As fighting continues to ravage Sudan, a senior official in the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) has ruled out any talks with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The deputy chairman of TSC, Malik Agar Ayyir, said in a statement released by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Tourism on Thursday that there is no truce and no negotiations with an occupier.
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He refuted the claim that the war aims to achieve “democracy” when speaking to ministers and state officials in Port Sudan, the city where the government is based. He instead referred to the conflict as a “conflict over resources and a desire to change Sudan’s demographics” and cited an opportunity to foster national cohesion.
The UN Security Council heard from Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris shortly after his country’s nearly three-year war was proposed.
The plan mandates that RSF fighters must leave vast tracts of land that they have taken into force in Sudan’s western and central regions in accordance with the army and the government’s positions.
Before those who are not charged with war crimes can be reintegrated into society, they would then need to be interned and disarmed.
Al-Basha Tibiq, a top adviser to commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has repeatedly criticized the RSF for calling it “closer to fantasy than politics.”
RSF reports increases
As the RSF consolidates its hold over captured territory and intensifies attacks, the conflict, which has forced 14 million people to flee for good.
International aid organizations working on the ground claim that RSF fighters have continued to carry out mass killings, systematic sexual assault, and body burying and burning in Darfur as a cover-up for the evidence of war crimes over the past few months.
El-Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur, was captured in October, only to become worse for the humanitarian situation there.
The RSF announced on Thursday that its forces had taken control of North Darfur’s Abu Qumra region.
According to the group’s statement, they “have continued their successful advancement to the Um Buru area, where they have completely liberated these areas.”
The RSF claimed that its fighters’ main priority is to “protect civilians and put an end to the presence of remnants of armed pockets and mercenary movements” in spite of mounting evidence of widespread atrocities committed in western Sudan.
The actress and British artist Dinos Chapman prefer to keep their private lives a secret, despite the fact that the couple is married.
5 images to be viewed
(Image: BBC/Merman/PA)
When it was revealed that Lucy Punch, one of the show’s beloved characters, would have its own spin-off series, Amandaland, the BBC show’s viewers were thrilled.
The story follows blow-dried mum Amanda as she navigates life after divorce in a less well-to-do area of London. The show hit screens in February 2025, and a special Christmas episode will air on Christmas Day.
Lucy, a 47-year-old British actress, and her partner Dinos Chapman, a four-year-old boy named Rex, a nine-year-old, and their two children, Rex and Dinos Chapman, live in Los Angeles. Amanda dated James D’Arcy, an actor from the Avengers, for about three years before meeting Dino.
Although Lucy and Dinos have been dating since 2014, Lucy says she prefers to keep her relationship with the British artist completely secret.
She told The Times : “I think I’m just a fairly private person, and private even with people who are close to me. I also feel that anything interesting about myself is the last thing I’d want to share in an interview. I just think we’ve all become so accepting of a lack of privacy in our lives, and there’s so little left. There’s no more secrets and there’s no more mystery, and I think that’s weird and sad.”
Twenty years ago, Lucy and her family moved to Hollywood, where Laurel Canyon is known for its bohemian charm, and now reside there. Despite having lived across the pond for more than 20 years, Lucy doesn’t feel like she belongs there, calling LA “a very transient place.” She explained that she prefers to appear “more human” and declined to get carried away in the Hollywood aesthetics scene.
She continued, “I get that there is a lot of pressure on movie stars, but I think you need to have some humanity in your face.” And character or comedy actor must take that seriously. Because I believe that’s not what makes me a good person, I can’t do anything to my face.
Lucy grew up in West London and attended the private girls’ school Godolphin & Latymer, which counts Davina McCall and Nigella Lawson amongst its former pupils. She went on to study history of art at University College London, but dropped out when she got her big break – Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French offered her a part in their 1999 sitcom, Let Them Eat Cake. She went on to play receptionist Elaine Denham in Doc Martin.
In addition to Naomi Watts and Anthony Hopkins in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp in the 2014 film Into the Woods, Lucy has since co-starred with a number of well-known actors.
Joanna Lumley portrays Amanda’s evil mother Felicity Sanderson in Amandaland. Working with Joanna is “a dream,” according to Lucy. Jennifer Saunders and Joan Saunders, who played Felicity’s sister, will play the Christmas special with Joan in which Joanna will reunite with her Absolutely Fabulous co-star.
Lucy and Jennifer will also be getting together again. This time around, Lucy claims it was “even better” to co-star with the TV legend.
She explained to Metro, “I was 22 when I worked with her the first time, and I couldn’t speak,” because I was so excited and impressed.
On BBC One and iPlayer, the Christmas Special from Amandaland will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 9:15 pm.
We take a look at the show’s former stars as the new Call the Midwife Christmas special gets closer to its release after winning the hearts of viewers.
The BBC drama Call the Midwife, which follows the Midwifery at Nonnatus House, has won viewers’ hearts for more than ten years. We sadly had to say goodbye to a number of the actors who have appeared in the series over the years.
The beloved television series, which premiered in 2012, is still running well after 14 seasons, with a new Christmas special on the horizon. The nuns and nurses embark on a rescue mission as part of the BBC drama’s two brand-new festive episodes that air on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The episode will transport viewers to 1971 and will begin with Fred (Cliff Parisi) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) leaving Poplar, East London, and visiting Hong Kong with Derek (Nicholas Atkinson).
Let’s take a look at the show’s stars who are unfortunately no longer with us, while fans of Call the Midwife have been waiting for a while for the series to return to our screens.
Michael Le Vell has played Kevin Webster on Coronation Street for 42 years.(Image: ITV)
When Michael Le Vell was handed a new year-long contract this month he breathed a sigh of relief.
Complacency isn’t wise in Coronation Street – even after 42 years playing mechanic Kevin Webster, who now owns the garage.
Michael, 61, tells The Mirror: “You can never take the job for granted. My contract was due in January and I’ve just been offered a new one, so I can breathe a sigh of relief for another year.
You can never look further than that, though. They might say, “You know what, we can’t write for you anymore, we can’t.” I say thank you and bid you far. That is the beast’s nature.
Bitter and depleted, after battling testicular cancer and losing his wife, Abi (Sally Carman) to his scheming brother, Carl (Jonathan Howard), gossip is rife among Corrie fans that Kevin could be set for a romantic reunion with ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor).
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People frequently ask me if I want to return to Kevin and Sally, and I always refuse, according to Michael. I do so because Sally and Tim are together. I don’t want them to end their relationship just so I can get back together with Sally because I think they’re a great couple. Because I adore working with Sally Carman, I’d go back with Abi. I’m hoping they can reconcile their differences in 2026, but that’s not currently a possibility.
What is guaranteed is a year of drama ahead – starting with Corriedale, the special episode on January 5, which will see Corrie and Emmerdale come together for the first time. Michael is sworn to secrecy on the details, but knows his family will be affected by a devastating pile-up on a country road between the two locations, after leaving the wedding of his sister Debbie (Sue Devaney).
He says: “It was an honour to be part of Corriedale because these things don’t come around too often. I was in a scene with a couple of Emmerdale actors – Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) and Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle) – as we tried to move a crashed car, which was great. The episode involved a lot of night shoots out on location and our trailers were next to each other, so the casts of the two shows were always having a cup of tea and a chat, which was fun. It’s very exciting; it was a great privilege to be a part of it.”
After Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) Michael’s 1983 arrival at Weatherfield, he is the second longest-serving actor. He confesses, “No day goes by where I don’t get nervous,” and continues to get anxious before his scenes. I experience stomach churning and anxiety, especially when I’m present in every scene. If I’m in a scene with someone like Bill Roache or Barbara Knox out of respect, or if it’s a big showdown between the Rovers, it’s even more stressful.
When it comes to your bit, you’re thinking, “don’t mess up, don’t mess up,” if there are many people in the pub. Otherwise, they will all have to re-enter their dialogue, which adds pressure. He hopes to match 93-year-old Bill Roache, who is still holding his own. If they still want me, he says, “I’ll be in the show in my 70s, 80s, and 90s.” Never have I tried to leave.
“I’ve had so many lines recently where Kevin’s said ‘I’m old, I’m grey.’ He even mentioned something about retiring the other week and I went ‘I don’t want to say that line, thanks very much!’ As far as I’m concerned, I’m in the No 1 show. It’s the best job in television and if it’s not broke, why change it? I love the storylines and the people – great actors like Sally Dynevor, Sally Carman and Alan Halsall. They’re such a joy to work with that some days it doesn’t feel like a job. Although I’m not going to say that too loudly or they might stop my wages!”
After having daughters Rosie and Sophie, Kevin and Sally married three years after purchasing 13 Coronation Street from Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander). He chuckles, “Jean Alexander was one of the show’s legends, but I can recall her once abusing me.” She requested that Bernard Youens, who played Stan, receive a get-well card. I had some oil on my card as I was just getting ready to film a scene in the garage. She yelled at me indignantly”!
Kevin and Sally had a happy ending until he cheated on her with Natalie Welch (Denise Welch), then cheated on her again and delivered his son Jack while having a fling with Molly, the ex-wife of his best friend, Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). He has since split from Abi and Alison Wakefield, who committed suicide after their son Jake passed away.
Michael, who was born in Manchester, first began his acting career at the Oldham Theatre Workshop before making his TV debut in Corrie, where he played paper boy Neil Grimshaw, at the age of 15. He auditioned for the comedy drama series Scully three years later and was spotted playing Kevin. He recalls: “I was waiting in the corridor when the casting director came in and said, “Is there a spot for me for Coronation Street tomorrow?” I said ‘ no. ‘ She urged me to “leave it with me.” My agent called me when I got home and informed me that I would have an audition the following day. The rest is history as long as I enter and get Kevin’s role. I’ve lived here my entire life; I’ve grown up. Since I’ve been Kevin Webster since I was 18 years old, I now consider myself the show’s older statesman.
Michael and Louise Gibbons, their three Yorkshire terriers, and two Siamese cats, reside in Cheshire. They also have two horses, Maximus and Magica, who are passionate about nature and the countryside. Michael describes himself as “very different,” comparing himself to Kevin. When I’m not working, I’m mucking out, filling hay nets at the stables, and shoveling horse s**t.
Getting into horses 10 years ago through Louise, when they went for riding lessons together, he adds: “The horses give me serenity. When you’re riding, you can’t think about anything else. It’s the same with the dogs and cats. When I’m with them, they give me unconditional love, so I can’t help but give them unconditional love back.”
He even declared, “I’ve done alright,” and that he has even competed at equestrian events. I did little circles around the arena to earn gold medals for dressage and other things. But then I started taking jumping lessons because I was getting a little bored of that. I sprained twice. When you’re my age, you bounce differently. Really hurts, I mainly rely on Louise to handle the riding and feeding.
Kevin has been a lothario for four action-packed decades in Corrie, he saved Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) from a fire in The Rovers, and he has thrown more than one punch. He responds, “Angry Kev,” as Alan Halsall refers to him. He believes that everything he does is enraged. He is definitely a little hands-on with his fists. He has struck everyone at once, including Terry Duckworth. He first reacts, and then comes back and considers it later. I’ve been involved in more fights than anyone else on the cobbles. What, Kevin must have already struck his brother Carl four or five times? Next year, I’ll hit him once more. “
A senior official who is known as the group’s governor of Hauran was killed while security forces are conducting a second operation against ISIL (ISIS) fighters close to Damascus, according to Syrian authorities.
Mohammed Shahadeh, also known as Abu Omar Shaddad, was named one of ISIL’s senior commanders in Syria and a direct threat to local security in a statement released on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Interior.
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Officials claimed that the operation was conducted in accordance with verified intelligence and extensive surveillance and that it was carried out by specialized units operating in the countryside of Damascus that targeted raided the town of al-Buweida near Qatana, southwest of the capital.
The General Intelligence Directorate was also involved in the operation, according to the ministry, and it cooperated with international coalition forces.
“Crupling blow”
According to the state-run SANA news agency, the announcement came a day after another senior ISIL figure was detained by Syrian internal security forces in a separate operation close to Damascus.
SANA reported that Taha al-Zoubi was detained in a “tightly executed security operation” in the countryside of Damascus. During the arrest, according to the police, officers “seize a suicide belt and a military weapon.”
The raid targeted an ISIL hideout in Maadamiya, southwest of the capital, according to Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalati, the head of internal security in Damascus countryside.
ISIL has largely focused its remaining operations on Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria, which it views as illegitimate.
Raqqa became the armed group’s capital when it gained the most power in vast regions of Syria and Iraq.
