Month: January 2026

CATHERINE O’Hara has died unexpectedly on Friday, months after her final appearance alongside her husband Bo Welch.

Fans are reeling following the announcement, which did not reveal the Schitt’s Creek star’s cause of death.

Catherine, 71 when she died, made her final appearance alongside her husband Bo back in September.

Photos show the couple dressed to the nines.

The Home Alone actress is wearing a black gown while her hubby sports a chic suit.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair was down with a slight curl in the ends.

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She wore subtle makeup, including a nude lipstick color.

Catherine appeared in good spirits during the evening out.

She and Bo posed for photos together.

At times, he stood behind her with his hands on her hips.

OUT OF SIGHT

Months later, Catherine was nominated for a Golden Globe award.

She was schedule to appear at the January 11 awards show, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Performance from a Female Actor for her role in the Apple TV series, The Studio.

Unfortunately, she did not attend.

RIP

TMZ broke the news of Catherine’s death on Friday afternoon.

Sources with direct knowledge confirmed the iconic actress’ passing to the outlet.

A cause of death was not immediately available for the star.

Catherine O’Hara dead at 71

Iconic Home Alone actress Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026. O’Hara was 71.

Biography:

• Catherine O’Hara, who was born in Toronto, Canada, began her acting career in comedy in 1974 after joining the cast of The Second City, which was televised in both Canada and the United States.
• O’Hara expanded her career in television in the mid-1970s, appearing in small roles on the CBC series Wayne and Shuster, the film The Rimshots, and the children’s series Coming up Rosie.
• She gained prominence in Hollywood in the 1980s, after she was cast in the classic horror-comedy film Beetlejuice.
• Starring alongside Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, and Winona Ryder, among others, O’Hara portrayed Delia Deetz.
• In 1990, O’Hara starred alongside child actor Macaulay Culkin in the holiday blockbuster Home Alone.
• She reprised her role as Kate McCallister, the mother of the young troublemaker Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Culkin, in the film’s 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
• Both installments of Home Alone were massive hits at the box office and to this date remain among the most successful Christmas movies of all time.
• After the success of Home Alone, O’Hara continued to appear in several films throughout the 1990s, including the comedy-drama The Paper, Waiting for Guffman, and the Western film Wyatt Earp.
• O’Hara also had several voice artist appearances, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, and Monster House, among others.
• She had a career resurgence in 2015 when she appeared as Moira Rose in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
• In 2025, O’Hara had a main role in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio.
• Throughout her career, O’Hara received various awards, including two PrimeTime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
• She had two children with her husband, Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice.

While the exact cause of death has not been revealed, Page Six reported that she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in “serious” condition.

Paramedics were called the the actress’ home home at 4:48 a.m. on Friday morning, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to the outlet.

She was in “serious condition” when she was transported to the hospital.

PAYING TRIBUTE

Tributes to the actress flooded social media almost immediately after her death was announced.

“RIP Catherine O’ Hara. I know John Candy greeted her with open arms.”, one fan wrote.

Another posted on X: “Catherine O’Hara was an absolute genius for the entirety of her career.

“She will be terribly missed.”

A third posted: “Catherine O’Hara will be remembered most as the mom in the first two Home Alone movies

“But I’ll always remember her as Delia Deetz in BeetleJuice. RIP to a legend.”

ICONIC ROLES

Throughout her long career in Hollywood, Catherine appeared in many iconic films and TV shows.

She was an actress for more than 50 years.

Catherine got her star in the sketch series Second City Television in the 1970s.

She’s known for starring in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone 2, Schitt’s Creek and more.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis resident killed Saturday by Border Patrol officers, federal officials said Friday.

“We’re looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a news conference. “That’s like any investigation that the Department of Justice and the FBI does every day. It means we’re looking at video, talking to witnesses, trying to understand what happened.”

There are thousands of instances every year when someone is shot by law enforcement, Blanche said, but not all are investigated by federal authorities.

“There has to be circumstances or facts or maybe unknown facts, but certainly circumstances, that warrant an investigation,” he added.

The Department of Homeland Security also said Friday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation will lead the federal probe.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem first disclosed the shift in which agency was leading the probe during a Fox News interview Thursday evening. Her department said earlier this week that Homeland Security Investigations, a unit within the department, would be heading the investigation.

“We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to conclusion, and make sure that the American people know the truth of the situation and how we can go forward and continue to protect the American people,” Noem said, speaking to Fox host Sean Hannity.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Friday that the FBI will lead the Pretti probe and that HSI will support them. Separately, Customs and Border Protection, which is part of DHS, is doing its own internal investigation into the shooting, during which two officers opened fire on Pretti.

DHS did not immediately respond to questions about when the change was made or why. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was also not immediately clear whether the FBI would now share information and evidence with Minnesota state investigators, who have thus far been frozen out of the federal probe.

In the same interview, Noem appeared to distance herself from statements she made shortly after the shooting, claiming Pretti had brandished a handgun and aggressively approached officers.

Multiple videos that emerged of the shooting contradicted that claim, showing the intensive care nurse had only his mobile phone in his hand as officers tackled him to the ground, with one removing a handgun from the back of Pretti’s pants as another officer began firing shots into his back.

Pretti had a state permit to legally carry a concealed firearm. At no point did he appear to reach for it, the videos showed.

“I know you realize that situation was very chaotic, and that we were being relayed information from on the ground from CBP agents and officers that were there,” Noem said during the interview with Hannity on Thursday. “We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground.”

The change comes after two other videos emerged Wednesday of an earlier altercation between Pretti and federal immigration officers 11 days before his death.

The Jan. 13 videos show Pretti in a winter coat, yelling at federal vehicles and at one point appearing to spit before kicking out the taillight of one vehicle. A struggle ensues between Pretti and several officers, during which he is forced to the ground. Pretti’s winter coat comes off, and he either breaks free or the officers let him go and he scurries away.

When he turns his back to the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. At no point do the videos show Pretti reaching for the gun, and it is not clear whether federal agents saw it.

Steve Schleicher, a Minneapolis-based attorney representing Pretti’s parents, said Wednesday the earlier altercation in no way justified officers fatally shooting Pretti more than a week later.

In a post on his Truth Social platform early Friday morning, President Trump suggested that the videos of the earlier incident undercut the narrative that Pretti was a peaceful protester when he was shot.

“Agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist, Alex Pretti’s stock has gone way down with the just released video of him screaming and spitting in the face of a very calm and under control ICE Officer, and then crazily kicking in a new and very expensive government vehicle, so hard and violent, in fact, that the taillight broke off in pieces,” Trump’s post said. “It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances!”

Biesecker and Santana write for the Associated Press. AP reporters Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington.

U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn says her “Olympic dream is not over” after crashing and injuring her knee during a downhill race that was meant to be her final warmup before the start of the Milan Cortina Games next week.

“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” the 41-year-old former Olympic gold medalist posted Friday on her Instagram Story. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams.

“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback.

“My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you all for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. … It’s not over until it’s over.”

Taking part in a World Cup race in Crans Montana, Vonn lost control while attempting to land a jump on the upper portion of the course and slid into the safety netting. After receiving medical attention for about five minutes, Vonn slowly skied to the finish line, using her poles to support herself and stopping twice to clutch her knee.

She smiled and waved to the crowd after crossing the finish line and received a long embrace from teammate Jacqueline Wiles before entering the medical tent. She was later airlifted off the slope for further evaluation.

Vonn was the third skier to crash during the race, which was being held in difficult conditions with low visibility. The event was canceled after Vonn’s fall.

After nearly six years away from ski racing, Vonn made a comeback last year and has two victories and three additional podium finishes in five downhill races this season — all with a partial titanium implant in her right knee.

At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Vonn became the only U.S. woman to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing. She also won bronze medals in the super-G 2010 and downhill in 2018. On Dec. 23, Vonn announced on Instagram she had qualified for “my 5th and final Olympics!”

“When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me,” she wrote. “Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.”

The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games is Feb. 6. Vonn’s first scheduled event is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. She had also planned on competing in the super-G and the new team combined event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The United States Justice Department has released a massive new tranche of investigative files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

At a news conference on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department was releasing more than 3 million pages of documents, as well as more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

He said the release means the department has met a legal requirement passed by Congress last year.

“Today’s release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act,” Blanche said.

But the administration of President Donald Trump has faced scrutiny over the pacing of the files’ release and redactions within the published documents.

Trump himself has been confronted with questions about his past relationship with Epstein, who cultivated a roster of influential contacts.

On Friday, Blanche dismissed rumours that the Justice Department had sought to protect powerful individuals, including Trump.

While Trump has acknowledged a years-long friendship with with the financier, he has denied any knowledge of the underage sex-trafficking ring that prosecutors say Epstein led.

“There’s this built-in assumption that somehow there’s this hidden tranche of information ‌of men that we know about, that we’re covering up, or that we’re not we’re choosing not to prosecute,” Blanche said. “That is not the case.”

The Justice Department had initially missed a December 19 deadline set by Congress to release all the files.

The publication is the result of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was published in November with bipartisan support to force the release of all federal documents pertaining to Epstein.

In response to the law, the Justice Department said it had tasked hundreds of lawyers with reviewing the records to determine what needs to be blacked out to protect the identities of sexual abuse victims.

Blanche said the department withheld any materials that could jeopardise ongoing investigations or expose potential victims.

All women in the Epstein files other than Ghislaine Maxwell — an ex-girlfriend who was also convicted of child sex trafficking — have been obscured from the videos and images being released on Friday, according to Blanche.

In the past, some of Epstein’s victims have slammed the department’s redactions and withholdings as excessive, with critics pointing out that previously published documents were among the files blacked out.

In December, the Justice Department released an initial batch of Epstein-related documents, though it fell short of the full publication mandated by November’s law.

That release, however, included previously unreleased flight logs showing that Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s. Those trips appeared to happen before Trump has said the pair had a falling out.

The recent releases also contain images showing prominent individuals like tech billionaire Bill Gates, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, director Woody Allen and former US President Bill Clinton socialising with Epstein, sometimes on his private island.

To date, none of the individuals depicted in the releases have been charged with any crimes, outside of Maxwell.

Following her conviction in 2021, she is serving a 20-year prison sentence, though she has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Epstein died from of apparent suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after he was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.

He had previously been convicted of state sex-offender charges in Florida in 2008 as part of a plea deal that was widely slammed for its leniency. He spent a total of 13 months in custody.

One of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, also filed lawsuits against him, accusing him of arranging sexual encounters with politicians, business titans, academics and other influential figures while she was underage.

All of the men identified by Giuffre, who died in April 2025 in Australia, have denied the allegations.

Among the people she accused was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, who denied the clams but settled a lawsuit filed by Giuffre for an undisclosed sum.

In October, his brother, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal titles as a result of the controversy.

ACTRESS Helen Flanagan has spilt the tea on her relationship with former Towie star James Argent – and what happened with a big X Factor singer.

As well as detailing behind-the-scenes beef on the Coronation Street set, Helen, 35, has lifted the lid on her time on Channel 5 reality show, Celebrity Super Spa.

Helen took part alongside Towie’s James Argent, celebrity chefs Rusty Lee and John Burton-Race, Shameless actor Jody Latham and Most Haunted’s Yvette Fielding.

The show aired in 2013 and followed six celebrities as they worked in a real-life spa in Liverpool.

The actress has now spilled the beans in her explosive new memoir, Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie on her romances on and off screen.

The former Corrie star, who shares three kids with ex fiance Scott Sinclair, spoke about chemistry with Towie star Arg while they were on Channel 5’s Celebrity Super Spa.

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She revealed: “I became firm friends with James ‘Arg’ Argent from The Only Way is Essex and we would spend all our time together. 

“I know the producers were hoping for a show romance to develop and they’d try to push me towards him, dropping hints like, ‘Ah, you and Arg are so cute together…’ 

“But I was too mixed up over Scott and I didn’t even know if I actually fancied Arg although I did like him a lot. 

“He definitely wasn’t my usual type. I usually went for sporty guys who were into their health and fitness whereas Arg would eat four Greggs sausage rolls for breakfast. 

“I think he was probably more into me than I was him, but there was a brief moment of heat between us which felt… weird. 

“We were in my hotel room, lying on the bed while he was stroking my back – I think it could have spilled over then, but there was something holding me back. 

“And when that moment passed, it was like it was done. I wasn’t over Scott so it would have been a mistake to use Arg as a rebound.”

Opening up about a flirtation with former The X Factor star James Arthur, she said: “When I got back, I was booked to do a BBC Three comedy panel show called Sweat the Small Stuff which was presented by Nick Grimshaw and had Rochelle Humes and Melvin Odoom as the team captains. 

“The episode I was on also happened to feature James Arthur who had won The X Factor in 2012 and you could say that we, erm, hit it off. 

“Egged on by Grimmy, me and James flirted pretty outrageously throughout the filming and swapped numbers afterwards with a loose arrangement to meet up for a drink in the not too distant future. 

“Nothing ever came of it apart from the exchange of some harmless WhatsApps, but once the episode aired a few days later, the press got hold of it and ran multiple stories saying we were dating.” 

The Celebs Go Dating star added: “Scott was livid about it and tried everything he could to get hold of me, ringing my mobile and calling my parents’ landline. 

“I didn’t want to speak to him. He’d been so horrible to me and I was trying to get over him, something I felt like I was making good progress with.”

The soap star split from her “toxic” relationship with her footballer ex in October 2022 after 13 years together and share three children – Matilda, Delilah and Charlie.

Following her split from footballer Scott, Helen enjoyed a “situationship” with boxer David Hayes.

While she first met David on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here back in 2012, things didn’t turn romantic until 11 years later – but they broke off their fling in December 2023.

She also revealed that she once batted off the attention of disgraced influencer Andrew Tate after matching with him on a dating app.

The actress shot to fame as a child star on the ITV soap playing tearaway Rosie Webster.

The mum-of-three now works as an influencer and model, and has starred in reality shows like Celebs Go Dating.

The Rosie Webster star on the ITV soap opera also confirmed a rift with Corrie co-star Ryan Thomas at the time of her soap departure.

She revealed she told him to “f*** off” during one tense moment on set before she quit altogether.

Helen’s book Head & Heart: Break-ups, Breakdowns and Being Rosie is out now

New research shows people return to their favourite holiday destination an average of six times

More than a quarter of holidaymakers revisit the same destination every year, or every other year, with a feeling of safety, familiarity, and emotional connection driving the trend, new research reveals. A study of 2,000 adults found that people who enjoy repeat visits return to the same place an average of six times. Nearly one in five (18%) have visited their favourite spot between six and 20 times.

The findings come from the 2026 Trends Report by Neilson Beach Clubs, which has seen a clear rise in repeat bookings, with seven in 10 guests returning year on year to their resorts.

More than half of holidaymakers go back to the same destination because they love what it has to offer, 15% also prefer to stick to what they know.

Meanwhile, 29% feel confident in the location’s safety and another 29% return regularly after developing a strong emotional connection with the place.

David Taylor, CEO for the travel provider, commented on the trend: “We all look forward to our holiday escapes so much that when you’ve found something you love that delivers a great experience, it’s natural to return again with confidence that the holiday won’t disappoint.”

The research suggests the appeal of a familiar destination is even stronger for families. More than a quarter (26%) of all respondents said they often revisit the same place because it is easier to plan, and one in 20 parents admitted that visiting somewhere unfamiliar with children can be stressful.

The study also highlighted a significant shift in holiday habits, with a growing interest in active getaways.

Over half (52%) of those who currently exercise on holiday would consider booking a fitness-focused trip to improve their physical health—a rise from 33% last year.

While 67% still seek a more relaxing vacation, nearly one in four (24%) say a fitness element brings just as much enjoyment.

The desire to disconnect from daily life is a priority, with 67% of respondents saying taking a break from technology is important for them when they are away.

For many, exercise is seen as a way of reducing stress (42%) and helping to rejuvenate the body and mind (37%).

David Taylor added: “We feel that it’s easier to switch off by switching on, if your mind is busy getting your body to do something you love, you can truly switch off mentally.”

NEW YORK — The Justice Department on Friday released many more records from its investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, resuming disclosures under a law intended to reveal what the government knew about the millionaire financier’s sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with the rich and powerful.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department was releasing more than 3 million pages of documents in the latest Epstein disclosure, as well as more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The files, posted to the department’s website, include some of the several million pages of records that officials said were withheld from an initial release of documents in December.

They were disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his accomplice, confidant and longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Today’s release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act,” Blanche said at a news conference announcing the disclosure.

After missing a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress to release all of the files, the Justice Department said it tasked hundreds of lawyers with reviewing the records to determine what needs to be redacted, or blacked out, to protect the identities of victims of sexual abuse.

Among the materials being withheld is information that could jeopardize any ongoing investigation or expose the identities of personal details about potential victims. All women other than Maxwell have been redacted from videos and images being released Friday, Blanche said.

The number of documents subject to review has ballooned to roughly six million, including duplicates, the department said.

The Justice Department released tens of thousands of pages of documents just before Christmas, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs and court records. Many of them were either already public or heavily blacked out.

Those records included previously released flight logs showing that President Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s, before they had a falling out, and several photographs of former President Clinton. Neither Trump, a Republican, nor Clinton, a Democrat, has been publicly accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and both have said they had no knowledge he was abusing underage girls.

Also released last month were transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who said they were paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.

Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after he was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.

In 2008 and 2009, Epstein served jail time in Florida after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. At the time, investigators had gathered evidence that Epstein had sexually abused underage girls at his home in Palm Beach, but the U.S. attorney’s office agreed not to prosecute him in exchange for his guilty plea to lesser state charges.

In 2021, a federal jury in New York convicted Maxwell, a British socialite, of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence at a prison camp in Texas, after being moved there from a higher-security federal prison in Florida. She denies any wrongdoing.

U.S. prosecutors never charged anyone else in connection with Epstein’s abuse of girls, but one of his victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, accused him in lawsuits of having arranged for her to have sexual encounters at age 17 and 18 with numerous politicians, business titans, noted academics and others, all of whom denied her allegations.

Among the people she accused was Britain’s Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after the scandal led to him being stripped of his royal titles. Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre but settled her lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.

Giuffre died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia last year at age 41.

Tucker, Sisak and Richer write for the Associated Press. Tucker and Richer reported from Washington.

Chalobah has attacking threat from set pieces and he’s decent for defensive contributions too. If you want another route into the Chelsea clean sheets then consider Sanchez in goal.

Joao Pedro frustrated FPL managers earlier in the season but has performed well under Rosenior and seems to be first choice ahead of Delap.

Chelsea will have a tricky time balancing their squad with all the competitions they are in. They are still in Europe and will have fixtures in both domestic cup competitions too. Therefore, there’s a chance some of their assets rotate.

Most at risk of rotation of the four highlighted would be Pedro, with Delap likely to take some of his minutes. Slight risk with Fernandez too, but Chalobah and Sanchez will most likely be safe from rotation.

Jan. 30 (UPI) — The Supreme Court of Panama invalidated the contract of a Hong Kong subsidiary to operate ports on the Panama Canal, ruling it is unconstitutional.

In a Thursday ruling the high court said the terms of Panama Ports Company’s contract that allowed it to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristobal violated the country’s constitution. Panama Ports Company is a subsidiary of CK Hutchinson Holding, a company based in Hong Kong.

The court said the ruling was made after “extensive deliberation.”

Panama Ports Company has been operating two of Panama’s five ports since 1997. It was founded in Hong Kong and is not owned by the Chinese government.

The company argues that the court’s ruling lacks a legal basis and “jeopardises not only PPC and its contract but also the well-being and stability of thousands of Panamanian families who depend directly and indirectly on port activity.” It said that it has invested more than $1.8 billion in the ports’ infrastructure in the nearly 30 years it has operated there.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said ports will continue to operate without interruption following Thursday’s ruling. APM Terminals Panama will operate the Balboa and Cristobal ports in the interim.

President Donald Trump has long sought control over the Panama Canal and voiced his desire to block China from operating there. Last year he threatened to seize control of the canal.

After the ruling, shares in CK Hutchinson fell by 4.6%.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Chinese companies will pursue legal action to maintain their rights to operate on the Panama Canal, calling the decision “contrary to the laws governing Panama’s approval of the relevant franchises.”

CK Hutchinson has pursued a sale of its interest in the Balboa and Cristobal ports to a group of U.S. investment firms, including BlackRock. The proposed deal is estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.

Thursday’s decision may impact those plans.

FANCY a holiday? This island is the perfect place for winter sun with highs of 26C this week.

Found in Cape Verde, the main island of Sal has sandy beaches, bright blue seas – and what’s even better is there’s no jet lag for Brits either.

Despite its fairly long flight time of six hours, Cape Verde off the coast of west Africa doesn’t result in jet lag for Brits as it’s just one hour behind GMT.

Throughout February, there are average daily highs between 23-25C, minimal rainfall and as many as eight hours of daily sunshine.

Cape Verde is made up of 10 islands – its most popular is Sal which is known for its sunny, dry climate and pretty golden sand beaches.

One of the popular activities on the island is due to the strong winds, which make it a great destination for surfing and kitesurfing.

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Must-see attractions include the glowing, natural pool of the Blue Eye (called Buracona), the salt flats of Pedra de Lume, and even shark spotting.

Sal’s capital is Espargos, but most holidaymakers head to Santa Maria which is where most of the hotels are located along with lots of shops, restaurants and bars.

When it comes to choosing where to stay in Sal – there’s plenty of choice and some holidays come in at under £400.

A seven-night stay at the Agua Hotels Sal Vila Verde Resort from February 26, 2026 costs just £399pp with loveholidays.

It’s a four-star self-catering hotel with rooms across four floors and all come with a private bathroom that has both a shower and bath.

Each apartment also comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, TV and aircon.

The hotel has an outdoor pool with a dedicated children’s swimming area surrounded by sun loungers and parasols – there’s a kids’ club too.

There’s an on-site restaurant that serves buffet-style breakfast and a poolside bar.

Nearby are watersports facilities and bike hire, the beach is just a 20-minute walk away, or there’s a free shuttle bus

And the price includes direct flights from Manchester Airport with easyJet.

TUI also offers a stay at the Agua Hotels Sal Vila Verde on the same dates flying from Glasgow from £534pp (based on a room-only stay).

Or opt for an all-inclusive with TUI at the Sol Dunas resort across seven-nights from February 23, 2026 flying from London Gatwick from £781pp.

It’s not just the hotels that are cheap on Sal, your food and drink won’t cost a lot either.

A mid-range three course meal for two people costs around £39.28.

Coffee will set you back just £1.53 and a pint will set you back between £1.65 and £2.59.

It’s easy to island hop too if you want to head to the likes of Boa Vista – the journey between the two takes just 25-minutes and one-way flights in February start at £44.

Boa Vista is known for having beautiful beaches too, and it’s home to loggerhead turtles.

Find out what one Sun Travel Editor got up to during a visit to Cape Verde…

Here are Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey’s highlights from her visit to Cape Verde…

“The islands in the Atlantic Ocean, just 350 miles off the west coast of Africa, celebrate 50 years of independence this year and I’m exploring Boa Vista, the lesser-developed island often overlooked in favour of its busier sister, Sal.

“Tour giant TUI has just added extra flights from the East Midlands to the island, starting next weekend, in addition to its flights from Gatwick.

“My guide Paolo gave me a brief insight into the history of the island, colonised by the Portuguese until 1975.

“We learn of morna music — created by the indigenous population when they were enslaved by both African nations and Portugal — slow, danceable rhythms with tales of love and longing for the homeland.

“And one can understand their longing to return when you discover Boa Vista’s blissfully quiet beaches. Santa Monica, on the southeast of the island, is the finest in Cape Verde and often named as one of the best in the world by Tripadvisor.

“Despite the abandoned apartment complex overlooking the beach (left half-finished for decades), the rest of the beach is almost as idyllic as any in the Maldives.

“I was the only person there, sinking my toes into the soft golden sand, so powdery it almost felt like flour.

“My other favourite beach was Praia Carlota, where you can lose the days in the hippy Morabeza beach hut, chilling out while enjoying fried fish and local Strela beer and admiring the soaring kite-surfers braving the winds that whip across the waters.”

Here’s more about how it will soon become even EASIER to island hop on Cape Verde.

And here are the ten best things to do in Cape Verde, from turtle-watching to desert-biking.

Press freedom groups decry arrest of former CNN anchor as lawyer pledges to fight charges ‘vigorously’.

Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested in connection with his coverage of a protest against United States President Donald Trump’s deadly immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.

Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said on Friday that the journalist had been arrested in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards.

It was not immediately clear what charges Lemon was facing. In recent weeks, however, the Department of Justice indicated it would target Lemon for his attendance at a January 18 protest, in which demonstrators disrupted a church service in the city of St Paul, Minnesota.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement.

He pointed to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects the freedom of the press.

“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” Lowell said. “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court”.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrest on Friday, saying Lemon had been taken into custody with three others in connection with what she described as the “coordinated attack on Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota”.

Lemon was part of a series of arrests that morning, all related to the church demonstration. They included independent journalist Georgia Fort, as well as activists Jamael Lydell Lundy and Trahern Jeen Crews.

Federal authorities had previously arrested Minneapolis civil rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong and two others in connection with the protest.

Press freedom groups swiftly condemned the action, which they called a major escalation in the administration’s attacks on journalists.

“The unmistakable message is that journalists must tread cautiously because the government is looking for any way to target them,” Seth Stern, the chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement.

The National Press Club also denounced the arrests in a statement. “Arresting or detaining journalists for covering protests, public events, or government actions represents a grave threat to press freedom and risks chilling reporting nationwide,” it wrote.

Lemon had previously been an anchor for the CNN news network, but he was fired in 2023. He has since worked as an independent journalist, with a prominent presence on YouTube.

‘I’m here as a journalist’

During his online report from the church protest, Lemon repeatedly identified himself as a reporter as he interviewed both demonstrators and church attendees.

“I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist,” he told those present.

Protesters had targeted the church, which belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention, due to its pastor, David Easterwood, who also holds a role as the head of a field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Critics have questioned why the Justice Department swiftly opened a probe into the church protest, while it declined to open a civil rights investigation into an ICE agent’s killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7.

The department has not yet said if it will open an investigation into the January 24 killing of US citizen Alex Pretti by border patrol agents in Minneapolis.

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell said in his statement.

Friday’s arrest comes after a federal judge in Minnesota took the rare move last week of refusing to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon. Justice Department officials nevertheless promised to continue pursuing charges.

A reality TV series dubbed the ‘best show ever’ is returning for a second series and fans are predicting a ‘wild ride’.

A reality TV series that has been branded the “funniest show” is returning three years after its first season.

Social experiment Jury Duty first aired on Amazon Freevee in 2023, with a second instalment hitting Amazon Prime Video in March this year.

The hoax sitcom follows a fake jury trial, with construction worker Ronald Gladden serving as a juror, unaware that the proceedings around him aren’t real.

Starring James Marsden as a fake juror, portraying an over-exaggerated, parodied version of himself, and a series of actors as the other jurors, including one who keeps falling asleep, Jury Duty shows the inner workings of a trial in the US.

Everything that goes on is entirely planned, unbeknownst to Ronald, who thinks the people around him are actually as chaotic as they seem.

The documentary-style comedy sees Ronald share his baffled thoughts to the camera before realising what actually happened.

He later won $100,000 as part of the experience, saying his life “completely changed overnight” once it aired.

He added, “I had a feeling in my gut the whole time that something wasn’t right. They got me on camera multiple times saying, ‘I feel like I’m on reality TV. Like, this can’t be real. What’s going on?”

“The day of the reveal, everyone was so quick to let me know that, like, ‘Hey, we understand that none of this was real. But the one thing—that the relationships we formed were real.”

“They were so quick to just let me know that that wasn’t fake. And that honestly is what made the whole thing worth it for me.”

The series received a roaring response from critics and audiences alike, with three Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Peabody Award.

It is now set to return, Amazon Prime confirmed, but this time, Ronald will be free from the chaos.

A teaser trailer was posted on social media, captioned: “Welcome to the retreat. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premieres March 20 on @primevideo.”

The video took a look back at the original series, before teasing: “Now, we’re following a business on their annual company retreat. Except this is not a real company. It’s fake. Everyone involved is an actor. Except Anthony.”

One person is then heard saying: “If I go home and tell my parents about this stuff, they’re gonna be like, ‘You’re lying’.”

As per Deadline, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat will follow a corporate offsite event at a family-owned hot sauce company, with Anthony featuring as a recently hired temporary worker.

The entire experience will be staged, with every “colleague” assigned a role around him, and scenes in conference rooms and during downtime, all orchestrated.

When the founder announces he’s preparing to step down, the retreat transforms into a clash between corporate ambitions and small-business values, with the future of the company and whose hands it will fall into all up in the air.

Fans have been left over the moon at the glimpse of a new season, with one writing: “I’m so excited to see this.”

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website

“Season 1 was too good, we are ready!” another wrote, as a third said: “Best. Show. EVER. Can’t wait for S2!”

“I don’t know how you can top the original, but I’m dying to see!!!!” someone else said.

Another commented, “If this is even half as chaotic as Jury Duty, we are in for a wild ride. But honestly, am I the only one wondering if they can actually pull off the ‘fake person’ trope again without everyone being suspicious? The bar is set so high. I just hope it’s actual comedy and not just another over-produced ‘reality’ mess. March 20th can’t come soon enough. I need to see if this lives up to the hype or if it’s just a one-hit wonder.”

When previously discussing possible future seasons of Jury Duty, showrunner Cody Heller told Variety: “Obviously, it would have to be a whole different universe. You couldn’t just do jury duty again, because then people would be like, “Wait a second”.

“But I do think that it’s possible. I do think there’s a million different worlds that this kind of thing could exist in.”

Jury Duty is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

The contagious infection can cause similar symptoms to sea sickness

Holidaymakers aboard The Balmoral cruise ship claimed they were forced to quarantine themselves amid an outbreak of gastroenteritis. However, some passengers claimed the reports were overstated and most people actually had sea sickness. What is the difference between the two conditions?

Passengers reported regular tannoy messages warning about increasing cases of people with gastroenteritis symptoms. Fred Olsen Cruises’ director of health services, Kate Bunyan, told The Shetland Times that measures were introduced to reduce transmission onboard before the ship docked in Southhampton on Friday, January 30th. The ship’s next departure will also be delayed to facilitate a thorough deep clean while it’s in port, according to Chronicle Live.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a highly contagious bacterial or viral infection that causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It’s particularly common in young children but can affect anyone at any age.

The symptoms can be incredibly unpleasant but usually resolves itself within a week according to NHS Inform. People with signs of gastroenteritis are advised not to go to their GP to avoid spreading the disease and to call 111 or their GP instead.

Symptoms:

• Sudden, watery diarrhoea
• Feeling sick
• Vomiting which may be projectile
• Mild fever
• Loss of appetite, headaches and aching limbs are less common

There’s no specific treatment for gastroenteritis. People may have to simply let the illness run its course while getting plenty of fluids and rest.

Sea sickness

Sea sickness is a type of motion sickness that can cause similar symptoms to gastroenteritis but it is not contagious and can usually be relieved with a few simple actions rather than medication. It’s common to reaction to an unfamiliar motion, such as when travelling by boat.

It happens when the inner ear sense motion but the eyes don’t, leaving the brain with conflicting messages about what’s going on. For example, if you look at a stationary object such as land while travelling on a rocking boat, your inner ear will pick up motion that your eyes aren’t seeing.

Symptoms:

• Dizziness
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Feeling cold and going pale
• Sweating

Pharmacists can recommend remedies to prevent motion sickness such as tablets, patches and acupressure bands. While experiencing sea sickness, there are a few ways to relieve the symptoms depending on what the cause is.

The NHS recommends sitting in the middle of the boat where there’s less motion and looking straight ahead at a fixed point like the horizon. Fresh air and focusing on taking slow, deep breaths can also help.

STEP into your cowboy boots, grab a Stetson, and immerse yourself in the Wild West.

A new cowboy experience called Phantom Peak is launching this summer in a popular London location.

Phantom Peak will open in Westfield Stratford City in summer 2026.

After a successful run in Canada Water, the western experience is set to close and will later reopen at the Stratford venue.

The experience makes visitors feel like they’re actually in a western town with a mix of live performances, interactive storytelling and games.

To make it even better, you can visit again and again as the stories change every three to four months along with the seasons.

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The new Stratford location will be even bigger than the one at Canada Water as it will go across multiple levels.

It will have three distinct areas, each with its own atmosphere and characters – the first being the Old Town.

It’s the underground industrial mining town at the centre of Phantom Peak.

There’s also The Town Square which is a more modern area with a Town Hall and the in-world bar: the Thirsty Frontier Saloon.

Lakeside is set around an indoor lake and in the middle will be The Watermill with its water wheel.

The venue will be fully accessible too.

It will have upgraded technology so stepping into the Wild West will feel even more real.

There will also be a seven-day-a-week themed bar with speciality cocktails and food.

In the town visitors can explore an area with arcade and carnival games.

For VIPs, guests have their own entry which takes them into the experience on a train carriage.

The Canada Water experience has seen a whopping 16,000 visitors since it opened in August 2022 – and there’s been over 625 performances.

Some reviewers have even called it the “best experience in London”.

With another reviewer branding it “bonkers” and “fun”.

So if you can’t wait until the new experience opens, you can still book at Canada Water before it ends on February 28, 2026

Adult tickets cost £42, and children can enter for £27.

Phantom Peak has been named the best Immersive Experience globally by blooloop and won Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice award in 2024 & 2025 consecutively.

Tickets for the new Stratford experience go on sale soon at phantompeak.com.

For more on experiences, check out Traitors live which Sun Travel found to be a heart-pounding world of lies.

And find out what one Sun Travel reporter found when she tried out the new Race Across the World The Experience.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has refused to order the pretrial release of a man charged with placing two pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled on Thursday that Brian J. Cole Jr. must remain in jail while awaiting trial. Ali upheld a decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh, who ruled on Jan. 2 that no conditions of release can reasonably protect the public from the danger that Cole allegedly poses.

Cole, 30, pleaded not guilty to making and planting two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of Jan. 5, 2021.

Cole, who lived with his parents in Woodbridge, Virginia, has been diagnosed with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His attorneys say he has no criminal record.

Cole has remained jailed since his Dec. 4 arrest. Authorities said they used phone records and other evidence to identify him as a suspect in a crime that confounded the FBI for over four years.

Prosecutors said Cole confessed to trying to carry out “an extraordinary act of political violence.” Cole told investigators that he was unhappy with how leaders of both political parties responded to “questions” about the 2020 presidential election — and said “something just snapped,” according to prosecutors.

“While the defendant may have reached a psychological breaking point, his crimes were anything but impulsive,” they wrote. “Indeed, the defendant’s pipe bombs — and the fear and terror they instilled in the general public — were the product of weeks of premeditation and planning.”

Defense attorneys asked for Cole to be freed from jail and placed on home detention with electronic monitoring. They say a defense expert concluded that the devices found near the RNC and DNC headquarters were not viable explosive devices.

“In fact, there was no possibility of death, injury or destruction as the devices were harmless,” they wrote.

If convicted of both charges against him, Cole faces up to 10 years of imprisonment on one charge and up to 20 years of imprisonment on a second charge that also carries a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.

Kunzelman writes for the Associated Press.

If you want to watch top pitching in high school baseball this season, stop by a Bay League game. During Thursday’s media day at Mira Costa, three outstanding senior pitchers look physically and emotionally prepared to show how good they are.

Garrett Jacobs from Mira Costa, a UCLA commit, Robby Zimmerman from Redondo Union, a UCLA commit, and Kai Van Scoyoc, a USC commit, are coming off good junior seasons. Add junior Jonah Cohen, a UCLA commit at Palos Verdes, and you have to feel sympathy for Bay League hitters this season.

Jacobs was the best of all last season, going 11-1. He had 103 strikeouts and 13 walks in 70 innings. Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, is the best pro prospect because of his size and potential. Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes. They all know and like each other, so it should be fun for fans and players when they face off.

Zimmerman is a cousin of Redondo Union girls’ volleyball standout Abby Zimmerman. Most of the Zimmermans are volleyball players except for Robby and brother Danny, who used to play baseball at Michigan. Yet invite him to the beach and he’ll be happy to join in the family fun using his size to his advantage.

Torrance and West Torrance also figure to be competitive in the Bay League. Torrance returns its top pitcher in junior Aiden Anaya, who’s playing soccer right now. Joey Kim is expected to be a key pitcher for West Torrance.

Mira Costa players have the advantage of walking around or going to the store and running into a Dodger or pro player in Manhattan Beach. The school is holding its alumni game on Saturday and honoring five grads who have played in the major leagues in Kyle Karros, Chase Meidroth, Petey Halpin, Joe Moeller and Jim Pena.

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

Novak Djokovic stuns reigning two-time champion Jannik Sinner to set up Australian Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak ‍Djokovic ‍channelled his halcyon days in a five-set classic to dethrone Jannik Sinner and become ⁠the oldest man to reach ​the Australian Open final ‍in the professional era at a rocking Rod Laver Arena.

Four months before his ‍39th ⁠birthday, Djokovic showed he remains unbeatable on his day as he sent the double defending champion packing with a 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 ​6-4 win in a 1:32am finish early on Saturday in Melbourne (14:32 GMT on Friday).

“It feels surreal to be honest, playing over four hours,” Djokovic said on ​court.

“I was reminiscing in 2012 when I played Rafa [Nadal] in the final, that was six ‍hours almost.

“The level of intensity and quality was high [against Sinner], and that was the only way to have a chance to win.

“He won the last five matches against me, he had my mobile number, so I had to change my ‍number tonight.

“Jokes aside I ⁠said at the net: ‘Thanks for allowing me at least one’. Tremendous respect, an incredible player. He pushed me to the limit, so he deserves applause for his performance.”

Djokovic will meet world number one Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s decider, the Spaniard having fought off Alexander Zverev in the longest Australian Open semifinal.

Eighteen years after his first Melbourne crown, Djokovic will strive for a record-extending 11th against Alcaraz and the unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title that has eluded him.

Djokovic needed incredible ​fortune to reach the semifinals, with his quarterfinal opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, retiring injured ‌after taking the first two sets.

The Serb enjoyed a walkover in the fourth round as well, when Jakub Mensik pulled out.

But it was hard work and mental toughness that got Djokovic over the line against Sinner, a player who had beaten him in ‌their previous five matches.

Victory came grudgingly.

He had to save a slew of break points in the decisive set before finally getting a look at Sinner’s ‌serve at 3-3.

Flooring the Italian in three punishing rallies, the Serb ⁠broke him to lead 4-3, raised one fist and threw an icy stare at his player’s box.

Djokovic had to save another three break points in the next service game, but sent Serbian fans into delirium when he survived them all and held with an ‌ace.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Djokovic summoned the grit and champion spirit of 20 years at the top, setting up two match points with a forehand winner down the line.

Sinner saved both, but finally fired ‍a backhand wide to concede, leaving Djokovic to throw away his racket, get down on his knees and cross his chest.

After several years of suspension, political parties in Burkina Faso have been formally dissolved by the military government, which has also seized all their assets in a move analysts say is a major blow for democracy in the West African nation.

In a decree issued on Thursday, the government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, scrapped all laws which established and regulated political parties, accusing them of failing to comply with guidelines.

The troubled West African nation is struggling with violence from armed groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. It is one of a growing number of West and Central African nations to have undergone coups in recent years.

Traore seized power in September 2022, eight months after an earlier military coup had already overthrown the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kabore.

Despite strong criticism by rights groups and opposition politicians of his authoritarian approach, 37-year-old Traore has successfully built up an online cult-like following among pan-Africanists, with many likening him to the late Burkinabe revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara.

Traore’s anti-colonial and anti-imperial pronouncements are often shown in high-definition, AI-generated videos that have gained him widespread admiration across the internet.

But the decision to ban political parties does not sit well for democracy, Dakar-based analyst Beverly Ochieng of the Control Risks intelligence firm, told Al Jazeera.

“The military government will [remain] highly influential, especially after a recent decree appointing Traore in a supervisory capacity in the judiciary,” Ochieng said, referring to a December 2023 constitutional change which placed courts directly under government control.

Going forward, “there will be very limited division of powers or autonomy across the civic and political space,” Ochieng said, adding that the military government will likely keep extending its stay in power.

Why have political parties been banned?

The Burkinabe government claims the existing political parties were not following the codes which established them.

In a televised statement following a Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday, when the new decree was approved, Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the decision was part of a broader effort to “rebuild the state” after alleged widespread abuses and dysfunction in the country’s multiparty system.

A government review, he said, had found that the multiplication of political parties had fuelled divisions and weakened social cohesion in the country.

“The government believes that the proliferation of political parties has led to excesses, fostering division among citizens and weakening the social fabric,” Zerbo said.

He did not give details of the political parties’ alleged excesses.

How did political parties operate in the past?

Before the 2022 coup, which brought the current military leadership to power, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 represented in parliament after the 2020 general elections.

The largest was the ruling People’s Movement for Progress (MPP), which had 56 of 127 seats in parliament. It was followed by the Congress for Democracy and Progress, with 20 seats, and the New Era for Democracy with 13 seats.

But the civilian government faced months of protests as thousands took to the streets to demonstrate against growing insecurity from armed groups in large parts of the country.

In 2022, Traore took power, promising to put an end to violence by armed groups. He also promised the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc that his government would hold elections by 2024.

But political parties were banned from holding rallies after the 2022 coup and, a month before the 2024 deadline, Traore’s government postponed elections to 2029 after holding a national conference, which was boycotted by several political parties.

Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, withdrew from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States, a new economic and military alliance in January last year. They also withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In July 2025, Traore’s government dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying the agency was too expensive.

Has insecurity worsened under Traore?

Landlocked Burkina Faso is currently grappling with several armed groups which have seized control of land in the country’s north, south and west, amounting to about 60 percent of the country, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS).

The most active groups are the al-Qaeda-backed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which also operate in neighbouring Mali and Niger.

The groups want to rule over territory according to strict Islamic laws and are opposed to secularism.

By December 2024, all three Alliance of Sahel States countries had cut ties with former colonial power France and instead turned to Russian fighters for security support after accusing Paris of overly meddling in their countries.

Between them, they expelled more than 5,000 French soldiers who had previously provided support in the fight against armed groups. A smaller contingent of about 2,000 Russian security personnel is now stationed across the three countries.

But violence in Burkina Faso and the larger Sahel region has worsened.

Fatalities have tripled in the three years since Traore took power to reach 17,775 – mostly civilians – by last May, compared with the three years prior, when combined recorded deaths were 6,630, the ACSS recorded.

In September, Human Rights Watch accused JNIM and ISSP of massacring civilians in northern Djibo, Gorom Gorom and other towns, and of causing the displacement of tens of thousands since 2016.

HRW has also similarly accused the Burkinabe military and an allied militia group, Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, of atrocities against civilians suspected of cooperating with armed groups. In attacks on northern Nondin and Soro villages in early 2024, the military killed 223 civilians, including 56 babies and children, HRW said in an April 2024 report.

Mali and Niger have similarly recorded attacks by the armed groups. Malian capital Bamako has been sealed off from fuel supplies by JNIM fighters for months.

On Wednesday night, the Nigerien military held off heavy attacks on the airport in the capital city, Niamey. No armed group has yet claimed responsibility.

Is the civic space shrinking in Burkina Faso?

Since it took power, the government in Ouagadougou has been accused by rights groups of cracking down on dissent and restricting press and civic freedoms.

All political activities were first suspended immediately after the coup.

In April 2024, the government also took aim at the media, ordering internet service providers to suspend access to the websites and other digital platforms of the BBC, Voice of America and HRW.

Meanwhile, authorities have forced dozens of government critics into military service and sent them to fight against armed groups. Several prominent journalists and judges have been arrested after speaking out against increasingly restrictive rules on press and judiciary freedom.

Abdoul Gafarou Nacro, a deputy prosecutor at the country’s High Court, was one of at least five senior members of the judiciary to be forcibly conscripted and sent to fight armed groups in August 2024 after speaking out against the military government. Nacro’s whereabouts are currently unknown.

In April 2025, three abducted journalists resurfaced in a social media video 10 days after they went missing, in one example. All three – Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Luc Pagbelguem – were wearing military fatigues in an apparent forced conscription. They have all since been released.

However, several others, including some opposition politicians, are still missing.

The brand new crime drama will be released today as fans brand it one of the “most harrowing” things they have seen

A gripping crime drama dubbed “one of the most harrowing and distressing things” fans have ever seen is now available to stream for free.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy tells the terrifying story of the American serial killer, spanning across eight episodes. Having first been released in the US last year, it will today (January 30) be released on ITV and ITVX.

The series will air weekly at 9pm on ITV1 & STV on Fridays. But for those looking to binge-watch the series in one go, all 8 episodes will be available via ITVX & STV Player straight away.

It has been teased: “Prepare to take a deep dive into the mind and life of one of America’s most notorious serial killers with this drama that tells the terrifying story of John Wayne Gacy.

“From 1972-1978, thirty-three young men were kidnapped, murdered, and buried in a crawl space beneath their killer’s house. And no one was the wiser. Not for all those years. Why? He was charming and funny.

“Had a good, All-American job. Was a community leader. He even volunteered to entertain sick kids… while dressed as a clown.

“Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy peels back the twisted layers of Gacy’s life while weaving in heartrending stories of his victims; exploring the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities, and societal prejudices that fueled his reign of terror.”

The series has already been a hit with viewers, as one person said: “Honestly, one of the most harrowing and distressing things I’ve ever seen. Each episode takes time to honour and bring back to life one or more of the victims.”

Is Devil in Disguise based on a true story?

Yes, the ITV drama is based on the true story of the notorious American serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who murdered young men and boys in the 1970s. Although a dramatisation of his life and crimes, it is based on real-life events that occurred.

Known as the Killer Clown, because Gacy often dressed as one when volunteering at various events, he targeted young men and sexually assaulted many of them before killing them. And he went untraced from 1972 to 1978.

Across a six-year spree, Gacy murdered 33 young men before burying them in a mass grave under his own home in Chicago. Leading a double life, Gacy had a fascination with clowns, often using that persona to lure his victims.

But it wasn’t until 1978 that he was arrested and confessed to the crimes. His arrest came after the disappearance of teenager Robert Piest, who was Gacy’s final victim, which led authorities to suspect Gacy.

In 1980, he was convicted of killing 33 young men and sentenced to death before receiving the lethal injection at the age of 52 in 1994.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.

Until January 3, Maduro & Co. managed to construct a form of “normalcy” that was business-friendly enough to attract foreign capital, drawn in by the Special Economic Zones and by the marriage between the bolibourgeoisie and national capital that survived economic collapse in the 2010s. Chevron and other major international companies accepted doing business in Venezuela because Maduro’s illegitimacy did not prevent them from projecting returns in the short, medium, and long term. Maduro could offer this normalcy at the cost of violence and a “gentleman’s agreement”. Still, only the companies that feel sufficiently secure in what remains a high-risk bet under these conditions ultimately enter the country.

Part of this arrangement involved negotiating a degree of sanctions relief with the United States, expressed most clearly through the license granted to Chevron. Now, with Maduro effectively sidelined and Delcy Rodríguez—architect of Maduro’s economic reform—holding power, the US seeks to open and deepen its investments. On January 9, Trump met with executives from major oil companies and urged them to make large-scale investments in Venezuelan projects. Several executives replied that, under current conditions, Venezuela could not be considered a safe destination for their firms. They see no real guarantees of stability or long-term predictability in the existing economic rules of the game, because this normalcy continues to rest on the arbitrariness of the National Executive, the use of violence, and political whims. Today, power may align itself with Washington. Tomorrow, it could attempt an anti-imperialist rupture.

The supposedly “moderate” Delcy is still far from consolidated vis-à-vis anti-imperialist power brokers, such as those embodied by Diosdado Cabello or senior FANB officers. The US openly acknowledges this, signaling that it continues to keep an eye on these actors—hinting at the possibility of a second attack or leaking to the press its intention to have the CIA permanently stationed in Venezuela. Delcy, for her part, appears to be trying to neutralize the most hardline anti-imperialist sectors. She strives to maintain a hostile rhetoric—that Trump and Rubio don’t seem to care about—that does not match her actions.

However, no new law can erase the reality that, at the core of all policy, lies the arbitrary decision-making power of whoever holds authority.

Trump understands the reasons behind the reluctance of large-scale capital, which is indispensable to consolidating Washington’s new role as the steward of Venezuela’s future. He seeks to reassure investors that they are not negotiating with the Venezuelan State, but with the US government itself, and that it is his word (not Delcy’s) that underwrites these agreements. Yet Trump’s own arbitrariness, his erratic and unpredictable governing style, also adds another layer of risk to the level of investment he is demanding from these companies.

The reform of the Organic Hydrocarbons Law signals that the new regime is willing to accept whatever demands are necessary to make investments feel safe and profitable, stabilizing a legal framework meant to introduce a degree of predictability into the new normalcy Delcy is attempting to rebuild. However, no new law can erase the reality that, at the core of all policy, lies the arbitrary decision-making power of whoever holds authority. As a result, the risk never truly disappears: what is law today may cease to be so tomorrow.

What the new economy could look like

Most likely, securing terms acceptable to US capital is requiring Delcy to offer increased profit margins accompanied by special legal guarantees. It will also require a shift in how the subordination of workers to this new national economic agreement is managed. If Delcy’s trend toward rehabilitating the image of the National State includes releasing political prisoners, it may also reflect an acknowledgment that sustaining normalcy through the exploitation and repression of Venezuelan workers is no longer viable.

This possibility surfaced in her January 15 address to the National Assembly, when she proposed creating two sovereign funds financed by the foreign currency generated by the new oil arrangement. One fund would be devoted to “social protection,” aimed at improving workers’ incomes through unspecified mechanisms (salary increases or bonuses?) and strengthening health, education, food provision, and housing. The other would focus on rebuilding infrastructure and public services. This latter proposal aligns closely with Trump’s vision, which presented US capital with an arrangement centered on restoring national infrastructure to support oil operations.

Major international oil companies can extract profits without living in the country, but Venezuelan companies cannot. For them, the transition to democracy must also become a necessity.

If these plans materialize under US supervision, we could anticipate an increase in economic activity. More consumption and a greater supply of US imports, particularly since Trump (and hinted by Rubio on Wednesday) has already conditioned payment for Venezuelan oil on the exclusive purchase of American products in equivalent amounts.

It is difficult to predict how the population would react. After the Guaidó interim presidency failed to oust Maduro, Venezuelans increasingly abandoned aspirations for political change, retreating instead into private life or into their economic activities as workers or small entrepreneurs, seeking some form of long-term personal and family stability, along with sufficient margins of consumption to make life in Venezuela bearable. If the economic scenario were to change radically, would the population accept the continuation of chavismo without demanding guarantees of democratic processes in the medium or long term, so long as a new era of prosperity and consumption is secured?

Challenges for democratic politics

María Corina Machado and the opposition face a stark problem: the transition could unfold without them. A transition negotiated exclusively between the US and the ruling Rodríguez faction risks sidelining essential demands for building a healthy democracy—such as the unconditional release of all political prisoners, transitional justice processes, the dismantling of repressive forces, environmental protection in southern Venezuela, the reconstruction of democratic participation mechanisms, and the achievement of genuinely free and effective elections.

Democratic forces risk seeing citizens accept the abandonment of these demands in exchange for renewed economic prosperity, without recognizing that, in the medium and long term, these very demands are the only ones capable of guaranteeing that economic recovery and social liberalization can endure beyond the whims of the National Executive.

Rather than immediately confronting the National State, democratic demands for freedom, memory, truth, and justice should be brought into the very circuits of consumption that the PSUV has built.

Democratic actors could prevent a transition from moving forward without them by restoring, through the comanditos, a strategy of regular and sustained mobilization around an initial demand that doesn’t represent an existential threat for PSUV. The demand for the release of political prisoners is crucial here. As seen in the exchange between student leaders from the Universidad Central (UCV) and Delcy Rodríguez, this demand unexpectedly opened space for a form of dialogue, however imperfect it was.

For Delcy’s new normalcy to function, it requires forgetting and a citizenry able to consume freely without the guilt that comes from acknowledging that this new enjoyment is built upon the acceptance of impunity. A democratic political strategy must therefore aim to generate discomfort and prevent oblivion.

Following this logic, protests should innovate. Rather than immediately confronting the National State, democratic demands for freedom, memory, truth, and justice should be brought into the very circuits of consumption that the PSUV has built to benefit national capital, the bolibourgeoisie, small business owners, and resigned or apathetic workers. This means unsettling not only the political actors at the helm of this transition process, but also their economic counterparts. Major international oil companies can extract profits without living in the country, but Venezuelan companies cannot. For them, the transition to democracy must also become a necessity.

If not out of fear of the costs of authoritarianism, then their necessity should be driven by the high social price of failing to promote the national democratic reconstruction.

After what was undoubtedly one of the greatest performances of his 20-year career, Djokovic thanked all who had stayed until late into the night to provide support – including Australian great Margaret Court, with whom he shares the overall Grand Slam record at 24.

A staggering success was founded in near-perfect ball striking in key moments, but defined by the remarkable resilience he showed to twice level the match against world number two Sinner, saving eight break points in the fifth set as he battled to victory after four hours and nine minutes.

Having looked physically fatigued as he conceded the third set, Djokovic appeared only to grow in strength and refused to fold under sustained pressure as another thrilling conclusion unfolded on Rod Laver Arena.

A 10-time winner in Melbourne, Djokovic produced a remarkable recovery from 0-40 down to move a game from victory after striking the first blow for a 4-3 lead, eventually ending Sinner’s resistance with a fourth match point to become the oldest man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final.

More to follow.