RUTH LANGSFORD has said her split from husband Eamonn Holmes was a “huge shock” and left her “devastated”.
The much-loved telly couple announced their separation in May 2024 after 14 years of marriage and 27 years of being together.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Ruth Langsford has opened up about her split from Eamonn HolmesCredit: Rex
Opening up about the split, she told Daily Mail: “I had a very happy marriage. Of course you question yourself, ‘did I miss something, was I not aware, was I too busy?’ But there’s no point playing the blame game.
“I just didn’t think I’d find myself here, and I wasn’t strong at the start. I was broken. Broken heart. Broken dreams. We all have an image of how we think our life and future is going to be.
“This wasn’t mine. I was devastated. We had gone from being a couple, traversing the usual ups and downs of a marriage, to an abrupt end. It was a huge shock.”
CUSTOMERS who visited a bar in Las Vegas were astounded that they were charged up to $180 for four beverages.
No one expected the cost to be so astronomically high, with additional hidden fees only making it higher.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
The price of drinks at the Dolby Theater on the Las Vegas strip has left customers shocked
One concertgoer visited the Las Vegas Strip bar in the Dolby Theater and purchased two cocktails and two bottles of water.
But due to hidden “admin fees” he found himself $180 out of pocket.
The surprise fees added an extra $26 to his bill, which he’s said is “hurting the city” in a social media post online.
He continued: “It’s the “Vegas is expensive” problem that this receipt highlights.
“I have the financial means to buy what I want, but even I was shocked. MGM is taking it too far.
“We always stay at the Encore tower suits and this hotel is not cheap, but they never price gouge.”
Others had similar experiences, with two more Sin City visitors revealing they found themselves charged $100 for the four drinks they ordered.
Fans sharing their experiences are hoping that posting their stories will help future Vegas visitors to make more informed decisions.
In addition to product prices in Vegas, admin fees as well as gratuity are often automatically added to help cover staffing, transaction costs and credit-card processing fees.
These extra fees are often discreetly hidden until the point of purchase.
Saturday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.
MULTIPLE SPORTS 8 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay): Cross-country skiing, bobsled, figure skating, freestyle skiing and more. | NBC
BIATHLON 5:15 a.m. — 🏅Women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start | USA 10:30 a.m. — 🏅Women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start (re-air) | USA
BOBSLED 1 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, Run 1 | Peacock 2:55 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, Run 2 | Peacock 8 a.m. — Four-man bobsled, runs 1-2 | USA 10 a.m. — Two-woman bobsled, Run 3 | NBC 12:05 p.m. — 🏅Two-woman bobsled, final run | Peacock 12:15 p.m. — 🏅Two-woman bobsled, final run (in progress) | NBC 2:15 p.m. — Two-woman bobsled, runs 3-4 (delay) | NBC
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING 2 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 50-kilometer mass start classic | Peacock 3:10 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 50-kilometer mass start classic (in progress) | USA 8:30 a.m. — Men’s 50-kilometer mass start classic (delay) | NBC
CURLING 🏅Women’s bronze-medal match 5:05 a.m. — Teams TBD | Peacock 7:20 a.m. — Teams TBD (delay) | USA 🏅Men’s gold-medal match 10:05 a.m. — Teams TBD | CNBC Women’s bronze-medal match 1 p.m. — Teams TBD (re-air) | CNBC
FIGURE SKATING 11 a.m. — Exhibition gala | Peacock 11:55 a.m. — Exhibition gala (in progress) | NBC 12:50 p.m. — Exhibition gala (in progress) | NBC
FREESTYLE SKIING 1 a.m. — Men’s skicross, qualifying | Peacock 1:45 a.m. — 🏅Mixed team aerials, final | USA 2:55 a.m. — 🏅Men’s skicross, finals | Peacock 8:45 a.m. — Men’s skicross, finals (delay) | USA 9:15 a.m. — Mixed team aerials, final (re-air) | USA 10:30 a.m. — 🏅Women’s freeski halfpipe, final | NBC 1:30 p.m. — Mixed team aerials, final (re-air) | NBC
HOCKEY 🏅Men’s bronze-medal game 11:40 a.m. — Teams TBD | USA
SKI MOUNTAINEERING 4:30 a.m. — 🏅Mixed team relay | Peacock
SPEEDSKATING 6 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s mass start, semifinals and finals | Peacock 7 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s mass start, semifinals and finals (in progress) | NBC
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), shown on a screen in the trading room at Hana Bank in Seoul, topped a record-high 5,800 on Friday. Photo by Yonhap
South Korean stocks topped the 5,800-point mark for the first time Friday to end at a fresh record high amid expectations that upcoming investor-friendly measures will help lift market valuations. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 131.28 points, or 2.31 percent, to close at an all-time high of 5,803.53.
Trade volume was heavy at 1.73 billion shares worth 32.74 trillion won (US$22.64 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 543 to 340.
Institutions scooped up a net 1.61 trillion won worth of shares, while foreign and retail investors sold a net 745.06 billion won and 986.12 billion won worth of shares, respectively, for profit-taking.
After a three-day Lunar New Year holiday break, the index surged Thursday to top the 5,600 level, with experts saying pent-up demand accumulated during the holiday continued to flow into the stock market.
The KOSPI has been on a bull run recently, surpassing the 5,000 mark for the first time ever on Jan. 27 and the 5,500 level on Feb. 12.
“Geopolitical tensions have heightened after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled the possibility of military action against Iran following a 10-day negotiation deadline, and some analysts suggest the risk of a full-scale conflict is not negligible,” Kim Seok-hwan, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities, said.
“But investors have maintained expectations for a series of measures by the government and companies to boost shareholder returns and overall market valuations,” he added.
U.S. shares lost ground Thursday (U.S. time) amid concerns about the U.S.-Iran situation and risks linked to massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI), as the U.S. private market and alternative assets manager Blue Owl Capital announced it is going to tighten investor liquidity.
Most large-cap shares finished higher, with chip and defense shares leading the market advance.
Market bellwether Samsung Electronics edged up 0.05 percent to 190,100 won, and chip giant SK hynix surged 6.15 percent to 949,000 won.
Carmakers traded mixed. Top automaker Hyundai Motor went down 0.78 percent to 509,000 won, while its sister affiliate Kia soared 1.06 percent to 171,800 won.
Leading battery maker LG Energy Solution fell 0.5 percent to 401,500 won, but AI investment firm SK Square advanced 2.47 percent to 580,000 won.
Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility surged 5.18 percent to 103,500 won, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace spiked 8.09 percent to 1,242,000 won.
Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy jumped 4.88 percent to 602,000 won, and its rival Hanwha Ocean shot up 6.61 percent to 149,900 won.
Pharmaceutical giant Samsung Biologics went up 0.93 percent to 1,736,000 won, while Celltrion dipped 1.02 percent to 242,000 won.
Financials gathered ground. KB Financial added 1.38 percent to 168,800 won, and Shinhan Financial grew 1.69 percent to 102,000 won.
Samsung Life Insurance climbed 4.78 percent to 219,000 won, and Mirae Asset Securities rose 0.57 percent to 70,900 won.
The Korean won was quoted at 1,446.65 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., down 1.15 won from the previous session.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys lost 3.5 basis points to 3.143 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds also shed 3.5 basis points to 3.391 percent.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
A NEW economy seat has been revealed but it isn’t your normal limited leg-room option.
Dubbed the ‘SkyNook’, there’s a new economy seat that could offer passengers a “semi-private” retreat when flying.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
SkyNook is a new economy seat that offers a more private experienceCredit: aerospaceglobalnews
The seat would feature at the back of a plane, transforming the underutilised space into an area that could host families, travellers with service animals or pets, travellers with sensory sensitivities or even someone flying with either a bulky or fragile item that cannot go into hold.
The reason the seat would feature at the back of a plane, is because widebody aircraft often taper inwards at the back – which means a triple row of seats cannot fit.
Instead, two seats are usually put in this area, but there is still some extra room between the side of the plane and the window seat.
The SkyNook would fill this space so that a secure car seat would fit or a pet carrier or service animal.
Mock-ups of the cabin show how the armrest of the seat nearest the window could lay flat to be used as a table or to sit a baby carrier on.
A bassinet could also be fitted into the space and secured onto the armrest.
Travellers in this seat could also make use of a privacy divider which is designed to reduce cabin noise and separate the seats from the aisle, which can often fill with people waiting for the toilet.
The screen could be particularly useful for passengers who want to feed children, for example.
Created by Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, the seat is up for a 2026 Crystal Cabin Award in the Passenger Comfort category.
The award recognises innovation, excellence and creativity in aircraft cabin interior design.
The winner of the award will be announced on April 14.
Another concept that has been named a finalist is Airbus’ new Airspace A350-1000 first class cabin concept.
The new first class cabin experience would be similar to flying in a private jet and would feel more like an apartment.
A master suite would be in the middle of the cabin of the aircraft and for two travellers with a double bed, a private toilet, a changing area and a bar.
The seat utilises the extra space for either having a service animal, baby carrier or just extra spaceCredit: aerospaceglobalnews
And to make the experience not feel claustrophobic, there are virtual panoramic windows that wrap around the suite which stream images from outside the aircraft.
So, essentially, you will always have a view.
Another finalist is Spaceframe, which is another take on an economy seat.
The seat would have a mesh backrest with foam to make it more comfortable for longer journeys and they would also slide forwards, to recline, which would mean they don’t invade the passenger’s space behind.
The seats would also have integrated power, lighting and wireless charging.
Some airlines are already well-known for their economy seats, such as Emirates.
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot recently flew in economy with Emirates and said: “Even in economy it’s easy to see how Emirates is in a different league to other long haul airlines.
“Launching their first London flights back in 1991, the next year they were the first ever airline to install in flight entertainment screens in all seats across every class.
“And as the first airline to order the game-changing Airbus A380 and I was among the first to travel on the two-deck leviathan capable of holding up to 615 passengers.
“The in-flight catering always feels generous compared to other airlines and while the seats may not be any more generous than our flag-carrier, the plush padding makes it much more comfortable over a long flight.
“And unlike the service I’ve received on some American airlines over the years, the Emirates crew have been faultless on every trip I’ve been on.”
Captain Pugwash first aired on British television in 1957 as a black-and-white stop-motion show, before the full colour version of the series was first broadcast from 1974-75.
The series is based on the much loved children’s comic strips and books created by Josh Ryan.
It follows Captain Horatio Pugwash as he sails the high seas in his ship, the Black Pig, ably assisted by Tom the captain boy, pirates Willy and Barnabas and Master Mate.
Along their adventures, they’re battling against his mortal enemy, Cut-Throat Jake, captain of the Flying Dustman.
The children’s animation was written, illustrated and produced by John Ryan, before Peter Hawkins voiced all the characters, bringing them to life.
Captain Pugwash originally ran from 1957 to 1966 before being revived in colour in the 70s, and again in 1997.
The synopsis teases on ITVX: “The bumbling 50s kids TV star is back on screen. Join him aboard the Black Pig & meet cabin boy Tom, pirates Willy & Barnabas, & Master Mate. Beware of the enemy Cut-Throat Jake.”
Viewers have been left reminiscing on the iconic childhood series, with one writing on Reddit : “Love Pugwash – have complete set of DVDs.”
Another said: “I can hear the theme tune in my head right now,” as a third elsewhere wrote: “Ooh wow, that brings back memories, brilliant.”
This comes as ITV has added a variety of returning and new programmes to the streaming service, with more yet to come this year.
In a press release announced earlier this year, the broadcaster shared: “ITV will ring in the new year with a raft of brand new dramas, exclusive entertainment shows, much loved juggernauts and big name reality.
“Jing Lusi, Michelle Keegan, Martin Compston, Natalie Dormer, Shaun Evans, Romala Garai, Eve Myles, Gemma Arterton, Rafe Spall, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, David Morrissey, Douglas Booth, Sophie Rundle, Philip Glenister, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Rishi Nair, Robson Green, Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Daniel Mays, Ben Miller, John Simm, Richie Campbell and Omid Djalili are just some of the names appearing in ITV dramas over the next twelve months.”
Drama includes Michelle Keegan’s The Blame, The Party, based on the acclaimed novel by Elizabeth Day, Gemma Arterton leading a stellar cast in Secret Service, and new scandalous drama Adultery.
Elsewhere in entertainment, Graham Norton hosts a street-sized reality game, The Neighbourhood, Rob Brydon is fronting new gameshow The Floor and Gary Lineker is hosting The Box. Ben Shephard ’s The Summit has already begun, and I’m A Celebrity All Stars will return alongside Britain’s Got Talent, Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win and The 1% Club.
European steel shipments to the US declined 30% between June and December 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to recent Eurostat data compiled by Eurofer, the Brussels-based industry group.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The decline underscores the impact of the US’s 50% tariffs on EU steel, even after the EU and US signed a trade agreement in July 2025 agreeing a blanket 15% US tariff on EU goods. Steel was carved out of that deal and talks to ease duties remain stuck.
“A 30% drop in steel exports to the US within just six months is a clear signal that the blunt 50% tariffs imposed by the US government on EU steel are damaging our industry,” Eurofer Director general Axel Eggert said.
“The US decision to include EU downstream steel products, such as machinery, will have another huge negative impact on us and our European customers,” he added.
Washington imposed 50% tariffs on EU steel and aluminium in June 2025 and extended the measures to more than 400 steel and aluminium products in August.
Steel talks tied to EU-US trade deal enforcement
The US has framed the tariffs as a shield against Chinese overcapacity flooding global markets, including Europe.
With Chinese exports increasingly redirected from the US to the EU, the European Commission proposed on 7 October 2025 to halve the volume of steel allowed into the bloc duty-free and to levy a 50% tariff on imports exceeding a quota of 18.3 million tons a year.
The proposal steel needs to be adopted by the EU legislator. Meanwhile Brussels itself hopes to reopen talks with the White House to secure lower duties on EU steel.
But US negotiators have linked any resumption of discussions to the implementation of last summer’s EU-US trade deal, struck by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Donald Trump. Under that pact, the EU agreed to cut its tariffs on US goods to zero while accepting 15% duties on its exports to the US.
With the EU legislative process still requiring approval from lawmakers and member states, Washington’s patience is wearing thin. Tensions could rise further after EU lawmakers introduced amendments that may complicate talks with capitals.
The European Parliament is expected to vote on the deal in March, paving the way for negotiations with member states.
The talks stalled on the European side after the US threatened to annex Greenland militarily from Denmark in January. Although the US has softened its language, it led to delays. The administration’s continuous lobbying for less stringent rules when it comes to digital legislation in Europe has also added obstacles to the talks.
This article chronicles the historical significance of the Malaysian Declaration of Independence Dayspecifically within the region of Melaka. It details how Tunku Abdul Rahman led a successful negotiation in London during early 1956 to secure the end of British colonial rule. Upon his return, he chose Padang Banda Hilir as the symbolic site to officially proclaim that Malaya would become a sovereign nation on August 31, 1957. The text highlights the jubilant public reception and the motorcade that greeted the leaders as they arrived to share this monumental news. Ultimately, the source serves as a commemorative look at the diplomatic milestones and the emotional celebrati …
New South Wales Police has charged four teenagers over the drive-by shooting of former NRL player Matt Utai and the alleged arson attacks targeting his family in Sydney.
A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man have both been charged with “accessory after the fact to shoot at with intent to murder”.
A 18-year-old and another 19-year-old have both been charged with damaging property by fire, while the latter was also charged with supplying prohibited drugs.
Utai, 44, remains in a serious condition after undergoing surgery for his injuries.
Police said the shots had been fired from a white SUV, which was later found burned out in nearby Wiley Park.
On Wednesday, police attended a further incident after shots were fired at a house in St Clair. A woman in her 50s was at home but was not injured.
A short time after they found a car on fire in Colyton and later the same day a house and vehicle were found ablaze in Guildford West.
New South Wales Police department said a task force was assembled to investigate the incidents – all of which are believed to have been targeting the same family.
The train rocks you to sleep and wakes you somewhere spectacular
There was plenty of stunning scenery to explore(Image: Kirsty Bosley)
Just one sleeper train ride away from a major English city is spectacular views, deserted beaches and waterfalls. Features Writer Kirsty Bosley branded it “one of the most magical days of her entire life”.
Just the previous evening, she had been stuck in gridlock at Birmingham’s Five Ways island, stressed and anxious about missing the Caledonian Sleeper – the train that lulls you to sleep in the midland city and rouses you in the Scottish Highlands.
She secured a ticket to whisk her from Brum to Inverness, awakening in Scotland following a 10-hour journey on the overnight service and granting roughly 12 hours there before her pre-booked return departure.
Therefore, I was determined to cram in absolutely everything possible during those 12 hours – family-friendly attractions, trails for hikers, intimate experiences for lovers and tranquil spots for contemplation in the wilderness, much like the moment I was savouring on Dores Beach, reports Birmingham Live.
Furthermore, I aimed to accomplish everything whilst spending minimal money, surviving on Tunnocks Teacakes and Irn Bru alongside small portable snacks we grabbed en route. The day’s largest expense turned out to be the most worthwhile: a pre-paid £42 hire car from Enterprise.
After a brisk 15-minute stroll from the train station, we picked it up and embarked on our ambitious mission to navigate the entirety of Loch Ness (roughly 70 miles) in a single day.
Fuelled by a mere £15, we accomplished our goal, embarking on a clockwise journey that began with tears of joy as the loch unveiled itself, perfectly timed to Taylor Swift’s bridge from Cruel Summer blaring from the speakers.
We pulled over, rolled down the windows and danced roadside under the rising sun, brimming with anticipation for the perfect day ahead.
A masterclass in Loch Ness
Following our jubilant pit stop, our first destination was the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel to see the plaque commemorating Ozzy Osbourne’s nocturnal escapades in the loch, where he searched for Nessie alongside his son Jack.
Driving felt less like a chore and more like a pleasure with the constant backdrop of the Highlands. In Drumnadrochit, at the hotel where the monster tales originated, we made our second largest purchase of the day: £15 entry to The Loch Ness Centre, narrated in its entirety by David Tennant.
As we moved from room to room, we delved into the origins of the rumours, the ensuing frenzy, the history and geography of the land, and the Scottish myths and legends that lent an air of reality to the tale.
We also discovered the fascinating science behind why it’s impossible to definitively prove there isn’t a monster lurking in a body of water so extraordinarily deep that all the freshwater from every lake, reservoir and river in England and Wales combined couldn’t fill it.
Following that revelation, I found myself scrutinising the water far more intently, half-convinced there was a genuine possibility she might poke her enormous neck above the surface to greet us passing Brummies.
The sheer sense of wonder sparked by the centre’s masterclass justified the entrance fee entirely, as every subsequent free activity we undertook was now enhanced by our newfound knowledge.
We reached Urquhart Castle in remarkably quick time – a military ruin positioned directly on the water’s edge.
Walk-up admission costs £16 and whilst I was certain it would be spectacular to explore, we decided to save it for another visit now we were absolutely convinced we’d be returning. Boat excursions can transport you there, so that was immediately added to my ‘to-do’ list.
Enchanted woodlands and breathtaking vistas
We pressed on along the waterside A82 towards Invermoriston, the sort of place that appears lifted straight from an adventure film.
The Old Bridge spanning the thundering falls of the River Moriston, as it crashes dramatically towards Loch Ness, resembles something from a fairy tale. Despite being situated on the renowned Great Glen Way trail, it all felt like a mystical secret because remarkably few other visitors were present.
We parked up (parking is free, but donations are appreciated, as with many public toilets along the route) and embarked on a stroll into the woodland, pausing at the historic Summer House Victorian folly to soak in the surroundings, much like folks did years ago as salmon battled their way upstream.
Meandering through spongy clusters of radiant white reindeer lichen, pausing to observe the rapids and keeping an eye out for squirrels, I felt a sense of tranquillity wash over me. It’s a must-visit spot for any traveller – I wish every Brummie could experience it.
By the time we reached the South Shore, it was 2pm, and we’d managed to cover half the loch’s circumference in just four hours.
A brief pause for photos and laughter ensued before we rounded the southernmost point and were greeted by a view so breathtaking from the Suidhe Viewpoint that we had to pull over.
Another family of tourists arrived, and although we exchanged few words, our shared silence spoke volumes about the unforgettable, life-affirming moment we were experiencing. We swapped cameras to help each other capture proof of our presence in this extraordinary place. The wild beauty of our surroundings was almost overwhelming as we continued our journey.
Wildlife and waterfalls
We encountered a majestic stag who turned to regard our car. It felt like we’d stepped into an illustration on the front of a tin of special shortbread biscuits. Overhead, giant birds, possibly including a golden eagle, soared majestically.
Our next stop was the Falls of Foyers, a spectacular 140ft waterfall nestled within a forest inhabited by elusive red squirrels. Tunnocks Teacakes and Irn Bru proved insufficient fuel for the challenging descent down steep steps, but thankfully the Waterfall Cafe offered sausage rolls and other snacks to revive us.
With daylight fading, we passed by Boleskine House (the former residence of Aleister Crowley and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page), which was shut, though we went anyway simply to say we’d been, before heading off to find a man we’d discovered at The Loch Ness Centre.
Dusk – One final adventure
Steve Feltham is a renowned ‘Nessie Hunter’ who abandoned his family business, relationship and home to move from Dorset. Since 1991, he’s lived on the loch’s shores and has devoted himself to spotting ‘the monster’ ever since.
Yet his tale is really about leaving behind what doesn’t fulfil you and pursuing the life you desire. I desperately wanted to meet him before nightfall.
We reached his modest dwelling as the sky began transforming colours above Dores Beach. He wasn’t there, but after the dog-walkers departed, I chose to wait a whilst longer in case he returned.
The pebbled shoreline is magnificent, the surroundings breathtaking. I pondered whether Steve might welcome a new neighbour, though I knew Birmingham beckoned so I could pen this account.
Both Steve and Nessie remained beyond our grasp, only one possessing confirmed existence but both surrounded by legends I yearned to explore further. Returning to relinquish the rental car and hop back on what I’ll forever dub the ‘Loch Ness Express’, we bid farewell to it all, but only physically.
I was convinced that my spirit remained in Invermoriston, still on the hunt for red squirrels. I plan to retrieve her on the next available journey aboard the Caledonian Sleeper. This time around, I’ll be sure to pack sandwiches.
IN a few years, Bedfordshire will be one of the top places to visit in the country when the UK’s first Universal theme park opens there.
But according to one local, there’s so much that you can do in the county already, especially its namesake town, Bedford.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
The first UK Universal theme park is set to open in Bedford in 2031Credit: AlamyLydia says there’s lots more to the county, septically Bedford, than the upcoming theme parkCredit: Lydia Pettet
Lydia Pettet has lived in Bedford for almost all of her life, and makes it her mission to get others to love Bedfordshire just as much as she does.
And work behind the scenes has already started as Universal has found a temporary headquarters close to its planned site.
The company has taken over the top floor of Bedford Borough Hall on Cauldwell Street, which is already home to Bedford Borough Council.
The US firm was granted planning permission in December 2025 to build a destination across 662 acres on a former brickworks at Kempston.
Once it’s fully up and running which is scheduled for 2031, the theme park is expected to get 8.5million each year.
Food
As for what to do now, some might be unaware that Bedfordshire has strong Italian heritage.
Back in the 1950s, Italians were recruited to work at the brickworks, the site of the new Universal theme park.
Lydia explained that many never left resulting in lots of incredible Italian restaurants popping up around the county.
Bedford in particular has some top eats. Lydia told Sun Travel: “If you come to Bedford, expect incredible Italian food. One of my favourites is A Casa Di Anna, which is run by a lovely couple called Stefano and Anna.
“We’ve got Santaniello Pizzeria which is one of, if not the oldest restaurant still open in Bedford.
“Its menu is very limited – it’s actually been the same for my entire life. Inside it’s got the classic plastic gingham table cloths and you can’t go wrong with the breadsticks, a margherita and finish off with a shot of Limoncello.
“Other modern Italian restaurants include The Higgins Pantry, which is inside the Higgins Museum. Or La Terrazza which is more date night, girls night vibes.”
Other must-try foods in Bedford include the ‘Bedfordshire Clanger’ – a half sweet, half savoury pastry that you can buy at the Gunns Bakery in Sandy.
Most interestingly, it has a speciality called ‘chocolate toothpaste’ which Lydia explained is an “old school dessert”.
It’s made from shortcrust pastry with a chocolate filling with a swirl of whipped cream on top.
Lydia added: “Every cafe in Bedford sells them – so I’d encourage every tourist to try one.”
Chocolate toothpaste is a specialty dessert in BedfordCredit: Lydia PettetThe Swan Hotel sits by the waterside across from the River OuseCredit: Alamy
Hotels
When it comes to where to stay in Bedford, Lydia recommends the newly renovated The Swan Hotel.
It was built in the 1700s and recently reopened in September 2025 after adding 24 rooms and a new fitness suite.
Lydia says it’s a great spot for those who want some “luxury“.
Inside are 137 rooms which range from the classic double all the way to the Junior Suite.
It has an on-site brasserie and restaurant in a pretty conservatory that looks over the River Ouse.
Depending on the time of day guests, or visitors, can pop in to munch on breakfasts, Sunday lunches, dinners and afternoon tea.
The hotel also has a Thermal Spa with pools and three experience showers from mist to a dousing bucket with cold water.
The vitality pool has massage benches, neck and body massage jets and air beds.
It has a traditional steam room, a Finnish sauna for relaxation, a steam lounger and a relaxation space.
Non-guests are welcome to use the spa too, a one hour session is £20, with two hours priced from £30.
Other packages include a traditional afternoon tea and two hour spa session for £48.
Summer Sessions is an annual festival in BedfordCredit: Refer to Source
Activities
Every summer, Bedford Park holds the Bedford Summer Sessions – essentially a music festival.
She said: “They test out material before heading to the big cities.”
If you don’t fancy paying for entertainment then across one weekend this year is the Bedford River Festival.
Lydia revealed “it’s the biggest free festival in the country after Notting Hill Carnival, this year it’s on between 18-19 July.
“It has live music and races down the river in boats. There’s lots of food, lots of gift stalls and they have a community stage with dance schools and choirs.
“Then we have the Bedford Italian festival which is held every year and Summer Sessions in Bedford Park.”
Throughout the rest of the year, the river is often used for watersports.
Popular activities on the river include canoeing and kayaking.
You’ll find Box End Park in Bedford, on the lake is a huge inflatable which opens from April 2026.
The lake is a popular spot for open water swimming, wakeboarding, water skiing and paddleboarding.
Feb. 20 (UPI) — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has been tapped to give the Democratic response next week to President Donald Trump‘s State of the Union, the party’s leaders said.
Spanberger was announced as the Democratic speaker Thursday in a joint statement from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both from New York.
“Gov. Spanberger has always put service over politics — defending our national security and delivering real results for working families,” Schumer said.
“She knows real results for working families. She knows Americans want lower costs, safer communities and a stronger democracy — not chaos and corruption.”
Spanberger is a rising star in the Democratic Party. A former CIA officer, Spanberger ousted a Republican incumbent to win a U.S. House seat for her state in 2018.
After three terms in the chamber, she was elected in November as the first female governor of Virginia. Democrats are hoping her win flipping the governor’s mansion blue will help cement Virginia’s status as a Democratic-led state come the midterm elections.
Jeffries on Thursday praised the 46-year-old for standing “in stark contract to Donald Trump, who will lie, deflect and blame everyone but himself for his failed presidency on Tuesday evening,” which is when the president is scheduled to speak to a joint session of Congress.
“As our nation marks its 250th anniversary this summer, Gov. Spanberger embodies the best of America as a mother, community leader and dedicated public servant.”
The Democratic leaders also announced Thursday that Sen. Alex Padilla of California would deliver the Democratic response in Spanish.
“Americans don’t need another speech from Donald Trump pretending everything is fine when their bills are too high, paychecks are too low and masked and militarized federal agents are roaming our communities violating constitutional rights on a daily basis,” Padilla said in a statement Thursday on his selection to give the Democratic rebuttal.
“We refuse to accept his failed economic agenda that makes billionaires richer while middle class Americans see their healthcare costs rise. We refuse to accept a federal government that weaponizes enforcement agencies against immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. And we refuse to accept attacks on the right to vote.”
Padilla said “there is a better path” and that’s what his Tuesday speech will be about.
Trump’s address is to be held Tuesday, but at least 12 Democratic members of Congress are planning to boycott the speech and attend a competing rally organized by progressive organizations MoveOn and MeidasTouch.
This quirky Frogtown sandwich shop, which also happens to serve some of the best soft serve in town, names each of its menu items after NPR hosts. One of the most popular options? The Ira Glass, Wax Paper’s riff on a classic hippie sandwich, named for the legendary host of “This American Life.” Slices of Bub & Grandma’s seeded sourdough wheat bread are swiped with a garlic aioli and then topped with half of an avocado, shredded Tillamook sharp cheddar, cucumber slices, both pickled and raw red onions for extra flavor, and a mountain of alfalfa sprouts. It’s crunchy, fresh and often sells out, so make sure to place your order early. $16.50
Stepping into Jr. Market boutique in Highland Park is like entering a 1980s time warp. Built into a refurbished shipping container, it’s filled with everything from tiny Walkman-style portables to colorful, number-flip clock radios and, naturally, boomboxes of all sizes. Few are more imposing than the TV the Searcher, a Sharp boombox from the early ‘80s that features a built-in, 5-inch color television.
“Try lifting it, it’s really heavy,” warns Spencer Richardson, the shop’s owner. Indeed, the machine is at least 15 pounds without the 10 D batteries that power the unit. He adds, “I don’t think you’re taking this to the beach so you could watch TV while you listen to music.”
An affable, hyper-knowledgeable proprietor in his early 30s, Richardson repairs and resells analog music technology from the 1980s or earlier. In bringing these rehabbed players back into circulation, he’s helping others rediscover a musical format once left for dead. While his hobby-turned-side hustle started as “a gateway to discover sounds” that he otherwise would not have heard, it now attracts curious customers willing to drop $100-plus for a vintage Technics RS-M2 or My First Sony Walkman. His customers include older baby boomers and Gen X‑ers nostalgic for the players of their childhood, but most have been millennials like himself, drawn to something tactile and analog in an era when everything else disappears into the digital ether.
A rare Technics RS-M2 stereo radio tape deck. “I’ve worked on a lot of tape players and this one shouts quality inside and out,” Richardson writes on Instagram.
(Spencer Richardson)
Unlike turntables, which have become increasingly high-tech thanks to the “vinyl revival” of the last 20 years, almost all cassette players in current production rely on the same, basic tape mechanism from Taiwan, Richardson explains. Though cassette culture is enjoying its own period of rediscovery — albeit on a far smaller scale — he hasn’t seen a market emerge for newly engineered tape decks. And he’s fine with that.
“I’m not one of those people that’s like, ‘Why don’t they make good new tape players?’” he says. “No one needs to make it better. You’re still better off buying a refurbished one from the time when they made them.”
That’s where he steps in.
Richardson works on a Nakamichi tape deck out of his repair studio in downtown L.A.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
It’s easy to forget that when cassettes debuted in the mid-1960s, the technology was groundbreaking. Not only were the players far more portable than turntables but unlike records, tapes were resilient to being tossed about. Even more profoundly, cassettes democratized access to the act of recording itself since cassette technology required minimal infrastructure and cost.
“I think about how incredible it must have been for people to realize they could just put whatever they wanted onto a tape, dub it, give it to a friend,” says Richardson.
Entire genres of music, especially in the developing world, became far more accessible across borders. In some countries, big records are still released on cassette. “I have a Filipino release of Kanye West’s ‘College Dropout’ on tape,” Richardson says.
The constraints of the technology guided the listening experience. Because skipping songs on a player was a hassle, most people sat with cassette albums as a track-by-track, linear journey, the antithesis to the algorithmic, shuffle-centric playlists ubiquitous on today’s streaming platforms. It’s a pace that Richardson appreciates.
“I want things to be intentional and slow,” he says. “I don’t need them to be optimized.”
He learned how to repair gear by watching YouTube videos, perusing old manuals and through trial and error.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Born in the early 1990s, Richardson grew up in Santa Monica and the Pacific Palisades, where his mother’s home was lost in the L.A. wildfires last year. He’s just old enough to remember cassettes as a child: “My mom had books on tape like ‘Winnie the Pooh,’ but I wasn’t out buying tapes.” Fast forward to the mid-2010s and he was working at the now-defunct Touch Vinyl in West L.A. “Back in 2014, we started this little in-store tape label,” he explained. “Bands would come to play, and we’d duplicate 10 tapes and give them away or sell them.” Richardson slowly began collecting cassettes but after the store closed a few years later, he realized how hard it was to find people to service his tape players.
Finally, once the pandemic hit in 2020 and everyone was stuck at home, he decided to learn how to repair his gear by watching YouTube.“I was just fascinated by the videos, absorbing soldering techniques and tools you might need,” he said. With no formal engineering background, Richardson began collecting information online, perusing old manuals, learning through trial and error. “You just need to get your hands in there and be like, ‘Oh, OK, I see how this works,’ or maybe I don’t see how this works, and I’m just going to bang my head against the wall, and then a year later, try again.” His first successful repair was for his Teac CX-311, a compact stereo cassette player/recorder that he still owns. “It has some quirks but runs well.”
A few years later, Richardson’s girlfriend, Faith, suggested he start selling his players online via an Instagram account — jrmarket.radio — originally created for a short-lived internet station. Tim Mahoney, his childhood friend and a professional photographer, shot the units against a plain white backdrop, as if for an art catalog. A community of enthusiasts quickly found his account and Richardson began selling pieces online and via pop-ups. In 2024, the owners of vintage clothing store the Bearded Beagle invited him to take over the parking lot space behind their new location on Figueroa St. Opening a brick-and-mortar store hadn’t been his ambition but Richardson accepted the opportunity: “I never envisioned opening my own physical store. It’s hard enough to have a retail space in Los Angeles to sell something that’s very niche.”
Jr. Market operates as a shop Thursday through Saturday in Highland Park.
(Spencer Richardson)
Jr. Market — whose name is inspired by Japanese convenience stores known as “junior markets” — isn’t trying to appeal to audiophiles though Richardson does stock studio-quality recording decks. He primarily looks for players with appealing visual design, most of them made in Japan where Richardson has been traveling to since graduating high school. Through those trips, he’s learned where to source pristinely-kept gear, including his best-selling Corocasse: a bright red plastic cube of a radio/tape player, introduced by National in 1983. He also keeps an eye out for the unique Sanyo MR-QF4 from 1979, an elongated boombox with four speakers, designed to play either horizontally or flipped into a vertical tower.
The store also stocks a small selection of portable record players, including a Viktor PK-2, a whimsical, plastic-bodied three-in-one turntable, tape player and AM radio that looks like something designed by a modernist artist for Fisher-Price. That went to local author and historian Sam Sweet, who visited the store with no intention of buying anything and left with the Viktor, which now sits on his writing desk. “Spencer’s part of a grand tradition of workshop tinkerers and specialty mechanics,” Sweet says. “The refurbished devices he sells are as much a reflection of his ethos and expertise as they are treasures of the past.”
Last year, Imma Almourzaeva, an Echo Park art director, came to the store and purchased a massive 1979 Sony “Zilba’p” boombox, which is nearly 2 feet wide and over a foot tall, with wood veneer panels to boot. Almourzaeva, who grew up in Russia in the ‘90s, wanted a player that offered “the tactile feel of my childhood and bringing it back into my daily routine, something familiar, something warm.” The Zilba’p is the largest boombox Richardson has carried and Almourzaeva said, “It’s aesthetically a showstopper. Maybe I have a Napoleon complex because I’m pretty small too. It’s like ‘go big or go home’ for me.” She shared that she recently bought a Soviet-era boombox from Richardson for her brother for Christmas. “It turned out my mom grew up using the same brand of stereo,” Almourzaeva says. Richardson had told her that Soviet boomboxes are “very DIY, more funky and finicky.”
Refurbishment is one of Richardson’s specialties, including repairing customer units, each of them a puzzle he enjoys solving. No matter if a player is sparse or feature-packed, the simple act of playing a cassette creates a sense of calm and focus for him. “You’re not distracted, because it doesn’t do anything else,” he says. In a time where every “smart” device is marketed with dizzying arrays of features, that simplicity can feel downright revolutionary.
Not only is Betye Saar a living legend, but the prolific L.A. artist continues to add to her impressive oeuvre day by day.
She’s been creating powerful, thought-provoking artwork since the ’60s and her pieces have been shown at the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and LACMA, as well as museums and galleries around the world.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
As her centennial birthday approaches this July, Saar shows no signs of slowing down. She still routinely creates art and continues to garner headlines and accolades. Last year, she was honored with the distinction of “Icon Artist” at the Art Basel Awards. During the upcoming Frieze Los Angeles art festival, which opens Feb. 26, she will be the subject of the photography installation “Betye Saar Altered Polaroids.” And this May, “Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar” will debut at Roberts Projects, the gallery that represents her. The exhibition will feature pieces from her early career as a costume and jewelry designer.
Though she’s skilled at painting and photography, she’s most widely known for assemblage, the art of juxtaposing miscellaneous items to form a single cohesive work. Her dioramas, sculptures and large-scale multimedia installations explore the legacy of American slavery, confront racial injustice and celebrate the strength and resiliency of African American women.
“I work with found objects that had another purpose before they came to my hands,” Saar says while seated at a patio table in her succulent-filled tiered garden. “The hardest part of it is going to a flea market, secondhand stores, an estate sale or even just going behind a store to see what people throw away.”
Over the years, she’s traveled by plane, train and automobile in search of usable materials. Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent her curios from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond. Her daughters — artists Alison and Lezley, and writer Tracye, their mother’s studio director — also stay on the lookout for objects that might catch her eye.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I have quite a collection,” she says.
Indeed, Saar’s multi-level home studio in Laurel Canyon is bursting with dozens of old empty picture frames, discarded window panes, wooden chests, antique chairs and vintage clocks. But there’s always room for more.
Her idea of a perfect Sunday includes foraging for new items (or old ones, as the case may be) to use in her daily art practice. And she’d return to her roots to do it.
“Pasadena is my hometown and I still have a few relatives that live there,” she says.
While visiting her old stomping grounds, she’d embark on a multi-stop shopping spree and wander through a longtime favorite San Gabriel Valley attraction (where her work just so happens to be on display).
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
10 a.m.: Search for hidden treasures
Pasadena Community College Flea Market is something that’s part of “the hunt.” Alison usually drives, sometimes Tracye. Some people are there early to get the deals; we’re not like that anymore. I like to look around and sometimes I find interesting fabrics, scarves to wear and strange-shaped succulents for my garden. I hardly ever find really good antiquing things there, because those are at antique stores and they’re usually pretty pricey. But I bought an old, rusty metal birdcage the seller said was from France. I like rusty stuff for my art. I also found an indigo blue kimono to wear at an art event later this year.
1 p.m.: Replenish with Thai food
I’d go down Fair Oaks Avenue — there’s some secondhand stores. Usually, it’s nothing I can use, but I still can’t say no. I have to go see for myself. Then, lunch at Saladang Garden. I always order chicken sate and the green papaya salad. Last time I went, we tried the Thai corn fritter which was really good and crispy. If food is too spicy, I can’t eat it. But somebody in my party would always have something spicy and I can have a spoonful to add to mine.
2:30 p.m.: More shopping
I am attracted to all the odd things at Gold Bug. Notepads and trinkets, curious vintage-y things with animals or interesting patterns, strange candles. Sometimes I surprise myself by buying something. They have a mixture of things that — whether it’s for the color, or the texture — I feel that I can recycle and fit into an art object that I’m making.
3:30 p.m.: Visit a childhood haunt (with a side of more shopping)
I really like the Huntington’s gardens. I remember the first time I went there was with my mother and a friend of hers, and we walked around. All the paths were dirt, you know, they hadn’t even gotten around to paving it yet. But I just fell in love with it. And I really like their gift shop.
6 p.m.: Head west for a culinary classic
If I go someplace to eat for lunch, I usually have leftovers to warm up. Nothing wrong with leftovers — if you liked it the first time, you’ll like it again! But if I had to go out to dinner, the Apple Pan. I would go there in the ’80s with my daughters. I like their sandwiches, or the hickory burger with cheese, and there’s good French fries.
8 p.m.: Tuck into some wind-down watching
Before bed, I like to watch the news because, otherwise, I don’t know what’s going on. I also like a lot of shows on PBS. “Finding Your Roots,” or dramas like “Sister Boniface Mysteries” and “Call the Midwife,” which has been going on forever!
The move reportedly stems from British legal concerns about an Iran attack as well as a dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the ultimate disposition of Diego Garcia. We will discuss that more later in this story.
We have yet to see any bombers moving to Diego Garcia and, to a lesser degree, Fairford, which would be likely to happen in advance of a sustained aerial bombardment campaign. The decision by the U.K., if the report is accurate, could be a primary reason why these movements haven’t occurred.
The Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia hosts a U.S. military base that would be important for any sustained kinetic campaign against Iran. (Google Earth) A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron taxis the runway at RAF Fairford, England. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Laiken King) Airman 1st Class Laiken King
As we have frequently reported, Diego Garcia has long been a highly strategic operating location for the U.S. military. Beyond its large airfield that sits in the center of the Indian Ocean, it plays many roles for the Department of Defense, including hosting Space Force operations, serving as a key port for U.S. Navy vessels, including nuclear submarines, and its lagoon provides shelter for a Sealift Command Prepositioning Ship Squadron.
The island outpost drew particular attention last year after an unusually large force of six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers began arriving in March in a clear show of force aimed primarily at Iran. This is precisely the type of deployment we would have expected to have occurred during the present crisis, but it has not. The B-2s subsequently conducted strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen and were ultimately replaced by B-52 bombers.
RAF Fairford is the home of the only U.S. bomber forward operating location in the U.K., where American strategic aircraft are frequently forward deployed for Bomber Task Force missions. Major bomber operations have been staged out of the base in the past, including major strikes against Iraq.
Last June, when the U.S. launched the Operation Midnight Hammer attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, the B-2 bombers flew roundtrip from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. However, that was a one-night operation. Trump is now considering what is likely to be a week’s long campaign against Iranian leadership, nuclear infrastructure, missile launch sites and associated industry, and other military installations and command and control nodes.
It would be extremely helpful for the U.S. to use Diego Garcia, and possibly RAF Fairford, to stage, rearm and maintain the B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers that could be used to strike Iran.
A B-52 bomber at Diego Garcia. (USAF) (USAF)
It is about 2,300 miles from Diego Garcia to the eastern border of Iran and about 2,500 miles from RAF Fairford to the western border. By contrast, Whiteman AFB, one of many bases in the U.S. housing strategic aircraft, is located about 6,500 miles from Iran’s western border. Having access to the two U.K. bases would allow the U.S. Air Force to increase the generation of bomber sorties, especially important in the opening of a campaign. It would also help reduce wear and tear on the aircraft and crews.
One of the E-3 AWACS aircraft that recently passed through RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. (Harry Moulton / @havoc_aviation on X)
Though the U.S. has not deployed any bombers to Diego Garcia, we have been reporting that America is transiting scores of fighters, electronic warfare jets, radar planes, aerial refueling tankers and other aviation assets from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath to that region. It is unclear if that will change if the fighting starts. Traditionally, these types of limitations are focused on actual combat sorties, not aircraft transiting through in order to get to another destination.
That being said, the U.S. does have other basing options, even for its sensitive B-2 Spirit bomber force. The Air Force has put a high priority on training to operate even these notoriously finicky jets out of unfamiliar and somewhat austere locations. Deployments to the Azores, Iceland and Wake Island, among others, are evidence of this. The B-52s and B-1s are even more flexible and have operated out of multiple allies’ airfields in recent years. But operating from a forward locale in a limited fashion is different than flying from an installation that is pre-equipped with all the amenities needed to keep sortie rates up during a conflict. Regardless, any other country would have to approve the use of bombers based on its soil to attack Iran.
B-2s seen operating out of the Azores. (USAF)
A similar situation involving permission for the use of Diego Garcia took place shortly before Midnight Hammer. The U.K. government said it would have to sign off on the U.S. use of its Diego Garcia base in any bombing raid on Iran, The Guardian reported at the time. Britain was informed of the U.S. military strikes on Iran ahead of time, but did not receive any U.S. request for use of Diego Garcia for that mission, according to Reuters.
Friendly reminder the UK did the same exact thing June 18th 2025 4 days before the strikes on Iran and then said on June 22nd the day of the strikes they had not received any or request from the United States https://t.co/LmPrGARAGX
The impetus behind this latest move, according to The Times, is a dispute over control of Diego Garcia, which is part of the Chagos Islands. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pushing for a deal to seek a 99-year lease of the island from Mauritius, which claims rights to this chain. Trump, who has previously backed the plan, on Wednesday blasted it, widening a growing rift between the two allies over the issue.
“I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean,” Trump proclaimed Wednesday on his Truth Social site. “Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump pointed to the strategic importance of both Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in any campaign against Iran.
“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries,” the U.S. president posited. “Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease. This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them. DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!”
The fate of Diego Garcia (with its UK/US air base) is a massive problem for @Keir_Starmer & wider UK-US ties as Donald Trump is v clearly against it being given to Mauritius despite the State Department saying it supports the move.
In its story on Thursday, The Times claimed that Trump pulled his support for Starmer’s lease deal after the U.K. refused to allow its bases to be used to strike Iran.
“The White House is drawing up detailed military plans for a strike against Iran involving the use of both Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which is home to America’s fleet of heavy bombers in Europe,” The Times stated. “Under the terms of long-standing agreements with Washington, these bases can only be used for military operations that have been agreed in advance with the government.”
The Times “understands that the UK is yet to give permission for the US to use the bases in the event that Trump orders a strike on Iran, owing to concerns that it would be a breach of international law which makes no distinction between a state carrying out the attack and those in support if the latter have ‘knowledge of the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act,’” the publication proffered. “The president spoke to the prime minister on Tuesday night, and the two men discussed Trump’s ultimatum to Iran over its nuclear program. The following day, Trump made his statement attacking the Chagos deal.”
BREAKING: The UK is blocking Trump from using RAF bases for strikes on Iran, according to The Times.
The U.K. MoD Defense Ministry (MoD) declined to talk about operational details, but did declare its support for Trump’s push to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Iran.
“There is a political process ongoing between the US and Iran, which the UK supports,” the U.K. MoD told us in a statement. “Iran must never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, and our priority is security in the region.”
A White House official told us that “President Trump’s first instinct is always diplomacy, and he has been clear that the Iranian regime should make a deal. Of course, the President ultimately has all options at his disposal, and he demonstrated with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Absolute Resolve that he means what he says.”
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft are maintained on the flightline during a combat deployment at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, April 16, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage) Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage
We have reached out to the White House, the Pentagon, U.S. Central Command, U.S. IndoPacific Command and the U.K. Ministry of Defense for more details.
Despite the controversy over Diego Garcia, the U.S. buildup of forces continues unabated. For instance, just this morning, another flight of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters left Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, most likely bound for Mildenhall or Lakenheath. You can read more about the massive influx of forces to the Middle East in our story here.
Whether the U.K. will end up fully enforcing restrictions against the U.S. use of its bases in a kinetic operation against Iran, only time will tell. In the meantime, how this is impacting U.S. war planning isn’t clear, but if it sticks, it will certainly alter those plans and reduce the magnitude of U.S. bombers’ role in a conflict.
If you are London-based, you can travel from London Stansted Airport for £31 one way on Monday.
When it comes to enjoying the sun on the island, Tenerife isn’t short of beaches to soak up some rays.
Rick Cosgrove, a local and a professional compere at many of the island’s bars, told Sun Travel: “I love both Puerto Colon and Fanabe beaches.
“These two coves are next to each other in Costa Adeje in the south of the island, and are ideal for beach lovers.
“Puerto Colon has a lot more going on, as it’s next to the marina and all sea excursions in the south tend to depart from here, so there is a plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants to serve your needs.
“If you find Puerto Colon too busy, then neighbouring mile-long Fanabe beach is a little more relaxed with quieter beach clubs along the edge.”
One of the beach clubs on Fanabe beach is Le Club, which is known for having live DJs and hosting watersports activities.
Nearby is also Aqualand Costa Adeje – a waterpark with kamikazes and twister racer slides.
The waterpark has even recently opened a new kids’ pool, splash tower and Pelican Bay, which is an area with waterslides, water arches and waterfalls.
Aqualand Costa Adeje costs £27.93 per person to visit.
The island has a number of beaches to choose from to soak up the raysCredit: Getty
Alternatively, you could head to Playa de las Vistas in Los Cristianos.
It’s a popular Blue Flag beach that stretches 850 metres long and is known for having clear and calm waters.
Then along the promenade are a number of restaurants, bars and shops to explore.
If you do fancy a bite to eat, then Rick recommends Chicagos.
He said: “It’s an American style sports bar serving ribs and burgers. (Burgers from £7.86 and ribs from £10.48)
“In Los Cristianos, The Star of Bengal does fantastic curries (mains from £6.99 and £2.62 pints), and the Mongolian BBQ Restaurant has an all-you-can-eat buffet that’s cooked in front of you, for around £13.10 per person.”
If you fancy heading to a quieter beach, then opt for Playa san Juan or Las Galletas beach.
Both feature black sand and are great for escaping the crowds.
And if you want to experience some of the local culture, make sure to head to La Laguna, which is a UNESCO-listed city with colonial architecture.
And for those who like hiking, they can head to Teide National ParkCredit: Getty – Contributor
It’s located on the north side of the island and was created back in the 15th century.
Today, visitors can explore a number of churches and religious buildings in the Old Town.
If you’re more of an outdoorsy person, then head to Teide National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with volcanic landscapes, lava fields and Mount Teide – the ideal spot for picturesque views of the island and stargazing.
There are many places you can stay on the island with availability for next week.
For example, you could stay at Hotel Regency Country Club for £136 a night for four people.
Or head to 4Dreams Hotel Chimisay for just £72 a night for four people.
For more inspiration on trips to the Canary Islands, Spain’s cheapest island has £169pp holidays – and it’s 23C.
Daisy Lowe looked every inch the yummy mummy in this sheer dressCredit: GettyThe pregnant star showed off her growing baby bump in the daring outfitCredit: GettyDaisy is expecting her second child with her husband JordanCredit: AlamyDaisy and Jordan share a daughter called IvyCredit: Instagram
The soon-to-be mum-of-two, who already shares daughter Ivy, two, with Jordan, 31, looked incredible as she stepped out for London’s Fashion Week.
The Strictly Come Dancing star looked every inch the yummy mummy as she showed off her growing baby bump.
Daisy pulled out all the stops in the daring sheer outfit which revealed her black lingerie.
The pregnant star looked happy and relaxed as she posed for the photos in her stunning outfit.
Daisy said at the time: “I wanted to share some news with you. Jordan and I are having a baby.
“We are absolutely bursting at the seams with happiness. I’m oscillating wildly between excitement & nervousness with a dash of morning sickness thrown in for good measure! Big love to all of you.”
OPEN DIVISION #1 El Camino Real 1, #4 Palisades 0 (OT) #6 Marquez at #2 South East, Friday at 6 p.m.
Note: Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #1 Cleveland 4, #5 Palisades 0 #7 Granada Hills 3, #6 New West Charter 0
Note: Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION I #1 Birmingham 2, #8 Van Nuys 0 #5 Chatsworth 1, #4 Granada Hills Kennedy 0 #3 Wilmington Banning 2, #11 LA Hamilton 1 #7 Eagle Rock 3, #15 King/Drew 2
DIVISION II #8 Mendez at #1 South East #13 Lakeview Charter 1, #5 Animo Bunche 0 #19 Bravo at #6 LA Roosevelt #7 Garfield 8, #2 Gardena 3
DIVISION III #9 Maywood CES 0, #1 Fairfax 0 (MACES wins 4-2 in shootout) #4 Marquez 1, #5 Reseda 0 #6 Verdugo Hills 1, #3 Huntington Park 1 (VH wins 3-0 in shootout) #2 Angelou 4, #7 Santee 1
DIVISION IV #9 Aspire Ollin 3, #16 Franklin 2 #12 Monroe 2, #13 Arleta 0 #6 Animo De La Hoya 1, #3 Camino Nuevo 1 (DLH wins in shootout) #10 Sun Valley Poly 2, #2 Fremont 0
Note: Semifinals Tuesday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
CITY SECTION BOYS
QUARTERFINALS DIVISION I #9 Angelou at #1 Chavez #5 Chatsworth at #4 Granada Hills, 4 p.m. #19 LA Marshall vs. #6 Cleveland, 6 p.m. at Taft #15 Granada Hills Kennedy at #7 Legacy
DIVISION II #17 Canoga Park at #9 Santee, 4 p.m. #20 Neuwirth Leadership vs. #12 Arleta, 7 p.m. at Birmingham #14 Taft at #6 Garfield #23 Huntington Park at #15 RFK Community
DIVISION III #9 Franklin at #1 LACES #13 Foshay at #12 North Hollywood #6 Animo Pat Brown at #3 Gardena #23 Sun Valley Magnet at #2 LA Hamilton
DIVISION IV #8 LA Roosevelt at #1 Mendez #5 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy #19 Lakeview at #6 Panorama #18 Port of Los Angeles at #7 Aspire Ollin
Note:Semifinals Wednesday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE SOUTHERN SECTION (Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)
BOYS SEMIFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #8 Orange Lutheran at #4 Placentia Valencia #6 JSerra at #2 Mater Dei
Note:Finals Feb. 28.
DIVISION 1 Santa Monica vs. Anaheim Canyon, 5:45 p.m. at El Modena Fontana at Sultana, 6 p.m.
DIVISION 2 Downey at Newport Harbor Citrus Hill at Bishop Amat
DIVISION 3 Los Alamitos vs. Godinez at Santa Ana Valley Stadium Calabasas at Channel Islands
DIVISION 4 Indian Springs at Granite Hills Irvine University at Oxnard Pacifica
DIVISION 5 Santa Ana Valley at San Marcos Camarillo at Esperanza, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 6 Bishop Montgomery vs. Animo Leadership, 2:45 p.m. at Edward Vincent Ontario Christian at Vista del Lago
DIVISION 7 Cerritos at Pasadena Poly Oakwood at Palmdale Academy Charter, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 8 Orange County Pacifica Christian at San Jacinto Leadership Rio Hondo Prep at Thacher, 3 p.m.
Note:Finals Feb. 27 or 28.
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #4 Oaks Christian at #1 Santa Margarita, 4 p.m. #3 Mater Dei at #2 Redondo Union
Note:Finals Feb. 28.
DIVISION 1 Westlake at Newport Harbor, 7 p.m. Eastvale Roosevelt at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
DIVISION 2 Ayala at San Marino Millikan at Bonita
DIVISION 3 Paloma Valley at Crescenta Valley, 3 p.m. Quartz Hill at Simi Valley
DIVISION 4 Arcadia at San Jacinto, 3 p.m. Immaculate Heart at Chino
DIVISION 5 Coachella Valley at Artesia Del Sol at Sultana, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 6 Ocean View at Palmdale Aerospace Grace at Segerstrom
DIVISION 7 Santa Monica Pacifica Christian vs. Savanna at Anaheim Cate at Azusa, 2 p.m.
DIVISION 8 Mountain View at Buckley, 1 p.m. Webb at Big Bear
The United States administration is intensifying its build-up of a vast array of military assets in the Middle East, as President Donald Trump says Iran has “10 to 15 days at most” to agree a deal over its nuclear programme and stock of ballistic missiles.
As well as the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, which is reportedly joining the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, key force multipliers such as E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft have been deployed.
Recommended Stories
list of 1 itemend of list
In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Iran said that while the country does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war”, any US aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately”.
“The United States would bear full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences,” it said.
Here is what we know about the recent US deployment of military assets in the Middle East – which has also led to a dispute with the United Kingdom over the use of its joint military base in Diego Garcia.
What air power assets has the US deployed to the Middle East?
According to open-source intelligence analysts and military flight-tracking data, the US appears to have deployed more than 120 aircraft to the region within the past few days – the largest surge in US airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq war.
The reported deployments include E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, F-35 stealth strike fighters and F-22 air superiority jets, alongside F-15s and F-16s. Flight-tracking data shows many departing bases in the US and Europe, supported by cargo aircraft and aerial refuelling tankers, a sign of sustained operational planning rather than routine rotations.
“Watch any movement by B-2s. That would indicate a possible replay of ‘Midnight Hammer’,” Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told Al Jazeera.
This latest wave was preceded several weeks ago by the arrival of Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles. US Central Command said on social media at the time that the fighter jet “enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability”.
What role could Diego Garcia and the UK play?
Attention has also focused on Diego Garcia, the joint UK-US military base in the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Islands, which is capable of hosting long-range US strategic bombers, including B-2 aircraft.
The remote base has historically served as a launch point for major US air campaigns in the region.
However, Diego Garcia is a British sovereign territory leased to Washington, meaning London must approve its use for offensive operations. According to reports in UK media, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated to Trump that the US cannot use British airbases – including Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in the UK, which is home to the US’s heavy bomber fleet in Europe – for strikes on Iran, as this would be in breach of international law.
Trump retaliated by withdrawing US support for the UK’s decision to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, announced last year.
On Wednesday, the US president said Starmer was “making a big mistake” in the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the archipelago.
“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, saying the base could be called upon in any future military operation to counter a potential attack from Iran.
This image released by the US Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia [File: US Navy/AP]
What do we know about US warships in the Arabian Sea?
The USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is currently being redeployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
The carrier and its accompanying strike group are expected to arrive in the region in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, it briefly transmitted its location off the coast of Morocco, suggesting it is transiting the Atlantic towards the Strait of Gibraltar and will then go into the Mediterranean.
This is the same vessel that previously supported US military operations in Venezuela, including missions conducted under Operation Southern Spear.
The USS Gerald R Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which recent satellite imagery shows is operating in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman, positioning US naval power within striking distance of Iran.
The US Navy also has multiple guided-missile destroyers in the region equipped with advanced air defence and ballistic missile interception systems. These multi-role vessels can carry and launch Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking land targets deep inside Iran, alongside their anti-submarine and fleet defence missions.
(Al Jazeera)
How is Iran responding?
Iran has publicly warned that it will view any military strike by the US as a serious provocation.
Tehran has also moved ahead with its own planned military activities. It announced and began joint naval exercises with Russia in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean on Thursday. These are intended to enhance maritime cooperation and signal deterrence amid rising US pressure.
As part of these manoeuvres, Iranian authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for rocket launches over southern Iran on Thursday from 03:30 to 13:30 GMT and temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital shipping route, during live-fire drills.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also warned that a US strike on Iran would have serious repercussions, underscoring the risk of escalation if hostilities spread.
Satellite images published by the Reuters news agency on Thursday showed that Iran has recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, experts say, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024.
Images also show that Iran has buried tunnel entrances at a nuclear site bombed by the US during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last year, fortified tunnel entrances near another, and has repaired missile bases struck in the conflict.
A combination picture of satellite images show the Parchin military complex before the Israeli strikes of October, 2024, in Parchin, Iran, in this handout image dated October 20, 2024 (left), and concrete over the site at the Parchin military complex, in Parchin, Iran in this handout image dated January, 24, 2026 [Reuters]
Analytical reports also suggest that Iran has built a multilayered defence centred on mines, missiles, submarines and drones with the intent of slowing down the US forces.
Some analysts say Iran may seek to avoid an immediate full-scale confrontation, but this may be difficult.
“The Iranians have, over the past six months, quietly taken additional steps to move critical assets further underground,” Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said during a roundtable discussion hosted by the CSIS Middle East Program this week
“They are going to be unpredictable,” he said. “But I think they could go big at the beginning, or they might want to drag the United States into a protracted situation.
“You hit a tanker, or you hit an oil facility, or you hit an American ship, and then it’s up to President Trump to decide whether to escalate further. And it can go beyond that.
“We are in a scenario where this might get out of control very quickly,” Nasr added.
Is the US likely to attack Iran?
According to experts, it is a very real possibility.
“The United States is doing all the things that it would do if it were going to conduct some sort of attack,” Cancian told Al Jazeera. “It has moved aircraft into the area, two aircraft carriers, plus enablers like AWACS.”
Barbara Slavi, distinguished fellow at Stimson Center, agreed with this assessment. “It seems that the Trump administration has decided that it is going to attack Iran again, and I presume in conjunction with the Israelis,” she said.
“What the objectives are, we have yet to see. Can it be contained? Will others be drawn in? These are all really important questions, and we don’t have answers.”
Is this a similar situation to what we saw earlier this year in Venezuela?
A build-up of US military assets in the Caribbean, close to Venezuela, which began in September 2025, led to multiple strikes on Venezuelan boats that the US claimed – without proof – were carrying drugs. It culminated in the dramatic January 3 raid on Caracas by US forces and the abduction of then-President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces trial on guns and drugs charges in New York.
“The build-up [in the Arabian Sea] has similarities, but one key difference is the strategic context,” Cancian said.
“Unlike the Venezuela raid, there hasn’t been a large deployment of Special Operations Forces, and Iran’s geography, far inland and heavily defended, makes a quick ground raid unlikely.
“If there are strikes, I would expect long-range missile attacks against security forces such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Strikes against nuclear facilities are also possible, but missiles like Tomahawk can only damage above-ground facilities,” he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly planning to travel to Israel on February 28 to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a State Department official said.
Last summer, the US carried out air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities even as senior American diplomats were scheduled to meet with their Iranian counterparts in ongoing talks.
