Month: February 2026

Sexton was speaking before Ireland’s match against England on Saturday amid ongoing uncertainty over the long-term incumbent of the number 10 jersey he wore with distinction before retiring in 2023.

Sam Prendergast has started both Six Nations games this year, but it remains to be seen if head coach Andy Farrell sticks with the 23-year-old Leinster player or gives Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley or Harry Byrne the chance to impress against England.

“It’s important that not only those two but Frawley and Harry Byrne, as well, that they keep developing and getting game-time,” added Sexton, who won 118 Ireland caps.

“So there are four guys and all the criticism from previous World Cup cycles is that we didn’t develop guys, and we have relied too heavily on one [player] in some positions.

“So we’re doing it a different way now and whether that’s right or wrong, everyone judges it by the outcome but I know that in games to come, they’re going to hit their best form and they’ll be in a good place.”

Sexton added: “All four are very good, they’ve all got their different strengths and as coaches I think we are trying to make sure that we have lots of options going to a World Cup, try and learn from previous cycles and make sure that we give them all a certain number of caps.

“We need to make sure that we see their form in different pressurised situations, in different venues against different opposition and yeah, I’m sure it will be like that for the foreseeable.”

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the first leg of football’s Champions League playoff in Lisbon.

George Munsey – so often the man to provide impetus at the top of the order for Scotland – struggled to find the middle of the bat as he made 27 from 29 balls.

In contrast, Jones looked in magnificent touch as he found gaps in the off-side field and struck powerfully down the ground.

However, when Jones and Brandon McMullen (25) both fell in one Sompal Kami over, momentum evaporated.

Berrington (10) was the only other batter to reach double figures for Scotland as Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross and Leask all fell in quick succession.

Nepal’s bowlers used pace-off variations to great effect in the death overs with Kami (3-25) particularly impressive.

Mark Watt struck the final ball of the innings for six to boost Scottish hopes, but under lights on a good pitch it felt as though they were at least 10 runs short.

In reply, Nepal reached 56 without loss after a powerplay in which both openers were the beneficiaries of good fortune.

Brad Currie put down Kushal Bhurtel with a tough chance off his own bowling before Brad Wheal hit the stumps without dislodging the bails.

Wicketkeeper Cross also failed to cling on when Aasif Sheikh gloved one from Currie down the leg side.

Bhurtel (43) and Sheikh (33) were both dismissed by the ever-competitive Leask as Scotland fought back, and when the off-spinner also removed captain Rohit Paudel, Nepal were behind the eight ball.

That wicket brought Gulshan Jha to the middle with Airee in the 14th over and three sixes in consecutive balls off Olly Davidson and then Leask provided another twist.

Airee’s fast hands and faster running was the bedrock of the chase, as he rotated strike expertly and found the boundary when required to leave five required from six deliveries.

Having failed to take 10 from the final over in the defeat by England, Jha swiped Wheal for four through mid-wicket to seal a famous win for the team known as the Cardiac Kids.

THIS NOUGHTIES indie band looks unrecognisable after undergoing a bleach blonde hair transformation.

The rockers released a new promo photo for their upcoming gigs later this year.

The lads looked very different as they showcased their new look.

The trio posed for a photo all suited and booted and looking serious.

But have you worked out who it is yet?

Well it’s none other than British punk rock band The Ordinary Boys.

READ MORE ON NOUGHTIES STARS

called off

Noughties rock band forced to cancel UK tour just days before it starts

OPENING UP

Noughties pop star opens up about ‘damaging experience’ in band

The band consists of Samuel Preston ‘aka Preston’, along with Charles “Chuck” Stanley, James Gregory and Matthew Powers.

The band is set to return to live music next month after a decade’s hiatus to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

They will be performing a number of intimate gigs in Worthing, Bristol, Darwen and Portsmouth.

But first they will be kicking things off with a special show in London at the Strongroom Bar – and fans can get tickets for as little as £20.

The group will also be making an appearance this summer at Chester’s Together Again Festival at Bolesworth Castle.

In a bid to reinvent themselves ahead of the shows, the singers were seen sporting their striking hairdo for a new poster.

The Ordinary Boys are best known for their 2006 UK Top 10 hits Boys Will Be Boys.

Their collaboration with Lady Sovereign titled Nine2Five was also a hit.

They also released a number of other tracks during the mid-2000s including I Luv U, Lonely at the Top, and Talk Talk Talk.

Preston is arguably the most well known member of the group thanks to his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.

The singer went on to marry fellow housemate Chantelle Houghton after meeting on the show, but split just a year later.

Preston’s ex Chantelle told The Sun last year: “I think everyone loves a romance love story don’t they.

“I think a house romance would definitely make it easier for you, because you’ve got that person haven’t you.

“Whereas if you have no real friendship or connection, you’re sort of there on your own and it’s quite lonely and there’s a lot of mind games.

TUI, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways rules on flying with pets including the airlines that do allow you to bring animals into the cabin

Every pet owner has found themselves missing their cuddly companion when away from home. If you’re particularly close to your dog or cat, you might even be wondering whether it’s possible to take them with you. Policies vary from airline to airline, as does the cost. It’s also worth checking the requirements for bringing pets to your destination, as well as returning to the UK with your pet, as you’ll need to follow a number of steps to get them through customs.

Here’s what some popular airlines say about travelling with animals.

TUI

Pets aren’t allowed in the cabin of TUI’s aircraft, although registered assistance dogs can travel with their owners for free. Any other animals need to travel in the hold, and TUI say pets will usually go on the same flight as their owners. Its website reassures owners that: “The hold is pressurised and at the same temperature as the passenger cabin.”

Pets need to be kept in a travel box with a water bowl, and cannot be medically sedated, although herbal calming products cam be used. Owners will need to call or email TUI beforehand to check whether their pet can be accommodated, as some routes have restrictions, and to arrange for their pet’s travel in advance.

EasyJet

EasyJet’s policy is clear: “Animals are not allowed on our flights, apart from recognised registered guide and assistance dogs.” Animals can not be carried in the cabin or hold.

Passengers travelling with assistance dogs will need to contact the special assistance team in advance, at least 48 hours before the flight, and will need to provide documents that the pet is a trained assistance dog. The dog will also need an animal health certificate, or pet passport if accepted, and the necessary vaccination certificates depending on the destination.

Ryanair

Ryanair also say: “We do not carry animals on board any Ryanair flights, except guide/assistance dogs on certain routes.” Assistance dogs need to be registered with an organisation such as Assistance Dogs International (ADI), Assistance Dogs UK, or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF).

Ryanair added: “Emotional support or therapy dogs that are not recognized as assistance dogs by the above organizations are not permitted to travel with Ryanair.” It also has a list of requirements for assistance dogs on its website.

Jet2

Jet2 does not allow pets in the cabin or hold, and assistance dogs are the only animals allowed onboard. Assistance dogs travel with their owner for free, and Jet2 advise that passengers should contact their Assisted Travel Team before travelling so arrangements can be made.

It advises: “Please note an additional seat may be required to ensure there is enough floor space for the assistance dog to lie down, and if this is the case, an additional charge may be applicable depending on the size of the assistance dog.” Jet2 also warned: “If the assistance needs (including carriage of assistance dogs) of customers on the same flight create conflicting health issues, we reserve the right to decide how the conflict shall be resolved at our absolute discretion.”

British Airways (BA)

BA advise that all pets must be carried in the hold on flights to and from the UK. It has partnered with cargo services that specialise in the transport of pets, details of which can be found on its travelling with pets page.

BA warn: “British Airways is unable to accept emotional support dogs for travel in the cabin on any British Airways operated flights. Your emotional support dog can travel as a pet.” However, it also makes an exception for assistance dogs, which can travel free of charge in the cabin. Assistance dogs will need to be registered and trained with a suitable organisation, and the dog will need to be registered ahead of the flight’s departure.

Air France

Air France is one of the few European airlines to allow pets in the cabin, but there are restrictions. It only allows cats or dogs up to 8kg in weight, and up to 75kg in total with its carrier. Pets over this size must go into the hold.

Owners will need to contact Air France before they travel and check the strict list of requirements. Certain breeds with snub-noses will need to be cleared by a vet to fly. This includes pugs, bulldogs, and Persian cats. Pets can’t travel in the cabin on intercontinental flights and aren’t allowed in business class.

Vueling

Spanish airline Vueling also allow some pets onboard including dogs, cats, birds, and turtles, although they must be kept inside a carrier at all times when in the cabin. It does not allow pets in the hold.

The maximum weight for pets travelling on Vueling is 10kg including the carrier, and it’ll need to go under the seat in front of you. Pet owners will need to check the requirements for their destination country and should contact the airline to book their pet’s space.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

The information cycle in Venezuela following Maduro’s capture by the US on January 3rd has moved at a stunning pace. In just weeks, the discussion of an amnesty law, the release of political prisoners, including high-profile figures such as Juan Pablo Guanipa, or the closure of El Helicoide have generated a steady stream of headlines that suggest plenty of movement.

Yet in Venezuela’s political history, first glances rarely tell the full story. A closer look reveals the traps embedded within those headlines: “liberations” that are in fact conditional releases, an amnesty bill that excludes many political prisoners and leaves key demands unmet, and the looming threat of new detentions, materialized in Guanipa’s re-arrest less than twelve hours after his release.

These gestures are not improvised. Since January 3rd, the leadership now headed by Delcy Rodríguez has invested heavily in projecting moderation and pragmatism abroad, positioning itself as the most viable partner for stability.

In that effort, the regime has often benefited, sometimes unintentionally, from the structure of international reporting itself. Part of this dynamic stems from the regime’s tight control over access, including restrictions on foreign correspondents and selective granting of exclusive interviews to chosen outlets. But it is also structural. In a polarized and fast-paced media environment, initial announcements often receive more attention than their aftermath, making it harder to trace how events unfold within the broader structure of power.

The regime understands this dynamic, and operates within it.

Confuse and conquer

What connects these episodes is not coincidence, but method. The regime frequently generates overlapping announcements, partial concessions, and selective gestures that make it difficult to follow the full sequence of events.

Over time, the regime’s leadership has learned that generating visible actions works. These actions do not need to be structural or transformative, they simply need to be striking enough to become discrete headline events. Once reported, the action itself becomes the story, while the broader context and sequencing often fade from view.

This dynamic is particularly visible in the management of the opposition. The regime has fostered divisions through multiple mechanisms, weakening cohesive action while presenting itself as conciliatory. The current National Assembly, for instance, includes figures labeled as opposition lawmakers despite significant opacity surrounding the electoral processes that brought them there, allowing the regime to project pluralism.

Shortened contextual memory, where events are reported but patterns are not continuously revisited, ultimately works to the regime’s advantage.

Similarly, dialogue initiatives involving individuals described as “moderate” opposition leaders are framed as evidence of a political opening, even when those actors lack a clear or broad mandate. In contrast, María Corina Machado and others who decline to participate are often portrayed as “radical”, not necessarily because of ideological extremism, but because they refuse to legitimize mechanisms that function primarily to buy time and reinforce the regime’s image.

The amnesty bill seems to show the same dynamic: it not only leaves many political prisoners out, but also risks fracturing victims’ groups by rewarding accommodation and penalizing refusal. However, once the “amnesty” headline circulates, the broader exclusions become secondary, and from the regime’s perspective, the immediate narrative gain may already be sufficient.

This tactic operates within a broader structural reality. Venezuela is politically complex and has been in crisis for decades. For international media outlets managing multiple global crises, sustained contextualization is difficult. Shortened contextual memory, where events are reported but patterns are not continuously revisited, ultimately works to the regime’s advantage.

Bias and competing agendas

International coverage has long interpreted Venezuela through familiar frameworks—authoritarianism, sanctions, polarization—rather than through the specific institutional degradation that defines the regime. This does not imply sympathy for the government. It simply flattens the crisis. When Venezuela is treated as another authoritarian state negotiating political transitions, the depth of institutional collapse and the entanglement of state power with coercive and illicit structures often receive less attention.

After January 3rd, this dynamic became more visible. Coverage focused heavily on the legality and geopolitical implications of Maduro’s capture, with comparatively less emphasis on the regime’s documented record of abuses. In a strongly polarized media climate, scrutiny of US actions often eclipsed scrutiny of the regime itself. That asymmetry contributed to a subtle relativization of the regime’s trajectory.

Separately, competing priorities within Washington shaped the policy debate and media coverage around Venezuela. Some actors emphasized engagement and economic opportunity, particularly regarding oil, presenting gestures such as prisoner releases as signs of rapid progress. President Trump echoed that framing, stating that political prisoners were being released at a rapid rate, at a time when Foro Penal had documented roughly 250 releases out of more than 800 detainees, most under restrictive conditions.

Differences in tone do not necessarily create media bias, but contribute to a fragmented narrative environment in which signals of progress and signals of caution circulate simultaneously.

Others adopted a more cautious position. During his deposition before the Senate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Delcy Rodríguez’s leadership would be judged not on rhetoric but on actions, stressing that pace, conditions, and follow-through mattered.

These differences in tone do not necessarily create media bias, but contribute to a fragmented narrative environment in which signals of progress and signals of caution circulate simultaneously. That fragmentation has at times extended to portrayals of opposition figures themselves. Reports citing unnamed US officials have described frustrations with María Corina Machado’s positioning, implicitly framing her stance as complicating broader strategy. When unnamed officials are cited to express frustrations, rather than to disclose substantive policy shifts, the line between reporting and narrative shaping becomes blurred.

Judging by actions, and what follows

Rubio’s standard to judge by actions is reasonable. But in Venezuela, actions cannot be read in isolation. A release, a meeting, or a legislative proposal may be factual. Yet without context, timing, sequencing, and what unfolds around them, tactical adjustments can resemble structural change.

The case of Juan Pablo Guanipa makes this tension visible. His release contributed to the narrative of progress. The quick re-detention that came hours later disrupted it. The regime does not want mass mobilization in the streets, yet it also needs to project moderation abroad. When Guanipa mobilized, he forced the regime to choose between sustaining its international image and reasserting control at home, and it chose control.

Moments like this strip the strategy bare. There is no calibrated messaging capable of reconciling a re-arrest with claims of normalization. No sequencing trick can disguise it. While the regime can often manage headlines through partial gestures, episodes like Guanipa’s expose the underlying logic too clearly to blur.

That is also where the agency of Venezuelans becomes visible. When citizens and opposition figures test the boundaries of controlled concessions, they reveal whether those gestures signal transformation or merely delay. If the regime responds with repression, the narrative of change collapses. In that sense, the limits of the illusion are not determined only by media framing, but by how far Venezuelans are willing to push against it.

In Venezuela, actions do matter, but only when understood within their full context. Without that context, they risk becoming headlines that obscure more than they clarify.

Henry Pollock has been handed his first Test start as Steve Borthwick makes three changes to his starting XV for England’s must-win Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

Pollock, 21, is named at number eight alongside fellow British and Irish Lion Tom Curry, who has featured off the bench in the past six Tests, and Ben Earl in the back row.

Centre Ollie Lawrence returns after missing out on selection for Saturday’s crushing defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield.

Tommy Freeman, who started the first two rounds at outside centre, shifts back to the right wing.

England struggled in the air against Gregor Townsend’s side – an area of strength during a 12-game winning run that was ended on Saturday.

Tom Roebuck loses his spot on the right wing after struggling to assert himself aerially, but Henry Arundell, who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards – the second for taking a player out in the air – is given a chance to redeem himself on the left wing.

The 23-year-old has scored four tries in the opening two rounds and was cleared to play after being cited for the incident.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has been clear about his desire to use Freeman at outside centre, but the 24-year-old is arguably England’s best player at winning the ball in the air and those skills have been missed.

Fit-again Lawrence, who missed the opening game through a knee injury, was always likely to play a role in this Six Nations after a standout performance against New Zealand in the autumn, with his powerful ball carrying a point of difference.

England’s attack failed to click against Scotland and Lawrence’s strengths would have also been a factor in forcing the Freeman switch.

Captain Maro Itoje will earn his 100th cap, becoming the ninth England man to reach the milestone.

Half-backs Marcus Smith and Jack van Poortvliet both missed out on selection last week and are named on a 6-2 bench spilt.

Ireland, like England, have one win from their opening two games in the tournament, making the fixture a must-win for both sides to keep their championship hopes alive.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Oil prices climbed on Tuesday as Iran partially closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping path, to conduct military drills.

Fars, an Iranian news agency, cited “security precautions” as the reason for the closure, with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will fully open again.

About 13 million barrels of crude oil were transported through the strait each day in 2025, making up about 31% of oil shipments by sea. It is the main seaborne export route for Middle Eastern oil shipping to Asia.

Iranian naval forces began the drill “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” on Monday.

The drill involves deploying drones capable of striking aerial and maritime targets and is “focused on enhancing operational readiness, strengthening deterrence, and reinforcing multilayered defense,” Fars reported.

Tuesday is the first time that Tehran has closed any part of the Strait of Hormuz since President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran in response to the killings of protesters.

The United States has posted warships on the Indian Ocean as Trump attempts to negotiate with Iran to scale back its nuclear program.

The United States and Iran held a second round of negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday. Trump was not present for those negotiations but said he would participate “indirectly.”

A prequel to one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films of all time has just been added to Netflix and fans are already eating it up

A sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott that’s been praised by fans as a “masterpiece” is available to stream now in the UK. Prometheus (2012) is the fifth instalment in the iconic Alien franchise, and follows scientists who uncover startling clues that humanity may have been created by an ancient alien race, and journey to a remote world to investigate.

However, in their quest to solve the mystery they stumble upon a terrifying discovery that could spell the end of the human race. The psychological thriller boasts an all-star ensemble cast, including Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron.

The film acts as a prequel to the first film in the franchise, Alien (1979) which was also helmed by Scott, and generated a number of successful sequels directed by Hollywood titans including James Cameron and David Fincher, as well as a cross-over franchise, Alien vs. Predator.

Mere hours after its release on the platform and it has already reached the number two spot on Netflix’s top 10 films.

One fan, writing on Rotten Tomatoes, called Prometheus a “masterpiece”. “This movie expands the Alien world and lore,” they added.

“The acting is top notch. The sci-fi horror element is incredible. Very existential. Watch it with commentary,” reports the Express.

Another described simply as the “Best movie of all time”.

Not everyone was impressed by the prequel, with one writing whilst Prometheus “looks phenomenal” its “strong visuals cannot hide weak writing”.

“The dialogue feels stiff and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters.”

Another commented: “It’s frustrating how amazing this film could’ve been. Solid cast, beautifully shot, original story. Scott should’ve either made a film about our creators or an Alien prequel; instead the two elements get too muddled together and neither gets full service.”

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

However, others believed it matched the high benchmark established by the franchise’s stronger entries.

One remarked: “This was a perfectly cast movie. It gave excellent insight into the origins of the Alien lore. Excellently tied in with the existing movies. Not too many Aliens ripping people apart but plenty of action. Truly a great movie.”

Another rejected criticism of the picture, claiming it’s “gripping, thought provoking, visually stunning and entertaining from start to finish”.

A third branded it an “incredible and impactful film that deserves to be seen multiple times”.

Get Netflix free with Sky for Bridgerton Season 4

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

Sky

Get the deal here

‘Dearest gentle reader’, as the fourth season of Bridgerton follows second son Benedict love story, there’s a way to watch this fairytale-like season for less.

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. This lets customers watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes the new season of Bridgerton.

A fourth described it as “massively underrated in the Alienverse”, boasting a “strong script, amazing cast”, and visual effects that are “on point”.

The film carries a 15 certificate and features strong violence, gore, alongside threat and horror – so viewer discretion is recommended.

Prometheus arrived on Netflix in the UK on Monday (February 16). It’s also accessible to stream on Disney+, and available to rent or purchase on various platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Store.

I’ve never dined at local celebrity chef restaurants on my doorstep, including The Fat Duck and The Hand and Flowers, due to the expensive menu prices.

I live mere minutes away from some of the finest eateries in the region, arguably amongst Britain’s best. This encompasses Tom Kerridge’s The Hand and Flowers and Heston Blumenthal’s establishments, yet I’ve remarkably never visited any of them.

Whilst it’s enticing to have such celebrated venues practically on my doorstep, they’re renowned for being rather expensive and upmarket.

Countless diners will journey considerable distances to reach these establishments and boozers, whilst locals such as myself have never crossed their thresholds. The Fat Duck, situated in Bray, Berkshire, is a haute cuisine restaurant owned by Heston Blumenthal.

It boasts three Michelin stars, having maintained them for a 21st successive year as of February 2025, and remains acknowledged as a premier gastronomic destination under the chef.

Marking its 30th anniversary, The Journey menu provides the most comprehensive voyage into “Hestonland and the gastronomic delights that await”. It showcases creations including Bacon & Egg Cereal, Hot & Iced Tea, Beef Royal, Tonic of Botanics and Cheese & Grapes amongst others, reports the Express.

Diners can experience this menu for an eye-watering £350.

Despite residing in and around Bray throughout my existence, there aren’t numerous locals who could manage to eat at The Fat Duck.

The village also houses The Hinds Head, which possesses a Michelin star and belongs to Heston Blumenthal. It’s more reasonably priced, naturally, than The Fat Duck, though still approximately £30 for fish and chips.

A portion of chips alone costs £9, whilst some bay buttered carrots as an accompaniment runs to £7. Nevertheless, it boasts glowing testimonials on TripAdvisor, with one diner visiting earlier this month claiming the dish and chips “didn’t disappoint”.

Another said: “The whole experience was flawless, we have never eaten better food, they listened and remembered my wife’s birthday. If you go, make sure you order the bread and butter with beef dripping sauce. This was outstanding.”

Tom Kerridge also runs a fine dining establishment, a brief journey from Heston’s, The Hand and Flowers, situated in Marlow. It became the first boozer in Britain to receive two Michelin stars.

The chef additionally operates The Coach Marlow, which presents beautifully elevated British gastropub favourites.

The Hand and Flowers maintains two Michelin stars and the establishment sources the finest available produce from independent butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers.

Whilst it comes at a premium, the venue currently offers a midweek lunch promotion where diners can enjoy £25 for two courses, or £32.50 for three from a fixed lunch selection.

Its signature menu is priced at £85 for three courses, Monday to Friday exclusively, or its tasting menu costs a substantial £195 per head. Dishes on the tasting menu feature Cornish halibut, a 30-day-aged beef fillet, and a vanilla crème brûlée for afters.

The menu selections sound mouthwatering, but they come with a hefty price tag.

On Sundays, patrons can also experience the venue’s Sunday lunch offering for £195 per person. The establishment boasts excellent feedback, though one reviewer suggests it ought to be impressive given what it costs.

Another patron praised: “Great night, staff and service, warm atmosphere, the food was out of this world.”

A third customer noted: “It has a fine choice of drinks from well-presented cocktails, beer and fine wines.”

So, whilst all three upmarket venues enjoy glowing testimonials, there’s considerable availability, which might be attributed to the price point.

Brits are being urged to check their travel documents especially passports after it’s been revealed that over one million UK adults may not have valid documents when the summer holidays come around

Brits are being warned to check their passports after data revealed that over 1.4million UK adults could see their documents expire before the summer holidays.

The team at budget airline Wizz Air revealed that they studied data obtained from the HM Passport Office and found that over 1.4million documents are due to expire by the end of June 2026. For those who haven’t checked their passports, it could mean their holiday is over before it’s even started, with extra headaches along the way.

That’s because an invalid passport not only means you’ll be denied boarding at the airport, but your travel insurance is unlikely to cover any claims because you’ve travelled with an invalid document, therefore voiding your policy for that trip.

With the summer holidays just a few months away, Wizz Air is urging travellers to check their passport validity now before the peak season to avoid any potential last minute stress or cancelled trips.

READ MORE: 10 holiday destinations with hot and sunny weather in March you’ll want on your radar

For Brits heading to Europe, there’s a post-Brexit rule that continues to catch holidaymakers out. That’s because you need to check not one but two dates on your document. The first is the issue date; UK travellers must have passports issued less than 10 years before the date they enter a country. If you’re using an older passport, it may still be valid for your travel dates, but could push you past the 10-year rule.

However, you also need to check the expiry date. Passports need to be valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to return from EU countries, while some non-EU destinations require six months remaining. It’s crucial to check your passport’s validity based on your intended return date to the UK, not the date you’re due to fly out.

If you’re unsure about the entry requirements for a destination, one of the best resources for UK passport holders is the Foreign Office’s travel advice for that destination, as they will advise of any updates or changes that you need to be aware of.

READ MORE: Disney Wish cruise ship to sail from UK in 2027 – I’ve been onboard and it’s unrealREAD MORE: Your ultimate guide to all the best holiday destinations every month in 2026

Yvonne Moynihan, Managing Director at Wizz Air UK said: “Don’t let an expiring passport ruin your summer plans. Summer holidays should be about excitement, not last-minute stress. With peak booking season underway, now is the time to check if your passport is valid. A quick two-minute check today could save weeks of disruption later and ensure travellers can book with confidence and enjoy the full range of destinations across our network.”

If you do realise that your passport won’t be valid for the summer and want to book a holiday, then renewing your document is simple. You can either renew it online for £94.50, or through a paper application which costs £107. To renew your passport you’ll need both your old passport and any valid passports you have from a different country – send either a colour photocopy of every page (including blank ones) or the physical passport. You can also find out more on gov.uk/renew-adult-passport.

A word of caution – if you’ve already booked a trip and had to enter your passport details, make sure you update those on your booking if needed!

Have you had a holiday ruined because of a passport issue? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com.

ONE of the UK’s most famous streets is getting a massive glow-up.

Portobello Road Market in London, which is well-known for its thriving market with curiosity shops, attracts millions of visitors a year.

And now it will be undergoing a £4.4million makeover.

As part of the upgrade, there area will be getting wider pavements, new lights, better accessibility, more greenery and parking bays.

There will even be a new draining system to prevent flooding, which the area is prone to.

Portobello Road’s concrete anti-terror barriers will also be replaced with sliding bollards.

Read more on travel inspo

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

TAKING OFF

I’ve visited 50 countries & this much-loathed budget airline is the world’s best

Work is expected to begin in January 2027.

Portobello Road Market, found in the Notting Hill area, features a lot of antique shops, restaurants and independent boutiques.

And the market is one of the most famous and historic in the world, dating back over 160 years.

Visitors can explore hundreds of stalls, full of different curiosities, bric-a-brac, jewellery, antiques, clothing and more.

On Fridays and Saturdays – which tend to be the busiest days – the market stalls actually stretch over a mile long from start to finish.

And then on Sundays, there are less stalls, but still plenty to explore and the shops remain open as well.

One recent visitor said: “Lots of interesting stuff, the vintage market section was the best, but the main road itself was insane with people even early in the morning.

“Worth a visit at least once.”

Another added: “Portobello Road and its market is fun to experience.

“It is located in the charming residential neighborhood of Notting Hill.

“Interesting mix of touristy and local shops, eateries, and temporary booths/stalls. Highly recommended!”

A third said: “The market is full of life, colours, and unique finds.

“I especially enjoyed browsing the small stalls with handmade and vintage jewellery — I found some truly beautiful and one-of-a-kind pieces.

“A must-visit spot in London if you enjoy local art, antiques, and something different from the usual shops.”

Portobello has also featured in a number of films, perhaps most notably Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

And you can actually visit the bookshop that inspired the bookshop in the film.

Called the Notting Hill Bookshop in real life, the store features the same façade and interiors today that the original shop did which was used in Notting Hill as The Travel Book Co.

There is a lot to do in the surrounding area as well.

For example, you could head to the Museum of Brands to see how household products have changed their look over the years.

It costs £11.50 per person to visit.

Or perhaps wander to Kensington, where you can explore Kensington Palace and Gardens, which costs from £20.60 per person to visit.

In other travel news from London, the city’s most underrated attraction is the best place for families on a budget.

Plus, London’s best family attraction that ‘feels like it was created for kids’ to get a huge new nature playground.

WE’RE in half-term, and you might be regretting that you didn’t book a holiday.

Well, you’re in luck because there are some great destinations across the UK – with availability at hotels and holiday parks still – that actually look like they could be elsewhere.

Whether you are envying your friend in the Caribbean or wish you visited family in Italy, you could just head off to somewhere in the UK that looks similar…

Swap the Caribbean for Argyll and Bute

On the west coast of Scotland, you will find Argyll and Bute – a region with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters just like the Caribbean.

In fact, the region has a total of 28 inhabited islands.

One island you could visit is the Isle of Bute, which boasts a mild climate and some of the houses on the island even have palm trees.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

TAKING OFF

I’ve visited 50 countries & this much-loathed budget airline is the world’s best

The area is home to a number of castles as well, that can be explored.

Oban is often considered the ‘Gateway to the Isles’ and is well known for its seafood, making it the ideal place to stay in the region.

You can explore Oban Distillery or head to McCaig’s Tower, for example.

When it comes to choosing somewhere to stay, Oban has lots of options.

A great budget option is Premier Inn Oban hotel for a family of four from £94 a night this week.

Swap Italian lakes for Lake District

Instead of heading to Lake Como and exploring busy restaurants and villas hidden in the trees, head to Windermere in the Lake District.

Thouggh Lake Windermere doesn not compare in size to Lake Como, it is is the largest lake in England.

And around a mile from its edge, yu will find the town of Windermere.

The town makes the perfect base for exploring the vast lake and surrounding countryside, which are ideal for active families as there are lots of spots to go for a hike.

And if you want to experience a boat trip like one of the ones on Lake Como, you can do this on Lake Windermere as well.

For example, Windermere Lake Cruises offers daily cruises usually lasting around 45 minutes to two-and-a-half hours.

Right at the edge of the lake, you can stay at Fallbarrow Holiday Park.

A caravan for three nights from February 20 costs from £295 for up to six people, with two bedrooms and a sofa bed.

Swap Italy for Portmeirion

Portmeirion in Wales is known for being an Italianate-style village with sub-tropical gardens.

The village overlooks the Dwyryd Estuary and features pastel-coloured buildings.

When it comes to things to do in the village, head to the Gwyllt, which is a 70-acre subtropical woodland that surrounds the village.

Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse said: “With visitors likening it to ‘a slice of Italy on the British coast’, I had high hopes, but I wasn’t sure what my boys would make of it considering it’s quite far removed from our usual holiday haunt.

“I needn’t have worried though, as the Portmeirion magic seems to cast a spell over young and old.

“Made up of colourful houses and vibrant gardens set around a bay, the charming hotel-cum-holiday-park features two four-star hotels, one of which is set inside a castle, plus a motor-home park and several self-catering cottages.”

You’ll need to grab a day pass to visit, which during the winter costs £10 per adult and £5 per child.

While there is no availability for the Portmeirion Hotel left for this week, you can stay in one of the village rooms from £310 a night for four people.

The family suites have two bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchenette and a lounge.

And for the price, it also includes breakfast.

Swap the French Riviera for English Riviera

Dubbed the English Riviera, the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham in Devon are the perfect UK seaside getaway.

It got its name as the English Riviera when Victorians started visiting the area more frequently and compared its mild climate and pretty coastal views to the Mediterranean French Riviera.

And, if you head to Torquay – which is known as the Queen of the English Riviera – you will find lots of palm trees lining the promenade, just as if you were in the Med itself.

This region of Devon features 22 miles of coastline to explore, with lots of dramatic red cliffs (thanks to the iron in the soil), sandy beaches and hidden coves.

Across the three towns, you won’t be short of options when it comes to looking for somewhere to stay.

For example, you could stay at the new Hotel Indigo Torquay by IHG which overlooks the beach and sea.

The hotel still has availability for this week, with a king suite sea view with sofa bed for four people costing from £158 per night.

Through Parkdean Resorts you can stay for three nights from this Friday, costing from £119 for an apartment.

The apartments are in a range of areas including the picturesque towns of Totnes and Dartmouth and usually can sleep up to six people.

Swap Normandy for the Jurassic Coast

The Normandy coast in France is known for its dramatic, chalky cliffs often home to tonnes of fossils.

Instead of flying away this half term, head to the portion of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.

Just like the Vaches Noires cliffs in France, the Jurassic Coast features towering cliff faces, with sandy and pebbly beaches at the bottom ideal for exploring to find dinosaur fossils.

In total, the Jurassic Coast stretches over 95 miles, but in Dorset you will find the natural limestone arch of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, known for its shell-shaped curve that is a result of erosion.

Head to the town of Lyme Regis, which is a popular place to set off fossil hunting from.

Though, depending on what beach you visit, make sure to check that fossil hunting is okay, as some beaches do not allow you to chisel at the rocks.

Near to Lyme Regis, you could stay at Newlands Holiday Park in a poolside apartment from February 18 to 21 sleeping up to four people, costing around £375.

The apartment overlooks the pool with one double room and one twin room.

In other destination news, our 2026 Travel Hot List as we reveal our ten must-visit destinations of the year.

Plus, our top picks for ‘fun under £5’ across all £9.50 holiday destinations in the UK.

PHILADELPHIA — In the first one-on-one debate of the 1988 Democratic presidential campaign, front-runner Michael S. Dukakis and his sole remaining adversary, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, both contended Friday night that it was too soon to discuss whether Dukakis should ask Jackson to be his running mate.

But the fact that the subject came up several times during the hourlong televised encounter, in advance of Tuesday’s presidential primary here in the Keystone State, reflected the degree to which Gov. Dukakis’ victory in the contest is widely considered all but assured. At the same time, the questions about Jackson’s becoming the first black to run on the national ticket of a major party were a measure of the impact the civil rights leader has had on the Democratic campaign.

‘Are You Interested?’

For their own differing reasons–Jackson because he is unwilling to have his presidential candidacy written off and Dukakis because he is leery of overconfidence–both men sought to dismiss the idea. Nevertheless, Dukakis twice during the debate leaned over to Jackson when the subject of the vice presidency was raised and asked: “Are you interested?”

While his comments brought laughter, as they were intended to, they also will inevitably fan speculation about what is certain to become the preoccupation of the two candidates and other Democratic leaders until the Atlanta convention in July is concluded.

When he was asked if he would accept an offer from Dukakis, Jackson said: “It’s a bit premature to be giving out coronation roses for the governor and taps for me.”

Jackson asserted that he and Dukakis were really in a “neck-and-neck contest,” contending that he trailed the governor by only about 170,000 votes after weeks of campaigning and made plain that he was not prepared to call it quits.

Pride of Accomplishment

“We’re sitting here side by side,” Jackson said of himself and Dukakis at one point, signaling not only his pride at what he had accomplished but his determination to press on. “But we’re not equal because I’ve come from furthest back to get here.”

And when Dukakis was asked about his ability to run well in the South, as a Northeastern governor, Jackson interjected: “With Mike Dukakis on my ticket we will win the South.”

Dukakis, when asked if he would choose Jackson to be his running mate, said: “My job right now is to work hard to win this nomination, and it is by no means won.”

In their first encounter since last Tuesday’s New York primary effectively eliminated Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr. from the race and significantly fattened Dukakis’ lead in the race for delegates, both candidates aimed most of their shots past each other at the Reagan Administration and at the presumptive Republican standard-bearer, Vice President George Bush.

Thus when he was questioned about his plans to expand industry in Pennsylvania and other states that are in worse economic shape than his own Massachusetts, Dukakis criticized Reagan for threatening to veto the trade bill passed Thursday by the House because of its provision requiring a 60-day advance notice of plant shutdowns or layoffs.

Hits Reagan on Terrorism

And he also used a question on terrorism to condemn the Reagan Administration for trying to trade arms to Iran in the hope of gaining the release of U.S. hostages as “the worst possible thing we could have done.”

And Jackson attacked the Reagan Administration for its dealings with Panamanian strongman Manuel A. Noriega, whom he denounced as a drug dealer, and for what he charged was its general ineffectiveness in combatting drugs.

In one of the rare occasions that either of the two Democrats challenged each other, Jackson pressed Dukakis on whether the governor would apply his terrorist policy to South Africa after Dukakis said he would never negotiate with terrorists, even to save the lives of hostages and also said that if necessary he would order military strikes against terrorist base camps and support bases in other countries.

“If we are serious about international terrorism,” Dukakis said, the United States might have to launch such strikes. “I think a President who is serious about this,” Dukakis said, “can work with our allies and the international community to mount a very serious effort against terrorism.”

Questioned on South Africa

Jackson then contended that South Africa had committed aggression against several of the “front-line” African states on its borders and, declaring that such tactics amounted to “state terrorism,” asked Dukakis what his response would be.

Dukakis said he would be “very tough” on South Africa and would impose economic sanctions against that country but refused to say whether he would take military action.

Jackson also subtly needled Dukakis after the governor took credit for the prosperity in Massachusetts, which he referred to as “an economic miracle.”

Jackson noted that Dukakis and Massachusetts had the advantage of substantial federal investment and said that Democratic Gov. Robert P. Casey of Pennsylvania, who was in attendance at the debate sponsored by the state Democratic Party, “could have a boom too” under similar conditions.

Spurs currently have 11 players sidelined with injuries and Tudor says he will have to repair the confidence of those who are available to him.

“The situation is not easy because we have a lot of injured players,” said the Croat.

“First priority is to give everything the team need in these moments.

“The team need, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage.”

Frank was sacked last Wednesday following a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle, which extended Spurs’ winless run to eight matches.

Tudor’s first game in charge comes against rivals Arsenal at home on 22 February.

Despite Frank’s domestic struggles, he guided Spurs through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, which recommence in March.

Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which swept to a landslide victory in last week’s parliamentary elections, has been sworn in as the country’s first elected prime minister since deadly protests in 2024, which resulted in the ouster of the previous government and its prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

The political alliance led by Rahman’s party won 212 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh’s parliament, in Thursday’s elections, leaving its main competitor, the alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, with 77.

On Tuesday, Rahman took his oath of office, and newly elected MPs pledged loyalty to their country inside the oath room of the parliament building as they were sworn in by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

Foreign officials, among them Pakistan’s foreign minister and the speaker of India’s Parliament, were also present.

Here is what we know about the people who will be running Bangladesh’s new government:

Who are the new cabinet members?

Twenty-five full ministers in the new cabinet took their oaths during a separate ceremony in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. The 25 have been drawn overwhelmingly from the BNP and its close allies.

Among the state (junior) ministers appointed to Rahman’s government are Nurul Haque and Zonayed Saki, first-time parliamentarians, who were prominent voices during the 2024 protests.

While members of the cabinet have been announced, the ministries they will be responsible for have not yet been confirmed. Here’s a look at who some of them are.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

Alamgir, who has served as secretary-general of the BNP since 2016, was elected to his seat in parliament by the constituency of Thakurgaon-1, a district in northwestern Bangladesh.

Alamgir, 78, served as a member of parliament from 2001 to 2006 under the previous BNP government, led by Rahman’s late mother, Khaleda Zia, during which he was also state minister for agriculture and later for civil aviation and tourism.

After the end of that government’s term, a caretaker administration took over until elections in 2008, which Alamgir stood in but did not win. He remained a senior member of the BNP outside parliament.

In October 2023, Alamgir was detained by police the day after mass antigovernment protests swept through Dhaka when Hasina’s Awami League party was in power. The police said he had been detained for questioning in connection with the violence that erupted during those demonstrations.

When the BNP win was announced last week, Alamgir hailed the victory and called the BNP “a party of the people”.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury

Chowdhury was elected from the Chattogram-11 constituency, which covers the Bandar and Patenga areas of Chattogram city in southeastern Bangladesh.

From 2001 to 2004, Chowdhury served as minister of commerce under the previous BNP administration. He is a member of the BNP’s standing committee.

Before last week’s vote, Chowdhury said that if elected, the BNP would govern by investing in people, “in health, in education and upskilling” and by supporting “artisans, the weavers” and small industries with credit as well as helping them access international markets, including by helping them with their branding.

Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku

Tuku, 75, has been elected as a member of parliament for the Sirajganj-2 constituency in North Bengal.

Tuku is a member of the BNP Standing Committee, the party’s top policymaking body.

He is a veteran BNP figure who has been elected to parliament multiple times and has held important party roles. From 2001 to 2006, he served as the state minister for power. In 2006, he also briefly served as the state minister for agriculture.

In 2007, during the military-backed interim government, a special anticorruption court in Dhaka sentenced Tuku to nine years in prison in a case filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC accused Tuku of concealing information about assets worth 49.6 million takas (roughly $400,000).

The High Court upheld his conviction and jail sentence in 2023 after a lengthy appeal process. However, in September 2025, a year after the overthrow of the Awami League government, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court acquitted Tuku.

Khalilur Rahman

Khalilur Rahman is a technocratic minister, appointed for his expertise rather than as a party politician. He is not a member of parliament.

He served as national security adviser in the interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus, which took over to oversee a transition after Hasina’s ouster.

He also served as the government’s representative for the Rohingya issue during Yunus’s tenure. The refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in southern Bangladesh are sheltering more than one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled Myanmar in 2017 to escape a military crackdown.

Afroza Khanam Rita

The only woman cabinet minister, Rita is a first-time member of parliament but comes from a political family: Her late father was a four-times MP. Rita is also the chairwoman of the Monno Group of Industries, a conglomerate whose firms produce ceramic ware, textiles and agricultural machinery – primarily for export.

Asaduzzaman

Asaduzzaman, was elected from the Jhenaidah-1 (Shailkupa) constituency, which covers Shailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah district in southwestern Bangladesh.

Dipen Dewan

Dewan, 62, a Chakma Buddhist leader, is expected to be named minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs. Dewan won from the Rangamati constituency.

Chakma Buddhists are an ethnic group of Tibeto-Burman speaking people. They are indigenous to the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and parts of northeastern India.

Nitai Roy Chowdhury

Chowdhury, a Hindu leader, is widely expected to become the minister of cultural affairs.

Chowdhury, 77, has served as a senior adviser and strategist for the BNP’s top leaders.

How significant are these appointments?

During campaigning, the BNP pledged to meet the people’s demand for an elected government with real legitimacy. Therefore, ministers and cabinet members can expect a significant amount of scrutiny, experts said.

Khandakar Tahmid Rejwan, lecturer in global studies and governance at the Independent University, Bangladesh, told Al Jazeera: “The appointees in their respective fields will also face an invisible yet significant pressure to prove themselves more effective and distinctive than the previous administrations, both the interim government and, of course, the Awami League-led government under Sheikh Hasina.”

He added: “It will be particularly interesting to observe whether, after a youth-led mass uprising, the core of executive power is taken over by the old guard or by new faces that reflect diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and religion.”

While two prominent figures from the 2024 student uprisings have been named as state ministers – Nurul Haque and Zonayed Saki – Rejwan added that leaders of the student-led National Citizen Party, which was founded after the 2024 uprising, had made a “strategic mistake” by allying with Jamaat instead of the BNP.

“They had the option to form an alliance with the BNP, which they later abandoned in favour of Jamaat. Given these political dynamics, it is unlikely that any student leaders will receive cabinet positions.”

Who attended the ceremony to swear in the new cabinet?

Several foreign delegations were in Bangladesh to attend the ceremony.

They included Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

India was represented by Om Birla, the speaker of its lower house in Parliament. Pakistani Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal also attended.

Leaders and representatives from Nepal and the United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Brunei were among those who were invited to attend.

EXPLAINER

Here is how to wish someone during the holy month of Ramadan in different languages around the world.

Following the sighting of the crescent by the moon-sighting committee on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia has announced that the first day of fasting will be Wednesday, February 18.

There are nearly two billion Muslims globally, accounting for almost one-fourth of the world’s population. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, approximately 242 million, followed by Pakistan (230 million), India (210 million), Bangladesh (160 million), and Nigeria (120 million).

As the holy month begins, many Muslims have been preparing for a period of fasting, reflection, and community. Those observing the fast start their day with a predawn meal, suhoor, and break their fast at sunset with iftar.

Why is Ramadan holy?

Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity, and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca if physically and financially capable.

Ramadan sayings in different languages

The month begins with the sighting of the new moon, often accompanied by an outpouring of greetings to mark the occasion. Many Muslim-majority countries have their own traditional greetings in their native languages.

Among the most common sayings are “Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem”. These are Arabic sayings that translate to “blessed Ramadan” and “generous Ramadan”, respectively.

Greetings are not limited to the spoken language. They also extend to sign language and Braille. Some countries have their version of sign language, but placing one hand horizontally across the mouth is common among most to represent fasting.

Below is a collection of Ramadan greeting cards that you can download and share.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” asks German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans with a laugh during a recent video call from his home in Berlin.

As he lights his cigarette, he looks every bit the renegade artist he is known for being. At 57, Tillmans is in the midst of staging his 10th exhibition in Los Angeles since the mid-1990s at Regen Projects. He is one of the most celebrated photographers of his era, with a practice that collapses the distance between fine art and the pulse of street culture, spanning epic abstractions and the familiar textures of contemporary life.

At the same time, Tillmans has another life as a serious electronic musician, recording a series of experimental albums, including his most recent, 2021’s “Build From Here.” He is deeply connected to the music world, and photographed the cover for Frank Ocean’s acclaimed “Blonde,” making him a rare artist to be in major museums while genuinely engaged with popular music and the club scene — a bit of a rock star in his own right.

The official opening of his Regen show, “Keep Movin’,” attracted a line that wrapped around the building. Fans are drawn to his varied strands of work, which move instinctively between disparate approaches and subject matter, from famous faces to images sensitive to light and shape, in subjects as simple as the curve of paper folded softly over itself.

A security guard, right, stands near the work “Robin Fischer, Dirostahl, Remscheid 2024” in German-based photographer Wolfgang Tillmans’ current exhibition, “Keep Movin’,” at Regen Projects.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

During an early walk-through for a few dozen invited guests, Tillmans held forth on his personal cosmos, surveying pictures from the experimental to the deeply intimate. Portraits, politically charged tabletop collages and quiet photographs that capture the simple vibrance of daily life are strewn across Regen’s 20,000 square feet of gallery space.

“I see my work evolve more in evolutions, rather than in revolutions,” Tillmans said, gesturing to a conceptual wall-sized image created with a photocopier.

His Regen show, through March 1, also features short video works and the abstractions of camera-less images he considers “pure photography,” created in the darkroom by shining light directly onto photosensitive paper. There are pictures relating to human sexuality and images from nature. Each subject and approach is an ongoing concern left intentionally open-ended, and never contained within a single project, title or grouping. They are all inseparable in his own mind, free from categories or a finite series of pictures.

“I am aware that these art historical categories exist in my oeuvre, but I’m not seeking them out,” Tillmans explained after the walk-through. His practice is not about “working through one series or genre and then moving on to another.”

Installation view of Wolfgang Tillmans’ “Keep Movin’” at Regen Projects.

(Evan Bedford / Regen Projects)

On his trip to Los Angeles, Tillmans made a long-planned visit to the Mt. Wilson Observatory to satisfy his lifelong interest in astronomy. He used the giant telescope to capture the twinkling of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. This preoccupation resurfaces at Regen in a large-scale print of 2023’s “Flight Honolulu to Guam,” revealing a star field above the clouds.

Tillmans’ interest in stargazing goes back to his adolescence, and images of the moon and cosmos recur in his work. “It gave me a sense of not being lonely, seeing the infinite sky and universe,” he says. “I always felt it was a very grounding experience that all humans share. I always got something from this — besides the beauty and the formal marvel of it all — this sense of location and locating myself.”

His depiction of the heavens is just one of many threads and themes that run through his decades of work.

A piece of work personally hung by photographer Wolfgang Tillmans in his current exhibition, “Keep Movin’” at Regen Projects.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Early in his career, Tillmans began shooting for the British street style magazine i-D, creating portraits of the famous and unfamous, while also documenting club life and gay culture. In 1995, Taschen published his first book, which made a stir with portraits of soft, indirect illumination, emphasizing naturalness. By avoiding the dramatic lighting and exaggerated special effects often seen in pictures of youth culture, he landed on a distinctive visual style.

“I felt the heaviness of life and the joy of life,” Tillmans says. “I saw myself as a multifaceted complex being, not just as young. So I experimented with lighting and film — how can I photograph my contemporaries in a way that approximates the way that I see through my eyes? And that was stripping back anything effectful, almost taking away the camera.”

He continues to do assignment work for magazines, which he considers part of his artistic practice. Several recent portraits are at Regen, including a foundry worker in Tillmans’ hometown of Remscheid and another of actor Jodie Foster. The editorial work brings him into contact with people and places he might not otherwise meet.

In 2000 Tillmans became the first photographer and first non-British artist to win the prestigious Turner Award. Tate Britain staged his mid-career retrospective in 2003 and the Hammer Museum in Westwood mounted his first major U.S. retrospective that same year, which traveled to Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

Coming after major retrospectives at the Pompidou Centre in Paris last year and the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, in 2022, the Regen show dispenses with the retrospective frame while quietly performing a similar task — taking in the main currents of Tillmans’ work over the past two decades, and a few images dating to the late ‘80s. His relationship with the gallery began with his first Los Angeles exhibition.

Visitors walk through photographer Wolfgang Tillmans’ exhibition, “Keep Movin’,” at Regen Projects in Los Angeles.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

As ever, the images are displayed in a startling range of shapes and sizes: framed and unframed, huge wall-size prints hang alongside tiny, snapshot-scale pictures. One of the largest, “Panorama, left” (2006), spans nearly 20 feet and hangs only from bulldog clips. Smaller pictures are simply taped to the wall, but nothing is meant to indicate hierarchy.

“The biggest may not be the most important, and the smallest might be overlooked,” he explains. “It’s a little bit like projecting the way that I look at the world.”

In his first decade of exhibitions, he had no frames at all. “I taped those photographs to the wall, not as a gesture of disrespectful grunginess, but as a gesture of purity,” he adds. “That sense of immediacy — and not imbuing something with outside signifiers of value — lets the fragile piece of paper speak for itself.”

One of the current show’s larger conceptual pieces, “Memorial for the Victims of Organized Religion II,” fills a corner with 48 rectangular portrait-sized photographs, all of them solid black or dark blue. It’s a near-replica of a work shown at the Pompidou with the same solemn title, created to recognize those “physically maimed or mentally harmed” by doctrine and intolerance.

“I myself have a spiritual side,” says Tillmans, still grateful for positive experiences attending a Lutheran church in his youth. “But over the years I’ve become ever more distrustful of organized religions and seeing the role of religion in government. I find it incredibly immodest for humans to tell other humans what God wants.”

When he’s not exploring his spirituality and creativity visually, he focuses his energy on the music world. It’s a natural setting for Tillmans, who is increasingly active releasing his own electronic-based pop music. He’s occasionally worked as a DJ, and has been involved in acid house, techno and other electronic music. Despite his notoriety in the art world, he has no concern about hitting the charts.

“This is part of my work. I’m doing it the same way that I’m doing a photograph. I’m not doing a photograph to be peak popular in two months’ time,” Tillmans said. “It’s there and it’s still there in 24 years.”

A MAJOR airline has axed over a hundred flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick.

Qatar Airways has made big changes to its spring schedule and has cancelled 131 upcoming flights from its rota.

Qatar Airways flies from both London Heathrow and Gatwick with direct services to Qatar’s capital, Doha.

Between the months of April and June 2026, there had been 951 departures from the two London airports to Doha.

But according to the new schedule, it now has just 818 outbound flights, which is a reduction of 133 flights across the three months.

SimpleFlying found that on week starting May 1, 2026, Qatar Airways has planned for 59 weekly departures rather than 70.

GO SEA IT

£9.50 holiday spot with shipwrecks, seals offshore & horseshoe-shaped waterfalls

DREAMY DEALS

Our pick of the best long haul holidays for short haul prices

During that week at Gatwick, there will be 11 weekly departures, which is reduced from the previous double daily service at 22 flights.

That same route will continue to have 11 weekly flights throughout September.

At the same time in London Heathrow, Qatar Airways will provide 48 flights rather than 59 – a loss of 11 services.

SimplyFlying added that it’s “believed that it’ll hand slots back to British Airways”.

Qatar Airways and British Airways are part of the Oneworld alliance, meaning BA effectively serves Doha on the carrier’s behalf.

Currently, there are no changes planned to BA’s flight offering.

The route between London and the capital of Qatar takes on average six hours and 45 minutes.

Other changes Qatar Airways has made changes to its upcoming schedule. include suspending flights to Aleppo.

It will also reduce services to other destinations like Peshawar, San Francisco, Sialkot and Venice.

Qatar Airways also plans fewer London services from July to October – but this is a decrease of only two per cent.

Sun Travel has gone to Qatar Airways for comment.

For more on Qatar Airways, here’s what one Sun Travel writer made of the airline when she flew with them in business class.

The airline was even named the best for the ninth time in the Skytrax Awards last year.

Nithya Raman began her political career by defeating a well-funded incumbent with deep ties to the Democratic Party establishment.

Raman, an urban planner who was running to shake up the status quo, became the first person to oust a sitting councilmember in 17 years, stunning the Los Angeles political establishment with her defeat of David Ryu in 2020.

Now, with her surprise, last-minute entry into the mayor’s race, the 44-year-old Silver Lake resident is hoping to defeat another incumbent, Karen Bass, by expanding on the formula that led to her first upset victory.

“I was an outsider when I first ran, and I think I’ll be an outsider in this race,” Raman said after filing her candidate paperwork on Feb. 7, hours before the deadline.

But after six years at City Hall, Raman is no longer an outsider. She has her own record, which is in many ways intertwined with the mayor’s, particularly on homelessness, an issue the onetime allies have worked closely together to remedy.

As a City Council member, Raman, whose previous campaigns were backed by Democratic Socialists of America Los Angeles, has sometimes walked a political tightrope, exasperating her progressive base on issues like policing. Last week, she said that the LAPD must not shrink further — a substantial evolution from her “defund the police” declaration during her first run for council.

She has also frustrated some on the left by calling for changes to the city’s “mansion tax,” which she backed in 2022 but which she now says is getting in the way of much-needed development.

Raman shook up a mayoral race that was devoid of high-powered challengers after former L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner dropped out and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and billionaire developer Rick Caruso decided not to run.

“Nithya has shown that she can get votes. She’s going to be competitive,” said Bill Carrick, a longtime Democratic political consultant who worked on campaigns for former Mayors Eric Garcetti, James Hahn and Richard Riordan.

But her late entry will make it more difficult to get endorsements and raise money. With three months before ballots are mailed for the June 2 primary, she will have to work at double speed to build a campaign infrastructure and tap into bases that have helped her win before, from Hollywood supporters to DSA members and pro-housing advocates from the YIMBY — Yes in My Backyard — movement.

She has already missed DSA’s endorsement season. And last week, nine of her 14 City Council colleagues reiterated their endorsements of Bass, including another progressive council member, Hugo Soto-Martínez, who said he was “caught off-guard” by Raman’s “last-minute maneuver.”

Raman, who had also endorsed Bass, will have to combat hard feelings among some L.A. politicos who feel that her entry into the race is a betrayal of a mayor who helped her win reelection in 2024.

Raman has said that her decision to run was driven in part by her frustration with city leaders’ inability to get the basics right, such as fixing streetlights and paving streets.

Since launching her campaign, Raman has also joined a chorus of Angelenos criticizing Bass’ handling of the catastrophic Palisades fire, saying the city must be better prepared for major emergencies.

As the dust settles on her unexpected candidacy, political observers are assessing Raman’s prospects — both her strengths and the obstacles that stand between her and the mayor’s office.

Bass campaign spokesperson Douglas Herman declined to comment. A Raman campaign spokesperson, Jeff Millman, also declined to comment.

Ryu, who lost to Raman in 2020, said Bass should be “nervous” about her newest opponent.

To win, Ryu said, Raman must tap into the strengths that helped propel her to victory in the past, including her prowess with social media.

“She couldn’t speak in front of crowds at the beginning. She was super nervous,” Ryu said. “But oh my God, her social media team, the production value of her videos. It’s a science.”

Raman’s 2020 campaign will be hard to replicate. That year, the council race focused not just on local policy but also on national issues such as #MeToo and the police murder of George Floyd, Ryu said. Big-name politicians weighed in, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsing Raman and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Ryu.

The most important difference, Ryu said, is that Raman can no longer plausibly position herself as an outsider.

“Now there’s a record. It’s easy when you’re the activist fighting the system. But when you’re in there, you realize it’s a zero-sum game,” he said. “Do you want to trim trees and fix potholes or build housing? Sometimes that is the brutal reality.”

In the coming months, Raman will have to reach beyond her district, which stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda, introducing herself and her record to voters across the city. She began a media blitz in her first week as a candidate, doing interviews with NBC4, KNX News and The Times.

Her main goal should be to make it to the November runoff, said Mike Trujillo, a Democratic political consultant.

If no candidate among the roughly 40 running for mayor wins more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 primary, the top two finishers will move to the runoff.

A runoff would allow Raman a fresh start, with each candidate starting a new round of fundraising and pitching themselves to voters in a one-on-one contest.

“If it’s Nithya and Mayor Bass, they would both start at zero,” Trujillo said. “For a challenger, that is a godsend.”

That leaves political watchers doing the math of how the mayor and the councilmember could get to the runoff, and which candidates might block their way.

After Bass and Raman, the three biggest figures in the race are Spencer Pratt, Rae Huang and Adam Miller.

Pratt is a registered Republican whose house burned down in the Palisades fire. He has been sharply critical of the mayor’s handling of the fire and has gained traction with national Republicans, including allies of President Trump.

Of the more than 2 million registered voters in the city of Los Angeles, just under 15% were Republicans as of December 2025.

Mike Murphy, a Republican political consultant, thinks Pratt could get 19% to 21% of the vote, with a ceiling in the mid to high 20s.

“Not liking Karen does not make you a Republican,” Murphy said.

On the other side of the spectrum, community organizer Rae Huang has been running an unabashedly leftist campaign, calling for free buses and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Huang has not been endorsed by DSA’s Los Angeles chapter, but she is a member of the organization.

In 2022, leftist Gina Viola won nearly 7% of the vote in the primary.

Trujillo, the Democratic consultant, said the other wild card is Adam Miller, the tech entrepreneur who has waded into the fight against homelessness. Miller could spend a significant amount of his own fortune in the race — as Caruso did against Bass in 2022.

If Pratt and Huang combine to take 25% and Miller can take somewhere in the 20% range, then Raman and Bass would have to worry about not making the runoff.

“Suddenly, you have a three-way jump ball,” Trujillo said.

Despite having more name recognition than some of her opponents, Raman will need to raise significant funds in a short time.

“My hope is that money will flow,” said Dave Rand, a land use attorney active on housing issues who supports Raman.

Rand said that developers and people in the YIMBY movement will support Raman, who has been a strong advocate for building more housing in Los Angeles.

Mott Smith, a developer and Raman supporter, said he believes fellow developers who know Raman will “gladly” contribute to her campaign.

Smith said he is concerned about Angelenos associating Raman with DSA, which could turn off more moderate voters.

“She will win if Los Angeles gets to know the pragmatic, solutions-oriented Nithya, as opposed to the cartoon image that one paints when they hear she is the latest of the DSA candidates to run for office here,” he said.

England winger Bukayo Saka has signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal until 2031.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the agreement will make Saka the club’s best-paid player on wages in excess of £300,000 a week.

Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for nearly a year, with Saka verbally agreeing to commit his future to the club in January.

Saka signed his previous deal, which was due to expire in 2027, in 2023 but his renewal means the 24-year-old has committed his peak years to the Gunners.

The news comes as a major boost for the Gunners, as they battle on four fronts to win silverware for the first time since 2020.

The agreement is the latest example of Arsenal tying down their key players to long-term contracts as they look to keep their title-chasing squad together.

William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly all signed new long-term contracts in the summer.

Saka has scored seven goals in 33 appearances for the Gunners this term.

Mikel Arteta’s side are four points clear at the top of the Premier League and they will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final in March.

The Gunners are also through to the the knockout stages of the Champions League, as well as the fifth round of the FA Cup.