Manchester United have said midfielder Casemiro will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of this season.

The 33-year-old joined from Real Madrid for £70m in 2022 and has made 146 appearances.

He scored the opening goal in the 2023 Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle as Manchester United finished third in the Premier League in his first season.

But last year he was mentioned by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe who said some players were “not good enough” and “overpaid”.

The Brazil international said: “I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life.

“It is not time to say goodbye; there are many more memories to create during the next four months.

“We still have a lot to fight for together; my complete focus will, as always, remain on giving my everything to help our club to succeed.”

IT was a showbiz scandal that shocked the world: esteemed actor Dominic West was seen with his arms around his stunning young co-star Lily James, before gently nuzzling her neck as they frolicked in Rome.

The photos would spark one of the most awkward photo ops of the past decade when Dominic and wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, stood on their doorstep with a handwritten note to announce that their marriage would weather the infidelity storm. But six years on, we can reveal how his aristocrat wife really felt about his dalliance with the young starlet 20 years his junior – and the impact it had on their marriage.

Catherine, who married Dominic in 2010, was thrust into the spotlight when her husband, 56, became embroiled in a scandal with his then 32-year-old co-star Lily James while filming The Pursuit of Love in 2020.

The actor, who famously said “women should be more indulgent of affairs”, had been playing Lily’s father on screen when they were caught off-screen in romantic clinches.

Photos which emerged of the couple riding around the city of love on an electric scooter before canoodling on a restaurant terrace were a sting to his devoted wife.

Back in the UK, Catherine, 54, who was born into vast wealth, was working on her passion projects – she runs a garden design company with famed landscape architect Mark Lutyen and also owns Glin Castle, her family’s 14th-century ancestral home in Ireland.

As the photos were published, a media frenzy began and Dominic flew home for crisis talks with his wife.

Dominic said sorry at the time for embarrassing her and they all moved on.

Insider

In an unprecedented move, the couple then staged a bizarre photo opportunity outside the family home in Wiltshire.

Holding up a piece of paper that read: “Our marriage is strong, and we’re very much still together”, Catherine appeared unfazed while Dominic – described by Piers Morgan as looking like “the cat who got the cream” – stood grinning alongside her.

At the time, it was said that Catherine was left “humiliated”, with sources claiming Dominic had confessed to “having feelings” for the actress.

But the mother-of-four stayed by Dominic’s side, with sources telling us she is “the glue that holds the family together away from the cameras”.

The insider told us: “Dominic said sorry at the time for embarrassing her, and they all moved on.”

Dominic, who had first worked with Lily in 2011 on stage in Sheffield, is said to have stopped contact with Lily to save his marriage, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.

Our source continues: “Lily was left feeling hurt by his betrayal and disappointed that she was painted as the scarlet woman and hung out to dry.”

Six years on, Lily is currently single following her split from musician Michael Shuman. She saw in the New Year surrounded by friends in Mexico.

Dominic, meanwhile, was busy recording a podcast – Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud – in which he opened up about his eldest daughter Martha’s mother, Polly Astor. The interview raised eyebrows.

He was asked if the end of his relationship in 2002 was “one of the big sadnesses” or “shames” of his life.

He replied: “I suppose so, yes. I suppose I wish my eldest daughter had had some of the advantages or some of the security that my others have had.

“I think I was too young. I was 28.”

I hurt Polly very badly, but at the time I wasn’t ready to settle down.

Dominic on split from Polly

He quickly backtracked and admitted it had actually just come “at the wrong time”.

Speaking about his roles as a father and partner, he said: “It was terrible because it was all me. I wanted out. I hurt Polly very badly, but at the time, I wasn’t ready to settle down.

“I was doing films all over the place and didn’t want to be tied down. Then I got The Wire.”

In another interview about the split, he previously admitted: “Martha was about three when Polly and I split up, and The Wire was very much a part of it. Women were extremely important to me, and I wanted to be selfish for a bit longer. I wanted to play the field, I suppose.”

From there, Dominic’s career went from strength to strength – and by 2002, he had started dating Catherine. 

Dominic and Catherine share four children together – daughter Dora, 14, Senan, 12, Francis, 11, and seven-year-old Christabel. 

The Crown star gushed to British Vogue in 2015: “I think I have a really good marriage, mainly because my wife is so cool and I adore her and we have all these kids.

It’s daft to kick someone out over a fling.

Dominic on affairs

“The mistake people might make, if I may be so bold, is expecting so much of a marriage and hoping that there can be perfection.”

His attitude towards marriage raised eyebrows, but it wasn’t until a year later that his relationship really came under scrutiny. 

In 2016, he said: “I think women should be more indulgent of affairs. I really do. It’s daft to kick someone out over a fling. Isn’t it? Everyone should turn a blind eye to men’s behaviour between the ages of 40 and 50. Let it all blow over.”

He also said that monogamy was “not the necessarily natural way to be, therefore there will always be adultery and intrigue about it”.

And Dominic’s wife certainly seemed to be on the same page when his relationship with Lily came under the spotlight. 

Speaking about the Lily James scandal in 2024, Dominic admitted it was “deeply stressful” for his wife and children, though the couple have since found humour in the situation.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Dominic, who played Prince Charles in seasons five and six of The Crown, said: “I hesitate to speak on my wife’s behalf because it was obviously horrible, particularly for her. But we do joke about it sometimes. Because whenever we went out together, the papers would always say we were ‘putting on a show of unity’.

“Even if we’d just been rowing about parking the car or whatever, even if that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“And so when we go out, we do sort of say, ‘Shall we go out and have a show of unity up in London?’”

He added: “It was an absurd situation. It was deeply stressful for my wife and my kids, but there were lighter moments. That was the best that came out of it, really.”

Rekindled romance

Catherine and Dominic had actually met and dated years before they got together when they were both undergraduates at Trinity College Dublin.

Catherine told the Belfast Telegraph: “We went out together for six months, and we had great fun. He actually came to my 21st [in Northern Ireland], then he left, and we split up.

“Our best friend was also at Trinity with us. We all went on to have separate lives, but were linked through our best friend, Dominic Geraghty, also an actor.

“And I went to Wisley and did all this garden stuff and retrained. Then, when Dominic was doing The Wire, we met again through our friend Dominic; I was 32 then. I feel so lucky.”

Catherine was previously married to Viscount Lambton, the 7th Earl of Durham, in 1995, but the pair divorced in 2002 before she rekindled her romance with Dominic.

In a bizarre twist of fate, Martha’s mum, Polly, went on to date Dominic Geraghty, and all four of them remained close.

It sounds like it could be something from a romcom – and fortunately, Dominic is the perfect person to play the lead.

DAVOS, Switzerland — President Trump on Thursday inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas, insisting that “everyone wants to be a part” of the body he said could eventually rival the United Nations — despite many U.S. allies opting not to participate.

The new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious — and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump sought to create momentum for a project to map out a future of the war-torn Gaza Strip that has been overshadowed this week, first by his threats to seize Greenland, then by a dramatic retreat from that push.

“This isn’t the United States, this is for the world,” he said, adding, “I think we can spread it out to other things as we succeed in Gaza.”

The event featured Ali Shaath, the head of a new, future technocratic government in Gaza, announcing that the Rafah border crossing will open in both directions next week. That’s after Israel said in early December it would open the crossing, which runs between Gaza and Egypt, but has yet to do so.

Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, is overseeing the Palestinian committee set to govern the territory under U.S. supervision.

Trump tried not to let those not participating ruin his unveiling party, saying 59 countries had signed onto the board — even though heads of state, top diplomats and other officials from only 19 countries plus the U.S. actually attended the event. He told the group, ranging from Azerbaijan to Paraguay to Hungary, “You’re the most powerful people in the world.”

Trump has spoken about the board replacing some U.N. functions and perhaps even making that entire body obsolete one day. But he was more conciliatory in his remarks on the sidelines of the forum in the Swiss alps.

“We’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” Trump said, even as he denigrated the U.N. for doing what he said wasn’t enough to calm some conflicts around the globe.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some countries’ leaders have indicated they plan to join but still require approval from their parliaments.

Why some countries aren’t participating

Big questions remain, however, about what the eventual board will look like.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is still consulting with Moscow’s “strategic partners” before deciding to commit. The Russian was hosting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in Moscow.

Others are asking why Putin and other authoritarian leaders had even been invited to join. Britain’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said her country wasn’t signing on “because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues.”

“And we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” she told the BBC.

Norway and Sweden have indicated they won’t participate. France declined after its officials stressed that while they support the Gaza peace plan, they were concerned the board could seek to replace the U.N.

Canada, Ukraine, China and the executive arm of the European Union also haven’t committed. Trump calling off the steep tariffs he threatened over Greenland could ease some allies’ reluctance, but the issue is still far from settled.

The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin plans to discuss his proposal to send $1 billion to the Board of Peace and use it for humanitarian purposes during his talks with Abbas — if Russia can use of those assets the U.S. had previously blocked.

Others voice reservations

The idea for the Board of Peace was first laid out in Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan and even was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.

But an Arab diplomat in a European capital said that Middle Eastern governments coordinated their response to Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace and that it was crafted to limit the acceptance to the Gaza plan as mandated by the U.N. Security Council.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter more freely, the diplomat said the announced acceptance is “preliminary” and that the charter presented by the U.S. administration contradicts in some parts the United Nations’ mission. The diplomat also said that other major powers are unlikely to support the board in its current form.

Months into the ceasefire, Gaza’s more than 2 million Palestinians continue to suffer the humanitarian crisis unleashed by more than two years of war. And violence in Gaza continues.

Key to the truce continuing to hold is the disarming of Hamas, something that the militant group that has controlled the Palestinian territory since 2007 has refused to do, despite Israel seeing it as non-negotiable. Trump on Thursday repeated his frequent warnings that the group will have to disarm or face dire consequences.

He also said the war in Gaza “is really coming to an end” while conceding, “We have little fires that we’ll put out. But they’re little,” and they had been “giant, giant, massive fires.”

Iran looms large

Trump’s push for peace also comes after he threatened military action this month against Iran as it carried out a violent crackdown against some of the largest street protests in years, killing thousands of people.

Trump, for the time being, has signaled he won’t carry out any new strikes on Iran after he said he received assurances that the Islamic government would not carry out the planned hangings of more than 800 protesters.

But Trump also made the case that his tough approach to Tehran — including strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June last year — was critical to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal coalescing.

Zelensky announces discussions involving U.S., Russia and Ukraine

Trump also spoke behind closed doors for about an hour with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and called the discussion “very good” without mentioning major breakthroughs. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Moscow for talks aimed at ending Russia’s nearly 4-year-old war in Ukraine.

Zelensky later addressed the Davos forum and said there would be two days of trilateral meetings involving the U.S., Ukraine and Russia in the United Arab Emirates starting Friday — following the U.S. talks in Moscow.

“Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us,” Zelensky said.

Boak, Madhani and Weissert write for the Associated Press. Madhani and Weissert reported from Washington. AP writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

Long Beach’s bet on the Olympics to help reshape its economy has attracted at least one sportswear company to the port city.

Speedo’s parent company, Pentland Brands, plans to move its North American headquarters from Orange County to Long Beach, which has emerged as a hub for aquatic sports for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The privately held, U.K.-based company that manages a portfolio of fashion and sportswear brands — including outdoor gear brand Berghaus and cycling apparel brand Endura — plans to move to a 25,000-square-foot facility at Aero Long Beach this summer.

Pentland Brands’ North American headquarters has since 2015 been located in a 69,000-square-foot office in Cypress, a company spokesperson said in an email.

The company cited the Olympics as a driving factor in its decision to move.

“Being based in Long Beach places Speedo — a brand trusted by swimmers on the world stage — at the heart of one of the world’s most anticipated sporting events,” the company said in a statement.

Bo Martinez, the city’s economic development director, said in a statement that Pentland’s relocation to Long Beach is “a powerful vote of confidence” that strengthens the city’s efforts to “diversify the local economy, create more high-quality jobs and build an ecosystem where creative, forward-thinking companies can thrive.”

Pentland Brands’ Long Beach facility, which will accommodate more than 130 employees, is expected to include a dedicated Speedo showroom, open office space and rooms for product design, according to the statement.

Long Beach will host 11 sporting events during the 2028 Olympics, which are scheduled to run July 14 through July 30, according to an April statement from the city.

Many are water sports, including coastal rowing, open-water swimming, beach volleyball, sailing, artistic swimming and water polo. Also on the lineup are non-water sports such as sport climbing, handball and target shooting.

Events will be spread across seven venues, including temporary buildings as well as the Long Beach Arena, which hosted events during the 1984 Olympics, and Marine Stadium, built for the rowing events of the 1932 Olympics.

Long Beach will also host seven events for the 2028 Paralympics, scheduled to take place from Aug. 15 to Aug. 27, according to the city’s website.

Long Beach Councilman Daryl Supernaw said in an email to The Times he was “thrilled” for the company behind Speedo to move into his district, which encompasses neighborhoods around the Long Beach Airport.

“It is an ideal company to help diversify our economy and [reinforce] the City’s long history in aquatics,” Supernaw wrote.

Long Beach in 2023 unveiled plans to spend over $900 million on infrastructure over the next five years, with about $200 million earmarked for Olympics-focused projects.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson told The Times in 2024 that he considered the Olympics an opportunity for his city, which has long relied on oil revenue, to “build a new economy.”

Pentland Brands is a division of the Pentland Group, which was founded in the 1930s as the Liverpool Shoe Co.

In the 1990s, Pentland acquired Speedo International and Speedo Australia. In a move to consolidate the global swimwear brand, the company bought Speedo North America from apparel company PVH Corp. for $170 million ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics that were postponed to 2021.

Speedo is a major Olympic sponsor and has partnerships with the national swimming governing bodies in the U.S., Canada, China and Australia, among others.

The Australian swimwear brand traces its origins to 1928, when Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae produced a sleeveless Racerback swimsuit.

Speedo’s tight-fitting suits sparked a brief controversy at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, when a complaint was filed about Australian swimmer Clare Dennis’ exposed shoulders, according to the Daily Telegraph. The complaint was dismissed and the teenager went on to win gold in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Torbjørn “Thor” Pedersen, a Danish adventurer who set off on his journey in 2013, was faced with an array of issues, including conflicts, visa problems, convincing ships to give him passage, and, notably, a global pandemic

A man who visited every country on Earth without boarding a single plane has revealed the one destination he truly yearns for. Torbjørn “Thor” Pedersen, a Danish explorer who embarked on his quest in 2013, originally believed the mammoth undertaking would require just three or four years, but it turned into the beginning of an almost decade-long odyssey.

Throughout his expedition, Torbjørn reached all 197 nations acknowledged by the United Nations plus several with limited recognition, totalling 203 destinations visited.

What distinguishes Torbjørn’s accomplishment from other globe-trotting endeavours is his commitment to reaching every nation without air travel, though predictably, this came with considerable obstacles.

Despite his professional background in logistics and shipping, “nothing quite prepared” Torbjørn for the hurdles that awaited, including conflicts, visa complications, persuading vessels to grant him passage, and crucially, a worldwide pandemic.

During this challenging time, with borders shuttered due to the Covid crisis, Torbjørn found himself marooned in his most cherished location for two years, yet this allowed him to develop “real friendships”.

Speaking to Business Traveller Middle East recently, when pressed to identify the destination he’d “return to tomorrow” given the chance, he responded: ” Hong Kong. I was there long enough to form real friendships and get a deep understanding of (the place) – its culture, its landscape, and everything it has to offer.

“And then the project had to continue, and I was yanked out of it. I miss Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong isn’t classed as a sovereign country, but rather a special administrative region of China, a status the former British colony acquired in 1997 following the end of the UK’s 99-year lease of the New Territories.

Its governance falls under the concept of “one country, two systems”, which involves China consenting to grant the territory a “high degree of autonomy”, according to the BBC.

Hong Kong is renowned for its bustling markets, shopping, temples, dim sum, and East-meets-West culture, alongside sights such as Victoria Peak, The Big Buddha (an enormous bronze statue on Lantau Island), and its spectacular skyline.

The territory also boasts the 800m-long Central-Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system, which has the reputation of being the world’s longest outdoor escalator system.

Discussing his quest previously, Torbjørn explained: “I got wind that no one in history has gone to every country in the world completely without flying and I was caught up in the idea that I might have my shot at doing something remarkable.

“The idea was to do it with public transport wherever possible so that means hundreds of buses, trains and ferries then you ask if you can get on someone’s fishing boat or a container ship.

“I have to spend a minimum of 24 hours in a country. What I do isn’t tourism, it’s like running a marathon or going to the moon, it’s an accomplishment.”

Jan. 22 (UPI) — Ecuador and Colombia have initiated a tariff dispute after a decision by Ecuador’s government to impose a 30% duty on imports from Colombia, a move Quito justified on grounds of border security concerns and a persistent trade imbalance.

Colombia responded swiftly, suspending electricity exports to Ecuador and announcing equivalent tariffs on an initial list of 20 Ecuadorian products, escalating tensions between the two Andean neighbors.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said Wednesday that the 30% tariff would apply to certain Colombian imports starting Feb. 1, citing what he described as a lack of reciprocity and insufficient security cooperation by the government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The measure will remain in force “until there is a real commitment to jointly confront drug trafficking and illegal mining along the border,” Noboa said in a post on X.

Noboa contended that Ecuador has made “real efforts of cooperation” with Colombia, despite running a trade deficit that he said exceeds $1 billion annually. He added that those efforts have not been met with comparable actions by the Colombian side.

The sectors most affected by the 30% tariff are expected to be those with the highest share of bilateral trade, including electricity, pharmaceuticals for human use, certain food products, cane sugars, jet fuel, vehicles and unroasted coffee.

Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Diana Marcela Morales Rojas said the 30% tariff Colombia will apply to 20 products imported from Ecuador is a temporary instrument aimed at restoring balance to bilateral trade conditions.

“In the government of President Gustavo Petro, we have strengthened the state’s institutional capacity to act in a technical and proportional manner, in accordance with existing regulations, when the rules governing trade between countries are altered,” Morales said, according to local outlet El Colombiano.

As part of the escalating dispute, Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy announced Thursday the suspension of International Electricity Transactions with Ecuador, arguing the decision was necessary to guarantee domestic energy supply.

The ministry said the move responds to climate variability and projections of reduced firm energy availability in Colombia’s national interconnected system, factors it said increase risks to the country’s energy security.

“The duty of the state is to ensure, above all, that Colombian households, industry and essential services have secure and reliable energy,” said Energy and Mines Minister Edwin Palma Egea, according to Ecuadorian daily El Universo. He described the suspension as “a responsible, preventive and sovereign decision.”

The suspension is indefinite. Palma said Colombia rejects “unilateral measures imposed by the neighboring country,” but expressed confidence that diplomatic channels and open dialogue could quickly resolve the differences.

“When energy security conditions are restored and a framework of trust and good faith between both countries is rebuilt, Colombia will be willing to resume electricity exchanges,” he said. “Integration cannot be built at the expense of sovereignty or the well-being of our people.”

Ecuador relies on Colombian electricity imports to supplement its largely hydroelectric power system, particularly during periods of reduced rainfall that affect river flows and reservoir levels.

In response to the electricity suspension, Ecuador announced it will impose new tariffs on transporting Colombian crude oil through one of its pipelines.

In a post on X, Ecuador’s Minister of Environment and Energy Inés Manzano said that “the transport tariff for Colombian crude through the OCP pipeline will reflect the reciprocity received in the case of electricity.”

She added that Ecuador is prioritizing border security, its trade balance and its energy security.

These measures add to earlier restrictions along the border. Since Dec. 24, Ecuador has limited cross-border transit for security reasons, keeping open only two official crossings with Colombia and Peru.

Contestants of The Traitors are filmed at the iconic gothic castle in the Scottish Highlands, but after the cameras stop rolling, they’re taken to an airport hotel 40 minutes down the road

The Traitors is one of the most popular TV shows, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, with a luxurious gothic castle and sprawling grounds. Yet it turns out the contestants don’t actually stay in the castle, or nearby for that matter, but instead are whisked away in a 4×4 to an airport hotel.

By day, the iconic Ardross Castle is used as a retreat for the contestants, a place where they unite for breakfast, eat lunch after a gruelling outdoor task, discuss tactics in the drawing room, and gather around the dreaded round table for another banishment. By night, and away from the glamour of the lavish 19th-century castle and candlelit driveway, the stars of The Traitors depart one by one and return to their accommodation.

During their time on the hit BBC show, the players stay at The Courtyard by Marriott hotel at Inverness Airport. The functional chain four-star hotel is nestled near the airport runway and about 40 minutes from the scenic Ardross Castle, which is used only for filming.

The average rate for a stay at the Courtyard by Marriott is around £53 per person, per night. Inside its facilities are a restaurant, fitness centre, meeting space, a convenience store, and a business centre.

The host of the US version of The Traitors, Alan Cumming, previously revealed an insight into the practical accommodation. He told The Daily Beast: “They all stayed in the airport hotel in Inverness airport. How glamorous – you come to Scotland, and you stay in the Inverness airport hotel.”

Meanwhile, TV presenter and former Traitors star, Jonathon Ross, was more than happy with the hotel during his time on the show. Underneath a post on the official X account for The Traitors, he wrote: “It’s a very nice hotel and the food is good. No complaints.” To which The Traitors account replied: “Good to know.”

Following this, one fan asked on the post: “Did you have to drive back to the castle in the evening to do the turret bit?” Jonathon responded: “No. We wait there until all the Faithfuls have left.”

The choice of accommodation is said to be down to practicality rather than luxury, as insiders reveal the hotel was chosen because it’s big enough to accommodate both cast and production staff. Additionally, it crucially allows the production team to keep participants separated and monitored when off-camera.

Host Claudia Winkleman revealed that all contestants return to their individual rooms directly after filming and cannot interact with each other or anyone outside the game in order to preserve the game.

The hotel has a glowing 4.3 rating out of 5 on TripAdvisor and 250 reviews. One guest wrote: “I stay regularly at this hotel. Yesterday the staff had to work really hard under pressure after many flight cancellations due to bad weather at the airport.

“The staff in the bar, restaurant, reception and housekeeping remained upbeat and efficient with a changing set of guests, accommodating their needs of all types. Emma and the f and b team did well to get everyone fed and watered! Well done.”

Another happier traveller shared: “Stayed at this hotel on several occasions and every stay has been great. Staff are very friendly and food is good. The rooms are modern and very comfortable.”

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

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan have completed a major prisoner exchange following a recent diplomatic meeting. The border town of the Aru territory in the DRC serves as a haven for numerous South Sudanese refugees escaping the civil conflict in their homeland.

In August 2025, the French humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that over 33,000 South Sudanese refugees had been documented on the Congolese side of the border.

The DRC government said the bilateral meeting was held to reinforce security cooperation and the permanent exchange of intelligence between the two countries. The two delegations agreed to exchange detainees as a strong gesture of peace.

“There have been problems: a South Sudanese soldier entered our country through Aguruba, and finally, he was bogged down in mud and got lost. His colleagues came to search for him, and that is when his colleagues, before returning, took hostage a soldier of the Republican Guard and a policeman. Before that, they had already taken a village chief hostage. Fortunately, the chief of the chiefdom has spoken with the commissioner and the village chief was returned,” Richard Mbambi, the police administrator of the Aru territory, revealed.

 “But the soldiers, on leaving, I think they received orders from their superiors, took an element of the Republican guard and an element of the police, and that is what made us agree with the commissioner that we should meet in order to resolve the problem. We brought the soldier who was held in detention and another South Sudanese who had been arrested. We have just returned them to the commissioner, who has also returned the soldier and policeman who were taken on that day,” he added.

The South Sudanese delegation, led by the commissioner of Morobo district, emphasised that the meeting was significant to strengthening coexistence and peace between the neighbouring countries.

“Today, we have met with your authorities to resolve the situation which is going on between us. We must resolve our differences, we must put in efforts so that we no longer return to situations that have already taken place,” said Charles Dhata, the South Sudanese commissioner.

The security situation at the border between the two countries in the Aru territory remains bleak, as many refugees are fleeing the civil war atrocities in South Sudan. Various sources have reported instances of looting in several local communities within Congolese territory, carried out by rogue elements of the South Sudanese security forces and some individuals disguised as refugees. Discussions during the meeting addressed these concerns.

In December 2025, more than 40,000 South Sudanese refugees were relocated to sites with potable water, schools, and health facilities, with the support of the National Commission for Refugees of the MSF and local authorities.  

Police administrator Richard stressed the importance of exchanging intelligence between the two countries. This exchange aims to address differences and enhance security in two regions.

“The recommendations that we have made are notably that we must meet from time to time, at least every quarter, so that there are exchanges between the authorities of the territory,” he said.

NOMINATIONS for the Brit Awards 2026 have been announced, and it looks set to be a glorious year for the girls.

Olivia Dean and Lola Young are in the running for five gongs each, while a whopping 70 per cent of the nominees are women – the most in the event’s history.

When are the Brit Awards 2026?

The Brit Awards 2026 will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

To watch the ceremony on telly, viewers can tune in to ITV1 at 8pm.

Fans can vote for Song of the Year and International Song of the Year via WhatsApp from 12pm on January 30 to 6pm on February 13.

Who has been nominated for the Brit Awards 2026?

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

read more on the brits 2026

BRIT HIT

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GONG GIRLS

Brits Awards noms revealed as female artists dominate list – & 90s icons return

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Dave – The Boy Who Played The Harp
• Lily Allen – West End Girl
• Olivia Dean – The Art Of Loving
• Sam Fender – People Watching
• Wolf Alice – The Clearing

SONG OF THE YEAR

• Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas – Blessings
• Chrystal & Notion – The Days (Notion Remix)
• Cynthia Erivo ft. Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
• Ed Sheeran – Azizam
• Fred Again, Skepta & Plaqueboymax – Victory Lap
• Lewis Capaldi – Survive
• Lola Young – Messy
• Myles Smith – Nice To Meet You
• Olivia Dean – Man I Need
• Raye – Where Is My Husband!
• Sam Fender & Olivia Dean – Rein Me In
• Skye Newman – Family Matters

GROUP OF THE YEAR

• The Last Dinner Party
• Pulp
• Sleep Token
• Wet Leg
• Wolf Alice

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

• Barry Can’t Swim
• EsDeeKid
• Jim Legxacy
• Lola Young
• Skye Newman

ALTERNATIVE/ROCK ACT

• Blood Orange
• Lola Young
• Sam Fender
• Wet Leg
• Wolf Alice

POP ACT

• Jade
• Lily Allen
• Lola Young
• Olivia Dean
• Raye

HIP HOP/GRIME/RAP ACT

• Central Cee
• Dave
• Jim Legxacy
• Little Simz
• Loyle Carner

R&B ACT

• Jim Legxacy
• Kwn
• Mabel
• Sasha Keable
• Sault

DANCE ACT

• Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas
• FKA Twigs
• Fred Again, Skepta & Plaqueboymax
• PinkPantheress
• Sammy Virji

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Bad Bunny
• Chappell Roan
• CMAT
• Doechii
• Lady Gaga
• Rosalia
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Sombr
• Taylor Swift
• Tyler The Creator

INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR

• Alex Warren – Ordinary
• Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club
• Disco Lines & Tinashe – No Broke Boys
• Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
• Gracie Abrams – That’s So True
• HUNTR/X – Golden
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With A Smile
• Ravyn Lenae – Love Me Not
• Rose & Bruno Mars – APT.
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Sombr – Undressed
• Taylor Swift – The Fate Of Ophelia

INTERNATIONAL GROUP

• Geese
• Haim
• HUNTR/X
• Tame Impala
• Turnstile

Where is the event taking place?

As part of a new strategy move, Manchester is becoming the home of the ceremony.

The city’s Co-Op Live is hosting the awards in 2026 and 2027.

It’s the first time in the Brits’ nearly 50-year history that the ceremony will be held outside of London.

How much are tickets to the show?

Tickets to the Brit Awards 2026 sold out rapidly after going on sale in early December 2025.

Standard seated tickets started at £109.95, excluding fees, and were available via Ticketmaster and the official Brits website.

Tickets were limited to four per household, with standing available only for those aged 16 and over, while under-14s must be accompanied by an adult.

Who is performing on the night?

Olivia Dean is the first artist confirmed to perform at the Brit Awards 2026.

She’s nominated for Artist and Album of the Year for The Art of Loving, as well as Song of the Year twice and Pop Act.

Olivia said: “It feels crazy to have five nominations. It’s very surreal and I’m still processing it.”

IF you’ve ever wondered where the biggest hotel in Europe is you might be surprised to learn that it’s right here in the UK.

The Royal National Hotel, is in the heart of Bloomsbury and has a whopping 1,630 rooms across eight floors – making it the largest in Europe by room number.

Run by Imperial London Hotels, the Royal National Hotel is an ideal spot for London tourists as it’s a two-minute walk from Russell Square station.

It’s 15-minutes from Soho so easy access to theatres, and a short tube journey away from King’s Cross and Euston.

There’s a choice of rooms for all from a cosy single to double rooms, twins and even triple rooms.

For a bit more space, check out the standard plus rooms, family rooms which sleep three or the standard plus family room.

GO SEA IT

£9.50 holiday spot with shipwrecks, seals offshore & horseshoe-shaped waterfalls

FALL FOR IT

Why Sun readers love Wales – their favourite waterfalls & TV-famous castles

All rooms come with an en-suite, free Wi-Fi, TV, radio as well as tea and coffee making facilities.

You can book on a room only basis, or a bed and breakfast basis which comes with an unlimited buffet.

When it comes to eating, the Royal National Hotel has ‘The London Pub’ which is a ‘modern twist on the traditional British pub’.

It has local craft beers and ales, as well as a large selection of small plates to sharers.

For lighter bites, the hotel also has Blooms Coffee & Pizza which is open from 7am with pastries and coffee.

At 12pm it serves up sandwiches, salads and stone-baked pizzas.

The hotel gets rave reviews too, one wrote on Tripadvisor: “More than five stars for our stay! Location is wonderful, it was a brilliantly comfortable room and all the staff were excellent.”

Another said: “Our short stay at the hotel was absolutely perfect. The location couldn’t be better really easy to get around the city and just a quick trip to St. Pancras for the Eurostar.”

A one-night stay in a single or double room starts from £99 per night in January.

A standard plus family room that sleeps up to three people can be booked from £119 in January.

The hotel currently has an offer which takes 30 per cent off a Sunday stay when you choose a long weekend in London.

Or book direct to get 20 per cent off your stay.

Another popular hotel run by Imperial London Hotels is the President Hotel, also in Bloomsbury.

It was made famous back in 1963 by The Beatles when they used it as their London base during their rise to fame – at this point the hotel had just opened and it was brand new.

The legendary band known for hits like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Let it Be’, even had a pillow fight in room 444.

There were then plenty of famous photos of the band taken around Russell Square.

One of the most well-known shots is referred to as the ‘shish-kebab’ and was taken on September 12, 1963.

A single and double room in the President Hotel start from £119 per night in January.

A twin room with an extra bed sleeping up to three people can be booked from £139 in January.

For more London hotels, Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding found the best value all inclusive central London hotel – with free food AND alcohol for £55pp a night.

And here are the 10 best-rated hotels in London on Tripadvisor – with stays from £30pp per night.

A 5-year-old boy arriving home from preschool in Minnesota was taken by federal agents along with his father to a detention facility in Texas, school officials and the family’s lawyer said, making him the latest child caught up in the immigration enforcement surge that has riled the Twin Cities in recent weeks.

Federal agents took Liam Conejo Ramos from a running car while it was in the family’s driveway on Tuesday afternoon, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said during a news conference Wednesday. The officers then told him to knock on the door to his suburban Minneapolis home to see if other people were inside, “essentially using a 5-year-old as bait,” she said.

Stenvik said the family has an active asylum case and has not been ordered to leave the country.

“Why detain a 5-year-old?” she asked. “You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that “ICE did NOT target a child.”

She said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting an operation to arrest the child’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who McLaughlin said is from Ecuador and in the U.S. illegally. He fled on foot without the boy, she said.

“For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,” McLaughlin said, adding that parents are given the choice to be removed with their children or have them placed with a person of their choosing.

Stenvik said another adult who lives at the home was outside when the father and son were taken, but agents wouldn’t leave Liam with that person. DHS didn’t immediately to respond an email Thursday asking if Conejo Arias had asked to keep his son with him.

Liam and his father were being held in a family holding cell in Texas, Marc Prokosch, the family’s lawyer, said during the news conference.

“Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they’ve been asked to do,” Prokosch said of the family’s asylum claim. “So this is just cruelty.”

Minnesota has become a major focus of immigration sweeps by DHS-led agencies. Greg Bovino, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of the crackdowns in Minneapolis and other cities, said 3,000 “of some of the most dangerous offenders” have been arrested in Minnesota in the last six weeks.

Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, said advocates have no way of knowing whether the government’s arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate.

Liam is the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools who has been detained by ICE in recent weeks, said Stenvik. A 17-year-old student was taken Tuesday while heading to school, and a 10-year-old and a 17-year-old have also been taken, she said.

The district is made up of five schools and about 3,400 students from pre-K to 12th grade, according to its website. The majority of the students come from immigrant families, according to Stenvik.

She said they’ve noticed their attendance drop over the past two weeks, including one day where they had about one-third of their students out from school.

Ella Sullivan, Liam’s teacher, described him as “kind and loving.”

“His classmates miss him,” she said. “And all I want is for him to be safe and back here.”

Golden writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Kathy McCormack contributed to this story.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and it’s time for our annual Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame voting.

I get dozens of emails every season from fans who want to know why their favorite Dodger isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Which got me thinking (always a dangerous proposition), what if we had a Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame, as selected by the readers? We started it in 2022 and so far, readers have voted 16 people into the Hall. It’s time to vote again.

The way it works: Below you will see a list of candidates divided into two groups, players and nonplayers.

In the players’ category, you can vote for up to 10 players. You don’t have to vote for 10, you can vote for any number up to and including 10. Your vote should depend on what the player did on and off the field only as a Dodger. The rest of his career doesn’t count, which is why you won’t see someone such as Frank Robinson listed. And you can consider the entirety of his Dodgers career. For example, Manny Mota was a good player and has spent years as a Dodgers coach and a humanitarian. You can consider all of that when you vote. And remember this is the Dodgers Hall of Fame, so there might be some people considerably worthy of being in a Dodgers Hall of Fame who fall short of the Baseball Hall of Fame in your mind.

In the nonplayers category, you can vote for up to three.

To recap, you can vote for up to 10 people on the players ballot, and three on the non-players ballot, meaning you could vote for 13 people total if you desire. But no more than 10 players and three non-players.

Whoever is named on at least 75% of the ballots will be elected. The eight people receiving the fewest votes will be dropped from future ballots for at least the next two years. Active players or active non-players are not eligible.

How do you vote? For the players ballot, click here. For the nonplayers ballot, click here. Or you can email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. You have until Feb. 1 to vote. Results will be announced soon after that.

I tried to compile a ballot that had players representing each era of Dodgers baseball. I’m sure there’s a player or two you think should have been on the ballot. Send that player’s name along and he might be included in next year’s ballot. And it’s possible the player you are thinking of has already been on the ballot, but dropped off due to lack of support.

Before we get to the ballot, let’s review previous results.

2025 inductee

Don Sutton, named on 75.7% of ballots

2024 inductees

Walter O’Malley, 79.4%
Pee Wee Reese, 76.3%

2022 inductees

Tommy Lasorda, 87.7%
Walt Alston, 86.5%
Fernando Valenzuela, 80.6%
Maury Wills, 76.6%
Gil Hodges, 75.3%
Orel Hershiser, 75.1%
Branch Rickey, 72.1%

Note: In 2022 you had to be named on only 65% of the ballots to be inducted. It has been 75% all other years.

2021 inductees

Sandy Koufax, 95.6%
Vin Scully, 92.7%
Don Drysdale, 90%
Jackie Robinson, 88.9%
Roy Campanella, 84.7%
Duke Snider, 78.2%

How the rest of the 2025 ballot fared:

Jaime Jarrín, 65.8%
Peter O’Malley, 65.1%
Steve Garvey, 64.4%
Don Newcombe, 62.1%
Ron Cey, 61.6%
Mike Piazza, 50.3%
Dusty Baker, 47.7%
Davey Lopes, 47.1%
Manny Mota, 46.7%
Red Barber, 45.4%
Carl Erskine, 42.9%
Tommy Davis, 42.5%
Kirk Gibson, 40.6%
Jim Gilliam, 40.5%
Mike Scioscia, 39.7%
Johnny Podres, 36.7%
Ross Porter, 35.3%
Willie Davis, 33.9%
Buzzie Bavasi, 32.1%
Eric Karros, 30.1%
Jerry Doggett, 29.8%
Bill Russell, 29.5%
Zack Wheat, 28.9%
Eric Gagne, 28.2%
Carl Furillo, 27.9%
*Rick Honeycutt, 26.7%
John Roseboro, 26.1%
Pedro Guerrero, 25.3%
Dazzy Vance, 23.3%
Tommy John, 23.3%
Andre Ethier, 23.1%

Bottom 12, eliminated from at least next two ballots

Helen Dell, 22.7%
Adrián Beltré, 21.4%
Steve Yeager, 20.6%
Leo Durocher, 18%
*-Ned Colletti, 12.9%
*-Steve Sax, 10.8%
*-Casey Stengel, 5.2%
*-Red Adams, 4.7%
*-Jim Lefebvre, 3.8%
*-Billy Cox, 3.6%
*-Cookie Lavagetto, 2.6%
*-Monty Basgall, 0.8%

*-first time on ballot.

The Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame

Listed in order of percentage:

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)
Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)
Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)
Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)
Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)
Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)
Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)
Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)
Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)
Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)
Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)
Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)
Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)
Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)
Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)
Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)

Note: In 2022, you had to be named on only 65% of the ballots to be inducted. It has been 75% all other years.

The 2026 ballot

Players

Vote for no more than 10 players. Vote here or email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. Click on the player’s stats to be taken to his overall career stats. If you don’t wish to read all the comments, scroll to the bottom where you will see just a straight list of candidates without comments. But I worked hard on these, so throw me a bone, will ya?

Dusty Baker (1976 to 1983, .281/.343/.437): Baker is one of the most loved Dodgers since they moved to L.A. He was a very good player and part of the group of four Dodgers who hit at least 30 homers in 1977, becoming the first team to do that. Baker did it on the final day of the season, homering off of Houston ace and Dodger nemesis J.R. Richard in the sixth inning. Baker finished fourth in MVP voting in 1980, when he hit .294 with 29 homers and 97 RBIs. He hit .320 in strike-shortened 1981 and .300 in 1982.

Ron Cey (1971 to 1982, .264/.359/.445): Cey is almost criminally underrated by those who grew up outside of L.A. He was good for 20-30 homers, 70-90 walks and 80-100 RBIs every year and played a solid third base. He was a direct contemporary of Mike Schmidt, so he often got overlooked when it came to discussing the best third basemen during his era. But the Dodgers made four World Series with Cey as the starting third baseman, and he played a huge part in the team getting there each time.

Tommy Davis (1959 to 1966, .304/.338/.441): Davis put together one of the greatest seasons in Dodgers history in 1962, when he hit .346 (leading the league) with 27 doubles, 27 homers, 120 runs scored and a league-leading 153 RBIs. He followed that up in 1963 by leading the league in hitting again with a .326 average. Those were the only two batting titles in L.A. Dodger history until Trea Turner won a title in 2021. Those seasons are even more impressive when you consider that Dodger Stadium was an extreme pitcher’s park in those days.

Willie Davis (1960 to 1973, .279/.312/.413): Davis was an outstanding defensive player who led the NL in triples twice (1962 with 10 and 1970 with 16) and whose offensive numbers don’t look as impressive as they should because he played during one of the biggest pitcher’s eras in baseball history. His best season was probably 1969, when he hit .311 with 23 doubles, eight triples and 11 homers, or it could have been 1962, when he hit .285 with 18 doubles, 10 triples and 21 homers, or 1971, when he hit .309 with 33 doubles, 10 triples and 10 homers. He didn’t walk much and had moderate power, but he caught everything hit to him (except for that one game in the 1966 World Series, but let’s not get into that). He is still the L.A. Dodgers career leader in runs (1,004), hits (2,091) and triples (110).

Carl Erskine (1948 to 1959, 122-78, 4.00 ERA): “Oisk” is what he was called, and “Oisk” was known for his big overhand curve. But what I love about Erskine is he became a staunch supporter of Jackie Robinson from the day Erskine joined the team as a rookie in 1948, one year after Robinson broke the color barrier. At one point during the 1948 season, Erskine left the clubhouse after a game to talk to Rachel Robinson and Jackie Robinson Jr. Fans filed by and stared at this white man talking to these two Black people. Some didn’t care. Some were taken aback. Some shook their head. The next day, Jackie came up to Erskine and thanked him for talking to his family in the open, which was quite a thing for a rookie to do in those days. He said, “You know, you stopped out there in front of all those fans and talked with Rachel and little Jack.” Erskine replied, “Hey Jackie, you can congratulate me on a well-pitched game, but not for that.” In 2005, he wrote a book titled “What I Learned From Jackie Robinson.”

Andre Ethier (2006 to 2017, .285/.359/.436): On Dec. 13, 2005, the Dodgers made one of their best trades ever when they sent Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to Oakland for Ethier, who became their starting right fielder for the next 10 seasons and put himself on many all-time top 10 lists in L.A. Dodgers history. You knew what you were going to get from Ethier every season: A .280-.290 average with about 20 homers and 80 RBIs. He was the first Dodger to have at least 30 doubles in seven consecutive seasons, made the All-Star team twice and won a Gold Glove.

Carl Furillo (1946 to 1960, .299/.355/.458): “The Reading Rifle” led the NL in batting average at .344 in 1953, the second of his two All-Star seasons with the Dodgers. He finished sixth in MVP voting in 1949 when he hit .322 with 27 doubles, 10 triples, 18 homers and 106 RBIs. He was a good fielder with a great arm, racking up 24 assists in 1951, more than earning his nickname. He was a steady player for the Dodgers for years and played in seven World Series, including the 1955 and 1959 title teams.

Eric Gagné (1999 to 2006, 25-21, 3.27 ERA, 161 saves): Gagne was a failed starter who came out of nowhere to seize the closing job in spring training in 2002. He converted 84 consecutive saves at one point, and few people left Dodgers games early when Gagne was the closer because they wanted to see him pitch. He was dominant and won the Cy Young Award in 2003. Then injuries derailed him and he pitched little in 2005 and 2006. He was with the Brewers when he was named in the Mitchell Report as a player linked to human growth hormone use. His tenure ended with the Dodgers 20 years ago, but it seems like a million years ago for some reason.

Steve Garvey (1969 to 1982, .301/.337/.459): Do I really need to write a lot about Garvey? One of the most popular Dodgers in history. But history hasn’t been kind to him, as many of the newer analytic numbers have downgraded him on offense. But, the importance of knowing every season that your first baseman was going to hit .300 with 100 RBIs can’t be overstated. He was named NL MVP in 1974 and finished in the top six in voting five times. He also made eight All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves.

Kirk Gibson (1988 to 1990, .264/.353/.433): There are Dodgers with better numbers not on this ballot, but he makes the list because he turned the Dodgers from losers to winners in an incredible 1988 season, when he seemed to get every clutch hit the team needed, especially when he hit that amazing pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the World Series. It’s up to you to decide if one miraculous season is enough to make him a Dodgers Hall of Famer.

Jim Gilliam (1953 to 1966, .265/.360/.355): It seemed that every season Jim Gilliam would be on the bench, squeezed out of the lineup by a hot rookie or flashy newcomer, then by the end of April, either the new player would be a bust or an injury would open a spot and Gilliam would end the season as the starting second baseman. Or starting third baseman. Or starting left fielder. But let me recount a story Vin Scully told me about Gilliam for my book: “I was introducing the team, and I would introduce, ‘So and so is the shortstop’ and so on, and I introduced Jim as ‘Jim Gilliam, baseball player.’ He was one of the smartest players. I remember Walter Alston saying that Jim never missed a sign. Never. Like anyone else, you are going to drop a ball, you are going to make an error, but Jim never made a mental mistake. And on the base paths, he’d go from first to third all the time. He always did the right thing. He was very quiet and not at all ‘on,’ but he was a consummate baseball player. He was married in St. Louis, and the team bus stopped at the reception while the photographer was taking pictures. Jim said to the photographer, ‘One more.’ The photographer took it and Jim got on the bus and we went to Busch Stadium.” The Dodgers retired Gilliam’s No. 19 shortly after he died after the 1978 season.

Pedro Guerrero (1978 to 1988, .309/.381/.512): You can make an argument that Guerrero is the best hitter in Dodgers history. He is fifth in OPS+ and had at least 1,000 more plate appearances than the four people ahead of him on the list. He hit .320 in 1985, then blew out his knee on an ill-advised slide in spring training of 1986. He came back in 1987 to hit .338. He had power, hitting 30-plus homers three times (back when that really meant something) and had a good eye at the plate. Defensively, however, he was brutal. He was not a good fielder at third, and hated playing there, but you have to give him credit for going out there whenever he was asked.

Tommy John (1972-78, 87-42, 2.97 ERA): After being a mainstay of the rotation in 1972-73, John was on his way to a career year in 1974 (13-3, 2.59 ERA) when he tore a ligament in his elbow. It always meant the end of a pitcher’s career, but John agreed to undergo a first of its kind surgery, taking a ligament from a different part of his body to replace the one in his elbow. He came back in 1976 to win 10 games, then went 20-7 with a 2.78 ERA in 1977, finishing second in Cy Young voting. He was almost as good in 1978 and went 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six postseason starts with L.A. Since then, hundreds of pitchers have had the surgery now named after him.

Eric Karros (1991 to 2002, .268/.325/.454): Karros had an interesting career. He is the all-time L.A. Dodgers home run leader, yet rarely gets mentioned when the subject is all-time great Dodgers. He led the league in only two categories in his career (games played in 1997 and double plays grounded into in 1996). He never made an All-Star team. He was often overshadowed by Mike Piazza. But he rarely got hurt and was good for 25-30 homers every season.

*-Joe Kelly (2019-21, 2023-24, 9-5, 3.72 ERA, 3 saves): Kelly is remembered for two things with the Dodgers: His Mariachi jacket, and not being afraid to hit an Astros batter or two after the sign-stealing scandal. After the Astros cheated to win the 2017 World Series, the Dodgers didn’t face them again until 2020. Kelly decided someone had to pay a price. The game was uneventful through five innings, and then Kelly decided to shake things up. After retiring Jose Altuve on a popup, he had a 3-0 count against Alex Bregman when his next pitch, ball four, flew behind Bregman’s head. The next batter, Michael Brantley, wasn’t on the 2017 Astros. Kelly threw him three pitches, none particularly close to him, and got him to ground to first. When Kelly covered first base in an attempt to complete a double play, he got annoyed when Brantley’s foot clipped his leg. Kelly glared at Brantley and suddenly, from the Astros dugout, someone shouted “just get on the mound, little … “ The … represents a word we can’t use in a family newsletter.

The next batter: Yuli Gurriel. With a 2-0 count, a Kelly pitch went well inside, sending Gurriel sprawling. He walked Gurriel on the next pitch. That brought us to the main event: Carlos Correa.

Correa was the most vocal Astro to defend their title after the sign-stealing was discovered. He was particularly pointed in his comments toward the Dodgers. Kelly started with a pitch that made Correa duck. He seemed none too happy. The at-bat continued and Kelly struck Correa out with a breaking ball in the dirt.

And then the fun began. Correa chirped at Kelly. Kelly, according to Astros manager Dusty Baker, said “Nice swing ….” Kelly made a pouty face at Correa, who started walking toward the Dodger dugout. The benches cleared. No punches were thrown. The game resumed and nothing much interesting happened after that, other than the Dodgers winning, 5-2.

But, on social media, Kelly became one of the most loved Dodgers of all time. He still is. So that puts him on the ballot.

Of course, Kelly is also known for hitting Dodger Hanley Ramirez in the ribs with a pitch, which pretty much ended the Dodgers’ postseason. He talks about that here.

*-Clayton Kershaw (2008-25, 223-96, 2.53 ERA): What can I say that I haven’t already written over the last 10 years? We can quibble over his postseason stats all day, but he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer with the only question being how many people leave him off their ballot.

Davey Lopes (1972 to 1981, .262/.349/.380): There were certainly more prolific base stealers in baseball history, but there may have never been a better base stealer than Lopes. In 1975, he led the NL with 77 steals and was caught only 12 times. In 1976, he led with 63 steals and was caught only 10 times. At the age of 40, he stole 47 bases and was caught only four times. Admittedly, that was with the Cubs, so it doesn’t count for our purposes, but it’s my favorite Lopes stat. My favorite thing Lopes always did with this: He was often batting behind the pitcher, and when the pitcher made an out, particularly if he had to run hard on a ground ball, Lopes was a master of taking his time getting to the batter’s box, allowing the pitcher a little extra time to recuperate. Lopes would reach the batter’s box and see that he “forgot” to knock off the weighted donut off the bat, so he’d return to the on-deck circle to do so. Or he’d go back for a little extra pine tar. It was always a lot of fun to watch.

Manny Mota (1969 to 1980, 1982, .315/.374/.391): To think of Mota as only a pinch-hitter is a mistake. He hit .305 in 124 games with the Dodgers in 1970 and .323 in 118 games with the team in 1972. He made the All-Star team in 1973, when he hit .314. But pinch-hitting is what made him famous. Mota set the record (since surpassed) for most career pinch hits in 1979 when he collected his 145th. He seemed to be able to get a hit whenever he wanted to. Eighteen players have at least 100 pinch-hits in their career. Mota is the only one with a .300 average in such situations. After retiring for good as a player, he became a coach for the Dodgers and remains active in the organization to this day.

Don Newcombe (1949 to 1951, 1954-1958, 123-66, 3.51 ERA): Newcombe could have been a two-way player if the Dodgers would have let him. In 1956, he went 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 38 games, 36 starts and 268 innings with 15 complete games. At the plate, he hit .234 with six doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs. He won the Cy Young and MVP awards after the season. He was rookie of the year in 1949 and was the first player to win all three major baseball awards. He went 20-5 during the Dodgers’ World Series championship season in 1955. That year, he hit .259 with nine doubles, seven homers and 23 RBIs. How good a hitter was Newcombe? He pinch-hit 88 times in his career. Newcombe struggled with alcoholism for years but became sober in 1967 and worked for the Dodgers for years, helping athletes and others across the country in their struggles with sobriety. “What I have done after my baseball career and being able to help people with their lives and getting their lives back on track and they become human beings again means more to me than all the things I did in baseball,” Newcombe said in 2008.

Mike Piazza (1992 to 1998, .331/.394/.572): The best-hitting catcher in baseball history was an All-Star every full season with the Dodgers and finished as the MVP runner-up two consecutive seasons. His best season was 1997, when he hit .362 with 32 doubles, 40 homers and 124 RBIs in 152 games. He wasn’t much defensively, but not as bad as people said, and the less said about his trade to Florida in 1998, the better.

Johnny Podres (1953 to 1955, 1957-66, 136-104, 3.66 ERA): Podres pitched for four of the Dodgers’ World Series title teams (1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965, though he didn’t pitch in the ’65 World Series) and was MVP of the 1955 World Series, the first title for the Dodgers, when he went 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA, good for two complete-game victories over the New York Yankees, including a 2-0 shutout in the decisive Game 7. He was often overlooked on the team, overshadowed by Koufax or Newcombe or Drysdale, but he was a key pitcher for the team for 12 years.

John Roseboro (1957 to 1967, .251/.327/.382): Roseboro made five All-Star teams with the Dodgers and won two Gold Gloves. He was the starting catcher on three World Series title teams and when people mention the great Dodgers pitching staffs of the 1960s, they seldom mention who was catcher for all those great pitchers. It was Roseboro.

Bill Russell (1969 to 1986, .263/.310/.338): Russell was a converted outfielder who went on to become one of the longest-tenured Dodgers in history, second all-time in games played for the team with 2,181, trailing Zack Wheat (2,322). If there is one word to describe Russell, it’s “steady.” He never was the best shortstop in the NL, and was never the worst. He never led the league in anything, made the All-Star team three times, seldom struck out, didn’t have a lot of power. But he went out there every day and rarely cost his team a game, and also was known among fans as the best clutch hitter on the team. He replaced Lasorda as manager in 1996 and was fired in 1998 during the infamous Fox era.

Mike Scioscia (1980 to 1992, .259/.344/.356): Scioscia was with the Dodgers for 13 seasons, never won a Gold Glove, never led the league in any offensive category and made only two All-Star teams. But what he did can’t be understated: He gave you above average play almost every season for 13 seasons. You never had to worry about the position when Scioscia was there, and he hit one of the most important home runs in Dodgers history when he connected off Dwight Gooden in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS.

Dazzy Vance (1922 to 1932, 1935, 3.17 ERA): Vance was the first true ace the Dodgers had and is still one of the greatest pitchers in their history. He led the league in wins twice, in ERA three times and in strikeouts seven consecutive seasons. Vance’s actual first name was Arthur, but he was called “Dazzy” because of his dazzling fastball. You can read more about him here.

Zack Wheat (1909 to 1926, .317/.367/.450): The most unappreciated great player in Dodger history. Wheat was just relentless at the plate, hitting over .300 every year with mid-range power. He hit .375 in 1923 and 1924. He is still the team’s all-time leader in several offensive categories. He was beloved in Brooklyn and served as a mentor for several young Dodgers, including future manager Casey Stengel. “I never knew him to refuse help to another player, were he a Dodger or even a Giant,” Stengel said. “And I never saw him really angry and I never heard him use cuss words.” Read more about Wheat here.

*-Alex Wood (2015-18, 2020, 31-21, 3.54 ERA): Wood went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 2017, but never quite reached those heights again. He was the one guy who thought there was something fishy going on with the Astros in the 2017 World Series and had catcher Austin Barnes changes signals after every batter when someone was on base during Game 4. He gave up only one run and one hit in 5.2 innings for the only Dodgers’ victory in Houston. He was a valuable member of three Dodgers World Series teams, winning one with them in 2020, pitching four innings of shutout relief over two games.

Steve Yeager (1972 to 1985, .229/.299/.358): Yeager was one of the best defensive catchers in history who had the misfortune of being a direct contemporary of the best defensive catcher in history, Johnny Bench. Otherwise, Yeager would have multiple Gold Gloves. His best season offensively was 1977, when he .256 with 21 doubles and 16 homers. Dodger fans remember how he blocked the plate, becoming an almost impenetrable wall whenever a runner tried to score and Yeager had the ball.

Nonplayers

Vote for no more than three. Vote here or email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com.

Red Barber: Barber was a Dodgers broadcaster from 1939 to 1953 and mentored a young Scully. His folksy style and catchphrases made him one of the most famous announcers in the U.S. Among his phrases: “They’re tearin’ up the pea patch,” “Can of corn,” “Sittin’ in the catbird seat,” “Tighter than a new pair of shoes on a rainy day.”

Buzzie Bavasi (former general manager): In Bavasi’s 18 years as the team’s GM, the Dodgers won eight NL pennants (1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965 and 1966) and four World Series titles (1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965).

Jerry Doggett: Called games in Brooklyn and Los Angeles from 1956 to 1987, and was a key part of the memorable Vin Scully-Jerry Doggett-Ross Porter broadcasting trio.

Rick Honeycutt: Honeycutt pitched for the Dodgers from 1983-87 and went 33-45 with a 3.58 ERA. The Dodgers traded Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright to acquire him and got Tim Belcher when they dealt him away. But he’s mainly here for his long tenure a pitching coach, from 2006-19, under four different managers. He and Ron Perranoski hold the record for most years as Dodgers pitching coach.

Jaime Jarrín: The longtime Spanish language broadcaster for the Dodgers, who started with the team in 1959 and retired after the 2022 season. In 1998, Jarrín received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. In February 1998, Jarrín was the first recipient of the Southern California Broadcaster Assn.’s President’s Award. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that year.

Peter O’Malley: O’Malley was team president starting in 1970 and became team owner in 1979 until he sold the Dodgers in 1998. Many fans consider the Peter O’Malley era to be the golden age for the L.A. Dodgers.

Ross Porter: Dodgers broadcaster from 1977 to 2004. On Aug. 23, 1989, Porter set a major league record for broadcasting 22 straight innings on radio by himself in a six-hour, 14 minute game against the Expos in Montreal. Also hosted the postgame “Dodger Talk” on the radio for many years and contributed the “Ask Ross Porter” segment to this newsletter for several years. Currently answers reader questions at his Ross Porter Sports Facebook page.

*-new to ballot this year.

Here is the ballot without comments:

Players (vote for no more than 10)

Dusty Baker
Ron Cey
Tommy Davis
Willie Davis
Carl Erskine
Andre Ethier
Carl Furillo
Eric Gagné
Steve Garvey
Kirk Gibson
Jim Gilliam
Pedro Guerrero
Tommy John
Eric Karros
*-Joe Kelly
*-Clayton Kershaw
Davey Lopes
Manny Mota
Don Newcombe
Mike Piazza
Johnny Podres
John Roseboro
Bill Russell
Mike Scioscia
Dazzy Vance
Zack Wheat
*-Alex Wood
Steve Yeager

Non-players (vote for no more than three)

Red Barber
Buzzie Bavasi
Jerry Doggett
Rick Honeycutt
Jaime Jarrín
Peter O’Malley
Ross Porter

*-new to the ballot

My ballot

There are four people should definitely be in: Clayton Kershaw, Dazzy Vance, Zack Wheat and Jaime Jarrín. Vance and Wheat played 100 years ago, yes, but they were outstanding players and should be in. It would be like someone starting a Dodgers Hall of Fame 100 years from now and not including Duke Snider and Don Drysdale. Kershaw is one of the greatest Dodgers of all time. And Jarrín was the Spanish-language broadcaster for the team for more than half a century and helped open them to a new market.

If you don’t vote for those four, no one is going to yell at you, but it’s hard to justify putting 10 (or four) on the ballot ahead of them.

And finally

Clayton Kershaw comes out of a regular-season game for the final time. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

RYANAIR has launched a sale aimed at ‘idiots’ following the airline’s spat with Elon Musk.

It is good news for people wanting a cheap holidays, however.

The huge sale has been launched as an attack on Elon Musk as the millionaire’s relationship worsens with the airline’s CEO.

The website homepage states: “Ryanair‘s big ‘idiot’ seat sale.

“Only available for Elon Musk and any other ‘idiots’ on X! Book today before Musk gets one.”

To get a seat in the sale, you must book by the end of today and travel between today and April 30, 2026.

Read more on travel inspo

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

HOL YES

I’m a travel editor & mum-of-3… my favourite family holidays from just £3pp a night

One of the cheapest offers available is a flight to Szczecin, Poland for £14.59 from London Stansted Airport.

Then there are loads of flights available for £14.99 to destinations across Europe.

For example, still from London Stansted, you could head to Aarhus in Denmark or Bucharest in Romania for that price.

In fact, for £14.99, there are 67 destinations on offer from London Stansted Airport.

If you live in Bristol – or close to the city – you could head off to Barcelona in Spain for just £14.99.

Or explore Prague in the Czech Republic for the same price.

From Manchester, you could head to Bologna in Italy, also for £14.99.

Or perhaps head off to the winter wonderland of Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland for the same price.

The sale comes as the relationship between Elon Musk and Ryanair’s boss, Michael O’Leary intensifies.

The new sale features a cartoon graphic of Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary stood on a plinth with the label ‘Big Idiots’.

In O’Leary’s hand is a big sign that states “I [heart] Ryanair” and the airline boss appears to be thumping the owner of Tesla on the head with the sign.

The sour relationship between the two millionaires came after Michael O’Leary said he would not follow other airlines in installing Starlink Wi-Fi – which is owned by Elon Musk – on Ryanair planes.

The airline boss said that the equipment to install the Wi-Fi would create extra aeronautical drag that would cost £250million each year.

He said in a statement: “We don’t think our passengers are willing to pay.”

Musk replied saying that O’Leary’s calculations were wrong.

According to The Independent, O’Leary then told Ireland‘s Newstalk: “I would pay no attention whatsoever to Elon Musk.

“He’s an idiot. Very wealthy, but he’s still an idiot.”

Musk responded that the airline boss “needs to be fired” and suggested that he himself could buy Ryanair.

In other airline news, there’s a European islands losing ALL their Ryanair flights – affecting 400,000 passengers.

Plus, Ryanair boss warns of another ‘messy’ summer of flight cancellations – and these are the worst months.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump says Russia’s ‘war has to end’. Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming hours.

President Donald Trump has brought up the possibility of changing the designation of the U.S. Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter if the program gets to a point where “I don’t like it.” The nomenclature was chosen in part to highlight his personal support for the program, which is currently one of the top acquisition priorities across the entire U.S. military.

Trump highlighted the F-47 as an example of the U.S. military having the “best equipment” in a speech today at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos in Switzerland. He also remarked on the jet’s designation. The Air Force announced in March 2025 that it had picked Boeing to build the F-47. The service views the jet as critical to providing air superiority for U.S. forces in future conflicts, especially high-end fights, such as a potential one against China in the Pacific. The Air Force has said it plans to buy at least 185 F-47s, with the first examples entering operational service toward the end of the decade.

“They say it’s [the F-47] the most devastating plane, fighter jet ever,” Trump said. “They called it 47. If I don’t like it, I’m going to take the 47 off it.”

“I don’t know why they called it 47. We’ll have to think about that,” he continued. “But if I don’t like it, I’m going to take that 47 off.”

Whether anything in particular spurred Trump’s comments today is unknown. TWZ has reached out to the Air Force and the White House.

The Air Force has previously explained, in detail, how it arrived at the F-47 designation.

Firstly, it is a reference to the World War II-era piston-engine P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. P-47s continued to serve for years afterward in the United States and elsewhere globally, long enough to see their nomenclature change to F-47 with the decision to phase out the “P” for “Pursuit” prefix.

The “47” in F-47 is also a reference to the founding year of the independent U.S. Air Force, 1947. The service was originally a branch of the U.S. Army.

Lastly, the F-47’s designation is a reference to Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States. For a time, the future of the program that led to the F-47 was very uncertain, and there was a real possibility it might have been cancelled. The Trump administration ultimately decided to proceed, announcing Boeing as the winner of the competition last March.

“The generals picked a title, and it’s a beautiful number,” Trump had himself said during the televised unveiling of the F-47 at the White House last year.

Trump does have a long history of being outspoken when it comes to the aesthetics of major U.S. military weapon systems, especially warships, as well as more technical aspects of their design. The president has also made pronouncements about ordering substantial changes to high-profile programs in the past that have not come to pass.

Even before being elected president, Trump was well known for being particularly conscious of his personal brand, as well.

With all this in mind, it would make sense that Trump would not want to be so directly associated with the F-47 if the program were to run into serious trouble or become the subject of some other controversy, or even if he just does not personally like the design of the jet. Whether or not any such developments have already occurred, but have not yet been publicly disclosed, is not known.

U.S. military aircraft designations are not set in stone. Sometimes significant changes are made to the nomenclature of designs still in development, as well as those already in service. The decision to change the designation of the Air Force’s newest electronic warfare jets from EC-37B to EA-37B is just one recent example.

To date, the Air Force and Boeing have been upbeat publicly about progress on the F-47. The Air Force confirmed last year that the initial prototype is in the process of being built and that a first flight is targeted for 2028. When asked today for an update on how many F-47s are now in any stage of production, and if there have been any changes to the first flight schedule, Boeing directed TWZ to contact the Air Force.

“I won’t even touch the first flight day the Air Force has put the date out there; I’m just going to stay away from all of that,” Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, had said at a media roundtable last November. “It’s all about execution, and that’s what is getting all of my attention. We’re in a good spot.”

Though much about the F-47 is currently classified, it is known that much groundwork for the program had already been laid before Boeing won the contract last year. This includes the Air Force, in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, having test-flown relevant X-plane demonstrators for years beforehand.

The Air Force has acknowledged delays with the separate Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, which is developing advanced jet engines that could power the F-47 and other aircraft in the future. What engines are expected to power the F-47 initially is unclear. You can read more about what is otherwise known about the design here.

The Pentagon has also thrown its full weight behind the F-47 program. Last year, U.S. officials announced plans to effectively shelve the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter program in part to ensure there would be no competition for resources with the F-47.

Congress is now moving to get the F/A-XX effort out of purgatory in a new defense spending bill, but certainly not at the expense of F-47. In addition to nearly $900 million for F/A-XX, the legislation would appropriate an extra $505 million for F-47. That would bring the total budget for the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter program in the current fiscal year to almost $3.1 billion.

It remains to be seen whether the F-47’s designation ultimately changes as work on the jet continues to move ahead.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

LEONARDO Di Caprio and Timothee Chalamet will battle it out for the Best Actor gong after the Oscars nominations list was revealed.

The One Battle After Another star and Marty Supreme actor – who picked up the same accolade at the Golden Globes this month – will again lock horns.

The Oscars, which will be the 98th ceremony of its kind, takes place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 15.

Though the prestigious nominations list has been made public today, with Hollywood actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman revealing the nominations for all 24 Oscars 2026 categories.

Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley, Song Sung Blue’s Kate Hudson and Bugonia protagonist Emma Stone are all in the mix for Best Actress.

Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi will be hoping to scoop the Best Supporting Actor accolade and is in the mix with Sean Penn and Benicio del Torro.

STATUE SCOOP

Oscars 2026 nominations live stream FREE: Start time and how to watch ceremony

Meanwhile, for Best Supporting Actress, Elle Fanning, Teyana Taylor and Wunmi Mosaku are all contenders.

Hamnet director Chloe Zhao will be hoping to trump One Battle After Another’s Paul Thomas Anderson after the latter scooped the Best Director accolade at the Golden Globes.

Yet with Hamnet, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s book scooping the Best Picture at the Globes, it remains to be seen if it will replicate that success in March.

Other categories include Best Picture, Best Casting (new category debut), Best Cinematography, Best Directing and Best Documentary Feature Film.

FAN FURY

Additionally, Wicked fans are up in arms after Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were snubbed – claiming the pair “were robbed”.

Oscar nominations were released on Thursday morning, with Wicked: For Good and its cast notably absent from the list.

Both stars were nominated for their roles in Wicked at the 2025 Oscars.

“F**K THE OSCARS,” one angry fan posted.

“Oh they PLAYED W MY MOTHERS,” a second complained.

Oscars 2026 Nominations

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

Best Director
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best actress
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
Best supporting actor
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgaard – Sentimental Value
Best supporting actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best original screenplay
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best adapted screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Best animated feature
Arco
Elio
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie of the Character of Rain
Zootropolis 2
Best international film
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Best original score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best original song
Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless
Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters
I Lied to You from Sinners
Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi!
Train Dreams from Train Dreams
Best costume design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Best cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best documentary feature
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbour
Best editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best production design
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best makeup and hairstyling
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Best sound
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat
Best visual effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World: Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Best casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Best short documentary
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
Best short film (animation)
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Best short film (live action)
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva

OSCARS LOWDOWN

The 98th Oscars ceremony is set for Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood.

Conan O’Brien returns as host after last year, delivering his signature wit to celebrate 2025 films across 24 categories, including the new Best Casting.

It will air live on ABC from 7pm ET (11pm GMT), with simultaneous streaming on Hulu.

In the UK, ITV1, STV, STV Player and ITVX will broadcast the prestigious 2026 Oscars.

Meanwhile, UK bookmakers Coral have already revealed their top tips for the winners.

Spokesperson John Hill said: “One Battle After Another is the warm favourite to win the Best Picture at the Oscars.

“It has topped the betting since it was released, and it remains long odds-on to land the top prize.

“Timothee Chalamet and Jessie Buckley are also firm favourites in the Best Actor and Best Actress markets respectively in what is likely to be a good night for the pair,” he added.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday morning said he was not surprised the Trump administration blocked his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland the day before, saying it was another example of the president trying to stifle dissent.

“Is it surprising the Trump administration didn’t like my commentary and wanted to make sure that I was not allowed to speak?” No,” said Newsom, who is weighing a 2028 presidential run. “It’s consistent with this administration and their authoritarian tendencies.”

The Democratic governor spoke Thursday morning in Davos, less than a day after his scheduled conversation with Fortune at USA House was canceled. Newsom said the event had been positioned as a discussion following Trump’s speech at the global forum. However, Newsom said the Trump administration “made sure it was canceled.”

“That’s what’s happening in the United States of America,” said Newsom, whose Thursday appearance speaking with Semafor’s Ben Smith was at a different location. “Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech — it’s America in reverse. They’re censoring historical facts. They’re rewriting history.”

The USA House is a privately run and corporate sponsored venue serving as the official United States hub at the Global Economic Forum. The venue featured several Trump administration speakers this week.

Newsom’s office said they were told last minute that a “venue-level decision” had been made to “not include an elected U.S. official” in the programming. A spokesperson for Fortune, which was hosting Newsom’s fireside chat, said USA House “determined it would not be able to accommodate the governor’s participation and communicated that decision to Fortune.”

White House officials declined Wednesday to directly address whether the administration had played a role in blocking Newsom’s appearance, instead issuing a statement attacking the governor personally.

“No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in the statement.

Newsom noted he looked at the list of people attending his appearance Thursday, which he said included major businesses like Microsoft, before he accused corporate America of falling in line rather than challenging Trump’s rhetoric and policies. At one point, Newsom held up a pair of red knee pads featuring Trump’s signature — a prop he has used to point to an excessive deference to Trump.

“Many American universities are selling out, and yes, many corporate leaders are selling out to this administration,” Newsom said. “Selling out our values, selling out our future, selling out what makes America great and (it) breaks my heart. People need to stand up.”

UFC star Justin Gaethje reveals he was born short-sighted in one eye and long-sighted in the other, which severely affected his depth perception for the first half of his career.

He also recalls the “life-changing” surgery that he had in 2016 which enabled him to see clearly again.

Live text commentary of UFC 324 will begin from 03:00 GMT on BBC Sport website and app.

HOTELS are stripping bathroom doors from rooms – creating a privacy nightmare for guests.

The bizarre cost-cutting ploy has enraged customers who say they’re being treated like barnyard animals.

Traumatized travelers are increasingly demanding hotel bosses “bring back proper doors.”

Unfortunately, old-fashioned solid doors are being replaced with “sliding barn doors, curtains, strategically placed walls and other replacements” such as glass, according to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal.

“Hotels are stripping away the only thing separating us from the animals: the bathroom door,” its probe revealed on Tuesday.

The only problem is that – apart from the obvious lack of privacy – replacing proper doors with inferior alternatives “aren’t as proficient in the art of noise and smell containment,” the WSJ warned.

“I’ve been married for 25 years, I love my husband, but I don’t want to see him use the restroom,” complained Denise Milano Sprung.

She and her husband had stayed at the Calgary Airport Marriott, where she was unimpressed with the hotel room’s frosted bathroom door.

Experts told the paper the move was to axe costs amid soaring employment, building and energy prices. And door handles, which might fall off or become stuck, add to that financial burden.

Some hotel guests don’t care though, particularly if they are traveling alone.

“If the toilet is in the middle of the room, I don’t really care, so long as I’ve got a comfy bed to sleep in,” said Jonathan Grubin, who often stays at CitizenM, which offers compact rooms.

Are you ready for your partner to know when you’re doing a bowel movement?

Comedian Becca Herries

There are also plenty of holidaymakers poking fun at the lack of privacy, and the potential impact on relationships.

Comedian Becca Herries, for example, has racked up hundreds of thousands of views of a video featuring her standing near a cheap-looking barnyard-style sliding door in a hotel, and weighing up the pros and cons.

“So when designing this, we wanted a door that allows you to both see and hear everything that’s happening behind this in an effort to create openness and transparency with our guests,” the comic stated, deadpan style, in the TikTok video.

“The person who decided it was a good idea to put a sliding door in every hotel room… [it’s] designed to either move your relationship forward or end it.

“Because hotels are not about relaxing, OK? It’s about, are you ready for your partner to know when you’re doing a bowel movement, cause if not, then maybe that’s not who you should be with.”

DIGNITY

Meanwhile TikToker Sadie Lowell (@bring_back_doors) is “on a mission to protect everyone’s dignity,” reported the Daily Dot last October.

She’s had enough of bathrooms without real doors or having see-through glass, which she slammed as an “invasion of privacy.”

“Bring bathroom doors back to hotels!” the digital marketer demanded.

“The commodification of privacy ends here. I will continue to name and shame hotels in 2026 and beyond if they decide a bathroom door isn’t needed,” she vowed.

“I get it, you save a few inches on every room and eventually you get to make an extra room without any noticing. That doesn’t mean I accept it.”

Her videos feature a horrifying array of bathrooms without proper doors, including a ceiling-to-floor glass version while staying at the Empire Hotel in New York City, NY.

And guests’ privacy is not just sacrificed in the States – it’s happening worldwide, warned Sadie’s hotel reviews.

“Nothing says romantic mini-break like struggling to defecate quietly in a glass box as your beloved turns on the TV and tries desperately to dissociate,” joked the Guardian newspaper in the UK.

“Sliding barn doors – what are we, animals, forced to do our business for all to see?”

Yet hotels have increasingly been ditching bathrooms over the past few years.

The U.S. Sun reported in August 2024 that bosses have been axing them as hotel rooms are getting smaller.

Sadly for desperate guests, it can force them to suddenly bolt to an alternative – and more private – restroom if they’re sharing their room.

Sliding barn doors – what are we, animals, forced to do our business for all to see?

The Guardian

Some have even been forced to use the bathroom in the hotel lobby on more than one occasion.

Or, visitors are forced to use swimming pool toilets.

One woman said she had a “frosted glass door” to the bathroom when sharing with a friend – only for one of them to get food poisoning.

HAVE you ever been worried your getaway will be ruined by rain and you’ll be stuck in your room watching Netflix?

Well, the UK gets its fair share of rain and if you don’t want your holiday to be ruined, you might want to consider a holiday park with lots of indoor activities and attractions.

From heated pools to soft play, there are some great holiday parks across the UK with indoor attractions – and some are even available this month and in February.

Cheddar Wood Resort & Spa, Somerset

Down in Somerset, you could head to Cheddar Wood resort & Spa with Darwin Escapes.

The countryside resort features a number of different lodges to choose from and activities for all ages.

When wet and miserable, head to the resort’s pool tables and two-lane bowling alley for a bit of competitive fun.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

DRINK UP

I tested the Butlin’s £30 all-inclusive drinks package to limit – was it worth it?

Alternatively, head to the indoor heated pool for a splash about.

As part of the Go Active programme, families can have a go at a number of indoor and outdoor activities.

For indoor options, check out the sea scooter sessions at the pool or get stuck into a craft session.

Adults can even get some R&R at the Eden Spa where you can get a muscle massage from £50.

A three-night stay from January 30 for up to eight people costs from £399.

Parkdean Resorts’ Trecco Bay in Wales

Over in Wales, you could head to Parkdean Resorts’ Trecco Bay.

At the park, visitors will find a Splashland, which boasts an indoor swimming pool with a huge waterslide.

If you prefer your kids to keep dry, then head to the Arts and Crafts Den, which runs creative activity sessions throughout the day including painting pottery or building a bear.

There’s a sports dome too, which hosts a number of activities for kids to enjoy.

And for older kids who enjoy video games, there is a VR experience to test out.

A three-night stay from February 26 for four people costs from £141.

Butlin’s Minehead

Butlin’s is a great option if you want to stay inside.

Over at the biggest Butlin’s site – Minehead – visitors can enjoy various restaurants, a vintage fairground, the Skyline Pavilion and even a Chapel.

There is the indoor swimming complex with a Master Blaster flume, Black Hole and Space Bowl slides and a Blue Comet flume.

In the Skyline Pavilion, there are a number of bars, restaurants, shops, arcades and even the Skyline Stage where guests can catch a range of entertainment.

For little ones, there is also soft play.

Minehead has two soft play areas, one for kids up to the age of 14 and the other for toddlers.

For something calmer than running around in a play area, Butlin’s Minehead has shows you can catch as well, including Peppa Pig and the Dinosaur that Pooped.

And who doesn’t love a good arts and crafts session?

The resort hosts sessions for kids of all ages led by their trusty Redcoats.

For example, there can be painting sessions lasting an hour.

A stay at Butlin’s Minehead for four-nights from February 2 costs from £39, which is just £2.44 per person, per night.

Sandymouth Holiday Resort, Bude, Cornwall

If you love a Cornish getaway, but are scared the weather could ruin it – head to Sandymouth Holiday Resort.

Located in Bude, the holiday park is the perfect base to explore Cornwall but also stay at when the weather takes a turn.

There’s a heated indoor pool, with a separate shallow pool for little ones to splash in.

And you can use sea scooters, mini jet skis and Waterwalkerz in the pool too.

For dry fun, there is an indoor soft play area with a shipwreck, hidden slides and blocks to build your very own ship.

In the evenings, the holiday park also hosts dance sessions, music and family games.

Kids even get the chance to meet Charlie Bear for a hug and a photo.

A three-night stay for four people from January 23 costs just £125, which is equal to £10.42 per person, per night.

Center Parcs, Woburn Forest

Located an hour from London, Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Berkshire is the perfect escape from the city when the weather is grim.

The site is one of Center Parcs’ newest villages and is home to a number of accommodation types, as well as activities and restaurants.

One of the main attractions is the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, which has a number of rides and slides.

For adults wanting a pamper session, there is the Aqua Sana Forest Spa with 25 experiences including the world’s first Mineral Room.

Kids over 12 years old can enjoy Interactive Darts, where there is a high-tech dartboard that tracks your throws.

There is also Interactive Shuffle, where your scores are automatically tracked as you try to make the perfect shot.

If you enjoy mini golf, Puttify is a mini golf course on the next level with neon lights and technology features throughout.

For kids over the age of three, there is a Gamebox too, where you play games in immersive worlds with your body as the controller.

A three-night stay costs from £699 in February.

For more holiday park news, we reveal the nine most popular Hols From £9.50 holiday parks of last year – as booking opens for 2026.

Plus, one of the UK’s most popular holiday parks reveals mega £50million expansion.