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Star Janice LeAnn Brown said Henrie was "kind if like a dad," while she compared Gomez to a "really cool aunt."

Primary voters and party leaders avoided the mistakes of 2022 and chose Republican candidates capable of winning a Senate majority.

The news on Tuesday sent Broadcom Inc. shares soaring, gaining as much as 4%. TSMC’s US-traded shares also climbed, up more than 1%.

SHOCKING new stats show that fertility rates in England and Wales are at their lowest since records began.

This is despite the number of women of child-bearing age being at its highest ever.

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Shocking new stats show that fertility rates in England and Wales are at their lowest since records began[/caption]

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Fewer young people have the resources and desire to have children[/caption]

Something has gone terribly wrong and it is high time the Government defused this ticking time bomb.

It’s hard to believe that just a few decades ago, families were bustling with children — families often had three kids or more.

By the Nineties, families were still lively — with sitcom 2point4 Children named after the then number of kids in the traditional nuclear family.

Now women have an average of 1.44 children — well shy of the 2.1 figure countries need to maintain populations.

Despite mums of today arguably never having had it so good, with more economic power and protections, the state of childbearing has never been more dire.

The smug childless

Not only are women having fewer children, the average age for mothers giving birth has recently climbed to around 31.

And 50 per cent of women remain childless at 30, compared with 42 per cent in their mother’s generation.

Too many naive people have been too quick to shrug off this worrying trend.

There are smug childless people still parroting the moronic argument that the fewer kids in society, the better.

“Why should my taxes pay for other people’s kids?” is one such idiotic exclamation I often hear.

And don’t get me started on the climate change arguments for not having kids, which surely only the brain-dead can take seriously.

But I’m not on some crusade to push for procreation for some weird ideological reasons.

This is about pure, simple maths.

With more retirees and fewer workers in the future, we are left with two choices — accept astronomical levels of immigration to plug the gaping population hole or force future generations to pay unprecedented levels of tax just to keep the country going.

It is estimated that one in four people will be over 65 by 2050 — and the number of people older than 85 will double.

Put simply, this means the Government will have to fork out far more than they already do — or rather, the taxpayer will.

Already, in 2024-25, the Government expects to spend £168billion on benefits for pensioners.

And that does not include healthcare, which is already the largest single area of government spending.

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By the Nineties, families were still lively — with sitcom 2point4 Children named after the then number of kids in the traditional nuclear family[/caption]

How do we expect to fund things, build stuff and keep Britain moving if the pool of future workers is drying up so quickly?

Which brings me to my second point.

The only way we can cope with a shrinking number of taxpayers and an ageing population if we do not have enough kids is by importing the workforce from elsewhere.

Cue an even bigger disaster than we are already facing.

Net migration hit a peak of 764,000 in 2022, with the figure being 685,000 in 2023.

That is a total net migration figure larger than the population of Birmingham in just two years.

We have already seen the levels of social tension and political turmoil this has caused.

Do we honestly think Brits will accept doubling, or even tripling, those numbers just to plug the gap left by an absence of homegrown talent?

We also need tax breaks for first-time parents to give them a financial boost when starting families

Mercy

So, what’s the answer?

I say it is time to roll out the red carpet for families.

Quite frankly, the Government should be paying ME for having children.

How about completely free childcare for the first two kids?

Childcare costs remain through the roof and government has only tinkered around the edges in terms of helping families on this front.

Or you could sort out our statutory maternity pay, which is some of the worst in Europe.

After the first six weeks of maternity leave, mums in the UK are only entitled to a measly £184 a week, whereas other countries, such as Bulgaria and Sweden, virtually guarantee full pay for a year.

We also need tax breaks for first-time parents to give them a financial boost when starting families.

The tax burden is already at record highs, and families feel the pinch even more acutely.

Social Armageddon

Why is the Government not doing everything it can to make sure that it makes financial sense to start a family?

I can already hear the distant cries from those who will be sceptical at throwing money at this problem — “Where is the magic money tree?”

The simple answer is that the amount of spending needed to tackle this problem is nothing but pennies compared to the economic and social Armageddon we will face in the future if we let the population fall off a cliff edge.

The Government will be laying out its spending priorities today in its first Budget.

In a few days, we will also have a new leader of the Opposition.

Now is the perfect time for both parties to show they are serious about getting Britain birthing again.

Our entire future quite literally depends on it.

AN AMBULANCE worker who sent a chilling text to her friend after she tried to kill her boss in a “frenzied” hammer attack has been jailed.

Stacey Smith, from Ascot Street on Tameside, attacked Michala Morton, a North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) patient transport service boss, before admitting in a cruel text to her friend.

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Michala Morton was left with serious head injuries and a broken wrist[/caption]

The 46-year-old lay in wait outside her boss’s house before repeatedly striking her with the hammer over the head.

Police revealed that Michala suffered a broken wrist while attempting to defend herself from what officers have described as an “unprovoked and frenzied” attack.

Smith was screaming that she would kill her and sent a disturbing text to her friend after fleeing the scene, which read: “I’ve done it. I’ve smashed her head in. Oopsie (sic) xx!”

The former ambulance worker appeared in front of Manchester Crown Court, where it was revealed that the pair had been working together for six years prior to the attack.

Michala had been in charge of several workers, including Smith and her wife.

However, the relationship between the two deteriorated during the pandemic as ambulance workers were forced to adopt shift patterns to meet the demands of the health emergency in the UK.

Smith’s resentment towards Michala intensified after discovering that she couldn’t follow the same shift patterns as her wife, according to prosecutor Hayley Bennett.

The court heard that the dispute over the shift pattern continued for several months and culminated when Smith and her wife were unable to attend a patient’s funeral.

This led the would-be-attacker to unleash a barrage of abusive comments on Michala’s Facebook.

The ambulance worker also said that she would “never let this go.”

I detect very little remorse

Judge

This led Michala to report Smith to NWAS and request that she and her wife be removed from her team.

However, the boss’s request was denied but the pair were kept separate due to an ongoing investigation, the court heard.

Questions regarding Smith’s mental health also emerged after she and her wife were absent from work for around six months.

The 46-year-old’s wife would later express that “she could not cope” working with Michala and threatened to take her own life.

Smith subsequently filed a complaint against her boss, claiming that she and her wife were being “targeted” by her.

Despite filing the complaint, the ambulance worker chose to take matters into her own hands and showed up outside Michala’s house with a hammer days before she was set to be interviewed by HR staff.

Smith inflicted horrific injuries on her boss, fracturing her skull with a hammer and repeatedly calling her a “b****” during the attack.

SENTENCING

After the assault, the ambulance worker intended to “go on the run,” but friends persuaded her to turn herself into authorities.

Smith has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading not guilty to attempted murder, and she must serve two-thirds of her sentence before being eligible for parole.

The 46-year-old was also issued a whole-life order, preventing her from ever contacting Michala again.

The judge added: “I detect very little remorse.”

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Stephen McNee of GMP’s Tameside Criminal Investigation Department said: “We are pleased with today’s result, which has seen a violent woman taken off the streets and we hope that this goes some way to helping the victim to come to terms with what has happened to her and allows her to heal.”

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “The last year has been incredibly difficult for her, and we hope this will mark a milestone in her ongoing recovery.”

IT was a glitzy night with football’s biggest stars – and I was one of the lucky few invited to attend.

More than 500 bottles of Champagne were cracked open before the creme de la creme watched Manchester City’s Rodri and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati receive the Ballon d’Or.

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Ellie Henman with her Tottenham hero Harry Kane in Paris[/caption]

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Ellie with Man Utd’s Alejandro Garnacho[/caption]

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Man City’s Rodri picked up the men’s Ballon d’Or[/caption]

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He was helped on stage by former Manchester City player George Weah in the closing segment of the evening[/caption]

But the caterers scored an own goal when they ran out of platters to serve their nibbles — forcing the chefs to send out waiters holding metal colanders full of macaroni cheese balls.

That flash of chaos did not affect the presentation of the only two balls that really mattered — the rotund golden trophies that were carefully wheeled on to the stage in Paris.

There was even more fanfare to the moment than I’ve seen at the Oscars and the Baftas.

The gongs came in custom-made Louis Vuitton cases, which each took three people to open, while fireworks threatened to set off the fire alarm as the crowd watched in bewilderment.

Some hours before then, my evening began by navigating four road closures and more than 200 confused French coppers to get to the Theatre du Chatelet in the French capital on a windy Monday night.

Rabid selfie-takers

Once inside, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with football heavyweights including French legend Marcel Desailly and Barcelona president Joan Laporta — who was flanked by heavies to bat off rabid selfie-takers, myself included.

My first port of call was tracking down Harry Kane, the former captain of my beloved Tottenham Hotspur, who on the night picked up the Gerd Muller trophy with Kylian Mbappe as they had both scored the most goals in Europe this season.

Grabbing Harry for a chat before he was celebrated for his 44 goals in 45 matches, he admitted he was loving his new life at Bayern Munich.

“I’m really enjoying it,” Harry told me with a grin on his face, although he went on to admit his German could still do with a bit of work.

“I am learning and doing two lessons a week,” he added. “I have a good teacher at Bayern.

“For me it is difficult but hopefully I will be there for many years and at some stage will be able to talk a bit of German.”

But what about coming back to Spurs I plead, given we desperately miss our golden boy.

“Maybe one day,” Harry tells me with a somewhat sympathetic smile. Although I suspect, deep down, I may be left wanting.

The reception waiters are bringing out posh canapes in great haste but I spy Marcel Desailly waving away cubes of raw cod — which, given they were room temperature, was a wise decision.

After I introduced myself, the Chelsea legend gossiped about Real Madrid’s decision to snub the big night after learning star forward Vinicius Junior would not be awarded the top prize.

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Lamine Yamal with mum Sheila and brother Keyne[/caption]

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Spanish footballer Jennifer Hermoso got the first standing ovation of the night as she won the Socrates award[/caption]

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Ellie hanging out with Marcel Desailly at the bash[/caption]

Insiders at the glitzy bash told me the club’s decision to not send a single delegate caused a big headache and a hurried last-minute switch to the seating plan on the theatre floor.

Elsewhere in the bash, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho was tucked away in a corner of the champagne reception furiously tapping away on his mobile phone as his glamorous female companion stared blankly into space.

I am learning and doing two lessons a week

Harry Kane

It wasn’t surprising the striker only had eyes for his iPhone, given just six hours before he arrived his gaffer Erik ten Hag was handed his P45.

I chose to not mention the chaos when I started up a conversation but it was clear Garnacho was so deep in the club WhatsApp group gossip that time for a chinwag with me was not on the cards.

He sat with schoolboy-like stoicism on the front row next to Harry as the awards began.

By this point, more than 500 bottles of Taittinger had been cracked open and the players, Uefa bigwigs and everyone in between were certainly well-oiled.

As the players started to take their seats I went down on to the floor and spotted Barcelona’s teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal — who won the best young player trophy at the ceremony — carrying his toddler brother Keyne around to meet his peers.

The tot won hearts when Lamine carried him out on to the pitch after Spain won the Euros this summer and he was the centre of attention at the ceremony.

As Keyne was passed from player to player, Lamine looked on proudly as they cooed over him.

And later that evening, at just past 11pm, he was among the last to leave as proud Lamine carried the tuxedo-wearing tot down the red-carpeted stars and off to bed. Spanish footballer Jennifer Hermoso got the first standing ovation of the night as she won the Socrates award.

Jennifer — the woman at the centre of the storm last July when she was kissed without consent by Fifa’s ex- vice-president Luis Rubiales — was the first woman to be handed the gong and used her time on stage to push for equality.

‘Make a better world’

She said: “This award is not just mine, but belongs to all my teammates, with whom I share a space where equality is not always a given.

“That’s why we all work day by day with the hope and desire to leave women’s football in a better place for the new generations.”

She added: “I’d like to tell all women to keep being courageous. Work together in order to make a better world possible.”

Two hours in, and the ceremony came to a close with the unveiling of the top award, the Ballon d’Or.

Barcelona’s Aitana won the women’s gong for a second year in a row and was handed the accolade by Hollywood actress Natalie Portman.

The Black Swan star, who part-owns LA-based football team Angel City FC, told me she was a regular at Paris Saint-Germain games with her teenage son — who worked the theatre floor like a pro and took selfies with everyone from Harry to Rodri.

I’d like to tell all women to keep being courageous

Jennifer Hermoso

Collecting her prize, Aitana paid tribute to her teammates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo who were left in second and third place respectively.

The pair did not seem too impressed with her sentiments, though, and struggled to raise a smile as Aitana spoke about them.

Afterwards, when the Champagne started to flow again, they made a beeline for the dessert table and I stood and watched as they despondently ate miniature cream cakes and poached pears as Aitana swerved the after-party.

Man City’s Rodri, who picked up the men’s Ballon d’Or, was helped on stage by former Manchester City player George Weah in the closing segment of the evening.

The midfielder is on crutches after undergoing surgery following a nasty injury last month, but refused to pose with his sticks and handed them to a flunky as he stood on stage clutching his prize.

“I am feeling much better,” he reassured the crowd. “This is a big injury for me. Football has a lot of risks and this is the first time in my career to have something like this.

“I am trying to rest and recuperate and come back stronger.”

He was joined by his parents, who were seated towards the back — and when I saw him leaving the theatre, his mother had to fight through a crowd of 20 heavies to reach her boy to give him a kiss.

It just goes to show, you are never too old, or too successful, to get a smacker from Mum.

Back inside the bash, there was uproar at the decision to shut the bar at 11pm — two hours before the official closing time.

With all the stars gone, though, and the warm, raw cod starting to repeat on the most prestigious of guests, it was best to call it a night.

Until next year, Paris.

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Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati receive the Ballon d’Or[/caption]

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Waiter and colander full of nibbles after platters ran out[/caption]

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Natalie Portman, who presented an award[/caption]

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Ellie at the awards in Paris[/caption]

STRICTLY Come Dancing has been slammed by an animal rights charity over a ‘violently obtained’ part of the show.

Every week, millions of viewers tune into the BBC One show to watch some of their favourite stars compete for the glitterball trophy.

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Strictly Come Dancing bosses have come under fire[/caption]

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The likes of Sarah Hadland have received high scores and praise from the judges[/caption]

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But animal rights charity PETA has slammed the continued use of feathers on the costumes[/caption]

This year, the likes of actress Sarah Hadland, EastEnders personality Jamie Borthwick and Love Island‘s Tasha Ghouri have all received high scores from the judges.

However, the bosses have not received such praise from animal charity PETA, who have slammed Strictly Come Dancing.

The organisation’s Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor has personally written to bosses, as she highlighted the continued use of feathers in the costumes of the show.

In her document that was seen by The Sun, she wrote: “Like many Brits, we love the dazzling dances Strictly Come Dancing brings to our screens, but we must spotlight one major concern: the series’ use of feathers.

“Real birds’ feathers are a product of extreme cruelty to animals and have no place on your dance floor. They are gory, not glamourous.”

In her letter, Mrs Taylor then went into more detail of the harmful effects of obtaining feathers for clothing materials.

“Industry use of other birds – like pheasants, parrots, and peacocks – is shrouded in secrecy, breeding black market activity.

“Live plucking, which is common, causes birds immense pain and sometimes fatal injuries.

“When you consider that factory farming birds to rob them of their plumes also increases the very real risk of a deadly bird flu pandemic, feathers are definitely something you don’t want to touch with a limbo stick!”

The charity noted that huge fashion designers like Stella McCartney are moving away from ‘cruelly obtained feathers’.

It also pointed out that the recent Victoria’s Secret show featured designs that were made exclusively from handcrafted faux feathers.

The Sun has contacted the BBC for comment.

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The charity have noted that major designers and fashion labels have stopped using feathers[/caption]

Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.

MARRIED At First Sight fans predict trouble for Polly and Adam after his shock comments on tonight’s show.

This week the remaining couples spend some time apart from their spouse and with another bride or groom from the experiment.

Partner swap week is a chance to get a taste of how another couple functions day-to-day, by spending time in the company of another spouse.

Adam found out that he was partnered with Amy, leaving wife Polly fearing for the worst.

Polly admitted she was not “jealous”, but said she felt “insecure”, especially of how beautiful Amy is.

She told the camera: “My stomach has naturally dropped, I’m not a jealous person but Amy is stunning, absolutely gorgeous woman and I don’t want to go back to square one feeling insecure about myself.

“It is very strange having another woman come into my home, it is very intimate.”

She went on: “There could be a touch of jealousy, but I’m going to try and keep a cool head.”

After moving in together, Adam was quick to discuss his and Amy’s sleeping arrangements.

Amy agreed that she would be happy to share Adam’s marital bed, leaving the lad chuffed.

He later makes a cheeky comment about not be able to “sleep in his clothes or wedding ring”.

Amy then took Adam lingerie shopping in a bid to ignite his flame with Polly.

But Adam got sidetracked by asking Amy what her underwear size was and joked that she should try on the lingerie.

Some E4 viewers said it was the happiest Adam had looked throughout the whole process.

One wrote: “Adam and his cheesy grin over Amy, happiest and most smiley his been this whole show is hilarious.”

A second posted: “Adam finally happy to be sharing a bed with someone he wants to touch.”

A third commented: “Adam looks like the cat that got the cream.”

“Adams grinning like the Cheshire Cat – don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy,” this viewer said.

Another added: “Adam wants the bedroom activities with you Amy not Polly.”

While out shopping, Adam messaged Polly to ask her what size she was.

Polly was left in floods of tears and upset that Adam was finally opening up about intimacy with another wife in the experiement.

CHRISTMAS is just eight weeks away, which means it’s the perfect time to make some extra money for presents.

And what better way to do that than have a clear out of your wardrobe and clutter to make room for any new gifts you may receive.

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A Vinted pro has revealed the four money-making items in your wardrobe[/caption]

Vinted is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell second hand clothes, shoes and accessories.

It’s completely free to upload clothes to the app and Vinted does not take a cut of sellers’ profits and instead charges buyers a small fee to purchase each item.

To help any novice sellers, a Vinted expert has revealed which items will bring in the most cash.

E-commerce accountant and founder of Your ECommerce Accountant Ben Sztejka says there’s four items that are most likely to earn you the biggest profits.

Here, he reveals what you should consider selling if they’re gathering dust in the back of your wardrobe. 

Dr Martens Shoes

Durable and timeless, Dr Martens remain a top seller all over the world.

There’s a simple reason for this – they appeal to a range of people from fashion conscious teenagers to everyday workers.

Pre-owned DMs in good condition attract quick buyers with solid resale value due to their long-lasting construction.

Designer trainers

Designer shoes, especially those limited editions, attract lots of interest and high prices online.

Ultra-rare models are particularly profitable but any lightly worn designer shoes can generate big profits.

Vintage jeans

Classic styles like Levi’s 501s and 505s draw strong demand amongst vintage lovers and fashion forward buyers.

However, any unique denim remains popular online.

Special occasion clothing

Wedding dresses, event wear and prom outfits that have only been worn once sell well online as buyers look for nearly-new options at a fraction of the retail price.

These items can be easy to find online and buyers are attracted quickly. 

Ben’s tips come as shoppers are racing to download Vinted on their phone after seeing that British Vogue has joined the second-hand website.

The high fashion magazine has revealed they’re partnering up with Vinted to sell their closet and donate the money to Oxfam, so you’ll be helping out a good cause too.

Items being flogged included a gorgeous virgin wool Calvin Klein coat which was sold for just £170.

According to fashion pros at The Real Real, the coat cost over £2,100 when it first came on the market.

Online marketplaces like Vinted and Depop have millions of users across the UK, with the cost-of-living crisis only increasing their popularity.

Financial pressures in British homes saw sales of second-hand goods jump by 15 per cent to £21 billion in 2022.

One in six people now say they buy used items, according to research commissioned by review site Trustpilot.

So, now’s the perfect time to make yourself some extra cash on the likes of Vinted.

According to the popular platform, sellers do not have to pay tax on earnings they make from the site.

This, HMRC stated, is because selling personal items through platforms like Vinted is not itself taxable.

”If the money a member makes on Vinted over a year is less than the amount they paid for the items they are selling, then there is no tax to pay,” a Vinted spokesperson explained.

”Generally, only business sellers “trading” for profit might need to pay tax.

”A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for people who trade for profit.”

SPORTING have confirmed that Manchester United will pay Ruben Amorim’s £8.3m release clause as the club close in on their next head coach.

It comes after former boss Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday morning following the Red Devils’ poor start to the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Man Utd are reportedly keen on appointing Amorim ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford.

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