Month: October 2026

Eight areas in Spain remain under lockdown as Storm Adam continues to wreak havoc

Eight areas in Spain remain under lockdown after restrictions were lifted for some 137 municipalities earlier on Monday, October 19.

Large swathes of the country were ordered to stay indoors as Storm Adam wreaked catastrophic havoc across eastern Spain. Initially, the emergency lockdown covered 78 municipalities in Valencia province and 67 in Alicante. However, according to the Olive Press: “Restrictions have ended for 137 of 145 municipalities, but eight towns in La Safor and La Marina Alta remain under lockdown.

“Please be aware that the following areas are still confined: Bellreguard, Daimús, Oliva, Xàbia, Pego, Miramar, Piles, and Els Poblets. Stay safe and always check local guidelines before travelling through these areas.”

Two fatalities have been confirmed, with a third potential victim of the storm discovered on Monday afternoon when Military Emergency Unit (UME) personnel uncovered the body of an elderly woman in her flood-ravaged home in Oliva, Valencia province. Authorities are yet to officially confirm whether the death was a direct result of drowning or natural causes.

According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, rainfall totals surpassed 600 litres per square metre, rivers burst their banks and residents were left stranded on rooftops. Helicopters were deployed to rescue those trapped as torrential downpours swept through eastern Spain on Monday, triggering devastating floods that claimed at least two lives and prompted authorities to issue shelter-in-place orders for more than 800,000 residents.

The measure aims to tackle the cost of what it takes to run a campaign and to broaden the pool of people who could run for office without being tethered to any individual, group or special interest.

“The increasing costs of political campaigns can force candidates to rely on large contributions from wealthy donors and special interests, which can give those wealthy donors and special interests disproportionate influence over governmental decisions,” the measure states.

There have been several attempts to allow for public campaign financing in California. Five charter cities, including Los Angeles, and at least 14 other states already allow some version of it.

“This bill will restore control to local governments and the state by giving counties, districts, general law cities, and the state the same option that charter cities currently have to enact public financing of campaigns,” a Senate rules committee analysis states.

DO you love the theatre, gigs and stand-up but the prices make you wince?

You don’t need to spend a fortune though – as there are bags of secret loopholes and clever hacks to experience all sorts of culture, from Shakespearean plays to comedy gigs and arena concerts for virtually nothing.

Before you know it, you could be gushing to your mates about the “must-see” West End musical or cool band you saw – and you don’t even have to bankrupt yourself. Here’s how to get the best deals…

TodayTix

This app lets people book highly discounted last-minute tickets to West End and off-West End shows.

It operates worldwide, so if you are on holiday in New York you could pick up a Broadway bargain, too.

Our reporter saw the hit play The Book of Mormon for a knockdown price in the Big Apple, booking in the morning, and it was problem-free. But we’ve also taken advantage of their “rush tickets” and “digital lotteries”.

Rush tickets go on sale inside the app on the day, usually at 10am, and get you seats for a fraction of the price – typically £25 to £30.

Shows including The Devil Wears Prada and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are included among the options.

Lottery tickets are picked from a pool – the most famous example is Hamilton, which usually sells out months in advance. People can “win” them for as little as £10.

Our reporter won £10 lottery tickets to see Orlando Bloom get his kit off in Killer Joe in the West End in 2018 via TodayTix – so it really works!

SeatFillers UK

This connects slow-filling productions and gigs with eager audience members… it’s win-win.

Called ‘papering’, it’s a technique theatre producers use to fill empty seats and create buzz.

However, while the app is free and used nationwide – you submit your county and where else you might like to watch things – we can’t actually tell you what could come up for grabs.

Because some audience members will have paid full price for tickets, you’re strictly forbidden from shouting out: “I’ve got a freebie!” so discretion is a must.

Central Tickets

If you can be discreet, then Central Tickets will be perfect for you. Like SeatFillers UK, it’s free to join and it works on the same principle.

You get tickets to gigs, the opera, dance, shows and comedy shows for between £4 and £15. It’s got a 4.9 out of 5 Trustpilot rating with more than 3,000 reviews.

The cash goes towards an admin fee – but they also raise money for NHS Charities Together.

The Audience Club

This costs £5 a year – or is free if you’re a Blue Light Card or Defence Privilege Card holder.

It’s largely London-based, but is perfect if you live in or near the capital or regularly visit and love the arts.

You can browse hundreds of shows, including West End ones. But it also offers quirky, niche plays – great if you love branching out a bit!

ShowFilmFirst

Founded in 2001, don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t just a movie seat-filler platform; they also offer theatre, comedy, music and days out.

Happily, it’s free to join and it’s not just London. You can find offers as far afield as Manchester, Birmingham, Bath, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Belfast, Nottingham, Brighton, Southampton and even more.

There’s only one catch – afterwards you have to fill out a quick survey… but that’s nothing for a free experience!

My Box Office

You can either choose a lifetime membership for £12.99 or an annual membership for £5. Once signed up, you’re offered seats through papering – usually paying an admin fee of around £1 to £5 per show.

They deliver access to more than 42,000 events, from burlesque to cabaret and even sports.

Tickets For Good

This initiative requires a small booking fee but gives free tickets to major events for NHS staff, contractors, students, teachers, education staff and charity staff.

It also gives tickets to volunteers and people associated with The Ticket Bank – those who might face barriers that make it trickier to access live events, for example, unpaid carers.

It operates across the UK, so people might see anything from West End musicals to stand-up comedy, and UK music festivals to live sporting events.

National Theatre Concessions

London’s National Theatre offers £10 tickets to 16–25-year-olds – and you don’t have to live in the capital. You can book online.

Additionally, every Friday the theatre issues a limited number of “friday rush” tickets for the subsequent week – even for sold-out shows!

With actors like Jodie Comer, Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jonny Lee Miller, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Andrew Scott and Hugh Jackman having trod the boards there, bargain tickets are a win.

Royal Shakespeare Company

If you’re Midlands-based, then a trip to Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, might be in order.

The RSC offers £10 tickets for 14–25-year-olds for shows performed there.

The discount is available on its website here. Not Bard going!

Festival ballots and free tickets

Live near a major UK festival? Then check if they run residents’ lotteries for free shows or heavily discounted tickets.

Our reporter snagged free tickets to see Skepta and The Streets thanks to a lotto win in Crystal Palace, London, and bagged cheap tickets to see Blondie, Iggy Pop and Noel Gallagher for the same reason.

But similar schemes exist if you live close in other parts of London, Sheffield, Winchester, Oxon, Dorset and Bucks.

You can similarly volunteer at many festivals and receive free tickets.

Occasionally this offer is emailed directly to local residents, as with above, but bigger charities also offer it for events like Glastonbury.

Writer Becky Pemberton told how her friend watched Glastonbury in 2022 for free, having volunteered.

Meanwhile, she enjoyed the event too as she helped out at a toasted cheese sandwich stand which she found out about through “word of mouth”.

She said: “I worked on a cheese toasty stand and got a free ticket for Glastonbury in 2022 (plus fed during shifts!).

“I did it by Pyramid Stage and saw Billie Eilish and Diana Ross. My friend also volunteered for the charity WaterAid and got in for free too. We’d meet up after our shifts and danced the night away into the early hours without having paid a penny!”

Visit WaterAid here and Oxfam here.

Sit in the audience at massive BBC shows like Strictly

This is all done by a random draw – but you might get lucky!

From Strictly to Bookclub, there are loads on offer and they come up all the time. Crucially, they take place all over the UK, with shows being filmed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, London and Margate.

If you fancy your luck visit the Beeb’s site here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It’s week nine of the high school football season and time to see which teams are on the verge of being in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

Division 1 contenders

Homer King Webb of unbeaten Sierra Canyon.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Barring late-season collapses or major upsets, the Southern Section Division 1 playoff teams are looking pretty easy to identify.

It starts with No. 1 Santa Margarita (8-0), which is in the driver’s seat to win the Trinity League championship after a 21-7 win over St. John Bosco last week. No. 2 Sierra Canyon (8-0) remains on a path to finish 10-0 and win the Mission League title.

After that, it’s St. John Bosco (6-2), Corona Centennial (5-3), Mater Dei (6-2), Orange Lutheran (5-3), San Clemente (7-0) and Mission Viejo (6-1). JSerra (4-4) and Servite (3-5) meet on Oct. 30 to decide what might be a final spot. Bishop Amat (7-1) is also in the picture with a game against Sierra Canyon on Oct. 30.

Does it really matter which teams make it? Maybe not the way Santa Margarita, the defending champion, is improving on a weekly basis similar to last season when the Eagles separated themselves and cruised to victory.

The Eagles have added receiver Grant Mosley, brother of Trent, to the offensive attack, and in his third game back against St. John Bosco, he showed off the Mosley family speed and big-play skills.

Sierra Canyon, of course, wants its chance to challenge the powers in the playoffs. With a dominant defensive line and the ability to run the ball, the Trailblazers certainly deserve respect. Centennial finally got back its best player, safety/kicker Jaden Walk-Green, so the Huskies will be dangerous come playoff time.

King/Drew players getting excited in the first half of a 39-6 win over Crenshaw.

(Nick Koza / For The Times)

King/Drew took a giant step toward winning its first Coliseum League championship with a 39-6 win over Crenshaw. Quarterback Gerald Torres completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Damico Martin had six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Cleveland (8-0) and Marshall (8-0) remained unbeaten in the City Section. The Cavaliers had two running backs rush for more than 100 yards in a win over Taft. Quarterback Nathaniel Cadet passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in Marshall’s win over Lincoln.

Carson and San Pedro routed Narbonne and Gardena, respectively, setting up a Friday showdown at Carson to decide the Marine League championship.

Birmingham, with a new starting quarterback in former Sierra Canyon JV quarterback Delvin Young, rolled to a 32-8 win over Granada Hills. The Patriots will finish second in the West Valley League and could be an intriguing first-round matchup in the City Section Open Division playoffs.

Palisades picked up a huge win over Hamilton to move closer to a Western League title. Here’s the report.

In the Southern Section, the big upset was Capistrano Valley handing Corona del Mar its first defeat 21-17 in a Saturday game after the Norte Fire in San Clemente forced a change in days and also caused several games to be canceled, including San Clemente vs. Mission Viejo.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s top individual performances from this past week.

Here’s the Week 9 schedule.

JSerra quarterback Kate Meier reaches across the goal line for the winning touchdown an instant before her flag is pulled last season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The Southern Section flag football playoffs begin this week. Can anyone defeat unbeaten JSerra (24-0)?

The Lions are seeded No. 1 in the Open Division tournament and begin action Wednesday at home against Sierra Canyon, which happens to have former Orange Lutheran quarterback Makena Cook, who lost to JSerra in last year’s final.

There are seven divisions, with divisions 1 through 6 beginning Tuesday.

The JSerra passing duo of Kate Meier and Tessa Russell has been unstoppable. Seven points is the closest an opponent has gotten to JSerra, with Orange Lutheran losing 19-12 in a regular-season finale last week.

The City Section regular season doesn’t end until the day before Halloween. The big competition is in the Northern League, where Eagle Rock is 3-0 and L.A. Wilson is 3-1.

Here’s the final regular season top 10 flag football rankings from The Times.

Girls volleyball

Long Beach Poly sisters McKennah, left, and Ellie Iamaleava are two of eight siblings who have played volleyball.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

McKennah Iamaleava, the sister of UCLA quarterbacks Nico and Madden Iamaleava, has been a big-time player for Long Beach Poly entering this week’s playoffs. Here’s a profile.

Southern Section playoff pairings were released Friday.

Divisions 2-4-6-8-10 begin on Tuesday. Divisions 1-5-7-9-11 start on Wednesday. The finals for all divisions will be Nov. 7.

In Division 1, there will be pool play for the eight teams, with Mater Dei seeded No. 1 and Sierra Canyon No. 2.

Looking back: Joe Hillman

Former Hoover High and Indiana basketball player Joe Hillman speaking to the Glendale Quarterback Club.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Hoover High basketball standout Joe Hillman averaged 41.3 points his senior year in 1984. Then he became an experiment — the first player west of the Mississippi River to play for coach Bob Knight at Indiana.

The rest is history. He won an NCAA championship in 1987 and got to tell lots of stories about Knight. He returned to the area last week.

Here’s a report on what Hillman said.

Prep talk

Every day, I write about something positive happening regarding high school sports. Here’s a couple of last week’s stories.

Former Fremont High and Cal State Dominguez basketball coach Dave Yanai is 83.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Fremont High basketball coach Dave Yanai keeps enjoying basketball at the age of 83.

John McLellan, 13, a Redondo Beach teenager, is driving kart cars in Italy and competing against the best in the world for his level.

Southern California is full of future college and NFL officials starting out as high school officials.

Sophomore Matti Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos came home with a gold medal playing for the U15 national baseball team.

Notes . . .

At the Orange County cross-country championships, Trabuco Hills won the boys title and JSerra continued its domination in girls. The boys’ individual winner was Woodbridge’s Aidan Antonio in 14:10.4. The girls’ winner was Reese Holley of JSerra in 16:18.3…

At the Ventura County championships, Viggo Bortolin of Foothill Technology won the boys’ individual final in 15:15.1. Sabina Cruz of Westlake won the girls’ title in 17:67.2….

The peristyle end of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

(Melody Nishida)

The Memorial Coliseum will be the site for the Southern Section Division 1 championship football game Friday, Nov. 27. The Rose Bowl was used last season….

Former Crespi teammates De’Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams are having fun being teammates with the Golden State Warriors…..

Guard Josiah Nance of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to SMU, where former USC coach Andy Enfield is head coach….

Joseph Saenz is the new baseball coach at Wilmington Banning….

Junior Emilio Young of Mater Dei has committed to UCLA for baseball….

Receiver Gavin Honore of Mater Dei has committed to Oregon State….

From the archives: Aidan Chiles

Former Downey quarterback Aidan Chiles is the starting quarterback for Northwestern. He has passed for 1,398 yards and nine touchdowns. He signed with Oregon State, then transferred to Michigan State, then Northwestern.

Here’s a story from 2022 on Chiles beginning to receive recognition in high school.

Recommendations

From Substack, a story on San Mateo Serra’s long time football coach announcing he is staying indefinitely.

From Yahoo Sports, a story on a high school football coach in Oregon being fired for his team’s onside kicks in a game that wasn’t close.

From ESPN, a story on pro athletes coaching their sons and daughters in youth sports.

From Oaks Christian, a story on former Lions quarterback Nate Bennett at Baylor.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how a baseball coach led a tennis team to a JC championship.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Barcelona have arrived in Paris for the Champions League match at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT.

The upcoming UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona will not be postponed or cancelled despite the ongoing violent protests in France, the country’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said.

Lecornu said on Monday he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses after weekend demonstrations spilled over into some of the worst street violence in recent years.

He said a state of emergency could be imposed “if necessary”, adding that curfews were a better solution to the crisis over violent protests.

“I am absolutely determined to restore order,” Lecornu said at a news conference after a crisis meeting.

“A state of emergency is still a very serious measure, including in terms of its implementation. So if it is necessary, of course we could do it. As things stand, however, the issue of curfews, and the implementation of those curfews, seems better suited to the situation we may be facing.”

He did not say which cities ‌‌would impose partial curfews nor what form they would take, although he ruled out imposing a full curfew across Paris.

“These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris ⁠⁠under curfew.”

At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the ⁠⁠match.

PSG, the reigning European and French champions, will host the Spanish visitors at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.

The fate of the match, touted as the pick of the group-stage fixtures in European football’s premier club competition, has been under threat after days of protests across the French capital and beyond.

However, neither club has indicated that the violence will affect the fixture, as Barcelona were arrived across their northern border to Paris on Monday afternoon.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The weekend of riots and looting has not spared French clubs, such as Marseille and Lille. The Ligue 1 clubs said their shops were vandalised during the protests.

Marseille said in a statement on Monday the looters caused “significant damage” to its official store located on La Canebiere — the southern port city’s most famous avenue — which has been temporarily closed.

Up north, Lille’s city centre store “suffered extensive damage and widespread looting”, the club said, adding that the shop will remain closed until further notice.

Lille thanked “everyone who has offered their support over the past few hours — first and foremost, our store employees, but also the many passersby, whether supporters or not, who spontaneously stepped forward to offer their help, practical assistance and comfort”.

Fans say the Peaky Blinders star’s film is “totally absorbing yet disturbing”

Time is running out to watch what some consider as the Peaky Blinder star’s best movie.

A |masterpiece” period drama starring Cillian Murphy is leaving Netflix in a matter of days. Small Things Like These was only just added to the platform earlier this year but fans will need to act fast before it is removed from the service.

The film is an adaptation of the award winning book of the same name, written by Claire Keegan. It was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 2022 as well as the Rathbones Folio Prize, while it took home the Orwell Prize for political fiction in the same year.

Its big screen version came out in 2024, with Irish actor Murphy in the leading role. Although it was perhaps overlooked by some, as this was the same year the star picked up his Oscar for a very different period piece – Oppenheimer.

Like the novella, Small Things Like These takes place over Christmas in 1985, when devoted father and coal merchant Bill Furlong, played by Murphy, discovers startling secrets kept by the convent in his town, along with some shocking truths of his own.

The plot is inspired by the truth behind Ireland’s Magdalene laundries. These were asylums run by Roman Catholic institutions from the 1820s until 1996 which were supposed to reform “fallen young women.”

Netflix now lists a warning label on the title, that informs users it will be ‘leaving soon’. The streamer states that the last day to watch will be October 27, meaning at the time of writing, viewers have just a little over a week to catch it before it’s too late. It’s not yet known if it will became available on an alternative platform or service after this date.

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV bundle. This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

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Despite the tough subject matter, the film received a positive response from viewers and critics alike, with Murphy often being singled out for his stellar acting performance. It holds a rare 94% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes with many fans backing up the reviews.

One person posted online: “A masterpiece. Every shot is a masterpiece. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. Every performance is a masterpiece. The casting is beyond perfect. If possible, it’s even better than Claire Keegan’s short story.”

While some admitted they struggled with the slower pace of the film, many have suggested it is a must watch. One person said: “A hard to swallow, but fantastically acted, written, and directed film putting religion and its mafia laden tendencies at the forefront. Cillian continues to be a star, with a support cast of epic proportions. Based on a true and very sad story.”

A fourth penned: “Totally absorbing yet disturbing film, brilliantly led by an understated master class of acting by Cillian Murphy. The sudden ending leaves you literally crying out for more. A modern day masterpiece.”

Someone else added: “Following a read of the perfectly written book, I had to watch the film when I heard that Cillian Murphy was the star. He and the rest of the cast bring this extraordinary story to lives. Is there nothing he cannot do! Well worth a watch, it’s poignant from start to finish.”

Small Things Like These is streaming on Netflix

A five-star establishment has closed for good

A popular Scottish seaside town has been dealt a devastating blow following the sudden closure of a prominent hotel. The firm behind the establishment recently collapsed into liquidation, forcing its immediate shutdown, with all members of staff confirmed to have lost their jobs.

The Kinnettles Hotel, a five-star boutique property nestled in the heart of St Andrews, Scotland, shut its doors for good in September after its parent company, Kinnettles Hotel Limited, went into liquidation.

The hotel’s on-site restaurant partner, Gidi Grill, was locked out of the building on September 23, with owner Mo Adeniyi claiming “the building was taken over by someone else, but we hadn’t been told”. He confirmed he was now on the hunt for new premises to relocate his West African and Afro-Caribbean restaurant.

The closure of the Kinnettles Hotel, situated just a 10-minute walk from the iconic West Sands Beach and the historic St Andrews Old Course golf links, left all 12 members of staff without work.

The broader Kinnettles portfolio, which includes Kinnettles Mansion in Guardbridge and Kinnettles Castle near Forfar, had previously been put up for sale for £15 million.

Callum Carmichael, a partner at FRP Advisory, has been appointed as liquidator of the company. He confirmed that the challenges facing the business had become “insurmountable”, reports the Express.

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Mr Carmichael told The Courier: “Kinnettles Hotel has been a well-established part of St Andrews’ hospitality sector, offering boutique accommodation in the heart of the town for many years.

“Despite its established presence, the challenges facing the business and many like it in Scotland’s hospitality sector ultimately proved insurmountable. Our focus is now on safeguarding the assets of the three companies and supporting those affected.”

Nestled at 127 North Street in the heart of St Andrews town centre, the Kinnettles Hotel featured 15 spacious bedrooms, a bar, spa, and an on-site restaurant.

The hotel had garnered a string of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, with guests heaping praise on the accommodation, spa and facilities alike.

One wrote in July: “I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever had a better spa experience in my life. From the moment I arrived until the moment I left, every single detail was absolutely perfect.”

A second reviewer wrote in May: “I had an amazing experience at Kinnettles Hotel & Spa, truly one of the best I’ve had.”

A third posted in March: “My husband and I stayed for one night and used spa facilities and got a treatment each. First of all we were made to feel very welcomed when we entered the building , staff couldn’t do enough for us.

“The breakfast next morning was lovely but the best part was the spa facilities and the treatment it was absolutely fantastic and cant wait to go back again.”

Another visitor commented in March: “I can’t praise highly enough the Kinnettles Hotel and Spa, St Andrews. We arrived as guests and departed five days later as friends.”

Tourism can be a force for good when done well – and we want to hear about places and projects you’ve discovered that help conserve local ecosystems and cultures. Whether it was a volunteering holiday planting trees in Scotland, a stay at an eco-hotel that helps protect local flora and fauna, or a project breathing life back into abandoned villages, tell about us your experience for the chance to win a holiday voucher.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words we will be judging for the competition.

We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.

SACRAMENTO —  When does positive reform become negative regression? That’s what Californians need to answer before voting on Proposition 45, which would substantially change the state’s landmark environmental protection law.

The business-backed ballot measure would make it much easier and less costly to build loads of projects — not just housing, but also water works, clean energy and transportation facilities.

It also, however, would give citizens much less time and fewer tools to assess and oppose projects they deem unfit for their area — like freeway expansions or giant warehouses.

“It tips the scale from favoring the public and the environment to favoring developers and polluting projects,” asserts state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

“It’s an overreach.”

“We streamline the building process for billionaires to erect stadiums. Why don’t we do it for middle-class homebuyers?” declares Dan Dunmoyer, president and chief executive of the California Building Industry Assn., a major backer of Proposition 45.

It’s a bitter, high-stakes fight that’s too close to call. Polling has indicated the outcome could be decided in the final days before the Nov. 3 election.

Proposition 45 would be the most significant overhaul of the California Environmental Quality Act since Republican Gov. Ronald Reagan signed it in 1970.

CEQA — as it’s commonly called and used as a four-letter obscenity by developers — is justifiably credited with keeping California air less polluted, water relatively clean, urban traffic from being worse and more outdoors open to the public.

It requires developers — private and public — to undergo a lengthy process of analyzing a project’s environmental effects and reducing their negative impacts.

But over the years CEQA became blatantly abused.

Union blackmailers — ”greenmailers” — threatened frivolous CEQA lawsuits unless developers caved to labor demands. Business rivals drove off potential competitors by filing protracted suits that wore down investors. NIMBYs — ”not in my backyard” — fought local projects that crowded their spaces or blocked views.

As a CEQA battle dragged on, the developers’ costs soared and many cut their losses by abandoning the project. Home building plummeted in California and the law of supply and demand ruled. Housing costs skyrocketed.

Project opponents legitimately concerned about environmental impacts also filed lawsuits, but they weren’t the developer’s big problem — not like the CEQA abusers.

Finally, prodded by Gov. Gavin Newsom, lawmakers have been responding in recent years to the developers’ frustration. They’ve been pecking away at CEQA with meaningful reforms for most types of housing, especially urban apartment projects near transit hubs.

“You’ve got to just move things,” Newsom exclaimed at an economic summit in Long Beach last week. “I’m just done with the [CEQA] litigation…. Years and years of B.S…. Eight years to develop something? Give me a break.”

But the nearly termed-out governor still hadn’t taken a position on Proposition 45.

Money and power, of course, have always had their privileges in the state Capitol. Billionaire sports team owners have had no trouble securing CEQA exemptions for construction of new stadiums or arenas. The exemptions are handed out like free bobbleheads.

In fact, Newsom recently signed legislation essentially granting a CEQA exemption in San Diego for a 16,000-seat sports arena and housing project led by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

Dunmoyer says that lawmakers “have done quite a bit” to expedite housing, “although not quite enough. It has been limited in scope and size — limited to urban infill and close to transit. It doesn’t address the overwhelming amount of housing needs in California.

“It doesn’t help the first-time middle-class homebuyers or address market rate rentals.”

He pegs the cost of a CEQA battle at $75,000 per new home, noting that’s added to the selling price — if the dwelling ever gets built.

Opponents of Proposition 45 argue that the measure’s backers wish to return California home building to 1960s sprawl when the state’s population was half its current size and there was more usable open space to pave over with roads and subdivisions — more orchards to rip up and wetlands to drain. And that led to longer smog-spewing car commutes to city jobs.

“Sprawl housing is not affordable housing,” Blakespear says. “There are costs to build new infrastructure like utility lines and water facilities, and high insurance costs. Then taxpayers have to clean up the pollution.

“Do we really want new sprawl housing developments in wildfire areas? We need to incentivize [urban] infill housing, instead of in the middle of the forest or the desert.”

Proposition 45 — generated by the state Chamber of Commerce — would streamline the CEQA approval process for several types of construction projects the measure deems “essential.” They include housing, water systems, clean energy, health facilities, jails, fire stations, wildfire reduction, broadband access and transportation.

Two very controversial projects were excluded — the bullet train and delta tunnel —
and so was nuclear power.

Opponents insist that the proposition eases the way for construction of massive data centers. But backers adamantly deny it, and they make sense. The anti-45 campaign is trying to scare voters with a Halloween bogeyman.

But there’s plenty of other ugly and smelly potential projects that could benefit.

If this were solely about housing, it wouldn’t ring so many alarms.

Here’s how I see it: We elect a governor and Legislature to handle such complex issues. Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

OK, maybe that’s dreaming. But it beats voters trying to wrap their heads around this in a few days.

Unlike regular legislation, if the ballot measure did pass and flaws emerged, it would be very hard for lawmakers to amend, requiring a two-thirds vote.

Proposition 45 rolls back CEQA protections too far — especially with a dangerous anti-environment California abuser in the Oval Office.

What else you should be reading

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Until next week,
George Skelton

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Tehran, Iran – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to meet with senior Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss the war with the United States and efforts to end it.

Lavrov landed in the Iranian capital on Monday afternoon on his first visit to Iran since February 2025. Moscow said the trip was part of efforts to ease months of tension, since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28. The Russian minister is scheduled to hold talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later on Monday.

On Sunday, Lavrov was in Bahrain, which was heavily targeted by Iran during the war, to participate in a strategic dialogue session between Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

He was urged by GCC members to use Moscow’s influence with Tehran to press for “serious dialogue” and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been severely disrupted by attacks on commercial vessels.

GCC chief Jasem Al-Budaiwi said member states had faced more than 7,000 Iranian missiles and drones since the start of the war.

In the council’s closing statement, the six Arab countries said they wanted Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, as well as its support for regional armed groups, to be included in future talks to end the war.

Nikita Smagin, an analyst and researcher on Iran and Russia’s role in the Middle East, said Lavrov’s trip reflects Moscow’s efforts to maintain working relations with all countries in the region.

He said Lavrov also wants to maintain Russia’s status as a mediator, despite the impact of the Ukraine war on its global reputation.

“The timing of visits to the Gulf monarchies and Iran, taking place almost simultaneously, is a deliberate signal: Moscow wants to show that it approaches relations with all these countries on broadly equal terms and is equally interested in cooperation with each of them,” Smagin said.

How does Russia fit in?

Lavrov told GCC ministers in Manama that the region was once again teetering on the brink of a full-scale war and Russia wanted to establish a regional architecture for “collective security”.

He said this could include combining initiatives from countries in the region, along with those put forward by Russia and China, with the aim of restoring maritime traffic and achieving lasting peace. The Russian foreign minister urged other regional states such as Iraq and Jordan, which have also been hit by Iranian strikes, to participate.

Lavrov expressed support for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Iran and the US in June, which later collapsed, as a framework for reducing tension.

Iran has said it wants a return to that agreement, and for Washington to honour a finalised bilateral deal between Iran and Oman to manage territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz. This has been opposed by the US, which has established its own route in the waterway for shipping.

Intelligence reports cited by US media said that Russia and China are providing military support to Iran in the form of satellite imagery for targeting purposes and components for weapons.

But US President Donald Trump contradicted those reports last week, saying Moscow and Beijing would have “too much to lose” if they helped Iran.

Washington has also issued sanctions waivers for Russia in a bid to lower fuel prices driven up by the war against Iran.

Mixed intentions

Russia’s position on the Iran war is somewhat unusual, said Smagin. It has a partial interest in the conflict continuing, as higher oil prices and the severe restrictions on Iranian oil reaching China all benefit Moscow.

“Russia and Iran have been competing primarily for the Chinese market, so China is now effectively forced to buy Russian oil at higher prices because Iranian supplies are largely unavailable,” he said.

Smagin added that Russia does not want the conflict to escalate further, as the consequences could be unpredictable, but its leverage over either Iran or the US to influence the course of the conflict remains limited.

Russia will continue to expand relations with Tehran, Smagin said, including through Caspian Sea trade, and limited military cooperation with Iran.

“These efforts appear to be aimed less at generating economic returns than at expanding Russia’s political influence over Iran and the course of events,” he said.

Military strikes by Iran and the US to wrest control of the waterway have continued, with the US midterm elections approaching on November 3 .

In comments to the media, Trump threatened to “soon finish the job” with Iran, to which Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi replied: “We have unfinished jobs too.”

TUI is launching a new route from London Gatwick to Athens, recently named the top winter destination by Time Out, where temperatures can occasionally reach the low 20s on particularly sunny winter days.

TUI is launching a new route from London Gatwick to Athens, offering travellers a city break in a European capital that stays mild for much of the winter.

The Greek capital joins an expanded Gatwick network of 59 destinations. The German holiday company is also adding services to Palermo, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Valencia, Tangier, Djerba and Mytilene.

Athens was recently named the top winter destination by Time Out. Writer John Ovans, who spent last winter there, said “the city never goes into full hibernation mode”.

He also suggested Athens could challenge Lisbon as Europe’s leading city for digital nomads, thanks to “cheap living, a warm lifestyle, and a gritty-glamorous vibe”.

While visitors should not expect summer heat, particularly sunny winter days can bring surprisingly mild temperatures. Ovans wrote: “On a good winter day you might get up to the high teens, or even low‐20s on rare extra sunny occasions.”

He recommended eating outdoors in the city’s squares, with awnings and gas heaters helping diners enjoy neighbourhoods such as Psirri, Plaka and Exarchia even on sunny days in January and February.

A spring visit also revealed a vibrant and exciting city, reports MyLondon. Although its iced freddo coffees and open-air cinemas are best enjoyed in warmer weather, many of Athens’ biggest attractions appeal throughout the year.

The Acropolis is worth the climb in any season, offering breathtaking views of the Parthenon and the city below.

Another highlight is the National Archaeological Museum, where exhibits include the Artemision Bronze and the Mask of Agamemnon. An extensive refurbishment is on the horizon.

For affordable lunches, Athens’ traditional workers’ canteens, historically known as inomagireia or simply magireia, serve hearty, home-style food.

These unpretentious venues dish up stews, soups and casseroles straight from heated trays or pans, making them a good option for budget-conscious visitors.

In the evenings, the city’s tavernas come alive whatever the season. Home-style dishes can be enjoyed alongside rakomelo, a warming spirit served as a digestif.

Across TUI’s wider network, the new routes will add 640,000 seats and open up previously unconnected destinations in Spain, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Tanzania, Cape Verde and Morocco. Most services will operate two to three times a week.

TUI Airline chief commercial officer Peter Glade said: “Gatwick has played a central role in the development of Tui’s airline business in the UK for more than six decades. For generations of customers across London, the south and southwest of England, it has been the gateway to their holidays.

“Expanding our portfolio to 59 destinations is a natural next step as we continue to invest in one of the most important markets. The additional flying creates more opportunities for customers, supports continued growth in both package holiday and flight-only demand, and reinforces our long-term commitment to Gatwick.”

The feature-length factal drama was rigorously researched but Huw has asked for it to be examined inder the ‘fairness and privacy’ clause of the Broadcasting Code

Ofcom has launched a probe into Channel 5’s factual drama about Huw Edwards following a complaint which can only have come from the ex-BBC newsreader himself.

The two-part factual drama, called Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards and starring Martin Clunes as the disgraced journalist, is being examined for “fairness and privacy” under Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

The investigation’s criteria covers “unjust or unfair treatment of individuals or organisations in programmes” or “unwarranted infringement of privacy in programmes”.

Huw, 65, has not publicly stated that he has called for the probe. But under the Ofcom code, in order to make a fairness and privacy complaint, it must come from either the affected person directly or by someone authorised to complain on their behalf.

An Ofcom spokesperson told Broadcast : “ We are investigating a fairness and privacy complaint about this programme.”

The feature-length film, Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, told the story of the former BBC News presenter’s shattered career. It showed him befriending a 17-year-old boy and grooming him to send explicit photos or videos in exchange for cash. It also showed him linking up with a convicted paedophile online, leading to a criminal conviction for making indecent images of children, for which he pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence.

The 90-minute special is currently Channel 5’s highest-rating show of the year, pulling in 3.8m viewers over 28 days when it aired in March.

Ahead of the drama transmitting, Huw claimed that producers had failed to “check with me the truth of any aspect of their narrative” in the factual drama.

In a statement after the drama aired, he accused Channel 5 of “belatedly” asking him for a response after the drama had been made and claims the broadcaster “refused to disclose whether any of those making allegations” used in the research of the drama “had been paid for their contributions”.

In response, a Channel 5 spokesperson insisted it had been “based on extensive interviews with the victim, his family, the journalists who revealed his story, text exchanges between the victim and Edwards, and court reporting”.

They added: “It has been produced in accordance with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code. All allegations made in the film were put to Huw Edwards via his solicitors six weeks before transmission.”

Huw resigned from the BBC on health grounds, before being charged in June 2024 following a Metropolitan Police investigation.

The Welsh newsreader pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to three charges of making indecent images of children. These included seven category A images, the most serious classification, which had been sent to him on WhatsApp by 25-year-old convicted sex offender Alex Williams.

Ofcom is now expected to take representations from both sides before either upholding the complaint or dismissing it.

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