Foreign Office has shared its concerns

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continues to issue warnings for those travelling to Turkey following the deaths of several UK nationals. The FCDO is responsible for issuing regular travel guidance covering roughly 226 countries and territories worldwide.

Many Brits travel to Turkey to for medical treatment, with the most popular procedures being cosmetic surgery, cardiac surgery, and dental care. The FCDO warns: “The standard of medical facilities and available treatments can vary widely globally and also within countries.”

The department confirmed it is aware of 7 British nationals having died in Turkey in 2025 following medical procedures, and guidance reads: “Some British nationals have also experienced complications and needed further treatment or surgery following their procedure”.

Those thinking about a trip to Turkey for medical, surgical or dental procedures are strongly advised to consult with your UK doctor, clinician or dentist beforehand. It’s also recommended that you conduct thorough independent research, as “private companies have a financial interest in booking your treatment and their literature should not be your only source of information”.

The Turkish Ministry of Health maintains a register of approved medical providers on the HealthTurkiye website. The FCDO emphasises it “cannot usually help if you have travelled abroad for medical treatment, for example if you have issues with the care received or costs involved”.

This is due to the fact that planned medical treatment is viewed as a commercial arrangement.

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ST. PAUL, Minin., Feb. 27 (UPI) — A team of U.S.-based scientists say they have developed a model using a “biological clock” to predict — with just a simple blood test — when someone is likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

The results of a study published this month in the journal Nature Medicine demonstrate how, by measuring blood plasma levels of a protein in people who are not yet impaired by Alzheimer’s symptoms, researchers can predict when cognitive decline will begin within a margin of three to four years.

While there is no single, stand-alone test to diagnose Alzheimer’s today, the new method works by leveraging how levels of the protein “p-tau217” in the blood closely reflect how much amyloid plaque has built up in the brain over time. This provides doctors with a “clock” that points to when a patient may begin to experience symptoms.

Amyloid buildup in the brain may begin up to 20 years before a person starts to experience symptoms of memory and thinking issues. The plaques are a key pathological hallmark and contributing factor in Alzheimer’s disease, and, much like looking at the rings of a tree, p-tau217 levels can reveal the age of the buildup.

The authors, based at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, say their new blood test method will have immediate applications in ongoing clinical trials seeking answers to the vexing questions about what causes and what can prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia, which affect more than 7 million Americans at an estimated cost of nearly $400 billion in 2025.

Eventually, with further refinement, researchers hope the blood test could one day be used in clinical settings to easily and quickly provide predictions about the timeline of symptom onset for individual patients. The only feasible ways of doing so now are through costly brain imaging scans and invasive spinal fluid tests.

The study was part of a project headed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium, a public-private charitable partnership established by Congress in 1990 whose roster includes schools such as Washington University, life science companies including Johnson & Johnson and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Dr. Suzanne Schindler, senior author of the study and associate professor in the WashU Medicine Department of Neurology, said that while current blood tests for p-tau217 are already capable of identifying cognitively unimpaired people who might develop Alzheimer’s symptoms, they have no ability to estimate when.

Thus, they are used only for research studies and clinical trials due to legal and ethical considerations, such as the risk of causing undue stress from uncertain results.

“Our study, however, suggests it’s possible to predict when symptoms might develop using blood p-tau217,” she told UPI. “The prediction is very rough and so is still only useful in research or trials.

“We believe these predictions can be refined, but it’s unclear if they’ll become reliable enough for individual guidance without more invasive tests like spinal fluid analysis,” she cautioned.

Still, the potential of uses of the blood test are immediate when it comes to Alzheimer’s research. For instance, they could allow clinical trials of potentially preventive treatments to be performed within a shorter time period.

“Clinical trials are currently underway that are treating cognitively unimpaired individuals who test positive for blood p-tau217,” Schindler noted. “We must wait to see if these treatments delay or prevent symptom onset, but I’m hopeful based on our understanding of the disease’s biology.”

Beyond clinical trials, the blood test will aid broader Alzheimer’s research “by linking p-tau217 levels to specific brain changes, helping us disentangle whether those changes are driving cognitive impairment amid its overall complexity,” she added.

The new study “provides evidence that plasma p‑tau217 may be a reliable tool for estimating the future onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms,” agreed Rebecca Edelmayer, vice president of scientific engagement for the Alzheimer’s Association.

“This could transform how researchers design clinical trials and, eventually, how clinicians identify people at highest risk for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s years before decline begins,” she told UPI.

While the blood test method represents a “very intriguing discovery,” it’s important to note it is not yet ready for everyday use by doctors or patients, Edelmayer cautioned, noting that its three- to four-year margin of error effectively rules out its utility for individual decision-making.

Broadly speaking, blood tests are not yet recommended for cognitively unimpaired individuals outside research settings, but even so, “this finding is an important research step because a blood test is generally much less expensive and easier to administer than a brain scan or spinal‑fluid test,” she said.

“In the future, it could help doctors and researchers identify people who may benefit from early treatments, and make clinical trials for new Alzheimer’s therapies run faster and more efficiently.”

The possibility of making a difference in the long-running battle against one of the most feared and intractable diseases in the world holds a special meaning for Schindler.

“As a memory specialist, I’ve diagnosed over 1,000 people with Alzheimer’s and witnessed firsthand its devastating effects on patients and families,” she said. “These results make me hopeful, and it’s rewarding to think this research could improve diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s.”

A HUGE new lido complex is set to transform an English holiday park this summer.

The plans are part of a £10.2million expansion at Unity Beach holiday park in Brean.

In time for the summer holidays, will be a new lido surrounded by private cabanas and outdoor dining area.

The existing flumes and water rides will remain, and the outdoor pool is expected to open in July 2026.

Other plans included in the development are a trampoline park, bandstand, boardwalk, landscaped gardens and a dog agility area.

There will also be an outdoor activity centre where guests can have a go at archery, axe throwing and rifle shooting.

GO SEA IT

£9.50 holiday spot with shipwrecks, seals offshore & horseshoe-shaped waterfalls

SIGHT SEA

£9.50 holidaymakers’ favourite Skegness activities… away from the beach

Unity Beach Resort Director Jonny Green said: “These are exciting times for our owners, our holidaymakers and the local community.

“Our improved pool facilities will help us sustain and grow participation in swimming lessons and recreational activity — not only for guests staying on the park, but also for the wider community across Somerset.”

The new outdoor facilities are part of the huge refurbishment of the site that has been underway throughout the winter months.

The site has been upgrading its soft play, changing rooms, the Wave Café and gym.

Other improvements have been to the 25-metre indoor pool and the addition of poolside showers.

A new indoor Splash Pad will replace the baby pool so that children of different ages can swim and play in the same space.

The unisex changing rooms have been upgraded with larger family cubicles – with space for up to four.

For accessibility, a new lift and pool hoist have been installed, as well as a refreshed accessible changing area.

The Wave Café has also been refurbished and will continue to serve meals throughout the day.

Visitors can enjoy sweet treats like cookies and donuts to breakfast options, sandwiches and paninis.

At Unity Play, children can explore different soft play zones; Ocean World for under-4s, the main soft play area for ages 4 to 11, and Ninja Warrior zone for ages 7 to 11.

There is also a new reception area with a dedicated buggy park for families.

The refurbished indoor facilities are due to reopen shortly.

Previously, the site underwent a £15million upgrade with a new Wonky Donkey pub and restaurant, with a new pavilion, sports bar and arcade.

The Wonky Donkey serves up traditional pub food like mac n’ cheese and scampi and chips.

Inside the Pavilion Theatre, there’s plenty of family entertainment and shows as well as silent discos and movie sing-along challenges.

As well as the 2025 additions, the park is home to a theme park with 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to dodgems and a ghost train.

For more on staycations, here are the most popular UK holiday park from £9.50 Hols – with beachfront pods, hot tub lodges and a surfing simulator.

And one writer has found an incredibly cheap UK holiday park that brings the best bits of Center Parcs, Butlin’s and Haven to ONE site.

Though no deal was reached to end Iran’s nuclear arms ambitions, U.S. and Iranian officials both expressed cautious optimism after the third round of negotiations between the two nations concluded today. Even as the talks were underway in Geneva, more American military assets pushed toward the Middle East. On Thursday, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford left Souda Bay on the Greek-owned island of Crete and will reportedly arrive off the Israeli coast as early as Friday. In addition, more F-35A Lighting II stealth fighters and F-15E Strike Eagle multirole fighters are on their way across the Atlantic for likely deployment to the region.

You can get a good sense of the state of play in this situation in our deep dive here.

The third round of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva ended inconclusively Thursday. 

“We have finished the day after significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who is moderating the talks, stated on X. “We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna. I am grateful to all concerned for their efforts: the negotiators, the IAEA, and our hosts the Swiss government.”

U.S. and Iranian officials offered positive assessments of the negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

Today’s round was the best among the rounds so far. We clearly presented our demands to the American side.

Technical talks will be held on Monday to discuss detailed specifics.

We achieved good progress on the nuclear file and sanctions… pic.twitter.com/r5dEvvmYJn

— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 26, 2026

At issue is the future of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, but the negotiations do not involve Iran’s ballistic missile program, which the Trump administration is now saying could threaten the U.S. homeland in the near future. More about that later in this story. The U.S. is reportedly demanding that Iran destroy its Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites, deliver all enriched uranium to the U.S., agree to zero enrichment of its uranium, but can keep the Tehran reactor. In addition, the Trump administration is demanding that any deal be permanent and is offering Iran minimal sanctions relief, with more if the country is compliant with these demands. 

Here the demands US brought to Iran in Geneva:

1) Destroy all 3 nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan

2) Deliver all enriched uranium to US

3) No sunset clauses

4) Zero enrichment, but can keep Tehran reactor

5) Minimal sanctions relief up front; more if Iran compliant

— Alex Ward (@alexbward) February 26, 2026

For its part, Iran “is unwilling to transfer any enriched uranium outside the country,” the official Iranian Press TV news outlet reported on Thursday. While the U.S. delegation demands all existing stockpiles be handed over, Iran insists that the enriched uranium should remain safeguarded within its borders.

“Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Iran remained ‘crystal clear’ that it would ‘under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,’ while also recognising the right of Iran’s people to the benefits of ‘peaceful nuclear technology,’” Al Jazeera reported.

The negotiations are taking place in the wake of statements by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio laying out the administration’s case against Iran. Both warned that Iran is developing weapons that can strike the U.S. and has the means and intent to strike its assets, and those of allies, in the Middle East.

PRESIDENT TRUMP on IRAN: My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will NEVER allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon.

We have to be strong. It’s called peace through strength. pic.twitter.com/0CPKHtvQDt

— Department of State (@StateDept) February 25, 2026

SECRETARY RUBIO on IRAN: For a country facing sanctions, whose economy is in tatters, whose people are suffering, somehow they still find the money to invest in missiles of greater capacity every year. This is an unsustainable threat. pic.twitter.com/LGZJxPG33w

— Department of State (@StateDept) February 26, 2026

Meanwhile, the Trump administration reportedly would like to see Israel attack first to give the U.S. political cover.

“There’s thinking in and around the administration that the politics are a lot better if the Israelis go first and alone and the Iranians retaliate against us, and give us more reason to take action,” Politico stated. 

“The argument in Israel is that this would be a terrible strategic mistake, as it creates a lose-lose situation: if the strike fails, Israel would be blamed for dragging the United States into the conflict,” a high-ranking IDF official told us. “Israel would be accused of being a warmonger, a source of destruction and regional war, rather than a country seeking to reach an agreement. Israel could find itself completely isolated. This reflects the general discourse on the issue.”

This issue should be taken with a degree of skepticism since much of the behind-the-scenes reporting has been highly inaccurate.

Report: White House insiders say a first strike by Israel on Iran might create the optics needed to justify US military action.https://t.co/EszY1krx5r

— Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) February 26, 2026

“Many actions are being carried out on the home front, among civilians, in order to protect them from missile strikes,” the IDF official added. “At the same time, there is very significant military readiness along the borders.”

While the Trump administration is pushing Iran to accept the deal or risk an attack, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives pledged Thursday “to force a vote next week on legislation to restrict President Donald Trump from attacking Iran without congressional approval,” Politico pointed out, adding that “the White House is already mobilizing to try and defeat it.”

The move by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team “will compel a tough and close vote for lawmakers as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Tehran,” the outlet added.

JUST IN: House Dem leaders say the plan to force a vote on bipartisan Iran war powers legislation from Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie “as soon as Congress reconvenes next week.” pic.twitter.com/IxO7DSwQAT

— Connor O’Brien (@connorobrienNH) February 26, 2026

The sabre rattling and internal political machinations come as the U.S. has built up a massive force that includes two aircraft carrier strike groups and several other warships.

There are reports that the Ford, on a twice-extended deployment that has seen it enter the Mediterranean for the second time since departing Norfolk on June 24, 2025, will dock in Haifa, Israel. However, that seems dubious given that placing an aircraft carrier at a fixed location like that would make it a very attractive and high-volume target for an Iranian attack. The carrier would not benefit from its own defenses, and to a lesser degree, that of its escorts, when in port, as well.

There have been suggestions that the Ford’s Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer escorts will help provide protection for Israel against anticipated Iranian barrages. The Ford’s F/A-18E-F Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare jets could also be used to attack Iran, but would have to fly across Israel or Lebanon, Syria or Jordan, and Iraq, to reach Iranian territory.

Haifa “suffered significant damage” during the 12-Day War in June, “with dozens injured from missile fire and structural damage to homes and municipality buildings,” the Jerusalem Post reported. “Haifa is home to the Israel Navy headquarters and the largest oil refinery in Israel, which was hit during the war, forcing a partial, temporary shutdown of some secondary facilities.”

The Pentagon’s first kamikaze drone unit is ready to participate if Trump decides to launch strikes on Iran, Bloomberg News reported, citing U.S. officials and analysts. The drone unit is known as Task Force Scorpion. It’s now ready for operations, U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told the news outlet in an emailed statement.

“We established the squadron last year to rapidly equip our warfighters with new combat drone capabilities that continue to evolve,” he said.

The U.S. military set up Task Force Scorpion late last year as the first operational unit armed with Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones, a design reverse-engineered from the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, in the Middle East. The establishment was seen as a major development, and offers a way “to flip the script on Iran,” according to a U.S. official. Last year, TWZ laid out a detailed case for why America’s armed forces should be investing heavily in rapidly-produced Shahed-136 clones as an adaptable capability that could be critical in future operations globally, as you can read here.

Just in: The Pentagon’s first kamikaze drone unit is ready to participate if President Donald Trump decides to launch strikes on Iran, according to US officials and analysts. https://t.co/DOPGwxi339

— Anthony Capaccio (@ACapaccio) February 26, 2026

In addition to the ships, scores of tactical jets, refuelers, airborne control planes, and other aircraft have already surged to the Middle East and Europe, with more on the way. At least another 12 F-35As from Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and six F-15Es each from Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina are heading to Europe. That’s ahead of a likely deployment to the Middle East.

Aviation photographer Acr Explorer was kind enough to share images of F-35As and F-22s seen at Lakenheath Air Base in the U.K. on Thursday.

The large influx of U.S. airpower has left U.S. bases in the region crowded and is one reason that F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been deployed to Israel. Another is the likelihood that Israel will be fully integrated into any U.S. attack on Iran.

Beyond the Middle East and Europe, the U.S. is also building up forces at Diego Garcia, its Indian Ocean island outpost, which has been used as a bomber base in previous conflicts. As we noted yesterday, F-16CM fighters from the 35th Fighter Wing recently arrived on the island from Misawa Air Base in Japan. These would be key assets in defending the island from a possible Iranian attack. There is also indications that a bomber deployment to the base could be imminent. However, there are political questions to be solved before the base can be used for a strike on Iran. As we reported last week, the United Kingdom has apparently said it would not allow the use of the island for strikes on Iran, although Prime Minister Keir Starmer could still change his mind. You can read more about the force-protection mission at Diego Garcia — increasingly threatened by Iranian long-range attack drones and missiles — in our previous reporting.

While the talks between Washington and Tehran are scheduled to resume next week, remember that three days before the Operation Midnight Hammer strike on Iranian nuclear facilities last June, the White House said Trump would decide “within two weeks” about whether to strike or keep negotiating.

Though more negotiations are scheduled, Trump has acted militarily ahead of planned talks in the past. Regardless, with the Ford arriving very soon and other assets trickling into place, and fitting our own stated timeline, the window for strikes appears to be cracking open now, and will only get wider with each passing day.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

A beloved BBC expert made a heartbreaking admission during Friday’s episode of Morning Live

A BBC expert has revealed a “devastating” childhood trauma that left him with nothing.

During Friday’s (February 27) edition of Morning Live, hosts Louise Minchin and Greg Rutherford updated viewers on the latest news from across the UK.

At the start of the show, Louise and Greg introduced a segment on electric blankets, after many have failed basic standards with “serious consequences”.

In a pre-recorded segment, consumer expert Harry Kind, who regularly offers advice on the show, shared his own personal trauma, after a fire destroyed his childhood home.

“They’ve become a popular staple in British homes during the winter months, being both cheap and run and cosy to snuggle up into. But across the UK every year, dozens of domestic fires are caused by faulty, damaged, and incorrectly used electric blankets,” Harry began.

“I know from personal experience just how devastating a house fire can be. When I was 14, our family home completely burnt down, and we lost pretty much all of our possessions.

“In my case, the fire started in the chimney, but last year, house fires caused by electric blankets in England hit a five-year high.”

This is a breaking showbiz story and is being constantly updated. Please refresh the page regularly to get the latest news, pictures and videos.

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Connor McDavid secured his ninth 100-point season with a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, and the Edmonton Oilers snapped their four-game skid with an 8-1 victory over the Kings on Thursday night.

McDavid scored his 35th goal and Draisaitl got his 30th during his fourth four-point game of the season as the Oilers again routed the opponent they’ve knocked out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past four seasons.

The game marked the biggest margin of defeat against the Kings this season.

Jake Walman scored two goals, Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists, and Ty Emberson, Vasily Podkolzin and Andrew Mangiapane also scored in Edmonton’s impressive rebound from a painful loss against the Ducks. Connor Ingram made 22 saves for the Oilers (29-23-8), who have returned from the Olympic break with 13 goals in two games.

Warren Foegele scored for the Kings (23-21-14), who have lost five straight games since January. The Kings’ humiliating third-period collapse against Vegas one night earlier bled into this game: When Hyman scored on a power play midway through the second period, the Kings had surrendered 10 goals in their past 41 minutes of play.

Darcy Kuemper gave up four goals on 15 shots before getting pulled early in the second period for Anton Forsberg.

Some Kings fans targeted coach Jim Hiller for the struggles, repeatedly chanting “Fire Hiller!” in the third period.

Emberson opened the scoring with his first goal since Oct. 28. Podkolzin scored 54 seconds later on another shot that could have been stopped by Kuemper.

Mangiapane beat Kuemper cleanly on an odd-man rush early in the second, and McDavid made it 4-1 when Kuemper comically fell down six feet outside his crease to leave an open net for the NHL’s top scorer.

Up next for the Kings: vs. Calgary at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

Airbnb has gained popularity over the years for its cozy and unique places to stay across the world, but one user of the app is ‘begging’ hosts to stop using 1 thing

An Airbnb user is “begging” hosts to stop using 1 thing in their rooms, calling it “weird” and “uncomfortable”.

When visiting new towns, cities or countries, people have different ideas of where they would like to stay.Some people prefer the convenience of a well-placed hotel where you know you’re going to get a comfy and clean room with a number of amenities, such as a hairdryer and even a kettle for hot drinks.

Others, however, prefer to stay in an Airbnb, which are homely and often have even more perks, such as an entire kitchen, a hot tub or even a balcony, depending on where you stay.

There is no right or wrong way to travel, but one Airbnb user is asking hosts of properties and rooms to stop using one thing in their bedrooms that they find ‘weird’.

The user took to Reddit to write the post titled “Hosts: please, for the love of five stars and good repeat guests….”

The post read: ” Don’t use microfiber bedsheets. They don’t stay put. Unless you get into bed and immediately become corpse-like, the whole thing gets wrinkled and baggy almost immediately.

“They don’t breathe. No matter how nice and cool the ambient temperature is, inside the sheets is uncomfortable.

“It’s weirdly warm on the skin in the same way sleeping in a thin plastic bag is. Actually, that’s exactly what sleeping in microfiber sheets feels like, minus the crinkly sounds.

“They feel cheap. Yes they don’t wrinkle, yes they’re smooth to the touch, but so is a painter’s tarp. Basic cotton sheets—they don’t even have to be of a high thread count—will fix this! That is all.”

Dozens of people agreed with the poster after noticing a number of hotels also moving away from cotton sheets.

One person said: “Plastic sheets are the worst! Cotton sheets. Hell, most hotels only have 350 threadcount cotton sheets. All you “need” per say.

“I’m with you though. I cannot stand microfiber, anything with polyester or rayon or any of that plastic rooted fibers.”

A second added: “I am a host and sometimes a guest and fully agree, nothing worse than microfiber or polyester sheets, I only use linen or cotton.“And for pillows and duvet cover just feather and down. They can actually be washed and drycleaned and are so much more comfortable.”A third said: “I totally agree. I recently stayed at a VERY expensive AirBnB in Sonoma, CA and they had microfiber sheets! I hate them. Automatic deduction of a star in the review.”

Seoul shares closed lower Friday, snapping a six-session winning streak as investors locked in profits in technology and other large-cap stocks following recent gains. The Korean won sharply fell against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 63.14 points, or 1 percent, to finish at 6,244.13. The index still enjoyed a weekly gain of 7.5 percent.

Trading volume was heavy at 1.14 billion shares worth 52.94 trillion won (US$36.8 billion), with decliners far outnumbering gainers 625 to 264.

The KOSPI has remained in a bullish phase since the start of the year, surpassing the 4,500-point level for the first time on Jan. 6 and crossing the 5,000-point mark on Jan. 27. It broke through the 6,000-point level Wednesday, less than a month later.

On Thursday, the index jumped 3.67 percent to finish at a record high of 6,307.27.

Institutional and retail investors purchased a net 491.99 billion won and 6.08 trillion won worth of shares, respectively, while foreign investors sold a net 6.83 trillion won.

Analysts said the decline mirrored overnight losses in U.S. technology stocks, where investors engaged in profit-taking despite strong earnings from Nvidia Corp.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.18 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03 percent.

“Some investors sold shares to lock in profits after the market had rallied sharply over the past six sessions,” Lee Seong-hoon, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities Co., said.

Technology stocks led the declines.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.69 percent to 216,500 won, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix declined 3.46 percent to 1,061,000 won.

Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai dropped 1.02 percent to 292,500 won, and leading shipping firm HMM shed 4.26 percent to 21,350 won.

Among gainers, top carmaker Hyundai Motor jumped 10.67 percent to an all-time high of 674,000 won, and defense firm Hanwha Aerospace climbed 0.08 percent to 1,195,000 won.

Leading steelmaker POSCO Holdings jumped 1.35 percent to 413,000 won, and No. 2 steelmaker Hyundai Steel surged 19.85 percent to 46,500 won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,439.70 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., down 13.9 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 2.1 basis points to 3.041 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds declined 3.6 basis points to 3.278 percent.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Artificial intelligence could deliver the productivity surge policymakers have been hoping for since the global financial crisis. But even if it does, economists caution that faster growth will not be enough to solve the mounting debt burdens weighing on advanced economies.

Public debt already exceeds 100% of GDP across most rich nations and is projected to rise further as ageing populations strain pension and healthcare systems, interest bills climb and governments ramp up defence and climate spending. Against that backdrop, AI is increasingly being framed as a potential fiscal lifeline.

The reality is more complicated.

Productivity: The “Magic” Ingredient-With Limits

Economists broadly agree that sustained productivity growth can dramatically improve fiscal dynamics. Higher output boosts tax revenues without raising tax rates, makes existing debt easier to service and reassures bond investors worried about long-term solvency.

At the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), modelling suggests that if AI meaningfully raises labour productivity and if employment also expands public debt across member countries could be about 10 percentage points lower by the mid-2030s than otherwise projected. Even then, debt would still climb to roughly 150% of GDP on current trajectories, up from around 110% today.

In the United States, best-case projections from several economists suggest debt could rise more gradually, to roughly 120% of GDP over the next decade rather than accelerating more sharply. But that still represents historically elevated levels.

As one economist put it, productivity is “like magic” for fiscal sustainability yet today’s debt challenges are too large for productivity gains alone to offset.

Demographics: The Structural Headwind

The fundamental constraint is demographic.

Ageing populations mean fewer workers supporting more retirees, pushing up pension and healthcare costs. In the United States, Social Security alone accounts for roughly one-fifth of federal spending, and benefits are indexed to wages. If AI lifts wages, it may simultaneously increase future benefit obligations.

Slowing immigration in some countries, particularly the U.S., compounds the issue by limiting labour force growth. If AI boosts output per worker but the total number of workers stagnates or declines, overall fiscal relief may be limited.

In short, AI may buy time but it does not reverse the demographic arithmetic driving long-term deficits.

Growth vs. Interest Rates: A Delicate Balance

For debt sustainability, what matters is not just growth, but the relationship between growth and borrowing costs.

If AI-driven productivity pushes economic growth above interest rates for a sustained period, governments can stabilise or even reduce debt ratios more easily. But if faster growth also lifts real interest rates for example, because higher productivity raises returns on capital then debt servicing costs could rise in parallel.

This debate is already unfolding among policymakers at the Federal Reserve, where officials are assessing whether AI could permanently raise the economy’s potential growth rate.

Bond markets will be decisive. Since the pandemic, investors have shown a willingness to punish governments perceived as fiscally profligate. Higher yields can quickly offset any growth dividend from technological gains.

Employment and Wages: The Distribution Question

Much depends on how AI reshapes labour markets.

If AI complements workers and creates new categories of employment, tax revenues may rise meaningfully. But if automation displaces workers faster than new jobs are created, or if profits accrue disproportionately to capital rather than labour, fiscal gains could disappoint.

Capital income is often taxed more lightly than wages. A productivity boom concentrated in corporate profits rather than payrolls may widen inequality without generating proportionate public revenue.

On the spending side, governments might benefit from efficiency gains in public administration. Yet history suggests higher growth can also lead to higher spending demands from infrastructure upgrades to social transfers.

No Substitute for Fiscal Reform

Even in optimistic scenarios where AI lifts U.S. growth closer to 3% annually for an extended period, debt ratios are projected to stabilise at elevated levels rather than return to pre-crisis norms.

In pessimistic scenarios where AI disappoints or a recession strikes before productivity gains materialise debt trajectories could worsen significantly, potentially reaching levels that trigger market instability.

The consensus among economists is clear: AI can ease fiscal pressure, but it cannot substitute for structural reforms. Addressing entitlement sustainability, improving tax efficiency and managing spending priorities remain central.

A Race Against Time

There is also a sequencing risk. If financial markets grow nervous about fiscal trajectories before AI-driven gains are realised, borrowing costs could spike. In that case, the productivity dividend may arrive too late to calm bond investors.

Technological revolutions historically take time to diffuse across economies. Infrastructure, regulation, workforce training and corporate adoption all shape how quickly productivity benefits materialise.

For debt-laden economies, the gamble is that AI’s boost will be large, broad-based and timely. That is possible but far from guaranteed.

AI may help governments breathe easier. It will not absolve them of the harder political choices required to put public finances on a sustainable path.

With information from Reuters.

THOUSANDS of new breaks have been added to the Sun Hols from £9.50 website this weekend

So you’ll be glad to know it’s not too late to book that summer staycation or autumn break at your choice of over 300 holiday parks.

We’ve spotlighted 10 of our top UK resorts that have had a boost of new breaks added – included previously sold-out dates.

From beach pod stays in Cornwall to action-packed family fun in Northampton, here’s 10 UK holiday parks to pick from over at Hols from £9.50.

Park Holidays UK Sand le Mere, Yorkshire

Sand le Mere holiday park in Yorkshire is a thriving family resort just steps from the stretches of Tunstall Beach.

Entertainment is what this resort does best, and there’s something here for all ages in the family.

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From March to November, costume characters Burrow and Buddies host dance and sing-a-long performances onstage.

And with Segways, go karts, pottery painting, an arcade and heated swimming pool with a waterslide, you won’t get bored finding things to do as a family.

Plus for the grown-ups there’s Link-up Bingo, comedy and cabaret to enjoy in the evenings – and there’s even bingo with prizes up to £20,000.

Accommodation ranges from the standard Gold Caravans with fully-equipped kitchens and comfy, modern lounges, to Platinum Lodges with sun decks and luxury bedding.

Food and drink comes as un-fussy classics like burgers, pizza and salad options served up in the main restaurant – as well as food trucks and takeaway service options available in peak seasons.

Nearby you can visit one of Yorkshire’s most magnificent country houses, Burton Constable Hall, or visit renowned aquarium The Deep in Hull.

St Ives Bay Beach Resort, Cornwall

This beachfront resort in St Ives, Cornwall is a true beach bum’s paradise – whether you want to laze out on the sand, or take to the waves for some surfing.

Just steps from a 3 mile-long sandy shore with its own surf school, St Ives Bay Beach Resort is perfect for getting out and exploring the great outdoors.

Activities include disc golf, a Nerf challenge and an outdoor cinema, as well as indoor activities for the colder months like karaoke, bingo and DJ sets.

Stay in dreamy Stargazer caravans or sea-view lodges with large dining tables where you can enjoy a family meal with a view.

Plus it’s well worth taking a day-trip out from the resort into the local town to do some sightseeing.

The picturesque town of St Ives has long been popular among holidaymakers thanks to its postcard-perfect harbour and artsy streets with quirky shops.

Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park, Northampton

Spread across 235 acres of land and lake, Billing Aqudrome in Northamptonshire is top of the list when it comes to adventure activities and things to do for kids.

This newly-upgraded park has loads of unique activities on offer include a TikTok dance masterclasses, alpaca feeding, a pump track for BMX riding, and taking a ride on the resort’s very own miniature railway.

Throw in bug hotel and den building, pond dipping, survival skills workshops and a lake for paddleboard and pedalo hire, and you’ve got yourself a great mix of activities to pick from.

Choose to stay in a lakeside pod by the glossy Kingfisher Lake for calming views over the water, or bring a tent and pitch up in family camping for a true back-to-basics experience.

Top picks for food and drinks include the Bak’D & Swirls sweets and dessert shop and Smash’d Town burger joint – but there’s healthier options like grazing boards available, too.

Evening entertainment includes all the usual singing and dancing shows, as well as silent discos and an outdoor amphitheatre with performances in the warmer months.

Parkdean Resorts Southview, Lincolnshire

Southview Holiday Park is close to seaside resort Skegness, popular for its traditional pier, rollercoasters and rides at Fantasy Island.

Whilst Skegness is brilliant for family days out, this resort itself has plenty to do to keep the whole family entertained.

On site you can have a go at pirate mini golf, climb an outdoor adventure playground, go head-to-head in a gaming arena and more.

There’s some unique activities available here too, like underwater aqua jets and a Bear Grylls Survival Academy.

Plus if you prefer to relax, there’s a large indoor pool with a sauna and steam room to unwind in.

Lodges and caravans are tiered from Bronze through to Gold and even upwards to Prestige, but even the most basic accommodation comes stylishly-decorated and fully-equipped.

Food options include the popular Thunderbird Fried Chicken, as well as several family restaurants and the colourful Scoops ice cream parlour.

Hendra Holiday Park, Newquay

Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay, Cornwall is perfect for explorers of all ages.

Exciting activities available here include the Hendra’s Superheroes training, kid-sized 4X4 off-roading and a mini jet ski course.

Evening entertainment takes place in The Venue, where you can expect to see everything from acrobatics to magicians – plus you may even get to meet mascots Henry and Henrietta Hippo.

Caravans are clean, comfortable, and well-located, so you won’t have to walk too far to get to all of the activities.

Alternatively, there’s an exclusive area of the park called Meadow Retreat. Here, Meadow Lodge residents can make use of Oasis – one of the largest indoor fun pools in south west England.

Outside of the resort, there’s the popular Camel Creek Adventure Park with plenty of rides, as well as a local Lobster Hatchery and Cyder Farm.

Plus with Fistral Beach and the resort town of Newquay on your doorstep, there’s endless options for family days out.

Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands, Sussex

Camber Sands Holiday Park in East Sussex is a popular choice thanks not only to its beachfront location, but the exciting family atmosphere of the resort itself.

Here you’ll see families pedalling past your caravan on fun carts, dancing to evening entertainment or building sandcastles and paddling in the sea on Camber Sands beach.

If you’re not up to swimming in the sea, there’s four fantastic pools here, as well as water flumes, underwater jets, inflatable jet skis and kayak races.

Plus if you’ve got any little fans of Paw Patrol or Milkshake!, you’ll be glad to know there’s Milkshake! Mornings and Paw Patrol Mighty Missions to keep your tots entertained.

Accommodation comes as brand new, dog-friendly caravans and lodges just steps away from the beach.

And as for food and drinks, you can choose between Parkdean Resorts favourites like the Pizza Box container and the Fish & Chippery.

Nearby, there’s a seven-mile stretch of golden sand to explore, plus the medieval town of Rye is only a 10-minute drive away.

Golden Coast, Devon

Golden Coast Holiday Park in Woolacombe, Devon is set amongst rolling green fields and is just two miles away from the award-winning Woolacombe Beach.

Choose to stay in relaxing Driftwood, Ocean Breeze or Seascape Villas – each of which comes with large comfy beds, multiple TVs and a spacious decking area.

There’s also the budget-friendly Surf Wave and Shoreline Apartments, which have plenty of bedrooms for large families and fully-equipped kitchens.

When it comes to things to do, thrill-seekers can have a go at the high ropes course and climbing wall, or you can take it easy with mini golf and bowling.

The park’s evening entertainment program is packed with game shows, musical bingo, and top-quality tribute acts.

And as for food, the Beach House Restaurant serves up everything from full English breakfasts to tasty chicken burgers and roast dinners.

Plus The Old Mill Pub is a dog-friendly watering hole on site with a spacious beer garden and outdoor playground.

Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay, Scarborough

Cayton Bay Holiday Park in North Yorkshire is just a stone’s throw away from the beach, and a few minutes’ drive to the seaside towns of Scarborough and Filey.

This resort is built for families – with hoverboards, bumper zorbs, karting and a soft play available.

Plus the Starland Krazy and Professor Slime activities make for even more fun additions on top of the already action-packed activity program.

Stay in a budget-friendly 2 bed camper with all the facilities you’d need, or splash out on a lodge with a hot tub for some added luxury.

Food and drinks on offer are familiar Parkdean favourites, including great-value Street Eats and BBQ favourites at Joe’s American Grill.

And if you fancy a day out, there’s plenty of family-friendly attractions nearby. Meet the animals at Playdale Farm Park, jump on rides at Flamingo Land, or check out the historic Scarborough Castle.

Unity Beach, Brean Sands, Somerset

Somerset‘s Unity Beach remains a consistent top choice for £9.50 holidaymakers, and it’s clear to see why.

If you’re looking for a park with lots to do, you can take your pick from rifle shooting, archery, games of Padel and burning off energy in the site’s new trampoline park.

There’s also an 18-hole golf course and sports pitches, plus there’s even discounts to be had at nearby Brean Theme Park for the adrenaline junkies.

Alternatively, make a splash at the indoor pool, outdoor heated pool, waterslides and toddler splash park. Plus bumper boats are an adorable away for tots to get used to the water.

There’s plenty of unique spots to eat like the Wonky Donky family restaurant, plus the Breakers Bar is the perfect place to relax with a drink after an action-packed day.

Make sure to explore the nearby beaches and scenery of Brean Down by bicycle or simply by heading out on a walk, as it would be a shame to not make the most of the breath-taking nature here.

Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay, South Wales

Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay in Porthcawl sits within our top ten most-booked UK holiday parks for families over at Sun Hols from £9.50.

This resort is one of the largest holiday parks in Europe, and it’s very hard to get bored or run out of things to do at this giant site.

Pirate crazy golf, an arts and crafts den, a sports dome, VR experiences and a colourful splash park – this is just the start of activities on offer at this resort in South Wales.

Plus if you visit when it’s hot there’s an outdoor wet play zone to cool off in, or if it’s chilly outside you’ve got bowling, amusements and more indoors.

The best in food and drinks include the site’s island-themed cocktail bar Aloha, as well as an on-site Burger King and Papa Johns.

And if you set off to explore the local area, there’s a range of award-winning beaches to explore nearby.

In fact, Trecco Bay Beach itself has just been awarded Blue Flag status for the 14th year in a row.

Two episodes have currently been released as a brand new series of Scrubs has finally returned

*Warning: contains spoilers for new Scrubs reboot*

Scrubs fans have been left in “tears” as they asked the same question about Dr Perry Cox following the return of a brand new series.

After almost two decades, a brand new season of Scrubs has finally been released to Disney Plus. Fans saw the return of familiar faces such as Zach Braff as John ‘J.D’ Dorian, Donald Faison as Christopher Turk and Sarah Chalke as Elliot Reid.

Despite only two episodes being released so far, the Scrubs reboot has delivered bombshell moments such as the revelation that JD and Elliot are now divorced with two kids, with Carla and Turk, who remain happily married, have four children.

However, it was the end of the first episode that left viewers stunned after Dr Cox’s unexpected revelation. After convincing JD to return to Sacred Heart, he revealed he would not be working with his mentor, but instead will be replacing him.

In emotional scenes Dr Cox said: “You’re not going to be working with me. You’re going to be me.”

He continued: “This particular world has passed me by. You are the only one I trust to do better and try harder.”

Fans were worried what this means for Dr Cox now as they took to social media to ask what will happen to the favourite character. One person wrote on X: “Wait Dr. Cox isn’t going to be regular, or Carla? Oh, no.”

Another said: “If Dr. Cox comes back to #Scrubs as a patient I will riot!!!”

A third penned: “I really enjoyed the revival #scrubs on Wednesday night. Was it perfect? Hardly. Did I feel jaded when Dr. Cox disappeared after episode 1? Yes. But watching the premiere felt nostalgic from a time where we could just watch a comedy and chuckle.”

A fourth worried: “They took Dr. Cox picture down. @scrubsabc DO NOT do us dirty and kill him off or something. He needs to be around.”

One person simply added: “I feel robbed of Dr Cox oh well.”

Over on Reddit, one worried user asked: “Is Cox going to retire, or is he going to get a new job in the show?” However, many agreed they would see Cox “retire” as they “demand answers”.

In an interview with Deadline, creator Bill Lawrence previously spoke about Cox’s retirement adding: “Dr. Cox is a huge character on the show. He comes back at the end of the year and will continue on next year.”

As the brand new series returned, many fans have been “in tears” as one person wrote: “I’m not ashamed to say I cried a few tears in the first episode.”

Another said: “I missed seeing JD day dream #Scrubs shedding tears as I’m watching.” A third replied: “Just watched the first episode. It was great. Got me right in the feels..”

Scrubs is available to stream on Disney Plus. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

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QUEEN of Sun Holidays from £9.50 Tracy Kennedy is back to answer all your burning questions on booking your break

The £9.50 holiday deal is the ultimate steal, but with hundreds of parks and dates to choose from, how do you make sure you’re bagging the best of the bunch?

Having taken Sun holidays for the past 30 years, our expert Tracy Kennedy has plenty of experience when it comes to Holidays from £9.50.

So whether you’re looking for the holiday parks with the most beautiful beaches, or the very best in entertainment, Tracy is here to answer your questions and help you find the perfect park.

This week, Sun reader Maureen Findley has been awarded best question of the week – which means she’s been selected to win a £100 Amazon voucher. Congratulations, Maureen!

What is the best place to travel in the winter?

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Dawn Baines

If you’re planning a holiday in the winter, I’d recommend looking for somewhere with a lot of indoor things to do.

Start by checking the websites of parks you’re interested in to see what activities they have that take place indoors.

And if you don’t mind going out for a brisk winter walk, a lot of places look really pretty in the snow, too.

Scotland and North Wales are beautiful in winter. From some sites in North Wales you can see the top of Mount Snowdon, and it looks so lovely in the snow.

Which holiday is suitable for a mixed age family?

Maureen Findley

I’d recommend somewhere like Billing Aquadrome in Northampton. That site truly has everything for all ages.

You can go fishing or swimming, plus you’ve got arcades and a ball pit for the little ones.

There’s lots of walks all around the area and the lakes too, if the older members of the family want to get some peace and quiet.

Plus they have an outdoors amphitheatre with entertainment for all sorts of different age groups.

Is there a specific week in the year that is less popular and therefore easier to book?

Ceri Mullen

This depends on if you’re bringing children on your holiday. But if you’re going as a couple or group of adults, you should definitely book during term time.

I’d say the best week to go would be when the kids go back to school in early September.

You get some really good deals and nice weather then, too. Early June just before the schools break up is another good time.

If you’ve bringing the kids, then October is less busy than summer, but still packed with activities and things to do for Halloween.

Sometimes the half term dates are different throughout the UK, so if you live in a different part of the country to your holiday park, then you might be able to go the week before or the week after their half term.

Which park has the best evening entertainment for families?

Nikki Lewis

I’ve always loved the entertainment at Parkdean Resorts holiday parks.

I found Lower Hyde on the Isle of Wight had some fantastic entertainment.

You had bingo and quizzes which were both great for mums, dads and kids to all join in together.

Then you’ve got discos and character meet and greets, which are great for the kids.

Some of us adults then stayed up and watched a couple of comics, and they were absolutely fantastic. They had some hilarious jokes which I definitely can’t repeat!

What are some of the most popular locations?

Rebekah Lewington

I see the names of lots of popular parks pop up over and over again.

Seal Bay in West Sussex is one of the top parks and for good reason, it speaks for itself. There’s loads to do on that park, it’s massive!

There’s a free bus that picks you up and takes you where you want all around the park – which is especially great if you’re not so mobile.

Trecco Bay in Porthcawl is another popular one. The whole park is absolutely gorgeous, and people always recommend it after going there.

Lyons Robin Hood in Rhyl is also very popular. There’s loads to do on that site, with family entertainment all through the day into the evenings.

There’s a fantastic arcade, a soft play and even a train on site that takes you for a little ride around the park.

Now they’e building a high ropes course, so if you’ve got kids that enjoy adventurous activities then I’d recommend it!

Plus you’ve got the beach across the road where you can go seal spotting.

Before I book a location, can I find reviews to see what other families made of the park?

Graeme Sutherland

There’s lots of reviews online for the holiday parks, and you can check Google reviews to see what other people thought about their stay.

But I’d also recommend searching the park name on Facebook. People in my Facebook group put their photos and reviews up all the time from their £9.50 holidays.

It’s also a good way to see what’s on at each park, and get some extra tips and tricks on what people enjoyed doing there.

There’s also people in the Facebook group who post about what’s going on in their area, so you can get clued up before you go!

Which park would you say has the best beach?

Lisa Evans

I’ve stayed in a lot of coastal resorts and love visiting beaches, so this is a really difficult one!

But I think the best beach I’ve found would be Towan Beach in Newquay, as well as Fistral Beach.

They’re both absolutely stunning, clean beaches in Cornwall with clear water.

There’s also surf schools, cafes, ice cream shops, restaurants and more nearby – Newquay has everything you’d want from a beach.

SUN Holidays from £9.50 is back with a restock of brand new breaks to book.

Thousands of new breaks have been added across over 300 holiday parks over at Sun Hols from £9.50 – but which resort is the most popular?

Some of the most popular resorts to book include Unity Beach in Somerset and Hendra in Cornwall, but one park consistently comes out on top.

Seal Bay in Chichester, West Sussex is an award-winning holiday park that tops the list of both our most popular parks for families and most popular holiday parks in general.

And with its range of activities for all ages and setting smack-bang on the sands of Selsey, it’s easy to see why this resort is such a big hit among holidaymakers.

When picking a place to stay, you can choose from simple seaside caravans to beachfront pods or glamping options.

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All stays come with kitted-out kitchens, bed linen, as well as access to swimming pools and entertainment – so there’s no need to fork out on costly entertainment or linen passes.

The most simple option is camping, where you can pick between grass, electric or serviced pitches – each with room to park your car and access to hot shower facilities.

Plus the best part is you can pitch up just steps from the beach, whether you’re bringing a pop-up tent, your own caravan or giving a luxurious pre-pitched Safari Tent a go.

Caravans, on the other hand, range from comfy Bronze bases where six to eight guests can sleep comfortably, to Platinum caravans that feel more like a homely countryside cottage than a static.

Lodges are larger, starting at a 20ft-width minimum with private decks to enjoy your morning coffee or evening cocktail. Some luxury lodges even come with a private hot tub.

Beachfront pods, on the other hand, are cosy hideaways facing the sea with mezzanine and fold-out double beds to retreat to, as well as private decking to enjoy that sea breeze.

Or if you’re visiting as a large party, you can even book an entire self-catering house to turn your holiday park stay into more of a coastal cottage retreat.

There’s accessible and dog-friendly options too – just make sure to seek out these options specifically when booking.

When it comes to entertainment, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice at Seal Bay.

There’s all the usual options such as pool activities and a soft play, but this adventure-driven resort also offers axe throwing and a surfing simulator.

Families with young children can enjoy a create-your-own teddy bear factory, as well as sand art sessions and mini archery for ages 2 – 5.

Plus the beloved Cove Crew, made up of characters Sandy the seal, Fisher the penguin, Luna the wolf and Laurel the otter, are never too far away to meet and greet.

And if you’ve got older kids that need to burn off some energy, they can run around zorbing or have a go at climbing or laser tag.

There’s plenty for adults and couples too, like live music and comedy nights, as well as the park’s twist on classic holiday activity: Big Red Button Bingo.

If you can manage to drag yourself away from this award-winning holiday park, the local area of Selsey has plenty to see and do, too.

This park has its own private beach, so if you visit in the warmer months make sure to pack your buckets and spades.

Plus there’s a reason this resort is named Seal Bay – stroll down to the shores and you may spot adorable seals and even dolphins popping up out of the water.

But the best way to explore the local area is by picking one of its walking trails to explore.

Take the aptly-named Seal Art Trail and stop by artsy seal sculptures where signposts with QR codes will teach you all about the local wildlife and history.

Or head to the nearby high street, where there’s quirky cafes and fish and chip shops to check out, as well as colourful independent shops.

But there’s no need to spend money on dining out – the food and drink at Seal Bay offers something for everyone.

Executive Chef Jason is Michelin Star-trained, and put together a high-quality menu that really makes this holiday park’s food and drinks stand out.

Grab a proper burger or a sizzling steak from Smokey’s BBQ Kitchen, or sit down to hand-crafted cocktails in the Secret Garden.

The Viking pub is designed with sports fans in mind, with plenty of screens for you to catch the big game, and if you fancy a takeaway treat there’s a Greek Street Food Box and a Papa John’s on site.

There’s even Millie’s Cookies and the Box Treats sweets and desserts shop to satisfy those with a sweet tooth.

If all this sounds up your street, you’ll be glad to know that new breaks have been added to Sun Hols from £9.50 website – including stays at Seal Bay.

Plenty of other popular parks are being updated with extra availability too, such as Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay in Wales and Golden Coast in Devon.

There’s even holiday parks abroad in countries like Spain and Italy being topped up with extra breaks, so if you fancy heading overseas make sure to check out the European resorts.

New breaks will be added from midnight on Sunday 1 March, so make sure to hop on to the Hols from £9.50 website fast with Sun Club access to secure your stay.

Estoril had just lost 3-1 to Sporting at Alvalade, but Ian Cathro was in an incredibly positive mood in his post-match news conference.

“Can I put a question to you?” he asked a journalist in native-level Portuguese the last time the team from the Lisbon coast faced Sporting away, in March 2025.

“What type of football do you like to watch? Did you enjoy the game? Probably you were all around here in other matches and I assume you fell asleep [at some point]. We want to do things differently.”

That night, despite the result, at times Estoril, who play in a 5,000-capacity stadium, managed to silence more than 35,000 home fans.

Cathro couldn’t have been prouder to witness it.

On Friday, the 39-year-old Scottish coach will be heading back to Alvalade hoping to achieve the same, albeit with a better outcome on the pitch.

His Estoril side are one of the most exciting teams to watch in Portugal, averaging two goals per game with 46 in 23 matches, the fourth most, and more than league leaders FC Porto (44).

Along with Sporting, they’ve had the most games scoring four or more this campaign (six). For the second consecutive season, a team used to fighting relegation finds itself comfortably in the top half of the table, albeit with the most porous defence, having conceded 39 goals.

The club’s record top-flight points tally of 54, achieved in the 2013-14 season, when they recorded their best finish of fourth, is perhaps out of reach this term given they are on 33 with 11 games remaining, but even Benfica boss Jose Mourinho admitted being impressed by Cathro, saying “he’s leaving his mark”.

The Scotsman’s secret? As he always emphasises, they play with no fear, regardless of the opponent.

“I’m young, but I’ve already been through a lot, in a lot of places. I think I’ve already seen almost every film you can see in a career in this industry,” Cathro tells BBC Sport.

“I’m not here trying to win five games in a row just to make the jump. I look at this project and I genuinely feel my responsibility is to help the club take a step to another level. And that other level is more stability, so that no one – absolutely no-one – is afraid anymore.”

The recognition for that is certainly coming.

In January, Cathro was voted the Portuguese top flight’s coach of the month by his peers.

Cape Town, South Africa – Two ominous letters are spray-painted on a wall at the entrance to Tafelsig, a township in Mitchells Plain on the outskirts of Cape Town: HL – the insignia of the Hard Livings gang, which has threatened communities there for five decades.

It’s a February day soon after the president’s state of the nation address, in which Cyril Ramaphosa boldly announced he’d be deploying the army to communities across South Africa to tackle the growing crisis of crime, drugs and gangs. But in Tafelsig, which will likely be part of the new military operation, most people seem unbothered by the news.

Mitchells Plain is on the Cape Flats – a series of densely populated, impoverished townships about 30km (19 miles) southeast of the wealthy city centre where the president made his speech. While the city boasts hordes of tourists and some of the most expensive real estate on the continent, the Cape Flats accounts for the highest rate of gang-related killings in the country.

“When it was at its worst, [there was a shooting] almost every day,” said Michael Jacobs, the chairperson of a local community police forum.

“Whether it’s day or whether it’s night, they’re shooting somewhere on the Cape Flats,” he added on a drive through the settlement of run-down houses and corrugated iron shacks.

Around him, residents made their way to a home-grown tuck shop, known as a spaza, or sat on street corners while toddlers ran about.

“How is this conducive to raising children?” he asked, recounting the horrors of life in Mitchells Plain.

In the past week, four people, including a nine-month-old, had been shot and killed in a drug den in Athlone, about 17km (10 miles) away.

A beloved Muslim cleric who is rumoured to have angered a gang leader over a personal dispute was also shot dead on the first day of Ramadan as he was leaving the Salaamudien Mosque on a nearby street.

As Jacobs spoke, reports of other shootings filtered through on the many crime groups he is part of on WhatsApp. A few days later, he shared with Al Jazeera a video of two schoolgirls and a taxi driver shot outside a school in Atlantis, about 40km (25 miles) north of Cape Town. One of the girls died.

Tafelsig residents now await the probable arrival of uniformed soldiers and armed vehicles in their neighbourhood, but have little hope that it will make a difference.

Despite his weariness with the violence, Jacobs is far from enthusiastic about a decision to deploy the army.

Other critics of the government’s decision said it is window dressing more than a real solution while some question the wisdom of such a drastic step in a country where the military has a history of brutality and where recent explosive allegations about police corruption at the highest levels have surfaced.

‘Do our lives not matter?’

In his speech on February 12, Ramaphosa said he would deploy the army to the Western Cape, the province that includes the Cape Flats, and Gauteng, home to the country’s largest city, Johannesburg, to tackle gang violence and illegal mining. On February 17, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia announced that the Eastern Cape would be added to the list and a deployment would take place in 10 days – although no soldiers have so far been deployed.

The president’s decision followed pressure from civil society groups and the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, which runs the Western Cape, to take drastic action to curb widespread gang-related violence in the three provinces.

A day before its province was added to the deployment schedule, the DA joined residents in Gqeberha, the largest city in the Eastern Cape, for a “Do Our Lives Not Matter?” protest to demand that Ramaphosa take urgent action.

In Gauteng, neighbourhoods surrounding the province’s once-lucrative abandoned mines have often been turned into battlegrounds, resulting in shootouts between police and illegal artisanal miners, known as zama zamas.

Gauteng and the Western Cape frequently appear at the top of the country’s organised crime lists while the Eastern Cape made headlines last year for a series of killings linked to extortion syndicates.

In the latest crime statistics, police announced the arrests of 15,846 suspects nationwide and the seizure of 173 firearms and 2,628 rounds of ammunition from February 16 to Sunday alone.

Gauteng took up the most space in the police’s crime highlights, which included a 16-year-old arrested in Roodepoort for possession and distribution of explosives and the seizure of counterfeit clothing and shoes worth 98 million rand ($6.1m).

Overall, South Africa has some of the world’s most violent crime with an average of 64 people killed every day, according to official statistics.

The three provinces selected for military deployments have a turbulent history with the armed forces, not least during the apartheid era when the regime used soldiers to unleash deadly crackdowns on antiapartheid activists.

“They were the enemy,” Jacobs said, recalling his own arrest in September 1987 during a student protest on the Cape Flats opposing the racist government, which was replaced in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.

Today after three decades of democracy, poverty, unemployment and violent crime remain a major challenge in the area.

But Jacobs, like other critics of the military police, believes the new move will do little to cure the ills that he said gangs exploit to increase their influence. Children as young as eight years old are recruited into their ranks.

The Town Centre, a shopping mall that was once a hub of economic activity, has been reduced to a ghost town where the drug trade thrives despite the fact that it is right next to a police station, according to Jacobs.

For him, there is a direct link between the country’s economic decline and the flourishing of gang activity over the past decade on the Cape Flats, where working-class people have seen their livelihoods stripped away as the manufacturing sector shrank.

On an average weekday when children should be at school, he said, you see children and even women in their 60s in Mitchells Plain digging through rubbish bins to find glass, plastic or other things they can recycle and turn into income. “At least it will put something on the table.”

Plugging a ‘haemorrhage’

Social issues and not simply military intervention should be put at the heart of government anticrime efforts, analysts say.

“There’s no other way to describe it other than plugging a hole that is haemorrhaging at the moment with regards to these forms of organised crime,” said Ryan Cummings, director of analysis at Signal Risk, an Africa-focused risk management firm.

Irvin Kinnes, an associate professor with the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Criminology, pointed out that constitutionally the army is limited in the duties its members may perform among the civilian population. Their role will be largely to support police, who will retain control of all operations.

He fears the government has not learned lessons from previous army deployments in South Africa’s democratic era.

The army was dispatched to the Western Cape in 2019 during a previous spike in gang violence and was again sent in to help with the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions the following year.

“It’s a very dangerous thing to bring the army because there’s an impatience with the fact that the police are not doing their job. And so they come in with that mentality and want to beat up everybody and break people’s bones,” Kinnes said.

“We saw what happened in COVID. They killed people as the army. It’s not as if the police don’t kill people, but the point is, you don’t need the army to do that.”

To the government’s detractors, summoning the army is nothing more than an attempt at political heroics before local elections due to be held this year or in early 2027.

Kinnes pointed out that, according to police statistics, crime has been decreasing without the help of the army.

“It’s very much political. It’s to show that the political leaders have kind of heard the public. But the call for the army hasn’t come from the community. It’s come from politicians,” he said.

‘The military is ready’

Ramaphosa, who has yet to reveal details of the military deployment, has defended his decision. On Monday in his weekly newsletter, the president sought to separate the South African armed forces from their troubling past, listing several operations that benefitted communities, such as disaster relief efforts and law enforcement operations at the border.

He made it clear that the army’s role would merely be a supporting one “with clear rules of engagement and for specific time-limited objectives”.

Its presence may free up officers to focus on police work and would take place alongside other measures, such as strengthening antigang units and illegal mining teams, he said.

“Given our history, where the apartheid state sent the army into townships to violently suppress opposition, it is important that we do not deploy the [military] inside the country to deal with domestic threats without good reason,” Ramaphosa wrote.

Cummings said it was clear the president’s hand was forced amid an unrelenting wave of violence. “The rhetoric of the president up until now suggests that this was a directive that he was not necessarily too keen on implementing.”

On the ground, soldiers appear equally reluctant about their pending engagement.

Ntsiki Shongo is a soldier who was deployed in 2019 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. He told Al Jazeera, using a pseudonym, that any operation involving the police was almost certainly doomed.

“We [in the army] become so negative when we are working with them [the police] because always we don’t get what we need,” he said.

“We know how easy it is to get these gangsters, to get these drug lords, but unfortunately, the police, they are not cooperating with us because some of them are in cooperation with these criminals,” he charged. “Maybe they are scared for their lives because they are staying in the same areas with them.”

Shongo referred to an ongoing commission investigating police corruption that has implicated senior government officials and led to the suspension of national Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

“So this operation, … is it going to be a success? I don’t know. It all depends on the police,” he said, adding that he and his fellow soldiers long for the day the government lets the military solve the problem on its own.

“Even when we are just sitting having lunch as soldiers, we talk about the police. We pray that one day the state can say, ‘Let’s take the military inside the country and clean out all these weapons, all these guns, all these gangsters,’” he said.

“The military is ready, and they want to prove a point because we’ve been hungry for these things.”

Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin came second with 10,578, while Labour’s Angeliki Stogia was third with 9,364. The Conservative’s Charlotte Cadden came fourth with 706 votes – the party’s worst ever by-election result – and the Liberal Democrats’ Jackie Pearcey had 653. No other parties got more than 200 votes.

Robbie Williams is set to take to the stage at the Brit Awards to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne as the late singer has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award

Ozzy Osbourne is set to be honoured at this year’s Brit Awards – with Robbie Williams fronting a super group paying tribute to the star. The ceremony, which is taking place in Manchester for the first time in its history, will see the Prince of Darkness receive the posthumous award for Lifetime Achievement.

It comes seven months after the Black Sabbath frontman died aged 76. Now, to commemorate his outstanding contribution to music, the rocker who is known as the “godfather” of British heavy metal will receive the honour at Saturday’s event.

An all-star rock tribute performance will pay homage to Ozzy as they close the show on the night at Co-Op Live. The performance will be a special arrangement of ‘No More Tears’ – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a vocal coach – here’s why Brit Awards stars will be nervous this year’READ MORE: Sinitta says her marriage was a ‘revenge move’ on Simon Cowell

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It has been curated by Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, and will boast a phenomenal line up of British and international musical talent. It will feature musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years, including Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo , Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde.

The makeshift group will be fronted by Robbie Williams, who was invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment. The invite comes as the former Take That man is a long-standing fan of the music, and is also a friend of the Osbourne family.

As well as being one of the most influential music figureheads and rock icons of all time, Ozzy hosted The BRIT Awards in 2008 along with his family Sharon, Kelly and Jack.

Speaking of the accolade, the Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK, Stacey Tang, said: “Ozzy Osbourne has been a mighty force in modern music. Possessing an unmistakable voice and unique presence, he reshaped the sound and spirit of rock, inspiring generations of artists who followed.

“This Lifetime Achievement Award recognises a remarkable legacy built on originality and enduring influence, that continues to connect with fans worldwide.”

Among the accolades Ozzy won during his career that spanned over five decades included five Grammy awards, induction into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (both with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, in separate years) and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement (with Black Sabbath).

Last year saw him take to the stage for the final time just weeks before his death. His Back To The Beginning concert at his beloved Villa Park saw celebrities from across the globe unite to give Ozzy the perfect send off.

At the end of the day, which saw the likes of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, YungBlud and Guns N Roses take to the stage, Ozzy reunited with his old bandmates to bring the house down one last time. Despite concerns over whether he would make the show, a determined Ozzy gave fans a show to remember. Sadly, he died just weeks later.

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IF you missed out on the January launch of The Sun’s Hols From £9.50, there’s no need to worry.

From March 1, thousands of new breaks will be added to the Sun Holidays from £9.50 website – where you can gain early access from one minute past midnight if you’re a Sun Club member.

This includes previously sold-out dates at some of the most popular UK holiday parks, as well as breaks at plenty of sunny resorts across Europe.

Plus if you’re a Sun Club member, you’ll be able to catch a head start when booking.

Sun Club members can head straight online at midnight on Sunday March 1.

Others must wait until morning to collect code words from the newspaper to unlock booking.

Read more on £9.50 holidays

PITCH UP

Best £9.50 Holiday parks for families & how to travel on a budget – by our expert

PITCH IN

Our £9.50 Holidays expert answers YOUR questions – including top parks for couples

How do I go about booking?

There’s multiple ways to get access to £9.50 holidays, including collecting tokens from the newspaper to enter online to unlock the deal.

However there is a faster and easier way to gain access, which is by joining Sun Club. Join Sun Club at thesun.co.uk/club for £1.99 a month or £12 for a year.

Once you’re a member, go to the Sun Club Offers hub and find the Hols From £9.50 page – book your break from midnight on Sunday March 1.

This gets you ahead of those collecting codes, who have to wait until morning to purchase a newspaper to find the final code.

Plus once you’ve signed up you can enjoy plenty of other benefits too, such as discounted tickets to top UK attractions.

So why not stay up and join the midnight service to be among the first to access these new breaks?

What are Hols from £9.50?

The Sun’s Holidays from £9.50 are a selection of breaks available to book across the UK and Europe that can cost you as little as £9.50pp.

These holidays range from mega family parks in the UK to sunny beachfront stays abroad.

Over at Hols from £9.50, there are more than 300 holiday parks to choose from.

These range from romantic adults-only resorts such as Sand Bay in Somerset, to fully-fledged family resorts like Billing Aquadrome in Northampton.

Some of the most popular UK holiday parks for families include Seal Bay in West Sussex and Unity Beach in Somerset, both of which have an action-packed entertainment program.

Plus it’s not just UK holiday parks receiving a major boost in booking dates – there’s sunny hotspots across Europe that you can book, too.

These include holiday parks in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Croatia, the Netherlands and more.

And with sunny holiday resorts like the palm-fringed Bella Terra in Spain and Orbitur Valverde in the Algarve to pick from, you could be jetting off abroad for cheap.

These are just some of the 300+ resorts available under Sun Hols from £9.50.

And if you had your eye on a resort that quickly sold out in January – we’ve got good news!

Even previously sold-out dates at a range of popular parks are back with a fresh restock this March.

Tips for bagging your break

Queen of the £9.50 holiday Tracy Kennedy has been booking these holidays for nearly 30 years, and has shared her top tips for logging on and bagging the resort you want.

Tracy recommends getting prepared with your top picks for parks, as well as joining the website at midnight with Sun Club membership.

She said: “Come up with a list of your top four parks from the list of those available.

“Popular sites like Seal Bay and Unity Beach tend to go really fast.

“So if you’re set on which park you want, book it as soon as possible.

“But you should also add a few extras you wouldn’t mind going to, just in case you don’t get your top picks.

“To be in with the best chance of getting the one you want, you should set an alarm.

“I book through Sun Club  at midnight, so I make sure to stay up.

“I call it The Midnight Service. It started years ago when we could start booking online.

“A few minutes after midnight comes, then Sun Club people can book. Which includes me, straight after midnight. The people collecting codes have to wait a bit longer”.

“I love the convenience of having it all online. And it’s nice getting that extra priority with it opening early.

“I definitely recommend joining Sun Club to get first dibs.”

Two people took the Bakerloo line on one of London’s shortest Tube journeys while another walked between the stations – with surprising results showing walking was faster

While the London Underground is undeniably handy most of the time, there are some journeys that seem barely worth the hassle. By the time you’ve reached the station, scanned your ticket or Oyster card, gone down the stairs or escalator, waited for your train, then made the return journey back to street level and scanned back out, you could probably have walked the distance just as quickly.

The people at secret.london decided to put this theory to the test, with two people tackling one of the capital’s briefest Tube journeys, whilst another made the same trip on foot to determine who’d arrive first.

The journey from Marylebone Station to Baker Street on the Bakerloo line lasts just 57 seconds – however, the time spent getting to and from the platforms, plus waiting for the train, will bump this up. The stations sit just 0.2 miles apart, with the walk between them taking around six minutes, according to Google Maps.

Kicking off the video, narrator Tom said: “This has got to be the most pointless Tube journey in London.” He continued: “Today we’re racing between Marylebone and Baker Street, with Google predicting a six minute walk versus a one minute Tube ride, who’s going to get there first?”

The footage then shows Tom and two female colleagues at Marylebone Station simultaneously starting timers on their phones, before he heads off on foot whilst the women dart into the station, reports MyLondon. The footage captures the women striding quickly – but not running – through the station, while navigating the ticket barrier and commuters blocking the escalator.

Tom, meanwhile, is filmed making his way through the streets, remarking: “Of course we’re doing it in such terrible weather. You’ve got to be prepared for everything, so I have come with a brolly.”

He continues: “I’m feeling good about this. Those guys have got to get onto the platform (and) find a tube that’s hopefully on time.”

The women are then spotted reaching the platform, with the next service due in two minutes, while Tom encounters his “first obstacle” – a set of traffic lights. “A fun fact about Baker Street Station: it’s the oldest Tube station in the world,” he says. “It was created on January 10 in 1863.

“But was it built to be the fastest? I don’t know.”

The women are subsequently shown getting on the train, their timers displaying four minutes and 20 seconds, and counting. “It’s not our fault we’re tiny and petite and he’s big and lanky and long,” one remarks.

They’re then filmed getting off the train and moving swiftly towards the exit. Tom, by contrast, stands across the road from the station entrance.

“I can see the entrance to the station and they’re not outside it, so I think I’ve got a good chance” he says. After a frantic dash up the escalator and a tussle with a stubborn ticket barrier, the women display the timer, reading six minutes and 26 seconds, as they reach the station entrance – only to find Tom already there.

Tom finished the journey in six minutes and 16 seconds, remarking: “So for this one, you probably should walk it.”

What are the shortest Tube journeys?

1. Charing Cross – Embankment 35 secs (Northern line)
2. Leicester Square – Covent Garden 39 secs (Piccadilly line)
3. Southwark – Waterloo 42 secs (Jubilee line)
4. Tottenham Court Road – Leicester Square 44 secs (Northern line)
5. Holborn – Chancery Lane 45 secs (Central line)
6. Warren Street – Goodge Street 46 secs (Northern line)
7. Cannon Street – Mansion House 50 secs (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)
8. Cannon Street – Mansion House 50 secs (District line)
9. Embankment – Charing Cross 50 secs (Bakerloo line)
10. Monument – Cannon Street 50 secs (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)
11. Monument – Cannon Street 50 secs (District line)
12. Marble Arch – Bond Street 51 secs (Central line)
13. Northfields – South Ealing 51 secs (Piccadilly line)
14. Oxford Circus – Tottenham Ct Rd 51 secs (Central line)
15. Charing Cross – Leicester Square 54 secs (Northern line)
16. Euston – King’s Cross 54 secs (Victoria line)
17. Finchley Road – Swiss Cottage 55 secs (Jubilee line)
18. Wood Lane – Shepherds Bush 55 secs (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)
19. Goodge Street – Tottenham Court Road 56 secs (Norther line)
20. Baker Street – Marylebone 57 secs (Bakerloo line)
21. Bond Street – Oxford Circus 57 secs (Central line)
22. Marylebone – Edgware Road 57 secs (Bakerloo line)

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BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bravo 2, Fremont 1

Mendez 13, West Adams 1

Torres 12, Lincoln 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 5, Millikan 3

Anaheim Canyon 9, Villa Park 8

Arroyo 8, Edgewood 1

Banning 5, San Bernardino 3

Barstow 2, Eastvale Roosevelt 1

Bellflower 4, Mary Star of the Sea 0

Bell Gardens 12, Hacienda Heights Wilson 4

Bishop Montgomery 11, South East 0

Bonita 11, Northview 6

Brentwood 6, Campbell Hall 4

Buckley 18, Shalhevet 2

Calvary Baptist 8, Fontana 2

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 6, Burbank 2

Cerritos 7, Ocean View 1

Charter Oak 11, Montebello 3

Colton 15, Vista del Lago 2

Compton Centennial 12, Compton Early College 3

Cornerstone Christian 14, Lakeside 5

Corona 11, Trabuco Hills 1

Corona Centennial 10, Arrowhead Christian 8

Crossroads 6, Viewpoint 1

Desert Christian 10, Boron 5

Downey 4, Redondo Union 1

Entrepreneur 23, California Lutheran 14

Excelsior Charter 14, Yucca Valley 5

Foothill Tech 8, Fillmore 1

Flintridge Prep 4, Schurr 3

Garey 20, El Monte 2

Great Oak 8, Los Osos 5

Hemet 11, Temecula Prep 1

Heritage 7, Rancho Mirage 5

Hesperia Christian 17, ACE 1

Hoover 24, La Puente 2

Indian Springs , Arroyo Valley 1

Irvine 3, Estancia 1

Kaiser 4, Cajon 3

Katella 2, Woodbridge 1

Laguna Beach 10, Segerstrom 1

Lawndale 4, Firebaugh 3

Linfield Christian 18, Whittier Christian 8

Long Beach Jordan 10, Dominguez 0

Long Beach Poly 3, Palos Verdes 2

Maranatha 5, St. Augustine 4

Montclair 6, Miller 1

Moreno Valley 11, Redlands 2

Mountain View 10, Mark Keppel 2

Murrieta Mesa 9, Rancho Verde 1

Nordhoff 6, Santa Clara 3

Norte Vista 14, San Gorgonio 1

Nuview Bridge 6, Bloomington 2

Oak Hills 2, Granite Hills 1

Oakwood 11, Pasadena Poly 1

Ontario 7, Azusa 3

Oxnard 7, Santa Monica 5

PACS 31, Mojave 4

Paramount 8, Glenn 0

Ramona 8, Hillcrest 3

Righetti 12, Milken 2

Riverside North 6, Tahquitz 6

Rowland 10, Pasadena Marshall 0

Royal 10, Trinity Classical Academy 2

San Clemente 3, Colony 2

San Jacinto 9, Santa Rosa Academy 4

San Jacinto Valley Academy 13, Xavier Prep 3

San Marino 6, Cathedral 5

Santa Ana Foothill 6, Santa Fe 5

Saugus 16, Quartz Hill 9

St. Anthony 6, Cerritos Valley Christian 1

Summit 3, Etiwanda 0

Temescal Canyon 6, La Sierra 2

Thousand Oaks 10, Chaminade 8

Victor Valley 9, Vasquez 4

Village Christian d. South El Monte, forfeit

Vista Murrieta 5, Yorba Linda 5

Webb 19, Pomona 3

West Valley 7, Indio 6

INTERSECTIONAL

El Rancho 6, Maywood CES 0

Bishop Montgomery 11, South East 0

Mira Costa 8, Chatsworth 3

San Fernando 3, Castaic 1

JSerra 5, Southlake Carroll 2

South Torrance 10, Venice 0

St. Francis 9, Taft 0

St. Monica 12, LA Hamilton 1

Warren 12, Mesa (AZ) Dobson 3

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Bernstein 17, Fairfax 16

Cleveland 15, Reseda 9

Mendez d. Animo Venice, forfeit

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 16, Rim of the World 0

Ayala 7, Carter 0

Banning 11, San Bernardino 5

Beaumont 7, Northview 2

Bishop Montgomery 15, St. Anthony 4

Bloomington 8, Indian Springs 4

Bolsa Grande 17, Long Beach Cabrillo 14

Bonita 11, Baldwin 2

Boron 9, Desert Christian 4

Burbank Providence 15, Santa Clarita Christian 3

California 5, Downey 3

Calvary Baptist 7, Fontana 2

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 17, Mayfield 1

Capistrano Valley 7, Villa Park 4

Cathedral City 10, Coachella Valley 4

Chaffey 8, Patriot 1

Chaminade 10, Heritage Christian 0

Chino 12, Beckman 7

Claremont 13, Don Lugo 2

Colton 16, Tahquitz 9

Compton Centennial 12, Burbank Burroughs 0

Corona 7, Colony 5

Corona del Mar 7, Ocean View 2

Costa Mesa 16, Compton Early College 9

Covina 7, Diamond Ranch 3

Crescenta Valley 7, Hart 3

Crossroads 11, Trinity Classical Academy 7

Desert Hot Springs 24, Xavier Prep 20

Dos Pueblos 10, Lompoc 5

Downey Calvary Chapel 12, Santa Ana Valley 9

El Dorado 4, Esperanza 1

El Monte 15, Mark Keppel 3

Etiwanda 13, Cajon 4

Firebaugh 17, Rosemead 4

Fountain Valley 9, Irvine 6

Garden Grove Pacifica 7, Mater Dei 2

Glendale 15, St. Bernard 5

Glendora 11, West Covina 0

Grace 8, Vasquez 2

Hacienda Heights Wilson 9, Montebello 4

Hawthorne 15, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 3

Hesperia 14, Moreno Valley 4

La Habra 9, La Palma Kennedy 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 10, Katella 0

Lancaster 12, Silverado 1

La Serna 1, Mission Viejo 0

Liberty 16, Ridgecrest Burroughs 3

Los Amigos 18, Century 3

Maranatha 18, South Pasadena 3

Millikan 21, Gahr 7

Moorpark 18, Ventura 4

Newbury Park 12, Santa Paula 2

Nogales 12, Montclair 6

Northview 7, Eastvale Roosevelt 2

Northwood 24, Newport Harbor 5

Oak Park 2, Rio Mesa 1

Oaks Christian 11, Simi Valley 2

Ontario 9, Azusa 2

Ontario Christian 15, Irvine University 3

Oxford Academy 20, Samueli Academy 4

Oxnard 6, Camarillo 5

Oxnard Pacifica 11, Carpinteria 0

Paloma Valley 10, Jurupa Valley 0

Paramount 13, Long Beach Jordan 1

Ramona 3, Los Osos 1

Rancho Cucamonga 8, Rancho Verde 0

Riverside Notre Dame 13, Barstow 2

Riverside Prep 13, Arroyo Valley 0

Riverside Prep 14, AAE 1

Sacred Heart of Jesus 7, Ramona Convent 6

Sage Creek 9, Elsinore 5

San Juan Hills 8, Santa Ana Foothill 4

San Marcos 14, Del Sol 2

Santa Margarita 2, Trabuco Hills 1

Segerstrom 6, Tesoro 1

Sierra Vista 9, Pasadena 8

South El Monte 16, Edgewood 16

Southlands Christian 14, La Puente 1

South Torrance 12, Mary Star of the Sea 3

St. Bonaventure 8, Buena 5

St. Paul 8, Sonora 2

Thousand Oaks 3, Valencia 2

University Prep 9, Hesperia Christian 3

University Prep 13, Riverside Notre Dame 3

Valley View 12, Lakeside 2

Viewpoint 6, Flintridge Prep 4

Walnut 11, Rowland 2

Warren 15, Sunny Hills 5

Westlake 2, Royal 1

West Valley 13, Temecula Prep 5

Yorba Linda 17, Troy 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Alhambra 11, LA Marshall 2

Bonita 11, Kailua (HI) 0

Burbank Burroughs 7, Granada Hills Kennedy 2

Canyon Country Canyon 9, Verdugo Hills 8

Culver City 13, LA Hamilton 3

El Camino Real 4, Louisville 1

El Rancho 11, Garfield 7

Golden Valley 24, Grant 4

Granada Hills 13, La Canada 1

HMSA 8, Animo Venice 1

Long Beach Poly 9, Legacy 2

Muir 12, Eagle Rock 2

Port of LA 10, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 0

Shadow Hills 6, Brawley 5

Wilmington Banning 12, Peninsula 0

Feb. 26 (UPI) — Pakistan conducted airstrikes in areas of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia overnight, officials from both countries said, as Islamabad’s defense minister early Friday declared Pakistan was in “open war” with Afghanistan.

Pakistani warplanes struck areas of the Afghan capital Kabul and its second-largest city, Kandahar, and Paktia province, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, said in a statement, claiming there were no casualties — which Pakistan disputes.

Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister, said Afghan military targets were hit, and claimed 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded. The figures could not be independently verified.

Twenty-seven Afghan military posts were destroyed and nine captured in the assaults, he said.

“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in a statement.

“Pakistan’s army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbors; we know your ins and outs.”

The airstrikes were carried out after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border positions late Thursday, according to Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense, which said the assault was retaliatory for Pakistan’s fatal strike on seven militant camps and hideouts last week.

The latest explosion in violence follows months of escalating tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan repeatedly accusing Afghanistan of harboring terrorists, in particular the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an Islamist group seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.

Afghanistan has repeatedly denied the allegations Pakistan has leveled since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Pakistan blames TTP and other Afghan-based terrorists for a series of brutal attacks over the years, and has carried out repeated airstrikes in Afghanistan in response, including in October.

Development agendas borrow a term common in the study of global governance that is shaped not only by policy, but also by the decision-making structures that determine who speaks, who is heard, and who ultimately adapts. In the contemporary multilateral landscape, the tendency of weaker actors to align their positions with dominant powers for the sake of security or accessibility has evolved beyond its classical definition in realist theory. It now operates as a subtle but consequential social mechanism, systematically reducing the diplomatic boldness of the Global South countries in international forums.

The bandwagon effect is not just a phenomenon of individual behavior, but a reflection of an institutionalized architecture of structural inequality. Under these conditions, the countries of the Global South often hide their authentic preferences. Not because of argumentative incompetence, but rather because of the incentives created by financial dependence, representation asymmetry, and limited diplomatic capacity. The consequence is a direct contradiction to Sustainable Development Goal 16, which mandates the building of strong, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The Bandwagon Effect in the Context of Global Governance

From a realist perspective, countries that have identical votes in UNGA resolutions reflect similar preferences within the framework of the protection of sovereign norms. But empirical research shows a more complex reality. Khan’s (2020) study of Bangladesh’s voting patterns at the UNGA for the period 2001–2017 revealed that vote alignment does not always reflect the proximity of substantive preferences, but is often a product of geopolitical contexts and dependency relationships. Realists themselves recognize that this kind of voice alignment tends to collapse in crisis situations when countries are encouraged to self-help that makes it clear that a seemingly consensus-like may never really exist.

More direct evidence comes from a panel of 123 developing countries in a study of U.S. economic sanctions and UNGA voting patterns for the 1990–2014 period. The study, which limited its analysis to non-OECD countries because foreign aid was not considered to affect the voting behavior of rich countries, confirmed that external pressures, both in the form of incentives and sanctions, significantly shaped developing countries’ voting preferences on important issues. It further states that receive budget support and unconditional assistance from the US tend to vote in line with US interests. A correlation that is difficult to explain solely by the similarity of values.

This pattern was also identified structurally through the analysis of the UNGA voting network. Magu and Mateos (2017) found that the empirical distribution of voting similarity scores is right-skewed towards a value of 1, which means that clusters of countries with a high degree of alignment are much more common than can be explained by pure similarity of interest. This is consistent with the hypothesis that structurally weak states tend to move toward dominant power positions, not because of belief, but because of survival calculations.

The Inequality Architecture That Creates Bandwagon Incentives

Understanding why the bandwagon effect is so entrenched among the Global South requires a reading of the existing global governance architecture. At the International Monetary Fund, the United States holds 16.9 percent of the vote and has an effective veto since major decisions require an 85 percent majority. Meanwhile, Africa, which consists of 54 member states and accounts for most of the IMF’s 2026 active loan portfolio, only controls about 6.5 percent of the vote. On the UN Security Council, not a single African country holds a permanent seat, although more than 60 percent of the Council’s agenda is related to conflicts on the continent.

This representational inequality creates the conditions in which joining a majority position or with a certain power bloc becomes an administratively rational strategy, even when it is contrary to the long-term interests of a country.

The factor of dependence on military suppliers is also relevant. A study of the determinants of developing countries’ voting at the UNGA identified that the choice of military suppliers that placed countries in the orbit of Western, Russian, or Chinese influence also influenced voting tendencies. This provides important context for India’s abstaining position in the UNGA resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is an inseparable decision from the fact that about 70 percent of India’s military equipment comes from Russia. This is not a moral inconsistency but rather a rationality imposed by the architecture of dependence.

Contradictions with SDGs 16: Measuring What Is Not Measurable

Sustainable Development Goal 16 mandates the development of institutions that are ‘peaceful, equitable, and inclusive at all levels’ is a mandate that explicitly encompasses global, not just domestic, governance. The SDG 16 Global Progress Report (UNDP/UNODC/OHCHR, 2023) describes an alarming situation where progress towards SDG 16 is very slow and in some cases even moving in the wrong direction. Violence is on the rise, inequality is hampering inclusive decision-making, and corruption is undermining the social contract.

On a broader level, the Sustainable Development Report 2024 (SDSN), which covers all 193 UN member states, found that on average only 16 percent of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030. SDG 16 is specifically mentioned as one of the goals that are furthest from the target. More significantly, among the five SDG targets that showed the most regression since 2015, press freedom, which is an indicator under SDG 16, is also included.

The connection between the bandwagon effect and the setback of SDG 16 is not just correlative. It is mechanistic. When countries are unable to express their authentic preferences in the multilateral negotiation process due to structural pressures, the three key pillars of SDG 16 inclusivity, accountability, and effectiveness are degraded simultaneously. Inclusivity is degraded as voices that are supposed to represent the global majority are eroded into a consensus designed by and for minorities. Accountability is degraded because countries that choose to go against the interests of their people in order to maintain relations with donors or trading partners cannot be held coherently accountable by their constituents. Effectiveness is degraded because resolutions born of pseudo-consensus will never be implemented with sincere commitment.

The Bandwagon Effect as a Social Phenomenon, Not an Individual Failure

It is important to emphasize that the bandwagon effect in this context is not a failure of diplomatic character or moral inconsistency. It is a rational response to unequal structural incentives. A quantitative analysis of UNGA voting in the period 1946–2014 shows that the voting patterns of developing countries consistently shifted to the dominant power configuration in that period not because of the convergence of values, but because of changes in the distribution of power and dependency.

This makes the bandwagon effect a social phenomenon in the strictest sense. It is not behavior that is freely chosen by individuals or states, but behavior that is conditioned by the structure of the system. As the literature on public voting behavior and foreign policy shows, public opinion and domestic pressures do influence foreign policy but in countries with low state capacity, external factors such as aid dependence and pressure from international financial institutions are often more decisive.

The consequences of this framing are very important in policy. The solution is not moral persuasion, but in the transformation of structural incentives. The countries of the Global South do not need to be educated to be braver, they just need to be given conditions where diplomatic courage does not mean financial suicide or geopolitical isolation.

Implications and Directions of Reform

If the bandwagon effect is understood as a product of the architecture of inequality, then meaningful reform must target that architecture. First, reform of representation in the Bretton Woods institutions remains a prerequisite that cannot be postponed. As long as the quota formula remains biased towards advanced economies and as long as the U.S. retains its veto, the structural incentives for the bandwagon will continue to exist. The SDSN Sustainable Development Report 2024 itself identifies strengthening UN-based multilateralism as one of the urgent needs of a recommendation that presupposes a more equitable representation architecture reform.

Second, transparency in the multilateral negotiation process must be expanded. If negotiating positions could be monitored more openly by civil society and the media, the space between publicly stated positions and actual behavior at the negotiating table would become narrower. This is especially relevant for the negotiation process in international financial institutions that have been operating with a high level of secrecy.

Third, strengthening a substantive south-south coalition that should go beyond solidarity rhetoric can also provide a buffer against external pressure. But this requires that the countries of the Global South build real policy coordination mechanisms in multilateral forums, not just in bilateral meetings. Without this kind of mechanism, Global South solidarity will continue to be an aspiration that is defeated by the calculation of bilateral dependency in critical moments.

Conclusion

The bandwagon effect in global governance is a manifestation of institutionalized inequality. It works discreetly, through incentives and dependencies, to produce consensuses that look strong on the outside but fragile on the inside. SDG 16 which mandates inclusive, accountable, and effective institutions cannot be realized as long as the global decision-making mechanisms themselves continue to produce conditions that encourage countries to hide their true preferences.

As UNDP affirms in its latest SDG 16 progress report, peace and prosperity for all people and the planet is only possible with decisive and innovative action on SDG 16. Such actions cannot be limited to the domestic realm alone, they must include a fundamental transformation in the global governance architecture that currently systematically penalizes diplomatic courage and incentivizes compliance.

Effective global governance is not built on consensus imposed by dependencies. It is built on genuine participation and genuine participation requires conditions in which authentic choices are not punished by structures that are supposed to serve all.