Ben Stokes admitted he is going through his “toughest time” as England captain as he called for “empathy” towards this team-mates.

The tourists’ awful Ashes series has been dogged by reports of excessive drinking.

England are already 3-0 down after three Tests against Australia, with the chance of regaining the urn gone and the risk of a humiliating clean sweep in the final two Tests.

On Tuesday, England director of Rob Key confirmed he would investigate the behaviour of players in the coastal town of Noosa during their break from the series between the second and third Tests.

Later on the same day, a video emerged on social media appearing to show opener Ben Duckett drunk.

The BBC has not verified the video, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said it would “establish the facts”.

With England preparing to play the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day, Stokes told BBC Sport: “This is probably the toughest time right now as an England captain that I’ll have.

“I’m not going to run away from it. I feel like I will lead for the rest of this trip how I think I can help guys get through it.”

Stokes would not be drawn on the allegations about Duckett.

Asked about the scrutiny on his team-mates, he added: “We’ve got other guys who play all three formats and spend a lot more time away from home than others.

“It is very gruelling and it is tough when you’re here, there and everywhere.

“I know people have got things a lot worse than what we do. You have to deal with the emotions of being away [and] the scrutiny that you are under, in particular when things aren’t going well.

“Everything just gets heightened, but there needs to be a little bit of empathy towards stuff that people might not quite understand, but I guess if you’re not in it and you’re not amongst it, it is hard to understand that.

“But just in this moment right now, I think a little bit of empathy from everyone would be not too hard to think about, if that makes sense.”

Dec. 24 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled a 20-point peace plan hammered out in negotiations in Miami over the weekend that provides strong NATO-style security guarantees in exchange for land concessions. He said the plan was now being reviewed by Moscow.

Detailing the plan on Tuesday, Zelensky said “the main framework” included affirmation of Kyiv’s sovereignty, a non-aggression pact, a means to monitor the final border, Ukraine‘s non-nuclear status and limits on its military to 800,000 troops, The Kyiv Independent and RBC-Ukraine reported.

The plan also contains Ukraine-U.S.-Europe security guarantees, U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees, and a 15-year plan for Ukraine’s recovery and economic development involving raising as much as $800 billion.

European Union membership for Ukraine will form part of the security guarantees.

The document, which emerged from a 28-point-plan drafted by the White House and the Kremlin and first floated by President Donald Trump in mid-November, was expected to be delivered to the Kremlin by U.S. officials later Wednesday.

An immediate cease-fire comes into force as soon as Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and Russia sign — with Ukraine commiting to hold elections as soon as possible afterward. Who would sign on behalf of Europe was yet to be decided.

“We have made significant progress toward finalizing the documents,” Zelensky said.

However, Kyiv wants to put the plan to the people of Ukraine in a referendum which would take at least two months.

The main sticking point of territory remains with the plan calling for the frontlines in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to form the de facto border, while Russia will pull out of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

The United States has proposed a compromise acceptable to both sides under which Ukrainian forces pull out of areas of its Donetsk region that Kyiv still controls in favor of a demilitarized “free economic zone” that Russian forces would not advance into.

“We are in a situation where the Russians want us to withdraw from Donetsk Oblast, while the Americans are trying to find a way for us not to withdraw because we are against withdrawal,” Zelensky said.

“We consider a free economic zone a potential option for a sovereign state to choose such a path. We fought for a single word — ‘potential.’ We believe that such potential economic zones can exist,” he added.

“If all regions are included and if we remain where we are, then we will reach an agreement. That is why it says ‘potential zones’ here. But if we do not agree to ‘remain where we are,’ there are two options: either the war continues, or something will have to be decided regarding all potential economic zones.”

Zelensky’s mention of other potential economic zones refers to his preferred solution to the other big outstanding issue of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces since shortly after their full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukraine opposes a U.S. plan under which Ukraine, Russia and the United States share equal control with Washington having overall jurisdiction, with Kyiv instead pushing for a U.S.-Ukraine partnership under which they would split the electricity generated 50-50.

CHRISTMAS and New Year’s sales are starting to emerge and this means you could grab some bargain flights.

EasyJet has already launched its Big Orange Sale with up to 20 percent off flights departing between January 5 and December 13, 2026.

If you grab a bargain today, it could even make the ideal last-minute Christmas gift.

You can book discounted fares for as little as £14.49 from now until February 3, 2026.

Destinations include some of the budget airline’s newest routes, such as Tbilisi in Georgia and the Scandinavian Mountains in Sweden.

Alternatively, if you wanted to head off on a ski trip you could fly to top ski destinations in Europe, such as Grenoble in France, Geneva in Switzerland and Innsbruck in Austria.

Read more on travel inspo

TRIP TIPS

I’ve visited Disney 55 times… mistakes parents make that ruin trips & waste money

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

Perhaps cold holidays aren’t your thing? Then why not head off to some winter sun spots including Enfidha in Tunisia, Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt and Marrakech in Morocco.

Specific flights include London Gatwick to Palma, in Majorca, from £18.99.

As the capital of the Balearic Islands, Palma is known for its Gothic Cathedral, historic Old Town and of course, pretty beaches.

Or if you fancy relaxing, head to Palma Beach, which is just a short distance from the city centre and boasts turquoise waters, soft sand and a number of nearby restaurants.

If you live near Bristol, you could head to Bordeaux in France for just £14.49.

Known as the wine capital of France, Bordeaux is home to the UNESCO World Heritage ‘Port of the Moon’ with 18th century architecture.

Across Bordeaux, you will find around 6,000 wineries, producing mostly red wine.

If you happen to live in or near Birmingham, for £17.99 you could head to one of the major fashion capitals of the world – Milan, Italy.

While in the city, Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) is also worth visiting; it has Gothic features and you can climb the roof for panoramic views of the city.

From Manchester you could head to Madrid from £21.49 per person.

The capital of Spain is home to many sites to explore that are ideal for history lovers, such as the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and Retiro Park.

There are also several museums, such as the Prado Museum – the main Spanish national art museum – and Reina Sofia Museum home to a collection of 20th-century art.

And if you fancy a holiday package, easyJet is also offering up to £400 off of all easyJet holidays.

For this discount to apply you have to spend a minimum of £4,000 though.

Or you could get £300 off of a £3,000 spend, £150 off of a £1,500 spend, £100 off an £800 spend and £50 off a £500 spend with the code ‘BIGSALE’.

You will need to book before 11pm on March 3, 2026, and then travel between now and October 31, 2027.

All easyJet holiday packages include flights and a hotel, with 23kg luggage per person and transfers if booking a beach holiday.

Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK country manager, said: “By launching our Big Orange Sale today, customers can take advantage of our great value fares and make plans for a well-deserved break to look forward to in 2026.

“With over 45 new routes from the UK available for next year, customers can choose from flights and package holidays to up to 140 destinations across Europe and beyond, whether that’s to return to their top holiday hotspot, or discover somewhere new.

“We look forward to welcoming millions of customers onboard in 2026 and we remain focused on providing them with low-cost travel, flying them where they want to go, and always aiming to make the travel experience easy.”

In other aviation news, there are six new holiday destinations getting Wizz Air flights – and one is a UK-first.

Plus, seven short-haul destinations perfect for a January holiday with flights from £14.99.

WE DO like to be beside the seaside and you can be in the UK’s most-booked holiday home.

Located in Bude in Cornwall, you’ll find one of the most popular holiday homes in the entire country – and once you get a glimpse of the inside you’ll know why.

The holiday home called No 1 sits right by the beach and even has its own beach access.

Holidaycottages.co.uk analysed data from across total booking numbers, website views and the percentage of five-star reviews, and No 1 came out on top.

The home features two light and airy bedrooms with wood panelling and king size beds, one of which can be split into two single beds.

One of the bedrooms also has an en suite with a shower.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

There is an open plan living area, with a kitchen and dining space including two leather sofas and a Smart TV.

In the kitchen there are all the appliances and more that you would want for a stay, as well as a breakfast bar that seats four people.

The lounge area boasts amazing views of the beach too.

As for outside space, there are two spots to choose from.

At the front of the apartment there is an outside terrace with views of the sea and at the back of the apartment there is a private patio with a shower.

And for a touch of luxury, there is even a private sauna.

One recent guest, Marion, said: “Watching and listening to the waves a stone’s throw from an amazing apartment was a grand way to spend the week, the view is spectacular and yes, we did venture into sea!”

No 1 sleeps up to four people and a three night stay in January costs from £781, which is £65 per person, per night.

The house also overlooks Crooklets Beach, which is a popular spot among surfers and has a cafe as well as a kids’ play area.

If you wanted to, there are also huts for hire and showers for rinsing off the salty water and sand.

One recent visitor said: “Lovely beach with a mix of pebbles at top and then into sand so lots of fun for the children.

“Great rock pools and rocks to climb around.”

Another visitor said: “The beach was lovely and quiet.

“Parking very close by and a cafe and also a restaurant serving pub-style food and pizza.

“At the beach there is also a coastal path along the cliffs above and a World War II pillbox built into the cliffs.”

Alternatively, neighbouring Crooklets Beach is Summerleaze Beach – another popular spot as there is plenty of space for families to spread out and lifeguards are present.

Between the two beaches you will find Bude Sea Pool, which is ideal for swimming in when the sea is too rough.

In the town, you can explore a number of independent shops and boutiques, as well as cosy restaurants and pubs.

If you fancy a bite to eat then head to Rosie’s Kitchen, which serves smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For example, you could opt for Rosie’s Breakfast with butcher’s sausage, smoked bacon, fried egg, black pudding, field mushroom, hash brown, half-roasted tomato, baked beans and bread for £12.

From 12pm onwards you could even have some bubble and squeak, with two fried eggs and chimichurri for £14.

A beer will set you back £5 and a small glass of wine £4.90.

And golf fans can even head to Bude and North Cornwall Golf Club.

If you are looking for something more historical to do, then head to The Castle Bude, which was built nearly 200 years ago in 1830 and is home to a museum, art gallery and a cafe.

It is also free to visit the castle.

For more inspiration on trips to Cornwall, one Sun reporter visited the county and said that it rivalled New Zealand with pirate towns and fairytale islands.

Plus, the fairytale town dubbed ‘Cornwall on the East Coast’ with a pretty fishing harbour and no loud arcades.

Skyscanner recently shared insights into the best and worst times to buy flight tickets

Securing affordable flight deals can often seem impossible, but assistance might just be at hand. Skyscanner recently unveiled insights on the best and worst times to purchase international tickets, spotlighting both seasonal patterns and particular weekdays.

The travel search engine analysed historical data to reveal these trends and also addressed an ongoing debate in holiday planning: is it better to book early or to hold out for last-minute bargains?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward answer to this, as Skyscanner stressed that it largely depends on the route. Whilst quieter journeys or off-peak days may see price reductions as the departure date approaches, popular routes are likely to witness prices soar dramatically.

Irrespective of the season, Fridays and Sundays consistently emerge as the worst days to book flights due to high demand. However, statistics showed that cheaper fares are usually discovered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when bookings drop off.

“Based on past pricing trends, fares have dropped on Tuesday mornings after Monday deal releases,” Skyscanner wrote earlier this year, according to the Daily Record. When asked if prices decrease nearer a departure date, it added: “Sometimes, especially if seats are still available.

“But prices also tend to rise as departure nears. Last-minute deals exist, but they’re never guaranteed. You can also use the Skyscanner Savings Generator to find the best time to book flights based on your route.”

Skyscanner recommended that travellers book short-haul flights at least one to three months in advance to avoid disappointment. For long-haul journeys, it’s best to secure tickets two to six months before the trip.

Those wishing to monitor fluctuating flight prices can utilise Skyscanner’s alert system. To activate it, simply select a preferred route and click the ‘Get Price Alerts’ button located at the top left corner of the website.

To use this feature, you’ll need a Skyscanner account as alerts will be sent to the email linked with your account. Google also offers a similar alert system within its flight price tracking tool.

Google’s current advice states: “You can track flight prices for specific dates or, if your plans are flexible, any dates. To get flight alerts for a specific round trip, choose your dates and flights and select Search. Then, you can turn on price tracking.”

For more information on Skyscanner’s price-tracking tool, click the link here.

For the latest money-saving tips, shopping and consumer news, go to the new Everything Money website.

Get all the hottest shopping deals, cash saving tips and money news straight to your phone by joining our new WhatsApp Community – The Money Saving Club. Just click this link to join https://crnch.it/eutplxS1

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice here https://crnch.it/jeQqC872

Long-haul flights can feel daunting for both passengers and cabin crew. But while travellers can sit and put their feet up, what happens to the flight attendants on a long shift?

Travelling is fun but when it’s a long flight, it can feel quite draining for everyone on board. Passengers, however, get to tuck into countless meals served by cabin crew, watch multiple movies back-to-back and relax.

So when travellers get some shut eye, especially if it’s a night flight, those working on the flight still have a job to do. Luckily there are moments of the trip where they can get their feet up for some rest. A long-haul flight shift for cabin crew can reach up to 18 hours, although it’s around 12-16 hours with in-flight rest. This can sometimes extend to longer if there’s any delays along the way.

Now have you ever wondered how they rest? One flight attendant shared a video which showed a secret area where “no passenger is allowed” and it’s only for cabin crew staff to put their feet up.

In a video, Bryan, who boasts 5,000 Instagram followers, said: “People ask me: Where do flight attendants sleep when they have a 17-hour flight?”

Seconds later, he jumps into his pyjamas before taking his phone to show the secret area cabin crew can go to rest during their shift.

The title, which read: “A place where no passenger is allowed”, then shows the attendant walking up some stairs before showing a hidden cabin with beds and curtains.

It’s called CRC which stands for Crew Rest Compartment, and this is where they go when it’s time for their break. In the sleeping area, there is a seatbelt, which must be fastened in case of turbulence, some blankets and, of course, pillows.

There’s also overhead lights and even curtains for privacy, with a TV for “endless entertainment”.

His post garnered hundreds of likes since it was shared as one wrote: “Wow that’s awesome.” Another added: “I would sleep all the way through. No alcohol. No entertainment. Just rest. We need our bodies to perform on Earth. Thanks for sharing.”

A third posted: “Thanks for sharing! So cool to see ‘behind the scenes’ with the crew.”

How do cabin crew survive long-haul flights?

Flight attendants usually rotate their scheduled rest periods by using the hidden crew bunks. By doing this, it ensures there’s coverage during flights up to 16+ hours.

The crew members manage fatigue with routines, wellness, nutrition and use seniority to bid for better schedules, they also balance intense work with multi-day layovers to explore cities or rest before the next leg of their trip, often spanning several days.

Long-haul offers extensive travel for flight crew, while short-haul provides more home time. Often flight attendants choose this based on lifestyle preference.

Meanwhile extended periods away from home are common, with long blocks of days off after demanding trips to recover from the job.

The U.S. Navy has confirmed to TWZ that construction of the first two Trump class “battleships” is not expected to start until the early 2030s. While cost estimates are still being firmed up, the service is moving now to award sole-source contracts to Bath Iron Works, Huntington Ingalls Industries, and Gibbs & Cox for initial design and other work related to these large surface combatants. Readers can first get up to speed on what is already known about the plans for these ships and the glaring questions surrounding them in our initial reporting here.

President Donald Trump officially rolled out the Trump class warship plan at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last night. With displacements of at least around 35,000 tons, the vessels are set to be armed with an array of nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as electromagnetic railguns, traditional 5-inch naval guns, laser directed energy weapons, and more. Production is supposed to start with two ships, the first of which will be named USS Defiant, out of a planned initial batch of 10 hulls. Trump has said that the total fleet size might eventually grow to 20 to 25 examples.

“Design efforts are underway with start of construction planned for the early 2030s,” a U.S. Navy official told TWZ. “Design studies are ongoing to refine Navy cost estimates. These details will be available in the PB FY27 [President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2027] budget request.”

Another individual familiar with the program also told TWZ that work to build the first Trump class ships is not expected to begin until the early 2030s. They also told us that the new “battleship” plan is supplanting the Navy’s DDG(X) next-generation destroyer effort, and will leverage work already done on that design concept.

“We’re going to start almost immediately, and we’re probably talking about two and a half years,” Trump had said at yesterday’s rollout when asked to give a timeline for work on the first two Trump class ships. However, it is unclear what part of the process he might have been referring to. TWZ has reached out to the White House for more information.

As already noted, the Navy did put out two contracting notices regarding what is also referred to as the BBG(X) guided missile battleship program following the rollout last night.

“Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) intends to contract on a sole source basis with General Dynamics Bath Irons [sic] Works Corporation (BIW) and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII Ingalls) for BBG(X) guided missile battleship design, engineering, and design analysis requirements. This includes shipbuilder engineering and design analysis necessary to produce BBG(X) design products in support of Navy-led design for BBG(X), including Preliminary Design (PD) and Contract Design (CD),” one of the notices says. “BIW and HII Ingalls will assist the Government design team in maturing a total ship design through a rigorous systems engineering process, including, but not limited to, pre­planned reviews such as System Functional Review (SFR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR). The estimated period of performance for these efforts is 72 months.”

In addition, NAVSEA “intends to contract on a sole source basis with Leidos Gibbs & Cox for surface combatant ship design engineering (SC SDE) efforts to support future Navy surface combatants. As part of these efforts, Leidos Gibbs & Cox will primarily execute design activity in support of Preliminary Design (PD), Contract Design (CD), and other design efforts needed to support the BBG(X) guided missile battleship program,” per the other notice. “As the SC SDE contractor, Leidos Gibbs & Cox will serve as an extension of the Government’s ship design team, delivering specialized expertise in early-stage design analysis and requirements definition. This early design phase support is crucial for ensuring the feasibility, affordability, and performance of the ship design prior to detail design and construction. The estimated period of performance for this contract is 72 months.”

For reference, 72 months is six years. If that timeline were to start next month, the period of performance would run into 2032. This aligns directly with the expected start of actual construction in the early 2030s.

“We are committed to continue our work with the Navy and our industry partners to expand the Navy’s Fleet,” an HII spokesperson told TWZ when asked for more information. “We maintain a full range of engineering and design capabilities and are looking forward to providing the benefit of their experience and expertise to this effort, building on the work done to date in support of the DDG(X). We respectfully defer to Navy on the selection criteria and any details on requirements.”

“We are proud to have built the Navy’s most technologically advanced surface combatants and our shipbuilders are committed to continuing that work in lock step with the Navy to expand their Fleet,” Chris Kastner, President and CEO of HII, had also told TWZ in a statement yesterday. “We understand the urgency and have taken a number of actions to increase the speed at which we can deliver. We have seen improvements in our labor and throughput and expect these to continue in 2026. These efforts combined with our distributed shipbuilding network are working, and more capacity is being created to meet these critical requirements.”

Bath Iron Works also deferred to the Navy when asked for more details.

“General Dynamics Bath Iron Works stands ready to fully support the Navy in the design and construction of this important new shipbuilding program,” Charles Krugh, President of Bath Iron Works, had separately said in a statement to USNI News yesterday.

TWZ has also reached out to Gibbs & Cox for more details.

It’s also interesting to note here that 2032 was when the Navy originally hoped to see construction of new DDG(X) destroyers begin. As of January of this year, that timeline had been pushed back to 2034 at the earliest.

With BBG(X) still in the very early design phase, the U.S. Navy official also told TWZ that there is currently no timeline for when the future USS Defiant will actually be launched. It would then take some amount of time after that to complete the vessel’s construction, conduct initial sea trials, and then commission it into service.

In the meantime, NAVSEA has shared some additional details about the expected capabilities of the Trump class warships. As it stands now, the vessels are set to be between 840 and 880 feet long, have a beam (the widest point in the hull) between 105 and 115 feet, displace at least 35,000 tons, and be able to reach a top speed greater than 30 knots.

For comparison, the Navy’s newest Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyers and its Ticonderoga class cruisers have stated displacements of 10,864 tons and 10,752 tons, respectively, with full combat loads. Both of those ships are also hundreds of feet shorter and dozens of feet narrower than the planned BBG(X).

The Navy’s last true battleships, the four members of the Iowa class that were built during World War II and served for decades afterwards, had full combat displacements of around 57,540 tons and were nearly 888 feet long. Those ships were also extremely heavily armored and at times had as many as 2,700 personnel on board.

The Trump class ships will have a flight deck and hangar at the stern large enough to accommodate a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, as well as any aircraft developed in response to the Navy’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) requirements. Renderings already released have also depicted a Seahawk helicopter embarked on the ship.

The BBG(X) design will feature 128 Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells spread across two separate arrays, one at the bow and another at the stern. Nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, or SLCM-Ns, will be among the munitions loaded into those cells. The total number of Mk 41 cells is notably low for a ship of this size. As additional points of comparison, the Navy’s Flight IIA and Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyers both have 96 Mk 41 VLS cells, while there are 122 on its Ticonderoga class cruisers.

There will also be a separate 12-cell VLS at the bow for Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) hypersonic missiles. This is the same number of IRCPS missiles the Navy’s Zumwalt class stealth destroyers are set to carry in the future.

The ship’s main gun armament will consist of a 32-megajoule electromagnetic railgun along with two 5-inch naval guns. How the Navy will source the railgun is unclear. The service halted its most recent work on naval railguns, at least publicly, in the early 2020s.

The vessels will have four Mk 38 weapon systems armed with 30mm automatic cannons and two launchers for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) for close-in defense. Two unspecified dedicated counter-drone systems will be part of the armament package on the ships, as well.

The BBG(X) plans call for two laser directed energy weapons in the 300 to 600 kilowatt power range, as well as four lower-powered AN/SEQ-4 Optical Dazzling Interdictors (ODIN). As its name indicates, ODIN is a laser ‘dazzler’ designed primarily to blind adversarial optics, including optical seekers on incoming missiles or drones, rather than cause any kind of physical damage.

In terms of other systems, NAVSEA says the BBG(X)s will feature an AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), an AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III electronic warfare suite, and an extensive array of command and control capabilities. Between 650 and 850 personnel are expected to be necessary to crew the BBG(X)s, far more than the standard complement found on any existing Navy destroyers or cruisers.

“Like the initial DDG(X) concept, Defiant would use gas turbines and diesels to drive an electrical grid that would supply power to the ship’s weapon systems and sensors, according to the Navy data,” USNI News has reported. As TWZ has previously reported, work already done on the planned Integrated Power System (IPS) for DDG(X) has leveraged technology developed to meet the extensive power generation demands of the Navy’s Zumwalt class.

As TWZ highlighted yesterday, there are major questions about the Trump class warship plan, including how much the ships might cost to produce, as well as operate and maintain. Though the Navy has yet to share an official figure, there have been reports already offering a very wide range of estimates for basic unit costs from $5 to $15 billion. The future DDG(X) destroyers had been expected to cost the service between $3.3 and $4.4 billion. As another point of reference, the price tag of each of the Navy’s Zumwalt class destroyers has ballooned to more than $10 billion, which factors in research and development costs, per the Government Accountability Office (GAO). It is also worth noting that the Zumwalt program’s cost growth is in large part due to the decision to slash purchases of those ships from 32 down to three.

The operational relevance of a ship like the BBG(X), especially if the total fleet size ends up being relatively small, is quickly becoming a topic of heated debate. As TWZ wrote previously:

“At the same time, what capabilities the Trump class might truly be able to bring to bear will be dependent on a host of factors, especially if they are only ever fielded in relatively smaller numbers. And regardless of how capable any warship is, it can only ever be in one place at one time, which is more often than not in port.”

“This all comes at a time when the Navy is stressing its glaring need for more surface warships, overall, not super capable ones built in small quantities.”

“On the other hand, there are concerning VLS cell gaps that are fast approaching on the horizon. The service is set to retire the last of its Ticonderoga class cruisers, each one of which has 122 VLS cells, at the end of the decade. The Navy will also need to make up for the impending loss of the huge missile launch capacity offered by its four Ohio class nuclear guided missile submarines, which are also set to be decommissioned before 2030. The Trump class will clearly feature a massive set of VLS arrays that could help offset some of this deficit.”

The capacity of America’s shipbuilding industrial base to support the Trump class plans in addition to its current demands, something that has become increasingly concerning from a national security perspective in recent years, is another open question. The expected sole-source contracts to Bath Iron Works and HII underscore that those are the only two companies in the United States with any real experience producing large-displacement surface warships of any kind.

Given the timeline laid out now, the Trump class will have to survive multiple presidential administrations and congresses, too. The program could well see significant changes, or even be canceled, even before a single piece of steel is laid down, but still after billions are spent in development costs.

By its own admission, the Navy is still very much in the early stages of work on the Trump class. With the construction of the future USS Defiant not expected to even begin until the early 2030s, the planned fleet of these warships looks to be very far out on the horizon.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Four years ago, California startup Theta Labs’ cryptocurrency was soaring, and its future appeared bright when it landed a partnership with pop star Katy Perry.

The Bay Area company had built a marketplace for digital collectibles known as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and had teamed up with Perry to launch NFTs tied to her Las Vegas concert residency. Its THETA token jumped by more than 500% in early 2021, reaching a peak of more than $15, making it one of the world’s most valuable cryptocurrencies. Later in the year, the spotlight shone on the company when it announced the Perry partnership.

“I can’t wait to dive in with the Theta team on all the exciting and memorable creative pieces, so my fans can own a special moment of my residency,” Perry said in a June 2021 news release.

Today, like many cryptocurrencies, THETA is 95% off its 2021 peak. It took a hit this week after former executives accused it of manipulating markets to dupe consumers into buying its products. On Tuesday, it was trading at less than 30 cents.

Two former executives from Theta Labs sued the startup, alleging in separate lawsuits that the company and its chief executive, Mitch Liu, engaged in fraud and manipulated the cryptocurrency market for his benefit. Liu retaliated against them after the employees refused to engage in deceptive business practices and raised concerns, the lawsuits say.

Some of the alleged misconduct involved placing fake bids on Perry’s NFTs, engaging in token “pump and dump” schemes and using celebrity endorsements and “misleading” partnerships with high-profile companies such as Google to deceive the public, according to the December lawsuits filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Perry is not accused of any wrongdoing in the suit, and Theta denies the charges.

The lawsuits against Theta Labs are the latest controversy to rattle an industry beset by scandals.

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapsed, and its founder, Samuel Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024 after being found guilty of multiple fraud charges. Binance founder and former Chief Executive Changpeng Zhao also got prison time after he pleaded guilty to violating money laundering laws, but President Trump pardoned him this year.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission previously charged celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and Ne-Yo for promoting crypto without disclosing they were paid to do so.

Theta Labs created a network that rewarded people with cryptocurrency for contributing spare bandwidth and computing power to enhance video streaming and lower content delivery costs. The company describes Theta Network as a “blockchain-powered decentralized cloud for AI, media and entertainment.” The network has two tokens: THETA, used to secure the network, and TFUEL, used to pay users for services and power operations.

The whistleblowers suing Theta Labs are Jerry Kowal, its former head of content, and Andrea Berry, previously the company’s head of business development.

“Liu used Theta Labs as his personal trading vehicle, perpetrating fraud, self-dealing, and market manipulation,” said Mark Mermelstein, Kowal’s attorney, in a statement. “His calculated ‘pump-and-dump’ schemes repeatedly wiped out employee and investor value. This suit is about demanding accountability and proving no one is above the law.”

Theta, Liu and its parent company, Sliver VR Technologies, deny the allegations and “intend to prove with evidence the fallacy of the stories being told in the lawsuits,” according to Kronenberger Rosenfeld, the law firm representing the defendants. The lawsuits are an attempt to paint the company in a negative light in hopes of securing a settlement, a lawyer for the firm said.

Kowal has sued his former employers before. In 2014, he accused Netflix of spreading false claims that he stole confidential information and Amazon of wrongful termination.

The latest lawsuits allege that Liu profited from buying and selling THETA tokens using insider knowledge about partnerships with celebrities, studios and others in the entertainment industry.

“Liu’s true motive in pursuing such partnerships was not to develop a sustainable content business but to generate publicity that could be used to artificially inflate token prices for Liu’s personal gain,” Kowal’s lawsuit says.

Kowal worked for Theta from 2020 to 2025.

In 2020, Liu traded and sold tokens knowing that the company would close a content licensing deal with MGM Studios, according to the lawsuit. After the deal’s announcement, THETA token’s market capitalization increased by more than $50 million in just 24 hours, the lawsuit says.

When NFTs started to take off in 2021, Kowal closed deals with high-profile partners such as Perry, Fremantle Media and Resorts World Las Vegas for the startup’s NFT marketplace.

As part of the deal with Perry, the singer received $8.5 million and additional warrants for the right to license her image and likeness for the NFTs.

To inflate the price and demand for these digital collectibles, Liu allegedly made bids on NFTs and directed employees to do the same. This led to people overpaying for the Perry NFTs.

Representatives for Perry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple examples of alleged manipulation are outlined in the lawsuits. In one instance from 2022, the startup launched a new token called TDROP that employees also received as part of a bonus.

Liu gained control of 43% of the supply of the cryptocurrency, according to Kowal’s lawsuit. When the TDROP token reached a high, he then sold the token, and its price collapsed by more than 90% within months.

Berry’s lawsuit also alleges that Theta Labs announced “misleading” or fake partnerships with high-profile companies such as Google and entities including NASA to pump up the value of the THETA token. Theta paid for Google Cloud products but claimed it was a partner when it was a Google customer, according to the lawsuit.

There were long faces in Brussels in early October when Czech parliamentary elections handed a victory to Andrej Babiš’s ANO party. And even longer ones a month later when Babiš, short of a majority, announced plans to form a coalition with the far right, pro-Russian SPD and the eccentric, libertarian Motorists alliance. 

Although the jury is still out on whether this new populist government will join those in Slovakia and Hungary to form an anti-EU front in Central Europe, it will look very different from the pro-EU, pro-Ukraine Spoulu (Together) government it replaces, headed by Petr Fiala. 

Babiš Returns to The Czech Republic — and Repositions Himself

Returning to the premiership—Babiš, aged 71, was prime minister from 2017 to 2021 and before that deputy prime minister and finance minister from 2014—is a major personal victory for the Czech Republic’s richest man, estimated to be worth over $4 billion. Babiš’ made his fortune through his holding company, Agrofert, the now-huge agribusiness and chemicals powerhouse he founded in 1993. 

Babiš has moved steadily to the right, with ANO’s populism a long way from the centrist positions ANO (YES) championed when Babiš set up the party in 2012. Although dubbed the Czech Trump for his anti-establishment outbursts and authoritarian rhetoric, observers believe Babiš Mark II will be more measured, favoring stability and prioritizing his business interests and those of the Czech Republic. 

“An ANO-led government will face institutional constraints on its near-term ability to implement significant policy shifts, notably the outgoing coalition’s constitutional majority in the upper house [the Senate], where it holds 60 of 81 seats,” argues Malgorzata Krzywicka, director, Sovereigns at Fitch Ratings. “[We expect] a broadly prudent fiscal policy, although it is likely to adjust foreign policy, notably regarding alignment with some EU priorities.”

Babiš, Like Trump, Has a Second Act

Another potential issue for Babiš is centrist, pro-EU President Petr Pavel’s power to veto ministerial appoints and legislation. Meanwhile, the prospect of a populist anti-EU front amongst the four Visegrad countries must be measured against next April’s parliamentary elections in Hungary. Polls suggest Prime Minister Viktor Orban is running well behind his pro-EU challenger, Péter Magyar. 

That said, Babiš’s return to power—like US President Donald Trump’s, after a gap of four years—will likely mean change. 

“Divergence from Spolu’s strongly pro-Western stance is likely, for example over providing munitions to Ukraine,” reckons Krzywicka. It could lead to disputes with the EU in such areas as energy or migration, she added.

That said, “we think these are highly unlikely to intensify sufficiently to have consequences, such as the suspension of EU funds.” 

Semenyo’s profile is a unique one and at the reported price point, it feels like a no-brainer.

Stylistically we have seen City lean into attacking in transition with more pace this season than previously under Guardiola, who has played on the strengths of Haaland, Foden, Tijjani Reijnders and Doku – attacking quickly over big distances.

As a result, City have scored from more fast breaks this season than during the entire 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons combined.

Bournemouth‘s direct style of attack means Semenyo’s pace, good hold-up play, smart decision-making and two-footed ball-striking are more easily transferred to this City side.

These are dangerous traits, especially when going long against teams that attempt to press high up the pitch.

Guardiola likes versatile players too, given they provide solutions to injury crises.

With Doku out injured, Reijnders has come in and shifted Foden out to the left. Semenyo would provide Premier League proven quality on both wings.

“The years we were successful, not just the strikers [were scoring], especially the wingers, attacking midfielders. We need that,” said Guardiola earlier this month.

City’s over-reliance on Haaland’s 19 goals will be something he wants to address. Foden has scored the second most with seven but has been moved away from the number 10 position, where he scores often from distance.

The signing of Semenyo would help get Foden back in the areas Guardiola feels he is most dangerous.

Semenyo has the added benefit of providing goals himself while starting as a winger. With eight in the league this season, only Igor Thiago and Haaland have more.

If City want to overtake Arsenal and win the league, getting scorers behind Haaland would be a smart move.

Captain Ben Stokes said protecting England players’ welfare was his top concern amid claims of excessive drinking on a mid-Ashes beach break, without directly addressing the allegations.

Stokes was peppered with questions on Wednesday ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne about the team’s behaviour at Noosa between the second and third Tests after British media reports compared it with a “stag-do”.

Unverified social media footage appeared to show opener Ben Duckett drunk and disoriented.

Their disastrous five-Test tour, which has seen Australia take an unassailable 3-0 lead, took another hit on Wednesday when pace spearhead Jofra Archer was ruled out of the rest of the series with a side strain.

England cricket chief Rob Key on Tuesday pledged to investigate the drinking claims, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement it was intent on establishing the facts.

Stokes, whose team have already lost the Ashes, said his main concern was the players’ mental welfare and to ensure they were ready for the Melbourne Test starting Friday.

“I’m obviously aware of the reports and everything circulating around right now,” Stokes said.

“My main concern is my players, and how I handle this moment is the most important thing to me.

“The welfare of everyone in there, and probably some certain individuals as well, is the most important thing to me right now as England captain.

“It’s never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is piling on top of you,” he added.

“It’s a very tough place to be in as an individual. As an individual, when you know you’ve got the support of the people who are sort of leaders, in a sense, it’s very good to know that you’ve got that support.”

Asked directly whether his teammates had “done anything wrong in Noosa”, Stokes replied: “I’ve just answered everything there.”

Stokes calls for focus as spotlight increases on England

England went to Queensland tourist resort Noosa after losing the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane heavily.

They spent several days on the sand and around restaurants and bars before travelling to Adelaide, where they lost the third Test as Australia retained the Ashes.

Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported that “after drowning their sorrows after the Brisbane Test, it is no exaggeration to say some, certainly not all, players drank for five or six days”.

It added that players “did nothing outrageous in Noosa” but there was concern over the level of drinking, with England’s professionalism already under the microscope after their limited preparations.

Stokes conceded that when a side was losing, there would be scrutiny, and “rightly so”.

“When you are 3-0 down you don’t really have a leg to stand on but we’ve got two games of cricket to play. That’s what we have to focus on,” he said.

“We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long, long time.”

England have gone 18 Tests since winning a match in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11.

Their capitulation in this series in 11 days of play is the joint second quickest in more than a century, since the 1921 Ashes was completed in eight days.

Making matters worse, Archer will take no further part in the tour, with Gus Atkinson replacing him in Melbourne.

The under-performing Ollie Pope paid for his poor form at number three, with Jacob Bethell taking over in the only other change.

England’s Test woes in contrast to Australia’s Ashes high

Bowling with the ‌wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps can bruise a fast bowler’s ego, ‍but Australia paceman ‍Scott Boland said Alex Carey’s stellar glovework in the ongoing Ashes series has helped him grow comfortable with it.

Carey’s wicketkeeping masterclass has been a key factor in Australia’s unassailable lead in the five-match series, and the ⁠34-year-old was particularly impressive in the second Test at the Gabba, where he stood ​up to Boland and Michael Neser.

With the wicketkeeper breathing down their ‍necks, English batters were pretty much confined to the crease, which meant the home bowlers did not really need to vary their length.

“I’ve just never really bowled to the keeper up to the ‍stumps before,” Boland ⁠told reporters ahead of the fourth Test.

“Everyone wants to be a fast bowler, and you don’t really like the keeper up to the stumps.

“But I’ve seen over the last month how effective it is and how still I can keep their batters by Alex being up to the stumps.”

Wicketkeepers typically stand farther back from the stumps when facing fast bowlers to give ​themselves more time to react to the high speed ‌and bounce of the ball, reducing the risk of missed catches.

Even from close range, Carey showed tremendous reflexes to pouch a thick edge from Ben Stokes after the England captain had nicked a Neser delivery ‌in the second innings.

Dismissals like that gave confidence to Boland that he could continue bowling his edge-inducing length balls regardless ‌of where Carey stood.

“I just need to trust that ⁠the length balls I bowl to try and nick guys off is the same length I bowl when he’s up to the stumps or back,” the 36-year-old said.

“The Gabba was pretty bouncy and he ‌was up to the stumps for a bit of it and catching balls above waist-high and I bowled a bouncer and he caught that, so I have full trust ‍in him up there.”

Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy called Carey “clearly the best in the world”, while teammate Steve Smith termed him a “freak”.

A UK travel company has collapsed into liquidation after 55 years.

The Civil Aviation Authority announced that the Ickenham Travel Group stopped trading in November.

The London-based company previously traded under the names Abu Dhabi Holidays, Ras Al Khaimah Holidays and Letsgo2.

It ceased trading as a licence holder on November 20, 2025 after more than five decades.

The CAA told customers who are overseas that their return flight remains valid and they should check in with their airline ‘as per the existing flight ticket’.

It continued: “The CAA is speaking to the service providers for the other elements of your trip to ensure these continue as planned.”

Read more on travel closures

SHUTDOWN

UK travel firm goes bust with Brits facing cancelled holidays

BUSTED

UK travel company goes bust with thousands of Brits facing cancelled holidays

It issued the following advice for people with ATOL protected packages due to travel after that date.

The CAA said: “If you have an ATOL flight inclusive package booking and have been issued with flight tickets, the flights may be valid for travel, and you are advised to check with the airline.

“If the airline confirms you have a valid ticket for travel, you may have the option to travel.

“However, other services may not have been paid to the local suppliers, and you will be required to re-arrange and pay for these services again. To avoid any issues in resort, you should confirm the cost of all the services in advance of travel where possible.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has given details of an updated peace plan that offers Russia the potential withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east that Moscow has demanded.

Giving details of the 20-point plan agreed by US and Ukrainian negotiators in Florida at the weekend, Zelensky said the Russians would respond on Wednesday once the Americans had spoken to them.

Describing the plan as “the main framework for ending the war” Zelensky said it proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again.

On the key question of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas, Zelensky said a “free economic zone” was a potential option.

He told journalists that as Ukraine was against withdrawal, US negotiators were looking to establish a demilitarised zone or a free economic zone. Any area that Ukrainian troops pulled out of would have to be policed by Ukraine, he stressed.

“There are two options,” Zelensky said, “either the war continues, or something will have to be decided regarding all potential economic zones.”

The 20-point plan is seen as an update of an original 28-point document, agreed by US envoy Steve Witkoff with the Russians several weeks ago, which was widely seen as heavily geared towards the Kremlin’s demands.

The Russians have insisted that Ukraine pulls out of almost a quarter of its own territory in the eastern Donetsk region in return for a peace deal. The rest is already under Russian occupation.

Sensitive issues including questions over territory would have to be resolved “at the leaders’ level”, but the new draft would provide Ukraine with strong security guarantees and a military strength of 800,000, Zelensky explained.

Much of the updated plan resembles what came out of recent talks in Berlin involving US negotiators Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Ukrainian and European leaders. The setting then moved to Miami last weekend where US President Donald Trump’s team spoke separately to Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and then Ukrainian and European officials.

There now appears to be far more detail on the territorial issue, although it is clear the Ukrainian side was unable to reach a consensus with the Americans.

Zelensky explained that if Ukraine was prepared to pull its heavy forces back by five, 10 or 40km in the 25% of Donetsk it still held to create an economic zone, making it virtually demilitarised, then Russia would have to do the same “accordingly by five, 10, or 40km”.

Russian troops are currently about 40km (25 miles) east of Ukraine’s “fortress belt” cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, having captured the town of Siversk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to be impressed by the kind of compromise being proposed for Donetsk. He said this month that Russia would take control of the entire east of Ukraine by force if Ukrainian troops did not pull out.

Zelensky made clear that such a free economic zone would have to be under Ukrainian administration and police – “definitely not the so-called Russian police”. The current front line would then become the boundary of the economic zone with international forces on the ground along the contact line to ensure no Russian infiltration.

Russia has so far rejected a European proposal to police any peace deal through a Coalition of the Willing as a “brazen threat”.

A referendum would need to be held on the whole peace plan, Zelensky said, ad only a referendum could decide on the idea of a potential free economic zone in Donbas.

He emphasised that an economic zone would also have to be set up around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant currently occupied by Russia, and that Russian troops would have to pull out of four other Ukrainian regions – Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

The main points of the plan reaffirm Ukraine’s sovereignty and propose a non-aggression pact between Russia and its neighbour with a monitoring mechanism.

As well as strong security guarantees mirroring Nato’s Article Five, which requires members to aid an ally under attack, Ukraine is to be allowed a maximum military strength of 800,000 in peacetime.

Discussions are still going on over a US plan to receive compensation in return for security guarantees, so Zelensky says it is not currently part of the document.

There is no reference barring Ukraine from joining Nato, which was in the original 28-point plan and something Russia has consistently demanded.

And the latest framework proposes that Ukraine joins the European Union with a defined date of accession. It is currently a candidate, but a number of other candidate countries are seen as first in line, such as Albania.

There are plans for a Ukraine investment fund of about $200bn involving both the US and Europe.

Among the other points is a requirement for Ukraine to hold elections as soon as possible after the deal is signed. Russia and the US have both pushed for a vote, even though Ukraine is under martial law because of the full-scale invasion.

Christmas is a time for the whole family, including the very youngest members of the household.

With Christmas Day just hours away, families are on the hunt for festive films that cater to all ages.

A flurry of new Christmas movies have recently hit the screens, from Netflix‘s Champagne Problems and My Secret Santa to Prime Video‘s Oh. What Fun.

However, these might not be the most suitable picks for the younger audience. So, here’s a guide to where you can catch some of the top-notch Christmas films for children.

Christmas films for children and toddlers

The Snowman

The 1980s classic fantasy animation, The Snowman, is an iconic and charming viewing experience for the entire family.

The Snowman spins the story of a young lad who crafts a snowman that springs to life while everyone else is fast asleep, whisking him off on an extraordinary journey.

Adding to the thrill is the fact that the narrative is introduced by none other than the late glam rock legend David Bowie.

The Snowman is available on Channel 4.

Mickey Mouse’s Once Upon A Christmas

Mickey Mouse also has his own holiday film with Once Upon A Christmas, a compilation-style movie featuring three separate tales about love, kinship and the spirit of giving.

This animated Disney gem stars Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy Duck, Pluto, and naturally, Mickey Mouse himself.

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas is available to watch on Disney+.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

A Charlie Brown Christmas may be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, but it remains a timeless classic for good reason.

Disheartened by the commercialisation of the holiday season, Charlie embarks on a quest to uncover the true essence of Christmas by directing his school’s nativity.

Through this venture, he discovers that Christmas isn’t about material possessions but love and the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is available on Apple TV.

Arthur Christmas

Featuring the voices of James McAvoy and Bill Nighy, Arthur Christmas centres around Santa Claus’ well-meaning but bumbling grandson, Arthur.

Upon realising that Santa has overlooked delivering a present to a little girl on Christmas Eve, Arthur embarks on a frantic last-minute quest to ensure it reaches her before daybreak.

Arthur Christmas is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video, or for streaming via Sky Go or NOW.

Klaus

Another contemporary Christmas family favourite is Klaus, which explores the origin story of Santa Claus.

After spoilt postman Jesper is banished to the desolate town of Smeerensburg, he teams up with reclusive woodsman Klaus to distribute toys, igniting community spirit and a cherished new tradition.

Klaus can be streamed on Netflix.

The Polar Express

Voiced by the legendary actor Tom Hanks, The Polar Express follows a young lad who, doubting the magic of Christmas, embarks on an enchanting train journey to the North Pole.

During his voyage, he forms new friendships and experiences the true essence of Christmas.

The Polar Express is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video, or for streaming via Sky Go or NOW.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Often hailed as one of the greatest Christmas films ever, the 1990s flick The Muppets Christmas Carol holds a special place in many hearts.

Featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo and the rest of the Muppets crew, these endearing puppets breathe life into Charles Dickens’ timeless story, A Christmas Carol.

At the centre of this yuletide film is none other than actor Michael Caine, portraying the curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge.

The Muppet Christmas Carol can be viewed on Disney+.

OXNARD — A father who has become the sole caretaker for his two young children after his wife was deported. A school district seeing absenteeism similar to what it experienced during the pandemic. Businesses struggling because customers are scared to go outside.

These are just a sampling of how this part of Ventura County is reckoning with the aftermath of federal immigration raids on Glass House cannabis farms six months ago, when hundreds of workers were detained and families split apart. In some instances, there is still uncertainty about what happened to minors left behind after one or both parents were deported. Now, while Latino households gather for the holidays, businesses and restaurants are largely quiet as anxiety about more Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids lingers.

“There’s a lot of fear that the community is living,” said Alicia Flores, executive director of La Hermandad Hank Lacayo Youth and Family Center. This time of year, clients usually ask her about her holiday plans, but now no one asks. Families are divided by the U.S. border or have loved ones in immigration detainment. “They were ready for Christmas, to make tamales, to make pozole, to make something and celebrate with the family. And now, nothing.”

At the time, the immigration raids on Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria were some of the largest of their kind nationwide, resulting in chaotic scenes, confusion and violence. At least 361 undocumented immigrants were detained, many of them third-party contractors for Glass House. One of those contractors, Jaime Alanis Garcia, died after he fell from a greenhouse rooftop in the July 10 raid.

Jacqueline Rodriguez, in mirror, works on a customer’s hair as Silvia Lopez, left, owner of Divine Hair Design, waits for customers in downtown Oxnard on Dec. 19, 2025.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

The raids catalyzed mass protests along the Central Coast and sent a chill through Oxnard, a tight-knit community where many families work in the surrounding fields and live in multigenerational homes far more modest than many on the Ventura coast. It also reignited fears about how farmworker communities — often among the most low-paid and vulnerable parts of the labor pool — would be targeted during the Trump administration’s intense deportation campaign.

In California, undocumented workers represent nearly 60% of the agricultural workforce, and many of them live in mixed-immigration-status households or households where none are citizens, said Ana Padilla, executive director of the UC Merced Community and Labor Center. After the Glass House raid, Padilla and UC Merced associate professor Edward Flores identified economic trends similar to the Great Recession, when private-sector jobs fell. Although undocumented workers contribute to state and federal taxes, they don’t qualify for unemployment benefits that could lessen the blow of job loss after a family member gets detained.

“These are households that have been more affected by the economic consequences than any other group,” Padilla said. She added that California should consider distributing “replacement funds” for workers and families that have lost income because of immigration enforcement activity.

An Oxnard store owner who sells quinceañera and baptism dresses — and who asked that her name not be used — says she has lost 60% of her business since the immigrant raids this year at Glass House farms.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Local businesses are feeling the effects as well. Silvia Lopez, who has run Divine Hair Design in downtown Oxnard for 16 years, said she’s lost as much as 75% of business after the July raid. The salon usually saw 40 clients a day, she said, but on the day after the raid, it had only two clients — and four stylists who were stunned. Already, she said, other salon owners have had to close, and she cut back her own hours to help her remaining stylists make enough each month.

“Everything changed for everyone,” she said.

In another part of town, a store owner who sells quinceañera and baptism dresses said her sales have dropped by 60% every month since August, and clients have postponed shopping. A car shop owner, who declined to be identified because he fears government retribution, said he supported President Trump because of his campaign pledge to help small-business owners like himself. But federal loans have been difficult to access, he said, and he feels betrayed by the president’s deportation campaign that has targeted communities such as Oxnard.

“There’s a lot of fear that the community is living,” said Alicia Flores, executive director of La Hermandad Hank Lacayo Youth and Family Center in downtown Oxnard, on Dec. 19, 2025.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

“Glass House had a big impact,” he said. “It made people realize, ‘Oh s—, they’re hitting us hard.’ ”

The raid’s domino effect has raised concerns about the welfare of children in affected households. Immigration enforcement actions can have detrimental effects on young children, according to the American Immigration Council, and they can be at risk of experiencing severe psychological distress.

Olivia Lopez, a community organizer at Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, highlighted the predicament of one father. He became the sole caretaker of his infant and 4-year-old son after his wife was deported, and can’t afford child care. He is considering sending the children across the border to his wife in Mexico, who misses her kids.

In a separate situation, Lopez said, an 18-year-old has been suddenly thrust into caring for two siblings after her mother, a single parent, was deported.

Additionally, she said she has heard stories of children left behind, including a 16-year-old who does not want to leave the U.S. and reunite with her mother who was deported after the Glass House raid. She said she suspects that at least 50 families — and as many as 100 children — lost both or their only parent in the raid.

“I have questions after hearing all the stories: Where are the children, in cases where two parents, those responsible for the children, were deported? Where are those children?” she said. “How did we get to this point?”

Robin Godfrey, public information officer for the Ventura County Human Services Agency, which is responsible for overseeing child welfare in the county, said she could not answer specific questions about whether the agency has become aware of minors left behind after parents were detained.

“Federal and state laws prevent us from confirming or denying if children from Glass House Farms families came into the child welfare system,” she said in a statement.

The raid has been jarring in the Oxnard School District, which was closed for summer vacation but reopened on July 10 to contact families and ensure their well-being, Supt. Ana DeGenna said. Her staff called all 13,000 families in the district to ask whether they needed resources and whether they wanted access to virtual classes for the upcoming school year.

Even before the July 10 raid, DeGenna and her staff were preparing. In January, after Trump was inaugurated, the district sped up installing doorbells at every school site in case immigration agents attempted to enter. They referred families to organizations that would help them draft affidavits so their U.S.-born children could have legal guardians, in case the parents were deported. They asked parents to submit not just one or two, but as many as 10 emergency contacts in case they don’t show up to pick up their children.

Rodrigo is considering moving back to Mexico after living in the U.S. for 42 years.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

With a district that is 92% Latino, she said, nearly everyone is fearful, whether they are directly or indirectly affected, regardless if they have citizenship. Some families have self-deported, leaving the country, while children have changed households to continue their schooling. Nearly every morning, as raids continue in the region, she fields calls about sightings of ICE vehicles near schools. When that happens, she said, she knows attendance will be depressed to near COVID-19 levels for those surrounding schools, with parents afraid to send their children back to the classroom.

But unlike the pandemic, there is no relief in knowing they’ve experienced the worst, such as the Glass House raid, which saw hundreds of families affected in just a day, she said. The need for mental health counselors and support has only grown.

“We have to be there to protect them and take care of them, but we have to acknowledge it’s a reality they’re living through,” she said. “We can’t stop the learning, we can’t stop the education, because we also know that is the most important thing that’s going to help them in the future to potentially avoid being victimized in any way.”

Jasmine Cruz, 21, launched a GoFundMe page after her father was taken during the Glass House raid. He remains in detention in Arizona, and the family hired an immigration attorney in hopes of getting him released.

Each month, she said, it gets harder to pay off their rent and utility bills. She managed to raise about $2,700 through GoFundMe, which didn’t fully cover a month of rent. Her mother is considering moving the family back to Mexico if her father is deported, Cruz said.

“I tried telling my mom we should stay here,” she said. “But she said it’s too much for us without our dad.”

Many of the families torn apart by the Glass House raid did not have plans in place, said Lopez, the community organizer, and some families were resistant because they believed they wouldn’t be affected. But after the raid, she received calls from several families who wanted to know whether they could get family affidavit forms notarized. One notary, she said, spent 10 hours working with families for free, including some former Glass House workers who evaded the raid.

“The way I always explain it is, look, everything that is being done by this government agency, you can’t control,” she said. “But what you can control is having peace of mind knowing you did something to protect your children and you didn’t leave them unprotected.”

For many undocumented immigrants, the choices are few.

Rodrigo, who is undocumented and worries about ICE reprisals, has made his living with his guitar, which he has been playing since he was 17.

While taking a break outside a downtown Oxnard restaurant, he looked tired, wiping his forehead after serenading a pair, a couple and a group at a Mexican restaurant. He has been in the U.S. for 42 years, but since the summer raid, business has been slow. Now, people no longer want to hire for house parties.

The 77-year-old said he wants to retire but has to continue working. But he fears getting picked up at random, based on how abusive agents have been. He’s thinking about the new year, and returning to Mexico on his own accord.

“Before they take away my guitar,” he said, “I better go.”

A woman has issued a stark message to anyone travelling by plane this holiday season – as she reminds them to ‘be generous’ following her recent experience on a flight

When travelling on a long-haul flight, many people make sure to pre-book their seats to ensure extra comfort throughout the journey. That’s exactly what one woman decided to do before setting off to visit her family in San Juan, Puerto Rico, knowing she faced a long, uncomfortable journey otherwise.

She pre-booked a first-class window seat on the left side of the plane so she could see her grandma’s house from above before landing. But her peace was disrupted throughout the flight, as no fewer than three people stopped at her row to ask her the same question. Taking to Reddit, she said: “I was asked to switch seats three times by three separate people on one flight.

“When I arrived to my seat there was a very elderly woman in the aisle seat and another woman in the aisle seat across the way. The younger woman said, ‘this is my mother, she has dementia and she can’t even feed herself. Can we switch so I can care for her during the flight?'”

Feeling awkward, the woman regretfully switched seats with her – but her problems didn’t stop there. She said: “I know I made the choice to switch, this is about the frequency of asks.

“Then two other women come up and gave me another ‘we couldn’t book together but we want to sit together can you move to this other aisle seat please?’

“At that point I was seething, but seeing as I’d barely touched my butt to the new aisle seat, I just said ‘whatever’ to them and moved.

“When a third person came up to me to start the ‘hi um’ I immediately said ‘I have switched twice already, you can take it up with someone else’.

“I know I chose to move for these people, but I’m so upset that I paid for that specific window seat and my options were basically, help a woman with dementia but enjoy my view, or move and sit in an aisle seat by the bathrooms.

“I don’t know. It’s also not lost on me that I don’t look like the traditional first class passenger.”

Sharing a message to anyone who asks other to switch mid-flight, she added: “Listen, if you borked your booking and you want to switch with people, be generous.

“Send me a free drink or something, slip me a £20, tell the cabin crew so I get my preordered meal, be generous.”

Commenting on her post, one user said: “Don’t let other people’s problems become your problems. Sit in your assigned seat. If people need accommodations, they can take it up with the FAs (flight attendants).”

Another user added: “I never understand why they can’t bug the person next to them.”

A third user said: “I would happily move for the grandma but the others are on their own after that.”

Former captain Ryan Brierley is returning to Salford to become chief executive, the consortium that has won the bid to run the phoenix club has said.

Brierley, one of the players who departed the club midway through the 2025 campaign, has ended his playing career at Oldham in order to take on the role.

He has been appointed two days after fellow former Salford player Mason Caton-Brown’s consortium was successful in applying for membership of the second-tier Championship from the Rugby Football League.

The old Salford Red Devils club were wound up on 3 December after a turbulent year, with a mass player exodus, late wage payments, heavy defeats and ultimately the loss of their Super League status for 2026.

“Salford is in my heart, and I believe saving its rugby league heritage is something that transcends rivalry,” 33-year-old Brierley said.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 24 (UPI) — Once hailed as the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” Lebanon has undergone an infernal descent into deeply rooted corruption, financial collapse and state failure, suggesting that the country is governed by a unique model of “mini deep states” that have flourished under its sectarian and clientelist system, political and financial analysts said.

Endemic corruption, misgovernance, sectarianism, wars and political disputes have long fueled Lebanon’s multiple crises.

The 2019 financial collapse — described by the World Bank as a “deliberate depression” and the worst globally since 1850 — was the tipping point that revealed the country’s situation to be far worse than anyone had realized.

Six years later, the situation remains almost unchanged. No one has been charged or put on trial and no official has acknowledged responsibility for the crisis or the estimated $110 billion in bank deposits squandered under state mismanagement.

The first serious attempt to address the financial crisis came Friday, when Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government presented a draft law aimed at tackling the financial system’s huge funding gap and enable depositors to gradually regain access to their frozen savings — though probably not in full.

The draft law, yet to be debated and expected to be amended, was quickly met with opposition from the banks and depositors, arguing that its provisions are insufficient or unfair. Crucially, it fails to address corruption as the root cause of the crisis and provides no mechanism for accountability.

However, Lebanon’s problems extend far beyond the recent financial crisis, stemming from a corrupt and inept political elite whose sectarian and clientelist networks consistently put personal gain above the nation’s survival, analysts say.

One of the most striking examples of deliberate systemic failure is the chronic power shortages, which have forced most citizens to rely on private or neighborhood generators — run by what many describe as a “mafia” protected by influential political leaders — since the end of the 15-year civil war in 1990. This has created cumulative deficits of about $43 billion.

The same pattern applies to nearly every other sector and extends to the country’s political system, reflecting the reality that all major political forces have blocked meaningful change and prevented reforms for decades.

Despite their political divisions, these forces share common interests, effectively acting as a deep state rather than merely an elite sectarian cartel.

To Mohammad Fheili, a risk strategist and monetary economist, Lebanon is better understood as a system of “multiple, competing and at times cooperating mini-deep states operating within a consociational (power-sharing) confessional framework.”

Rather than a single hidden chain of command, power, Fheili notes, is distributed across overlapping circuits involving security services, the banking and financial sector, senior judges and prosecutors, and top public officials. These networks outlast governments and are bound together by mutual protection.

“Sectarianism is the main channel of organization and veto, but it is not the only engine,” he told UPI. “It provides quotas, patronage pipelines and narratives of legitimacy. However, the driving incentives are often clientelism, rent extraction, protection from prosecution and control of state resources.”

As a result, the same political establishment came to dominate legislation, government and the economy, with decisive influence over appointments, contracts and financial regulation.

Such a “deep state” is not a new phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back to Lebanon’s founding in 1943, when it developed alongside a “rentier economic model,” according to Makram Rabah, a political activist and history professor at the American University of Beirut.

While the civil war saw the rise of militia leaders who later became powerful political figures in peacetime, Rabah said that Syria’s military presence in Lebanon after 1990 introduced “a kind of dual system, in which local actors were allowed to benefit economically as long as Syria controlled foreign policy and security.”

“This is what gave the system its longevity,” he told UPI.

The civil war also normalized militia power, wartime political economy and impunity, Fheili noted, adding that the post-war order “recycled many wartime actors into peacetime governance through a spoils-and-veto arrangement rather than institutional reconstruction.”

A sectarian cartel, he said, then emerged, dividing ministries, contracts and regulatory favors –and transforming political competition into a struggle over access to the state.

The withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005 — just a few months after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut — paved the way for Iran-backed Hezbollah to consolidate its control over the country.

Although the militant group has consistently denied involvement in Lebanon’s entrenched corruption — arguing that its funding from Iran is sufficient — experts contend that it nonetheless benefits from the country’s clientelist system, even operating a shadow parallel economy.

Lebanon’s financial collapse, Rabah argued, revealed Hezbollah as both a beneficiary of and a participant in the system, as many of its institutions faltered during the meltdown. Moreover, the perception that it relied solely on Iranian funding and was free from corruption has proven to be “a fallacy.”

With each sect — Muslims and Christians alike — protecting its own corrupt members, it became impossible to hold anyone accountable or bring them to justice. A few exceptions were recorded, but only because those arrested had lost the political protection of their patrons.

“There are many ministers and officials who are extremely corrupt, but no one dares to act against them, as they are protected by their sect and political leaders,” said Mohammad Chamseddine, policy research specialist at the Information International research and consultancy firm.

Although the Lebanese government adopted a new, anti-corruption law in 2020 and began work on a national anti-corruption strategy, he said these efforts failed to yield any results due to the prevailing sectarianism.

“Such an interaction of religion, politics and money is everywhere and consolidates corruption,” Chamseddine told UPI. “Only a real revolution — when people storm the houses and palaces of the corrupt and put them in jail — can change this.”

Lebanon’s losses from corruption and the deep state, accumulating since the 1990s, are difficult to estimate, exceeding tens of billions of U.S. dollars, according to Chamseddine.

However, dismantling the country’s “mini deep states” and eliminating corruption is possible –even if only partially — but it would require a long process of gradual, progressive steps, starting with an independent judiciary, the analysts said.

Would the disarming of Hezbollah, which was significantly weakened by Israel during last year’s war, be the starting point?

“It may open tactical space, but only if reforms target the entire ecosystem, not just Hezbollah or the banks,” Fheili said.

It offers stunning coastal views, a thriving high street and a rich history – and it’s perfect even in the rain

Christmas is a really exciting time, but it’ll be January before we know it, and the thought of the long, dark months ahead is enough to ruin anyone’s festive cheer.

However, one easy way to combat the January blues is to get out and about, blowing off the cobwebs by the seaside. And there are definitely no shortage of amazing UK spots to choose from.

There’s one particular location I went to loads when I was younger, that draws crowds in the summer, but is less visited during winter. However, after spending a drizzly and cold weekend there for the first time in years, I’m surprised to say it’s just as charming – maybe even more so.

Largs, an amazing seaside town on Scotland’s west coast, about an hour from Glasgow, is the place in question. Renowned for its Viking museum, quaint amusement arcades and ferry trips to the Isle of Cumbrae, it’s a destination many Scots are likely to have enjoyed during the warm summer days, reports the Express.

It’s one of those places that I remembered so fondly that I was convinced it couldn’t possibly live up to my nostalgic recollections – especially under grey skies.

But on the contrary, our family trip was filled with lovely rainy beach walks, delicious food, and even a couple of unexpected Viking sightings – all without a hint of sunshine.

Nestled by the Firth of Clyde, this charming seaside town offers everything you could want, including an array of lovely hotels and accommodation options. We stayed at the Old Rectory, a stunning holiday home that comfortably sleeps up to 14 guests, complete with a hot tub and ample space for relaxation.

One of the best things about Largs is how close you always are to the waterfront, no matter where you’re staying. The Victorian-style promenade is brimming with activities, sights, and a fantastic selection of eateries serving everything from traditional fish and chips to mouth-watering Thai cuisine.

Largs holds historical significance as the site of a pivotal battle in 1263, marking the end of extensive Viking influence in Scotland. You can delve into this history at the Vikingar museum or immerse yourself in the annual Largs Viking Festival, which we were fortunate enough to experience during our visit, complete with battle re-enactments, live music, and intriguing costumes.

Beyond its Viking heritage, Largs is also renowned for its art deco-style ice cream parlour, a long-standing attraction for visitors over the years.

Nardini’s, hailed as Scotland’s most famous cafe, is a must-visit for its inviting atmosphere and irresistible ice cream. Nestled on the waterfront like Vikingar, it’s an idyllic spot to enjoy a scoop or two of your favourite ice cream flavour.

Beyond its famed frozen treats, Nardini’s also offers a vast selection of cakes and light bites, making it a perfect pit stop for lunch or a quick snack during your seaside strolls. Venture further into the town, and you’ll discover quaint winding streets brimming with independent gift shops, eateries, and even more ice cream parlours.

One morning, we found ourselves at Perk, a vibrant cafe full of plants and books, boasting an impressive menu. The vanilla matcha was divine, and I couldn’t resist ordering the sumptuous feta and avocado waffles.

And if you’re still peckish after your meal, there’s a cake cabinet bursting with pastries and other sweet treats available for takeaway.

While Largs may not be home to any high street giants, it does boast an array of independent vendors showcasing their unique products. A large market tent houses retailers offering everything from organic dog food to wooden lamps, jewellery, soaps, and even tarot readings – a real treasure trove that could keep you occupied all day.

For those looking for a bit of an adventure, a quick ferry ride from the port will whisk you away to the Isle of Cumbrae, home to the lively town of Millport. The island is compact enough to cycle around in just a few hours, with a rewarding pint waiting for you at the end before a swift 10-minute sail back to the mainland.

Nearby lies the stunning Kelburn Castle, a beautiful park and estate that even hosts its own music festival during the summer months. It’s a family-friendly spot, boasting numerous playparks, waterfalls and more to discover – all conveniently located less than 10 minutes from Largs.

But truth be told, Largs itself offers more than enough to keep you entertained for a day or even a weekend. Don’t let the typical Scottish drizzle deter you – it only adds to the charm of the seafront walks and makes the cosy ice-cream parlours even more inviting.

A LONDON tube station has reopened after a huge £35million renovation.

Colindale tube station on the Northern Line reopened fully to the public this week with a grand new station entrance.

According to Ian Visits, it is London Underground’s first modern tube station built using a timber construction.

Replacing the former station building – which was much smaller – commuters will find the ticketing hall completely decked out with timber wood.

The wood is meant to reference the area’s aviation heritage as well, as the station sits where the London Aerodrome used to be and host air shows with early versions of planes which were made of wood.

The Aerodrome was then later turned into the RAF Hendon military base.

Read more on travel inspo

LUCKY DIP

I tried Wowcher’s £99 Mystery Christmas Market – everything you need to know

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

The roof has also been designed so that it has a flat section and an arched section, so that the former collects rain and the latter lets rain water run off.

It has been designed this way to stop drains from overflowing.

Part of the roof is also a ‘green’ roof, which means it has plants and vegetation on it.

Inside the ticket hall is the old station clock as well, which has been cleaned up.

There is a new lift for commuters too, as well as large windows letting light flood in and the public to see the trains on the platforms.

Outside the station, pavements have been widened too.

During the construction work, the old platforms were destroyed but two ‘dinner plates’ at either end of the platforms were salvaged.

They were used as warning signals to train drivers during World War II to not stop too long at the station as it was a prime bombing location.

The ‘dinner plates’ were then donated to the local RAF museum.

The final bits of work on the station are currently being completed as passengers use the station once again, with hopes of everything being done by June 2026.

This includes demolishing the old station building, letting out a small retail space – most likely to a café and adding an accessible toilet.

The project on the station has taken place gradually over the past couple of years and has been carried out due to the rising population in the area.

The former station would have been at capacity by the end of 2026, but the new station means that the station will be large enough to accommodate for the new housing projects in the area.

London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “The Mayor and I feel strongly that everyone should be able to enjoy everything our great capital has to offer, which means it’s vital we make our transport network as accessible as possible.

“I’m delighted that Colindale is now the 94th step-free Tube station and will benefit from a whole host of other improvements to not only improve accessibility but also support major housing developments in the local area, as well as boosting local businesses and inclusive economic growth.

“More than a third of Underground stations across the capital are step-free and we are determined to keep growing this number as we build a fairer, better London for everyone.”

In other rail news, the world’s most famous train is running services from a major UK city next year.

Plus, five abandoned UK railway stations set to reopen with new train routes – as part of £200million expansion.

The city was voted the ‘best place to live’ by Forbes in 2022. With affordable food and drink, stunning architecture and beautiful beaches, it is easy to see why

Wizz Air has just announced a new route to a city named the best in the world to live in.

The Hungarian budget airline will run a new flight service offering daily direct flights from London Gatwick to Valencia in Spain. This route will launch on 29 March 2026 and fares will be available from £40 for a return journey.

Valencia will be one of the main European urban enclaves from which a total solar eclipse can be observed on 12 August 2026. The unique astronomical phenomenon that will not occur again in the Iberian Peninsula until 2090. Although it will still be daylight, at around 8:32 pm the city will be plunged into total darkness for just over a minute. Open spaces facing west are expected to be the best observation points, this is sure to be an unmissable event for astronomy lovers.

The stunning Spanish city was crowned the best place to live in 2022. It is the perfect getaway this March, when the Wizz Air route launches. At that time of the year it boasts balmy 20C temperatures and delivers £4 vino. The beauty of many Spanish cities, including this one, lies in their walkability. Within a small area, you can explore food markets, marvel at ancient architecture, and relax on the beach with a refreshing sangria

.

READ MORE: Free UK attraction for kids crowned best in Europe after 3-year makeoverREAD MORE: Majorca’s new tourist rules including beach games ban – what you need to know

Considering an average meal costs €13.25 (£11.09), a bottle of wine is about €5 (£4.18), and your morning coffee comes in at just € 2.04 (£1.71), according to transfer platform Wise, it’s no wonder Valencia was named the top place to live by Forbes. A must-visit spot is the old town, where you can witness a significant piece of Christian history at the Valencia Cathedral – home to the Holy Grail – which archaeological studies suggest could be the chalice used by Jesus in the Last Supper.

The magnificent Cathedral is a blend of Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque styles, and if you’re feeling adventurous, ascend the Miguelete Tower for a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Just a stone’s throw away, you’ll discover the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), the epicentre of Valencia’s thriving silk trade in the 15th century.

This building is a true gem of Gothic architecture, featuring grand columns, detailed stonework and a spectacular ceiling that’s worth straining your neck to see. A true outdoor city, Valencia sees locals enjoying their coffee on sun-drenched plazas in authentic Mediterranean fashion. Don’t miss a stroll through the stunning Turia Gardens, once a riverbed and now one of Spain’s largest urban parks.

Valencia also proudly presents 20km of blue-flag beaches, home to some of the finest Paella restaurants. The only decision you’ll need to make is whether to amble over to nearby Cabanyal or Malvarrosa, or pedal further afield to beaches like El Saler.

If, surprisingly, paella isn’t your cup of tea, the Central Market offers a vast array of fresh produce, including tapas, the juiciest olives you’ll ever savour, and fresh seafood.