New York — Keke Palmer can make Jack Whitehall blush.

We’re sitting in the green room at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, just before Palmer is set to host a live edition of her podcast, “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” with Whitehall and their other co-stars from the Peacock series “The ‘Burbs,” premiering Sunday.

In the show, Palmer and Whitehall play Samira and Rob, new parents who move back to Rob’s hometown of Hinkley Hills, a beautiful suburb where Samira immediately suspects something is amiss.

Palmer has kicked off her high heels and tucked her feet under her on the couch where she sits next to Whitehall as I ask them about their chemistry read.

“He was making me — not just me, everybody — laugh,” she remembers. “It was like, yeah, I can see how you fall in love with this guy because he’s just so funny and he’s so sweet. It’s so true, Jack. Seriously.”

Whitehall’s face turns red, which I point out. He admits that’s the case through giggles. Palmer interjects, “He knows how I feel. That’s my boo.”

“The ‘Burbs” reimagines the 1989 Joe Dante movie starring Tom Hanks for a modern era. In the original, Hanks’ character is driven to madness, imagining that his neighbors in the creepy house across the street might be murderers.

Jack Whitehall as Rob and Keke Palmer as Samira in “The ‘Burbs,” a series that reimagines Joe Dante’s 1989 film.

(Elizabeth Morris/Peacock)

Developed by Celeste Hughey, this version puts Palmer’s Samira, a lawyer on maternity leave, at the center. Though initially ill at ease among the carefully manicured lawns, she develops a fast friendship with a group of gossipy wine guzzlers on her block (played by Julia Duffy, Paula Pell and Mark Proksch). When a creepy man (Justin Kirk) moves into the dilapidated Victorian mansion across the street, she starts to wonder whether it has something to do with the disappearance of a teenage girl years ago. And then she starts to ponder how Rob might be involved. Is it a case of paranoia thanks to new motherhood? Or is there something really amiss in this paradise?

Initially, Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment, which made the original, and Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door Productions had teamed up to do a new film version of “The ‘Burbs.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, MacFarlane thought that the title might make sense for the “dark, humorous, creepy vibes of our shared fear inside our own communities,” Fuzzy Door president and show executive producer Erica Huggins explains in a phone interview. After it was reconceived as a series, they reached out to Hughey.

“When I thought about it for a modern take, I really wanted to center an outsider,” Hughey says, adding, “I grew up in Boston, a very white suburb, as a mixed kid; I wanted to center it on a Black woman who has a new baby, a new husband, in a new neighborhood kind of unwillingly and seeing it through her eyes.”

Palmer was always who Hughey wanted to play Samira, and Grazer had the same idea.

Keke Palmer says she was attracted to the idea of playing a mom having experienced the realities of being a new mom herself.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“She’s so versatile,” Grazer says, adding she could be “really funny and really pretty and she could be the average person. Like, you could live through her and that’s a big thing. What was so great about Tom Hanks is you could live through him.”

It turns out the timing was perfect. Palmer wasn’t all that familiar with the 1989 version, but she identified with Hughey’s vision, especially given that her son, Leo, was around 1 year old at the time.

“Thinking about playing a mom and now being a mom and also being able to use horror and comedy to play with the realities of what it feels like to be a new mom all felt very exciting to me,” she says.

Once Palmer signed on, Hughey and her team needed to find someone to match her infectious energy. Hughey says she imagined Rob as a “fully supportive partner” whose childhood guilt is putting a wedge in their marriage. She and her collaborators landed on Whitehall, a British stand-up comedian who has had stints in blockbusters like 2021’s “Jungle Cruise.”

Whitehall flew into Atlanta from the U.K. to meet Palmer, who was shooting the upcoming Boots Riley film “I Love Boosters.” He tells me he has had bad experiences coming to the U.S. to read with potential co-stars before, but Palmer immediately put him at ease.

“I think I’m just genuinely curious, trying to get to know him, because at the end of the day we’re going to be together every single day and we’re going to be making out and kissing and hugging,” she says. “We gotta be married. Is this my Desi? Am I his Lucy?”

Jack Whitehall, who is also a parent, says he found elements of the script relatable.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Whitehall also understood the nuances of the part because he had a young child as well. His daughter Elsie is now 2 and a half. (Leo is about to turn 3 when we speak.)

“So many elements of the script were really relatable, with the character of Rob and the slight guilt that he has that he’s going back to work and his wife is feeling trapped and wanting to be a protector and to be helpful, but then also not not quite knowing where his place is and how he can be sort of useful and caring,” Whitehall says.

For Palmer, portraying Samira’s unease wasn’t just about highlighting the disconnect between her and Rob, it was also about portraying the specific fears of living in a postpartum state.

“You’re always kind of having this anxiety,” she says. “And I don’t want to say it’s disproportionate, but to a certain degree it is. You’re constantly filtering out, is this real danger? You are kind of constantly gaslighting yourself.”

Throughout the eight-episode season, which ends on a major cliffhanger, “The ‘Burbs” is always trying to make its audience question what is really going on. That specifically relates to Rob, who is keeping a lot of secrets that may or may not be nefarious. It’s an aspect of the character that attracted Whitehall, though he notes, “I think at one point in this series the finger is pointed at literally every single member of our cast.”

“The ‘Burbs” sets out to subvert expectations, and that also applies to the way it deals with Samira’s race.

“It was really important to me that we didn’t make it a cliché,” says Palmer, who is also an executive producer. “It’s expected that we play up the ‘Get Out’ aspect. So I think it was about not being untrue to that reality and how that plays a role in the story but to talk about the bigger thing where it’s really just about being a fish out of water.”

Samira finds a true community among the other neighborhood oddballs, which is true to Palmer’s experience of growing up in Robbins, Ill., outside of Chicago. Whitehall, meanwhile, says he grew up in the “British equivalent of Hinkley Hills” in a town called Putney, on the outskirts of London.

“It was just full of very proper people, but very judgmental, and there were secrets on the street,” he says. “There was scandal as well.”

During our interview it’s clear that Palmer and Whitehall have an easy rapport. They go on tangents about Palmer introducing Whitehall to the 1997 film “Soul Food,” which Whitehall proceeded to reference on set. Palmer grabs Whitehall in exuberance as they speak. While they have different styles of deliveries, their senses of humor are the same, according to Palmer. And they figured out how to make everything click in the show.

“I think we found our timing together and we let each other have our moments,” Palmer says. “Like very telepathic. Like, ‘Time for the bit.’ We can feel each other’s pacing. I guess we just really work well together.”

This holiday commemorates the death of France Prešeren (1800 – 1849), a Slovene poet who is regarded as the greatest Slovene classical author. The day also serves as a time to reflect on all Slovene cultural achievements.

Prešeren was noted for his sonnets and his poem Zdravljica (A Toast) was adopted as Slovenia’s national anthem.

During World war II, Slovene artists had been repressed and were forbidden from expressing themselves while Slovenia was occupied. This led to the anniversary of Prešeren’s death becoming a focal point for remembering Slovenian culture. After the end of the war, the day was first proclaimed as a cultural holiday in 1945.

It was a public holiday during the era of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia within the SFR Yugoslavia but was declared a work-free holiday only in 1991, the year the country declared … 

it might not be on many people’s must-visit lists but people love it here.

It might not be on many tourists’ must-visit lists but locals in this town say they can’t think of anywhere they’d rather live. Just half an hour from Sheffield, and around 90 minutes from Manchester, it’s home to a thriving community, a stunning market and a huge range of independent shops.

Meeting with residents and shop owners on a grey day, life in the town bustles on despite the gloomy weather. Chesterfield is known for its historic crooked church spire which dominates its skyline. In recent years, the town has begun to grow, with plenty more on the horizon.

Alec Chapman-Taylor, 32, works at the Cheese Factor. The business has become a core part of the town with people travelling into Chesterfield to purchase its cheese. There’s a constant flow of customers despite the dull weather.

He says: “There’s a new market square, that’s going to be like the new event square. It’s fantastic. It looks a lot better. I think it’s hard to be an independent business these days. I really do think it’s hard. Luckily for us, Simon, who owns the place, has been here since the 60s with his dad.

“I’ve worked in the town now for probably the last maybe 10 or 15 years. Chesterfield has this kind of unique position where we have the heritage here. So the town hall is quite old. Again, I’d say the market’s quite old and traditional. It’s been going on for a long time. A lot of people have family connections to the market too which makes it really special.”

He says one of the town’s strengths is its quirky independent shops and he estimates there are around 80 in Chesterfield.

He adds: “The Davidson family have been running a cheese store since the early 60s, I’ve only been working here for two years but I’ve lived in Chesterfield since the mid-90s and I love it. I really love it. I’ve lived in quite a few places including Manchester, but I always came back to Chesterfield. It’s the perfect size and it’s got anything you want. I just really enjoy it, the people are really nice. It’s got some fantastic bars. I’m bringing up a family here. All my brothers and sisters all live here too – we’ve moved our family from elsewhere to Chesterfield.”

In terms of improvements, he says he has always wanted to see more events – and those have started to be put on now too. He explains: “We had an animatronic dinosaurs day which was great for the kids and we had a 1940s market which people loved too.”

Out on the high street, plenty of shoppers are milling around, dipping in and out of shops. Janice Wallhead, 72, is out shopping for the day. She says: “I’ve lived here for 40 years and I like it here. I can walk into town and I do think the high street is good but I would like to see a bit more variation. We have lost a few things over the years – a few of the fashion shops. There’s been some money spent on improving the market but I still think there’s other things that need to be improved in town other than just the market.”

Bringing new life to a well-known pub, The Royal Oak, Patrick Hopman, 30 and Meg Hopman, 29, say they think Chesterfield has a lot to offer. The couple have become known among local business owners for defying the odds and making a success of the pub despite the current economic climate.

The two former school teachers say the pub has been a great success – and stepping inside, it’s not hard to see why. Walking through a small door on a side street, the building opens up once you’re inside. Bright orange walls are adorned with memorabilia which the pair have collected. From decorative plates to signs and posters, it’s a feast for the eyes.

At the other side of the bar is a church-like setting, not too dissimilar from the set of a film. There’s stained glass windows, high ceilings and dried flowers.

The couple have clearly established the pub as a place to visit and a destination in the town. Pat says: “We took a bit of a punt by buying this pub but we’ve been really pleasantly surprised. We’ve had it for a year but we reopened it in April last year.

“Chesterfield has a few really unique buildings, the Spire is the main one. But after that, our pub is on the list for sure – school trips actually come and sit outside on our benches.”

Pat grew up in London and Meg grew up in Devon but they say they now feel at home in Chesterfield. They both agree that, at first, they wanted to live in Sheffield but due to Chesterfield being cheaper, they opted for the town instead – with the thought that Sheffield is just a short drive away.

But after living in Chesterfield, they say that everything they need is there, and they find themselves visiting Sheffield less and less. Pat says: “We’re about five minutes’ drive from the Peak District. We’re perfectly situated for Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham. It’s less than two hours into London. We even went to Newcastle last weekend which is only two hours away as well. Location wise, it’s great.”

Pat adds: “There’s quite a lot of negativity around, especially when I’ve been to loads of meetings where everyone says the town centre’s dead. I think it’s complete rubbish – certainly from what we’ve seen.”

Locals say the town is one filled with creativity and life. Emily Bowman, 44, managing director at Junction Arts, which is a community based arts charity based in the town, is keen to have an array of artists paint murals on some of the town’s buildings to add colour and vibrancy.

Arriving at its new home, there’s paintings and sculptures dotted around as we head to the conference room to talk about Chesterfield’s future. On February 1, a total of 11 local creatives took up a spot in the building.

Emily says she has high hopes for the town. She told the Express: “All of our work is grassroots and up so we work really closely with our community and there’s a real sense of pride in where people are from, what our communities have been through.

“We’re an ex-mining community and ex-industrial so there’s been quite a lot of change but there is a real sense of history in our town. It echoes across our business and across the community.”

Emily says that in May, she is looking forward to the Chesterfield Make-Off which will see around 40 artists “making and creating”. She adds that it’s an opportunity for locals to get involved and “see what we’ve got on our doorstep and how brilliant it is”.

She adds: “It’s really important to recognise the huge ambition for the future of Chesterfield.” Chesterfield might not be your first thought for a day out, but it’s a place that is definitely putting itself on the map. With affordable homes and great transport connections to larger cities nearby, it’s no surprise that so many people don’t want to leave.

In recent weeks, Marin County Registrar Natalie Adona has been largely focused on the many mundane tasks of local elections administrators in the months before a midterm: finalizing voting locations, ordering supplies, facilitating candidate filings.

But in the wake of unprecedented efforts by the Trump administration to intervene in state-run elections, Adona said she has also been preparing her staff for far less ordinary scenarios — such as federal officials showing up and demanding ballots, as they recently did in Georgia, or immigration agents staging around polling stations on election day, as some in President Trump’s orbit have suggested.

“Part of my job is making sure that the plans are developed and then tested and then socialized with the staff so if those situations were to ever come up, we would not be figuring it out right then and there. We would know what to do,” Adona said. “Doing those sort of exercises and that level of planning in a way is kind of grounding, and makes things feel less chaotic.”

Natalie Adona faced harassment from election deniers and COVID anti-maskers when she served as the registrar of voters in Nevada County. She now serves Marin County and is preparing her staff for potential scenarios this upcoming election, including what to do if immigration agents are present.

(Jess Lynn Goss / For The Times)

Across California, local elections administrators say they have been running similar exercises to prepare for once unthinkable threats — not from local rabble-rousers, remote cyberattackers or foreign adversaries, but their own federal government.

State officials, too, are writing new contingency plans for unprecedented intrusions by Trump and other administration officials, who in recent days have repeated baseless 2020 election conspiracies, raided and taken ballots from a local election center in Fulton County, Ga., pushed both litigation and legislation that would radically alter local voting rules, and called for Republicans to seize control of elections nationwide.

California’s local and state officials — many of whom are Democrats — are walking a fine line, telling their constituents that elections remain fair and safe, but also that Trump’s talk of federal intervention must be taken seriously.

Their concerns are vastly different than the concerns voiced by Trump and other Republicans, who for years have alleged without evidence that U.S. elections are compromised by widespread fraud involving noncitizen voters, including in California.

But they have nonetheless added to a long-simmering sense of fear and doubt among voters — who this year have the potential to radically alter the nation’s political trajectory by flipping control of Congress to Democrats.

An election worker moves ballots to be sorted at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana on Nov. 5, 2024.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Trump has said he will accept Republican losses only if the elections are “honest.” A White House spokesperson said Trump is pushing for stricter rules for voting and voter registration because he “cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections.”

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law, said some of what Trump says about elections “is nonsensical and some is bluster,” but recent actions — especially the election center raid in Georgia — have brought home the reality of his threats.

“Some worry that this is a test run for trying to seize ballot boxes in 2026 and prevent a fair count of the votes, and given Trump’s track record, I don’t think that is something we can dismiss out of hand,” Hasen said. “States need to be making contingency plans to make sure that those kinds of things don’t happen.”

The White House dismissed such concerns, pointing to isolated incidents of noncitizens being charged with illegally voting, and to examples of duplicate registrations, voters remaining on rolls after death and people stealing ballots to vote multiple times.

“These so-called experts are ignoring the plentiful examples of noncitizens charged with voter fraud and of ineligible voters on voter rolls,” said Abigail Jackson, the White House spokesperson.

Experts said fraudulent votes are rare, most registration and roll issues do not translate into fraudulent votes being cast, and there is no evidence such issues swing elections.

A swirl of activity

Early in his term, Trump issued an executive order calling for voters nationwide to be required to show proof of U.S. citizenship, and for states to be required to disregard mail ballots received after election day. California and other states sued, and courts have so far blocked the order.

This past week, Trump said outright that Republicans should “take over” elections nationwide.

The Justice Department has sued California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and her counterparts in other states for refusing to hand over state voter rolls — the lawsuit against Weber was tossed — and raided and seized ballots from the election office of Fulton County, long a target of right-wing conspiracy theories over Trump’s 2020 election loss.

President Trump walks behind former chairperson of the Republican National Committee Michael Whatley as he prepares to speak during a political rally in Rocky Mount, N.C., on Dec. 19.

(Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images)

Longtime Trump advisor and ally Stephen K. Bannon suggested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be dispatched to polling locations in November, reprising old fears about voter intimidation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she couldn’t rule that out, despite it being illegal.

Democrats have raised concerns about the U.S. Postal Service mishandling mail ballots in the upcoming elections, following rule changes for how such mail is processed. Republicans have continued pushing the SAVE America Act, which would create new proof of citizenship requirements for voters. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering multiple voting rights cases, including one out of Louisiana that challenges Voting Rights Act protections for Black representation.

Charles H. Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data + Science Lab, said the series of events has created an “environment where chaos is being threatened,” and where “people who are concerned about the state of democracy are alarmed and very concerned,” and rightfully so.

But he said there are also “a number of guardrails” in place — what he called “the kind of mundane mechanics that are involved in running elections” — that will help prevent harm.

California prepares

California leaders have been vociferous in their defense of state elections, and said they’re prepared to fight any attempted takeover.

“The President regularly spews outright lies when it comes to elections in this country, particularly ones he and his party lose,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We will continue to correct those lies, rebuild much-needed trust in our democratic institutions and civic duties, and defend the U.S. Constitution’s grant to the states authority over elections.”

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber take questions after announcing a lawsuit to protect voter rights in 2024.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said in an interview that his office “would go into court and we would get a restraining order within hours” if the Trump administration tries to intervene in California elections, “because the U.S. Constitution says that states predominantly determine the time, place and manner of elections, not the president.”

Weber told The Times that the state has “a cadre of attorneys” standing by to defend its election system, but also “absolutely amazing” county elections officials who “take their job very seriously” and serve as the first line of defense against any disruptions, from the Trump administration or otherwise.

Dean Logan, Los Angeles County’s chief elections official, said his office has been doing “contingency planning and tabletop exercises” for traditional disruptions, such as wildfires and earthquakes, and novel ones, such as federal immigration agents massing near voting locations and last-minute policy changes by the U.S. Postal Service or the courts.

“Those are the things that keep us up at night,” he said.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said the county no longer has ballots from the 2020 election.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Logan said he is not currently concerned about the FBI raiding L.A. County elections offices because, while Fulton County still had its 2020 ballots on hand due to ongoing litigation, that is not the case for L.A. County, which is “beyond the retention period” for holding, and no longer has, its 2020 ballots.

However, Logan said he does consider what happened in Georgia a warning that the Trump administration “will utilize the federal government to go in and be disruptive in an elections operation.”

“What we don’t know is, would they do that during the conduct of an election, before an election is certified?” Logan said.

Kristin Connelly, chief elections officer for Contra Costa County, said she’s been working hard to make sure voters have confidence in the election process, including by giving speeches to concerned voters, expanding the county’s certified election observer program, and, in the lead-up to the 2024 election, running a grant-funded awareness campaign around election security.

Connelly — who joined local elections officials nationwide in challenging Trump’s executive order on elections in court — said she also has been running tabletop exercises and coordinating with local law enforcement, all with the goal of ensuring her constituents can vote.

“How the federal government is behaving is different from how it used to behave, but at the end of the day, what we have to do is run a mistake-free, perfect election, and to open our offices and operation to everybody — especially the people who ask hard questions,” she said.

Lessons from the past

Several officials in California said that as they prepare, they have been buoyed by lessons from the past.

Before being hired by the deep-blue county of Marin in May, Adona was the elected voting chief in rural Nevada County in the Sierra foothills.

In 2022, Adona affirmed that Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden was legitimate and enforced a pandemic mask mandate in her office. That enraged a coalition of anti-mask, anti-vaccine, pro-Trump protesters, who pushed their way into the locked election office.

Protesters confronted Adona and her staffers, with one worker getting pushed down. They stationed themselves in the hallway, leaving Adona’s staff too terrified to leave their office to use the hallway bathroom, as local, state and federal authorities declined to step in.

“At this point, and for months afterwards, I felt isolated and depressed. I had panic attacks every few days. I felt that no one had our back. I focused all my attention on my staff’s safety, because they were clearly nervous about the unknown,” Adona said during subsequent testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In part because she knows what can go wrong, Adona said her focus now is on preparing her new staff for whatever may come, while following the news out of Georgia and trying to maintain a cool head.

“I would rather have a plan and not use it than need a plan and not have one,” she said.

Clint Curtis, the clerk and registrar of voters in Shasta County — which ditched its voting machines in 2023 amid unfounded fraud allegations by Trump — said his biggest task ahead of the midterms is to increase both ballot security and transparency.

Since being appointed to lead the county office last spring, the conservative Republican from Florida has added more cameras and more space for election observers — which, during the recent special election on Proposition 50, California’s redistricting measure, included observers from Bonta’s and Weber’s offices.

He has also reduced the number of ballot drop boxes in the vast county from more than a dozen to four. Curtis told The Times he did not trust the security of ballots in the hands of “these little old ladies running all over the county” to pick them up, and noted there are dozens of other county locations where they can be dropped off. He said he invited Justice Department officials to observe voting on Proposition 50, though they didn’t show, and welcomes them again for the midterms.

“If they can make voting safer for everybody, I’m perfectly fine with that,” he said. “It always makes me nervous when people don’t want to cooperate. Whatcha hiding? It should be: ‘Come on in.’”

Election workers inspect ballots after extracting them from envelopes on election night at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on Nov. 5, 2024, in the City of Industry.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Weber, 77 and the daughter of an Arkansas sharecropper whose family fled Southern racism and threats of violence to reach California, said that while many people in the U.S. are confronting intense fear and doubt about the election for the first time, and understandably so, that is simply not the case for her or many other Black people.

“African Americans have always been under attack for voting, and not allowed to vote, and had new rules created for them about literacy and poll taxes and all those other kinds of things, and many folks lost their lives just trying to register to vote,” Weber said.

Weber said she still recalls her mother, who had never voted in Arkansas, setting up a polling location in their home in South L.A. each election when Weber was young, and today draws courage from those memories.

“I tell folks there’s no alternative to it. You have to fight for this right to vote. And you have to be aware of the fact that all these strategies that people are trying to use [to suppress voting] are not new strategies. They’re old strategies,” Weber said. “And we just have to be smarter and fight harder.”

I like Seattle. The Seahawks were the NFL’s most complete team this season and can present problems in all three phases.

While Seattle’s defense doesn’t scare New England — the Patriots prevailed against the solid Chargers and elite Houston and Denver defenses — the Seahawks likely will give Drake Maye’s blockers problems.

As good as he was this season, Maye fumbled six times in the playoffs, losing three. New England’s run defense was among the league’s best early in the season, then fell off, but has snapped back with the return of Milton Williams.

Establishing the run is huge for the Seahawks, who need that for their play-action passing game. Seattle needs some stepped-up production from running back Kenneth Walker III, who was so-so in the championship game.

It hurts the Seahawks that they don’t have running back Zach Charbonnet, who was excellent in short yardage and pass protection.

The Patriots have really good defensive backs who will have their hands full with Jaxson Smith-Njigba and the Super Bowl-seasoned Cooper Kupp.

Sam Darnold has proven time and again that he has turned the corner in his career and is legitimately sharp, reliable and poised under pressure. It feels like this game will be close for awhile, and Seattle will pull away just enough in the second half.

Pick: Seahawks 28, Patriots 23

Khaled Meshaal, the head of Hamas abroad, has spoken at the Al Jazeera Forum on the rights of Palestinians to resist occupation. The political leader says the demand of disarmament is unacceptable.

Tommy Freeman is rapidly approaching world-class status.

The package that he brings to Test rugby – the pace, size, aerial ability and appetite for the ball – is pretty special.

He was a starter for the British and Irish Lions in all three Tests against Australia in the summer and he is inked into this England team as one of those who will always have a place when fit.

However, there is a question over which number Borthwick will write next to Freeman’s name.

This was Freeman’s 23rd England appearance but only his third as a centre.

Considering that relatively paltry midfield experience, he was pretty damn good against Wales.

He hit superb lines, either hitting the ball up bravely into the heart of Wales defence or acting as a decoy, and worked instinctively with Northampton team-mate Fraser Dingwall inside him at 12.

They are turning into a dangerous and cohesive pairing – and England have been crying out for a midfield combination with those qualities for ages.

Where once the supply of centres was quite low, there are now a bunch of alternatives.

Ollie Lawrence, who is working his way back from a minor knee injury, may be available for Scotland. Max Ojomoh was very impressive against Argentina in the autumn. Seb Atkinson has credit in the bank from his performances on the summer tour of Argentina.

It means England can mix and match according to the opposition.

Do they want a punch in midfield or the ability to distribute quickly into wide channels? Gas around the outside or the ability to probe behind with kicks?

The ability to change tactics with different midfield selection is very, very exciting.

South Africa – the gold standard for everyone in world rugby at the moment – have the same.

The mix of Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Canan Moodie, Damian Willemse and even Andre Esterhuizen gives them different ways of playing.

That adaptability is a fantastic attribute for any team.

FEBRUARY half term is just around the corner, and if you’re wanting to get out and enjoy some family quality time – we’ve got the list for you.

Especially if you’re looking for days out that won’t hurt the bank account, as these festivals, castles and railway days out are all under a tenner.

We’ve rounded up the biggest and best February half term events for families across the UK.

And with entry from just £1 – or even totally free – you’ll be smiling just as much as the kids.

Yorkshire Games Festival, Bradford

Taking place from the 11 – 22 February 2026, the Yorkshire Games Festival will take place at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.

This family-friendly gaming festival is full of free activities and fully hands-on. It’s packed with real gameplay, workshops and group activities – as well as talks from big names in gaming.

Activities include an interactive comedy gaming show, an interactive videogame-making workshop, and a big screen where attendees can join a round of Nintendo’s Mario Party Jamboree.

Plus, there’s dark and cosy gaming corners away from the noise for those who wish to play in a peaceful setting.

Make sure to book your free museum admission ticket in advance before dropping into sessions or reserving your slot for events online.

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, Shropshire

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings are running a free craft activities program this February half term.

Kids can get stuck into arts and crafts, using linen and rag rug techniques to make dolls, friendship bracelets, badges and more.

The activities will take place in the Stables and Smithy rooms, and are suitable for ages five to eleven.

You can drop in for the arts and crafts between 10am – 3pm on Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Friday 20 February.

If you also want to view the mill exhibitions during your visit, tickets cost £8 per adult and £4.50 per child, with under fives going free.

English Heritage even have a free printable Adventurer’s Checklist online that you can bring along, which children can colour in as they go.

Imagine Children’s Festival, London Southbank Centre

London’s Southbank Centre are hosting a huge children’s festival this February half term.

Between the 11 – 21 February, the Imagine Festival will host nearly 40 children’s events – many of which are free to take part in.

Free activities include dance and theatre shows, live music dance-alongs, and a free family trail called “Architecture Explorers”.

There’s also a Hip Hop Half Term free dance event on 20 February, and a Toasty Tots toddler event on 13 February.

Plus there’s paid events for under £10, like access to the indoor Replay playground for £7.50.

Most free events do not require pre-booking, but to book a ticketed event or see all of the events on offer, head to the Imagine Festival website.

Animal Adventures and Paddington Bear at Cardiff Castle, Wales

On the 16 and 17 of February, Cardiff Castle are running an Animal Adventures event to kick off half term.

This educational event allows kids of all ages to get up close to unique creatures including snakes and insects, whilst learning facts all about the species.

There’s also a special Paddington Bear statue at the castle up until September 2026, which is one of 23 unique sculptures that have popped up across the UK.

Admission tickets to Animal Adventures cost just £7.50. Slots are available between 10:15 and 16:30 and must be booked online on the Cardiff Castle website.

Horsey Half Term at Windsor Castle, Berkshire

If you receive Universal Credit, you can enjoy £1 entry to Windsor Castle this February half term – and take part in a creative celebration of all things equine.

Between the 14 – 22 February, Windsor Castle are hosting horse-themed arts and crafts events to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse.

Windsor Castle is already a top attraction for horse lovers, being home to Royal Mews that house the Royal Family‘s horses when riding at Windsor, as well as many ornate carriages.

To celebrate the year of the fire horse, arts and crafts activities will be available in the castle’s Learning Centre. You can also pick up a free children’s trail sheet to fill in during your visit.

There’s even a giant colourful Dream Horse sculpture on display, made of recycled materials from racecourses.

The £1 entry tickets are available for those who receive Universal Credit and other named benefits, which you can check online.

Moomin Trail and castle crafts at Bodiam Castle, East Sussex

Fans of Moominvalley can enjoy a magical trail through Bodiam Castle this February half term.

Start by grabbing a Moomin trail sheet, then wander through a fairy-tale path littered with characters, games and activities.

The trail takes place inside the castle itself, so no need to worry about dressing for the outdoors.

The trail itself costs just £2 to take part in, however you must also have admission tickets to the castle.

There’s also arts and crafts activities on offer this half term, such as decorating your own wooden knight’s shield or painting a ceramic dragon flowerpot.

If taking part in the arts and crafts, the items available to decorate cost between £2 – £5.

The Moomin trail is open until 8 March, whilst arts and crafts are available between 14 – 22 February.

Admission to Bodiam Castle is discounted for families. A family ticket for one adult and three children costs just £18 (£4.50pp). Under fives go free.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar trail at Osterley Gardens, Middlesex

Fans young and old of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar will enjoy this themed trail through the stately gardens of Osterley in Middlesex.

The story of the endlessly hungry creature is bought to life through educational activities, plus a trail accessible via paper sheet or QR code.

The trail itself is free to take part in, although you must have admission tickets to Osterley Gardens. It is recommended for ages three to six.

Plus to keep with the insect theme, there’s also a Zoolab Animal Encounter event, where you can meet with millipedes, spiders and more.

Admission to the gardens costs £10 for adults and £5 for children, with under fives going free.

Seven Stories, Newcastle

Seven Stories is an attraction and National Centre for Children’s Books, which is free to enter and full of exciting exhibitions and galleries.

Throughout February, families will be able to visit the free Elmer and Friends exhibition, which centres around the colourful patchwork elephant.

There is also a free exhibition on Mog, the Forgetful Cat which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Judith Kerr.

During the February half term, the centre will also be running daily story-time sessions every hour from 10:30am.

The sessions cost an additional £3.50 per child with adults sitting in for free, however the 3:30pm story time sessions are always free.

The story times are best suited to children under eight, and should be booked in advance on the Seven Stories website.

London Museum Docklands: Viking exhibition

There’s a completely free Viking-themed exhibition running from 14 – 20 February at the London Museum Docklands.

Kids can decorate a Viking shield biscuit, sit in on storytelling sessions, and create digital designs on a tablet – plus there’s a sensory play area for babies, too.

There’s also arts and crafts available such as making Viking brooches and moulding your own Roman pot.

Plus the rest of the main galleries and exhibitions are free and open to all, and include immersive Victorian streets and a unique mud-larking zone.

Whilst all of the activities are free, some require booking in advance online.

Harewood House Family Takeover, West Yorkshire

From 16 – 22 February 2026, Harewood House in West Yorkshire is undergoing the House Family Takeover.

This event will see the house filled with colourful, interactive play zones and historical characters to immerse you in Harewood’s history.

Other activities taking place include Welly Walks and relaxed arts and crafts sessions for SEND children.

The Family Takeover events are included in the cost of your day ticket, which should be purchased online in advance.

A family ticket for two adults and two children starts at £33, costing just £8.25pp to enter. However prices can vary depending on the date you choose to visit.

Leeds Storytelling Festival

Running from 14 February – 8 March 2026, the Leeds Storytelling Festival will take over the city for three weeks of theatre, readings, workshops and family trails.

One of the events taking place during the festival is the CBeebies Read and Rave at Leeds Central Library, a free event recommended for families with children under five.

Other fun options include Story Explorers face painting and crafts, and a family-friendly Ask an Astronaut Q&A with NASA’s Meganne Christian.

Most of the events at the festival are free, however you should check online if the events you want to attend need to be pre-booked.

Horniman Museum: Octonauts Trail and Underwater Adventures, London

Starting on February 13 and running all the way through until November, you can take part in a brand new exhibition at the Horniman Museum.

Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures is a new interactive exhibition which includes climbing aboard a submarine and crawling through shipwrecks.

There’s plenty of interactive and hands-on elements to this underwater adventure, plus there’s Octonauts themed activities and fun facts along the way, too.

Adult tickets cost £9.80 and children’s cost £7. A family ticket for four costs £27, or if you’re receiving Universal Credit you can enter for just £2. Book in advance online.

Colne Valley Railway, Essex

For a cheap half term activity that train-lovers will enjoy, head to Colney Valley Railway in Essex.

On the 15, 18 and 21 February 2026, the railway are offering the Kids for a Quid scheme, where families can enjoy free parking and unlimited train rides on a heritage steam train – with kids tickets for just £1.

The steam and diesel railway is a family and dog-friendly attraction close to Sible Hedingham in Essex.

Hop aboard a restored railway coach or wagon and enjoy views of the Essex countryside. The round trip takes about 15 minutes, with trains running every 30 minutes.

All children are given an activity sheet upon arrival, plus there’s also a large model railway on site, as well as a cafe with cosy seating and hot food.

A family ticket for two adults and three children usually costs £33.00, working out at £6.60 each.

But with the Kids for a Quid offer you’ll get it even cheaper, with the same family visit costing just £27, or £5.40 each.

To get the offer, head to the Railway’s website to pre-book and enter the code ‘KIDQUID26’.

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu is running a “Hands-on History” event this February half term.

From the 14 – 22nd of February, families can follow an immersive, card-collecting trail through the museum, stopping to jump into plenty of fun tasks.

Activities along the way include getting hands-on with motoring mechanics in Jack Tucker’s Garage, as well as hopping aboard a replica 1912 London bus and quizzing the driver on all things transport.

There’s also plenty more to see here, like a limited-time collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Cars until April 12.

Although adult tickets cost £27 and kids cost £16.65 (0 – three go free), there is a trick to make visiting the museum cheaper.

If you add on Gift Aid to your ticket when booking online (an extra 25%), you’ll receive a free annual pass to the National Motor Museum.

This means that after paying for your initial entry, you can return as many times as you want throughout the year for free – which can easily work out at under £10 per visit if you make the most of your pass!

ODEON and Vue discounted cinema tickets, nationwide

Vue Cinemas‘ Mighty Mornings deal offers cinema tickets for just £2.49 for children aged four to eleven, plus the same reduced rate applies to the adults accompanying them.

Mighty Mornings takes place every day during the school holidays from 10am, and offers a range of family-friendly films to pick from that all ages will enjoy.

Alternatively, ODEON offer ODEON Kids screenings with tickets from just £1.

ODEON Kids screenings run every day during the school holidays, however availability depends on your chosen cinema location and can be checked online.

Films to look forward to in the 2026 February half term include Sony Pictures’ GOAT and Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up.

As the upcoming Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 approaches, attention naturally shifts to records, rivalries, and the prestige of making it to the podium. But after the celebrations end, a practical question always resurfaces: What are those medals actually worth?

The answer depends on how you define “worth.” There’s the literal value of the metal, the tax implications that follow, and then the much bigger value that comes from status, visibility, and opportunity.

Are Olympic Gold Medals Actually Solid Gold?

Despite the name, Olympic gold medals are not solid gold. Even though the tradition of a solid gold medal was established in 1904, forging the medals 100% out of gold didn’t last long, as it became too costly after World War I. As a result, the top medal hasn’t been made of solid gold since the 1912 Olympic games.

Today, gold medals are primarily made of silver, with a relatively thin coating of pure gold on the surface. The exact specifications vary slightly, but the general formula has remained consistent. A modern Olympic gold medal typically contains 523 grams of sterling silver, with approximately six grams of gold plated on top. This allows it to look like gold and feel substantial, while also carrying enormous symbolic weight.

Silver medals are indeed solid, made of 525 grams of sterling silver. Bronze medals meanwhile contain no precious metals at all, typically containing 90 percent copper and other alloys, such as tin and zinc.

As a result, the true value of each medal comes more from the prestige of being a medalist and the opportunities it may offer than from the raw materials that comprise each medal.

What Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals Are Worth at Today’s Metal Prices

Metal prices fluctuate constantly, so any estimate is a snapshot in time. Using current pricing, gold is trading around $4,900 per troy ounce, and silver around $85 per troy ounce. Six grams of gold works out to be worth about $945 at current prices, while the silver portion of a gold medal, about 523 grams, is worth about $1,430. Added together, the raw metal value of a gold medal currently lands around $2,375.

Silver medals, made of 525 grams of sterling silver, would be worth around $1,435, while bronze medals are worth far less from a materials standpoint. With copper currently priced at about $0.38 per ounce and a bronze medal comprising 495 grams of copper, the third-place medal would be worth less than $7 at today’s prices.

Do Olympic Athletes Have To Pay Taxes on Their Medals?

Fortunately for U.S. athletes, the tax picture has changed over time. In the past, medals and associated prize money were treated as taxable income, meaning athletes could owe federal taxes on both the cash bonuses and the fair market value of the medal itself.

That shifted in 2016, when Congress passed the United States Appreciation for Olympians and Paralympians Act of 2016. The legislation allows most U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to exclude medal-related prize money from federal income taxes if their overall income falls below a certain threshold. The intent was to prevent athletes, many of whom train for years with limited financial support, from being hit with tax bills simply for winning.

Why Medals Are Worth Far More Than the Metal

If medals were only worth their metal content, they’d be impressive keepsakes, but not life-changing ones. The real value comes from what the medal represents and what it unlocks.

An Olympic medal can raise an athlete’s profile overnight, leading to endorsements, sponsorships, and paid appearances that weren’t on the table before. The impact often lasts well beyond competition, opening doors to coaching, leadership roles, and media opportunities long after the Games are over.

Those opportunities don’t look the same for every medalist—or arrive all at once. For some athletes, especially gold medalists, the exposure of winning on the sport’s biggest stage can translate quickly into major endorsement deals. For others, the payoff is more gradual, showing up as smaller sponsorships, speaking fees, or a clearer path into post-competition careers built on recognition and trust.

Winning multiple medals can also amplify the effect, creating a sustained spotlight that brands and audiences tend to value more than a single podium finish.

While the metal in an Olympic medal may only be worth a modest sum, the visibility it brings can reshape an athlete’s earning potential in ways that far outlast the Games themselves—making its true value less about what it’s made of, and more about what it makes possible.

It’s always special for Bob Baffert to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, since the race is named after the late owner of Silver Charm, one of the trainer’s six Kentucky Derby champions.

Winning the Lewis also is as familiar to Baffert as looking in the mirror and seeing white hair. Saturday’s victory by Plutarch was the eighth straight for Baffert in the $100,000 race for 3-year-olds, and his 14th in the race known until 2007 as the Santa Catalina Stakes.

What made Baffert a little emotional Saturday was his other victory, with Splendora in a $200,000 Grade 2 race that used to be known as the Santa Monica Stakes. The name was changed this year in honor of a friend and fellow Hall of Fame trainer who died last summer.

“When I saw that this race was renamed for D. Wayne Lukas, I wanted to win this one,” Baffert told reporters at Santa Anita. “I miss him. I miss talking to him. He would have loved this.”

It would be easy for anyone to love training or just watching Splendora, a 5-year-old daughter of Audible who won her fourth straight start and her first since last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The 2-5 favorite cruised to a 2¾-length victory over Me and Molly McGee in 1:22.09 for seven furlongs.

“She is such a good filly. She just gives me chills,” Baffert said. “She missed the break and got behind, but Juan [Hernandez] rode her with a lot of confidence.”

It was the eighth win in the race for Baffert, who now leads Lukas by two. Lukas’ last victory in the race came in 1996 with the Hall of Famer Serena’s Song, owned by Lewis and his wife, Beverly. It was the next year that Baffert and the Lewises combined to win their first Derby with Silver Charm.

Whether Baffert has another Derby winner in Plutarch won’t be known for 12 weeks, but the colt certainly has the bloodlines. Into Mischief has been the leading sire in North America (by earnings) for the last seven years, including Derby winners Authentic (for Baffert), Mandaloun and Sovereignty, while Plutarch’s dam, Stellar Wind, was the 3-year-old champion filly in 2015.

Plutarch, with Florent Geroux aboard, outruns Intrepid, with Hector I. Berrios aboard, to win the Grade 3 $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.

(Benoit Photo via Associated Press)

“This horse reminds me of Authentic,” Baffert said. “He keeps getting better every week. I don’t think distance will be a problem with him. This is very exciting. He’s legit.”

Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting. That race and two others were on grass; Baffert said he did that because he wanted to get the colt in some races.

The surprise Saturday was how close Plutarch was to the lead, tracking the equally surprising pacesetter Intrepido through solid fractions of 47.65 for a half-mile and 1:11.35 for six furlongs. Baffert expected his 6-5 favorite, Desert Gate, to be on the lead, but the horse broke slowly and had to settle about a length and a half off the lead in the bunched field of seven.

Plutarch pushed ahead of Intrepido entering the stretch and the two dueled for most of the last quarter-mile, with Plutarch winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:37.02. He paid $10.20 as the co-third choice with the runner-up. Secured Freedom (3-1) edged Desert Gate for third.

“The longer the better,” said winning rider Florent Geroux, who just this week relocated to California from the Louisiana and Kentucky circuit. “He is a colt who has finally put it together this year. I watched some of his replays from last year and from what Bob told me, it looked like the horse was still a little bit green, trying to figure out what was going on during the race. But today, I felt he broke very alertly for me and put me in a great spot. When I asked him to move along the lane he responded really well.”

Intrepido defeated Desert Gate and Plutarch last October at Santa Anita in the Grade 1 American Pharoah, but finished a disappointing fifth later that month in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Trainer Jeff Mullins said he was pleased with the bounce-back.

“I really didn’t expect him to be on the lead … but he breaks [fast] like that, you’ve got to go with it,” Mullins said. “To be off that long, I’m happy with his race.”

Plutarch earned 20 Kentucky Derby points, giving him 23, tied with Intrepido for third in the standings. Silent Tactic, who won Friday’s Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in Arkansas, and Renegade, winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, lead with 25. It usually takes about 40 points to get into the Derby.

One of Baffert’s recent Lewis winners captured the Derby, though Medina Spirit (2021) later was disqualified. Newgate (2023) went on to win the Santa Anita Handicap as a 4-year-old, while Nysos (2024) and Citizen Bull (2025) ran one-two in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

The next race for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita is the San Felipe Stakes on March 7, followed by the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

Notable

Three of the top four finishers from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies make up three-quarters of the short field in Sunday’s featured Las Virgenes Stakes. Super Corredora, trained by John Sadler, won the Oct. 31 race at Del Mar and was named champion 2-year-old filly, with Baffert’s Explora second and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning fourth. Explora is the only one of the trio to race since; she won the Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 10. First post on Super Bowl Sunday is earlier than normal at 11 a.m.

DUBLIN is known for great Guinness and cracking craic in the music-filled pubs of Temple Bar.

But what can you do if you’re not there for a boozy break with your mates and are instead travelling with your nine-year-old daughter?

It turns out that the Irish capital is also ideal for families to have, as hometown heroes U2 sang, a Beautiful Day.

My daughter Piper and I had made the short hop by plane on a Friday afternoon, checked in at the basic, but clean and friendly, easyHotel Dublin City Centre and headed straight out for shopping time at landmark department store Arnotts, which dates back to 1895.

Refuelling beckoned, so we headed to The Woollen Mills, a renowned restaurant by the pretty Ha’penny Bridge over the River Liffey.

Great coffee, great steak and, according to Piper, great chicken wings.

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Mains are from £16.50 and I’d go back to try their fry-up brunch.

With a big sightseeing Saturday ahead, we had an early night and were raring to go the next morning.

Our Beautiful Day began at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a short walk or tram ride east of the city centre.

It might sound a tad dull, but it’s one of the best museums I’ve been to and Piper loved it.

With tickets from £13, it’s a state-of-the-art experience that tells the story of the estimated 70million Irish-heritage people across the world.

It features 20 interactive galleries that bring to life their journeys overseas, past and present.

It turns out that the Irish capital is also ideal for families to have, as hometown heroes U2 sang, a Beautiful Day

Piper particularly loved the sports section, where she got to try out hurling, a fast and furious Gaelic team game similar to hockey.

And there were numerous touchscreen activities and quizzes.

Besides tackling the “passport” treasure hunt, we also loved the Notorious Irish exhibit, where Piper had to jump on to spots on the ground to answer questions about the likes of Wild West gunslinger Billy The Kid, Caribbean pirate Anne Bonny and bank robber and US Prohibition era gangster George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

Emigration history lesson not quite over, we crossed the road to The Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship, which tells the fascinating but dark story of the million-plus Irish people who fled the Great Famine of 1844-52.

Pillaging warriors

The replica ship moored on the Liffey gives an eerie insight into conditions on board and its role in the mass emigration, mostly to the US and Canada.

Next up, Norsemen. You might not associate Dublin with horned helmets and pillaging warriors, but they settled here in the 9th century.

And there’s no better way to find out more than with the Viking Splash Tour on board a World War Two amphibious DUKW vehicle.

You’re handed a Viking helmet as you board, and the guide had us passengers in stitches with a flurry of jokes.

They also encouraged us to shout frequent war cries at pedestrians as we took in Viking history and more modern sights, such as cathedrals and Georgian buildings.

We then plunged into the Grand Canal Basin to pass near the recording studios where U2 began their journey to megastardom. An unmissable tour at £30 per person.

And our discoveries were not over, as we joined excellent guide Gerry McGeough, of Pat Liddy’s Walking Tours of Dublin.

He took us round key sights such as the Oscar Wilde Memorial, the whimsical Giants Garden adventure playground, shopping heaven Grafton Street and the statue of fictional cockles and mussels seller Molly Malone, immortalised in the song that bears her name.

Our Beautiful Day began at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a short walk or tram ride east of the city centre

After a fun-filled, action-packed day, there was time for a call at the fabled Bewley’s Cafe for the best hot chocolate money can buy, before flopping back at our hotel ahead of a morning flight home.

U2 may have had a global hit with I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, but Piper and I certainly discovered the superb city break we were seeking in dazzling Dublin.

And, yes, I did manage to find time for a quick pint of Guinness.

The far right’s score will be watched closely, with the vote being held as heavy storms continue to lash the country.

Polls have opened in the second round of Portugal’s elections, viewed as a high-stakes choice between the socialists and a resurgent far right.

Voting began at 9am local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday for the presidential election, with 11 million voters at home and abroad eligible to cast their ballots.

Voters are set to choose between the Socialist Party leader, Antonio Jose Seguro, and Andre Ventura, leader of the nationalist party Chega, which means “enough” in Portuguese.

Exit polls are expected by about 9pm local time (20:00 GMT).

Seguro, 63, secured 31.1 percent of the vote in the first round, while outspoken far-right leader Ventura won 23.5 percent.

While Ventura is almost certain to be beaten by Seguro, the far right’s score will be watched closely.

Sunday’s vote will decide who takes on the emblematic, but largely ceremonial, role of the president.

The vote is taking place as heavy storms continue to lash the country. Despite an improvement in the weather overnight from Saturday to Sunday, at least 14 of the most affected constituencies have postponed voting for nearly 32,000 people by one week.

The storms have killed at least five people, triggered flooding, and caused damage estimated at 4 billion euros ($4.7bn).

But Ventura’s call to postpone the whole vote has been rejected.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the storms had caused a “devastating crisis” but that the threats to voting could be overcome.

The last presidential election went ahead five years ago despite the coronavirus pandemic, outgoing President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told Ventura on Friday.

NEPO baby influencer Gabriella Bardsley has been spotted working at a charity shop in Cheshire as part of her community service assignment.

The 23-year-old daughter of Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley was handed the court order after pleading guilty to drink-driving last summer.

Gabriella admitted to being almost three-and-a-half times over the alcohol limit behind the wheel of her Audi A3.

Taking her good character into account, Crewe Magistrates’ Court court handed Gabriella an order to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Now, she has been seen carrying out community service work in The Salvation Army charity shop in Wilmslow.

Donning leggings with a pair of Ugg shoes and a faux fur coat, Gabriella had her hair tied into a ponytail as she helped out.

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Looking less than happy to be there, she was snapped scrolling through her phone on the shop floor, before helping out by folding a pair of jeans.

In May, Gabriella was pulled over and instructed to take a road-side breath test while driving, which she refused.

She was then taken to a nearby police station and was found to have 122 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – the UK legal limit being only 35 micrograms.

Crewe Magistrates’ Court was later told how she had approached the scene of a road traffic collision in Wilmslow and “attempted to drive through the police blockade”.

Charlie Hayward, prosecuting, said when officers approached her she was visibly intoxicated and “slurring her words” and “struggling” to stand on her feet.

However, her lawyer Gary Hughes told the court that she was of “hitherto good character” – which played a part in her sentencing of community service and a driving ban.

Gabriella’s stepdad is ex-Manchester United footballer Phil Bardsley.

The influencer appears on ITVX series The Bardsley Bunch alongside her famous parents and younger brothers Rocco, Renz and Ralphi.

Her stepdad Phil began his career at Man Utd before joining Sunderland in 2008.

He also played for the Scottish national team before hanging up his boots for good in 2023.

Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a shoulder injury playing for Rennes.

The 20-year-old French defender, who agreed a £60m move to Anfield last week, is set to join at the end of the season.

He fell awkwardly in the second half of Rennes’ 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat at Lens on Saturday, when defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal also suffered a muscular injury.

Rennes manager Habib Beye said: “It’s definitely quite serious for both of them.”

Global markets rarely reveal their vulnerabilities quietly. They do so when shipping lanes come under threat, energy prices surge, or supply chains fracture. Few regions illustrate this reality more starkly than the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which are now among the world’s most contested maritime corridors. What unfolds along these waters no longer remains local. It shapes economic security across the Arab world and far beyond.

Yet, amid growing attention to this strategic corridor, one factor remains persistently underestimated: Somalia.

For decades, Somalia was viewed primarily through the lens of conflict and fragility. That narrative no longer reflects today’s reality. The country is undergoing a consequential transition, moving away from prolonged instability, rebuilding state institutions, and re-emerging as a sovereign actor with growing regional relevance. Situated at the intersection of the Arab world, Africa, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, Somalia is not peripheral to regional stability; it is central to it.

Geography alone explains much of this significance. With the longest coastline in mainland Africa, Somalia lies adjacent to the Bab al-Mandeb passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. A substantial share of global maritime trade and energy shipments passes through this corridor. Disruptions along Somalia’s coast, therefore, have immediate implications for shipping reliability, energy markets, and food security — issues of direct concern to Gulf states and Arab economies.

For the Arab world, Somalia should be understood not as distant terrain but as a front-line partner in regional security. Stability along Somalia’s coastline helps contain threats before they reach the Arabian Peninsula, whether in the form of violent extremism, illicit trafficking networks, piracy, or the entrenchment of hostile external military presences along Africa’s eastern flank.

Somalia is not attempting to build stability from scratch. Despite persistent challenges, tangible progress has been made. Federal governance structures are functioning. National security forces are undergoing professionalisation. Public financial management has improved. Diplomatically, Somalia has reasserted itself within the Arab League, the African Union, and multilateral forums. These gains continue to be built on daily and reflect a clear commitment to sovereign statehood, territorial unity, and partnership rather than dependency. Somalia today seeks strategic alignment grounded in mutual interest, not charity.

Somalia’s relevance also extends beyond security. Its membership in the East African Community integrates the country into one of the world’s fastest-growing population and consumer regions. East Africa’s rapid demographic expansion, urbanisation, and economic integration position Somalia as a natural bridge between Gulf capital and African growth markets.

There is a clear opportunity for Somalia to emerge as a logistics and transshipment gateway linking the Gulf, the Red Sea, East Africa and the Indian Ocean. With targeted investments in ports, transport corridors, and maritime security, Somalia can become a critical node in regional supply chains supporting trade diversification, food security, and economic resilience across the Arab world.

At the heart of Somalia’s potential is its dynamic population. More than 70 percent of Somalis are aged below 30. This generation is increasingly urban, digitally connected, and entrepreneurial. Somali traders and business networks already operate across Southern and Eastern Africa, spanning logistics, finance, retail, and services. A large and dynamic diaspora across the Gulf, Europe, North America, and Africa further amplifies this reach through remittances, investment, and transnational expertise.

None of these momentums, however, can be sustained without security. A capable, nationally legitimate Somali security sector is the foundation for durable stability, investment confidence, and regional integration.

For Gulf states and the wider Arab world, supporting Somalia’s security sector is therefore not an act of altruism. It is a strategic investment in a reliable stabilising partner. Effective Somali security institutions contribute directly to safeguarding Red Sea and Gulf of Aden maritime corridors, countering transnational terrorism before it reaches Arab shores, protecting emerging logistics infrastructure, and denying external actors opportunities to exploit governance vacuums. Such support must prioritise institution-building, Somali ownership, and long-term sustainability, not short-term fixes or proxy competition.

The stakes are rising. The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are entering a period of heightened strategic contestation. Fragmentation along their African coastline poses a direct risk to Arab collective security. Recent developments underscore this urgency.

Israel’s unilateral recognition of the northern Somali region of Somaliland, pursued outside international legal frameworks and without Somali consent, is widely viewed as an attempt to secure a military foothold along these strategic waters, risking the introduction of the Arab-Israeli conflict into the Gulf’s security environment.

Even more troubling are emerging narratives advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, with proposals to relocate them to Somaliland against their will. Such ideas, whether formally advanced or not, represent grave violations of international law and human dignity. Exporting the consequences of occupation and war onto African soil would not resolve conflict; it would multiply it.

For the Arab world, this should serve as a wake-up call. Allowing external actors to fragment sovereign states or instrumentalise fragile regions for unresolved conflicts carries long-term consequences. Somalia’s unity and stability, therefore, align squarely with core Arab strategic interests and with longstanding Arab positions on sovereignty, justice and self-determination.

Somalia is ready to be part of the solution. With calibrated strategic support, particularly in security sector development and logistics infrastructure, Somalia can emerge as a cornerstone of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden stability, a gateway to East Africa, and a long-term partner for the Arab world.

The question is no longer whether Somalia matters in the regional and global Red Sea and Gulf of Aden discussions and plans. It is whether the region will act on that reality before others do.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

DID you know the world’s ‘diamond capital’ is just a train ride away from the UK?

The unlikely city of Antwerp is becoming the new capital of cool and not just because of its gemstone claim to fame.

Often overlooked by its Belgium counterparts of Brussels and Bruge, Antwerp has more than 500 years for diamond trading history.

Currently handling around 80 per cent of the world’s rough diamonds, the diamond district itself has become a popular tourist spot with cafes and bars.

Yet the city is fast becoming the hot new weekend break destination.

Last year, Time Out named the neighbourhood of Borgerhout the second the coolest in the world.

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For attractions, there is Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), with live DJs and cocktail bars in summer, or the MoMu Fashion Museum.

Want to catch a show? The Quartier Latin is nicknamed the Theatre neighbourhood due to the sheer number of theatres and opera houses there are.

Make sure to get some famous frites as well as the famous Bolleke beer.

Or, go a bit higher class to one of the 16 Michelin-starred restaurants scattered throughout the city.

In the summer, head to Sint-Anneke beach on the river.

For one of the most unique stays, there is the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, in a former monastery and the city’s first five tar hotel.

Or there is August, just as beautiful and built in a former convent.

There are currently no direct flights from the UK to Antwerp – but instead can take the Eurostar via Brussels, taking just over three hours.

It’s worth the journey simply to go to Antwerp Centraal Station, which dates back to 1873.

The Sun’s Harry Corton recently visited the city.

He said: “Antwerp is a culture slap in the face with all the trappings of Amsterdam (yes, even a red light district!) but none of the tourist-trampled thoroughfares.

“A visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady, is essential. Take in the enormous marble turrets, ancient clock faces and magnificent stained-glass windows.

“Belgian beer culture is recognised by UNESCO as one of the great human wonders of the world and there are tons of places to sample the dizzying local delights.

“The best is Bier Central (De Keyserlei 25), where the 120-page ‘Beer Cyclodpedia’ offers over 100 different concoctions.”

Here are some of the cheapest places to fly to this year.

And here is how to spend the weekend in Europe’s cheapest city.

Palestinian medics say several of the 54 bodies were found to be mutilated and showed extensive signs of abuse.

Israel has returned dozens of Palestinian bodies and human remains to Gaza without providing any information about their identities or how they were killed, according to Palestinian medical officials.

The remains arrived at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday in plain white bags and are now being examined by forensic teams in an effort to identify them and provide answers to grieving families.

“The bags carry the weight of lives lost. Now they’re undergoing examination, prolonging the grief of families desperate for closure,” Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili reported from al-Shifa Hospital on Saturday.

Palestinian medics say several bodies were mutilated.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross handed over 120 body bags containing 54 bodies as well as skull samples placed in 66 separate bags,” forensic official Omar Suleiman told Al Jazeera.

Previous exchanges of Palestinian prisoners’ bodies have revealed extensive signs of abuse, with many showing indications of torture, mutilation and execution.

In November, the rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel released a report saying at least 94 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody, citing causes including torture, medical neglect, malnutrition and physical assault.

The group said the actual toll could be significantly higher.

‘Missing for 10 months’

For many Palestinians, the search for missing relatives has shifted from streets and rubble to computer screens and improvised identification centres.

At al-Shifa, Shadi al-Fayoumi scrolled through blurred and graphic images, hoping to spot anything recognisable that might tell him what happened to his brothers.

“My brothers have been missing for 10 months. They disappeared in the Tuffah neighbourhood,” al-Fayoumi, whose brothers remain missing, told Al Jazeera.

“I went to al-Shifa Medical Complex, where we were told there were bodies we could try to identify. However, the images were unclear and lacked discernible features. How are we expected to identify them under these conditions?”

According to al-Fayoumi, his brothers had gone in search of food and water during the peak of the famine last year but never returned.

“We contacted multiple institutions, but none was willing to help or provide reliable information,” al-Fayoumi added.

Al Jazeera’s al-Khalili said al-Fayoumi’s mother has been “inconsolable”.

“His brothers’ children are silent, unwilling to voice their worst fears. Israeli forces hand over the bodies of Palestinians with little regard for human dignity,” he added.

“There is no information on how they died or how long they were held, leaving Palestinians with not only their grief but unanswered questions.”

Amber previously visited Cadbury World to see if she could bag much free chocolate. She documented her journey to the Birmingham attraction, and made a few discoveries

There’s nothing like indulging in a good bar of chocolate, and Cadbury has been a staple brand for many years, as it’s always bringing out new and exciting flavours. However, in a bid to have a totally sweet experience, one woman visited Cadbury World, in Birmingham, to see if she could bag some free chocolate.

Amber, who’s known as passporttpages on TikTok, often documents her travel adventures and local experiences, and she shared what it was like when she visited the famous chocolate factory. According to her, there are questions people sometimes have about visiting such as “what is there to do?” and perhaps, most importantly, “do you get any free chocolate?”, so she ventured off in search of some answers.

It’s not the first time someone has carried out such an experiment either. Back last year, another woman also went on a mission to try and find free sweet treats at the factory.

Alongside the video, Amber said: “Is Cadbury World still good without kids? We spent around two hours here and had a great time! If you’re looking for a family day out or a fun few hours out the house this is great.”

In the clip, Amber then continued to explain what happened when she visited the attraction back last year. She said: “There is a high possibility I’m going to be way too old for this, but we’re going to give it a go anyway.

“We’re giving Cadbury World a go as adults, so let’s see how it goes. The first thing that happens when you arrive is you’re given three free chocolate bars, so you can’t go wrong with that, and you can also buy a bag to put them in.

“It was £1.50 for a small one or £2.50 for a big one. So when you go inside, you go around a set route where you can see how chocolate was made years ago, all the old advertising and a few shows.

“My favourite bit was this one, where they give you a pot of melted chocolate and you can pick two toppings to put in it. I chose to put Oreo crumbs and white chocolate buttons in mine, and it was so good.”

Amber also explained there’s something called a “have a go” section, where you can do some chocolate drawings and have a go at tempering chocolate too. After this, she experienced a 4D cinema ride, which she noted was “better than she was expecting”.

She also said there’s a café with all sorts of treats available and there’s also a playground outside for kids. As well as this, she thought the gift shop was a “real treat”.

Amber headed straight to the chocolate section as “nearly all of it was discounted”. There were some bars that were “twice the size of her head”, and she also managed to snap up some limited edition goodies too.

According to her, it’s a great place to go for a day out, and she seemed to really enjoy her time there. Not to mention, she bagged a few freebies too.

The video has been watched more than 25,000 times since she posted it, and people were quick to comment too. They shared all sorts of thoughts about their personal experiences at Cadbury World.

One said: “Been to Cadbury World twice as kid, once when I was too small to remember it, and once when I was a bit older (maybe eight or nine) and seeing this has made me want to go back, looks really good.”

Another added: “I remember going and throwing up the whole way home cause we all ate so much chocolate, lol.”

A third suggested you used to get more free chocolate though, writing: “I swear when I used to go as a kid you got about a dozen free bars at the beginning. The shop at the end is pretty good to be fair, especially if you buy the bags of Mis Shapes.”

Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “I used to love the small pots of chocolate they’d give in every room around.” One more also chimed in with: “Haven’t been in years, but I remember that pot of melting chocolate being insane!”

How much is it to visit Cadbury World?

There are different packages available but, according to the website, a standard ticket costs from £19 if you book in advance. It also details what treats you may find yourself receiving.

It states: “Each guest will receive a Cadbury chocolate bar at the start of the tour, and then in our Chocolate Making zone, each guest will receive a delicious pot of warm melted Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, plus a choice of two toppings from a selection of treats.

“Then, after our new Cadbury Chocolate Quest ride, each guest will also receive another Cadbury chocolate bar to enjoy. Please note that the gifting of chocolate and any other products is complimentary and may be withdrawn at any time at the discretion of Cadbury World.”

“Sinners” has made Oscars history.

The 98th Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday and Ryan Coogler’s musical horror earned 16 overall nominations, breaking the record for the most nominations for a film previously held by “All about Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016). “Sinners’” nominations include best picture, directing, original screenplay and individual acting nods for stars Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedic political thriller “One Battle After Another” followed with 13 total nominations, which included nods for picture, directing, adapted screenplay and actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ alien comedy “Bugonia,” Chloé Zhao’s tragic Shakespeare drama “Hamnet,” Joseph Kosinski’s racing drama “F1,” Guillermo del Toro’s gothic monster mash “Frankenstein,” Josh Safdie’s ping-pong picture “Marty Supreme,” Brazilian political thriller “The Secret Agent,” Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” and Clint Bentley’s lyrical period piece “Train Dreams” rounded out the nominees for best picture.

Performers from both “The Secret Agent” and “Sentimental Value” also earned acting nominations, making it another banner year for international features. Other top nominees include “Frankenstein,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value,” which earned nine nods apiece.

Actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announced the nominations at the academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. See the full list of nominees below.

Best picture
“Bugonia”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”

Actress in a leading role
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia”

Actor in a leading role
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”

Actress in a supporting role
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”

Actor in a supporting role
Benicio del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value”

Directing
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”

Adapted screenplay
“Bugonia,” Will Tracy
“Frankenstein,” Guillermo del Toro
“Hamnet,” Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
“One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“Train Dreams,” Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Original screenplay
“Blue Moon,” Robert Kaplow
“It Was Just an Accident,” Jafar Panahi
“Marty Supreme,” Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein
“Sentimental Value,” Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
“Sinners,” Ryan Coogler

Documentary feature
“The Alabama Solution”
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Cutting Through Rocks”
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
“The Perfect Neighbor”

Documentary short
“All the Empty Rooms”
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’”
“The Devil Is Busy”
“Perfectly a Strangeness”

Animated feature
“Arco”
“Elio”
“KPop Demon Hunters”
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”
“Zootopia 2”

Animated short
“Butterfly”
“Forevergreen”
“The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
“Retirement Plan”
“The Three Sisters”

Cinematography
“Frankenstein,” Dan Laustsen
“Marty Supreme,” Darius Khondji
“One Battle After Another,” Michael Bauman
“Sinners,” Autumn Durald Arkapaw
“Train Dreams,” Adolpho Veloso

Costume design
“Avatar: Fire and Ash,” Deborah L. Scott
“Frankenstein,” Kate Hawley
“Hamnet,” Malgosia Turzanska
“Marty Supreme,” Miyako Bellizzi
“Sinners,” Ruth E. Carter

Film editing
“F1,” Stephen Mirrione
“Marty Supreme,” Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another,” Andy Jurgensen
“Sentimental Value,” Olivier Bugge Coutté
“Sinners,” Michael P. Shawver

International feature
“It Was Just an Accident” (France)
“The Secret Agent” (Brazil)
“Sentimental Value” (Norway)
“Sirāt” (Spain)
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia)

Live-action short
“Butcher’s Stain”
“A Friend of Dorothy”
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama”
“The Singers”
“Two People Exchanging Saliva”

Makeup and hairstyling
“Frankenstein,” Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
“Kokuho,” Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
“Sinners,” Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
“The Smashing Machine,” Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
“The Ugly Stepsister,” Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg

Original score
“Bugonia,” Jerskin Fendrix
“Frankenstein,” Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet,” Max Richter
“One Battle After Another,” Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners,” Ludwig Göransson

Original song
“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
“I Lied to You” from “Sinners”
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”

Production design
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”

Sound
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirāt”

Visual Effects
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“F1”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”

Casting
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sinners”