Forget Paris and Venice for an intimate getaway, as there’s another city that has been ranked as the most romantic in Europe, with rooftop bars to catch the sunset and a serene boating lake

Europe’s most romantic city has been named, but it’s not where you might think.

Paris, France, has long been hailed as the ‘city of love’, with proposals in the masses, while Venice, Italy, offers sunset gondola rides along the canals. Yet, according to one new ranking, they’ve both been overshadowed as the most romantic cities in Europe.

Instead, the sun-soaked capital of Spain, Madrid, has taken the crown with its historic charm and intimate settings. There are cosy restaurants, rooftop bars, luxury hotels, along with majestic landmarks, vibrant street art, and passionate flamenco performances, all making for a truly spectacular getaway.

Some of the most notable places to visit include hiring a rowing boat on the serene, picturesque lake at El Retiro Park, or taking a leisurely stroll around the enchanting El Capricho Park or the beautiful Sabatini Gardens at the Royal Palace. The city offers some of the best spots to catch the sunset, including the restaurant Azotea del Círculo, which offers panoramic views from its rooftop terrace, and the gardens in Cerro del Tío Pío, perfect for a sunset stroll.

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However, one popular area that has been hailed as the ‘best sunset spot in Madrid’ is the ancient Egyptian temple, Templo de Debod. Catching the sunset last year, one traveller shared on TripAdvisor: “The magic hour to visit is sunset!.. The temple’s ancient stones turn a rich orange, and the reflective pools surrounding it create a mirror effect that is a photographer’s dream.”

For a break away from exploring the city, there’s the Arab baths at Hammam Al Ándalus for a relaxing soak and a step back in time among its historic buildings, or lively flamenco shows at Corral de la Morería. Couples can enjoy a glass of wine and tapas at the Mercado de San Miguel, a fresh food market, or ride the cable car, the Teleférico de Madrid, which crosses the river.

But a stroll around the city is enough to leave you enchanted, with vibrant graffiti decorating its quaint streets lined with tapas bars and coffee shops, and magnificent architecture. From the iconic Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, and Puerta del Sol square, to the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum, it’s easy to spend hours exploring this bustling yet charming city.

Madrid was named the most romantic European city following research by Icelandair. The airline analysed data from various European cities, comparing their location, nightlife, single population, inclusivity and happiness, along with Tripadvisor romance ratings and sunset visibility, with Madrid topping the list.

The list proves even more valuable, as Icelandair found that 1 in 10 Brits, in a study of 3,000 people, said travel is the best way to meet a partner. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 Brits said they’ve fallen in love while flying, and further research found that most holiday romances occur while volunteering abroad, during a work trip, or while solo travelling.

Most romantic European cities

1. Madrid, Spain
2. Prague, Czech Republic
3. Lisbon, Portugal
4. Barcelona, Spain
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Amsterdam, Netherlands
7. Helsinki, Finland
8. Vienna, Austria
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Rome, Italy
11. Athens, Greece
12. Geneva, Switzerland
13. Oslo, Norway
14. Berlin, Germany
15. Reykjavik, Iceland

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

ARE you looking for a cheap Spanish holiday to soak up the sun this summer?

The most affordable coastlines in mainland Spain have been uncovered – and some are £200 cheaper than holidaying on the Costa del Sol.

TravelSupermarket has found the eight most affordable coastlines on mainland Spain with the top being Costa Calida.

It’s nicknamed the ‘Warm Coast’ thanks to its micro-climate which means it has temperatures around 5C warmer than the surrounding Mediterranean.

Daytime temperatures between in the summer can range between 30C and 35C.

Costa Calida also has over 315 sunny days every year.

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According to TravelSupermarket, the average price of a holiday per person is £457 per person.

The coastline has a huge 150 miles of beaches and is generally quieter than its neighbours like the Costa del Sol and Costa Brava.

That said, it still has popular spots along the coastline including La Manga which has a sandy strait often compared to Florida.

La Manga is a 13 mile long strip of sand which is known for its shallow, popular swimming waters and its salt water lagoon.

Visitors have compared it to looking like Florida‘s West Palm Beach and even Miami.

Rooms at the AluaSun Doblemar hotel on La Manga cost as little as £46 per night.

It’s the biggest resort and sits on the beachfront – it daily activities to keep guests entertained, outdoor pools, all-inclusive dining, and a kids’ club.

Another spot holidaymakers might want to consider is Cartagena.

It’s the second largest city in the Region of Murcia and is well-known for its 2,000-year-old Roman theater.

It also has a busy port, seafood restaurants, and Calle Mayor is the busy shopping street with independent shops and boutiques.

There are plenty of beaches too like Playa de Calblanque tucked away in a National Park south of La Manga and the Blue Flag Playa de Calnegre.

A Place in the Sun presenter Jean Johansson says that for those looking to buy abroad, Cartagena is a great and affordable option.

She said: “There are also places around it like Cartagena which, when I started on the show, wasn’t a desirable place, but now it comes up more and more.

“In the Murcia region and Almería, you could get a two-bedroom apartment with a pool in a complex for £100-£120k, and that’s good in this day and age.

“We still have people that can make £80k stretch in the south of Spain, so Murcia is a place to buy in before it gets too expensive.”

To get to the Costa Calida is simple too because Brits can fly into Murcia Airport and head south.

One-way flights from Bournemouth to Murcia start from just £15 with Ryanair in April.

Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket said: “Spain remains one of the most reliable destinations for British holidaymakers seeking value, and with budgets still under pressure, it pays to be a little flexible about where you go.

“Costa Calida in particular stands out – it consistently delivers on beaches, weather and facilities, but tends to fly under the radar compared to the likes of Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca, and that’s reflected in the price.”

For more on Spain, here are the top five of the best destinations to visit in spring with Caribbean-like beaches and free festival trains.

And here’s more on the ‘desert coast’ of Spain that is £290 cheaper than a holiday on the Costa del Sol – with less rain and £3 beers.

WHEN you look at the London skyline, you probably think of the London Eye, Big Ben, the Shard and the Gherkin – but for decades another iconic landmark as been part of that set.

While the BT Tower has been closed to the public for decades it could be turned into a hotel by as soon as 2030.

The Grade-II listed building opened in 1965, measuring 177metres tall and was originally known as the Post Office Tower.

Inside, the building was used to carry phone and TV signals, but also had a revolving restaurant – Top of the Tower – and viewing platforms.

The viewing platform closed to the public in 1971 after a bomb exploded but the restaurant remained open until the end of its lease in 1980.

To date, American hotel chain MCR – who bought the concrete structure clad in glass from BT for £275million – has revealed little plans about what the hotel will look like.

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However, recent reports have revealed that a Shoreditch-based architecture firm and the same team behind the immersive attraction Outernet on Tottenham Court Road, Orms, have been appointed to transform the landmark into a boutique hotel.

The initial ideas and plans for the needle-like building are expected to be revealed at the first public consultation, which is due to be held in May.

But to get a taste of Orms’ style, other projects the firm has worked on include the transformation of Camden Council’s brutalist headquarters into the famous Standard hotel back in 2019.

They are also the firm behind The Ribbon, which is a new nine-storey venue on Oxford Street, recently announced as the location of London’s flagship Harry Potter store – which will be one of five across the planet.

Previous reports also suggest that the rotating restaurant will reopen for the first time since 1980.

The restaurant, that was run by Butlin’s with Sir Billy Butlin himself opening the site, used to seat about 120 diners on an three metre-wide track, with the restaurant rotating a full 360 degrees once every 22 minutes.

Famous diners included The Beatles and Muhammed Ali.

Thanks to the building’s height and nothing in the surrounding area obstructing it (this was to not interrupt communication signals from the tower) it has amazing panoramic views of London.

It is hoped when MCR reopen the building, the viewing platforms will feature as a major part of the hotel, with potentially the best views of the city.

In 2024, tycoon Tyler Morse – the man behind the purchase of the landmark – spoke to The Times about what the hotel will be like and said: “It’s about telephony. It’s about the telegraph era. But with all the modern amenities.”

He added that the “billions of miles of telephone wire” would be woven into the hotel wallpaper and an infinity pool would be built to look over the city.

Originally, when MCR bought the tower, Heatherwick Studio in Camden were going to oversee the redevelopment – the same firm behind Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross.

However, this week a spokesperson told Architect’s Journal: “Heatherwick Studio and MCR had been working together on the development of the BT Tower.

“We are no longer involved and wish MCR every success for the future of the project.”

Architect’s Journal added that Historic England are happy with the initial plans for the 177metre-tall building, with Tom Foxall, region director at Historic England commenting: “The emerging scheme will reinforce the significance of the Grade II-listed tower’s extraordinary architecture, ensuring its iconic presence remains on the London skyline, while also reconfiguring its internal spaces in ways that will bring both public enjoyment and economic growth.”

In other landmark news, an iconic London landmark is set to undergo a major change next month with an incredible upgrade.

Plus, here are Britain’s most iconic seaside landmarks mapped from historic theme park rollercoasters to Art Deco lidos.

Published on
11/03/2026 – 16:15 GMT+1

A probe has been initiated by the US Justice Department into Iran’s use of Binance, the world’s largest crypto platform, to circumvent US sanctions and provide financial backing to terrorist organisations with ties to the IRGC, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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The US DOJ’s examination stems from company documents and accounts provided by individuals familiar with the matter.

Authorities have contacted people with direct knowledge of the Iranian-linked transactions to request interviews and collect evidence, as per the WSJ report.

A monitor appointed by the US Treasury Department has reportedly asked Binance for details on the Iranian transactions, including information about a business partner responsible for a large share of the flows.

At this stage, it remains uncertain whether the investigation targets Binance for any potential misconduct or if it is confined to activity by customers on the platform.

A spokesperson for the company told the WSJ that Binance “categorically did not directly transact with any sanctioned entities”.

This development brings the company back to the centre of US regulatory attention, just months after its founder received a presidential pardon, highlighting persistent challenges in enforcing sanctions within the rapidly evolving crypto and fintech sectors.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, was pardoned by President Trump back in October.

The investigation reopens scrutiny of the exchange, which pleaded guilty in 2023 to breaching US sanctions and banking laws. That case resulted in a record $4.3bn (€3.7bn) penalty and a requirement for ongoing US oversight.

Under the terms of the 2023 agreement, Binance must actively screen clients for terrorism financing and sanctions breaches, as well as report suspicious activity promptly to authorities.

US congressional inquiry adds pressure

The developments have also drawn attention from Capitol Hill.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal, a senior Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, opened a formal inquiry last month into Binance’s handling of the Iranian transactions.

Citing the scale of the unreported flows, approaching nearly $2bn (€1.7bn) to sanctioned entities, and the suspension of internal investigators, Blumenthal questioned whether the exchange had met its obligations under US sanctions and banking laws.

He requested detailed records from Binance, which responded by describing media coverage as inaccurate and highlighting its “best-in-class compliance programme”.

The senator later described that reply as evasive and insufficient to address his concerns.

The timing of the US DOJ’s probe coincides with heightened efforts to disrupt financing networks linked to Iran’s IRGC.

Ahead of joint military actions with Israel against Iran, Washington stepped up measures to cut off revenue streams, particularly those involving crypto assets used to repatriate proceeds from oil sales to China.

In January, the US Treasury Department sanctioned two smaller crypto exchanges for moving large sums to digital wallets connected to the IRGC.

Changes in Venezuela are slow and imperfect, but they are happening. The question is not whether chavismo will attempt to produce results that benefit Venezuelans, because it has no alternative. The real question is how it will do so and who is on the playing field trying to shape those outcomes.

The reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, the enactment of the Amnesty Law, and the proposed reform of the Mining Law seem to indicate that the vehicle for implementing the institutional measures demanded by the United States is the National Assembly. A National Assembly that lacks legitimacy and does not represent the majority of the country’s political sectors.

Two weeks ago, Tareck William Saab resigned from his position as chief prosecutor, and Alfredo Ruiz resigned as ombudsman. Both had held those posts since August 2017 and had used the justice system against those who think differently. Following their resignations, the National Assembly confirmed Larry Devoe as acting head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) and appointed Saab himself as acting ombudsman. While Saab’s resignation represented a step forward, appointing Saab as acting ombudsman was a direct violation of the Constitution. These dissonant signals only confirm that the Rodríguez leadership has no political will to move toward a democratic transition.

The process to appoint the heads of the Citizen Power branch has begun with the convening of the Evaluation Committee, and once again the academic world and civil society organizations have decided to participate. The nomination of Dr. Magaly Vásquez for chief prosecutor is a clear example and reflects the same logic that led human rights organizations to participate in the discussions around the Amnesty Law: when civil society comes together, it can take advantage of even minimal conditions to make itself heard and push decision-making toward, at the very least, more “palatable” outcomes.

Will a future democratic government treat the Amnesty Law as illegitimate? Will the hydrocarbon contracts signed by the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez be recognized?

In this process, as in the legislative debates mentioned earlier, there is an absence: the representation of all the country’s political actors. This absence (which includes a large portion of the opposition) is not simply an act of selfishness. On the contrary, their position is rooted in values and principles that prevent them from recognizing any legitimacy in the National Assembly. That stance deserves respect and admiration. However, it is worth asking whether that inflexible position is preventing them from becoming involved in processes that are producing real consequences for real people, inside and outside the country.

We know that these steps are not gestures of democratization. They appear instead to be targeted concessions designed to manage external pressure and preserve power. But achieving the appointment of a credible chief prosecutor or ombudsman could, even if only gradually, begin to rebuild a degree of institutional independence.

This leads me to ask those in the opposition who still remain on the sidelines: if we do not recognize these processes from their origin, what happens to their results when an eventual political change arrives? Will a future democratic government treat the Amnesty Law as illegitimate? Will the hydrocarbon contracts signed by the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez be recognized? Will the institutional reforms that may emerge within the framework of the path outlined by the US be rejected? These questions arise when one notices the absence of the main political figures, or when their presence remains limited to criticism.

These are not rhetorical or ill-intentioned questions. Nor is this about abandoning principles. Rather, it is about recognizing that civil society organizations need backing, especially from political parties and movements. As was demonstrated on July 28, 2024, when society’s desire for change translates into participation and is channeled by political parties, it becomes an overwhelming movement with the potential to materialize that will for change.

At the same time, we must be realistic: the response of opposition leaders cannot be unconditional recognition of the National Assembly. Structurally, it remains an instrument of authoritarian control. What can materialize, however, is support for civil society in the processes in which it is already participating. These expressions of support do not seek to legitimize lawmakers elected under questionable circumstances. Rather, they seek to recognize the work and struggle of the intermediary organizations that are fighting to open spaces for institutional life.

Turning this transition into a Venezuelan process requires Venezuelan actors to claim leadership over the institutional processes now unfolding.

A clear example of support could be the one mentioned earlier. The process to appoint the heads of Poder Ciudadano should not be rejected from the outset. Instead, those who have chosen to submit their candidacies before the National Assembly’s Evaluation Committee—and who possess the necessary technical and civic credentials—should receive public support, while their names are circulated in the public arena. Put more plainly: make noise about it. Doing so would increase the cost for the regime, in the eyes of the Trump administration, of selecting individuals who are the complete opposite: people without technical qualifications or chosen solely for political loyalty.

Choosing to support participation from an external position carries implications that become clearer with every issue appearing on the legislative agenda. The reform of the Mining Law presented this week, for example, cannot follow the path taken by the Hydrocarbons Law, which was approved without consultation, transparency or the participation of those who will bear its costs.

Venezuelan scholars, environmental organizations, and Indigenous communities must be sitting at the table in the discussions on the mining law. And the opposition, if it truly aspires to represent Venezuelans and not simply oppose the regime, could present its own reform proposals to the organizations that decide to participate in the process. In this way, participation would be effectively “outsourced.” The direct actors are not recognized, but the work of leading institutions is acknowledged.

What is at stake is more than a specific law or appointment. January 3 set in motion a process of transition in Venezuela that we hope will reach a safe harbor and conclude with free elections. But we cannot forget that there is also a risk that these changes will become little more than a negotiation between the US and remnants of chavismo. Turning this transition into a Venezuelan process requires Venezuelan actors to claim leadership over the institutional processes now unfolding. On one side, civil society must act as the principal driver. On the other, the opposition must decide whether it will remain on the margins or become an active ally.

Transitions are never perfect, because in most cases the preexisting institutions are not trustworthy. Yet decisions made within those institutions tend to be more durable than the circumstances that gave rise to them. Participating in a flawed process does not mean surrendering one’s principles. Refusing to acknowledge the reality of the moment, by contrast, allows others to shape what will become the legal and institutional architecture of the transition. And possibly, the political landscape of the coming decades.

CIF STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Golden 1 Center, Sacramento

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

Boys

DIVISION I

Damien (31-7) vs. Folsom (29-6), 8 p.m.

DIVISION III

Birmingham (22-7) vs. Antioch Cornerstone Christian (28-8), 4 p.m.

DIVISION V

Sylmar (24-12) vs. San Marin (21-13), 12 p.m.

Girls

DIVISION I

Corona Centennial (23-5) vs. Clovis (26-10), 6 p.m.

DIVISION III

Placentia El Dorado (22-14) vs. San Jose Valley Christian (16-15), 2 p.m.

DIVISION V

Laguna Hills (21-11) vs. Woodland Christian (32-3), 10 a.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

Boys

OPEN DIVISION

Sierra Canyon (29-1) vs. Richmond Salesian (29-3), 8 p.m.

DIVISION II

Bakersfield Christian (24-11) vs. San Joaquin Memorial (27-7), 4 p.m.

DIVISION IV

San Juan Hills (21-14) vs. Atherton Sacred Heart Prep (20-11), 12 p.m.

Girls

OPEN DIVISION

Ontario Christian (33-2) vs. Archbishop Mitty (28-2), 6 p.m.

DIVISION II

Santa Maria St. Joseph (17-15) vs. Sierra Pacific (24-11), 2 p.m.

DIVISION IV

Palisades (16-13) vs. Yuba City Faith Christian (33-1) 10 a.m.

March 11 (UPI) — The United States resumed Global Entry, a program that allows trusted travelers to quickly get through U.S. customs, on Wednesday after a short break.

The service began again at 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said.

“We are working hard to alleviate the disruptions to travelers caused by the Democrats’ shutdown,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.

The program was suspended to preserve staff and resources during the partial government shutdown that began Jan. 31. When it was announced, the department said it would also suspend TSA PreCheck, which allows low-risk travelers to speed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, but quickly reversed course on that decision.

Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said the organization was pleased with the decision.

“Over the last two weeks, the travel industry has been clear about the role programs like Global Entry and TSA PreCheck play in both security and efficiency,” Freeman said in a statement. “Through outreach to members of Congress and administration officials, collaboration across the travel sector and strong public engagement, we highlighted a simple reality: Trusted Traveler Programs enhance security while keeping travel moving.”

Travelers at airports have seen long lines for TSA checkpoints, some lasting several hours with lines stretching out onto sidewalks.

The DHS, which includes TSA, is shut down because Congress couldn’t agree on a funding bill for the department. Democrats don’t want to fund it until guardrails are put on the agency, and Republicans haven’t agreed to Democrats’ demands.

Because of this, TSA workers got a partial paycheck on Feb. 28 and will miss their first full check Saturday. There have been more work absences while staff are not getting paid, which slows the TSA lines at major airports.

At the start of every school day, Martha Ayuba marks the attendance register of her class of about 50 pupils in Nassarawo Primary School, Jimeta-Yola, in Adamawa, northeastern Nigeria. The 38-year-old is the class teacher of Primary 3B. With a pencil in hand, she calls out names from the register. Each pupil answers, “Present, Ma”, before she ticks the box next to those who are “present” and crosses those who are “absent”.

Her worn attendance book is stuffed with handwritten names, erased marks, and faded ink. A leaking roof threatens to soak its pages, and a scurry of termites could erase weeks of work. Marking attendance is not just a routine; it’s a promise of accountability, and it appears on the report card at the end of each term and in the school’s database. 

However, across Nigeria, this ritual of paper and pencil is increasingly out of step with the country’s emerging Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), a national effort to build interoperable digital identity, payments, and data systems that serve citizens at scale.

Nigeria’s education system faces a tragic paradox: millions of children remain out of school, yet even those who attend often lack basic record-keeping and support. According to UNICEF, one in four primary-school–age children in Nigeria (about 10.5 million children) are not enrolled in school. In rural areas of Adamawa State, for instance, years of conflict and poverty have made schooling precarious.

At Nassarawo Primary School, Martha juggles teaching and attendance record-keeping duties. 

“There was a time when rain fell, and the register got wet,” she recounts. “I lost almost an entire term’s record, and no one could tell how many students were in class during those periods. I had to get another register and start afresh. Imagine if I didn’t have a backup?”

Several schools in Nigeria, including some public tertiary institutions, still rely heavily on manual recordkeeping, as Olubayo Adekanmbi, the CEO of Data Science Nigeria, notes. 

For Martha, that means precious minutes of class are spent on paperwork. This drudgery breeds frustration. “I know these kids by heart,” she says, “but we have to write it down. Otherwise, next year the next teacher won’t know what happened to them.” She keeps one copy at school and one at home, fearing theft or damage. Yet neither copy can travel with her if the children move to a different school or state. Even a single register lost in a fire or flood can erase months or years of history.

Why paper recordkeeping fails

Manual registers not only burden teachers; they distort national planning.

In Nigeria’s basic education subsector, school funding, teacher allowances and student support programmes all hinge on accurate attendance and enrolment data. Each child “counts” not just for classroom pride but for allocation of resources. For example, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) earmarks School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) funds (for feeding programmes, sanitation, and learning materials) based on pupil numbers. In 2024, UBEC disbursed SBMC – School Improvement Programme support funds to 1,171 schools in all 36 states. 

If Martha’s register fails to reflect every student, such support might not reach deserving children. A missing name in the data could mean missed school meals, missing textbooks, or even being excluded from government scholarship programmes. Hence, school officials cannot adjust to “changing patterns in attendance” or identify which children need support.

Beyond individual schools, the absence of reliable data hampers policy and planning. At best, education officials compile annual school census figures, but these are months old and riddled with errors. Many rural schools report at a snail’s pace, if at all, because principals must physically carry piles of handwritten forms to local government offices. 

Recognising this gap, Nigeria has begun transitioning toward a national Education Management Information System (EMIS) built on District Health Information System Version 2 (DHIS2). An overview of the UNICEF-supported says Nigeria is “moving from fragmented, manual processes to a unified, digital platform”, aiming for “real-time, accurate data for evidence-based planning and decision-making”. 

In plain terms, that means that if Martha could click an app on her smartphone to log her attendance, higher-ups could see up-to-the-minute figures: student dropouts, teacher absences, resource gaps, and everything else. Real-time school data would highlight, for instance, which classes are short on books or which districts have the most teacher vacancies.

What Nigeria is doing

The Nigerian government has taken tentative steps toward digitisation. 

In 2024, UBEC launched a digital quality assurance platform to evaluate schools electronically. This system is designed to stream data on school infrastructure, teacher qualifications, and learning resources into a centralised dashboard, replacing laborious paper inspections. Although the platform is operational within UBEC’s inspection and monitoring system, nationwide adoption is still scaling up as infrastructure, connectivity and digital capacity in schools improve.

Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Education unveiled the Nigeria Education Data Initiative (NEDI) to build a “single, secure platform” of educational data across basic and tertiary levels. 

NEDI aims to “leverage the National Identity Management Commission’s (NIMC’s) unique identification number” – the national ID, “for accurate student tracking”. In other words, each child’s attendance and progress would be linked to a lifelong digital ID, so that Martha’s tallies could follow her students even if they moved schools or states.

At the state level, pilots are underway, but slow. 

A consortium led by HISP Nigeria and UNICEF is rolling out a District Health Information System Electronic Management Information System (DHIS2 EMIS) module in twelve states, including Adamawa, to “improve education planning and outcomes for millions of children”.

Local education authorities have been trained to use tablets and smartphones to enter enrolment, attendance, and infrastructure data directly into the system. In Bauchi State, for example, ministry officials held workshops for local supervisors to practice uploading school census data via mobile devices. 

Complementing government action, non-governmental organisations and agencies have jumped in. For instance, Data Science Nigeria helped launch the Gates Foundation-funded EdoCert, a digital certificate registry piloted in Edo State. EdoCert uses Sunbird, an open-source, “digital public good” to archive students’ exam results and transfer credentials online. EdoCert has since secured 1.9 million paper certificates since its launch. Its developers emphasise that the same approach could be used for attendance records. Experts point out that collecting comprehensive data could help “better track and adapt to changing patterns in school attendance” and guide the allocation of resources such as the national school lunch programme.

Meanwhile, other partners focus on connectivity. 

UNICEF’s GenU9ja initiative, local telecos, and the Federal Ministry of Education are racing to wire schools to the internet. By early 2025, more than 1,000 public schools had been connected via routers and provided with devices for digital learning, according to UNICEF. Training modules have been rolled out to thousands of teachers on basic computer skills and e-learning platforms. These efforts aim to lay the foundation for any future digital register: after all, you cannot click an app without power or Wi-Fi.

Even so, Martha and her peers remain on the front lines of a slow handover from paper to digital. 

Lessons from elsewhere

Nigeria is not alone in this challenge. Across Africa and the global south, educators have confronted broken attendance systems with creative digital fixes. In Rwanda, for example, the Ministry of Education introduced a mobile attendance app for teachers in 2025. Teachers simply log in and tap each day’s present students. The app immediately flags prolonged absences so that counsellors can intervene before a child drops out. At the end of 2025, more than 2,300 schools were enrolled in the system, and the government hopes that rapid data collection will reduce dropout rates. Rwanda’s example shows that with modest smartphones and training, even large rural systems can leapfrog paper. 

In India and Uganda, UNICEF piloted a simple SMS/voice system called EduTrac. Community monitors phone schools daily to collect attendance via interactive voice-response or text. Since school records can be altered later, EduTrac’s immutability ensures honesty: once a teacher reports numbers, they cannot be changed. In India, EduTrac covered over 15,000 schools across four states by 2015. Cluster coordinators, each overseeing about 20 schools, used it to verify reports and spot chronic absenteeism. 

The system required only basic phones and connectivity, making it ideal for remote villages. UNICEF noted that EduTrac has cultivated a culture of accountability: teachers and school heads know their numbers are being checked in real time.

What needs to change

Nigeria needs a pragmatic overhaul of its attendance system. Obaloluwa Ajiboye, an innovation governance specialist who has worked at the African Union, UNDP, and UNICEF, said one practical way to address gaps in student tracking is to assign every child a unique digital identity built on Nigeria’s existing framework, managed by the National Identity Management Commission. 

“By linking school attendance records to a single, nationally recognised ID number, each child would retain one continuous education record, even when transferring between schools or moving across local government areas,” Obaloluwa noted. He explains that this kind of consistency is central to what DPI is designed to achieve. If properly implemented, it would allow attendance data to follow the child rather than remain tied to a specific school. 

However, Obaloluwa added that such digital solutions will fail without power and connectivity. 

Although internet penetration has increased across Nigeria, about 41 per cent of the country’s population remains offline, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission. According to Obaloluwa, the government should prioritise solar panels, school internet, and devices (tablets or laptops) for teachers.

Nigeria’s GenU9ja programme shows what is possible: it connected over 1,000 schools and trained 63,000 educators in one year. Scaling such programmes nationwide, with specific funding for data systems, is critical, Obaloluwa noted. 

Additionally, Olubayo Adekanmbi, CEO of Data Science Nigeria, noted that schools like Nassarawo Primary School should be equipped with affordable digital registers that work even without constant internet access. “Many of the needed solutions already exist: for example, Sunbird (used by EdoCert) can run on laptops or tablets offline and sync later,” he added. 

Olubayo said that the attendance register should not live in isolation. “It must feed into larger platforms (UBEC reports, state EMIS). Systems should be interconnected to include open APIs so that daily attendance synchronises with the annual school census”. In practice, that means digital systems built on standards (the way EdoCert operates).

Martha believes that “if only we had a quick way to mark attendance, I could spend that time helping the kids”. Nigeria has various frameworks and local and international support to make the shift, but how long will it take to achieve?

This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop.

Coronation Street’s Megan Walsh will finally be exposed in upcoming scenes on the ITV soap, leaving Eva Price and her entire family shaken when they discover what she has been doing

Coronation Street‘s Megan Walsh will finally be exposed in upcoming scenes on the ITV soap. The teacher, played by Beth Nixon, has been carrying out an illicit affair with her student Will Driscoll as part of a controversial storyline on the ITV soap.

Will arrived with his family last October to move into the Rovers Return, and it was quickly established that Megan was his athletics coach but there was a lot more to it than just that. Megan eventually moved to Weatherfield, got a job at the local secondary school and has even started up a relationship with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) as a cover-up.

But spoilers have now revealed that Megan’s “past will come back to haunt her,” leaving Will’s stepmum Eva Price (Cathertine Tyldesley) to discover the truth about what she has been doing.

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Megan’s flatmate Leanne also looks set to weigh in on the harrowing situation, as her own stespon Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) has worked out what his going on between Will and Megan, and has received multiple threats from the villainous teacher. After the bombshell scenes, this will also leave Daniel wondering where he stands as he potentially comes to realise that his entire relationship was a lie.

Just weeks ago, Corrie aired a flashforward episode that revealed that Megan is one of five potential murder victims, along with fellow villains Jodie Ramsey, Carl Webster, Maggie Driscoll, and Theo Silverton. So will this all lead to the ultimate downfall for Megan or will the teacher actually face prison time for her crimes?

Coronation Street boss Kate Brookes recently explained that she the story was a “very important” one to tell. She said: “It’s a very important story to tell and we want to be as truthful as possible. As part of that story Sam will end up getting embroiled in it all.

“Sam is semi-related to the pub family and he potentially gets wind that something’s amiss. We will see the lengths that Megan will go to manipulate Sam into keeping quiet. It’ll be massively detrimental to Sam’s wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, for actress Beth Nixon, Coronation Street marks her television debut but she had actually auditioned for other parts on the soap before landing the role of Megan. Speaking to York College, Beth shared that the casting team had seen Beth in several shows at her drama school: the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, so she was “kind of on their radar.”

Revealing her past audition history, Beth explained: “But I’d auditioned for Corrie twice before – as a baddie both times of course – including for the role of Lauren.” Actress Cait Fitton ended up being cast as Lauren, making her debut in 2022, and has remained on the show since.

Beth added: “Then, earlier this year, my agent sent me a casting brief and explained it was for a paedophile, which is a bit crazy to play because they’re obviously not a redeemable character, so they can push it pretty far.” After sending a self-tape Beth attended a chemistry test with other actors who were being considered to play Will. She then performed a scene on the set at The Bistro – and it turned out the bosses were rather impressed with her.

Beth – who was working as a skin clinic manager before joining Corrie – said: “I was at work when my agent called me. I was upstairs as my colleague watched the desk and, when he told me I’d got it, everybody in the clinic could hear me screaming my head off and then I cried, because it’s been four years since I graduated and this is my first TV role.

“It’s been a hard time and I was really close to quitting, having a normal job and pursuing a different career, so this just came at exactly the right time and when I needed it.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

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Many airlines are operating restricted schedules due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, with 21,915 of the 38,193 services scheduled to fly since February 28 cancelled

Dozens of flights to and from the UK have been cancelled today as the war in Iran continues.

Many airlines are operating restricted schedules due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, with 21,915 of the 38,193 services scheduled to fly since February 28 cancelled.

On Wednesday morning, Dubai International Airport was forced to temporarily pause operations due to a drone strike nearby, which wounded four people. Authorities have confirmed that flights have since continued.

Emirates and Etihad are still operating limited schedules from Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, respectively. Qatar Airways said it is “doing everything possible to support affected passengers and help reunite them with family and loved ones” while Qatari airspace remains closed.

The airline said that operations will resume“ once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirms the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.”

Yesterday, British Airways announced that it has suspended all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, and Tel Aviv until later this month, while its services to and from Abu Dhabi are cancelled until later this year. The decision means hundreds of BA services will be cancelled over the coming months.

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Flight data shared exclusively with the Mirror by analytics firm Cirium shows that 55 of the planned services due to fly today had been cancelled as of 12.45 pm, which is 2.49% of the total scheduled to fly into the UK from the Middle East and vice versa.

UK flights cancelled on March 11

Arrival Country: Flights; Cancelled; Cancel %

• Qatar: 18; 17; 94.44%
• United Kingdom: 493; 15; 3.04%
• United Arab Emirates: 32; 11; 34.38%
• Bahrain: 3; 3; 100.00%
• United States: 113; 2; 1.77%
• Jordan: 3; 1; 33.33%
• Israel: 7; 1; 14.29%
• Germany: 116; 1; 0.86%
• Denmark: 29; 1; 3.45%
• Cyprus: 20; 1; 5.00%
• Uganda: 1; 1; 100.00%
• Ireland: 121; 1; 0.83%

If you are due to fly from or to the Middle East in the coming days, make sure you check your airline’s website for instructions and the Foreign Office website for the latest advice.

What have the airlines said?

• Aegean Airlines – Greece’s largest carrier cancelled flights to Tel Aviv until March 20; Beirut, Erbil and Baghdad until March 25; Dubai and Abu Dhabi until March 19; and Riyadh until March 14.

• Air France–KLM – Air France cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut through March 13, and to Dubai and Riyadh until March 12. KLM suspended flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam until March 10, and to Tel Aviv for the rest of the winter season.
• Cathay Pacific – Cancelled all flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh until March 31.
• Delta – Cancelled flights from New York to Tel Aviv until March 22 and from Tel Aviv to New York until March 23.
• Emirates – Operating a reduced flight schedule but expects to return to full operations within days, depending on airspace availability and operational requirements.
• Etihad Airways – Resumed a limited commercial flight schedule between Abu Dhabi and several key destinations.
• Iberia Express cancelled all flights to and from Tel Aviv through March 10.
• Lufthansa Group – Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines suspended Tel Aviv flights through April 2 and Beirut flights through March 28. Flights to Tehran are suspended until April 30, and to Amman, Erbil, Dammam, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until March 15.
• Norwegian Air – Now plans to start flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut on June 15, instead of the previously scheduled April 1 and April 4.
• Qatar Airways – Operating a limited schedule to and from Doha, with some flights resuming from March 9 following temporary authorisation from Qatar’s civil aviation authority.
• Saudia Airlines – Suspended flights to Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain until March 10, and to Moscow and Peshawar until March 15. Limited operations to Dubai have resumed.
• Wizz Air – Suspended flights to Israel until March 29, and flights from mainland Europe to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Amman and Jeddah until mid-September.

Spurs may choose to look further afield – but their current options, within the search parameters as they were a month ago, appear limited.

In addition to a track record of having an immediate impact, Spurs sought someone with top level managerial experience who plays attacking football.

When Spurs initially began their search to replace Frank, himself dismissed after less then eight months in charge, former Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi, former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic and ex-Red Bull Leipzig boss Marco Rose were among the other potential short-term options.

Ex-Brighton boss De Zerbi left his role as manager of Marseille by mutual consent after just under two years in charge, three days before Spurs confirmed their appointment of Tudor.

Terzic has been out of work since asking Dortmund “to terminate his contract with immediate effect” in June 2024, after leading the club to the Champions League final.

Rose was sacked by RB Leipzig in March 2025, having won 72 of his 127 matches in charge and lifted the German Cup in 2023.

Within the Premier League, Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva are among the names who will be available this summer – but would any be prepared to leave their respective clubs earlier to help Spurs’ cause?

FA Cup-winning manager Glasner has confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace this summer, but his immediate future was understood to be in doubt in February amid a poor run of results.

Bournemouth are reportedly set to, external open contract talks with Iraola in an effort to ward off interest from Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Fulham chief Tony Khan has said he is confident, external Silva will stay at the club “for a long time”.

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo – On main roads and public squares across the Congolese capital, posters are up featuring the seven main candidates vying for president.

But at the Moukondo Market in Brazzaville’s fourth district – between lively discussions, people jostling for space and saleswomen trying to attract customers – many voters are less than enthusiastic about this weekend’s election.

Fortune, a 27-year-old unemployed university graduate who did not want to give his last name, said he does not expect much to come from the polls.

“When you see how money is spent during the campaign, you wonder if those in power really care about the living conditions of the population,” he said.

While Congo is the third largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, about half the country’s population of about six million people live below the poverty line.

A few metres away, Gilbert, 44, shared similar sentiments. The civil servant explained that his salary is not enough to cover all his household expenses.

“I do odd jobs to supplement my income. At my age, believing that these elections will change our daily lives would be almost suicidal,” he said.

“I’ve known practically the same leader all my life,” Gilbert added. “Some call it stability. Others say that nothing changes.”

It’s a sentiment shared by many in the country: That after 40 years under a single leader, political continuity has become the norm.

President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, who is once again standing in the election, first came to power in Congo in 1979. After a period of political transition in the early 1990s, he returned to the presidency in 1997 after a civil war and has ruled the country without interruption ever since.

Two major constitutional revisions have marked his political trajectory. The 2002 constitution and the one adopted in 2015 notably changed certain eligibility requirements, allowing the head of state to continue to run for office.

For Nguesso’s supporters, this political longevity is primarily attributed to the stability the country has managed to maintain in a region often marked by conflict.

Congo’s neighbours include the conflict-racked Central African Republic; Gabon, which witnessed a coup in 2023; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the government is facing armed groups, most notably M23.

In official discourse, peace and institutional continuity are regularly presented as the main achievements of the Nguesso government.

However, several foreign observers painted a more nuanced picture of the political situation. The pro-democracy organisation Freedom House classified Congo as a “not free” country while the Ibrahim Index of African Governance highlighted limited progress in democratic participation and political accountability.

‘Asymmetrical political competition’

In the last presidential election in 2021, the official results gave Nguesso more than 88 percent of the votes cast with a reported voter turnout of 67 percent.

Nguesso is widely expected to win again when the country goes to the polls on Sunday.

Some analysts said the president’s political longevity can be partly explained by the country’s political structure.

Charles Abel Kombo, a Congolese economist and public policy observer, described the political system as a hybrid model.

“The Congolese political system combines formally pluralistic institutions – elections, political parties, parliament – with a high degree of centralisation of executive power,” he explained. “Nguesso’s political longevity can be explained in part by the structure of the institutional apparatus and the predominant role of the executive branch in the management of the state.”

According to him, the continuity of power is also linked to perceptions of stability in a country marked by the conflicts of the 1990s.

“In this historical context, this continuity can be seen as a factor of stability. But it is also accompanied by asymmetrical political competition.” In other words, political change remains theoretically possible but politically difficult.

For the economist, however, the issue goes beyond political change alone.

“The central challenge remains the ability of political actors to propose a credible plan for economic transformation. Countries dependent on natural resources need a strategic state capable of diversifying the economy and guiding productive transformation.”

Other observers took a more critical view of this political longevity.

For economic and political analyst Alphonse Ndongo, the stability often touted by the authorities must be examined with caution.

“There is indeed a stabilising regime because it has succeeded in maintaining peace. This is what is being sold today as the main recipe for success: There is no war, so the country is at peace. But this peace also allows those in power to remain there. We are in a kind of democratic illusion where elections often resemble a deal,” he said.

According to him, the current political architecture makes a change in leadership unlikely in the short term.

“It is difficult for the institutions responsible for managing elections to produce a result that differs from what everyone already expects. Everything is structured, from voter registration to the organisation of the ballot. Under these conditions, a surprising result seems unlikely,” he said.

‘Political alternatives exist’

As the debate continues in Congolese society over whether the country’s political continuity is a mark of stability or a system that is hard to change, the opposition appears fragmented and weakened.

Some established parties are boycotting the vote while some prominent potential ⁠candidates are in prison or exile.

In June, the party of opposition leader Clement Mierassa was removed from the official list of recognised political parties.

For him, the conditions for a truly democratic election are not in place.

“We have always called for essential reforms: a truly independent national electoral commission, reliable voter rolls and a law regulating campaign spending,” he said. “Without these guarantees, it is difficult to talk about free and transparent elections.”

Other political actors, however, have chosen to run in the election.

Christ Antoine Wallembaud, spokesperson for candidate Destin Melaine Gavet, said participation remains a way of defending the political space.

“The electoral system has flaws, but that does not mean that those who participate in it condone fraud. Participating also serves as a reminder of the need for reform and shows that a political alternative exists.”

For many observers, access to the media is also a key issue during election campaigns.

“Access to public media remains a recurring problem for opposition candidates. The ruling party candidate always gets the lion’s share even though the High Council for Freedom of Communication has established a list of appearances on state media so that all candidates can present their programmes,” said a Congolese journalist who requested anonymity.

Faced with these difficulties, opposition candidates often turn to private media outlets to spread their messages.

Congolese authorities, for their part, insisted that civil liberties are fully guaranteed for all.

The prime minister and spokesperson for Nguesso, Anatole Collinet Makosso, recently said freedom of opinion and expression “is doing very well”.

“Freedom of expression is alive and well in Congo. The proof is the multitude of foreign journalists here to cover this election. No journalist has been arrested because of their work or prosecuted,” he said.

For the government, this international media presence is evidence of the transparency of the electoral process and the ability of the media to work freely in the country.

However, some press freedom organisations paint a different picture. In its World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders regularly highlights the difficulties faced by local journalists, particularly in terms of access to public information, political pressure and economic constraints.

Adapting to circumstances

In the working-class neighbourhoods of Brazzaville, reactions to Sunday’s election range from resignation to pragmatism.

In Bacongo, a young man on the street explained that he has learned to adapt to circumstances.

“When the country goes left, we go left. When it goes right, we go right. Doing the opposite can be dangerous,” he said while refusing to give his name.

Beyond the political debate, economic concerns remain central.

The Congolese economy is heavily dependent on oil, which accounts for about 70 percent of its exports and nearly 40 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to the World Bank. This dependence exposes the country to fluctuations in international energy prices.

Public debt has also reached high levels in recent years, exceeding 90 percent of the GDP before being partially restructured under agreements with international creditors.

In this context, several economists said the electoral stakes go beyond the single issue of political change.

Diversifying the economy, creating jobs for a predominantly young population and improving public services are major challenges in the years ahead.

But many Congolese aren’t hopeful that Sunday’s election will make a difference to their material reality because political and economic power will likely remain in the same hands.

“We all understand the system in this country,” Fortune said. “The [economic] crisis doesn’t affect everyone, nor does poverty.”

South Korea said it remains capable of deterring threats from North Korea even if the United States redeploys some weapons stationed on the Korean peninsula to the Middle East amid the war involving Iran.

The comments by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung come after reports that key U.S. missile defence systems and military assets could be moved from Asia to support operations linked to the Iran conflict.

The potential redeployment has sparked concern among Asian allies that shifting military resources could weaken regional deterrence against China and North Korea at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.

Seoul Says Deterrence Remains Strong

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Lee acknowledged that reports about the relocation of U.S. military equipment had triggered controversy in South Korea.

He said that while Seoul had expressed opposition to the removal of certain weapons, it could not dictate U.S. military decisions.

However, Lee emphasised that South Korea’s own defence capabilities are strong enough to maintain deterrence against North Korea even if some American systems are temporarily relocated. He noted that South Korea’s defence spending and conventional military strength significantly exceed those of the North.

South Korea hosts about 28,500 U.S. troops as part of the long-standing alliance designed to deter aggression from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Missile Defence Systems May Be Redeployed

Officials have indicated that the U.S. and South Korean militaries are discussing the possible redeployment of Patriot missile defense system batteries to the Middle East.

South Korean media reported that some missile batteries may have already been shipped from Osan Air Base and could be redeployed to U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

There were also reports that parts of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system could be moved from South Korea to the Middle East.

While Patriot systems provide lower-tier defence against shorter-range missiles, THAAD systems are designed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitude.

United States Forces Korea declined to comment on the possible relocation of equipment, citing operational security.

Analysts Warn of Miscalculation Risks

Military analysts say that although South Korea possesses strong military capabilities, the presence of U.S. forces and weapons in the country serves as a crucial signal of Washington’s commitment to the region.

According to Choi Gi-il, a military studies professor at Sangji University, the removal of some systems could carry strategic risks.

He warned that North Korea might interpret the redeployment as a weakening of allied defences and could attempt limited provocations to test the alliance’s response.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently signalled a more aggressive posture, pledging to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal and describing South Korea as its “most hostile enemy.”

Wider Regional Impact

The redeployment of U.S. assets reflects the broader strategic impact of the Iran conflict on global military posture.

Japan, which also hosts major U.S. bases, has seen two U.S. guided-missile destroyers stationed in Yokosuka deployed to the Arabian Sea to support operations linked to the Iran campaign.

The movements have raised concerns in Tokyo as well, with opposition politicians questioning whether U.S. forces stationed in Japan should be used for operations outside the region.

The developments highlight how the conflict in the Middle East is beginning to reshape global military deployments, drawing resources away from Asia and prompting questions about the balance of security commitments across different regions.

With information from Reuters.

Walsall have sacked head coach Mat Sadler following Tuesday’s defeat by Salford City which left them with one win in their past 11 matches in League Two.

The 1-0 loss was their third in a row and further dented their fading challenge for a play-off place.

Walsall were four points clear at the top of the table in early December, but a run of two wins in 14 since Boxing Day has left them 11th in the table, three points outside the top seven with 10 games remaining.

Sadler, a former defender at the club, leaves after a nearly three years in charge, having been appointed on a permanent basis in May 2023 following a short interim stint.

“I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the significant efforts and contributions of Mat, both as a professional and as a person, during his time at the club,” Walsall co-chairman Ben Boycott said.

“We thank him for his dedicated service and wish him the very best for the future.”

Coach Darren Byfield will take interim charge of the team with support from Terry Connor and the rest of the backroom staff, the club also confirmed.

First troops touch down nearly a month after President Ramaphosa said organised crime threatened country’s democracy.

Soldiers have been deployed on the streets of South Africa’s biggest city nearly a month after the president announced the army would work alongside the police to tackle high levels of crime.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his annual State of the Nation address on February 12 that organised crime was the “most immediate threat” to South Africa’s democracy and economic development.

On Wednesday, troops touched down on the streets of Eldorado Park, a working class suburb in the country’s economic capital, Johannesburg, that has high levels of crime and gang violence.

Local media published pictures of armoured vehicles rolling into the area, and the Independent Online reported that local councillor Juwairiya Kaldine welcomed their arrival.

Soldiers were also seen in the Johannesburg suburb of Riverlea. Media reports said the soldiers were searching door-to-door.

South Africa’s national police service and the Department of Defence, which oversees the military, did not immediately provide details on the deployment. But the president said last month that the army will help the police service fight gang violence and illegal mining.

Ramaphosa said in a notice to the speaker of parliament that 550 soldiers would be involved in an initial deployment in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, to help combat crime and preserve law and order.

That deployment would last until the end of April, he said.

The government plans a wider deployment in five of its nine provinces, according to details submitted by police to parliament.

The deployment will focus on illegal mining in the Gauteng, North West and Free State provinces, and gang violence in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.

Parts of the national deployment could last more than a year, police officials said.

South Africa has high rates of violent crime. Police reported 6,351 homicides from October to December 2025, an average of nearly 70 a day in a country of about 63 million people.

However, not all residents of crime-affected communities are pleased about the plan to deploy the army.

In the Cape Flats, an impoverished area of the Western Cape with high levels of gang violence, where troops will also likely deploy, people told Al Jazeera last month that the military will not help fix the root causes of the violence or the social ills that make it easy to recruit people into gangs.

“It’s a very dangerous thing to bring the army because there’s an impatience with the fact that the police are not doing their job,” Irvin Kinnes, an associate professor with the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Criminology, told Al Jazeera at the time, calling the move “political”.

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

Caracas, March 10, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan National Assembly preliminarily approved a new mining law on Monday as part of continued efforts to attract foreign investment to the country.

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez had announced the new legislation last week during a visit from US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum alongside mining executives and urged parliament to act “swiftly.”

“This law will increase all the legal guarantees that can generate confidence and attract national and foreign investment,” said Orlando Camacho, a congressman from the ruling PSUV-led bloc, during the legislative session.

Camacho added that the bill is adapted to the Caribbean nation’s “present needs” and aims to take advantage of the country’s vast mineral riches, mostly located in the country’s Southeast.

Monday’s vote was endorsed by the pro-government legislative majority. Opposition deputies abstained, complaining that they received the draft less than one hour before the parliamentary session. The text will be subject to consultations and proposals before being put to a second and definitive vote in the coming weeks. 

Consisting of 126 articles split into 19 sections, the bill establishes regulations for small, medium, and large-scale mining, as well as the state’s ability to declare certain minerals as strategic and reserve areas for security purposes. It also creates a “social fund” to support mining workers, an oversight superintendency, and a state-run data bank.

Concerning mining activities, the proposed law establishes that joint ventures, private corporations, and small-scale artisanal mining groups are allowed to receive concessions. The new law will replace a 2015 decree that imposed state control over mining exploration, as well as the 1999 Mining Law.

The legislation establishes concessions of up to twenty years that can be renewed for two additional ten-year periods. The issuing of contracts is the responsibility of the Ministry of Ecological Mining Development and will not require National Assembly approval. Corporations are also entitled to several tax breaks, likewise granted at the ministry’s discretion, and can take disputes to international arbitration outside the Venezuelan court system.

The Venezuelan government is also seeking to reorganize the mining sector. A decree published on Friday ordered the Venezuelan General Mining Company (MINERVEN) to be absorbed by the Venezuelan Mining Corporation (CVM).

The mining reform follows a similar pro-business overhaul of Venezuela’s Hydrocarbon Law in January. In an interview, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez vowed that parliament would “adapt” laws to attract US investors in the wake of the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro

During his visit last week, Burgum touted Venezuela’s mineral riches and potential opportunities for Western conglomerates. On Friday, the Trump official announced the arrival of US $100 million worth of Venezuelan gold as part of a deal involving Trafigura to export up to 100 tons of gold doré bars worth approximately $165 million.

However, Caracas is not expected to immediately receive the revenue. The US Treasury issued General License 51 (GL51) allowing US entities to purchase, transport and resell Venezuelan-sourced gold but mandating that proceeds be deposited in US government-run accounts before being returned to Venezuela under conditions dictated by the White House.

The sanctions waiver additionally blocks transactions with companies from Cuba, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, and bans involvement in exploration and refining activities.

In tandem, the Trump administration reportedly issued a 30-day license allowing select companies, including Canada’s Gold Reserve, to negotiate mining concessions with the Venezuelan government.

Venezuela possesses vast proven reserves of gold, iron, and bauxite, in addition to lesser quantities of copper and nickel. Analysts have also drawn attention to Venezuela’s significant reserves of coltan, which has important military, aerospace, and electronics applications, as well as unproven deposits of rare earth minerals.

Former President Hugo Chávez sought to end foreign mining concessions in the 2000s, pushing instead for the state to play a leading role and link extraction activities to its basic industries in sectors such as steel and aluminum. 

The Chávez government likewise revoked a number of concessions from Western mining companies. Several of them, including Canada’s Crystallex and Gold Reserve, went on to secure compensation via international arbitration bodies.

Since 2015, the Nicolás Maduro administration looked to mining as a potential revenue source amid escalating US sanctions, particularly in the 112,000 square-kilometer Orinoco Mining Arc. Nevertheless, the sector was likewise hit by unilateral coercive measures, while the proliferation of irregular mining groups has generated environmental concerns.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Fusagasugá, Colombia.

ORE Oduba’s kids are said to be devastated as he puts the family home on the market a year after his split from wife Portia Jett.

The Strictly star, 40, announced that he and Portia, 36, had ended their nine year marriage in October 2024.

The pair share a son, Roman, eight and four-year-old daughter Genie together.

The TV presenter’s new-build family home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is now up for sale but Portia admitted it has left their kids heartbroken.

She said on social media: “I told the children that we are selling the house.

“It’s hard, especially for Roman, to have these conversations. He’s really upset.

raw reveal

‘Terrified’ Ore Oduba breaks his silence on TV after porn addiction confession

COSTLY ADDICTION

Ore Oduba says he spent ‘thousands’ on porn after getting addicted aged 9

“I wanted to let the kids know, I tried to explain why.

“It’s gutting, and I’ve known for a while.”

The family have been living in the property since 2022.

Last November, Portia appeared to take a swipe at Ore after he revealed his porn addiction battle.

Portia shared a photo as she posed with her two children either side of her during an autumn day out.

The lyrics talk about a partner who is “young, wayward and lost in the cold” and includes the phrases “you pulled the wrong trigger”.

Appearing on the We Need to Talk podcast with MAFS expert Paul C Brunson, Ore told how his addiction struggles have spanned three decades.

He candidly said: “I was nine when I was introduced to pornography. That’s when my addiction started.”

Ore added: “While I wouldn’t say the addiction set in immediately, the intrigue started immediately and it didn’t take long for that intrigue to start running my mind over.

“It was the thing that was destroying my life from the inside out.

“But it was a thing I was running to from an early age as a response to the trauma.”

He told Paul he was speaking out as he wanted to “guide my own children.”

The London-based TV and radio anchor shares two children with ex wife Portia, son Roman born in 2018 and daughter Genie, born in 2021.

Ore, who admitted he had become a “master masker” during his childhood due to fears his father would send him back to Nigeria, told of the personal “shame” he had been struck by.

He then told how his brave confessions were for his family.

He said: “I’m sharing this to save my kids.

“Shame kept me silent for 30 years. It took me 30 years, two deaths, and a divorce to finally go: here’s what’s happening.”

He added: “The reason I felt like I needed to speak out on this, is because I wanted to guide my own children when it comes to it, when it comes to them seeing stuff that is going to be there.

“They’re going to come across it.”

Ore then confessed: “I never imagine I’d ever share this with anyone but in the last year I’ve spoken to friends and family and some amazing, supporting people in my working world who have all shown so much love and pride in me talking about something that is a problem for so many of us.”

The couple announced they were ending their nine-year marriage in October, with presenter Ore then confirming the news on Instagram. 

The couple’s break-up shocked longtime followers of the pair, who have watched on as they got engaged, married and welcomed two children.

They first met in 2010 when they were studying at Loughborough University. 

Portia was also a prominent support for Ore when he competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, eventually lifting the glitterball alongside pro partner Joanne Clifton. 

Swerving rumours of the long-derided “Strictly curse”, Ore made sure Portia bonded with Joanne throughout their time on the show together. 

Yet he revealed their sad spit in an emotional message to fans.

The statement read: “Hi guys. Portia and I are sad to announce that we separated earlier this year [2024].

“We’re so grateful for all the love you’ve shared with us both over the years.

“And we want to thank you in advance for respecting our privacy as we navigated this difficult transition.

“We will be making no further comment. Be kind, always.”

Simon Calder gave his thoughts on when travel disruption will start to ease following the strikes on Iran

A travel expert has shared his views on when ‘people will be able to travel again’ as the Middle East conflict continues to escalate. Journalist Simon Calder, who specialises in travel, discussed the crisis and its impact on worldwide travel.

American and Israeli strikes on Iran are approaching the end of their second week, with no resolution in sight. Travel to the Middle East remains limited, with airlines cutting back on the number of flights to and from the area.

Countries such as Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates serve as vital transport hubs for destinations including Asia and Australasia. The outbreak of hostilities has left hundreds of thousands of travellers stuck.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Calder offered his perspective on when travel might become more straightforward. He said: “We’ve already seen missiles sent to Turkey and attacks on Cyprus. Now, personally, I think the chances of anything happening to a tourist in Turkey or Cyprus are microscopically low, but I also know that people are rebooking away. They’re going to the western Mediterranean – typically Spain and Portugal – because they believe they will be safer there.

“If you’re flying from the UK to a holiday spot such as Turkey or Cyprus and that flight is cancelled, then, fortunately, air passenger rights rules are squarely on your side. The airline that cancels the flight has to get you to your destination as soon as possible, regardless of the cost. And if you can’t get there immediately, the airline has to provide meals and accommodation, if necessary, before you are able to get to your destination.

“The Foreign Office warns against travel to Kuwait, to Bahrain, to Qatar and, crucially, to the UAE, home to the busiest hub in the world: Dubai International Airport. But I’m also predicting that, actually, that ruling is going to lift fairly quickly, and people will be able to travel again.”

Flights are still operating through Dubai International Airport, despite two Iranian drones injuring four people after exploding at the facility. The Dubai Media Office, which releases statements on behalf of the city-state’s government, confirmed flights are continuing, and that the attack caused ‘minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national’.

Officials have been attempting to restore its flight schedule, though the airport has been targeted amid the conflict. The war has created uncertainty for travellers with flights booked in the coming weeks, prompting Mr Calder to offer his guidance on what passengers should do.

READ MORE: Iran war travel expert Simon Calder issues Emirates ‘flights will be resuming’ updateREAD MORE: Martin Lewis explains ‘safe thing to do’ ahead of April 1 price change

“If your flight is due to go, I’d say, a week or more from now, well, all you can do is just hope that it goes ahead,” he stated. “If you’re going imminently and you do not know if your trip is running, well, the basic news is that if you go to Abu Dhabi, to Dubai, to Doha, you will be going against Foreign Office advice. So, be aware of that; your travel insurance will be invalidated.

“I’ve got some skin in the game. I am booked to fly out on Saturday night from Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, through to Abu Dhabi and connect onwards to London. Now, at the moment, along with many, many other travellers, I’m absolutely promised the flight will go ahead as normal, and I trust that it will. But I simply do not know.

“At the moment, I’m definitely not cancelling my flight because, well, bluntly, if you cancel the flight – which is what the airlines would really like you to do – you will simply be removing yourself from the problem. If, like me, you’re booked in a few days’ time and you do have a bit of flexibility, then absolutely keep your booking open.

“If you go for a refund, first of all, the airline will be delighted because you’ll be a problem that’s removed from their cares and, secondly, you could find yourself paying three times, five times, 10 times as much to get back. Much better to remain a problem for the airline; they’ve got to get you where you need to be.”