In this episode of On the Record, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem is joined by Iran’s former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif. They discuss Iran’s political and military involvement in the Middle East and beyond. Zarif reflects on Iran’s involvement with resistance groups in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon and why Iran’s nuclear ambitions have not been obliterated by either the US or Israel.
ABBA Voyage has unveiled a new festive makeover – transforming the ABBA Arena into a magical winter garden.
The new setting, which runs until February 2026, sees the concourse filled with deep greenery, crystals and shifting light installations designed to give fans a new way to experience the concert that’s become a global phenomenon.
Adding to the magic is a brand-new heated outdoor Winter Bar – a cosy, welcoming hideaway to relax with table service and views of the iconic ABBA sign. To fuel the festivities, guests can indulge in a seasonal winter menu, featuring a festive hot dog, indulgent winter cocktails, hot chocolate, winter fruit crumble, and more.
Exclusive winter merchandise from baubles and tree decorations to festive jumpers and hats will also be available for the perfect ABBA-inspired stocking fillers.
As part of Queen Elizabeth Park Olympic Park’s ‘Winter Adventure’, the countdown to Christmas comes alive with a nightly celebration as a new venue opens its doors each evening at 6pm.
On December 5, ABBA Voyage had welcomed East London–based Swedish choir Norrsång , who performed Christmas classics and Swedish seasonal favourites set against the magical backdrop of the ABBA Arena.
ABBA Voyage opened in May 2022 and uses groundbreaking digital avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Frida, backed by a 10-piece live band. Earlier this year, the show marked its third anniversary by adding ‘The Name of the Game’, ‘Super Trouper’, ‘Money, Money, Money’ and ‘Take a Chance on Me’ to the setlist. The avatars have been dubbed Abba-tars by fans.
ABBA are the most successful Swedish act of all time on the UK Official Charts too. Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid have nine number ones and 20 songs in the top 10. They also have ten number one albums.
In 2024 Radio 2 listeners crowned Dancing Queen their favourite ABBA song, taking the Number one spot in Your Ultimate ABBA Song, with tens of thousands of votes cast by music fans.
The vote – which commemorated 50 years since they won the Eurovision Song Contest on April 6, 1974 in Brighton with Waterloo – was launched by DJ Gary Davies on April 5 and closed on April 18.
Listeners could select up to five of their favourite tracks from a list of 45 titles from the band – made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
In number two spot is The Winner Takes It All, number three is Thank You For The Music, number four is Slipping Through My Fingers and completing the top five is The Day Before You Came.
For more information please visit: https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/whats-on/abba-voyage-winter-adventure
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Stacey Solomon has debuted a brand new hair colour, and it’s causing quite the stir. The mum-of-five swapped her signature bright blonde for a deeper, richer shade experts are calling ‘chocolate blonde’, and the colour shift has genuinely given her a whole new look.
Stacey unveiled the transformation on Instagram after a rare few hours to herself at the salon, and fans immediately flooded the comments with praise. One wrote: “I love it, it’s given you a new glow,” while another added: “That colour is stunning.” A third follower summed up the general consensus perfectly: “Oh I see the change- it’s darker and I really love it, it really suits you.”
The transformation isn’t drastic, but it instantly lifts the complexion and adds warmth at a time of year when most of us are feeling a bit washed out. Stacey even joked on an Instagram story about the subtle-but-noticeable shift, saying husband Joe Swash didn’t even spot the change. A follower shared this sentiment, writing: “Men eh? I went out blonde and came back a redhead and my husband didn’t notice even when the kids gave him clues. Yours looks lovely.” Relatable doesn’t even begin to cover it.
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So what makes Stacey’s new shade work so well? According to Siobhan Haug, colour specialist and co-founder of Haug London Haus, the richness comes from how the tones have been blended. “Stacey’s colour has a warm sheen, not too ashy. It’s a chocolate blonde,” she explains. “Mahogany, gold and violet tones combined give that warmth without a copper tinge.” In other words, it’s a multi-dimensional approach that avoids the flatness that winter blondes can sometimes fall into.
Siobhan adds that the colourist has leaned into Stacey’s natural warmth rather than tried to cool everything down. “It’s nice to lean into the warmth and not fight it because that’s what’s given the rich base colour– it’s not flat.”
The result is glossy, lifted and incredibly flattering, especially for the winter months when softer, deeper blondes tend to look more natural against paler skin tones. Chocolate blonde is also lower-maintenance than brighter balayage or icy highlights, which might explain why so many people are bookmarking Stacey’s new look as inspo for their next appointment.
Bangladesh will hold a parliamentary election on February 12, authorities said, in what would be the country’s first national vote since last year’s student-led uprising that removed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a televised address on Thursday, the chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin confirmed the date and said a national referendum on political reforms would also be held on the same day.
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The announcement comes as the interim administration struggles to steady the political landscape. The caretaker government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has faced renewed demonstrations over delays to political and institutional reforms promised after Hasina’s removal from power.
Hasina’s party remains excluded from the ballot, and its leaders have warned that unrest could escalate as the campaign gathers pace.
Yunus framed the election schedule as a turning point, saying the country had moved closer to reclaiming democratic norms. “Bangladesh’s democratic journey has crossed an important milestone, strengthening the new path the nation has taken after the historic mass uprising,” he said.
The turbulence of the transition sharpened on Thursday after President Mohammed Shahabuddin, appointed to the largely symbolic post during Hasina’s tenure, announced he would resign once voting concludes. He told the news agency Reuters he intended to step aside midway through his term, saying he had felt humiliated by the Yunus government.
Many voters are focussed on restoring democratic rule, reviving the vital garment-export industry, and recalibrating ties with India, which soured after Hasina fled to India following the upheaval.
Election officials say nearly 128 million people will be able to cast ballots across more than 42,000 polling stations in contests for 300 seats. The poll will coincide with a referendum on the “July Charter”, a reform blueprint drafted in the immediate aftermath of the uprising.
Uddin said that the vote would determine whether the Charter becomes the basis for restructuring state institutions.
The document proposes reducing executive authority, enhancing the judiciary’s independence, strengthening the electoral commission, and stopping the political misuse of law-enforcement agencies.
The race is expected to be dominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The BNP is competing alongside Jamaat-e-Islami, which is returning to electoral politics for the first time since a 2013 court ruling barred it under the country’s secular constitution.
A new political force, the National Citizen Party, formed by student leaders who helped organise the 2024 uprising, lags behind, struggling to convert its street mobilisation into a nationwide electoral base.
Idris Elba has shared plans to retire from acting. Despite being one of the highest grossing actors and rumours he will be the next James Bond, the 53-year-old has expressed a desire to pivot to another career. In a Q&A at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on 10 December, Idris shared that he wanted to hang up his acting hat and hoped his fans wouldn’t be “mad” at him.
“I’m hoping that my fan base as an actor isn’t made at me,” he said whilst promoting his new short film Dust To Dreams. “But eventually, I want to transfer to be a director fully. I’ve been acting for a long time. I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it.”
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Idris directed his first feature film, Yardie, in 2018. He’d previously done a TV short, Rebellious Soul: The Musical, making Dust To Dreams his second short and third directorial film. He also has three films that have not been released yet, including one called Above The Below, which he also stars in.
The Thor actor is one of the top 20 highest grossing actors, as his films, including several Marvel projects and a biopic about Nelson Mandela, have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office.
In recent years, Idris has also been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. He even suggested he would say yes to the role if it was offered to him, even if it’s not something he’s actively pursuing.
Talking to Vanity Fair in 2019, he said: “James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character, that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey. Of course, if someone said to me ‘Do you want to play James Bond?,’ I’d be like, Yeah! That’s fascinating to me. But it’s not something I’ve expressed, like, yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond.”
In the same article, he said he was “disheartened” by the backlash to Bond rumours. He shared that he found it troubling that some people thought he couldn’t do the role, which has so far been played by white men, purely because of his race. Idris added that the backlash meant taking on the role would be a “difficult position to put myself into”.
David Beckham has sent an emotional message to his son Brooklyn amid their ongoing family feud. It’s thought that the former footballer’s latest post could be an olive branch. The public feud has been going on for months now, with the majority of family members sharing social media posts connected to the row. However, the latest post could be an attempt to make up before Christmas.
David took to his Instagram stories where he shared a photo of himself alongside wife Victoria, 51, and children Romeo 23, Cruz, 20 and Harper, 14, celebrating his MLS title in Miami. But he also posted a throwback snap of himself with Brooklyn, 25 after winning the same cup as a player with LA Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.
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He captioned the snaps with: “License to cry.” Some have thought that the latest post could be an olive branch to Brooklyn before the festive season comes to an end.
Last week, Brooklyn’s youngest brother shared his own post that looked like he was also trying to end the feud. Crus posted an old photo to Instagram of himself with Brooklyn, his other brother Romeo and his dad David.
Next to the sweet snap, he wrote: “Love you guys.” This is the first time Cruz has shared a photo with his brother since the feud first arose.
The week before, Cruz took to his social media again where he shared a message hinting that he wants to put the family rift behind him. Alongside a selfie, Cruz wrote: “Life is too short to be silence, at least talk it out,” with a crying face emoji. Some thought that the message could have been a plea to Brooklyn to reach out to him to sort things out.
Mum Victoria is also said to be desperate for the family to all make up as soon as possible. The fashionista posted on her Instagram stories to post a video from her mum’s Jackie’s home, where all the grandchildren’s Christmas stockings are up on the mantlepiece.
Brooklyn has his name embroidered name on his very own stocking. Speaking to the camera as she panned over the decorations, Victoria said: “So I’m here at my mum and dad’s house and look how cute.
“They’ve got all of the grandchildren’s stockings up ready for Christmas.” The exact reason for the family fall out has never been revealed.
Brooklyn has kept his distance from him family members as he has missed several milestones since they have stopped talking.
Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz didn’t attend David’s 50th birthday earlier this year. They also missed the premiere of mum Victoria’s Netflix documentary and also her big Paris fashion show.
One of the big events Brooklyn missed but David’s knighthood celebrations. He also didn’t share a message congratulating his dad on his big achievement when the honours list was announced.