Hypothermia claimed the life of another infant, strong winds toppled a wall onto a tent, and a damaged building collapsed on its residents as severe weather torments Palestinians left defenceless by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Lily Allen has been slammed by the real-life Madeline and is reportedly ‘profiting from lies’ as Natalie Tippett, known as Madeline from Lilly Allen’s latest album, has denied a three-year affair with David Harbour.
Lily wrote about the affair in the songs on her West End Girl album where she also revealed details on her open marriage with Stranger Things actor David. Now Natalie has spoken out in a series of Instagram posts on Sunday following Lily Allen’s appearance on SNL.
Natalie shared three slides where she explained she felt ‘extremely violated’ by the way she has been portrayed. She wrote: “I was hoping not to speak on this, but I am tired of this false narrative being pushed and circulated. This was such a marginal part of my life, but it’s now turned into a major disruption.”
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In the next slide she wrote: “I did not have a three year affair with anyone. I’m unsure why this person wants so badly to pit people against me or create this narrative that we both know is false based on the actual messages that I have saved between us. The same ones that have now been referenced in a song without my consent.”
“I don’t weaponise women against women for the behaviour of men, especially not in an open relationship. I’m wishing her all the success, money, healing and happiness and whatever else she’s seeking through this.”
Natalie went on to explain that she is aware of the ‘repercussions’ that might come with speaking out but spoke about ‘having to watch someone profit off painful lies’. She added: “I’m a human being not a character someone created”.
Lily and David ended their relationship last December after it was reported he had a three year affair. Lily shared details of their marriage in her latest album where she claimed David cheated with a woman called Madeline. It was later reported that ‘Madeline’ is Natalie.
It comes after Dakota Johnson stunned fans by joining Lily Allen on Saturday Night Live, where she kissed the singer while appearing as ‘Madeline’ in a bombshell performance of song Tennis from her West End Girl album.
The performance marked Lily’s first appearance as the show’s musical guest in 18 years. Dakota was behind a curtain delivering the song’s spoken-word verses, explaining her side of the story to Lily in a series of texts. At the end of the song, Dakota moved from a curtained off bed to the front of stage with Lily giving her a kiss on the cheek as they met.
“He told me that you were aware this was going on and that he had your full consent,” she said. “If he’s lying about that, then please let me know. Because I have my own feelings about dishonesty.”
At the end of the song, Johnson revealed herself by stepping from behind the curtain, approaching Allen, and planting a kiss on her cheek.
The record, described by Allen as a blend of “truth” and “fantasy”, saw the pop star explore a broken sexual “arrangement”. The SNL performance caps off a huge year for Allen, who just last month announced a string of new live dates to her sold-out tour.
As we barrel towards the peak of the festive season, Buckingham Palace has been hosting plenty of its own festive events, including today’s (December 16) pre-Christmas lunch. In attendance was the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, and Prince William along with their children.
For the occasion, Princess Kate swapped her usual form-fitting tailoring and smart silhouettes for a flowing, silky maxi dress. Her dress of choice was a re-wear of her Alessandra Rich red maxi dress from the brand’s AW19 collection, which Kate has previously worn whilst filming with Mary Berry for A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019.
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Everything from the festive red colour to the flowing, relaxed drape of the dress made this the perfect choice for an indulgent festive feast. She accessorised her look with some Van Cleef & Arpels clover-shaped earrings and a Miu Miu black velvet hair bow for a fun, playful but still demure way to wear red for Christmas.
Although we’re undoubtedly not alone in coveting Princess Kate’s stunning dress, the same style has long since sold out from the designer. However the high street is packed with some great alternatives that you could snap up instead if you want to emulate her royal look.
At Cupshe, the Picnic Day Polka Dot Maxi Dress has a similar look, with an all-over red colourway that features a dainty polka dot print in white, and is priced at just £36. It features similar details, like a long sleeves with some volume and a keyhole neckline with an adjustable tie at the front.
However the dress doesn’t have the same luxe-feeling material, which is why Finery London’s Polka Dot Midi Tea Dress may be better suited for those looking for a Princess Kate-inspired look. Priced at £49 it’s still affordable, but has a larger polka dot print with puff three-quarter length sleeves and a midi hemline, and is perfect for dressing up or down depending on the occasion.
We’ve also spotted other affordable styles at Roman, with the Red Heart Print Ruched Midi Dress now on sale for just £35, although it has a slightly more fitted shape when compared to Kate’s flowing silhouette. However, Boden’s Lisa Long Sleeve Tea Dress embodies the effortlessly chic and relaxed style of the Alessandra Rich dress, but comes in a pink and red colour combination that’s also on sale, down from £166 to £83.
Finally, if you really want to ramp up the wow factor and dial up the elegance, Coast’s Long Sleeve Chiffon Pleated Wrap Midi Dress is now £95 down from £119, and whilst it’s not necessarily a lookalike for Princess Kate’s dress, it does have a similarly elegant, luxury feel. The pleated midi skirt and long sleeves give it some added drama, whilst the wrap waist and V-neck keep it flattering and playful.
With the festive season one of Princess Kate’s favourite times of year to get dressed for, we have no doubt we’ll still have plenty more outfits to inspire our Christmas wardrobe.
Eddie Hearn, Tony Bellew, Moses Itauma and more react to the news that Jake Paul will fight former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in Miami, Florida.
Follow live text commentary on Paul v Joshua from 03:00 GMT on Saturday, 20 December on BBC Sport website and app.
The United States economy lost 41,000 jobs in October and November, and the unemployment rate has ticked up to its highest level since 2021 as the labour market cools amid ongoing economic uncertainty driven by tariffs and immigration policies.
In November, the US economy added 64,000 jobs after shedding 105,000 in October, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent, up from 4.4 percent in September. Because of the government shutdown in October and November, the US government was unable to gather key data used to gauge the state of the economy, including the unemployment rate for October.
October’s job losses reflected the 162,000 federal workers who lost their posts, a result of deferred buyouts of their contracts, which expired at the end of September.
In November, there was a loss of another 6,000 government jobs. Gains were seen in the healthcare, social assistance and construction sectors. Healthcare added 46,000 jobs – higher than the 39,000 jobs gained in the sector on average each month over the past 12 months.
Construction added 28,000, consistent with average gains over the past year. The social assistance sector added 18,000 jobs.
Transportation and warehousing lost 18,000. Manufacturing jobs are also on the decline. The sector shed 5,000 jobs in November after cutting 9,000 jobs in October following a 5,000-job loss in September.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters on Tuesday to expect to see more manufacturing jobs in the next six months.
His assessment was driven by growth in construction jobs and manufacturing investments, which signal job growth is on the way.
People working part time for economic reasons also rose to 5.5 million, which is up 909,000 from September.
“Today’s long-awaited jobs report confirms what we already suspected: [President Donald] Trump’s economy is stalling out and American workers are paying the price,” Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, said in a statement.
“Far from sparking a manufacturing renaissance, Trump’s reckless trade agenda is bleeding working-class jobs, forcing layoffs, and raising prices for businesses and consumers alike.”
The data was released after the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.5-3.75 percent as labour conditions cool.
“The labour market has continued to cool gradually, … a touch more gradually than we thought,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said after the rate cut decision last week.
Wilfried Nancy says “I don’t have to prove anything to anybody” amid criticism of his losing start as Celtic manager, is “grateful” for the continued support of the club hierarchy and is “really confident” of better times ahead.
The Frenchman had already become the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two matches in charge before suffering defeat by St Mirren in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final.
But Nancy claims the Scottish champions knew there could be initial hard times after he left Columbus Crew to take over from interim boss Martin O’Neill.
“I’m very grateful with the people that I work with,” the 48-year-old said. “They know why I am here, they protect me, they know what I want to do for the club.
“They know where we are at this moment and we knew this moment could happen.
Nancy tries to shield himself from the criticism but stressed he is “a human being” with “emotions” as he prepares his side to visit Dundee United on Wednesday.
“The only thing that I know is I receive a lot of messages from my family to ask me if I’m OK,” he said. “So it means that maybe I get killed, but it’s OK.
“Don’t forget I come from Europe, so I know the way it works and, to be fair, in the MLS it is the same – not with same intensity obviously.
“The fans, the media, you don’t have results, this is normal. You might think I am crazy, but I am embracing this adversity because I know I’m getting better.
“I don’t have to prove anything to anybody, simple as that. I just have to be coherent with my team and to do my job as best as I can and, after that, it will be more positive.”
Some have criticised Nancy’s decision to change to his preferred 3-4-3 system from the one adopted by O’Neill during the veteran’s seven wins in eight games in charge.
“It is nothing about the system,” he said. “It is not rocket science what I’m saying.
“I am the coach, I have ideas and they did it before. I am just asking them to play with a few nuances, but I don’t try to invent football.”
Nancy admitted “for the moment, I have nothing” to prove to fans or media that he has what it takes to change his team’s fortunes.
However, he pointed out that “it is 10 days that I am here” and he knew it could be a problem considering “the fact it is the first time for everyone to have a coach coming in in the middle of the season like this” but had no regrets about taking over when he did.
Nancy said his task was “to get this connection with the players” and “every day I see there is an improvement”.
“I am going beyond winning,” he added. “For me, it is about character, it is about personality, it is about coherence, it is about how we want to play defensively and offensively.”
