MINNEAPOLIS — For weeks, administrators at this charter high school have arrived an hour before class, grabbed neon vests and walkie-talkies, and headed out into the cold to watch for ICE agents and escort students in.
Lately, fewer than half of the 800 sudents show up.
“Operation Metro Surge,” the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to nationwide protests after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, has had students, parents and teachers on edge regardless of their immigration status.
Signs of a fearful new normal are all over the school. Green craft paper covers the bottom of many first-floor windows so outsiders can’t peer in. A notice taped outside one door says unauthorized entry is prohibited: “This includes all federal law enforcement personnel and activities unless authorized by lawful written direction from appropriate school officials or a valid court order.”
Students at a Minneapolis high school classroom with many empty seats on Jan. 29, 2026.
Staff coordinate throughout the day with a neighborhood watch group to determine whether ICE agents are nearby. When they are, classroom doors are locked and hallways emptied until staff announce “all clear.”
Similar tactics have been utilized by schools in other cities hit by immigration raids across the country. The Los Angeles Unified School District established a donation fund for affected families and created security perimeters around schools last summer.
But it appears nowhere have students felt the repercussions of local raids more than in Minneapolis.
Many schools have seen attendance plummet by double-digit percentages. At least three other, smaller charter schools in Minneapolis have completely shut down in-person learning.
At this high school, which administrators asked The Times not to identify for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration, 84% of students are Latino and 12% are Black. Staff and students are being identified by first or middle names.
A balloon sits in a hallway at the high school.
Doors and windows are covered at the school so outsiders can’t see in.
Three students have been detained — and later released — in recent weeks. Two others were followed into the school parking lot and questioned about their immigration status. Several have parents who were deported or who self-deported. Latino staff said they have also been stopped and questioned about their legal status.
“Our families feel hunted,” said Noelle, the school district’s executive director.
Students returned from winter break on Jan. 6, the same day 2,000 additional immigration agents were dispatched to Minneapolis to carry out what Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons called the agency’s “largest immigration operation ever.” The next day, an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
“I describe that day as if you’re on an airplane and it’s really bad turbulence, and you have to keep your cool because, if you don’t, you lose the entire building,” said Emmanuel, an assistant principal. “It felt like we went through war.”
Attendance dropped by the hundreds as parents grew too afraid to let their children leave home. School leaders decided to offer online learning and scrambled to find enough laptops and mobile hotspots for the many students who didn’t have devices or internet. Some teachers sent packets of schoolwork to students by mail.
A teacher at the Minneapolis high school that administrators asked The Times not to identify for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration. Teachers and students there also asked not to be identified.
Noelle said in-person attendance, which had dropped below 400 students, increased by around 100 in the third week of January. Then federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, and attendance plummeted again.
Rochelle Van Dijk, vice president of Great MN Schools, a nonprofit supporting schools that serve a majority of students of color, said many schools have redirected tens of thousands of dollars away from other critical needs toward online learning, food distribution and safety planning. For students still attending in person, recess has frequently been canceled, and field trips and after-school activities paused.
Even if students return to school by mid-February, Van Dijk said, they will have missed 20% of their instructional days for the year.
“A senior who can’t meet with their college counselor right now just missed support needed for major January college application deadlines. Or a second-grader with a speech delay who is supposed to be in an active in-person intervention may lose a critical window of brain plasticity,” she said. “It is not dissimilar to what our nation’s children faced during COVID, but entirely avoidable.”
At the high school, administrators said they tried to create “a security bubble,” operating under protocols more typical of active shooter emergencies.
Gym class at the Minneapolis school, where many students are so afraid of ICE that they won’t go to the campus.
If agents were to enter the building without a judicial warrant, the school would go into a full lockdown, turning off lights, staying silent and moving out of sight. That hasn’t happened, though ICE last year rescinded a policy that had barred arrests at so-called sensitive locations, including schools.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said that blaming ICE for low school attendance is “creating a climate of fear and smearing law enforcement.”
“ICE does not target schools,” McLaughlin said. “If a dangerous or violent illegal criminal alien felon were to flee into a school, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect the safety of the student. But this has not happened.”
Alondra, a 16-year-old junior who was born in the U.S., was arrested after school Jan. 21 near a clinic where she had gone with a friend, also 16, to pick up medication for her grandmother.
She said that as she was about to turn into the parking lot, another car sped in front of her, forcing her to stop. Alondra saw four men in ski masks with guns get out. Scared, she put her car in reverse. Before she could move, she said, another vehicle pulled up and struck her car from behind.
Alondra shared videos with The Times that she recorded from the scene. She said agents cracked her passenger window in an attempt to get in.
“We’re with you!” a bystander can be heard telling her in the video as others blow emergency whistles.
She said she rolled her window down and an agent asked to see her ID. She gave him her license and U.S. passport.
“Is it necessary to have to talk to you or can I talk to an actual cop?” she asks in the video. “Can I talk to an actual cop from here?”
“We are law enforcement,” the agent replies. “What are they gonna do?”
In another video, an agent questions Alondra’s friend about the whereabouts of his parents. Another agent is heard saying Alondra had put her car in reverse.
“We’re underage,” she tells him. “We’re scared.”
A sign directs students to line up for their school bus route. Bus pickups are staggered, with one group of students escorted outside at a time. This way, the children can be taken back inside the school or onto the bus more easily if ICE arrives.
A Minneapolis Public Radio reporter at the scene said agents appeared to have rear-ended Alondra’s car. But Alondra said an agent claimed she had caused the accident.
“It’s just a simple accident, you know what I mean?” he says in the video. “We’re not gonna get on you for trying to hit us or something.”
“Can you let us go, please?” her friend, visibly shaken, asks the agent at his window.
Alondra and her friend were handcuffed and placed in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle as observers filmed the incident. At least two observers were arrested as agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray, according to an MPR report.
The agents took the students to the federal Whipple Building. Alondra said the agents separated the friends, looked through and photographed her belongings and had her change into blue canvas shoes before chaining her feet together and placing her in a holding cell alone.
“I asked at least five times if I could let my guardian know what was happening, because I was underage, but they never let me,” she said.
Finally, around 7 p.m., agents released Alondra — with no paperwork about the incident — and she called her aunt to pick her up. Her friend was released later.
Meanwhile, school administrators who saw the MPR video called Alondra’s family and her friend’s.
Alondra said officers didn’t know what had happened to her car and told her they would call her when she could pick it up. But no one has called, and school administrators who helped her make calls to Minneapolis impound lots haven’t been able to locate it either.
Though Alondra could attend classes online, she felt she had to return to campus.
“I feel like if I would have stayed home, it would have gone worse for me,” she said, her lip quivering. “I use school as a distraction.”
The backstage of the auditorium, dubbed the bodega, has been turned into a well-stocked pantry for families who are too afraid to leave their homes.
A volunteer organizes donated items for distribution to families at the Minneapolis high school.
A teacher makes a delivery to a family in Minneapolis.
Teachers and volunteers sort donations by category, including hygiene goods, breakfast cereals, bread and tortillas, fruit and vegetables, diapers and other baby items. Bags are labeled with each student’s name and address and filled with the items their family has requested. After school, teachers deliver the items to the students’ homes.
Noelle said some students, particularly those who are homeless, are now at risk of failing because they’re in “survival mode.” Their learning is stagnating, she said.
“A lot of these kids are — I mean, they want to be — college-bound,” Noelle said. “How do you compete [for admission] with the best applicants if you’re online right now and doing one touch-point a day with one teacher because that’s all the technology that you have?”
On Thursday afternoon, 20 of 44 students had shown up for an AP world history class where the whiteboard prompt asked, “Why might some people resort to violent resistance rather than peaceful protest?”
Upstairs, in an 11th-grade U.S. history class, attendance was even worse — four students, with 17 others following online. The topic was what the teacher called the nation’s “first immigration ban,” the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Students head to their bus at the high school.
Morgan, the teacher, asked the students to name a similarity between the Chinese exclusion era and current day.
“Immigrants getting thrown out,” one student offered.
“Once they leave, they can’t come back,” said another.
“The fact that this is our first ban on immigration also sets a precedent that this stuff can happen over and over and over again,” Morgan said.
Sophie, who teachers English language learners, led the effort to organize the online school option. She is from Chile and says she has struggled to put her own fear aside to be present for the students who rely on her. Driving to school scares her, too.
“It’s lawless,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that I have my passport in my purse. The minute I open my mouth, they’re going to know that I’m not from here.”
Sophie said she once had to call a student’s mother to say her husband had been taken by immigration agents after another school staffer found his car abandoned on a nearby street.
“Having to have that conversation wasn’t on my bingo card for that day, or any day,” she said. “Having to say that we have proof that your husband was taken and hearing that woman crying and couldn’t talk, and I’m like, what do I say now?”
Close to the 4:15 p.m. dismissal, administrators again donned their neon vests and logged on to the neighborhood Signal call for possible immigration activity.
Students walk to a bus Thursday. Dismissal used to be a free-for-all, with large numbers of students rushing outside as soon as the bell rang.
Dismissal used to be a free-for-all — once the final bell rang, students would rush outside to find their bus or ride or to begin the walk home.
Now pickups are staggered, with students escorted outside one bus at a time. Teachers grab numbered signs and tell students to line up according to their route. If ICE agents pull up, administrators said, they could rush a smaller group of students onto the bus or back inside.
In yet another example of how the immigration raids had crippled attendance, some buses were nearly empty. On one bus, just two students hopped on.
“I’ve been sniffing and knocking on the door for a couple of majors since those decisions have been made, and those moments did validate that decision.
“It’s good to see people wanting to play where it motivates them to be their best.”
Rose finished 23 under at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, beating the tournament’s previous best winning score of 22 under by Tiger Woods in 1999 and George Burns in 1987.
Rose also became the oldest player to secure a wire-to-wire finish on tour – leading in all four rounds – since Rocco Mediate in October 2010 aged 47.
“I want to play in and among the best players in the world; that’s what keeps me motivated, keeps me hungry, keeps me pushing,” Rose continued.
“It would have been easy to potentially do other things but none of that excited me and none of that gave me access to what I wanted to achieve.
“I always felt my childhood self wouldn’t feel very good about making that decision and giving up on those dreams.”
Five-time major champion Koepka, 35, made his comeback at Torrey Pines under a new returning member programme.
The also opened the door to the return of other major winners Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith but all three pledged their commitment to LIV before the 2 February cut-off date to apply to get on the programme.
Koepka agreed to make a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as part of his return, while 35-year-old Reed, who is planning to play on the DP World Tour this year, is eligible to begin competing on the PGA Tour in August, 2026 with a view to reinstating his membership for the 2027 season.
ICE agents in California detained several residents, including a US citizen, amid a surge in immigration raids under the Trump administration. Protests under the ‘ICE Out of Everywhere’ campaign erupted across southern California, where demonstrators faced arrests and injuries.
Iran examines regional proposals to ease tensions with the US as it expects a framework for talks in the coming days.
Iran has said that it expects progress on a framework to restart nuclear talks with the United States as unverified reports suggest the country’s president has ordered the revival of the negotiations.
Tehran said on Monday that it is examining several diplomatic processes pitched by countries in the region to ease tensions with Washington, adding that it expects a framework for talks in the coming days.
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The announcement came as Tehran and Washington appear to be pulling back from the threat of military action.
US President Donald Trump sent warships to the Middle East after Iran violently put down mass protests in January, but he then called for Tehran to make a deal to resume talks on its nuclear programme, which were abandoned in June when Iran was attacked by the US and Israel.
On Sunday, Trump said the US is talking with Iran. Tehran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has now confirmed indirect negotiations are ongoing.
“Countries of the region are acting as mediators in the exchange of messages,” he said on Monday without giving details on the content of the negotiations.
“Several points have been addressed, and we are examining and finalising the details of each stage in the diplomatic process, which we hope to conclude in the coming days.”
The state news agency IRNA reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had telephone calls with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye to discuss the latest developments.
Later, the Fars news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying Pezeshkian had ordered the resumption of nuclear talks.
“Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars reported without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.
Araghchi is due to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff for negotiations against this backdrop, Iranian news agency Tasnim also reported on Monday. Neither Tehran nor Washington has verified a meeting has been arranged.
The reports out of Tehran came as the region has been braced for a potential US attack as an aircraft carrier and fighter jets are sitting in the Indian Ocean close enough to assist a strike.
Trump threatened Iran in the wake of mass protests there in which thousands of people were killed in January. The demonstrations, which were triggered by economic distress and the collapse of the country’s currency, morphed into a direct challenge to the government.
However, Trump’s approach has since transformed into a demand for a nuclear deal as the US and European Union are concerned that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its programme is strictly civilian.
While Iran suggested on Monday that it is moving closer to agreeing to reopen talks, it is understood that the US has set some conditions.
Iranian sources told the Reuters news agency that for talks to resume, Trump has demanded that Iran agree to end enrichment of uranium, curtail its missile programme and halt support to its network of allied armed groups in the region.
In the past, Iran has shown flexibility in discussing the nuclear file, but missiles and regional allies have long been treated as nonnegotiable.
It is not clear whether Iran would change its position now that the country urgently needs sanctions relief to improve the economy and stave off future unrest.
In June, American and Iranian officials had kicked off negotiations in Oman, but the process stalled after Israel attacked Iran and then the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
On Sunday, Trump said Iran was “seriously talking” with the US but insisted, “We have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has also maintained a defiant tone, warning on Sunday that any attack would result in a “regional war”.
As officials in the region geared up their diplomacy to avoid another confrontation, the EU last week designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “terrorist organisation”.
On Monday, Iran said it had summoned all EU envoys in recent days over the move, adding that it was considering “countermeasures”.
BRITISH superstar Harry Styles is heading to Hollywood.
On Sunday night the As It Was singer returned to the Grammys to present Album of the Year – keeping a low profile by skipping the red carpet and ceremony.
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And now The Sun can reveal Harry Styles, 31, is on the brink of announcing a huge residency in California as part of his upcoming Together, Together tour.
Harry Styles will kick off his Together, Together tour this summerCredit: Johnny DufoHarry Styles is set to announce a huge residency in Los AngelesCredit: Getty
Sources have confirmed that Harry has committed to a run of shows in Los Angeles in Spring 2027.
He is currently weighing up which venue to call home after being met with two huge offers.
The management team of The Intuit Dome and The Kia Forum both have sent him big money deals.
The Sun understands a staggering 30 dates are on the table to match his upcoming run of shows in New York.
He will play 30 nights at the iconic Madison Square from August 26 – he only announced US shows.
Harry played a 15 night run at The Forum in late 2022 and early 2023 with Love On Tour.
Meanwhile, The Intuit, home to the LA Clippers, is the most technologically advanced LA gig spot with lights in seats and a cutting edge audio system.
A source said: “Harry is heading to Hollywood.
“He is definitely playing LA on this tour. He has mind set on a residency in early 2027.
“The question is which venue would work for him. He has been offered The Forum and The Intuit Dome and it’s his choice which he prefers.
“The Forum gigs were some of his most free, fun and exhilarating shows on his last tour.
“He was relaxed throughout the run and really touched by how the fans reacted to him.
“A 20 to 30 night run would be an instant sell out. He could probably play double that amount.
“Interestingly the team which booked these venues are the same people because both have the same ownership.”
The insider added: “The LA leg will be announced as part of an expansion of his tour.”
Cameron Mofid completed his quest to travel to all 195 UN-recognised countries and territories in 2025, and has now named three standout cities from his travels
13:39, 02 Feb 2026Updated 14:41, 02 Feb 2026
Cameron completed his journey when he visited his final destination, North Korea
(Image: @cameronmofid/Instagram)
A man who’s visited all 195 countries in the world has named a European city akin to a “living crossroads of history” as one of his favourites. San Diego’s Cameron Mofid set off on a quest to travel to all 195 UN-recognised countries and territories while struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
On April 3, 2025, Cameron completed his journey by visiting his final destination, North Korea—often referred to as the “hermit kingdom.” With this, he achieved his goal of travelling to every country in the world, all by the young age of just 25.
Cameron, who previously discussed some of his favourite countries with The Mirror, has also recently shared a list of three cities around the world that he particularly loves, including one located in Europe.
In a first-person piece for Business Insider, Cameron revealed that he has a particular fondness for the vibrant city of Sydney, Australia, and the breathtaking Krabi in the sun-drenched Southeast Asian nation of Thailand.
For those who might feel discouraged by the long journeys required to reach these two far-flung destinations, Cameron has also suggested an alternative favourite, which is much more accessible for Brits: Valletta, Malta.
Cameron wrote in Business Insider: “Valletta felt like a living crossroads of history from the moment I arrived. Sitting at the centre of the Mediterranean, the city reflects centuries of Italian, Arab, British, and North African influence, all packed into a compact, walkable capital.
“I’d walk past waterfront cafés and, minutes later, find myself standing on the city’s fortified walls, looking out over waters once travelled by Phoenician traders, Ottoman fleets, and British warships.
“What surprised me most about Valletta was how under-visited it felt compared to much of southern Europe. Even during peak season, it never felt overrun. A short ferry ride away, I spent time on the island of Gozo, where life moved even slower.”
Cameron detailed how he visited temples older than the pyramids in Egypt and experienced villages where fishing and farming continue to “shape daily life”, but travelling to the island also served to make Valletta feel even “more special”.
In further remarks about the European city, he went on to describe how the “historic” capital offered simple access to what he termed the “quieter, older side of the Mediterranean”.
Located south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, Malta is an archipelago boasting a rich history. Over the centuries, it has been occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, and even France and Britain.
Some of the highlights in Valletta include St John’s Co-Cathedral, the National Museum of Archaeology, the stunning Upper Barrakka Gardens, and St Catherine’s Monastery.
The Met Office states that Malta enjoys “typically Mediterranean” weather, with hot and dry summers with temperatures hitting 32C in July and August and falling to 15 to 17C in December to February.
If you’d like to take a trip to Malta, you can expect an average flight time of 3 hours, 19 minutes (London Gatwick to Malta International Airport in Valletta), according to Booking.com.
This huge park that’s 2.5 hours from the UK is already among the largest in Europe, and visitors arriving in 2026 will have two more thrilling experiences to enjoy including a one-of-a-kind ride
The theme park is among the largest in Europe(Image: Publicity Picture)
One of the largest theme parks in Europe, which is popular with Brits on holiday, has announced two huge new attractions for the summer season.
PortAventura World is already a vast theme park set in a popular part of Spain. The resort includes PortAventura Park, the main theme park, which is split into six worlds including China, Mexico, and even Sesame Street. There’s also the separate Ferrari Land, which is themed around the luxury car; and PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, a large water park which has a range of waterslides, a lazy river, and more.
The first new attraction will be found in Caribe Aquatic Park and is named Coral Bay: The Lost Legend. It’s set to be a 6,000 m² family area themed around a pirate bay that has risen from the depths of the water.
At Coral Bay, visitors will be able to make a splash on a water coaster, which PortAventura claims will have a unique twist that’ll be a first in Europe. This is in addition to an adventure pool, featuring a fun obstacle course for kids to take on. The new area will also include more waterslides and new food and drink options for visitors.
The second addition is Makamanu Jungle: The Adventure Trek. The attraction will be added to the Polynesia area of PortAventura Park. Guests will experience exploring the deepest jungle, with secret walkways, hanging bridges, and obstacles and challenges for both “children and their companions”.
The adventure park will join existing rides in the Polynesia world, including Tutuki Splash, a water ride that’s popular on hot sunny days as it includes a cooling splash at the end, and Kontiki, a pirate ship-style ride with a Tiki theme.
PortAventura confirmed that both attractions will open to the public by summer, although it didn’t give exact dates.
PortAventura is close to the popular tourist town of Salou, and just a short drive from Reus Airport, which has seasonal flights to the UK from easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, and TUI throughout the summer months. It’s also just under 90 minutes from Barcelona, and a popular day trip for those staying in the city.
If you want to spend longer exploring PortAventura, one option is to stay in the resort’s hotels, six of which can be found on-site and include unlimited visits to PortAventura Park. Packages also include one-day access to Ferrari Land, and discounted tickets to Caribe Aquatic Park, so you can enjoy all that this vast resort has to offer.
Four-star Hotel PortAventura is a popular option for guests as it offers direct access to the park through its Mediterrània area, home of Europe’s fastest rollercoaster, Furius Baco. Themed around a charming Mediterranean village, the hotel has its own pool, games room, and entertainment. Guests can also opt for half- or full-board stays, with buffets and an on-site restaurant.
Another fun-themed hotel is the Hotel Gold River, which is close to the park’s cowboy-themed Far West area. Designed to look like a Wild West town, the hotel has its own saloon and an upmarket Victorian-style restaurant. It also has three pools open for the summer season, so you can cool off after a day exploring the park.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
It all began after a viral video alleging fraud in Somali-run child-care centers in Minneapolis: strangers peering through windows, right-wing journalists showing up outside homes, influencers hurling false accusations.
In San Diego, child-care provider Samsam Khalif was shuttling kids to her home-based center when she was spooked by two men with a camera waiting in a car parked outside, prompting her to circle the block several times before unloading the children.
“I’m scared. I don’t know what their intention is,” said Khalif, who decided to install additional security cameras outside her home.
Somali-run child-care centers across the United States have become targets since the video caught the attention of the White House amid the administration’s immigration crackdown. Child-care providers worry about how they can maintain the safe learning environments they have worked to create for young children who may be spending their first days away from their parents.
In the Minneapolis area, child-care providers, many of them immigrants, say they’re being antagonized, exacerbating the stress they face from immigration enforcement activity that has engulfed the city.
One child-care provider said she watched someone emerge from a car that had been circling the building and defecate near the center’s entrance. The same day, a motorist driving by yelled that the center was a “fake day care.” She’s had to create new lockdown procedures, is budgeting for security and now keeps the blinds closed to shield children from unwanted visitors and from witnessing immigration enforcement actions.
“I can’t have peace of mind about whether the center will be safe today,” said the provider, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted. “That’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Video’s claims disproved
The day after Christmas, right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a lengthy video with allegations that members of Minneapolis’ large Somali community were running fake child-care centers so they could collect federal child-care subsidies.
The U.S. occasionally has seen fraud cases related to child-care subsidies. But the Minneapolis video’s central claims — that business owners were billing the government for children they were not caring for — were disproved by inspectors. Nonetheless, the Trump administration attempted to freeze child-care funding for Minnesota and five other Democratic-led states until a court ordered the funding to be released.
President Trump has repeatedly targeted Somali immigrants with dehumanizing rhetoric, calling them “garbage” and “low IQ” and suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who was born in Somalia, should be deported: “Throw her the hell out!” In Minnesota, 87% of foreign-born Somalis are naturalized U.S. citizens.
Trump has zeroed in on a years-old case in which a sprawling network of fraudsters — many of them Somali Americans — bilked Minnesota of an estimated $300 million that was supposed to help feed children and families. His rhetoric intensified after Shirley’s video was posted.
Activists take it upon themselves to investigate
In Federal Way, Wash., and Columbus, Ohio, both home to large Somali communities, right-wing journalists and influencers began showing up unannounced at addresses for child-care operations they pulled from state websites.
In one video, a man arrives at a bungalow-style building in Columbus. He films through the glass front door, showing a foyer with cheerful posters that read “When we learn, we grow” and “Make today happy.”
“It does not look like a child-care center at all,” the man says.
Ohio dispatched an inspector to the address and found that it was, in fact, a legitimate child-care center. The center’s voicemail was hacked, so parents calling heard a slur-laden message calling Somalis “sand rats” and saying they “worship a false religion of baby-raping terrorists,” according to WOSU-FM.
In Washington state, child-care workers called police on the right-wing journalists who kept appearing outside their homes.
Journalists with the right-leaning Washington outlet Center Square filmed themselves pressing a woman for proof that she ran a child-care center for which she was collecting federal subsidies. She refused to answer questions.
“Are you aware of the Somali day-care fraud? We’re just trying to check out if this is a real day care,” one of the journalists said. “Where are the children?”
Local officials speak out
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson posted a statement on X saying she would not tolerate anyone trying to “intimidate, harass or film Somali child care providers.” Then, Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, issued her own warning: “Asking questions/citizen journalism are NOT HATE CRIMES in America — they are protected speech, and if Seattle tries to chill that speech, @CivilRights will step in to protect it and set them straight!”
In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine held a news conference to debunk a right-wing influencer’s fraud claims about a Columbus child-care center and assured people the state diligently monitored centers that receive public money. He said a child-care provider refusing to let in a stranger should not be read as a sign of fraud.
“It shouldn’t be a shock when someone sees something on social media, and someone is going, ‘I can’t get into this place, no one will let me in,’” DeWine said in a news conference in January. “Well, hell, no! No one should let them in.”
Even after DeWine refuted the claims, Republicans in the Statehouse introduced legislation to more closely monitor child-care centers, including one measure that would require those that take public money to provide live video feeds of their classrooms to state officials.
Advocates say fraud claims are a distraction
Child-care advocates say the fraud allegations are detracting from more pressing crises.
Child-care subsidy programs in many states have lengthy waiting lists, making it difficult for parents to return to work. The programs that subsidize child care for families that struggle to afford it are also facing funding threats, including from the Trump administration.
Ruth Friedman, who headed the Office of Child Care under President Biden, accused Trump and Republicans of manufacturing a crisis for political gain.
“They are using it to try to discredit the movement toward investing in child care,” said Friedman, who is now a senior fellow at the left-leaning think tank Century Foundation.
Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement that the department “rejects the claim that concerns about child care program integrity are manufactured.” He urged people to report suspected fraud to the government.
Balingit and Kramon write for the Associated Press.
Name of Israeli military facility at Gaza crossing with Egypt linked to Zionist anthem and pro-settler NGO, signalling a shift, analysts say. from security control to West Bank-style land grab and dehumanisation of Palestinians.
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has reopened partially for a few Palestinians after an 18-month closure in tandem with an added restriction to control the movement of returnees. The Israeli army has set up a checkpoint called Regavim in an area under its control outside the crossing for those entering Gaza from Egypt.
As the first trickle of humanity passed through the gates on Monday, official Israeli military documents gave it a name that indicates the facility is no longer being treated as a border crossing but as an operation for population control.
In an official statement published on its website on Sunday, the Israeli army announced the completion of what it called the “Regavim Inspection Nekez”.
While the Israeli military frames this technical language as routine, analysts told Al Jazeera that the choice of the words “Regavim” and “Nekez” indicates Israel’s long-term intentions.
Al Jazeera spoke to Israeli affairs experts who argued that these terms reveal a dual strategy: invoking Zionist nostalgia to claim the land while using engineering terms to dehumanise the Palestinian people.
Historical code: ‘Clod after clod’
For analyst Mohannad Mustafa, the name Regavim is not random; it is a deliberate ideological trigger intended to resonate with the Israeli government’s far-right base.
“In Hebrew, Regavim means ‘clods of earth’ or patches of arable land,” Mustafa explained. “But it is not just a word. It is a trigger for the Zionist collective memory of land redemption.”
The term is inextricably linked to the Zionist children’s song and poem Dunam Po Ve Dunam Sham (A Dunam Here, a Dunam There) by Joshua Friedman, which was an anthem for the early settlement movement. The lyrics celebrate the acquisition of land: “Dunam here and dunam there/Clod after clod (Regev ahar regev)/Thus we shall redeem the land of the people.”
“By officially naming the Rafah corridor Regavim, the army is sending a subliminal message,” Mustafa said. “They are framing their presence in Gaza not as a temporary security mission but as a form of ‘redeeming the land’ identical to the ideology of the early pioneers.”
Political code: The ‘West Bank model’
Beyond the historical nostalgia, the name has a direct line to the present-day architects of Israel’s annexation policies: the Regavim Movement.
This far-right NGO, cofounded in 2006 by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has been the primary force behind the expansion of Israeli control in the occupied West Bank. A 2023 investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz detailed how the organisation essentially became the “intelligence officer” for the state, using drones and field data to map and demolish Palestinian structures in Area C, the 61 percent of the occupied West Bank under full Israeli control.
Mustafa argued that applying this name to the Rafah crossing signals the transfer of the “civil administration” model from the West Bank to Gaza.
“It suggests that Gaza is no longer a separate entity but a territory to be managed with the same tools used to prevent Palestinian statehood in Judea and Samaria,” Mustafa said, using the Israeli terms for the West Bank.
Operational code: A ‘political brand’ and a ‘drain’
Analyst Ihab Jabareen takes the name Regavim a step further. He argued it has evolved beyond its linguistic meaning into a modern “political brand” for the settlement right and is being used to normalise a long-term Israeli presence.
However, Jabareen said the use of the term Nekez in the Israeli military statement portends even more danger.
“While Regavim operates as a political brand, Nekez reveals the cold, engineering mindset of the military,” Jabareen told Al Jazeera. “A Nekez is a drainage point. It is a hydraulic term used for managing sewage, floodwaters or irrigation – not for processing human beings.”
Jabareen argued that describing a human border crossing as a “drain” reflects three chilling assumptions now formalised in military doctrine:
Dehumanisation: “The Palestinian is no longer a citizen. They are a ‘fluid mass’ or a ‘flow’ that must be regulated to prevent overflow,” Jabareen said.
The end of negotiations: “You do not negotiate with a drain. Rafah is no longer a political border subject to sovereignty. It is an engineering problem to be managed.
Infrastructure, not a border: “Security is now being managed like a sewage system – purely technical, devoid of rights.”
“This is colder and more dangerous than standard settlement rhetoric,” Jabareen warned. “It converts the political issue of Gaza into a permanent technical function.”
A formula for ‘quiet control’
Both analysts agreed that the official adoption of these two terms points to a reality that is neither a full withdrawal nor declared annexation.
“It is a formula for ‘quiet control’,” Jabareen explained. “Israel doesn’t need to declare immediate settlement to control the territory. By treating the land as ‘Regavim’ (soil to be held) and the people as a ‘Nekez’ (a flow to be filtered), they are establishing a long-term reality where Gaza is an administered space, never an independent entity.”
Mustafa concurred: “The name ‘Regavim’ tells the settlers: ‘We have returned to the land.’ And the official designation ‘Nekez’ tells the security establishment: ‘We have the valve to turn the human flow on or off at will.’”
DO YOU love theme parks? Well, you could visit numerous across the UK for the price of just one ticket.
Merlin attractions has introduced an offer where guests can stay at one of their resorts and will receive an Essential Merlin Annual Pass (MAP).
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If you stayed at Alton Towers for one night for example, you would get a year pass to visit the other Merlin attractionsCredit: AlamyOr you could stay at Legoland Windsor Resort where there is a knight-themed roomCredit: Legoland Windsor Resort
Guests need to book between February 3 and March 1, for a stay at one of Merlin’s onsite hotels for anytime between now and June 26 and in return will be given a pass to visit Merlin attractions for free, for a year.
For example, you could stay onsite at Legoland Windsor Resort, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park or Warwick Castle.
Known as the ‘Stay For A Night, Play For A Year’ offer, each guest will get a year-long pass to over 20 attractions.
Stays at many of the resorts are themed and often include breakfast as well.
If you wanted somewhere unique to stay, you could head to Alton Towers’ Stargazing Pods, which are set around a village green and have telescopes to see the night sky.
A one-night stay in one of these pods for a family of four costs from £160 and includes free parking.
Alternatively, if you want to visit Legoland Windsor Resort, there is the Woodland Village, Resort Hotel and Castle Hotel.
Inside the Castle Hotel guests can experience a world of magic, with rooms themed around knights, wizards and kingdoms far far away.
Some attraction accommodation sites also have exclusive perks such as nine-hole golf at Alton Towers Resort or events such as Legoland Windsor Resort’s 30th birthday bash.
When looking for a place to stay, make sure to book through the direct resort booking portal only as the offer is not available on third-party websites or with non-Merlin owned hotels.
Legoland Windsor Resort also has a Woodland Village which opened a couple of years agoCredit: Alamy
For example, Chessington World of Adventures’ portal shows Hilton hotels nearby, but the offer will not apply to stays at these hotels.
Instead you should stay at the Azteca and Safari Resort Hotels onsite, which are especially ideal for fans of Julia Donaldson as there is a Gruffalo themed room.
You could also see breathtaking views of the capital on the London Eye or venture into the past at The London Dungeon.
Alternatively, head to Cadbury World in Birmingham, where visitors can head on a self-guided tour, learning about chocolate-making and the brand’s history.
In total, the experience has 14 interactive zones.
Passholders will also get 10 per cent off of Fastrack products, as well as food and drink.
What’s it like to stay at Legoland Windsor Resort?
SUN REPORTER Owen Anslow stayed at Legoland Windsor Resort and here’s what he thought…
Tucked away in the trees of Legoland Windsor Resort is the wonderful new Woodland Village, home to 130 lodges set in cute cul-de-sacs, all with their own mini playgrounds.
This charming cabin retreat, amid lush greenery, was our home for the weekend (my wife, myself and our very own woodland critter, aged eight).
Set against the backdrop of theme park craziness, the Woodland Village is a calm oasis where parents can recharge batteries – and refill wine glasses.
The £35million development is Legoland’s first carbon-neutral accommodation – a fact emphasised by the wooden keycards you collect at check-in.
And in true Legoland fashion, our cabin is gloriously childish and bright in its design – like a giant version of something my son would craft from the avalanche of bricks strewn throughout the house.
The standard lodges sleep five people, with a double bed in the main room and the kids’ area next door – complete with your standard Lego-making pit, TV and bunk beds.
Premium lodges are slightly bigger and sleep seven, with a mezzanine area overlooking a lounge section, and around the back of the village are 20 trendy glamping barrels.
The clever Woodland Village AR Experience kept our boy busy for a while, bringing to life plants and animals on the cabin walls, while Mum and Dad snuck in some downtime on the decking outside.
Everything in the Woodland Village is so enchanting that you’d be forgiven for wanting to stay there all weekend instead of heading to the theme park.
One night’s B&B at Legoland Woodland Village is from £69pp, based on four people sharing a Woodland Barrel and including entry to the Legoland Windsor theme park and a round of Legoland Adventure golf.
The long-awaited re-opening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing has been deemed too late for many seeking treatments, in life-or-death conditions. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary spoke to a mother who had lost her sick child while waiting for the crossing to open.
The conspiracy thriller series has been hailed a “masterpiece” and left fans devastated when it was axed.
Utopia was devastatingly axed after two seasons (Image: Channel 4)
Television fans searching for their next gripping watch have been encouraged to discover a conspiracy thriller series being praised as a “masterpiece”. Utopia, penned by Dennis Kelly and featuring Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, debuted on Channel 4 in 2013, with its second series arriving the following year.
The sci-fi drama centres on a group of graphic novel enthusiasts who become convinced that a comic book, The Utopia Experiments, foretold various catastrophic epidemics and significant global events including mad cow disease. They embark on a quest to locate a rumoured unpublished follow-up that might contain warnings about future mysteries waiting to unfold.
After one member of the group gets hold of a manuscript, he arranges to meet fellow online forum members in person, only to be murdered shortly afterwards. The remaining four manage to meet up and obtain the manuscript, but quickly find themselves entangled in a dangerous maze of deception as a shadowy organisation known as The Network pursues it relentlessly.
Operatives from The Network will stop at nothing to secure the manuscript, eliminating anyone who stands between them and their target as they search for both the document and an individual called Jessica Hyde (portrayed by Fiona). It later emerges that Jessica’s father authored the Utopia manuscripts, and she’s spent her entire existence evading The Network’s clutches.
As the group becomes entangled in The Network’s web, their lives unravel and the organisation’s true intentions emerge. Concurrently, they grapple with understanding the unfolding situation amidst a backdrop of terrifying global events, including whispers of a “Russian flu”, which has since drawn parallels to the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the Express. However, Kelly has firmly dismissed any connections, maintaining that his work is purely fictional.
Thirteen years after its initial release, viewers are rekindling their interest in Utopia. One Reddit user seeking recommendations for British thrillers wrote: “Hello there! I’m looking for some good British thrillers to watch. I really enjoyed The Day of the Jackal, The Capture, and Steal. Anything in that vibe would be great.” A fellow user promptly suggested: “If you like a bit of a conspiracy I recommend Utopia. In my view a underrated cinematic masterpiece.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, Utopia boasts an impressive 100% rating. One reviewer described it as a “Dark, creepy, disturbing, entertaining show. This is 2013 show, but looking through events current pandemic 2020 year, it may make you feel uncomfortable.”
Another hailed it as “the best show ever made” praising it as “thrilling, suspenseful, unsettling, tense.”
Another hailed it as “the best TV show you’ve probably never heard of,” gushing: “Utopia is a masterpiece! Not only is this one of the most intense and twisted shows I’ve ever seen, it’s also absolutely beautiful! The cinematography alone left me in awe and don’t even get me started on the soundtrack! This is not your typical TV show. In fact it’s a whole lot more than just a TV show. It’s an artwork that is being unfolded in front of your very eyes.”
One devotee described it as “devastatingly sublime,” claiming the series will “ravage your senses”. Others labelled it “a hidden and forgotten gem” and “mindblowing”.
A particularly passionate viewer declared: “This is my absolute favourite show ever. Everything is done to absolute perfection. Criminally underrated and such a shame they cancelled it.”
Viewers were left heartbroken when Channel 4 pulled the plug on Utopia in 2014. A network spokesperson reflected at the time: “Utopia is truly channel-defining: strikingly original, powered by Dennis Kelly’s extraordinary voice and brought to life in all its technicolor glory through Marc Munden’s undeniable creative flair and vision, the team at Kudos delivered a series which has achieved fervent cult status over two brilliantly warped and nail-biting series.
“It also has the honour of ensuring audiences will never look at a spoon in the same way again. It’s always painful to say goodbye to shows we love, but it’s a necessary part of being able to commission new drama, a raft of which are launching on the channel throughout 2015.”
A Brit in Benidorm has given important advice to anyone who may be crossing the road when they’re in Spain, sharing things to look out for and why you should always be vigilant
He issued a warning to people crossing roads in Benidorm (file)(Image: RDphotos via Getty Images)
A British expat in Benidorm has given some travel advice to people crossing roads in Spain, saying that he sees “so many people getting this wrong”. Wherever you are in the world, it’s important that you’re aware of your surroundings at all times and cross the road safely – even if you’re on holiday. We all had it drilled into us from being young that you’re supposed to stop, look both ways, and listen before stepping off the curb.
However, Frank, who lives in Benidorm, has expressed his concern that people who have come from the UK are not crossing properly, and it’s putting them at serious risk.
He said that he’d noticed people who are from the UK looking in the wrong direction, reminding people that they need to “look left” rather than right in order not to get run over.
TikToker @frankthestagman said: “A lot of people look the wrong way, and that can cause problems. And then of course, when you’re crossing the other way, you’re looking the other way”.
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Frank said that “if you’re not sure,” you need to “look both ways” and then “nothing’s going to happen” when you’re crossing the road.
“The other thing as well is it’s really sad because sometimes you’ll see people crossing the road, they don’t quite understand that when they’re crossing over, you know, sometimes there’s people in the middle of the road, and you get Spanish drivers, or drivers here in Spain, and what they’ll end up doing is honking at them and all that. A bit unfair, but it is what it is,” Frank continued.
He urged Brits not to “wave your arms round arguing” and just focus on crossing the road safely to “get where you’re going”.
Frank warned that sometimes “the traffic will speed up” when someone is crossing, labelling it as “a bit unfair,” but people need to just ensure that they’re being as careful as possible.
He also said that if you’re a driver in Spain, don’t necessarily expect a thank you if you let people cross. While people from the UK are overtly polite, Frank said, sometimes Spanish people cross the road without ‘letting on’.
Frank reckons that you can always spot a Brit or someone from Ireland because they’ll give a thumbs up and a “cheers” when you’ve been let across the road.
In the comments, someone said: “I actually love the Spanish pedestrian crossings cos they actually have the countdown to when the lights are changing”.
How do you cross the road as a Brit in Benidorm?
Your first look should be to your left, not your right, because that’s where traffic will be coming from. It’s easy to forget this, especially on quieter streets or when you’re distracted, so make a conscious effort to pause and look left first.
Pedestrian crossings in Spain are usually marked by white zebra stripes, much like in the UK, but the rules and driver behaviour can be quite different. In the UK, drivers are generally required to stop for pedestrians waiting at zebra crossings, and most do so reliably. In Spain, while the law also requires drivers to yield to pedestrians at marked crossings, in practice, drivers may not always stop unless you are clearly about to step onto the crossing, or already on it.
You might notice that Spanish pedestrians often assertively step onto the crossing to signal their intention to cross, rather than waiting for cars to stop first. As a Brit, you might be used to waiting until every car has stopped, but in Spain, you sometimes need to show your intention more clearly. However, always make eye contact with approaching drivers to ensure they’ve seen you, and never assume they will stop automatically.
SACRAMENTO — Matt Mahan, the mayor of San José and latest entrant into the jam-packed race for California governor, has in recent years raised his profile outside his Silicon Valley-area city by doing something most other elected Democrats would never: publicly criticize Gov. Gavin Newsom.
With the primary election almost four months away, candidates have already been busy trying to convince Californians that they can lead the state through its biggest challenges, including what they might do differently than Newsom on homelessness, crime and the high cost of living.
Democratic hopefuls have so far done so subtly, without taking direct shots at Newsom.
Until Mahan entered the race.
The 43-year-old-mayor began carving a moderate path in 2024, when he broke with Newsom and other Democrats to back Proposition 36, which increased penalties for theft and crimes involving fentanyl. Despite opposition from Newsom and legislative leaders, voters overwhelmingly approved it.
Mahan has also given mixed reviews to the Newsom administration’s approach to homelessness; he has praised efforts to make it easier for cities to clear homeless encampments but criticized inconsistent funding from the state to help local governments build interim housing.
Although most Democrats running to replace Newsom have praised his fiery opposition to President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, including the governor’s outlandish online trolling of Trump and his allies, Mahan was not impressed.
“Instead of spending so much energy attacking his opponents, the governor and his team should be addressing the high cost of energy, helping hard-pressed families make ends meet and keeping them and their employers from fleeing our state,” Mahan wrote last summer in a piece for the San Francisco Standard.
Mahan told reporters last week that his disagreements with Newsom are “rooted in substance” and praised the governor for muscling through major reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act and behavioral health treatment.
“I see the job of the next governor” as “building on many of the initiatives [Newsom] has championed,” he said, adding he would use those new reforms to build more housing and treatment facilities for people struggling with addiction and mental illness.
Newsom has routinely won approval from the state’s Democratic base, as well as respect and deference from its elected leaders, and his notoriety as a top foe of Trump continues to rise. Because the perch of California governor provides Democrats with an effective cudgel against the Republican administration, attacking Newsom could easily backfire in this left-leaning state.
“It’s a very delicate balancing act” to campaign to replace a leader of one’s own party, said Democratic strategist Garry South, who has worked on four California gubernatorial campaigns.
“The traditional way to do it is to try to project that you will build on things that the incumbent has done: programs they started, successes they’ve had,” he said.
South, who ran Newsom’s first, short-lived, campaign for governor in 2009, took issue with Mahan’s criticisms of the governor.
“To stick it to the incumbent of your own party might be OK if that person is viewed as a failure. … The fact is, Newsom is not unpopular. This guy’s had four massive victories in California,” he said, listing Newsom’s two elections in 2018 and 2022, defeating a recall in 2021 and overwhelmingly passing Proposition 50 last year.
Like Mahan, billionaire venture-capitalist-turned-environmentalist Tom Steyer has cast himself as an outsider of California’s Democratic establishment. Though he has so far avoided disparaging anyone directly, Steyer dinged “Sacramento politicians [who] are afraid to change this system” when he launched his campaign in November.
Early on in his campaign, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa indicated he would backtrack on Newsom’s strict oil drilling limits and what he calls heavy-handed regulations, which the industry has blamed for the state’s high gas prices.
A Phillips 66 refinery shut down last fall and a Valero refinery in Northern California plans to idle by the end of April, raising concerns that prices in the state’s isolated fuels market could climb even higher.
Villaraigosa previously told The Times he is “not fighting for refineries” but “for the people who pay for gas in this state.”
The former mayor took a more aggressive approach in the California’s governor’s race in 2018, when Villaraigosa accused Newsom of selling “snake oil” with his support for single-payer healthcare in order to win over the nurses union and progressives. Villaraigosa, who ran on a moderate platform, finished in a distant third place in the primary, and Newsom went on to win two terms as governor.
Former Rep. Katie Porter has gone in a more progressive direction on oil. When asked in October to name a policy arena in which she would act differently than Newsom, Porter said she would not have signed recent legislation to allow 2,000 new oil wells in Kern County.
“Drilling new wells is locking us into 100-plus years of energy of the past,” she said. “I absolutely know that we need our refineries to stay open. … But I’m concerned about the environmental consequences, the environmental justice consequences, the shortened lifespan and pollution that we see in some of our fossil fuel-producing places.”
While Newsom and most other candidates for governor have raised concerns about a proposed statewide ballot measure to tax the assets of billionaires, primarily to raise billions of dollars in revenue to blunt the impact of federal healthcare cuts, Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction, has embraced the idea.
Even before the potential ballot measure drove some billionaires into leaving the state, Thurmond said that if elected, he would introduce a tax “solely on megamillionaires and billionaires to hire more teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters, construction workers and social workers,” who would earn “decent middle-class wages” to bolster the state’s economy.
Thurmond has also repeatedly said he would pursue single-payer healthcare in California, a promise Newsom also campaigned on before his first term but did not fully deliver.
Betty Yee, a former state controller and budget director, has pitched herself as the most qualified candidate to fix California’s ongoing budget deficits, and took swipes at accounting tricks Newsom and other governors have used in the past.
Newsom and state lawmakers have faced criticism for using short-term tactics like deferred spending and internal borrowing to fill budget shortfalls while ignoring the larger issue: The state regularly spends more money than it brings in.
“No more gimmicks. We can’t kick the can down the road anymore,” Yee said during a recent interview with KTLA. She said she would implement “spending cuts — not like DOGE” and explore “corporations and upper-income earners” potentially paying more tax revenue.
Newsom, aware that he’s entering lame-duck status, has jokingly called himself “a milk carton with a sell-by date” and admitted “these questions about who’s next and all that are uncomfortable.”
Asked specifically about Mahan’s criticisms, Newsom on Thursday declined to fuel any supposed rivalry with the San José mayor.
“I don’t know enough about him,” the governor said. “I wish him good luck.”
Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.
South Korean man walks in front of the Hana Financial Group headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, 23 November 2010. Hana Financial Group said on 1 February 2026 it will accelerate efforts to boost performance at its non-bank affiliates year 2026, marking a pivotal shift toward more balanced growth as its banking unit continues to dominate earnings. File. Photo by JEON HEON-KYUN / EPA
Feb. 1 (Asia Today) — Hana Financial Group said Sunday it will accelerate efforts to boost performance at its non-bank affiliates this year, marking a pivotal shift toward more balanced growth as its banking unit continues to dominate earnings.
Last year the group posted a record net profit of 4 trillion won (about $2.9 billion), up 7.1% from a year earlier, driven primarily by strong results at Hana Bank. But performance at securities, insurance and card units lagged, dragging the non-bank contribution to overall profit down to about 12% from nearly 16% the previous year.
“We expect the normalization of performance for the group’s non-bank subsidiaries to begin in earnest starting this year,” the group said, calling 2026 the first year of “non-bank normalization.”
Under Chairman Ham Young-joo, Hana has set a target of raising non-bank profit share to 30% by 2027. But with the sector’s recent weak showing, he has emphasized to employees that “the non-banking sector cannot continue as it is.”
Hana Securities saw net profit fall nearly 6% last year to 212 billion won (about $147 million), while Hana Card’s profit slipped about 2% to 217.7 billion won (about $151 million). Hana Insurance’s deficit widened to 47 billion won. Hana Life Insurance did return to profit, posting 15.2 billion won (about $32.5 million) after a 7 billion won loss (about $4.8 million) the prior year, but its contribution remains limited.
To strengthen non-bank performance this year, the group said it is laying groundwork to secure profitability-focused growth engines and improve asset quality. Chairman Ham said non-bank results will be “key to improving the group’s return on equity,” projecting an 11-12% ROE if sufficient returns can be generated relative to capital.
Moves already under way include a newly launched commercial paper issue by Hana Securities, laying the foundation for broader venture capital supply, and plans to contribute about 18 trillion won (about $12.44 billion) this year to productive finance, including direct corporate investments.
Hana Card is also poised to play a role in a planned stablecoin consortium, with its distribution and payment functions seen as essential to linking stablecoins with the real economy. Last year, the card unit signed agreements with partners including EQBR and TravelWallet to explore stablecoin-based payment and settlement services.
In the insurance sector, the group is exploring acquisitions to build scale. It participated in due diligence for Lotte Insurance and recently submitted a letter of intent to acquire Yebyeol Insurance, potentially expanding its insurance portfolio.
A financial industry insider said Hana’s push to create synergies across its wealth management and capital markets divisions could help its non-bank units evolve into top-tier players – a shift that could help lift group net profit beyond the 5 trillion won (about $3.46 billion) mark over time.
France won the Six Nations last year, with their sole defeat against England at Allianz Stadium.
Captain Antoine Dupont ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee in round four against Ireland but Fabien Galthie’s side got over the line without their talisman.
The scrum-half is back and will want to remind the rugby world of what he can do on the biggest stage, but they are without prop Uini Atonio, who was forced to retire with a heart problem.
“I tried to get a good part of the injury off and spend it with my family and friends, so I can do other things and come back with more mental freshness,” Dupont told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Galthie showed that no player is safe in his squad by leaving out France’s all-time top try-scorer Damian Penaud, number eight Gregory Alldritt and veteran centre Gael Fickou.
Will that bold call pay off? The fixtures could aid their chances, with games against Ireland and England at home meaning Les Bleus have a strong chance of retaining their title.
“France have threats all over the park. How they differ from any other team in the Six Nations would be the fact that if they lose five of their top players, it doesn’t matter,” La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara told BBC Sport.
“France have a mentality of there is very little between certain players in certain positions – with the exception being Dupont.”
Hollywood actor Gerardo Taracena, who starred in Mel Gibson’s 2006 drama Apocalypto has died suddenly at the age of 55, but no cause of death has been announced as yet
Gold and silver prices extended last week’s dramatic sell-off on Monday, as investors continued to digest the implications of President Donald Trump’s announcement of Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the US Federal Reserve.
The move has fuelled expectations of a more government pressure on the Fed and prompted a sharp reassessment of positions across precious metals.
Spot gold fell as much as 10% in early trading, while silver plunged up to 16%, following Friday’s rout that marked the largest intraday decline on record for the white metal.
The scale and speed of the move underscored how vulnerable the market had become after months of aggressive buying driven by geopolitical tension and bets on looser US monetary policy.
“The sharp selloff on Friday followed news that US President Donald Trump intends to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair – a development that boosted the US dollar and reinforced expectations of a more hawkish policy stance,” said Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at ING, and Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy.
“While a correction was overdue after the intense rally, the scale of Friday’s decline far exceeded most expectations.”
Why the Fed matters for gold
Gold and silver are particularly sensitive to US interest-rate expectations.
Higher rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as precious metals, while a stronger dollar makes them more expensive for overseas buyers.
Warsh, a former Fed governor, has voice sentiments supportive of Trump’s vision for the Fed, including regular rate cuts.
That reassessment has been swift. Investor caution has been evident in exchange-traded funds, with silver holdings falling for a seventh consecutive session to their lowest level since November 2025.
Futures data also show speculators cutting back sharply on bullish bets, signalling a broader retreat from the sector.
“CFTC positioning shows a cooling in speculative interest across precious metals,” the ING report continued.
“Managed money net longs in COMEX gold fell by 17,741 lots last week… Speculators also cut net longs in silver… taking positioning to its lowest since February 2024.”
Margins rise, volatility bites
Market stress has been amplified by mechanical factors.
CME Group is set to raise margin requirements on COMEX gold and silver futures after last week’s historic swings, forcing traders to post more collateral or reduce exposure.
Such moves tend to accelerate sell-offs, particularly in heavily leveraged markets.
Attention is now turning to Asia, where Chinese investors have historically provided support during price dips. However, with volatility elevated and the Lunar New Year approaching, participation may be more cautious than usual.
“With volatility spiking and the Lunar New Year approaching, traders are likely to pare back positions and reduce risk,” the ING analysts said.
“Price direction in the near term will hinge on the extent of dip-buying from Chinese investors following Friday’s retreat.”
Outlook remains fragile
For now, the precious metals market remains at the mercy of macro forces, with little clarity on how quickly sentiment will stabilise.
Investors are watching US data closely for clues on real interest rates and the dollar’s next move, both of which will be shaped by expectations around the Fed’s future direction.
“Overall, volatility across precious metals is likely to remain elevated in the near term,” Manthey and Patterson said.
“For gold and silver, macro uncertainty, real rate expectations, and USD direction will continue to dominate sentiment,” the report concluded.
Everyone told me how spectacular Las Vegas would be, with its mega resorts, huge entertainment venues and bustling casinos, but there was something no one warned me about
Vdara Hotel & Spa, and the second hotel is Resorts World
Mega resorts towered over me as I walked along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the echo of country music seeping from a four-storey bar, colourful signs flashing in every direction and the Bellagio fountains taking centre stage every 15 minutes.
Inside the sprawling resorts, I was met with the vibrant, blinking slot machines, elaborate interior themes and celebrity restaurants, along with impressive nearby venues that make up ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. This was everything I expected from the city of Nevada, and so much more.
With its bustling, energetic and chaotic atmosphere, it felt as though I had stepped into a parallel universe. After all, I was at the heart of America’s playground. Yet, amid all of the expected madness, there was something that completely took me by surprise during my first time in ‘Sin City’.
Amy Jones
Amy Jones
Las Vegas is situated in the Mojave Desert, the smallest and driest desert in North America. Beyond the glitz of the Strip, you can see the rugged mountains and sprawling golden desert that make up this striking landscape. But what I didn’t factor in was how dry the air would feel.
Of course, I knew deserts were dry, offering hot days and cold evenings, but it was nothing like I had experienced before, especially while walking around such a built-up city. It left me constantly thirsty, made my knuckles crack, and my lips were as dry as the Mojave Desert itself!
I needed to constantly carry a bottle of water around with me to quench my thirst at any given moment, moisturise my knuckles multiple times a day, and apply lip balm as if my life depended on it. I panicked when I accidentally left my lip balm in my hotel room one day, and saw my knuckles become redder and redder as the days went on.
It bewildered me how much it affected my skin and thirst. I could feel the dry air around me, even though it was only around 20C during the day, and I can only recall the air feeling fresh once during my five-day trip. Yet, it only added to the experience and reminded me that I really was in the heart of a desert.
While I was taken aback by the climate change, it appears that other travellers are familiar with the Las Vegas air. One shared on TripAdvisor: “I have a real problem with dry skin in Vegas and always take crack cream. Seems to help.”
Another advised: “HYDRATE – you cannot drink enough water. This is your best defence. (If you are enjoying those wonderful free cocktails while gambling, ask for a bottle of water with each drink.)
I had another encounter with the desert during a guided hiking tour through the Valley of Fire with Love Hikes, just a few hours’ drive away. Here, I was instantly amazed by the dramatic orange rock formations and miles of golden floor as I wandered through towering valleys.
Notably, the majestic desert in the state park has been used as a movie filming set, including for Transformers, Star Trek: Generations, The Professionals and Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley. While it’s a far cry from the casinos, you can still find some glamour in the rugged terrain.
Yet, there was something else that surprised me during my trip, and that was how much smaller Las Vegas felt than I had expected, even while wandering around the iconic Strip. I thought it would feel like a gigantic city, but the span of the Strip, despite its enormous towering resorts and gigantic landmarks, was more compact than I had imagined.
There was so much to see and explore, but with its Strip measuring approximately 4.2 miles, you could easily walk its length, something I really didn’t think about until I saw it for myself. Although it would take around two hours to walk the extent of it, it felt like nothing compared to the streets of New York or London.
The population of Las Vegas was 641,903 at the 2020 census, but is thought to have increased since then. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents across an estimated 7,891 square miles. This is in contrast to New York, which has an estimated population of 8,478,072, as of July 2024, spanning across a whopping 300.46 square miles.
However, while I think the Strip was more compact than I had expected, the city stretches far beyond the glitz with neighbourhoods scattered across the desert right to the edge of the mountain backdrop.
St. Brigid is one of the three Patron Saints of Ireland, the other two are St. Columba and of course, St.Patrick.
Brigid is a Catholic and Orthodox saint. She was a pupil of St. Patrick and became famous for her kindness, mercy, and her miracles. In addition, Brigitte founded Ireland’s most famous mixed (male and female) monastery in County Kildare.
In The Life of Brigid, her biographer, Cogitosus, recorded that Brigid formed an alliance with the hermit Conleth and, together, they created a double monastery from the Early Christian tradition. She was abbess and he was bishop. Within 100 years of her death, there was a thriving, egalitarian monastery of men and women, living and practicing their spirituality equally, side by side.
Perhaps the most famous story about St. Brigid surrounds the legend of her cloak. When Brigid was re …
