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The case could redefine how federal agencies set rules for reporters seeking access to government facilities.
The New York Times has sued the Department of Defense in federal court, arguing that the Pentagon’s new credentialing agreement unlawfully restricts how journalists collect information inside the building.
The policy, introduced in October, requires reporters to pledge not to seek any information the government has not already approved for release.
The Times filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday and named Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell as defendants.
The case raises broad concerns about transparency in national security reporting and how access rules affect public oversight of military operations.
Press groups say the policy departs from decades of Pentagon practice, which has long allowed reporters to ask questions and request background material even when officials decide not to respond.
The lawsuit comes as federal agencies face ongoing scrutiny for access restrictions, including separate disputes involving the White House and the Justice Department earlier this year.
The Pentagon’s updated agreement requires credentialed reporters to commit in writing that they will not request information unless the department has formally cleared it for release.
The Times’ lawsuit argues that this language bars routine questions about unclassified plans, budget decisions or personnel matters that federal agencies typically discuss under standard public affairs rules.
The agreement went into effect on Oct. 1, according to internal guidance cited by press associations.
The filing points to Supreme Court rulings such as Sherrill v. Knight (1977), where the D.C. Circuit held that government credentialing must follow clear, fair standards and cannot rely on broad discretion.
The Times also notes that the Pentagon’s 2014 media operations update, which governs embedded reporting and overseas access, contains no restrictions on soliciting unclassified information.
The complaint lists national security reporter Julian E. Barnes as a co-plaintiff. He returned his Pentagon badge rather than sign the document, which reporters had to submit before gaining access to briefing rooms and workspaces inside the building.
Press freedom organizations have criticized the rule since October. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said in public statements that the pledge conflicts with constitutional protections governing newsgathering.
The Pentagon Press Association noted that it raised concerns with the department after more than 50 reporters collectively returned their badges.
The White House Correspondents’ Association referenced its own recent access challenges when acknowledging the Times’ lawsuit.
The group pointed to court rulings requiring agencies to justify restrictions with specific reasons, including decisions in the Jim Acosta and Brian Karem cases. Both centered on credential suspensions during the previous Trump administration.
Pentagon officials have defended the agreement in public comments, saying it protects personnel and limits the risk of inadvertently releasing operational details.
The department has not published any technical guidance explaining how the pledge would be applied during routine interactions with reporters.
The policy has altered the makeup of reporters who can attend briefings in person. After mainstream outlets declined to sign the agreement, the Pentagon issued credentials to a smaller pool of applicants.
Public records show that the department added several outlets that had not previously covered defense matters daily.
This shift limits the number of experienced reporters able to ask questions on topics such as procurement costs, disciplinary reviews or cyber readiness.
Reduced access can affect public understanding of long-term military contracts. For example, the Government Accountability Office estimated in 2023 that lifetime costs for the F-35 program could exceed $1.7 trillion.
Reporters often question officials about those figures during routine briefings. With fewer credentialed journalists present, opportunities to press for updates on major spending programs may narrow.
Court filings in the 2018 Acosta case show that judges required the White House to follow due process standards consistent with Sherrill v. Knight.
The same principles were cited when a federal court ordered partial restoration of Associated Press access to certain White House events in 2024. That ruling is pending before the D.C. Circuit.
A Knight Foundation survey from 2022 found that 66 percent of responding journalists believed federal agencies had become less transparent over the previous decade.
The study highlighted increases in controlled briefings, background-only sessions and limits on in-person questioning.
Pentagon briefings are livestreamed on Defense.gov and archived on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Transcripts typically appear within a day, although release times vary depending on operational priorities.
Public budget documents, including the Defense Department’s annual justification books, remain available through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
Reporters who do not hold Pentagon credentials can still submit inquiries to the Defense Press Operations team. The department maintains standard response procedures based on long-standing public affairs guidance.
Federal courts have held that agencies must use neutral, transparent standards when granting or revoking credentials. The D.C. Circuit’s Sherrill v. Knight ruling remains the leading case, requiring agencies to explain any denial and avoid viewpoint discrimination.
No. Classification rules are set by federal law and executive orders. The dispute concerns unclassified information and whether journalists may request details that officials have not pre-cleared.
Reporters who declined to sign no longer have access to briefing rooms, media workspaces or scheduled in-person events. Their coverage continues from outside the building, but they cannot pose questions during live Pentagon sessions.
Some outlets have indicated they may file separate briefs but have not announced formal participation. Amicus filings commonly occur in access-related lawsuits after initial court submissions.
Yes. The department updated embed rules in 2014 and security procedures in 2018, but neither included restrictions on soliciting unclassified information.
The government is expected to file its initial response in the coming weeks. The court may set a schedule for motions, including any request for a preliminary injunction.
Any decision could be appealed to the D.C. Circuit, which oversees many access-related disputes involving federal agencies.
The lawsuit raises broader questions about how federal agencies manage on-site reporting, especially when national security issues are involved.
It matters to journalists who track military planning, spending decisions and internal oversight, because limits on access directly shape what the public learns from those inquiries.
Any ruling could influence how other departments design their credentialing rules, particularly agencies that work with sensitive or high-risk operations.
The courts will now have to weigh long-standing press-freedom protections against the government’s security needs, a balance that has been tested many times before.
The film focuses on how immigrant families face gaps in mental health support and crisis response systems.
Lucy Liu’s new feature Rosemead, opening in U.S. theaters on Friday, adapts a real case first reported in the Los Angeles Times in 2017.
The film follows a Chinese immigrant mother in California as she attempts to help her adult son manage schizophrenia while navigating language obstacles, limited treatment access and fears shaped by rising concerns around school violence.
Liu stars as Irene, a widow confronting her own medical challenges while trying to understand fragmented information from clinicians and police.
The release arrives at a time when state and federal agencies continue evaluating mental health procedures, including involuntary psychiatric holds and community-based intervention models.
For audiences, the film provides a close look at how communication gaps, cultural stigma and insufficient support can affect immigrant families who rely heavily on public services.
The issues portrayed in Rosemead echo broader national conversations about mental health availability and the pressures families face during crises.
The film adapts events documented in a 2017 Los Angeles Times investigation by journalist Frank Shyong, which examined how a mother attempted to intervene as her son’s mental health worsened.
Rather than reproducing the case exactly, the film focuses on the emotional strain created when families interpret medical advice without consistent guidance.
Liu’s character carries the weight of grief, a recent diagnosis and uncertainty about how to support her son in a community where mental health conversations often occur behind closed doors.
California’s long-standing debates about improving community mental health care add context to the film’s narrative.
Policy reviews in recent years including discussions around updating crisis-intervention resources, demonstrate the ongoing challenges families face when trying to prevent deterioration before emergency situations arise.
In Rosemead, Irene attempts to understand medical explanations delivered in English while still thinking and communicating primarily in Mandarin.
This reflects a documented national trend: Asian American communities often access mental health care at lower rates than other groups, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health.
Contributing factors include language barriers, stigma, concerns about family reputation and limited culturally aligned services.
California’s legal framework for psychiatric evaluation, including the 5150 hold appears in the film as Irene tries to process complex procedures without clear translation support.
Research from the National Institute of Mental Health has shown that treatment adherence for schizophrenia improves when families receive tailored education and culturally competent communication.
The film places Irene’s fears within a broader U.S. context of increased anxiety over school shootings.
The Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s K-12 School Shooting Database reports a rising number of incidents over the past decade, shaping public perceptions of warning signs and risk.
Rosemead uses this climate to show how parents may misinterpret or overinterpret a young adult’s online behavior or research interests, especially when other stressors are present.
By framing the story against widely reported school safety trends, the film underlines how families can feel responsible for identifying potential risks without access to clinical insight or early intervention programs.
Liu performs substantial dialogue in Mandarin, reflecting how many residents of the San Gabriel Valley use heritage languages at home.
Census Bureau figures show that the region has one of the highest concentrations of Mandarin and Cantonese speakers in the United States.
This linguistic reality shapes interactions with medical providers, law enforcement and social services, which often rely on English-only explanations unless interpreters are requested in advance.
The filmmakers use this context to emphasize how easily misunderstandings can occur when families receive documents they cannot fully interpret, leading to uncertainty about treatment choices or legal implications.
Rosemead also fits within a broader rise in films that center on Asian American experiences and intergenerational dynamics.
Recent releases such as The Farewell and Minari expanded mainstream visibility for stories about cultural identity, caregiving and community expectations.
Liu’s decision to produce Rosemead reflects this shift, demonstrating how established actors increasingly support independent projects that explore underexamined narratives.
Director Eric Lin, known for his cinematography work, joins a growing list of cinematographers transitioning to feature directing in the independent film sector.
His approach combines documentary-style texture with character-driven storytelling, adding visual depth to the film’s themes of isolation and responsibility.
Is Rosemead based on a true story?
Yes. It is inspired by a real case covered by the Los Angeles Times in 2017.
Where does the story take place?
The film is set in Rosemead, a city in Los Angeles County with a large Asian American population.
Who directed the film?
The film is directed by Eric Lin, marking his first feature as a director.
Does Lucy Liu speak Mandarin in the film?
Yes. She uses Mandarin to portray Irene’s cultural and linguistic background.
What themes does the film address?
It examines mental health access, cultural stigma, family caregiving and community safety concerns.
Rosemead brings national attention to how immigrant families encounter gaps in mental health support, especially when language, stigma and limited resources intersect.
Lucy Liu’s portrayal of Irene reflects experiences familiar to many households that rely on public systems not designed for multilingual or culturally diverse populations.
As discussions continue about improving mental health policy, crisis intervention and interpretation services, the film adds timely context to an issue affecting communities across the United States.
The core topic mental health barriers, remains central to understanding why families often struggle to find clear, accessible guidance.
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Boston City Hall is re-examining who can reach staff-only offices after wallets and bank cards were reported stolen during business hours.
Boston officials are reviewing security procedures at City Hall after several employees said their personal belongings were taken from staff-only offices during the workday on Monday, Dec. 1.
According to police reports and internal emails, an unidentified member of the public is believed to have entered private office suites and removed items including wallets, cash and payment cards before leaving the building.
The incident occurred inside Boston’s Brutalist City Hall complex at Government Center, which houses the mayor, city council and multiple municipal departments.
The reported thefts have raised questions about how people without city credentials move between open public counters and restricted corridors in a building completed in 1968 and designated a protected city landmark in early 2025.
With thousands of residents, contractors and visitors passing through City Hall Square each week, staff unions and elected officials are now pressing for clearer boundaries between public-facing areas and spaces where employees work with sensitive information.
Boston Police received reports from three employees who said their wallets disappeared from private offices sometime between late morning and midday on Dec. 1.
The items were taken from bags or workspaces within office suites accessed by staff badges.
Coworkers later told investigators they had seen an unknown man in the building wearing a brown knit cap, dark jacket, sweatpants and a blue face mask moving through office corridors.
Police are now examining security-camera footage from multiple floors to trace his movements and determine which interior doors or checkpoints were used.
Victims reported that stolen bank cards were used for purchases at local retailers within hours of the thefts, prompting banks to cancel the accounts and flag fraudulent activity.
As of Thursday, no suspect name had been released and no arrests had been announced.
Mayor Michelle Wu said Boston City Hall “must be a safe and welcoming space” for residents, visitors and city employees, and confirmed that security protocols are under review.
Property management staff also reminded workers to challenge unknown individuals in office corridors and report activity that seems out of place.
City council members have asked whether any confidential material could have been exposed, reflecting longer-running debates about how to safeguard municipal information in open-plan workplaces.
Residents following the story have raised concerns about both employee safety and the possibility of tighter entry restrictions that could slow in-person services.
For residents, the case highlights the importance of secure government buildings that handle licensing, public records and appeals.
Any future change in access rules could affect how people navigate the building and complete essential tasks.
Other municipalities have reassessed security after thefts or unauthorized access in administrative offices.
Historical cases in Massachusetts and high-profile museum breaches in Boston have influenced expectations around camera placement, visitor pathways and staff-only zoning.
Local news outlets have continued to follow the story, reflecting wider interest in how civic buildings handle safety during high public footfall.
Federal workplace data show that public-sector employees face higher rates of property crime and unauthorized access than private-sector workers, and national statistics note that large civic buildings are more vulnerable because they must stay open to the public while maintaining security.
Boston Police provide investigation updates through official statements and verified social media channels, while local broadcasters and newspapers report new details as they are confirmed.
City Hall also posts meeting schedules and any proposed security changes on Boston.gov, where many hearings are streamed live.
Police are reviewing building video, speaking with affected employees and working with banks and retailers to trace fraudulent transactions linked to the stolen cards.
City Hall’s facilities team is assessing badge access, interior door controls and visitor pathways to identify weak points, and any confirmed security changes will be shared with staff and the public once finalized.
The incident shows how a breach in a civic building can affect employee safety, public confidence and the daily operations residents rely on, making clear access controls essential as the city decides what measures are needed to prevent unauthorized entry.
Nursery worker admits 26 offences in major Met child abuse case
The case has increased concern about safeguarding and digital monitoring in early years settings across London.
A nursery worker from north London has admitted 26 child sexual abuse offences after a Metropolitan Police investigation uncovered contact offending and indecent images involving very young children.
Vincent Chan, 45, of Finchley, entered guilty pleas at Wood Green Crown Court on 3 December to a series of sexual assaults and offences linked to the taking and making of illegal images.
Crown Courts in England and Wales handle the most serious criminal cases, including offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The investigation began after a colleague at a West Hampstead nursery reported disturbing footage on a work device, triggering a safeguarding response involving the Met, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the NSPCC and local partners.
Four children have so far been identified as victims of contact offending or indecent imagery. Chan is due to be sentenced on 23 January, in a hearing expected to consider the gravity of the offences and relevant sentencing guidelines for child sexual abuse.
Chan admitted five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration and four counts of sexual assault by touching, as well as 11 counts of taking indecent images and six counts of making indecent images of children.
The indecent image charges cover categories A, B and C, where category A under UK law includes the most serious material, such as penetrative sexual activity or sadism involving children.
He was first arrested on 11 June 2024 after a staff member reported he had been recording children on a nursery-issued iPad and manipulating the footage with added visual effects and music.
Officers later seized 69 digital devices from his home and workplace, and specialist digital forensics teams examined the material for evidence of contact offending and image offences.
The Metropolitan Police have described the case as a serious abuse of trust by a nursery worker who offended within an environment where children should have been safest.
Families whose children attended the nursery have been contacted directly and offered specialist support, including access to local safeguarding services and trauma-informed counselling.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the Met’s investigation, said:
“Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable, and Chan’s offending spanned years, revealing a calculated and predatory pattern of abuse.
He infiltrated environments that should have been safe havens for children, exploiting the trust of families and the wider community to conceal his actions and prey on the most vulnerable.
“Our investigation remains ongoing, and we are continuing to review digital devices and assess Chan’s conduct across all relevant settings.
We recognise the member of staff who raised their concerns, as without that first report of child cruelty Chan’s abuse could have continued unchecked, putting countless more children at risk.
“These appalling offences have caused deep shock and distress. We thank the community for its continued cooperation and reaffirm our commitment to supporting victims and their families.
If you have any concerns, please contact the dedicated NSPCC helpline on 0800 028 0828 for specialist support. We are working closely with the NSPCC to ensure every family affected receives the help they need.”
Leigh Day, the law firm representing some of the families whose children attended the nursery at the time of the offending, said parents were still trying to understand the extent of what had happened but welcomed the guilty plea.
Leigh Day, representing some of the families who attended the nursery at the time of the offending, have issued the following statement:
"As parents we are still trying to process the sickening discovery that our children were subjected to despicable abuse by Vincent Chan at the nursery.
“In admitting the charges, we are spared the prospect of hearing Vincent Chan's crimes at the nursery described in graphic detail in a trial. We trust the judge to pass the strongest sentence to fit the crimes Vincent Chan has committed against young children, innocent victims who could not fight back.
“We would like to thank the Metropolitan Police Service for their assistance and support so far, but appreciate that their investigations in this case are not yet complete.”
For parents and carers, the case raises pressing questions about how nurseries control staff access to devices and monitor image-taking in child-facing settings.
In England, early years providers must follow the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which requires robust safeguarding policies and prompt reporting of concerns to local authorities.
Nurseries are also registered and inspected by Ofsted, which can take enforcement action where safeguarding standards are not met.
The discovery that some offending took place during routine nursery sessions, while Chan was responsible for supervising children, has heightened anxiety for families beyond the immediate setting.
The investigation also underlines how digital devices, including tablets and phones, can be misused by trusted adults if controls are weak or oversight is limited.
Official statistics in England and Wales show a long-term rise in offences involving indecent images of children, a trend linked by police and charities to the growth of digital sharing and improved detection technology.
The category system for illegal images (A, B and C) guides sentencing, with the most serious category often resulting in lengthy prison terms.
The Sentencing Council sets out factors courts must consider in child sexual offence cases, including abuse of trust and the age of victims.
Child protection organisations, including the NSPCC, continue to call for stronger online safety measures and increased resources for specialist police units.
Families or members of the public who wish to contact detectives about Chan can email OpLanark@met.police.uk.
Reports can also be made via 101 using CAD3697/1DEC, while emergencies should be reported through 999.
The NSPCC’s dedicated helpline, 0800 028 0828, remains available for anyone worried about a child’s welfare and can provide referrals to local services.
The Metropolitan Police will continue reviewing the 69 seized devices to confirm all relevant material has been identified, a process that may lead to further safeguarding steps or additional legal action.
Chan’s guilty pleas remove the need for a trial, but the court will still consider evidence and submissions at sentencing on 23 January.
Families will remain in contact with liaison officers and support services, and the nursery is working with safeguarding partners on any required improvements.
The case has also renewed attention on oversight within early years settings, including inspection standards, staff training and the use of digital devices.
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A former England and Premier League footballer has been arrested at London Stansted Airport on suspicion of attempted rape, raising renewed questions about historic offence investigations and anonymity rules for suspects in England and Wales.
A former England international who played for the national team during the 2010s was arrested at London Stansted Airport on Sunday on suspicion of attempted rape.
The man was stopped at passport control by Border Force officers and taken into custody before being released on bail until late February 2026.
The allegation is described as non-recent and is understood to follow a complaint made several weeks before the arrest.
Stansted, one of the UK’s busiest airports and a major European travel hub, carries out routine real-time checks against police databases at its border posts.
The incident highlights how historic allegations are pursued, how border alerts work in practice, and why, under current policing and media rules, the identity of an arrested suspect is not normally released until charges are filed.
The former player was detained at a passport control point as he attempted to leave the country.
The allegation relates to an incident said to involve a former partner, reported to police several weeks earlier.
Following the arrest, standard custody procedures, including identity verification and evidence processing were completed before the suspect was released on bail.
Stansted Airport has reported some of its highest passenger volumes in the past year, meaning alert-based stops by Border Force occur frequently as part of routine checks.
Essex Police have confirmed the arrest and bail but released no further details, citing legal restrictions on identifying arrested individuals before charge.
Their position aligns with College of Policing guidance, which advises forces not to name suspects at arrest unless exceptional circumstances require it.
Public discussion has focused on the balance between anonymity protections for suspects and transparency in cases involving former high-profile athletes.
Several legal commentators previously called for clearer legislation after the Leveson Inquiry highlighted risks of reputational harm from early identification.
The case shows how little detail can be disclosed between an arrest and a charging decision in England and Wales.
Media outlets generally avoid naming suspects before charge due to legal and regulatory risks.
This approach is rooted in post-Leveson standards, which concluded that releasing names at arrest should be rare and justified only when there is a specific public-interest need.
As a result, audiences will see confirmed facts about the allegation and the status of the investigation but will not learn the suspect's identity unless prosecutors authorise a charge.
Border Force processes millions of passenger records each year, and automated checks frequently identify individuals wanted for questioning, making arrests at UK borders a routine outcome of real-time screening.
Historic allegations now make up a growing share of sexual offence investigations across several police forces, supported by specialist units created over the past decade to handle non-recent cases.
When an investigation is referred to prosecutors, they apply the standard two-stage charging test, assessing evidential sufficiency and public interest before deciding whether charges should proceed.
Updates on cases of this type are released only through official police statements and then reported by major news outlets once new, legally publishable information is confirmed.
Essex Police will continue reviewing evidence, speaking with the complainant and any witnesses, and assessing any digital or forensic material ahead of the suspect’s bail return in late February 2026.
Investigators will then decide whether the case should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will apply evidential and public-interest tests to determine whether a charge is justified.
If prosecutors authorise a charge, the suspect’s identity will usually become public at the first court appearance; if not, the case may conclude without further action.
Weekend engineering works will restrict Tube, rail and DLR access for passengers across London.
London commuters face another round of significant transport disruption this weekend as planned engineering works shut parts of the London Underground, the Elizabeth line, the DLR and several National Rail routes.
The closures, running from early Saturday through late Sunday, affect key corridors used by commuters, shoppers and visitors travelling into the capital during one of the busiest periods of the winter season.
The work forms part of long-term upgrade programmes across Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail, including accessibility improvements, power upgrades and track renewals.
For passengers, the impact is immediate: slower journeys, bus replacements and reduced interchange options.
With December typically seeing higher leisure travel and retail activity, the latest closures are expected to push more people onto alternative lines and stations already under pressure from seasonal demand.
Several Underground routes are fully or partially closed, including stretches of the Northern, Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines.
The works align with TfL’s multi-year investment programme, which has seen repeated weekend shutdowns on the Uxbridge and High Barnet branches for signalling and track improvements.
The Elizabeth line, which typically carries more than 600,000 journeys on a weekday according to TfL data, also faces an early-morning closure between Paddington and Ealing Broadway.
Passengers using these sections will need to re-route via alternative Underground lines or National Rail services.
The London Overground’s rebranded network continues to experience targeted early-morning and Sunday closures for routine maintenance.
Short cancellations on the Gospel Oak–Barking Riverside route reflect ongoing work to support reliability on one of London’s newer rail links, which opened in 2022.
Early trains on the Watford Junction and Clapham Junction corridors are also suspended, affecting shift workers and weekend travellers relying on the first departures of the day.
These patterns are common at this time of year, as Network Rail advances maintenance before the Christmas freeze period when colder temperatures can affect overhead lines and track points.
The DLR will see no service to Tower Gateway for part of Sunday as crews carry out routine works.
The continuing closure of Cutty Sark station, in place until spring 2026, remains one of the network’s longest-running shutdowns and is linked to modernization works aimed at improving safety and capacity in the station’s narrow ticket hall.
Passengers heading to Greenwich town centre are being directed to Greenwich or Island Gardens stations instead, adding walking time for those travelling to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
Major work on lines serving Waterloo, Charing Cross and Cannon Street will reduce National Rail services into central London.
South Western Railway will operate several rail-replacement buses through the Barnes corridor, reflecting Network Rail’s ongoing upgrades on junctions that handle some of the busiest commuter flows in the UK.
Southeastern passengers will see central London termini closed on Sunday, with trains diverted to London Victoria or reduced at London Bridge.
These works coincide with long-term investment across the Southeast commuter belt, where some infrastructure dates back more than a century.
December closures can be particularly disruptive because weekend travel includes a higher share of leisure and retail journeys compared with the rest of the year.
TfL recommends checking real-time updates before travelling and allowing extra time for replacing missed interchange opportunities.
National Rail operators typically publish last-minute changes on their platform-specific feed, which is especially important during winter months when weather-related delays may compound planned outages.
Passengers using mobility assistance should verify lift availability at alternative stations, as temporary rerouting can add step-only access points.
Which Tube lines are most affected this weekend?
The Northern, Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines face the most significant closures, including full branch suspensions.
Is the Elizabeth line running normally?
Most of the line is open, but there is no early-morning service between Paddington and Ealing Broadway on Sunday.
Are any mainline stations closed?
Yes. Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Waterloo East will be shut on Sunday due to engineering works.
Is the DLR operating to Tower Gateway?
Not on Sunday morning. Services resume later in the day, but Cutty Sark station remains closed until 2026.
Are rail-replacement buses available?
Yes. South Western Railway and Southeastern will operate bus services on affected corridors.
Passengers across London will experience reduced access and slower journeys this weekend due to coordinated TfL and Network Rail engineering works.
The closures affect Underground, Overground, DLR and National Rail services across several major corridors. The disruption matters because December typically brings higher travel demand, leaving fewer alternatives during line and station shutdowns.
For those affected by London travel disruption this weekend, planning ahead and checking live updates will be essential as operators continue long-term infrastructure upgrades.
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The disruption has affected thousands of domestic and international passengers relying on India’s largest airline for winter-season travel.
IndiGo has reduced a portion of its domestic schedule after two days of widespread delays and cancellations across major Indian airports.
The airline, which carries more passengers than any other carrier in India, confirmed that a mix of operational constraints and regulatory changes slowed its network at the beginning of the country’s peak winter travel period.
Passengers at major hubs including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad experienced long queues, missed connections and extended wait times as flight departures fell behind schedule.
The airline moved to pare back operations temporarily as part of a controlled effort to restore punctuality, a technique commonly used by large carriers when network pressure builds faster than available resources.
The episode underscores the sensitivity of India’s rapidly expanding aviation market to weather variations, technology issues and airport congestion, all of which place additional strain on airlines operating high-frequency schedules.
IndiGo said multiple operational factors converged at the same time, including isolated technology issues, evolving winter schedules and poor weather in parts of northern and central India.
These pressures were compounded by the rollout of updated Flight Duty Time Limitations, a national requirement dictating crew rest and working hours.
Airlines globally tend to experience short-term adjustments when crew rostering rules change, particularly during seasonal peaks when buffer capacity is limited.
India’s aviation system has also faced infrastructure strain throughout 2024 and 2025, with several metro airports operating above their designed passenger throughput.
In these conditions, delays at one airport can cascade quickly across an airline’s domestic network.
The carrier introduced temporary schedule cuts for at least 48 hours to reduce pressure and allow aircraft and crews to return to their planned rotation.
Similar measures were used by global carriers during periods of post-pandemic congestion, when airlines slowed their schedules to restore punctuality and manage passenger loads more effectively.
On Wednesday, more than 100 IndiGo flights were cancelled, with Bengaluru seeing the highest volume.
Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad also recorded significant reductions, reflecting their role as key points in IndiGo’s hub-and-spoke network.
Passenger support teams were deployed at major airports to help travellers with refunds or alternative bookings, in line with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) customer-service obligations.
India remains one of the fastest-growing air travel markets globally, but the pace of growth has outstripped improvements in airport capacity, air traffic management and ground infrastructure.
Several airports are undergoing expansion projects, and the DGCA has introduced new rostering and safety rules over the past year to match rising traffic.
IndiGo, which operates more than 2,300 flights a day, is heavily exposed to these structural challenges. Its expansion into international markets, including new routes to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, has increased its reliance on tightly timed aircraft rotations.
With a fleet now exceeding 400 aircraft, small delays have a greater likelihood of creating system-wide bottlenecks.
The airline said it expects operations to gradually stabilise as the trimmed schedule allows for better recovery times.
Passengers travelling during the winter season, typically one of India’s most congested travel periods may still encounter delays as airports manage dense schedules, fog-related slowdowns in the north, and holiday traffic.
Consumer advocates often recommend that passengers check flight status frequently, allow additional time for connections, and use airline apps for rebooking options.
Under Indian aviation rules, travellers affected by cancellations are entitled to refunds or alternative flights, depending on availability.
What caused the IndiGo delays?
A combination of technology issues, seasonal schedule changes, weather disruptions, airport congestion and new crew duty rules affected operations.
How long will the reduced schedule remain in place?
IndiGo said the adjustments will run for at least 48 hours, with operations stabilising gradually.
Which airports were most affected?
Bengaluru recorded the highest number of cancellations, followed by Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Are passengers entitled to refunds?
Yes. Under DGCA rules, affected passengers may request refunds or rebooking on alternative flights.
IndiGo’s decision to cut flights reflects the pressures facing India’s aviation sector as demand rises faster than infrastructure capacity.
The disruption affected thousands of travellers and highlighted how regulatory and operational changes can quickly ripple through a large network.
As IndiGo works to restore normal service, passengers relying on the carrier remain central to the issue.
Ongoing improvements to airport capacity and traffic management will influence how India's largest airline manages similar challenges in the future, keeping IndiGo’s operational stability in focus.
Federal prosecutors say a Fort Worth man who arrived under an Afghan resettlement program is charged after an online video described a bomb and suicide attack plan in Texas.
Federal prosecutors have charged 30-year-old Afghan citizen Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, who lives in Fort Worth, with transmitting a threatening communication after an online video showed him describing plans to build a bomb and carry out a suicide attack.
The video was recorded during a livestream in late November and later circulated on TikTok, X and Facebook.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials alerted the FBI on Nov. 25, and agents used facial recognition to identify Alokozay and arrest him the same day, according to court documents and Justice Department statements.
Authorities say the complaint alleges that Alokozay praised the Taliban, discussed building an explosive device in his car using a yellow cooking-oil container and said he was not afraid of deportation or death.
He entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a federal program that has brought tens of thousands of Afghans to the country since the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Prosecutors say the video was captured during a Nov. 23 video call in which Alokozay claimed he would construct “a bomb to explode in the Fort Worth area” and kill those on the call as well as other Americans.
The FBI says at least two other male voices can be heard speaking in Dari, a language widely spoken in Afghanistan, while Alokozay appears seated in a vehicle.
Court filings state that Texas DPS forwarded the video to federal agents on Nov. 25, who then used facial recognition to match the images with Alokozay’s Texas driver’s license, contact his employer in Haslet and arrest him at a gas station that morning.
He is charged in federal court with transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce and is also being held on a state terrorism charge in Tarrant County Jail, with a maximum federal penalty of five years in prison if convicted.
The Justice Department said in a public release that the threats described in the complaint required a rapid response from federal and local partners in North Texas.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi criticised the Biden administration’s vetting of Afghan arrivals, saying Alokozay came to the United States under that administration and “explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas praised the work of the FBI, DHS, Texas DPS and Fort Worth police, saying there is “zero tolerance” for threats to kill Americans or others in the region.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said public tips about the video helped the Joint Terrorism Task Force intervene “before he could commit an act of violence,” echoing long-running appeals for the public to report suspicious online content.
For residents in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, the case illustrates how a single livestream can rapidly become a law-enforcement matter when it appears to describe a bomb and suicide attack in a named city.
The investigation shows how threats that cross social platforms are handled: state authorities first flagged the video, and federal agents then pursued both criminal charges and immigration consequences, including an ICE detainer.
Similar online-threat cases in recent years have led to federal prosecutions where no device was actually found, reflecting a policy that focuses on the content of the threat and its potential impact rather than whether a plot was operational.
Texas consistently ranks among the U.S. states with the highest volumes of internet crime complaints reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, underscoring how digital threats and scams are now a routine part of law-enforcement work in the state.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded more than 880,000 internet crime complaints in 2023, including a category for “threats of violence,” which captures online posts that threaten harm or death.
Federal analysts say these cases remain a small share of total reports but have increased alongside wider growth in digital crime, driving more attention to how livestreams and social-media tools are used to issue threats.
DHS’s nationwide “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, launched in 2010, was created to support this kind of public reporting and has been credited by officials as a contributing factor in the Fort Worth investigation.
Federal court records in United States v. Mohammad Dawood Alokozay are available through PACER, and the Justice Department and FBI have posted official updates online.
Local outlets in North Texas, including KERA, NBC 5 and Fox 4, continue to follow the case and report on hearings, detention decisions and new filings.
Alokozay remains in custody as he awaits his first appearance in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, where a magistrate judge will outline the charges and his rights.
The court will then decide whether he should remain detained pending trial and set a schedule for the next steps, including indictment and arraignment.
State charges in Tarrant County and any immigration actions, including a federal detainer, will continue separately under their own procedures.
Federal investigators say the case began with a viral livestream and a public tip, underscoring how online speech, social platforms and law-enforcement tools intersect when violent threats are alleged.
The case also contributes to ongoing debate over refugee vetting and the balance between resettlement and public safety.
For audiences, the developments to follow include the court’s handling of the federal threat charge, any disclosures about the investigation and how oversight of online platforms or resettlement programs may evolve in response.
👉 How the U.S. immigration freeze could reshape the system 👈
Prosecutors in northern Michigan say a mother and stepfather killed a 22-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child in a remote national forest, raising concerns about family violence and safety in rural areas.
Prosecutors in Wexford County have charged Cortney Bartholomew and her husband, Bradly Bartholomew, in the killing of 22-year-old Rebecca Park, who was in the final weeks of pregnancy when she disappeared in early November.
Authorities allege the couple transported Park from their home area near Boon Township to a wooded section of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, where she was stabbed and her baby was forcibly removed from her womb.
Park’s body was discovered on Nov. 25 by a volunteer searcher using location information from her phone, roughly three weeks after she was reported missing.
The defendants, identified as Park’s biological mother and stepfather, face multiple life-punishable charges, including first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, torture and assault on a pregnant individual with intent to cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
The investigation, spanning rural roads and federal forestland, has drawn support from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and several local agencies.
The search area forms part of a forest system that covers nearly one million acres across the northern Lower Peninsula.
Park was last seen at her mother’s home in Boon Township on Nov. 3 and was reported missing the next day. Her body was located on Nov. 25 in the Manistee section of the national forest, about 20 miles west of Cadillac.
According to prosecutors, Park, who was near full term in her pregnancy, was forced to lie on the ground, stabbed and had her baby cut from her body. Both deaths occurred in the forest clearing where she was found.
Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew, aged 40 and 47, were each charged with eight counts, including murder, torture, conspiracy, assault on a pregnant individual, unlawful imprisonment and moving a dead body without medical authorization.
A habitual-offender notice was also filed in Bradly’s case.
Publicly available court documents confirm that Park was the biological child of Cortney but had been adopted and raised by another family earlier in her life.
The Wexford County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the case with assistance from the Michigan Attorney General, which frequently joins complex homicide prosecutions involving extensive forensic evidence.
Officials have said they expect to present digital records, autopsy findings and search-related materials during early hearings.
Residents from Cadillac and surrounding areas have gathered at hearings carrying signs calling for justice for Park and her unborn child.
Community members also organized search parties in the weeks before Park’s body was found, including volunteer-led grid searches through forest trails and roadside areas.
Vehicles outside the courthouse have displayed messages such as “Justice for Becca and Baby Park,” echoing advocacy displays seen in other high-profile Midwest homicide cases.
Courtroom attendance has remained high, including by residents who took part in the search efforts. Local officials have said volunteer turnout was unusually strong for a missing-person case in a rural county.
The killing has raised concerns about the challenges facing law enforcement in rural areas where missing-person searches can span vast, wooded landscapes.
The Huron-Manistee National Forests extend across more than 978,000 acres, with limited cellular coverage and difficult terrain that complicate search and rescue operations.
Family-related and intimate-partner homicide patterns also place this case within a broader national issue.
Public health research shows that homicide is a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, surpassing some medical causes in several states.
Michigan and other states strengthened penalties for harming pregnant individuals over the past two decades in response to similar incidents.
The case has received attention from regional and national news outlets, placing it among a small number of fetal-abduction homicides that have prompted public scrutiny and wider discussion about legal protections for pregnant victims.
Federal crime statistics show that family members are responsible for roughly one in five killings of female victims nationwide, a proportion that has remained stable for more than a decade.
Women face significantly higher rates of lethal violence from intimate partners or relatives compared with men.
Research from public health agencies shows that homicide ranks among the top causes of death for pregnant women, prompting several states to expand statutory protections for victims carrying near-term pregnancies.
Michigan’s criminal code includes specific penalties for assaults that cause miscarriage or stillbirth, reflecting these policy trends.
Hearing schedules for the Bartholomew case are available through Wexford County’s online district court docket.
Michigan trial courts may authorize livestreams of certain hearings under state court rules, though livestreaming is determined by individual judges.
Regional news outlets in northern Michigan have been providing regular coverage, including televised updates on afternoon and evening newscasts.
Charging documents and selected filings can be obtained through Michigan’s online court records system, where public access is available for many counties.
Each defendant faces eight counts: first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, torture, conspiracy to commit torture, assault on a pregnant individual with intent to cause miscarriage or stillbirth, conspiracy to commit that assault, unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body without authorization. Several of these charges carry potential life sentences.
Authorities have stated that Park was 38 to 39 weeks pregnant when she disappeared, only days from her expected due date. An autopsy confirmed she was no longer pregnant when she was found.
Two relatives are facing separate charges. Park’s half-sister is charged with lying to police and tampering with evidence, while Park’s fiancé faces drug-related charges. Neither is charged with homicide.
Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive. Officials have said that the charges are based on physical, digital and investigative evidence but have not assigned a specific explanation for the alleged actions.
Public reporting states that Park was the biological daughter of Cortney Bartholomew but had been adopted and raised by another family. Relatives have spoken publicly about their efforts to search for her and support the investigation.
Both defendants remain held without bond. The next steps include a probable-cause conference and a preliminary examination to determine whether the charges move to circuit court.
These hearings are expected to include early testimony, forensic summaries and evidence gathered from the search and recovery efforts.
Law enforcement continues to review material from the forest site, vehicles and electronic devices as part of the broader investigation.
Authorities are also working to confirm the status and location of the baby’s remains and will release verified information when available.
The killing of Rebecca Park has drawn sustained public attention and prompted a broad response from residents, volunteers and investigators.
The allegations involve severe violence and a remote forest setting, highlighting ongoing concerns about rural safety, missing-person response systems and protections for vulnerable victims.
As the case moves through Michigan’s courts, upcoming hearings will shape which findings become public and how the justice system addresses the evidence.
👉 DNA from 1987 crime scene links Colorado killing to serial offender 👈
Trace DNA from preserved evidence has tied a 1987 Douglas County homicide to a convicted serial killer, giving relatives answers and highlighting how modern forensics can resolve long-unsolved murders.
Investigators in Douglas County, Colorado, say they have identified the man responsible for the 1987 killing of 30-year-old Rhonda Marie Fisher, whose body was found down an embankment off South Perry Park Road south of Sedalia.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday that new DNA testing on paper bags placed over Fisher’s hands at the time of the autopsy matched convicted murderer Vincent Darrell Groves, who died in prison in 1996.
The finding closes a case that remained unsolved despite repeated reviews and earlier rounds of DNA analysis, including tests in 2017 that produced no suspect profile.
Officials say the result matters for families with relatives listed in Colorado’s statewide cold case database, which now tracks nearly 2,000 unsolved cases, including more than 1,400 homicides.
Fisher’s body was discovered on April 1, 1987, by a passing motorist in the 3500 block of South Perry Park Road in rural Douglas County.
She had been sexually assaulted and strangled and was identified as a 30-year-old mother living in the Denver area.
Detectives later concluded she was last seen alive the previous evening, walking north on Monaco Street toward Leetsdale Drive in Denver, about 25 miles from the scene.
In the weeks before her death she had been staying with acquaintances, one of whom was investigated and ultimately cleared.
In early 2025, the sheriff’s Cold Case Unit reopened the file and resubmitted several items for testing in cooperation with the Unified Forensic Lab and the department’s property section.
In October, the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) flagged a “case-to-case” match between DNA recovered from the inside of the paper bags and biological evidence from three 1979 Denver homicides linked to Groves.
Groves was already known to law enforcement as one of Colorado’s most prolific serial offenders, with documented activity targeting vulnerable women between 1978 and 1988 and confirmed involvement in at least three prior murders through earlier DNA work.
Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly called the identification an “exceptionally rare” use of trace DNA from nearly four-decade-old paper bags that had remained sealed in storage.
He said Groves and another man had long been prime suspects, but older technology could not distinguish between them.
The sheriff’s office said Fisher’s parents and brother have died since 1987 but that investigators notified a cousin, who expressed relief at finally having an explanation after years of uncertainty.
The case is being closed as an “exceptional clearance” because the identified suspect is deceased, a category used by police when a perpetrator cannot be prosecuted.
Local news coverage has prompted comparisons with other Colorado cold case resolutions in recent years, including a 1975 Boulder gas-station killing that was closed in 2025 using ballistic analysis linking bullets to a deceased suspect’s rifle.
For families with loved ones listed in cold case databases, Fisher’s case underlines that unsolved homicides can still produce new evidence decades later.
Colorado’s Cold Case Task Force reported earlier this year that the state had 1,993 cold cases on record as of February, including 1,401 unsolved homicides, underscoring the scale of unresolved violence.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says Fisher’s case is the seventh cold homicide it has resolved in seven years, reflecting a broader push in Colorado to review older homicides when new forensic tools become available.
By comparison, law-enforcement data compiled by advocacy group Project Cold Case shows that nationwide, more than 346,000 homicides went unsolved between 1965 and 2023.
The resolution also feeds into wider public debate about how evidence is preserved, funded, and prioritised.
CBI’s searchable cold case database, created to standardise information statewide, now allows relatives and journalists to track progress in individual cases more easily than in prior decades.
Cold case researchers note that most unsolved homicides pre-date modern DNA profiling or rely on evidence collected before today’s preservation standards.
A Colorado State University study published in 2009 found that more than 1,400 homicides reported in the state since 1970 remained unsolved at that time, and that families often waited more than a decade for significant case developments.
More recent reporting from Law Week Colorado indicates that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation now tracks roughly 1,800 cold cases in a centralised database, which law enforcement agencies update as cases move from unsolved to cleared.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has posted its news release on Fisher’s case on its official website and directs residents to its YouTube channel for archived press briefings and public statements, including the December 2, 2025 announcement.
Members of the public can also follow updates through local broadcasters such as 9NEWS, CBS Colorado and other regional outlets that have covered the case and often stream news conferences live on their websites and apps.
Families seeking information on other cold cases can search Colorado’s statewide cold case database online, which lists unsolved homicides, missing persons and unidentified remains by name, year and investigating agency.
Investigators in 1987 placed paper bags over Fisher’s hands to preserve potential trace evidence such as fibers or residues. When the case was reopened, forensic scientists swabbed the inside of those bags and recovered microscopic skin cells that could be analysed with modern DNA techniques, yielding a usable profile nearly four decades later.
Vincent Darrell Groves was born in Denver in 1954 and once played high school basketball at Wheat Ridge High School before dropping out of college. He was convicted of murder in 1982, released after serving fewer than five years, and later convicted in separate 1988 murder cases in Douglas and Adams counties. Authorities say DNA and investigative leads tie him to at least a dozen killings, and Denver police have suggested he may be responsible for more than 20 homicides between 1978 and 1988.
Groves’ name surfaced early because his known crimes involved women killed in the Denver area during the same period and with similar patterns of violence. However, another man also appeared in the investigation, and earlier forensic methods could not conclusively identify one suspect. The 2025 DNA testing allowed detectives to rule out the other person and formally attribute Fisher’s killing to Groves.
Douglas County officials say they will continue to prioritise cold cases and re-examine preserved evidence when new technologies become available. Across Colorado, agencies have used similar approaches to close other older homicides, including a 1975 Boulder case resolved in 2025 with new testing on bullets and weapons.
No. Prosecutors cannot file new criminal charges against someone who has died. Instead, police classify such cases as cleared by death and update public databases and internal files to reflect the identification. This can still provide documentation and closure for surviving relatives and communities.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will formally record Fisher’s case as solved with an exceptional clearance and update the Colorado Cold Case Database to reflect the findings, marking the seventh cold homicide the department has resolved in seven years through renewed reviews and improved forensic testing.
Officials say they will continue prioritising unsolved homicides, working with state and federal laboratories to identify older evidence that may yield results as DNA technology advances.
Fisher’s case, unresolved for nearly four decades until modern analysis identified a long-known serial offender, underscores how preserved materials can become decisive years later.
The development affects surviving relatives, families with loved ones in Colorado’s cold case files, and communities that rely on sustained investment in forensics.
As agencies revisit more cases and update public records, residents will be watching to see how many additional long-standing investigations can be formally closed.
