Part of the first generation of women ordained in America, she presided over the first bar mitzvah in Krakow, still scarred by the Holocaust, in decades. It did not go smoothly.
A lower-court judge had invalidated the package, saying shareholders had not been properly informed about the plan. Friday’s ruling means the pay deal, worth about $139 billion now, can proceed.
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.
Kylie is the first female artist to have UK number one hits in four separate decades
Kylie Minogue has scored this year's Christmas number one, deposing Wham!'s Last Christmas, which topped the chart in 2023 and 2024.
The pop star achieved the feat with her single XMAS, an irrepressibly jaunty anthem about "the presents underneath the tree" and kissing someone special "out in the snow".
Arriving 37 years after her first UK number one hit, I Should Be So Lucky in 1988, it makes Kylie the first female artist to top the charts in four different decades.
"It's hard to put into words how special this feels," said the singer, adding that she'd be celebrating Christmas by "obsessing over a jigsaw" with her family in Australia.
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Kylie wrote the first draft of XMAS in 2015, but only got around to finishing and recording it earlier this year
XMAS is taken from a new, expanded edition of her 2015 album Kylie Christmas, and was available exclusively through Amazon.
You could argue that gave her a slight advantage because XMAS was prominently positioned on Amazon Music's Christmas playlist. But it also meant her song was unavailable on rival streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music.
But the combination of her plays on Amazon and YouTube, and the availability of limited edition vinyl and CD singles, ultimately gave her the Christmas crown.
"Kylie really, really targeted this particular race. Her record label pulled out all the stops," said Martin Talbot, head of the Official Charts Company.
"When you have a superstar of her status really going for it, she's always going to be in with a chance."
According to chart data, Kylie's Christmas charm offensive gave the star her biggest sales week in 23 years, since 2002's Love At First Sight.
Close race
Despite that, Talbot said the competition for this year's Christmas number one was "tight right the way through the week".
At one point, only 10,000 copies separated the top five songs.
Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee were also in contention for the top spot as people pumped Christmas classics into their playlists.
The Christmas Top 10 in full:
Kylie Minogue - XMAS
Wham! - Last Christmas
Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Together For Palestine - Lullaby
Pogues ft Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York
Dave ft Tems - Raindance
Kelly Clarkson - Underneath The Tree
Elton John - Step Into Christmas
Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock
It wasn't Kylie's first attempt to scale the festive summit.
Her duet with Jason Donovan, Especially For You, was a major contender for Christmas number one in 1988, but ultimately took the runners-up position behind Cliff Richard's Mistletoe and Wine.
Despite finally triumphing in the seasonal chart, she said she was planning a quiet Christmas after completing her massive, 66-date Tension World Tour.
That means settling down to watch the Boxing Day cricket Test match between Australia and England while chipping away at a jigsaw.
"We're not long-term puzzlers, but somehow a jigsaw puzzle was on the end of the dining table in the family house last Christmas," she explained.
"So all Christmas, you'd float past and, if someone else was working on it, you'd be like, 'Is now the right time? Are we on the same page? Should we work on separate zones?'
"But as time went by, we were getting nowhere. There were all these trouble zones - a bit of blue sky and a big patch of grass - and nobody could get them. No-one.
"Then, maybe about a month ago, my brother sent me a video of the moment the last piece of the puzzle went in.
"I was like, 'Oh my God! Hallelujah that he happened to be filming!'
"So this year, I know there's a new jigsaw puzzle with a $1 sticker on the box from our local op shop [charity shop]. It's another 1,000-piecer and we'll start all over."
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Wham!'s Last Christmas has charted every year since 2007
Wham! had been hoping to become the first act to top the Christmas chart three times with the same song.
Last Christmas was famously denied the top spot when it was first released in 1984, due to the phenomenal success of Band Aid's charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?
It finally reached the summit in 2023, thanks to a wave of goodwill and strong streaming numbers. It topped the chart again last year with a massive 12.6 million streams in Christmas week alone.
BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders, who presents the UK chart show, attributed the song's enduring popularity to its message.
"It's a fantastic pop song," he said, "but it also captures the true heart and soul of what Christmas means to people. It's family coming together, it's reigniting friendships, it's community.
"When you hear Wham! on the radio, you think, oh yeah we are all in this together, this is our song."
Other songs in the running for this year's Christmas number one included Together For Palestine's charity single, Lullaby, which is raising funds for aid for people in Gaza.
Based on the traditional Palestinian folk song Yamma Mwel El Hawa (Mama, Sing to the Wind), it features new lyrics by Peter Gabriel and was recorded by a group of Palestinian artists alongside British stars like Neneh Cherry, Celeste and Dan from Bastille.
"To me, the Lullaby will always be number one," said Nai Barghouti, who features on the track.
"I am beyond proud of and humbled by the overwhelming support that we have received globally. Thank you to each and every one of you."
Drivers are being advised to allow extra time to travel
Britain's roads, railways and airports are set to be thronged by festive travellers on what is is anticipated to be the busiest day for Christmas trips.
The AA has warned of gridlock on Friday as 24.4 million cars are expected to hit the roads.
It is also expected to be the busiest day of the Christmas period for airports, with 460,000 journeys planned.
Network Rail has also advised travellers to check their journeys and book a seat if possible.
Drivers told to allow extra time
The AA said this Christmas could be the busiest on record for UK roads, and advised drivers to allow extra time to complete their journeys.
The insurance company said most people driving during the festive period travelled less than 100 miles, meaning congestion is likely around motorway interchanges and retail destinations.
AA patrol expert Shaun Jones said patience behind the wheel "will be your best present this year".
"Plan ahead, check your route, and allow extra time," he said.
The M27 will be closed between Junction 9 (Whiteley/Park Gate) and Junction 11 (Fareham East/Gosport) from Christmas Eve to 4 January, so anyone travelling in Hampshire should plan alternative routes.
Rail closures
Network Rail also encouraged passengers to allow extra time for train travel. Improvement works taking place over the Christmas period mean several routes will be closed or restricted.
Information on what routes will be closed for repairs can be found on the Network Rail website.
National Rail trains do not run on Christmas Day and only a small number will run on Boxing Day.
Daniel Mann, Director of Industry Operations at the Rail Delivery Group, said: "We encourage customers to reserve seats where possible, bring only luggage that is easy to carry and fits in designated storage areas, and allow extra time for their journeys."
Flights
Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the festive season for airports, but the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said flying on Christmas Day was becoming more popular.
If this happens, airlines are required to support passengers. This can include:
Providing food and drink during extended delays
Covering accommodation if passengers are delayed overnight
Offering a refund or alternative travel if a flight is cancelled
If your flight is cancelled, and it is covered by UK law, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or being booked on to an alternative flight.
You can check if your flight is covered under UK law here.
The CAA also said that travellers can minimise their risk of delays by ensuring their cases are packed correctly.
This includes leaving presents unwrapped as they may need to be inspected.
The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome's key attractions with around nine million visitors this year
Tourists in Italy's capital Rome will soon have to pay a €2 (£1.75; $2.34) entrance fee if they want to see its famed Trevi Fountain up close.
The new barrier for visitors to view the Baroque monument will come into force from 1 February 2026.
While the coins tossed into the fountain are donated to charity, the fees collected will go to the city authority to pay for upkeep and managing visitors. The city expects to raise €6.5m a year from the fountain alone.
Announcing the move on Friday, Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was quote by news agency Reuters as saying that "two euros isn't very much ... and it will lead to less chaotic tourist flows".
The Trevi levy is part of a new tariff system for certain museums and monuments in the Italian capital.
Access to a number of sites that currently charge for entry will become free for Rome's residents, such as the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina.
At the same time, tourists and non-residents will have to pay to see the Trevi fountain and five other attractions including the Napoleonic Museum.
Children under the age of five, and those with disabilities and an accompanying person, will be exempt from the fees.
Tourists will still be able to view the Trevi Fountain - built by Italian architect Nicola Salvi in the 18th Century - for free from a distance.
The site currently sees an average of 30,000 visitors per day, according to the City of Rome.
The shift would mean fewer shots recommended for children. But a Danish health official found the idea baffling, saying the United States was getting “crazier and crazier in public health.”
A pediatrician administering a combination six-way vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B, in Berlin.
Ms. Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch ally of President Trump, abruptly ended her bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul and said she would not seek another House term.
Representative Elise Stefanik is one of President Trump’s most steadfast supporters, but he had shied away from endorsing her in the New York governor’s race.
ALBANY, New York — Rep. Elise Stefanik is suspending her campaign for New York governor and will not seek reelection to her upstate House seat, she announced Friday.
“I am truly humbled and grateful for the historic and overwhelming support from Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, and Democrats all across the state for our campaign to Save New York,” she wrote in a social media post.
“However, as we have seen in past elections, while we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”
Stefanik entered the race to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in November — months after President Donald Trump cleared the field by endorsing moderate GOP Rep. Mike Lawler’s reelection in his swing House seat.
But her bid became complicated this month by the entrance of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman into the race for governor. Both Stefanik and Blakeman are Trump allies and the president has publicly praised both candidates as “great.” Blakeman’s campaign on Thursday announced it would begin airing ads during the week of Christmas in West Palm Beach — the location of the president’s Florida residence.
The party establishment quickly started to rally behind Blakeman following Stefanik’s announcement.
"Bruce Blakeman has my endorsement and I urge our State Committee and party leaders to join me,” state GOP Chair Ed Cox said in a statement. “Bruce is a fighter who has proven he knows how to win in difficult political terrain. As County Executive, he cut taxes, fought against radical leftwing social policies and made Nassau County the safest county in America.”
Long considered a rising star among New York Republicans, Stefanik was first elected a decade ago to a rural House district that borders Canada. Initially a Republican in the mold of former House Speaker Paul Ryan, Stefanik became a vocal Trump supporter and rose to prominence during his first impeachment as an ardent defender.
That Trump support initially appeared to pay off when he returned to the White House.
Stefanik was previously nominated by Trump to become United Nations ambassador. That nomination was yanked earlier this year amid concerns over House Republicans’ narrow majority. The 41-year-old Republican then turned her attention to the New York governor’s office — a seat her party has not held since George Pataki was elected three times.
The race was immediately an uphill battle for Stefanik, who hammered Hochul repeatedly as the “worst governor in America” and signaled she would link her to incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Early polling, though, showed her to be in a challenging race to win in a deep blue state. A Siena University survey this month found Hochul holding a 19-point advantage over the GOP challenger.
Another indication of trouble came as Trump embraced Mamdani during an Oval Office meeting — undercutting a core message of her campaign. Blakeman’s bid called into question whether she would be forced to spend time and resources on a costly primary against a Republican who represents a suburban bellwether.
Stefanik had been scheduled to be the featured guest at the Oneida County GOP’s holiday dinner Friday night. But she canceled, citing business in Washington — despite the fact the House has adjourned for the year.
The departure leaves Blakeman as the only candidate in the GOP field as the party seeks to end what will be a 24-year drought in statewide contests in 2026.
He’s little known outside of Long Island — the recent Siena poll found 59 percent of Republicans didn’t know or have an opinion of him. And while he’s started to tour upstate in an effort to build bridges, he’s made few inroads in the vote-rich corner of northern New York where Stefanik has been building her base for a decade.
Blakeman has based his candidacy on support for law enforcement and his electability — he comfortably won reelection in purple Nassau County last month despite a strong night for Democrats practically everywhere else in the state.
Stefanik in recent days lambasted House Speaker Mike Johnson in a remarkable and public outburst, after months of simmering tension between the two. She accused Johnson of failing to lead the House GOP conference and argued at that point he didn’t have the support to win the speakership again.
Many Republicans in Johnson's leadership circle are “not sad to see her go,” one senior Republican aide said.
Hochul’s campaign took a victory lap after the news.
“Elise Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality: If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose,” Hochul spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said. “As Donald Trump raises costs on New Yorkers and targets this state relentlessly, Governor Hochul has cut middle-class taxes, put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, and fought this administration and won when New York has come under attack.”
鉴于布朗大学（Brown University）校园枪击案嫌犯身份证实为通过“绿卡乐透”入境的移民，美国总统特朗普（Donald Trump）18日发布行政命令，宣布无期限暂停“绿卡乐透抽签计划”（Diversity Visa Lottery，简称DV1）。国土安全部随即启动相关程序，将这起造成2名学生死亡、9人受伤的惨剧，归咎于现行移民审查制度的灾难性漏洞。
这项政策转向的直接导火线，源于枪击案嫌犯、48岁葡萄牙籍男子瓦伦特（Claudio Neves Valente）的移民背景。国土安全部长诺姆（Kristi Noem）于社群平台X证实，瓦伦特是在2017年通过绿卡乐透计划进入美国并取得绿卡。
瓦伦特在经历多州大规模搜捕后，于18日晚间被发现陈尸于新罕布夏州塞勒姆（Salem）一处租用的储物设施内，死因判定为自戕。警方在现场发现了两把枪枝与相关证物，相信他除了须对13日的布朗大学枪击案负责外，还涉及15日麻省理工学院（MIT）教授罗瑞洛（Nuno F. G. Loureiro）在其住处遭杀害的命案。调查发现，嫌犯与罗瑞洛教授曾在1990年代末于葡萄牙同校就读。
The selection of Scott Beardsley by the G.O.P.-appointed board comes after the previous president resigned under pressure from the Trump administration. A new Democratic-appointed board could try to overturn the choice.
Karl Jordan Jr., godson of the musician, was convicted last year of murder in the service of a drug deal. The judge found that the government had not proved the motive.
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