Month: September 2026

The countdown to Christmas is on with millions of Brits planning to make a festive escape. But if you’re heading overseas time is running out to sort out any issues with your passport

Whether it’s a Christmas market, Lapland trip, or just seeing family, millions of Brits will head overseas during the festive season. And with only 99 days to go until the big day, one thing that Brits need to be checking right now is their passport.

Passport renewals usually take about three weeks to process after being received by the passport office, so family travel experts advise checking your document now to ensure you have plenty of time to put in an application if needed.

It’s also worth remembering that while three weeks is the general time the HM Passport Office advises for a passport renewal, at busy times of year such as the run up to Christmas this timeframe can be longer.

The advice comes from family holiday firm Lapland Famille who say that the cut off for a pre-Christmas passport application should be October 16, as this gives about a month for the passport to be issued, with around 10 weeks to spare should there be any issues or delays.

As we’re now inside the 100-day countdown to Christmas, this is the best time to check your passport and ensure it meets the requirements for your trip. It also warned that travellers should follow the official GOV.UK advise and not book a trip until they have a valid passport. It’s especially important to check child passports, as these last five years rather than ten, so make sure you check each family member’s document separately.

For those visiting the Schengen area, which includes all 29 European Union member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, a minimum of three months validity needs to be left on your passport from the day you plan to depart the zone. This means if you were planning to leave the Schengen area on December 28 of this year, your passport will need to be valid up until March 28, 2027.

Issue dates continue to catch Brits out due to post-Brexit rules. Check your issue date is within the past 10 years if you plan to visit the EU. You should also make sure you check the FCDO advice for your destination country as well airline document requirements in plenty of time before you fly.

Alex Dyer, managing director at Lapland Famille, said: “Four passports can look in date at a glance, and it’s easy to assume the whole family is ready to go. I’d rather parents find a problem while they’re still choosing a trip, because once you’ve booked activities and arranged time off work, one unusable passport can affect everyone’s holiday.”

Pre-Christmas passport check list

• Validity – should have at least three months remaining from your departure date if visiting the Schengen area
• Issue date – passports issued more than 10 years ago are no longer accepted in the EU
• Damage – rips, water damage, and marks can all see a passport rejected
• Blank pages – most countries require at least two blank pages for stamps

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

A Bay Area Republican Party leader who earlier this year claimed dead people cast votes in Marin County in the Proposition 50 special election has backtracked on that comment.

But don’t expect him to stop digging. In an interview with The Times, John Turnacliff, chairman of the Marin County Republicans, said he still thinks more should to be done to ensure voter rolls are accurate, and indicated that he and his group would continue their probe.

At a Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting last week, Turnacliff apologized for his dead-voter claims. SFGATE was first to report on his apology.

“I’m here today to retract that statement I made a few months ago as far as those voters being on the roll,” he said at the meeting. “I did not find them. I apologize to the Board of Supervisors and to the registrar’s office and to the registrar for any angst and consternation that could have put on you since then.”

When the county supervisors met on Feb. 10, he claimed that Marin Republicans found that 73 dead people voted in the Nov. 4 Proposition 50 special election following a ballot analysis. The proposition, which passed by a wide margin, takes effect in January and redraws California’s congressional districts to favor Democrats.

Turnacliff then called on Natalie Adona, the county’s registrar of voters, to investigate.

“In summary, dead people are voting in Marin County, and we would like to know why,” he said at the meeting.

The county voluntarily reviewed the list of names provided to them by the Marin Republicans, according to reporting by SFGATE; the registrar found that there were up to five deceased people in the list, but there was no record of votes in their names following their deaths.

Following the county’s investigation, Turnacliff checked his work. He bought subscriptions to Ancestry.com and another personal information database. As he looked up the names on his group’s list, he realized that many were in fact alive.

“I jumped the gun,” he told The Times on Wednesday, referring to his “dead people” list. “I just thought, if I was wrong, I should admit it.”

He publicly apologized because he wanted to take the “aggressive high road,” and because he does not want to have an adversarial relationship with the registrar and her office, since he intends to work with them in the future and plans to observe future vote counts, he said.

He’s been praised for his admitting he was wrong, but some people have incorrectly interpreted the apology as an admission that voter fraud doesn’t exist, he said.

Turnacliff, who works in equipment leasing, began digging into Marin County voter rolls after the 2020 election, which he described as “not right,” echoing claims touted by Trump and beliefs held by many Republicans. “It comes from the heart. … There’s no political agenda,” Turnacliff said of his intentions.

He later added, in an email, that his group planned to keep investigating “other irregularities.”

“The next time I speak about election irregularities, I will have bulletproof evidence,” he said in the email.

At an extraordinary general meeting in July, delegates backed an FAI motion to proceed with the games amid concerns that boycotting would cause “significant and lasting harm” for the association.

However, the decision has come under increasing pressure, with a ‘Stop The Game’ campaign launched by Irish Sport for Palestine calling for a boycott.

The campaign has received support from former manager Brian Kerr and ex-player James McClean, and May’s friendly against Qatar in Dublin was disrupted when tennis balls thrown onto the pitch.

The armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza. The United Nations believes the retaliation has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.

Israel has regularly denied committing genocide or war crimes and has said its actions in Gaza have been justified as a means of self-defence.

Earlier this week, FAI director of football John Martin said the games had created a “very uncomfortable situation for everyone” and insisted players “shouldn’t be in a position where they get criticised”.

“We want to represent Ireland with the best games and performances that we can. That’s the agreement with all of us,” added Hallgrimsson.

“Obviously we don’t all share the same opinion. That’s just human nature.”

The Nations League games mark the Republic of Ireland’s first competitive action since their World Cup play-off semi-final defeat by the Czech Republic in March.

Since the penalty shootout loss in Prague, they have played four friendlies, beating Grenada and Qatar and drawing with North Macedonia and Canada.

In address to European parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney listed areas where he wants to boost cooperation.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the prospect of his country becoming the European Union’s first associate member, saying such an alliance is aimed to be a “beacon for democracies” and not to “dominate others”.

Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said Canada “welcomes” von der Leyen’s ambition to make the country an associate member.

“We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals. We hold common values for which we have always fought, and in whose defence we must always remain vigilant,” Carney said to applause from European lawmakers.

“Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together.”

“I am not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival – only with better manners,” he continued. “We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.”

Carney listed a slew of areas where he wanted to ramp up cooperation.

“Canada and Europe should secure our strategic autonomy through deep cooperation in the full range of strategic capabilities, including critical minerals, defence industrial capacity, AI and compute, energy security, space and payments.”

He also said the EU and Canada should move towards “seamless digital trade” and allow young people from both sides to work and study on either side of the Atlantic.

The EU and Canada have been facing stiff rivalry and pressure from Trump’s administration on trade, among other matters, and from an increasingly assertive China.

Trump threatened late on Wednesday to take action against the EU if it moves forward with von der Leyen’s proposal of associate membership for Canada.

“If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things,” Trump told reporters, calling the proposal “laughable”.

“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe,” he added.

The European Commission (EC) said von der Leyen’s proposal – which is yet to be fleshed out and will need to be approved by EU member states to go forward – was not a hostile act.

“As our President (von der Leyen) made clear yesterday, the proposed strengthening of our partnership with Canada is not against anyone else, but for our common strength,” said Olof Gill, an EC spokesperson.

FANCY a fun day out at the garden centre, but need something a little more exciting than just bulbs and shrubs to keep the kids occupied?

These 10 garden centres have everything from enormous soft plays, to fun barns, autumnal pumpkin carving masterclasses, quad biking and even a sandy beach….

The Hollies Farm Shop, Cheshire

The Hollies Farm Shop has lots to explore, and is a favourite of ex-Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague.

The family-run business started as a simple honesty box on the side of the road back in 1959, but is now a major family destination with two sites.

Little Budworth is the original and larger of the two, with a farm shop, butchery, delicatessen, cafe, gift barn and even luxury forest lodges.

In the farm shop and deli, visitors can pick up fresh fruit and veg, as well as daily baked bread, cheeses, cured meats and a homemade range of cakes and juices.

In The Barn, there is an extensive collection of gifts and homeware to explore including Jellycats – visitors can also grab a bite to eat and a fully-loaded hot chocolate at The Friesian Rooms, where there is an outdoor terrace.

For those who want to spend their time at the farm, they can choose to book a luxury forest lodge, each with its own private hot tub.

There are six lodges in total to choose from, sleeping between four and six people – each has an open plan living area, kitchen and there’s a log burner.

The lodges cost from around £298 per night for four people.

Paradise Park & Gardens, East Sussex

Paradise Park & Gardens is described as a hybrid of a traditional garden centre and a family theme park.

Alongside its plant nursery, coastal gardens, water garden and coffee shop, it features an attraction zone to entertain the kids.

The indoor play area is suitable for children from toddlers to pre-teens, with token-operated arcade games, remote control cars, and a soft play with tunnels, slides and ball pits.

It also has a separate soft play area for children under three along with a miniature train and a mini golf course.

When it’s sunny, check out the outdoor play area with climbing frames, slides and a 9 hole crazy golf course.

Kids can dig about in the sandpit and even drive our remote controlled boats around the pond.

Coming up this autumn are some events too including the Halloween Trail where kids can meet Barry the Burping Monster, Squealbert the Sky Pig and naughty gnomes at the Undead Disco.

Tickets are included in entry to the park which start from £12.99.

Later on in the year there’s a Santa’s Grotto, where children can meet Father Christmas and get a little festive gift.

Tickets for children over three years old start from £21.99, and this includes all day access to the attractions at Paradise Park.

For children under three, entry to Santa’s Grotto with a Day Park Pass is £9 – accompanying adults with a Day Park Pass are £12.99.

Bury Lane, Hertfordshire

Tucked away just outside of Royston in Hertfordshire is Bury Lane which has plants and garden ornaments to take a look at and there is quite often a seasonal pick your own, from peonies to dahlias and tulips.

From early autumn, a pick your own pumpkin patch will open – so make sure to bring your wellies.

The farm shop offers an array of fresh fruit and veg, butchers, fishmongers and a delicatessen.

Then pop into the Farm Shop Cafe for hearty breakfasts, lunches and snacks with roast dinners served up on Sundays.

If you’re going as a family though, one place you cannot miss is the Fun Barn, which it added to its site about 10 years ago.

Inside is a multi-storey soft play with slides, cargo nets and activities along the way along with interactive role play areas.

It might not be what you’d expect in the countryside, but the Fun Barn also has an outdoor sandy beach with deck chairs and picnic benches dotted about.

Also outside is the adventure zone with climbing boulders, electric diggers, swings, a wooden boat to climb on, giant chess and football.

This year, the beach is open until September 27.

Tickets for the fun Barn Soft Play & Beach start from £2 (6-11 months old) and start from £2.50 (one year olds).

Tickets for two to four year olds start from £4.50, for five to 10 year olds prices start from £5.75.

For those aged between 11-17, prices start from £2 – the first adult per booking is free otherwise it’s an additional £2.

Bridgemere Garden Centre, Cheshire

With it being the country’s largest garden centre (according to The Guinness Book of Records), Bridgemere Garden Centre has plenty for a family day out.

The massive space holds a restaurant and tearoom on site, so you can feast on a range of deli goods and brunch specials, before enjoying a pastry at the patisserie.

The area has more than six acres of gardens, including the Cottage Garden and Woodland Walk – and kids will have plenty of space to run around.

To keep them even busier, head to the centre’s soft play and the role play area called Apple Tree Town.

Inside is a mini cinema, police station with its own cell, garage that has a car, cottage, shop, post office and vets – all of which have dressing-up options too.

When it comes to events, Bridgemere Garden Centre will have its own Halloween codebreaking trail through the autumnal gardens.

Children must find the pumpkins and decode the letters to solve the special word – hand in the sheet and get a Halloween treat.

Tickets start from £3.99, and if you fancy pumpkin carving too, tickets start from £8.99.

Coming up to the Christmas season, the garden centre will have its own Santa’s Grotto where children will receive a gift and get a photo.

Ticket prices vary on the day and are dependent on age of the child – head here to book in advance as Santa will get very busy.

Stay for the breakfast and order a festive fry up, a pancake stack or an Elf’s Benedict with Santa and his elves – and hear a festive story.

Tickets for a festive breakfast with Santa are £18.50.

Barton Grange Garden Centre, Preston

We couldn’t miss Barton Grange Garden Centre in Preston off the list.

It was named the Destination Garden Centre of the Year by the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Awards – and its won the award six times before that too.

It has a huge garden area along with a farm shop, cook shop, clothing store, the Riverside Cafe and Willows Restaurant.

The children’s menu has hot meals for £9.60, as well as make your own lunch boxes from £7.20.

Throughout the year, the garden centre holds evenings from evenings with horticulturists to pottery painting sessions.

There are also pumpkin sculpting masterclasses where an expert demonstrates how to turn the squash into characters like Stitch, from Lilo and Stitch.

In November, it will be launching its Santa’s Grotto where children can meet Santa and his elves before selecting a gift from the present room, which is brimming with toys

Then there’s a stop at Mrs Christmas’ kitchen where children can decorate their own gingerbread house cookie.

Tickets to the grotto start from £30 for one adult and one child.

And while technically it’s not inside the garden centre, just across the road is the Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre, which has crazy golf, bowling and a cinema for kids to enjoy.

Yarnton Home & Garden, Oxfordshire

Every member of the family will enjoy a day out at Yarnton Home & Garden.

It has beautiful plants, garden furniture, gifts and food is served at the Allotment Cafe.

The garden centre also has a children’s toy shop filled with puzzles, soft toys and books.

To entice kids out of the shop, head to the Magic Garden, a nature-themed indoor play area.

Designed for children up to 10, it has a climbing frame made to look like a garden shed along with tunnels, rope bridges and slides.

There’s also a see-saw, swing, foam gardening tools to play with, a teepee and for the parents, comfy sofas.

The soft play centre is completely free to enter.

If you fancy getting crafty, there are lots of events on throughout the year like the Pumpkin Workshop.

Kids can get hands on scooping and carving their own pumpkin for Halloween.

The workshop takes place every hour between October 26-30 from £6.99pp.

The garden centre also has its own Potting Shed Studio where you can create your own masterpieces or simply paint them.

You can book a table for up to six people for an hour session with a booking fee of £1pp.

Craft Nurseries, Essex

Whether you’re looking for plants, shrubs, seeds, or just a day out, Craft Nurseries in Essex is one to visit.

Its indoor soft play barn will keep kids occupied, along with a dedicated play section for young children and babies.

There’s also an outdoor area with a bouncing pillows, farm animals like pygmy goats and rabbits, and a mud kitchen.

Tickets to the soft play start from £4 (children aged 0-2) and £7.50 (children age 2+).

Accompanying adults must also have a ticket – these cost £3.

The garden centre also has a restaurant and coffee shop all set within the grounds.

Birchen Grove, London

Along with being a lovely garden centre filled with a collection of outdoor planes, houseplants, gifts and pots – the children’s play area at Birchen Grove is hard to beat.

It has a huge indoor play area called The Grove Playtown which has 11 themed rooms from shops to a police station, doctors, hairdressers, to an ice cream truck.

There’s also plenty of opportunity for kids to get dressed up with fancy-dress costumes.

To secure a spot it’s advised to make a booking, with children’s tickets from £8 and accompanying adult tickets from £2.

The sessions last an hour and a half.

The fun doesn’t stop there, as outside there’s lots of play equipment from swings to a climbing frame and quad bikes.

Kids can hop on and off – they just need a token from the tills and it costs £2 a go.

The quad bikes are open 11am to 3pm every weekend and during the school holidays (children under 90cm must be accompanied by an adult).

Vanstone Park Garden Centre, Hertfordshire

Vanstone Park Garden Centre in Caldicote is the perfect place for families to enjoy a day out.

The family-run business started back in 1976 selling plants and gardening essentials – but outside is where the fun begins.

The children’s playground has the usual swings, climbing frames and slides, as well as a bouncy castle.

For any fan of trains, hop onboard the miniature railway through the grounds and woodland.

Or take a walk around the Wildlife Lake, where you can spots birds like the Greylag Goose and Moorhen.

If you’re lucky, you might even spot a deer grazing nearby.

Don’t forget to pop into The Greenhouse Cafe for a hot dinner, toasted panini, sandwich or afternoon tea.

Brookside Garden Centre, Stockport

Brookside Garden Centre in Stockport might look like your average garden centre, but on some weekends throughout the year it has a funfair takeover.

It’s a vintage attraction with some rides and games dating back to the 1930s.

Think classic merry-go-round, hook a duck and swinging boat rides.

Its next upcoming funfair will be on September 26-27 between 11am and 4pm.

The following month, there will be a Spookside Halloween Celebration from October 31-November 1 between 11am and 4pm.

The funfair is completely free to enter, rides and games are paid for with tokens that you can buy on arrival.

The garden centre is also home to the Brookside Miniature railway where families can hop onboard a ride that’s over half a mile long.

They’ll be celebrating Halloween during Spookside too and the line will be kitted out with creepy decor.

The train fare is £2.50 for everyone over the age of two.

The family of Nicholas Brandram have insisted he was not the so-called “Putney pusher” and have blamed the Metropolitan Police for his death.

The 44-year-old was under suspicion of being the jogger who pushed a woman into the path of a bus during a run on Putney Bridge in west London in 2017.

Brandram’s family said he “took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan Police investigation” and there was no forensic evidence linking the banker to the incident.

The Met has been asked for comment.

In a statement, the family said there was “no evidence placing him on Putney Bridge at that time, and no credible evidence that he was the man shown in the footage”.

“In fact, the evidence proved the opposite.”

Brandram was arrested in June this year on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. Last week, the Met confirmed he had been released under investigation.

The banker was found dead in his home on Tuesday evening. The force said his death was being treated as “unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious”.

THERE was an on-stage mystery last night as Nicole Scherzinger ‘went missing’ from a Pussycat Dolls song on their tour.

Her bandmates even failed to cover her lyrics when Nicole was nowhere to be seen on the stage in Poland on September 16.

The Pussycat Dolls’ reunion tour was thrown into chaos after lead singer Nicole didn’t appear on stage for their hit Buttons.

The reunion gig fast became rather awkward when the group’s leading lady failed to appear for the first half of the pop hit.

Bandmates Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt were left dancing alone, and failed to provide gig goers with the full song or lyrics in Nicole’s absence.

Instead they offered only backing vocals and ad-libs, as well as elite dance moves with their back up dancers.

TALLY OF THE DOLLS

Huge sum Pussycat Dolls fans must pay to meet Nicole Scherzinger on tour

no buttons

Pussycat Dolls kick off struggling tour after band feud and ticket nightmare

Nicole, who carries pretty much the entire vocal on the 2006 hit, was missing for nearly two minutes before joining the second half of the song.

Fans were quick to react to the rather awkward moment during the concert.

One person said on TikTok: “Could the other girls not just fill in a sing her part.”

“This feel proper awks,” penned a second.

“Why didn’t they just sing her part?” asked a third.

“That was so awkward,” added a fourth.

While a fifth said: “I would ask for a refund haha.”

And a sixth added: “She was missing for half of the song and was visibly p***ed as hell after she came out.”

The PCD Forever Tour marks 20 years since the group’s debut album was released.

The string of gigs feature just three of the group’s original members after most US dates were cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

British fans will see the group take to the stage in Birmingham later this month.

There are also further UK dates including London’s O2 weeks later in October.

Published on
17/09/2026 – 13:17 GMT+2

The ‘Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’ has chosen to wait, though not unanimously.

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The Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of six to three on Thursday to leave borrowing costs unchanged, with the dissenting trio pushing for a quarter-point increase to 4%.

The decision puts the Bank of England at odds with the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, both of which have tightened within the past week.

Despite holding, the central bank expects the situation to worsen before it improves.

Inflation “is likely to rise further over coming quarters,” the committee said, pointing to crude and refined energy prices that have climbed again since its last meeting and remain “more volatile and higher than pre-conflict.”

Watching for second-round effects

The case for holding rests on what has not yet happened.

“There has been little evidence so far of material second-round effects in price and wage-setting,” the statement read, meaning expensive energy is not yet feeding into broader wages and prices.

However, that reprieve may be temporary.

The risk of such effects “is greater the longer higher energy prices persist or are more volatile,” the committee warned, adding that risks to the inflation outlook are “tilted to the upside, and more so than at the time of the July Monetary Policy Report.”

Brent crude and UK wholesale gas prices have risen 36% and 78% respectively since July, with Brent at $106 a barrel and gas at 207 pence per therm on 14 September.

Refinery pressures have kept crack spreads, the gap between refined fuel prices and crude, well above pre-conflict levels.

Economic activity has held up slightly better than expected, while a soft labour market and the higher borrowing costs households and businesses have faced since the conflict began should bring inflation down over time.

A crowded week for central banks

The Fed raised its benchmark on Wednesday to a range of 3.75% to 4%, its first increase since 2023 and a unanimous decision, while signalling more to come.

The ECB lifted its deposit rate to 2.5% last week.

The sequence concludes on Friday with the Bank of Japan, where markets expect a hike.

That would leave the Bank of England as the only major central bank to have stood still this week, though on Thursday’s evidence not by much.

Additional sources • AP

MEXICO CITY — Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano fled his country in 2018 after police raided the television station where he broadcasted his popular talk show, arresting two of his colleagues.

Galeano applied for political asylum when he arrived in Florida on a tourism visa, saying he faced grave risks back home for his fierce criticism of Nicaragua’s left-wing Sandinista government, which the U.S. labels a dictatorship. Soon after, Nicaragua declared Galeano a “traitor to the homeland” and confiscated his home and assets in the capital of Managua.

This week, U.S. immigration agents arrested Galeano in Orlando. Despite his ongoing asylum case, he now faces deportation to the country he fled and whose abuses he has spent years documenting.

Journalists, human rights advocates and political dissidents who were persecuted in Nicaragua and sought safety in the United States are increasingly being detained as the Trump administration widens its deportation dragnet and narrows access to asylum and other forms of protection.

Recent targets include activists who fled Nicaragua after a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2018 and opposition leaders critical of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, a married couple who lead Nicaragua as co-presidents.

Some of the exiles arrested by U.S. agents in recent months had been welcomed with open arms by the U.S. government just three years ago under a novel deal negotiated by the State Department.

As part of the 2023 agreement, Nicaragua freed 222 political prisoners and the U.S. hired a charter plane to fly them to Washington, where each person was granted temporary humanitarian parole and the chance to apply for asylum.

One of those former prisoners, Marlon Gerardo Sáenz Cruz, a former Sandinista who said he was tortured in Nicaragua after denouncing government corruption, was arrested during a regular check-in with immigration authorities in Los Angeles on Aug. 17.

Another, Denis Javier Palacios Hernández, who languished for three years in a Nicaraguan jail after participating in pro-democracy marches, was detained by immigration agents Wednesday morning in Virginia.

Human rights advocates say the effort to deport dissidents with no criminal record and a history of persecution puts their lives in danger and is at odds with U.S. foreign policy, which condemns human rights abuses and corruption under Murillo and Ortega, a former Marxist revolutionary who at 80 is now the longest-serving leader in the Americas.

After Ortega said in July that Nicaragua would scrap all future elections, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had recently announced sweeping sanctions on dozens of Nicaraguan leaders, vowed consequences. This week, while celebrating the anniversary of Central America’s independence from Spain, Rubio praised Nicaraguans for pushing for democracy “despite the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship’s brutal efforts to annihilate it.”

“Whether at home or in exile, Nicaraguans’ aspirations for a future free from tyranny cannot be canceled or erased,” Rubio said.

He spoke one day after Border Patrol agents arrested Galeano, who, since moving to Florida, has driven for ride-hailing apps in the mornings to provide for his two children and has spent his afternoons recording episodes of “Café con Voz,” his daily YouTube show.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Galeano was detained because he overstayed his tourist visa, which gave him permission to remain in the U.S. only through 2019, and encouraged Galeano to self-deport. “Being in detention is a choice,” the spokesperson said. “The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now.”

In the past, people who had filed asylum applications in the U.S. were generally allowed to stay and work while they waited for a ruling in their case, a process that often stretches years because of backlogs in immigration court.

That’s changed under President Trump, who has vowed to deport 1 million people annually, and who complains that the asylum system is abused and used as a back door for economic migrants falsely claiming persecution.

As immigration arrests in the U.S. have soared in recent months, surpassing 51,000 in August, asylum seekers and others who have shared their information with the U.S. in hopes of achieving legal status make up a growing share of detainees, according to the Deportation Data Project.

Removals of Nicaraguans have also surged, with deportation flights to Managua increasing more than fourfold under Trump compared to under President Biden, according to data tracked by Human Rights First.

Nicaraguans are also being shipped to Mexico, Costa Rica and as far away as the Central African Republic. They face unique risks in those countries, said Savi Arvey, director of policy for refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First.

In Costa Rica, Sandinista operatives are suspected in a series of shootings, abductions and killings of Nicaraguan exiles in recent years.

“This government is so single-minded in carrying out this vast mass deportation campaign that it blatantly ignores realities on the ground,” Arvey said.

Gerald Chávez, president of the Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua, said that at least one journalist who had sought protection in the U.S. had been sent to Costa Rica, avoiding deportation to Nicaragua thanks to a lengthy legal battle and help from Reporters Without Borders.

Restriction of press freedoms has been a cornerstone of Ortega and Murillo’s efforts to concentrate power in recent years.

Hundreds of journalists fled as government officials jailed colleagues, shuttered dozens of news outlets and passed laws barring reporters from publishing information not authorized by the government. At one point, Ortega even banned newspapers from importing paper and ink.

Galeano — who previously worked as a correspondent for the Associated Press in Nicaragua — believed he had a responsibility to call out what he saw as injustices perpetrated by the government.

“If there is one thing that has distinguished the Sandinista thugs … it is that up until now, they have enjoyed total impunity,” he said on a recent episode of his YouTube show.

Galeano’s arrest has drawn sharp criticism from human rights and press freedom groups and even Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Trump ally who is seeking reelection in Florida.

Salazar described Galeano as a journalist who had “paid a very high price for telling the world the truth.”

“The United States must always know how to distinguish between a criminal and a political exile,” she wrote on X. “Luis cannot end up in the hands of the very dictatorship that persecuted him.”

Linthicum reported from Mexico City. López, a special correspondent, reported from Orlando.

BBC Radio 5 Live brings you more Premier League commentaries than anywhere else this season, with 209 live matches.

You can listen to selected commentaries, plus updates from around the grounds, on BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport app and website and via your smart speaker.

Saturday, 19 September

Arsenal vs Brighton (15:00) – BBC Radio 5 Live

Newcastle v Hull City (15:00) – BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2

Nottingham Forest v Coventry (17:30) – BBC Radio 5 Live

Sunday, 20 September

Bournemouth vs Liverpool (14:00) – BBC Radio 5 Live

Man City vs Sunderland (14:00) – BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Leeds v Crystal Palace (14:00) – BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 2

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50 boats rushed across the sea to evacuate people from the beach as the fire spread

A couple have described their terrifying escape after a wildfire surrounded their holiday resort, forcing hundreds of guests to flee towards the sea. Stephen and Anna Saunders had been staying at the Gava Waterman resort on Brač in Croatia for a week-long holiday.

Guests at the all-inclusive four-star waterfront hotel were initially reassured there was “nothing to worry about” despite ash falling from the sky and a huge orange glow visible over the hills. The couple, from Rainham, Kent, had arrived on the island last Monday and were aware there had been wildfires in the area for several days.

Stephen said a guide warned them on Friday that lightning strikes had caused the blaze. Despite the fires being close by, he said guests were repeatedly told the situation was under control. But on Saturday evening, September 12, the pair went out to dinner with friends and said they could see an “orange glow” in the sky.

“There was ash falling into our drinks,” Anna said. Just after 9.30pm, the power went out at the hotel. Shortly afterwards, Stephen says ash was “visibly falling from the sky”. At that point, the couple returned to their room and decided to pack a small bag “just in case”. Within minutes, a friend told them that trees were on fire right next to the hotel.

Anna said: “The embers were blowing across. I quickly changed my shoes and we went down by the sea, but there were no lights, and no one from the hotel was present. The fire was just shooting across, and it just came down so quickly, so we thought the best thing to do was get in the water.”

The 52-year-old said hundreds of people eventually gathered on wooden platforms and in the sea as smoke and flames surrounded the bay. “Everyone was absolutely terrified”, she added. “There were hundreds and hundreds of people all on these platforms or in the sea. We were basically trapped.”

Stephen said the only staff members he saw were entertainment and restaurant workers. He says there was no emergency lighting, no clear evacuation route, and reception was empty. A spokesperson for Waterman Hotels and Resorts denied that guests “were abandoned by the resort team”.

Stephen said he had to rescue an elderly couple who became stuck in automatic glass doors. “There were families, elderly people and disabled guests trying to get down a steep, dark resort towards a rocky beach while the fire closed in behind us,” he added.

“Within minutes, the trees around the beach were burning. The flames were above us. It was getting really hot and burning embers were raining down from the sky. At this point, people were jumping into the sea and trying to get away from the smoke.”

Firefighters eventually arrived and helped to organise a sea evacuation, and local boat owners came to help rescue those trapped. Stephen said around 50 boats came to help and praised the firefighters and local people who came to their aid.

The 57-year-old electrician said: “If it weren’t for them, I don’t know what would have happened.” The couple, who booked the holiday through TUI, were moved to accommodation in Split in the early hours of Sunday morning – on Anna’s birthday.

They returned home on Monday evening, but Anna said the experience has had a lasting impact. She explained: “We’re not sleeping properly. You just close your eyes, and you’re going through it all the time.”

Stephen said their luggage is expected to be recovered, although other guests lost their possessions. He is planning to lodge a formal complaint to the hotel along with other people impacted last week.

A spokesperson for Waterman Hotels and Resorts said it recognises how “frightening and traumatic” the ordeal was for guests and does “not seek to diminish or challenge anyone’s individual experience” of the evacuation. They explained that the resort’s layout, the loss of electricity, heavy smoke and poor visibility, and the speed at which the fire advanced meant guests experienced different circumstances and had access to different information at different times.

“We would, however, like to correct one important claim that has appeared in some accounts: our guests were not abandoned by the resort team,” they said. They said staff at the resort, which also hosts easyJet and Jet2 trips, initially acted on “the official information and instructions provided by the authorities and emergency services coordinating the response to the wildfire”, and the resort had been instructed not to evacuate guests.

They added: “Conditions then changed with extraordinary speed. An extreme change in wind drove the fire towards the resort, power was lost, and heavy smoke severely reduced visibility.

“When our team on the ground saw that the situation had changed dramatically and that the fire presented an immediate danger to the resort, our reception manager made the decision to activate the alarm and begin the evacuation. Our employees then assisted guests throughout the evacuation.

“The final group of our employees involved left on the last boat used in the evacuation, after establishing that the guests had gone. Other employees travelled during the fire to assist guests and colleagues at the resort.”

Courage and extraordinary efforts

The spokesperson said reception, kitchen, technical and other resort staff stepped forward to help. They added that the company has received many messages from guests thanking them for their assistance, but accepts that “this does not mean that every guest had the same experience”.

“With more than 360 guests spread across a large resort, no electricity, heavy smoke, extremely poor visibility and a fire advancing at exceptional speed, it was extraordinarily difficult for information and assistance to reach everyone simultaneously,” they explained.

“We understand that some guests therefore felt they did not have the information or guidance they needed at critical moments. We take those experiences seriously.

“However, just as we would never question the fear or distress experienced by any of our guests, we believe it is important that the actions of the many employees who remained and helped others in extremely dangerous circumstances are also accurately represented.”

The team is currently working through inquiries from guests regarding luggage, documentation and other belongings. The spokesperson described the situation as an “extraordinary emergency”, with conditions changing “minute from minute”.

They said: “The courage and extraordinary efforts of the firefighters and emergency services, the solidarity of local people who came by boat and helped evacuate guests, and the commitment of our own employees are not things we believe should be called into question.

Deeply traumatic

“They are a source of profound gratitude and pride, and they are a major reason why far more serious and tragic consequences were avoided.

“We will examine our own actions with the same seriousness. We will conduct a detailed review of the events of that night, including our procedures and communications, and identify any lessons that need to be learned.

“Saturday night was deeply traumatic for our guests, our employees and the local community. Alongside that trauma, however, we will remember the extraordinary courage, solidarity and willingness of people to help one another in exceptionally dangerous circumstances.”

A TUI UK spokesperson said: “We know this will have been a frightening and distressing experience for those affected by the wildfire on the island of Brac. The safety of our customers is our highest priority, and our local teams have been supporting those impacted and working closely with the hotel and local authorities.

“We would like to thank the emergency services for their response to this rapidly developing situation.”

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games get under way this weekend under the shadow of a housing crisis that has organisers scrambling to placate athletes and officials from participating nations.

The tournament has been mired in complaints over housing options for athletes travelling to Japan, after the host nation decided not to build a dedicated Games village for the 17,000 competitors and officials.

To cut costs this year, organisers are relying on a cruise ship, temporary wooden cabins and hotels, but this temporary accommodation has met with criticism in the days leading up to the continental competition.

On Monday, South Korean officials slammed beds in shipping container-style huts as the “worst-ever”, as the South Korean basketball chief said the beds were too short to stretch out in.

Here’s everything we know:

Why are the Asian Games facing an accommodation crisis?

The official housing committee said the issue arose because they expected 15,000 athletes and officials, but numbers increased as new sports were added.

This year’s Games will feature several newcomers, including mixed martial arts, padel and surfing, as well as virtual taekwondo and teqball, which ‌‌combines aspects of football and table tennis.

Ahead of the Games’ opening, chief organiser Hideaki Omura said efforts are being made to ensure athletes are comfortable.

“If there are different opinions, then we will respond to them appropriately,” Omura, who also serves as governor of Aichi prefecture, told the AFP news agency.

“At this point, while we are responding to individual opinions, we have been improving everything as issues arise, and we will continue to respond that way.”

He added that a committee of former athletes, including Olympians, gave a favourable assessment of the plans for the huts built this year.

“We explained everything to them and had them take a look around, and they said it looked functional and good,” he said.

Where will the Asian Games athletes stay?

Alternative housing options range from a cruise liner and wooden containers to hotel rooms.

On Tuesday, the Italian cruise ship, Costa Serena, which will host 4,000 athletes and officials, arrived in Nagoya.

The shipping container-style huts in the dock area of Japan’s biggest port will host 2,000 other athletes and officials.

On Thursday, Japan’s deputy Chef de Mission Hisashi Mizutori told a news conference that athletes have been going through entry procedures since the cruise ship village opened a day earlier.

“There have been cases where coaches, team officials and athletes have been assigned to the same room. There are also situations where room assignments were made purely based on the numbers, such as assigning five twin rooms for a group of five men and five women,” Mizutori said.

“While the numbers match on paper, practically it creates challenging situations such as men and women being assigned together, coaches being assigned with athletes, or trainers who need to accommodate a lot of medical equipment being assigned together.”

He added that the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) had also anticipated accommodation “challenges” and secured hotels in the city as a backup.

“We are currently working to coordinate and negotiate adjustments wherever possible. For cases where that proves too difficult, we are considering using the backup accommodations that Team Japan prepared in advance as alternatives.”

Why are participating nations and athletes complaining about the accommodation?

Jung Jae-yong, vice president of the Korea Basketball Association (KBA), slammed the cabins hosting the men’s basketball team.

“Athletes who are over two metres tall cannot even stretch their legs out on the beds. It’s unreasonable.”

Jung also accused the organisers of failing to respond to South Korea’s concerns about the housing options.

“The organisers have still not said anything,” he said, adding: “We are very concerned and discussing extensively with the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee what to do about this.”

Player Byeon Jun-hyeong, from the basketball team, posted a video on social media showing a leaking sink and a soaked floor in his hut.

“Please help us,” he posted.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino also said that while all his athletes had been given a room, “some officials, like coaches, were moved to different hotels and Airbnb”.

Why will cricketers get the best accommodation at the Asian Games?

Head of Japan’s cricket association, Naoki Alex Miyaji, said in early September that cricket would get better accommodation than other sports.

According to Miyaji, the cricket tournament is being run by the Asian Games organising committee in collaboration with the Asian Cricket Council.

He said that the two bodies had been discussing accommodation options “for a long time”.

“The participating teams in cricket are being offered hotel accommodation,” Miyaji said.

“Many other sports are being accommodated in much more limited facilities, such as a cruise ship or container hotels.”

What other issues have hit the Asian Games?

While the opening ceremony has yet to take place, several events such as basketball, football, cricket, hockey and modern pentathlon have already begun.

On Thursday, Tropical Storm Dujuan was located off Japan’s Pacific coast as of 03:00 GMT and heading northwest towards central Japan, where Nagoya is located.

Last week, torrential rains hit Nagoya and the surrounding areas, forcing schools to close and suspending train services. Several hundred athletes were also forced to leave their accommodation.

Kosei Inoue, Japan’s chef de mission for the Games and a senior executive board member of the JOC, said at a news conference on Thursday that some competitions have already experienced “delays or postponements, and there is also a possibility that a typhoon could approach on September 21”.

“Under these circumstances, we are holding thorough meetings within the JOC to ensure that we are fully prepared and capable of responding appropriately to these situations.”

COBBLED streets, vintage shops, pubs with roaring fires all surrounded by rolling countryside hills – you’ll find it all in this Yorkshire village.

There’s no better time to visit than autumn, as the whole village gets a seasonal overhaul with huge shop displays and twinkling lights for the dark evenings.

The West Yorkshire village called Haworth has absolutely everything associated with autumn from cobbled streets to charming cottages and cosy cafes.

Main Street is full of independent shops – and was previously named as one of the most beautiful streets in the UK.

It gets a makeover for autumn with plenty of pumpkins, orange lights and leafy displays around shop entrances.

Popular stores include Mrs Beighton’s Sweet Shop which has over 500 varieties of sweets, Haworth Wholefoods for local artisan bread, and The Cabinet of Curiosities that’s filled with candles, oils and bubbling cauldron bath bombs.

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Other shops include Oh La La Vintage for items from the 1920s onwards, and Chocolate for sweet treats, along with galleries and bookshops.

For pubs, there’s the Fleece Inn which serves up homemade pies and Whitby scampi sold alongside its range of ales.

Rooms are available to book too with the double room with a walk-in shower available from £145 (£72.50pp) – a single room can be booked from £60.

If it’s a hot drink in a cafe that you’re after, then head to the Old Post Office for a slice of cake, or a warm Belgian waffle.

The village has caught lots of attention on social media thanks to its autumn feel with some comparing it to Starry Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

One woman who filmed her visit to Haworth on Instagram described it as a “village that feels like it’s been lifted straight out of a storybook”.

Comments on the post read:” Looks magical!” another added “this is so cute! Like you are in a fairytale”.

The town has literature connections too as it was home of the Brontë sisters, who between them wrote books like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

Yorkshire.com explained: “Home of the famous Brontë sisters, Haworth is an undisputed literary mecca, attracting visitors from all around the world.“

“With its historic cobbled Main Street, iconic parsonage and rolling moors, the picturesque proportions of this Airedale village exude a vintage charm that makes you feel you’ve stepped into another era.”

If you want to arrive at the village in a truly Old England way, then there’s a steam train that links the town along the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

The train regularly features in films, such as the Railway Children, which was filmed in Haworth.

It has a regular timetable, while special weekend events like like vintage experiences and for autumn, one called The Spooky Express.

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in some of the best holiday destinations abroad as well as some lesser-known spots in the UK.

With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Megan and Harry, beginning their new life in the UK, we’ve decided to shine a light on the Cotswolds town of Witney as the couple and their children are reportedly settling into the historic region.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey grew up there and has long claimed its an excellent day trip outside of the nearby busy Cotswolds towns of Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water.

Try Hunter’s Cake Cafe for insanely delicious sweet treats, and pick up some cute gifts from Lily’s Attic.

Or go just outside of town to Minster Lovell Ruins for the ideal picnic spots within the 16th century remains.

Here are some of my other top tips of places to go.

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MUST SEE / DO

Learn about the town’s history in wool at Witney Blanket Hall, which dates back to 1721 and is free to visit (make sure to pick up a blanket at the gift shop too).

And kids will love Cogges Manor Farm with 17 acres to explore which includes an adventure playground and animals they can feed and pet.

Tickets start from £12 for adults, see cogges.org.uk.

Otherwise a short drive away is Blenheim Palace as well as Jeremy Clarkson’s The Farmer’s Dog.

HIDDEN GEM

Only known by locals, head straight to Sandwich de Witney for one of the heartiest baguettes you’ll have ever seen.

Just don’t be too late – most of them sell out shortly after lunch.

For evening entertainment, catch some comedy or some live tribute acts at the very tiny Fat Lils music venue.

Previous comedians have included Greg Davies and Milton Jones. Tickets from £5. See fatlils.co.uk.

BEST VIEW

Grab a coffee and head down to the banks of the River Windrush which runs through the town.

The peaceful break from the bustling town is the ideal escape, where you’ll be mainly joined by joggers and a few cows in the distance.

It even used to host the World Pooh Sticks Championships, so grab a stick and get racing.

RATED RESTAURANT

If there is one thing Witney has an abundance of, its pubs.

And one of the finest in town for a meal out is The Fleece, a gastropub and hotel.

You’ll be licking the crumbs off the plate of the Devon crab cakes, and I’d go back just for Aubrey’s Cheeseburger, complete with the crispiest chips and pickles.

There’s a fantastic list of desserts, but my sweet tooth was satisfied by the bizarre, yet strangely delicious Banana Brulee Old Fashioned.

BEST BAR

If you love a beer, head to the Crafty Pint Bar.

It was recently named Oxford Pub of the Year by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), with a number of independent beers both on tap and by the bottle.

Try the Little Ox which is brewed just down the road.

Otherwise for the best vibes on a Friday night, head over to the Como Lounge in the centre of town where you can get two cocktails for £13.25.

HOTEL PICK

The Blue Boar ticks all the boxes – central location, cosy-yet-modern bedrooms and a fantastic restaurant downstairs.

Originally a 17th century coaching inn, there’s just 20 rooms to choose from, each with four poster beds, DAB radios and Nespresso machines.

Some rooms have views over the town centre, and easy has lush bathrooms kitted out with fluffy towels and luxe toiletries.

After recent renovations to the bar and restaurant, it reopened last week. Rooms start from £81. See acornpubs.co.uk/blueboar.

WANT to know what true happiness feels like? You’ll need to ditch crowded European beaches for mud-covered, chill out sessions and freezing cold lakes.

Earlier this year, Finland was named the happiest country in the world for the ninth year running.

According to the World Population Review, Finland scored 7.74 out of 10 overall in the most recent index – compared to the world average which is 5.57.

The happiness score factors are calculated across six categories including social support, life expectancy and freedom to make choices.

Win one of five incredible holidays to Turkey, the Norwegian fjords and Spain by voting in The Sun’s Travel Awards – enter here to win.

The report also mentions that top-ranked countries tend to have a combination of a higher income average, longer life expectancy and great freedom.

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So on a recent trip to Finland, I really put those stats to the test exploring different parts of Finnish life and culture to find out just why they are so cheerful.

Saunas

If the Finns are known for one thing, it is their saunas.

With a staggering 3.2million saunas compared to 5.2million people, there is nearly a sauna per 1.6 people.

And until experiencing the sauna culture in the country for myself, I didn’t get the hype.

But being in a sauna is the ultimate relaxation.

And they aren’t all the same kind – you get saunas of different temperatures, wood-fired saunas, smoke saunas and so on.

My favourite was the peat sauna, where I covered myself in mud and let it harden before scrubbing it off in the shower.

It is meant to do wonders for your skin and I did feel very refreshed and clean afterwards.

Saunas are also proven to be good for your health, with benefits for your heart, circulation and stress levels – promoting relaxation, better well-being and a decent night’s sleep.

Free foraging

In Finland, there are Everyman’s Rights – a traditional legal principle that allows everyone to freely explore nature without the landowner’s permission or having to pay a fee.

Whether it be swimming, walking, cycling or even riding a horse, you are allowed to do it all – even on privately owned land.

As part of the rights, you are allowed to pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers as long as they are not protected species.

And Finland is abundant with tasty berries such as blueberries and lingonberries and mushrooms, such as chanterelles and porcini.

I love UK forests and it is always fun to see different mushrooms, but having such a variety that are safe to eat is something a little more special.

Forests & lakes

Seventy per cent of Finland is covered in forest and 10 per cent of the land area is lakes.

With that in mind, there are a lot of lush green places to walk and open calm waters to swim in.

In total, Finland has around 188,000 lakes with the largest being Lake Saimaa, which is where I visited.

Despite the water being a chilly 17C, thanks to the Everyman’s Rights you can dip in and out as much as you like.

The refreshing dips truly are invigorating and very relaxing if paired with a session in a sauna.

Most of the lakes are surrounded by dense forest with towering trees that look like they have been ripped out of a fairytale.

You can spend even longer enjoying it as you are allowed to pitch a tent for a night or two freely.

Kota culture

Across the parks, forests and at the edge of lakes you will find these cosy-looking indoor-outdoor cabins.

These are actually nicknamed ‘kota’ or ‘Grillikota’ and are shelters invented by the indigenous Sami people of Lapland around 4,000 years ago.

Over the years, the huts have been modernised relevant to today’s uses and now they are usually hexagonal or octagonal wooden cabins along hiking trails used to grill sausages and make food while enjoying outdoor adventures.

Public huts, such as those I found on one of the many islands on Lake Saimaa, are unlocked and free to use and are usually managed by the Finnish Forest Administration.

There only tends to be one rule and that is that the space must always be made for the newest, most exhausted hiker who arrives.

Firewood is also provided for free at public kotas and you must leave no trace.

Less people

Finland is about 1.4 times bigger than the UK, yet the country’s population (5.2million) is just over half the population of the UK’s capital, London (9.1million).

While initially I felt a little uncomfortable when walking around Imatra and seeing no people, it means that everywhere is so peaceful and constantly clean.

The entire time I was in Finland I didn’t see a single piece of rubbish – but with an incentive of around 20 cents per bottle you recycle, it’s easy to see why.

For the last few weeks, Indonesia has been struggling to contain the land and forest fires on its territory. The disaster leads to a cross-border haze crisis affecting neighboring countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s approaches to the environmental issue arouse uncertainties about his commitment toward ASEAN cooperation and good relations with surrounding states. Prabowo’s inaction on Malaysia’s and Brunei’s plan to take the matter to the ASEAN meeting is also questionable, considering his image as a “foreign policy president.”

Recurring regional environmental crisis

The transboundary smoke caused by peatland fires mostly originates from Indonesia, specifically the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The slash-and-burn method used to clear land is a main factor contributing to the widespread fires, with El Niño season worsening the situation. To mitigate seasonal disasters, the Indonesian government has attempted to strengthen domestic regulations, yet the problem persists. The haze is not simply an environmental issue, as it has a cross-boundary impact in various aspects of Southeast Asia. Wildlife is at risk, schools are forced to move online, people are experiencing respiratory issues, and other public activities are severely disturbed.

ASEAN member states have understood that this problem should be solved regionally for quite a long time. They have maintained coordination under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), which was fully ratified by all members in 2015, with Indonesia ironically being the last to ratify. However, the agreement lacks strong implementation, as the willingness of the party to act is a significant part of the treaty. This may reflect the ASEAN Way’s value of highly respecting the sovereignty of other member states.

Indonesia’s officials stated that they are committed to the AATHP. They emphasize their own actions of reporting daily updates to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC). They also openly accept assistance from foreign countries to put out the fires. Nevertheless, President Prabowo’s reaction to seeing this issue as a regional problem is nowhere to be found. He indeed made some meaningful gestures in response to the forest fires, yet he mostly saw it from a purely domestic lens. For instance, Prabowo visited several hotspots in Riau, Sumatera, and provinces in Borneo. At a recent high-level government meeting, he also instructed the chief of the Indonesian police to enforce the laws against perpetrators of forest fires, including several corporations, and to conduct further investigations.

Is Prabowo really committed to ASEAN?

As the impact of the smoke has reached neighboring countries, an official statement or public apology from Prabowo is urgently needed. This political gesture will reassure ASEAN citizens that Indonesia is responsible for this matter and willing to cooperate with other member states. For instance, during the 2015 and 2019 Southeast Asian haze disasters, President Joko Widodo showed that he publicly regretted that the fires affected Malaysia and Singapore, and he even felt embarrassed as Indonesia was the primary source of the smoke.

Furthermore, making a formal apology is not always a sign of weakness, as it demonstrates a deep respect for the other party. Prabowo himself apologized to Vladimir Putin for not being present at the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, which he openly stated during a visit a few days ago. He may also do the same to ASEAN leaders to calm relations amid the crisis.

Despite reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and relevant institutions are actively communicating with other ASEAN states, a clear statement from Prabowo is still required.

A lack of response on regional coordination may leave observers wondering, as Prabowo is known as a foreign policy president and a “de facto foreign minister.” Since the first day of his administration, he actively engaged with global leaders through overseas trips. As of June 2026, Prabowo has visited 29 countries and engaged in over 50 international engagements. This number reflects his strong interest in connecting with foreign counterparts. He also reached out to various powers and blocs, including participation at the Board of Peace (BoP) and a recent official trip to Russia.

However, Prabowo seems to ignore the reality of the current regional crisis caused by fires originating in his country. He remained silent on Brunei and Malaysia’s intention to discuss the issue at the ASEAN level. Even when the foreign public went into uproar through demonstrations at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and heavy criticism on social media. His choice to focus more on the domestic side of the environmental crisis raises questions about his priority to work with ASEAN.

In the long run, Prabowo’s lack of enthusiasm for ASEAN collaboration will damage Indonesia’s long-standing image in the region and challenge the basis of the country’s foreign policy. Since 1967, Indonesia has always been taking a dominant role in the organization. No wonder the country is associated with the terms “ASEAN de facto leader” and “natural leader.” Indonesia, along with other member states, helps ASEAN to grow as one of the leading regional organizations, and conversely, the bloc strengthens Jakarta’s bebas aktif foreign policy principle. ASEAN has become a platform for Southeast Asian small and middle powers to articulate their foreign policies when engaging with external actors in the middle of great-power competition.

Despite many criticisms of ASEAN’s consensus mechanism, Prabowo still needs to maintain the commitment toward the regional bloc. To date, ASEAN continues to be relevant for Indonesia, especially during the ongoing haze crisis, as stated in Law 38 of 2008 that ASEAN is a cornerstone of Jakarta’s foreign policy.

ITV’s Long Lost Family is back for another emotional episode on Thursday night

A Long Lost Family guest breaks down in tears as he receives news about his sister.

The emotional ITV series, hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, sees the hosts strive to reunite family members who have never met, including twins separated at birth and young mothers who had to give up their babies.

On Thursday’s episode, the show hears from Jake, 36, who lives in Australia but was born and grew up in the UK in a single parent family. Jake always knew that he was the result of an extra marital affair. His mother had been a nurse and had met his married father when he was a doctor at the same hospital.

Jake recalled that when he was a newborn, his father occasionally visited, bringing his two children Katie and Tom, who were aged five and three at the time. One of Jake’s most precious keepsakes are two photographs of his brother and sister holding him as a baby.

However, sadly, his mother’s relationship with their father did not last, and Jake never saw his siblings again. When he was 14, Jake and his mum emigrated to Australia.

Despite not seeing his siblings since he was a child, Jake has been desperate to find them and contacted Long Lost Family for help, emotionally saying: “I feel like I always missed out. I missed out on something, that, you know, was really a connection that I craved really. I’ve always somewhat felt a little bit alone. And I just need that connection.”

Sadly, Jake was unable to successfully meet his father after attempting to track him down and therefore unable to learn any more about his siblings. Jake had also tried multiple other avenues to find his siblings, but Katie and Tom appeared to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Even Long Lost Family struggled locating the siblings through their conventional searches. However, the team soon discovered in the series’ files something surprising after receiving thousands of applications.

Months before Jake had applied to the show, Long Lost Family received an application from a woman in Canada called Katie, who was looking for a birth father – with the same surname as Jake’s father. Following a DNA test, it confirmed that Katie was Jake’s half-sister, in an incredible discovery.

Katie is a lawyer who now lives in Toronto and she had no idea that she even had a younger brother. The duo’s brother, Tom, supports Katie’s decision but has chosen not to be involved in any filming at this time.

In an exclusive clip obtained by the Mirror of Thursday’s episode, it sees host Davina share the news with Jake, who breaks down in tears over the discovery.

Asking where his siblings live, Davina explains: “So… Katie, her mum met her stepdad. They moved to… Australia!” Jake is left floored by this discovery as he too moved from the UK to Australia. The guest exclaims: “No way, you’re kidding! No way!” before wiping away tears.

Jake adds: “So they weren’t even that far away. I can’t believe it!” Davina then adds that Katie is a lawyer and she has since moved to Toronto.

The guest then asks: “Did they enjoy Australia? Were they happy?” with Davina responding: “They’ve had good lives, I think the family situation, it’s been difficult for all of you, I think, in different ways.

“I think it’ll be really nice for you to be able to speak together about it. Weirdly, we found her because… she applied to Long Lost Family to find your dad.” This piece of information leaves Jake in tears as he exclaims: “Wow!”

Viewers will have to tune into Thursday’s episode to see the two siblings have an emotional reunion.

Long Lost Family continues on Thursday 17th September at 9pm on ITV and ITVX

Donald Trump Jr. has a lot more in common with his dad than just a name, sharing the president’s penchant for shady dealings and for kleptocratic Russians. Sometimes the two proclivities go together. That was the case in May, we learned this week from ProPublica, when Don Jr. married his second wife during a three-day Bahamian bacchanal bankrolled partly with hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Putin-allied oligarch the Trump scion met only recently.

I had to wonder — recalling Don Jr.’s response in 2016 on learning Russia helpfully wanted to dump dirt on Hillary Clinton — whether he replied in kind when his new Russian friend, Umar Kremlev, offered the wedding grift, er, gift: “If it’s what you say I love it.”

My second thought was that Don Jr. is just like his dad in wanting to spend other people’s money, even as the Trump family has accrued billions since President Trump has been back in office. (Cue the continued silence from the sleuths of Hunter Biden’s laptop.)

Just days before ProPublica’s exposé, at last week’s midterm Republican convention in Dallas, the elder Trump proffered a gift of $5,000 to every one of the roughly 270 million adult Americans. But the eponymous “Trump dividend” would come only if Republicans keep their House and Senate majorities after the November midterm elections.

The tab? More than $1 trillion, roughly $1.3 trillion. How generous Trump is with the U.S. Treasury, despite the news just last month that rattled bond markets and raised interest rates: The United States’ gross debt has exceeded $40 trillion. As Trump told CNBC in 2016: “I love debt. I love playing with it.” We can’t say he didn’t warn us. Even before his proposed 5K giveaway, Trump was on track to break his first-term record for adding to the unsustainable U.S. debt ($8.4 trillion).

Trump’s unprecedented offer of a post-election payout provoked predictable cries of “bribery” from Democrats and other critics. But legality aside, even the appearance of a bribe isn’t what bothers me most about the proposal.

For one thing, it won’t happen. No one will be receiving a $5,000 Trump dividend, just like no one received the DOGE dividend or $2,000 tariff refund he previously promised. Even if Republicans pull off a miracle and retain control of Congress, those in power show no zeal for his budget-buster, not after their complicity in adding trillions to the debt since last year with tax cuts, war costs and this, that and the other Trump pet project. And Congress indeed would have to act, under the Constitution, despite suggestions from the obsequious Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, that Trump could act alone. (But “I’m not ready to discuss it at present,” Bessent told a House committee on Tuesday.)

No, what bothers me most about Trump’s idea — what outrages me — is the damnable fiscal irresponsibility of it.

Trump has turned much of historical Republican orthodoxy on its head, including on immigration, trade and policy toward Russia. But his utter disregard for annual deficits — a record $2 trillion for this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 — and his shameful profligacy with taxpayers’ money is something Americans haven’t seen in their lifetimes, in either party. Worse, Trump implies otherwise, that he is fiscally responsible, and he does it with lies that are so easily refuted, so often contradicted by his own words, that it’s a marvel that even such a chronic prevaricator as himself can utter them.

This week Trump is still claiming that the $5,000 dividend will be paid for because “we’re taking in trillions and trillions of dollars” in revenue from his inflationary tariffs on more than half of the goods imported into the country. The actual number isn’t even close to that, and he should know it: The data that nonpartisan analysts are crunching are from the government he supposedly runs.

In 2026, tariff revenue through August was just under $200 billion, but more than half of that already has been spent on refunds to big corporations including Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot, in keeping with a Supreme Court ruling against some of Trump’s tariffs. And as if Trump’s dividend proposal weren’t mendacious enough, in making it he seems to have forgotten his claim in his State of the Union address in February that he would use the tsunami of tariff revenue to abolish the federal income tax.

And one last thing: Even if each adult American got $5,000, subtract from that the nearly $2,000 that each household has paid, on average, because of higher tariffs since Trump took office, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

In this one dumb idea, in sum, the giveaway manifests just about all that is wrong with Trump as president: The lying, of course. Fiscal recklessness. The trashing of commendable Republican doctrines. The Trump bubble of sycophantic yay-sayers. And, in turn, the seat-of-his-pants policy idiocy, from war-making to White House demolishing.

The lack of any actual policy deliberation behind Trump’s $5,000 shocker was clear in his lackeys’ flailing and contradictory reactions — not just Bessent’s specious claim of presidential authority, but also Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s inane insistence the administration could somehow “earn the money that Donald Trump wants to pay out” and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett’s comment, contrary to Bessent’s, that the White House is indeed looking to Congress for funds.

The good news? Americans get it. Recent polls have the percentage approving of Trump’s handling of the economy as low as 28%. Significant majorities say they are worse off since he became president again.

Such numbers portend an election result that isn’t likely to be changed by a promise of $5,000. Especially from a serial promise-breaker.

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A river that is home to about 500 saltwater crocodiles has been given the OK to host Olympic and Paralympic rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Brisbane Games.

The course on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, has passed an independent technical assessment into its suitability.

The assessment did not consider the crocodiles but instead looked at “how the course would perform under a range of conditions, weather patterns, water levels and flood risk at both Games time and throughout the period leading into the Games”.

The report was commissioned by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA), which noted, external that the Fitzroy River Flatwater Facility “is already a training and competition venue for flatwater sports, supporting school state championships, local regattas, and national team training camps”.

As a recognised rowing facility, contingency plans are in place at events for when crocodiles are spotted and Olympic officials have previously been assured of rower safety.

World Rowing and Paddle Worldwide, formerly International Canoe Federation, both endorsed the course.

“Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games, consistent with the requirements of Olympic and Paralympic Rowing,” World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland said., external

Paddle Worldwide President Thomas Konietzko said: “The quality and depth of the technical work undertaken has significantly improved our understanding of the field of play and provides confidence to us and our athletes that the course can deliver fair competition for Canoe Sprint athletes.”

Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris played down the issue of crocodiles last year.

“There are sharks in the ocean and we’re still surfing… it’s a can do, not a can’t do – please change the mindset here,” he said at the time.

Speaking on Thursday about the venue having now been given the go-ahead, he said: “The endorsement provides additional certainty as we move into the next phase of venue planning and Games delivery, ensuring all future design and operational work continues to focus solely on Rockhampton.”

Saltwater crocodiles – known locally as Salties – live in both freshwater and saltwater and can grow to be in excess of six metres long.

President Donald Trump says the United States is “hopefully toward the end” of its war with Iran, claiming that he has directly spoken to officials in Tehran, raising the prospect of renewed diplomacy even as fighting has erupted in Yemen.

However, there is still no confirmation from Tehran that direct negotiations with Washington have resumed. Just a day earlier, a senior Iranian official publicly rejected talks unless Iran’s conditions were met. Tehran, which has, in effect, closed the Strait of Hormuz, has been demanding that the US honour the terms of the deal signed in June.

Trump’s comments come as the conflict has expanded into Yemen, putting increasing pressure on global energy supplies amid an Iran-imposed blockade of the strait through which a fifth of global oil and gas passes. Oil prices crossed $100 per barrel last week and continue to rise as Iran-linked Houthis have damaged Saudi oil installations amid renewed fighting.

So, what is the latest on the diplomatic front, and will the war end soon?

What is Trump saying?

“Well, hopefully we are toward the end of the war,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “They want to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.”

When asked by a reporter whether he had recently heard from the Iranian side, Trump said he had spoken with them “directly”.

The comments come after Trump on Monday said he was open to talks, and added that Iran “wants to make a deal, quickly and badly” and that he would decide whether Washington would engage with Tehran.

However, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Trump of sending “mixed signals” and said “no talks until Iran’s conditions are met”.

Trump’s claim that he has heard from Iran “directly” is significant because negotiations between Washington and Tehran have repeatedly depended on intermediaries, including Qatar, Pakistan and Oman. This is not the first time that Trump has claimed direct communication with Iran.

Former Iranian diplomat Abbas Khameyar dismissed Trump’s claims. “I don’t think there has been any additional effort beyond what was already under way in recent weeks,” he told Al Jazeera.

There is a US narrative, he stated, “with tweets and statements by President Trump claiming that the Iranians are calling, pleading and asking for a meeting. But nobody believes this, and matters have not unfolded in that way.”

He added that Iran’s diplomatic activity has not moved beyond the framework already in place in recent weeks, centred on securing enforcement of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) rather than opening new negotiations.

What is the latest on the US-Iran diplomacy front?

On Thursday, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a telephone call with Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been leading the high-stakes diplomatic and mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran.

Araghchi held the phone call while still in Beijing, during which they discussed and consulted on the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest, according to Tasnim.

A day earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US and Iran to exercise restraint and “reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date”, following his meeting with Araghchi in Beijing.

Araghchi, in a statement after the meeting, said that Tehran seeks “the restoration of calm to the region and friendly and peaceful relations with our neighbours”.

“In this regard we have begun dialogue with the countries of the region,” he added.

In a post on X, Araghchi described consultations with Chinese officials as “successful”, saying Tehran values the strategic partnership it has built with Beijing.

“Today’s decisions will decide the future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects,” Araghchi said on Thursday.

China has avoided direct involvement in the war, but President Xi Jinping, at the BRICS summit in New Delhi over the weekend, offered Beijing’s willingness to play a role in peace efforts. He called on BRICS nations to advance peace in the Middle East.

Huiyao Wang, president of the Center For China and Globalization think tank in Beijing, says China’s role in international affairs is increasing in importance during the current geopolitical turmoil.

“China has an enormous role to exercise if needed. So the mere fact that the two fighting parties have no end in sight shows the need for a big guarantor to come in … I think the US wants to end this war and they also need China’s help,” Wang told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, US media outlet Axios is reporting that Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week to discuss the conflict, which has hugely affected oil exports from the Middle Eastern countries.

Diplomatic efforts have repeatedly stalled since a Pakistan-brokered MoU signed by Washington and Tehran collapsed last month, as the two sides accused each other of violating their commitments.

The MoU was supposed to kick-start a 60-day period for peace talks between the warring sides and included provisions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a major flashpoint in the war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier this month that Tehran would return to the agreement if Washington did the same.

What do we know about the Houthi meeting with US officials?

US officials met representatives of Yemen’s Houthi movement at the US embassy in Muscat over the weekend, five sources told Reuters news agency. Oman helped organise the meeting.

The Houthis told US officials they did not intend to attack American vessels and remained committed to their 2025 ceasefire with Washington, according to two sources.

One source said they also pledged not to target Israeli or other commercial vessels, with the exception of Saudi ships.

The conflict had largely subsided in recent years after a 2022 ceasefire between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis, but reignited in July.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline to cement their grip on the key Bab al-Mandeb strait – a vital maritime route connecting Asia with Europe – while declaring a blockade on Saudi shipping.

The strategic waterway is a critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and has become an alternative shipping route as the US war against Iran choked the Strait of Hormuz.

IN LESS than five years the UK is set to get a new theme park that’s the only one of its kind in Europe.

Universal United Kingdom Resort, as it is officially known, will be located in Bedfordshire and is set to open in 2031.

Universal has always been at the forefront of new theme park upgrades, from letting guests use wands to cast spells in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to interactive dragon robots at How To Train Your Dragon – Isle Of Berk.

Now the company has applied for FOUR new patents, giving fans a sneak peek at what to expect at their theme parks in the future.

These include a hybrid ride vehicle that can transition between being suspended from a track – as if it is floating through the air – to floating on the water.

Images show that the boat-style car would connect to an overhead arm and then when it enters the water it would detach from the arm and float like a normal boat.

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Another patent reveals an AI guide – an audio tour that would be able to see your surroundings and then talk to you.

It isn’t clear yet what the AI guide would be used for by Universal, but it sounds like it could be along the lines of a Google Lens or Pokemon Go experience.

It is also unclear whether these patents are specifically for the UK park or all parks.

What we do know though, is that this week the Universal United Kingdom Resort announced the 23 contractors, engineers and architects that will be used for the project.

Contractors include the team behind the 2012 London Olympic Stadium as well as The Eden Project in Cornwall, the O2 Arena, a number of airport expansions and Battersea Power Station.

Previously announced details about the first Universal destination in Europe include that it will be located on a site in Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire – about 45 miles from London.

The park will spread across 476 acres and feature the theme park as well as hotels, restaurants, shops and even room for possible future expansion.

The theme park will be split into four “zones” – the Core Zone, Lake Zone, West Gateway Zone and the East Gateway Zone.

Accommodation and business hotels will be in the Lake Zone, as well as an entertainment complex and a convention centre.

West Gateway Zone and the East Gateway Zone will be where guests arrive by train and car, with restaurants and hotels.

This is also likely to be where the Entry Plaza area will be, as well as parking and a 500-room hotel.

When it comes to what will actually be inside the theme park itself, there are plenty of rumours flying around.

What we do know is that there will be indoor and outdoor rides, as well as areas for shows and entertainment.

The plans state: “[Guests will] experience blockbuster attractions, adrenaline-pumping coasters, and mind-blowing spectaculars.

“They’ll come face-to-face with incredible creatures, heroes, and villains.

“They’ll discover great food, new laughs, new ways to play, and step into immersive worlds they’ve only ever dreamed of.”

There will also be a maximum height of anything in the theme park of 115metres – which if this were to be a rollercoaster, it would take over from Red Force at Ferrari Land (part of PortAventura World) in Salou, Spain, as the tallest in Europe.

Despite Universal not confirming the park map or rides that will feature, industry speculation expects the attraction to focus on its British roots with much-loved franchise Harry Potter featuring.

Other famous films set to play a part in the theme park include Paddington Bear and James Bond.

There are also rumours that Jurassic World, How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me/Minions and Shrek could also feature.

Rail lines near the theme park will also get upgraded with a new station on the East West Rail and Midland Main (Thameslink) Line.

It is expected to cost £5billion to bring to life.

We all want to experience those additional delightful perks when staying at a hotel, and there’s one sure way to bag a late check-out for free, and it’s all about timing

Checking into a hotel is a little slice of luxury, whether it’s for a quick city break or a rural escape in the countryside. So it’s no wonder that we want to make the most of every moment in our boutique abode or lavish room and take advantage of a late check-out, something you can often get for free. That’s if you know what to do, and believe it or not, timing is everything.

For several years, I worked as a hotel receptionist, managing room upgrades, check-ins, dinner reservations, special occasions, check-outs, and all the other guest perks that we could provide for free. One of which was a late check-out, and it became a frequent request. Even more so when guests have enjoyed cocktails in the hotel bar and need to vacate their rooms by 10am the following morning. But we wouldn’t and couldn’t hand out a free room update to everyone.

The housekeeping staff needs to access the rooms promptly so they can clean them all thoroughly before the next batch of guests arrives at 3pm, with time of the essence, particularly for Friday arrivals. This meant that we’d only allow a handful of late room check-outs each day, and there was a specific time to ask for the best chances of scooping one of these coveted perks.

Most guests would assume that asking for a late check-out on the morning of their departure was the best option. I can recall countless times when I’d receive a call from a guest at 9.55am asking for a late check-out, and most of the time my answer would be no. For one, it’s too last-minute, and there could be a guest checking into that specific room later that day. Secondly, by this time, I could have already dished out a few late check-outs to other guests, with no more wiggle room for any more, considering housekeeping time constraints.

So you need to plan ahead, and I don’t mean asking before you’ve even arrived. Instead, swing past reception on your way to dinner or afterwards on the way back to your room, the night before you check out. If you’re staying for a few days, wait until your last evening to ask for the request. This would always be the best time to hand out late check-outs, and I’ll explain why.

Typically, the reception desk is quieter in the evening, so staff have more time to handle requests and check the system to see how a late check-out can work in favour of the next day’s arrivals. They can check whether the room the guest has asked for a late check-out in has an arrival the next day; if not, a late check-out is super easy to offer. They can also check for any late arrivals into that room for the following day, move rooms around for the next arrivals, or simply check how many they’ve already dished out.

As mentioned, we would only offer a handful at a time, and the earliest we’d agree to a late check-out would be the night before their departure. Plus, room keys were not programmed until the morning of arrivals, so there’s a lot more flexibility in the evenings to move things around. It’s also worth noting that many hotels will prioritise requests from those celebrating a special occasion, so tick that box!

The worst time to ask for a late check-out is before you’ve even arrived at the hotel or checked into the room. There can be countless changes at hotels: reservations can be cancelled, people can switch rooms, and issues can arise, so it’s hard to predict what pressures the hotel might face to turn rooms around in time for the next arrivals. So always ask the night before you check out.

If you want to try your luck, you could politely request a late check-out on your booking notes. This way, the hotel will read it and deal with it appropriately and in their own time, most probably the night before. We would always do our best to meet requests, but sometimes our hands were tied. Just don’t ask when you check in, it’s the last thing on our mind to sort.

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