News Desk

There is one very strict rule for would-be homebuyers applying to take part in the long-running Channel 4 show, producer Siobhan O’Gorman has revealed

Siobhan O’Gorman, the TV producer who leads the A Place In The Sun team, has lifted the lid on how the hit Channel 4 show picks would-be house buyers to appear on the series.

She points out that some things have changed a lot since A Place In The Sun first aired 25 years ago: “The first-ever episode 25 years ago featured a couple looking for a holiday home in the French Pyrenees with a budget of £40,000,’ she told the Daily Mail. “That wasn’t a bad budget then, but today you wouldn’t get much for that.”

But other aspects are still very much the same, Siobhan adds: “We need to be sure every applicant is in a position to put in a genuine offer,” she says. “We have great relationships with estate agents all over Europe and beyond, so it’s important to maintain that.”

While something like two-thirds of applicants are hoping for a new home in Spain, many others get in touch with dreams of finding properties in Cyprus, Portugal and Greece.

“But we’re also seeing increased interest in countries such as Croatia, Turkey and Dubai,” Siobhan says.

Wherever they want to end up, applicants start by filling in a 12-page application form. Then Siobhan and the team go through every one, to identify house-hunters who are looking for properties in the areas that align with countries that the show is planning to visit in the coming season.

The next stage is an on-camera interview to assess whether the applicants will make for good TV, and whether their aspirations are realistic.

Competition is intense, Siobhan says: “‘It’s fair to say we have at least ten applications for every show and it’s 20 for some of the more popular resorts.”

Siobhan adds: “We like to reflect a variety of budgets and areas in each country, though, so we wouldn’t do six shows with the same budget and the same wish list in Mijas Costa in Spain, but we may do two shows there with differing budgets.”

All of this behind-the-scenes work helps A Place In The Sun look smooth and well-organised on screen. However, presenter Laura Hamilton, who has been with the show since 2012, describes one incident that she playfully christened “Mudgate” where anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

As the team were trying to help a would-be expat find a retirement home in Abruzzo, Italy, a massive downpour caused mayhem.

The team were in multiple vehicles for social distancing reasons, and one by one, each one of them become mired down in slippery mud.

“We were there for three hours and had to have tractors pull us out,” Laura recalled. “I’m known for wearing high heels on the show because I’m quite short. I remember having these ridiculously high heels on and they got caked in mud.

“House hunter Sue was “mortified,” Laura recalled, blaming herself for choosing a remote rural location that didn’t even have proper tarmac roads. house. Laura tried to reassure Sue, telling her “It’s not your fault – and I always say you’ve got to love a house come rain or shine,” to which the embarrassed homebuyer replied: “Well, I definitely don’t love this one!”

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (UPI) — North Korea showed off its new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile at a military parade, state-run media reported on Saturday, touting it as the North’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon.”

The parade, held on Friday night at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, was attended by foreign dignitaries including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam and Russian ex-President Dmitry Medvedev, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The event marked the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and highlighted the North’s recent diplomatic outreach efforts as well as its growing military strength.

After a fireworks show and 21-gun salute, thousands of marching troops paraded past the grandstand, followed by a procession of military hardware, according to KCNA.

“The spectators broke into the most enthusiastic cheers when the column of Hwasongpho-20 ICBMs, the most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system of the DPRK, entered the square,” the KCNA report said.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

Also on display were medium- and long-range strategic missiles, drone launch vehicles, Chonma-20 battle tanks, 155mm howitzers and 600mm multiple rocket launchers, KCNA said.

In his remarks, Kim praised the “ideological and spiritual perfection” of North Korea’s military and called for its continued development.

“Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats approaching our range of self-defense,” he said. “It should steadily strengthen itself into elite armed forces which win victory after victory.”

Analysts had been anticipating the unveiling of the Hwasong-20 ICBM at Friday’s parade. Last month, Kim oversaw the final test of a new solid-fuel engine made with composite carbon fiber materials that he said would be used for the new ICBM.

Missiles using solid-fuel propellants have long been on Kim’s wish list of weapons, as they can be transported and launched more quickly than liquid-fuel models. North Korea has unveiled several long-range missiles that analysts believe are capable of reaching the continental United States.

It remains to be seen whether Pyongyang has the atmospheric re-entry vehicle technology to successfully deliver a nuclear payload, however.

Images released by KCNA showed Kim flanked by Chinese Premier Li and Vietnam’s To Lam, with Medvedev next to Lam. The parade comes as the isolated regime is making a renewed diplomatic push onto the international stage.

Last month, Kim traveled to Beijing to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he stood shoulder to shoulder with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During that visit, Kim held his first summit with Xi in six years, as ties between the longtime allies show signs of warming after a suspected rift over Pyongyang’s growing military alignment with Moscow.

On Thursday, Kim held one-on-one talks with Vietnam’s Lam and China’s Li, considered to be the second-in-command to Xi, according to KCNA.

At an event held on the eve of the anniversary, Kim vowed to transform North Korea into a “more affluent and beautiful land” and a “socialist paradise.”

Satellite imagery shows several GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) were deployed to a very active dual-use military-civilian airport in western China for weeks between August and September. This would be in line with an operational test and might point to the GJ-11 having reached a semi-operational state. The Sharp Sword is a prime example of China’s heavy investment in flying-wing uncrewed aircraft, which stands in ever more stark contrast to the U.S. military’s eschewing of such designs, at least publicly.

Imagery in Planet Labs’ online archive database shows three GJ-11s at Shigatse Air Base, also known as Shigatse Peace Airport, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, from August 6 through September 5. The Sharp Sword has been in development for more than a decade and is understood to be designed to at least perform penetrating air-to-surface strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It also has the potential for use in air-to-air combat as an electronic warfare platform.

At least two of the drones seen in the images of Shigatse have overall gray paint schemes, as is commonly seen on other Chinese crewed and uncrewed military aircraft. At least one additional example is seen with a red/brown colored protective covering of some kind. A Planet Labs image of Shigatse taken on September 10, seen below, shows Flanker-type fighters with similar covers.

Though its location is remote, Shigatse occupies a strategic position along China’s southwestern flank with India. It is situated just around 90 miles northeast of the boundary with India’s Sikkim state, which is one of a number of border areas between the two countries that have seen sometimes violent skirmishes. In the past five years or so, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been steadily working to expand its ability to project airpower from multiple bases in the Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, as you can read more about here.

Shigatse’s main runway is one of the longest in the world, stretching approximately 16,404 feet (5,000 meters) in length. An additional 9,840-foot (3,000-meter) auxiliary runway, with seven large aircraft parking spots attached to it, was also completed at the facility back in 2017. An expanded apron for military aircraft was also subsequently constructed at the eastern end of the base. Work to further enlarge that apron, and to build what looks to be at least five hangars and other supporting infrastructure adjacent to it, has been underway for around a year now.

In line with all this, Shigatse has a significant and active PLA presence. In terms of crewed aircraft, there is a continuous fighter presence at the base, which has included Flanker-type and J-10s over the years. Satellite imagery shows that other fixed-wing military aircraft, including airborne early warning and control planes, as well as helicopters, operate from there, as well.

Shigatse is also a very well-established hub for drone operations, with various types, including members of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s (CASC) Rainbow family, having been continuously based there for years now. Shigatse was notably the first known operating location for the high-flying WZ-7 Soaring Dragon reconnaissance drone. WZ-7s, which also have a constant presence at the facility, are used to collect intelligence along the border with India.

The nature of the PLA’s activity at Shigatse strongly points at least to the GJ-11s having been sent there for some type of operational testing. Prior to this, Sharp Swords had been primarily spotted at test facilities, such as the sprawling and secretive base at Malan in Xinjiang province. The drones have been flying daily at Malan for more than a year now. Mockups have also been spotted at Chinese naval test and training facilities, as well as at parades.

Flying from Shigatse would offer a real-world opportunity to explore and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for employing the drones operationally, as well as just how they might fit into existing force structures. The base, which lies at an elevation of nearly 12,410 feet (3,782 meters), also offers an especially high-altitude testing location, as well as one that is in proximity to an area of active tension with India and that country’s air defense overlay.

Having multiple Sharp Swords at the facility would also allow for demonstrations of their ability to operate cooperatively, as well as alongside crewed platforms, and potentially do so with a high degree of autonomy. China’s J-20 stealth fighter is regularly presented as a likely aerial companion to the GJ-11. TWZ has been highlighting for years how the two-seat variant of the J-20 would be especially well suited to the airborne drone controller role.

Un passage dans un reportage de CCTV-7 montre la possible collaboration entre un J-20 biplace et des #drones GJ-11 à faible observabilité.

La représentativité est à confirmer. pic.twitter.com/9Xy8Q8KQOO

— East Pendulum (@HenriKenhmann) October 12, 2022

The GJ-11 has already been in development for more than a decade, with a prototype with a substantially less stealthy design having first flown in 2013. A mockup with a drastically refined low-observable (stealthy) configuration broke cover at a parade in Beijing in 2019. Continued work on Sharp Sword now also includes a naval variant or derivative capable of operating from aircraft carriers and big deck amphibious assault ships, which has been referred to unofficially at times as the GJ-11H, GJ-11J, or GJ-21. Just over a year ago, TWZ reported in detail on clear evidence that the development of the GJ-11, overall, was accelerating, pointing to the drone getting increasingly closer to an operational state, at least in its land-based form.

Via ACuriousPLAFan/SDF: 😮

Supposedly not a recent image, but still the carrier mock-up and test facility at Wuhan has gained some new aircraft: Visible now are clearly mock-ups of J-15, J-35, KJ-600 and a GJ-11H on the flight deck.

(Image via @伏尔戈星图 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/UL6uk81zh4

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) December 19, 2023

As noted, the GJ-11 is just one example of the PLA’s larger pursuit of multiple types of stealthy flying-wing drones for use as UCAVs and in other roles, especially high-altitude, long-endurance ISR missions. Three previously unseen flying-wing designs have emerged in China just this year. This includes the appearance of two particularly large types at Malan, which TWZ was first to report on in both cases. We had assessed years ago that an explosion of investment in flying-wing drones in China was likely to come, and that academic institutions tied to the country’s weapons development ecosystem would play a key role. The Chinese aviation industry has also been surging ahead, in general, in the development of new advanced crewed and uncrewed designs.

Chinese flying-wing UCAV developments, in particular, reflect something of a trend globally, with Russia, India, Turkey, and France also publicly pursuing this kind of capability to varying degrees. The U.S. military is pointedly absent from this space, at least that we know, despite decades of development work that looked for a time to be on the cusp of yielding operational platforms before various programs were abandoned. You can read more about that history in extensive detail in this past TWZ feature.

When it comes to China’s GJ-11, the imagery of Shigatse from August and September offers new signs that these drones are getting close to at least a limited operational state, if they haven’t already reached that milestone.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A MAJOR supermarket chain is set to close one of its branches soon, with another 34 also on the way out.

The food store announced the “difficult decision” it has made to close the store next month.

1

Co-op in Leicestershire’s Derby Road in Ashby-de-la-Zouch will permanently close its doors on Saturday, November 22.

A statement from a Co-op spokesperson read: ” ‘Our store in Ashby-de-la-Zouch will close next month.

“Our priority is to fully support colleagues, who have been informed.

“We would like to thank the community for its support of this store.”

The supermarket giant has come under some fire for some time now for having two of its stores in close proximity with the Ashby Town Centre.

This came after the Central Co-op moved from the top of Market Street to near the existing Co-op.

The spokesperson added: “We carry-out reviews of our existing store locations, and, sometimes, only after very careful consideration, we take the difficult decision to close a store.”

The Central Co-op will remain open, with the next nearest one approximately three miles away in Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

It comes as the supermarket could shutter another 34 of its stores due to financial struggles.

The Sun previously reported that stores in Braintree, Chelmsford, Basildon, Thurrock and Southend are among other locations that are at risk.

Chelmsford Star Co-op said it is “struggling financially” and needs to merge with the larger Central Co-op society.

Issues are also said to have been “exacerbated” by increases in National Insurance contributions and the living wage.

Late last year, Co-op announced plans for a “portfolio reshape” which included relocation of stores.

The Co-operative has over 7,000 registered branches owned by 17 million members, and is reported to contribute around £35 billion annually to the British economy.

Co-op as an organisation organisation has, like most companies, been hit by the cost of living.

In December last year it was announced 19 Co-operative stores would be shut down across the UK due to “financial sustainability issues”.

The locations, based in various areas around Central England, include Leicestershire, Yorkshire, Norfolk and the West Midlands.

B&M bought three of the 19 stores, while Samy Ltd, a convenience retailer, snapped up 16.

OTHER CO-OP NEWS

This comes as Co-op is rolling out a major change to stores across the country.

The supermarket giant is replacing paper product tags with electronic labels throughout its whole estate over the coming months.

The retailer has already made the change in 340 branches but will roll out the tags more widely.

The chain said 1,500 stores will have the labels by the end of the year and will be rolled out across all its nearly 2,400 by the end of 2026.

The electronic labels are designed and created by VusionGroup, which also works with Asda.

Steven Logue, Co-op’s head of operations, said: “With convenience at the heart of everything we do Co-op is committed to continually exploring innovative technology that can improve how we operate.”

Co-op said the new electronic labels will show allergen and nutritional information and products’ country of origin, as well as deals and savings.

African island nation decides its future as Wavel Ramkalawan seeks a second term against Patrick Herminie.

Voters in Seychelles have been casting their ballots in a tightly fought presidential run-off between incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan and opposition leader Patrick Herminie.

Polls opened in the African island nation on Saturday, with results expected on Sunday.

The election will determine whether Ramkalawan of the governing Linyon Demokratik Seselwa party secures a second five-year term or Herminie’s United Seychelles party returns to power after losing control five years ago.

The United Seychelles party, led by Herminie, was the governing party between 1977 and 2022, before losing power.

It regained ground in last month’s parliamentary elections, winning 15 of 26 seats.

Neither candidate won outright in the first round two weeks ago.

Herminie led with 48.8 percent of the vote compared with Ramkalawan’s 46.4 percent, forcing a final round run-off in the nation of 120,000 people.

Early voting began on Thursday at special locations including elderly care homes, schools and several outer islands. Main polling stations opened after 7am (03:00 GMT) on Saturday for the more than 77,000 registered voters.

Several contentious issues have dominated this electoral cycle.

A controversial land lease has emerged as a central campaign flashpoint, with the government granting a Qatari company a 70-year agreement to build a luxury resort on Assumption Island for $20m.

Environmental groups filed a legal challenge to halt the project, arguing it threatens a fragile ecosystem near the UNESCO-protected Aldabra atoll, home to 400 unique species.

Herminie has pledged to cancel the hotel development if elected, while also promising to lower the retirement age and reduce public transport costs. Ramkalawan, the incumbent, has defended the Qatar deal as a necessary investment for the tourism-dependent economy.

Drug addiction has also dominated voter concerns. The country faces one of the world’s highest rates of heroin use, with an estimated 10 percent of working-age residents struggling with addiction. Critics say both candidates failed to adequately address the crisis during their time in government.

Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest, became the first opposition leader to win the presidency in 2020, ending United Seychelles’ 43-year hold on power. His opponent Herminie served as parliamentary speaker and previously chaired the national drug prevention agency.

The victor will lead Africa’s smallest and wealthiest nation in per capita terms through mounting challenges including climate vulnerability and protecting sovereignty amid competing international interests.

Tens of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians are making their way back to devastated areas in northern Gaza as Israeli forces stop operations as agreed under phase one of the ceasefire plan with Hamas, and partially withdraw.

Gaza’s al-Rashid Street, which has witnessed massive population movements northward and southward over recent months as Palestinians fled Israeli attacks, is once again witnessing a tide of humanity on the move.

Now, with the ceasefire in effect and Israeli forces withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor that previously divided the road, tens of thousands of Palestinians are journeying north – hoping this time to return permanently.

“Once again [displaced Palestinians] are taking the same exact road, the only lifeline for Palestinians now to go back to their homes in Gaza and the northern part [of the enclave],” reported Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud from the central Gaza coastal highway.

Mahmoud noted that the critical highway has been extensively damaged by Israeli bulldozers, creating a difficult passage for those carrying their belongings.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Al Nuseirat, Gaza, said: “Since this morning, we have seen families walking towards Gaza City. We saw children, women, elderly, cars, vans, donkey carts loaded with furniture. Families removed their makeshift tents to take and reset them over the ruins of their destroyed homes in Gaza City.”

These residents were originally forced to abandon Gaza City due to bombardment, only to find overcrowded conditions in central and southern Gaza upon arrival.

“While this return marks a historic moment, it must be accompanied by substantive measures to address the humanitarian crisis,” Abu Azzoum added.

Most returnees are discovering barely any intact buildings in Gaza City following Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground invasion there. There is now an urgent need for temporary shelters and mobile housing units for these returning families.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 67,211 people and wounded 169,961 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in southern Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks and about 200 were taken captive.

Watching comedians perform under the thumb of a government that is actively attacking swaths of its population is nothing new for Angelo Colina.

The 31-year-old joke teller was born and raised in the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo as the South American country faced continuous political turmoil under the prolonged presidencies of Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro, among other economic, humanitarian and democratic challenges — such as hyperinflation, increased rates of starvation and decreased access to adequate healthcare services.

Colina — who carved a lane in the Americas as a Spanish-language comedian and has garnered millions of views across social media due to his whip-smart jokes and playful crowd work — left his home country at 21 and began pursuing a comedy career after moving to the neighboring Colombia.

It was the audacity of Venezuelan acts — like Nacho Redondo, Led Varela, Erika de la Vega and Luis Chataing, who spoke out against oppressive government rule — that inspired Colina and informed his worldview.

“As someone who grew up watching [them] perform and doing jokes about the government in Venezuela while they still could, that was my example,” Colina told The Times. “They really fought censorship as long as they could.”

As a self-described “double immigrant,” first to Colombia and subsequently Salt Lake City, the New York-based comedian said he felt as though he’s already lived four lives — all of which have helped shape his comic eye and sharpened his observational skills.

The current political climate, the continued artistic acceptance of Latino art in the U.S. and the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids throughout the country were at the top of mind as Colina spoke with The Times ahead of his Oct. 11 performance at the Hollywood Improv.

This interview has been edited and shortened for clarity.

What has it been like doing comedy shows for a Spanish-speaking crowd in the time of ICE raids?

I start my shows by saying, “We’re doing comedy. You guys are not noticing, but we’re doing comedy in Spanish. In the United States in 2025. This is the closest to punk that we’ve ever been.” And people start laughing about it, because [federal officials] backed up by the law to say that if you speak Spanish, then they can ask about your current immigration status. And it’s like, all right, let’s speak Spanish. We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just celebrating our culture in every show we do.

Do you like the idea of being a little punk?

I think it just became that; it was more organic. I wasn’t thinking that I’m part of a larger movement that started by other people of doing comedy in Spanish, which has always been and it’s certainly been a cool thing to me, but now it’s counterculture for sure. But I don’t need to invite people to my show because it’s counterculture, that’s not the reason why I want to sell. People have been freely celebrating being Latino for years already and I don’t think there’s any way to stop it, honestly.

Have you felt a change in your audience at all in recent months?

Unfortunately, I have. I do, however, have to give a shout-out to all the non-Latinos coming to the shows. They are coming because they want to see a form of Latinidad in its own rhythm and they are in love with our culture and they come and they support it.

I see the hesitance to come to shows a lot more with people that used to come with their parents. A lot of people born in the States, but with immigrants parents, used to come to my shows. My shows have always been a place where people finally can do something with their parents. Normally, they don’t find a lot of activities where they can share something like that. So their parents are now the ones that are faster on the joke and they are the ones that are catching up. It’s always been part of my whole demographic.

That’s the shift I’ve been seeing. A lot of people have reached out to me and said, “I would love to go to your show, but I don’t think it’s a good idea right now.” I got a lot of Venezuelans coming to my shows and saying, “This is the last show I’m going to in the States. I’m leaving next week. I got a deportation letter.” I got screenshots of it and they’re saying they’ll see me in Colombia or Argentina. It’s been pretty emotional. Honestly, this might be the first time I actually get emotional talking about it, but it’s hurt a bit.

It must be nice for the audience to have that time at your show to be who they are, but are you addressing the craziness of everything in your act?

I’m not pretending that’s not happening out there. Comedy gave me the opportunity to become a resident in the United States. I got my visa because of the people coming to my shows. It would be disgraceful for me not to talk about what’s happening or not to at least try to be of help, even if it’s by making people laugh.

Has it been difficult navigating the U.S. comedy scene as a fully Spanish act?

I would say dealing with the industry can be tougher sometimes because of the lack of awareness of how powerful Latino crowds can be. Luckily, it’s changing a bit because of musicians like Bad Bunny and Karol. Everything artists like them have done has made people organizing shows say, “Hmm, let’s see. Maybe I won’t give the Spanish act a Tuesday night slot. Let me try them on a Thursday or Friday night or a Sunday.” And then they see the room packed and people spending money, just having a great time.

I complained a lot about the industry last year and now I’m in a phase where I just want to do this for my people for as long as I can. I’m just enjoying being able to perform.

How has it been seeing Latinos in the U.S. further embrace Spanish-language content?

It’s not only Latinos; people from all backgrounds are interested in our culture. In L.A., a lot of Latinos that were born here didn’t have the chance to learn Spanish or practice it as much, but they love the culture. You also see a lot of people that are non-Latino at my show because they’re interested in Spanish.

It’s like music. There’s no merengue in English because there’s no need for merengue in English. If you are a non-Spanish speaker and you like the rhythm, you’re gonna come to the music. And that’s happening at my show and I’m learning how to navigate it. Sometimes I see people making faces and you don’t hear the laugh coming back at you. Then the show ends and everyone’s DMing me and then they’re signing at the very end of the DM because white people love doing that.

Oct. 11 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1811, the first steam-powered ferry in the world, the Juliana, started its run between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.

In 1868, Thomas Alva Edison filed papers for his first invention: an electrical vote recorder to rapidly tabulate floor votes in the U.S. Congress. Edison’s device was issued U.S. Patent 90,646 on June 1, 1869. Members of Congress rejected the apparatus and it was never utilized.

In 1906, the San Francisco Board of Education banned Japanese-American students from attending public schools, ordering that instead they were to be taught in racially segregated schools. A compromise was reached in February 1907, allowing the students back into the schools with the Japanese government accepting new immigration restrictions for its citizens wishing to travel to the United States.

In 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to take flight in an airplane. Piloted by Arch Hoxsey, Roosevelt would stay aloft for 4 minutes in a Wright brothers-built plane at Kinloch Field in St. Louis, Mo.

In 1947, the United States agreed to the United Nations Partition Plan of Palestine, which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States with the city of Jerusalem placed under direct trusteeship of the United Nations. The resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on Nov. 29, 1947, though a civil war, which would last nearly six months, erupted the next day between Arabs and Jews, resulting in the partition plan failing to be implemented.

File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI

In 1950, the Federal Communications Commission gave CBS the first license to broadcast color television.

In 1975, Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC with George Carlin as host and musicians Janis Ian and Billy Preston on the bill.

In 1984, Kathryn Sullivan, flying into orbit aboard the space shuttle Challenger, became the first American woman to walk in space.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss arms control and human rights. While the talks collapsed at the last minute, work would continue, resulting in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the two nations.

In 2000, Congress designated Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area as a national park, making it the first national recreation area to receive the upgrade in the United States.

In 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

In 2002, Congress gave U.S. President George W. Bush its backing for using military force against Iraq.

Surrounded by members of Congress, President George W. Bush signs the congressional resolution authorizing U.S. use of force against Iraq if needed, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on October 16, 2002. File Photo by Chris Corder/UPI

In 2008, the U.S. State Department removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. In return, North Korea agreed to give international inspectors access to its nuclear facilities and to continue disabling its plutonium processing project.

In 2013, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize. The United Nations-backed OPCW, which has headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, was overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile at the time it won the prize.

In 2024, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization made up of atomic bomb survivors in Japan for their actions opposing the use of nuclear weapons.

File Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI

Flooding set off by heavy rainfall in Mexico has left at least 28 people dead and more missing, and has caused landslides, damaged homes and highways, according to local authorities.

Downpours in the affected areas in the central and southeastern parts of the country led to overflowing rivers and road collapses that cut off power in some municipalities, the national coordinator for civil defence, Laura Velazquez, said on Friday.

Civil defence authorities reported intense rainfall in 31 of 32 states, with the worst-affected areas being Veracruz in the east, Queretaro and Hidalgo in the centre, and the north-central state of San Luis Potosi.

One of the hardest hit areas was the central state of Hidalgo, where 16 deaths have been reported, according to state Interior Secretary Guillermo Olivares Reyna.

At least 1,000 homes, 59 hospitals and clinics, and 308 schools have suffered damage in the state because of landslides and overflooding rivers.

In neighbouring Puebla state, nine people died and 13 were missing. According to the state governor, some 80,000 people were affected by the heavy rains, while a gas pipeline was ruptured by a landslide.

In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, two people died, including a police officer, according to its state governor. Some 5,000 homes were damaged and the navy evacuated nearly 900 people to shelters.

Earlier, authorities in the central state of Queretaro confirmed that the child had died after being caught in a landslide.

The heavy rainfall also caused power outages affecting more than 320,000 users and damage to almost 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) of roads in six states, authorities said.

Tras las fuertes lluvias, la Secretaría de Marina (@SEMAR_mx ) desplegó tres mil 300 elementos en Puebla, Veracruz y San Luis Potosí.

También puso a disposición 18 embarcaciones, seis helicópteros, tres plantas potabilizadoras, tres aviones, tres cocinetas y cuatro mil… pic.twitter.com/O7ES5XBoKC

— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) October 11, 2025

Translation: Following the heavy rains, the Secretariat of the Navy (@SEMAR_mx ) deployed 300 personnel in Puebla, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí. It also made available 18 vessels, six helicopters, three water purification plants, three aircraft, three mobile kitchens, and 4,000 food baskets ready to be distributed.

“We are working to support the population, open roads and restore electrical services,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said after a meeting with local officials and cabinet members. She shared photos of emergency responders carrying supplies as they waded knee-deep in flooded streets.

The country has deployed more than 8,700 military personnel to help monitor, evacuate and clean up affected areas.

Mexico has been hit by particularly heavy rains throughout 2025, with a rainfall record set in the capital Mexico City.

Tropical Storm Raymond is currently off the country’s Pacific coast, dumping heavy rains as it moves northward. It is projected to make landfall on Mexican territory until Sunday. Raymond was announced midday on Thursday by the United States National Hurricane Center, making it the third system this week off the western coast of Mexico. It joined Tropical Storm Priscilla and post-tropical cyclone Octave, which threatened heavy rain and flooding in their paths.

Powerful waves crashed into Mexico’s Pacific coast as Hurricane Priscilla brought flooding along Puerto Vallarta’s waterfront. pic.twitter.com/P3s5lsiz9r

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 10, 2025

Meteorologists have warned that the Pacific Ocean cooling pattern called La Nina, which can warp weather worldwide and turbocharge hurricanes, has returned.

It may be too late in the hurricane season to impact tropical weather in the Atlantic, but this La Nina may have other impacts, from heavy rains to drought across the globe.

Casualty aired a dramatic final episode of its latest boxset recently – but the BBC show’s cast has teased some huge scenes ahead, new arrivals and much more drama

Casualty ended this latest boxset with a dramatic series finale, which saw drama, heartbreak and a tragic death. The BBC show is very popular amongst their fans – and it looks like there’s some huge drama ahead in the coming months.

The BBC drama ended last month with some devastating scenes, as it seemed Ngozi had died after suffering a relapse at the airport as her and her young son plan to travel back to Nigeria. Elsewhere, there was trouble for Iain and Faith, who seemed on the verge of splitting from one another as Iain continues to struggle over his mum’s death.

The Mirror got all the gossip from the cast at the Inside Soap Awards, where the stars dropped some huge hints about what’s coming next and what the future holds for their characters.

Two new arrivals

Olly Rix – who plays Flynn – teased there would be drama ahead, and some new arrivals. “We have two new characters coming into Holby and that’s a big part of the next season,” he said.

“When any new character comes in, everyone has to re-orientate themselves. So you see everybody across the breadth of the NHS dealing with these two people.”

Relationship drama

Anna Chell – who plays Jodie – warned it wouldn’t be plain sailing for some of the couples. She said: “There’s quite a few relationship break-ups and new relationships formed. Some maybe the audience don’t expect.”

Naomi Wakszlak – who plays Indie – also gave us an insight on what we can expect for Indie and Cam (Barney Walsh) after the pair finally found love with one another this series.

“We’re going to see them getting a lot closer, which is really nice. I think at first Indie is a bit more into it than Cam is so we have to pull Cam out of his shell, which is really nice. It’s been a lot of fun, I love Barney so it’s been really great working with him. We don’t really get to go inside that much and be with the doctors and nurses so it’s nice to do a bit inside!” she said.

Past wounds revealed

Last series, we learned that Flynn had suffered a devastating loss of a child. This devastating past trauma is set to continue to be explored over multiple boxsets going forward.

“I think when you join this show, everybody’s so well drawn that when you come in, you’re relentlessly exploring this new character and you have to serve everybody else still,” Olly said.

“So it’s something that you do over quite a dragged out period of time, so each boxset, we’re pulling another thread and there’s space to do it over multiple boxsets.”

Real-life drama

Documenting the real life struggles of the NHS – like the BBC drama did one Christmas about the issues with blood supply – is important to the cast, and raising awareness of conditions that might not be well documented on TV.

Sammy Dobson – who plays Nicole – shared: “Doing the postpartum psychosis storyline, the amount of people that reached out to me who have been in a similar situation who have never ever seen that reflected in TV.

“Casualty finds those stories and connects with people who might not see those things on TV and in other places. I think it’s so important to tell those stories.”

Milo Clarke, who plays Teddy, added: “It’s a privilege to be able to tell these stories. For as long as we’ve known, we’ve all been affected or used the NHS or known someone who works for the NHS. It’s very important to represent that.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Half of the population is projected to experience critical food shortages by mid-2026 as armed groups block aid.

More than half of Haiti’s population is experiencing critical levels of hunger as armed groups tighten their grip across the Caribbean nation and the ravaged economy continues its downward spiral.

A report released on Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that some 5.7 million Haitians – of a population of roughly 11 million – are facing severe food shortages. The crisis threatens to worsen as gang violence displaces families, destroys agricultural production, and prevents aid from reaching those desperately in need.

The assessment shows 1.9 million people are already at emergency hunger levels, marked by severe food gaps and dangerous rates of malnutrition. Another 3.8 million face crisis-level food insecurity.

The situation is expected to deteriorate further, with nearly six million people projected to face acute hunger by mid-2026 as Haiti enters its lean agricultural season.

Haiti’s government announced plans on Friday to establish a Food and Nutrition Security Office to coordinate relief efforts. Louis Gerald Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council, said authorities would mobilise resources quickly to reach those most affected.

But the response faces enormous obstacles. Armed groups now control an estimated 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and have expanded into agricultural regions in recent months.

Violence has forced 1.3 million people from their homes – a 24 percent increase since December – with many sheltering in overcrowded temporary sites lacking basic services.

Farmers who remain on their land must negotiate with gangs for access and surrender portions of their harvests. Small businesses have shuttered, eliminating income sources for countless families. Even when crops reach normal yields, produce cannot reach Port-au-Prince because gangs block the main roads.

The economic devastation compounds the crisis. Haiti has recorded six consecutive years of recession, while food prices jumped 33 percent last July compared with the previous year.

The deepening emergency affects children with particular severity. A separate report this week found 680,000 children displaced by violence – nearly double previous figures – with more than 1,000 schools forced to close and hundreds of minors recruited by armed groups.

The international community authorised a new 5,550-member “gang suppression force” at the United Nations earlier this month, replacing a smaller mission that struggled with funding shortages.

But the security situation remains volatile. On Thursday, heavy gunfire erupted when government officials attempted to meet at the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, forcing a hasty evacuation from an area long controlled by gangs.

Martine Villeneuve, Haiti director at Action Against Hunger, warned that while some improvements have been made, progress remains fragile without long-term investment to address the crisis’s root causes.

After two years of bombardment and displacement, Gaza’s children speak of fear, loss and relief as the ceasefire takes hold. Many of them remain displaced, clinging to hope of returning home and rebuilding their lives.

HAMAS does not believe in peace and still poses a chilling threat to the West, analysts have warned.

The terror group signed up to Trump’s peace plan which says it must disarm, but has not specifically pledged to do so – and experts have taken this as a bad omen.

12

12

A ceasefire officially came into force on Friday – clearing the way for the first phase of Donald Trump’s sweeping peace plan to return the hostages and demilitarise Gaza.

The US announced it would deploy up to 200 troops to Israel to help support peacekeeping efforts in Gaza.

However, signs of trouble are already brewing after a Hamas official rejected the idea of Tony Blair running the strip – one of Trump’s cornerstone measures.

Egyptian-born scholar Dalia Ziada said the much-heralded Gaza ceasefire could prove a deadly illusion.

Ziada, who defied her country’s consensus by backing Israel and was forced to flee after death threats, told The Sun: “Part of me is very happy because finally this brutal war is coming to an end.

“The hostages will be returned. The people in Gaza will be relieved from the horrors of the war.

“Hamas is obviously defeated to the point that they had to finally accept a ceasefire deal.”

But she praised Washington’s muscular return to Middle East power politics: “I am excited to see the United States coming back to the Middle East with its heavy weight and being involved on that level as a partner.”

Ziada’s optimism about a deal stops there, however – warning that the world is underestimating the nature of the enemy.

“This deal is being made with a terrorist organisation, Hamas,” she said.

“Hamas adopts the jihad ideology, violent resistance ideology. They do not believe in peace.”

Even the language, she noted, betrays Hamas’s intent.

“Actually, what they believe in is Hudna. Hudna is truce,” Ziada explained.

“It’s mainly: ‘Let’s take a break so we can rearm, regroup and come back and kill you again’.”

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, an experienced war journalist and researcher, agrees that Hamas will “absolutely not” honour disarmament.

He pointed to their reluctance throughout negotiations to relinquish weapons – and emphasised they have agreed to “freeze their activity and take a break” rather than “give this up for good”.

Abdul-Hussain believes the ceasefire will hold for a while, but not forever.

He ominously warned: “It [fighting] will come back. We just don’t know when.”

12

12

Ziada argues that Hamas only accepted Trump’s ceasefire plan because they ran out of options.

She said: “Actually, it’s the last card in Hamas’ hands. The last card in Hamas’ hands was hostages. And that’s why they did everything they can to avoid giving away this card.

“But now Hamas has no other option but to accept, especially after President Trump’s very clear and very direct threatening to them that in case they do not agree, there will be total obliteration.”

But the deal is being struck with “Hamas leaders in suits” in Doha, not the hardened fighters still embedded in Gaza.

That split could prove explosive.

Ziada warned: “I don’t expect that the militia on the ground will be very cooperative.

“We started to see the first sign of this lack of cooperation from the very confused reports coming out of Hamas.”

‘Heavyweight murderers’ loose on the streets

While the remaining Hamas leaders have decided to make enough of the right noises to satisfy the peace deal conditions, they have had no contact with the prisoners who are to be released from Israeli jails.

As part of the deal, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners – who likely harbour a severe grudge against Israel and the West.

Richard Pater, CEO of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM), said: “250 heavyweight murderers, Palestinian terrorists, are being released,

“They’re not being released back into the West Bank and they’ll never be allowed to enter Israel – but some of them are going to be moved to Gaza.”

12

12

He said it is a major concern that one of the released convicts will become the new Yahya Sinwar – the terrorist mastermind of October 7.

Sinwar was himself released in a similar prisoner exchange.

Pater fears this deal is “kicking the can down the road”, because “there will be the motivation and the ability of these hardened terrorist leaders to potentially rebuild”.

‘Zero trust’

Asked whether she believed Hamas would stick to the deal, Ziada was brutally clear: “There are no guarantees. First of all, I have zero faith or zero trust in Hamas.

“One hundred per cent. I mean, zero, zero trust in Hamas.”

Even with heavyweights like Egypt, Qatar and Turkey leaning on Hamas to comply, she believes this first stage — halting fighting and releasing hostages — will be the easy part.

The rest of Trump’s 20-point peace plan will be far harder.

She said: “This is, by the way, the easiest step because this is mainly about stop the war, release the hostages, exchange prisoners. That’s it.

“The most difficult part is the other 19 points on the plan.”

Pater warned “there are 101 problems that can still occur” throughout stages two and three of the peace plan – when Hamas is supposed to disarm and the IDF eventually withdraw entirely.

12

12

‘They will never disarm’

If anyone imagines Hamas laying down its weapons, Ziada said, they are deluding themselves.

“At this moment Hamas did not say very clearly that they will disarm,” she said.

“They will not disarm under any condition or any pressure. I cannot even picture it like Hamas going and handing their weapons because this means their end.”

Even a temporary pause in violence could serve to revive Hamas’s jihadist ambitions.

“Hamas was drained in the past month to the extent that they started to reach out to the camps of the people displaced inside Gaza and recruit teenagers,” Ziada revealed.

“This will once again revive Hamas appetite to go back to this jihadist struggle.”

And Hamas has already signalled its intent.

Ziada said: “Only days ago in the anniversary of October 7, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued a celebratory statement wherein they said, ‘we will continue our Jihad, we will continue our violent resistance’.”

12

12

The terror within

Ziada’s most chilling warning, however, goes far beyond Gaza.

She said the threat has now metastasised into Western societies themselves.

“People are so focused on Gaza like we are all zooming in into Gaza, but we fail to see the consequences of what the past two years has done to our world,” she said.

“The threat to the UK is coming from inside the UK. The threat to the US security is coming from inside the US.

“The attack on the West will continue — the attack on Western values and Western principles and Western way of life will continue in different forms, either by violence or even through nonviolent means as we see in political arenas.”

Abdul-Hussain reminded us that violent Islamist attacks predate October 7, and similarly warned that threat is not going away.

He said: “This is an issue that the West will have to deal with, with or without peace or ceasefire or whatever arrangement exists between Israel and the Palestinians.

And Pater insisted that the UK needs a programme of deradicalisation just as much as Gaza.

He said: “For example, the UK banning the Muslim Brotherhood movement, proscribing it as a terror organisation, not being afraid to call out Islamic extremism for what it is, will be important steps to deradicalise the population.”

12

12

“Palestine has become the all-encompassing flag and image for this Islamist global movement. But this movement exists.

“It exists in the West and Gaza is just an extension of it.”

A fragile hope

Yet even amid the warnings, Ziada said there is reason to hope.

She said: “The tears I saw in the eyes of the hostages’ families, their excitement that their children and family members will finally be coming back from this hell… it puts a smile on my face.”

For now, she admits, the world will celebrate a pause in the bloodshed.

But her message is clear: Hamas is not finished — and the West ignores that reality at its peril.

Oct. 10 (UPI) — In advance Monday’s holiday, the White House this week released a statement celebrating Columbus Day and singing the praises of the maligned explorer.

“This Columbus Day, we honor his life with reverence and gratitude, and we pledge to reclaim his extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy his name and dishonor his memory,” the release said. Columbus Day is celebrated Monday.

In recent years, activists have called for Columbus Day to be renamed Indigenous People’s Day. About 10 states have officially recognized the day, sometimes with different names, such as American Indian Heritage Day or Native Americans’ Day.

Though he has been widely considered the person who discovered America, he never set foot on North American land. The Oct. 12 holiday actually commemorates the day he landed in the Bahamas. Also, he couldn’t discover a land that was already inhabited.

Norse explorer Leif Eriksson is the first European believed to have sailed to North America. He landed in Canada 500 years earlier than Columbus’ voyage.

Though the White House press release doesn’t say the Italian explorer landed in America, it calls Columbus a “true American hero.”

“Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage,” the release said. “Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces. Under my leadership, those days are finally over — and our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.”

The reality is that Columbus enslaved native peoples, and he brutally attacked and killed those who tried to revolt. He took the native Taino “Indians” in the Caribbean back to Spain and sold them into slavery. To prevent rebellion, he would have the bodies of those he killed paraded through the streets of what is now the Dominican Republic.

“They were very well built, with very handsome bodies and very good faces,” Columbus wrote in his diary. “They do not carry arms or know them. … They should be good servants.”

Also, because the native population was not immune to European diseases, many died of illnesses like smallpox. When Columbus arrived on the island of Hispaniola (now Dominican Republic and Haiti) there were about 250,000 native people there. By 1517, only about 14,000 were left.

“This Columbus Day, more than 500 years since Columbus arrived in the New World, we follow his example, we echo his resolve, and we offer our gratitude for his life of valor and grit,” the White House’s release said. “Above all, we commit to restoring a Nation that once again dares to tame the unknown, honors our rich cultural inheritance, and offers rightful praise to our Creator above.”

The Spanish crown eventually stripped Columbus of his governorship of Hispaniola when it learned of his abuses. He admitted to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that the accusations were true.

Of course, injury could definitively intervene in the destination of the Golden Boot, but there are two reasons why Haaland is such a strong favourite for the award so early.

First, the number of goals he has already scored – and, just as importantly, the number and quality of chances he is getting. And second, the slow start his usual rivals for the prize have made.

A player’s expected goals number (xG) signifies how many goals a Premier League player has historically scored from the number and quality of chances he has had.

It is not a number randomly picked by statistics boffins, but by Premier League history.

And if we look at players’ xG in the Premier League so far this season from normal play, the Norway forward is getting so many more good opportunities to score than anyone else.

Indeed, even if Haaland were no better at finishing chances than anyone else in the league, he would still have scored more than twice as many goals as everyone else.

Another “Real Housewives of Potomac” star is facing legal trouble: Wendy Osefo and her husband, Eddie Osefo, have been arrested for allegedly fraudulently reporting a burglary and theft last year.

A grand jury in Carroll County, Md., indicted the spouses Thursday on “multiple counts related to fraud,” the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday in a statement. The reality TV stars, both 41, were booked at Carroll County Central Booking. They were released Friday after posting bond, the statement said.

A representative for the Osefos said Friday that they are “back home safely with their family and in good spirits.”

“They are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from friends, fans, and colleagues,” the representative continued. “The Osefos, alongside their legal team, look forward to their day in court. At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”

Wendy Osefos faces 16 charges, including seven felony charges for alleged false/misleading information fraud involving more than $300, eight misdemeanor conspiracy counts and a misdemeanor for an alleged false statement to an officer. Her husband faces the same charges and is also on the hook for two additional felony counts. They are due back in court in November.

The fraud charges stem from an April 2024 burglary reported at the Osefos’ home in Finksburg, Md., more than 27 miles northwest of Baltimore. The Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement responded to a report of burglary and theft and met with the spouses, who claimed their home “had been entered and numerous items had been stolen” while they were on vacation, the statement said.

“They reported approximately 80 items of jewelry, luxury goods, clothing, and shoes were stolen,” the statement said, “worth a total of more than $200,000.”

Police said Friday that detectives investigating the burglary found that the Osefos had returned more than $20,000 of the “stolen” items to their points of purchase. Detectives also saw images of Wendy Osefo taken after the alleged burglary wearing a ring she said was among items that were stolen.

Court documents show that the Osesfos filed a claim with an insurance company alleging a loss of $450,000 worth of personal property, according to TMZ.

“It became clear that the Osefos had fabricated the burglary and filed a false report [in an] attempt to fraud their insurance company,” Carroll County Sheriff James T. DeWees said during a press briefing Friday.

Wendy Osefo joined “Real Housewives of Potomac” for its fifth season in late 2020 and has been part of the cast since. She is a political commentator, author and lifestyle brand entrepreneur. Eddie Osefo is an attorney and self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” whose businesses include a business agency and a cannabis edibles line.

In wake of the arrests, Bravo pushed its Oct. 14 episode of “Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition,” featuring the Osefos, until Oct. 21, Variety reported.

The couple was arrested a year and a half after another “RHOP” personality publicly faced legal woes. Karen Huger, known among fans as the “grand dame,” was arrested in March 2024 for driving under the influence after she crossed a median and hit street signs, crashing her Maserati. She was convicted in December of driving under the influence and negligent driving, among other charges.

She was released from prison in September after serving six months of a yearlong prison sentence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday offered his latest take on the prospect of Ukraine receiving Tomahawk Land Attack cruise missiles (TLAMs) from the United States. During a press conference, the Russian leader also hinted that his country would soon introduce a new nuclear weapon.

Asked his response to whether the U.S. is using the provision of Tomahawks to Ukraine as a bargaining chip in the sputtering peace talks, the Russian leader offered a terse answer.

“Our response is strengthening the air defense system of the Russian Federation,” Putin explained. He offered no further details. After nearly four years of war and Ukraine’s expanded long-range attacks deep inside the country, drastically broadening the demand for counter-air systems, Russia’s air defenses are already stretched very thin.

Putin’s response today was far less vitriolic than what he said earlier in the week about these weapons.

“This will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations,” Putin said in a video clip released on Sunday by Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.

Putin on Friday seemingly changed his tone. He suggested that the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine between him and Trump that took place during their Alaska meeting in August are indeed ongoing.

“Well, you see, we did not reveal what exactly was discussed during the Anchorage meeting,” Putin stated. “We said that there is a general understanding from the United States and an understanding of the Russian side about where we can move and what can be done to resolve this conflict through peaceful means, and those are not simple issues.”

The Russian leader said he and Trump both agreed to “think about this issue” with their respective government officials.

“This is a complicated set of questions that requires a thorough review, but we’re still grounded in that discussion that took place in Anchorage,” Putin explained. “We don’t change anything here, and we still believe there is work to be done on all other sides, but we’re still within the framework of the agreements reached in Alaska.”

Trump is mulling allowing Kyiv to have TLAMs out of frustration with Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine and Putin’s unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire. Earlier this week, Trump fanned speculation about this by saying he “sort of made a decision” about selling some to NATO countries to distribute to Ukraine.

“Where they are sending them, I guess I will have to ask that question,” Trump added. “I would ask some questions. I am not looking to see an escalation.”

We reached out to the White House for comment about Putin’s latest statement as well as the status of the Tomahawk decision and will update this story with any pertinent response.

When it comes to escalation, Russian media earlier this week reported a suggestion that missiles be sent to Cuba should Ukraine get TLAMs. It comes in the wake of this week’s ratification of a military cooperation treaty between Moscow and Havana.

A “military expert” told the official Russian news agency TASS that Russia should consider sending Iskander operational-tactical missile systems and the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile systems to Cuba.

“This is about a symmetrical response to the potential supply of Tomahawks,” said Alexander Stepanov, a military expert with the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. “The ratified agreement maximally expands our military cooperation and allows, within the framework of bilateral interaction and in coordination with the government of the Republic of Cuba, to deploy virtually any offensive systems on the island’s territory.”

We are awaiting a response to Stepanov’s suggestion from the State Department.

The prospect of Ukraine getting its hands on the Tomahawk, which can strike targets at a range of almost 1,000 miles, carrying a 1,000-pound unitary warhead, has caused great jubilation in Kyiv, consternation in Moscow and raises real questions about how it would work. Ukraine does not possess the surface vessels, submarines or ground-based systems that can fire them.

There are multiple launcher options for ground-based Tomahawks now. These include four-round containerized launch systems derived from the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System that Lockheed Martin has developed for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. The U.S. Marine Corps had been in the process of acquiring single-cell Mk 41-derived launchers mounted on uncrewed versions of the 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, but announced plans to cancel that program earlier this year. Lockheed Martin has also at least shown models of a two-cell Mk 41-based ground launcher in the past, as well.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has frequently requested TLAMs, Kyiv is producing its own long-range missiles. 

In August, Ukraine unveiled a new ground-launched cruise missile, called Flamingo, which reportedly has a range of 1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers) and a warhead weighing 2,535 pounds (1,150 kilograms).

Earlier this week, Ukraine showcased a new version of its Neptune cruise missile, which appears to have added fuel tank ‘bulges’ for increased range; however, how far the missile can reach and with what kind of payload is unclear.

Zelensky claimed that both weapons have been used in tandem on unspecified Russian targets.

“Over the past week — I won’t specify in what quantity — our pair of Neptune and Flamingo missiles was used,” he said. “The corresponding results can be analyzed independently. We’re not saying it’s a mass deployment of this pair. We’re simply saying there has been use, and there are the first tangible results from this weapon of ours.”

While Zelensky offered no details, images emerged on social media claiming to be the remains of a Flamingo.

The Celebrity Traitors made its way to our screens after months of speculation and hype and, among the 6.5 million viewers to tune in this week, was Prince William

Guards had to stop The Celebrity Traitors stars sneaking between bedrooms at the hotel at which they stayed, it has emerged.

The security staff had to make sure there was no conferring when the TV cameras were switched off during the production of the series. Television’s most devious contest made its way to our screens this week after months of speculation and hype, and saw the likes of Sir Stephen Fry, Kate Garraway and Celia Imrie face devilish tasks.

But the personalities did not get the VIP treatment. During filming, the stars had to stay at a £80-per-night Courtyard by Marriott hotel near an airport, which remained open to the public. The celebrities, which also included Alan Carr and Clare Balding, were only allowed out at certain times for cigarette breaks and short walks, it has emerged.

The guards kept close eyes on the contestants at the hotel, the same one used in the non-celebrity version of the BBC programme, and they weren’t even allowed to go, alone, to visit other stars in their rooms.

READ MORE: Paloma Faith’s daughter ‘bans’ Alan Carr from house after brutal Celebrity Traitors murderREAD MORE: Exact cosy fingerless gloves Claudia Winkleman wears on The Traitors are back in stock

The titular “Traitors” must work together to eliminate the other contestants to win a grand prize, while the remaining contestants become “Faithful” and are tasked to discover and banish the “Traitors” by voting them out to win the prize. Knowledge gathered only be succeeding in tasks during the show will help the teams achieve these goals.

And the production team ensured they maintained the same tough rules for the household names as they had done for the non-famous counterparts in the original show, much to the “shock” of some stars.

“They must have had a shock, some of them would never have stayed anywhere that s*** before, it was hardly salubrious,” one source told the Daily Mail today, days after the first episode of the series aired.

The series was filmed over three weeks in May and, while tasks were often held in the famous castle, none of the contestants got to stay in the building – and had to make do with the hotel near Inverness Airport. Celebs were put on one floor and a lockdown-style curfew was imposed. Mobiles were confiscated and a “production phone” was issued for emergencies, it is reported today. The same source continued: “There was to be no social media, just old-fashioned phone calls.”

It is thought the BBC ensured transmission of the programme was quick – less than five months after filming – to avoid any leaks. The VIPs have been paid the same flat rate for their time – unlike the civilian version, for which contestants get a small stipend to subsidise time away from work.

Some friendships have already become strained. It has now emerged Alan Carr, for instance, “murdered” his good friend Paloma Faith in episode two by rubbing poison lily on her face. Faith said: “If the shoe was on the other foot, I would not have touched Alan’s face.”

The next episode of The Celebrity Traitors is on Wednesday on BBC One at 9pm.

Oct. 10 (UPI) — The Trump administration has canceled the proposed Esmeralda 7 Solar Project in Nevada that would have been among the world’s largest solar power facilities.

Officials with the Bureau of Land Management on Thursday announced an environmental impact review of the proposed renewable energy facility has been canceled, which in turn cancels the project, Politico reported.

The canceled project would have built seven solar power-generation projects within the Esmeralda site that would have occupied 118,000 acres of land in Nevada’s Esmeralda County and about 30 miles west of Tonopah and 270 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The project would have generated up to 6.2 gigawatts of energy over its service life, which is enough energy to power up to 2 million homes, according to Heatmap.

The proposed solar power project generally enjoyed smooth sailing through the Biden administration and would have included the NextEra Energy utility firm and Invenergy among its developers, The New York Times reported.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, in August expressed his concerns that the solar power project was being delayed or canceled unnecessarily in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Lombardo said the project’s completion would help Nevada to better support the nation’s energy needs for mining projects and data centers, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump previously criticized solar- and wind-power projects as insufficient and costly compared to natural gas and coal power-generation facilities.

Since Trump took office in January, the Interior Department has added new review requirements for wind and solar projects, which have slowed their development and have stopped some from moving forward.

The Interior Department also has begun investigating bird deaths and other impacts on wildlife and plant life by large solar and wind projects.

While the Esmeralda 7 project appears to be canceled, another Nevada solar power project called Dodge Flat II is still in progress, according to the BLM.