As part of Colombia’s peace process, former National Army soldiers confess to taking part in extrajudicial killings to the victims’ families.
Colombia continues to navigate the fragile aftermath of more than five decades of armed conflict. Although the 2016 peace agreement formally ended hostilities between the state and the FARC-EP rebels, sustaining peace has proven far more complex than signing it.
This episode follows former members of the national army accused of carrying out the so-called “falsos positivos” (false positives) — extrajudicial executions in which innocent civilians were executed, then falsely presented as combat casualties by the government as a way to bolster the numbers of enemies killed. Soldiers testified to their involvement in the assassinations to the families of the victims as part of the peace process. We also explore the suffering and anguish of those who have had their families devastated by these killings.
Their testimonies unfold within the framework of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the justice mechanism established under the peace agreement between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP).
The JEP applies a model of transitional and restorative justice centred on victims and with full guarantees of due process. Its mandate is to investigate, prosecute and sanction those most responsible for serious human rights violations. The system provides two pathways: a restorative process for those who acknowledge responsibility, provide full truth, and contribute to reparation and guarantees of non-repetition; and an adversarial process for those who do not.
Currently, more than 17,000 individuals are appearing before the JEP, including former FARC-EP members, members of the armed forces, and civilian third parties. The jurisdiction has issued indictments for maximum responsibility, delivered restorative and adversarial sentences, and conditionally waived criminal prosecution for non-most-responsible participants.
Most businesses believe that sales and customer service reside in separate departments.
Every small interaction sends a message. The way you answer a question, explain a detail, or handle uncertainty all influence how comfortable someone feels pulling out their card. Spending money is personal. People need to feel looked after before they commit.
They want straight answers. They want things explained properly. And they want to sense that the person helping them actually knows what they’re doing.
To boost sales, follow these five customer service strategies below:
Avoid Scripts
A lot of training initiatives teach people what to say, not how to think – and customers feel that immediately.
The moment someone sounds like they’re reciting lines, trust slips. Real confidence comes from understanding, not memorisation. When your team knows the product inside out, they stop performing and start having proper conversations.
They can adapt, explain things in their own words, and, most importantly, respond without that awkward pause where they search for the “right” answer.
Empower Staff To Solve Problems
Empowering your team means your staff can actually help, without having to “check with someone” every five minutes – that just irritates your customers and your staff lose confidence.
Trust your team to make the right call and let them approve replacements and offer sensible credits so they can fix the small stuff immediately.
Demonstrate the kind of leadership that makes your team better.
When someone buys from you, browses certain products, or asks specific questions, they’re giving you clues about what they actually want.
They keep track of preferences, past orders, and birthdays – the small details that are easy to forget but powerful when remembered. The plan isn’t to inundate them with generic promotions or info they never wanted.
It’s to be there at the right place at the right time. For example, send out a reminder when they’re likely running low or make a suggestion that genuinely complements what they already bought.
Following up shouldn’t feel weird. It’s just care in action.
Most customers don’t need a big song and dance. They just want to know you’re still there after the payment goes through. A simple message, a few days later, is powerfully reassuring.
Not to push, and not to upsell, but rather just to make sure they’re in the loop.
Reward Loyalty and Referrals
Rewarding loyalty shouldn’t feel like a corporate points program with fine print nobody reads.
It should feel like appreciation.
Let your regulars feel like insiders. Give them a first look at new ranges before anyone else sees them. Move their order up the queue when you can.
When someone chooses your business again and again, that’s trust. They’re choosing you. They’re betting on your quality, your service, and your word.
Final Thoughts
When service feels thoughtful and reliable, hesitation and doubt drop. Questions get answered on time. That sense of being looked after doesn’t just close one sale – it builds loyalty.
THE Pretty Woman star who infamously scolded Julia Roberts in the iconic scene looks very different these days.
Dey Young has made a rare appearance 35 years after starring as a rather snobby saleswomen on Rodeo Drive in the 1990 romantic comedy.
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Dey Young, who starred in Pretty Woman, has been spotted on an outing in LACredit: BackGridShe is best-known for playing a snobby shop assistant in the 1990 romantic comedyCredit: BackGrid
She has appeared in over 100 movies and television programs throughout her career, but is perhaps best known for her Pretty Woman stint, alongside Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
The actress, who is now 70-years-old, was seen on a leisurely Sunday morning stroll with her pooch by her side.
She and her dog were strolling along the sidewalk in Los Angeles.
Dey looked chic but kept things simple in a red zip-up, black trousers, and a burgundy colored cap.
As she walked her dog, which was on a leash, the actress also donned some sunglasses and wore her phone on a lanyard across her body.
In Pretty Woman, Dey’s character works at a swanky shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Julia Robert’s character of Vivian Ward works as a prostitute and goes shopping with her client’s credit card.
When she walks into Dey’s character’s shop, the saleswoman tells Vivian they don’t have clothes for her.
Vivian later goes shopping elsewhere before returning to the snobby shop to tell them “big mistake” after splashing hundreds of dollars.
Despite having long been in the business, Dey isn’t slowing down.
She currently has two projects in the works.
Dey previously spoke about her Pretty Woman role.
Speaking to Today in 2021, she said, “I never knew that this movie would be as big as it was, or that this scene would be so iconic.
“I really think the reason is that it’s a moment a lot of people can relate to it.”
Dey Young is known for starring in Pretty Woman as the snobby saleswomanCredit: UnknownDey’s character was snobby to Julia’s characterCredit: Unknown
Before her Pretty Woman stint, Dey had taken on roles in the likes of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School and Strange Behavior.
She wasn’t planning to audition for Pretty Woman until a chance encounter.
“Alan Thicke and I were friends and he invited me to a tennis party,” she said.
“I got paired with up Garry Marshall.
“We ended up winning our match, and that was a really fun thing. At the end of it, Alan told him I was an actress and (Marshall) was like, ‘Oh, really? Well, you know, I think I might have something for you.’”
She then went on to audition for the film, which was in fact originally called 3,000.
The reason the movie was originally titled 3,000, was because that was the amount negotiated for Julia Robert’s character’s rate.
Julia Roberts played a prostitute named Vivian Ward in Pretty WomanCredit: Alamy
After its failure to strike a deal to tap into the EU’s defence for loan scheme, the UK is now on a charm offensive to secure “Made in Europe” access for its industry.
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UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle is in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday to press the case for UK involvement in the European preference scheme the Commission is drafting, as speculation circulates that it will be limited to EU countries only.
“We have a shared challenge on the continent of Europe about economic security,” Kyle told journalists after meeting Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera, adding that “the continent of Europe should come together” to build “resilience” at a time of increasing worldwide economic tensions.
The UK fears Brussels’ push to favour “Made in Europe” products will shut London out of EU public procurement and state aid, escalating post-Brexit trade tensions.
London argues that the EU and UK economies are too deeply intertwined to withstand a strict EU-only European Preference.
The EU’s “Made in Europe” strategy is set to feature in the long-delayed Industrial Accelerator Act, held up for months by divisions among member states and within the European Commission. Baltic and Nordic countries have warned that the plan could curb innovation and restrict access to non-EU technologies, joining Germany in calling for a broad definition of “Made in Europe” that includes the bloc’s “trusted” trade partners.
France, by contrast, wants to limit eligibility to members of the European Economic Area – including Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland – as well as countries with reciprocal procurement agreements with the EU.
Limits of participation
London has previously sought to secure preferential access to the EU’s €150-billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence loan scheme – so far, to no avail.
That programme also contains a European preference, with member states required to ensure that at least two-thirds of the weapon systems they buy using loaned EU money are manufactured in an EU or EEA/EFTA country or Ukraine. Third-country participation is capped at 35%.
Talks to bring the UK to the same level as a member state collapsed last November when they failed to find a compromise over how much London would have to contribute financially.
Euronews understands that those talks fell apart over a major gap between the two sides: whereas the final offer on the table from the EU was around €2 billion, the UK estimated it ought to contribute just over €100 million.
But the UK also wants to participate in the EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine, two-thirds of which is earmarked for military assistance.
Starmer said last month that “whether it’s SAFE or other initiatives, it makes good sense for Europe in the widest sense of the word – which is the EU plus other European countries – to work more closely together.”
But the British premier is walking a difficult political tightrope. His Labour party is consistently polling several points behind the right-wing populist Reform UK, led by arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage.
Yet, a recent YouGov poll showed that a majority of British people (58%) now believe that it was wrong for the UK to leave the EU, with 54% supporting rejoining the bloc. An even bigger majority – 62% – support having a closer relationship without rejoining the EU, the Single Market, or the Customs Union.
Brussels, however, has always been clear that the UK cannot pick and choose privileged access to the Single Market without accepting the EU’s “four freedoms”: the full freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people – the latter of which would feed into Farage’s anti-immigration platform.
Donald J. Trump was approaching the end of the longest State of the Union address that has been unwrapped before the US Congress since 1964, when he pivoted toward what has happened around “our new friend Venezuela” since the capture of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores on January 3. He talked about the millions of barrels en route to the US and celebrated how the collaboration with Delcy Rodriguez is helping to boost the economies of both countries, giving renewed hope for families who have suffered in Venezuela. And then, he said that, right there, among those seated in front of him, was Alejandra González, the niece of Venezuela politician Enrique Márquez, who had been jailed but was released after the Maduro extraction. Trump then announced, Oprah style, that her uncle was there. “Come down, Enrique!” Trump said, a door just behind González opened, and Márquez entered amid a round of standing applause to embrace his niece.
A familiar scene from TV, from shows around the world during the last 60 years, Sábado Sensacional included. An emotional moment indeed, but for Venezuela watchers it sure was another plot twist in The Year of What the F: “What the F is Enrique Márquez doing there?”
Enrique Marquez (63, a native from Maracaibo) ran for the election as a rogue candidate supported by another party, Centrados en la Gente, that along with some other organizations got 2% of the vote in July 28, 2024. The Venezuelan Communist Party and REDES, the small political outfit of dissident chavista Juan Barreto, backed him.
Márquez was a victim of the unprecedented crackdown that followed the July 28, 2024 election in Venezuela, unleashed by the chavista regime—with Delcy Rodríguez as vice president—while Maduro blatantly stole the presidential contest that Edmundo González Urrutia won by a landslide.
On January 7, amidst the spike in forced disappearances that came before Maduro’s last presidential inauguration, security forces took Enrique Márquez and threw him in El Helicoide for a year, until January 2026.
But way before that, Márquez was a member of Un Nuevo Tiempo, the Zulia state-based party of Manuel Rosales and Omar Barboza. He was elected for the 2015 National Assembly, where the anti-Maduro coalition held a majority, and became the chamber’s vice president in the first year when Henry Ramos Allup grabbed the spotlight. He had entered institutional politics 15 years earlier, as a lawmaker for center-left party La Causa R in the first Chávez legislature (2000-2006). By 2010, when the opposition was returning to parliamentary politics to face the ruling PSUV, Márquez had joined Rosales and Barboza in UNT. In 2018, as the opposition boycotted that year’s presidential vote amid political bans and State repression on potential candidates, Enrique Márquez decided to back Henri Falcón, who ended up losing against Maduro. Márquez was sacked from his post in UNT as a result. In the years that followed, he held a lower profile as the opposition shifted toward Juan Guaidó’s interim presidency and international pressure as the strategy to remove Maduro from power.
He made a comeback in 2021, when the Guaidó movement was looking doomed and the Maduro regime was trying to regain a degree of recognition abroad. With a disjointed opposition at home after years where efforts were aimed at the international community, Guaidó critics in the Venezuelan opposition—namely Rosales and Henrique Capriles—decided it was time to move away from the interinato and return to electoral politics. Over at the chavista aisle, National Assembly president and Maduro strategist Jorge Rodríguez convinced the dictator that a new electoral board was necessary to get its opponents running for elections again—according to Rodríguez, this would make the regime look democratic. For that purpose, the National Electoral Council would need to be “more balanced” than the previous ones, and therefore include an additional opposition representative (the arrangement since the Chávez-Tibisay Lucena era was that the opposition could only have one out of five).
And voila. In May 2021, after weeks of negotiations between Rodríguez and the Capriles-Rosales camp, Enrique Márquez was appointed as CNE rector along with Roberto Picón, a software engineer that advised the opposition on electoral strategy throughout the 2010s, and who Maduro kept imprisoned for a year in 2017-2018.
With another three pro-Maduro CNE rectors, Márquez and Picón oversaw the December 2021 regional election that saw the opposition break with years of electoral boycott, an event that showcased chavismo’s growing weakness at the ballot box. The CNE still behaved like a puppet for Maduro, but Márquez and Picón managed to document many of the abuses and protest the decisions taken by Pedro Calzadilla, a history professor and friend of Maduro.
In May 2023, with the Calzadilla-led CNE under pressure to organize a primary election for Maduro’s rivals in collaboration with a separate independent board, Maduro forced the resignation of his own appointees. Márquez and finally Picón had to quit on the following days too. In the second half of the year, María Corina won an independent primary election with overwhelming support, and Maduro set up the current electoral board embodied by Elvis Amoroso, the man who told the world Maduro won the 2024 elections without showing any proof.
When chavismo refused to allow María Corina Machado from competing in the election, the Unitary Platform faced the need of having someone else running on her behalf. Enrique Márquez was among the names discussed as the candidato tapa (Machado’s stand-in), thoughsome people said Machado did not like him. The candidacy of González Urrutia, an obscure diplomat that was quite far from being a real politician, was finally accepted by CNE. The fraud of the century took place. But after the fraud, Márquez went to the Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) and demanded that the CNE presented the voting tallies that proved that Maduro, as the CNE alleged, was the winner. The TSJ ignored Márquez, but his speech lambasting Amoroso’s CNE and Maduro’s trickery was aired by State television, whose producers were probably not expecting a moment like that. Especially considering that much of society and those who endorsed Machado and González Urrutia were under a state of terror outside.
Soon after, while members of the Machado-led Comando con Venezuela were forced to hide and flee the country, Márquez announced he would dedicate his efforts to bringing together a movement in defense of the Venezuelan Constitution. Between August and December 2024, Márquez attempted to challenge Maduro using the regime’s own authoritarian institutions. For instance, he formally asked the TSJ to review its own ruling backing the CNE’s results. In November, Márquez and a number of moderate and leftwing figures (including Barreto and former presidential hopefuls Andrés Caleca and Falcón) called Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab for a meeting in the prosecutor general’s office, to press for the release of people arrested in the post-election crackdown, especially dozens of minors that were still imprisoned back then.
Another possibility is that the Trump administration is pitching Márquez as a reliable figure that could join Delcy’s local management.
All of this went ignored, of course, as the Maduro regime was capping off its transformation into a brutal police State dominated by Diosdado Cabello. In New Year’s Eve, days before he was captured, Enrique Márquez addressed the public with the following message:
On July 28, a social, democratic, civic, constitutional force materialized, one that we must sustain and strengthen. Failing to recognize what happened on July 28 will unfortunately have consequences that will bring more suffering to Venezuelans.
It is necessary to seek mechanisms that open the way to peaceful change, allowing us to achieve democratic coexistence and thus open the doors to the future for a country that is determined to change.
Let us defend our Constitution with perseverance, with civic and citizen strength.
That is my commitment to Venezuelans.
I wish you all the best in 2025. Happy New Year!
Enrique Márquez
On January 7, amidst the spike in forced disappearances that came before Maduro’s last presidential inauguration, security forces took Enrique Márquez and threw him in El Helicoide for a year, until January 2026.
Now, Trump is presenting Márquez as living proof of how many people are getting freedom in Venezuela thanks to him and the US military. This is in sync with Delcy Rodriguez’s attempt to sell herself as an open ruler, who announces that El Helicoide will be closed and that an insufficient amnesty law would heal the wounds of political polarization. However, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail, and El Helicoide is just one gulag in an entire archipelago where crimes against humanity have been committed by the chavista regime.
The surprising appearance of Enrique Márquez in Washington DC has sparked another interpretation. Is Donald Trump launching a campaign to sell Márquez as a transition leader, once he decides that Delcy Rodriguez has reached her expiration date?
Marquez is one of the people that has been discussed as a potential transition figure in Venezuela, given his personal prestige and ties with moderate sectors of opposition and chavismo that go back decades.
In other words, on paper he has the profile to act like a hinge between a sector of the opposition that is not entirely loyal to Machado, and an old brand of chavismo that was marginalized by Nicolás Maduro. For example, Márquez is a founding member of the Grupo de Boston, an old parliamentary caucus set up during the 2000-2006 National Assembly composed of chavista and opposition lawmakers meant to interact and exchange views with US Congress representatives. And he has links to Francisco Arias Cárdenas, an Army general and close comrade of Chávez that briefly became his opponent before returning to the comandante’s coalition (Arias Cárdenas, once a presidential candidate and former Zulia governor, now has a seat in the National Assembly that just approved an amnesty law). Apart from this, Márquez has little name recognition within Venezuela. After having read this, you probably know more about him than most people in the country.
Another possibility is that the Trump administration is pitching Márquez as a reliable figure that could join Delcy’s local management. For instance, appointing him to lead the elections authority, after showing up as an honored guest in Trump’s State of the Union address, would go a long way to show that the US is in control and that elections, while not imminent, could be somewhat free and fair.
Was Marquez just an actor in a Trump TV stunt? Perhaps, that should be our base scenario. But maybe he’s something else. Time will tell. Or Corporate.
Having triumphed in his first 10 races under jockey Nico de Boinville, Constitution Hill’s falls – including at Aintree and Cheltenham – had left Henderson mulling over his future.
The successful switch to Flat at Southwell last Friday showed his potential.
Starting 6-4 favourite and with five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle, the move paid off as he took to the front well before the line and held firm to win by nine-and-a-half lengths from Square Necker and Gambino.
Henderson said: “He showed on Friday night that he has another career in front of him that could possibly take us all to new playing fields.
“It was a terrific night for both him, us, and I believe British Horse Racing and we are very aware of the public perception and the possible consequences of running over hurdles and feel it is not fair to ask him and Nico to do it again.
“Cheltenham have kindly invited Constitution Hill to parade on Champion Hurdle day to give all his National Hunt supporters the opportunity to say goodbye.”
Protesters at a World Press Freedom Day event in Kuala Lumpur hold a banner that reads, “Targeting Journalist is A Crime” and a poster of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed while reporting in the West Bank in 2022. Israel accepted she was likely killed by IDF fire, but said it was an accident. File photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA-EFE
Feb. 25 (UPI) — Two-third of the 129 journalists killed around the world while doing their jobs in 2025 were at the hands of Israel, said a new report out Wednesday.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said its annual tally of journalists and media workers killed, the worst in the more than three decades since it started collating the data in 1992, came amid armed conflict at historically unprecedented levels globally.
A record 86 members of the press were killed by Israeli fire, up from the previous record of 85 in 2024, more than 60% of whom were Palestinian reporters from Gaza. The others were killed in Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, said the New York-based CPJ.
There were nine recorded journalist killings in Sudan for the year, six in Mexico, four in Russia — with that figure incorporating Ukrainian press members killed by Russian forces — and three in the Philippines. A dozen-and-a-half other countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America accounted for the remaining 21 deaths.
Of the 129 total, CPJ said 47 were documented targeted killings, which CPJ classifies as murder.
“Within the context of rising conflict worldwide, Israel’s disregard for the lives of journalists — and the international laws intended to protect them — is unparalleled. Israel has now killed more journalists than any other government since CPJ began collecting records in 1992, making the Israel-Gaza war (which incorporates Israel’s killings in Gaza as well as its lethal attacks in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran) the deadliest on record for journalists.
“Three of these killings, including one murder, occurred after the October 2025 ceasefire,” the committee said.
The CPJ said the surge in killings globally was being driven by an entrenched climate of impunity for attacks on press and media workers in which action to find and hold those responsible to account was increasingly rare.
“There have been almost no transparent investigations into the targeted killings in 2025 — the highest number of journalists deliberately killed for their work in the past decade — and no one has been held accountable,” said the CPJ.
“These killings of journalists violate international humanitarian law, which stipulates that journalists are civilians and should never be deliberately targeted,” it added.
That impunity emboldened those intent on silencing journalists, including in countries where there is no current armed conflict.
CPJ warned that the rise in killings was a reflection of the wider risks confronting press freedom amid the chilling effect of efforts to discredit journalists, abuse of the law to try to make fair, accurate and balanced reporting a crime and inflammatory rhetoric and harassment online, even in Western “liberal democracies.”
“Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever. Attacks on the media are a leading indicator of attacks on other freedoms, and much more needs to be done to prevent these killings and punish the perpetrators,” warned CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
“We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news,” she added.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela speaks to reporters outside of the White House in Washington on October 21, 1999. Mandela was famously released from prison in South Africa on February 11, 1990. Photo by Joel Rennich/UPI | License Photo
More than 240,000 Brits live in Dubai, but others are now considering moving to an alternative city in the United Arab Emirates according to a UK entrepreneur in the Persian Gulf
Alan Johnson Social News Reporter
16:27, 25 Feb 2026
A British expat has identified an up and coming alternative to Dubai(Image: typhoonski via Getty Images)
It’s estimated that more than 240,000 Brits have relocated to Dubai, making them one of the largest expat communities currently living in the United Arab Emirates. Drawn by benefits such as year-round sunshine, tax-free salaries and a buzzing lifestyle, many have no intention of returning from the Persian Gulf.
However, as the destination grows increasingly popular with influencers, some claim Dubai is rapidly becoming “soulless” and are seeking to escape the “Dubai Depression”, as it has been dubbed by international residents. According to one British entrepreneur in the region, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is quickly emerging as the new hotspot.
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Dubbed the ‘nature Emirate’, it features 42 miles of coastline along the spectacular Arabian Gulf and while it provides many of the advantages of Dubai, it avoids its congestion and excessive tourism – for now at least.
“The British are moving directly to Ras Al Khaimah,” Ben Moss disclosed. “It used to be that they’d move to Dubai first and spend a year or two there then potentially move to Ras Al Khaimah.”
Now, however, the businessman maintains that when speaking to people back home, they tell him they’re more keen on relocating to the appealing alternative.
“You know you’re doing something right when you’re attracting the British,” he commended the destination. “That’s because the British are fantastic people who you want in your city. Rak’s definitely doing something right to attract them directly.”
In a follow-up video, Ben shared one of the main reasons he’s settled with life in Ras Al Khaimah. “You can just pop down to the beach and go for a nice swim,” he revealed. “The water is beautiful here.”
When it comes to the best spots to reside in Ras Al Khaimah, Ben highlighted Mina Al Arab, Al Hamra and Al Marjan island. “These are where all the fun and action is happening,” he gushed.
Ben disclosed he’s currently living in the Deira Corniche, roughly 30 minutes away. “You have this amazing mountain backdrop and it’s a very affordable place to live,” Ben boasted of the area.
“However, if you’re an expat you are definitely going to want to get as close to that casino as possible and Mina Al Arab is proving to be super cool.”
Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism website proudly states: “With a rich heritage spanning over 7,000 years, the city offers one of the UAE’s most authentic historical and cultural experiences.
“Visitors can explore its long-standing traditions, diverse cultural sites, and archaeological wonders that reflect its ancient past. This Emirate is not only a symbol of Arabian history but also a welcoming destination that encourages cultural awareness and understanding.”
It goes on to say: “Ras al Khaimah is celebrated for its breathtaking natural landscapes, which include pristine beaches, lush mangrove forests, vast terracotta desert dunes, and the rugged Hajar mountains.”
“Home to Jebel Jais, the UAE’s tallest mountain, this Emirate provides spectacular highland scenery and fresher conditions, approximately 10 degrees cooler than at sea level. Renowned for its open and hospitable character, Ras Al Khaimah also features a wide array of attractions, from upmarket resorts and boutique accommodation to genuine Emirati cultural encounters.”
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Palestinian journalist Yousef Al Helou documented Gaza and its people in the summer of 2023, months before the start of Israel’s genocidal war. His film, ‘Phoenix of Gaza’, stands as a testament to Palestinian resilience and has become a tribute to people that were later killed.
SOME fans across the country have discovered that their tickets to see Harry Styles have been automatically refunded.
The popular artist, 32, announced his latest tour Together, Together last month which will debut new songs from his upcoming album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
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Some fans have woken up to discover their tickets to see Harry have been voidedCredit: AFP
In addition to performing 12 shows in Wembley Stadium, Harry had one gig booked at Manchester‘s Co-op Live in March.
However, due to overwhelming demand that couldn’t be met, select tickets to the show have been cancelled and refunded.
Ticketmaster released a statement on the decision to axe the tickets, explaining that some customers managed to purchase tickets they shouldn’t have been able to buy in the first place.
These include many of the £20 tickets which were later resold on other ticket selling sites, and therefore were no longer eligible for use at the venue.
Ticketmaster explained: “We’re working with the Harry Styles ‘One Night Only’ team to cancel and refund any orders that have violated the rules of sale.
“As all tickets are non-transferable, any tickets listed on unauthorised resale sites are void and will not get fans into the show – so we’re cancelling and refunding these.
“There is also a ticket limit of 2 tickets per person, so any orders above that are being cancelled and refunded.”
The majority of the voided tickets appear to have been sold on Viagogo.
Ticketmaster added: “They [Viagogo] have been asked to stop listing tickets, in line with the artist team’s goal of keeping tickets in the hands of fans for no more than £20 [+ fees].
“While we are cancelling all tickets we find listed there, ultimately Viagogo controls what is on their site – meaning listings can remain even after we’ve cancelled them.”
If you’re hoping to see Harry at the event, your best bet is to keep an eye on Ticketmaster’s wesite.
Though the show is in incredibly high demand, so luck will need to be on your side.
President Trump headed into Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech projecting confidence in his personal power to “Make America Great Again,” despite the woes he says he’s been saddled with by his Democratic predecessors.
He also stood in a uniquely precarious position — facing some of his lowest approval ratings ever, plummeting support on his signature issue of immigration, unrelenting pressure from the slow rollout of the Epstein files, a sluggish economy, mounting international tensions and looming midterm elections in which Democrats appear poised to make gains, possibly even retaking control in Congress.
Trump remains popular among his base and remarkably infallible in the eyes of his loyalist administration and still commands extraordinary deference from many leaders in his party. Many of his supporters share his confidence and suggest polls showing slipping support are bogus.
“This is what ‘America first’ looks like,” said Paul Dans, former head of the conservative Project 2025 playbook, which Trump has largely adopted. “The last year has been phenomenal. He has done more in one year than most presidents would accomplish in a whole term.”
Nonetheless, political observers see a landscape of vulnerabilities for the second-term president heading into the 2026 elections.
“He stands at a moment of rapidly declining political capital,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant in California. “From a historical perspective, a president in year six, heading into what looks like a rough midterm, is probably not going to rise any higher again, in terms of their political equity — so he’s probably past his peak of power.”
Trump is in “about as weak a position” as any president heading into a State of the Union address in recent memory, agreed Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic strategist and director of the Dornsife Center for the Political Future at USC. “I don’t think the country sees Trump as the solution to anything at this point.”
At the same time, however, Trump is not acting like other weakened presidents, Shrum noted.
Instead of taking stock and turning away from unpopular policies, including on immigration and the economy, he is signaling that he simply won’t accept major midterm losses for his party — which leaves the nation in “completely uncharted waters,” Shrum said.
“We have a president who by all traditional standards has been weakened seriously, but who acts as though he had maximum strength,” he said. “We have a president who is deeply unpopular, who by every measure should see his party do very poorly in the midterms, but who seems determined to interfere in the midterm elections in any possible way that he can.”
In the polls
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Sunday showed 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, with 39% saying they approve. The last time Trump fared so poorly in that poll was shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
A CNN poll by SSRS released Monday found that Trump’s job approval rating stood at 36%, with a 19-point drop in approval among Latinos in the last year, an 18-point drop among Americans younger than 45, and a 15-point drop to just 26% approval among political independents — the lowest it has ever been during either of his terms.
Shrum said such sharp declines in support among Latino and independent voters do not bode well for Trump or for other Republicans on the ballot in November — especially given that the president, who often dismisses polling not in his favor, does not appear inclined to alter his policies.
Dans, who is running for Senate in South Carolina against Republican incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham, dismissed Trump’s slumping polling numbers as “fake or engineered,” and said if anything, the president should “go full Trump” — doubling down on his agenda.
On immigration
Trump has polled well on immigration in the past. But his heavy-handed crackdown — with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents arresting people without criminal records, detaining U.S. citizens and legal immigrants and killing U.S. citizens in Minneapolis — has shifted that. The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found 58% of adults disapprove of his handling of immigration.
Stutzman said Trump and his team obviously realize their approach has rubbed voters the wrong way, which is why they recently shuffled the leadership team in Minneapolis. But the broader policy has remained in place and “the numbers are still cratering on them,” he said.
Shrum said that if Trump “were intent on improving his situation, he would change the way ICE behaves, and might put some different faces on the effort that he’s making, and might focus on people who are actually convicted criminals,” but instead, he and other administration officials “seem determined to plow ahead.”
Dans said Trump received “a clear mandate in 2024 with respect to the mass migration, and it was to reverse and end that flow,” and that’s what he’s doing. “Everyone is going back home.”
On Epstein
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing involving the late disgraced financier and convicted sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein, a onetime acquaintance. However, questions about Epstein’s ties to Trump and other powerful men have persisted as evidence from multiple investigations into Epstein’s abuses continue to be released.
Republicans in Congress broke with the president and joined Democrats to pass a bill requiring the records’ release last year. Justice Department officials have slow-walked the release by redacting and withholding records, further dragging it out.
The records contained unproven accusations of wrongdoing by Trump, which he has denied. Democrats and Republicans alike have argued more records need to be released.
On the economy
Trump was dealt a blow last week when the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a sweeping set of tariffs he’d imposed on international trading partners.
Trump has said his administration will use other legal authorities to impose similar or even stiffer tariffs, despite polls showing his tariffs are unpopular.
The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, which was taken before the court ruling, found that 57% of respondents disapproved of Trump’s managing of the economy, and 64% disapproved of his handling of tariffs.
Dans said that Trump has already tempered inflation and that “the economy is ready to take off like a rocket ship,” especially if Congress gives the president the space to continue rolling out policies aimed at returning jobs to the U.S. that long ago went overseas.
“We’re really focused on reindustrialization,” Dans said. “This isn’t going to happen overnight, but all the building blocks are being put in place.”
Looking ahead
Stutzman said there is already evidence that Trump “doesn’t quite have a grip on Congress” like he used to, given recent votes on the Epstein files and tariffs, and that the conservative-leaning Supreme Court is still willing to rule against him, as it did on his tariffs.
If Democrats win back control in the midterms, Trump will see his influence wane even further as “the next two years turn into a quagmire,” with Democrats stymieing his agenda and launching one investigation after another, Stutzman said.
Dans said people standing in Trump’s way, including in Congress, need to clear out, because they’re “flouting” the will of the electorate. “It’s always about what the people want, and that’s what he’s going to deliver.”
Shrum said Trump trying to avoid losing power by interfering with the vote, including through the handling of mail-in ballots, is a major concern, as is Trump entering the U.S. into an armed conflict overseas in a “Wag the Dog” move — a reference to a 1997 movie of the same name in which an unpopular president uses a foreign war to salvage an election.
However, Shrum said he doesn’t think the latter would actually benefit Trump — “I don’t think that at this point another foreign incursion would make any president more popular” — and that, interference or not, a Republican drubbing in November is likely.
Trump, then, “will just try to govern by executive order,” will get sued and will have his agenda mired in court battles straight through the end of his presidency, Shrum said — a product, in part, of his confident despite all indications, “my way or the highway” approach to governing.
Matt Henry gets New Zealand off to a blistering start as Pathum Nissanka is dismissed with the first delivery of Sri Lanka’s innings in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
Feb. 25 (UPI) — Dr. Casey Means is scheduled to appear before the Senate Wednesday to discuss her confirmation to become surgeon general.
Means, 38, a friend of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wellness influencer and Make America Healthy Again advocate, was scheduled to appear in October before the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pension Committee virtually because she was pregnant with her first child. But it was postponed because she went into labor.
Her brother, Calley Means, is a lobbyist and senior adviser to the Health and Human Services Department.
She attended Stanford University for undergrad and medical school. She published a 2024 book, Good Energy, in which she described quitting her residency at Oregon Health and Science University. She had completed almost all of the five-year residency but said she was disillusioned with modern medicine. She advocates for healthy eating, limited pharmaceutical use and alternative remedies.
Her medical license lapsed in January 2024.
Because of this, she has faced questions over qualifications for the job, which would give her the authority to issue warnings and advisories for Americans.
HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said that Means’ “credentials, research background, and experience in public life give her the right insights to be the surgeon general who helps make sure America never again becomes the sickest nation on Earth.”
Kennedy recommended Means to President Donald Trump, who nominated her in May. Trump had withdrawn his previous nomination, former Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
Means has said she is for “unbiased research” in the childhood vaccine schedule. She has specifically questioned the safety of the hepatitis B vaccine being given soon after birth.
“I bet that one vaccine probably isn’t causing autism, but what about the 20 that they’re getting before 18 months?” CNN reported she said on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2024.
There is no evidence that vaccines cause autism.
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on February 24, 2026. Pool photo by Kenny Holston/UPI | License Photo
A gift shop, food court and soft play will also be part of the attraction.
Tickets are on sale with the experience running from May 2 to August 31, with sessions running every half an hour from 10am to 6pm.
You can book a variety of tickets, from Spectators who just come and watch (with access to the soft play and food court) to Family Contender tickets for up to 9 people.
Or splash out on a VIP ticket which includes a full Contender ticket as well as a uniform, medal and highlight reel video.
Spectator tickets start from £17.50 for kids and £22.50 for adults (with £2.50 processing fee) while Contender start from £39.50 for kids or £44.50 for adults (each with £4.50 processing fee).
Meet and greets cost £35 while Accessible Companions enter for free.
We made it! After this weekend, when the Producers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild hand out their highly predictive precursors, the final shape of the Oscar race should be (reasonably) clear — and nominees worn out by months of campaigning will be breathing a sigh of relief.
Before I share highlights from this week’s issue, one programming note: This will be my last letter from the editor until our inaugural Cannes issue drops in May. (Don’t worry, I will be plenty busy in the interim catching up on this year’s top Emmy contenders.)
Thanks as always for following along, and may you triumph in your Oscar pool!
Cover story: Rose Byrne
(Ryan Pfluger / For The Times)
Times columnist Mary McNamara and I don’t agree on everything, but we do agree on this: “Damages” deserves to be ranked alongside “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” in any discussion of the Golden Age of TV.
That’s thanks in one part to a gripping flash-forward narrative structure now so common it could be considered a cliché, and in another to Glenn Close’s indelible performance as ruthless litigator Patty Hewes. But it’s also a testament to the multifaceted talents of Rose Byrne, who went “toe-to-toe” with Close in what would become her breakthrough role — and then confidently pivoted to projects like “Insidious,” “Bridesmaids” and “Spy.”
“Byrne is something of a creative chameleon, moving easily from drama to comedy to horror, film to television to stage and back again,” McNamara writes in this week’s cover story. “In many ways, her gut-wrenching, darkly funny performance as a woman pushed beyond all endurance in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is a culmination of all the characters she brought to life before it.”
Inside Warner Bros.’ dominant Oscar haul
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Whether you come down on the side of “Sinners” or “One Battle After Another” in the best picture race may be perfect fodder for debate with friends over a few small beers, but for Warner Bros. executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy it would be akin to choosing a favorite child. After all, both projects emerged from the pair’s desire, as contributor Gregory Ellwood writes, to make WB “a destination where filmmakers of all varieties, including auteurs, bring their projects for ‘white glove’ treatment.”
As De Luca explains, “Everything was original once… If you don’t refresh the coffers with new IP to create new franchises, at some point you get to Chapter 10 or 11 and people start to move on.”
The many faces of ‘The Secret Agent’
(Ryan Pfluger/For The Times)
The moment Tânia Maria arrives onscreen as Dona Sebastiana in “The Secret Agent,” you can’t help but ask yourself, “Who is that?!” (Star Wagner Moura had the same reaction.) But the real feat casting director Gabriel Domingues pulls off in the Oscar-nominated Brazilian thriller is to make you ask yourself the same question, over and over, every time a new character appears.
How did Domingues find a range of actors to represent the country’s endless diversity? It’s part of his process, writes contributor Carlos Aguilar: “He prides himself on doing the shoe-leather work of looking for fresh, compelling faces in cities where others might not think to look — those without a prominent arts scene, for instance.”
One year ago, Rebecca Kutler was promoted to president of the cable news network then known as MSNBC.
Taking the helm at a major news organization is the pinnacle of a journalist’s career. But a lot changed after Kutler landed the job.
In August, MSNBC announced it was dropping its name of nearly 30 years to become MS NOW — as its now-former owner NBCUniversal wanted a clean break from the channel, which was spun off to be part of a new media company called Versant.
The spin-off, which NBCU parent Comcast initiated because its cable networks are considered slow-dying properties that weighed down its stock price, was hardly a vote of confidence in the business. Losing the moniker that had decades of brand equity among its politically progressive viewers was not going to help.
At a recent lunch near her Washington office, Kutler, acknowledged the circumstances were less than ideal. But with more than 20 years in the TV news business where she began as a production assistant at CNN, she understood the audience’s connection to her channel begins with the people on-screen, and not the logo.
“I was pretty confident the audience wouldn’t really blink because when they turn on the their television, they see Rachel Maddow, they see Jen Psaki, they see Joe Scarborough,” Kutler, 46, said. “The fact that two letters change does not change any of those audience habits.”
Still there was work to be done. Kutler no longer had the resources of NBC News at her disposal. Instead of paying $60 million annually for its newsgathering services, she chose to have MS NOW build its own newsrooms in Washington and New York. The operation was tested Tuesday as President Trump’s State of the Union address was the first major event MS NOW covered as a freestanding entity.
Kutler has some big professional challenges, but none as daunting as the one that emerged in October when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kutler found herself watching the newly rechristened MS NOW on a TV in a hospital room as she received chemotherapy treatments every few weeks.
“If anything it just made me appreciate and love what I do even more,” Kutler said.
As she works through her recovery, Kutler’s spirits have been buoyed by data that prove her point about MS NOW’s audience loyalty. From Nov. 15 — the date of the rebrand — through Feb. 14, MS NOW’s average daily audience has grown to 613,000, up 25% compared to the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen. Weeknight prime time is up 27% to 1.2 million viewers, still a distant second to conservative-leaning Fox News but well ahead of CNN.
There was an audience exodus from MSNBC in the months following President Trump’s election in 2024 as viewers unhappy with the results typically tune out after a presidential campaign. But anxiety over the activities of the second-term Trump White House sent them back into the familiar tent to hear Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Melber and others weigh in.
Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow at an MSNBC fan festival in New York City in October 2025.
(MSNBC)
When the name change to MS NOW was announced in October, the network’s internal research showed 31% of viewers found the idea somewhat unappealing or very unappealing, a warning light for what might be ahead. Two months later, that figure dropped to 17%, while the percentage of viewers who found it very appealing or somewhat appealing jumped from 30% to 44%.
A $20-million promotional campaign that focused on the network’s personalities helped. “We made sure the audience knew that it was just a name change, not a strategy change,” Versant Chief Executive Mark Lazarus said.
Programming moves Kutler implemented ahead of the switch helped. Longtime evening host Joy Reid was replaced with an ensemble program “The Weeknight,” with Symone Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez, and the audience level rose by 30% in February compared to a year ago.
Kutler moved Psaki, the former press secretary to President Biden, to the 9 p.m. Eastern slot Tuesday through Friday, where viewership is up 41%.
At CNN, Kutler had a strong reputation as a producer and in talent development. She was being groomed for a top job at the network before jumping to MSNBC as an executive vice president in 2022. Agents have been impressed with her swift decision-making.
“They have exceeded expectations in an especially challenged environment,” said Bradley Singer, a partner at William Morris Endeavor whose clients include Sanders-Townsend and “The Weekend” co-host Eugene Daniels. “And I would argue that Rebecca is the right leader for this moment because she’s willing to move quickly to try new things. And the business doesn’t really have time to spare.”
Jen Psaki is the host of MS NOW’s “The Briefing.”
(MS NOW)
Psaki credits Kutler for guiding her transition into TV news. “I wasn’t hired because I spent 20 years as a local news anchor, right?” Psaki said in a recent telephone interview. “I could learn those skills, but Rebecca helped me really start the task of figuring out how to ask the questions that needed to be asked, while also sharing my unique perspective as somebody who’s worked in government and politics.”
MS NOW did have to fill a major hole when political data guru Steve Kornacki chose to stick with NBC after the spin-off. Kutler tapped Ali Velshi, the network’s versatile chief correspondent, to take over the number-crunching during election nights and other big events.
While Kutler can point to ratings increases, she is aware of the long-term doomsday scenario that faces the cable TV industry as more viewers turn to streaming. The people who still have cable like MS NOW a lot — the network has three times as many viewers today as it did 20 years ago when there were far more pay-TV subscribers. But Versant needs to become less dependent on traditional TV as subscriber numbers are sliding every year.
Wall Street will get its first look at Versant’s financial performance when the new company delivers an earnings report next week, expecting to show $6.6 billion in revenue last year. While there have been declines in revenues because of cord-cutting, the company, which includes USA Network, SYFY, CNBC, Golf Channel, E! and Oxygen, says it still delivers double-digit profit margins.
MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler at Vesant’s investor day in New York on Dec. 4.
(MS NOW)
By early fall, MS NOW will launch a direct-to-consumer subscription product aimed at people who don’t have a pay-TV package. CNN launched such a service last year, while Fox News, the perennial ratings leader in cable, is available as part of Fox One, which also offers Fox Corporation’s broadcast network and sports channels.
Kutler said MS NOW‘s direct-to-consumer service will be part of a broader digital offering that can serve as a community for progressives. She describes subscriptions as “memberships.”
“We’re trying to build a product that meets the needs of people who love news, care about democracy and want to come together in a shared space,” she said.
MS NOW already has a strong presence on YouTube. In January, the network had 339 million views of its content, second only to Fox News (466 million) among cable and broadcast TV news outlets.
Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough on the set of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
(MS NOW)
MS NOW also stepped up its podcast business, scoring 140 million downloads last year. The long-form interview program “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace” has been a top download onApple Podcasts, and a new entry, “Clock It” with Sanders-Townsend and Daniels, launched this month.
Kutler also is looking at outside podcast companies to supply programming. Last week, MS NOW announced a deal with Crooked Media to produce a weekly compilation of its podcasts, including “Pod Save America,” which will air Saturdays at 9 p.m. Eastern.
“If there’s content our audience is interested in, we should find a way to bring it to them,” she said.
Overall, the moves at MS NOW show a willingness to invest in growing the business, a situation that did not exist under NBCU, which has been focused on building its Peacock streaming platform. “Liberating us from that was part of the strategy of the entire spin because we now need to do all of those things in order to create a growth company,” Lazarus said.
Kutler even had the green light to enter talks with Anderson Cooper — one of the highest-paid on-air talents in TV news — about joining MS NOW before he decided to re-sign with CNN.
Kutler had her final chemo session last Friday, and doctors say her health prognosis is good. She draws inspiration from her mother, a Philadelphia-area lawyer who raised Kutler as a single parent and successfully battled the disease in her 60s.
“My hardest day would have been my mom’s easiest day,” said Kutler, who is married with three teenaged children. “I was born watching somebody power through stuff. The idea of doing a job that’s busy and demanding and loving your kids and making them a priority is the only thing I ever knew.”
It wasn’t easy to go into Lazarus’ office to break the news about her condition after just six months on the job and a massive task ahead. But Kutler said he didn’t flinch, and the new company has been “1,000%” supportive.
“She’s a tremendous leader and an example of resilience and strength,” Lazarus said.
With that, the legacy debt from the Glazer family takeover and additional ‘liabilities’ listed of more than £500m – the vast majority of which is outstanding transfer fee payments – the club owed a staggering £1.29bn at the end of last year.
United also paid out £13.9m in net finance costs, although this was much lower than the £37.6m from the previous year.
In August 2025 respected football finance blogger Swiss Ramble placed Everton and Tottenham above Manchester United in his debt league. However, both clubs have borrowed to pay for new stadiums.
United are yet to say how they intend to finance their new ground, which is likely to cost more than £2bn, although the figures show why the club are so keen to return to the Champions League after a two-year absence.
Total revenues for the period in question were £190.3m, with commercial revenue dropping 8% from the previous 12 months to £78.5m. However, wages also fell by 9% to £75.1m.
Since taking a 29% stake in the club two years ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has instigated major cost-cutting, including two rounds of redundancies that have cut 450 jobs.
In addition, many staff perks, including a paid-for staff canteen, have been axed.
United sources argue this has allowed more to be invested on the data side of the club.
There was no mention in the financial statement about the amount United paid to sack head coach Ruben Amorim as this took place after the reporting period.
“We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialise both in our costs and profitability,” said Berrada.
“We continue to take a football-first approach and today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our men’s and women’s teams.”
DESPITE being in the UK, you could be easily mistaken for thinking you were in France when visiting Waddesdon Manor.
And the French Renaissance-style chateau in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, has revealed plans for a huge new woodland playground this year.
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Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is opening a new woodland playground this yearCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & TravelIt will feature climbing towers, tunnels and slidesCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & TravelThere will be a zip line tooCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & Travel
Built back in the 1870s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the Manor opened to the public in 1959 and is still home to the Rothschild collection of paintings, sculptures and artworks.
And for when you are feeling peckish, there is an cafe onsite serving light bites and drinks.
Waddesdon Manor features a large French Renaissance-style chateau that belonged to Baron Ferdinand de RothschildCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & TravelInside the manor, there are over 15,000 objects including porcelainCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & Travel
A ticket to the house and grounds costs £25.50 per adult and £12.50 per child.
But if you are a member of the National Trust then you can visit for free.
One recent visitor said: “An incredibly beautiful building. It is worth visiting at least once, but be sure to visit.
“Different types of birds, flowers, and palm trees will delight your eyes.”
Another added: “I think this was my most enjoyable National Trust visit.
“One of many Rothschild properties in the area but must be the jewel in the crown.”
In other attraction news, London’s best family attraction that ‘feels like it was created for kids’ to get huge new nature playground.
Plus, a huge new wooden play attraction is set to open at historic English house with den building, zip lines and racing slides.
An official opening date for the park has not been announced yetCredit: Facebook/Where To Go With Kids – Days out & Travel
Colonel Jang Do-young (L), public affairs director of South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Colonel Ryan Donald (R), public affairs director of U.S. Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a press briefing on the 2026 Freedom Shield military exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Jung Yeon-je/EPA
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (UPI) — The United States and South Korea will kick off a major joint military exercise next month, both countries announced Wednesday, as they prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul.
The annual springtime Freedom Shield exercise will take place March 9 to 19 and will incorporate “realistic threats, including lessons learned from recent conflicts … to further strengthen the Alliance’s readiness and capabilities through combined, joint, all-domain operations,” the militaries said in a joint statement.
“This exercise will also serve as an opportunity to support ongoing preparations for a conditions-based wartime operational transition, consistent with alliance agreement,” the statement added.
South Korea is looking to complete the handover of wartime command from the United States before President Lee Jae Myung’s five-year term ends in 2030.
The exercise will feature computer simulation-based command post exercises as well as “Warrior Shield” field training, the allies said.
Freedom Shield comes as the Lee administration attempts to improve frayed relations with Pyongyang, which frequently condemns the allies’ joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion.
Local media have reported that Seoul is proposing scaling down field training during this year’s exercise — a move that Washington has allegedly resisted.
At the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises in August, half of the 40 planned field training exercises were rescheduled to later in the year.
“Complex combined exercises often require additional coordination, looking at the scale and sequencing of these events,” Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of U.S. Forces Korea, said at a press conference Wednesday. “The important thing to remember is Freedom Shield and Warrior Shield will go on this March as a major defensive-oriented exercise.”
In addition to U.S. and South Korean forces, personnel from other member countries of the United Nations Command will join the exercise, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe to monitor compliance with the Armistice Agreement.
“You’ll see U.S., South Korean and United Nations Command member states participating in tough, realistic, demanding training — and that is the real measure of the alliance,” Donald said.
Col. Jang Do-young, public affairs director of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the press conference that field training exercises were still being coordinated.
He added that March’s Freedom Shield will not include scenarios directly related to a North Korean nuclear attack, but would include training for “deterrence of nuclear threats.”
Last week, a South Korean lawmaker said that Pyongyang is planning to hold a large-scale military parade to show off its latest weapons at the conclusion of the ongoing Workers’ Party Ninth Congress.
A NEW $21 airport surcharge is now in place for American travelers flying to a popular destination.
It’s due to the introduction of an electronic permit – which is mandatory from today for visitors.
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Visitors to Britain from 85 countries must now show an electronic permit before boarding their flight, cruise, coach or train tripCredit: GettyIf you’re flying to Heathrow (above) in the UK, you’ll need an ETA – advanced permission to visit the country – unless you’re in transit, said the Home OfficeCredit: Getty
Visitors to Britain from 85 countries must now obtain an electronic permit in advance of their trip.
This includes those taking flights, or booked on cruises, coaches and even rail journeys.
Those failing to do so will be barred from traveling, the UK interior ministry warned.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme requires all visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to buy a pre-travel permit online at a cost of $21.57.
The scheme was introduced three years ago, and extended to European visitors last April, but has not been strictly enforced – until today.
Airlines will stop passengers from boarding flights if they do not have an ETA, eVisa or other valid documentation, the interior ministry also warned.
The UK is trying to beef up border security checks.
It’s following the likes of Canada, the US, and other countries which already use the system.
What is the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme?
An ETA is a digital permission to travel to the UK
It is not a visa or a tax and does not permit entry into the UK – it merely allows a person to travel to the UK.
Visitors can find more information about applying for an ETA on Gov.uk
It lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to six months.
It currently costs Americans $21.57 to obtain one.
Those without an ETA will be banned from boarding their flight, ferry, coach or train for travel to the UK.
An ETA lasts for two years and is linked to your passport.
If your passport has expired or changed, you’ll need to apply for a new ETA.
EXEMPTIONS:
There are some people who do not need an ETA, for example if you have:
A current British or Irish passport
Permission to live, work or study in the UK
“The ETA scheme is a vital part of our work to strengthen the UK’s border security,” said migration minister Mike Tapp.
It will “help to deliver a more efficient and modern service that works for both visitors and the British public,” he added.
An ETA lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to six months.
Visitors will usually need an ETA rather than a visa if they’re traveling from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.
Each person traveling needs an ETA, including babies and children.
It covers visits for tourism, business or short-term study.
The UK government has strengthened immigration security screening for their borders with the introduction of ETA, the Electronic Travel Authorisation schemeCredit: Getty
“We are making improvements to deliver a more streamlined, digital immigration system which will be quicker and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the UK border each year,” said the Home Office.
“Visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transport and cannot travel to the UK, unless exempt.
“Eligible visitors who take connecting flights (transiting) and go through UK passport control need an ETA.
“Those transiting through Heathrow and Manchester airports who do not go through UK passport control do not currently need an ETA.”
Those who have booked cruise trips to the UK will also have to obtain an ETA (stock image)Credit: GettyThose boarding trains to the UK, for example Eurostar in France, must also have the ETA – unless they already have a current British or Irish passportCredit: Reuters
Flyers have complained the new system’s introduction has already caused delays at some airports.
Plus, there are fears it’ll muck up schedules when traveling to the UK over Easter, as it can take several days for requests to be processed.
British citizens with a second nationality risk being blocked from entering the UK as a result of the new rule, the Home Office has confirmed to British newspaper The Guardian.
There are already plans to hike the price of the ETA to $27 at an unspecified future date.
How and when to apply for the UK’s ETA
Avoid websites that imitate the UK government services as they might charge more to apply
HOWTO APPLY:
You can apply for the ETA online or through the UK ETA app.
The app is available for iPhone and Android phones.
The Trump administration has directed U.S. diplomats to actively oppose foreign laws that restrict how American tech companies handle citizens’ data abroad. An internal State Department cable, dated February 18 and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, described such measures as threats to artificial intelligence services, global data flows, and civil liberties.
Experts say the move signals a return to a more confrontational approach after previous efforts focused on building goodwill with European customers. The administration warned that data sovereignty rules could increase costs, introduce cybersecurity risks, and expand government control in ways that enable censorship.
Data Sovereignty in Focus
Data sovereignty or localization initiatives have accelerated, especially in Europe, amid ongoing tensions over U.S. trade policies and concerns about privacy and surveillance. European regulators, wary of American tech giants, have tightened rules on how data is stored and shared. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remains the most prominent example, restricting cross-border data transfers and imposing stiff fines on companies that fail to comply.
The State Department cable cited GDPR as “unnecessarily burdensome” and highlighted China’s restrictive data policies as an example of how technology rules can expand geopolitical influence. Beijing, it noted, bundles infrastructure projects with policies that provide access to international data for surveillance and strategic leverage.
Diplomatic Action Plan
The cable, labeled as an “action request,” instructed diplomats to track proposals that could limit cross-border data flows and to counter regulations deemed excessive. Talking points included promotion of the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, a multinational initiative launched in 2022 by the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and Japan to support free flow of data while ensuring privacy protections.
This directive follows a pattern of U.S. opposition to European digital regulation. Last year, diplomats were ordered to challenge the EU’s Digital Services Act, aimed at making the internet safer by forcing social media firms to remove illegal content. The U.S. is also reportedly planning an online portal to help users bypass content moderation, including restrictions on material flagged as hate speech or terrorist propaganda.
Analysis: A More Assertive U.S. Digital Strategy
The cable reflects a strategic shift toward actively protecting the interests of U.S. tech companies globally. While previous administrations attempted to engage Europe diplomatically, the current approach pressures foreign governments to loosen privacy and data storage regulations that could hinder U.S. business.
By framing data sovereignty laws as a threat to AI development, cybersecurity, and civil liberties, the administration is positioning the free flow of data as a cornerstone of U.S. economic and technological influence. At the same time, rising competition from China in digital infrastructure and AI adds urgency, highlighting the geopolitical stakes of controlling international data flows.
The broader implication is a growing clash between national data policies and global digital commerce. As countries enact stricter rules to protect citizens’ data, U.S. tech firms and policymakers are increasingly asserting that global interoperability and AI innovation must take priority, signaling potential tensions in transatlantic and international digital governance for years to come.
