USA Update

Thousands of new social homes are getting fast tracked under a deal struck with the states and territories.

Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit has teamed up with American Jake Knapp to win golf's mixed team's Grant Thornton Invitational in Florida.

It may be cold in Philadelphia, but the rivalry between the Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers heated up Sunday evening at Lincoln Financial Field. A brief skirmish broke out in the first quarter after it appeared Steelers tight end Darnell Washington blocked Eagles defensive back Darius Slay into the back of the end zone. Players […]

Luigi Mangione disappeared for months before CEO shooting Before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed, Luigi Mangione went dark for months and loved ones desperately tried to find him, reaching out to former classmates and posting pleas on social media. Since his arrest, friends have been struggling to make sense of the news. “He was […]

A HOME Office Minister has stopped short of ruling out jihadi bride Shamima Begum returning to Britain.

Dame Angela Eagle refused to rule out her ever coming back from Syria following the end of tyrant President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

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A Home Office Minister has stopped short of ruling out jihadi bride Shamima Begum returning to Britain[/caption]

Ex-Home Secretary Sajid Javid cancelled her British citizenship after she was found in a refugee camp in the country, with the decision supported by the courts.

Begum, now 25, left Britain when she was a schoolgirl from east London and joined terror group Isis aged just 15.

Her future remains uncertain after Islamist-led rebels took overthrew the Assad dynasty.

Eagle said: “Her British citizenship has been stripped from her and that decision made by a previous government has been approved of at the highest levels in the courts, and that’s the current situation

The Minister added: “I’m not going to talk about her particular case.

“Every case would have to be looked on at … on its merits. And we would also have to have risk assessment about any such cases.”

But her intervention was seized upon by the Tories who called on the government to declare the decision to let her back to Britain won’t be reversed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “The failure of Labour’s Border Security Minister to rule out letting Shamima Begum back into this country speaks volumes.

“Conservatives in Government stripped Begum of citizenship and made sure she could not come back here.

“The courts upheld this. Those who supported the murderous Daesh regime have no place in the UK.

“It is weak and supine for the Labour Minister to fail to back this approach.

“With Keir Starmer appointing Begum’s counsel as this country top lawyer,

Downing Street has previously said there are “no plans” to allow her back into the UK.

THE World Darts Championship is off to a flier at Ally Pally!

Reigning champion Luke Humphries has started his title defence with a stunning 3-0 victory over Thibault Tricole on the opening night.

While 2021 winner Gerwyn Price and left-handed genius James Wade feature on Monday.

Bu teen sensation Luke Littler and his army of fans face a lengthy wait to kickstart his campaign.

• Start time: From 7pm GMT
• Live stream: NOWTV / Sky Sports app
• TV channel: Sky Sports Darts
• Explainer: When does Luke Littler play?

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Follow ALL the action from the World Darts Championship with our live blog below…

STRICTLY Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas hit back at trolls after calls for her to be axed.

The former international champion Latin dancer took to her social media profile as she defended the long-running dancing competition.

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Shirley Ballas hit out at trolls who called for her to be axed[/caption]

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The TV personality has been a judge on the programme since 2017[/caption]

Shirley, 64, has been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2017, replacing head judge Len Goodman.

However, one cruel troll called for the long-running star to be axed as they took to X, formerly known as Twitter.

They posted: “Make the most of what should be your last show!!”

Shirley was not taking the insult lying down as she joked back: “Thank you I will. Hope you enjoyed the show and found it positive.”

Another viewer slammed Strictly as a show as they commented: “I would rather defrost my freezer than watch that c***.”

In response, the TV personality sarcastically enquired: “Have you still not defrosted that freezer of yours. You said you where doing it week 3 lol.”

Another angry user was not at all happy that comedian Chris McCausland took home the glitterball trophy.

He beat fellow finalists Sarah Hadland, Tasha Ghouri and singer JB Gill in the final, which was branded the ‘most emotional’ of all time.

Their awkward tweet read: “Worst dancer won again so won’t be watching next year and yes I know it was the public and not blaming you for that.

“I would be interested to know how you feel about someone winning just because they were blind?”

To which Shirley defended the public’s decision, writing: “I have total respect for the viewers opinions. Millions voted and everyone has their favorites.

“For me they all danced simply brilliant. A huge congratulations to our winners. All our finalists and to all who took part.

She added: “I’m waking up feeling happy. Have a beautiful day.”

In an additional post, the star left gushing praise for the first ever blind winner of the long-running BBC competition.

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Shirley has faced a number of cruel calls to be axed from the show[/caption]

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Shirley defended the winner of the show after Chris McCausland took home the glitterball trophy[/caption]

The 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch back on BBC iPlayer.

LEGENDARY TV star Duncan Norvelle died almost penniless in a rundown terraced home, it is claimed.

The comedian – who passed away aged 66 last Thursday morning – had suffered multiple strokes in recent years.

Rex

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Norvelle often appeared on stage in a wheelchair in his later years[/caption]

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He lived in a two-bed terraced home with his partner when he died[/caption]

He rose to fame in the 1980s with his catchphrase “Chase me!” but eventually fell out of favour with TV bigwigs.

Norvelle’s partner Linda Trevallion told The Sun he died from a chest infection and sepsis.

He had been living with the effects of two strokes suffered in 2012 that had left him paralysed down the left side of his body for 18 months.

The funny man made a comeback starting in 2015, touring pubs and small clubs across the UK.

However, two firms Norvelle set up in 2016, both called Chase Me Management, were dissolved the following year with each subject to a compulsory strike off, reports MailOnline.

Norvelle earned extra money recording personalised video messages for fans – and even worked on cruise ships.

He spent the last 12 years of his life living with partner Linda at her two-bedroom home.

And while he did appear on a special edition of Pointless Celebrities in 2019 – it was the first TV slot in years and would prove to be his last.

A source told the Mail: “Duncan was not gay but his act was based on camp humour which was popular at the time.

“He once said he based his persona on a cross between Michael Crawford’s Frank Spencer and John Inman’s Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served.

“His TV bookings dried up as a new breed of left-leaning political comedians took over our screens. He suddenly found himself out in the cold.”

Norvelle’s first comeback gig – after three years away – was at the Embassy Theatre, Skegness, with funds from his show would be allocated to the Stroke Association.

However, getting his career going again was far from easy.

In 2019 he was even reportedly cruelly kicked off a variety show after organisers allegedly said he was “too slow” and “wheelchair bound”.

While a performance at a club in Rugeley, Staffordshire, was cancelled at the last minute.

Covid proved another setback but he announced in 2021 he was “back in business” and taking bookings for comedy shows and after dinner speaking.

In a Christmas message posted the same year he said: “It’s so nice to still be wanted to perform for your events.

“Laughter is the best medicine that anyone can be given. I also want to thank my incredible partner Lynn.

“She is my rock and always will be and without her I would be lost.”

STARDOM

Norvelle was born on April 2, 1958 near Loughborough in the East Midlands, and pursued a career as an entertainer after winning £20 in a talent show while on holiday in Bournemouth as a teen.

The comedian rose to fame on ITV variety show Saturday Royal in the early 1980s.

He went on to host the pilot episode of what would become Blind Date and made regular appearances on the likes of Surprise! Surprise! and The Bob Monkhouse Show.

In 2011 he appeared in Celebrity Come Dine With Me with Sean Hughes, Gina Yashere and Paul Tonkinson.

Linda told The Sun last week:

“He’s at peace and he’s made millions of people laugh in his lifetime. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about him,” she said.

The couple were together for 12 years, with Linda saying he “wasn’t really showbiz, he wasn’t one for going to showbiz parties”.

She added that Norvelle was always “very gracious” with his fans, however.

And despite them never officially marrying, Linda said: “We were together like husband and wife.”

They met through a mutual friend.

She went on to say: “I fell in love with the man, it made no difference about the stroke. I helped him, but he could do a lot for himself.”

Linda, as well as Norvelle’s son Jack, 15, and daughter Yasmine, 35, were with him when he died.

However, other daughter Sophie, 44, could not get back in time from Spain.

Linda added: “I never wish anyone to suffer. I just want to still hold him, and love him a bit more. It’s never enough. I knew it was coming but you’re never prepared.”

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Rex

Rex

Facebook

A friend of the comedian revealed he had been struggling with his health in September[/caption]

Brussels peril

THE Eurocrats in Brussels will be licking their lips at the prospect of Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed “economic reset” between Britain and the EU.

They screwed us at every opportunity when we were EU members — forcing us to make vast financial contributors to their failing political project — so why does anyone think they will be doing anything other than preparing to screw us all over again?

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Eurocrats will be licking their lips at the prospect of Keir Starmer’s proposed ‘Economic Reset’ with the EU – which Kemi Badenoch has described as ‘taking us backwards’[/caption]

It’s the only way they know.

Freedom of movement for young Europeans, acceptance of EU laws and the chance for European fishing fleets to continue to pillage our waters will be the least of their demands for a trade agreement which would drag us back into the EU’s malign orbit and wrap us up in the red tape this country voted to escape back in 2016.

And who will be negotiating on our behalf? A team of 100 from our own largely Remainer civil service which has done so much to obstruct Brexit at every turn since the referendum.

No wonder they have been dubbed by fearful insiders as “the surrender squad”.

Does the Government care if our hard fought for freedoms are carelessly tossed away?

Everything about the Prime Minister’s previous campaigning to keep us in the EU would suggest not.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch warns that he is “taking us backwards”.

If he does, it will be a betrayal that the British people won’t forget or forgive.

BBC Scrooges

Alamy

BBC bosses sent ‘bullying’ letters to pensioners threatening to call on Christmas Day if they have no TV licence[/caption]

IT’S bad enough that the TV licence fee still exists but in a move that would shame Ebeneezer Scrooge, the BBC has been sending out bullying letters to pensioners.

They are threatening to knock on OAPs’ doors on Christmas Day if they don’t pay up the hated telly tax.

Dennis Reed, of the campaign group Silver Voices, describes the letters as “thuggish” and he’s not wrong.

The Beeb, which has blown £169 million of our money chasing those without TV licences, apologised to The Sun and said the letters had been sent “in error” and that their enforcers would not be calling on anyone on December 25th.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be spending taxpayers’ money criminalising vulnerable elderly people as soon as Christmas is over.

Fuel of joy

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The Chancellor’s decision to continue to freeze fuel duty — as our ongoing Keep It Down campaign had called for – will be a welcome present for drivers[/caption]

THERE is some festive cheer, however, thanks to The Sun.

The Chancellor’s decision to continue to freeze fuel duty — as our ongoing Keep It Down campaign had called for – will be a welcome present for drivers.

Without the 7p-a-litre price hike, the average white van man will save around £215 next year, and a two-car family around £100.

That should help to soften the effect of the post-Christmas bills.

PEP GUARDIOLA admitted he is “not good enough” after his Manchester City side threw away the derby in two mad minutes.

The champions slipped to an EIGHTH defeat in 11 matches in all competitions — the same number of losses they had in the Prem over the previous two seasons.

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Pep Guardiola was again left scratching his head as City throw away the derby[/caption]

AFP

Bernardo Silva slammed his team-mates after Man Utd’s comeback[/caption]

Midfielder Bernardo Silva ripped into his team-mates who played like “Under-15s” and “deserved to pay” for “stupid decisions”.

Guardiola, who according to NBC did not emerge from the dressing room for 30 minutes after the game, said: “I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough. I’m not doing well — it’s as simple as that.

“I need to talk to them about the way we have to play and press and build-up and I’m not good enough.

“I’m the manager and I don’t find the solution. In a big club, when you lose eight in 11 something wrong is happening.

“It’s my job. My job is not just to win games or lift trophies. I’m incredibly well paid for that reason.

“We want to play better, create chances. But at the moment it’s not possible. There is no defence for eight defeats in 11.”

Guardiola always said he feared this would be a tough season for his weary troops — but admitted he was not expecting things this bad.

He added: “This is a big club, I’m still here sitting here in the press conference because of what we have done in the past.

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“I promise you I tried. I think managers all round the world when they have big problems work more and talk more to try and get the guys to know that we are still good.

“I knew it would be a tough season at the beginning, but I didn’t expect it would be this hard.”

City were not at their best but Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header looked likely to give them the three points until a moment of madness in the dying minutes.

Matheus Nunes put Ederson in trouble with a weak back-pass and then compounded the error by fouling Amad in the box.

Bruno Fernandes slammed in the spot-kick on 88 minutes to equalise.

And four-in-a-row champs City were caught out two minutes later by a hopeful ball forward which allowed Amad to steal in for the winner.

A furious Bernardo said: “We deserved what happened. At this level, a game or two is unlucky. We can’t say this is lucky or unlucky — ten games, it’s not about that.

“Winning 1-0 and our corner ends in a penalty for them… if we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go you deserve to pay.

“Looking at the game, there was only one team that could win, but at the end we lost.

“We have to look at ourselves. It’s the decisions you make. Today in the last minute we played like Under-15s.”

City midfielder Phil Foden, yet to break his Prem scoring duck this term, said: “We’ve not been used to losing this amount in a short period.

“But sometimes you have to experience it,  you can’t always win.”