David Ellefson is the new bassist for the veteran metal band Metal Church.
The former Megadeth member makes his debut with Metal Church on a song called “F.A.F.O.”, which stands for you-know-what around and find out.
“After 45 years, the fact that we have new music coming in 2025 feels like a miracle,” says founding Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, who is the lone original member still in the band. “There was a time when I honestly didn’t think Metal Church would continue, but we’re back—and this lineup is firing on all cylinders.”
Along with Ellefson and Vanderhoof, the revamped Metal Church lineup includes guitarist Rick Van Zandt, drummer Ken Mary and vocalist Brian Allen.
Ellefson parted ways with Megadeth in 2021. Since then, he’s been involved in bands including Dieth, The Lucid, Kings of Thrash and Ellefson-Soto.
Megadeth, meanwhile, is releasing their final album on Jan. 23. The Dave Mustaine-led group is also set to launch a multiple-year farewell tour.
Former Beatle John Lennon outside of the Times Square recording studio ‘The Hit Factory’ before a recording session of his final album ‘Double Fanasy’ in August 1980 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
Another John Lennon documentary is in the works, this time from Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh.
According to Variety, Soderbergh talked about the film at the inaugural Doha Film Festival, explaining that the still-untitled project will focus on Lennon’s final interview, which he and wife Yoko Ono sat for just hours before he was shot and killed on Dec. 8, 1980.
“I’m excited about it,” Soderbergh said. “I’m not looking to re-invent the form. I’m just hoping to create a film that gets as many people as possible to hear what John and Yoko had to say on that afternoon before he was killed.”
The interview took place at John and Yoko’s New York apartment The Dakota and was tied to the release of their album Double Fantasy. Lennon was shot in front of his apartment later that evening as he was returning from a recording session at the Record Plant.
Soderbergh said he found the interview somewhat surprising.
“They were both so free in their discussions. As someone who has been interviewed many times I was surprised at how open and excited they were to talk,” he said. “You would think they had never been interviewed before.”
“So I want that to come across to the audience. Everything that they said 45 years ago is not just relevant today. It’s even more relevant in terms or relationships, politics, how we treat each other,” he continued. “How systems work on the individual and above all on the importance of love in our daily life and our world.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Athens, Greece, on November 16, 2025, for a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the signing of a cooperation agreement at the Maximos Mansion. (Photo by Nikolas Mhtrousias/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — As President Donald Trump pushes Ukraine and Russia to commit to a peace deal before Thanksgiving, both leaders suggested they would engage on it but signaled doubts it could succeed.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his country may face a difficult choice between losing its “dignity” or the support of its most important ally –presumably the United States, though Zelenskyy didn’t mention by name — as the Trump administration pressured Kyiv to accept the plan that would impose harsh concessions on Ukraine and that many Ukrainians fear would be effectively a capitulation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the deal, which Russia has helped develop and contains many of its key demands, could serve as a “basis” for a solution to the conflict, but accused Kyiv of being unwilling to accept it.
Zelenskyy addressed the nation in a powerful speech, where he vowed not to betray the country and said the next week would “be very difficult.”
Trump’s 28-point peace plan demands provisions that the Kremlin has long demanded and that have been previously dismissed as non-starters for Kyiv, including that Ukraine cut its armed forces by more than half and cede swaths of territory not yet occupied by Russia, according to a draft proposal obtained by ABC News.
Officially, the 28-point peace plan notes that “Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees,” which a senior U.S. administration official told ABC News included a NATO-style security guarantee. Under that provision, the U.S. and its allies could respond with military force if Russia attacks Ukraine in the future, according to the official.
The plan comes after Ukraine suffered heavy losses in the last few weeks and Russian forces captured more territory. Zelenskyy himself is currently under pressure because of the worst corruption scandal of the war that involves top officials, which has rocked his administration.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is facing “one of the most difficult moments in our history” and that Ukraine in the coming days may have to choose between “dignity” and the “risk of losing a key partner.”
“Either complicated 28 points, or an extremely tough winter — the toughest — and further risks. A life without freedom, without dignity, without justice,” he said.
Zelenskyy compared the current situation to the first days of the war, when he refused to flee and Ukrainians held back Russia.
“They said: either this, or nothing. Either you sign this, or you will simply be eliminated. We did not betray Ukraine then; we will not do it now. And I know for certain that in this truly one of the hardest moments of our history, I am not alone,” he said.
Zelenskyy spoke with Vice President JD Vance about the plan on Friday.
“We managed to cover a lot of details of the American side’s proposals for ending the war, and we’re working to make the path forward dignified and truly effective for achieving a lasting peace,” a readout from the Ukrainian president read.
Putin, in a meeting with his national security council that was televised, said Russia was in possession of the 28-point plan and suggested Moscow was prepared to take it as a basis for “a final peace settlement” but had yet to discuss it in detail.
Putin said Russia had previously discussed a version of the plan with the Trump administration around his and Trump’s summit in Alaska this summer, calling the 28-point draft an “essentially modernised” one.
“We confirmed that, despite certain difficult issues and complications, we nevertheless agree with these proposals and are ready to show the flexibility that has been offered to us,” Putin said.
But he claimed since the summit that the Trump administration had paused and claimed that was because Ukraine is unwilling to accept the plan.
“I believe the reason is the same: the US administration has not yet managed to secure the agreement of the Ukrainian side, as Ukraine is opposed to it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under the illusion that they can inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” Putin said.
The Russian leader vowed that if Ukraine did not discuss the proposals, Russia would continue to attempt to seize more cities and achieve its goals via force.
Zelenskyy on Friday warned Putin would attempt to use the peace talks to try to frame Ukraine as unwilling to accept peace, while making unjust demands.
“There will be a constructive search for solutions” with the U.S., he said. “I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will offer alternatives, but we will certainly not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is Ukraine who disrupts the process and is not ready for diplomacy. That will not happen.”
The clip has Coverdale singing on a stage bathed in white and backed by a string section. The clip also features various photos of Coverdale with his wife, Cindy Barker.
“Forevermore” is the title track to Whitesnake’s 2011 album, which was reissued in September.
The 74-year-old Coverdale announced on Nov. 13 that “after 50 years-plus of an incredible journey” he’d decided to call it quits.
“I love you dearly. I thank everyone who’s assisted and supported me on this incredible journey — all the musicians, the crew, the fans, the family,” he said. “It’s amazing, but it really is time for me to just enjoy my retirement.” He added, “And I hope you can appreciate that. Once again, I love you with all my heart. Fare thee well.”
Poster for ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’/(Sony Pictures Classic)
Films about Led Zeppelin and John Lennon and Yoko Ono have a chance to be in the running for a 2026 Oscar nomination in the documentary feature film category.
Over 200 documentaries have been deemed eligible for consideration , including Becoming Led Zeppelin, which chronicles the early days of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, and One to One: John and Yoko, which follows the 18 months John and Yoko lived in New York’s Greenwich Village in the early ’70s.
Other music docs eligible for a nod include: Billy Idol Should Be Dead, Pavements, Diane Warren: Relentless, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery – The Untold Story and It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley.
The eligible docs will be narrowed down to a shortlist that will be announced Dec. 16. Oscar nominees will then be revealed on Jan 22.
The 98th annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 15 from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The Who‘s Pete Townshend appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Nov. 12, where he also sat in with the house band. Now the show is revealing what fans at home didn’t get to see.
The Late Show just released the latest clip in its “Commercial Breakdown” YouTube series, this time featuring Townshend performing his 1980 solo single “Let My Love Open the Door.” The clip has Townshend on acoustic guitar, backed by Louis Cato & The Late Show Band.
Townshend was on The Late Show to promote Quadrophenia: A Rock Ballet, which ran at New York’s City Center.
During the appearance he talked about being open to using AI to complete unfinished music he has in his vault and also discussed The Who’s final North American tour, which wrapped in October.
The Who‘s Pete Townshend appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Nov. 12, where he also sat in with the house band. Now the show is revealing what fans at home didn’t get to see.
The Late Show just released the latest clip in its “Commercial Breakdown” YouTube series, this time featuring Townshend performing his 1980 solo single “Let My Love Open the Door.” The clip has Townshend on acoustic guitar, backed by Louis Cato & The Late Show Band.
Townshend was on The Late Show to promote Quadrophenia: A Rock Ballet, which ran at New York’s City Center.
During the appearance he talked about being open to using AI to complete unfinished music he has in his vault and also discussed The Who’s final North American tour, which wrapped in October.
Grizzly bears, Grinder and Coola are seen at their habitat at the Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 12, 2020. Grouse Mountain attracts 1.3 million visitors a year. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(BELLA COOLA, British Columbia) — Eleven people, including children, were injured in a grizzly bear attack that occurred in the small, remote community of Bella Coola in British Columbia, Canada, on Thursday, according to regional and local officials.
On Thursday at 1:46 p.m., officials said received a call about an animal attack along a trail in Bella Coola, with two ambulances and a community paramedic responding to the scene.
Seven people were treated at the scene and four patients were transported to the hospital, according to the Provincial Health Services Authority.
The British Columbia Conservation Office Service, which was deployed to the scene along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said three children were among the injured.
Acwsalcta School, an independent school in Bella Coola run by the Nuxalk Nation, said it will be closed Friday due to the “bear incident,” adding that “it’s hard to know what to say during this very difficult time.”
The victims were part of a school group of students and teachers who stopped along a trail near the river when a grizzly bear emerged from the forest and attacked. Multiple teachers physically intervened, using bear spray and a bear banger, to drive the bear away, the BCCOS said on Friday.
Four patients remain in the hospital as of Friday, officials said.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery,” said BCCOS Insp. Kevin Van Damme said in a statement.
Nuxalk Nation said the animal “has still not been found” after warning of an “aggressive bear” in the Four Mile subdivision, a forested and residential area in the Bella Coola Valley where Acwsalcta School is located.
Preliminary information suggests the offending bear may have been previously injured, officials said.
Officials also urged people in the area to stay indoors, warning them to not go looking for the bear and to “not go down any trails.”
British Columbia is home to an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears, which makes up more than half of the total grizzly population in Canada, according to a 2012 assessment and status report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
Zohran Mamdani is seen on November 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met in the Oval Office Friday discussing topics around affordability and safety in New York City, appearing cordial despite trading barbs for months.
“I just want to congratulate. I think you’re going to have hopefully a really great mayor and the better he does, the happier I am. I will say there’s no difference in party. There’s no difference in anything. And we’re going to be helping him, to make everybody’s dream come true, having a strong and very safe New York and congratulations, Mr. Mayor,” Trump said.
“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City and the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
In the days leading up to their first face-to-face meeting, the two New Yorkers told the press they are looking forward to working together to help the Big Apple, especially when it came to affordability. Trump and Mamdani appeared cordial and shook hands after the 25 minute closed door talk and said they agreed on a lot.
“I’m not concerned about this meeting. I view this meeting as an opportunity for me to make my case,” Mamdani told reporters Thursday at a news conference.
Trump announced the meeting on Wednesday night on social media, repeating the “communist” label he’s been using against Mamdani, who is a member of the Democratic Socialist group, and putting his middle name, Kwame, in quotes.
In a radio interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade out Friday before the meeting, Trump said he believes the meeting will go well and that he came after Mamdani a little too hard during the election cycle.
“He’s got a different philosophy. He’s a little bit different. I give him a lot of credit for the run. They did a successful run, and we all know that runs are not easy, but I think we’ll get along fine,” Trump said. “Look, we’re looking for the same thing. We want to make New York strong, and you know, there’s such a different philosophy”
Ahead of the meeting, Robert Wolf, a former UBS executive who is close with former President Barack Obama, said on X that he had a Zoom call with Mamdani Thursday “discussing recent economic news and his upcoming meeting with President Trump.”
Mamdani has been a vocal critic of the administration over its policies, including increased deportations, cuts to government agencies and attacks on cities run by Democrats.
On election night, the 34-year-old mayor-elect spoke directly to Trump in his acceptance speech and told him to “turn the volume up,” as he vowed to protect immigrants.
“So hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us,” he said.
When asked about the election night comments during his radio interview.
“I don’t know exactly what he means by turn the volume up, because turn the volume up. He has to be careful when he says that to me,” Trump said.
Since Mamdani won the June Democratic primary, Trump has spoken out against the state assemblyman, at one point threatening to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, moved to New York as a child, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.
“We’re going to be watching that very carefully. And a lot of people are saying, he’s here illegally,” Trump claimed with no evidence in July.
The president has also threatened to withhold federal funding to New York if Mamdani won the election.
Mamdani’s critics have raised skepticism about his proposals, calling them far-fetched and improbable, as some would require state approval. He has also come under fire for his past comments criticizing the NYPD and Israeli government actions in the Gaza conflict.
The mayor-elect has apologized for his comments against the department and vowed to fight for Jewish New Yorkers, while still being critical of the Israeli government’s polices during the conflict.
Mamdani has also repeatedly brushed aside the threats and said he will continue to speak out against the administration’s conservative policies.
“His threats are inevitable,” Mamdani told ABC News a day after the election. “This has nothing to do with safety, it has to do with intimidation.”
At the same time, Mamdani has said he was open to talking with Trump, especially when it comes to affordability issues, noting that Trump won his re-election promising to bring down rising prices.
“I have many disagreements with the president. I intend to make it clear that I will work with him,” Mamdani said Thursday.
The mayor-elect won the election on a campaign to help New Yorkers with costs, with proposals such as raising the income tax on New Yorkers who earn over a million dollars a year, providing free child care to parents with kids as early as six weeks old, and free public buses.
Following Mamdani’s victory and other key wins by Democrats, Trump has said in social media posts and news conferences that he and the Republicans are the party working to lower costs.
“We’re fighting for an economy where everyone can win, from the cashier starting first job to a franchisee opening his first location to the young family in a drive through line,” he told a crowd in Pennsylvania on Monday.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Tonya Simpson contributed to this report.
Harry Lloyd attends the 69th BFI London Film Festival press launch at BFI Southbank on September 3, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/WireImage)
We now know who’s going to be playing The Beatles producer George Martin in director Sam Mendes‘ upcoming films about the Fab Four.
Martin’s son, producer Giles Martin, recently revealed that British actor Harry Lloyd, who played Viserys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones, has been cast to play his dad in The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
Giles confirmed the news in an interview with Virgin Radio U.K.’s Ryan Turbridy.
“He’s really good,” said Giles. “He’s just very committed,” adding that all of the cast are.
George Martin, often referred to as the “fifth Beatle,” produced all but one of The Beatles’ albums, including 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which became the first rock album to win the Grammy for album of the year.
Mendes’ Beatles films are scheduled to hit theaters in April 2028, with each one told from the point of view of a different band member. The films will star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
The Sony films will mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the band members’ life stories and their legendary catalog of music.
