Month: January 2026

If you want to see what a top 15-year-old girls’ soccer player looks like, go watch freshman Mia Rizo of St. Genevieve.

She has scored 19 goals and contributed six assists for the Valiants while earning universal respect for her play.

“Mia is a crafty midfielder with great vision,” coach Marlon Archey said. “She has a nose for the goal that is remarkable for a freshman playing at the varsity level.”

She has participated at the U.S. Soccer Talent Camp and continues to climb the ranks of young players.

St. Genevieve is 13-3-3 overall and 4-2-3 in the Del Rey League. The Valiants play Paraclete on Tuesday for second place in the league.

“Mia has an impeccable soccer IQ at such a young age,” Archey said. “She’s a coach’s dream.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

The attack comes amid fears of a return to conflict following clashes between government troops and Tigrayan forces.

One person has been killed and another injured in drone strikes in Ethiopia’s ‍northern Tigray ‍region, a senior Tigrayan official and a humanitarian worker said, in another sign of renewed conflict between regional and federal forces.

The Tigrayan official on Saturday said the drone strikes hit two Isuzu trucks near Enticho and Gendebta, two places in Tigray about 20km (12 miles) apart.

The official said the Ethiopian National Defence Force launched the strikes, but ​did not provide evidence.

A local humanitarian worker confirmed the strikes had happened. Both asked not to be named, the Reuters news agency reported.

It was not immediately clear what the trucks were carrying.

TPLF-affiliated news outlet Dimtsi Weyane posted pictures on Facebook that ‌it said showed the trucks damaged in the strikes. It said the trucks were transporting food ‌and cooking items.

Pro-government activists posting on ⁠social media said the trucks were carrying weapons.

Ethiopia’s national army fought fighters from the Tigray People’s ⁠Liberation Front (TPLF) for two years until late 2022, in a war ​researchers say killed hundreds of thousands through direct violence, the ‍collapse of healthcare and famine.

Fighting broke out between regional and national forces in Tsemlet in the disputed territory of western Tigray earlier this week, an area claimed by forces from the neighbouring Amhara region.

Tension has been brewing over the presence of troops from Amhara and the neighbouring country of Eritrea in Tigray, violating a peace deal in November 2022 that ended the war.

Last year, the head of Tigray’s interim administration established by Addis Ababa was forced to flee Mekele, the regional capital, amid growing divisions within the TPLF, which controlled all of Ethiopia before being displaced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Addis Ababa accuses the group of forging ties with neighbouring Eritrea and “actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia”.

Earlier this week, national carrier Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flights to Tigray, where residents rushed to try to withdraw cash from banks.

The Tigray ‌war ended in 2022, but disagreements have continued over a range of issues, including contested territories in western ‍Tigray, and the delayed disarmament of Tigray forces.

The province is also suffering the effects of United States President Donald Trump’s funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) last year, which was once Ethiopia’s largest source of humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian organisations say up to 80 percent of the population is in need of emergency support, and funding shortfalls are placing a strain on the health system.

The African Union’s chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, on Friday urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint” and “resolve all outstanding issues through constructive dialogue”.

He emphasised the importance of preserving the “hard-won gains achieved under the AU-led Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)” signed in Pretoria in 2022.

Two journalists were arrested and taken to court in the US for covering an anti-ICE protest inside a Minnesota church, as protests were held across the country against two killings by federal agents and President Trump’s immigration raids.

CARDI B loves bad boy Stefon Diggs, but one wrong move and she’s out, two sources have told The U.S. Sun.

The controversial NFL star is gearing up for next weekend’s Super Bowl, with the chance to lead the New England Patriots to glory in San Francisco. 

As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed, the Patriots star has six baby mamas dotted across the United States, with the most recent addition to his ever-growing brood arriving late last year. 

Diggs, 32, and Cardi welcomed their son on November 4.

Incredibly, most of Diggs’ children were born within a few months of each other in 2025, fueling intense speculation and online debate. 

Amid paternity battles and feverish social media chatter, Cardi has quietly backed her man behind the scenes.

Read more on Stefon Diggs

DIGG DEEP

Stefon Diggs ‘shells out huge child support payments to baby mamas,’ expert says

An insider told The U.S. Sun that she was fully aware of Diggs’ reputation from the start — and believes he has changed.

“Cardi has known since day one that Stefon had a reputation as a womanizer and had seen multiple women in the past, but her love for him is above all of that,” the source said. 

“She knows he has been faithful since they made things official and that he’s been transparent about his previous relationships, only seeing her since they committed to each other.”

The insider added that while Cardi “hates all the drama,” she admires Diggs’ role as a father.

“She loves that he’s not a deadbeat dad,” the source said. “She believes he’s a present, loving, and supportive father.”

Diggs’ first child, daughter Nova, was born in 2016, but his family has expanded rapidly in recent years. 

In late 2024, Instagram model Aileen Lopera filed a paternity suit claiming Diggs was the father of her unborn child. Their daughter, Charliee Harper Diggs-Lopera, was born in April 2025.

Diggs initially requested DNA testing, and by late 2025, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed he was the biological father. 

The lawsuit was quietly dismissed in January 2026, suggesting the matter was resolved privately.

NO MESSING

Around the same time, Diggs also welcomed children with other women, including K’yanna Barber, who has previously been linked to Drake.

Rather than viewing Diggs’ children as competition or conflict, Cardi, who starting dating the Patriots star in October 2024 after divorcing rapper husband Offset, reportedly sees them as part of an extended family.

“She sees his children as an extension of the family and enjoys when they’re all together, spending time as one big extended family,” the source said.

“She doesn’t harbor hate toward Stefon’s exes or the mothers of his children. She doesn’t judge — she just wants everyone, especially the kids, to be happy and grow up in a stable, healthy environment.”

Still, Cardi has drawn a firm line.

The source said the New York rapper has been blunt with Diggs, warning him there will be no forgiveness if he crosses it.

“She’s been very clear with Stefon: if he messes up, if another woman comes forward with a baby after they became official and started a family together, she’s done,” the insider said.

“She told him plainly that if he cheats or has a child behind her back, it’s over.”

STEFON DIGGS’ KIDS

Nova Diggs

Born on October 14, 2016, Nova is Stefon’s eldest child and the most recognizable to NFL fans. She has been a fixture at his games since his time in Buffalo, often seen celebrating on the field or “negotiating” his contracts in viral social media clips. Her mother is Tyler-Marie, a singer from the Buffalo area. While the two are no longer a couple, they have maintained a visible co-parenting relationship for nearly a decade.

Shiloh Diggs

Shiloh was born in 2023 and is Stefon’s second-oldest child. She is the daughter of Kennedy Moore, a model from Diggs’ home state of Maryland. While Diggs kept her arrival relatively private compared to Nova’s, he shared photos of them together during the 2025 holiday season, confirming her place in his growing family tree.

Charliee Harper Diggs-Lopera

Born on April 2, 2025, Charliee was at the center of a high-profile legal battle. Her mother, Los Angeles-based model Aileen Lopera (known online as Lord Gisselle), filed a paternity suit in late 2024. In November 2025, DNA testing legally confirmed Stefon as the father. The case was officially resolved in January 2026 after Aileen dismissed her lawsuit, with both parties reportedly agreeing to a private co-parenting arrangement.

[Daughter – Name Not Public]

In April 2025—the same month Charliee was born—Stefon reportedly welcomed another daughter with New York City-based Instagram model Cayy Benji. While this child is rarely mentioned in formal interviews, Diggs was seen spending time with her during his 2025 Christmas break, solidifying reports of her paternity within the “wave” of children he fathered that year.

“Baby Brim” / “Touchdown”

Stefon’s most famous addition is his son with superstar rapper Cardi B, born on November 4, 2025. This is Cardi’s fourth child and Stefon’s first confirmed son. While the public and the parents themselves use the nicknames “Baby Brim” and “Touchdown,” Cardi B explicitly denied rumors in late January 2026 that his legal name is “Grayson,” stating that they are not yet ready to reveal his official name to the world.

[Son – Name Not Public]

The sixth and final child reported as of early 2026 is a son with Miami-based influencer K’yanna Barber. Barber is famously known as the “Kiki” referenced in Drake’s hit “In My Feelings.” Reports of her pregnancy surfaced in late 2024, and she is believed to have given birth in late 2025. Like several of his other 2025 additions, Diggs was pictured holding the infant during the 2025 holidays.

While fiercely loyal, Cardi reportedly struggles when Diggs is publicly criticized.

“She does get upset when people talk badly about him, seeing it as disrespect,” the second source said.

“She’s had arguments over how some people address or treat him in public — but she’s learning how to handle it better.”

Behind the scenes, Cardi has played an active role in helping Diggs navigate co-parenting and blended-family dynamics.

“When she loves, she fights for her man. Period,” the source said. “She talks to him often about how to best navigate situations involving multiple baby mamas and co-parenting. She gives him advice on being the best father he can be, and he appreciates the constant support she shows him.”

It promises to be another whirlwind few weeks for Diggs. 

Fresh from taking part in his first Super Bowl, he is set to head to court to contest felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from an alleged incident in a Boston suburb on December 2.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified and was employed by Diggs as a personal chef, filed a police report on December 16 — several weeks after the alleged incident. 

According to Dedham police, she appeared “emotional and hesitant” to identify the suspect, citing his fame and public profile in New England.

Court documents allege Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom and confronted her over a text-message dispute regarding money he allegedly owed her. 

As the argument escalated, Diggs allegedly struck her across the face. When she attempted to push him away, he then tried to choke her, according to the report.

“The male then tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” the police report stated.

Another issue for Diggs, who is on a whopping $70 million, three-year deal with the Patriots, could be him shelling out an estimated $2 million alone on child support, according to an expert who spoke to The U.S. Sun.

Despite the mounting pressure, Cardi is standing by her man.

“She believes he’s telling the truth,” the source said. “She knows how frustrating these situations can be, but she’s there for him 100 percent, fighting alongside him.

“She sees herself as a lioness standing beside her lion — defending him, wanting him to be respected and loved, while also holding him accountable for his actions.

“To her, love means going to war for your partner when needed — being their strongest support in any circumstance.”

The U.S. Sun reached out to Cardi B’s reps, but is yet to hear back.

AH, Ibiza. Those heady days of raving until dawn, no kids, and a lot of cocktails.

Take. Me. Back.

Well actually, two kids, slightly less dancing and a few less Espresso Martinis later, Tui might just have done it.

We’d tried once before, when our daughters were three and six, with less success, but with Lyla and Martha now 10 and 12, could we have finally hit the sweet spot?

Tui’s Holiday Village Seaview Ibiza is designed for kids, there’s no doubt about it.

With the busiest entertainment, sports and club programme I’ve ever come across, there’s literally about one hour in the day (after breakfast, before 10am) that they’re not catered for.

GLASTO WITH SNOW

The French resorts which are more like ‘Ibiza in the snow’

EUR-ON

The ‘insane’ family hotel in Europe with six floors of play zones and a water park

Along with an onsite water park, three pools, snooker tables, an aerial walk, table tennis, arcades, paddle boarding and kayaking, there are also kids’ clubs, and stage, swimming and football academies.

There’s plenty of daytime fun and free games around the resort, too.

And all that is before an entire evening of child-friendly entertainment that begins as the pools close at 6pm.

In fact, it’s so busy, there’s a whole app devoted to the hotel, where you can book slots in advance for anything and everything your children could want to do on holiday.

As you squinted in the sunshine from your sunlounger (which, happily, the resort doesn’t let you reserve with your towel until after 8am) it was almost like watching a group of excitable Oompa Loompas rushing around Willy Wonka’s factory.

But instead of chocolate, they were squealing about the variety of fun they could have.

Although, it’s worth pointing out that as part of the all-inclusive, you can help yourself to free ice creams and afternoon cakes — so it pretty much is like Wonka’s factory.

Children zoomed around the resort, which is like a mini city — and because it felt so safe, my girls could dash between pools and the snack bar unaccompanied, while my husband David and I watched from the loungers.

We had to accompany the girls to the waterpark until we decided that as they were such good swimmers, and there were almost as many lifeguards as kids, we didn’t need to.

‘But what about the adults?’ I selfishly asked myself as we arrived, and I saw what the girls had in store.

Well, that’s exactly where Tui has played its trump card.

Favourite nights ever

Research conducted last year found that 60 per cent of parents miss their child-free clubbing days (like me) and regularly relive them with family kitchen discos (yes I do).

Inspired by this, Holiday Villages called on the youngest ever DJ duo — the brilliantly named Half Punk — to grace the island and give families enjoying their first summer holiday weekend a night to remember.

When I heard that the pair were 12 and 10, I wondered if they were actually going to DJ or just play at it.

But lo and behold. To mark 25 years since their namesakes Daft Punk released One More Time, the two properly mixed.

I’m not sure the hordes of children standing staring at the front fully embraced the old-school house music blaring out by the two helmeted youngsters — but the parents certainly did.

Eyes shut in ecstasy and arms were held aloft as confetti cannons blasted, glow sticks shimmered and the bass speakers reverberated around the resort.

You could instantly spot the old ravers who had allowed themselves to be taken back to those carefree days of thumping tunes and dancing like no one was watching.

And then after, a silent disco got all the youngsters involved again — wide-eyed at the adults belting out chart-toppers and throwing shapes like loons.

I’m not sure there’s anything better than properly dancing with your children on a dancefloor — and as we finally sank into our beds, we all decided it had been one of our favourite nights abroad ever.

And don’t think the fun stopped there. We also managed to get up the energy for a Neon Nights disco and an Ibiza Sunset dance while we were there.

The resort is right next to the beautiful sandy Port Des Torrent beach — with ­pedalos for hire and tavernas to relax in while watching the fabulous Ibiza sunsets.

We were lucky enough to get invited on a Meet The Sea boat trip, which aims to educate kids about the oceans.

Having sailed out to just off an uninhabited island, you snorkel with a marine specialist, who teaches you why the sea is nothing to be scared of.

He’ll even pick up sea anemones and cucumbers from the sea bed and let you hold them, while back on board the chef cooks paella. It’s a truly magical experience.

Plus, you’re just across the bay from San Antonio, so if you do feel the urge for nightclubs, you’re literally a bus ride away.

The hotel’s buffet restaurant was also ­perfect for the pickiest of eaters, with every kind of food a child could possibly ask for, and theme nights as well, so it didn’t get too samey.

You also get two free meals per week at the speciality restaurants, with Italian, American and grill options.

And as for the reps, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone more smiley and enthusiastic, even as they did the dance routine to Bruno Mars’ APT for the 19th time that day.

Like Butlins on steroids, I knew Tui had hit its mark when our eldest daughter, without any word of a lie, turned to me and said: “This is better than the Maldives.”

What’s the difference between Brett Ratner and Leni Riefenstahl? Riefenstahl, for all her many sins, was technically innovative; Ratner (unless you count an almost fetishistic fascination with first lady footwear), not so much.

But in the end, they are both political propagandists, collaborators if you will, with heads of state determined to create a narrative that is, at best, at odds with reality and, at worst, a targeted attempt to distort it.

Am I saying that “Melania” is as horrifically significant as “Triumph of the Will”? No, I am not. But it is motivated by the same base forces, and as fun as it might be to watch Jeff Bezos lose most of the $75 million Amazon paid for the purchase and then marketing of the film, it is important to remember that.

As Melania Trump said herself at the film’s premiere: “Some have called this a documentary. It is not. It is a creative experience that offers perspectives, insights and moments.”

A “creative experience” for which the first lady, who serves as narrator and executive producer, reportedly received about $28 million.

Money she very much does not earn.

Anyone who goes into “Melania” hoping to see even a glimpse of what it is like to be first lady, or indeed Melania Trump, will find instead a super-long version of “we followed [fill in the blank] as they got ready for the Oscars.”

Only in this case, it’s Donald Trump’s second inauguration, which Ratner (given his first big job since being accused by six women of sexual misconduct) frames as the Second Coming, from the lingering shots of the sleek lines of the motorcade to the use of “His truth is marching on” from “Battle Hymn of the Republic” as the first couple takes the stage at one of the inaugural balls.

(And in case you think that’s not obsequious enough, at the end of the inaugural festivities, Ratner, off camera, says, “sweet dreams, Mr. President,” which honestly could have been the title of this film.)

Most of the “action” involves the first lady making entrances: off private jets, out of big black cars and into well-appointed rooms. There, Trump and her designers wax rhapsodic over a gown designed to disguise any seams, admire an inaugural dinner menu that begins with caviar in a big golden egg and discuss the furnishings that will be moved in as soon as the Bidens move out.

These mind-numbing glories are interrupted just long enough for Tham Kannalikham, an interior designer in charge of the White House transition, to talk about how her family immigrated to America from Laos when she was 2 — the opportunity to work in the White House is, for her, the ultimate American dream. Beside her, Trump, also an immigrant, remains silent.

Other things happen. Trump has a video conference with French First Lady Brigitte Macron to discuss initiatives to end cyberbullying, meets with Queen Rania of Jordan to discuss helping foster children and comforts former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel. Siegel, whose husband, at the time of filming, is still a hostage, provides the film’s one real emotional moment, despite having been clearly included as an opportunity for Trump to reveal a bit of personal kindness (and some political messaging).

We follow Trump as she and her husband attend Jimmy Carter’s funeral, during which her narration describes the pain of her mother’s death the year before, and as she “sneaks” the cameras into a room where her husband is rehearsing his inaugural speech.

There she suggests, with a completely straight face, that he add the word “unifier” to “peacemaker” in his description of what he hopes to be his legacy, a term he then uses in his speech the next day.

Throughout it all, the first lady remains relentlessly poised and personally inaccessible, lending new and literal meaning to the term “statuesque.”

Given the nature of the film’s subject, and the fact that she is the one literally calling the shots, no one with half a brain could expect to see any interesting or authentic “behind-the-scenes” moments (Melania wearing sweats or counting her breakfast almonds or, I don’t know, sneezing). A brief scene in which the remarkably tone-deaf Ratner attempts to get her to sing along to her favorite song, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” elicits (finally!) a genuine laugh from her, and while his decision to repeatedly zoom in on her admittedly well-shod feet becomes increasingly creepy, it at least offers drinking-game potential.

Even so, “Melania” is as cynical a piece of filmmaking as exists since the art form began.

Listening to her describe the seriousness with which she takes her duties; her love, as an immigrant, for this great nation; and her dedication to making life better for all Americans — especially children and families — I was reminded of the climactic scene in “A Wrinkle in Time,” when young Charles Wallace has been ensnared by the soothing rhetoric of the evil brain-washing IT.

The superficial blandness of “Melania” isn’t boring; it’s calculated, infuriating and horrifying.

The first lady is describing an alternative universe of peace, love and unity while her husband has unleashed armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to terrorize and detain children and adults (many of whom are citizens or here in this country legally) and, in at least two cases, kill American citizens who protest their actions. She wants to help children and families while her husband slashes federal assistance programs and holds school funding hostage. She would have us believe she is battling cyberbullies while her husband, the president of these United States, regularly engages in lies, direct threats and character assassination on social media.

President Trump is many things but he is not a unifier — he believes, as he has assured us time and again, in winning, and, as he has also said and shown, he will choose retribution over reconciliation every time.

Melania Trump is, of course, not her husband. But this film is little more than a 90-minute campaign ad. Which, given the fact that Trump cannot legally run for president again, should be cause for much concern.

Many criticized the decision to release “Melania” mere days after federal agents killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, and excoriated those notables, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, who chose to attend an early celebratory screening that included “let them eat” cookies with “Melania” scrawled in the icing.

For the kind of person who makes, and buys and distributes, a film that purports to be a “documentary” and is really just old-fashioned, through-the-looking-glass propaganda, however, it’s actually the perfect time.

Why worry about the federal government killing its own citizens when we can all ooh and aah over the fact that the first lady’s inaugural gown is constructed so that none of the seams show? Especially if it makes her husband happy.

Watch Elena Rybakina inflict further Grand Slam final heartbreak on world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a dramatic third-set fightback to win her first Australian Open title.

READ MORE: Rybakina beats Sabalenka for first Australian Open title

Available to UK users only.

Following back-to-back Australian Open wins, Aryna Sabalenka has now lost two consecutive finals with Elena Rybakina defeat.

Following two ‌years of triumph at the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka is now processing another two years of ‍pain – and a series of missed chances in Melbourne that have left her “really upset”.

A year on from ‍losing the final in three sets to American Madison Keys, Sabalenka fell 6-4 4-6 6-4 to Elena Rybakina on Saturday, the Russia-born Kazakh turning the tables on the Belarusian who beat her for the 2023 title.

“I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again I had opportunities,” Sabalenka said.

“I played great until a certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court.”

While the Keys shock left Sabalenka inconsolable and ⁠her racket in pieces, defeat to fifth seed Rybakina had its own unique sting.

The world number one ​held a 3-0 lead in the third set and had all the running before ‍former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke back in the fifth game and stormed to her second Grand Slam trophy.

“She made some winners. I made a couple of unforced errors,” Sabalenka continued.

“Of course, I have regrets. You know, when ‍you lead 3-0 and ⁠then it felt like in a few seconds it was 3-4 and I was down with a break. So it was very fast.

“Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me but, as I say, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner, maybe again a loser. Hopefully not. We’ll see.”

It was Sabalenka’s second significant loss to Rybakina in a few months, having been beaten for the season-ending WTA Finals crown.

More alarmingly, it ​was her third loss in her last four major finals, with Coco Gauff ‌flooring her at last year’s French Open.

Sabalenka did not lose a set coming into the Melbourne final and had won 46 of her 48 previous matches at hardcourt Grand Slams.

Now Rybakina, one of the few players able to match her ‌for power, has dealt Sabalenka’s aura a heavy blow.

Sabalenka laughed ruefully and shrugged through her post-match news conference but was honest enough to admit ‌she had been despondent outside the room.

On court, she draped a ⁠white towel over her head to conceal her anguish before gathering herself to deliver gracious congratulations to Rybakina, her most frequent opponent on tour.

She consoled herself that, barring a few errors in the final set, Rybakina had simply wrested the trophy from ‌her grip with the quality of her tennis.

“Even in this final, I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player,” said Sabalenka.

“So I ‍don’t know. We’ll speak with the team. Now they try to avoid and escape me because they see that it’s not really healthy to be around me right now.”

A camera mounted on the wingtip of a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot close air support jet recorded the dramatic demise of the aircraft, after it was reportedly struck by a Russian long-range air-to-air missile. This is not the first time in the Ukrainian conflict that we’ve seen the destruction of a combat jet at such close quarters. However, with the death of the pilot confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, the footage is a sobering reminder of the huge risks faced by aircrew in some of the most lethal airspace in history.

The footage in question was apparently captured by a GoPro or similar camera mounted under the starboard wing of the Su-25, which was flying straight and level when engaged. The first indication that the Frogfoot has been hit is a flash and a shower of sparks, and the suggestion that the cockpit canopy may have been partly torn away. Then, one of its external fuel tanks is seen breaking away. The aircraft starts to cartwheel through the sky, its fuselage clearly ripped open, evidenced by the exposed main landing gear. The wing-mounted camera continues to record the plane breaking up, including the forward fuselage and cockpit, now separated from the fuselage, which is burning fiercely. The wing spirals to the ground, with the sequence ending with a black column of smoke in the near distance.

There is less than 20 seconds from the first signs of impact to the wing lying on the ground, motionless, and an indication of just how quickly the pilot’s fate was sealed. Provided they weren’t killed or incapacitated in the initial impact, there was very little time to activate his Zvezda K-36 ejection seat, if that was even an option, given the catastrophic damage.

The specific Su-25 carried the tactical number ‘21 Blue.’ It was reportedly at the controls of this jet that Ukrainian Air Force pilot Stanislav Rykov, from the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed during a sortie on February 7, 2024. Rykov was described as one of the more experienced ground-attack pilots in the force, with 385 combat sorties to his name.

Soon after his death, fellow Ukrainian Air Force pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko posted on Facebook. “My heart was ripped out yesterday.” He added that Rykov “was the best pilot and commander I knew.”

The exact whereabouts of Rykov’s loss were not reported by the Ukrainian side, although a Russian Ministry of Defense briefing stated that a Ukrainian Su-25 was destroyed on the same date, close to the settlement of Novotroitske, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Exactly why the video only began to circulate in public now is not clear.

Multiple unconfirmed accounts suggest that the weapon responsible for bringing the Su-25 down was an R-37M, a long-range air-to-air missile with the Western codename AA-13 Axehead. The missile is mainly used by Su-35S Flanker multirole fighters and MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptors.

The R-37M is a missile we have examined in detail in the past.

With a range of 124 miles, it flies to the target on a lofted trajectory, controlled by an inertial navigation system with mid-course radio correction, and uses an active radar seeker for its terminal phase attack. It has been a key threat to the Ukrainian Air Force since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Speaking to TWZ before his death in a 2023 flying accident, Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov said that the R-37M, typically fired from within Russian airspace, was “limiting our capabilities to conduct our missions. Of course, if you’re maneuvering, we are not able to provide an airstrike or something else, so the game is still very, very, very tough in the air and very, very risky. If you’re not aware of the launch of a missile, you’re dead.”

Once again, we don’t know for sure that an R-37M was involved in this incident, but it’s certainly a strong possibility. On the other hand, there is no shortage of other Russian air-to-air missiles and ground-based air defense systems that present a very serious hazard to Ukrainian tactical aviation.

The Su-25 is particularly vulnerable due to the high-risk envelope in which it operates and its performance. This is reflected in the documented losses of 22 examples in Ukrainian hands. That figure is almost certainly higher since it only comprises losses that can be confirmed visually.

Soon after the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Su-25s adopted loft tactics to add extra range to their unguided rockets. By the summer of 2024, stockpiles of unguided rockets were reportedly exhausted, but adding the French-made Hammer rocket-assisted bomb has provided much greater standoff reach and a much harder-hitting weapon specifically adapted for low-altitude launch profiles.

Since the full-scale invasion began, the Su-25 has been heavily utilized by both sides. Confirmed Russian Su-25 losses amount to 41 — the highest for any fixed-wing tactical type.

At least one Russian Su-25 loss has also been filmed from on board, in this case, in dramatic headcam footage from the pilot, who survived. You can see that video below and read more about it here.

Катапультирование из Су-25 глазами лётчика.

While videos like these might look like something from a combat flight sim, they are all too real. This latest one to be released reflects the brutal realities of life — and death — for tactical aviation pilots over and around the frontlines of Ukraine.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

OLIVIA Attwood has broken her silence on her split from husband Bradley Dack.

Last weekend, The Sun exclusively revealed how Olivia, 34, had split from her footballer spouse after a ‘breach of trust’ on his part.

The TV star took to Instagram on Saturday to share her first post about her marriage breakdown.

Alongside a picture of boxes in her new apartment, she wrote: “I keep opening Instagram to post but I don’t know what to say or do? lol.

“Vulnerability is not my bag!!!! Especially on social media, it feels very much like bleeding in shark infested waters.

“I cry myself to sleep then business as normal when the alarm goes off at 5am and it has been like that for a long time.

Read More on Olivia Attwood

ANOTHER GO

Real reason why Olivia Attwood’s husband Brad Dack won’t take wedding ring off

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Olivia Attwood to flee country after split with husband Bradley Dack

“But also so much change in such a short amount of time (you know I hate that) (Taurus).

“I never expected to be moving into this apartment alone. And I’m in over my depth for sure.”

But despite her pain, Olivia showed she still had a lot of love for Bradley, 32.

She continued: “I want to be happy. I want Brad to be happy. Just one day at a time. For both of us & anyone else who needs to read this.”

Olivia then concluded: “Normal programming and chatting will resume asap. PS. Thank you, I feel your love immensely.”

Earlier this week, The Sun revealed how Olivia had left the marital home she shared with Bradley to move into her new apartment.

The star the showed fans around the huge space on her social media accounts but failed to mention the split at the time.

Olivia and Bradley first dated before her stint on Love Island in 2017, which she has confessed she joined as revenge for his cheating on her.

But they reunited and filmed a reality series for ITV2, Olivia Meets Her Match. 

Their lavish wedding in 2023 is said to have cost £200,000 — with £30,000 on her dress.

Their split comes just months after the couple weathered a “really bad summer”.

Travel expert claims to have found the best time to book holidays in 2026 after analysing pricing data – and it could save you up to 60%

Booking a getaway is thrilling, but when planning our escapes we’re always keen to ensure we’re securing the best deal possible. Nowadays, many holidaymakers turn to online platforms to arrange trips overseas instead of visiting traditional travel agents.

This has afforded travellers greater freedom to make reservations at any hour. Yet an expert has cautioned that prices for identical holidays can fluctuate depending on what time of day you book.

The amount you fork out for your break could hinge entirely on when you hit that booking button.

Travel guru Rob.onthebeach shares his insider tips on social media, and reckons he’s discovered the most economical time to reserve a holiday in 2026.

Rob has scrutinised data daily to pinpoint the cheapest and priciest booking windows, right down to the exact minute, reports the Express.

Based on Rob’s findings, the most costly period to book a holiday falls between 9am and 10am. He elaborated: “Booking in those hours came in 30% more expensive than the cheapest hour of the day”.

Disclosing the most budget-friendly slot, Rob revealed it’s actually in the early hours. The window between 4am and 5am emerged as the optimal time to bag a bargain.

Rob explained: “Overnight, airline pricing systems basically reset. The interest and the demand from the day before all drops off, prices return closer to their base level, then as the day goes on more searches, more clicks, more people just having a look, and prices start to creep back up again.”

The expert conceded that most of us wouldn’t fancy setting our alarms for 4am just to secure a getaway, so he also identified the optimal booking window during reasonable hours.

He discovered that late evening – roughly between 8pm and 10pm – proves “noticeably” more economical than the morning price surge.

Yet if you’re truly after a steal, Rob pinpointed the precise moment that delivered the lowest costs. Rob disclosed: “The cheapest, single minute to book a holiday is 2:48am.

“Booking at that exact moment came out 60% cheaper.”

Despite his research, Rob cautioned that reserving at 2:48am won’t render every single holiday “automatically 60% cheaper”.

He continued: “But the pattern is really clear, if you really want to save money on your holiday, the early hours beat the office hours every time.”

Leading Democrats have rolled out a new and unvarnished message — that the U.S. Department of Justice cannot be trusted.

“Let’s be really clear: We can’t trust anything the DOJ does. The DOJ is corrupt. They’re corrupt on every major issue in front of this country,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, said Friday at a news conference in his district.

“We cannot trust the Department of Justice. They are an illegitimate organization right now under the leadership of [Atty. Gen.] Pam Bondi and the direction of Donald Trump,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said during his own news conference in Washington, D.C.

The remarks — which hold profound implications in a two-party democracy meant to be protected and served by a nonpartisan justice system, and which a White House spokesperson called “shameful” — followed a week of equally stunning actions by the Justice Department, where President Trump has installed staunch loyalists, including Bondi, to high-ranking positions.

In recent days, the Justice Department has resisted launching civil rights investigations into two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. It has since reversed course and launched such an investigation into the second of those incidents, in which 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot while surrounded by agents, on the ground and disarmed, but has held firm in its decision not to investigate the earlier shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot while trying to drive away from a tense exchange with agents.

On Wednesday, the FBI raided and seized voter ballots and other information from the election headquarters of Fulton County, Ga., long a target of Trump’s baseless and disproven claims that widespread voter fraud helped Democrats steal the 2020 election. Bondi was an early backer of those baseless claims, as were other Justice Department appointees.

On Friday, federal agents arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon and other journalists after their coverage of a protest at a conservative church in Minneapolis. Justice Department officials rejected the defense that Lemon and the other journalists were exercising their 1st Amendment rights as journalists, and accused them of violating the rights of churchgoers.

Also Friday, Justice Department officials released more documents from the Epstein files — a trove of records related to the sexual abuse of minors by the late, disgraced billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats argued that the release was still not complete, in violation of a law passed by Congress mandating that they be made public.

In a statement to The Times, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly dismissed Jeffries’ and Garcia’s remarks as “shameful comments by Democrats who cheered on Joe Biden’s weaponization of the Department of Justice against his political enemies, including President Trump,” and said Trump, Bondi and other administration officials “have quickly Made America Safe Again by taking violent criminals off the streets, cracking down on fraud, holding bad actors accountable, and more.”

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.

Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego, said both the actions of the Justice Department and the latest statements from Democrats ratcheted up the stakes in the nation’s already tense political standoff — as institutions such as the Justice Department “need to be trusted in the long term” for American democracy to be successful.

“Trust goes up and down in the people in institutions over history, but there’s been a baseline level of support for our Constitution, the way our government is built, and the seal on the building — even if people didn’t trust who was in that building,” Kousser said. “What we may be risking as a country is losing the trust in the building itself, if people think that the might of the federal government is being used to pursue a narrow agenda of one party or one leader.”

Jeffries’ assertion that the Justice Department can’t be trusted came as he denounced Lemon’s arrest. Jeffries said there was “zero basis to arrest” Lemon, and that the arrest was an attempt by the Trump administration to weaponize government against people they disagree with.

Jeffries added that distrust in the federal agency is one of the reasons why House Democrats are pushing for legislative action to require independent investigations by local and state law enforcement in cases when federal agents engage in violent incidents and are accused of wrongdoing — such as the shootings in Minneapolis.

Other leading Democrats have also slammed the Justice Department over the journalists’ arrests.

“The American people deserve answers as to why Trump’s lawless Justice Department is arresting journalists for simply doing their jobs,” said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

“The arrest of journalists for covering a protest is a grave attack on the 1st Amendment and freedom of the press,” said Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). “And proof the Trump administration is not de-escalating.”

Garcia’s comments came in a wide-ranging news conference at which he also discussed taking on a leading role in impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been overseeing the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, including through the deployment of Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents to Minneapolis, Los Angeles and other major cities.

Garcia denounced the Trump administration’s handling of the Good and Pretti shootings, arguing that independent investigations were needed — as he said were conducted after police shootings in Long Beach when he was mayor there.

“They should bring in either a special counsel [or] some type of special master to oversee an independent investigation,” he said.

He said that was especially necessary given the fact that Noem and other administration officials immediately bad-mouthed Good and Pretti as violent actors threatening agents before any of the facts were gathered — and in direct contradiction to video evidence from the scenes.

“What happened to Renee Good and Alex Pretti was murder by our own government, and our committee is working right now on a major report on both of those incidents so that those that are responsible are held accountable,” Garcia said.

He also called Lemon’s arrest “horrifying,” saying Lemon was “out there reporting” and is now being “essentially attacked” by the Justice Department. “The arrest of Don Lemon might be the single largest attack on the free press and the 1st Amendment in the modern era.”

Garcia noted that the Justice Department had first shopped Lemon’s arrest around to multiple judges, who denied issuing a warrant for his arrest. Administration officials said a federal grand jury handed down an indictment for the journalist, but Garcia suggested the indictment was fraudulently obtained based on the government putting forward information “we cannot trust.”

Decisions around the two Minneapolis shootings and the arrest of the journalists would have passed through the office of Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Dhillon did not respond to a request for comment Friday. However, she has broadly defended her office’s actions online. For days before Lemon’s arrest, she had slammed his actions, writing on X that she and Bondi “will not tolerate harassment of Americans at worship — especially from agitators posing as ‘journalists.’”

Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche — a former personal attorney to Trump — has broadly defended the department’s actions in Minneapolis, where he said a civil rights investigation into Good’s shooting was unwarranted, and on the Epstein files, which he said have been released in accordance with the law and Trump’s own demands for transparency.

The latter was also something Garcia took issue with Friday, slamming the Justice Department for continuing to withhold some of the files.

“Donald Trump and the Department of Justice just made it clear right now that they intend to withhold approximately 50% or half of the Epstein files while claiming to have fully complied with the law. This is outrageous and incredibly concerning,” Garcia said.

He said his committee subpoenaed all of the files over the summer, and Bondi has yet to comply with that subpoena in violation of the law.

Previously released Epstein records included allegations that Trump was involved in Epstein’s schemes to abuse young women and girls, which Trump — once a friend of Epstein’s — has strenuously denied.

The Justice Department has also taken the unusual step of defending the president in the matter directly, including by releasing a statement last month that the released documents “contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump.”

“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the department’s statement said.

Kousser, the politics professor, noted that this is not the first time that concerns about partisanship within the Justice Department have been voiced. He said similar concerns were raised by many Republicans when the Justice Department was prosecuting Trump during the Biden administration.

Such arguments raise serious alarms, he said, regardless of which way they are directed politically.

“If people feel like the Justice Department is only doing the bidding of whoever won the last election, that moves it from a law enforcement body to a political operation in the eyes of average Americans,” he said. “And that would be a huge loss for our democracy.”

Northampton Saints wing Edoardo Todaro is facing a long lay-off after suffering a serious knee injury at a training camp with Italy.

The Italian Rugby Federation website say diagnostic tests had confirmed a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“The player will return to his club where he will continue his recovery and rehabilitation process, supported by the Northampton medical staff in collaboration with the men’s national team medical staff,” a statement added.

Todaro, 19, has been a revelation for Saints, scoring 10 tries in 13 appearances –despite serving a two-match ban for an aerial tackle – after signing his first professional contract before the start of the season.

The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics open on Monday but one rapper Ghali’s inclusion draws criticism in his native Italy.

The inclusion ‌of Italian rapper Ghali in the cast of performers at the ‍opening ceremony of ‍the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has led to a dispute in Italy.

The artist, born in Milan to Tunisian parents, has been criticised in Italy because of his comments on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the latest example of sport and politics colliding and why this case has hit the headlines.

Who is criticising Ghali’s inclusion at the Winter Olympics?

Members of Italy’s right-wing League party, part of Prime ⁠Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, have criticised the choice of Ghali to ‍perform at the event in the San Siro stadium on February 6.

What is Ghali criticised for saying about Israel?

Ghali was at the centre of a political spat two years ago during the popular Sanremo song contest, ‍when he ⁠called for a “stop to the genocide” in reference to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

A League party source called Ghali a “pro-Palestinian fanatic” who hated Israel and the centre-right, in comments to the Italian ​media.

Is Ghali’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony role set to be controversial?

Sport Minister Andrea Abodi said he did not ‌expect Ghali to use the Olympic stage to make a political point.

“I am not embarrassed to disagree with Ghali’s views and the messages he has sent, but I believe that ‌a country must be able to absorb the impact of an artist who has expressed an opinion that ‌we do not share, which will not be ⁠expressed on that stage,” he said.

What other names will be alongside Ghali to open the Milano Cortino Games?

Ghali, who has not commented on the dispute, is likely to appeal to a younger audience more than other performers at the opening ceremony, who will ‌include tenor Andrea Bocelli and US pop singer Mariah Carey.

Franco-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura was the target of racist abuse online when it emerged that ‍she would sing at the opening of the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.

Who: Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic
What: Men’s singles final – Australian Open 2026
When: Sunday, February 1 at 19:30 (08:30 GMT)
Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live text and photo stream gets under way at 05:30 GMT

Novak Djokovic stands one step away from cementing his place as the greatest tennis player of all time. In his way, though, is Carlos Alcaraz – a modern adversary seeking a career milestone of his own.

Tennis history will be rewritten when the pair meet in the men’s singles final of the Australian Open 2026 on Sunday.

Djokovic is seeking his 25th major title to go past Margaret Court in the all-time Grand Slam winners’ list in the Open Era, while Alcaraz – 16 years his junior – is looking to become the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam by winning the only one eluding his trophy cabinet.

At 38 years old, the Serb is already the oldest man to have qualified for a Grand Slam final, but he will be looking to make the most of his appearance in Sunday’s blockbuster final to seal a record-extending 25th men’s title.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz, who was the last man to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon 2024, will aim to convert his debut final at the Australian Open into a night when he seals a career Slam.

Both men enter the match on the back of epic semifinal wins on Rod Laver Arena on Friday, with top seed and world number one Alcaraz having a slightly longer recovery period than fourth-seeded Djokovic.

What’s the Alcaraz-Djokovic tennis rivalry?

In the five years since his first appearance in the main round of a Grand Slam, Alcaraz has swiftly become the face of men’s tennis, and his brief history with the iconic Djokovic is often seen as a passing-of-the-baton inter-generational rivalry.

Alcaraz is known for his speed and power, while Djokovic relies on his experience, consistency and resilience to fend off the next generation of tennis talents.

The young Spaniard’s first meeting against Djokovic came at the Madrid Open in 2022, where the home favourite beat the veteran in straight sets.

Since then, the pair have met in Grand Slam settings on five occasions, with Alcaraz winning both finals but Djokovic emerging victorious at the Olympics to complete his Career Super Slam.

Overall, the Serb edges his rival by five wins to four in their nine meetings.

Alcaraz vs Djokovic: Head-to-head

Career win-loss record

• Djokovic: 1163/233
• Alcaraz: 280/65

Career titles:

• Djokovic: 101
• Alcaraz: 24

Career prize money:

• Djokovic: $191.2m
• Alcaraz: $60m

Year turned pro:

• Djokovic: 2003
• Alcaraz: 2018

Alcaraz at Grand Slams

Titles: 6

French Open: 2024, 2025

Wimbledon: 2023, 2024

US Open: 2022, 2025

Djokovic at Grand Slams

Titles: 24

Australian Open: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023

French Open: 2016, 2021, 2023

Wimbledon: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

US Open: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023

Who won the last Alcaraz-Djokovic match?

Their last encounter was in the semifinals of the US Open 2025, where eventual champion Alcaraz was too strong for the four-time winner Djokovic.

The match ended 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in Alcaraz’s favour.

How did Alcaraz reach the Australian Open 2026 final?

An ailing Alcaraz battled past Alexander Zverev in a five-set epic to reach his first Australian Open final in a match lasting five hours and 27 minutes. The world number one outlasted the German third seed in hot conditions with a cramping body.

Road to the final:

• First round: Beat Adam Walton 6-3, 7-6(7-2), 6-2
• Second round: Beat Yannick Hanfmann 7-6(7-4), 6-3, 6-2
• Third round: Beat Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 6-1
• Fourth round: Beat Tommy Paul 7-6(7-6), 6-4, 7-5
• Quarterfinal: Beat Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
• Semifinal: Beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5

How did Djokovic reach the Australian Open 2026 final?

Djokovic stunned reigning champion Jannik Sinner early on Saturday, with the veteran turning back the clock to upset the Italian in a gruelling four-hour-nine-minute match.

Road to the final:

• First round: Beat Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
• Second round: Beat Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
• Third round: Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(7-4)
• Fourth round: Beat Jakub Mensik via walkover
• Quarterfinal: Beat Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 3-6, 3-1 retired
• Semifinal: Beat Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

What’s being said about the Djokovic-Alcaraz Australian Open final?

Tennis experts, fans and former champions have been weighing in on what promises to be a modern epic.

Rafael Nadal: “I think the favourite is Carlos. He’s young, he has the energy and he’s in his prime. But I mean, Novak is Novak. He’s a very special player. I think it’s a positive example of commitment, of resilience. Novak, for obvious reasons, is not at his prime, but he is still very, very competitive at an age that is difficult to be very competitive. So full respect.”

Andy Roddick: “Man regrets inspiring child.”

How much is the prize money for the Australian Open champion?

The men’s singles champion and runner-up will receive $2.9m and $1.5m, respectively, from the total tournament prize money of $78.1m.

How to stream and follow the Australian Open 2026 final?

Al Jazeera’s build-up to the final will begin at 05:30 GMT, before the live score, photo and text commentary stream from 08:30 GMT.

ANGIE Best has given her fans the latest update from her hospital bed as she fights colon cancer.

Posting from her hospital bed in Switzerland, Angie revealed she would be starting her second round of chemotherapy in the coming days.

Angie, who was the first wife of footballer George Best and is mum to TV personality Calum Best, seemed upbeat in her Instagram video despite telling her followers, “I can’t function.”

She captioned the video: “All together now, 🎼 just one cornetto…yes they want me to eat sugar ffs 🤦‍♀️ I have to start second round of chemo on Tuesday 😬.”

In the video she showed her nurse waving to the camera and then spoke directly to her fans.

“So I’m back at my favourite place with my favourite nurse, isn’t she just a darling – and she speaks English but she’s Swiss,” Angie explained.

FAMILY UNITED

Sam Womack reveals project she was working on with Angie Best before cancer

ANGIE’S FIGHT

George Best’s 1st wife Angie diagnosed with cancer as son Calum releases video

“I’ve got to gain weight so they’ve got me drinking these awful things [Angie held up a calorie shake]. I can’t find a jelly baby bloody anywhere and the only ice cream in Switzerland is a Cornetto for heaven’s sake.”

Angie then pleaded for help: “Advice needed: I know a lot of you have been through this, but I can’t function, I can’t lift my head up, I can’t brush my teeth, I can’t eat. It’s terrible.”

She coughed as she concluded: “Any advice there, homies?”

Angie also wrote under the clip: “Apparently feeling like this is normal. Nothing normal about it ffs. If you’re suffering right now, we’re here for each other.”

Many rushed to wish her warm wishes, including her son Calum.

“I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way and going through this, it will pass and we come out even better I love you,” he wrote.

Another person added: “You are doing just great Angie , keep up the good work.”

And a third commented: “Well I think you look beautiful as always, have the cornetto, keep fighting and stay strong, sending you lots of love.”

Angie’s EastEnders niece Sam Womack, who herself battled breast cancer in 2022, also shared words of encouragement.

“YES AUNTIE!!!!! Eat eat eat and you always look beautiful,” Sam wrote.

Earlier this month, Calum, 44, took to Instagram to plead for support from his mum who is struggling to afford her treatment, and to tell her fans that her cancer has spread to her liver.

“It doesn’t care where you’re from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it’s here – and it’s with my mum,” he said.

Calum said he has set up a GoFundMe page for financial support.

Angie met George Best at a dinner party in LA in 1975 when he was signing to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs, and it was “love at first sight”.

They moved to London in 1976.

When she returned to Los Angeles, George followed her and persuaded her to marry him.

They wed on 24 January 1976 and went on to have son Calum in 1981.

The couple separated the following year and divorced in 1986, following George’s problems with alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

TAKING that dream trip to the white sand beaches of Florida, Africa or the Caribbean may seem out of reach – but dream trips don’t have to cost the world.

Don’t believe us? We’ve dug deep to find some of the flashiest long haul holiday deals around which are so cheap you’d be forgiven for presuming you’re jetting much closer to home – including Mexico, Jamaica and even Thailand.

We’ve scoured holiday company sites to find some of the cheapest long haul holidays out there – all of which are seven nights and include your flights in the price.

So whether you want to sip from a fresh coconut on the beaches of Mexico, or spend the week in a circus-themed hotel in Las Vegas, these are some of the hottest deals you can snag for some long-haul sun.

Florida, USA – £479pp (kids stay free)

The Ramada By Wyndham Hotel & Water Park is heaven for families – a colourful holiday resort with its own waterpark, right in the heart of Florida.

There’s 180 comfortable rooms, including family-sized options – plus each comes with its own rainfall shower.

There’s loungers and a hot tub for relaxation time, plus you’ve got your pick of waterslides and a lazy river to drift along in, too.

Kissimmee sits south of Orlando, and the city is only a 25-minute drive to Walt Disney World and a 30-minute drive to Universal Orlando Resort.

And to top it all off, this hotel offers FREE child stays for ages 0 – 17.

Loveholidays offer seven nights’ room-only stay for £479pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Makadi Bay, Egypt – £403pp

Serenity Alma Resort is easily spotted from the coastline of Makadi Bay, with its giant castle structure overlooking a waterpark and theme park.

The hotel’s attached theme park, Luna Park, is complete with dodgems, a merry-go-round and a kids’ coaster – meaning you won’t have to leave the resort for a fun-filled day out.

Choose to dine in the hotel’s Italian, Mexican, Moroccan, Turkish, Asian or Indian à la carte restaurants – or head to the main restaurant for a classic buffet dinner.

Add two large pools and a private beach into the mix, and this castle hotel really starts to feel like a fairy tale come true.

The resort is based in Makadi Bay, Egypt, where you can snorkel the bright reefs of the Red Sea, or take a trip out to Makadi Water World.

First Choice offer a 7-night all-inclusive stay for £403pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – £449pp

You could spend the week in a luxurious 5-star adults-only hotel in Dubai for just £449pp.

The Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel & Residences boasts an on-site bowling alley, basketball court, a fully-equipped gym, plus a steam bath and sauna to retire to.

But perhaps the best feature of this hotel is its large outdoor pool facing the glimmering city skyline.

Accommodation comes as spacious pink and gold apartments with kitchenettes, flatscreen TVs and breathtaking views over the city skyline or vast blue creek.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for just £449pp, including return flights from London Stansted.

Las Vegas, USA – £509pp

Circus Circus in Las Vegas is more than a hotel – it’s a casino and theme park, too.

Step inside the Big Top, and you’ll find a stage with circus acts, an arcade and roller coaster rides, as well as two pools and a splash park.

The best rides at this hotel include the Canyon Blaster, with the world’s only indoor double loop, and a ride simply named “Chaos” which is just as unpredictable as it sounds.

Plus this hotel is set smack bang on the Las Vegas strip, right in the middle of the action.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £509pp, including return flights from London Heathrow.

Tululm, Mexico – £429pp

Mexico’s Tulum is a blissful coastal town on the Caribbean Coast, with some of the best beaches in Mexico.

Spots such as Paradise Beach and Playa Santa Fe almost don’t look real, with vibrant green palms overlooking turquoise waters and sugar-white sand.

Plus beaches such as Playa Pescadores and Playa Ruinas are right by Mayan ruins and archaeological sites, so you can combine your historical sightseeing with swimming and sunbathing, all in one day.

The Oyo Hotel Palma Real is a budget-friendly base that’s only a 25-minute drive from the beach and the fascinating Mayan Ruins.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £429pp, including return flights from Birmingham.

Bangkok, Thailand – £509pp

Visiting Thailand just became a whole lot cheaper, with this package hotel and flights deal costing just £509pp with Loveholidays.

This city blends world-class nightlife with ornate temples and peaceful manicured parks.

Spend your days strolling or boating down Thailand’s “River of Kings”, the Chao Phraya River, to see remarkable temples such as Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn.

As the sun sets, head towards Sukhumvit for trendy rooftop bars and street food at the cosy mini food market Soi 38.

Plus, staying at the King One Suvarnabhumi gives you a budget-friendly base to return to with air-conditioned rooms and spacious beds.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £509pp, including return flights from London Heathrow.

Chicago, USA – £449pp

Home of the world’s first skyscraper, house music, and of course the deep dish pizza – you’ll find a real slice of Americana in Chicago.

Top sights here include the famous “bean” of Milennium Park (or the Cloud Gate sculpture) and the Centennial Wheel, which comes with views over the city and Lake Michigan.

A stay at the four-star Chicago Hotel Collection – Magnificent Mile doesn’t disappoint, with rooftop igloo seating and a 24-hour gym.

Here you’re only steps away from shopping on State Street, and the mall located inside of a skyscraper – Water Tower Place.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £449pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Bavaro, Dominican Republic – £539pp

The Dominican Republic’s Bavaro is a 10-mile strip of beach lined with action-packed resorts and luxurious hotels.

Facing the calm, crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea, Hotel Capriccio Mare has the exterior of a bright white island villa.

The hotel’s position on Bavaro’s coastline is perfect for exploring the popular resort town of Punta Cana.

Whether its strolling the sands to grab a fresh coconut with a straw, or venturing out on a catamaran trip to Saona Island, this dreamy Caribbean resort is not one to miss.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £539pp, including return flights from Manchester.

Hurghada, Egypt – £397pp

Egypt‘s Hurghada sees year-round sun and temperatures reaching the mid-20s during British winter time.

To make the most of the sunny weather, there’s beaches like the trendy El Gouna and the peaceful Mahmya Beach to laze out on.

And for the adventurous type, there’s desert safaris and snorkelling on offer – plus Makadi Water World always keeps kids happy.

The Palm Inn hotel is just a 5-minute walk to the closest beach, where there’s kite-surfing and boat trips available.

First Choice offer a 7-night stay with breakfast at the Palm Inn Hotel for £397pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Orlando, Florida, USA – £469pp

Spending a week in Orlando with flights and accommodation included for under £500pp is quite the steal.

Especially when the hotel is just steps from Florida Mall and only 14 minutes’ drive from Disney World.

The Garnet Inn & Suites, Orlando is a clean and conveniently-located place to stay, with its own palm-lined pool and a tasty Colombian grill restaurant right next door.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night stay with breakfast for £469pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Negril, Jamaica – £609pp

The “Capital of Casual” of Negril, Jamaica sits at on the western tip of the paradisaical island.

Famously frequented by the likes of Bob Marley and The Rolling Stones, this easy-going resort town makes for an idyllic escape.

Here you’ll find the Seven Mile Beach, where visitors roam the sands via horseback and explore the seas by snorkel.

There are day-trip opportunities to swim through the tunnels of Joseph’s Cave, plus daytime party cruises to let loose out on the water.

Plus a stay at Samsara on the Cliffs situates you right by beachfront smoothie stalls and reggae bars.

On the Beach offer a 7-night room-only stay for £830pp, including return flights from Manchester.

Ocean City, Maryland, USA – £469pp (kids stay free)

This beachfront mega resort in USA‘s Maryland boasts plenty of exciting activities, with outdoor and indoor options perfect for all weather.

The Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City Oceanfront contains a games room, casino, fitness studios and more.

Outdoors, there’s sports courts as well as sailing and jet-ski options.

A 2-minute walk brings you to Ocean City Boardwalk, where you’ll find an American take on a seaside promenade with food stalls and carnival rides.

There’s also a beach volleyball courts, a skate park and tandem bikes available to stay active whilst making the most of Maryland’s coast.

Plus here you can bring up to two children aged 18 and under to stay for free, when sharing a family room.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £469pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Cancun, Mexico – £449pp

Cancun is a classic long haul holiday destination, famous for its blend of blissful beaches and fascinating historical sites.

One of the most popular beaches is Playa Langosta, which has shallow waters perfect for families to wade into.

Playa Tortugas is a livelier option, with plenty of activities like snorkelling and bungee jumping available.

Plus you can tick off one of the New Seven Wonders of the World whilst you’re there, and take a day’s excursion to visit Chichen Itza.

A stay at the Departamentos Villas Capdeviel gives you a roomy apartment to return to after a day’s exploring.

First Choice offer a 7-night room-only stay for £449pp, including return flights from Birmingham.

New Jersey, USA – £479pp (kids stay free)

New York‘s neighbour state New Jersey has plenty to see and do across its near-130 miles.

The Atlantic City Boardwalk is the oldest and longest oceanfront boardwalk in the world – and you’ll find it dotted with everything from waterparks to world-renowned casinos.

Top attractions to stop at along the way include the Steel Pier Amusement Park and stopping to admire the grand Absecon Lighthouse.

Over in Cape May you’ll find one of the state’s prettiest seaside resorts, where romantic streets are lined with giant Victorian houses, each brightly painted and decorated with picket fence-white balconies.

The Travelodge by Wyndham Absecon Atlantic City is a comfortable option, close to top Atlantic City casinos including Golden Nugget and Borgada.

Or if you’re planning a more family-oriented trip, kids can stay for free (applies to up to two children under 18).

Plus it’s only one-and-a-half-hour’s drive away from New York City if you’re looking to tick off a visit to the Big Apple on your trip to the states.

Loveholidays offer a 7-night room-only stay for £479pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

The Gambia – £589pp

The Gambia offers incredible value stays in stunning coastal landscapes.

With dry, bright days and temperatures averaging 32°C during British winter, this escape is made even better by the zero-hour time difference.

Whether you want to kayak your way through mangroves or lounge on the sand, this region caters to both adventurers and sun-seekers.

Baboon Islands is a must-visit to spot wildlife including chimpanzees, hippos and crocodiles.

Or take a trip to Kololi for a buzzing resort atmosphere filled with clubs, traditional music, and beachside barbecues.

First Choice offer a 7-night stay with breakfast for £589pp, including return flights from Manchester.

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt – £660pp (kids stay free)

The Coral Sea Aqua Club is home to a waterpark, wave pool, lazy river and plenty more to splash about in to cool off from the Egyptian heat.

And when you’re not spending time zipping down waterslides or lounging by the two giant pools, there’s an action-packed entertainment programme to make the most of.

Whether you spend your nights dancing at the mini discos and singing along to live music, or heading out to explore the glowing markets of nearby El-Khan – you’ll be spoilt for choice with things to do.

Plus this hotel is part of TUI‘s Free Kid’s Place offer, where one free kid’s place is available per two paying adults at select resorts.

TUI offer a 7-night all-inclusive stay for £660pp, including return flights from London Gatwick.

Prices correct at the time of writing.

NEARLY 300million cars are registered in the USA – but there’s one island where you won’t find any at all.

A place called Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan has been car-free since the late 1800s with locals and tourists getting around by horse-drawn carriage or bikes if you prefer.

Mackinac Island is one of those rare places with a ban on all cars.

The ban was implemented in 1898 after early cars apparently spooked horses, threatening public safety and the local carriage industry.

Since then, the only way to navigate the island is by horse or bike.

Living on the island all year-round are just 600 residents along with around 600 horses.

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While the number of horses remains the same, during the peak season of July and August, daily visitor numbers can be as many as 15,000.

It’s no surprise summer is the most popular time to visit as the island has average highs of 25C and is mostly dry.

Whereas in the winter months, it can experience lows well into the minus degrees and snow.

Mackinac Island is just north of mainland Michigan – to get there, take a ferry from Mackinaw City (Lower Peninsula).

Or take a ferry from St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula which takes 16 minutes and cost around $36 (£26.51) each way.

While the island does have an airport, it’s for charter and private aircraft only.

Thanks to there being no cars on the island, there are plenty of bike rentals with most charging around $94 (£69.31) for a full day of use.

Or around $16 (£11.80) per hour.

Horse-drawn carriage tours are also very popular with sightseeing tours starting at around $44 (£32.43) per adult where tourists head all over the island with a local guide.

During the summer, you can call certain companies for a ‘taxi’, which is a horse-drawn carriage.

One major attraction on Mackinac Island is Arch Rock in Mackinac Island State Park which is a natural 50-foot wide limestone arch.

To get up to Arch Rock, visitors have to take 207 steps from Lakeshore Drive – so be prepared for a long walk.

Film fans might recognise the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island from Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

The enormous hotel sits on the south of the island and you can actually book to stay there yourself.

There are plenty of rooms from simple balcony suites, Grand Queen rooms or even cottages with four bedrooms – these have private hot tubs, and take in views across the Straits of Mackinac.

The hotel has a grand Esther Williams Swimming Pool which has a water-jet play area, water slide and a large heated whirlpool.

There’s also a private adults-only area featuring a separate infinity-edge pool with beautiful views.

For golfers, there’s an enormous golf course, bike rentals, pickleball, bocce ball and shuffleboard.

To stay at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island can be as much as $1,000 (£737.07) per night during peak season.

Here’s another car-free island much closer to home…

Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding visited a car-free island in Scotland…

“Eilean Shona is a tidal island that’s completely car-free and was the inspiration behind J.M Barrie’s creation of Neverland in Peter Pan.

“As my boat approached the shores of the island, it was obvious why. Towering green trees and serene still waters were both welcoming and peaceful.

“Once I reached the island, the soft soil, earthy smells, chimes of birds and light breaking through the trees made it feel magical.

“Whilst there isn’t much to do on the island, it is the perfect retreat away from the modern world and the stresses of day to day life.

“Thanks to there being no shops, no restaurants and patchy phone signal, it really helps you disconnect from your mobile (and consequently social media).“

Just a few hours after Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement that said, without evidence, that the 37-year-old registered nurse “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would later imply Pretti had been “asked to show up and to continue to resist” by Minnesota’s governor.

Multiple videos from the scene immediately undercut those claims, and there has been no indication in the days since that Pretti threatened or planned to hurt law enforcement.

Several high-profile use-of-force incidents and arrests involving federal immigration agents have involved a similar cycle: Strident statements by Trump administration officials, soon contradicted by video footage or other evidence. Some law enforcement experts believe the repeated falsehoods are harming federal authorities both in the public eye and in the courtroom.

The top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, has taken five defendants to trial on charges of assaulting officers — and his office has lost each case. Court records and a Times investigation show grand juries in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles have repeatedly rejected criminal filings from prosecutors in similar cases.

Despite the repeated judicial rebukes, administration officials have continued to push for criminal charges against people at protest scenes, including the controversial arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon on Friday.

“When top federal law enforcement leaders in the country push false narratives like this, it leads the public to question everything the government says going forward,” said Peter Carr, a former Justice Department spokesman in Washington who served in Democratic and Republican administrations. “You see that in how judges are reacting. You’re seeing that in how grand juries are reacting. You’re seeing that in how juries are reacting. That trust that has been built up over generations is gone.”

The credibility concerns played out in a downtown L.A. courtroom in September, when Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino served as the key witness in the assault trial of Brayan Ramos-Brito, who was accused of striking a Border Patrol agent during protests against immigration raids last summer. Video from the scene did not clearly capture the alleged attack, and Bovino was the only Border Patrol official who testified as an eyewitness.

Under questioning from federal public defender Cuauhtémoc Ortega, Bovino initially denied he had been disciplined by Border Patrol for calling undocumented immigrants “scum, filth and trash,” but later admitted he had received a reprimand. The jury came back with an acquittal after deliberating for about an hour. A juror who spoke to The Times outside court said Bovino’s testimony detailing his account of the alleged assault had “no impact” on their decision.

Last year, a Chicago judge ruled Bovino had “lied” in a deposition in a lawsuit over the way agents used force against protesters and journalists.

Spokespersons for Essayli and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.

Essayli’s prosecutors have seen four additional cases involving allegations of assault on a federal officer end in acquittals, a nearly unheard of losing streak. A Pew study found fewer than 1% of federal criminal defendants were acquitted throughout the U.S. in 2022.

“The credibility of the prosecutor’s office and the credibility of the law enforcement officers testifying is key,” said Carley Palmer, a former federal prosecutor in L.A. who is now a partner at Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg. “That is especially true when the only witness to an event is a law enforcement officer.”

Jon Fleischman, a veteran Republican strategist and former spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, said federal law enforcement officials have a responsibility to be the “mature, responsible player in the room” and remain as apolitical as possible. While he is a firm supporter of President Trump’s immigration agenda and said the Biden administration shares some blame for politicizing federal law enforcement, Noem’s handling of Pretti’s killing was problematic.

“What she said really doesn’t bear out in terms of what the facts that are available tell us,” Fleischman said. “I think it undermines the credibility of the justice system.”

Fleischman added that he feared some of the government’s recent missteps could dull approval of the platform that twice carried Trump to the White House.

“One of the main reasons I’ve been so enthusiastic about this president has been his stance on immigration issues,” he said. “When you see unforced errors by the home team that reduce public support for the president’s immigration agenda, it’s demoralizing.”

Another top Trump aide, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, also spoke out after the Minnesota shooting, calling Pretti an “assassin.”

Responding to a Times reporter on X, Miller said recent legal defeats in Los Angeles were the result of “mass judge and jury nullification, deep in blue territory, of slam-dunk assault cases.”

Accounts from inside L.A. courtrooms paint a different picture.

Carol Williams, a jury foreperson in the most recent assault trial which federal prosecutors lost in L.A., said the people she served with steered clear of conversations about the news or ICE raids.

“We didn’t talk about the protests in L.A. and we didn’t talk about the protests that were in Minnesota or anything,” Williams said. “People, I’m sure, probably keep up with the news, but in terms of bringing that into the jury room, we did not.”

Last year, Essayli and Tricia McLaughlin, the chief Homeland Security spokesperson, accused Carlitos Ricardo Parias of ramming immigration agents with his vehicle in South L.A., causing an agent to open fire. Video made public after the assault charges were dismissed last year, however, do not show the vehicle moving when the ICE agent opens fire, injuring Parias and a deputy U.S. marshal.

After being presented with the body-camera footage, McLaughlin reiterated the claim that Parias weaponized his vehicle and said officers “followed their training and fired defensive shots.”

McLaughlin also labeled Keith Porter Jr. — a Los Angeles man shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent in Northridge on New Year’s Eve — an “active shooter” in initial media comments about the case, using a term that typically refers to a gunman attempting to kill multiple people.

Los Angeles police said nobody else was injured at the scene and have not used the “active shooter” wording in statements about the case.

Porter’s family and advocates have argued that force was not warranted. They said Porter was firing a gun in the air to celebrate the new year, behavior that is illegal and discouraged as dangerous by public officials.

A lawyer for the agent, Brian Palacios, has said there is evidence Porter shot at the agent.

Carr, the former Justice Department spokesman, said the Trump administration has broken with years of cautious norms around press statements that were designed to protect the credibility of federal law enforcement.

“That trust is eroded when they rush to push narratives before any real investigations take place,” he said.

In one case, the refusal of Homeland Security officials to back down may cause video footage that further undercuts their narrative to become public.

Last October, Marimar Martinez was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in Chicago who alleged she was following him in a car and interfering with an operation. In a statement, McLaughlin accused Martinez of ramming a law enforcement vehicle while armed with a “semiautomatic weapon.”

Federal prosecutors in Chicago dropped the charges, but McLaughlin and others continued to describe Martinez as a “domestic terrorist.” As a result, Martinez filed a motion to revoke a protective order that has kept hidden video of the incident and other evidence.

“While the United States voluntarily dismissed its formal prosecution of her with prejudice … government officials continue to prosecute Ms. Martinez’s character in the court of public opinion,” the motion read.

In a meeting between two of the biggest hitters on the women’s tour, Rybakina neutralised Sabalenka’s trademark power with clean ball-striking and clutch serving, before digging deep in the deciding set.

Sabalenka has spent 75 weeks at the top of the rankings and remains the dominant player in the women’s game – particularly on hard courts, with this her seventh consecutive major final on the surface.

But Rybakina has emerged as the Belarusian’s kryptonite after winning seven of their past nine hard court encounters.

Having appeared on course for an impressive comeback win, Sabalenka sat with her towel over her head as she contemplated that yet another final had slipped from her grasp.

Rybakina, meanwhile, was able to celebrate a hugely impressive run to the title, having also overpowered world number two Iga Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula on her way to the final.

She has now won her past 10 matches against fellow top-10 players and is the first player to claim the title by defeating three top-10 players in each round from the quarter-finals onwards since Naomi Osaka in 2019.

Rybakina is undoubtedly the form player on the WTA Tour, boasting more wins than anyone else since the end of Wimbledon last year (38) and losing just once in her past 21 matches.

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel has denounced what he called an attempt by his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, to “suffocate” the sanctions-hit country’s economy.

Trump signed an executive order on Thursday threatening additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, the latest move in Washington’s campaign of pressure on Havana. The order alleged that the government of communist-run Cuba was an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security.

In a social media post on Friday, Diaz-Canel said that under “a false and baseless pretext”, Trump plans “to suffocate” Cuba’s economy by slapping tariffs “on countries that sovereignly trade oil” with it.

“This new measure reveals the fascist, criminal and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal ends,” he said, in an apparent allusion to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban American and a known anti-Cuban government hawk.

Cuba, which is suffering rolling electricity blackouts blamed on fuel shortages, was cut off from critical supplies of Venezuelan oil after the US abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a bloody military night raid on the capital, Caracas, earlier this month. At least 32 members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence agencies were killed in the January 3 attack.

The US has since taken effective control of Venezuela’s oil sector, and Trump, a Republican, has issued threats against other left-wing governments in the region, promising to stop oil shipments previously sent to Cuba.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Friday declared an “international emergency” in response to Trump’s move, which he said constitutes “an unusual and extraordinary threat”.

Venezuela’s government also condemned the measure in a statement on Friday, saying it violates international law and the principles of global commerce.

Reporting from Cuba’s capital, Al Jazeera’s Ed Augustin said Trump’s announcement “is a massive psychological blow”, noting that analysts describe it as the “most powerful economic blow the United States has ever dealt the island”.

Days after Maduro’s abduction and transfer to the US, Trump urged Cuba to make a deal “before it is too late,” without specifying what kind of agreement he was referring to.

In a post on social media, Trump suggested Rubio could become the president of Cuba. “Sounds good to me!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

‘There’s no solution’

In Havana, residents expressed anger at Trump’s tariff threat, which will only make life harder for Cubans already struggling with an increase in US sanctions.

“My food is going bad. We haven’t had electricity since 6am,” Yenia Leon told Al Jazeera. “You can’t sleep. You have to buy food every day. There’s no solution to the power situation,” she said.

“This is a war,” Lazaro Alfonso, an 89-year-old retired graphic designer, told The Associated Press news agency, describing Trump as the “sheriff of the world” and saying he feels like he is living in the Wild West, where anything goes.

Alfonso, who lived through the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the “Special Period” following cuts in Soviet aid, said the current situation in Cuba is worse, given the severe blackouts, a lack of basic goods and a scarcity of fuel.

“The only thing that’s missing here in Cuba … is for bombs to start falling,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would seek alternatives to continue helping Cuba after Trump’s announcement following a decision this week to temporarily halt oil shipments to the island amid heightened rhetoric from Trump.

Mexico became a key supplier of fuel to Cuba, along with Russia, after the US sanctions on Venezuela paralysed the delivery of crude oil to the island.

Sheinbaum said cutting off oil shipments to Cuba could trigger a “far-reaching humanitarian crisis” on the island, affecting transportation, hospitals and access to food. She did not say whether Mexico would cut shipments of oil or refined products to Cuba, which ‌she said accounted for 1 percent of Mexico’s production.

“Our interest is that the Cuban people don’t suffer,” Sheinbaum said, adding that she had instructed her foreign minister to contact the US ‌State Department to better understand the scope of the executive order.

Mexico supplied 44 percent of Cuban oil imports and Venezuela exported 33 percent until last month, while some 10 percent of Cuban oil is sourced from Russia. Some oil is also sourced from Algeria, according to The Financial Times figures.

In November last year, a senior United Nations expert said the long-running US sanctions on Cuba must be lifted as they are “causing significant effects across all aspects of life”.

The US imposed a near-total trade embargo on Cuba in 1962, with the goal of toppling the government put in place by Fidel Castro after he took power in a 1959 revolution. Castro himself was the target of numerous assassination attempts by the US’s Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.

Alena Douhan, special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, said the “extensive regime of economic, trade and financial restrictions” against Cuba marks the longest-running unilateral sanctions policy in US history.

She noted that there are shortages of food, medicine, electricity, water, essential machinery and spare parts in Cuba, while a growing emigration of skilled workers, including medical staff, engineers and teachers, is further straining the country.

The accumulative effect has “severe consequences for the enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to life, food, health and development”, Douhan said.