Month: February 2026

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg, giving you the latest on city and county government.

For six days this week, anybody could dream at the L.A. city clerk’s office.

Angelenos seeking elected office had to file their declarations of intent between Monday and Saturday to be eligible for the June 2 primary.

All week, the third floor courtyard of the C. Erwin Piper Technical Center was abuzz with candidates milling about, filling out paperwork, signing ethics forms and writing down their job histories.

Some will win elected office, which, naturally, means others will lose.

And some may not get on the ballot — each candidate must gather 500 legitimate voter signatures by March 4, which is relatively easy in citywide races but harder in council districts.

A candidate arrives to file to run for office in the the 2026 Municipal elections at the city clerk’s office in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

“I know I won’t win,” said Joseph Garcia, a gardener, former screenwriter and member of the Venice Neighborhood Council who filed Tuesday to run for mayor.

During an interview, Garcia removed his shoe to show an injury to his foot. City clerk staffers politely asked him to put his shoe back on.

One candidate showed up on colorful roller skates wearing a wreath of flowers on her head. Another came in scrubs.

Other aspiring politicians were ready to get down to brass tacks.

Tim Gaspar, a business owner who is running to represent Council District 3, purchased a strawberry Pop-Tart from a vending machine and spoke about his fundraising numbers.

In the race to replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who is terming out, Gaspar has raised more than $300,000, which is $100,000 more than the two other candidates who have raised any cash at all.

Gaspar, who was wearing a blue suit, said the money came from more than 900 donors.

“It’s been a grassroots campaign,” he said.

Minutes earlier, former reality television star Spencer Pratt stepped out of his Ford F150 and changed from flip-flops into sneakers before walking into the building to file his declaration to run for mayor.

Pratt wore shorts, a hat that said “Heidiwood” — for his wife, Heidi Pratt — and a shirt for Heidi’s “Superficial” album tour. He was flanked by two private security guards and two aides.

As Pratt was walking in, Jose Ugarte, a top aide to Councilmember Curren Price who is running to replace his boss in Council District 9, was walking out.

“F— that guy,” Ugarte said about Pratt, a registered Republican who has received endorsements from many in the MAGA world. Ugarte has been explicit in his anti-Trump sentiment, specifically over the summer’s immigration raids.

Henry Mantel files to run for City Council District 5 at the city clerk’s office on Wednesday.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

In the elevator, Pratt edited a social media video in which he railed against Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore for not looking into who watered down the after-action report into the Palisades fire.

About 30 minutes later, after he finished filing, Pratt took questions from a gaggle of reporters huddled beyond a barrier that said “No media beyond this point.”

“It’s me or Karen Bass. We have no other choice,” said Pratt, one of more than 30 candidates who have filed to run against Bass, who is seeking a second term as mayor.

Watching from under a white tent as she filled out her declaration was Dylan Kendall, who is trying to oust Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez in District 13.

“I think Spencer Pratt kind of sucked the air out of the room,” Kendall said.

The former bartender said it took her about an hour to fill out her forms. She feels that Soto-Martínez has “neglected and ignored” residents in her district, which spans Echo Park and Hollywood, all the way to Atwater Village.

In the parking lot, Keeldar Hamilton, who sported a long ponytail, had just finished filing.

Asked what he was running for as he got into his Tesla Cybertruck, Hamilton said, “Governor … I mean mayor.”

State of play

— MAY-OR MAY NOT: The filing deadline to run for mayor is Saturday at 12 p.m., and some candidates have really taken it down to the wire. L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is still weighing a run. Former schools Supt. Austin Beutner dropped out on Thursday, following the death of his 22-year-old daughter. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, meanwhile, decided not to run — for the second time in less than a month.

— FIRE WATER: Two sources told The Times that two people close to Bass informed them that Bass wanted key findings in the LAFD after-action report on the Palisades fire softened. Bass denied The Times’ report, calling it “dangerous and irresponsible” for the newspaper to rely on third-hand information.

— SOTC PART 1: Bass delivered the first of two States of the City Monday, urging Angelenos to come together ahead of the 2028 Olympics while announcing a push to clean up Los Angeles’ busiest streets in the run-up to the Games. The second speech will take place in April.

— WASSERMANIA: LA28 Olympics committee Chair Casey Wasserman faced calls from L.A. officials to resign following revelations about racy emails he exchanged with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former romantic partner. Bass did not take a stance, saying it was up to the LA28 board.

— FREE OF FEE: Palisades fire victims rebuilding homes, duplexes, condominium units, apartment complexes and commercial buildings will not have to pay permit fees, the City Council decided Tuesday. Forfeiting those fees is expected to cost as much as $90 million over three years, according to Matt Szabo, the city’s top budget analyst.

— PRICE FAINT: Councilmember Curren Price, 75, was taken to the hospital Wednesday after fainting during a Black History Month event at City Hall. Price was “in stable condition, is in recovery and doing well,” said Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson.

— HALL PASS: Former State Assemblymember Isadore Hall dropped out of the race for L.A. city controller, saying in a statement to The Times that a death in his family had prompted his decision.

— SHERIFF SUITS: L.A. County spent $229 million on legal payouts and lawyer bills last fiscal year. Nearly half of that — $112 million — went to defend the Sheriff’s Department against lawsuits, a 12% uptick in the department’s payouts from the year before.

— COUNTY CUTS: The county approved nearly $200 million in cuts to homeless services, despite 2024 voter support for a sales tax to combat the crisis.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature homelessness program went to Lincoln Heights, bringing 17 unhoused Angelenos indoors from an encampment.
• On the docket next week: A plan to build 1,000 units of housing at the Row DTLA goes before the Planning Commission on Thursday.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says Celtic is the “perfect fit” for him after joining the Scottish champions on a deal to the summer.

The former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Besiktas in August, and has not played since May.

However, the 32-year-old understands the expectation on him as he looks forward to working under Martin O’Neill.

“Speaking with the manager, it just felt like the perfect fit for me and I feel like I can come in and help out the lads,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“Just talking to the manager, he told me the expectations on the club and what it means to play here, what our targets are and that he’s going to push me.

“That’s all the stuff I identify with and that’s the environment I’ve always been in and been lucky enough to be in.

“It’s exactly what I need.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored seven times in 35 England appearances, has been training recently with Arsenal, where he won three FA Cups in six years.

“He still has so much to offer the game, and I am sure he can add another dimension to us with his great ability and wealth of experience in the game,” said O’Neill.

“Above all, he is passionate and excited about this move himself so we are welcoming a great player who is hungry to help us achieve as much as we can.”

Who: England vs Nepal
What: 2026 ICC T20 World Cup
Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India
When: Sunday, February 8, at 3pm (09:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 06:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

England are undoubtedly among the frontrunners to lift the T20 World Cup title, but, unlike years gone by, they do not start as one of the red-hot favourites.

Despite his undoubted ability with the bat, questions surround the captaincy of Harry Brook, while English cricket as a whole is licking its wounds following recent woes – including the Ashes humiliation in Australia.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at their open against Nepal.

What have England said about the pressure on Brooks?

All-rounder Will Jacks said on Friday that under-fire England T20 captain Harry Brook had “100 percent” support from the players after going through a “tough time”.

The 26-year-old Brook, in charge at a global tournament for the first time, has recently been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

He had to apologise last month for being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during England’s white ball tour of New Zealand last year, something that had been a “terrible mistake”.

Jacks has been close to Brook since they were roommates with England Under-19s.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough time, and that’s been well documented in the media,” Jacks told reporters before team training in Mumbai on the eve of the tournament.

“I wasn’t actually in New Zealand, so I didn’t know anything about it.

“He’s obviously made the wrong decision, but he’s accepted that. He’s obviously making amends on the pitch, and we all back him 100 percent.”

Brook, a richly gifted run-scorer, has an early chance to shift the focus back onto his batting in England’s opening match against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday.

“He wants his cricket to do the talking,” said Jacks.

What is England and Brook’s T20 form before the World Cup?

England come into the World Cup in good form in T20, heartened by a 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka – one of the tournament co-hosts – this week.

In the preceding ODI series against the same opposition, the explosive Brook bludgeoned 136 off just 66 balls.

“It’s not so much we are taking momentum from that, but team unity, feeling strong within ourselves,” said Jacks.

“We have been performing well over the last 12 months, since Harry’s become captain, and we’re very happy with that.

“What we did in the last few weeks in Sri Lanka is another stepping stone.”

Who else is in England and Nepal’s group?

England are expected to make the Super Eight stage from a Group C that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy and Scotland.

“We come into here full of confidence and belief that we can go a long way in this tournament.

“But that doesn’t guarantee us anything. We know that there’s amazing teams in this World Cup.”

“India, on home soil, I think everyone knows who’s favourites.”

What is England’s T20 World Cup record?

England are the joint-record winners of the T20 World Cup with two trophy lifts to their name, alongside West Indies and holders India.

Paul Collingwood captained the English to the third edition of the competition, before Jos Buttler’s side sealed their second win in 2022.

What is Nepal’s T20 World Cup record?

Nepal made their debut at the 2014 edition of the competition, but had to wait until the West Indies and US co-hosted tournament in 2024 to make a second appearance.

On both occasions, the Nepalese were eliminated at the first stage, with 12th- and 17th-placed rankings.

Salt passed fit for England’s opener

Hard-hitting batsman Phil Salt was passed fit as England named their team on Saturday for their first match in the T20 World Cup.

He will open the batting alongside wicketkeeper Jos Buttler against Nepal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday in Group C.

Salt missed Tuesday’s third T20 against Sri Lanka with a back spasm, but trained successfully on Friday and will take his place at the top of the order.

Tom Banton, fresh from a sparkling 54 off 33 balls against Sri Lanka five days ago, is preferred to Ben Duckett and will bat at number four.

Left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood gets the nod ahead of Jamie Overton and joins express man Jofra Archer and Sam Curran in the seam attack.

England have opted to have four spinners at their disposal, with spearheads Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson backed up by all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks.

England’s starting lineup

Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood

England squad

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (captain), Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

Nepal squad

Rohit Paudel (captain), Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Kushal Bhurtel, Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Nandan Yadav

Saurara a: Apple Podcast | Spotify | RSS

Kina dauke da ciki na watanni tara, ba takalmi a ƙafa, kina gudu cikin ƙaya, kura da tsoro.

Kusan shekaru goma, Ya Busam Ali ta shafe tana rayuwa a matsayin yar gudun hijira, tana tafiya me nisa a kowace kakar noma zuwa gonakin da ‘yan ta’adda ke iko da su, domin kawai ta kula da kanta da ‘ya’yanta.

Wannan shirin na #BirbishinRikici ya bi labarin yadda ta tsira, juriyarta, da ƙarfin zuciyar da ke tura ta ci gaba da tafiya duk da ƙalubalen da ke gabanta.

Mai Gabatarwa: Rukayya Saeed

Marubuciya: Sabiqah Bello

Muryoyin Shiri: Sabiqah Bello

Fassara: Rukayya Saeed

Edita: Aliyu Dahiru

Furodusa: Al-amin Umar

Babban Furodusa: Anthony Asemota

Babban Mashiryi: Ahmad Salkida

FINLAND has a staggering three million saunas to its five million residents.

So, when my guide tells me “sauna isn’t just our culture, it’s our way of life”, I believe him.

The tradition has been around for thousands of years here, with many treating these mini hot houses as a place to socialise, much like we would in the pub on a Friday night.

These saunas aren’t like the ones you find at your local gym, though. They are on a whole other level — think electric, wood-burning and the oldest kind, smoke saunas. And you’re expected to sit in the heated cabin, where the air is a sweltering 100C, for hours.

My adventure to the Nordic country takes me to Jyvaskyla in central Finland and the city of Tampere, which is known as the sauna capital of the world.

There are over 50 in the city centre alone. Sataman Viilu is one of the best, with two-hour sessions costing just €17 for use of its three saunas, two hot tubs, and lake-water plunge.

GROUNDED

Major European airport SHUTS with all flights halted as black ice sparks chaos

RIDE ON

I went to the European theme park where you ‘travel through time’

My advice for newbies is to make sure you start with a sauna first. Being hot makes the transition easier because you will still feel warm when you brace the lake water.

I’d also recommend wearing a pair of thick socks, which will slow down the rate at which the cold takes over.

And while it may seem obvious, remember to breathe. Controlling your breath can be hard when you’re submerged in icy water, so focus on inhaling and exhaling through the chill.

You might think this activity is the kind to be enjoyed during the summer, when both Jyvaskyla and Tampere transform into a flowery paradise, but it’s popular all year round. The cool weather doesn’t matter to those living in Finland, even when temperatures go well below 0C.

One local told me: “We don’t have bad weather, just bad clothing.”
They’re out and about all the time, ice skating on lakes or hosting car and horse rallies on the frozen waters.

Magical bedroom

So, no surprise that in Finnish language there are hundreds of words for snow, depending on how it falls, whether it turns to slush, or if it lays like a thick blanket.

You may think warming stews, therefore, would be the focus of Finnish cooking.

And although these are popular in many parts, Finland is largely known for its blueberry farming. Throughout the year you can pick up tasty jams and blueberry juice — pay a visit to Lepomaki Farm if you’re keen to learn more.

Rich fish such as salmon, perch and herring are a staple in these diets, too.
Kuokkala Manor in Jyvaskyla is an excellent spot to sample local dishes — the beef tartare was delicious and came with a wintry topping of crunchy kale and cranberry.

If you’re staying close to Tampere, I loved Ravintola Kajo, a Michelin Guide restaurant in the city centre. While it is fancy, offering an 11-course tasting experience, wine pairings and tea-based drinks, there’s no pressure whatsoever to dress up.

Make sure to explore the Tampere Market Hall while you’re here, too. It’s the largest indoor market in the Nordic countries and dates back to 1901. Inside, you’ll find locals picking up fresh fish, coffee and pastries like Karjalanpiirakka, which has a thin rye crust and a savoury filling (usually rice porridge).

For dessert lovers, I’d highly recommend a cardamom donut from Pyynikin Munkkikahvila, a cafe within the market. It’s delicious and not too sweet.

If you’re worried about the chill getting too much, then book a stay at Lapland Hotel Arena, a ten-minute drive down the road where some of the bedrooms feature private saunas.

I enjoyed an early morning session each day while reading a book.
If you’re keen to stay closer to Jyvaskyla, The Boutique Hotel Yopuu has a cosy, family-run feel to it with each of its 26 rooms designed to look completely different.

But nothing could compare to my stay at the Hankasalmi and Revontuli Lakeland Village on the outskirts of Jyvaskyla.

I slept so cosily inside my All Sky Aurora Glass Igloo, which came with a little kitchen and living area — although the highlight was undoubtedly the magical bedroom, surrounded entirely by windows and with a glass roof to soak up the views.

You may even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed.

Sadly, it was cloudy the day I was there, but watching the snow fall across the glossy, white landscape was spectacular.

California’s ticketing industry could be undergoing some major changes.

On Thursday, state Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced a new bill, the California Fans First Act, that would impose price caps on tickets sold in the resale market, limiting prices to no more than 10% above the ticket’s face value.

By making it illegal to sell overly expensive tickets, AB 1720 is aimed at making resale tickets more affordable for fans. If the legislation becomes law, it would apply only to shows in California and exclude tickets to sporting events.

AB 1720 was introduced weeks after a similar bill, AB 1349, reached the California Senate. The latter aims to ban speculative ticket sales (tickets that resellers don’t yet possess) in the state. If enacted, the proposed legislation would require sellers to have event tickets in their possession before listing them for sale and would raise the maximum civil penalty for each violation from $2,500 to $10,000.

Both bills aim to better regulate the state’s resale ticketing market.

Over the last several years, high ticket prices have been a recurring complaint among concertgoers. Rising demand for tickets has spurred a secondary resale marketplace for all kinds of high-profile live events, including music tours and sports games, making it harder to get tickets on the primary market.

Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation have been at the center of this issue for years, as the major ticketing vendor sells around 80% of tickets through its website. The company is currently facing lawsuits from both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, alleging monopolistic practices and illegal ticket vendor practices.

“We’re trying to convince the federal government and state governments to get on the same page of recognizing where the problem is, which is overwhelmingly in the resale industry, and trying to do something about it,” said Dan Wall, Live Nation’s vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs, in a previous interview with The Times.

In a statement, Live Nation said it supports “efforts to protect concert fans and artists” and that the latest bill “targets a core problem in live music: predatory resale sites.”

Similar legislation has been popping up nationwide and around the world — the U.K. recently announced plans to ban the resale of tickets for prices higher than their face value.

A resale cap was successfully passed in Maine last year, with tickets only allowed to be sold at 110% of the ticket’s original price. Other states like New York, Vermont, Washington and Tennessee are also considering ticketing regulations.

Some critics see this surge of ticketing legislation as a way to distract from Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s legal troubles and single out the resale market.

Diana Moss, the director of competition policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, said that by capping resale ticket prices, AB 1720 “puts consumers last, not first.”

“It buys into the false narrative that the secondary market is to blame for all problems in ticketing, deflecting attention from the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly,” said Moss in a statement to The Times. “Caps will decimate resale, the only market with competition, and hand Live Nation even more power to jack up ticket fees.”

Elsewhere, Kirsty Muir enjoyed a confident start to her Olympic campaign, placing third in freeski slopestyle qualifying.

Muir, one of Team GB’s best medal hopes, scored a best of 64.98 from her two runs in Livigno.

That put the 21-year-old behind Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud and China’s Eileen Gu – the gold and silver medallists from Beijing 2022 respectively – in the standings.

“I am feeling really relieved. I was really nervous this morning. Putting a good run down in the qualifications was important for me because I wanted to be in that final,” Muir told BBC Sport.

“In the qualifying, it is sometimes more nerve-wracking, whereas, in the final you go all out and you either get it or you don’t. That’s what I am going to be ready for.”

Gu, a triple medallist from four years ago, is one of the biggest global stars at these Games but avoided an early shock after crashing off the first rail of her opening run.

After almost a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Muir has won three World Cup golds in the past year, including two in slopestyle.

The Olympic final takes place on Monday from 11:30 GMT.

Chris McCormick couldn’t match Muir in reaching the men’s slopestyle final, missing out on a place in the top 12 with a best score of 33.90.

The 27-year-old, who learned to ski on Bearsden dry slope, came into his debut Olympics nursing an ankle injury.

“To even make it to the start gate is a small victory,” McCormick – who will also compete in big air – told BBC Sport.

“I really wanted to show my best skiing. But I’m super happy to be here, especially when I think of where I’ve come from, from the dry slope to here, that’s a big achievement. And I’ve had a lot of fun, despite all the pain I’ve been skiing through.”

In Tesero, Anna Pryce made history by becoming the first British athlete to compete in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon at an Olympic Games.

Pryce, who switched allegiance from Canada last year, came 42nd – finishing seven minutes and 24 seconds behind gold-medal winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden.

Pryce said she was so excited to make her Olympic debut that she was “giggling at the start”.

“Maybe I should have felt more nervous, I don’t know. But I feel pretty relaxed and maybe that translated into my skiing – which was great,” she said.

Feb. 5 (Asia Today) — Merchants in Seoul’s Hyoja-dong neighborhood say the long-anticipated economic boost from President Lee Jae-myung’s return to the Blue House has failed to materialize, while commercial areas around the former presidential office in Yongsan continue to struggle.

Restaurants near the Blue House, once hopeful that an influx of staff and visitors would revive lunchtime demand, report thinning crowds and declining sales.

“Business is slow these days,” said Kim Kwang-jae, 64, who runs a Korean restaurant in Hyoja-dong, Jongno District. Despite offering discounted meals to Blue House staff and police officers, Kim said daily customer numbers hover around 70, far below expectations.

When the Blue House was open to the public, his restaurant served about 150 customers a day, providing a brief lifeline to nearby eateries and market stalls. That traffic evaporated after public access was suspended last August, merchants said.

Hope briefly returned after President Lee announced plans to resume work at the Blue House. On Jan. 29, he instructed staff to eat outside the compound every Wednesday in an effort to support local businesses. Wednesday marked the first day after the directive took effect.

The scene on the ground, however, told a different story.

Jeon Sun-myeong, owner of a dumpling shop in nearby Tongin Market, said customer numbers have fallen since the return to the Blue House. “I can’t even prepare dumplings in advance anymore,” she said, noting that the impact is especially severe for low-margin, high-volume businesses.

An official from the Tongin Market Merchants’ Association said frequent protests near the Blue House have further reduced foot traffic. Demonstrators occupying roads near market entrances have discouraged visitors, the official said, adding that declining orders are also hurting suppliers who provide ingredients to nearby restaurants.

A similar downturn is unfolding in Yongsan, which had benefited from increased activity after the presidential office moved there in 2022.

Around lunchtime in the Hangang-ro area, restaurant-lined alleys stood largely empty, with rows of mourning wreaths protesting the government’s Jan. 29 housing supply measures adding to the somber atmosphere.

“Our customers were mostly office workers,” said Jin Seon-il, 64, who has operated a knife-cut noodle restaurant in the area for 23 years. “Since the office moved back to the Blue House, the drop in lunchtime customers has been immediate.”

While nearby Yongridan-gil remains popular with younger crowds, Jin said most visitors favor cafes and bars over traditional eateries. “Rents rose during the presidential office era, but customers are gone,” he said.

Shin Deok-soon, 67, who runs a gamjatang restaurant, said she relocated to Yongsan three years ago to capture lunchtime demand tied to the presidential office. After Lee’s return announcement, she said sales steadily declined, forcing her to lay off all employees at the start of this year and raise menu prices.

A local real estate agent said commercial rents in Yongsan surged two to three times following the presidential office relocation and have yet to come down. “With rents staying high and sales falling, more shops are closing,” he said.

Office worker Kim Min-gyu, 27, said several once-popular eateries have already shut down. “A year ago, you had to line up at lunch,” he said. “Now you can walk right in.”

The Yongsan Small Business Association has urged lawmakers to adopt measures to revive the area. An association official said rising rents and falling foot traffic are placing severe strain on merchants and called for practical steps to ease rent burdens and draw customers back.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260205010002050

The entire U.S. military is now pushing to acquire hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new drones, especially smaller types, in the coming years, spurred on by new direction from the Pentagon. In turn, a demand for new containerized launchers capable of rapidly deploying and, if need be, recovering those uncrewed aerial systems has now emerged. On several occasions in the past, TWZ has called attention to the value of exactly these kinds of launch capabilities, for use on land and at sea, especially for employing fully networked swarms.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) laid out broad requirements for what it referred to as a Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System (CADDS). DIU’s central focus is on leveraging new and improved commercial-off-the-shelf technologies to help meet U.S. military needs.

“The Department of War (DoW) faces a robotic mass challenge: current methods for deploying and sustaining unmanned aerial systems (UAS) rely on direct human interaction to launch, recover, and refit each system,” the CADDS notice explains. “This 1:1 operator-to-aircraft model limits deployment speed and scale while exposing operators to unnecessary risks.”

The “problem” to solve then is that “the DoW requires the ability to deploy large quantities of UAS rapidly, while minimizing the risk and burden to human operators executing kinetic and non-kinetic UAS operations in contested environments,” it adds.

To that end, “DOW seeks innovative solutions that enable the storage, rapid deployment, and management of multi-agent systems to provide either persistent UAS coverage over extended periods or massed effects within a single geographic region and time,” per DIU. It needs to be “employable from land and maritime platforms, in both day and night conditions, and during inclement weather.”

These have to be “designs [that] can be transported by military or commercial vehicles (land, sea, air)” and that “can be quickly positioned and made operational with minimal handling or setup.” They also have to be able to provide “automated functions for drone storage, launching, recovering, and refitting within the containerized platform; the intent is for the system to exist in a dormant state for a period of time and launch UAS upon command.”

DIU does not name any particular drones that the CADDS has to be able to accommodate or say how many UASs a single launcher should be able to hold. The notice does say the system will need to support “homogeneous and heterogeneous mixes of Government-directed UAS.”

The launch system also has to be capable of being set up and broken back down in a time frame measured in minutes and have a small operational footprint. “Ideally, the system should require a crew of no more than 2 personnel,” per DIU.

When it comes to the “autonomous” element of the launch system, DIU says it needs to support “both operator-on-the-loop and operator-in-the-loop decision-making processes.”

The market space for containerized launchers for various payloads, and for use on land and at sea, has been steadily growing globally in recent years. There has already been a further trend in the development of such systems for launching loitering munitions and other uncrewed aerial systems, or the adaptation of existing designs to be able to do so.

As one example, in the past year or so, Northrop Grumman has begun touting the ability of what it is currently calling the Modular Payload System (MPS) to launch drones, as seen in the computer-generated video below. TWZ was first to report on the development of that system all the way back in 2018, when it was being presented solely as a way to surface-launch variants of the AGM-88 anti-radiation missile. MPS is also now being pitched as a launcher for the Advanced Reactive Strike Missile (AReS), a surface-to-surface missile derived from the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) and its Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) cousin.

Modular Payload System: Launching from Land or Sea

Last year, another concept for a containerized launcher capable of holding up to 48 drones at once also emerged from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Back in 2024, Germany’s Rheinmetall and UVision in Israel had also unveiled two very similar designs, specifically for launching members of the latter company’s Hero series of loitering munitions.

This is just a small selection of the designs that have been seen to date. Firms in China have been particularly active in this regard, and developments in that country have often also been tied to work on swarming capabilities.

中国电科陆空协同固定翼无人机“蜂群”系统

中国电科大规模无人机蜂群任务全流程试验

Container-like launchers for uncrewed aerial systems, often mounted on trucks, have already been in service in many countries for years. This includes Iran, where they are used to launch Shahed-type kamikaze drones, as can be seen in the video below.

Баражуючий іранський боєприпас «Shahed 136»

However, many of these systems are focused squarely on the launch aspect and lack the recovery and refit capabilities that DIU has outlined for CADDS. Chinese drone firm DJI and others in the commercial space are increasingly offering container-like ‘docks,’ but which are often designed to accommodate just one uncrewed aerial system at a time.

What is particularly interesting here is how many of the stated CADDS requirements actually sound very similar, at least in very broad strokes, to a containerized system capable of launching, recovering, and recharging thousands of small, electrically-powered quadcopter-type drones at the touch of a button that the Chinese company DAMODA rolled out last year. That launcher, dubbed the Automated Drone Swarm Container System, is for drone light shows for entertainment purposes rather than military use.

Behind the Scenes of DAMODA Automated Drone Swarm Container System.✨

China just dropped a new level of drone swarm tech | One-click auto-deploy of thousands | by DAMODA

Still, as we previously wrote:

It is worth reiterating that DAMODA’s Automated Drone Swarm Container System, at least as it exists now, is clearly designed for entertainment industry use first and foremost. Though the company’s drone light show routines are certainly visually impressive and often go viral on social media, they are pre-scripted and conducted in a very localized fashion. What the company is offering is not a drone swarm capable of performing various military-minded tasks in a highly autonomous manner at appreciable ranges from its launch point.

At the same time, large-scale drone light shows put on by DAMODA (and a growing number of other companies), do highlight, on a broad level, the already highly problematic threats posed by swarms. The new Automated Drone Swarm Container System underscores the additional danger of these same threats hiding in plain sight. The steady proliferation of advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, especially when it comes to dynamic targeting, will only create additional challenges, as TWZ has explored in detail in this past feature.

This is not theoretical, either. As mentioned, in June [2025], Ukrainian forces launched multiple drone attacks on airbases across Russia with the help of covert launchers loaded on the back of unassuming civilian tractor-trailer trucks. This entire effort was dubbed Operation Spiderweb and took months of planning.

Even in an overt operational context, readily deployable containerized systems capable of acting as hubs for drone operations across a broad area with limited manpower requirements could offer a major boost in capability and capacity. Ships, trucks, and aircraft, which could themselves be uncrewed, could be used to bring them to and from forward locations, even in remote areas. If they can support a “heterogeneous mix” of uncrewed aerial systems, a single container could be used to support a wide array of mission requirements, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, kinetic strikes, and/or communications signal relay.

An inherent benefit of a drone swarm, in general, is that each individual component does not have to be configured to perform all of the desired tasks. This creates additional flexibility and resilience to threats, since the loss of any particular drone does not necessarily preclude the swarm from continuing its assigned missions. There are tangential design and cost benefits for the drones themselves, since they can be configured to carry only the systems required for their particular mission demands.

Army Aviation Launches Autonomous Pack Hunters

TWZ previously laid out a detailed case for the many benefits that could come along with loading containers packed with swarms of drones onto U.S. Navy ships. Many of those arguments are just as relevant when talking about systems designed to be employed on land. Containerized systems are often readily adaptable to both ground-based and maritime applications, to begin with.

Drone swarms are only set to become more capable as advancements in autonomy, especially automated target recognition, continue to progress, driven by parallel developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as you can read more about here. Future highly autonomous swarms will be able to execute various mission sets even more efficiently and in ways that compound challenges for defenders. Massed drone attacks with limited autonomy already have an inherent capacity to just overwhelm enemy defenses. In turn, electronic warfare systems and high-power microwave directed energy weapons have steadily emerged as some of the most capable options available to tackle swarms, but have their own limitations. Even powerful microwave systems have very short ranges and are directional in nature, and electronic warfare systems may simply not work at all against autonomous drones.

In terms of what DIU is now looking at for CADDS, the stated requirements are broad. It remains to be seen what options might be submitted, let alone considered for actual operational U.S. military use.

Still, DIU has laid out a real emerging capability gap amid the current push to field various tiers of drones to a degree never before seen across America’s armed forces, which counterinsurgency launch systems look well-positioned to fill.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

AN airport in Europe is set to finally get a huge new airport – after being delayed for DECADES.

The Luís de Camões Airport has been in development for years and is set to serve the capital of Portugal, eventually.

Believe it or not, the potential of building a new airport near Lisbon has been on the cards since the mid-1960s.

During that time it was realised that it would be almost impossible to expand Lisbon Airport – known at the time as Portela Airport which opened in 1942.

So plans were made to build a second airport which would eventually serve Lisbon called Luís de Camões Airport.

It would open in Alcochete which is across the Tagus River from Lisbon and would be a 50-minute drive from the city.

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There have been many proposals year-on-year about the airport, and recently more changes have been made to the plans.

As reported in The Portugal News, there have been new talks to discuss issues such as the ‘size of the runways, the separation between them, and the contact positions’.

Designs of the airport feature two runways in its initial phase, with construction expected to begin around 2030–2031.

In the future there would be potential to expand with another two runways taking the total up to four in order to handle up to 100 million passengers by 2050.

It’s estimated that the cost to build Luís de Camões Airport will be €9billion (£7.7billion).

Currently, Lisbon’s main airport, Humberto Delgado Airport, has two runways and sees more than 35 million passengers per year.

This makes it one of the largest airports in Europe when it comes to the amount of passengers.

It’s also one of the only major airports that has an approach path directly over the city.

Eventually when Luís de Camões Airport opens, the one in the heart of Lisbon will close completely.

With discussions still being made about the airport, work is yet to start however operations are estimated to begin in 2034 – and it has come to the attention of officials too.

Carlos Mineiro Alves, executive director of the Portuguese Construction Foundation said: “We cannot have a country that is lagging behind. We have already lost a lot of time on fundamental issues such as the new Lisbon airport and the high-speed railway.”

For more on airports, here are the full list of the ones that have scrapped the strict 100ml liquid rule after 20 years.

Here is the UK airport that has been named the worst in the country for flight cancellations.

The four-mile trail from the village of Haworth to Top Withens in West Yorkshire is well trodden; numerous footprints squelched into the boggy ground by those seeking the view said to have inspired the setting for Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. The landscape rolls in desolate waves of brown bracken. A lone tree punctuates the scene. It’s bleakly, hauntingly beautiful.

With the release of Emerald Fennell’s new film of the Gothic masterpiece starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi next week, Haworth and many of the filming locations in the Yorkshire Dales national park, where the book is set, are braced for a slew of visitors.

The local residents, though, seem distinctly unfazed by the attention.

“We’re used to crowds,” shrugs Craig Verity, the landlord at the Kings Arms, a pub at the top of Haworth’s steep cobbled Main Street, just steps from the parsonage where the Brontës were raised.

Brontë country has been milking the connection for decades. On a wall in the Kings Arms, a board promotes a selection of Bridgehouse cask ales named Charlotte, Anne, Emily and Branwell, the latter being the lesser-known Brontë brother.

In the surrounding streets, there’s the Brontë Hotel and the Brontë Bar and Restaurant, as well as – somewhat tenuously – Brontë Balti.

The Brontë Parsonage, where the sisters lived, wrote and – in Emily and Charlotte’s case – died, is now a museum housing artefacts, personal items and manuscripts, as well as hosting events such as workshops, talks and screenings of adaptations of the books. It draws around 75,000 visitors annually, a number almost sure to rise this year; a screening of 1992’s Wuthering Heights planned for 12 February has already sold out.

Scenes from this version, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche, were filmed at East Riddlesden Hall, about five miles from Haworth. The exterior of the 17th-century National Trust property also featured in the 2009 mini-series as Wuthering Heights itself, as well as in the now-lost 1920 silent version.

The 1939 Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon film was shot in California and on set in Hollywood.

“We only know about the use of the property because of a January 1921 article in the Shipley Times and Express,” said Sophie Fawcett, a senior marketing and communications officer with the National Trust.

Coinciding with the release of Fennell’s new adaptation, East Riddlesden Hall will be holding a Lights, Camera, Brontë exhibition, which will showcase, for instance, the “vast oak dresser” thought to have inspired the one described in the opening pages of the book. It came originally from Ponden Hall – about an hour’s walk from Haworth and now a bed and breakfast – to which the sisters were frequent visitors.

One room here features a box bed and window, likely to have inspired the scene in which the ghost of Cathy appears to a terrified Lockwood.

For this new film, the cast stayed at Simonstone Hall, a sumptuous country house hotel in Yorkshire Dales. It’s a 20-minute drive from here to Swaledale, where many of the scenes were shot.

“They were lovely people, and brilliantly undemanding,” said the owner, Jake Dinsdale, noting that Robbie had since been back for a stay with her husband. “Although they’d booked out all 20 rooms, our restaurant was still open to the public, and the cast enjoyed being around the firepit to toast s’mores, or sitting down to a roast dinner or afternoon tea.”

His own attitude is equally relaxed. “I don’t know what the film will do,” he said. “It could all be a flash in the pan, and that’s fine. If it sticks, that’s also great. What I do know is that I won’t be renaming any rooms as ‘The Jacob Elordi Room’ or ‘The Heathcliff Room’.

“Commercial naffness isn’t for us – I’ll just be happy if guests understand why so many people love the Yorkshire Dales.”

In the meantime, Simonstone Hall is offering a Wuthering Heights Romantic Getaway package until 13 March: two nights for £738 per couple, including champagne on arrival, candlelit dinners, bedtime brandy and truffles, leisurely breakfasts and late checkout. Copies of the novel are also available in the gift shop.

Tony Watson, head of economy and tourism for North Yorkshire council, said: “The area has featured in so many films and series; we’re experienced in managing that. Post-Covid, we were already seeing more younger people getting outdoors and exploring the county, and this demographic will doubtless grow as the film showcases the area’s beauty and authenticity.

“We’ll have to wait until the release to see whether there’s some iconic shot that people want to replicate. If there is, hopefully it will be somewhere like Aysgarth Falls, which has all of the necessary infrastructure in place – otherwise, we’ll need to suggest alternatives that don’t make mountain rescue unhappy.”

Back at The Kings Arms, Jack Greatrex, who lives in the area, is sanguine. “The Brontë sisters shaped this village for future generations, and for lovers of landscape and literature,” he said. “This film could mean that they continue to do so.”

Whatever effect the new film has, said Watson, they’re ready for it. “I’m the luckiest head of tourism imaginable – the film is going to do my job for me.”

Bethany Cosentino, the solo artist and co-founder of the rock band Best Coast, posted an open letter castigating her booking agency Wasserman Music over its founder’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and relationship with convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Agency founder Casey Wasserman — also the head of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee — was included in a recently released tranche of federal documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. While Wasserman was long known to have have flown with his then-wife Laura on Epstein’s plane with the disgraced financier, these new documents included sexually suggestive messages between Wasserman and Maxwell, Epstein’s consigliere who is serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison for child sex trafficking.

In a statement to the Hollywod Reporter, Wasserman said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light. I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”

Meanwhile, Cosentino, a Wasserman client since 2021, wrote in a letter posted to social media that her agency head’s response to the backlash was “not enough… Regret without accountability is just damage control.”

“We are tired of learning, over and over, that men who control access, resources, money and so-called safety in our industry are given endless grace,” Cosentino wrote. “We are tired of being asked to treat proximity to something horrific as an unfortunate situation we should simply move past — especially when the person involved still holds all the power.”

“This letter is my public refusal to accept that this is ‘just how things are,’” she continued.

Cosentino specified that she is “In the Sam Hunt business,” referring to her longtime agent. “I am not in the Wasserman business. I have asked to remove my name and the band’s name from the company site. The position Casey Wasserman has put his agents in is inexcusable. This is a call for him to step down and a change of business name be imminent.”

In the messages between Wasserman and Maxwell, Maxwell said she “thought of [Wasserman] at inappropriate moments,” to which Wasserman answered “I think of you all the time… So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit? I am in NY tonight, youre not, what am I to do? Xoxo cw”

Later, Wasserman wrote “I thought we would start at that place that you know of, and then continue the massage concept into your bed…and then again in the morning…not sure if or when we would stop.” She responded: “Umm – all that rubbing – are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless. There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild -I suppose I could practise them on you and you could let me know if they work or not?”

Wasserman Music is a leading talent agency, representing top acts like Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar. Previously, Billie Eilish left Wasserman after reports surfaced of separate incidents of alleged sexual misconduct from Wasserman.

Local politicians have called for Wasserman to back away from the Olympics committee. “I think Casey Wasserman needs to step down,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028.”

Feb. 6 (UPI) — The FBI and local authorities are examining a new message received about missing Tucson, Ariz., senior citizen Nancy Guthrie, 84, to determine its authenticity.

Tucson-based television station KOLD reported that it received the new message on Friday morning and forwarded it to investigators.

The message’s contents have not been revealed, and KOLD said the sender’s IP address differs from the one used when a ransom note was sent to the television station on Monday evening.

The sender likely is using a secure server to hide its IP address, and the new note includes information that the sender thinks will help to prove it is authentic, the television station reported.

Federal and local investigators confirmed receiving the new message.

“The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department are aware of a new message regarding Nancy Guthrie. Investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity.

“The PCSD said everyone is still asked to call 88-CRIME or 1-800-CALL-FBI with any information, photos or videos connected to the case. The FBI said a $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie or an arrest in the case.”

President Donald Trump early Friday evening suggested the Department of Justice or the FBI soon might release “definitive” information regarding the case.

“We have some things that will maybe come out reasonably soon,” he told media while traveling on Air Force One.

“A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation in the last couple of hours,” he said, adding that some “very strong clues” might lead to

Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, who co-anchors NBC’s morning news show Today.

Investigators said she likely was abducted from her Tucson home early Sunday morning and are treating a prior ransom note that was sent to multiple news outlets as authentic due to the detailed information that matches what was found at her home.

Investigators also confirmed that blood found near her home’s entrance is Guthrie’s.

They have not received any proof of life regarding her condition, but they are working on the assumption that she is alive until proven otherwise, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Thursday.

He said three ransom notes had been received by different people, but two are fakes, while the third appears to be genuine.

The alleged author of one of the fake ransom notes, Derrick Callella, 42, was arrested and on Friday was charged with making a false ransom threat in the U.S. District Court of Central California.

He was released from custody after posting a $20,000 bond.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that the steadfastness of Palestinians in Gaza despite genocide, shows ‘the failure of Israel’. Barghouti is at the Al Jazeera Forum, an event focusing on geopolitical shifts in the Middle East.

MY idea of American summer camps comes from Nineties movie The Parent Trap, starring a young Lindsay Lohan.

Kids canoeing at dawn, counsellors blowing whistles like drill sergeants, and bunking up in cute, wooden lodges with total strangers who soon become your best pals.

And let me tell you, it’s just like that.

I found myself in the US state of Maine last August, visiting several real-life camps — including the one where The Parent Trap was filmed.

And even though we are now in 2026, every camp I visited was completely offline with no phones, no TikTok, no Deliveroo.

Bliss.

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Instead, days are filled with canoeing, archery, sailing, lake swims, rope courses, arts and crafts, drama and communal singing — the list goes on.

Despite summer camp being a very American tradition, a huge number of the people running the show are British.

At the camps I visited, these were 18 to 25-year-olds, usually fresh out of school or university, who had flown over for the summer on sponsored visas.

BUNAC is one of several companies that offers this kind of working holiday. Its Summer Camp USA programme employs hundreds of travellers every year.

BUNAC was my host for the week, and talked me through the process of applying, and getting matched up with the perfect camp for one’s skill set and interests. The Brits live on site, work long days and are responsible for groups of children who idolise them.

The kids love our accent — and the Brits love the freedom.

One camp director told me British workers are prized because they offer “a unique perspective”, from across the Pond. Over one week, I watched workers fully immerse themselves in this US right of passage — wearing camp merch, scoffing American treats and making new friends who felt more like family than colleagues.

Many told me the same thing: “It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked but also the best summer of my life.

“The days are long, but the weeks go by so quickly.”

Maine is a popular summer camp destination because of its lakes, pine forests and thriving wildlife.

During downtime and days off, however, workers will often head to the nearby coastal city of Portland — the one in Maine, not Oregon. It’s little but has a great atmosphere with seafood shacks, craft-beer bars and scenes some may recognise from the Netflix teen comedy-drama series Ginny & Georgia.

It’s the perfect contrast to camp life — and the bug spray, bunk beds and lake water.

For many of the Brits working at summer camps it’s their first time in America, their first proper job with responsibility and their first taste of independence from home with their own cash to spend meaning exploring is inevitable.

Visas often outlast the time spent at camp so many workers still have around three weeks left at the end of summer to venture farther afield to bucket-list destinations such as New York and Florida.

Prank war

Nothing quite compares to the time spent at camp, though. Just like in The Parent Trap, there are emotional goodbyes but friends for life are made.

There is, however, no such thing as an isolation cabin such as the one that twins Hallie and Annie were confined to in the movie, to work out their differences after a prank war.

The camps’ real joy comes in the culture — workers I spoke to told how they loved immersing themselves in rural America.

It’s wholesome, chaotic and exhausting all at once. Plus, it’s a great way to organise a long-haul trip if you’re nervous about venturing so far from home, or can’t wrap your head around an itinerary for gap-year travel.

BUNAC plans nearly everything for you, taking away the hard parts.

And although you probably won’t find your long-lost twin, you’ll likely find a friend who remains a surrogate sibling for life — and that’s as good as.

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Three-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

It will be Bad Bunny’s second Super Bowl halftime show performance after he made a guest appearance with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown,” Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — said in a statement, noting that “this is for my people, my culture and our history.”

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which has partnered with the NFL on halftime shows since 2019, will again produce the show.

Most Super Bowl halftime shows include special guest artists, but no one has been officially confirmed by Roc Nation or the NFL.

The impact the Rodríguez administration could have on the Venezuelan oil industry, even under the new Hydrocarbons Law, would be unsustainable and limited in scope. Structural weakness surrounding the Delcy government and the National Assembly’s lack of legitimacy, commitment to the rule of law, and popular support will restrain the reach of her reforms. Nevertheless, the law will test the willingness of the private sector to run both upstream and downstream operations. These measures could deliver a limited economic boost, that despite American supervision, will be weaponized politically by window-dressing the regime’s legitimacy and stalling further political and economic reforms. It’s precisely this flawed political and legal foundation that undermines the sustainability of the economic gains that the new law could provide.

For Venezuela and PDVSA to reclaim relevance in the international oil market what is required are not incremental improvements but a comprehensive overhaul of the industry, the company, and the constitutional framework that ties them together. The reforms must prioritize transparency, accountability, and insulating the industry and PDVSA from political pressures under strong political coverage that provides long term stability. These measures are something an interim administration, independent of who is in charge, will be unable to provide. Only then would international companies and capitals commit to the long term projects needed.

Once the country finds its political footing under a popularly elected and legitimate government can longlasting and durable reform take place. At this point multiple options may surface. There could be a scenario where we see PDVSA take a back seat while the country creates a competitive fiscal system prioritizing royalty collections while up and downstream operations are run by private enterprises. Remaining PDVSA assets and JV operations would be divested gradually as production capacity is recovered in the hands of private enterprises. However, revitalizing PDVSA as a competitive oil company should remain as a national strategic objective. Venezuelans would greatly benefit from building a company able to compete in and outside of the Venezuelan market.

However, the only way to relaunch PDVSA as a relevant actor in the international market is by allowing it to enter the 21st century oil dynamics and embracing a partial privatization via a minority share offering in international equity markets. Beyond the much needed capital that would be raised in the initial and consequent secondary offerings, plus the potential to tap debt markets along the way, going public will create an additional moat and isolate the company some steps from further political interference. A publicly traded PDVSA would not only need to answer to the government but to energy analysts, independent shareholders, and international compliance and regulatory frameworks alike. It will be the pressure generated by the external scrutiny that will enable PDVSA to be scaled up back into international relevance. Given the precarious financial and operational standing of the holding, a partial privatization is not feasible on day one or two of a political transition and economic recovery phase. But it is a question that will become relevant once the objective becomes long sustainable growth.

PDVSA would need to cut all non-essential personnel and assets, streamlining its operations. Every dollar spent should be evaluated under a return-on-capital framework, making financial discipline central to strategic planning.

The privatization of PDVSA has been a taboo for Venezuelan society despite serious attempts in late 1990s to execute such an operation. However, the devastation that the industry suffered under chavista mismanagement provides a clean slate opportunity to relaunch PDVSA and the oil industry under a modern governance framework. For too long the Venezuelan oil industry has been treated as the cash cow of whoever seats in Miraflores. Historically, this led to the centralization of political and economic power which hindered the development of democratic institutions and left the nation at the will of the administration’s oil revenue distribution policy. Taking control of PDVSA not only meant controlling the oil industry but the state itself. Reforms should aim to break the petro-state monopoly over oil revenue and to make PDVSA part of a dynamic national industry where other participants are allowed to play.

There are multiple precedents to back this move. Lessons from the partial privatizations of Chinese SINOPEC and Norwegian Statoil from the early 2000s could be drawn to prove that these operations are possible under different political systems. A PDVSA offering would be exceptionally complex, but in order to even start considering it there are three basic fundamentals that need to align.

First, the move would need overwhelming support from civil society to sustain the necessary political will. While that looks like a concrete goal in María Corina Machado’s energy proposals, the possibility seems remote under an interim Delcy government that still needs to appease other factions within the ruling coalition. In addition, chavismo’s current leader has not adhered to international transparency standards following her 2020 appointment as acting Minister of Economy and Finance—a role that earned her the title of Venezuela’s economic vice president before taking control of the national oil industry. Her tenure overlapped with the loss of an estimated $21 billion in oil payments, a scandal that ultimately led to the arrest and scapegoating of former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami.

Second, Petróleos de Venezuela needs a robust rule-of-law framework that can deliver credible guarantees to investors The current interim president is unlikely to provide such assurances, given the deep mistrust surrounding Venezuela’s public institutions—many of which she does not fully control. As Juan Guillermo Blanco points out, her posture may swing from alignment with Washington on this occasion to an anti-imperialist rupture if the circumstances allow it.

Shifting to global best practices

PDVSA cannot move forward without the goodwill of the market. Francisco Monaldi has repeatedly stated that the main risks of Venezuelan oil are above ground. Beyond the politics, sanctions, and the legal framework, PDVSA needs to get its house in order to regain market credibility. For starters, the holding needs to address its debt issue—estimated at $34.5b—through an agreement where debtholders walk away feeling it was a fair deal. Without serious debt restructuring, a share offering roadshow would be impossible.

The company must also cut all non-essential ventures, subsidies, and social project funding from the nucleus. From PDVAL supermarkets to F1 teams, PDVSA bankrolled it all during chavismo. Despite how bizarre the outflows party got, these types of splurges and subsidies have been ingrained in the Venezuelan mindset and will be hard to get rid of. Such measures would represent a comprehensive detachment from century-old beliefs in the magical powers of the Venezuelan petro-state.

Furthermore, PDVSA would need to cut all non-essential personnel and assets, streamlining its operations. Every dollar spent should be evaluated under a return-on-capital framework, making financial discipline central to strategic planning. In addition, investors and banking partners must be able to track every dollar. Auditable records are not only essential for building reliable financial projections but also necessary for protecting stakeholders from anticorruption liability. This underscores the need for a new framework of transparent, efficient contract allocation and fully auditable accounting trails, ensuring that financial statements can withstand market scrutiny and compliance verification.

Making an example out of Petróleos de Venezuela would help generate a spillover effect that could contribute to more transparency, financial discipline, and compliance across the domestic market.

Figures such as the “productive participation contracts” (CPPs) or joint ventures that currently dominate private investments in the industry are compatible with this model as PDVSA should seek alliances in cases where it makes financial sense to do so. However, the secrecy under which these ventures have been working on needs to end.

Finally, PDVSA will need to bring in an independent leadership team and board with enough protection to isolate operational and financial decision-making from politics. Venezuela would be represented in the board as the majority shareholder, but would be restrained from running the day-to-day business operations and resource allocation. Studies that examine initial offerings of National Oil Companies (NOC) suggest that a substantial amount of the efficiency gains are delivered before an IPO is launched, as the company restructures itself to be introduced into the public market. PDVSA has a long way to go before we can consider this scenario. Nevertheless, aiming toward partial privatization would provide a blueprint for rebuilding PDVSA as an operationally, financially, and commercially viable company.

A share offering should consider a dual listing that includes the Caracas Stock Exchange, which is also in need of an extreme makeover (that’s part of a different discussion, however). The overhaul needed is not only about getting barrels out of the ground, but about including the company in the wider economy and making it subject to the highest managerial and corporate governance standards. Making an example out of Petróleos de Venezuela would help generate a spillover effect that could contribute to more transparency, financial discipline, and compliance across the domestic market. Ultimately, this would constrain the government’s ability to overreach into the private sector.

Whichever path is chosen for the future of PDVSA and the Venezuelan oil industry, it should be preceded by an inclusive debate that considers implications beyond the industry itself and sets the country on a sustainable growth path. This debate must happen in public, in conditions of full political and economic freedom, free from coercion by either internal or external powers. It should be the opposite of what occurred prior to the swift approval of the new Hydrocarbons Law, when secrecy prevailed and the legislative body responsible for drafting the statute showed no significant deliberation.

The one-sided vote in the illegitimate 2025 National Assembly should not overshadow the legislature’s failure to comply with its own parliamentary rules during the bill’s passage, as purported opposition lawmakers reportedly received a copy of the draft only hours before the first debate. That episode underscores why the legal and constitutional reforms needed to break the petro-state and refound PDVSA can only follow the renewal of all institutions, including a truly multiparty, independent congress.

The end goal is simple, yet history-changing: to dismantle Miraflores’ total control and discretion over oil-industry revenues.

I just read Bill Shaikin’s excellent column contrasting the Dodgers’ option to visit the White House with Jackie Robinson’s legendary civil rights stands throughout his life.

As a lifetime Dodger fan who has tried to stay as apolitical as possible, I would be absolutely ashamed of my Dodgers if they were to attend this photo op. I was ashamed last year, too. But nowhere near as much as this year.

Please don’t go.

Eric Monson
Temecula

Just to let Dave Roberts know, there is something bigger than baseball. On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.

When our freedoms are being taken away, it’s not OK if you go to the White House and visit the man who is taking them away. Which means my father fought for nothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to wear the same uniform Jackie Robinson did.

Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills

I agree with Bill Shaikin that for the world champion Dodgers to visit the fascist friendly White House would be an implicit contradiction of Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Most of the players probably don’t care, but you wish a manager like Dave Roberts (in L.A.!) were as smart and sensible as Steve Kerr. Apparently he is not.

Sean Mitchell
Dallas

I couldn’t disagree more with Bill Shaikin and his stance that the Dodgers should decline the opportunity to visit the White House. In a world of increasing stresses and dangers, sports is, or should be, a reprieve from the news reported on the front pages. After 9/11, for example, we celebrated the return of baseball as a valued respite from the tragedies we were dealing with. Allow baseball to continue to be this respite, Bill, and stop trying to drag sports into the fray.

Steve Kaye
Oro Valley, Ariz.

Bad look, Dave. It doesn’t help to invoke Jackie Robinson, then in the next breath, “I am (just) a baseball manager.”

Can’t have it both ways. Shaikin is right. Decline.

Joel Soffer
Long Beach

If Roberts feels he needs to go, he should. But the rest of the team should not. Dodger management should support them. Roberts conveniently thinks that going is not a political statement. It is. Roberts’ going supports Trump. The man who raised him and served this country did not do so to see it under the thumb of a corrupt man who attacks all that it has stood for. Today we are all politically identified by the choices we make. There’s no avoiding it.

Eric Nelson
Encinitas

Bill Shaikin nailed it when he talked about and quoted Jackie Robinson and compared him to Dave Roberts’ spineless decision to take the Dodgers to the White House. It’s “only” sports? A team of this renown, in a city terrorized by ICE, in a state directly harmed by Trump? Thank you, Mr. Shaikin, for calling Roberts out.

Ellen Butler
Long Beach

Thank you, Dave Roberts, for making the decision to go to the White House and celebrate our Dodgers’ victory in the World Series. It’s a thing called respect for the office of the president no matter what political party is involved. I don’t care about the L.A. Times sports writers’ politics, so keep your political opinions out of the Sports pages.

Lance Oedekerk
Upland

Talks between Iran and the US held in Oman on Friday have been described as ‘positive’ by officials. Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem asked people in Tehran whether they were optimistic.

Iraq launches investigations into ISIL detainees from Syria, with 7,000 expected to arrive in total.

United States forces have transported a third group of ISIL (ISIS) detainees from Ghwayran prison in Syria’s Hasakah province to Iraq by land, as activity around a US military base in the region points to possible operational changes, an Al Jazeera correspondent reports.

The transfer on Saturday forms part of a trilateral arrangement, which has emerged as part of a painstaking ceasefire after deadly clashes involving the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), under which detainees held in northeastern Syria are being relocated to Iraqi custody. US forces are the third party to that agreement.

Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the start of a broader operation to move detainees from facilities across the region, with officials outlining a plan to transfer about 7,000 prisoners.

Iraq has launched investigations into ISIL detainees from Syria over atrocities committed against its citizens.

Security developments in northeastern Syria have accelerated in recent weeks in the wake of government forces sweeping across the north and SDF retreats.

On Saturday, SDF governor-designate Nour Eddien Ahmad met a Damascus delegation at the Hasakah government building before a Syrian national flag-raising ceremony.

The meeting carries political significance as the agreement between Damascus and the SDF allows the group to nominate the governor of Hasakah, with Ahmad expected to be formally appointed by the Syrian government.

The visiting delegation includes senior government security officials, underscoring Damascus’s expanding administrative control in the province. The raising of the Syrian national flag over the government building signals the reassertion of central government authority in Hasakah.

Syrian government forces entered the city of Qamishli earlier this week, one of the remaining urban strongholds of the Kurdish-led SDF, following a ceasefire agreement reached on Friday last week.

The accord ended weeks of confrontations and paved the way for the gradual integration of SDF fighters into Syrian state institutions, a step Washington described as an important move towards national reconciliation.

The agreement followed territorial losses suffered by the SDF earlier this year as government troops advanced across parts of eastern and northern Syria, reshaping control lines and prompting negotiations over future security arrangements.

Separately, an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground reported that US personnel vacated most watchtowers surrounding a military installation in the al-Shaddadi area of Hasakah province, leaving only the western tower staffed.

Soldiers were also seen lowering the US flag from one tower, while equipment used to manage aircraft take-offs and landings at the base’s airstrip was no longer visible.

No combat aircraft were present at the facility, although a large cargo aircraft landed at the base, remained for several hours, and later departed.

The US established its formal military presence in Syria in October 2015, initially deploying about 50 special forces personnel in advisory roles as part of the international coalition fighting ISIL. Since then, troop levels have fluctuated.

Reports in mid-2025 indicated that roughly 500 US troops withdrew from the country, leaving an estimated 1,400 personnel, though precise figures remain unclear due to the classified nature of many deployments.

US forces continue to focus on countering ISIL remnants, supporting the Syrian government now, providing intelligence and logistical assistance, and securing oil and gas infrastructure in Hasakah and Deir Az Zor provinces.

The US carried out another round of “large-scale” attacks against ISIL in Syria in January, following an ambush that killed two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the city of Palmyra in December.

A new restaurant has opened its doors in Benidorm with stunning beachfront views and, whilst some tourists are excited, others have been left less than impressed

Benidorm has long been synonymous with its vibrant nightlife, all-inclusive resorts with so much food and drink, stunning coastline and reliable sunshine, but a new eatery has just landed in the Spanish hotspot, dividing opinion amongst holidaymakers. Harry, who regularly posts insider tips about life in Spain, couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about the latest arrival in town.

“Oh my god, this is unbelievable that they’ve done this to Benidorm,” he exclaimed. “Wait until you see this,” Harry teased, building anticipation for what he described as the “nicest beachfront takeaway in Benidorm,” admitting his surprise that the chain had chosen to set up shop there.

He then challenged his TikTok followers on his @harrytokky account to “guess” his location as he swung the camera around to reveal his new go-to spot. The big reveal? The freshly opened Benidorm branch of Taco Bell.

For the uninitiated, Taco Bell is an American fast-food giant known for its Mexican-style fare including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and much more. The menu boasts an array of customisable dishes featuring seasoned meats, beans, cheese and fresh toppings.

“Here I am, guys, the brand new Taco Bell, and look at that view,” he raved, showcasing its prime beachfront location. Even though blustery conditions prevailed on the day, the setting still looked spectacular.

“Incredible, right? Apart from the extremely crazy wind,” Harry continued, though if you’re heading to Benidorm during the summer, the weather will probably be far nicer, and queues for the restaurant may well be longer too.

Harry collected his order and showed viewers what he’d purchased. He said: “A massive cheeky Coca Cola, some sauce, we’ve got the fries and the burrito in there. Not bad looking really”.

He then conducted the all-important taste test. Trying the fries first, he declared they were “amazing,” and as he dunked them into what appeared to be a cheesy sauce, he made satisfied sounds of approval.

Next up was the burrito, prompting more “mmm” noises as he said: “It’s definitely worth it, just because of the view,” having secured himself a prime window seat.

He initially rated it “10/10,” before backtracking on his assessment, clarifying: “It’s not actually 10/10, the view’s 10/10. It’s alright, it’s okay, it’s not the best one I’ve had in the world, but I do like a Taco Bell. It’s alright. I’ll take it”.

In the comments section, one person revealed there was a Taco Bell there a few years ago, saying it was “nothing special”. Other users bemoaned the difficulty in finding genuine Spanish eateries in Spain nowadays due to chains like this.

One viewer commented: “Marbella has just had a new McDonald’s and Burger King on the paseo and a Five Guys 100 metres away within the last month. Tough finding a decent Tapas bar now”.

Another person vented their frustration: “It’s Spain, I want Sangria, fish, Gazpacho, boquerones, vino verano, San Miguel, a Spanish waiter in a white shirt, not this c***”.

One woman revealed she and her travelling companion had discovered a favourite spot, writing: “We prefer the Terra Cactus place, been every day since we got here and will go until we leave,” alongside a snap of two mouth-watering pizzas.

The advantage of having familiar chain restaurants in destinations like Benidorm is that fussy eaters always have a reliable option if they’re not keen on sampling the local food.

That said, if you’re willing to be more adventurous with your palate, mealtimes become far more thrilling when you embrace authentic local cuisine in whichever destination you’ve chosen to explore.