors to those with up to 10 years experience.

Scotland had been the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

With 5,185 resident doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was 58% with a total of 3,008 votes cast.

A strike in the summer of 2023 was called off at the last minute after a deal was agreed.

As part of that, BMA Scotland said the government committed to making "credible progress" towards restoring pay to 2008 levels in each of the three following financial years.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA resident doctors committee, said: "The result of this ballot shows that resident doctors in Scotland are united in anger over the Scottish government breaking the deal they agreed over pay just two years ago.

"This is not where we wanted to be. However, we have sent a message loud and clear – the government cannot brazenly renege on its commitments without expecting to be held to account.

"Instead of negotiating with resident doctors to make credible progress towards pay restoration, as they agreed to do, they have imposed a pay uplift that is the lowest average award received by resident doctors anywhere in the UK."

He said the deal the Scottish government agreed to in 2023 was the only reason strike action had been avoided.

"It was working for doctors and the health service," he said. "By turning their backs on this deal, the Scottish government is forcing a dispute and knowingly putting the NHS in Scotland at risk of disruptive strike action."

Dr Smith said there was still time to avoid strikes.

"BMA Scotland resident doctors remain committed to the deal when it is being upheld in its entirety," he said.

"If we don't take a stand now when the government have broken a commitment agreed to in good faith, they will take this as licence to do it again and again, including on issues such as contract negotiations and more training jobs for resident doctors as part of future medical workforce planning.

"This matters not just for doctors, but for patients and for the future of the entire NHS in Scotland, which relies on today's resident doctors to stay here and become the GPs, specialist doctors and consultants of tomorrow."

What was the Scottish government's offer?

The two-year offer from the Scottish government was for a 4.25% increase in 2026/26 and 3.75% in 26/27.

It is the same offer that nurses, paramedics and other NHS workers accepted earlier this year.

BMA Scotland said it would have been the lowest in the UK and was less than was recommended by the independent pay review body.

The current offer would see the basic pay for a newly qualified doctor rise from £34,500 to £37,345 for 2026/27 and for a doctor with 10 years experience rise from £71,549 to £77,387.

Medics will often be expected to work night shifts, weekend or longer hours for which they will receive extra payments.

PA Media A group of junior (now called resident) doctors holding placards outside a hospital in London last year. They are holding signs saying "£15 an hour is not a fair wage for a junior doctor" and wearing orange hats with the BMA logo on them. They look like they are singing or chanting.PA Media
Resident doctors have been taking part in a series of strikes in England

A series of strikes by resident doctors in England has led to thousands of operations and procedures being cancelled.

An ongoing five-day walkout is causing further disruption and has been described as "dangerous and utterly irresponsible" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Any strike in Scotland would be a major blow to the Scottish government's promise to end long waits for procedures and appointments by March 2026 and would put even more pressure on an overstretched NHS in an election year.

So far, Scotland is the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

David Walliams dropped by book publisher

20 December 2025 at 01:03
Getty Images David WalliamsGetty Images

Best-selling children's author and comedian David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher HarperCollins, the company has said.

A spokesman for the publisher said: "After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams."

The Telegraph reported that the decision was made after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women.

HarperCollins did not confirm the reasons for its decision, adding: "We do not comment on internal matters." Walliams has not yet responded to the decision or the Telegraph report.

Walliams is one of the UK's most successful children's authors, having sold more than 60 million copies worldwide in 55 languages.

Some of his books, including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, have also been adapted into television films.

He rose to fame on TV sketch series Little Britain and has also won National Television Awards for his work as a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

He was made an OBE in 2017 his services to charity and the arts.

Harry and Meghan embrace their children in Christmas message

20 December 2025 at 00:54
Instagram/Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Archie is hugging his father, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, while Meghan is bent to eye-level and holding hands with Lilibet, as they all stand on what appears to be carved mini wooden bridge over a brook among trees.Instagram/Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
"Happy Holidays! From our family to yours," the Duchess of Sussex's message reads

The Duchess of Sussex has shared a family photo taken with the Duke of Sussex and their two children alongside a Christmas message.

In the photo shared on Instagram, Prince Archie is seen hugging his father, while Meghan is bending down and holding hands with Princess Lilibet. They are standing on a small, wooden bridge in a woodland.

"Happy Holidays! From our family to yours," her message reads.

Separately, the duke and duchess have also released a Christmas card and end-of-year video highlighting their charitable endeavours.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex A dark green card with gold lettering and a photo of harry and meghan linking arms as they walk on snow. They are wearing coats and sunglasses and are laughing. there are people behind them also walking and it is sunny. Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Six-year-old Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, four, also feature in the nearly two-minute long video, helping their parents bake cookies ahead of Thanksgiving with a local charity.

The video depicts work the duke and duchess have done under their Archewell Foundation, which has now changed its name to Archewell Philanthropies.

Announcing the rebrand on the Archewell website on Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan said the charity allowed the couple and their children to "expand upon their global philanthropic endeavours as a family".

The charity was established in 2020 after the couple stepped down from royal duties and moved to the US.

Meanwhile, the couple's Christmas card message reads: "On behalf of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Archewell, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year."

It comes a day after the Prince and Princess of Wales released a new family portrait which featured on their Christmas card this year.

The image shows Prince William and Catherine surrounded by daffodils, alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Earlier this month, King Charles III and Queen Camilla released their own Christmas card with a photo of them in Rome, Italy.

US justice department to release thousands of Epstein files later, top official says

20 December 2025 at 00:42
Reuters Close up of Jeffrey Epstein, who has grey hair, a beard, and is wearing a grey t-shirtReuters

The US justice department says it will begin releasing long-awaited files related to Jeffrey Epstein as mandated by a new law, though not all documents would be made public on Friday.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department expects to publish "several hundred thousand pages" initially, followed by more over the coming weeks.

The Friday deadline was mandated by a bill that got near-unanimous support in Congress, and was later signed into law by President Donald Trump, after he reversed his earlier opposition to its release.

The files relate to investigations into the disgraced late sex offender, but it's likely that much of the content will be heavily redacted.

"Today is the 30 days when I expect that we're going to release several hundred thousand documents today," Blanche told Fox & Friends. "And those documents will come in in all different forms, photographs and other materials associated with, with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein."

Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ was given until 19 December to release the files.

The bill specifically mentions the government must release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the DOJ's possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.

Leading up to its release, Democrats in the House have been releasing batches of documents and photos from Epstein's estate without context.

Lawmakers say they have been sorting through a trove of 20,000 documents and 95,000 photos from Epstein's estate.

Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia said in a press release that most of the documents arrived without context, and they have been working to redact potential victims.

The documents and images have featured several high-profile figures, including Trump, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and others.

But appearing in the photos or documents is not evidence of any wrongdoing, and many of the pictured men have said they were never involved in Epstein's illegal activity.

Woman's shock as goose smashes through front door

19 December 2025 at 22:02
Ian Bullock A stunned goose wedged in the glass window of a front doorIan Bullock
A Canada goose became wedged in Lynne Sewell's front porch door in Countesthorpe

A woman said she was left "terrified" after a goose crashed through her front door as she watched television.

Lynne Sewell said she initially thought a loud bang was someone trying to kick the door in - before she went to have a gander and found the bird wedged in the door at her home in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, on Wednesday.

"I was scared by the loud bang to start with, and it was enormous," she said.

Wildlife rescuers, who believe the in-flight Canada goose may have become tired and misjudged its landing, said it suffered just a few cuts and was set to make a swift return to the wild.

Lynne, who was watching Manchester City take on Brentford with her friend Ian Bullock, said she initially thought it was human vandals behind the bang and did not expect fowl play.

She said: "I thought it was probably someone trying to kick the door or something.

"My friend went out first because I was scared - and he shouted 'there's a bird with its head through the glass'."

Ian Bullock A bird next to a doormat with broken glass strewn nearby, with a bowl of water and some food in a tray next to itIan Bullock
Goose bump: The bird was stunned and spent the night in Lynne's porch

After a short time, the goose managed to finish its breaking and entering and drop into the porch.

"We didn't know if it was alive or dead," said Lynne. "I was so scared. I was scared by the loud bang to start with, and it was enormous."

Ian, who suspected a traffic accident had happened outside at first, tried to call the RSPCA and police but without any offer of support late at night, the pair decided to wait and see if the goose survived until the morning.

Lynne said: "We opened the door a bit and pushed a little small blanket in there for it, just in case, and a bowl of water, some porridge oats, because we didn't know what else to give him.

"I was thinking about it all night in bed, wondering what to expect the next morning."

'Wrapped him up'

Ian then managed to arrange for Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital in Kibworth Harcourt to collect the goose.

He said: "In the morning, I came downstairs, looked out, and yes, he was still alive.

"A lady called Amy came and wrapped him up and took him off.

"We spent around an hour getting all the glass out and the porch smelt a bit, but you can imagine."

Ian Bullock A woman wearing a face mask holding a swaddled Canada gooseIan Bullock
Amy Blower, from Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, collected the stricken fowl

Amy Blower, team leader at Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, said it was "a shock" to hear about the crash landing and believed the bird might have been tired and misjudged its descent.

"It's very unusual to be in the middle of a housing estate and flying that late at night.

"Surprisingly, he's just come off with a few minor scrapes and wounds from the glass he's smashed through.

"He had a small laceration to his beak and one just on the left side of his body - but other than that, he was pretty much absolutely fine," she said.

The goose is expected to be released back into the wild after a course of pain medication and antibiotics.

Lynne said she had now boarded up her front door and was arranging a repair through her insurance company.

She said: "I really don't know how it could have gone through that glass and survived.

"The chances of that happening, it's just not what you expect, is it?"

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The world of boxing gives predictions for Paul v Joshua fight

19 December 2025 at 23:38

One-way traffic... and one draw - Paul v Joshua predictions

Jake Paul and Anthony JoshuaImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua will meet in an eight-round heavyweight context

  • Published

Anthony Joshua returns to the ring for the first time in 15 months to face Jake Paul on Friday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

In the most unlikeliest of fights, the British two-time heavyweight world champion faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in an eight-round heavyweight bout.

Can Joshua, 36, mark his return in style with a knockout success? Or will 28-year-old American Paul pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history?

BBC Sport asks the world of boxing for their predictions.

Lennox Lewis - retired heavyweight world champion

"The bell rings, Joshua goes out there and throws a jab. Paul is going to be running around, trying to stay away from Joshua's power.

"Joshua's going to catch up to him, throw a couple body punches and hard jabs, hard right hands and soften him up.

"Second round, Paul is gone."

Prediction - Joshua

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How the world reacted to Paul v Joshua fight announcement

Natasha Jonas - former two-weight world champion

"If Jake Paul survives the fight, it looks bad for boxing. But if Joshua goes out and does what we hope and think he will, maybe it puts an end to this mockery.

"But there's no way Jake can run around the ring for eight rounds and not get caught. You are going to get hit, that's a guarantee in boxing. Can he withstand any type of meaningful shot from Joshua? No.

"Hopefully Joshua just knocks him out within the 10 seconds and everyone who has bought a ticket or ordered the fight will realise that top-level boxing is just a different kettle."

Prediction - Joshua

Frazer Clarke - British heavyweight

"I was shocked at Jake Paul taking this fight - he's crazy.

"I know AJ well and if he chooses to - you know in a PlayStation game you would hit people and they would disappear? He could disintegrate Jake Paul.

"I have felt AJ's force, I have felt the power - he's different level."

Prediction - Joshua

Carl Frampton - retired two-weight world champion

"I think it might be a bit harder for Joshua to hit Paul clean early on than people think. It should be a one or two round fight.

"If AJ doesn't hit him clean then I think he chases Paul into the corner and beats him up until the referee jumps in."

Prediction - Joshua

Eddie Hearn - Matchroom promoter

"A devastating knockout inside two rounds, but it depends how it comes.

"He could hit him to the body and he would break his ribs and he wouldn't be able to get up. Or if he hits him clean, he's going to knock him spark out. Or the ref can jump in.

"You just don't know how that's going to play out, but the way AJ punches - with the speed of the punches and the destruction he punches with - as soon as Jake Paul is hit on the chin, it's over."

Prediction - Joshua

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Paul is 'massively deluded' if he thinks he can beat AJ - Hearn

Joe Gallagher - boxing trainer

"I think there will be a searching out process in round one, and then I think round two or three Joshua letting his hands go. If Joshua comes out fighting Jake Paul in the same way that he came out against [Francis] Ngannou, then I expect Jake Paul to get knocked out within the first three rounds."

Prediction - Joshua

Richie Woodhall - retired world champion

"This is like Telford United taking on Manchester United. It's really dangerous, which far outweighs the rewards.

"Anthony Joshua isn't the fighter he was, age affects us all, but he's still among the best in the world and is looking to become a world champion. He can punch like you wouldn't believe.

"AJ will not hold back and play along and hold him up - no chance. It's not in his make-up. He'll be looking to punch a hole in him. AJ is a lovely bloke outside the ring but he can be a nasty person in the ring.

"Jake just best throw the kitchen sink and have a good go, but blimey, this match-up is not good."

Prediction - Joshua

Anthony Crolla - retired former lightweight world champion

"If it's not staged or anything like that, I think we see AJ win in round two by stoppage."

Prediction - Joshua

Troy Williamson - British super-middleweight

"AJ on points, but it shouldn't be points. He should clean it out in a few minutes or maybe the second round at the latest. But I can just see it going to points, I don't know why."

Prediction - Joshua

Cassius Chaney - American heavyweight

"I'm into conspiracy theories a little bit. I might have to go with a draw. I just feel like Jake could move around the ring and make it frustrating. He could do that for five or six rounds easy. I don't think Joshua wants to chase him around the ring. So I think he might give up some rounds and then Jake only then has to make it through two."

Prediction - draw

Izzy Asif - GBM promoter

"I think Joshua gets him out there in rounds three or four. I don't think it's going to be a knock-over job straight away. I don't think Paul is going to fall to the ground as soon as he gets hit. I think he'll come prepared. But the second Joshua gets the chance and he sees the vulnerability of Paul, he'll finish him off. I expect a clinical domination job in the end."

Prediction - Joshua

Chris Billam-Smith - former cruiserweight world champion

"What we see [from Paul] is delusion, but I admire the confidence. It's one of the most absurd fights. If it went five rounds, I would feel the need to criticise Joshua."

Prediction - Joshua

Caroline Dubois - lightweight world champion

"I don't think anyone could tell you, I honestly cannot say. It's such an intriguing fight. Anything can happen."

Prediction: On the fence

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More boxing from the BBC

Why the cost of Christmas dinner is higher this year

19 December 2025 at 08:02
Getty Images A mother and her two daughters set the Christmas dinner table. There is a Christmas tree in their kitchenGetty Images
A typical Christmas dinner with all the trimmings will cost slightly more than last year

Turkey and sprouts are synonymous with Christmas dinner and this year a rise in the price of both means the festive feast will cost you slightly more at the supermarket.

A typical turkey dinner with all the trimmings will cost about £32.45, according to research done for the BBC - a £1.24 or nearly 4% rise on last year.

It comes after bird flu led to large numbers of turkeys being culled early, while a drier spring and summer hit sprout harvests.

However, the humble but golden potato and parsnip have gone down in price, along with - if you have any room - Christmas pudding and mince pies. Our seasonal snapshot reflects that overall food price rises are beginning to slow down.

The centre piece to the traditional family feast - the turkey - costs £20, for a standard 10lb (4.55kg) frozen one. The same bird was £18.62 last year - that's a 7.37% rise, according to the research from retail tracking platform Assosia.

The ever-divisive Brussels sprouts went up by more than 9% to 94p a bag, it found.

The data is based on prices on 6 December 2025 and the same date in 2024, across own-brand products from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl.

However, every year as supermarkets compete for our Christmas custom many slash the prices of their bags of veg as low as 8p so there are bargains to be had.

The cost of a supermarket shop is now rising much slower than when food prices spiked sharply following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Turkey prices up after bird flu outbreaks

In Potterspury, near Milton Keynes, hundreds of free-range turkeys usually amble around farmer Susan Gorst, pecking at the grass.

But in November, all bird farmers in England were ordered to keep their flocks indoors and many were culled early to limit the spread of bird flu.

She says turkeys eat more feed when they can't graze outdoors so this pushed up her costs. But she says her customers understand she has to pass this on.

"I think people are now generally expecting an increase on most things year on year," she says.

Susan Gorst Susan, a woman in her 50s or 60s, and her son Freddie, probably 20s or 30s. sitting on hay bales. Susan is holding a live turkey and Freddie has his arms wrapped around two more turkeys and there are about 30 more turkeys on and around the hay bales.Susan Gorst
Susan Gorst and her son Freddie on their turkey farm

The rising price of turkey "could have been a lot worse," according to John Muff, co-owner of Muff's Butchers in Wirral. He estimates it's up by £1-2 per kilo since last Christmas.

"All year round we've seen price increases, almost on a weekly basis, 5p here, 10p there," he says.

Pork has also gone up in price, with pigs in blankets now £2.59, or 5.3% higher than last year.

John says this didn't surprise him. The cost of making their sausages from scratch has seen a "steady increase throughout the year," he says.

John Muff, a butcher, stands at the counter of his shop. He is wearing a grey chef's uniform and a dark apron. He is also wearing a cap. There are Christmas decorations hung above the butcher counter.
Butcher John Muff said the price of turkey has crept up all year

He says "every aspect is going up," from animal feed, energy, transport and wages.

But he thinks higher supermarket prices might be tempting shoppers into a trip to the butchers.

"They're thinking to themselves: If I'm going to pay that sort of price, I may as well come in here and get the proper stuff," he says.

Sprout prices

Whether you celebrate or shun the sprouts at Christmas, the success of this little green veg is highly dependent on the weather.

Alan Steven, a sprout farmer in Fife, says this spring the ground was so dry he had to water his fields before he could plant his seeds - for the first time in 10 years.

He had the cost of irrigating twice more over the summer due to prolonged hot weather.

And so far the winter has been milder which means the sprout plants are more prone to disease, he says.

Alan Steven, a sprout farmer, standing in his field. He is holding two sprouts which he just picked and is showing them to the cameraman. He is wearing green overalls over a black jumper. He is also wearing a hat.
Alan Steven said he had to irrigate his sprout seeds as they were being planted because the ground was so dry

Spud prices hold steady

The price of root vegetables has remained firmly planted - with no change to the cost of carrots - and potatoes and parsnips just a penny cheaper than last year.

Scott Walker, chief executive of GB Potatoes, said planting and harvesting conditions were favourable this year, but the middle of the season, was "one of the driest in modern memory". The summer was the hottest on record in the UK.

Farmers who didn't have irrigation systems would have suffered and those who could water their crops would have had higher electricity and fuel costs, he says.

"We've had more modest rises than we've had over the past couple of years, but costs have still gone up," he says.

Lucy Munns Lucy, a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, sitting in a tractor. A wheat field is visible in the backgroundLucy Munns
Lucy Munns grows potatoes, sugar beet, wheat and barley

The trouble with potato prices is you never know what you're going to get, says Lucy Munns, a potato farmer in Cambridgeshire.

She said a good price for her potatoes would be £200 a tonne, but she was anticipating prices as low as £80 in December.

Hot spells while potatoes are growing causes them to be oddly shaped and they can be rejected by supermarkets and fish and chip shops, she says.

Lucy Munns A photo of oddly shaped potatoes fresh out of the ground. One potato looks like three potatoes stuck togetherLucy Munns
Hot weather can cause potatoes to grow in odd shapes

Pudding and mince pies fall in price

Another side dish which saw a slight dip in price was stuffing mix - dropping 1.32% to 50p for 170g.

And lashings of gravy will also be cheaper this year, with gravy granules dropping 7.35% to 91p for 200-300g.

If after the Christmas feast you still have appetite for a sweet treat you'll be glad to hear that Christmas pudding and mince pies are cheaper this year.

A pack of six iced mince pies will cost £1.77, which is 2.75% cheaper than in 2024. A standard 400g pudding comes in at £2.35, or a drop of 7.42%.

It's down to falling flour and sugar prices - there is currently a global sugar surplus.

In the UK, falling sugar, jam and chocolate prices contributed to lower inflation rates in December.

Cost of Living: Tackling it together banner

How to keep costs down

  • Start with a budget: Plan ahead and add up hidden expenses, like tin foil for roasting a turkey.
  • Write a food list: Decide on your must haves and what you might not miss.
  • Plan your leftovers: A next day meal plan will mean less goes to waste
  • Bargain hunt: Look out for online offers as well as yellow sticker items which have been reduced.
  • Use your freezer: Christmas foods that freeze well include butter, meat joints and some cheeses like cheddar.
  • Join up with friends and family: This means you can buy bigger pack sizes, which are often better value.

Read more from the BBC Food team here

Justice Dept. Won’t Meet Friday Deadline to Release All Epstein Files

20 December 2025 at 01:24
Several members of Congress criticized the department’s No. 2, Todd Blanche, after he said more documents would be coming weeks late.

© Pete Marovich for The New York Times

Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, said the Justice Department would not release all of its files relating to Jeffrey Epstein by Friday, the congressionally mandated deadline.

Europe Funnels Billions to Ukraine but Wobbles Geopolitically

19 December 2025 at 22:48
The European Union came up with an 11th-hour compromise to help Ukraine, but the solution raised questions about the bloc’s decisiveness.

© Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

A Ukrainian soldier with a mortar, hidden from the sight of drones, near Kupiansk, in May. The European Union will funnel 90 billion euros’ worth of loans to Ukraine.
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