A photographer on a flight over Greenville, Texas, captured an especially good look at one of the U.S. Air Force’s RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft with its usual paint scheme completely stripped off. Instead, much of its skin is seen covered with a green-colored protective coating. The airliner-sized, C-135-based Rivet Joints are powerful multi-purpose intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft that can scoop up details about an opponent’s air defenses and other assets from their electronic emissions, as well as intercept communications chatter.

Dylan Phelps took the picture of the ‘naked’ Rivet Joint, seen at the top of this story, while flying over Greenville Municipal Airport, also known as Majors Field, at the tail end of a recent trip across the middle of the United States. Phelps flew in a Cessna 182 piloted by Curt Lewis.

L3Harris has a facility at the airport in Greenville where the Air Force’s Rivet Joints and other RC-135 variants routinely go to receive upgrades, as well as undergo higher-level maintenance. L3Harris performs similar work there on a variety of other large U.S. military special mission and VIP planes. This kind of work also often involves stripping and repainting the aircraft.

Rivet Joints are “perhaps the most sophisticated airborne surveillance and reconnaissance platform in the world,” Jon Rambeau, President of L3Harris Integrated Mission Systems, told reporters at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the United Kingdom last July, according to FlightGlobal. “The aircraft gets a full tip-to-tail refresh every four years – that’s the airframe as well as all the technology that resides inside it.”

With its paint stripped off, the sheer volume of antennas that dot the top of the Rivet Joint’s fuselage really stands out. Not visible from this particular viewpoint are the arrays of additional antennas underneath the aircraft. The RC-135V/Ws also carry additional systems in their elongated noses and “chipmunk cheeks” on either side of the forward fuselage. The Automatic Electronic Emitter Locating System (AEELS) is one of the things that has been contained inside the cheek fairings, at least in the past.

The Air Force’s current fleet of 17 Rivet Joints are the latest iterations of RC-135 variants that first entered service in the early 1960s. The United Kingdom is currently the only other operator of the Rivet Joint, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) flying three of these aircraft. The image from Greenville underscores how, despite the age of these assets, they continue to get new capabilities, as exemplified by the multiple high-bandwidth satellite communications terminals now seen on their spines.

Specific details about their capabilities are classified, but the RC-135V/Ws are known to be able to detect, geolocate, categorize, and monitor a variety of different signals and whatever is transmitting them. As such, the aircraft can gather valuable intelligence about the capabilities of those emitters, which can include air defense radars and command and control nodes, as well as just map out their locations. In this way, the jets provide information that is invaluable for creating so-called “electronic orders of battle” detailing an opponent’s force posture during peacetime, as well as in the lead-up to a major campaign. Rivet Joints can then continue to provide that kind of support during combat operations, helping keep tabs on changes in an enemy’s disposition on the battlefield.

As noted, Rivet Joints can also intercept communications chatter. In addition to onboard signals and electronic warfare specialists, the crews of the jets typically include linguists to allow for immediate analysis of those intercepts, as well as signals data. The RC-135V/Ws also have extensive communications and data-sharing suites so they can send intelligence collected to other nodes for further exploitation in near real time. The jets are also capable of passing information directly to forces engaged in tactical operations.

With their complete standoff surveillance suite, Air Force RC-135V/Ws serve as the backbone of U.S. airborne electronic intelligence collection capabilities, and are in consistently high demand as a result. Rivet Joints are currently among the array of ISR assets supporting ongoing operations against Iran. The aircraft also played a key role in the lead-up to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in January, as well as the execution of that operation.

The Rivet Joint’s capabilities continue to evolve, as underscored by the pairing of an RC-135V/W with one of the Air Force’s new EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets. You can read more about the EA-37B, which is also now taking part in operations against Iran, here.

“The synergistic integration of Rivet Joint’s intelligence gathering with Compass Call’s electronic warfare capabilities has proven to be a game-changer on the modern battlefield. We’re not simply flying sorties; we’re creating a new paradigm,” Air Force Capt. Jasmine Harris, a member of the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron, said in a statement at the time. “By refining tactics, techniques, and procedures, we’re ensuring our forces maintain a decisive advantage in the electromagnetic spectrum.”

“This level of sustained, continuous integration has never been conducted before by these two assets,” Air Force Capt. Wesley Ballinger, also from the 38th, said, as well. “Both assets complete specific actions in the kill-chain, and now the kill-chain is being refined into a faster, robust, and more lethal tool.”

As it stands now, there is no firm plan for a replacement for the Rivet Joints, at least that is publicly known. The Air Force has said in the past that it expects the RC-135V/Ws to continue flying at least through 2050.

Overall, “the RC-135 is an unmatched capability,” L3Harris’ Rambeau also said at RIAT last year, per FlightGlobal. “While some of the Rivet Joint capability could be integrated on a business jet-size platform, there are some things related to physics and the distance between point A and point B that have to be on a larger aircraft.”

At the same time, the Cold War-era aircraft are aging, and the Air Force has faced challenges in sustaining them in the past. Questions have also been raised about their survivability in future conflicts, especially in a potential high-end fight in the Pacific against China.

Regardless, the RC-135V/W fleet looks to have decades more service ahead of it, and the aircraft will continue to make trips to Greenville for upgrades in maintenance.

Special thanks again to Dylan Phelps for sharing the picture of the Rivet Joint stripped of its paint with us.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

This European city has been crowned the world’s best destination for food lovers

One European city has been crowned the ultimate travel destination for food lovers. A new study by Titan Travel examined cooking class availability, ratings, pricing, and worldwide search demand, concluding that the Italian city of Florence reigns supreme for gastronomically-inspired getaways.

Florence wasn’t the only Italian gem to feature on the list either, with Italy dominating all three top spots: Palermo claiming second place and Bologna taking third. Rome then tied for fourth alongside Portuguese capital Lisbon, with Venice, Brussels and Barcelona all sharing fifth place.

Researchers discovered that Florence boasts a staggering 213,300 culinary experiences, encompassing 231 cooking classes, 74.5% of which hold a four-star rating or above.

And depending on when you book, Skyscanner has flights to Florence starting from just £31.

Weighing in on the growing trend of food tourism, and how it has become an increasingly significant factor for holidaymakers when planning their trips, Cassie Stickland, Product Manager at Titan Travel, said: “Today, travellers want to do more than just see the sights.

“They want to really experience a destination. Food is such a fantastic way to do that, because it connects you directly to local life and tradition. Taking a cooking class abroad allows you to do something, learn something, and return with a valuable skill.

“When planning your 2026 travels, look for tours that include a hands-on cooking experience. The best ones start with a market visit to get ingredients and end with you sitting down to enjoy what you’ve created.

“The most rewarding experiences tend to come from local chefs and family-run kitchens, where you’ll not only learn recipes but hear the stories behind them.”

World’s best cities for food

1. Florence, Italy

2. Palermo, Italy

3. Bologna, Italy

4. Lisbon, Portugal and Rome, Italy

5. Brussels, Belgium, Barcelona, Spain, and Venice, Italy

6. Osaka, Japan

7. Hue, Vietnam

ARLO PARKS’ third album is a reset, inspired by the nightlife, freedom and spontaneity she missed out on when she broke through as a teenager. 

For Ambiguous Desire, the London-born singer-songwriter wanted to escape from way she had created songs in the past.  

Arlo, 25, says: “I wanted this to be from ground zero and exactly how I feel now, while I’m really living. 

“When I got to the end of the cycle for my second record, My Soft Machine, I was like, ‘OK, I want to see what it’s like when I DECIDE the path of my days’.  

“I wanted to spend more time in nocturnal spaces, making friends with DJs, club organisers and people in different collectives, and getting inspired by exploring the subcultures and the history and the architecture of those spaces. That’s what was fascinating.” 

Using voicenotes, journal entries and memories from nights out, the Mercury Prize winner’s intimate album is rooted in storytelling.  

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She says: “For this record, my mantra was to write it exactly how it felt.  

“In the past, I was focused on making things as beautiful and poetic as possible, but this time I stripped it right back to the lean truth of it, and that felt more authentic.  

“I also wanted to bring in those references exactly as I heard them, without softening the edges or maybe adding guitars to bring it into the indie world. 

“I wanted it to be inspired by house and garage, the music I’ve been loving. It was just about being true to myself.” 

This raw approach to songwriting runs through 12-track Ambiguous Desire. 

Arlo, real name Anais Marinho, says: “I wanted to make the music feel exciting and dynamic, so the song Jetta is just a voicenote in an Uber with my friends from one of those nights. 

“It’s the sound and the stories of people. Even the vinyl cover and the inserts are photos I took of my friends on nights out.” 

I chat to Arlo at her London record label office the day before she flies back to LA, which has been her home for the past four years. 

Arlo, who won the Brit Breakthrough Artist Award in 2021, following the success of her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams, says: “LA does feel like home, but London will always BE home.  

“When I moved to LA, I was coming into myself as an artist, so I see it as the place where I built my community and grew into my confidence. But London is where I grew up, where my roots are, where I wrote my first word and heard my first song.”  

While London holds emotional ties — Arlo has been staying with friends and family while in the capital — LA has provided the creative community and space to push her sound. 

She says: “It’s the place where I met a lot of the people that I make music with. And there’s something about the pace of life there, the nature and the sunshine that gives me this sense of peace, where I can just sit and write.  

“My main collaborator, Baird, lives there and we made the whole record in the space he shares with his brother. 

“It’s like a living-room studio with pianos, acrylic paints, sewing machines — it’s an amazing creative hub. The place has been really inspiring for me and given me the peace to experiment.” 

Club culture became both creative research and a release from everyday worries.  

She says: “In New York, we were going to clubs like Nowadays and Basement, which is more in the techno world, and then in LA there are nights like Midnight Lovers. 

“The scene there feels much more DIY, more warehouses than big institutions like London’s Fabric.  

“It was nice to have that as part of our week, like knowing on a Saturday we’d go out and experience it. 

“And I love living in LA because so many artists pass through, so you can catch shows all the time. People like Jamie xx in those spaces were amazing.” 

The euphoric dancefloor-inspired Heaven was the first song that Parks wrote and knew she was on to something special.  

She recalls: “I’d been out with my friend Kelly [DJ Kelly Lee Owens], who was supporting Caribou and, the night after, I’d written all of these little fragments in my journal, like my friend wearing pink Adidas shoes. That’s in the song, which came together exactly like the night had felt.  

“I was able to distil that experience into a song. It felt very cinematic.” 

Clubbing helped Arlo reconsider how songwriting can be a collective experience rather than just a personal one.  

That instinct carries into the brilliant 2Sided, the first track released from the album, which describes the heat and chaos of a night out with friends at a club. 

She says: “It felt like the right song to start this era, and it came about really naturally.  

“I felt it when I made it, and also a lot of my friends — my partner, everyone in my life — were like, ‘That’s the one’.” 

Her other standout tracks explore different themes.  

The dreamy Beams includes the line “I know it’s not a way to treat people you love”, and Parks says: “I think that sentiment is really simple.  

“There’s a moment where you’re in a situation or a relationship and you’ve become used to being treated a certain way and then you realise, ‘Wait, that’s not actually how you treat people. You should be softer, kinder’.  

“It’s about that realisation of what you actually deserve.” 

Luck Of Life is another brilliant track, which explores grief. Arlo says: “That started just me on my computer at the kitch­en table.  

“It’s about loss, something we’ve all experienced whether it’s someone passing away or a break-up, but the impact those people had on our lives and, hopefully, bringing comfort to people who are hurting.” 

On Senses, a collaboration with Sampha, she says: “It’s soothing. I think a lot of that comes from Sampha, as he’s just such a soulful person. 

“He’s always tried out lots of different genres in his career, which is really inspiring to me.” 

For her forthcoming live shows in the UK, US and Europe, Arlo has made some changes. 

She says: “It makes sense to shift the set-up as well for these shows. For a long time, it’s been kind of indie — I had a guitar band — but I want to bring the samplers and the drum machines in.  

“I’ve been inspired by how Massive Attack are touring now and bringing those Nineties sounds into more contemporary spaces. 

“With the smaller shows we did at the end of last year, I had this idea of a light box above with a blue wash, and the stage being in the round with all my samplers and equipment in the middle.  

“I wanted to feel like those nights. Even the imagery came from that.  

“We went back to some of those clubs and did this kind of guerilla-style photography with my friends.  

“It was about staying true to what really happened and trying to recapture that.”  

In 2022, Arlo cancelled some US tour dates due to “debilitating” mental health issues. She has since learned to slow down to avoid another burnout. 

She says: “Music is what I love most in the world, so if I ever feel anything negative, I know it’s because I’m feeling overworked, not because of the music itself.  

“It’s my passion, it’s very much at the centre of who I am.” It is why she also took her time making Ambiguous Desire.  

She says: “I didn’t really want it to be this sprint where I would then have a crash, I want to do this for the rest of my life.”  

Arlo, who became a Unicef UK Ambassador in 2024, to advocate for child mental health, adds: “I’ve always wanted to be a career artist and be making music forever. I knew that I had to pace myself a bit. And, looking back, I’ve had some amazing times. 

“Thinking back to Glastonbury and winning the Mercury Album Of The Year [for Collapsed In Sunbeams] as well, I couldn’t believe it.  

“There’s something really specific about the Mercury because it’s just one winner and it was at the Hammersmith Apollo, which I used to cycle past on the way to school, which made it surreal.” 

Parks has previously been hailed a “voice of her generation”, but that must come with pressure.

She says: “I felt like I was speaking to collective experiences we were going through, rather than being some kind of spokesperson. I never really saw myself as that, so I didn’t feel pressure to be a certain way.  

“I was just telling stories about what I was seeing and living, and that happened to connect with teenagers at that time. 

“But, anyway, my fan base is broad — I love it when I see whole families at a gig and I’ve seen grandparents with grandkids as well as groups of friends. It really is a bit of everything. And I love that. That makes me feel really happy.” 

Ambiguous Desire concludes with track Floette, which she describes as “a note of hope”. 

Arlo says: “I wanted to embrace the fact that change is inevitable and part of life, and we’re all growing and trying our best.  

“ ‘We’re blossoming’ as it says in that song.  

“Looking at myself, I’m more confident and I feel happier than ever.  

“I’ve made something I’m really proud of, which colours the lens that I’m looking at things through.  

“It’s the start of something new, and in the future, I’d love to write a book and a screenplay and be part of a soundtrack for a film.  

“It’s like I’m coming of age. Maybe it’s just growing up. 

“While I’m proud of the music that I made before, this feels a little bit more different.  

“I feel like I’ve finally arrived, after years of making music. I’ve found the confidence to step away and do things my way, take a risk and witness it pay off. 

“I trust myself and my intuition more than ever.” 

• Ambiguous Desire is out today. 

ARLO PARKS
Ambiguous Desire

★★★★☆

SEMANA Santa – also known as Holy Week – is the biggest religious festival celebration across Spain.

During a recent trip to the country, I experienced this nationwide event after staying in a local town and was left stunned how different it was to our Easter.

Starting on Palm Sunday (March 29 this year) the days leading up to Easter see towns and cities hosting long, dramatic processions.

While cities like Seville and Malaga are famous for their huge crowds of tourists and locals, I discovered the tradition feels much more authentic in a small town.

Oliva, in the Valencian region, is usually calm and laid back, especially compared to Spain’s tourist hotspots.

But during this Holy Week, the town is transformed as the streets I had walked down earlier that day were transformed at night.

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Huge ornately decorated floats (pasos) were carried by ‘cofradías’, or brotherhoods made up or local religious groups, including neighbours, families and friends.

The procession started in baited silence, even from the kids.

It was then that the drums began, with haunting brass create a sombre tone.

Hooded figures, or ‘nazarenos’ emerged from the darkness as they moved in unison, with costumes typically only revealing the eyes (designed to make it about the faith rather than the person underneath).

While it certainly sounded eerie, I had never seen anything like it and was swept into the atmosphere along with everyone around me.

I felt like I was part of the local community, as the smaller towns are less focused on making them tourist-friendly.

There are so many other events also on during the week. For example, at 4am on Good Friday, locals climb the nearby mountain barefoot while carrying the floats.

Seeing the small-town community coming together at this hour, sacrificing sleep and comfort showed just how deeply Semana Santa runs here.

But as the week unfolds, the mood slowly shifts from mourning to celebration.

Sweets are thrown in the streets on Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection – a definite highlight for the local kids.

Food plays a massive role during Easter traditions, with their pastries stealing the spotlight. 

Mona De Pascua – soft, brioche-like breads covered in chocolates and cream – are everywhere.

Traditionally gifted by godparents to children on Easter Sunday, they remain a staple throughout Semana Santa.

Bakeries are filled with them all week and sharing one feels like another way the town comes together to celebrate.

Experiencing it in such a small town away from the tourists and city spectacles is incomparable to just reading about it.

The elaborate floats, music and outfits make it an unforgettable experience – and certainly more of a celebration than the Brits eating hoards of chocolate instead.

I went in curious and came out completely blown away. It was unlike any Easter I have experienced in the UK.

For more holiday ideas, here are the cheapest family holiday destinations under three hours from UK that are over 20C this Easter.

Plus, the Spanish city closest to the UK that’s quieter than Barcelona is getting new TUI holidays.

The Oklahoma City Thunder condemned the Los Angeles Lakers to one of the heaviest defeats in their history – one made more painful by an injury to star Luka Doncic.

Reigning NBA champions Thunder claimed a commanding 139-96 victory, helped by 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they improved their league-best record to 61-16.

The Lakers have only been beaten by a greater margin on six occasions, with this 43-point loss just six points short of their worst margin of defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.

It was a first defeat in five for the Lakers, who must now wait to learn the severity of Doncic’s left hamstring injury after the Slovenian appeared emotional as he exited the court during the third quarter.

Doncic, who had scored 40 or more points in each of his previous three games and five of his past seven, will have an MRI scan on Friday, Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed.

April 3 (UPI) — The Cuban government has announced it will pardon more than 2,000 prisoners, its second such release in less than a month.

The Embassy of Cuba in Washington announced Thursday in a statement that Havana had decided to grant pardons to 2,010 inmates on “humanitarian and sovereign grounds.”

The move was made to coincide with Holy Week celebrations, it said, adding that the gesture is “customary” in the criminal justice system of the Catholic-majority country.

Analysis of the nature of the offenses committed, conduct of the inmate while in prison, time served and their health were taken into consideration, with many of those to be pardoned being either young, women, adults over 60 years of age, foreign nationals and Cubans living abroad, it said.

Excluded were those inmates convicted of crimes such as sexual assault, murder, drug offenses, theft, robbery with violence, being repeat offenders and those who had previously received a pardon and then were convicted of committing new crimes.

Last month, Cuba announced it was to release 51 inmates who had served a significant portion of their sentences.

The move comes as Cuba is facing an energy crisis that began early this year when the Trump administration announced a de facto oil blockade of the island nation.

When it announced the release of inmates last month, Cuba said it followed talks with the Vatican, which has been trying to facilitate talks between Havana and Washington.

Around 40% of clubs in England’s top four divisions of men’s football have changed their manager this season, and one in four of those teams have made more than one change.

With those stats still so high, I am sure people outside the game must be wondering about the process of appointing a manager.

In my day, I never once put on a presentation in front of a chairman or board of directors as part of any interview process.

Usually it was your management record, and your relative success with the respective budgets you’d been given, that would seal the deal.

Today, that has all changed. Many managers and coaches, I’m told, pay to have these presentations professionally prepared for them.

Before you get to that stage, however, club owners and chairmen will rely on their sporting director and chief executive to compile a list of names.

As I’ve mentioned in previous columns about the lack of opportunities now for British managers, with so many foreign owners in our game, there are lots of foreign sporting directors too, so it is not surprising they appoint managers and coaches they know.

Also, the agents who have assisted the owners when they purchased the club, will often have a big say on who the sporting director is too.

Players will also flow into some clubs in a similar fashion, I’m sure, and I’m afraid all of this impinges on managers and coaches from this country, who are not part of that network.

Academy coaches from the top clubs are finding a way through the system, as I am sure their contacts with clubs’ young players is part of their appeal.

It is definitely a route into management that is worth following but I am sure any ex-professionals who have followed it will have quickly been exposed to the key difference between managing at academy level and being in charge of a club’s first team.

Unlike academy football, which is about development, first-team football is about winning.

Every week you will be judged on your result and, no matter what philosophy you employ, the fanbase and the people above you will react accordingly.

Journalist and Editor Samantha Bartlett happened to stumble upon an iconic 1999 episode of Top of the Pops recently, and one thing left her floored after watching it

The weekly broadcast of Top of the Pops (TOTP) officially ended on 30 July 2006. The iconic British music show concluded its 42-year run with a special final edition, titled “The Final Countdown,” which featured a mix of archival performances and a final chart rundown.

However, despite not being around for a decade, repeats of the show are still shown on BBC Four on Friday nights. I was one of the people tuning in last Friday and happened to stumble upon an iconic 1999 episode of Top of the Pops presented by Gail Porter. Being a 90s baby, I love a bit of cheesy pop, but as they went through the chart countdown I was struck by how many absolute tunes and iconic bands were in there.

At number 12 was Backstreet Boys with ‘I Want It That Way’, followed by the very silly but iconic ‘Doodah!’ From Cartoons at 11.

Number 10 was The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, while number 9 was also boyband favourite – N-Sync’s ‘Tearin’ Up My Heart’.

At number 8 was Shanks + Bigfoot ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’, while at 7 was Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’.

Number 6 was another iconic tune, with Shania Twain’s ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’, while the fifth position was taken by Adam Rickitt’s ‘I Breathe Again’.

Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger’ was then at number 4, while Britney Spears took the third spot with ‘Sometimes’.

Just missing out on the top spot at number 2 was S Club 7s ‘Bring It All Back’, meanwhile at number 1 was one other than Vengaboys ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!’, that no doubt all you fellow 90s babies jumped around to in your bedroom.

I actually couldn’t believe how many iconic acts and tunes were just in those 12 slots. I mean, I know some of them are cheesy, however, many of those songs were massive UK hits where literally everyone, including your gran, would know all the words.

I was so struck by the clip I decided to share it to my TikTok,

I just find it quite sad that shows like Top Of The Pops were huge back then and listening to the chart with part of your weekly routine.

I remember I used to go round my nan’s with my dad and sister on a Sunday so me and my sister would always run out to the car and listen to the radio to find out what was number one. Now I don’t think anyone really cares apart from maybe the artist themselves and their record label.

It just feels like a lot of fun has gone out of today’s music and charts and there doesn’t seem many good pop bands around for kids, apart from all the K-Pop stuff that is big at the moment.

The only pop bands that seem to do well these days are those 90s ones that come back for a revival, such as Blue or Take That.

I’m not sure if it’s all to do with money and that labels just aren’t putting the money behind bands and acts anymore or what but I certainly miss the glory days and am glad I have all the memories from my favourite 90s acts.

Brocklands Adventure Park in Cornwall had attractions including a bowling alley, bumper boats, crazy golf and animals. But it closed in 2007 and has been left abandoned

A once-thriving and vibrant adventure park teeming with wildlife and laughing youngsters now stands eerily abandoned, left to decay.

Brocklands Adventure Park was a beloved attraction in Kilkhampton. The venue welcomed guests from 1977 until it shut down in 2007.

The park garnered multiple accolades after being established by Dennis and Sue Vanstone. During its heyday, it attracted 50,000 visitors each season, having evolved from a modest tea room and shop into a comprehensive leisure destination.

It grew into an expansive complex featuring playgrounds, attractions, animal enclosures and wildlife programmes.

In 1987 it rebranded as Pixieland Funpark. By 1990 the venue had added a 15-inch gauge miniature railway, pony rides, trampolines, and an all-weather playground.

In March 1997, further expansion saw the launch of Pip’s Place, a new restaurant accommodating 200 diners, reports Cornwall Live.

Subsequently there were additional features including a ten-pin bowling alley, archery centre, crazy golf, quad biking, bumper boats, and a mega tube slide.

Creatures from across the animal kingdom called it home. Visitors could encounter rabbits, ducks, iguanas, snakes, parrots, and a raccoon.

In 2000, the park was rechristened Brocklands Adventure Park, signalling its evolution into theme-park territory.

Despite its popularity, the park tragically shut its doors in 2007 when the owners retired. Today, vegetation and undergrowth have overrun the formerly bustling structures.

Wandering through the deserted park and stumbling upon an old archery range, the Youtube channel Street Zips said: “There are soap dispensers, we found a bow and arrow in here.

“There’re drawers here, we’ve got plugs and fuses – and smart plugs – one of the things that go on your wrist to stop you getting whacked by the bow.

“Listen-listen – can you hear it? Yeah like a rat is it – I heard a squeak. The rustiness of the drawers are really cool as well. You would pay a fortune for that for a movie set piece. “

They also discovered boxes for trapping rats, saying: “They’ve obviously got an infestation of something here. That’s a serious trap isn’t it. There’s some spring on that.”

The urban adventurers came across a kiwi tree still bearing fruit. Peering into what they believed was an old animal enclosure, they discovered posters of creatures to look out for in the taxidermy exhibition made “only of roadkill.”

They even spotted old pheasant feathers scattered across the floor.

Fast forward to 2021, a planning proposal was submitted to convert a key building into a two-bedroom home, and by 2023, planning permission was granted to construct five homes on the site.

The steel structure will be repurposed into a two-bedroom dwelling. The planning application reads: “The site comprises part of the former visitor attraction known as Brocklands Adventure Park, which closed in 2007 and contained a range of attractions split across two sites (separated by West Street).

“These attractions included 15in gauge railway, ponds, slides, pony ride track, trampolines, quad biking, bouncy castle, bumper boats, bowling alley, indoor multi-activity centre and refreshment facilities.

“The proposal involves converting the existing steel frame building to form a two-bedroom dwelling.”

The pastel tones of Vichy in the Auvergne

Vichy is not on everyone’s radar as a must visit French town, but it really is a delight to spend a few days in. I discovered it while on a bicycle trip around central France, and its famous waters did wonders for my tired legs and muscles. Vichy is a historic spa town famous for its spring waters and its art nouveau and belle époque architecture. A thriving cultural scene means that, whenever you visit, you’ll find concerts, theatre, opera and exhibitions, especially at the town’s opera house and the iconic Grand Casino. Vichy is also a shopper’s paradise, with more than 500 boutique shops in the heart of the town. When all that shopping and walking has worked up a thirst, taste the famous Vichy waters for free at Hall des Sources (listed on the Accidentally Wes Anderson website). The city is easy to explore on foot or by bike, with riverside paths along the Allier River, pretty neighbourhoods with pastel-coloured villas, and plenty of outdoor cafes. Being there felt like witnessing a Renoir or Matisse painting coming to life before my eyes.
Nicoletta

Canals, lakes and flowers in Savoie

Chanaz on the north-western edge of the Savoie is a picturesque village I love to visit in summer. One the best little trips is to rent a canoe or electric boat and glide along the Canal de Savières to the Lac du Bourget. The village boasts colourful flowers, old narrow streets, cycling lanes, and some of the best ice-cream I’ve ever tasted. There are plenty of affordable accommodation options around the Lac du Bourget, and many more villages to explore in the area.
Juliette B

The ‘most beautiful kilometre in France’ is in Normandy

Avoid the crowds and see the wonder of Mont-Saint-Michel from another angle, the Falaises de Champeaux (Champeaux Cliffs), with a view much admired by General Dwight Eisenhower in the second world war after he had set up an allied HQ in nearby Jullouville. The half-hour car journey from Granville to medieval Genêts takes you through the old-fashioned and unspoilt seaside village resorts, cafes and restaurants of Saint-Pair-sur-Mer, Jullouville, Carolles, and before you reach the delightful village of Saint-Jean-le-Thomas, you can take in the panoramas of the “most beautiful kilometre in France”.
Dee

Modernism and glass in Provence

The Fernand Léger National Museum in Biot, near Antibes, is one of our favourite places to spend an afternoon. The temporary and permanent displays of Léger’s modernist works are interesting, but it’s the stunning exterior and calm surrounding grounds that are really special. To make the most of your time, La Verrerie de Biot is a two-minute drive away. Here you can watch free glass-blowing demonstrations and browse the glass creations in the shop.
Rowan De Saulles

Walking in the shadow of Robert Louis Stevenson, Massif Central

Last August I walked the southern half of the Chemin de Stevenson (designated the GR 70) – a 140-mile footpath in the Cévennes that follows the route taken by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1878 with his recalcitrant donkey, Modestine. I averaged 15 miles daily, hiking along rocky trails and woodland paths. Accommodation comprised basic hostels, each about €50 a night; one had lodged RLS 147 years previously. I ate dinner at local bistros; breakfast came from boulangeries. I met a few fellow hikers but was mostly accompanied only by the words from Stevenson’s account, Travels with a Donkey, as I tried to match his footsteps to my own. The full route crosses four departments: Haute-Loire, Ardèche, Lozère and Gard.
Jane

Leonardo’s resting place on the Loire

Amboise, a delightful small town on the Loire, boasts three chateaux. The most imposing is the Château Royal d’Amboise, home to Francis I, who lent a spare chateau, the Clos Lucé, to Leonardo da Vinci for the last three years of his life (1516–19). It is the Clos Lucé that delights the most, with its full-sized mock-ups of Leonardo’s designs dotted around the park, while models of other inventions are displayed in the cellars. Leonardo’s bedroom, kitchen and atelier are all reproduced in their original rooms. Leonardo’s last resting place is a dedicated chapel in the Château Royal – the Chapel of Saint-Hubert. The third chateau, Gaillard, is renowned for its Renaissance landscape architecture and gardens.
Pete Mitchell

Cycling between Normandy pools

I took my vintage Raleigh Chopper on the night ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe and cycled the Normandy coast with essentials packed in a small bag. I stopped at Honfleur, Deauville, Caen and Mont-Saint-Michel and enjoyed swims in Trouville’s art deco lido, Deauville’s beautiful seawater Olympic pool, the tidal sea pools at Saint-Pair-sur-Mer and Granville. The superb Les Bains de Dieppe has sadly had to permanently close since my visit because of structural problems. I used trains when the weather was bad and to get back to Dieppe.
Victorie

Provence in the frame

Base yourself in Arles during the long summer for Les Rencontres d’Arles (6 July-4 October), when cutting-edge photography fills an eclectic mix of venues: romanesque churches, cloisters, the town hall, shady parks and even a Monoprix warehouse, all within easy walking distance. There’s accommodation to suit all budgets, including many in old Arlésienne homes. Between exhibitions, trace Van Gogh at the Starry Night Café and along the canal towards the Bridge at Arles, or climb the Roman arena for wide Provençal views. In September Camargue rice festival with its tractor-pulled floats, music and rice flung like panto sweets is also great fun to visit.
Stephen Edwards

A dash of Tuscany in Pays de la Loire

I caught my first glimpse of Clisson while visiting nearby Gétigné. There is simply no mistaking you are south of the Loire here. It’s a delightfully surprising town in the muscadet wine region with a distinctly Mediterranean feel where terracotta roofs and ochre tones abound. On a hot summer’s day, be transported from Loire-Atlantique to Tuscany thanks to the Italianate-style architecture and sweeping views from the castle towards Domaine de la Garenne Lemot. Umbrella pines serve to accentuate the town’s characteristic ambience and tucked away on a charming sidestreet is one truly remarkable leaning specimen.
Richard Arnott

Winning tip: Canoeing in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Corrèze, a rural department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, has lakes, gorges, sleepy farming hamlets and furry brown cows. It is a peaceful place even in the middle of August. We followed a switchback road to Smile Kayak, rented canoes, stuffed waterproof barrels with baguettes, beers and cheeses, and were delighted to find we had the gorge to ourselves. We paddled along the river where the Dordogne and Diège converge, watching red kites wheeling overhead and shattering the silence by shouting for echoes.
Cath Fischl

Can a Gladiator keep up with a world champion boxer in the gym? Lauren Price meets Phantom and puts him through his paces to find out.

READ MORE: Price v Pineiro, Chisora v Wilder – all you need to know

Watch Price defend her world titles against Stephanie Pineiro on Saturday from 17:00 BST on BBC iPlayer and from 22:00 on BBC Two.

Islamabad, Pakistan – At the start of this year, Pakistan had more imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) than it could use. Demand had been falling for three straight years, from a peak of 8.2 million tonnes in 2021 to 6.1 million tonnes by late 2025, as cheap solar panels flooded the market and factories cut back.

The government quietly sold excess gas shipments to other countries and shut down domestic gas wells to prevent pipelines from bursting under the pressure of oversupply. Gas that could not be diverted would be pushed into household networks at a financial loss, adding billions to an already crippling debt pile in the energy sector.

Then the war came. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched hundreds of strikes against Iran in an operation named Epic Fury. The strikes targeted Iranian missiles, air defences, military infrastructure and leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening assault.

Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones across the region, and as a result, traffic passing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes, almost came to a halt.

The energy consequences were immediate. As a part of its retaliation against US-Israeli attacks, on March 2, Iranian drones hit Qatar’s gas facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG export complex.

Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after the United States, halted all production and declared force majeure, a legal term meaning it was released from delivery obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.

The conflict escalated further on March 18, when Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, off Iran’s southern coast.

South Pars and Qatar’s North Field sit above the same underground reservoir, meaning the attack threatened both countries’ gas production simultaneously. Iran struck Ras Laffan again in retaliation.

QatarEnergy said that the hit had forced it to cut LNG production by 17 percent, with repairs expected to take up to five years.

Brent crude, the industry benchmark, was priced at more than $109 a barrel on Thursday,

Oil prices on Thursday climbed to $109 a barrel, while European gas prices jumped 6 percent in a single trading session.

For Pakistan, which secures nearly all its imported gas from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and holds no emergency reserves, the shift from surplus to shortage happened almost overnight.

A system built on imports

Pakistan meets its daily gas needs from three main sources. The bulk, about 2,700 million cubic feet per day, comes from domestic gas fields that have been in slow decline for years.

The rest comes from imported LNG, supplied by Qatar under long-term contracts, adding roughly 600 million cubic feet per day when shipments flow normally.

The third source is bottled LPG, used mainly by households in rural areas not connected to the pipeline network. Pakistan gets more than 60 percent of its LPG from Iran, a supply also disrupted by the conflict.

Pakistan began importing LNG in 2015 when domestic production could no longer meet demand. Today, imported LNG powers roughly a quarter of the country’s electricity, with the power sector its largest consumer.

Qatar and the UAE together account for 99 percent of Pakistan’s LNG imports, according to energy analytics firm Kpler.

Of that, Pakistan’s LNG supply is dominated by two long-term government-to-government agreements with Qatar, one spanning 15 years and the other 10. Together, they cover nine shipments a month.

From glut to scarcity

Monthly cargo data from Pakistan’s energy regulator, OGRA, reflects the impact of the war. The country received between eight and 12 LNG shipments a month through 2025 and into early 2026, with 12 arriving in January alone. In March, the month the war began, only two shipments arrived.

Prices have been affected too. According to data compiled by researcher Manzoor Ahmed of the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED), on February 13, state-owned entities Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan LNG Limited procured eight combined cargoes at an average cost of $10.47 per MMBtu, totalling $257.1m.

MMBtu is the standard international unit used to measure and price natural gas and LNG.

By March 12, the two cargoes that did arrive cost $12.49 per MMBtu, a 19 percent increase in a month, reflecting tightening global conditions even before the war’s full impact.

Pakistan had already been consuming less gas. Its share of Asian LNG markets fell from roughly 30 percent in 2020 to about 18 percent in 2025, driven largely by the rapid expansion of solar power. Millions of Pakistanis, frustrated by high electricity costs and frequent blackouts, have installed rooftop panels in recent years.

By 2025, the country had 34 gigawatts of solar capacity, with an estimated 25 gigawatts feeding into the national grid. Overall electricity demand from the grid fell nearly 11 percent between 2022 and 2025.

Gas-fired power plants built to run on imported LNG were left underutilised, especially during daylight hours.

“Of course, solarisation helps manage daytime demand, reducing the need for running thermal power plants,” said Haneea Isaad, an energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), who has tracked Pakistan’s gas sector for years.

But the contracts with overseas gas suppliers still needed to be adhered to — so Pakistan kept buying and paying, she told Al Jazeera.

Ahmed of PRIED pointed to two compounding challenges. First, the nature of Pakistan’s gas supply contracts were such that the government had to “buy LNG even when demand collapsed,” he told Al Jazeera.

Second, “rapid solar growth and suppressed grid demand were underestimated, and their effect on overall planning was not accounted for,” the Islamabad-based analyst added.

LNG consumption dropped by 1.21 million tonnes in 2025 alone. With no large storage capacity, surplus gas was pushed into domestic pipelines at a loss.

The resulting circular debt in the gas sector now stands at 3.3 trillion rupees, approximately $11bn. By January, Islamabad was negotiating to offload 177 unwanted gas shipments projected through 2031, a liability of $5.6bn.

Isaad of IEEFA said the surplus was predictable.

“Pakistan’s energy planning has mostly been bound by long-term contracts with very little flexibility,” she said. Once considered necessary for energy security, these rigid contracts, she added, have become a financial albatross in a market increasingly prioritising flexibility and low-cost generation.

She described the government’s pre-war response, diverting excess cargoes, as “reactive crisis management” that prioritised short-term fixes over better forecasting and procurement flexibility.

Supply shock

Qatar’s LNG shipments to Pakistan have stopped almost completely since March 2. Of the eight shipments scheduled that month, only two arrived. The six expected in April are unlikely to reach the country.

At a public hearing of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Central Power Purchasing Agency chief executive Rehan Akhtar said LNG supplies were under force majeure, though coal imports from South Africa and Indonesia remained unaffected.

Officials have warned of near-zero LNG availability in the coming months, even if the war ends quickly. LNG accounts for more than 21 percent of Pakistan’s power generation.

“With Pakistan’s LNG supply completely halted after Qatar’s declaration of force majeure, LNG plants are effectively out of the running order,” Isaad said.

The government has responded by restoring domestic gas production that had been deliberately curtailed during the surplus period.

Isaad said Pakistan had been holding back roughly 350 to 400 million cubic feet per day of domestic gas to accommodate LNG imports.

“There will also be the option to rely on other power generation sources such as imported coal and hydropower,” she added. But, she warned, “even with hydropower, imported coal and restored domestic gas production covering some of the gaps left by LNG, there might still be an energy shortage.”

For now, mild weather and increased solar output have provided temporary relief.

“So far, Pakistan has somehow miraculously survived any prolonged energy shortages in the power sector through a combination of mild weather and a pre-existing reduced reliance on imported LNG,” Isaad said. “But peak summer months may be a different story.”

Summer pressure

With an energy crisis looming, Pakistan is bracing for a few hours of daily planned power cuts this summer, alongside other energy conservation measures and higher electricity costs.

According to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s State of Industry Report 2025, peak electricity demand last summer exceeded 33,000 megawatts.

Winter demand currently stands at about 15,000 megawatts, partly because solar panels now generate between 9,000 and 10,000 megawatts daily, reducing reliance on the grid.

Furnace oil, the main backup fuel, now costs 35 rupees per unit, about $0.12, and its price has more than doubled since the Strait of Hormuz disruption.

Analysts say the burden will fall unevenly. Consumers reliant on grid electricity will face both higher bills and outages, while industries dependent on gas will see production disruptions. Those with rooftop solar and battery storage will be best insulated.

Isaad is blunt about the options before Pakistan. “Returning to the spot market might not be feasible, given the dire financial consequences,” she said. “Even if it does, competition with wealthier nations may once again price Pakistan out. Furnace oil could be another option, but that will be prohibitively expensive to run.

“The only option the government may be left with is load-shedding [planned power blackouts], probably around two to three hours daily.”

Trump steps up threats after US strike on Iran’s largest bridge, as Tehran launches attacks across the region.

This handy map tool allows you to calculate the percentage of the world you’ve seen by selecting all the countries you’ve visited.

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 world you’ve managed to explore and how many continents you’ve covered. It’ll also tell you how your stats compare against other travellers, and will show your footprint on the globe.

A poll of 2,000 travellers revealed 43% 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 to see them as someone ‘loaded’ with money.

Of those who mention their country count, more than four in 10 (44%) will casually raise the subject in general holiday chatter, while 38% will jump at the chance to name a nation they’ve visited the second someone else mentions it.

It also emerged 34% 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.

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. But four in ten described other people discussing how well-travelled they are as ‘annoying’.

Find out how much of the world you’ve actually seen with this new tool

New Zealand (24%), Japan (23%) and Australia (18%) 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% versus 8%).

The average traveller has been to seven countries by the time they’re 30 – this number nearly doubles to 15 by the time they reach the age of 60. However, it also emerged 56% of those polled wish they were better travelled.

On average, respondents said their travel peaked at age 34, while 44% admitted their trips abroad have generally decreased as they’ve gotten older.

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 do this, 56% would consider a multi-destination holiday such as a cruise.

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. 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.”

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

COLEEN ROONEY will mark her 40th birthday today with a series of celebrations at her £20million Cheshire mansion.

But the hundreds of bottles of champers on ice this weekend are far from the only corks she will be popping this year.

Mum-of-four Coleen — wife of former Manchester United superstar Wayne — has big plans in the pipeline — with one pal telling The Sun: “She’s entering her powerful era.”

With a seven-figure Primark deal and a fly-on-the wall Disney documentary already in the bag, insiders say the 2024 I’m A Celebrity runner-up is dreaming big.

One friend explained: “Coleen’s sons are growing up fast and she is excited about the opportunities ­coming her way.

For a long time her primary focus was being a mum to her four boys. She is the backbone of their household, a constant for her sons and for Wayne.

“But now they’re growing up — the boys somewhat more than Wayne at times — Coleen is ready to reclaim some of herself.

“Going into I’m A Celebrity was a great way for her to dip her toe into the water. She loved it and it was obvious the nation still has a ­massive soft spot for her.

“Coleen said she would take a break after that to work out her next move.

“Turning 40 and with loads of exciting things coming her way, she’s entering this powerful new era.”

Coleen will celebrate today with Wayne and their sons, budding Man Utd footballer Kai, 16, Klay, 12, Kit, ten, and eight-year-old Cass.

She will then throw a huge bash for her closest friends and family.

An enormous white marquee has been erected in the 50-acre grounds of their home, previously dubbed “Morrisons mansion” because of its vast size and appearance.

‘A good knees-up’

Wayne’s footballer pals, including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and ­Darren Fletcher, are all on the guest list, along with Coleen’s Wag chums such as Annie Kilner and Abbey Clancy.

“I’m looking forward to it, I love a birthday and a celebration,” Coleen said ahead of her bash.

“I have decided to enjoy a couple of different celebrations with family and friends over the year, and with my birthday falling over Easter weekend, some friends are away — so any opportunity to extend the ­celebrations…”

Caterers and staff will keep the party running smoothly, with insiders saying no expense has been spared.

“Coleen loves a good knees-up,” another pal explained.

“She can afford a lovely lifestyle and everything at the party will be classy and beautifully done. But for her, plenty of booze, good music and her family is all she will want.

There’s going to be live music and you can guarantee Wayne will be getting up on the microphone

Pal

“There’s going to be live music and you can guarantee Wayne will be getting up on the microphone.

“He loves to sing and will be keen to give everyone a tune or two.”

Those close to Coleen say eyes will be kept on Wayne following a rather embarrassing boozy night out before the Brit Awards in February.

Photographs and videos from a posh bar in Manchester obtained by The Sun showed Wayne struggling to do up his trousers after he spent time chatting with a mystery woman.

He was later seen leaving the venue at 3.45am and getting into a car alone to head home.

At the time, pals close to Coleen said they were furious at his behaviour, which came in the same week Coleen was launching her Primark clothing collection.

Branding Wayne an “idiot”, one seethed: “It’s upsetting to see Wayne acting this way because it takes the spotlight away from her.”

After dating Wayne since she was 16 years old, Coleen is well-versed in facing down his antics. She has stuck by him through every crisis in their marriage — including visits to sex workers in 2004 and 2009 and being charged with drink-driving in 2017.

In recent years Wayne has curbed his wayward ways, but has still had his share of controversial moments.

Turning 40 and with loads of exciting things coming her way, she’s entering this powerful new era

In 2020 he allegedly poked fun about his lack of a sex life, while the following year he was ­photographed fast asleep in a hotel room chair while three women struck comic poses around him.

“If Coleen is the angel then Wayne has definitely always been the devil on her shoulder,” one friend joked.

“Her friends think she’s the ­strongest woman out there for ­putting up with everything that Wayne has done. It takes a certain kind of woman to tolerate that behaviour and live with it. But Coleen has always just asked for honesty. 

“The only time I think she’d draw the line is with anything that could affect her children.

“Her four boys are Coleen’s world. And when it comes to her kids, she is like a lioness with her cubs.

“Wayne absolutely knows that. She is just as fiercely protective over him too, to be honest. Coleen comes across as soft on the surface but she’s got balls of steel. No one would mess with her.”

Coleen herself confessed she was used to Wayne’s poor decision making and said she stuck with him for love.

She told British Vogue: “We’ve had our ups and downs. Obviously everybody knows. It’s been hard to go through it in the public eye but there has always been true love there.

“If the love is gone then, it’s pointless. But if not, you’ve got something to work for.”

Coleen added: “We’ve never backed away from it. We own it.

‘Cheering her on’

“I remember having a conversation about this with someone and I said, ‘Well, do you know what your wife gets up to every day and night? At least I know what my husband is doing!’

“It might not be good, but I know. People lie to themselves.”

Coleen first came into the public eye when Wayne burst on to the scene as a teenager at Everton — and she was famously photographed in her school uniform aged 16 in 2003. 

Her fashion choices saw her becoming a regular at high-end Liverpool boutique Cricket, once dubbed the “unofficial footballers’ wives headquarters” for how often she and other local Wags, including ­Steven Gerrard’s wife Alex, shopped there.

But it was at the 2006 World Cup at Baden-Baden in Germany that Coleen cemented her status as one of our favourite Wags alongside Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham.

Coleen comes across as soft on the surface but she’s got balls of steel. No one would mess with her

Friend

In that same year she teamed up with Asda as the face of its George clothing brand, before kicking off a lucrative deal with Littlewoods four years later for her own range.

It is expected that Disney TV ­cameras will capture parts of Coleen’s birthday celebrations, with the family opening the doors of their home for a fly-on-the-wall series. 

Simply called The Rooneys, the three-parter has filmed both Wayne and Coleen, while also shadowing Coleen as she worked with Primark on her clothing line.

Insiders say the big plan for Coleen is to help make her star shine brighter.

Undeniably, she now has the opportunity to bring in the bigger pay packets.

Her deal with Primark was worth millions, while further lucrative deals have been coming in thick and fast.

Meanwhile, Wayne has struggled as a manager. He left Plymouth Argyle after seven months in charge, and was sacked by Birmingham City after just 83 days.

He now has regular gigs as a pundit on Match Of The Day but, as one pal puts it, that is not going to sustain their lifestyle.

“Coleen is the golden ticket for the family now,” a friend explained.

“Wayne was the breadwinner for so long and now the roles have started to slowly reverse.

“To put it bluntly, Coleen is very marketable. She is popular, unproblematic and relatable. Her ­decision to create an affordable brand with Primark shows that.

“Watching her next steps is going to be really interesting. Everyone who knows and loves Coleen is cheering her on and wants her to succeed.

“This is just the beginning for Coleen. Now you just have to sit back and watch her rise.

“We just hope Wayne catches on and keeps himself in line.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — The score wasn’t the only thing that made this the Lakers’ worst loss of the season.

Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was superstar guard Luka Doncic’s health after the 27-year-old hobbled off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.

Doncic attempted to drive into the lane at the 7:39 mark of the third quarter but pulled up suddenly in the midrange. He stopped as the ball bounced out of bounds. He grabbed at the back of his left leg and hobbled to the baseline, where he lowered himself to the court, rolled over to his back and covered his face. Concerned teammates surrounded him. Coach JJ Redick offered a hand to pull him off the court.

Doncic, who was just named Western Conference player of the month after scoring 600 points in March, was limited to 12 points, seven assists and six turnovers before the injury. It was the second Lakers injury scare in a game that was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the hottest teams in the league.

Austin Reaves was hobbling through the first quarter, grabbing at his left lower back at nearly every sudden movement. He appeared to get hurt while chasing down a loose ball with 6:23 remaining.

The Lakers had eight turnovers in the first quarter. Lu Dort had two steals and hit all four of his three-pointers as the Thunder were seven for 11 from three-point range. Reaves, who returned from the locker room with 9:40 left in the second quarter, was the only Laker player with multiple made field goals in the first quarter.

He had two.

Iran says it is ready to counter any US-Israeli attacks, insisting its military capabilities remain intact despite Donald Trump’s claims they’ve been ‘decimated.’

Caracas, April 2, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The US Treasury Department removed Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) “Specially Designated Nationals” list on Wednesday, April 1.

Rodríguez had been on the list since 2018. The sanctioned individuals are barred from any sort of economic or financial relationship with US entities and have any US-based assets frozen.

The Venezuelan acting head of state reacted to the decision with a message on her X account, calling it “a step in the direction of normalizing and strengthening relations between our countries.”

Rodríguez added that she is confident this step will lead to the lifting of all sanctions currently in place against Venezuela “in order to guarantee an effective binational cooperation agenda” that benefits both Washington and Caracas. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has issued licenses allowing Western corporations to engage with the Venezuelan energy and mining sectors, but wide-reaching coercive measures remain in place.

The US government targeted Rodríguez in September 2018, Trump’s first presidential term, alleging that the then–vice president was part of a group that contributed “to the destruction of democracy.” The same round of sanctions targeted First Lady and Deputy Cilia Flores, as well as Vladimir Padrino López and Jorge Rodríguez, who respectively served as defense and communications ministers at the time.

Delcy Rodríguez denounced the 2018 measures as “illegal” and “unjust,” arguing that they were part of an “economic blockade” that undermined her country’s right to food, health, and sovereignty.

The Venezuelan leader’s sanctions removal opens the door for direct engagement with US entities and multilateral organizations such as the IMF. Creditors have likewise expressed intentions to launch renegotiation efforts surrounding Venezuela’s sizable foreign debt.

The Trump administration’s move comes on the heels of a fast-tracked rapprochement with Washington that Rodríguez has spearheaded since the January 3 attacks and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez, who took over the acting presidency, has hosted a number of high‑ranking US officials, among them Trump Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Similarly, last week Rodríguez took part via videoconference in a business gathering in Miami organized by Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative Institute. During her address, she touted the country’s recent pro-business reforms and urged investors to come to Venezuela.

Caracas and Washington formally reestablished diplomatic ties on March 5, with the Trump administration recognizing the acting president as Venezuela’s “sole” leader days later.

Regaining control of CITGO

The lifting of coercive measures against the Venezuelan acting president raised the possibility of the Rodríguez acting government retaking control of US-based assets that had been frozen and placed under the control of the hardline opposition. According to Reuters, Venezuelan authorities are preparing to take control of the boards of directors of the US subsidiaries of state oil company PDVSA, including refiner CITGO. However, the US State Department must also sign off on the appointments.

This past March, PDVSA’s board ratified Asdrúbal Chávez, cousin of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, as director of all its US subsidiaries. Nonetheless, Chávez, who was previously denied a US visa to run Houston-based CITGO, has been unable to manage the companies for more than seven years.

CITGO has been administered since 2019 by boards of directors appointed by a defunct Venezuelan opposition‑led National Assembly whose term expired in January 2021. The company, which is Venezuela’s most valuable foreign asset, underwent a long and protracted court-mandated auction to satisfy creditor demands which concluded with a winning bid from vulture fund Elliott Management.

The CITGO sale requires a US Treasury license in order to conclude. The Trump administration has not publicly disclosed whether it will greenlight or halt the ownership transfer.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

The actor will this time take the character to Miami for the chaos of the World Cup, involving 48 teams and 16 venues

Hugh Bonneville is back as Ian Fletcher, and this time around the BBC’s former Head of Values is in America, dealing with the World Cup.

The Downton star, who first introduced Fletcher in the Olympics-spoofing series Twenty Twelve and then brought him back for W1A, said that playing Ian again was so painful it was akin to a nasty visit to the dentist. “It’s a bit like root canal in that you know there’s a massive well of poison in your mouth and it’s got to be dealt with. And after it’s finished, it’s rather nice,” he laughed. “But the process itself is agony.”

Hugh, 62, says that Ian Fletcher has “evolved” since the last time we saw him. “Although, ‘evolution’ is, of course, an interesting word, conjuring images of change. “If Ian was a lapel pin it would be enamelled with the words, Stay Calm. The seas may be tossed and blown but Ian will be neither tossed and certainly not blown.”

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But he questions how much Ian has actually learned from the chaos of his past experiences. “The tragicomedy of life is that we may think we develop and change but actually most of us reset at the end of each day to catastrophically normal and – if we can afford one – a take-away.”

One new element in this series is a potential romance between Ian the terribly keen VP Sustainability Sarah Campbell (Chelsey Crisp).Writer John Morton says he “can’t remember” if the actually happens, while Hugh says cryptically: “During this series Ian’s eyes are opened a teeny bit to emotional opportunity. Then again, he’s also recovering from a detached retina.”

The actor admits his own football experience as the Under 11 B Team goalie at his junior school was an unhappy one. “I was fat and I was rubbish at running up and down. So I was put in goal. It was the days where you wore a padded top as a goalie, which was quite a warm garment, actually. So that was nice. I was quite cosy, toddling up and down in my little goal, pretending to stretch, in my green, figure-hugging little duvet. I don’t think I ever saved a ball.”

Morton said that none of the shows are actually about what they appear to be, and that they all work as standalone programmes. “Although W1A was about the BBC, this appears to be about football and 2012 was about the Olympics, none of them are really about those things,” he explained. “That’s what they’re tussling with on the surface, but underneath is where the real stuff is happening. Anybody that’s trying to organise anything with a group of people will, I hope, recognise this. Those dynamics I think are pretty much universal.”

He said that the BBC was the show’s natural home. “There’s a sort of BBCness about Ian Fletcher, a guy who’s kind of hamstrung by trying to do the right thing all the time. And I have, just personally, a huge amount of respect and affection for the BBC. I think they’re one of the best things we do. I think they’re very, very precious. And W1A was never intended to be a takedown, just as this isn’t, of anybody or anything.”

– Twenty Twenty Six, BBC Two, 10pm, Wednesday 8 April

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Determined to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of rival St. John Bosco on Thursday, No. 1-ranked Orange Lutheran turned to Texas-bound catcher Brady Murrietta, who came through with a memorable individual performance in a 5-4 road victory.

Let’s count the ways Murrietta made an impact.

In the top of the first inning, he had a double. In the bottom of the first, he threw out the speedy James Clark trying to steal second. In the fifth, he drove in a run with a sacrifice pop fly. In the top of the sixth, he broke a 3-3 tie by sending a hanging slider from closer Jack Champlin over the fence in left field for a two-run home run. In the bottom of the sixth, he tagged out the potential tying run at the plate.

Pro scouts were out en masse to see Orange Lutheran pitcher Cooper Sides, whose fastball touched 95 mph. He struck out eight in five innings.

Champlin had a two-run triple in the first inning against Sides. Champlin had given up only one earned run all season until Orange Lutheran scored three runs (one earned) in 2⅔ innings of relief. The Lancers were particularly excited because Champlin taunted them after saving Wednesday’s 4-1 win, leading to shoving and pushing after the game. As a precautionary measure, the teams did not shake hands after Thursday’s game.

Orange Lutheran improved to 8-3 and 1-2 in the Trinity League. No. 2 St. John Bosco is 11-3 and 5-1. The teams could meet again next week at the Boras Classic.

Cypress 6, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2: Tate Belfanti allowed one hit in four innings and struck out four for Cypress, which finished third at the National Classic.

Concord De La Salle 6, Corona Centennial 3: The Spartans won the National Classic. Devin Bishop and Michael Nonis hit home runs for Centennial, which became the first team in four days to score against De La Salle.

Bell 1, Las Vegas Southeast Career Tech 0: The Eagles improved to 16-1 and went 4-0 in San Diego. Manuel Pasillas threw five scoreless innings and AJ Esquivel threw two scoreless innings for the save.

West Ranch 6, Saugus 5: A four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh lifted West Ranch to the Foothill League win. Ty Diaz had two RBIs.

Hart 7, Golden Valley 4: Hayden Rhodes delivered two hits and three RBIs for Hart.

Valencia 9, Castaic 7: Justin Gaisford had a two-run home run for Valencia.

Corona Santiago 3, Aquinas 0: Troy Randall struck out 10 in five innings and Max Eldridge hit a home run to lead Santiago.

Maranatha 4, Granada Hills 0: Bradley Loiacono threw 6⅓ scoreless innings.

Foothill 2, La Habra 1: Caden Lauridsen struck out four with no walks while giving up two hits in a complete-game performance.

Agoura 6, Oak Park 0: Tyler Sterling had three RBIs for the Chargers.

Newbury Park 3, Thousand Oaks 0: Ben Miller and Chase Renzo combined on the shutout and Carson Richter had a three-run home run to lead the Panthers.

Oaks Christian 2, Westlake 1: Luke Puls had a solo home run and Gave Geyer threw three innings of scoreless relief.

Long Beach Millikan 4, Lakewood 0: Daunte Bell struck out eight with no walks in throwing the shutout.

Villa Park 4, Temecula Valley 2: Ezra Ornelas had two hits for Villa Park.

Softball

Norco 9, Corona del Sol 0: Leighton Gray and Isabella Ray hit home runs and Peyton May allowed three hits in a five-inning win at the Michelle Carew Classic.

Fuel shocks from the US-Israel war on Iran are rippling worldwide, as Strait of Hormuz disruptions push prices higher. From Nigeria to Vietnam and India, workers face soaring costs, longer hours and lost jobs amid a deepening global energy crisis.