Month: April 2026

This article from Occasional Digest explores the historical significance of April 19th, a pivotal date marking the start of Venezuela’s journey toward sovereignty. The text details how the 1810 removal of Spanish leadership in Caracas established an autonomous local government following Napoleon’s invasion of Spain. While a formal Declaration of Independence was eventually signed in July 1811, this April holiday honors the initial revolutionary momentum that predated the final victory led by Simon Bolivar. By outlining the roles of key figures like Francisco de Miranda, the source illustrates why the nation effectively recognizes two distinct milestones in its liberation from European rule. Overa … 

The result was Wigan’s third successive Super League defeat and despite a promising showing with Sambou and Eckersley’s scores, it was Castleford who dominated much of the 80 minutes.

Wigan, without Harry Smith and Sam Walters through suspension as well as front rower Ethan Havard because of injury, were stunned when Castleford led early on following a flowing set, with Mapapalangi exchanging passes with Jason Qareqare before running in.

The hosts almost responded through Jai Field soon after but Mikaele Ravalawa showed incredible strength to wrestle him out of bounds before he could get the ball down.

Sambou’s sensational score was the pick of the first half, as he worked onto Eckersley’s offload, absorbed Qareqare’s tackle and outstretched his arm to ground the ball in mid-air before he went into touch.

Sambou and Eckersley linked up again shortly after, this time as Sambou beat Qareqare in an aerial battle. He tipped Jack Farrimond’s kick to the corner into the path of Eckersley, who touched down for his fourth try in as many meetings with the Tigers.

Castleford’s response after the break came via a clever pass from Tom Weaver as he sent Ashworth through to spin to the line under pressure from the hosts’ defence.

The visitors were not done there and Mapapalangi raced down the wing as Castleford kept up the pressure, eventually receiving the ball again and chasing his own kick to ground his second try of the afternoon.

Cas asserted themselves further when Lawler powered over the line and could have put the gloss on a thumping win when Weaver went in, but his score was chalked off for obstruction in the build-up.

April 17 (UPI) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office for failing to disclose that former ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson failed his security check.

Starmer called the official, Olly Robbins, on Thursday and informed him that he had lost confidence in him, as did Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Starmer said Friday that he was “absolutely furious.”

“I was not told that he failed security vetting,” Starmer said Friday in Paris. “No minister was told that he failed security vetting. Number 10 wasn’t told that he failed security vetting.”

Mandelson was named ambassador to the United States in December 2024 and assumed the role in February 2025.

He was fired in September after the U.S. House Oversight Committee released a batch of files from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein which included correspondence between Epstein and Mandelson.

The British government said Thursday that Starmer was unaware Mandelson had failed the security vetting process and the Foreign Office defied the recommendation of the Cabinet Office to allow him to assume the ambassador role.

Foreign Affairs select committee chairwoman Emily Thornberry has requested that Robbins speak before the committee on Tuesday about Mandelson. Robbins has been questioned by members of parliament about the Mandelson security clearance incident once before.

Thornberry said members of parliament have only been told “half the story.”

“Perhaps he can tell us — was it his own idea or was he being leant on elsewhere,” Thornberry said of Robbins not alerting of Mandelson’s vetting failure. “Or was he, being a civil servant, was he getting direction from elsewhere, and if so, by whom?”

General Atomics is calling attention to a new mission for its Mojave short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone: hunting uncrewed aerial threats with laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets. The company put a heavy focus on this planned capability in a larger vision for Mojave that rolled out today.

Mojave is also envisioned as launching its own kamikaze drones, escorting friendly helicopters, spotting targets for artillery, and even transporting small cargoes. With its short and rough field capabilities, the drone could also push these capabilities far forward, including to island outposts during a future conflict in the Pacific. This was all showcased in a new computer-generated video, seen below. General Atomics’ Aeronautical Systems, Inc. division (GA-ASI) showed the video first today at the Army Aviation Association of America’s (AAAA) 2026 Warfighting Summit, at which TWZ is in attendance.

Mojave STOL: Real. Rugged. Ready Today.

General Atomics is also now officially referring to the drone at the center of the video as Mojave STOL. The company has previously used the name Gray Eagle STOL to differentiate planned production models from the already flying Mojave demonstrator, which first broke cover in 2021. Mojave is derived from the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which itself leveraged the preceding MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper designs.

“General Atomics is all-in on providing the best STOL solution for the Army and U.S. allies worldwide,” General Atomics spokesperson C. Mark Brinkley told TWZ. “Everything you see is a capability we can do right now, things already demonstrated on a real, flying aircraft.”

The new video, set “somewhere in the Western Pacific,” focuses first on the rocket-armed drone hunter mission. A Mojave STOL is depicted using an EagleEye multi-mode radar, as well as its infrared sensor in the turret under its nose, to spot and track a pair of kamikaze drones clearly modeled on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136 pattern. EagleEye is another General Atomics product, which was first unveiled in 2022 and has a demonstrated air-to-air target acquisition capability. It also has surface search, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) modes.

The drone is then shown alerting a forward U.S. outpost to these approaching uncrewed aerial threats via satellite. Using a ruggedized laptop, an operator on the ground then orders the kamikaze drones to be destroyed. A Mojave carrying two 19-shot 70mm rocket pods, one under each wing, then swoops in and shoots them down. Afterward, it is also depicted being rearmed at a very rough-looking, unimproved jungle airstrip.

“We’ve shown APKWS [BAE Systems’ 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II laser-guided rocket] mounted to Mojave in a static display at some of the recent U.S. Army shows where Mojave STOL was present,” General Atomics’ Brinkley told us. “Integrating new weapons is a multi-part process. Fit tests, weight considerations, captive carry for airworthiness, software, [and] actual live-fire.”

“For Mojave STOL and other GA-ASI aircraft, we’re inside that process now with APKWS,” he added. “It’s flying and firing soon, [in] weeks not months.”

“APKWS has already been demonstrated on other aircraft against airborne targets, so we know the weapon itself works for this mission,” he also noted. “GA-ASI has successfully destroyed other airborne targets using various weapons, including AIM-9X and Hellfire, so we know we can track, target, and hit flying objects of various sizes and speeds.”

APKWS II has had a meteoric rise in popularity in the air-to-air role since the U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters first began using the rockets this way in combat against Houthi drones in 2024, which TWZ was first to report. APKWS II was originally designed as an air-to-surface weapon and then also adapted to the surface-to-air role against drones. The total number of U.S. military and foreign aircraft cleared to use a variant of the rocket specifically optimized for air-to-air use continues to grow. Other companies that make similar laser-guided rockets are also now adapting them for employment in the anti-air role.

As an anti-air weapon against slower-flying and less dynamic targets, APKWS II offers immense benefits over traditional air-to-air missiles when it comes to cost-per-engagement and magazine depth, as you can read more about here. Just carrying two 19-shot pods, Mojave has an impressive 38 engagement opportunities. The drone has six underwing pylons and could carry additional pods, as well as other stores.

After the drone-hunting vignette, General Atomics’ new Mojave video moves on to show one of the drones leading a group of AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters into apparent hostile territory. The drone fires an AeroVironment Switchblade 600 loitering munition to destroy an enemy mobile surface-to-air missile system to help clear the way. GA-ASI, in cooperation with AeroVironment, has previously demonstrated the ability of Switchblade 600 to be air-launched from the MQ-9 Reaper.

The video also shows Mojave being used to find and fix enemy forces, which are then engaged by friendly 155mm howitzers, as well as to carry cargo in underwing pods to forward locations. GA-ASI has previously showcased the potential value of Mojave in the latter role as part of a larger construct to provide logistics support during future expeditionary and distributed operations, even in actively contested environments.

The new video caps off with a Mojave firing on unseen targets with a pair of underwing Minigun pods. This is another capability General Atomics has previously demonstrated in real life. The drone can also carry other stores, including AGM-114 Hellfires and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), on the pylons under its wings.

General Atomics is pitching the overall vision presented here for Mojave heavily to the U.S. Army, though it has also been engaged with other potential customers. Testing in cooperation with authorities in the United Kingdom and South Korea has demonstrated how the drone’s short-field capabilities could also translate to naval operations from aircraft carriers and big deck amphibious assault ships. Last year, GA-ASI announced a partnership with Hanwha Aerospace in South Korea to produce what was still then being called Gray Eagle STOL in that country.

Mojave Aircraft Carrier Takeoff and Landing

“Mojave STOL provides the versatility that the U.S. Army and others need for the future, with the endurance and persistence they’ve come to rely on, underpinned by experience gleaned from almost 10 million total flight hours,” General Atomics’ Brinkley told us. “That’s why Hanwha jumped in as our partner on this, bringing international investment to further buy down risk.”

“The U.S. Army wants to be successful right out of the gate. No stumbling, no fumbling,” he added. “They’re already integrating tactical drones into the force and experimenting with how that will change the nature of American warfare. They’re bringing a new tiltrotor online. It’s a period of massive change for Army aviation.”

The tiltrotor in question is the MV-75A, now officially nicknamed the Cheyenne II, which Bell derived from its V-280 Valor design. You can read more about the Army’s current plans for this aircraft here.

The Army is now in the early stages of formulating plans to acquire uncrewed companions for the MV-75A and its existing fleets of crewed helicopters. However, the focus so far has been on vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable designs rather than a fixed-wing type like Mojave, as TWZ has explored previously. In general, greater independence from traditional runways has been a major area of focus across the U.S. military in recent years when it comes to planning for future aviation operations, especially in the context of a high-end fight in the Pacific against China.

“Our engineers are obsessed with developing the next-generation of uncrewed aircraft. More than a decade ago, they dug deep into VTOL and runway independence,” General Atomics’ Brinkley explained. “What they discovered was payload and endurance tradeoffs with VTOL create a lot of challenges when applied to real combat operations. It’s a tough hand to play.”

“Mojave STOL is flying right now. We have five million square feet of existing manufacturing, ready to go,” he added. “We can help the Army integrate a real, rugged, ready today Mojave STOL into the force with far less risk to success.”

Questions have also been raised in the past about the survivability and general utility of drones like Mojave, as well as predecessors like the MQ-1C and MQ-9, in future high-end operations. The latest conflict with Iran has underscored the vulnerability of the Reaper, in particular. Air-launched drones and stand-off munitions, as well as new self-protection capabilities, can help keep these drones further away from enemy defenses. TWZ has also previously highlighted how a drone like Mojave could be used to provide more localized force protection, including against uncrewed aerial threats, at forward outposts and rear areas in the context of a larger conflict.

It’s also worth noting here that while Mojave would not be as quick to respond to incoming drone threats as a tactical jet, it would be able to loiter in a particular area for a longer period of time. It could also provide strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support while on station. Being able to fly from unimproved forward airstrips would also allow it to operate organically with the forces it is assigned to support.

When it comes to the Army, it remains to be seen how that service’s visions for its future drone fleets and crewed-uncrewed teaming evolve. As mentioned, the Mojave STOL’s capabilities, including its ability to act as a rocket-armed drone hunter, could be attractive to other potential operators, who might fly the drones from bases on land or ships at sea.

In the meantime, General Atomics continues to expand on the Mojave concept, which now includes the planned integration of APKWS II laser-guided rockets.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

KATIE Price is in the process of trying to purchase an e-bike after being banned from driving for the seventh time.

The reality star, 47, took to her Instagram story to ask her followers for help finding one but with a specific request in mind – it has to be pink.

Talking to her camera in a black zip up jumper and large sunglasses, Katie shared a video of herself with just one word written over the top: “Help,” in pink text, followed by a red love heart emoji.

She said: “I wonder if anyone out there could help or you know anywhere I can go.

“So I want to get an e-bike but one that I can ride anywhere.

“And I want one in pink where you don’t have to have a road license or anything.

NOT FUNNY

Katie Price calls fo comic to be cancelled as mocks her disabled son Harvey

DADDY DEAREST

Katie Price’s son Harvey calls her new husband Lee Andrews ‘daddy’

“So if anyone knows anywhere or if you are a company that do e-bikes that I don’t need a license for to ride it on the road or anywhere, and in pink, please DM me.

“‘Cause I really really want one. Just so I can go like to the farm shop, go to the shop, just ride around and take the dog with me.

“And it’s summer coming up and it’s sunny so it would be nice to get myself out and do my cardio. Thank you.”

The plea comes just days after Katie broke her silence on being banned from driving again, saying she’s “livid” and vows to appeal the ban.

Katie was caught speeding at 80mph on the A64 near Strutton in North Yorkshire.

CCTV released by the police showed Katie behind the wheel during the incident on October 15, 2025, the same day she appeared on stage with celeb pal Kerry Katona for An Evening with Katie Price & Kerry Katona at Scarborough Spa.

As a result of the offence, Katie was subsequently prosecuted and convicted of failing to respond to police, landing her with a six-month driving ban and a legal bill topping £1,000.

Speaking on her podcast, The Katie Price Show, Katie shared she was furious and didn’t receive any contact from the police about her speeding.

She said: “I found out I was banned [from driving again] by the papers.

“I am actually livid about that because if I’d got the letters I would have replied to it.”

Katie added that she’s going to “go back and see if [she] can appeal it,” but in the meantime she’s trying to remain positive.

She then added: ”Yeah, or I just think it’s only six months where I live now, I can walk to the shop, the kids schools are ten minutes up the road.

“I get shopping delivered here anyway, because I’m always at home when I work at home.

“So it’s not like in the past where I’ve been stuck right in the middle of nowhere.”

“I’m positive about it and I’ll get my license back and it’ll be completely clear.

“But it’s [a question of] who will insure me after being banned seven times.”

Luke-ah?

With star guard Luka Doncic back on the Lakers sideline but still out indefinitely, Luke Kennard did his best impression of the NBA’s leading scorer Saturday, catapulting the Lakers to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

Kennard drained all five of his three-point attempts, including three in the fourth quarter. Threes while curling off screens or taking hand-offs from teammates are routine for the NBA’s leading three-point shooter. But Kennard may have surprised even himself when he drove against Houston’s Jabari Smith, U-turned, scampered back outside the three-point line and drained a three from the wing.

The Crypto.com Arena crowd that was buzzing from the opening tip to the final horn erupted. Kennard screamed.

“My word is speechless, to be honest,” center Deandre Ayton said of Kennard’s performance. “Seeing him five-for-five in a playoff game as a Laker. Yeah, it hits different.”

The Lakers sent Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick to Atlanta for Kennard in February. The midseason trade felt relatively marginal compared to league-wide blockbusters that shuffled James Harden, Darius Garland and Anthony Davis.

Kennard has now authored several headlining performances in the purple and gold. He drained a game-winning three-pointer against Orlando. He notched the first triple-double of his career.

Saturday’s season high eclipsed them all.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, celebrates with guard Luke Kennard after hit a three-pointer against the Rockets during Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“To do it especially at a place like this, playing for the Lakers on the biggest stage in basketball, it means a lot to me,” Kennard said, “and what I’ve done and just credit to the work I’ve put in and how I prepared leading up to this.”

Since Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) were injured on April 2, Kennard has had to adjust his role to include more ball handling. He typified the Lakers’ adaptability with 32 assists in the last five games of the regular season after averaging 1.7 assists per game since joining the team. But he lamented that he wasn’t shooting to his standard.

Compared to his league-best 47.8%, his 30.8% shooting from three during the past five games felt like a slump.

Each shot, whether a make or miss, still helped Kennard develop a rhythm entering the playoffs, he said. Now if he sees even a sliver of daylight, he’ll be ready to shoot. It’s exactly what the Lakers want to see.

“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting threes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, he played a fantastic basketball game.”

Kennard, who also had three assists and four rebounds, was nine for 13 from the field as the Lakers, who shot 60.6% as a team, shot 60% or better in a playoff game for the first time since the first round of the 2009 playoffs. Led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers won their first of back-to-back titles that year.

All five of the Lakers starters scored in double figures. LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds while helping keep two-time All-Star Alperen Sengun to 19 points on inefficient six-for-19 shooting. The Rockets, who were without Kevin Durant because of a minor knee injury, shot 37.6% from the floor.

“Everybody played a big role tonight and I feel that just speaks to what we’ve been the last few weeks with guys out,” Kennard said. “It’s going to take everybody. We know that. We got to continue to elevate each other and push each other and continue to be a team.”

Doncic reunited with the team Saturday after he spent the past two weeks in Europe getting specialized treatment on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Dressed in a crisp white button up shirt and khaki pants, Doncic sat next to Reaves on the bench. They rose to their feet every time Kennard set up for a three. They handed out high fives at every time out.

The injuries to Doncic and Reaves turned the Lakers into the perceived sitting duck of the competitive Western Conference playoffs. Critics felt the team couldn’t survive one playoff round with the 41-year-old James as its sole offensive catalyst.

A welcoming cheer from Lakers fans during starting lineups serves as a reminder that James still has backup.

“Luuuuuke!”

April 19 (UPI) — South Korea’s Defense Ministry said North Korea test launched multiple, short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, Sunday morning.

“Detailed specifications are currently under close analysis by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities,” officials in Seoul said in a statement, according to ABC News.

“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea’s military activities under a firm combined defense posture and maintains an overwhelming capability and readiness to respond to any provocation.”

The Japan Times said the Defense Ministry of Japan also confirmed the activity.

“North Korea’s series of actions, including the repeated launches of ballistic missiles and other weapons, threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region and the international community,” the ministry said in a statement.

Newsweek said Pyongyang has increased its ballistic missile testing and nuclear weapons development since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began nearly two months ago.

Sunday’s missile launches appear to have come from Sinpho, a coastal city in North Korea where submarines capable of launching such weapons are built.

After talks in Switzerland, the two sides also made progress on a protocol for ceasefire oversight.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and rival M23 rebels have agreed to ease aid deliveries and release prisoners, as mediators push to resolve a years-long conflict that has persisted despite multiple peace deals.

The two sides announced the measures in a joint statement shared by the US Department of State on Saturday, following five days of talks in Switzerland.

“The parties agreed to refrain from any action that would undermine the principled delivery of humanitarian assistance within the territories impacted by the conflict,” said the statement.

Both sides also pledged not to target civilians and to facilitate medical care for the wounded and sick as they noted progress on a protocol for humanitarian access and judicial protections.

They agreed to release prisoners within 10 days as part of efforts “to continue building confidence”.

In addition, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding for a ceasefire monitoring mechanism that will “begin conducting surveillance, monitoring, verification, and reporting on the implementation of the permanent ceasefire between the parties”.

Since 2021, the M23, backed by Rwanda, has seized territory in eastern DRC, a region ravaged by more than 30 years of conflict.

While the two sides signed a United States-brokered peace agreement in December, fighting has continued, most recently reaching the highland areas of South Kivu, according to media reports.

In a statement last week, Human Rights Watch accused the parties of blocking aid deliveries and stopping civilians from fleeing the South Kivu highlands.

“Civilians in South Kivu’s highlands are facing a dire humanitarian crisis and live in fear of abuses by all parties,” said Clementine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The latest round of talks, held in the Swiss Riviera town of Montreux, included representatives from Qatar, the US, Switzerland, the African Union (AU) Commission, and Togo serving as the AU mediator.

ITV’s The 1% Club host Lee Mack was left mortified after his joke confused a contestant during a Coronation Street question

ITV’s The 1% Club host Lee Mack kicked off the programme with a string of gags, but it soon caused confusion.

While the comedian is no stranger to cracking jokes, one quip proved poorly timed and left a player utterly baffled. The show’s format presents questions to contestants beginning with simpler ones, gradually ramping up in difficulty with each round.

Within the opening minutes, one of the more straightforward questions displayed on screen was a “spot the difference” featuring the Coronation Street set.

Two images were placed side by side, with one reading Rovers Return Pub while the other read Ravers Return Pub. As the 30-second countdown began, he reminded contestants they needed to identify the difference between the two pictures, before quipping: “One’s on the left and one’s on the right.”

Regrettably, one contestant took the remark at face value, convinced he might be dropping a hint and that it was a “trick question”, so she wrote that down.

Lee was utterly gobsmacked when he called out to her in the audience to find out what had gone wrong, only to discover his throwaway joke was the culprit.

The host confessed to feeling rather guilty as he noted: “In the history of the show, no one has taken the joke as the actual clue.” The contestant laughed it off good-naturedly, before Lee asked her, as he does with every player, what she would have spent her winnings on, to which she revealed it would be her house plants.

An embarrassed Lee then told her: “I’m glad you haven’t won. What a waste of money!” before laughing it off and pressing on with the remainder of the programme.

At the close of the show, contestants are given the choice to either pocket £10,000 or take a gamble on the 1% question, which would award them the full prize fund, standing at £94,000, reports the Express.

The 10% question eliminated eight of the nine contestants, leaving just one participant, Tessa, aged only 19, to be offered the opportunity to tackle her 1% question. In a surprising turn of events, she revealed to Lee that she was a hobby opera singer and even treated her fellow contestants to a brief glimpse of her vocal talents.

She ultimately opted to take the safe route and pocket £10,000 rather than risk it all for the £94,000. Had she chosen to proceed, her question would have been: “Using only two letters to fill in the blanks, what is the world below?” With P—E–I-N spelled out. Fortunately for her, she didn’t know the answer and walked away with the £10,000.

FLOWER power is all around me as I roll on the ground in a huge tulip field while my friend snaps away for social media.

You could be forgiven for thinking that I’m on a getaway in Holland with this rainbow of colours.

But this glorious spot that’s pretty in pink, white, purple, yellow and red is actually in West Sussex.

We’re visiting Tulleys Tulip Fest, near Crawley, which features 1.5million-plus bulbs in an eye-popping display.

Families stroll through the tulips with toddlers and couples walk dogs, soaking up the spring sunshine and gorgeous gardens.

There are prop bikes to pose on and a Ferris wheel for a view of the blooms from 33 metres up.

SEA IT

UK seaside town undergoing a £40m revamp is home to the country’s best pier 

CROWN GLORY

Pretty English town once the ‘capital of Cornwall’ where you might spot royals

Visitors aren’t afraid to lark around as they snap photos of the blooms again and again and I did my best to capture all of the 130-plus varieties on show.

Luckily my friend has brought her dog Penny, so we have another ‘model’ willing to go barking mad for pet-al pictures.

It’s easily one of the most wholesome days out I’ve had all year.

One of the best things about the fest is that it’s a family business.

The Beares have shown their love of tulips for more than four generations.

It’s all part of Tulleys’ wider collection of UK festivals, which also includes events in Hertfordshire and Warwickshire, all at full bloom until May.

I enhanced my experience by staying in a nearby hotel the night before the visit.

The five-star Alexander House & Utopia Spa in Turners Hill oozed luxury with delicious food and a giant bath in my room (there are plenty of spa treatments if you have time).

If you don’t have a car, a shuttle bus will get you from the village centre to the blooms in five minutes.

It’s easy to spend a good few hours at the festival and you can fuel up at the numerous food stalls, including one with delicious Dutch pancakes.

And if you want to add some colour to your home, there’s a flower-themed gift shop where I bagged some bulbs for my planter boxes.

Even better, I can return later this year for more fun at Tulleys’ pumpkin festival in October.

As I dusted off soil from my jeans and got ready to leave the floral feast, I caught a glimpse of a newly arrived visitor hitting the deck, twisting their body into a bizarre human pretzel just to get that perfect low-angle shot of a single red bloom.

I couldn’t help but grin.

This trip has reminded me that sometimes the best way to enjoy yourself is to tiptoe through the tulips, then roll around the flowers looking like an utter idiot.

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to clinch victory at the indoor clay-court tournament in Stuttgart.

World number two Rybakina came through a close first set against her Czech opponent and raced through the second to wrap up a 7-5 6-1 victory in one hour and 18 minutes.

It is the 26-year-old’s second title of 2026, following her Australian Open success in January.

It is also the second time she has won the event in Stuttgart, which has a Porsche car as part of the winner’s prize.

When she previously won the title in 2024, she was initially unable to drive that year’s prize as she did not have a driving licence at the time.

“I want to say a big thanks to my team, without you guys it wouldn’t be possible,” said Rybakina. “Thank you for always pushing me to do better and improve every day.”

Muchova’s run to the final followed her victory at February’s Qatar Open and will leave her just outside the top 10 in the world rankings.

April 17 (UPI) — Nearly one-third of the United States — the northern-most third of the country — could be among areas the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said could see the aurora borealis in the sky.

The northern lights are expected to be most visible, for the second night in a row, across 18 states that fall within the expected viewline this evening, USA Today and Space.com reported.

The solar winds hitting Earth at up to 430 miles per second will cause geomagnetic storms that could be visible as far south in the United States as Illinois and Oregon, according to predictions.

NOAA can most closely forecast the aurora borealis within 30 to 90 minutes of the storm’s location and intensity, but offers maps on its website to help people who would like to see it.

“Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise,” NOAA said in its forecast notes.

The northern lights are an indicator of geomagnetic conditions, NOAA said, and awareness of them matter for a number of essential human technologies, including HF radio communication, GPS satellite navigation and, sometimes, ground-induced currents that affect electric transmission.

The states that are most likely to see the aurora are Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

“For many people, the aurora is a beautiful nighttime phenomenon that is worth traveling to arctic regions just to observe,” NOAA said, noting the rarity that it could be visible as far south as it has been forecast.

“It is the only way for most people to actually experience space weather,” the agency said.

The 4,140-sq-km bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of the US. Before 2018, this species of whales wasn’t known to stop seasonally or consistently in the bay, bypassing it on their migration route down to Baja California and back up the Arctic, said Josephine Slaathaug, who led a recent study on gray whale mortality in the bay.

The KISS Breakfast radio hosts appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch this weekend

Tyler West and Chloe Burrows made an unexpected admission on Sunday Brunch.

Lorraine presenter Tyler, 30, and Love Island legend Chloe, 30, landed radio host roles on Kiss FM earlier this year, with the pair taking over the Breakfast show from Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely.

Tyler and Chloe made an appearance on the latest episode of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch (April 19), where they spoke to hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer about their radio show.

The pair excitedly spoke about meeting a variety of A-list stars through their new show, including Halle Berry, Margot Robbie and Chris Hemsworth. Chloe said: “They were so lovely. Everyone’s been really nice.”

Tim then asked: “Who are the rotten ones?” with Tyler issuing a very candid reply.

“Do you know what I’m going to say, I’m not going to say rotten ones. We had a really awkward one, I’m just going to say it, with Ryan Gosling,” he shared.

Chloe added: “Oh god, it was awful! I think he was really jet lagged and we were his first interview of the day, and we are kind of like a massive ball of energy. We’re like punchline, punchline, punchline, and he looked slightly bewildered.”

Tyler said: “He looked so confused. It literally got to the point where we had three minutes left of the interview and [we were] like, ‘Anything you want to chat about?'”

Chloe continued: “He looked for help,” before adding: “He asked us at one point if we’d actually seen the film, so that was good. And we had.”

Tim then noted: “I reckon if you interviewed him tomorrow, he’d be a lovely bloke, do you know what I mean? That’s how it is.”

Following the announcement of his role at KISS, Tyler previously said in a statement: “KISS FAM! The mornings are gonna be unreal! Taking over from my boys Jordan and Perri is huge… but trust me, I’m ready to bring it! It’s time for big laughs and bigger tunes. KISS is where home is – this is your new breakfast show where the door is always open. It’s gonna be carnage!”

Chloe added: “I can’t believe I’m saying this – I’m joining KISS! While I know I’ve got big shoes to fill, stepping into the station that I’ve been a HUGE fan of growing up will feel like being launched into my dream job at 100 miles an hour.

“Being the newbie, I know that working alongside Tyler and a world-class team of producers will give me the perfect introduction. I’m more than ready to bring the laughs and every ounce of energy I’ve got for the KISS Breakfast listeners. I’m buzzing!”

As well as hosting the morning show on KISS, Chloe also recently attended Coachella in California, with the star posting smiling snaps with her best friend Millie Court on social media. They were also joined by Love Island: All Stars winner Samie Elishi, and Sophie Piper.

Sunday Brunch is available to stream on Channel 4, while KISS Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am

Much of the news dominating the local restaurant scene has focused on sadness.

Two Los Angeles icons, Cole’s French Dip and Echo Park’s Taix restaurant, closed after more than 215 combined years of service.

It’s easy to be down and not necessarily want to go out.

Fortunately, our Food team, led by senior editor Danielle Dorsey, has some amazing recommendations for new favorites and old haunts that will fill your stomach and lift your spirits.

This month’s highlighted selections include locales from Altadena and Echo Park to Malibu and Westwood that the team feels are all worth your time.

Let’s take a look at a few of their selections.

Duke’s (Malibu)

The iconic restaurant along PCH was on the heels of reopening after the Pacific Palisades fire last February when heavy rain caused mudslides that led to flooding and extensive damage.

Fourteen months later, Duke’s Malibu is open with significant renovations and limited lunch and dinner menus featuring Hawaiian-influenced seafood staples such as crispy coconut shrimp, Korean sticky ribs and hula pie.

As the restaurant celebrates 30 years in operation, plans are underway for an anniversary party this summer.

(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)

Golden Leaf Restaurant (San Gabriel)

A Taiwanese restaurant in San Gabriel was forced to remove stinky tofu, a popular, culturally significant dish, from its menu after repeated complaints from residential neighbors and fines from the city.

City officials have encouraged Golden Leaf restaurant to install an expensive filter to address the pungent smell, though owners insist that none of their immediate shopping center neighbors have complained about the odor.

Supporters launched a Change.org petition last summer backing the preparation of the dish.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times )

Hoja Blanca (Palm Springs)

If you’re heading to Coachella today, it’s worth making a detour for this weekly pop-up at a sleek Palm Springs bar.

From married couple Omar Limon and Blanca Flores Torres, with help from Omar’s brother Arnold Limon, Hoja Blanca offers a playful take on modern Mexican food with dishes such as quesabirria tacos, esquites with cauliflower and a tetela topped with pork belly, all served alongside Bryan Jimenez’s classic cocktails.

(Stella Kalinina/For The Times)

Meymuni Cafe (Rancho Park)

As war unfolds in Iran and neighboring countries, L.A.’s Persian community has found comfort and support at restaurants such as Meymuni, a modern Persian cafe that offers free tea and cookies to diners, many of whom stop by after related protests at the nearby Federal Building.

The cafe opened in 2025 with barbari bread and lavash wrap sandwiches, tahini-date shakes and chai lattes, plus a full slate of events aimed at uplifting the local Persian community.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

NADC Burger (Westwood)

The rapidly expanding smashburger chain from Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants chef Phillip Frankland Lee has opened its first L.A. location in Westwood Village, with plans to open additional locations in the city.

The signature burger at NADC — an acronym for “not a damn chance” — features two Wagyu patties, American cheese, grilled onions, jalapeños, pickles and a house sauce, with beef tallow fries and brown butter chocolate chip cookies rounding out the short menu.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Roshona Bilash (Larchmont)

After stepping away from the kitchen for decades, Abul Ibrahim has opened a quick-service restaurant in Melrose Hill that celebrates the Bangladeshi flavors he grew up with.

Roshona Bilash, which translates to “luxurious taste,” features Bengali classics such as bone marrow nihari, rice pilafs and meats and breads cooked in a clay oven, with plans to expand with regional specialties such as seafood dishes popular along the Bangladesh coast.

Check out the full list here.

The week’s biggest stories

(Kyra Saldana/For De Los)

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(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

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Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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Raducanu had a very promising debut clay court season in 2022 – the year after she won the US Open in New York as a teenager – but hurt her back in Madrid and had to retire from her first match in Rome a week later.

Much of 2023 was lost to the operations she had on her hands and left ankle. In 2024, Raducanu played very promisingly on indoor clay, winning two matches for Great Britain against France in the Billie Jean King Cup before reaching the quarter-finals in Stuttgart.

But that was followed by a heavy first-round defeat by qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle in Madrid.

Raducanu said she was “mentally and emotionally exhausted” and did not play on clay again that year, choosing to skip the French Open to prioritise a training block that she thought would benefit her fitness in the second half of the year.

She played four clay court events last year, with the highlight a run to the fourth round in Rome, but experienced further back issues in Strasbourg and after competing at Roland Garros.

Her next opportunity to play on clay will be at the Italian Open in Rome from 5 May. There are also two tournaments – in Strasbourg and Rabat – the week before the French Open, which rounds off the clay court swing.

US president announces talks in Islamabad and accuses Iran of violating truce, warning Tehran of severe repercussions.

President Donald Trump has announced that US negotiators will travel to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday for talks aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a post on social media on Sunday, Trump didn’t detail which officials the US would send to a second round of in-person talks with Iranian negotiators in Islamabad. Last weekend’s talks, at which Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation, ended without a deal.

In his post, Trump accused Iran of violating a two-week ceasefire that is due to expire on Wednesday by opening fire on Saturday in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if it doesn’t accept the terms of the deal being offered by the US.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

There was no immediate comment from Iran regarding Trump’s claim of a new round of talks.

Shortly after Trump’s statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said that the US naval blockade on Iranian ports is a violation of the ceasefire as well as an “unlawful and criminal” act.

“The United States’ so-called ‘blockade’ of Iran’s ports or coastline is not only a violation of Pakistani-mediated ceasefire but also both unlawful and criminal,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote in a post on X.

“Moreover, by deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crime and crime against humanity,” Baqaei added.