Shaping New Trade Corridors | Global Finance Magazine
War in Iran and US tariffs are destabilizing global trade. But commerce hasn’t slowed; it’s simply rerouting.
As last fall’s G20 summit closed in Johannesburg, the United Arab Emirates announced plans to inject up to $1 billion in AI infrastructure funding across Africa. The pledge is the latest in a growing wave of investment from the Gulf Cooperation Council states that signals a broader shift.
Together, the Middle East and Africa represent roughly 2 billion consumers and a combined GDP of more than $5 trillion. Investment and trade spanning the regions are already accelerating. GCC countries have deployed over $100 billion in Africa and bilateral trade grew at an annual rate of about 8% between 2021 and 2022, reaching $154 billion.
Europe and China remain the continent’s largest capital providers, but the Gulf states are closing the gap. As war, supply-chain disruptions, and new US tariffs reshape global trade, countries across the MENA region see an opportunity to position themselves as the logistical and financial bridge linking Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Gateways And Corridors
The two natural points of entry are Egypt and Morocco. They have a foot in both regions and long experience navigating between the Arab world and the African continent.
Egypt acts as a gateway to East Africa, with commercial routes extending toward Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda. Morocco has established itself as a hub for west Africa, leveraging decades of political and economic ties with francophone markets. Businesses from both countries are expanding across the continent in sectors including food processing, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, telecoms, and technology.
Over the past decade, the Gulf states have also steadily expanded their presence, deploying capital through longterm strategic investments to reshape Africa’s trade routes while securing access to land, natural resources, and fast-growing markets.
Gulf investors are targeting corridors along the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, including the Berbera–Ethiopia trade route and points of access to the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. Their aim is to anchor supply chains that direct African trade through Gulf logistics hubs before it reaches global markets.
“The GCC is becoming more and more of a trade hub for Africa,” says Tarek El Nahas, group head of International Banking at Dubai-headquartered Mashreq Bank. “We’ve got a lot of clients that have their regional operations here for both Middle East and Africa.”
Infrastructure is central to these developments. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in ports, logistics hubs, and industrial zones, laying the foundations for new Global South supply chains.
The UAE is by far Africa’s largest Gulf stakeholder. Dubai’s DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports have secured concessions to operate and develop ports in Algeria, Egypt, Somalia, Somaliland, Tanzania, South Africa, Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Congo-Brazzaville, Eritrea, Rwanda, and Niger.
Air connections are also an investment target, with Qatar Airways supporting several African airlines including South Africa’s Airlink while Doha in 2019 acquired 60% of Rwanda’s new international airport.
Telecom operators such as Qatar’s Ooredoo and the UAE’s e& (formerly Etisalat) support cable infrastructure and data centers and have signed partnerships with local providers like Maroc Telecom as part of a plan to reach several dozen countries across the continent by 2030.
In light of the recent Iranian attacks on GCC infrastructure, UAE and Saudi Arabia are also considering shifting some AI assets to secure locations in Africa. Abu Dhabi’s G42 is already building a $1 billion data center in Kenya.
Commodities, Food, And Energy
What, then, are these closely connected regions trading? Exchange often begins with natural resources.
Oil and gas dominate Gulf exports to Africa, while the continent supplies metals. Gold is a major African export to the UAE, already a hub for precious metals and stones; Gulf investors are also targeting rare metals and minerals critical to energy transition and AI supply chains.
Deal activity reflects this shift. Last year, Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding acquired 51% of Zambia’s Mopani Copper Mines for $1.1 billion. Saudi Arabia’s Maaden Holding, through Manara Minerals, is pursuing similar deals in Zambia and elsewhere.
These ventures sometimes feed Western markets. In November, the US and Saudi Arabia agreed to cooperate on mineral supplies to reduce reliance on China, and in March, US-based Cove Capital and Saudi Arabia’s AHQ announced a “multibillion dollar” fund to invest in African minerals including cobalt, copper, lithium, and rare earths.
Renewable energy is another focus. The UAE’s Masdar has committed $10 billion to African clean energy projects by 2030, backing solar projects in Angola, Uganda, Zambia, and Mozambique. Late last year, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power signed a deal with the African Development Bank to invest up to $5 billion in renewable energy and water systems in countries including South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco.
Food security is also a major driver for GCC countries, which buy over 80% of their comestibles from abroad. The UAE and Saudi Arabia import agricultural products and livestock from across Africa while investing in farmland and production projects to secure long-term supply. Qatar has made important commitments in North African countries, including a $3.5 billion dairy farm in Algeria.
North African manufacturers, meanwhile, are increasingly targeting African markets. Egyptian pharmaceutical companies, for example, have become major exporters across the continent.
Regulatory challenges and logistical bottlenecks persist, but African trade integration is supported by a growing web of multilateral agreements. Regional frameworks including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Agadir Agreements, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)— launched in 2021 and designed to unify a market of 1.5 billion people—facilitate investment and commercial exchange.
Several countries also benefit from US and European trade preference programs such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows some 30 African economies to export certain goods to the US duty-free. These arrangements make parts of Africa and MENA increasingly attractive as manufacturing and re-export bases for companies seeking to access Western markets.
“We’re starting to see more companies from Asia, for example, setting up a presence in the MENA region to benefit from a lower tariff environment, and I think Egypt will become a big beneficiary in terms of manufacturing,” El Nahas says.
Financing The Corridors
Moroccan and Egyptian banks have taken the lead in cross-border expansion, financing trade and infrastructure projects across the continent. Most international lenders, by contrast, maintain a limited on-the-ground presence in Africa but operate through regional hubs that circle the continent, notably in Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
“Egypt is pivoting its export strategy toward Europe and Africa.”
Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, CIB
Several pan-African banks, meanwhile, including United Bank for Africa, Standard Group, and Ecobank, have set up a presence in the GCC—mainly in Dubai or Abu Dhabi—to facilitate trade and investment flows between the two regions. Gulf banks tend to manage African operations from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha, increasingly partnering with local lenders on large infrastructure projects and exploring collaboration in areas such as AI applications in banking.
The long-term potential is vast. Africa accounts for roughly 20% of the global population but just 3% of GDP. For now, intra-African trade represents only about 15% of the continent’s total trade, compared to over 50% in Asia and almost 70% in the European Union. For investors and policymakers, the opportunity lies in unlocking that untapped connectivity.
There is a geostrategic factor as well.
The US-Israeli war with Iran and the accompanying disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have heightened the need for additional trade corridors, notably through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
“Egypt is pivoting its export strategy toward Europe and Africa to leverage its geographical proximity, filling supply gaps caused by delays from Asian competitors,” says Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, CEO of Commercial International Bank (CIB), Egypt’s largest private sector bank, which has a presence in Kenya and Ethiopia. “This surge in demand is expected to offset revenue losses of exports to the Gulf.”
In an increasingly fragmented global economy, both regions see value in strengthening ties. The geopolitical landscape in the Middle East and Africa remains volatile, but investors argue that deeper south-south integration may offer one of the most resilient growth paths.
State Controller May Freeze Payroll Until Budget Passes : Legislature: Official says some Medi-Cal payments could also stop if agreement isn’t reached by Saturday.
SACRAMENTO — Attempting to force a state budget agreement, California Controller Kathleen Connell said Monday she is considering withholding lawmakers’ salaries, and cannot pay 35,000 state employees if the Legislature and Gov. Pete Wilson fail to approve a budget by Saturday’s constitutional deadline.
Without a budget, Connell said, she also will have no choice but to delay payments of some Medi-Cal bills, such as prescriptions, for elderly people–a step that would add pressure on lawmakers to approve a spending plan.
Under the state Constitution, California must have a new budget by the July 1 start of the 1995-1996 fiscal year. But Wilson and the Legislature remain far apart and seem to be in no rush to approve a budget.
In recent years, it has become common for the deadline to pass without a budget. In 1992, the state went more than 60 days without a budget, leading state government to pay its employees and vendors with IOUs.
Connell, who is in her first year in office and who issues the checks for the state, said California has the cash to pay its bills. However, without agreement on a budget measure authorizing state spending in the new fiscal year, Connell said she will have no choice but to delay paying vendors, some medical bills for the elderly, the blind and the disabled, and as many as 35,000 state employees, including management officials.
“I don’t think any taxpayer is going to be sympathetic to the idea that we have the cash but are not paying our bills,” said Connell, a Democrat.
Connell last week suggested that she would withhold lawmakers’ pay starting July 1 if they had not approved a budget by the deadline. But she softened her position after concluding that there may be a constitutional requirement that she issue their checks. However, Connell said she is still studying the question.
“I’m raising a moral issue here,” Connell said after a speech in Sacramento. “If there are [state] employees who are not going to be paid because we have partisan politics dominating the Legislature, then there has to be a question of who else should accept responsibility.”
In the Legislature, the Senate-Assembly budget conference committee met Monday afternoon. But Wilson and top legislative leaders have not scheduled budget talks to resolve differences.
Wilson has proposed a $56-billion budget that includes deep welfare cuts and requires 10% increases in state college and university tuition. Wilson also is pushing for a 15% income tax cut over three years–an idea opposed by many Democrats.
“We fully expect to have a budget in the month of July,” Wilson spokesman Paul Kranhold said. “We are hopeful that the Legislature will forward us a budget by Saturday, or soon afterward.”
The amount separating Democrats and Republicans is relatively small–$1.8 billion–compared to other years of the Wilson Administration, when the gap between Wilson’s proposals and what the Legislature proposed ranged from $5 billion to $14 billion. But rancor is so dividing the Assembly this year that partisans in the budget fight have yet to take the first steps toward a solution.
“It can happen by Saturday,” said Assembly Republican Leader Jim Brulte. “There is no reason that it couldn’t or shouldn’t happen by Saturday. But I don’t know if it will.”
Past court orders require that, even without a budget, the state pay to keep schools open and issue checks to welfare recipients. The state also will continue to meet its bond debt and pension payments, Connell said.
But starting Saturday, Connell said, the state will not pay vendors who perform various services for the state, or deliver goods to state prisons and state hospitals. Without a budget, she said, state agencies that lease space will be unable to pay rent and cannot pay utility bills. Payments for services such as nursing home care or food deliveries to prisons would be delayed until a budget is approved.
“The effect of having no budget begins immediately. It begins on July 1, and the damage will grow with each day,” Connell said.
If the state goes without a budget through July, the missed payments would total at least $360 million for Medi-Cal and state assistance to counties to operate trial courts. The total for employees was not known.
Unlike 1992, the last time there was a lengthy budget deadlock, the state cannot use IOUs to pay its workers who fall under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
A federal judge, acting on a lawsuit brought by state employees, ruled last year that the state acted illegally in 1992 by issuing the IOUs, and that roughly 120,000 workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must be paid even if there is no budget.
But between 33,000 and 35,000 state workers are not covered by the act, raising the possibility that they will not be paid on time for work done after July 1.
The employees whose pay is in jeopardy include Wilson’s political appointees, and heads of departments and middle-level managers. Professionals such as deputy attorneys general and state physicians and dentists also may have their paychecks delayed. An aide to Connell said the controller’s office is reviewing the law to determine whether judges and other judicial officials can be paid.
The first state employees to miss a paycheck would be in the Department of Transportation, where 50 management employees would miss July 15 paychecks for work done after July 1.
Gov. Pete Wilson has criticized the commission’s findings, and Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Feinstein have urged the President to throw out the panel’s work entirely. Rep. Vic Fazio (D-West Sacramento), whose district includes the threatened Air Force base, wants Clinton to send the report back and ask the commission to redraft it without the McClellan closure recommendation.
Dodgers dominate in first game back in Toronto since World Series
From Maddie Lee: The teams were the same. The venues were the same. But the clash between the Dodgers and Blue Jays on Monday at Rogers Centre was far from the roller coaster of Game 7 of the World Series.
And the Dodgers’ most notable performance came from a young catcher who wasn’t on the World Series roster last year.
“These fans, sadly, didn’t want to see us come to town,” catcher Dalton Rushing said after hitting two home runs in the Dodgers’ 14-2 win. “And rightfully so, after what we did tonight. But yeah, I think we all just look forward to carrying it over to tomorrow and leave our mark in Toronto once again.”
Rushing, giving Game 7 hero Will Smith a day off, recorded the first multi-homer, four-hit game of his major league career.
It was Rushing’s third start of the season and first time playing on consecutive days. The 25-year-old also homered Sunday in Washington.
“I learned a lot from last year,” Rushing said. “Last year, mentally, I was in a tough spot playing the role that I was, and just kind of trying to figure out how you play that role. And this year, I have a little better understanding.
“You’re not going to show up and have a game like that tonight. You’re not going to show up and get two hits every game, whether you’re playing every day or you’re playing every three days. And that was maybe it was just a pill I had to swallow a little bit. I’m just glad I could see results tonight.”
Toronto fans love to hate Dodgers
Kyle Tucker singles in the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
(Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
From Bill Shaikin: Fans lined up before the game, waiting patiently for the chance to take a selfie with trophies that commemorated the back-to-back World Series championships.
Dodger Stadium is not the only place you can do this. The trophies were from 1992 and 1993, and they honored the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Dodgers matched that back-to-back feat over the past two years, including a classic Game 7 victory in Toronto in last year’s World Series, and returned here Monday to a noise pit packed with fans primed to boo, and to urge their team to exact vengeance on the evil mercenaries from America.
On this night, the mercenaries prevailed, in a pummeling so relentless and a silencing so rapid that a three-peat appeared all but inevitable: Dodgers 14, Blue Jays 2.
More on the Dodgers:
Dodgers’ Andy Pages scorching start at the plate turning heads. ‘I really like his work’
Mookie Betts offers no specific timeline on when he’ll return from injury
Michigan wins NCAA men’s basketball championship
Michigan players celebrate after defeating Connecticut for the NCAA men’s basketball title on Monday night.
(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: This title for Michigan’s newest Fab Five will look better in the trophy case than a time capsule.
Hard to be too picky — this new-age group of ballers in maize and blue showed they can win any which way.
The five fabulous transfers who make up coach Dusty May’s starting lineup got down and dirty with the rest of the Wolverines to dig out the national championship on Monday. Michigan made only two three-pointers all night but still muscled its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn Connecticut.
Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first three, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving May’s team — which had scored 90 points in five straight March Madness games leading to the final — a nine-point lead.
Final NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket
Kings move back into wild-card spot
Kings forward Scott Laughton celebrates with goaltender Anton Forsberg after the Kings’ 3-2 shootout win over the Nashville Predators at Crypto.com Arena on Monday.
(Scott Strazzante / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Adrian Kempe scored the only goal of the shootout in the second round, and the Kings tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.
The Kings have played in overtime in seven of its last 10 games — and 32 this season.
Joel Armia opened the scoring for the Kings and Scott Laughton made it a 2-1 lead in the second period. Jared Wright has an assist in a career-best three straight games for L.A.
José Soriano frustrates Braves’ batters
Angels starting pitcher José Soriano delivers in the second inning of a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Braves at Angel Stadium on Monday night.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: José Soriano pitched eight dominant innings and the Angels got home runs from Zach Neto and Jo Adell in a 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
Neto launched a leadoff shot on Chris Sale’s first pitch, and Soriano (3-0) struck out 10 as the Angels won their third consecutive game. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits without issuing a walk, throwing 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
Soriano gave up a solo homer to Drake Baldwin and a single to Matt Olson in the first, then retired 19 straight batters before Mike Yastrzemski led off the eighth with a single.
Golfers react to Tiger Woods not at Masters
Tiger Woods celebrates after winning the Masters in April 2019. Woods was arrested on a DUI charge in Florida last month and will not compete at the Masters this week.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
From Sam Farmer: Tiger Woods is everywhere and nowhere at Augusta National this week.
In the wake of last month’s rollover car accident and DUI charge, the five-time Masters winner has stepped away from golf indefinitely and reportedly could be receiving treatment in Switzerland for an addiction to painkillers.
“He’s not immune to it just because he can hit a golf ball really well,” fellow competitor Jason Day said. “He’s had 25 to 30-something surgeries, and when you’re going through that many procedures, it’s painful coming out of those procedures. I’ve had procedures done and I typically try and stay away from all that stuff because I just know that — painkillers, there can potentially be a downfall to it.”
Angel Reese traded to Atlanta
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream.
(AJ Mast / Associated Press)
From Chuck Schilken: Angel Reese has a new WNBA home.
After spending her first two seasons with the Chicago Sky, the two-time All Star has been traded to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, the teams announced Monday morning. Atlanta also receives the option to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.
“An Angel’s DREAM,” Reese posted on X. “ATL WHAT UP?!”
Reese was already a star before coming to the WNBA after helping Louisiana State win the national championship over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in 2023 and leading the Tigers back to the Elite Eight the following year.
This day in sports history
1940 — Jimmy Demaret wins the Masters by four strokes over Lloyd Mangrum. Mangrum opens with a 64, a course record by two strokes that stands for 46 years.
1946 — Herman Keiser edges Ben Hogan by one stroke to win the Masters.
1951 — Ben Hogan takes the Masters by two strokes over Robert Riegel.
1956 — Joe Graboski scores 29 points and Paul Arizin 26 as the Philadelphia Warriors beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 99-88 to win the NBA championship in five games.
1963 — Jack Nicklaus becomes the youngest Masters winner at 23, beating Tony Lema by a stroke.
1969 — Ted Williams begins managing the Washington Senators.
1985 — New Jersey’s Herschel Walker rushes for a USFL-record 233 yards in leading the Generals to a 31-25 victory over the Houston Gamblers. Walker breaks his own USFL record for the longest run from scrimmage by going 89 yards on his second carry.
1995 — Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike.
1996 — Dave Andreychuk scores a goal for his 1,000th career point, and the New Jersey Devils top the New York Rangers 4-2.
1998 — Al MacInnis has a goal and an assist in St. Louis’ 5-3 loss at Detroit to become the sixth NHL defenseman to reach 1,000 points.
2000 — 1st regular season MLB game at Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) in Houston.
2003 — Syracuse wins the NCAA title with an 81-78 victory over Kansas.
2007 — Michigan State beats Boston College 3-1 for its first NCAA hockey title in 21 years.
2008 — Mario Chalmers hits a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and Kansas goes on to defeat Memphis 75-68 for the NCAA title.
2009 — Tina Charles scores 25 points and grabs 19 rebounds and Connecticut routs Louisville 76-54 to capture its sixth women’s basketball title. UConn (39-0) wins every one of its 39 games by double digits, a first in college basketball.
2010 — Don Nelson sets the NBA career record for victories by a coach in the Golden State Warriors’ 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nelson’s 1,333 wins surpass Lenny Wilkens’ total.
2014 — Shabazz Napier scores 22 points and Connecticut wins its second NCAA men’s title in four years, beating the freshmen-led Kentucky 60-54 in the championship game.
2015 — UConn’s women down Notre Dame 63-53 for their 10th NCAA championship. Coach Geno Auriemma ties UCLA’s John Wooden for the most titles in college basketball.
2016 — Ernie Els, winner of four major titles, opens with a 10 on the par-4 first hole at the Masters. After his first two shots, Els seven-putts from 2 feet. His sextuple bogey is the worst score on the first hole at the Masters, beating the old mark by two strokes.
2016 — The Golden State Warriors become the second team to win 70 games in a season by beating the San Antonio Spurs 112-101.
2018 — Vegas Golden Knights end regular season with most victories of any expansion team.
2019 — 38th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Notre Dame, 82-81.
2019 — Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki play final NBA games.
2019 — Magic Johnson quits as President of Basketball Operations of the Lakers.
Compiled by the Associated Press.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The 50 countries that Brits most want to visit
EVER wondered how much of the world you’ve really seen? Use this handy tool to find out.
By selecting all the different countries you’ve ever visited, it’ll work out a percentage of the planet you’ve managed to explore and how many continents you’ve covered.
TOP 50 COUNTRIES ON THE TRAVEL WISH LIST
1. New Zealand
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Iceland
6. Norway
7. Italy
8. Switzerland
9. Sweden
10. United States
11. Thailand
12. Croatia
13. Greece
14. Portugal
15. Vietnam
16. Finland
17. Singapore
18. Brazil
19. Egypt
20. Denmark
21. South Africa
22. Austria
23. South Korea
24. Mexico
25. Republic of Ireland
26. India
27. Argentina
28. Peru
29. China
30. Morocco
31. Sri Lanka
32. Kenya
33. Netherlands
34. Germany
35. Poland
36. Philippines
37. Cyprus
38. Malaysia
39. United Arab Emirates
40. Turkey
41. Spain
42. Chile
43. France
44. Tanzania
45. Czech Republic
46. Hungary
47. Cambodia
48. Namibia
49. Indonesia
50. Belgium
While you’ll also find out how your stats compare against other travellers as well as seeing your footprint on a globe.
It follows research which revealed four in 10 adults name-drop the countries they have visited – to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.
A poll of 2,000 travellers revealed 43 per cent enjoy comparing the number of destinations they’ve visited abroad with others.
Reasons for mentioning their ‘country count’ include wanting to impress others with their worldliness and sense of adventure, get others to think ‘that’s more than me’ or see them as ‘loaded’ with money.
Of those who mention their country count, more than four in 10 (44 per cent) will casually raise the subject in general holiday chatter, while 38 per cent will jump at the chance to name a nation they’ve visited the second someone else mentions it.
It also emerged 34 per cent of travellers consider their list of countries visited ‘as a bit of a badge of honour’ and a fifth feel ‘quietly superior’ to those who have been to fewer nations.
A spokesperson from travel insurance specialist, Staysure, which commissioned the research and tailors policies for people with health conditions, said: “Travelling abroad is exciting and the memories made with friends and family can last forever.
“So, it’s not surprising people love talking about where they’ve been and comparing the number of countries they’ve visited.
“Sharing experiences is something we all love to do and it’s great to be able to inspire others to visit somewhere new.”
The study also found nine per cent bring up a country they’ve travelled to in conversation at least four times a month.
However, 39 per cent described other people discussing how well-travelled they are as ‘annoying’.
But one in 10 attempt to sound better travelled than they really are by counting countries they visited as a child in their list. And some go as far as including an airport layover or counting a day trip as a full visit.
With the average traveller having been to seven countries by the time they’re 30 – the number nearly doubles to 15 by the time they reach the age of 60.
New Zealand (24 per cent), Japan (23 per cent) and Australia (18 per cent) were at the top of respondents’ wish lists, along with Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland.
While Canada was nearly twice as popular as a future destination than the United States (17 per cent versus eight per cent).
But Belgium sat at the bottom of the top 50 list of countries people want to visit for the first time.
It also emerged 56 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, wish they were better travelled.
On average, respondents said their travel peaked at age 34, while 44 per cent admitted their trips abroad have generally decreased as they’ve got older.
And four in 10 consider it important that their list of countries visited keeps growing, with those with a set goal aiming to tick off 30 individual countries.
To keep expanding the list 56 per cent would consider a multi-destination holiday such as a cruise.
France (77 per cent), Spain (76 per cent) and Italy (58 per cent) are still among the top 10 countries visited.
Staysure’s spokesperson added: “Our customers often share where they’ve been and where they’re planning to go next.
“It’s good to know people are dreaming big and want to keep ticking off their dream destinations.
TOP 50 COUNTRIES VISITED
1. France
2. Spain
3. Italy
4. United States
5. Germany
6. Greece
7. Portugal
8. Belgium
9. Netherlands
10. Republic of Ireland
11. Turkey
12. Switzerland
13. Austria
14. Cyprus
15. Canada
16. Denmark
17. Czech Republic
18. Egypt
19. Croatia
20. Australia
21. Sweden
22. Norway
23. Poland
24. Mexico
25. Morocco
26. Thailand
27. Tunisia
28. Singapore
29. Hungary
30. United Arab Emirates
31. Iceland
32. China
33. Finland
34. New Zealand
35. South Africa
36. India
37. Malaysia
38. Japan
39. Kenya
40. Vietnam
41. Indonesia
42. Sri Lanka
43. Brazil
44. South Korea
45. Peru
46. Cambodia
47. Argentina
48. Philippines
49. Chile
50. Tanzania
“Although technically correct to do so, would you include a layover in your country list if you’d not set foot outside the airport?
“Wherever people choose to travel, having the right cover and financial protection in place helps them keep ticking countries off their list making the whole experience more enjoyable and worry-free.”
Seoul takes note of Trump’s remarks in Iran war: official
South Korea has taken note of remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, seen during a briefing Monday, that Seoul is not doing enough to support U.S. efforts in its war against Iran, a foreign ministry official said. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
South Korea has taken note of remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump that Seoul is not doing enough to support U.S. efforts in its war against Iran, an official at the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Trump has criticized South Korea, Japan and European allies for not helping the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz, such as by sending warships to escort commercial ships through the waterway, amid the conflict in the Middle East.
“We have been paying close attention to President Trump’s repeated remarks,” Park Il, foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a press briefing.
“The government will carefully review the matter and make a judgment in close coordination with the United States,” he said.
Seoul has reportedly reached out to Washington seeking to clarify Trump’s recent remarks and was told they were not directed specifically at South Korea, but rather reflected broader disappointment over U.S. allies not responding to his calls for assistance.
Both sides share the view that Trump’s comments would have no impact on the bilateral alliance, including efforts to implement trade and security commitments as agreed under the joint summit agreements, sources familiar with the matter said.
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.
Can Africa tackle the oil shock from the Iran war? | US-Israel war on Iran
African nations are scrambling to secure oil and gas as the Iran war disrupts supplies from the Middle East.
The war in Iran has created an energy shock in Africa.
The continent relies heavily on oil and gas imports from the Middle East.
Much of this supply is currently stuck on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, which is closed.
Countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia are reporting shortages.
Africa’s largest oil refinery in Nigeria is pumping out crude at maximum capacity, but that’s nowhere near enough to meet the continent’s needs.
In addition, Africa’s energy infrastructure has suffered from years of underinvestment.
So, what choices do governments have to contain the crisis?
Published On 7 Apr 2026
Sinitta spills on ‘dreamy’ Brad Pitt romance in I’m A Celebrity camp
The I’m A Celebrity All Stars have only been in camp a day but Sinitta is already opening up about her famous exes – including Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt
Mandatory Credit: Photo by David Fisher/Shutterstock (16733131j)
Sinitta
‘I’m A Celebrity… South Africa’, Series 2 TV show photocall, London, UK – 09 Mar 2026
Sinitta has been regaling her I’m A Celebrity campmates with tales of her Brad Pitt romance. The former singer is one of the stars competing in the latest All Stars series in South Africa.
During Monday night’s launch, viewers saw the first set of celebs join the show with latecomers Craig Charles and Gemma Collins set to follow this evening.
A preview for tonight’s episode, sees Sinitta talking about her famous exes. In Main Camp, conversation turns to Sinitta’s former flame Brad Pitt. “Did you, like, kiss and that?” Scarlett asks cheekily while the group all listen giddily.
Reflecting on the relationship in the Bush Telegraph, Sinitta confesses: “Even I do think, wow, it was nice while it lasted.”
When Scarlett asks if the memories still exist in her head, Sinitta confirms: “All I have to do is close my eyes and there he is.”
“I’d be napping all the time,” jokes Scarlett.
Sinitta tells her co-stars she dated the Fight Club actor ‘years ago’ before he was ‘famous’ and ahead of the release of Thelma & Louise in 1991. Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts tells her that was ‘prime’ Brad Pitt as they congratulate her on the experience.
Sinitta has previously revealed she dated Brad for two years in the 80s before he became a major Hollywood star. She has described him as “fun,” “sweet,” and having “the most amazing body.”
Her first high-profile romance was with singer David Essex, when she was 16 and he was 37.
Sinitta said she was initially not interested in Brad, who she thought was a ‘nobody.’
“He was in Dallas at the time and I was more of a Dynasty fan,” she said. After asking for his number, Sinitta said they went on a first date and ‘clicked immediately.’
“We were both quiet people, Christian, normal and healthy people underneath our crazy, public lifestyles and, at that point, he wasn’t really, really famous. He was just the hottest boy – drop dead gorgeous.
“Everywhere we went, all the gay guys were after him, all the girls were after him. Everybody just loved him because he was stunning.”
Essential Politics: Republican defections and crying babies
What do babies, profanity and a lawsuit saga have in common?
If it’s 2016, the answer is the Republican presidential nominee.
I’m Christina Bellantoni, and this is Essential Politics, a guide to the newsy — and sometimes wacky — happenings in the political world.
The biggest thing that happened to Donald Trump came late Tuesday when the San Diego judge who has been the target of the politician’s repeated criticism blocked the release of Trump’s testimony videos in the Trump University legal battle.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel denied the request from news organizations for transcripts and video of Trump’s depositions. He said there might be legitimate public interest, but the likely media frenzy that would come had a greater potential for harm.
Also making headlines Tuesday were a cursing child at a Trump rally, and a crying baby that the billionaire real estate mogul at first called “beautiful” and then added when it didn’t stop, “Actually … You can get the baby out of here.”
DEFECTING REPUBLICANS
President Obama suggested Tuesday that Republicans should pull their endorsements of Trump, calling him “unfit to serve” in the White House.
That’s probably not the reason a top aide to Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that she’ll be voting for Hillary Clinton. “I’m voting for her because I don’t believe it’s enough to say you aren’t for Donald Trump,” said Maria Comella.
Also opting out was retiring New York Rep. Richard Hanna.
But the biggest defection of the day was Meg Whitman, the Hewlett-Packard chief executive who ran unsuccessfully for governor of California in 2010. “As a proud Republican, casting my vote for president has usually been a simple matter. This year is different,” she wrote on Facebook. “Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character.”
Meanwhile, Trump declined to endorse Sen. John McCain or Speaker Paul Ryan for re-election.
BACK TO THE BANK
Clinton returns to California to raise money for the campaign later this month.
The marquee event is a star-studded $33,400-per person luncheon at the Los Angeles home of Oscar winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Aug. 23. According to an invitation obtained by The Times, DiCaprio’s other hosts include Jennifer and Tobey Maguire, Jennifer Aniston, Scooter and Yael Braun, Shonda Rhimes and Chris Silbermann.
There is an Aug. 22 evening fundraiser in Beverly Hills chaired by Megan and Peter Chernin, Willow Bay and Bob Iger, Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Cheryl and Haim Saban, Alba and Thomas Tull, Ellen and Jon Vein and Laura and Casey Wasserman. Minimum contribution levels are $2,700. Co-hosts get a reception with the candidate and must give or raise $27,000. Hosts must give $100,000 per couple, and they get a photo and dinner with Clinton.
There are two Aug. 23 fundraisers in Laguna Beach. One is hosted by Frank Barbaro, Mike Levin and Melahat Rafiei and has similar contribution levels to the Beverly Hills event. Proceeds first go the campaign, then a Democratic National Committee fund, then state parties.
The other Laguna Beach fundraiser that day is a lunch hosted by Janet Keller and Chantal and Stephen Cloobeck. It costs $33,400 or $100,000 per couple.
Clinton announced Tuesday she raised $90 million in July for her campaign and other Democrats.
Get the latest from the campaign trail on Trail Guide and follow @latimespolitics. Check our daily USC/Los Angeles Times tracking poll at the top of the politics page.
DNC WOES CONTINUE
The fallout from leaked emails that cost Debbie Wasserman Schultz her job as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee continued Tuesday, with the departures of three other high-profile party officials. Chief Executive Amy Dacey, Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall and Communications Director Luis Miranda all left their posts at the DNC, departures tied to the emails, a source told The Times.
OOPS, WRONG WINNER!
Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office accidentally told two congressional candidates that they would be on the November ballot, despite finishing in third place, Sarah Wire reports.
Democrat Joe Shammas said he bought signs and posters, and even resumed campaigning before he found out it was a mistake.
For the latest on California politics, watch our our Essential Politics news feed.
HAPPENING IN L.A.
Billionaire Democratic political activist and potential gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer toured skid row Tuesday with Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who said afterward that he is courting Steyer’s support for a potential March sales tax initiative for homeless services.
And Los Angeles County voters will be asked in November to approve a half-cent sales tax increase that would continue indefinitely to fund a major expansion of Southern California’s transit network.
TODAY’S ESSENTIALS
— Trump said Tuesday he has no regrets for taking on the Khan family.
— Continuing the national trend, South Bay GOP assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach) says says he won’t vote for Clinton or Trump in November, calling his own party’s nominee a “recurring litany of insults, provocation and polarization.”
— Democratic congressional challenger Bryan Caforio called on Republican Rep. Steve Knight to disavow Trump after the Khan dust-up. Knight’s campaign would only say the congressman has not endorsed anyone in the presidential contest. He may not endorse before November, the campaign said.
— The Supreme Court has its first chance this week to weigh in on the legal controversy over transgender students, as a Virginia school board seeks an emergency order exempting it from the Obama administration’s policy to allow students to use bathrooms “consistent with their gender identity.”
— Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin.
LOGISTICS
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Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
Dodgers still the evil American mercenaries Toronto loves to hate
TORONTO — Fans lined up before the game, waiting patiently for the chance to take a selfie with trophies that commemorated the back-to-back World Series championships.
Dodger Stadium is not the only place you can do this. The trophies were from 1992 and 1993, and they honored the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Dodgers matched that back-to-back feat over the past two years, including a classic Game 7 victory in Toronto in last year’s World Series, and returned here Monday to a noise pit packed with fans primed to boo, and to urge their team to exact vengeance on the evil mercenaries from America.
On this night, the mercenaries prevailed, in a pummeling so relentless and a silencing so rapid that a three-peat appeared all but inevitable: Dodgers 14, Blue Jays 2.
Dalton Rushing celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the game in the eighth inning of a 14-2 win over Toronto on Monday.
(Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
“These fans, sadly, didn’t want to see us come to town,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said, “and rightfully so, after what we did tonight.”
Those fans did want to see the Dodgers, but they did not want to see this. On a night the Dodgers fielded a lineup without Mookie Betts and Will Smith, the team hit five home runs — two by Rushing — and scored in every inning but the second and ninth. Of the six Toronto pitchers, the only one to hold the Dodgers scoreless was catcher Tyler Heineman.
To the Dodgers, well, it was another day on the job, if a bit louder than usual at the start. They had a game to win on the long road toward October and, as they often do, they won.
In Toronto, however, pitcher Kevin Gausman said, “It feels like we’re getting ready for Game 8.” The fans mercilessly booed Shohei Ohtani, who turned down $700 million from the Blue Jays to take $700 million from the Dodgers, and outfielder Kyle Tucker, who turned down $350 million (over 10 years) from the Blue Jays to take $240 million (over four years) from the Dodgers.
They even booed Justin Wrobleski, the Dodgers’ starting pitcher, and Miguel Rojas, usually an infielder but on Monday the Dodgers’ final pitcher. Wrobleski, who won his seventh major league game Monday, said he expected the boos.
“It was fun,” he said. “They care about baseball here. It’s a fun environment. If people weren’t a little upset and a little, I’d say, passionate about what happened last year in the World Series, maybe they’re not real fans.”
The boos could have been a sign of respect, or of a long memory: about the ninth most-memorable part of Game 7 was Wrobleski hitting Toronto infielder Andrés Gimenez, then shouting language so profane Wrobleski later said he apologized to his mother for using it. You cannot be a nobody if you can get the benches to clear in Game 7.
“They wouldn’t boo me,” Wrobleski said, “if they didn’t know who I was.”
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski delivers during the first inning against the Blue Jays on Monday.
(Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
The Dodgers led 4-1, then 5-1, then 6-1, then 9-1, and that was before the sixth inning was done.
“When you score a lot of runs, you’re going to take the crowd out of it,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said.
“I think the media and everyone else was more hyped up. It’s a new team, new year. We’ve got different guys on our team too. But we obviously understand it’s a World Series matchup.”
The Blue Jays were different: infielder Bo Bichette is in New York, catcher Alejandro Kirk is on the injured list, infielder-outfielder Addison Barger is hurt, and Toronto is borrowing a page from the Dodgers’ playbook with a rotation full of hurting pitchers: Shane Bieber, José Berrios, Cody Ponce and phenom Trey Yesavage all are on the injured list, and Max Scherzer left after two innings Monday because of tendinitis in his throwing arm.
The Dodgers are 8-2. The only defending World Series champion to get off to a better 10-game start in the last 100 years: last year’s Dodgers, at 9-1.
Last year worked out just fine. This is April, and no one is facing elimination any time soon. That explains how Roberts rated his anxiety level on Monday.
“It was probably a 10 in October and probably a one tonight,” he said.
Monday’s game offered yet another example of how the team that supposedly is ruining baseball is fattening the wallets of the league’s other 29 teams. The Dodgers have led the league in road attendance in each of Ohtani’s two previous seasons and almost certainly will do so again this season — and a fair number of those ticket buyers are Dodgers fans following their team here, there and everywhere.
In a 10-minute pregame walk around the main concourse, I saw plenty of fans in Dodgers jerseys: not only with the names of Ohtani, Betts and Freeman but with the names of Rojas, Kiké Hernández and Roki Sasaki.
As soon as the third inning, a “Let’s Go Dodgers” chant echoed through the stadium.
The Blue Jays are off to a 4-6 start, including series losses to the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. The Jays should be good again, and soon. In the meantime, they are offering 77-cent hot dogs Tuesday.
For all the Dodgers fans here, that’s quite the trip: a rout that silenced a hostile crowd one day, hot dogs valued at 55 cents in U.S. currency the next. The fruits of victory, as Tommy Lasorda might have said, rarely are so cheap and filling.
Popular seaside amusement park that’s FREE to visit is getting new rides
A POPULAR seaside attraction park with links to a much-loved TV series is launching new rides.
Barry Island Pleasure Park in Wales has already launched one new ride and has plans to add more this year.
Visitors with small children can now head on an apple-themed Caterpillar Coaster, which was introduced during February half-term and is ideal for introducing kids to rides.
And the free-to-visit attraction park is planning on adding several more attractions, according to Theme Parks UK.
While the new additions are yet to be announced, the park has teased that its biggest improvement is yet to come and will be introduced before the end of this year, reports Barry and District News.
The park previously revealed that it was adding bumper cars, but this has been delayed by the war in Ukraine with steel prices rising.
Read more on travel inspo
Other rides at the park include Aerospace, which is a huge 65metres-tall and reaches speeds of 75miles-per-hour and remains the tallest and fastest ride of its kind in the UK.
There is also a ghost train, carousel, waltzers and even a crazy fun house.
To go on the different attractions, visitors must purchase tokens, which cost around £1 each.
Rides then usually cost between three and four tokens per person.
A recent visitor said: “Barry Island Pleasure Park is a fantastic place for everyone, especially families looking for a fun day out.
“It offers a great mix of excitement, entertainment, and seaside charm.
“The park is filled with colourful rides and attractions that suit all ages, from small children to adults.
“Whether you’re into classic fairground rides, or enjoy the thrill of rollercoasters and other high-energy rides, there’s something for everyone here.”
The owner of the park, Harry Danter, also has plans to create a “Disneyland of Britain”.
Our favourite UK seaside towns
*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.
Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.
Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.
Seahouses, Northumberland
This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.
Last year, he told Wales Online that he wants to open a site near his Barry Island attraction to open a huge theme park similar to others in the UK.
He said that the attraction, if it went ahead, would include rides and accommodation similar to Alton Towers.
After having fun at the attraction, make sure to head to Barry Island Beach, which has connections to a much-loved TV series.
One recent visitor said: “One of the cleanest and most looked after beaches I’ve ever visited.
“If you’re a fan of Gavin and Stacey this has the arcade that Nessa worked at.
“Stacey’s house is five minutes away and Pam and Mick’s house is ten minute drive away.”
In other seaside attraction news, one of the UK’s most popular seaside towns is getting a huge new £3million indoor attraction this summer.
Plus, here’s seven great UK seaside towns with beachfront theme parks – and you can stay with Hols from £9.50.
DeSantis signs bill expanding Florida terror designation powers
April 7 (UPI) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation authorizing state officials to designate certain groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations, creating a mechanism to punish those blacklisted in the Sunshine State.
The legislation, House Bill 1471, was signed by the Republican governor on Monday during a press conference in Tampa.
The legislation creates a mechanism for Florida to sever funding, contracting and other ties to blacklisted groups. If a corporation is named, the state may pursue proceedings to dissolve it.
“We must defend our institutions from those who would harm us — especially terrorist organizations that seek to infiltrate and subvert our education system,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The bill specifically authorizes Florida’s chief of domestic security to designate groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations, subject to approval from the governor and Cabinet, if certain conditions are met.
Once designated, state agencies, political subdivisions and public school districts are barred from working with, supporting or taking money from them.
If the designated entity is a corporation, then the state may begin proceedings to dissolve it. It also creates criminal consequences for actions involving designated domestic terrorist organizations, including receiving military-type training from them, providing them with material support or resources and willfully becoming a member.
It also imposes consequences for schools, including secondary education, for promoting designated organizations and requires the immediate expulsion of students determined to have promoted them.
The bill also prohibits Florida courts or other adjudicatory bodies from enforcing any provision of what it calls “religious or foreign law” if it is inconsistent with federal or state law. The legislation specifically states Sharia law, the religious legal system of Islam.
“This legislation reinforces that the U.S. Constitution and Florida law remain the supreme authority in our court systems, preventing any foreign or religious legal code from overriding fundamental rights,” State Rep. Hillary Cassel, the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement after her legislation was signed into law.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement of concern on Monday over the potential misuse of the designation power, highlighting DeSantis’ previous attempt to designate it as a terrorist organization via executive order. before a judge blocked the blacklisting.
“This is not just about CAIR. This expanded and deeply flawed framework can attack any organization that dares to dissent,” CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hiba Rahim said in a statement.
“As Floridians, together, we’ll watch how this unprecedented law is enforced, and whether it is used or abused.”
‘US-Israel playing Russian roulette with security of the region’ | Al Jazeera
Abas Aslani of the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies argues that the US and Israel are playing “Russian roulette” with the Gulf’s environmental security following strikes near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant.
Published On 7 Apr 2026
Tiny ADU houses young adult children struggling to pay rent in L.A.
When Tina LaMonica and Warren Wellen purchased their South Pasadena Craftsman home in 2001, the one-car garage dated back to 1917, a time when people parked their narrow Ford Model T cars inside garages like this one.
“We bought it for $650,000,” LaMonica says of the house. “Of course, we could never afford to buy it now.”
The couple moved in when their daughters, Sophie and Ruby Wellen, were little, and their tree-lined street was full of families with young kids who rode their scooters throughout the neighborhood.
“We all grew up together and had block parties,” says Sophie, 30. Now, she adds, “There are no new families moving in. No one left. Why would they?”
Tina LaMonica and Warren Wellen sit on the patio with their daughter, Sophie Wellen, and their dog, Hazelnut, next to the 230-square-foot ADU where Sophie lived for two years. Her younger sister is now living in the ADU.
Music was always a part of their home, Sophie says, thanks to her father, Warren, 65, who is both an attorney and a musician in the alternative rock band Brahms’ Third Racket.
“He plays everything,” Sophie says. “Throughout my entire childhood, he was always making music.”
LaMonica adds, “It can be disruptive.”
So in 2021, the couple pulled together money from different sources, including a line of credit, and turned the garage into a tiny 230-square-foot accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, for Warren to use as a music studio.
“It was intended to be a creative space, not a home,” says LaMonica, 64, who is a commercial real estate broker. “The total cost was around $125,000, including permits, construction and all systems — a significant investment, but one that ended up serving our family in unexpected ways.”
The garage before, left, during, right, and after, below, construction. (Tina LaMonica)
A few months after using his new music studio, Sophie, who had been in law school at the University of Michigan, moved back to Los Angeles after being away for 10 years.
“She wasn’t working right away, and like many new grads, she had student debt and credit card debt from getting through school,” says LaMonica. “Market rent in the Los Angeles area wasn’t realistic, even with a job offer lined up. So, the studio became her first home. It gave her stability and independence during a major transition.”
Sophie, who describes her relationship with her parents as close, says the ADU was always meant to be temporary and she’s grateful for it.
“At 28, I didn’t know where I wanted to live in L.A.,” she says. “I had only grown up in Pasadena, which is a small community. I felt lucky to be able to live in this little house in the back and explore the city to find the right place for me, instead of rushing to grab the first place I could, like so many of my associates had to do. It was right after the bar exam, and I was really stressed.”
The ADU features a Murphy bed and and a nice-sized kitchenette.
The kitchenette has a compact air fryer-toaster oven from Our Place, and a slim, Classic retro-style refrigerator.
After clerking for a judge in Washington, D.C., Sophie’s boyfriend William Lang moved to Los Angeles and joined her and her dog in the ADU, bringing his two cats with him.
“It was a full house,” Sophie says, laughing. “And yes, they were indoor cats! But we made it work. Finding a rental was hard. I couldn’t really afford a nice apartment in L.A. I had to save up and wait until my boyfriend got here so we had two incomes.”
It’s no surprise they felt at home. Although it’s small, the unit is sunny and bright, with a pitched roof and a big picture window overlooking the lush backyard and swimming pool. (The blinds can be closed for privacy.)
There’s a Murphy bed that turns into a love seat when pulled down, which saves space, and classic black-and-white checkerboard porcelain tile from Mission Tile in South Pasadena that gives the living spaces a surprising sense of fun. The unit also has a bathroom with a shower, a closet and a storage nook above the bathroom.
The ADU has room for a desk, flat-screen TV and comfy chair.
There’s also room for a desk, a flat-screen TV on the wall and a comfortable chair. Not having a dining room isn’t a problem because there’s a welcoming patio just outside the French doors, with two chairs, a couch and a coffee table.
“The backyard was our saving grace,” says Sophie. “Most of the time, William sat at the little table. It was cozy and nice. I got to be near my parents, and they got to know my partner better.”
The ADU has a roomy kitchenette with white cabinets and countertops, a compact air fryer-toaster oven from Our Place, and a slim retro-style refrigerator from Unique. “You can bake, broil and fry with the small Wonder Oven,” LaMonica says. “Ruby uses it all the time.” There’s also a mini-split system for heating and cooling, and if needed, a stackable washer and dryer can be added later.
A patio area provides another living space steps outside the ADU.
Soon after Sophie moved out, having lived in the back house for two years, her 27-year-old sister Ruby moved in. “She works in Torrance and can’t afford to rent an apartment close to her job,” her mother says. “The ADU gives her a chance to live affordably, stay safe and be near family, while building financial footing on her own terms.”
LaMonica is happy with the ADU, though she wishes they could have added a second floor, which the city of South Pasadena didn’t allow at the time.
She imagines a future in which one of her daughters lives in the main house, and she and her husband live in the ADU. “I think an ADU is a great long-term solution,” she says. “It keeps people from moving out of California. With an ADU, at least you can keep your family on site.”
In some ways, the small ADU is more than just a solution for young people who can’t afford to live in Los Angeles. A 2025 study found that Los Angeles ranked second among the 50 largest U.S. metros for its share of working adults (ages 25 to 40) living with parents.
Backyard homes can also help people connect with their community.
“The nice thing about the ADU is that it can give you a sense of community that’s hard to find right now because people are so isolated,” says Sophie, who now rents a two-bedroom duplex in Hancock Park with Lang for $4,500 a month. “We’re both lawyers at private law firms and doing well, but I still don’t feel like I could have a child right now and give them the life I want. It’s hard to make big life decisions in L.A., especially if you have student debt. It was really nice to have dinner with my parents every once in a while. They didn’t want William and I to leave.”
The bathroom inside the ADU.
As Southern California gets more crowded and housing costs rise, young people have to look for options different from those their parents had when they were growing up.
LaMonica says she and her husband never thought they would house both daughters in a converted garage. “But in a place like Los Angeles,” she says, “the tiny ADU turned into a flexible and essential lifeline for our family, not just once but twice.”
And maybe one day, Warren will finally get his music studio.
My favourite English village is under an hour from London and a perfect day out
GROWING up in Hertfordshire might make me biased, but I believe it has some of the most beautiful hidden gems in the country.
And one of the quaintest of spots has made its way onto Condé Nast Traveller’s list of the 15 prettiest villages near London.
Ashwell is a beautiful and what I’d say is a classic countryside village tucked in-between the bigger towns of Royston and Baldock.
It’s not too easily found and others who have visited described it as being “off the beaten track”.
As a Hertfordshire local, Ashwell happens to be where I have spent many weekends.
It’s the perfect spot for a family day trip, thanks to the springs, old-school bakery, pretty pastel cottages, half-timbered houses and enormous church in the middle of town.
The springs are one of the most popular spots in the summer months where you’ll see kids in their wellies hopping in and out of the freshwater.
There are stepping stones across the banks if you don’t want to get your feet wet, but lots fall victim to slipping on the algae and tumbling in (including me).
When you’ve worked up a thirst, pop into one of Ashwell’s many pubs, like The Three Tuns, or The Rose & Crown.
And make sure to pay a visit to the bakery in the high street called the Days of Ashwell.
Any Hertfordshire local will know Days, as the bakery has since opened other branches in spots like Ware, Hitchin and Buntingford.
But the bakery started in Ashwell, it was founded there in 1741, making it one of the oldest family bakeries in the UK.
On a sunny day, make sure to head into the bakery first as on busier days and weekends, it will run out of goodies.
You can get pastries, cakes, sausages rolls and freshly made sandwiches.
My order of choice would always be a tuna and sweetcorn roll followed by a pink stripy donut.
For more beautiful places in the UK – here are some of the prettiest seaside towns…
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Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.
Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.
Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse, and 13th-century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.
Seahouses, Northumberland
This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.
Newer spots include Rhubarb & Mustard which is known by locals as the Ashwell Coffee House.
It’s also on the high street, and if you fancy enjoying your cake outside – it has a pretty courtyard out the back.
Ashwell even has its own gallery and museum if you fancy learning more about its history.
Ashwell holds events throughout the year, with one of the biggest coming up next month
On May 10, there’s Ashwell at Home which is a day of live music, dance performances, lots of locals even open up their own gardens so public can have a look around at the pretty flower beds.
There are street food stalls with plenty of drinks – and of course, tea and cake.
On August 31, there’s the Ashwell Show at Elbrook Meadow, where there are horse and dog shows, lots of stalls, and plenty of vintage tractors and cars will be on display too.
As for how to get there from London, it’s easily doable.
Take the direct train from London St Pancras which will get you into Ashwell & Morden station in 47minutes.
From there, you’ll need to hop in a taxi, which takes just 5 minutes to get into the village of Ashwell.
Here are the other 15 prettiest villages near London, according to Conde Nast Traveller
West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Finchingfield, Essex
Thaxted, Essex
Castle Hedingham, Essex
Ashwell, Hertfordshire
Cookham, Berkshire
Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
Mickleham, Surrey
Shere, Surrey
Ripley, Derbyshire
Lurgashall, West Sussex
Alfriston, East Sussex
Firle, East Sussex
Aylesford, Kent
Biddenden, Kent
And this is the most beautiful village in the world, which is in the UK, and it has a very famous row of houses.
Trump budget proposes TSA job cuts, $1.5B reduction in funding (DAL:NYSE)
Greggory DiSalvo
The White House has reportedly proposed cutting more than 9,400 jobs and over $1.5B from the roughly 60,000-employee Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which oversees airport security operations, according to budget documents.
The details were outlined in the Department of Homeland
The small UK airport to close for GOOD with its last flights departing next month
A SMALL UK airport will close in a matter of weeks with its final flights scheduled for May.
Coventry Airport first opened in 1936 and even took holidaymakers abroad for a number of years – but will close permanently in 2026.
It was announced in early December 2025 that Coventry would close its airport on June 11, 2026.
The last flights from are set to depart on May 9, 2026.
The site won’t stay vacant though as it will be replaced by Greenpower Park which first received planning permission in 2022.
It will be a £2.5billion battery gigafactory designed for electric vehicle production.
Historically, Coventry Airport opened in 1936 – at the time it was called Baginton Aerodome and operated as an RAF base during WWII.
Later, in the 1950s and 60s, the airport began passenger flights across to the Channel Islands.
Then in the 1980s, Hards Travel began operating flights to Spain, France, Italy and Austria as part of package holidays.
Later on in 2004, Thomsonfly operated jet passenger flights to the likes of Palma, Valencia, Rome, Nice, Marseilles, Naples, Pisa, Venice, and Jersey.
During this time Wizz Air flew passengers to Gdańsk and Katowice.
However, after just four years, these stopped.
Following financial issues, the airport closed briefly in 2009, then re-opened in 2010 after being bought by the Rigby Group.
From 2010, the airport focussed on freight flights, training and even a base for the Air Ambulance rather than scheduled passenger services.
But after 90 years, Coventry Airport will close its doors in less than two months.
Last year, a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson confirmed: “Coventry Aerodrome has given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026.”
For more on airports, here’s one in the UK that’s seeing a ‘boom’ in passengers with plans for more TUI flights next year.
Major airline increases luggage fees due to soaring fuel costs
ANOTHER airline has confirmed that luggage fees will be increasing due to the ongoing fuel crisis.
The conflict in the Middle East has resulted in the cost of jet fuel soaring due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, meaning airlines are looking at ways to offset costs.
And United Airlines has since increased its baggage fees, the second airline to do so.
The new rules mean checked bags now cost $10 (£7.50) extra, working out to $45 (£33) for domestic flights, or $50 (£37) if it it booked 24 hours before a flight.
A second checked bag will now cost up to $60 (£45) if booked last minute.
The airline said: “United is raising first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers traveling in the US, Mexico and Canada and Latin America beginning with tickets purchased Friday, April 3.”
Last month, JetBlue was the first airline to confirm that they would be increasing luggage costs in response to fuel prices going up.
Checked bags have gone up by $4 (£3) for off peak, economy travellers – who will pay $39 (£30).
Peak economy travellers will have to pay $9 (£6.80) extra, so to $49 (£37).
Passengers paying for luggage less than 24 hours before the flight will pay an extra $10 (£7.50).
A JetBlue spokesperson told local media: “Adjusting fees for optional services used by select customers, such as checked baggage, allows us to continue offering more competitive fares.”
Some airlines are already cancelling flights.
UK-owned Skybus has cancelled its daily flights between London Gatwick and Newquay earlier than planned.
Due to finish by end of May, it has since cancelled all of the routes and cited lack of passengers as well as rising costs.
Elsewhere in the world, United Airlines said they would cut five per cent of flights until the third quarter of 2026.
This works out to around 250 flights a month, based on the airline operating around 5,000 in total per month.
The latest to confirm that it would be cutting five per cent of flights in the second and third quarters of 2026.
Air New Zealand has cancelled 1,100 fights – working out to around 44,000 passengers – while Scandinavian airline SAS also cancelled 1,000 flights.
Both of these are mainly affecting domestic routes primarily.
And Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned of flight cancellations across May and June.
This could affect up to 10 per cent of flights this summer.
California senator sues Sacramento, alleging ‘retaliatory’ DUI arrest
A California state senator alleges that police officers fabricated evidence to falsely accuse her of driving under the influence after she was T-boned at an intersection near the state Capitol.
Their motive, she claims, was discriminatory bias and a piece of legislation she wrote that law enforcement agencies did not like.
Now, she is suing the city of Sacramento alleging “a deliberate and unlawful campaign to falsely accuse, arrest, and discredit her.”
On Monday, state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) filed a federal lawsuit against the city as well as the police officers who cited her for driving under the influence in May. The Sacramento district attorney’s office declined to file charges after a blood test showed there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.
Cervantes accuses officers of pushing forward with an arrest despite lacking probable cause and building a case against her based on false statements. She said officers submitted false information to the DMV, forcing her to retain a lawyer to stop her license from being suspended or revoked, according to the complaint.
The Riverside County legislator alleges that this conduct was in retaliation for a bill she authored seeking to restrict how law enforcement agencies store and use data from automatic license plate readers. She claims that officers discriminated against her as an LGBTQ Latina woman and provided more respectful treatment to the white woman who was at fault in the crash.
Cervantes further alleges that unknown parties within the Sacramento Police Department leaked news of her arrest to the press in a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation. Representatives for both the city and the Police Department said Monday that they were unable to comment on pending litigation.
“This case is about the abuse of power,” Cervantes’ attorney James Quadra said in a statement Monday. “Officers ignored the facts, fabricated evidence, and tried to turn a victim into a criminal.”
In September, Cervantes filed a government claim against the city, a necessary precursor to taking further legal action. Her lawsuit, filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of California, seeks damages for violations of federal civil rights and state law, including false arrest, unlawful search and seizure, and defamation.
The crash took place at 12:55 p.m. on May 19, 2025, when Cervantes’ car was hit by a driver who failed to yield to the right of way at an intersection in downtown Sacramento. The state senator was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment where officers met and interviewed her for hours, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that “despite clear damage to the vehicles showing that the other driver, a young white woman, had t-boned Senator Cervantes’ vehicle” the responding officer “treated the at-fault driver with a deference and respect which was not accorded to Senator Cervantes.”
At the hospital, one of the officers requested that Cervantes submit to a “subjective sobriety test” that included measuring her eye’s response to stimuli, according to the complaint. Cervantes said she was troubled by this request given that she broke no traffic laws and was the victim of a dangerous driver.
In order to obtain a warrant to obtain a blood draw, the officer “falsely claimed that Senator Cervantes had an unsteady gait, slurred speech, and an appearance of drowsiness,” the complaint alleges.
After news of the crash became public, a spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department told reporters that “based on the objective signs, officers believed that Cervantes was under the influence of a central nervous system depressant.” Redacted test results Cervantes chose to share with the media showed she had a near-zero blood alcohol level, and the district attorney declined to file charges later that month.
Her lawsuit accuses parties within the Police Department of falsely telling the media she was driving under the influence “with the intent to harm Senator Cervantes because of her sponsorship of SB Bill 274 and her status as a Latina member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The bill sought to restrict law enforcement’s use of automatic license plate readers, following concerns that the technology was being used to violate driver’s privacy and that data was being unlawfully shared with agencies outside of the state.
Civil liberty groups such as the ACLU have demanded that California police stop sharing automatic license plate reader data with out-of-state agencies that could use it to prosecute women traveling to seek abortion care.
In June, an investigation by Calmatters found that law enforcement agencies across Southern California, including the Los Angeles Police Department, violated state law by sharing information from automated license plate readers with Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Senate Bill 274 passed the state Senate and Assembly but was vetoed in October by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sided with law enforcement agencies that expressed concerns over how the bill could hinder their ability to solve crimes.
The bill would have limited the lists agencies could use to monitor for certain cars, required enhanced data security and privacy training for officers and mandated that certain data be deleted after 60 days.
In a letter explaining his veto, Newsom wrote that the bill “failed to strike the delicate balance between protecting individual privacy and ensuring public safety.” He noted that, in instances such as cold cases, license plate data are needed to solve crimes beyond a 60-day window.
José Soriano frustrates Braves, striking out 10 in Angels’ win
José Soriano pitched eight dominant innings and the Angels got home runs from Zach Neto and Jo Adell in a 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
Neto launched a leadoff shot on Chris Sale’s first pitch, and Soriano (3-0) struck out 10 as the Angels won their third consecutive game. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits without issuing a walk, throwing 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
Soriano gave up a solo homer to Drake Baldwin and a single to Matt Olson in the first, then retired 19 straight batters before Mike Yastrzemski led off the eighth with a single.
Mauricio Dubón homered off Angels reliever Chase Silseth in the ninth. Atlanta put two on with two outs before Jordan Romano replaced Silseth and got Yastrzemski to fly out for his fourth save.
The Angels played without star center fielder Mike Trout, who exited Sunday’s game against Seattle after getting hit on the left hand by a 94-mph fastball in the eighth. Trout’s hand swelled so quickly he struggled to remove his batting glove, but X-rays were negative and he is listed as day to day.
Sale (2-1) entered 8-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 11 career games against the Angels, but Neto slammed the left-hander’s first pitch, a 95-mph fastball, for a homer to left field.
Angels star Zach Neto celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Braves on Monday.
(Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)
Sale retired his next nine batters but fell apart during a three-run fourth in which the Angels drew two walks, were twice hit by pitches, had two runners forced out at the plate and hit one ball out of the infield.
Logan O’Hoppe walked and Yoán Moncada was hit by a pitch, both with the bases loaded, to account for two runs. Bryce Teodosio drove in a run with an infield single for a 4-1 lead.
Jorge Soler opened the fifth with a single, and Adell drove a first-pitch fastball 411 feet to left for a two-run homer — his first of the season — and a 6-1 advantage.
Up next: Braves RHP Reynaldo López (1-0, 1.64 ERA) opposes Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 6.52) on Tuesday night.
Beloved seafront train returns to English Victorian town with new treasure hunt for children
A CHERISHED attraction has returned to an English seaside town, with a new onboard activity for young passengers.
The miniature train disappeared over the winter period but it’s now up and running again.
Eastbourne’s Dotto Train takes a journey along the town’s coast, stopping at key points including the pier, harbour, and the promenade.
Passengers can sit onboard and simply enjoy the view, or they can hop off at any point to go out and explore.
While the train itself remains the same as always, a treasure map has been introduced to keep children engaged during their journey.
Each train has a chest hidden somewhere onboard which is filled with prizes.
Kids must use their map and answer a series of accompanying questions to help them form a code.
This code can them with shared with a member of the Dotto train’s staff to unlock the contents of the treasure chest.
Tickets to board the Dotto train cost £5.50 for adults and £3 for children ages 5 to 15.
The ticket covers all-day travel, so you can hop on and off of the train as many times as you like.
Tickets can be purchased directly from the train’s conductor.
Though the train doesn’t run every day, so it’s best to check Stagecoach’s website before planning a visit.
A Highway 78 spring road trip through Julian and Borrego Springs
In early spring, the California mountain town of Julian sits suspended between seasons. At more than 4,000 feet, up in the Cuyamaca Mountains, it rests among coastal live oak woodlands and Coulter pine forests. Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower. Along Main Street, the mingled scents of woodsmoke and apple pie drift from storefronts.
It is here that my journey along State Route 78 begins, following its long eastward descent from the mountain forest into the stark badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, then skirting the southern edge of the Salton Sea, crossing the Algodones Dunes and continuing toward the Colorado River — a 140-mile corridor spanning one of the most dramatic ecological transitions across public lands in the American Southwest.
This road trip continues a series exploring California’s overlooked scenic highways, inspired in part by artist Earl Thollander’s “Back Roads of California,” whose sketches and travel notes celebrated a slower way of seeing. After tracing Highway 127 along the edge of Death Valley, the journey now shifts south.
Julian Cafe and Bakery, the start of the trip off Route 78.
(Josh Jackson)
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca. By the time it reaches the Pacific Crest Trail crossing 12 miles east of Julian, travelers have already descended nearly 2,000 feet.
Here, the highway passes quietly into Anza-Borrego, homeland of the Kumeyaay, Cahuilla and Cupeño peoples. At nearly 650,000 acres — just smaller than Yosemite — the park unfolds as a vast mosaic of mountains, badlands and open desert valleys extending far beyond the reach of the pavement.
Wildflowers along the route.
(Josh Jackson)
Bri Fordem, executive director of the Anza-Borrego Foundation, said the landscape reveals itself slowly to first-time visitors. “I think a lot of people drive right by it and go, ‘Oh yeah, there’s a desert there,’” she said. “But when you stop and you go a little slower and take a closer look, a whole world opens up.”
That invitation begins at mile 18, where the Yaqui Pass Road turnoff leads northeast toward the desert basin and the gateway community of Borrego Springs. The 2.8-mile Borrego Palm Canyon Trail offers one of the park’s most accessible routes into the desert’s interior. Cholla gardens and brittlebush rise from pale alluvial slopes, and a seasonal stream leads to one of California’s few native fan palm oases.
In wet winters, the valleys beyond town awaken in color as sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primrose and pincushion gather in brief, luminous blooms across the desert floor. The Anza-Borrego Foundation tracks these seasonal displays and offers guidance on how to witness them responsibly.
The short detour returns to Highway 78 along Borrego Springs Road, where the pavement drops abruptly through the Texas Dip near mile 27 — a stark, cinematic wash where scenes from the closing sequence of “One Battle After Another” were filmed. Wandering through the wash, the mind drifts not to the film but to the flash floods that move through this channel after heavy rains, sudden torrents cutting and reshaping the valley floor in a matter of hours.
Ocotillo plants rise up from the desert floor in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
(Josh Jackson)
The sun hangs in the middle of the sky as I drive toward one of the most rapidly changing shorelines in California. From almost any vantage point, the Salton Sea appears lifeless — a gray expanse rimmed with salt and windblown dust. But at its southern terminus, that impression begins to shift. The basin gathers into shallow wetlands where movement returns to the landscape.
Sixty miles from Julian, I turn onto Bannister Road and bump north along a gravel track for three miles into the basin, to a parking lot 164 feet below sea level. The lot sits within Unit 1 of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. A short walk along an irrigation canal leads to a weathered observation deck rising two stories above a patchwork of saturated flats where saltgrass, iodine bush and cattail take root. Here, the Pacific Flyway compresses into a living mosaic of wings, water and soil. Each spring, hundreds of thousands of birds gather here to feed and rest before lifting north again, following migratory paths far older than the farms and highways that now define the valley.
The wetlands near the Salton Sea provide a vital habitat for birds.
(Josh Jackson)
The place overwhelms the senses: a wash of emerald against open sky, thousands of snow geese honking in chorus, orange-crowned warblers and Abert’s towhees singing in the trees, and the persistent tang of salt in the air.
I meet three birders standing quietly on the platform, scanning the horizon through binoculars and recounting the 73 avian species they had tallied over the last two days — burrowing owls, American avocets, sandhill cranes and black-necked stilts among them. For 30 minutes we watch a northern harrier on the hunt, dive-bombing blue-winged and cinnamon teal, though he always comes up empty. Between scans of the horizon, we bond over “Listers,” the 2025 documentary that turns obsessive birdwatching into both comedy and a tale of devotion.
A burrowing owl stands in the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.
(Josh Jackson)
Leaving the refuge, the vibrant color palette and moisture give way to muted browns and the returning austerity of desert air. By mile 97, the road rises to the Hugh T. Osborne Overlook, where the landscape shifts once again, opening into a vast ocean of sand.
The Algodones Dunes stretch toward the horizon in pale, wind-sculpted ridges, a narrow ribbon of shifting terrain running south into Mexico. The highway passes directly through their center.
From the overlook, the road reads as a line dividing two expressions of the same dune system. To the south lie the Bureau of Land Management’s Imperial Sand Dunes, where dune buggies and motorcycles trace arcs across bare slopes. North of the pavement, the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness holds a quieter terrain, where sunflower, ephedra and honey mesquite anchor the sand in subtle defiance of the wind.
A person walks along the Algodones Dunes.
(Josh Jackson)
Here the road becomes a boundary between different ways of moving through — and loving — the same landscape: speed and stillness, noise and silence, crowds and solitude.
By late afternoon, the final miles carry me east toward the Colorado River, where it meanders past willow and cottonwood. The light softened toward sunset, an evening echo of the same violet sky that hovered over Julian at the start of the day. After 140 miles, my road trip had come to an end. Yet as I pitched my tent that night, the motion of the landscapes lingered in mind.
The Colorado continued its long course south. Snow geese lifted north from refuge marshes. Wind reshaped the dunes, erasing the day’s tracks. Wildflowers that had briefly lit the desert floor would soon fade as heat gathered strength. The road ended, but the living systems it crossed moved steadily onward, already turning toward the next season.
Road trip planner: State Route 78
Highway 78 illustrated map.
(Illustrated map by Noah Smith)
The route: Julian to Palo Verde.
Distance: 140 miles (one way).
Drive time: 3 hours straight through; allow a full day for stops.
Best time to go: October through April. Summer temperatures frequently exceed 110 degrees.
Fuel and essentials:
- Julian (Mile 0): Gas station, Julian Market and Deli, lots of restaurants.
- Borrego Springs (Mile 18): Gas station, groceries, cafes.
- Brawley (Mile 74): Gas station, restaurants.
Eat and drink:
Camping:
Lodging:
Hike and explore:
Safety notes:
- Water: Carry at least 1 gallon per person per day.
- Connectivity: Cell service is dependable along the route.
- Wildlife: Watch for bighorn sheep and coyotes on the road, especially at dawn and dusk.
Wildflowers along Highway 78.
(Josh Jackson)
S. Korea secures 60 mln barrels of alternative oil supplies for May: officials
A fuel tank truck enters a tunnel in the city of Goyang, northwest of Seoul, in this file photo taken March 5, 2026. Photo by Yonhap
South Korea has secured an additional 60 million barrels of alternative oil supplies for May that will replace supplies from the Middle East that have been blocked due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government said Tuesday.
The country has secured a total of 110 million barrels of oil — 50 million for April and 60 million for May — so far from 17 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Canada, Yang Ghi-wuk, deputy minister for trade, industry and resource security, said in a regular press briefing.
The amount secured for this month and May each represents about 60 percent and 70 percent, respectively, of monthly oil supplies to South Korea when things run as usual, he added.
Regarding the oil swap system introduced last week, Yang said the country’s major four refiners have submitted plans to borrow more than 30 million barrels under the program, with around 8 million barrels to be delivered this week.
Under the oil swap system, South Korean refiners can borrow crude oil from the national reserve and return the same volume once shipments of their crude supplies secured abroad arrive.
“Refiners have expressed interest in the oil swap system and are willing to utilize it,” he said.
Touching on naphtha, a crucial raw material in petrochemical manufacturing, Yang said he expects imports for the raw material to reach 770,000 tons this month, which will be equivalent to some 70 percent of the amount imported during the same month last year.
Also, the aggregate naphtha supply is projected to reach around 80 to 90 percent of the amount needed for the month on a normal basis when adding around 1.1 million tons of the material produced within the country, Yang added.
“We plan to work with companies to make efforts in securing naphtha supplies once the supplementary budget passes and the extra budget is allocated,” he said.
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