Month: February 2026

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.

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 now the grand home is opening a woodland playground.

The new playground will boast giant wooden towers, climbing trails, bridges, tunnels, slides and more.

Pictures also show there will be a zip line as well.

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Using natural materials, the new attraction hopes to connect kids with nature.

The new play area – which will be free to use – will open this year, though an exact date is yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, from the end March, visitors can see the House as it reopens for the season.

Inside the Manor, you’ll be able to explore a collection of 18th century French decorative arts including furniture, porcelain and carpets.

In fact, the Manor is home to over 15,000 objects.

And if it is a sunny day, the gardens are well worth exploring as they are in the style of French formal gardens.

There’s even an Aviary which is home to rare and exotic birds.

You can head to the Wine Cellars onsite too, which features a collection of more than 15,000 bottles.

The estate also often hosts events such as family trails.

And for when you are feeling peckish, there is an cafe onsite serving light bites and drinks.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

With information from Reuters.

FANS of Benny Blanco have been left feeling queasy after noticing a “disgusting” detail from his new podcast.

On Tuesday, the musician – who is married to Selena Gomez -launched his new multimedia podcast, Friends Keep Secrets; but fans were more taken by the host’s hygiene than the show itself.

Just minutes into the first episode, which features Benny and his co-hosts Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco, the record producer kicked back on a couch with no socks on.

And fans quickly noticed that he the soles of his feet appeared dirty, quickly taking to social media.

“EW! benny, get off the couch and go take ,a shower. you’re not a toddler,” wrote one fan to X.

Another horrified user said: “The fact that his feet are ACTUALLY that filthy makes me sick to my stomach like selena girl what’s going on”.

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“Yikes! That’s definitely a “don’t look down” moment.

Sounds like Benny Blanco didn’t expect his feet to make a cameo on the podcast. The joys of live recordings sometimes the unexpected gets all the attention!,” said a third.

“Benny blanco go wash your damn feet,” simply echoed another.

With Benny’s feet garnering more attention that the podcast itself, others shared messages directly for his wife Selena.

“How is Selena dealing with this?” one social media user said.

One even went as far to say: “Selena needs to divorce him and find someone better”.

Benny and his co-hosts are set to welcome a string of A-listers on the new podcast series, with the producer teasing that Selena will also come onto the show.

The couple have been together since June 2023 and married back in September.

At the time, we reported how they hosted their guests at the luxury El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara, and held their ceremony at a residence nearby.

Before things turned romantic, the couple actually knew one another for over a decade – meeting back in 2008 when Selena was beginning her career.

The pop star previously had a very public romance with Justin Bieber, before dating The WKEND for around a year.

WASHINGTON — To defend an increasingly unpopular immigration crackdown during his State of the Union speech, President Trump highlighted the victims of crimes perpetuated by undocumented immigrants.

But as Democrats pointed out, the president’s lengthy speech made no reference to the U.S. citizens, including Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, who were killed by immigration agents.

Recent polls show public approval of Trump’s immigration policies has fallen to record lows level since he returned to the White House. One poll, released Feb. 17 by Reuters and the market research firm Ipsos, showed just 38% of respondents felt Trump was doing a good job on immigration.

Another poll, published last month by Fox News, showed 59% of voters say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “too aggressive.”

“As President Trump brags about his immigration enforcement at tonight’s State of the Union, I can think only of Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti and the three dozen people who have died in ICE custody since Trump took office,” Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) wrote on X.

Within the first few minutes of his address on Tuesday night, Trump highlighted “the strongest and most secure border in American history, by far.” He also offered — at least momentarily — a softer tone, adding that “We will always allow people to come in legally, people that will love our country and will work hard to maintain our country.”

In reality, the administration has restricted legal immigration. It has revoked humanitarian benefits for hundreds of thousands of people, and an indefinite pause on all asylum applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Guests invited by various lawmakers to attend Trump’s speech offered dueling visions of the administration’s mass deportation effort.

Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) said he would bring the father and brother of Sarah Root, who was killed in 2016 after a drunk driver, who was in the U.S. illegally, crashed into her vehicle. Trump held an event Monday for “angel families,” those with a relative who was killed by an undocumented immigrant, and signed a proclamation honoring such victims of crimes.

Democrats, meanwhile, invited immigrants, family members of those detained or deported, and U.S. citizens who were violently arrested by immigration agents.

Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano), for example, said he was bringing the daughter of a Laguna Niguel couple deported last year to Colombia after their arrest during a routine check-in with ICE. And Rep. Jesus Garcia (D-Ill.) invited Marimar Martinez, a Chicago woman shot five times by Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum.

On X, the Department of Homeland Security shot back at Democrats with immigrant guests, saying the lawmakers are “once again prioritizing illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens.”

On Tuesday morning, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) held a news conference on “the state of immigration,” flanked by Christian pastors, in which she touted her Dignity Act, which would provide permanent legal status to immigrants who meet certain benchmarks.

“Throughout the Scripture, there are two kinds of leaders: those who persecute faith communities and those who protect them,” she said.

California Sen. Adam Schiff was among the Democrats to boycott Trump’s speech, and he cited immigration enforcement as one reason for his absence.

“I have not missed the State of the Union in the 25 years I’ve been in Congress, but we have never had a president violate the Constitution, the laws every day with seeming impunity,” Schiff told Meidas Touch outside the Capitol. “We’ve never had masked armed, poorly trained agents, victimizing our cities, demanding to see people’s papers.”

Trump repeated claims about immigration that have been debunked, such as his assertion that President Biden’s immigration polices allowed millions of people to pour into the U.S. from prisons and mental institutions.

Trump also highlighted a figure he has often turned to — that Democrats let in “11,888 murderers.” That number, an inaccurate description of federal data, refers to immigrants who, over the course of decades (including the first Trump administration) were convicted of homicide, usually after their arrival in the U.S. Those immigrants are listed on ICE’s “non-detained docket” typically because they are currently serving their prison sentences.

Turning to Minnesota, Trump said Somalis have defrauded $19 billion from American taxpayers and referred to them derogatorily as “Somali pirates.”

Trump went beyond Somalis to disparage many immigrants, saying “there are large parts of the world where bribery, corruptions and lawlessness are the norm, not the exception.”

“Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings those problems right here to the USA, and it is the American people who pay the price,” he said.

Trump also highlighted the case of Dalilah Coleman, 6, of Bakersfield who was left with a traumatic brain injury after a 2024 car crash in California.

He called on Congress to pass the Dalilah Law, which would bar states from granting commercial drivers licenses to immigrants without lawful status. He said, without proof, that “most illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs.”

A year after Dalilah’s accident her family met with Partap Singh, the detained Indian immigrant responsible for the crash, at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield. Marcus Coleman, her father, told Fox26 News that the focus shouldn’t be on Singh’s legal status because similar accidents happen every day.

Also present Tuesday night were the parents of Sarah Beckstrom, the West Virginia National Guard member shot and killed in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan immigrant, as well as Andrew Wolfe, who was also shot and survived.

Trump awarded Wolfe and Beckstrom the Purple Heart. He called Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged in the shooting, a “terrorist monster.” Lakanwal legally entered the U.S. from Afghanistan through a Biden administration program in 2021 and his asylum application was approved under the Trump administration last April.

Turning his attention the fall’s midterm elections, Trump warned his supporters that if allowed back into power, Democrats would reopen the borders “to some of the worst criminals anywhere in the world.”

Trump then invited legislators to stand if they agreed with him that “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

Republicans stood, offering one of the longest standing ovations of the night. Democrats remained seated.

Trump told Democrats they should be ashamed for not standing up.

“You have killed Americans!” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) yelled from the audience. “You should be ashamed.”

The opponent, date and venue for Taylor’s final fight have not been confirmed.

August would be a more likely date for a Croke Park bout as the iconic Dublin stadium is hosting the latter stages of the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Championships throughout July.

In September, Taylor was named ‘Champion in Recess’ by the World Boxing Council (WBC) after informing the sanctioning body of her plans to take some time away from the sport.

Last week, Briton Sandy Ryan claimed the vacant belt with victory over Mexico’s Karla Ramos Zamora in Nottingham.

Taylor has a 25-1 professional record with her only defeat coming against Britain’s Chantelle Cameron in Dublin in 2023.

After avenging that loss to become a two-weight undisputed champion later that year, Taylor recorded wins over Serrano in November 2024 and July 2025 having already overcome the Puerto Rican in April 2022.

“I’m not sure who the opponent is or what the date will be,” added Taylor, who won an Olympic lightweight gold medal in 2012 before turning pro in 2016.

“I just know I’ll fight this year during the summer time and all the other details will be laid out in the coming weeks and months.

“Either way I’m in the gym for whenever and whoever it will be. I’m staying sharp and ready.”

A SAVVY passenger dodged an airline’s luggage charge by posting her belongings instead.

Laura Poole flew from Bristol to Glasgow on Sunday and would’ve had to pay £30 to take her clothes.

But she swerved the baggage charge, which was more than the cost of her £25 flight.

The 33-year-old cleverly packed a sports bag with most of the clothes she was taking on her trip.

Laura then shoved it in a Lidl carrier bag and dropped it off at an InPost locker.

She sent the parcel three days in advance 380 miles from Bristol to Dundee, where she was travelling to after landing in Glasgow.

The postage cost Laura just £2.29, roughly the price of a cup of coffee.

And the parcel was delivered to a Tesco Express locker a short walk from her hotel in Dundee.

She joked that she was “quietly protesting baggage fees”.

In a post on social media, she wrote: “I’m flying Bristol to Glasgow on Sunday. My flight cost £25… cabin baggage fees £30. That’s more than my flight.

“Can I afford baggage fees? Absolutely.

“Will I pay them? F*** no! (On principle)

“Packed up my gym bag with 60% of the clothes I’m taking, shoved it in a Lidl bag, then dropped it off at an Inpost locker to be posted up to Dundee and will arrive at the Tesco Express near my hotel the day I arrive, £2.29!

“And I have one less bag to carry. I did this at the end of last year too.

“It’s so good! I’m quietly protesting baggage fees.”

Laura was hailed for her smart travelling and attracted thousands of comments on social media.

One person said: “This is genius! I’m flying to Edinburgh and I hate sleeping without my own pillow. I’ll be posting myself some clothes that I can miss for a few days.”

Another wrote: “Omg Laura. This is brilliant.”

A third said: “You are so smart well done.”

THE WORLD’S first Bluey rollercoaster will be in the UK and it has announced its launch date.

Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! will open on March 28 at Alton Towers Resort theme park in the West Midlands.

The new ride will be in CBeebies Land at the park and is based on the episode where Bluey and Bingo dress up as grannies called Janet and Rita.

The ride will be themed on the two characters causing chaos.

Recent images, that revealed a first look at the ride, show both of the characters dressed as grannies.

The ride is specifically designed for preschoolers and young families.

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Howard Ebison, vice president of Alton Towers Resort said: “Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! is all about celebrating energy, play and those everyday moments families love about the show.

“It’s playful, unexpected and unmistakably Bluey – and we can’t wait to welcome families from March 28 to experience the world’s first Bluey coaster right here at Alton Towers Resort.”

In addition to the new ride, guests will also get the chance to meet-and-greet Mum (Chilli), Dad (Bandit), Bluey and Bingo.

There will be a live show experience as well inside the Big Fun Showtime at the park.

And, if you really want your visit to be all about Bluey, you can stay in new Bluey-themed hotel rooms at CBeebies Land Hotel.

Sun writer, Hannah Ferrett, stayed in one of the already-open Bluey rooms.

She said: “The hotel has done a great job.

“The kids slept in Bluey and Bingo’s room, complete with bunk beds, the recognisable watermelon rug and the cartoon dogs’ pretty Himalayan rock salt night light — a nice touch for little ones.

“The bathroom had pictures of Bluey and her sister plastered across the walls.

“My partner Dan and I were in Bandit and Chilli’s room, which had a king size bed, TV and lots of pictures of Bluey and Bingo as puppies, much to the delight of our kids.”

The room is one of 13 in total that have been designed with kids in mind.

Other rooms include Postman Pat, Bing and Octonauts.

Attractions in CBeebies Land include Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop where visitors join Peter Rabbit and Lily Bobtail as they explore the garden and try to figure out a series of puzzles.

There’s also the In The Night Garden Boat Ride where you head through a real Night Garden and see the characters.

A pass to visit CBeebies Land costs £32 when booked in advance, though you can also grab a £29 toddler and parent pass.

Children under 90cm tall go for free.

In other theme park news, a popular UK theme park is set to demolish much-loved ride – with plans for new attraction.

Plus, Thorpe Park to close its popular waterpark for GOOD after 35 years.

Feb. 25 (UPI) — Australian police evacuated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese from his official residence in Canberra for several hours after a bomb hoax related to a classical Chinese dance and music troupe touring the country that is banned by Beijing.

The New York-based Shen Yun group was sent an email threat on Tuesday saying that explosives had been planted at The Lodge in the Australian capital and would be detonated unless the troupe pulled out of the tour, the BBC and Australia’s ABC News reported.

“Large quantities of nitroglycerine explosives have been placed around the Australian Prime Minister’s Lodge, located on Adelaide Avenue in the Deakin area of Canberra, Australia. If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the Prime Minister’s Lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river,” read the email.

The group is part of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which is proscribed in China due to its opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, with the United States and other countries accusing Beijing of a brutal campaign of suppression to deprive its estimated 20 million adherents of their rights to freedom of religion and belief.

The government says the group is a dangerous cult.

Australian authorities confirmed only that they had dealt with an “alleged security incident” at Albanese’s home but that “nothing suspicious was located.”

Police said they evacuated Albanese to a safe location for several hours on Tuesday evening local time.

ABC News said there was no evidence the incident was in any way connected to the Chinese government, citing an anonymous Australian government source as saying a member of the local Chinese community opposed to Falun Gong could have been behind the incident.

The Queensland venue where Shen Yun’s tour was due to kick off on Wednesday evening was evacuated by police on Monday after an “unverified threat” linked to the group was made against the iconic Home of the Arts complex in Surfers Paradise, 45 miles southeast of Brisbane.

A search of the site by officers found no suspicious items, police said, but Experience Gold Coast said it had tightened security for the Shen Yun performances being staged at the venue through Sunday.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust arrangements if required as the safety of our team and patrons is always our first priority,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

A similar bomb-hoax incident in February 2025 forced the evacuation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on the day Shen Yun was due to open a 12-date tour, starting at the Kennedy Center.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center told The Washington Post that the threat was targeted at Shen Yun performances.

In 2024, Chinese residents of Los Angeles John Chen and Lin Feng were sentenced to 20 months and 16 months in prison for working for the Chinese government to get Shen Yun’s tax exempt status in the United States revoked by paying bribes to an undercover agent posing as an IRS staffer.

In a wiretap transcript submitted by the Justice Department, Chen is quoted as stating the bribes were to facilitate China’s aim of “toppl[ing]” Falun Gong, while in another Chen and Feng discuss orders from a Chinese government official, including deleting the instructions to avoid detection as well as procedures to notify the official if their bribery scheme failed.

A DOJ news release at the time said the Chinese Communist Party designates Falun Gong as one of the “Five Poisons,” or one of the top five threats to its rule, with Falun Gong adherents routinely subjected to “repressive and punitive measures”, including imprisonment.

However, Shen Yun has reputational issues around alleged abusive practices and behavior by the group.

In November 2024, a lawsuit was launched alleging forced labor and trafficking, while dozens of performers described being badly treated by the group in interviews given to the New York Times.

Shun Yen denies any wrongdoing, alleging the lawsuit and complaints were part of an ongoing, politically driven smear campaign by the Chinese government.

WITH its subtropical waterpark, outdoorsy activities and handy restaurants, Center Parcs is a dead cert for a family friendly break. 

Yet sky-high prices, especially during school holidays, mean it’s out of reach for many.

There is a way to enjoy a virtually identical break in the same picturesque British region as one park without breaking the bank though.

I live less than ten minutes’ drive from Woburn Forest, the newest and most modern Center Parcs in the UK, set across 357 acres of woodland in Bedfordshire an hour from London.

But you don’t need to stay on site to enjoy woodland walks, sporty adventures and cosy self-catering accommodation, especially if you know the locals’ favourite spots. 

Upper Wood End Farm is a 15-minute drive from Center Parcs and is surrounded by fields full of sheep and horses, with rural rambles on the doorstep.

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The two one-bedroom holiday cottages sleep up to three people each, so more than enough space for small families, along with a fully-equipped kitchen and outdoor patio for morning coffee.

A four-night midweek break in the Easter holidays for a family of four costs £552 – a fraction compared to the £1,429 for the same dates up the road at Woburn Forest.

If you need a bit more space to yourself, families can rent The Acorn, a new two-bedroom detached house sleeping five in nearby Clophill.

Along with countryside views, there are two excellent pubs in walking distance and local free-range eggs in the fridge.

A three-night stay for a family of five over the Easter weekend costs £655 – you’d have to fork out £1,549 to scoff your Easter eggs at Woburn Forest instead. 

Of course, neither have a subtropical swimming dome or water slides, but you can still take the family swimming for less.

Flitwick Leisure Centre is a mile from Center Parcs and has a 25-metre pool where adults can swim for £6.15 while five to fifteen-year-olds cost just £3.30.

It also has squash and badminton courts for hire plus a full schedule of workout classes from yoga to aqua aerobics, starting at £4.90 for a 30-minute lesson.

For something more high adrenalin, Box End Park is a 20-minute drive and has two lakes for stand up paddleboarding and waterskiing.

There’s also a fantastically fun inflatable aqua park open between April and October for £17.50 for one hour or £60 for four people. 

If you’d rather stretch your legs on dry land, there are countless walking trails to choose from.

A three-mile public footpath runs through the forest around the entire outer perimeter of Center Parcs or head to Millennium Country Park and Forest Centre, which has scenic walking routes around a lake, a nature reserve and bikes for hire.

It’s free to access every day of the year but parking costs £2 for three hours.  

Extra activities don’t come cheap in Center Parcs itself, but you can find plenty of similar ones all within ten-minutes’ drive of Woburn Forest so you can have just as much fun staying off-site.

Arrowdox has weekend archery sessions for £25 for 90 minutes, there’s pottery painting from £10 an item at the friendly Crafty Little Things and horse riding at Flitwick’s Little Ranch Riding Centre costs around £20.

The nearby 160-acre Ampthill Park – once used for hunting by Henry VIII – has a large children’s play area with a zipwire, a lovely café and free-to-use outdoor tennis courts.

One of the best things about skipping Center Parcs to stay nearby is that you won’t be stuck eating in onsite chain restaurants such as Starbucks or Café Rouge.

The pretty Georgian market town of Ampthill is five-minutes’ drive away and is chockful of independent restaurants.

This includes the family-owned Fratelli for unbeatable pizza and pasta, American barbeque and burger joint Big 10 – Smoke & Grill and several gastro pubs including The Prince of Wales Ampthill, which serves food all day every day. 

For the best caffeine fix, follow locals to Wooden Hill – just round the corner from Woburn Forest – which roasts its own beans on site and has a small café selling coffee and homemade cakes.

You could even splash out on posh fine-dining at Eileen’s by Steve Barringer, a former runner-up on the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals.

After all, with the money you’ve saved on your budget break, you can definitely afford a few extra treats. 

The most drastic option also appears the least likely.

Buttler, who signed a new two-year central contract last year, has been a mainstay of England’s white-ball teams for more than a decade. Could they really leave him out entirely for a World Cup semi-final?

That encounter may be at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Buttler has made scores of 94 not out, 89 and 116 in the IPL.

Ben Duckett is the spare batter in England’s squad – another man struggling for form.

Duckett is averaging 18.88 across 12 matches this winter across all formats and was out for a first-ball duck in his most recent innings at the start of the month.

Leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed would be a left-field replacement. That would be a massive call.

Perhaps Friday’s match against New Zealand, effectively a dead rubber for England given they are already through, is the perfect, pressure-free opportunity for Buttler to help make the hierarchy’s decision an easy one.

“Who is writing Jos Buttler off?,” said former England spinner Alex Hartley.

“If you are, get a grip. He is one of those players where it takes one shot crunched through the covers and he will be back.

“It would be a worry if England were not winning games. I have no doubt when push comes to shove Jos Buttler will be OK.”

The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, who rose to fame on the 2015 series, has spoken out about her change of career and experiences of working as a teaching assistant

Winner of the Great British Bake Off Nadiya Hussain has spoken out about the television industry and the difficult choice she made to leave her agent and her manager.

Nadiya, 41, who won the Bake Off in 2015, spoke about the industry just days after it was announced that she was leaving her teaching assistant job, as she continues this next phase of her career.

Speaking about the matter, she discussed the “overwhelming whiteness of TV and publishing” and admitted she was tired of working in what she described as a broken industry.

She told the Guardian: “It’s broken. This last year has been really important for me to realise that, really accept that, actually, I can’t fix a broken industry.”

Nadiya also talked about what 2025 was like for her, and how it gave the renowned baker an opportunity to think about the next decade of her life after admitting that she felt like she had “started to feel like a caricature of myself”.

She added: “It has been really enlightening at the same time. I’ve had the opportunity to sit back and look at how I see the next 10 years…It’s been scary, but I’ve also really enjoyed figuring out what that looks like for me.”

Last year Nadiya released a cookbook titled ‘Rooza’, one containing dishes inspired by important elements of the Islamic world and culture, including Eid and Ramadan. She also created another volume titled ‘Nadiya’s Quick Comforts’.

With her decision to take back control of her career has come new freedoms and new locations, with Nadiya announcing earlier this month that she was leaving her teaching assistant job.

However, in a post on Instagram, Nadiya said she was leaving the role because of the negative impact it was having on her health. Nadiya has a weakened immune system and lives with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes musculoskeletal pain and fatigue, among other symptoms.

In the social media post, Nadiya explained why she had to leave a job she had been in for only three months: “I’ve always wanted to work with children in younger years as a teaching assistant and I applied for a few jobs, which in itself was difficult for lots or reasons.

“I applied and got a job as a TA (teaching assistant) at a primary school and I’ve got to say, apart from raising my own children, it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever done.

“I loved every second of waking up in the morning with a spring in my step for these beautiful children. I just loved every second of doing that job.

“But unfortunately doing a job like that as somebody with a weakened immune system it just played havoc with my health…. I was sick all the time and it got to the point where it was affecting my mental health and I just wasn’t performing, giving my best because I was always sick.”

She added: “But unfortunately with a weakened immune system working as a TA in a primary school was just proving impossible and it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make to step away for it.”

There are ways to make your money go further on a winter sun break

Sun-starved Brits can escape the winter chill and get more bang for their buck in a number of luxury destinations – including one where you can buy pints for just £1.30. With the pound performing strongly against key foreign currencies, a travel money expert said there are five destinations where you can get more bang for your buck.

Mike Wiltshire, travel money expert at H&T Group , has crunched the numbers. In London, the average pint now costs around £6.50, although can easily exceed £8 in central areas, a mid-range three-course meal for two is approximately £80, and a coffee nearly £4.

TOP FIVE DESTINATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

1. Tenerife, Canary Islands (19% increase in searches in last month)

Just a manageable four-hour flight from the UK, the Canary Islands offer mild winter temperatures of 18-22 degrees Celsius, golden beaches and a range of resorts to suit all budgets.

With the pound trading strongly against the euro, Brits can enjoy more meals, drinks, and activities for less. It’s the perfect escape for those seeking sun, sand and scenic landscapes without leaving Europe.

COSTS

Pint: €1.50–€2.50 (£1.31–£2.19)

Mid-range ( dinner for two: €40–€50 (£35 -£44)

Coffee: €1 – €1.50 (£0.88–£1.31)

**Current exchange rate: £1 (GBP) = € 1.14 (EUR)

2. Algarve, Portugal (51% increase in searches in last month)

For Brits seeking a short-haul European escape, the Algarve is a classic winter destination.

With flights taking between two and three hours from major UK airports and mild temperatures of 15-18 degrees Celsius, it’s another ideal location for some winter sun.

With the pound strong against the euro, holidays here are surprisingly affordable. From dining out to exploring local attractions, there are endless options to explore.

COSTS

Pint: €2.97 (£2.60)

Mid-range dinner for two: €52.80 (£46.31)

Coffee: €2.14 (£1.88)

**Current exchange rate: £1 (GBP) = € 1.14123 (EUR)

3. Antalya, Turkey (40% increase in searches in last month)

The coastal city of Antalya boasts warm winter weather, averaging around 12-18 degrees Celsius, as well as affordable luxury, thanks to the generous Turkish lira.

From the UK, you can reach Antalya in four to five hours, making it an accessible long-haul option.

From stunning beaches to rich history and all-inclusive resorts, Antalya is ideal for sun-seekers wanting an exotic feel without the hefty price tag.

COSTS

Pint: ₺140 (£2.59)

Mid-range dinner for two: ₺2,000 (£37.00)

Coffee: ₺136.59 (£2.53)

**Current exchange rate: £1 (GBP) = ₺ 54.0513 (TRY)

4. Koh Samui, Thailand (18% increase in searches in last month)

Koh Samui, a tropical island off Thailand’s east coast, offers a relaxing beach escape with soft sandy shores and sparkling turquoise waters.

For the more adventurous souls, the island offers an array of experiences – from exploring temples and historical sites to enjoying sports like paddleboarding and hiking.

December usually marks the start of the dry season, with temperatures averaging between 17-23 degrees Celsius, making it an excellent time to visit.

The pound is currently strong against the Thai baht, meaning your spending goes further on food, markets, and excursions.

Whether you fancy lounging on a beautiful beach, exploring different food markets, or visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary, Koh Samui delivers a unique winter sun experience.

COSTS

Pint: ฿70 (£1.72)

Mid-range dinner for two: ฿1,000 (£24.63)

Coffee: ฿67.86 (£1.67)

**Current exchange rate: £1 (GBP) = ฿ 40.60661 (THB)

5. Cape Town, South Africa

For those willing to travel further afield, Cape Town provides summer weather during the UK winter, with temperatures around 25-30degrees Celsius.

With searches for South Africa Safari searches a breakout term on Google, the pound goes far against the South African rand, meaning accommodation, dining out, and activities offer exceptional value.

From the iconic Table Mountain views to beautiful beaches and wine tours, Cape Town is a beautiful destination for a long-haul winter sun adventure.

COSTS

Pint: R50 (£2.45)

Mid-range dinner for two: R800 (£39.20)

Coffee: R39.20 (£1.92)

**Current exchange rate: £1 (GBP) = R 20.41123 (ZAR)

Mike Wiltshire said: “With the sterling strong against so many currencies a trip further afield this winter will feel even more enjoyable.

“A winter sun holiday isn’t just about escaping the cold, it’s a chance to sample local cuisine, discover new cultures and make memories in places you may not normally get to visit. Whether you’re seeking a short-haul European escape or a far-flung tropical adventure, now is the perfect time to make the most of the exchange rates.”

Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have long circled one another.

The two moved in the same political slipstream, wooed the same set of Democratic donors and, for a time, even shared the same group of campaign advisors.

Harris rose from San Francisco district attorney to elected positions in Sacramento and Washington before twice running unsuccessfully for president.

Newsom climbed from San Francisco mayor to lieutenant governor to California’s governorship, where he quietly stewed as Harris leapfrogged past him into the vice presidency. While she served in the White House, Newsom tried any number of ways to insinuate himself into the national spotlight.

Now both have at least one eye on the Oval Office, setting up a potential clash of egos and ambition that’s been decades in the making.

Newsom, whose term as governor expires in January, has been auditioning for president from practically the moment the polls closed in 2024 and horrified Democrats realized Harris had lost to Donald Trump.

Harris, who’s mostly focused on writing and promoting her campaign autobiography — while giving a political speech here and there — hasn’t publicly declared she’ll seek the White House a third time. But, notably, she has yet to rule out the possibility.

In a CNN interview aired Sunday, Newsom was asked about the prospect of facing his longtime frenemy in a fight for the Democratic nomination. (California’s gallivanting governor is embarked on his own national book tour, promoting both the “memoir of discovery” that was published Tuesday and his all-but-declared presidential bid.)

“Well, I’m San Francisco now, she’s L.A.,” Newsom joked, referring to Harris’ post-Washington residency in Brentwood. “So there’s a little distance between the two of us.”

He then turned zen-like, saying fate would determine if the two face off in the 2028 primary contest. “You can only control what you can control,” Newsom told CNN host Dana Bash.

A decade ago, Newsom and Harris swerved to keep their careers from colliding.

In 2015, Barbara Boxer said she would step down once she finished her fourth term in the U.S. Senate. The opening presented a rare opportunity for political advancement after years in which a clutch of aging incumbents held California’s top elected offices. Between Lt. Gov. Newsom and state Atty. Gen. Harris, there was no lack of pent-up ambition.

After a weekend of intensive deliberations, Newsom passed on the Senate race and Harris jumped in, establishing herself as the front-runner for Boxer’s seat, which she won in 2016. Newsom waited and was elected governor in 2018, succeeding Jerry Brown.

Once in their preferred roles, the two got along reasonably well. Each campaigned on the other’s behalf. But, privately, there has never been a great deal of mutual regard or affection.

Come 2028, there will doubtless be many Democrats seeking to replace President Trump. The party’s last wide-open contest, in 2020, drew more than two dozen major contestants. So it’s not as though Harris and Newsom would face each other in a one-on-one fight.

But dueling on the national stage, with the country’s top political prize at stake, is something that Hollywood might have scripted for Newsom and Harris as the way to settle, once and for all, their long-standing rivalry.

The two Californians would start out closely matched in good looks and charisma.

Those who know them well, having observed Newsom and Harris up close, cite other strengths and weaknesses.

Harris has thicker skin, they suggested, and is more disciplined. Her forte is set-piece events, like debates and big speeches.

Newsom is more of a policy wonk, a greater risk-taker and is more willing to venture into challenging and even hostile settings.

Newson is more fluent in the ecosphere of social media, podcasts and the like. Harris has the advantage of performing longer on the national stage and bears nothing like the personal scandals that have plagued Newsom.

But Harris’ problem, it was widely agreed, is that she has run twice before and, worse, lost the last time to Trump.

“To a lot of voters, she’s yesterday’s news,” said one campaign strategist.

“She had her shot,” said another, channeling the perceived way Democratic primary voters would react to another Harris run. “You didn’t make it, so why should we give you another shot?”

(Those half-dozen kibbitzers who agreed to candidly assess the prospects of Newsom and Harris asked not to be identified, so they could preserve their relationships with the two.)

Most of the handicappers gave the edge to Newsom in a prospective match-up; one political operative familiar with both would have placed their wager on Harris had she not run before.

“I think her demographic appeal to Black women and coming up the ranks as a Black woman working in criminal justice is a very strong card,” said the campaign strategist. “The white guy from California, the pretty boy, is not as much of a primary draw.”

That said, this strategist, too, suggested that “being tagged as someone who not only lost but lost in this situation that has set the world on fire … is too big a cross to bear.”

The consensus among these cognoscenti is that Harris will not run again and that Newsom — notwithstanding any demurrals — will.

Of course, the only two who know for sure are those principals, and it’s quite possible neither Harris nor Newsom have entirely made up their minds.

Those who enjoy their politics cut with a dash of soap opera will just have to wait.

Two Spanish islands have closed beaches due to the presence of ‘faecal contamination’ and both are in hotspots that are expecting large numbers of Brits for the Easter break

Two popular beaches on Spanish islands have been closed off due to an unpleasant, stomach-churning water issue.

Due to the presence of ‘faecal contamination’ just weeks ahead of the peak Easter season, two sandy stretches that’ll see huge numbers of visiting Brits in the coming weeks have been shut down.

The first beach to close to the public is in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, a popular spot in the spring thanks to its warm weather. An area known locally as the ‘small beach’ closed yesterday (March 24), with reports from local news outlet Canarian Weekly showing barriers in place preventing people from entering the sea.

Officials have said in a statement that the closure will last for 48 hours while laboratory results are analysed. Tests showed an elevated level of intestinal enterococci, a type of bacteria found in human and animal gastrointestinal tracts.

However, public health officials have said that nearby beaches, including Playa Dorada and Playa Flamingo, are still open. Local government organisation Ayuntamiento de Yaiza is expected to give updates soon.

On another popular tourist island, Majorca, a beach in Cala Millor, has been closed after a broken pump led to a sewage spill. According to Majorca Daily News, locals reported seeing large amounts of wastewater running from the promenade and into the waters of Platja Petita.

The incident was reported yesterday, with the spillage continuing into the night. While the situation is now described as ‘under control’, the beach will remain closed for two to three days.

Cala Millor is found on the east coast of Majorca, and this tourist resort is particularly popular with Brits thanks to its long sandy Blue Flag beaches and large number of bars and nightclubs.

It’s not the first time the Balearic Islands’ beaches have faced closure due to contamination. Earlier this year it was revealed that incidents of ‘faecal contamination’ had doubled in 2025, with 92 cases recorded in 2025 alone.

Of the 92 incidents, 20 resulted in bans on swimming and bathing, while the other 72 led to advisories that warned visitors not to enter the water.

While a recent report by the Marilles Foundation showed that, overall, 70% of the Balearics’ beaches received an excellent rating for water quality, the figures varied between islands. In the little-visited island of Formentera, 100% of its beaches were rated as excellent, and in Menorca, the figure was 80%. In Ibiza, 63% were excellent, while 32% had a good rating and 5% were sufficient. According to the report, all the areas of insufficient water quality were in Majorca, highlighting Albercuix in Pollensa and Cala Egos in Santanyí as two particular areas of concern.

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The foundation, who raise awareness of marine conservation, has recommended tighter monitoring of the number of beachgoers and boats. At the moment, only Menorca keeps track of numbers, although plans over the next three years are to implement a new project using sensors to monitor numbers at 150 beaches, which is set to cost the islands €4 million (about £3.5 million).

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Chelsea were 2-0 down in the match but went on to win 3-2 thanks to Enzo Fernandez’s injury-time goal, which came before the confrontation.

In its written reasons, the independent regulatory commission stated “this was a serious incident” involving a number of Chelsea‘s players.

It added: “It was not accepted that Mr Cucurella was wholly without fault. He was aware of his actions after conceding the corner kick and returning to his feet.

“He sought to invite a reaction from Mr Traore. That is not to justify Mr Traore’s disproportionate reaction from which the mass confrontation ensued.

“Furthermore, the commission noted that three of the Chelsea players were in some way seeking to incite the crowd during and towards the end of the incident.

“There is no justification for this behaviour, irrespective of what had happened during the course of the game or within the mass confrontation itself. It was accepted that the club had admitted the charge and was contrite.”

The commission said both clubs “contributed to the incident” and that Traore’s “disproportionate reaction to Mr Cucurella’s movement as he returned to his feet, was the catalyst for what occurred”.

It also stated: “It was accepted that there was no violent conduct from any other West Ham United players beyond the behaviour of Mr Todibo.

“However, a large number of West Ham United players did behave in an improper and provocative manner and contributed to what was a serious, unsightly incident.”

Feb. 25 (UPI) — The Supreme Court‘s ruling to limit President Donald Trump‘s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs is forcing the administration to look to different statutory authorities to carry out its trade policy.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the president could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to generate revenue through tariffs. While this caused Trump to seek another avenue to impose tariffs, landing on a global 15% rate through Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, his plans to use tariffs to negotiate trade deals have not changed.

The decision impacts a great deal of the tariffs Trump has enacted during his second term, Purba Mukerji, professor of economics at Connecticut College, told UPI. She said he has been using the IEEPA to give himself “flexibility” in trade negotiations since returning to the White House.

Trump expressed disappointment in the high court’s decision on Friday but Mukerji said it was expected by economists and is unlikely to disrupt the president’s broader economic policy. Tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as those that target certain sectors, are likely to remain in place.

U.S. markets have not strongly reacted to the Supreme Court ruling in either direction. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by less than a point on Monday, only to rebound on Tuesday. The S&P 500 followed a similar path.

The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes has reflected some uncertainty, though concerns about AI displacing workers, global tensions and broader trade concerns may be factors as well.

“For the business leaders who make decisions, for importers and exporters and foreign countries that are dealing with us in their trade negotiations, this is not a surprise,” Mukerji said. “So I don’t think there will be any long-lasting consequences of this particular Supreme Court ruling, except to put the whole trade negotiations and trade policy on much firmer footing.”

Consumers hoping to see prices come down are unlikely to see significant changes from the ruling either, Mukerji added.

“As far as consumer prices go, I am encouraged by the fact that we didn’t see the rise in consumer prices that was expected in all sectors coming out of tariffs,” she said. “I don’t expect that to be coming down in the future. I don’t think much will change on the ground.”

A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published earlier this month reports that 94% of Trump’s tariffs imposed last year were paid by U.S. entities and consumers during the first eight months of 2025.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported in December that it had collected $200 billion in tariff revenue. The largest portion of tariffs collected was on imports from China, a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said. The report is based on data from the U.S. Treasury Department and Census Bureau.

We Pay The Tariffs, a coalition of more than 800 small businesses, is circulating a petition to call for the federal government to refund businesses due to the tariffs being ruled unlawful.

“A legal victory is meaningless without actual relief for the businesses that paid these tariffs,” Dan Anthony, executive director of the organization, said in a statement. “The administration’s only responsible course of action now is to establish a fast, efficient and automatic refund process that returns tariff money to the businesses that paid it.”

It remains unclear what will happen to the revenue the court ruled has been unlawfully collected. The Supreme Court did not address refunds for tariffs paid.

Mukerji said reimbursing collected tariffs poses some practical challenges. She explained that while the United States maintains a database of who has paid what tariffs, it often shows a delivery company, like FedEx, as the entity that made the payment, not the importer who in reality incurred the costs.

“So you kind of have to reimburse FedEx, who then turns around and reimburses the importer,” she said. “That is a mess because then we depend on the account keeping, say by FedEx, so it becomes more complicated there.”

There is also a matter of fairness as some wholesalers pass the costs of tariffs on to retailers, who then pass them on to consumers, Mukerji said.

Following the court’s decision, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration will look to Section 122, as well as Section 301 of the Trade Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 tariff authorities to pursue “virtually unchanged tariff revenue” this year.

These statutes notably do not require congressional approval to impose tariffs like the Supreme Court affirmed the IEEPA did.

Section 122 gives the president the authority to impose a maximum 15% tariff for up to 150 days. Tariffs imposed under this authority would remain in effect into July at the latest.

Section 301 of the Trade Act gives the president the authority to impose tariffs in response to unfair trade practices, theft of intellectual property and discriminatory policies by trade partners. An investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative must be completed to determine if there is a violation and allow for the use of Section 301 authority.

Trump’s broad tariffs on China were issued in 2018 under the authority of Section 301.

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act allows the president to impose tariffs and other trade restrictions on imports if they are determined to threaten national security. This must be preceded by an investigation by the Commerce Department into the potential of a threat.

Trump used Section 232 to place tariffs on steel and aluminum during his first term.

While President Joe Biden peeled back on many of Trump’s policies when he came into office, he kept some trade policies like these largely intact and reinforced them through investigations.

For Section 301 tariffs, Biden allowed the required four-year review to continue throughout his term, ultimately raising tariffs on electric vehicles from China as well as some semiconductors, critical minerals and other sectors.

For Section 232 tariffs, Biden kept Trump’s tariff framework largely in place and continued to use the national security justification to keep tariffs as a point of negotiations.

“Biden actually made them stronger,” Mukerji said. “Most of them continued under Biden and they were extended and made even stronger. So these trade policies now have the strength of a solid foundation. These stand on the shoulders of investigations so they have this lasting power.”

The Supreme Court’s decision has caused some ongoing negotiations to shift or pause.

Earlier this week, a planned meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, D.C., was put on hold. The sides were planning to meet for three days to discuss an interim trade deal that would likely go into effect in April.

The European Union’s parliament canceled a vote to ratify a trade deal with the United States on Monday in response to the Supreme Court decision and Trump’s subsequent new tariffs.

“A deal is a deal,” the European Commission said in a statement on Saturday. “As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the U.S. to honor its commitments set out in the Joint Statement — just as the EU stands by its commitments.”

With the Supreme Court’s decision, the Trump administration and future administrations definitively have one less tool to use when imposing tariffs. The ruling does not mark an end to Trump’s tariff plans. It only clarifies his authority to impose tariffs. Meanwhile, the president is left to negotiate trade deals under greater scrutiny.

Days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed forging a network of allied nations, including in the Middle East and Africa, to stand against what he called “radical” adversaries, the country’s president is on an official visit to key ally, Ethiopia.

It is not yet known which Arab and African countries will form part of Netanyahu’s hypothetical “hexagon of alliances”, which he said on Sunday will include Israel, India, Greece, Cyprus and others to stand against their enemies in the Middle East. Chief among those enemies is presumably Iran and its network of resistance groups from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis of Yemen.

Analysts doubt Israel could secure enough influence over nation-states to form a formal security pact.

However, the country is deepening its ongoing charm offensive in Africa, which it began during the genocide in Gaza, as its reputation suffered a decline on the continent, with the African Union (AU) releasing multiple statements condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians.

In a rare visit, Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday. The last presidential trip to the East African country took place in 2018.

“The relationship between our peoples is woven deep into the pages of history and human tradition,” Herzog said in a statement upon his arrival. “At the heart of the story of both our nations lies a clear common thread – the ability to join hands, unite resources of spirit and substance, to innovate, develop, and grow for the benefit of all.”

Herzog, on Wednesday, met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who said the two leaders talked about “ways to improve collaboration in areas of mutual interest,” without revealing further details.

But beneath the surface, observers say the visit also represents a battle for influence over Addis Ababa, which has received similar high-level delegations from Turkiye and Saudi Arabia in recent days.

Shared ties and shared anger

Ethiopia and Israel are bound by several links, from shared histories of their people to shared scrutiny over recent political moves in the Horn of Africa that have angered several of the region’s influential nations.

Both countries maintain friendly ties largely due to the Beta Israel community, or Ethiopian Jews, who hail from northern Tigray and Amhara. Historically, Ethiopian Jews suffered religious persecution, and after Israel’s formation, it sought their emigration under its Law of Return policy. Between the late 1970s and mid-1990s, tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews were covertly transported to Israel – during a time when several African countries, including Ethiopia, had cut off ties with Israel over the 1973 Yom Kippur War and its invasion of Egypt. On the cusp of a civil war in Ethiopia in 1991, Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, launched a daring operation that airlifted 14,000 Ethiopians over the course of just two days.

About 160,000 Ethiopian Jews now live in Israel. Many within the community have struggled to integrate and have complained of discrimination and racism. In 2019, tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews flooded the streets in protest across Israeli cities after a 19-year-old of Ethiopian origin was shot dead by the police.

Ethiopia-Israel state relations have, meanwhile, remained steady. In 2016, when Netanyahu visited the country in his first prime ministerial visit – Addis Ababa became one of the first African countries to voice support for Israel’s long-sought observer status at the AU. Fierce opposition from South Africa, Algeria and other countries supporting Palestine delayed the process until 2021. Later, in 2023, the AU confirmed it had withdrawn the status.

Mashav, Israel’s aid agency, has, in the past decade, provided aid to Ethiopia in the form of agriculture and water cooperation projects, although Addis Ababa receives much more significant funding from wealthier partners like China. When Israel sponsored several African journalists on media trips to the country last year, Ethiopia was among the countries it invited journalists from.

More recently, both countries are bound by their support for Somaliland, which Somalia claims as part of its territory and which Israel sees as critical to its own national security, Hargeisa-based analyst Moustafa Ahmad told Al Jazeera.

In December, Israel recognised Somaliland’s statehood, becoming the first country to do so. Months before, there were unconfirmed talks about plans to move displaced Palestinians to Somaliland or to South Sudan, another key Israeli ally in the region. Analysts speculate that countries like South Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, another close friend of Israel, may also recognise Somaliland.

Israel’s focus on the Horn of Africa intensified after a late 2024 report from a United Nations expert panel, which found that the Somalia-based armed group, al-Shabab, was actively collaborating with Yemen’s Houthis. Where the Houthis were providing weapons and drone training, al-Shabab was, in return, granting access to a smuggling corridor stretching along the Somali coast and connecting to the Gulf of Aden, where Iranian weapons could be smuggled into Yemen.

The move to recognise Somaliland was therefore meant to disrupt that cooperation by stationing an Israeli naval base in the region, analysts note.

“It’s part of their calculations even if they haven’t said it publicly,” Ahmad said.

Several countries, as well as the AU, have pushed back on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, calling it a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty. In Somaliland, however, many have celebrated the move.

Addis Ababa under pressure

While neither Israel nor Ethiopia has provided details of topics on the agenda during Herzog’s visit, Somaliland is likely at the top of the list.

Addis Ababa had in 2024 enraged its neighbours after it signed a controversial port deal with Hargeisa that would allow it access to the sea, reportedly in exchange for a future recognition of Somaliland. Although massive and rapidly industrialising, Ethiopia is landlocked, having lost its sea access after Eritrea seceded in 1993. Prime Minister Abiy has often said sea access is critical for his country.

The fall-out between Ethiopia and Somalia was so severe that analysts sounded the alarm over possible armed conflict between the two neighbours until Turkiye, a key development partner for Mogadishu, stepped in to smooth things over by pressuring Addis Ababa to coordinate with Mogadishu instead.

It is likely, analysts say, that Israel is now hoping to push Ethiopia further towards recognising Somaliland, which boasts a 850km (528-mile) coastline. In Hargeisa, many are disappointed after more countries failed to follow Israel’s steps, Ahmad said.

Addis Ababa, though, might not appreciate further pressure at the moment as it faces increasing regional isolation on several fronts.

One key reason is the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Egypt and Sudan say is blocking the water supply they need for irrigation.

A source of national pride for Ethiopians, the dam was funded almost entirely through citizens’ donations and government funds. Israeli engineers participated in the project, and Israel reportedly sold weapons to Ethiopia to protect the dam amid tensions with its neighbours, although the Israeli government denies this.

At the same time, Addis Ababa is also facing tensions with Eritrea, which has moved closer to Somalia and Egypt. Both countries have historically feuded, and recently, tensions have again risen over the 2020 Tigray War and Abiy’s repeated statements about his country needing access to the sea.

“Addis Ababa is cautious of making a decision that will cement its regional isolation at this time [because] it is clearly hedging among various actors seeking to influence the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region,” Ahmad said.

Pressure is also mounting on Addis Ababa from countries eager to keep the status quo.

On Sunday, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Ethiopia and said in his speech: “I would like to emphasise that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland does not benefit Somaliland or the Horn of Africa.”

His statement drew a backlash from Hargeisa, which called it “unacceptable interference” aimed at wrecking relations between Somaliland and its partners.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which is embroiled in an ongoing rift with the United Arab Emirates over how to deal with the conflict in Yemen, also intervened in the fray in February. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji was in Addis Ababa this week to discuss “regional peace”, just two weeks after Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud arrived in the city for talks with Abiy.

So far, it is unclear if Riyadh has recorded any success in influencing Addis Ababa.

How Israel will fare in that regard is also still unclear.