Month: May 2026

May 5 (UPI) — Brian Armstrong, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, announced the company is downsizing about 14% of its workforce.

Armstrong posted a memo to employees on X saying he had made “the difficult decision to reduce the size of Coinbase” by approximately 14%, explaining it is the result of “two forces” that “are converging at the same time.”

The first of the “forces” at play is the current downturn in the crypto market, leading to a “need to adjust our cost structure now so that we emerge from this period leaner, faster and more efficient for our next phase of growth.”

The second reason cited by Armstrong is the rise of AI “changing how we work.”

“All of this has led us to an inflection point, not just for Coinbase, but for every company. The biggest risk now is not taking action. We are adjusting early and deliberately to rebuild Coinbase to be lean, fast, and AI-native. We need to return to the speed and focus of our startup founding, with AI at our core,” Armstrong wrote.

Coinbase is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings on Saturday, with shares up nearly 4% in premarket trading.

The announcement follows other companies including Block, Pinterest, CrowdStrike and Chegg making the decision to cut jobs as a result of AI integration.

Miriam Margolyes opened up about the health problems she lives with and issued a warning to others on how one of them could be prevented

Miriam Margolyes has shared an update on a health problem she has lived with for more than 40 years. The 84-year-old revealed she suffers from a long-term shoulder injury that means she is unable to put on a bra by herself.

Reflecting on being filmed in her bra for her latest documentary Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me, she said on The Romesh Ranganathan Show: “I did have that new bra on and it did me the world of good.

I need several people to put it on for me and I’m on my own at the moment.

“The problem is, I’ve got a bad shoulder, I’ve had it for a long time actually because I didn’t know how to fall and I had to fall in a play for six months about 40 years and the rotator cuff doesn’t quite cuff or rotate, whatever it should do.

“So, I can’t put my hands behind my back. I can manage with an apron because it’s lower down, but with a bra it’s a little bit [more difficult] and you have to sort of arrange your t**s into it.

“And I need help basically, so my lodgers do bra duty, but I haven’t got them with me today so I had to do it myself,” the actress shared.

In the same podcast, the Harry Potter star opened up about what she considers the “worst bit” of being in her eighties.

Asked for advice by Romesh’s mother, she said: “The worst bit about being 80 is my weak pelvic floor. I p**s myself all the time and everywhere I go I always take spare knickers because you never know.

“And that’s honestly the truth and I don’t like it and I don’t say it to be funny, I say it because it’s true and it’s a bl***y nuisance,” Miriam added.

“But if I done pelvic floor exercises maybe I wouldn’t be so p***y. So do your pelvic floor exercises,” she warned.

On a more positive note, the actress said the “best thing” about turning 80 is the confidence she now feels when meeting new people.

“The best thing about being 80 and I’m going to be 85 [soon], is not being afraid to meet people, not being afraid to go into a room and just be.

“Sometimes, that’s because people know who I am and they’re sort of starstruck because they think I’m a star, but it gives me confidence.

“I feel more empowered to be and go into a room and talk to people,” she added.

Miriam has faced a number of other health challenges over the years, including undergoing an aortic valve replacement in 2023. She also lives with Spinal stenosis, which has affected her mobility.

She previously told Closer Magazine: “I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled. I use all kinds of assistance. I’ve got two sticks and a walker and they’re such a bore, but I’ve just got a mobility scooter, which is a lot of fun.”

A look at the top 20 high school softball teams in the Southland as ranked by CalHiSports.com for The Times.

Rk.; Last ranking; School; Record

1. (2) Norco 24-2

2. (1) Murrieta Mesa 23-1

3. (3) Fullerton 23-2

4. (4) Etiwanda 21-2

5. (7) La Mirada 22-3

6. (11) JSerra 20-7

7. (6) Oaks Christian 24-3

8. (8) Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 20-3

9. (9) M.L. King 20-6

10. (10) Ganesha 16-3

11. (12) Chino Hills 19-7

12. (5) Orange Lutheran 18-8

13. (NR) Glendora 23-2-2

14. (18) Yucaipa 20-6-1

15. (13) Ayala 16-4

16. (16) California 23-4

17. (19) Temescal Canyon 17-5

18. (14) Chaminade 17-4-1

19. (NR) El Modena 15-12

20. (15) La Habra 19-7

68 Ryanair passengers missed their flight to Edinburgh from Lanzarote on Monday, reportedly due to issues with the airport’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) used to register third-country nationals including British travellers

Almost 70 Ryanair passengers missed their flight to Edinburgh from Lanzarote on Monday, reportedly due to delays at border control.

Those travelling back to the Scottish capital were left stranded at Lanzarote Airport on May 4, owing to passport control system failures, with several flights believed to have been affected.

A total of 68 holidaymakers failed to reach the boarding gate before it closed, due to problems with the airport’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which is used to register third-country nationals – including British citizens.

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Ryanair confirmed all passengers who presented at the boarding gate before departure were accommodated and travelled without incident.

According to local publication Canarian Weekly, the disruption affected those travelling to destinations outside the European Union, reports Edinburgh Live.

Under the EES, travellers are required to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and a photograph, to establish a digital record valid for three years, replacing the traditional passport stamping system.

The system is intended to streamline passport checks and track how long visa-free travellers remain within the EU, however it has been beset by delays, with lengthy queues reported at passport control across various locations.

Now Lanzarote Airport has become the latest to face disruption. Operations were reportedly thrown into chaos by 11am, “causing delays and confusion in departure areas”. Canarian Weekly reports that the disruption was triggered by “a failure in the passport control system” according to National Police sources, while other sources “suggested a wider disconnection issue across Europe, which slowed systems at multiple airports”. The issue was resolved by midday.

Ryanair has recently pressured EU governments to abandon the EES during the peak travel season, writing to administrations in 29 countries demanding they halt the new entry requirements.

The airline’s chief operations officer Neal McMahon said: “Governments across Europe are attempting to roll out a half-baked IT system in the middle of the busiest travel season of the year, and passengers are paying the price, being forced to endure hours long passport control queues and in some cases, missing flights.

“The solution is simple and already provided for under EU law (EU Reg. 2025/1534) – Governments should suspend EES until September when the peak summer travel season has subsided, just as Greece has done. This would allow passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – a smoother airport experience for their summer holidays.”

The Spanish National Police Force were contacted for a response.

May 5 (UPI) — Iran warned Tuesday that it was “just getting started” after its military clashed with U.S. forces attempting to guide commercial vessels marooned in the Persian Gulf out through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mohammad Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, signaling Iran’s intention to exploit the United States’ need for a timely resolution to the conflict, said Iran was digging in for an extended fight that it was prepared to keep going for as long as necessary.

“The new equation in the Strait of Hormuz is being solidified. Shipping security and energy transit have been jeopardized by the U.S. and its allies with the cease-fire violations and blockade. However, their evil acts will fail. We know well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we are just getting started,” said Ghalibaf.

Speaking at a news briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday morning, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to try to de-escalate the situation, stressing that the mission to free trapped merchant ships was a short-term, defensive operation purely aimed at providing protection for the hundreds of vessels he said “are lining up to transit.”

“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won’t need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It’s not necessary. We’re not looking for a fight,” he said.

However, echoing threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday night, Hegseth said that Iran “will face overwhelming firepower” if it attacks commercial shipping and that he expected other countries to “step up” to protect the strategically important sea lane “at the appropriate time.”

Day one of Trump’s Project Freedom on Monday saw Iran claim it fired on U.S. naval vessels approaching the strait, forcing one to turn around, while Trump said U.S. forces sank seven Iranian navy “fast boats,” prompting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to dub the effort “Project Deadlock,” warning that the conflict could only be resolved through compromise.

The UAE also said it was targeted with Iranian missiles and drones for the first time since a cease-fire came into force April 9, blaming the attacks for a fire in its Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in which three people were injured.

“Events in Hormuz make clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis. As talks are making progress with Pakistan’s gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE,” said Araghchi.

The comments came hours after Trump threatened to blow Iran “off the face of the Earth’ if it attacked U.S. vessels involved in Project Freedom.

U.S. Central Command said no U.S. Navy ships had taken fire while Iran rejected as “outright lies,” claims by CENTCOM that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey.”

Videos from a tournament kit reveal photo shoot and images from training sessions highlighting Team Melli’s preparations.

Iran’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup appear to be on track, as social media posts from the team’s official account hint at an upcoming tournament kit reveal and show the squad training at an undisclosed location.

Videos posted by Team Melli’s Instagram account on Monday showed players taking part in a photo shoot for what appears to be Iran’s home kit for the World Cup.

Iran are in Group G of the World Cup and will play all their games in the United States, which is cohosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico.

Several members of Iran’s squad, including first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Safar Beiranvand and winger Milad Mohammadi, were shown wearing a new kit in a series of social media posts.

The Team Melli account also posted photos from training sessions, which have been held in Iran before the squad travels to Turkiye for three friendly matches before the World Cup.

The Asian giants’ participation in the tournament became uncertain after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, with Iranian officials questioning the US’s role as host and President Donald Trump suggesting Team Melli’s players may not be safe if they travel to his country for the championship.

However, recent statements by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Iranian football officials have reaffirmed the country’s participation in the World Cup.

Infantino confirmed that Iran will play its games in the US in his opening remarks at the FIFA ⁠⁠Congress in Canada on Thursday.

“Let me start at the outset. Of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA ⁠⁠World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” Infantino said.

Trump later said he was “OK” with Iran playing in the country.

“If Gianni said it, I’m OK,” Trump told reporters ‌‌at the White House. “You know what? Let ‌‌them ‌‌play.”

Football officials in Iran have outlined the team’s training and preparations for the tournament, which include camps at home and in neighbouring Turkiye before travelling to the US.

“The first phase of the preparation period will end with an intra-team game on Wednesday,” assistant coach Saeed Alhoei told Iranian sport news outlet Varzesh3.

The game will be held at a stadium, and the players will wear official match kits, with an international referee and video assistant referee technology (VAR) to simulate tournament-like conditions.

Alhoei said the squad will depart for Turkiye on Monday for their final leg of preparations before travelling to the US in June.

Team Melli will kick off their ‌‌campaign ‌‌against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before taking on Belgium at the same stadium on June 21.

“We will have three friendly matches, two of which will probably be against [local] club teams and behind closed doors, and the third against an African team,” Alhoei said. “It is a quality team that can be a good simulation for playing against African teams.”

Iran will face Egypt in their final group match in Seattle on June 26.

On Monday, Iran suffered a significant ⁠⁠blow after it was confirmed that winger Ali Gholizadeh had suffered a season-ending knee injury while playing for his club Lech Poznan in Poland.

Gholizadeh, who would have started on the right ⁠⁠wing at the World Cup, was stretchered off the pitch against Motor Lublin last Saturday, and tests later confirmed he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“Gholizadeh will face surgery ⁠⁠in the coming days, followed by several months of rehabilitation,” the club said in a statement.

Contenders are almost lined up for the 79th Tony Awards.

Tony nominee Uzo Aduba and Tony winner Darren Criss on Tuesday morning will announce the nominees live on CBS and YouTube. Nominated productions included “The Lost Boys” and “The Balusters,” with Rose Byrne (“Fallen Angels”) and John Lithgow (“Giant”) earning acting nods.

Other headline nominees included John Lithgow (“Giant”), Lesley Manville (“Oedipus”), Nathan Lane (“Death of a Salesman”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Every Brilliant Thing”) and Stephanie Hsu (“The Rocky Horror Show”).

The 79th Tony Awards will return to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on June 7. The ceremony, hosted by Pink, will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

Here is the complete list of nominees. (This story is being updated.)

Play

“The Balusters”
“Giant”
“Liberation”
“Little Bear Ridge Road”

Musical

“The Lost Boys”
“Schmigadoon!”
“Titaníque”
“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)”

Revival of a play

Revival of a musical

Performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical

Sara Chase, “Schmigadoon!”
Stephanie Hsu, “The Rocky Horror Show”
Caissie Levy, “Ragtime”
Marla Mindelle, “Titaníque”
Christiani Pitts, “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)”

Performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical

Nicholas Christopher, “Chess”
Luke Evans, “The Rocky Horror Show”
Joshua Henry, “Ragtime”
Sam Tutty, “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)”
Brandon Uranowitz, “Ragtime”

Performance by an actress in a leading role in a play

Rose Byrne, “Fallen Angels”
Carrie Coon, “Bug”
Susannah Flood, “Liberation”
Lesley Manville, “Oedipus”
Kelli O’Hara, “Fallen Angels”

Performance by an actor in a leading role in a play

Will Harrison, “Punch”
Nathan Lane, “Death of a Salesman”
John Lithgow, “Giant”
Daniel Radcliffe, “Every Brilliant Thing”
Mark Strong, “Oedipus”

Book of a musical

Original score

Performance by an actor in a featured role in a play

Performance by an actress in a featured role in a play

Performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical

Performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical

Scenic design of a play

Scenic design of a musical

Costume design of a play

Costume design of a musical

Lighting design of a play

Lighting design of a musical

Sound design of a play

Sound design of a musical

Direction of a play

Direction of a musical

Choreography

Orchestrations

Almost a decade after British voters chose to leave the European Union on 23 June 2016, the FTSE 100 has been hitting record highs.

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Yet beneath the headline, the financial scars of that vote remain unmistakable.

A new Morningstar analysis titled “The Brexit Decade” laid out the damage in numbers that are hard to dismiss.

Since the referendum, UK equity funds have bled roughly $160 billion in cumulative net outflows, six consecutive years of redemptions that have hardened into a structural loss of confidence rather than a passing cyclical drawdown.

How wide a performance gap has opened between UK stocks and comparable equity markets since the vote? And how has the pound fared?

UK FTSE 100 has trailed Wall Street and continental Europe

The numbers speak for themselves.

The FTSE 100, the benchmark tracking the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, has gained 62% since Brexit.

Over a 10-year window, that works out to a compounded annual growth rate of just under 5%.

Wall Street has run a different race. The S&P 500 has rallied 253% over the same stretch, a 13.4% annualised return — almost three times the pace of UK large-caps.

The gap is not just a transatlantic story.

Within Europe, the German DAX has returned 151% and the Euro STOXX 50 has gained 109%, suggesting Brexit has weighed more heavily on London than on the continental rivals it left behind.

Why UK markets lagged: A pre-existing weakness Brexit made worse

According to Morningstar, Brexit was a catalyst rather than the root cause of the UK market’s underperformance.

The UK equity market entered the 2016 referendum with pre-existing structural headwinds — declining domestic pension demand, capital rotating toward US growth markets, and an unfavourable sector mix tilted toward energy, banks and miners rather than the technology platforms that dominated the 2010s.

Brexit amplified and accelerated these trends, increasing the UK’s perceived risk premium and damaging confidence at a critical moment.

Investor behaviour has been unambiguous. UK allocations were systematically redeployed to the US, while passive strategies gained share as active UK equity economics deteriorated.

The UK’s footprint in global benchmarks has roughly halved over the past two decades, falling from nearly 10% of the MSCI ACWI to around 4% today.

In the most aggressive sterling-allocation fund category tracked by Morningstar, average UK equity weights have collapsed from 40% to 18%, with the freed-up capital systematically redeployed to US equities.

The asset management industry has felt the chill directly.

Around 380 UK equity strategies have closed since 2016 against just over 200 launches, and the share of total assets sitting in passive UK equity vehicles has climbed from 22% to 46% over the same period.

Active large-cap managers, including Columbia Threadneedle, Jupiter, Liontrust, Aviva and Schroders, have absorbed the heaviest outflows. Vanguard, iShares and Phoenix Group have absorbed the inflows.

The damage was then compounded by Covid-19, the global inflation shock, geopolitical conflict, falling foreign direct investment, weaker goods exports and domestic policy missteps — most notably the gilt market crisis of autumn 2022.

Isolating Brexit’s impact is difficult, Morningstar acknowledges, but there is no serious argument that it did not materially worsen outcomes.

Sterling: Weaker where it matters most

The currency market tells a parallel story. The pound is down about 10% versus the US dollar and 12% versus the euro since the Brexit vote.

Against the world’s two reserve currencies, sterling has lost ground.

On the eve of the Brexit referendum, one pound bought €1.31. Almost a decade later, it buys just €1.15 — a roughly 12% loss of purchasing power against the single currency that the United Kingdom voted to step away from.

The picture sharpens against central and eastern European peers.

Sterling has tumbled over 20% against the Czech koruna and 13% against the Polish zloty, both economies that have absorbed manufacturing capacity and foreign direct investment that might otherwise have flowed to the UK.

Notably, the pound has barely held its ground against the Hungarian forint, eking out a 1.8% gain against one of Europe’s most volatile currencies.

Is there a turning point for UK markets?

The narrative is no longer one-way.

Since 2022, UK equities have outperformed US and global markets, driven by a strong value rotation and resilient dividends — without meaningful multiple expansion, according to Morningstar.

Valuations still reflect pessimism, however.

The UK trades at a 30% to 35% price-to-earnings discount to the US, with small and mid-caps the most depressed relative to history and developed peers.

Elevated mergers and acquisitions activity and record share buybacks suggest corporate insiders and overseas acquirers see value where public investors remain sceptical.

Some fund managers see this as the entry point.

Natalie Bell, fund manager on the Liontrust Economic Advantage team, said in a recent note that “valuations remain significantly depressed versus long run averages and other comparable markets,” adding that her team sees a broad-based valuation reversion opportunity for UK equities, particularly in small and micro-caps, even if the timing and magnitude is difficult to predict.

Others remain more cautious. Mislav Matejka, head of global and European equity strategy at JP Morgan, has argued that British equities often do well when investors turn bearish on everything else, given the FTSE 100’s defensive, liquid profile.

He sees the UK index rising 5% to 10% in 2026 but does not hold an overweight, on the view that the UK lacks a clear growth catalyst comparable to those emerging in Germany or China.

Ten years on from the vote, the question for international investors is no longer whether Brexit hurt UK markets — it is whether the resulting discount has now become the opportunity.

Manchester City will host their FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United at their smaller Joie Stadium after turning down an offer to switch it to Old Trafford.

City were drawn at home for the game but are unable to use the main pitch, with Pep Guardiola’s first team still having three home Premier League games to play.

While there is an 11-day gap between their match against Crystal Palace and the last game of the campaign against Aston Villa, club officials argue playing the final in that space will rob them of essential time to complete construction work on the North Stand, which is planned to open for Villa’s visit.

The club also have a test event booked for Sunday, 10 May. They feel they are entitled not to agree to a switch as they are the confirmed home team.

United, who last won the trophy in 2022 – when more than 60,000 were at Old Trafford to watch a team including Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho beat Nottingham Forest – told City they were prepared to host the game.

City said no, so the game will be played at the 7,000-capacity ground, which is used by the club’s Premier League 2 and women’s teams.

The club have used the stadium to host Youth Cup finals previously but since 2000, every other host club has played the game at their main stadium.

Two years ago a crowd of 20,000 watched City beat Leeds United in the final at Etihad Stadium.

It is a repeat of the 1986 final, hosted over two legs at Old Trafford and Maine Road and won by City.

United sources feel it is a mistake and will cost the majority of the players involved an experience in what could turn out to be the biggest game of their lives.

City are yet to confirm a date for the game but it is likely to take place on Thursday, 14 May.

RYANAIR is considering cancelling all flights to another airport in Europe over a dispute in airport fees.

The airline is reportedly set to close its base at Makedonia Airport later this year.

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Ryanair currently operates three aircraft from its base in Thessaloniki, but is considering shutting it down from October 2026.

Reports have been linked to issues related to a 15 per cent increase in airport charges.

However, no official announcement has been made by the airline.

With the airline considering leaving the city, there are growing concerns about tourism within Thessaloniki – a place where tourists visit to see Mount Olympus and the beautiful beaches of Halkidiki.

The news has prompted Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis to call an emergency meeting with regional tourism officials to assess the situation.

A tourism representative told local media that the “priority for everyone is and must be the interest of the city.

“If the reason for the possible closure is the high increases, then Fraport should reconsider its pricing policy.”

Sun Travel has approached Ryanair for comment.

This isn’t the first time Ryanair has closed a base due to the rising cost of airport fees.

The budget airline confirmed last year they would be cutting 1.2million seats across Spain and closing bases in the likes of Valladolid and Santiago de Compostela.

The airline also recently announced that it would be reducing its flight schedule to and from Berlin by 50 per cent.

When it comes to flights being affected, this means Ryanair passenger numbers will fall from 4.5million to 2.2million by next year.

This will affect flights from the UK which includes routes from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

May 4 (Asia Today) — Seoul accounted for more than 80% of first-priority apartment subscription applications in South Korea in March, according to an analysis by real estate platform Zigbang.

Zigbang said Monday that 109,928 first-priority applications were filed nationwide for apartment complexes announced for sale in March. Of those, 90,322, or 82%, were submitted for apartments in Seoul.

The figures were calculated based on the month of the sales announcement. Zigbang said applications were counted according to the date of the initial resident recruitment notice, even when the actual application period extended into the following month.

The increase was sharp compared with earlier months. Complexes announced in January received 10,549 applications and those in February drew 27,313. The number surged past 100,000 in March.

The number of apartment complexes offered also rose from eight in January and 11 in February to 27 in March. The average competition rate climbed from 4.2-to-1 in January to 7.1-to-1 in February and 12.9-to-1 in March.

Analysts said pent-up demand concentrated in March as major Seoul complexes entered the market after limited supply early in the year.

In Seoul, the average competition rate for complexes announced in March reached 156.3-to-1, sharply higher than in January and February. Every complex posted double-digit competition, driven in part by limited general sale units in redevelopment and reconstruction projects.

Major complexes included Acro de Seocho in Seocho District, which recorded a 1,099-to-1 competition rate, Hauterre Banpo in Seocho District at 710-to-1 and Ichon LE-EL in Yongsan District at 135-to-1.

“The recent subscription market continues to show high competition centered on Seoul, but it is difficult to interpret this simply as a divide between the capital region and provincial areas,” a Zigbang official said. “Consumers are clearly moving selectively based on price competitiveness and location rather than region alone.”

The official added that complexes with a strong balance of location, product quality and sale price can continue to attract real demand regardless of region.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000342

The incident in London comes after the UK’s national threat level was raised to severe last week.

British counterterrorism police are investigating an arson attack at a former synagogue in London, the lates in a wave of attacks targeting the Jewish community in the United Kingdom’s capital.

Officers said they responded to the incident early on Tuesday in the Tower Hamlets borough.

Police said no one was injured in the arson attack but confirmed the fire was deliberately set, adding that a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building sustained minor damage.

Last week, the UK’s national threat level was raised to “severe”, meaning an attack is considered highly likely. The government said the increase was due to what it described as a “broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat” posed by individuals and small groups in the UK.

The arson attack came just hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a meeting at his London residence focused on tackling anti-Semitism. The government said the meeting was arranged in response to rising anti-Semitism in the UK after two attacks last week in which two Jewish men and one Muslim man were stabbed in London.

Several arson attacks have occurred at synagogues and Jewish sites in London since late March.

“We are taking this incident extremely seriously, and we will be working closely with colleagues from counterterrorism policing to support the investigation,” Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke said. “The building targeted has not been operational as a synagogue for some years, but that will be of little comfort to the Jewish community in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and beyond, who are first in my thoughts this morning.”

Starmer said he was fast-tracking legislation in response to the increase in attacks, calling the situation a “crisis”.

KATIE Price appeared to struggle to keep her ample assets protected as her tiny bikini struggled to handle her ‘biggest ever’ boobs.

The surgically-enhanced star shared a selfie of her enjoying a spot of sunbathing in Dubai – after jetting over to spend time with her fourth husband, Lee Andrews.

In the snap, a very busty Katie risked her boobs from spilling out of her tiny bikini top as it struggled to protect her modesty.

Katie underwent her 17th boob job in 2024 in Belgium where she had work done to refine the biggest chest she has ever had.

Her previous breast surgery saw her get massive 2120cc implants in order to have the title of Britain’s biggest boobs.

Katie first began having breast surgery in 1998 where she initially went from a natural B-cup to a 32C.

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The following year, she had two further boob jobs before she took a break of seven years before having a fourth operation in 2006.

Since then, Katie has had some form of breast surgery almost every one or two years in order to change their shape and size.

Her current boobs are the biggest they have ever been.

Katie briefly returned to her natural B-cup and was without implants after her chest became infected in 2015 following the surgeries.

However, she soon quickly opted to have implants put back in, despite the risks, months later and went from her natural size to a major 32GG.

Known for her cosmetic surgery, Katie underwent her biggest change in 2019 when she opted for a full body overhaul in Turkey.

During her visit to the surgeon, she underwent a third facelift, an eye and eyelid lift, her first BBL, a tummy tuck as well as her 14th breast surgery.

However, the following year, she was forced to jet to Belgium to correct some of the work after it was reported she was left with botched boobs from the Turkish clinic after undergoing the assortment of procedures.

Simon Calder described the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES) as ‘passport roulette’

A leading travel journalist has suggested the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) could be put on hold for the entire summer following reports of chaos and significant delays at airports. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Simon Calder – who has branded the system ‘passport roulette’ – acknowledged that while some locations had performed ‘really well’, others were ‘struggling’.

EES is an automated system gradually replacing the traditional passport stamp. It requires people from third-party nations such as the UK to have their fingerprints registered and photograph captured before entering the Schengen Area, which encompasses 29 European countries, predominantly within the EU.

For the majority of UK travellers, the procedure takes place at foreign airports. The system saw a soft launch in October 2025 and was meant to be fully operational across all borders by April 10, 2026.

Yet there have been numerous accounts of passengers missing flights and enduring lengthy queues at airports as systems buckle under the sheer volume of people attempting to register. Several countries have suspended EES at various points, with Greece postponing the system for UK travellers over the summer to enhance the travel experience.

Portugal has halted EES for extended stretches to ease travel to and from the country, with speculation mounting that Italy may do likewise. Mr Calder indicated it was not beyond the realms of possibility. “It was always going to be really exciting to see what happens when you roll out a digital borders scheme and you ask 29 national governments to implement it,” Mr Calder said. “They have all gone their own way.

“Some of them have done it really well. Others, well, they are still struggling and we might find that, actually, the whole scheme gets put on a sort of hold for the rest of the summer.

“That’s certainly what a lot of airlines and train operators would like, not to mention the Port of Dover, where they haven’t even started taking biometrics from motorists yet.”

READ MORE: Ryanair issues plea to ‘suspend’ EES rollout amid ‘missing flights’ warningREAD MORE: Ryanair issues warning to customers – and it’s not down to fuel crisis

What’s the problem?

Headlines were made in April 2026 when passengers travelling with both Ryanair and easyJet missed their flights from separate Milan airports owing to EES complications. Footage from one incident revealed a crowd gathering at Milan Bergamo, with exasperated passengers informing staff they had been held at the gate for over an hour, demanding to know what action to take.

It’s understood that approximately 30 passengers were left behind. Ryanair said in a statement: “Due to passport control delays at Milan Bergamo Airport on 16 April, a number of passengers missed this flight from Milan to Manchester.” One passenger claimed they were kept waiting until the aircraft had departed, only to then be informed they would need to arrange their own return flights. A number of travellers on a Ryanair service from Tenerife South to East Midlands on 10 April also missed their homeward journey, once again blaming hold-ups at passport control.

Ryanair recently issued a blistering statement on social media, demanding the EES rollout be postponed until September. The low-cost carrier tore into France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Germany for their failure to ‘ensure that adequate staffing, system readiness, or kiosks are in place’.

Branding the system as ‘half-baked’, the Ryanair statement said: “Despite knowing for over three years that EES would become fully operational from 10 April 2026, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Germany have failed to ensure that adequate staffing, system readiness, or kiosks are in place.

“As a result, passengers are suffering long passport control queues and, in some cases, missing their flights.

“Ryanair calls on these EU Governments to suspend the rollout of the EU’s passport control Entry/Exit System (EES) until September to ensure that passengers are not needlessly forced to suffer long passport control queue delays at European airports during the peak summer season.”

Can the Lakers beat the Thunder?

From Broderick Turner: Lakers center Deandre Ayton bounced across the court after practice Monday wearing all black, his chains swaying, his mood jovial as he approached the media to talk about his role in the Western Conference semifinals.

His spirits were high for what lies ahead for the Lakers as they prepared to face the best team in the NBA, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the play of his center “changes our ceiling the most.”

Simply put, Ayton’s high-level of play will be paramount for the Lakers when they begin the best-of-seven series Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

“Everything has been pretty solid, just staying in my role and just doing more in my role,” Ayton said. “This is the playoffs, so everybody can do more, everybody has another level. And this is the second round coming in, so I think we all deserve that little bit of increase of confidence from what we’ve done so far and the outcome from the adversity we’ve faced.

“I feel like that’s where we are right now and I think that’s what’s motivating me, as well, coming into these games. Just seeing, listening and being dialed in and seeing the results of it.”

Continue reading here

NBA playoffs schedule

Lakers poll

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Lakers playoff schedule

Second round
All times Pacific

Tuesday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
Thursday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., Prime Video
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., Prime Video
*Wed., May 13 at Oklahoma City, TBD
*Saturday, May 16 at Lakers, TBD
*Monday, May 18 at Oklahoma City, TBD

*-if necessary

Dodgers win, but Ohtani is slumping

From Maddie Lee: It was the perfect time for Shohei Ohtani to step up to the plate. The Dodgers’ offense was rolling again, ready to make a statement with a third-inning rally against the Astros. They loaded the bases and turned over the batting order.

Then Ohtani chased a sinker off the plate and chopped a slow bouncer to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, giving Paredes an easy play at second. A far departure from the eye-popping exit velocities that Ohtani’s swing usually produces, the run-scoring grounder was soft enough to avoid a double play.

In the Dodgers’ 8-3 win Monday against the Astros, Ohtani’s hitless streak stretched to five games, his longest such skid since 2022, when he also went five games without a hit (May 24-28).

Manager Dave Roberts had planned to have Ohtani pitch and hit Tuesday. But during Monday’s game, he decided to change course. Ohtani will just pitch Tuesday.

Continue reading here

How a former top Dodgers prospect became an advisor to four U.S. presidents

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels lose again

Munetaka Murakami hit his 14th homer and Miguel Vargas also went deep as the Chicago White Sox beat the Angels 6-0 Monday night.

Murakami’s two-run blast in the fourth inning kept the Japanese rookie tied with New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the major league lead in home runs. Murakami also hit his first double of the season in the sixth, singled and scored in the eighth, finishing three for four with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Davis Martin gave up five hits in seven shutout innings, with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.64. The right-hander escaped his only jam in the seventh, getting Josh Lowe to fly to deep center with runners on first and third.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

Ducks lose Game 1 to Vegas

From Kevin Baxter: T-Mobile Arena sits just off the Las Vegas Strip, not far from a faux Manhattan skyline, a pyramid and a casino made to look like a castle.

The line separating illusion from reality can be a thin one in Sin City, where the Ducks opened the second round of the playoffs Monday intent on proving their first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers was more than a facade. It didn’t go well, with Brett Howden’s goal early in the second period and Ivan Barbashev’s tiebreaking tally late in the third period giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 victory in the best-of-seven series.

Mitch Marner added an empty-net goal with six seconds to play to end any hope of a Ducks comeback. Mikael Granlund scored for the Ducks with six minutes left in the game.

But the game turned on what the Ducks thought was a missed icing call just ahead of Barbashev’s goal, which came 65 seconds after Granlund tied the score.

“Clearly I disagreed with the call. Clearly it was icing,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “That was the play for me. We had just scored. It was a huge call. And an easy call.”

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL playoffs schedule

Ducks playoffs schedule

Second round
All times Pacific

Monday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m, ESPN
Wednesday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Friday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Sunday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Tuesday, May 12 at Vegas, TBD, ESPN
*Thursday, May 14 at Ducks, TBD, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
*Saturday, May 16 at Vegas, TBA, ABC or ESPN

*-if necessary

This day in sports history

1908 — 34th Kentucky Derby: Arthur Pickens aboard 66-1 chance Stone Street wins in muddy track conditions; 2:15.20 slowest Derby in history.

1934 — Cavalcade wins the Kentucky Derby by more than three lengths over Discovery. It’s his third victory in less than two weeks.

1951 — 77th Kentucky Derby: Conn McCreary aboard Count Turf wins in 2:02.6.

1966 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 to win the Stanley Cup in six games.

1969 — The Boston Celtics beat the Lakers 107-102 in the seventh game to win the NBA championship for the 10th time in 11 years. Player-coach Bill Russell and Sam Jones retire as players.

1969 — Milwaukee Bucks sign #1 NBA Draft pick, star UCLA center Lew Alcindor.

1973 — Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the Kentucky Derby with a record time of 1:59.2. Secretariat beats Sham by 2½ lengths and goes on to win the Triple Crown.

1990 — 116th Kentucky Derby: Craig Perret aboard Unbridled wins in 2:02.

1993 — Canisius beats Niagara 11-1 in softball to set an NCAA Division I record with 34 straight wins.

2001 — Monarchos wins the Kentucky Derby carrying Jorge Chavez across the finish line in 1:59 4-5, only two-fifths of a second off the track record set by Secretariat en route to the Triple Crown in 1973. Monarchos finishes a dominating 4¾ lengths over Invisible Ink.

2007 — Street Sense, ridden by Calvin Borel, roars from next-to-last in a 20-horse field to win the Kentucky Derby by 2 1-2 lengths over Hard Spun.

2007 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats Oscar De La Hoya in one of the richest fights. Mayweather, with superb defensive skills and superior speed, wins a 12-round split decision and the WBC 154-pound title in his first fight at that weight. The sellout crowd of 16,200 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas sets a record $19 million gate.

2012 — I’ll Have Another catches Bodemeister down the stretch and pulls away in the final furlong to win the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Mario Gutierrez, riding in his first Derby, guides the 3-year-old colt to a 1½-length victory in front of a Derby-record crowd of 165,307.

2012 — English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (89,102): Chelsea beats Liverpool, 2–1; Didier Drogba scores winner for Blues’ 7th title.

2013 — LeBron James is the overwhelming choice as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. The Miami star gets 120 of 121 first-place votes, giving him the award for the fourth time.

2017 — Corey Perry scores 6:57 into the second overtime after the Ducks rally from a three-goal deficit in the final minutes of regulation, completing a spectacular 4-3 comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers. Rickard Rakell scores the tying goal with 15 seconds left in regulation to cap a stunning sequence of three goals in just over three minutes, all with goalie John Gibson pulled for an extra attacker.

2018 — Justify splashes through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby by 2½ lengths, becoming the first colt in 136 years to wear the roses after not racing as a 2-year-old. The colt that began his racing career in February improves to 4-0 and gives trainer Bob Baffert his fifth Derby victory. Jockey Mike Smith earns his second Derby victory as the 5-2 favorite in the field of 20.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1904 — Cy Young of the Red Sox pitched a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics, beating Rube Waddell 3-0. Having pitched nine hitless innings in two previous efforts, he ran his string of hitless innings to 18.

1917 — Ernie Koob of the St. Louis Browns pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox for a 1-0 win in St. Louis.

1925 — Manager Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hit three homers, a double and two singles against the St. Louis Browns.

1925 — Shortstop Everett Scott of the New York Yankees was benched, ending his streak of 1,307 consecutive games played that started while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Scott, who gave way to Pee Wee Wanninger, had the longest playing streak before Lou Gehrig.

1933 — Pepper Martin of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for the cycle and scored four runs in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1939 — Sam Chapman of the Philadelphia Athletics hit for the cycle in a 10-5 win over the St. Louis Browns. Chapman completed the cycle with a single in the ninth.

1955 — Brooklyn Dodgers rookie Tom Lasorda makes his first major league start as he he throws three wild pitches in one inning, tying a major league record. After his pitching career, Lasorda will enjoy far more success as a Hall of Fame manager.

1962 — Bo Belinsky of the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 with a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium. Belinsky struck out nine and walked four.

1975 — The Oakland Athletics release pinch-runner Herb Washington, ending his unusual major league career. Curiously, Washington played in 105 major league games without batting, pitching, or fielding. He collected 31 stolen bases and scored 33 runs.

1978 — Pete Rose became the youngest and 14th player with 3,000 hits when he singled against Montreal’s Steve Rogers at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

1980 — National League president Chub Feeney suspended Pittsburgh’s Bill Madlock for 15 days and fined him $5,000 for shoving his glove in the face of home plate umpire Gerry Crawford.

1999 — Colorado became the first team in 35 years and the third this century to score in every inning in a 13-6 win over the Chicago Cubs. The last time a team scored in all nine innings was also at Wrigley Field, when St. Louis beat the Cubs on Sept. 13, 1964.

2000 — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire hits the longest home run in the 30-year history of Cinergy Field, but the 473-foot shot is not enough as Ken Griffey, Jr.’s home run leads the Cincinnati Reds past St. Louis, 3-2.

2003 — Matt Stairs of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a home run off Houston Astros pitcher Wade Miller which is estimated at 461 feet, making it the longest in the history of Minute Maid Park.

2004 — Mike Piazza set a major league mark for homers as a catcher, hitting No. 352 in the New York Mets’ 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

2004 — Roger Clemens of the Houston Astros moves past Steve Carlton for second place on the strikeouts list with his 4,137th in Houston’s 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2006 — At Citizens Bank Park, Omar Vizquel of the San Francisco Giants plays his 2,302nd game at shortstop, catching Cal Ripken, Jr. for third-most all time. Vizquel is now behind Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio (2,581) and Ozzie Smith (2,511). He will eventually pass both.

2015 — Bartolo Colon became the first pitcher in at least 100 years to beat the same opponent with seven different teams, stopping Baltimore once again and leading the New York Mets to a 3-2 win over the Orioles.

2018 — In pitching a perfect 9th inning in a 6-5 win against the Rangers, Craig Kimbrel of the Red Sox becomes the 29th man to record 300 saves. He is the youngest to reach the mark at 29 (Francisco Rodriguez was 31) and has needed the fewest games, 494 (Mariano Rivera had done so in 537 games) and save opportunities (330, compared to 335 for Joe Nathan) to do so.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Blogger Mark Wolters has spent two decades travelling around the world, but he says there are some seats he won’t sit on when he’s flying

An expert who has travelled to more than 80 countries says there is one seat you should never pick on a plane. Mark Wolters has spent the past two decades travelling around the world and documenting his trips.

He however says there are some seats that he refuses to pick on a plane, because they get his journey off on the wrong foot. Among those are any middle seat, which he says results in a “battle” for personal space.

He says travellers often end up cramped up when they are in the middle, saying they have “lost out”. However there is one row in particular that Mark says is the worst on a plane.

In a video on his Wolter’s World YouTube channel, Mark revealed the first row of the plane is “one of the worst”. He said: “One thing is, you have a bulkhead (wall) there.

“That first row, you don’t have the underseat storage in front of your space, so you have to make sure you get your stuff up above, but also you have no room to stretch your legs out because there’s not that underseat there, so sometimes you don’t have a tonne of space.

“But the really tough thing is, going back to the luggage, or lack of luggage space. If you’re flying in Spain, when they get on the plane, they put their bags in right away.

“They don’t wait to row 20. If you’re in row one or two, maybe you’re going to have to go to row five or six to put it up above and nobody’s going to let you go get it when it’s time to get out, which can be very frustrating.”

Mark went on to explain that the front of the plane often has the lavatory or the galley. And while he avoids sitting on the front row, Mark isn’t overly fond of the back either.

This is because you can often find yourself queuing to disembark the aircraft. He said: “If you have tight connections, guess what? You are the last one off the plane. And for my friends who do not like turbulence, if you’re in the very back of the plane, this is where the turbulence is.”

Mark says that the back, much like the front, can often be where the facilities are. In general he says he likes to avoid any seat next to the toilet, because you can “hear or smell” what is going on.

He also generally says he avoids sitting near to the galley, because it is “where the flight attendants work”. He explains this means the lights are constantly on and the area regularly “smells of food”.

He described the galley as “not really a quiet relaxing place,” which makes it more difficult to enjoy his flight. Elsewhere, Mark explains the exit rows are the “best” seats to sit in.

He said: “Those exit rows are the best for legroom because the extra row needs to be wider for exits, so it’s kind of like business class legroom for economy prices.”

A BELOVED British museum has been forced to shut permanently after the building was deemed unsafe.

The museum is dedicated to preserving over 50 historic trams – an integral part of the town’s transport heritage.

Electrical faults in the building have made Blackpool‘s Tramtown museum uninhabitable to the public, a structural engineer’s survey said.

The former working tram depot dates back over 100 years, becoming a dedicated museum in 2021 following seven years of heritage tours.

The museum had previously been given a £50,000 lifeline from the Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund to fix the major electrical faults in the building.

Blackpool Council suggested these repairs would allow the museum to reopen for a short term period.

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However, a video from April 28 on the Tramtown YouTube channel revealed the building could not be used, leaving volunteers concerned how they were previously allowed into the building given how unsafe it was.

This unique museum gave a rare insight into the history of Blackpool’s trams and illuminations, welcoming over 500 visitors in its opening week.

Affordably priced at £5 per ticket, or £2.50 for children, the museum included a small, donation-based cafe, built for visitors less than a year before its closure.

Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said: “While the work was ongoing fixing the electrics at Tramtown, an independent structural engineer carried out a survey of the building.

“That independent report has come back saying the building is unsafe.

“The only public entrance is unsafe and we can’t gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building.”

Blackpool council leaders now hope to submit a joint funding bid and steering group to maintain a long-term future for the museum.

“I want to make very clear that this is not the end of heritage trams in Blackpool. The news will double our resolve to set up a joint steering group to create a better future for Tramtown and our historic trams,” Williams continued.

Blackpool Transport’s new managing director, Lea Harrison, said: “Blackpool is as famous for its historic trams as it is for its tower and the Pleasure Beach and we are fully committed to preserving the town’s rich tramway heritage for future generations to enjoy.”

May 4 (Asia Today) — Hyundai Motor and Kia accelerated their shift toward electrified vehicles in the United States in April, even as overall sales fell slightly.

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it sold 159,216 vehicles in the U.S. market in April, down 2.1% from a year earlier. Hyundai Motor sold 86,513 vehicles, down 1.5%, while Kia sold 72,703, down 2.8%. Genesis sales rose 0.8% to 6,356 vehicles.

The decline was attributed to a high base effect from advance purchases last year linked to tariff concerns. Major global automakers also reported weaker sales, while Hyundai Motor Group maintained its No. 2 position in the market.

Eco-friendly vehicle sales showed clear growth despite the overall decline. Hyundai and Kia sold 48,425 eco-friendly vehicles in April, up 47.6% from a year earlier. Their share of total sales exceeded 30% for the first time, reaching 30.4%.

Hybrid sales surged 57.8% to a record 41,239 vehicles. Hyundai sold 21,713 hybrids, up 47.7%, while Kia sold 19,526, up 70%.

Electric vehicle sales also rose 7.7% to 7,186. Hyundai EV sales edged lower to 4,779, but Kia’s EV sales jumped 65% to 2,407, driving growth in the segment.

By model, the Hyundai Tucson led sales with 22,024 vehicles, followed by the Elantra with 14,778 and the Palisade with 11,324. Sonata sales rose 18.2% to 7,105, while Elantra sales climbed 12.6%, showing signs of recovery in sedan demand.

Among hybrid models, Sonata hybrid sales surged 170% to 4,520 and Elantra hybrid sales rose 55.3% to 2,399, reflecting stronger demand for electrified models.

For Kia, the Sportage remained the top seller with 15,803 vehicles, followed by the K4 with 13,214 and the Telluride with 12,577. Seltos sales rose 31.7% to 5,335, absorbing demand in the compact SUV segment.

Among Kia’s eco-friendly vehicles, the Sportage hybrid rose 65.2% to 7,446 and EV9 sales jumped 481.5% to 1,349.

Genesis maintained its position in the premium market, led by GV70 sales of 2,837, up 7.7%, and G70 sales of 991, up 23.4%.

Hyundai and Kia said their balanced portfolio of hybrids, electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models is helping them respond flexibly to changing market conditions.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000367

THE most beautiful museums in the world have been named but you will have to hop on a plane to visit any of them.

The 2026 list has been revealed Prix Versailles, with the architecture competition including everything from airports to train stations.

Yet the 2026 The World’s Most Beautiful Museums list only has one entry in Europe – and it wasn’t in the UK.

“Beyond welcoming their visitors, we hope these places will be sources of inspiration for all those who serve the common good of humanity.”

The only European winner was Lost Shtetl Museum in Šeduva, Lithuania.

Designed to look like a small town (being the Yiddish translation of Shtetl), the museum is based on the typical Lithuanian Jewish family.

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Tourists have raved about it, with one saying: “This museum is one of the best at least in Baltics, if not in Europe.”

Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, which opened in December last year and cost £502million to build, also made the list.

The museum goes back 300,000 years of the Emirates, and is a tribute to the UAE’s first president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

It was even designed by the UK architectural company Foster + Partners (behind London’s Gherkin) and has a collaboration with the British Museum to offer more than 500 artifacts.

America’s National Medal of Honor Museum in Texas was also named, which features recipients of the highest military awards.

In Uzbekistan, the Islamic Civilization Center made the list, which is home to a museum as well as libraries and science labs.

Having opened back in March 2026, it has also been awarded a Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest museum of Islamic civilization.

China had two entries on the most beautiful museum list – the Xuelei Fragrance Museum (the largest fragrance museum in the world) and Shenzhen’s Science and Technology Museum which opened last year.

And finally, Japan‘s MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, which opened in March 2026, was also praised.

Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles explained: “The World’s Most Beautiful Museums List for 2026 stands out for the quality of its architectural interpretations and staging, elevating the sites with extraordinary narrative power.

“Together, these museums provide a real illustration of how strength and talent can be revealed through harmony, sensitivity and sharing.”

Previous winners on the list include Grand Palais in Paris (2025) and Grand Egyptian Museum (2024).

Here is one of the UK’s newest museums that opened last year.

As well as the UK’s newest most popular museum.

Thailand has formally scrapped a 25 year old agreement with Cambodia aimed at jointly exploring offshore energy resources in disputed waters. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, marks a significant shift in bilateral relations and raises fresh uncertainty over the future of energy cooperation in the region.

The agreement, known as Memorandum of Understanding 44, was signed in 2001 to create a framework for joint exploration of oil and gas reserves in overlapping maritime claims within the Gulf of Thailand. Despite its ambitious goals, the pact has seen little tangible progress over the past two and a half decades.

A Long Stalled Framework

Memorandum of Understanding 44 was designed as a dual track mechanism. It sought to enable joint resource exploration while allowing both countries to continue negotiations over maritime boundary demarcation. However, repeated political disruptions, competing national interests, and periodic tensions prevented meaningful advancement.

Thai officials have increasingly argued that the agreement failed to deliver results, with no concrete development of hydrocarbon resources despite years of dialogue.

Domestic Politics and Strategic Timing

The cancellation also reflects domestic political dynamics in Thailand. Anutin, who secured reelection following a surge in nationalist sentiment, had pledged to withdraw from the agreement as part of his campaign platform.

Although he has stated that the decision is not directly linked to recent border conflicts, the broader context suggests otherwise. Nationalist pressures and public opinion have played a role in shaping policy, particularly after violent clashes between the two countries last year.

Cambodia’s Response and Regional Implications

Cambodia has previously expressed strong opposition to Thailand’s plan to withdraw, describing it as deeply regrettable and reaffirming its commitment to the agreement. The lack of immediate response following the announcement leaves open questions about Phnom Penh’s next steps.

The termination of the pact could complicate future negotiations, especially in resource rich areas where both nations maintain overlapping claims. It may also delay potential energy development projects that could have benefited both economies.

From Cooperation to Legal Frameworks

Thailand has indicated that it will now rely on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the basis for any future discussions. This shift signals a move away from cooperative frameworks toward a more formal and potentially contentious legal approach to resolving maritime disputes.

While UNCLOS provides established mechanisms for dispute resolution, negotiations under its framework can be lengthy and politically sensitive.

Conflict and Fragile Stability

The backdrop to this decision includes two recent rounds of armed conflict along the Thailand Cambodia border, which resulted in significant casualties and large scale displacement. Although a ceasefire has been in place since late December, tensions remain high, and mutual distrust persists.

Each side continues to blame the other for initiating the clashes, underscoring the fragile nature of the current peace.

Analysis

Thailand’s withdrawal from the joint energy agreement reflects a broader shift from cooperative engagement to assertive unilateralism. While the official rationale centers on lack of progress, the timing and political context suggest that strategic and domestic considerations are equally influential.

For Thailand, the move reinforces national sovereignty and responds to domestic expectations. However, it also risks escalating tensions with Cambodia and undermining long term opportunities for shared economic gains.

For Cambodia, the collapse of the agreement represents both a diplomatic setback and a potential loss of access to jointly developed energy resources. It may now seek alternative avenues, including international arbitration or renewed bilateral negotiations under different terms.

At a regional level, the decision highlights the challenges of managing overlapping territorial claims in resource rich areas. Without effective cooperation mechanisms, such disputes are more likely to shift toward legal confrontation or political escalation.

Ultimately, the end of this long standing pact underscores a key reality in international relations. Agreements that lack sustained political commitment and mutual trust are unlikely to endure, particularly in environments shaped by nationalism and unresolved territorial disputes.

With information from Reuters.

Jeremy Clarkson may have given one contestant a major clue in the most recent episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire after he was caught ‘stifling laugh’ at a player’s answer.

Jeremy Clarkson has been accused of giving a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire player major hand in the game after being unable to control his exasperation.

In Sunday night’s episode of the ITV quiz show, Jeremy met contestant Arunan Jeyakumar from Newbury Park. Unfortunately, Arunan wasn’t quite up to the challenge, leaving with just £1,000 after using up three lifelines.

During one key moment of the episode, Jeremy asked Arunan about dances: ‘Which of these dances would tyically be performed to rock and roll music? Jive/Waltz/ Cha-Cha/Rumba?’

While taking his time to think, Arunan said he was considering the waltz, but knew it wasn’t the Cha-Cha or Rumba.

After looking at Arunan, Jeremy then lifted his hand to his head and rubbed his eye in an exasperated pose, but said nothing. Arunan then changed his answer and answered correctly, telling Jeremy it was the ‘Jive’.

Fans spotted this moment during the show, with one saying on X: “@JeremyClarkson How you stifled the laugh when he said the Waltz was calling out to him, I thought you were going to lose it.”

Jeremy replied to the comment with one simple word: “Unbelievable.”

Although Arunan was able to make it though this question unscathed, the next was his downfall as he was asked ‘Which of these is not a capital city? Bratislava/Sofia/Istanbul/Warsaw?’

He wrongly chose Sofia and ended up walking away with just £1,000. Clarkson told him very bluntly: “I think that the basic problem is you don’t know very many things. This maybe was the wrong show for you to be on.”

The former Top Gear star host seemed frustrated that no one was winning big on the show, quipping: “Welcome back to Who Wants To Win Nothing At All.. as it should be called.”

In the same episode, one woman lost a staggering £186,000 by risking all – making her the show’s second ever biggest loser. It all went wrong on her £500,000 question. She was asked: “According to Guinness World Records, which of these has travelled at over 260 miles per hour during a competitive game or match? Tennis ball/Ice hockey puck/Badminton shuttlecock/Table tennis ball”

Jen used her Phone-A-Friend lifeline but her dad, Chris, didn’t know. Clarkson warned her: “You are now completely on your own and have no more lifelines. If you get this wrong, if you go for it and get it wrong, you lose £186,000.”

And he advised that she did have the option of not answering the question at all and still walking away with a big win. He said: “You can go home with £250,000.”

But she reasoned: “Would I be more annoyed at giving it go and getting it wrong…. Or not giving it a go?” In the end she pressed ahead guessed an ice hockey puck, with the correct answer being shuttlecock.

The audience gasped at her huge loss and this comes just one week after the presenter gleefully crowned retired IT analyst Roman Dubowski a £1m winner.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire episodes air on Sunday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.