The Trump administration has warned France and Germany to release emergency diesel reserves to help lower global fuel prices or risk facing a potential US ban on diesel exports, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The warning represents a sharp escalation in Washington’s pressure on European allies as President Donald Trump looks for ways to increase fuel supplies and bring down prices ahead of the November midterm elections.

US officials have become increasingly frustrated with France and Germany, which Washington believes have not fully acted on earlier commitments to release emergency oil and petroleum reserves as global fuel markets face mounting disruptions.

“It is in Europe’s best interest to work with the United States as we pursue multiple pathways to boost the supply of refined products and lower costs for consumers,” a US official told Reuters.

A second source familiar with the discussions said the United States had asked the European Union to release 120 million barrels of diesel over the next six months.

The demand highlights the growing importance of Europe’s fuel reserves at a time when disruptions to major energy-producing regions are tightening global supplies.

Washington Raises Pressure on Europe

The US administration’s warning comes as Trump considers restricting US diesel exports as part of a broader effort to increase domestic supplies and reduce fuel prices for American consumers.

The approach creates a difficult balance for Washington. Limiting exports could increase the amount of diesel available inside the United States, potentially putting downward pressure on domestic prices. But it could simultaneously reduce supplies available to international markets, particularly Europe, which has become increasingly dependent on imported refined fuels.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Wednesday that the administration expected European countries to announce additional diesel supplies soon.

“We’ve lost some diesel exports from the Middle East, although we’re restoring those, and we’ve lost diesel exports from China,” Wright told reporters.

The disruptions have exposed the vulnerability of global refined fuel markets to geopolitical conflicts and changes in trade flows.

Germany’s economy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while France’s energy ministry declined to comment.

The White House’s pressure also appears to have become a broader diplomatic issue among Western allies.

An official at the French presidency said Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron did not discuss the issue when they met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.

Macron, however, plans to convene a video conference of G7 leaders to address rising fuel prices and the availability of refined petroleum products.

The discussions are expected to include coordination over the release of emergency reserves in cooperation with the International Energy Agency.

Why Europe Matters to the Fuel Market

Europe’s position in the global fuel market has changed substantially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

European countries previously relied heavily on Russian crude oil and refined petroleum products. The subsequent sanctions and restrictions on Russian energy imports forced European governments and companies to find alternative suppliers.

The result has been greater dependence on imports from countries including the United States and suppliers in the Middle East and Asia.

That dependence has become more significant as the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has disrupted energy flows from the Middle East.

The loss or reduction of refined fuel exports from major suppliers can quickly affect diesel markets because refining capacity cannot always be shifted between regions immediately.

Diesel is particularly important because it powers much of Europe’s commercial transport, heavy industry, agriculture and logistics sectors. Sustained shortages can therefore affect the broader economy rather than simply increasing prices at fuel stations.

The US Faces Its Own Fuel Dilemma

For Trump, the issue also has a strong domestic political dimension.

Fuel prices are highly visible to American consumers, making gasoline and diesel costs politically sensitive ahead of the November midterm elections.

The administration is therefore examining multiple ways to increase available supplies and reduce costs.

But a potential US diesel export ban could have consequences beyond America’s borders.

The United States has become an important supplier of refined petroleum products to international markets. Restricting those exports could tighten supplies elsewhere, potentially pushing international prices higher even if American prices fall.

That creates a difficult policy tradeoff for Washington.

The administration wants to protect US consumers from high fuel costs while maintaining sufficient supply in global markets. European governments, meanwhile, face pressure to use their own emergency reserves even as they seek to maintain energy security following the loss of Russian supplies.

Europe Seeks a Coordinated Response

France appears to be pursuing a broader G7 response rather than treating the issue as a bilateral dispute with Washington.

Macron’s planned meeting would allow the world’s major industrial economies to discuss the availability of refined products and potentially coordinate emergency stock releases through the International Energy Agency.

Such coordination could help prevent individual countries from taking measures that unintentionally worsen shortages elsewhere.

But disagreements over how much fuel should be released, when reserves should be used and who should bear the cost could complicate the process.

Emergency reserves are designed primarily to protect countries against severe supply disruptions. Releasing large quantities can provide temporary relief, but it also reduces the buffer available if another disruption occurs.

That makes Europe’s response particularly consequential at a time when energy markets remain exposed to geopolitical shocks.

A New Test for Transatlantic Energy Relations

The dispute illustrates how the global energy system has become increasingly intertwined with broader geopolitical and trade relationships.

Europe needs reliable fuel supplies after cutting its dependence on Russian energy, while the United States is attempting to use its position as a major energy producer and exporter to address domestic price pressures.

Trump’s warning to France and Germany adds another layer to that relationship by linking European reserve policy to continued access to US diesel exports.

Whether Europe ultimately releases the amount of diesel Washington has requested will depend on national assessments of market conditions, domestic energy security and the risks of further supply disruptions.

For now, the dispute signals that the energy consequences of conflicts in the Middle East are reaching far beyond the region itself.

As the United States and its European allies try to contain fuel prices, they face a common problem but increasingly different pressures over how the burden of stabilising global energy markets should be shared.

With information from Reuters.

A woman who appeared on ITV’s Long Lost Family shared the heartbreak she recently endured following her sister’s death

Long Lost Family took an emotional turn as two adopted sisters met after spending decades apart.

The moving ITV show, presented by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, returns to screens tonight with another tearjerking episode. In the show, Nicky meets Naomi, who is longing to find her biological twin sisters and mother.

Naomi has spent much of her life wondering about the family she never knew. Now living in Gloucestershire with her husband of 30 years, she is finally retracing the events surrounding her adoption and searching for answers about her birth family.

Adopted as a baby, Naomi grew up in a loving home with her adoptive parents in Plymouth. She always knew she had been adopted, but as she got older, questions about her biological family became increasingly difficult to ignore

When Naomi was a teenager, her parents showed her a letter they had kept since her adoption. What she discovered inside came as a major shock.

The letter revealed that Naomi’s birth mother had been just 19 when she gave birth. It also contained a revelation Naomi had never expected: her birth mother had given birth to twin girls, who had subsequently been adopted by other families.

Naomi recalled: “I was obviously very surprised when I found out that I had sisters. It was shocking.”

Both of Naomi’s adoptive parents died while she was in her 20s. In the years that followed, her desire to uncover more about her origins and find her birth family only grew stronger.

With Naomi’s birth mother now identified, the search turns to the two sisters she never knew she had. The team manages to uncover their names, Gail and Elaine, but the discovery brings both hope and heartbreak. They learn that Gail has sadly died, leaving Elaine as the only surviving twin.

Elaine tells presenter Nicky that she and Gail grew up together in a happy, loving home with their adoptive parents. Despite being separated from their birth mother as babies, the sisters shared a close childhood and had a positive upbringing.

But in the 1990s, Gail was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The illness gradually progressed over the following years, profoundly affecting her life before she sadly died in 2020.

Elaine also revealed that she recently lost her mum and her adoptive mother. Given her circumstances, she was elated to meet her sister.

Sobbing, Elaine said, “The fact that she’s gone to so much effort to find us, she must really want to meet us.”

When the sisters finally met, the pair couldn’t let each other go. Elaine said, “I’m so glad you found me. You’ve looked for so long, long, and I didn’t even know you existed.”

Naomi later said, “She was as warm and welcoming as her photo looked. Um, all I could have hoped for.”

Long Lost Family continues on Thursday 1st October at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.

Proponents of the measure say Los Angeles is falling short in providing basic services, including street and sidewalk maintenance, upkeep of streetlights and trees and other services administered by the Department of Public Works.

The measure is intended to streamline public works decision-making to improve city services and add new sources of revenue by leveraging existing resources such as underutilized city land.

Measure LA’s perhaps most controversial element is the proposal to increase the power of the director of public works while reducing the sway of the Board of Public Works or potentially eliminating it.

The director would be able to manage public works projects, including construction, buying or leasing property, exercising eminent domain with City Council approval, granting street permits, regulating parking and recommending budgets for the department.

An opponent of the measure, Rodriguez said the Board of Public Works was established to provide independent review of city contracting, with commissioners’ decisions made in public meetings.

“Removing this important check and balance would reduce public scrutiny and weaken accountability over billions of taxpayer dollars for public projects,” Rodriguez said in her ballot argument against the measure.

Commissioners are appointed by the mayor. They work full-time on the board for five-year terms administering the Public Works Department while assisted by several bureau heads and the director of public works.

Proponents of the measure say the current system of overseeing public works is ineffective because responsibility is spread among multiple officials, commissions, agencies and bureaus.

“Angelenos see the results in crumbling streets, buckled sidewalks and streetlights that stay dark,” proponents said in their ballot argument.

Another key element of the measure is establishing a two-year budget cycle for the city, which currently adopts its budget annually. Under Measure LA, the mayor would be required to submit a proposed two-year budget to the City Council by April 1. A two-year budget would enhance planning for infrastructure improvements under another new requirement that the city adopt a Capital Infrastructure Plan.

Most major U.S. cities rely on multiyear capital improvement plans to schedule spending on roads, bridges, parks and buildings.

A long-term infrastructure plan administered with two-year budgeting “sets clear priorities, identifies the projects that need to get done, and plans how to fund them over time,” proponents said.

Currently, the charter prohibits the city from mortgaging city-owned property and prevents it from operating purely commercial or industrial businesses. The measure would remove these restrictions to raise new revenue.

Easing restrictions on operating a business also would allow the city to use its intellectual property to sell merchandise with city logos, as is done in other cities including New York, Yaroslavsky said.

When public prosecutors tapped telephone calls at Italian football giants Juventus in 2004, they were hunting for evidence of doping.

What they believed they found was corruption on a far more systematic scale.

They thought they had evidence of Juve general manager Luciano Moggi pressurising referee officials to favour certain clubs, including his own. Moggi denied the claims.

However, Juve, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were all implicated in influencing referees.

All were given points deductions, but only Juventus ultimately dropped into the second tier of Italian football.

There was a split in the club’s superstar squad.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira joined rivals Inter Milan for a combined £23m, Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson went to Real Madrid for £13.7m, Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta joined Barcelona for £13m, and Adrian Mutu went to Fiorentina for £5.5m.

But other key players – notably Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro del Piero, Giorgio Chiellini, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet – remained with Juve in Serie B.

Despite beginning the season with a nine-point penalty and an opening-day draw with minnows Rimini, Juventus were promoted at the first attempt.

The club still lay claim to the 2004–05 and 2005–06 titles that were stripped from them, counting 38 rather than the official 36.

IF you want beautifully hot winters without the long, stopover flights, then an island is about to be on your list.

The island of Mauritius, just off the coast of Madagascar in East Africa, has seen a drop in passengers in recent years.

According to Travel Gossip, visitor numbers fell by 11 per cent, linked to the Middle East conflict due to the majority of flights operating via Dubai.

However, it also rose slightly back in August, with last-minute bookings to the island.

Airline Air Mauritius – who currently operates flights from London Gatwick – could add even more from the UK.

Dinesh Burrenchobay, Chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, said: “Air Mauritius has committed to increase its frequency back to five flights a week, maybe even six or seven.

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“It didn’t commit to a timeline, but I think we will get extra flights from the UK by next summer.”

The UK is one of the island’s biggest markets, with as many 150,000 visiting a year.

Air Mauritius UK Country Sales Manager Allan Owen added: “We are looking at the tourist board to increase knowledge of Mauritius and what it has to offer and we will increase capacity in line with rising demand.” 

Direct flights from the UK to Mauritius take just under 12 hours.

However, the time difference can be as little as 3-4 hours, so jet lag is minimal.

Not just that, but January is one of its hottest months with highs of 30C, so its the ideal escape from the cold UK.

When it comes to visiting the island, the north is popular with fly-and-floppers with most resorts lining the beaches.

Otherwise the south of the island is more for the nature fans, with waterfalls and tropical jungles.

One of it’s most famous beaches is Le Morne Beach, often named one of the best in the world.

We’ve found some very cheap holiday deals – local B&B breaks start from £739pp (with flights and seven nights) while beachside resorts start from £999pp on loveholidays.

A STRICT beach rule is set to be lifted today after being enforced for more than five months.

Hundreds of seaside locations across the UK will now be open to all visitors.

Dog walkers will be able to walk their pets on Britain’s beaches once more, as the seasonal ban is lifted today (October 1).

More than 600 coastal areas across the UK will now welcome a host of four-legged friends, with dogs able to visit the sites any time of the day.

The rule typically comes into force from May until the end of September, which sees dogs banned from beaches entirely or restricted to certain areas.

Other councils place timed entry restrictions, where pups are not allowed at the seaside during the busiest periods – usually from 10am to 6pm.

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The rules come under Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which can result in fixed penalties when breached.

In this case, first-time offenders may be given a penalty of £100, with a maximum fine of £500.

However, even with the ban lifted, some councils still require dogs to be on leads while walking on footpaths, promenades, piers and zig zags.

The seasonal ban comes every year with the aim of keeping beaches clean and safe during the busier summer months, especially when children may be visiting the coast.

Foul left behind by pets can also act as a major health hazard – even if the majority of dog owners are responsible enough to pick it up.

The rules do not apply to guide dogs, who are allowed on beaches at all times while working and in a harness.

Greaney said blame rested with Travelodge as an organisation rather than with individual staff, and a culture had developed in which room intrusions were regarded as “one of those things”.

The woman emailed a complaint to Travelodge in January 2023, addressed to chief executive Jo Boydell and others.

The review concluded the email was handled by her office without her knowledge, and did not come to Boydell’s attention until March 2026.

The woman’s complaint was instead investigated by a manager who was himself criticised in it, and the customer services team offered her a refund for her night’s stay, which she understood to be £30.

Boydell stepped down as chief executive in August following criticism over the company’s handling of safety complaints. The review said she deserved credit for driving improvements from March.

The attack became national news in March after the woman contacted the BBC, saying the case raised serious questions about room security at Travelodge hotels.

Since then, dozens of people have shared experiences of strangers entering their rooms, including a domestic abuse victim whose abuser was given a key to her room at a Travelodge in London.

Then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote to Boydell in March urging her to “seriously engage” with the government over security. Greaney was appointed to lead the review the following month.

The full lineup for the new series of Celebrity Race Across the World has been revealed, and Princess and Junior Andre will be seen competing on the hit BBC show

Princess and Junior Andre have joined the star-studded lineup of Celebrity Race Across the World. The children of Katie Price and Peter Andre have begun to carve out their own careers in showbiz in recent years, with Princess, 19, heading up her own ITV2 reality show and Junior, 21, working as a musician.

Now, the brother-and-sister duo have been confirmed as one of the pairs on the upcoming edition of the BBC show, in which individual teams try to travel the globe without access to planes, credit cards or smartphones.

Alongside Princess and Junior, the other pairs confirmed to be taking part are Eurovision star Sam Ryder alongside his best friend and tour manage Kaz. BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter Ella Eyre will be competing alongside her childhood friend Nana, and veteran sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling with his son Matt.

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The BBC confirmed the news with a series of photos of the pairs, and said: “Say hello to the lineup of Celebrity Race Across the World, coming soon to BBC iPlayer.

“Celebrity Race Across The World: Familiar faces, numerous countries, zero VIP treatment. Famous family & friends pairs take on a race across the world – by any means necessary.”

Princess then broke her silence about the news and wrote on Instgaram: “Finally….we are excited to announce that we are part of @raceacrosstheworld!!” Meanwhile, Space Man singer Sam also addressed the news as he wrote on social media: “see you soon bbc1“

When it comes to Princess and Junior, insiders previously claimed that that the pair had signed up. A source told The Sun of the show’s new signing: “Princess and Junior have proven themselves to be well-mannered, hardworking kids and opportunities continue to come their way. Execs were impressed with the ratings for The Princess Diaries but also how they came across.

“They’re brilliant signings for Celeb Race as they bring with them a younger audience. But bosses are also looking forward to seeing how they cope with the stripped-back style of travelling as they’re more at home in five-star hotels than a hostel.”

Last year, it was The One Show star Roman Kemp and his sister Harley Moon, the children of Martin and Shirlie Kemp, who emerged victorious from the series.

Following his win, Roman told The Mirror: “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, by far.” Bravely, Roman continued: “And doing it with no antidepressants is the hardest thing ever.

I was on the verge of a panic attack constantly.” Roman started taking sertraline, an antidepressant known as an SSRI, as a teenager, as well as dealing with suicidal thoughts from the age of 15. But it was, it’s the best thing. I think retrospectively [it’s] the best thing I have ever done because I spent ridiculous time with my sister and that’s something we never. Never did.”

Celebrity Race Across The World will air on BBC One and iPlayer soon

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Ugarte, who once collected signatures for Measure ULA, also known as the “mansion tax,” says it’s not working as intended and is keeping developers away from the city. The measure levies a tax on property sales above $5.3 million and funnels the money to affordable housing programs and homeless prevention.

“If developers are running away from the city of L.A., we gotta know why. We gotta go back to the drawing board. We gotta accept when we make mistakes, including myself,” Ugarte said.

He supports amending the measure to exempt affordable housing developers. He also wants to raise the threshold for properties subject to the tax to $10 million, to account for the increasing costs of construction.

Ugarte supports State Bill 79, a law mandating that cities increase housing density around public transportation hubs. But more transportation, Ugarte said, needs to come before more housing.

Making L.A. more transit-friendly will lower costs for housing, insurance and parking, Ugarte said, giving residents relief from the city’s high cost of living.

Mazariegos said homeless prevention starts with enforcing a “huge list” of the city’s tenant rights laws, including rent control and prohibitions against landlords harassing tenants.

Building affordable housing, along with enforcing those laws, will keep more people housed, he said.

Mazariegos wants to use public land to build social housing, which is publicly subsidized housing separate from the rental market.

He also would push to extend the travel industry’s upcoming $30 minimum wage to all workers and to tie the minimum wage to the consumer price index.

“A combination of those things will reduce and stop the bleeding of folks going into the street, going homeless, and will start giving us a chance as a city to work our way out of this crisis,” Mazariegos said.

Britain’s Sonay Kartal won on her return to the WTA Tour after almost six months out with injury as she beat Andrea Lazaro Garcia at the China Open.

The 24-year-old injured her lower back at Indian Wells in March and only made her return to tennis at the Billie Jean King Cup on 22 September.

Kartal, who narrowly lost to Czech world number 26 Marie Bouzkova on that return last week, produced a confident performance in Beijing to beat Spain’s Lazaro Garcia 6-2 6-3.

The Briton broke the qualifier’s serve five times – helped by four double faults from her opponent – and landed 69% of her first serves.

World number 129 Kartal will face Chinese 31st seed Wang Xinyu next as she bids to work her way back up the world rankings.

Fellow Briton Cameron Norrie lost 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to US Open champion and world number two Alexander Zverev, while Harriet Dart is in action later on Thursday.

Elsewhere, British number one Arthur Fery fell 6-4 3-6 6-4 to Portuguese lucky loser Jaime Faria in the Japan Open first round.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz claimed a rusty 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-1 win over Alex Michelsen as he made his return to the ATP Tour.

Spanish world number three Alcaraz was sidelined for just over five months with a wrist injury before returning at the US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz struggled on serve against Michelsen, committing five double faults to five aces.

However, he saved five of the 13 break points he faced to advance and set up a second-round meeting with Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.

Denmark’s Holger Rune also lost on his first ATP Tour appearance for almost a year.

Former world number four Rune tore his Achilles tendon in October 2025 and has since dropped out of the top 100.

He was beaten 6-3 6-1 by France’s Kyrian Jacquet in Tokyo.

A GREAT work bag is hard to find, so when one comes along at half the RRP, well, that’s tough to resist.

Antler’s Icon Tote Bag in a beige sand hue has dropped from £120 to £60, bagging shoppers a tidy £60.

Icon Tote Bag, £60 (was £120), from Antler

Shoppers have given the tote a five-star rating, describing it as being ‘very practical’ for travelling as a carry-on, but also for getaways or office days, with one noting: “This is the perfect work bag that I have been searching long and high for.

“It’s roomy enough to hold my laptop and headset, with a coffee and water bottle, notebook and possibly more.”

A second added: “Perfect for both work and social outings, 100% recommend.”

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It comes in khaki and black for £72, and is made from 100% recycled, water-resistant fabric and features a full zip-top closure, so your precious belongings are protected whatever the weather.

It can fit laptops up to 16-inches, and there are eight internal slip pockets to keep everything in place.

And that’s not all: the tote features a water bottle holder too, while the external front pocket offers easy access for essentials.

Antler has also slashed the price of the Expandable Cabin Suitcase (now £105, down from £175) and the Medium Suitcase (now £164.50, down from £235.00), just in time for the October half term for those planning a family trip.

Icon Tote Bag, £60 (was £120), from Antler

Elsewhere, the Bubble 20L Puffy 15.6″ Laptop Work Tote from Bagsmart is currently on offer at £32.19, and comes in 12 different colours.

It boasts a 4.9 rating based on 360 reviews: “It’s so spacious with lots of compartments that makes it perfect for travelling or if you have a busy job.”

There’s also the Typo Mode Tote from Cotton On, available in strawberry milk and cloud, which has been reduced from £30 to £15.

If you’re going away, this top-rated electric toothbrush is £185 off at Boots and comes with a travel case — the high street retailer has also launched a Fragrance Advent Calendar with several minis, perfect for slipping into your new tote bag.

PAULTONS Park was recently named the best theme park in the country and it’s about to get even better.

The much-loved theme park in Hampshire has revealed plans for a huge new holiday village which will be the first on-site accommodation for guests.

The new holiday village will have a Scandinavian theme with 129 lodges, cabins and suites, ranging from two to four bedrooms.

The welcome building would act as a “gateway” to the village, with a bag drop-off area and a second entrance directly to the theme park.

A 400sqm restaurant will be part of the village, as well as a small supermarket-style shop.

The new village will also have an entertainment room, as well as a games room for indoor activities.

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James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: “Our vision is to deliver 129 units, designed to comfortably accommodate just under 600 guests at full capacity, 100 guests fewer than previously outlined.

“We anticipate it will be several years before our vision for on-site accommodation is brought to fruition; however, we are committed to continually reinvesting in our attraction, providing a world-class experience for our guests, and planning for the long-term.”

It isn’t the only addition Paultons Park is planning either.

Set to open in 2027 is a new water coaster called Serpent’s Curse, with twists, a hill and a final lake plunge.

Overall, the water coaster will be 471-metres long and reach speeds of up to 44mph.

Talking about the new ride, Paultons has said it will be one of the ‘biggest rides ever built’ at the park.

The theme park was also recently named the Theme Park of the Year at the UK Theme Park Awards.

The park is home to more than 70 rides and attractions, including the recently opened Valgard: Realm of the Vikings, with Paultons Park’s first inverting coaster, Drakon.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could trigger financial market shocks and the UK needs to be prepared for them, the governor of the Bank of England has warned.

Andrew Bailey said the central bank is watching the huge amounts of money being invested in AI “very carefully” and cautioned that “not everybody always wins”.

The money that has been spent on and loaned to AI firms over the last few years in the hope of large returns is causing markets to value some of them as multi-trillion dollar businesses.

Asked if he believed an AI bubble could burst, Bailey said: “You could see some correction of asset prices at some point.”

He was speaking exclusively to the BBC about what the risks and benefits of AI could be for the UK economy.

Bailey said he believed the technology has “great potential to strengthen growth in our economies”, adding that this was something the country needed.

“But it also brings with it substantial risks and so we have to be on top of both of those.”

One such risk is what happens if the big bets being made on AI don’t pay off.

AI chipmaker Nvidia is currently the world’s most valuable listed company, with a market valuation of $5.5tn (£4.14tn), thanks largely to investors who believe in the big profits AI could create.

Meanwhile, tech giants Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the technology.

And two of the largest AI companies in the world – Anthropic and OpenAI – are also preparing to sell shares in their firms on the US stock market in moves which many believe will lead to hundreds of billions of dollars more flowing into the industry.

“There is a large, very large, amount of investment going into this sector now, and of course that’s natural because it’s a major area of growth,” said Bailey.

“And of course you see that the asset prices of the companies that are developing it have gone up a lot and that reflects the fact that there are high expectations of what it can deliver.”

“Everybody is currently priced to be a winner,” he added, but warned that “you look back at the past, not everybody is a winner”.

“Google was not the first market leader in internet search. It was Netscape. Nobody can remember Netscape today. It doesn’t exist. So not everybody always wins.

“We are prepared for the fact that there will be, I think, some shocks come along to markets and we have to deal with that. We have to make sure the system is resilient.”

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s central plaza, which spreads out beneath the building’s curved, hovering form, was always meant to be a generous civic space. Ma Yansong, the museum’s architect, has called it the “Gateway” between the museum and Los Angeles, opening to both Expo Park and the surrounding South L.A. neighborhood.

But that gateway, it turns out, is more like a gate.

This weekend — the first that the museum was open to the public — fences covered in plastic greenery blocked entry to the plaza from both sides. Standing sentry, bizarrely, were tall, cartoonish statues — half storm troopers, half USC Trojans. Visitors were directed to enter through the museum’s two enclosed security booths off the plaza.

In the coming weeks, permanent plaza fences will be erected here — curvy stainless-steel structures that MAD Architects principal Dixon Junliang Lu compared to the lacy filigree of Art Nouveau architecture. Lu added that they would eventually be draped in real greenery, not the plastic version.

While certainly an improvement on the current barriers (which are a shockingly makeshift solution for a museum that cost over $1 billion), the plaza’s main entryways will remain gated off, confirmed both Lu and Lucas Museum spokesperson Seth Fowler.

Gates have been erected around the main courtyard of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s about creating the best possible visitor experience when you’re there, with an eye on safety,” said Fowler, who cited a need to protect the plaza from car traffic on both sides and the ability to control visitor flow among the reasons for the enclosure.

Visitors without tickets, Fowler added, are still able to enter the plaza, as well as the museum’s cafe and gift shop, after passing through security, “pending capacity limits.” They can enter the museum’s adjacent park without security screening.

Museums of course have legitimate security concerns, especially in and around such a high-traffic location. A growing list of threats, from violence to vandalism, has changed the calculus for what’s acceptable in public life. But surely the building’s talented design team could have developed a security plan that better preserved the plaza’s open arms? Lu acknowledged that the fence design had “evolved as the project developed and the operational and security requirements became more defined.”

When I visited the Lucas earlier this month for its press preview, I assumed the plaza’s (then chain-link) fences were temporary — a byproduct of construction still underway. I had no idea that its primary entryways would remain closed off to the public.

The plaza is one of the museum’s most powerful gestures, creating much-needed civic room for Expo Park, and the city. The gates blocking it, and the security checkpoints along its flanks, will dramatically limit the public’s desire to enter, and change the tenor and experience of a space that should feel porous and inclusive. What could have been a grand welcome has become a gated off, highly controlled space that now feels separate from the park and the neighborhood. Sure, anyone can come, but they are no longer invited.

Art Nouveau style fencing will eventually replace the temporary green fencing, but guests will still be directed through security in order to enter the museum’s main courtyard.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Just a few miles away at LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries, visitors can enter the plazas beneath that building without first passing through security. In fact, I don’t know of a single civic plaza (and there are not enough!) in Los Angeles that requires passing through security checkpoints to enter. Think about this scenario in other cities. In New York, can you imagine having to go through metal detectors to sit at the Met steps? Or to enter Central Park?

Speaking of parks, it’s inconsistent and puzzling that the museum’s beautiful park, which edges right up to the building, can be entered without having to also pass through security. I, for one, am thankful. Access to this area is already being limited to some degree. Its long fences, with relatively small openings, are not exactly screaming “come in.” The green space, as it was this Saturday, will be closed to nonticket holders on USC game days. And if locals who live to the west of the museum want to reach Expo Park outside of the Lucas park’s hours — 8 a.m. to sunset — they need to make their way around the entire complex; which a few are already grumbling about.

It’s hard not to wonder whether these barriers represent something more than security: the extension into public space of the gated, closely guarded world inhabited by co-founders George Lucas, Mellody Hobson and those in their orbit. Is this truly what museum security requires, or has the logic of a private compound shaped an institution that was supposed to welcome the city? That is the uneasy promise of privately controlled public space: It looks open to everyone, but access ultimately depends on the owner’s discretion.

It is an especially peculiar contradiction for a museum whose site is being leased from the state at just $30 a year and was founded to celebrate the “people’s art” — comics, illustrations, movie imagery — and to bring that art to the broadest possible public. Renderings introducing the project never showed the walls and fences that now cover the plaza’s perimeter. (A model produced later, now in the museum, does.)

Temporary fencing around the Lucas Museum, alongside the Art Nouveau style fencing that will eventually replace it.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

I last encountered this type of scenario when visiting the Eiffel Tower, whose base has been closed since Paris’s 2015 terrorist attacks. (The attacks did not occur at the tower itself.) Its sealed perimeter, only accessible via lines and screening, now makes one of the world’s wonders feel less like a wondrous part of the city than an attraction held behind glass.

I’m not suggesting we leave major public spaces vulnerable. But security can be built into buildings’ plazas in myriad ways without sealing them off: reinforced planters and seating can stop vehicles; grade changes, landscapes and water features can establish protective distance; clear sight lines, lighting, cameras and visible staff can improve oversight; and retractable barriers can be deployed during large events or credible threats. Screening can remain at the museum doors, leaving outdoor space free.

At the end of the day, civic space depends on a willingness to share some level of uncertainty. A public plaza brings all kinds of people together, including those we don’t know and can’t entirely predict. If every risk leads us to add another checkpoint, fence or barrier, we may gain a sense of control but lose the ability to create the kind of public togetherness that forms a bonded city.

If this plaza, and this museum, are truly meant to serve the public it should be clear that all are welcome once they arrive. Openness is more than an architectural effect: It depends on having the freedom to enter without having to justify our presence.

Halloween season is arguably the most festive time of year in Los Angeles. Is it any wonder that a city that favors make-believe would take to a holiday that inspires elaborate set dressings and creative costumes, the latter a chance to take on a role other than ourselves?

Likely not, and whether you lean spooky or playful, the days and weeks leading up to Oct. 31 are filled with events, often with no costume necessary. Consider October an excuse to throw a massive, fall-related bash.

This season there are returning staples, such as “Carved” at Descanso Gardens and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, but also opportunities to explore Halloween’s campier side. Our penchant for the theatrical is well represented, and even newer Los Angeles institutions such as the Academy Museum are getting in on the autumnal fun.

Whether you’re seeking an event to charm or to inspire frights, there’s plenty our region has to offer.

What is a sundae? Ice cream, of course, but what else? As the Food team compiled our favorite decked-out frozen desserts around the city, we couldn’t seem to reach a consensus.

It should have syrup or sauce, fruit and some sort of crunchy topping, I declared with unearned authority. Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock pointed out the iconic McDonald’s sundae with just vanilla soft serve and rich chocolate fudge. Another colleague mentioned layered parfaits while others hailed the banana split as a worthwhile variant that includes all the named elements.

We decided to take a broad definition to the dessert that was first created at a soda fountain in Two Rivers, Wis., in the late 19th century. (Hot fudge was invented in 1906 by L.A. candymaker Clarence Clifton Brown, whose son opened legendary ice cream parlor C.C. Brown’s in Hollywood.)

You can opt for classic or over-the-top versions at a carhop diner in Burbank or a Route 66 soda fountain, or build the sundae of your dreams at a French-Californian bistro or an open-air Italian restaurant with a roving gelato cart. There are plenty of creative takes that pull inspiration from many cuisines, like a Thai gelato maker in Torrance and an Ethiopian restaurant in Eagle Rock serving a brûléed banana split with Ethiopian coffee-infused chocolate sauce.

Here are 20 of our favorite sundaes and banana splits around Los Angeles. — Danielle Dorsey

England striker Ivan Toney has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man at a central London nightclub.

The 30-year-old footballer, from Northampton, is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva at a nightclub in Wardour Street, Soho, on 6 December.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Toney confirmed his name and age, and pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

District Judge Briony Clarke said the case could be tried in the magistrates court, but Toney elected for a Crown Court trial in front of a judge and jury.

He was freed on unconditional bail until a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 29 October.

Toney won 10 caps for England and was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2024 final.

He started his football career with Northampton Town and played for teams including Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United before signing for Brentford in 2020.

He currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

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