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Published On 29 Oct 2025
‘Storm of the century’ and ‘Farewell, Sybil Fawlty’
BBC
Satellite images of Hurricane Melissa feature on several front pages, showing swirling white clouds bearing down on Jamaica. “Hell at 185 miles-per-hour” is the headline in The Daily Mirror, referring to the speed of the winds unleashed by the devastating storm. One British man on the island tells the paper about a roaring sound coming from the sea and describes the walls of his hotel room vibrating. The i paper quotes a Jamaican man as saying: “The sea is coming over the wall and we’re in serious trouble”.
With less than a month to go before her Budget, the chancellor writes in the Guardian that she is “determined not to simply accept the forecasts” which paint a gloomy picture of the UK economy. But Rachel Reeves says her decisions “don’t come free and are not easy”, amid speculation she could break a Labour manifesto pledge not to raise income tax. The Sun, meanwhile, uses its front page to urge Reeves not to increase taxes on betting and the Daily Express leads with a plea that pensioners “must be given a fair deal”.
The Times features a warning from housebuilders that the government will miss its target to build one-and-a-half million homes by the end of the decade. Writing to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the firms blame sluggish demand and higher costs. The paper says the letter is a “further blow” to the chancellor, and puts her growth plans “in jeopardy”.
The Daily Mail leads with the investigation into a fatal stabbing in Uxbridge in west London. A local resident tells the paper that the suspect, an Afghan national, had been living as a lodger in the house of the man who was wounded in the attack. Witnesses recall the “absolute carnage”, with one describing seeing a man “waving a large knife around with a mad look in his eyes”.
What’s described as a government “crackdown on the four-day working week” is the lead story in the Daily Telegraph. It reports that Communities Secretary Steve Reed has written to the first council to adopt the approach, South Cambridgeshire, to express his “deep disappointment”. A government source says the scheme is wasting taxpayer money. But the paper acknowledges that ministers have no powers to force councils to change their working arrangements.
Geordie Shore stars donate thousands to Holly Hagan’s late sister’s memorial so family can take time off work to grieve
HOLLY Hagan’s Geordie Shore pals have donated thousands to her late sister Darci’s memorial so her family can take time off work to grieve.
Heartbroken Holly, 33, revealed last week that Darci had passed away aged 19.
Now her famous friends have rallied around the family during the incredibly difficult time, The Sun can reveal.
An insider said: “Holly Hagan’s famous pals have donated thousands of pounds to help pay for her tragic sister’s funeral and memorial, and allow them some breathing space from work.
“Charlotte Crosby and her partner Jake Ankers have donated £2,000, Sophie Kasaei has given £1,000, Adam Frisby £1,000 and Gaz Beadle and Nathan Henry gave £500 each.”
In an emotional statement sharing the tragic news, Holly wrote: “It is with immeasurable grief and sadness that our baby girl, my baby sister Darci Rose passed away peacefully holding my hand surrounded by family and her best friends.
“She was never in any pain.
“The last four days have been something I hope no family ever has to go through.
“We are traumatised in every sense of the word.
“One day we will share Darci’s story. But for now I please ask that you do respect our privacy and allow us to process what has happened.
“To the incredible ambulance crew, and everyone at Manchester Royal Infirmary A&E and ICU, thank you so much for giving my sister the absolute best chance.
“Because of you all we have had the opportunity to hold her hand, stroke her hair and feel her heart beating for the last time.
“We will forever be grateful for the way you have looked after her and us throughout this unimaginable process.”
Holly added: “Right now my job is to support my family in any way that I can to ensure they don’t have to worry about work/finances.
“Any posts you see this month are pre-recorded and scheduled ahead of time. I will be continuing to work, so they do not have to.”
The TV star then reflected on her late sister and recalled some of the fondest memories they shared together.
Holly continued: “Darci is so beautiful and she genuinely didn’t even realise it.
“I always told her she’d look better without the huge spider lashes but we all know what a hypocrite I was being since I wore nine pairs at her age!
“She lived in Darci world, forgetting to turn lights off, didn’t know how to lock doors after coming in from a night out, leaving the freezer open so my mam came down to a puddle of defrosted food.
“She was the best aunty, Alpha-Jax adored her. She spent his whole birthday on the bouncy castle with AJ and Alba, and that’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.”
Marymount girls volleyball defeats Mira Costa to reach semifinals
Marymount girls volleyball team is peaking at the right time — and that could mean trouble for opponents.
The Sailors had everything working for them in a 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 sweep of visiting Mira Costa in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday night, showing no signs of rust after a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket.
“We couldn’t have been more prepared,” Washington-bound senior hitter Sammy Destler said. “Our energy got us to the finish line. We were on fire. That’s the best we’ve played all season.”
Destler entered the match two kills shy of 1,000 for her career and it didn’t take long for her to reach the milestone, achieving it on a strike to the right side that gave Marymount a 12-6 lead in the first set.
“I had no clue until they announced it, but it feels good,” said Destler, one of seven Sailors who finished with at least five kills. “We’re very familiar with them, they have Audrey [Flanagan] and Simone [Roslon] and they’re always tough but tonight was about everything we did on our side.”
The fifth-seeded Mustangs (24-10), who shared the Bay League crown with No. 2 Redondo Union despite dropping their first league match since 2019, had pushed Marymount to five sets in a nonleague match in September, but this time they could not handle the Sailors’ balanced attack.
Marymount’s serving kept Mira Costa out of system all match. In the first set alone the Sailors served seven aces, including three in a row by Southern Methodist-bound middle blocker Elle Vandeweghe, that put her team up 20-9. She and Destler combined for a stuff block on set point.
Destler opened the second set with another ace, then Frankie Jones ended it with a kill. Destler and Makenna Barnes, a Northwestern commit, each had eight kills apiece while Vandeweghe and the Brown-bound Jones each added six.
Flanagan, a Wisconsin commit, paced the Mustangs with eight kills and got a hug afterwards from Destler, one of her best friends.
Marymount’s Makenna Barnes, right, goes on the attack against Mira Costa blockers Liliana Swanson, left, and Milly McGee, center, during Marymount’s victory in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“We’ve played so many more matches than other teams,” Marymount coach Cari Klein said. “I didn’t want it, but I think we needed those extra few days rest because of the intensity of our schedule.”
The fourth-seeded Sailors (37-5) advanced to the semifinals to face top-seeded Sierra Canyon (37-3) on Saturday for the fourth time this season. The Sailors won the first meeting, 21-25, 25-15, 25-12 in the finals of the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas. The Trailblazers rebounded to take a pair of Mission League meetings over a span of eight days.
Klein, who is hoping to pilot the Sailors to their 11th section title in her 28th season, was so locked in to the task at hand Tuesday that she did not look at the CIF website to see if her team had won the coin flip for the next round: “Please say it’s here!”
Her wish was not granted, as Marymount will have to travel to Chatsworth, where it dropped a five-set thriller on Sept. 29, but Destler is confident they can win on any court.
“If we play like we this, there’s no stopping us,” she said.
Cat. 4 Melissa regaining strength as it heads for Cuba
Hurricane Melissa was heading for Cuba late Tuesday as a Category 4 storm. Image by NOAA
Oct. 28 (UPI) — Hurricane Melissa was regaining strength Tuesday night as it was taking aim at Cuba after battering Jamaica throughout the day, forecasters said.
The eye of Melissa was situated about 110 miles southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, and 300 miles south of the central Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. EDT update. It was moving northeast at 9 mph.
Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, making it a Category 4 storm, and significantly weaker than the Category 5 storm when it hit Jamaica.
It had lost strength as it traveled over Jamaica’s western mountains, but forecasters said it appeared to be strengthening.
Melissa made landfall as a powerful major hurricane, the strongest direct hit on Jamaica since records have been kept in the Atlantic basin. It was also be the first storm to make landfall in the Caribbean this season.
Melissa is anticipated to make a second landfall along Cuba’s southeastern coast soon, while still maintaining major hurricane strength. It’s also expected to remain a hurricane when it reaches the Bahamas. Bermuda also could be threatened.
“Melissa is expected to continue to strengthen until it reaches Cuba in a few hours, and it is expected to make landfall there as a very dangerous major hurricane,” NHC forecaster John Cangialosi said in a late Tuesday discussion on the storm.
“Melissa is still expected to be a powerful hurricane when it moves through the Bahamas and near Bermuda.”
Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica were expected through early next week.
A hurricane warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin; and the southeastern and central Bahamas.
A hurricane watch was in effect for Bermuda.
There was a tropical storm warning for Jamaica, Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cuban province of Las Tunas.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward to 195 miles.
Rainfall of 15 to 30 inches through Wednesday was forecast for portions of Jamaica and an additional 6 to 12 inches for southern Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is to get a local maximum of 40 inches, the NHC said.
“Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely,” the NHC said.
Cuba is expected to receive rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, with local amounts up to 25 inches, into Wednesday, “resulting in life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides,” the NHC said.
Over the southeastern Bahamas, rainfall is forecast to total 5 to 10 inches into Wednesday with flash flooding in some areas.
Life-threatening storm surge heights could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level, near and to the east of where the center of Melissa makes landfall and are expected to be accompanied by large and destructive waves, NHC said.
Along the Cuban coast late Tuesday and Wednesday, there is a potential for a significant storm surge of 7 to 11 feet.
And in the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands, there is the possibility of a storm surge of 4 to 6 feet.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the season and fifth hurricane. The other Category 5 storms in the Atlantic have been Erin and Humberto.
In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and devastated the Bahamas islands, including Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, as a Category 5 storm.
The all-time highest sustained wind speed was Hurricane Allen at 190 mph in August 1980 over the Yucatan Peninsula before weakening to a Category 3 when it struck South Texas.
The most destructive Category 5 storm in the United States was Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, with $27.3 billion in damage. Hurricane Michael, also a Category 5 storm, struck the less populated Florida Panhandle in October 2018.
The United States is not threatened this time.
Hurricane Gilbert struck Jamaica in 1988 as a Category 3 storm.
China’s Massive J-36 Stealth ‘Fighter’ Gets Major Design Tweaks With Second Prototype
A second prototype of China’s very heavy J-36 ‘fighter’ has emerged with major refinements. These alterations, compared to the first J-36 airframe, point to the program very much being iterative in its process. They also add to the evidence of what we already posited, that the first J-36 aircraft was not a highly mature, near-production-representative design, as some had repeatedly claimed. You can read our very in-depth initial analysis on the J-36 here.
Images of this second example of the J-36 emerged today on social media, showing the aircraft flying through Chinese skies from multiple angles. The images were likely taken near Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s major plant in its namesake city, where initial flight testing of the first aircraft publicly emerged on December 26, 2024.
The new images show the same overall modified delta design we have become accustomed to, but with some major features changed in readily visible areas.
Exhaust
The first J-36 had exhausts that were recessed from the trailing edge atop the aircraft, an arrangement loosely similar to what was found on the Northrop YF-23. This is a noted low-observable (stealth) design cue and made sense for a big three-engined jet that optimized stealth, speed, and efficiency over raw maneuverability. Now we are seeing what appears to be three angular exhaust nozzles that look very similar to the two-dimensional thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles on the Lockheed F-22 Raptor — a design trait and capability that is also present on China’s new J-XDS heavy tailless stealth fighter.
The exhaust changes have major implications. First off, if indeed this is two-dimensional (2-D) thrust vectoring, why is it needed for what appears to be a very heavy multi-role tactical jet that is less fighter than regional bomber? It could be that a higher degree of fighter-like performance is desired, pointing to that mission set being prioritized. It could also be to solve certain stability and maneuverability issues during certain phases of flight. Tailless designs are inherently extremely unstable. Thrust vectoring can help with this and maximize potential performance throughout the flight envelope, including at very high altitudes.
It’s also possible that just a lower thrust vectoring ‘flap’ is being employed here and not a full 2-D exhaust system. This seems less likely, but it is possible, and could provide some degree of extra control without such a heavy redesign of the upper empennage.
The new, more heavily serrated design likely has an impact on the jet’s low-observable qualities, at least from the rear aspect. In order to pull off full 2-D thrust vectoring, the aircraft’s rear upper rear fuselage design would also have to be significantly remodeled, with the engine nacelles being pushed back to the trailing edge. The full extent of the changes to the upper end of the J-36 are unclear, but this was not a case of just slapping a thrust vectoring nozzle on there, as the original exhausts were deeply recessed forward of the trailing edge. Again, it looks like Chengdu designers traded some signature control for performance here.
Weight is also an issue, as thrust vectoring nozzles add complexity and mass, but for such a larger and heavy jet as it is, the impact is likely minimal.
Inlets
The original J-36 aircraft’s F-22-like caret lower inlets have been significantly revised. In our original analysis, we discussed how it was interesting that the dorsal intake uses divertless supersonic intake (DSI), which China is now accustomed to using on its aircraft, but the two lower intakes were a trapezoidal caret-like design. This has changed in the new iteration of the jet, with what appear to be DSI intakes taking the place of the original ones. The lower lips of these intakes also sweep forward, which is another trademark for this kind of design, and is especially pronounced on low-observable ones.
Landing Gear
The J-36’s tandem two-wheeled main landing gear — which provided a stark indication of how heavy the aircraft was — has been totally redesigned, with a twin-wheel side-by-side truck arrangement taking its place. While this may necessitate a deeper main gear well for stowage when retracted, it requires less area and smaller main gear doors, among other advantages. This is a relatively dramatic and surprising refinement, to say the least.
Other Takeaways
Another small tweak appears to be a less elaborate air data probe jutting out from the second J-36’s nose, although this could be an artifact of the high compression of the images. There are certain to be other outward tweaks to the J-36’s original design that we cannot see in these limited-resolution images taken in poor lighting. We can expect some refinements in shaping, especially where the intakes blend with the fuselage and other areas, although we cannot confirm this at this time. This is all in addition to what’s on the top of the new aircraft, which we haven’t seen at all at the time of writing.
Overall, these major changes a year after we first saw the design, point to an aircraft still very much in the stages of flight test demonstration/development and possibly to an accelerated iterative design scheme used to rush the aircraft into a production-like state. This new aircraft could also be an alternative configuration, not an evolutionary one, but that seems less likely at this time.
As we have repeatedly stated, the progress China is making when it comes to advanced combat aircraft is absolutely stunning. And yes, these aircraft are far more than their outward appearance and would need to rely on superior sensor and communications technology, low-observable material science, total force integration, and of course, operator and integrated training, in order to win the day. But taken at face value, China’s rapid progress with so many diverse platforms in such a short time is remarkable.
That being said, there are some that declare everything they see as late in development and near ready for production, regardless of the evidence. This is usually framed against an inflammatory U.S.-China competition narrative. Seeing this new iteration of the J-36 should underline just how fast China is working to refine the design, and it’s likely this was well in the works when the first example took flight. Still, claims that the J-36 was very far along in its development and even production representative when it first flew should now be put to rest.
Contact the author: [email protected]
The Stray Cats cancel tour due to Brian Setzer’s ‘serious illness’
Brian Setzer was on tour with the Stray Cats last year when he noticed the earliest signs of what was eventually diagnosed as an autoimmune disorder.
Now, it seems that disorder may be keeping Setzer off the road.
The Stray Cats said Tuesday they would be canceling their fall U.S. tour as Setzer, 66, battled a “serious illness.” The announcement comes months after Setzer’s diagnosis, although it’s not yet clear if this is a separate health issue.
“I know this affects so many people and I am devastated to have to deliver this news,” Setzer wrote Tuesday on X. “I’ve been trying everything I can to go on and do these shows, but it is just not possible.
“I’ve been looking forward so much to being on stage with my band mates again,” he said, “and playing for all of our amazing fans, and I’m gutted.”
The Stray Cats initially canceled the first two stops on their fall run, in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and Rockford, Ill., before scrapping the whole tour Tuesday. The band said refunds would be available at the point of purchase and did not announce any future tour dates.
Setzer first shared details about his unspecified autoimmune disease in February, writing on social media that, although the illness was not painful, it rendered him unable to play guitar.
“It feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play,” he wrote, adding that the disease had for a time hindered his ability to accomplish everyday tasks like tying his shoes.
The artist said that he had been improving as he received care at “the best hospital in the world down the block from me,” the Mayo Clinic.
“I know I will beat this, it will just take some time,” he said. “I love you all.”
The Stray Cats, formed by Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in 1979, have dissolved and re-formed several times over the decades. In 2019, the founding trio reunited to release a 40th anniversary album, aptly dubbed “40,” their first album in a quarter of a century.
On Friday, the band rolled out its first release since then. The pair of singles, consisting of original song “Stampede” and a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Teenage Heaven,” were described on the band’s website as “loud, upbeat, and unmistakably The Stray Cats.”
“Jim and I cut both songs in Minneapolis at Terrarium Studios,” Setzer said in a statement posted to the site. “‘Stampede’ was an instrumental that I wrote lyrics for. I basically copied the guitar part, which was pretty ahead of its time to begin with, and ‘Teenage Heaven’ is one of the few Eddie Cochran songs that has not been covered to death.”
Rocker said “‘Stampede’ has the drive and intensity that brings me back to our first album,” and “‘Teenage Heaven’ is a classic Eddie Cochran song that we put our [Stray] Cats magic on.”
“The Cats are back and better than ever,” the bassist said.
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
Concerns loom as L.A. County finalizes $828-million sex abuse payout
L.A. County supervisors have unanimously approved an $828-million settlement for alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse, finalizing the deal while questions mount over the legitimacy of some claims in a separate multibillion-dollar payout that they agreed to this spring.
The settlement approved Tuesday brings the county’s spending on sex abuse litigation this year to nearly $5 billion, with the bulk of that total coming from a $4-billion deal made in April to resolve thousands of claims filed by people who said they were abused decades ago in county-run juvenile detention centers and foster homes.
The latest settlement involves similar claims brought by 414 clients of three law firms who opted to negotiate separately from the rest. The $4-billion settlement initially covered roughly 6,800 claims, but has ballooned to more than 11,000.
The larger settlement has come under scrutiny after The Times found nine people who said they were paid to sue. Four said they were told to fabricate the claims. All had lawsuits filed by Downtown LA Law Group, which represents more than 2,700 clients in the first settlement.
The firm has denied paying clients to sue and said it has “systems in place to help weed out false or exaggerated allegations.” The firm has asked the court to dismiss three claims on behalf of allegedly fraudulent plaintiffs this month.
Downtown LA Law Group will be required to detail any claims that came to it through recruiters, the county’s top attorney said Tuesday. The firm has denied any wrongdoing.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
The settlement approved Tuesday involves cases only from Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, and Panish Shea Ravipudi and has no cases from DTLA. But the firm nevertheless took center stage Tuesday as the supervisors pressed their top attorney on how the lawsuits were vetted.
“What were we doing prior to this article?” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, referencing The Times’ reporting from earlier this month.
The county was in a tough spot, county counsel Dawyn Harrison explained. Many plaintiff attorneys didn’t want the county interviewing their clients, she said. And a judge had temporarily paused the discovery process, providing the county little insight into the identities of the thousands of people suing.
Harrison said Tuesday that DTLA cases now will be required to go through a “completely new level of review” beyond the standard vetting that was already underway by retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Louis Meisinger. In addition to having a new retired Superior Court judge vet all their cases, DTLA must provide the county with information on plaintiffs acquired through “a recruiter or vendor,” she said.
“DTLA is required to identify every recruiter it used, a list of each plaintiff brought in per recruiter, information about any funds that changed hands, and a declaration under oath by each recruiter identifying what was done, what was said, and any monies paid,” Harrison said.
It’s an unusual request.
California law bans a practice known as capping, in which non-attorneys directly solicit or procure clients to sign up for lawsuits with a law firm.
DTLA has denied knowledge of any of its clients receiving payments to sue and said the firm wants “justice for real victims” of sexual abuse.
“If we ever became aware that anyone associated with us, in any capacity, did such a thing, we would end our relationship with them immediately,” the firm said.
The rush of lawsuits was kicked off by a now-controversial bill known as AB 218, which changed the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse and created a new window to sue. The county, which is responsible for the safety of children inside juvenile carceral facilities and foster care, has seen more than 12,000 claims and counting since the law took effect in 2020.
The allegations of fraud that now hover over these cases was the fault of “an unmanageable law,” not the county’s vetting process, Harrison said.
“AB 218 erased those guardrails and allowed decades-old claims that no one can meaningfully vet,” she said.
The county’s lawyers and politicians have become increasingly loud critics of the law, which they say has left them facing a deluge of decades-old claims with no records. Supervisor Hilda Solis said she felt the county had become the “guinea pig” for the bill.
Joe Nicchitta, the county’s acting chief executive officer, estimated that anywhere between $1 billion to $2 billion in county taxpayer money from the settlements will go to attorneys.
“The law had some very noble intentions but it has been … and I’m just going to say what I think, hijacked by the plaintiff’s bar,” he said. “They do all of the vetting, they do all of the intake, they advertise extensively. They’re incentivized to bring as many cases as possible.”
Nicchitta said he’d heard rumors that venture capitalists were poking around Sacramento to find out “whether or not we have enough cash to pay for another settlement, so that they can finance a law firm to bring another round of settlements against us.”
“It’s clear to me the system is ruptured,” he said.
Courtney Thom, who was the lead attorney on cases from Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, said she believed the county was blaming the new state law for the failures of its own lawyers.
“To blame AB 218 and say that’s what enabled the fraud is just a pathetic attempt to deflect responsibility,” Thom said. “Our firm has been saying for two years we’re concerned about fraud.”
Mike Arias, who represents clients in the latest settlement as a partner with Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, said the three firms involved stopped adding clients more than a year ago.
“That’s a big distinction,” Arias said. “We said, at the time, the number of plaintiffs would not change. Ethically, my view was that’s who we represent and who we’re going to negotiate for.”
Arias said the allocation for the second settlement will be done by retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler, who specializes in overseeing sexual abuse litigation. Potential payouts will range between $750,000 and $3.25 million, he said.
Victims say the money represents a sliver of justice for the abuse they say they suffered while confined in county custody — little of which has been criminally prosecuted.
One man, who is part of the settlement and asked not to be identified, said he has no idea what happened to the probation official who he alleges raped him at around 16 while he was asleep in his cell at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, knocked out on sleep medication.
“I had no control in that place,” said the man, now 34. “My body hasn’t ever felt the same since.”
The county has launched an “AB 218 fraud hotline” where tipsters can report misconduct related to the flood of sex abuse claims.
(Rebecca Ellis / Los Angeles Times)
The county recently launched an “AB 218 fraud hotline” where tipsters can report misconduct related to the flood of claims. The county says it also plans to start a hotline for victims to safely report allegations of sex abuse in its facilities.
“It is illegal for anyone to file, pay for, or receive payments for making fake claims of childhood sexual abuse,” states a banner now running atop the county website with a hand doling out hundred-dollar bills.
The county also has launched a website that asks people to report if they were offered cash to sue, which law firms were involved, and whether they were coached, among other questions.
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, whose district includes the South Central social services office where seven people told The Times they were paid to sue, said she wanted to see the hotlines advertised as aggressively as the plaintiff attorneys advertised for their cases.
“You couldn’t turn on an urban radio station without hearing a commercial advertising these cases,” Mitchell said. “I certainly hope whatever we use, as we talk about our outreach, that we lean in as hard.”
MLB World Series Game 4: Toronto Blue Jays beat LA Dodgers 6-2 to level at 2-2
The Toronto Blue Jays have tied the best-of-seven World Series at 2-2 after a thumping 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s early two-run homer and a glut of runs in the seventh inning helped Major League Baseball’s only Canadian side come from behind at Dodger Stadium.
It also ensures the series will return to Toronto for a sixth game, and potentially a deciding seventh.
After Monday’s 18-innings epic drained the energy of both teams’ bullpens, the Dodgers and Blue Jays were banking on long outings from their starting pitchers to give their relief corps some respite.
All eyes were on the Dodgers’ Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, as this was the game where he was scheduled to double up as starting pitcher and leadoff hitter.
Ohtani, 31, is an exceptionally rare “two-way” player, operating at the elite level as both a pitcher and a hitter.
But having reached base on all nine plate appearances in game three, he went hitless with the bat, and left the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning trailing 2-1 and having put two men on base – both of whom would score – with no outs.
Toronto’s less heralded starter Shane Bieber, born in California, showed no favour to the hosts, striking Ohtani out twice and pitching into the sixth inning while giving up just one run.
The Dodgers had gone ahead in the bottom of the second inning when Enrique Hernandez’s sacrifice fly scored Max Muncy.
Toronto’s offence was missing George Springer, who sustained a muscle injury during game three, but Guerrero stepped up and launched Ohtani over left centre field to make it 2-1.
After Ohtani was taken out, Andres Gimenez, Ty France, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger all drove in runs to give the Blue Jays breathing space at 6-1 before the seventh-inning stretch.
The Dodgers briefly threatened a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Teoscar Hernandez walked, Muncy doubled, and Tommy Edman ground out to score Hernandez, but Toronto closed out the win with little alarm.
The series continues with game five, again at Dodger Stadium, on Wednesday evening.
As Trump and Xi near deal, few see letup in heated US-China rivalry | International Trade News
Gyeongju, South Korea – As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet for the first time since 2019, Washington and Beijing appear poised to reach a deal to lower the temperature of their fierce rivalry.
But while Trump and Xi are widely expected to de-escalate US-China tensions in South Korea on Thursday, expectations are modest for how far any agreement will go to resolve the myriad points of contention between the world’s two largest economies.
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Many details of the expected deal that have been flagged in advance relate to avoiding future escalation, rather than rolling back the trade war that Trump launched during his first term and has dramatically expanded since returning to office this year.
Some of the proposed measures involve issues that have only arisen within the last few weeks, including China’s plan to impose strict export controls on rare earths from December 1.
Whatever Trump and Xi agree to on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, there is little doubt that Washington and Beijing will continue to butt heads as they jockey for influence in a rapidly shifting international order, according to analysts.
“I have modest expectations for this meeting,” said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore.
“I think, no matter what happens this week, we haven’t seen the end of economic tensions, tariff threats, export controls and restrictions, and the use of unusual levers like digital rules,” Elms told Al Jazeera.
Contours of a deal
While the exact parameters of any deal are still to be determined by Trump and Xi, the contours of an agreement have emerged in recent days.
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in media interviews this week that he expected China to defer its restrictions on rare earths and that Trump’s threatened 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods was “effectively off the table”.
Bessent said he also anticipated that the Chinese side would agree to increase purchases of US-grown soya beans, enhance cooperation with the US to halt the flow of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, and sign off on a finalised TikTok deal.
While heading off a further spiralling in US-China ties, a deal along these lines would leave intact a wide array of tariffs, sanctions and export controls that hinder trade and business between the sides.
Since Washington and Beijing reached a partial truce in their tit-for-tat tariff salvoes in May, the average US duty on Chinese goods has stood at more than 55 percent, while China’s average levy on US products has hovered at about 32 percent.
Washington has blacklisted hundreds of Chinese firms deemed to pose national security risks, and prohibited the export of advanced chips and key manufacturing equipment related to AI.
China has, in turn, added dozens of US companies to its “unreliable entity” list, launched antitrust investigations into Nvidia and Qualcomm, and restricted exports of more than a dozen rare earths and metallic elements, including gallium and dysprosium.
US-China trade has declined sharply since Trump re-entered the White House.
China’s exports to the US fell 27 percent in September, the sixth straight month of decline, even as outbound shipments rose overall amid expanding trade with Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa.
China’s imports of US goods declined 16 percent, continuing a downward trend since April.
“The structural contradictions between China and the United States have not been resolved,” said Wang Wen, dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing, predicting continuing friction and “even worse” relations between the superpowers in the future.
“Most importantly, China’s strength is increasing and will surpass that of the United States in the future,” Wang told Al Jazeera.
‘De-escalation unlikely’
Shan Guo, a partner with Shanghai-based Hutong Research, said he expects the “bulk” of the deal between Trump and Xi to be about avoiding escalation. “A fundamental de-escalation is unlikely given the political environment in the US,” Guo told Al Jazeera.
But with the US having no alternative to Chinese rare earths and minerals in the near-term, Washington and Beijing could put aside their differences for longer than past trade truces, Guo said.
“This means reduced downside risks in US-China relations for at least a year, or perhaps even longer,” he said.
Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University who worked on China at the CIA and the White House’s National Security Council, said that while he is optimistic the summit will produce “positive tactical results”, it will not mark the end of the trade war.
“A comprehensive trade deal is still not available,” Wilder told Al Jazeera.
“Bessent and his Chinese counterpart will continue negotiating in hopes of a more lasting agreement if and when President Trump visits China next year.”
Trump and Xi’s go-to language on the US-China relationship itself points to the gulf between the sides.
While Trump often complains about the US being “ripped off” by China, Xi has repeatedly called for their relations to be defined by “mutual respect” and “win-win cooperation”.
“The United States should treat China in a way that China considers respectful,” said Wang of Renmin University.
“They have to respect China, and if they don’t, then the United States will receive an equal response until they become able to respect others,” he added.
Japan and South Korea: Vital partners in the New Uzbekistan
Authors: Marin Ekstrom and Wilder Alejandro Sánchez
Uzbekistan has recently commenced construction of a new airport in Tashkent, valued at $2.5 billion, as a symbol of the country’s reinvention. The project, slated to begin operations in 2029, aims to serve as Central Asia’s key aviation hub by supporting more than 40 take-offs and landings per hour and serving 20 million passengers annually. Economists predict that increased air traffic at the airport could generate $27 billion in annual revenue and create thousands of new jobs.
To achieve this ambitious goal, Tokyo and Seoul will be critical partners: Japan’s Sojitz Corporation, which has extensive experience in the aviation sector, has agreed to invest millions of dollars and share technical expertise. As for South Korea, the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) signed a $24.5 million consulting contract to provide operational and service support for the development of the new Tashkent airport.
Investment Incoming
While the Tashkent airport is one of the most recent and buzzworthy examples of Uzbek cooperation with Japan and South Korea, it is hardly the only area of engagement. With a projected 6.2% economic growth rate for 2025, Uzbekistan is on track to become one of the five fast-growing economies in Europe and Central Asia, making it a highly attractive market for trade and investment. In July 2025, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) announced a three-year initiative to fund and implement $3.7 billion in projects across the energy, petrochemical, textile, and infrastructure sectors. Sojitz also agreed to expand its cooperation in the oil and gas sectors, including the Syrdarya II power generation facility. Mining is another lucrative sector, with the Japanese corporation Itochu investing heavily in Uzbek uranium mining operations.
Similarly, South Korea is playing a vital role in financing Uzbekistan’s infrastructure projects, including supplying high-speed trains for its electrified transport networks and providing over $12 million to promote sustainable resource extraction methods and supply equipment and training for Uzbek engineers. Another notable project is a South Korean-funded $150 million medical center in Tashkent.
High-Level Diplomacy
The two East Asian governments have also increased intergovernmental engagement with Uzbekistan in recent years. Visits and engagement between policymakers in Tashkent and Tokyo are relatively common: this year alone, then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya visited Tashkent in June, while then-Minister of Justice Keisuke Suzuki visited in May. While the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has yet to fully formulate her foreign policy strategy, it is hoped that she will continue Tokyo’s engagement with Uzbekistan.
Then-South Korean President Yun Suk Yeol visited Tashkent in June 2024, while President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and current President Lee Jae Myung spoke by phone in July. They pledged to strengthen the “special strategic partnership” and expand “multifaceted cooperation,” noting that Korean companies have invested over US$8 billion in the Uzbek economy.
Japan and South Korea have proven to be invaluable official development assistance (ODA) providers. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo’s primary international aid organ, along with other Japanese NGOs, have worked extensively on infrastructure and human capital development in Uzbekistan. While Japanese ODA to Central Asia is of lower priority compared to Southeast Asia, Tokyo has consistently remained a top donor to Uzbekistan and the rest of the region. South Korea- which famously transformed from a major aid recipient to a prominent aid donor – has currently designated Uzbekistan as a “priority partner country” in terms of its ODA allocation. South Korean development assistance increased tenfold from 2006 and 2019, concentrating on social infrastructure and public service projects. Given the current instability of the global humanitarian and international development sector, it is difficult to say with certainty which current and future projects involving Japan, South Korea, and Uzbekistan will be pursued. Nevertheless, ODA from Japan and South Korea has clearly had, and will continue to have, a positive lasting impact in Uzbekistan.
The Other Pillar: People-To-People Interactions
People-to-people relations, facilitated through tourism and educational opportunities, can serve as additional pillars to strengthen interstate relations. Tourism among the three countries is surging, as Uzbekistan has noted increased tourist traffic from Japan and South Korea and vice versa. Initiatives like “Cool Japan” and “the Korean Wave” have transformed the two East Asian nations into soft power titans, while Uzbekistan is emphasizing strategies such as its Silk Road mystique to boost its soft power and tourism potential. If construction of the new airport stays on track, by the end of the decade, Japanese and South Korean tourists will arrive at a state-of-the-art facility their governments helped build.
Studying abroad is a significant phenomenon in Uzbekistan, ranking fifth globally in 2021 in terms of the number of students studying abroad. Japan offers numerous scholarships, language programs, and exchange programs designed for Uzbek students to study there. South Korea is an even more popular destination, with an estimated 5,000 Uzbek students studying in Korean universities. While comparatively fewer Japanese and South Korean students study in Uzbekistan, exchanges among the three countries can only strengthen their long-term ties.
Finally, Uzbekistan contributes to South Korea’s academic community and workforce: nearly 100,000 Uzbek citizens were living in South Korea as of June 2025, comprising the fifth largest foreign-born population in the country.
The Big Picture
Japan and South Korea have also robustly engaged with Uzbekistan through regional forums. Japan spearheaded the “C5+1” framework, which organizes the five Central Asian republics into a regional unit interacting with an extra-regional actor, with its 2004 “Central Asia + Japan” dialogue. Global Powers like China, Russia, the United States, and the European Union adopted this model for their own engagements with the Central Asian states. The Japan-centered C5+1 has continued, with the most recent summit being held in Astana in 2025. South Korea has helped organize a series of Central Asia-Republic of Korea Cooperation Forums and was set to host the first Central Asia-Korea summit in Seoul in 2025. The arrest of deposed President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this year, however, has delayed those plans. South Korea announced a “K-Silk Road” initiative in June 2024, an ambitious project encompassing such areas as natural resource extraction, development aid, and cultural exchanges- though the arrest of Yoon has also halted progress on these objectives.
As a corollary to this analysis, it is worth noting two recent developments involving Central Asian engagement with the Global Powers of China and the US, which often overshadow Japan and South Korea’s efforts in the region. A Chinese company reportedly plans to invest as much as US$500 million in Uzbekistan’s Andijan region to construct a hydroelectric power plant and modernize existing energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, US Ambassador-at-Large for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau visited Tashkent in late October as part of a regional tour. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the US-Central Asia C5+1 format, and US members of Congress have requested the Trump administration to organize a presidential summit to celebrate this achievement.
The point here is that the Global Powers will continue to engage Tashkent, and matching dollar-for-dollar investment to compete with them is unrealistic. That being said, Tokyo and Seoul are not necessarily positioning themselves to act like Global Powers in the region. Japanese engagement with Uzbekistan and Central Asia has been characterized by a flexible, piecemeal approach that targets key issues while forgoing rigid diplomatic protocol like geopolitical alliances or treaty obligations. In addition, Japan values “quality over quantity” regarding its projects: while it may not be as flashy or large-scale compared to its Global Power counterparts, Japan aims for long-term sustainability and success. South Korea, for its part, appears to be adopting a similar mode of engagement with Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Being involved in strategic projects, like a significant involvement in Tashkent’s new airport, will help Tokyo and Seoul continue to have a high-profile and visible presence in Uzbekistan’s development projects.
Conclusions
Since President Mirziyoyev took power in 2016, he has sought to create a “New Uzbekistan” characterized by economic dynamism and global integration. Tashkent’s relations with Global Powers like China, Russia, the United States, and the European Union have been extensively analyzed. However, two other countries that have developed their own special and successful partnerships with Uzbekistan are Japan and South Korea.
As the New Uzbekistan gains momentum, Tashkent must rely on international partnerships to sustain development and enhance its international prestige. Given the country’s history of subjugation under empires and global powers, Uzbekistan’s involvement with nations like Japan and South Korea offers an intriguing alternative: robust engagement with less risk of domination. In turn, these East Asian nations can expand their regional influence to offset rival powers, most notably China, and gain access to new markets and resources. The collaboration between these three countries thus offers mutual benefits for all parties.
*Wilder Alejandro Sánchez is president of Second Floor Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He covers geopolitical, defense, and trade issues in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Western Hemisphere. He has co-authored a report on water security issues in Central Asia, published by the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and given presentations on environmental issues that affect the region.
EastEnders fans worried for Sharon star Letitia Dean after sudden exit
EastEnders fans are worried about Letitia Dean after her character Sharon Watts was written out during Tuesday night’s episode just weeks after making a much-anticipated comeback
EastEnders fans are worried about Letitia Dean after her character Sharon Watts was written out during Tuesday night’s episode. The actress, 57, has been on the BBC soap on a sporadic basis since 1985 and whilst her latest stint has lasted more than 14 years in total, the star has only appeared in a handful of episodes this year, prompting some viewers to worry about her well-being in real life.
Towards the end of last month, Sharon headed back to Walford after spending some time in America visiting her sister Michelle and missed the much-anticipated return of Zoe Slater during her time away. Once she had got home, she was shocked to learn that Zoe had given birth to her twins during her time away from Albert Square, and agreed to help her son down when she told Sharon that her late husband Dennis was the father, which was a lie.
Once she had discovered Zoe’s betrayal, Sharon packed up once more and has headed back to Florida, with news of her exit being confirmed via a phone call to Vicki Fowler. After hanging up the phone, she simply said: “She won’t come back. I seriously think this has tipped her over the edge, and she was so strong for me. She was in bits. She wants to go to Florida, stay with mum. I wish I was well enough to go with her, I need her!”
READ MORE: EastEnders fans ‘rumble’ heartbreaking reason behind Zoe Slater’s desperate search for sonREAD MORE: BBC in huge blunder as Breaking News channel accidentally streams EastEnders
Fans instantly took to social media to speculate on what was going on, given that the iconic character has only been seen nine times since her return.
One fan wrote: “I hope Letitia Dean’s alright. Before she came back it was said she had lots coming up and now she’s left again after only a month onscreen. Makes me think it was a last minute exit,” whilst another said: “I really hope Letitia Dean is ok she’s only just back and Sharon is gone again let’s no speculate about her real like person business but let’s hope she’s ok and back soon x”
A third said: “i hope letitia dean is ok… sharon’s exit around the time of matins death and her subsequent exit again now r really peculiar in terms of plot direction… not like being nosey or anything just hope she’s ok” (sic)
A fourth added: “What on EARTH is going on with Sharon Watts. She completed 9 episodes since coming back after a 5 month break and she’s gone again in another hastily written exit. Worried for her.” Sharing in the concern, another fan said: “I genuinely hand on heart really hope she’s okay! It’s so sad to not see her on screen.”
After one of the twins died, Zoe left the other behind and lied to Sharon about their father in the hopes that she would provide cash to help her track the child down. However, in tonight’s episode of EastEnders, Kat (Jessie Wallace) revealed the truth to Sharon’s sister Vicki, resulting in a furious clash.
Now, fans are convinced that there’s a much sadder reason behind Zoe’s cruel methods for finding her long-lost child, and that it could result in the recently returned character leaving the Square for good. Taking to X, some fans speculated that Zoe may be desperate to find the child as she’s secretly suffering with a life-limiting illness.
“I think there’s more to Zoe’s state of mind than meets the eye. I don’t think she can get out of this one #Eastenders,” one viewer wrote on social media.
Another replied: “Yeah imagine if Zoe has had some sort of secret diagnosis before returning to Walford. Not cancer but maybe some other health condition.
This may explain why she’s so eager to find her son after all these years because deep down she knows she may not have much time left #EastEnders.”
After watching Zoe look for a cat throughout the episode, another fan said: “You saw earlier in her scenes with the Cat and her reactions that something looked off with Zoe. #Eastenders.”
Others were bewildered with Zoe’s unhinged behaviour, with another writing: “Why is Zoe so obsessed with this cat??? # EastEnders.” A fifth said: “Zoe is a MESS #EastEnders.” Another tweeted: “Zoe is all types of messed up #EastEnders.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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Ducks defeat Panthers in a shootout
Oct. 28, 2025 7:33 PM PT
SUNRISE, Fla. — Troy Terry and Mason McTavish scored in a shootout, and the Ducks beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist, and Cutter Gauthier also scored to help the Ducks end a five-game trip with a victory in coach Joel Quenneville’s first game against his former team.
Quenneville, who coached the Panthers from 2019-21, returned to Sunrise for the first time since resigning as Florida’s coach after details of a sexual-assault scandal involving his 2010 Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks squad were revealed in October 2021.
Quenneville was banned from the NHL for nearly three years for his handling of the situation before taking over the Ducks in May. He won three titles in 10 years with the Blackhawks and last coached for Florida on Oct. 27, 2021.
Carlsson buried a short-handed goal midway through the second period to extend his point streak to four games. He assisted on Gauthier’s power-play goal a couple of minutes later to give Carlsson a team-leading 11 points this season.
Lukas Dostal stopped 31 shots for the Ducks.
Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers. Reinhart had the tying goal — his fifth of the season — with three about minutes left in regulation after the Panthers had trailed 2-0 midway through the third.
Daniil Tarasov made 15 saves.
The Panthers, whose depth has already been tested this season because of a rash of injuries, were without forwards Jonah Gadjovich (upper body) and Brad Marchand (personal reasons).
11 dead after small plane crashes in southern Kenya
Smoke rises from the wreckage of a deadly plane crash in Kwale County, Kenya, that killed all 11 on board early Tuesday morning. Photo by Stringer/EPA
Oct. 28 (UPI) — A small airplane with 11 people on board crashed during a flight in Kenya early Tuesday with no survivors, Mombasa Air Safari officials announced.
The flight carried eight passengers from Hungary, two from Germany and its Kenyan pilot when it crashed for unknown reasons after taking flight from the coastal city of Diani Beach, the airline said.
“Sadly, there are no survivors,” Mombasa Air said in the statement.
“Our hearts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic event.”
Diani Beach is located due south of Mombasa on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast.
The aircraft crashed into a wooded hillside in Kwale County about 25 miles from Diani Beach, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
“Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident and its impact,” the KCAA said.
The KCAA initially reported 12 died in the crash but has since revised that number to 11 to accurately reflect the number of passengers and crew on board.
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft crashed at 8:35 a.m. local time while headed to an airstrip in Kwichwa Tembo near the Maasai Mara Natural Reserve, which is about 500 miles northwest of Diani Beach. Authorities initially reported that crash occurred at 5:30 a.m.
The aircraft had lost contact with the Mombasa International Airport control tower 10 minutes into its flight, Ministry of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said in a statement.
The aircraft — which local media reported was built in 2007 and deemed reliable — was destroyed by the impact and ensuring fire, Chirchir said.
The pilot did not report to the Diani Beach airport air traffic controllers as required, which caused the flight to go missing for about 30 minutes before the crash site was located, according to Mombasa Air Safari officials.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and found the plane’s wreckage and human remains at the crash site.
The reserve is adjacent to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and is renowned for its natural setting and wildlife, including wildebeests.
“The weather here is not very good at the moment,” Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the BBC.
“Since early in the morning, it is raining and it is very misty,” he said.
North Korea test-fires cruise missiles as Trump visits South Korea | Nuclear Weapons News
Pyongyang says the tests in the Yellow Sea were aimed at impressing its abilities upon its ‘enemies’.
Published On 29 Oct 2025
North Korea has test-fired several sea-to-surface cruise missiles into its western waters, according to state media, hours before United States President Donald Trump begins a visit to South Korea.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Wednesday that the missiles, carried out in the Yellow Sea on Tuesday, flew for more than two hours before accurately striking targets.
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Top military official Pak Jong Chon oversaw the test and said “important successes” were being achieved in developing North Korea’s “nuclear forces” as a war deterrent, according to KCNA.
The test was aimed at assessing “the reliability of different strategic offensive means and impress their abilities upon the enemies”, Pak said.
“It is our responsible mission and duty to ceaselessly toughen the nuclear combat posture,” he added.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said on Wednesday that the military had detected the North Korean launch preparations and that the cruise missiles were fired in the country’s northwestern waters at about 3pm (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
The joint chiefs said South Korea and the US were analysing the weapons and maintaining a combined defence readiness capable of a “dominant response” against any North Korean provocation.
North Korea’s latest launches followed short-range ballistic missile tests last week that it said involved a new hypersonic system designed to strengthen its nuclear war deterrent.
The latest test came hours before an expected summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Gyeongju, where South Korea is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.
Trump has expressed interest in meeting with Kim during his stay in South Korea, where he is also scheduled to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
However, South Korean officials have said that a Trump-Kim meeting is unlikely.
Kim has said he still personally holds “fond memories” of Trump, but has also said he would only be open to talks if Washington stops insisting his country give up its nuclear weapons programme.
North Korea has shunned any form of talks with Washington and Seoul since Kim’s high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019, during the US president’s first term.
Before flying to South Korea, Trump was in Tokyo, where he met with families of Japanese abducted by North Korea on Tuesday, telling them that “the US is with them all the way” as they asked for help to find their loved ones.
After years of denial, North Korea admitted in 2002 that it had sent agents to kidnap 13 Japanese people decades ago, who were used to train spies in Japanese language and customs.
Japan says that 17 of its citizens were abducted, five of whom were repatriated. North Korea has said that eight are dead as of 2019, and another four never entered the country.
Keira Knightley reveals she’s actually a NEPO BABY
ACTRESS Keira Knightly has revealed that she’s a Nepo Baby but despite family connections the star has insisted that you ‘still have to deliver’.
Keira, 40, sat down to speak on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast and made the shock confession about her family life.
The actress is the child of TV star Will Knightley and her playwright mother Sharman Macdonald.
Keira has put down her Nepo Baby status to being within a family of ‘jobbing creatives’.
On the pod Keira was asked by Giovanna “if the whole Nepo Baby thing annoyed” her.
Giovanna continued: “I think it’s a really difficult subject when you’ve got parents who are working and they’re jobbing creatives. You know but you still have to deliver. You still have to have a talent.”
READ MORE ON KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
Keira replied: “I don’t know about annoyed, I think I am a Nepo Baby.
“I mean my first proper agent was because she was my mum’s best mate, and she’s still my agent today. So, I mean, I think it is true that there are connections that are made, and it’s true that within creative families, you know, a lot of the actors I know, it is generational.
“And I think partly that is because it is a lifestyle; it’s a way of life that is quite other from a 9-to-5 job.”
She was then asked: “So, do you think it’s more a case, that we have to change our view of how we perceive even the word ?”
“Well I don’t know about that. I think it’s a similar thing to quite often builders, I was doing a lot of work on my house recently, and it’s a family of builders,” Keira quipped.
“You know, building companies go through generations. Doctors tend to go through generations. You get a lot of lawyers, I think you grow up in a particular environment, and if you like the environment you grew up in you will gravitate towards that environment.
Giovanna added: “Though you don’t see a doctor whose dad’s a doctor and go, “Nepo Baby”.
“No, you don’t. I mean, but look, the entertainment industry is very loud, the noise around the entertainment industry and I think you know that going into it.
Speaking about her two children, whom she shares with musician James Righton, she added: “If my children, neither of them are showing any interest whatsoever, but if that’s what they choose to do, then that’s what they’ll have to deal with. And I’m sure they’ll have an answer to it.
“Ultimately, with every job, no matter what it is, you might have help through the door, which is not nothing. But unless you bring the goods, you’re going to be chucked out very quickly.”
The Hollywood star began acting as a child on television.
She made her breakthrough into films with the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, and achieved international fame in 2003 after playing Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
Her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 romantic drama film Pride & Prejudice earned her critical acclaim.
She later became known for her roles as the heroines of other such period dramas as Atonement (2007), A Dangerous Method (2011) and Anna Karenina (2012).
Keira’s latest hit role sees her play journalist turned detective in the Netflix drama The Woman In Cabin 10.
‘Lost’ UK village compared to Atlantis that has wild beaches and coast full of shipwrecks
The village was once a rival to London and an important medieval hub. But a series of unfortunate storms meant much of it was lost to the sea and now lies under the water
A tiny village that was once a medieval port and considered the capital of East Anglia is the perfect day out for history buffs or those who love quiet, windswept beaches.
In Anglo-Saxon times, Dunwich on the Suffolk coast was the heart of what was then called the Kingdom of the East Angles. Its international port was considered a rival to London, and the Domesday Book of 1086 revealed it had a population of over 3,000 people. This was a time when London’s population was just 18,000.
However, the town’s fortunes changed in 1286 when a storm surge hit the area, followed by two large weather fronts the next year. This caused major coastal erosion, which led to large parts of the town being submerged underwater. In 1347, it’s thought that 400 homes were swept into the sea, with most of the remains of the town destroyed in 1362 in Saint Marcellus’s flood. Around 25,000 people across Europe lost their lives in the tragic event.
Because of its unique past, Dunwich is often dubbed the ‘lost city of England’ and draws comparisons to the legendary island of Atlantis, which, according to myths, sank under the sea.
Dunwich Museum is a great way to learn about life before the floods. Researchers have mapped out where the old homes and buildings used to stand before they were lost to the sea, and you can see these maps at the museum. There are also many interesting displays about medieval life and artefacts from the time.
Only a few ruins remain from medieval times. One of the most complete buildings is the Greyfriars monastery. This was built around half a mile inland, after the original monastery closer to the coast was lost. The ruins include the grand entrance to the monastery and part of the refectory where the monks would eat.
National Trust’s Dunwich Heath and Beach is an unspoilt spot with some beautiful walking trails. The Heath is full of rare wildlife and birds, and you may be able to spot red deer and otters on your stroll. Dunwich’s wide shingle beach is a popular spot for fishing and paddling in the sea.
Not all ships en route to Dunwich made it safely, and researchers have worked to uncover a large number of shipwrecks off the coast. According to the East Anglian Daily Times, there could be as many as hundreds of ships in a shipwreck graveyard off the coast, many of which sank during World War I when shipping routes were attacked.
Once you’re finished exploring, visit Flora Tea Rooms, a traditional fish and chip restaurant on the beach that also serves British classics such as afternoon tea. The village has one pub, The Ship at Dunwich, a cosy spot with a beer garden and beautiful countryside views. It also has 16 rooms if you decide to stay and enjoy this peaceful village for longer.
Dunwich is also close to the RSPB Minsmere, a coastal nature reserve that includes areas of woodland, reedbeds, grassland, and heathland. Among the unspoilt landscape, you can spot wildlife, from a vast array of coastal birds to Water Voles.
Winter wonderland weekends: 4 holiday parks offering festive stays from just £39 a night
These UK staycations could be an excellent choice for family get-togethers and getting into the Christmas spirit, offering everything from Santa visits to festive food
Trying to cram all your festive activities into December can be a challenge. From the big Santa visit to seeing a panto and Christmas markets, not to mention spending family time together, it sometimes feels like the month just isn’t long enough.
If you’re looking for an alternative that’s a little more relaxed, many holiday parks are now offering breaks in the run up to the big day. While you may associate caravan and lodge holidays with summer, these parks are opening in November and December for festive-themed breaks.
What’s on offer varies from park to park, but generally includes extras from Christmas-themed shows to Santa’s grottos, and even a Christmas tree in your accommodation. These breaks could be a great way to escape the pre-Christmas chaos, or to spend time with extended family without needing to host at home.
So, which holiday parks will be opening their doors for festive fun, and what’s on offer?
Haven – ‘sleigh-cations’
Four nights from £115
Haven will open the doors at nine of its locations in the run-up to Christmas: Craig Tara, Seton Sands, Devon Cliffs, Kent Coast, Cala Gran, Hafan y Môr, Primrose Valley, Seashore, and Rockley Park.
Staying at Haven means you can choose between accommodation from caravans to lodges, each with its own Christmas tree. The parks will also be adorned with decorations and lights, and Haven says there will be festive entertainment during the day and in the evening. Bookable activities will include pottery making, festive make-a-bear, and much more. Of course, there’s Santa’s Grotto, which will be an additional cost.
Haven will also be staging a Jack and the Beanstalk panto and promising “plenty of opportunities for a festive boogie.” Their on-site restaurants will serve festive food, including a three-course menu for Christmas day, while some Haven parks have their own Wetherspoons, which will offer the chain’s Christmas menu.
Find out more and book online.
Parkdean Resorts – Winter Wonderland breaks
From £145 for four nights
Parkdean Resorts will offer what it describes as the “full Winter Wonderland experience” at six parks in December: Camber Sands in Sussex, Warmwell in Dorset, Trecco Bay and Ty Mawr in Wales, Cayton Bay in North Yorkshire, and Cherry Tree in Norfolk. They’re also opening two parks in the Lake District with a “more relaxed festive atmosphere,” White Cross Bay and Fallbarrow.
Parkdean has a busy entertainment program for younger kids, promising Festive Milkshake! Mornings and Rocking Around the Christmas Tree with the PAW Patrol puppies. Families can enjoy breakfast with Santa or a trip to his grotto, watch a family pantomime, or even explore a festive market. Visit Warmwell and you can also enjoy their dry ski slope for skiing and snowboarding.
If you opt for a midweek break starting on a Monday, Parkdean also offers an all-inclusive option. This includes three meals a day, plus soft drinks and hot drinks, so you won’t need to worry about feeding the kids during your stay. Some parks will also have the option to book lunch on Christmas Day, so you can skip the washing up.
Bookings and more information can be found at the Parkdean website.
Center Parcs –Winter Wonderland breaks
Prices vary
Center Parcs arguably already has a festive vibe, thanks to its wooden lodges with open fireplaces. But during the festive season, they’ll be going all out to create a Winter Wonderland. Guests will be able to explore Enchanted Light Garden trails, watch the Santa’s Greeting Parade, or take a family photo in the Snow Zone.
They’ll also have Christmas shops stocking decorations and festive food, plus Tipis serving hot chocolates, Bratwurst and waffles, perfect for a stop after a chilly winter walk. Plus, the restaurants in each park’s village will have their own Christmas-themed food offerings.
There are also loads of extras that can be booked at a cost, including an elf pyjama party, a visit to Santa’s Workshop, or Christmas crafts. For an extra fee, you can also book a freshly cut Christmas tree for your accommodation, with a range of bows and baubles that you can take home with you for the perfect festive atmosphere.
Find out more and book on the Center Parcs website.
Butlin’s – Family Christmas Breaks
Prices from £39 per night
Butlin’s is offering a budget-friendly option for a Christmas break that’s all about family fun. Unlike most of the holiday parks on this list, the cost of meeting Santa is included for all families taking a festive break. Kids can enjoy Father Christmas’ Express Delivery, an immersive experience where they write their Christmas letter and deliver it to the man in red himself.
Also included in the cost of Butlin’s Christmas breaks is festive entertainment, including a panto, Snow White and her Magnificent Friends. Other themed shows include the Skyline Snowstorm party and Christmas Goes Pop, and there will be Christmas movie screenings for the family to enjoy together. The pools will be open, with Butlin’s offering a Festive Pool Party on each break. Visitors also get unlimited fairground rides and can enjoy activities such as making their own Christmas decorations.
The parks are set to be decorated for Christmas, with lights and decorations throughout, giving them a festive feel. There’s also Christmas-themed dining, so if you order a dining plan, you can tuck into popular dishes, from roasts to festive puddings, depending on the day.
The cheapest option at Butlin’s is to book one of their standard rooms, but they also have hotel rooms, apartments, and other upgraded accommodation if you want to splash out.
Football gossip: Paqueta, McTominay, Mainoo, Rodri, Ter Stegen, Rogers
Lucas Paqueta wants to leave West Ham, Tottenham are keen on Scott McTominay, and Napoli will make another attempt to sign Kobbie Mainoo.
Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 28, is keen to leave West Ham in January. (Times – subscription required), external
Tottenham are keen on signing 28-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay from Napoli. (Teamtalk), external
Napoli will make another attempt to sign 20-year-old England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United in January. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external
Manchester City have opened negotiations with Spain defensive midfielder Rodri, 29, over a new contract and are confident of striking a deal by the end of the year. (TBR Football, external)
Tottenham are unlikely to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Barcelona in January, but a loan move to Chelsea could be possible for the Germany goalkeeper, 33. (Teamtalk), external
Chelsea and Tottenham showed serious interest in Morgan Rogers, 23, during the summer but Aston Villa are currently holding talks with the England attacking midfielder over a new contract. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Fabio Carvalho will leave Brentford in January, with a permanent move being considered for the 23-year-old Portuguese winger. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Sunderland are plotting another loan move for Marc Guiu in January after Chelsea recalled the 19-year-old Spanish striker just two games into a loan move they agreed last summer. (Football Transfers), external
Chelsea are looking to strengthen at right-back with the addition of Strasbourg’s Guela Doue, though Aston Villa and Brighton are also in the race for the 23-year-old Ivory Coast defender. (Football Transfers), external
Liverpool are among the clubs considering a move for Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, with Newcastle and Aston Villa also in the race to sign the 21-year-old Ecuador centre-back. (Ekrem Konur), external
Manchester United are in negotiations over a transfer for AIK’s 16-year-old Swedish forward Kevin Filling. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Robbie Keane, Kieran McKenna and Ange Postecoglou are all on the shortlist to succeed Brendan Rodgers as the next permanent Celtic manager. (Telegraph – subscription required), external
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Published On 28 Oct 2025