Chelsea Handler did not hold back when asked about Tom Brady, making it clear that the retired NFL star is not her type.
The comedian shared her blunt take during a Jan. 7 appearance on Sirius XM’s Page Six Radio, reacting to recent photos of Brady spending New Year’s Eve with social media star Alix Earle.
“I saw that picture,” Handler, 50, said while discussing Brady’s run-in with Earle. “I have no interest in Tom Brady. I don’t find him dynamic, hot, interesting, or fun. I find him so boring.”
She doubled down moments later, adding, “I think he’s a total dud. I couldn’t, I mean, so I don’t have any thoughts.”
Handler also brushed off any curiosity about Earle, 25, saying she doesn’t know enough about her to care about the rumoured connection.
“I don’t really know that [much] about Alix Earle. So, I don’t care to answer your question. Do I need to expound?” she joked, keeping the tone light but dismissive.
The comedian went on to explain that she’s generally turned off by men who seem overly focused on vanity.
While she acknowledged that such men often have freedom in their dating lives, she made it clear that lifestyle doesn’t appeal to her personally.
Handler’s comments came shortly after Brady, 48, was spotted celebrating New Year’s Eve with Earle in St. Barths. Photos showed the pair looking close as they rang in 2026 at a nightclub.
A source later told Us Weekly, “Alix and Tom were together the entire night on New Year’s Eve partying at a party hosted by Palm Tree Crew in St. Barths. They met through mutual friends who were also in St. Barths and had an instant connection. There was a lot of chemistry between them.”
Handler isn’t the only public figure to criticise Brady recently. Sports commentator Skip Bayless, known for supporting Brady during his football career, has openly questioned the quarterback’s post-retirement choices.
Speaking on The Skip Bayless Show, Bayless took issue with Brady’s business moves and broadcasting career, calling his on-air presence unimpressive and his commercial appearances unnecessary.
“He’s so blah, he’s terribly blah,” Bayless said, adding that Brady’s post-football career hasn’t matched his success on the field.
While Brady continues to make headlines for his personal life and career decisions, Handler’s sharp remarks have added another layer to the ongoing conversation, one that leaves no doubt about where she stands.
MUMBAI: Three banks on Monday appealed against interim relief granted to industrialist Anil Ambani last month by a single-judge bench of the Bombay high court. The judge had restrained the lenders from taking action against Ambani’s accounts based on a forensic audit report (FAR) of 2020.The HC, had in Dec, agreed with Ambani’s contention that the FAR 2020 report essentially flouts a 2024 master direction issued by Reserve Bank of India on “fraud risk management in commercial banks”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing one of the banks in the appeal hearing before the HC division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, argued that unless the order is stayed, it would lead to “disastrous” consequences.Mehta submitted that the findings recorded by Justice Milind Jadhav were not based on facts pleaded in the suit filed by Ambani or argued in court during the hearing of his plea for interim relief. He also argued that “the RBI master circular of 2024 has been given a retrospective effect, which is patently impermissible”.The audit report points to findings on facts, including that funds “were misused” and “siphoned off”, Mehta submitted in his submissions online from Delhi, adding that Ambani never challenged the FAR on merits.The report by an external auditor was under a 2016 RBI circular, which was complied with, was the banks’ case.Ambani’s counsel earlier argued that the 2024 RBI master directions mandatorily superseded the earlier 2016 directions and require an “external auditor” appointed for forensic audits to be an auditor under the Companies Act.
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour, and he’ll be back in action at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines outside San Diego later this month.
In a stunning development, the PGA Tour on Monday reinstated Koepka’s membership after he bolted for LIV Golf in June 2022, and it agreed to let him compete immediately, with heavy financial penalties and limited playing opportunities in lucrative signature events.
It’s an about-face for the PGA Tour, which suspended Koepka and others for competing in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting-event releases.
It’s also a sign that things will be done differently under new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp. Unlike in the past, the tour acted decisively and quickly in bringing back Koepka under its newly created Returning Member Program.
How will LIV Golf react? Will other LIV Golf stars follow Koepka back to the PGA Tour? How much will golf fans see Koepka on the PGA Tour this season?
Why do you think the Tour brought back Koepka now?
At the same time, this was an opportunity for the PGA Tour to go on the offensive in its long battle with LIV Golf for the best players in the world.
“I’ve been fortunate to hear and learn from so many of our fans on what makes the PGA Tour special, along with the ways we can further enhance the drama and consequence of competing at the highest level of the game,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in an open letter to fans Monday. “And one thing has been clear across each of those conversations — you all want the best players in the world competing against each other more often.”
Under the conditions of the Returning Member Program, which is only available to golfers who left the PGA Tour at least two years ago and won the Players Championship or one of the four majors since 2022, there are only three other LIV golfers who are eligible to come back: 2024 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm and 2022 Players Championship and Open Championship winner Cameron Smith.
They won’t have much time to decide. The window for DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith to apply for their PGA Tour membership to be reinstated opened Monday and closes Feb. 2, two days before LIV Golf’s season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“This is a one-time, defined window and is not a precedent for future situations,” Rolapp wrote in a memo to PGA Tour players Monday. “Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”
The PGA Tour basically created criteria in which it could decide which LIV golfers it wanted back and block those it didn’t. It’s probably no coincidence that the requirement of winning the Players Championship or one of the four majors wasn’t pushed back to 2021.
Phil Mickelson, who captured the last of his six majors at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, would have been eligible if it were a five-year window. I’m not sure “Lefty” would have wanted to return to the PGA Tour, and I’m certain that the PGA Tour didn’t want him changing sides again after he helped recruit many golfers in the initial waves that defected to the breakaway circuit in 2022.
Will Koepka have to pay a fine?
Under the terms of Koepka’s deal, he’ll be required to make a $5 million donation to charity, won’t be eligible to receive equity shares in the tour’s Player Equity Program, and won’t be eligible to receive a bonus from the season-long, $100 million FedEx Cup Bonus Pool. All told, the PGA Tour estimates Koepka could forfeit between $50 million to $85 million in potential earnings, depending on how he performs this season.
In a memo to PGA Tour members Monday, Rolapp called the penalties “one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history.”
Comparatively, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson served an 11-game suspension and was fined $5 million for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy in August 2022. Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest was suspended 55 games, losing about $5 million in salary, for his role in a fight with Detroit Pistons fans in the “Malice in the Palace” in November 2004. The Houston Astros were fined $5 million and lost draft picks for two years for their camera-based sign-stealing system used during the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
“I believe in where the PGA Tour is headed with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake,” Koepka said in a statement. “I also understand that there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those.”
Will any other LIV golfers follow him back to the PGA Tour?
DeChambeau is in the final year of his contract with LIV Golf. When Koepka left the league, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said the sides had “amicably and mutually agreed” that he would no longer compete in the league.
Though LIV Golf said in a statement Monday that it has “championed an open ecosystem and freedom, for all,” it’s difficult to imagine that the league would do the same for DeChambeau. He has been the face of the circuit since June 2022 and is one of the most popular golfers in the world.
“LIV Golf’s vision remains unchanged — to grow the game of golf globally — and as that vision gains momentum across the broader golf landscape, the capacity to deliver on it continues to strengthen by expanding pathways and opportunity beyond any single institution or interest,” the statement read.
“As the world’s golf league, LIV Golf continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environments in which to pursue greatness on a global scale. Long LIV Golf.”
If nothing else, Koepka’s departure all but guarantees that DeChambeau will get all he wants from LIV Golf, if he wants to stay.
Last month, DeChambeau told the “Flushing It” podcast that his contract negotiations with LIV Golf were ongoing. Published reports have indicated that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment fund, which is financing the league, has been reluctant to offer the same massive contracts it used to lure golfers in its infancy.
“The conversations are in process,” DeChambeau said. “We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another. It is getting to a place that makes sense for both sides. And, I think that can happen, but you never know. Life throws curveballs and, obviously, we saw what happened [with Koepka leaving] and that was quite a shock to a lot of people and something that, you know, it is what it is.
“People make decisions for whatever their needs and wants are and, ultimately, you have to respect it and move on, and it feels like it was a mutual understanding, and that’s great.”
Rahm was the last massive star to join LIV Golf when he signed a multiyear contract worth more than $300 million in December 2023. He has two years left on his contract, according to sources.
The Spanish golfer has refused to pay about $3 million in fines to the DP World Tour for playing in LIV Golf tournaments without a conflicting-event release. He appealed the fines to a UK-based sports court, which allowed him to compete in the Ryder Cup last year.
Would Rahm be willing to accept the financial penalties Koepka did? It’s also unclear if Koepka or the others will have to pay a financial penalty if they exit their LIV Golf contracts prematurely.
Smith, from Australia, was at the height of his career when he joined LIV Golf in August 2022. He was fresh off winning the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Smith is a three-time winner in LIV Golf, but he missed the cut in each of his past five majors.
Maybe Smith needs a restart, but it’s unclear how much golf he wants to play.
I’m sure it will be a wide range of emotions. While reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy and other big-name players have pushed for LIV golfers to return to the PGA Tour without severe penalties, some won’t be so welcoming to Koepka when he shows up at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January.
One prominent PGA Tour player told ESPN this weekend that he would be very angry if Koepka was allowed back without serving a season-long suspension. But once details of Koepka’s agreement became public, the golfer said the conditions made it more “palatable.”
Rolapp said the Returning Member Program was designed to mandate “heavy and appropriate limitations to both tournament access and potential earnings that we believe properly holds returning members accountable for the substantial compensation earned elsewhere.”
Bringing LIV golfers back during a season in which the PGA Tour is reducing field sizes in many tournaments wouldn’t have gone over well with golfers who were outside the top 50 in FedEx Cup points last season and aren’t eligible for the eight signature events that have $20 million purses. And especially not among the golfers who were outside the top 100 in points and will have limited playing opportunities.
That’s one thing the tour got right. Though Koepka is exempt to play in full-field events and the Players Championship, he’ll have to earn his way into the signature events like everyone else outside the top 50. He can do it through the Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5 or the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
If Koepka plays in a tournament, the field will be expanded so no current PGA Tour members will lose playing opportunities. Other golfers will be added to ensure that groupings and tee times are drawn in two or three players.
The same goes for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Koepka is eligible to earn FedEx Cup points, and if he makes the playoffs, he will be added to the field, and no golfers will be dropped from the top 50 if he does.
Optical illusion personality tests are psychological tests that are based on mind-boggling images that trick the eyes. Depending on what a person notices first in such images tend to reveal a lot about their true nature, which might often be hidden or lesser known to others. And interestingly, such tests can decode a person within seconds! Intriguing, isn’t it?This particular test, for instance, was initially shared by coach_maryna_eng on Instagram. The test is based on an image, in which at first glance a person can either notice a man running towards or away from them. Based on how they perceive the image, a lot can be understood about a person and the mind blocks that are holding them back in life. “In this lesson, I’ll show you 20 common beliefs that 95% of entrepreneurs have. You’ll be able to test yourself and find out which specific mind blocks are stopping you from unlocking your financial flow and reaching a new income level,” Maryna said.So, ready to take this test? Simply relax and look at the above image. In which direction do you think the man is running– towards or away from you? Read what your answer reveals about you below:1. If it looks like the man is running toward you, then it means…• “Your right hemisphere is more active – responsible for emotions, intuition, and creativity.• You perceive the world through feelings and inner reactions, often sensing threats and quickly switching into defense mode.• This usually indicates high sensitivity, intuition, and mild anxiety.• Deep down, there may be a fear of pressure, control, or confrontation – your brain spots potential danger first.• In life, you tend to anticipate situations rather than calmly observe them,” Maryna wrote in her post.Sharing the pros and cons of having this nature, she further wrote, “Upside: strong imagination, empathy, and the ability to read people quickly” But the downside is, “emotional burnout, impulsive decisions, and being constantly “on guard.””2. If it looks like the man is running away from you, then it means…• “Your left hemisphere is more active – responsible for logic, reasoning, and control.• You see the world through analysis: your brain observes rather than reacts emotionally.• Subconsciously, you may prefer to keep distance, stay detached, and maintain a cool head.• In life, you’re more of an observer than a reactor, able to stay focused and composed under pressure,” she said.Commenting on the ups and downs of this personality type, she added, “Upside: rationality, calmness, and strategic thinking. Downside: difficulty expressing emotions, emotional suppression, and overcontrol.”Was this test result true for you? Tell us in the comment section below.And if you liked this test then do share it with your friends, colleagues and family to know them better. Also check out similar tests on our website to know yourself better.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press at Trump Tower in New York City, US, September 26, 2024. — Reuters
Trump weighs further options on US action against Iran.
Uses tariff leverage throughout second term against many nations.
Iran facing biggest anti-government protests in years.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Monday any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on trade with the US, as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.
“Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Tariffs are paid by US importers of goods from those countries. Iran has been heavily sanctioned by Washington for years.
“This order is final and conclusive,” Trump said without providing any further detail.
There was no official documentation from the White House about the policy on its website, nor information about the legal authority Trump would use to impose the tariffs, or whether they would be aimed at all of Iran’s trading partners. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran, which had a 12-day war with US ally Israel last year and whose nuclear facilities the US military bombed in June, is seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.
Trump has said the US may meet Iranian officials and that he was in contact with Iran’s opposition, while piling pressure on its leaders, including threatening military action.
Tehran said on Monday it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as Trump considered how to respond to the situation in Iran, which has posed one of the gravest tests of clerical rule in the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Demonstrations evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to defiant calls for the fall of the deeply entrenched clerical establishment. US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 599 people – 510 protesters and 89 security personnel – since the protests began on December 28.
While airstrikes were one of many alternatives open to Trump, “diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
During the course of his second term in office, Trump has often threatened and imposed tariffs on other countries over their ties with US adversaries and over trade policies that he has described as unfair to Washington.
Trump’s trade policy is under legal pressure as the US Supreme Court is considering striking down a broad swathe of Trump’s existing tariffs.
Iran, a member of the OPEC oil producers’ group, exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022, according to the World Bank’s most recent data.
San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle shared a somber post after he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during the team’s playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Kittle shared photos on Instagram of himself in the locker room with his wife, Claire, getting carted off the field and a panel from the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes.”
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) is carted off the field after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Philadelphia.(Derik Hamilton/AP Photo)
“Football sucks sometimes,” the star tight end wrote. “But I love it. I love these guys and this team. Heartbroken but have felt so much love and support from everyone reaching out. I’ll be good. Thank you. We aren’t done yet!
“Also when your team owner is the first person to meet you in the locker room, you know you’re in a special place.”
Kittle had one catch for six yards in the win. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that Kittle had suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the rest of the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell breaks up a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Philadelphia.(Matt Rourke/AP Photo)
The seven-time Pro Bowler finished his ninth season with San Francisco. He played 11 games and had 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. He did miss some time with several injuries over the course of the season, starting with a torn hamstring.
He was a key piece in keeping the 49ers afloat while the entirety of the roster battled through injuries.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle sits on the cart after an injury during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Philadelphia.(Chris Szagola/AP Photo)
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San Francisco finished 12-5 and will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.
The number of children in drug and alcohol treatment has been rising since the coronavirus pandemic
Three women whose teenage sons died after becoming addicted to drugs have told the BBC the system failed their children.
Anita Morris, Nicola Howarth and Kate Roux spoke to the BBC as part of a wide-ranging investigation into the failings of drug treatment for young people.
It found significant disparities in community care and a lack of state-funded residential facilities for under-18s.
Analysis shows more than half of the 16,000 children in drug and alcohol treatment in the past year were 15 or younger.
National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data shows a 13% rise in under-18s seeking support in 2024-25, yet experts and families say many are not receiving the help needed.
The BBC found disparities in community care, gaps in strategy and a shortage of beds for those in crisis.
Will Haydock, from drugs charity Collective Voice, says a consistent national strategy is needed.
His calls are echoed by the three mothers who believe more effective treatment could have saved the lives of their boys – Olly Barnett, Alfie Nichol-Brown and Ben Nelson-Roux.
While they have never met, the women share the same experience of seeing their children battling addiction and having to fight for years to get the right support.
Anita, whose son Olly died at 17, said: “We need safe spaces for children buying £1 tablets off the street and developing addictions.
“We need places for them to get off drugs with proper support, where they’re safe and their parents aren’t watching them in agony, wondering if they’ll die in their bedroom.”
Anita Morris
Olly Barnett ordered drugs from the dark web to self-treat anxiety, his mother said
The majority of children are treated in the community and most will never need residential treatment. For those who do, options are limited.
There are no state-run specialist residential facilities for under-18s in the UK and just a handful of beds available at costly private facilities, the BBC understands.
Experts told the BBC changes in drug trends, including a stark rise in ketamine and solvent use, meant demand was growing for specialist care.
The most commonly used substance by those in treatment in 2024-25 was cannabis, with 86% listing it as problem for them.
Drug treatment is the responsibility of councils to fund and co-ordinate locally.
Olly, Ben and Alfie received community-based support via a network of different services, including social services, the NHS and local drug organisations.
Each of their mothers said collaboration had been lacking and residential treatment impossible to secure.
Anita, who had to manage Olly’s detoxification regime at home, said: “I was told there was nowhere for him to be sent, no detox ward, no in-patient service.
“I looked at going private but with everything I had, the car I could have sold, I would have been lucky to have afforded a week.
“He wouldn’t have relapsed if he’d had proper care, detox and counselling all at the same time – he could have got better.”
Councillor Jill Rhodes, who chairs Cheshire East Council’s adults and health committee, said the authority received one of the lowest Public Health Grants in the country but commissioned a range of drug and alcohol treatment services.
She said it recognised a “clear gap” in residential provision for young people and would “strongly support” a national approach to address the shortfall.
Kate Roux said her “kind, amazing” son had been groomed and exploited since the age of 12
Kate, from Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, described services involved in Ben’s care as “horribly overstretched”.
She said he had been on the books of more than a dozen organisations when she found him dead in an adult homeless hostel at 16.
“Every strand [of his treatment] was done by a different group in the community and they had very little communication with each other, very little communication with us and no joined up plan,” she said.
“As he spiralled, his phone pinged and pinged with Snapchat adverts for drugs and threats from dealers.
“He had drugs workers who saw him a maximum of once a fortnight – they couldn’t compete with that level of coercion.
“He needed a residential place because he never felt safe, we couldn’t make him safe.”
A North Yorkshire Council spokeswoman said Ben had been moved to the homeless shelter as a “last resort following extensive searches for suitable accommodation”.
She said the “heart-breaking situation” highlighted the need for greater national specialist provision.
Kate Roux
Kate Roux said her family was “constantly firefighting” as they helped Ben with his addiction
Nicola Howarth, from Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, said her son Alfie had seen “at least 20” drug workers between the ages of 12 and 17.
“There was no consistency with his care,” she said. “I was always having to kick off and scream like a naughty child to get someone to listen to me.”
Alfie had a cocaine problem so severe he lost nose cartilage and was using “all day, every day”, spending hundreds of pounds a week on his addiction.
His mother could not afford the £23,000 she was quoted for a private residential rehab placement – at the time of his death, she was still saving up.
On Alfie’s 18th birthday, she received a call from an adult residential facility.
She said: “They said they had a bed for him if we still wanted it, but he’d already died.”
Michael Laing, Durham County Council’s corporate director for adult and health services, said an Adolescent Safeguarding and Exploitation team had been set up since Alfie’s death, with support available for young people who needed it.
Nicola Howarth
The day before Alfie died, he told his mother he had had enough and begged her for help
The BBC understands treatment and access to it can differ significantly based on where children live, influenced by local commissioning and funding decisions.
Prevention of Future Deaths reports prepared by coroners following the inquests of Ben and Olly urged the government and councils to act, flagging concerns around drug treatment and the lack of residential facilities for under-18s.
Alexander Frodsham’s report, published following Olly’s 2024 hearing, said the absence of such facilities placed “children at greater risk of relapse and death by overdose” as he highlighted disparities between child and adult treatment.
Gaps in government guidance, a lack of early intervention and prevention strategies, lengthy waiting lists, limited data and evidence gathering, zero-tolerance school policies and poor collaboration were also at the heart of an unequal system, leading experts told the BBC.
‘Children have suffered’
The government’s independent drugs adviser agrees more must be done to ensure high quality treatment for children and young people, including “adequate in-patient facilities” for those with the most complex needs.
Professor Dame Carol Black said children had “suffered” from years of under-investment in treatment services, with the current government now having to “turn around the tanker” and rebuild the sector.
Dame Carol added: “I’m pleased with where we’ve got to but I want the quality of what we offer to be improved.”
Richard Bailey
The recent growth of teens in treatment can be partly attributed to recommendations set out in Prof Dame Carol Black’s report
Her views are shared by Dr Will Haydock, chief executive of charity Collective Voice, which represents a host of drugs organisations.
He said: “There are still issues with inconsistency, what’s on offer and the routes through which people access it.”
Haydock said the rise in under-18s in treatment could reflect more investment and improved treatment access following Dame Carol’s report.
But he said online dealers, changing drug trends and a higher rate of children with mental health problems had also contributed.
Dr Haydock said a “coherent, co-ordinated package of care” was essential, adding: “Substance use issues are never isolated, they’re always part of someone’s wider life.
“We need to involve mental health services, education and youth justice – and we need national leadership with a clear strategy and plan for reducing harm.”
A cross-government approach, more specialist beds, earlier intervention, additional funding and the implementation of clear national guidance and prevention strategies were among potential solutions suggested by sources including the Children’s Commissioner, the Local Government Association (LGA), drugs charities and rehab workers.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said treatment and recovery funding would be channelled through the Public Health grant by 2026.
He said £3.4bn would be ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery across three years.
UKAT’s Nick Dunkley said demand for beds for under-18s significantly outstrips supply in the UK
At UKAT’s Banbury Lodge in Oxfordshire, a residential facility providing treatment for a range of addictions, there are three beds for 16 to 18-year-olds.
Centre manager Nick Dunkley said such facilities offered a comprehensive package of care, available around the clock.
But a 28-day stay at the privately-run rehab costs almost £18,000 – a price out of the reach, he accepted, of many families.
Mr Dunkley acknowledged the “significant” cost and said more state-funded beds should be made available, adding: “Preventative measures are a better alternative to waiting until things are beyond repair.”
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said she was deeply concerned about the “postcode lottery” faced by too many children.
“No matter the issue, children and young people must be able to access the treatment they need close to home, to help them recovery quickly and rebuild stability with support from loved ones,” she said.
Dr Wendy Taylor, of the LGA, called on the government to increase the public health grant to ensure quality support was available and accessible to all.
She said the landscape was very difficult for councils trying to provide treatment within “serious budget stresses”.
‘Reduce the stigma’
Dame Carol said there was “every intention centrally” to rebuild and improve services.
She said: “It is the quality of the people in the service, the speed of that service and the connection with the other things children need that is crucial.”
Drug addiction should be treated as a chronic illness, she said, adding: “We need to reduce the stigma that surrounds it, and that’s everybody’s business.”
The government’s actions come too late for Olly, Ben and Alfie, but their parents believe change could bring hope to others.
Anita said: “There are more children like Olly and to know your child is safe and not going to die in front of you, to know they’ll be cared for and go through a proper withdrawal programme would mean so much to parents. It would save those children.”
Additional reporting by Louise Hobson, BBC North East & Cumbria
If you have been affected by the issues in this story, support and information is available via the BBC Action Line
Louis Tomlinson knew Harry Styles was destined to ‘take over’
Louis Tomlinson has “always” believed in Harry Styles’ star potential.
In a recent chat on Billboard cover story, the Back to You hitmaker opened up about how he “knew” the As It Was artist would become a hit solo artist after their band, One Direction, split.
“I always knew Harry was going to go on to do what he’s done — I’m sure he’s superseded his own expectations in the way that he’s taken over the world, but we knew he’s got everything it takes to be a great artist,” he told the publisher.
Louis named another bandmate’s name he thought would have a successful career as a solo artist.
“Niall [Horan] I had a good feeling about too — he’s Irish, he’s lovely, everyone loves him,”
He then articulated his thoughts on the success rate of band members as solo artists after a band breaks up.
“History says there’s not normally more than two,” Louis added.
Sharing the fears he had after One Direction split, he said it was “really f****** scary.”
“I was never thinking, ‘I’ll be in that group [of One Direction alumni] that succeeds,'” Louis admitted.
Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Trump administration Monday, seeking to block a massive federal immigration enforcement surge they say has flooded the Twin Cities with armed agents, sparked fear and unrest, and interfered with state and local authorities, according to court filings.
The lawsuit names Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, top officials with DHS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, along with the federal agencies themselves.
“We’re here to announce a lawsuit we’re filing against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to end the unlawful, unprecedented surge of the federal law enforcement agents into Minnesota,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said during a news conference Monday. “We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law.”
Ellison said the deployment of thousands of armed and masked DHS agents to Minnesota has done “serious harm” to the state, calling for what he described as a “federal invasion” of the Twin Cities and Minnesota to stop.
Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Trump administration, seeking to block a massive immigration enforcement surge led by ICE and DHS.(City of Minneapolis)
The plaintiffs accuse federal immigration agents of carrying out militarized raids across the Twin Cities, including stops at schools and hospitals, engaging in racial profiling, warrantless arrests and excessive force, and overwhelming local law enforcement, while claiming the operation was politically motivated retaliation rather than legitimate immigration enforcement.
“DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area,” Ellison said. “Schools have gone [into] lockdown. Entire districts have had to cancel school for tens of thousands of students to ensure safety and offer online education.”
“Local businesses are struggling,” he added. “Revenues are down, and some retail stores, daycares and restaurants have actually closed because people are afraid to go out.”
The lawsuit comes nearly a week after an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials have said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an ICE agent to fire in self-defense.
Renee Nicole Good, moments before she was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis. (Obtained by Fox News)
“On January 7, 2026, a DHS agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, leaving her children without a mother and her 6-year-old son without either parent,” Ellison said. “This has to stop… it never should have started.”
Ellison said the scope and scale of the federal operation has strained public safety resources and disrupted daily life across the Twin Cities.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the enforcement surge goes far beyond traditional immigration operations and has made communities less safe.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the media at City Hall on Jan. 9.(Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
“What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement,” Frey said. “The scale is wildly disproportionate, and it has nothing to do with keeping people safe.”
The Trump administration pushed back sharply against the lawsuit, with DHS accusing Minnesota leaders of undermining public safety and obstructing federal law enforcement.
“Keith Ellison made it abundantly clear today he is prioritizing politics over public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “It really is astounding that the Left can miraculously rediscover the Tenth Amendment when they don’t want federal law enforcement officers to enforce federal law – which is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause – and then go right back to federalizing every state responsibility possible when they get back in power. Spare us.”
Federal agents shoot pepper balls at protesters outside during an anti-ICE demonstration in Minneapolis on Jan. 11, 2026.(Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Sanctuary politicians like Ellison are the exact reason that DHS surged to Minnesota in the first place,” McLaughlin continued. “If he, Tim Walz, or Jacob Frey had just done their sworn duty to protect the people of Minnesota they are supposed to serve to root out fraud and get criminals off the street – if they had worked with us to do it – we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place.”
McLaughlin cited multiple examples of criminal illegal aliens she said Minnesota leaders are protecting, including individuals convicted of rape, child sexual assault, kidnapping, homicide and other violent crimes, some with final orders of removal dating back decades.
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Among them, she highlighted a man from Laos who she said was convicted of strongarm sodomy of a boy, strongarm sodomy of a girl, aggravated sex offenses, multiple counts of larceny and fraud, burglary, drug possession and obstruction of justice, and who received a final order of removal in March 2018.
McLaughlin said other examples included criminal illegal aliens from Laos, Guatemala, Somalia, Sudan, Burma and Sierra Leone, with convictions ranging from sexual assault and homicide to DUI-related deaths, and final orders of removal dating as far back as August 1996.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
Prosecutors are urging a judge to deny accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson’s bid to disqualify a prosecutor, arguing there is no conflict of interest.
In a sweeping 33-page filing, submitted under seal earlier this month and now released in redacted form, the state argues the deputy prosecutor at the center of Robinson’s motion has no personal conflict despite the fact that his 18-year-old child was in the crowd when Kirk was assassinated at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
Prosecutors say the teen, a student at UVU, was one of “thousands of other witnesses” and had no personal knowledge of the actual murder, never saw the shooting, and never saw a weapon.
The filing includes text messages exchanged between the prosecutor and his teenager in the minutes after the shooting, which prosecutors argue underscore that lack of firsthand knowledge.
Charlie Kirk appears at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
In the messages, the teen initially texts, “SOMEONE GOT SHOT,” and reassures family members, “I’m okay, everyone is going inside.” Only later, after hearing information from others, does the teenager text, “CHARLIE GOT SHOT,” followed by messages relaying what “people were saying” about where Kirk was hit and where the shooter may have been positioned.
Prosecutors argue the texts reflect confusion and secondhand information — not emotional trauma or direct involvement that could improperly influence prosecutorial decision-making.
The filing further details that the teen was roughly 85 feet away, had no line of sight to the shooter due to buildings blocking the view, and fled the area after hearing what sounded like a loud “pop.”
The crowd reacts after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, is shot at Utah Valley University Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah.(Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
In a sworn affidavit, the teen described being scared in the moment but suffered no lasting trauma, required no counseling and quickly returned to normal school and work activities.
Robinson’s motion also points to the prosecution’s decision to seek the death penalty on the same day charges were filed, arguing it reflects bias or a rush to judgment.
Prosecutors reject that claim, saying the decision was based on the strength of the evidence, Utah law and a desire to curb speculation and misinformation in a case that immediately drew national and international attention.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is assassinated during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Sept. 10, 2025.(Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while answering a question during the outdoor forum attended by roughly 3,000 people. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
Defense attorneys argue that while the trauma of the shooting is undeniable, it makes prosecutorial neutrality even more essential — not less. They contend the presence of a prosecutor’s family member at the event creates an unacceptable risk that decisions could be influenced by emotion rather than evidence.
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A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the motion Friday, Jan. 16. If the court grants Robinson’s request, the entire Utah County Attorney’s Office could be removed from the case, forcing the appointment of a special prosecutor and potentially delaying trial proceedings — including the state’s pursuit of the death penalty.
Fox News’ Lee Ross and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
