HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
AHSA 43, Simon Tech 40
Animo Robinson 66, Neuwirth Leadership 22
Animo Watts 57, Animo Venice 53
CALS Early College 58, Alliance Bloomfield 41
East College Prep 73, Alliance Levine 29
Triumph Charter 91, Community Charter 12
USC Hybrid 53, Gertz-Ressler 34

SOUTHERN SECTION
Adelanto 71, Barstow 52
Alta Loma 65, Los Altos 50
Anaheim 50, Savanna 45 (OT)
Animo Leadership 75, Hawthorne 28
Arcadia 76, Glendale 44
Big Bear 70, Hesperia Christian 52
Bloomington 51, Kaiser 47
Buena Park 51, Garden Grove 48
CAMS 60, HMSA 49
Chino 72, Montclair 58
CIMSA 68, AAE 60
Colton 74, San Gorgonio 28
Compton Early College 43, Environmental Charter 40
Crean Lutheran 57, Cypress 41
Damien 76, Los Osos 22
Desert Christian Academy 57, Santa Rosa Academy 50
de Toledo 68, Trinity Classical Academy 58
Diamond Ranch 72, Don Lugo 71
EF Academy 62, New Covenant Academy 43
Elsinore 81, Tahquitz 56
Etiwanda 58, Upland 32
Fillmore 88, Hueneme 16
Fontana 76, Riverside Notre Dame 73
Glendale Adventist 45, Ojai Valley 39
Godinez 73, Costa mesa 43
Grace 60, Villanova Prep 40
Great Oak 72, Vista Murrieta 51
Hart 63, Valencia 53 (OT)
Indian Springs 61, San Jacinto 40
La Habra 62, Santa Ana Foothill 42
La Palma Kennedy 46, Tustin 36
Los Amigos 73, Garden Grove Santiago 36
Keppel 61, Alhambra 38
Milken 60, International School of LA 46
Mira Costa 53, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 40
Muir 81, Hoover 59
Norte Vista 93, Eastvale Roosevelt 91
Oak Park 63, Simi Valley 51
Oaks Christian 69, Calabasas 65
Oakwood 71, AGBU 52
Ontario 71, Chaffey 53
Palm Desert 81, Rancho Mirage 77
Palm Springs 38, La Quinta 28
Pasadena 89, Burbank 53
Pilibos 68, Buckley 58
Pilgrim 61, Highland Hall 59
Public Safety Academy 51, Temecula River Springs 31
Rancho Alamitos 53, Estancia 50
Rancho Cucamonga 99, Chino Hills 88
Redlands East Valley 80, Beaumont 65
Redondo Union 90, Peninsula 22
Rialto 80, Grand Terrace 29
Rim of the World 43, Arroyo Valley 36
Saddleback 56, Orange 51
Samueli Academy 55, First Baptist 44
San Gabriel 68, Montebello 61
San Jacinto Valley Academy 64, Nuview Bridge 32
Santa Ana 69, Westminster 53
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 63, Fullerton 47
Santa Paula 80, Nordhoff 46
Saugus 78, Canyon Country Canyon 59
Segerstrom 43, Katella 35
Shadow Hills 68, Xavier Prep 20
Sherman Indian 60, California Lutheran 56
Silverado 82, Granite Hills 12
Silver Valley 64, University Prep 42
South Torrance 58, West Torrance 55
Summit 75, Jurupa Hills 53
Summit Leadership Academy 72, ACE 64
Tarbut V’ Torah 76, Western Christian 62
Temecula Valley 69, Chaparral 65
Temescal Canyon 74, West Valley 47
Torrance 48, El Segundo 44
Troy 54, Garden Grove Pacifica 37
Vasquez 94, Desert Christian 37
Villa Park 61, Sonora 53
Vistamar 78, Lennox Academy 15
Webb 74, Newport Christian 62
Westlake 66, Newbury Park 56
Yucaipa 67, Redlands 44

INTERSECTIONAL
Heritage Christian 59, Cleveland 44
Rancho Dominguez 75, Compton 63

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Animo Watts 70, Animo Venice 14
Gertz-Ressler 38, USC Hybrid 22
University Prep Value 30, New Designs University Park 13

SOUTHERN SECTION
Alemany 63, Notre Dame Academy 35
Aquinas 48, Western Christian 44
Arcadia 64, Glendale 46
Barstow 44, Adelanto 42
Beckman 82, Dana Hills 10
Brentwood 62, Viewpoint 22
Burbank 64, Pasadena 52
Cajon 41, Citrus Valley 40
Calvary Baptist 82, Grove School 4
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 40, Ramona Convent 28
Carter 49, Arroyo Valley 22
Chaminade 56, Louisville 47
Chino 64, Montclair 26
Colton 49, San Gorgonio 33
Crescenta Valley 74, Burbank Burroughs 51
Crossroads 56, Campbell Hall 54
Cypress 68, Garden Grove Pacifica 16
Desert Christian Academy 60, Santa Rosa Academy 15
Diamond Ranch 58, Don Lugo 36
El Modena 56, Indian Springs 31
El Toro 58, Capistrano Valley 34
Esperanza 55, El Dorado 47
Estancia 39, Rancho Alamitos 38
Etiwanda 73, Upland 11
Excelsior Charter 52, PAL Academy 12
Faith Baptist 48, Santa Clarita Christian 35
Flintridge Prep 75, Mayfield 11
Foothill Tech 72, Santa Clara 29
Fountain Valley 47, Corona del Mar 42
Glendale Adventist 58, Ojai Valley 28
Hesperia Christian 56, Big Bear 20
Holy Martyrs Armenian 62, Buckley 19
Huntington Beach 59, Newport Harbor 31
Kaiser 42, Bloomington 25
Keppel 71, Alhambra 7
Knight 55, Highland 44
La Palma Kennedy 55, Fullerton 35
La Quinta 37, Palm Springs 36
La Salle 66, St. Anthony 46
Lucerne Valley 49, Victor Valley Christian 31
Maranatha 67, Whittier Christian 54
Marina 42, Edison 39
Marlborough 60, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 54
Marymount 66, St. Mary’s Academy 43
Milken 62, International School of LA 26
Mira Costa 61, West Torrance 56
Moorpark 58, Royal 41
NOVA Academy 54, Downey Calvary Chapel 20
Oak Park 97, Simi Valley 7
Oaks Christian 75, Calabasas 32
Oakwood 60, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 29
Orange 40, Bolsa Grande 36
Orange County Pacifica Christian 55, Irvine University 16
Orange Lutheran 65, JSerra 58
Oxnard 67, Buena 23
Oxnard Pacifica 41, Buena 30
Palm Desert 59, Rancho Mirage 9
Palos Verdes 56, Los Alamitos 51
Paraclete 46, St. Bernard 32
Pasadena Poly 82, EF Academy 20
Public Safety Academy 17, Temecula River Springs 12
Quartz Hill 49, Palmdale 23
Rancho Cucamonga 50, Chino Hills 40
Redondo Union 85, Peninsula 15
Rosary Academy 79, Laguna Beach 38
Rubidoux 26, Bethel Christian 21
Sacred Heart of Jesus 74, San Gabriel Mission 17
Saddleback 45, Garden Grove Santiago 12
Samueli Academy 42, Liberty Christian 11
San Dimas 67, Colony 40
San Gabriel 35, Montebello 30
San Marcos 48, Rio Mesa 36
San Jacinto Leadership 48, California Military Institute 26
San Jacinto Valley Academy 51, Nuview Bridge 9
Santa Ana Foothill 40, La Habra 36
Santa Ana Valley 44, Century 35
Saugus 62, Canyon Country Canyon 54
Savanna 56, Anaheim 47
Schurr 49, Bell Gardens 9
Shadow Hills 69, Xavier Prep 37
Sherman Indian 66, California Lutheran 27
Sierra Canyon 75, Harvard-Westlake 25
Silverado 76, Granite Hills 28
Silver Valley 60, University Prep 21
Southlands Christian 40, Legacy College Prep 7
St. Bonaventure 54, Bishop Diego 34
St. Paul 53, Mary Star of the Sea 29
Summit 53, Fontana 34
Sunny Hills 46, Brea Olinda 30
Tahquitz 38, Elsinore 35
Temecula Valley 40, Chaparral 37
Temescal Canyon 57, West Valley 0
Thousand Oaks 83, Agoura 31
Torrance 48, El Segundo 29
Troy 66, Sonora 42
Valencia 63, Hart 24
Villa Park 61, Crean Lutheran 36
Vistamar 34, Lennox Academy 15
Vista Murrieta 64, Great Oak 30
Westlake 40, Newbury Park 37
West Ranch 52, Castaic 25
Whitney 60, Mayfair 39
Wiseburn-Da Vinci 54, South Torrance 44
Yucaipa 65, Redlands 9

Alton Towers has revealed the official name of its much-anticipated Bluey-themed rollercoaster which will be coming to CBeebies land in spring, and it’s based on a memorable episode from the show

Fans of the Heeler family will soon be able to enjoy a Bluey-themed rollercoaster at Alton Towers, and a sneak peek shows what fans of the show are in for.

The cartoon dog family, who are much loved by young fans and secretly adored by many parents, are already fixtures of CBeebies Land, with a live stage show and popular meet-and-greet. However, this rollercoaster will be the first Bluey-themed ride in the world, and puts the show alongside CBeebies favourites such as Peter Rabbit and Hey Duggee.

The rollercoaster’s name has been revealed as Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!, and a teaser image shows Bluey and Bingo dressed in their granny costumes. The grannies – Janet and Rita – ride in their car up front with several rollercoaster cars behind them.

The name of the ride is in reference to a season one episode of the show, Grannies, where Bingo and Bluey dress up as mischievous old ladies and cause chaos throughout the house, learn to floss, and manage to crash their car. Their cry of “Here come the grannies!” signals the start of the game and prepares their parents to play along.

Natasha Spence, Events Director of Live Entertainment at BBC Studios said: “We know that whenever the Grannies come out to play, it is a fan-favourite moment for those that love the show. We are excited that the energy of these much-loved characters is being brought to life in Bluey’s first-ever coaster at Alton Towers Resort – home to CBeebies Land.”

The live stage show will continue at the Big Fun Showtime area, where kids can get a photo with Bingo, Bluey, Bandit, and Chilli after the show. And Bluey superfans will be pleased to hear that the Alton Towers Resort is adding additional Bluey-themed rooms to the CBeebies Land Hotel.

The Bluey room is modelled after the Heeler family’s colourful home and includes pictures of the family on the walls. Sleeping up to five, kids have their own area with bunkbeds that looks just like Bluey and Bingo’s bedroom, so they can enjoy a fun sleepover experience. Even the bathroom has a Bluey theme for extra fun bath times for your own mucky pups.

Families of up to seven can also book a Bluey suite, which has a separate kids’ sleeping area, plus a spacious themed playroom area where the kids can pretend they are on a playdate at the Heeler house. Staying at the CBeebies Land Hotel also gives you access to a range of activities and entertainment including a kids’ disco in the evening, plus all stays include a full English breakfast buffet in the morning.

More details of the new rollercoaster and its official opening date will be released in due course. Find out more about CBeebies Land and book tickets on the official Alton Towers website.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

The UK’s longest direct train service, the CrossCountry Aberdeen to Penzance route, was cancelled last year

The UK’s longest train journey, the CrossCountry Aberdeen to Penzance service covering 775 miles, was axed in 2025. First introduced in 1921, this route departed Aberdeen at 8:20am and was due to reach Penzance over 13 hours later at 9:31pm, calling at multiple British cities including York, Leeds, and Birmingham.

The service made its final journey on 16 May, after CrossCountry announced it was withdrawing the route to provide a “more efficient service” for passengers and staff. In its place came a new shorter service, lasting 11 and a half hours and ending in Plymouth instead of continuing to Penzance.

On its last day of operation, rail enthusiasts from across the country travelled to Aberdeen to experience the complete journey.

Speaking to the BBC, one such enthusiast, John Labrow, said: “It’s probably the longest journey I’ve ever done by train, it’s the last of a great era. It’s a privilege.”

Meanwhile, train driver Martin Wallace, who was allocated to the route in 2024, told the broadcaster he was thrilled to be driving it for the final time: “It’s very exciting, isn’t it. The last voyage.”

Taking more than 13 hours, it’s thought that at least two of these were actually spent waiting for passengers to board and disembark at the 36 stops throughout the journey.

Announcing the termination of the route back in 2025, a representative for CrossCountry stated: “Amending our Aberdeen to Penzance service from May 2025 will mean a more efficient timetable for our train crews and a more convenient service for our customers, making a day trip from Bristol and the west of England to Penzance more viable.

“The new timetable will also deliver an additional service in each direction between Glasgow and the North East of England towards Birmingham.”

Following the discontinuation of this service, it’s believed that the UK’s longest direct train service is now the Caledonian Sleeper’s overnight train from London Euston to Fort William, which takes approximately 12 hours and 45 minutes.

Ferries and flights were cancelled in Malta yesterday as Storm Harry lashed the island, with gusts reaching 120km and waves washing over the streets of coastal resorts

A winter-sun island has been turned into a ghost town, with locals and tourists alike sheltering indoors.

Storm Harry pummelled Malta throughout yesterday and overnight, hitting the European island with 120km winds and large waves that breached the sea defences, flooding coastal towns. Resorts such as Marsaskala were overwhelmed by the surge, which dumped debris across the streets.

Ferries between Malta and Gozo stopped operating, leading hotels on the main island to offer cut-price accommodation to those unable to get home. MaltaPost suspended deliveries and yesterday’s waste collection was stopped to avoid rubbish bags being blown onto the roads. The streets were deserted for much of Tuesday as locals heeded calls to stay home.

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

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The Mirror’s Rachael Penn found herself swept up in the storm chaos, having picked the ‘jewel in the crown of the Mediterranean’ for a winter sun break.

“Weather here in January is usually perfect, cool but bright with plenty of sunshine and temperatures sitting around 16C with the evenings getting a little chillier. In all the years of visiting at this time of year I’ve only ever seen it rain a handful of times, but this year Storm Harry rolled in, bringing torrential rain and violent winds, prompting severe weather warnings and advice to stay indoors while it passed,” she wrote from the safety of her Valletta hotel as the ferocious weather raged outside.

The scenes in the capital were worlds away from how they typically are at this time of the year, when sunseekers fill the medieval streets.

“Valletta felt like a ghost town, with businesses closed, restaurants shuttered and tourist attractions, including many of the city’s museums and palaces, simply not open,” Rachael wrote.

“Still, I thought it was a good time to explore Valletta whilst it was so quiet. I headed from my hotel to Republic Street, battling the gusts to get up the hill. Aside from there being no people around, it was a strange sight not seeing the rows of outdoor seating that had taken over the pavements and had been a cause of discontent amongst the locals for many years. With the streets clear and it almost felt like a glimpse into what historic Malta would’ve looked like.

“From Republic Street, I made my way to Upper Barrakka Gardens, one of the city’s most popular viewpoints with sweeping views of the Grand Harbour and Three Cities. As I approached the edge of the city walls, I could feel my exploration was about to come to an end as the wind was so strong it nearly knocked me off my feet – and I like my wine and pastizzi a little too much to ever be someone knocked off their feet by a gust of wind.

“So as I turned back down the hill, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a couple of the landmark pubs were still open for weary travellers and locals who happened to be blown through their doors. The first one was The Pub, the infamous spot where Oliver Reed died in 1999 after drinking 8 pints of lager, 12 double rums, half a bottle of whisky, and a shot of cognac. It’s very much an old-school boozer, steeped in naval history as well as a shrine to Reed lining the walls.”

Before heading back to her hotel, Rachael went in search of a bite to eat.

“With most of the restaurants closed, it was a relief to see that one of my absolute favourite restaurants in Valletta was still open – Cafe Jubilee. Cafe Jubilee is like stepping inside a 1920’s Italian restaurant, with red and white checked tablecloths and vintage posters adorning the walls. Go in the afternoon as it’s a little like a gangster film with men in suits sitting around enjoying a hearty lunch, by the evening it’s a cosy bistro perfect for a bite to eat or a glass of wine,” she continued.

“After a meal, it was time to head back outside, drenched and windswept. We made it back to the hotel, where the next few hours were spent watching the most incredible lightning storm, which went on for hours.”

The worst of the storm eased overnight, with most flights scheduled to arrive today on time.

“The coast was, of course, the worst hit during the storm, with property damaged, boats pushed out of the water and onto the promenade, and flooding. But one thing is for sure: even at its worst, Malta is still a beautiful place to be. There’s something surreal about watching a storm of this magnitude unfold in a place that is usually so busy and full of life. The quietness and eerie view of empty streets is a reminder that even the sunniest of islands aren’t immune to the powerful force of nature,” Rachael concluded.

On the Beach has slashed deposits and launched free child places to help families afford their 2026 summer getaway

On the Beach has unveiled two significant modifications to holiday reservations that allow travellers to secure their getaway for the smallest deposit amount in its history whilst taking a child along at no extra cost.

Starting today, On the Beach has slashed its deposits by £11, enabling Brits to reserve their 2026 break from £19 per person.

The move makes the upfront cost for securing a holiday as budget-friendly as possible, particularly as numerous Brits face their sixth week without wages, having been paid prior to Christmas and now awaiting their next salary until the end of January.

It’s not the sole initiative the package holiday specialists have implemented. On the Beach has also introduced complimentary children’s accommodation on selected breaks. The promotion will provide hundreds of cost-free hotel stays for youngsters at family-friendly resorts across the Canaries, Turkey, Spain, Egypt, the Balearics and beyond.

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: “This is a major step in making holidays more affordable for families. By lowering our deposits to just £19 per person and introducing free stays for kids, we’re reducing the upfront cost of booking and taking away some of the financial pressure that can come with securing a holiday.

“We know family budgets are stretched right now, especially after the Christmas period, so this is about giving people confidence to book early, spread the cost, and enjoy something to look forward to without the stress.”

It’s not just low deposits and complimentary kids’ stays that On the Beach is providing. The package holiday firm are also throwing in free perks on all holiday bookings in 2026.

Anyone taking a break with On the Beach in 2026 and reserving up to 60 days before departure is guaranteed three perks.

One of either complimentary lounge access, free gadget insurance, free weather protection or a £50 Amazon voucher plus Price Drop Protection and 1GB of free mobile data.

Kids stay free offers

Based on two adults and two children with two rooms:

• A seven night all-inclusive break at Sol Katmandu Park & Resort in Lanzarote, with departures on Monday 4 May from Bristol costs just £473pp and includes one complimentary child place.
• A seven night all-inclusive getaway at Titanic Beach and Spa in Hurghada, Egypt, with departures on Wednesday 3 June from London Luton costs just £443pp and includes one complimentary child place.
• A seven night B&B break at Falcon Naama Star in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, with departures on Wednesday 3 June from London Gatwick costs just £325pp and includes one complimentary child place.
• A seven night all-inclusive holiday at Magic Aqua Rock Gardens in Benidorm, with departures on Wednesday 6 May from London Luton costs just £495pp and includes one complimentary child place.
• A seven night all-inclusive break at Ukino Palmeiras Village in Portugal with departures on Saturday 2 May from Manchester costs just £468pp and includes one complimentary child place.

ONE theme park in the South West is adding two new rides this year – and one will be the tallest in the region.

Crealy Theme Park & Resort has announced a huge expansion with two rides that will be a first for the Devon theme park.

The first ride to open at Crealy will be Pirates’ Plummet which when it opens will be the tallest ride in the South West.

The drop tower will be familiar to some as it was previously known as ‘Magma’ in Paultons Park and has been transported to Devon.

Crealy said it’s a “dramatic free-fall experience unlike anything currently available in the county, offering a new level of excitement for older children, teenagers and adults”.

Pirates’ Plummet will open in spring 2026.

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The second ride coming to Crealy is Rotor: The South West’s First Inverted Ride which is set to open in summer 2026.

Crealy said: “The high energy ride will spin and flip guests, representing a major milestone in the Resort’s evolution and further strengthening its appeal to thrill-seekers.”

Currently, Crealy Theme Park & Resort has more than 60 rides and attractions along with live entertainment and play areas.

The theme park did big at the UK Theme Park Awards last year.

Crealy won Gold for ‘Best Theme Park for Families’, Gold for ‘Best Theme Park for Toddlers’, and a Silver for ‘Best New Entertainment’ with Sooty’s Disco Dance Off.

Speaking of Sooty, Crealy Theme Park is home to the UK’s only Sooty Land based on The Sooty Show that aired back in 1955.

Fans of the show can watch live shows on the mischievous yellow hand puppet called Sooty.

Sooty Land opened back in 2022 and features a host of rides dedicated to the on-screen bear and his furry pals.

One of the themed rides is Sooty’s Magic Bus, which moves park-goers up and down.

There’s also Sweep’s Flying Circus, Soo’s Sweet Balloon Ride and Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Dizzy.

The park has plenty of indoor attractions too which are found inside the Pier including carnival games and a mirror maze.

Day tickets to Crealy Theme Park & Resort during the winter season start from £14pp (those under 92cm can enter the park for free).

The resort also features on-site accommodation, serving as a short-break destination for families.

There are camping options, caravan holidays, themed glamping and even luxury hot tub lodges.

Glamping breaks during February half-term start from £299 – these include theme park tickets.

One Travel Reporter gives her verdict on Crealy’s Theme Park & Resort…

Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding gives her verdict on Crealy Theme Park…

Local theme parks can often be discredited as not as good as major theme parks like Thorpe Park or Alton Towers, but Crealy in Devon actually does have something for everyone.

Having spent more times than I can count there when I was growing up, it is the ideal theme park if you have kids of different ages.

And thanks to lots of indoor areas, when it is raining the attraction is still a great spot.

Train-themed rollercoaster Maximus is the perfect introductory ride for children if you are planning to take them away to larger theme parks in the future.

If your kids love animals, head to the theme park in the spring when they often have lambs that visitors can feed.

In the summer months, the Wilderness area is a must. 

A lot of families skip this part but for curious children it is a feast for the eyes and imagination as it is full of treehouses, obstacles, lakeside walks and ‘Walk on the Wildside’ with farm animals.

Definitely go on the log flume last if visiting the park – it is a brilliant ride and one of the best log flumes I have been on to date, but you do really get soaked.

If you make the mistake of going on the flume before heading elsewhere in the park then there is a giant human drying machine outside the ride which costs a couple of quid.

Parents wanting to feel nostalgic should definitely explore Sooty Land – there are four Sooty-themed rides, meet and greet opportunities and the world’s first Sooty store.

For more new rides, Alton Towers will launch ‘world-first’ rollercoaster that even toddlers will love this year.

And here’s ALL of the exciting new rides and rollercoasters opening in the UK and Europe in 2026.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — The U.S. military has seized a seventh tanker transporting oil from Venezuela, as the Trump administration seeks to control the nation’s oil exports and revenue.

The tanker, identified as motor vessel Sagitta, was captured by U.S. military forces Tuesday morning, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement, saying the operation was conducted “without incident.”

The Sagitta is a U.S. sanctioned vessel, first blacklisted by the United States in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and again on Jan. 10, in an attempt to cut off an important revenue source from the Kremlin.

According to the statement from U.S. Southern Command, the vessel was leaving Venezuela with Venezuelan oil, in “defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

The U.S. military seized its first tanker on Dec. 10 amid growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

A U.S. military buildup was underway in the Caribbean. On Dec. 16, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers transiting to and from the South American country.

Tensions between the two exploded earlier this month, when the U.S. military detained Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a clandestine operation.

Trump and other U.S. officials have said that the United States intends to control the sale of Venezuelan oil on U.S. and global markets, and that the proceeds from those sales will initially be deposited in international bank accounts under the Trump administration’s control.

The funds will then be used to stabilize the Venezuelan economy, with decisions about their use to be made under U.S. oversight.

Earlier this month, Trump said Venezuela’s interim government will be giving the United States between 30 million and 50 million barrels of “high quality, sanctioned oil,” and that Venezuela was to use the funds from that deal to buy only American-made goods.

Trump on Tuesday told reporters that oil companies were getting ready to make “massive investments in Venezuela,” while stating that the United States has received 50 million barrels of oil from the South American country in the last four days.

“We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left,” he said. “We’re selling it on the open market. We’re bringing down oil prices incredibly.”

THE world’s first Bluey rollercoaster is opening in the UK – with new images revealing what is to be expected.

The new ride will open at the CBeebies Land at Alton Towers.

Called Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!, the ride is based on the episode where Bluey and Bingo dress up as grannies called Janet and Rita.

Causing chaos with driving and dancing will be the theme of the ride.

The new images show both of the characters dressed as the grannies as they side in the carriages on the rollercoaster track.

Little else is known about the ride, but it will be for families so younger riders can enjoy it too.

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Also part of the new experiences will be meet and greet with the characters.

This includes both Blue and Bingo, as well as Mum (Chili) and Dad (Bandit).

A live show experience will also be created, and be found at the Big Fun Showtime.

Finally, new Bluey-themed hotel rooms will open at the CBeebies Land Hotel, joining the already opened Bluey suite.

Alton Towers‘ Vice President: Howard Ebison, said: “We can’t wait to welcome the mischievous and limitless energy of the Grannies to the resort when we open the Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! this spring. 

“Alongside even more bespoke Bluey-themed hotel rooms, we’re excited for the fans to enjoy the new attraction and immerse themselves in the mayhem of the Grannies.” 

BBC Studios’ Events Director Natasha Spence said they chose the theme of the rollercoaster due to the episode bein a “fan favourite”.

It is set to open by spring 2026, although an official opening date is yet to be confirmed.

Sun writer Hannah praised the already-opened Bluey hotel rooms.

She said: “The theme tune plays out of the speakers and adults can stay in Bandit and Chilli’s room.

“Inside was king size bed, TV and lots of pictures of Bluey and Bingo as puppies, much to the delight of our kids.”

Elsewhere in CBeebies land, there are rides including Hey Duggee Big Adventure Badge, Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig and JoJo & Gran Gran At Home.

A one day pass to CBeebies Land is from £34pp when booked online.

For more new rides, here are all of the exciting new rides and rollercoasters opening in the UK and Europe in 2026.

Plus, this mega £740million theme park with world’s fastest, longest and tallest rollercoaster has finally opened its doors.

Artillery fire, gunship attack, demolitions in war-battered Gaza as PM Netanyahu accepts US ‘peace board’ position.

DAVID and Victoria Beckham have returned to social media after their eldest son Brooklyn Beckham’s scathing six-page rant about their alleged “controlling” behaviour.

Brooklyn, 26, launched a nuclear attack on his famous parents on Monday – blasting his Spice Girls star mother, 51, in a damning six-page message posted on social media.

The budding chef, who wed actress Nicola Peltz in April 2022, said: “I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”

In his jaw-dropping upload, he made 12 key accusations towards his loved ones in his full statement including allegations of “bribery” and telling Bates Motel star Nicola “she’s not family”.

Brooklyn also said he does “not want to reconcile” with his family, and accused his parents of “controlling” the narrative.

Understandably, Posh and Becks were left “floored” by the claims yet have bravely made a comeback on Instagram.

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Failing to address the scandal, they opted to focus on positive moments with their pals instead.

Posh Spice Victoria uploaded a throwback snap showing her with Baby Spice Emma Bunton to celebrate her 50th birthday.

It showed Victoria giving her bandmate a piggy back and added the caption: “Happy Birthday Emma Bunton.

“Love you so much”.

Meanwhile, David took to his own account to mark former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt’s special day.

He posted a snap showing the midfielder in his Premier League prime and wrote: “Birthday Boy”.

The latest on Brooklyn’s seismic statement…

The former England ace then followed with another upload to mark the birthday of another Red Devils alum, Phil Neville, and his sister Tracey.

He wrote: “Happy birthday you two,” before sharing an image of himself and Phil on the pitch alongside the words: “Happy Birthday mate”.

STAY SILENT

As yet, Victoria and David have not commented on Brooklyn’s six-page statement.

Yet the former footballer was seen for the first time since the scandal broke as he attended the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

During his public appearance yesterday, David stayed silent and refused to answer questions on Brooklyn.

Though in a chat after the event, the ex Manchester United ace did admit his children had “made mistakes on social media”.

Speaking live on CNBC’s financial program Squawk Box, Becks said: “I have always spoken about social media and the power of social media . . . For the good and for the bad.

“What kids can access these days, it can be dangerous.

“But what I have found personally, especially with my kids as well, use it for the right reasons.

“I’ve been able to use my platform for my following, for UNICEF.

“And it has been the biggest tool to make people aware of what’s going on around the world for children.

“And I have tried to do the same with my children, to educate them.

“They make mistakes, but children are allowed to make mistakes. That is how they learn. That is what I try to teach my kids.”

He added: “You sometimes have to let them make those mistakes as well.”

Sources close to Victoria have also told The Sun she is “embarrassed” about various memes circulating online about her “inappropriate” dancing.

As such, Posh Spice has been left distraught by the mockery.

A source said: “Victoria is really embarrassed now she’s being mocked online, it’s just devastating to her.”

Reporting from Washington — Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, one of Africa’s richest men, has built a reputation as a giant of global philanthropy.

His name is on a gallery at the Louvre and a medical school in Lebanon, and he has received awards for his generosity to the Catholic Church and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. He owns a seven-bedroom hilltop mansion in Beverly Hills, and he has a high-level network of friends from Washington to Lebanon to the Vatican, where he serves as an ambassador for the tiny island nation of St. Lucia. His website shows him shaking hands and laughing with Pope Francis.

“I never imagined what the future would hold for me,” Chagoury once said of his boyhood in Nigeria. “But I knew there was a vision for my life that was greater than I could imagine.… I consider it a duty to give back.”

Since the 1990s, Chagoury has also cultivated a friendship with the Clinton family — in part by writing large checks, including a contribution of at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation.

By the time Hillary Clinton became secretary of State, the relationship was strong enough for Bill Clinton’s closest aide to push for Chagoury to get access to top diplomats, and the agency began exploring a deal, still under consideration, to build a consulate on Chagoury family land in Lagos, Nigeria.

But even as those talks were underway, bureaucrats in other arms of the State Department were examining accusations that Chagoury had unsavory affiliations, stemming from his activities and friendships in Lebanon. After a review, Chagoury was refused a visa to enter the U.S. last year.

Chagoury is a prominent example of the nexus between Hillary Clinton’s State Department and the family’s Clinton Foundation, which has come under renewed scrutiny during her presidential run. The organization, founded as a way for the Clintons to tap their vast network for charitable works, has tackled some of the steepest challenges in the developing world, including rebuilding Haiti and fighting AIDS in Africa. It has also come under fire for its willingness to accept money from foreign governments with interest in swaying U.S. policy during Clinton’s time as secretary of State, and the controversial histories of some donors.

Part of a dictator’s inner circle

Chagoury was born in 1946 in Lagos to Lebanese parents, and as a child attended school in Lebanon. He sold shoes and cars in Nigeria, according to a biography on his website, before marrying the daughter of a prominent Nigerian businessman.

During the rule of Gen. Sani Abacha, who seized power in Nigeria in 1993, Chagoury prospered, receiving development deals and oil franchises.

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In the 1990s, Chagoury portrayed himself as an Abacha insider as he tried to influence American policy to be more friendly to the regime. Soon after President Clinton named Donald E. McHenry a special envoy to Nigeria in 1995, Gilbert and brother Ronald Chagoury visited McHenry in his office at Georgetown University in Washington. The U.S. was pushing for the return of democratic rule in Nigeria; Abacha, meanwhile, was eager to have his country taken off a U.S. list of nations that enabled drug trafficking, McHenry said.

“Their effort was to try and influence anyone who they thought could influence the U.S. government,” McHenry said, adding that the approach was heavy-handed. “They tried every key on the piano.”

Abacha turned out to be “one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory,” stealing billions in public funds, acting Assistant Atty. Gen. Mythili Raman later said.

After Abacha’s death in 1998, the Nigerian government hired lawyers to track down the money. The trail led to bank accounts all over the world — some under Gilbert Chagoury’s control. Chagoury, who denied knowing the funds were stolen, paid a fine of 1 million Swiss francs, then about $600,000, and gave back $65 million to Nigeria; a Swiss conviction was expunged, a spokesman for Chagoury said.

Ties to the Clintons

In the years afterward, Chagoury’s wealth grew. His family conglomerate now controls a host of businesses, including construction companies, flour mills, manufacturing plants and real estate.

He has used some of that money to build political connections. As a noncitizen, he is barred from giving to U.S. political campaigns, but in 1996, he gave $460,000 to a voter registration group steered by Bill Clinton’s allies and was rewarded with an invitation to a White House dinner. Over the years, Chagoury attended Clinton’s 60th birthday fundraiser and helped arrange a visit to St. Lucia, where the former president was paid $100,000 for a speech. Clinton’s aide, Doug Band, even invited Chagoury to his wedding.

Chagoury also contributed $1 million to $5 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to its list of donors. At a 2009 Clinton Global Initiative conference, where business and charity leaders pledge to complete projects, the Chagoury Group’s Eko Atlantic development — nine square kilometers of Lagos coastal land reclaimed by a seawall — was singled out for praise. During a 2013 dedication ceremony in Lagos, just after Hillary Clinton left her post as secretary of State, Bill Clinton lauded the $1-billion Eko Atlantic as an example to the world of how to fight climate change.

“I especially thank my friends Gilbert and Ron Chagoury for making it happen,” he said.

By last summer, U.S. diplomats had selected a 9.9-acre property at Eko Atlantic as the preferred site for a new Lagos consulate, State Department documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times show. Two months ago, James Entwistle, then the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, wrote to Washington, asking permission to sign a 99-year lease.

No deal has been signed, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. She did not answer questions about whether the Clintons recommended Eko Atlantic. She said at a recent briefing that she was unaware of whether Hillary Clinton knew the site was under consideration; it was on a list of possibilities submitted by a real estate firm in 2012, Trudeau said in response to questions from The Times. A spokesman for Clinton’s campaign noted that the State Department has said the process has been managed by “career real estate professionals.”

Chagoury declined requests for an interview. A friend and spokesman, Mark Corallo, said Chagoury was a generous and “peace-loving” man unfairly scrutinized because of his association with the Clintons. He said Chagoury last saw Hillary Clinton at a 2006 dinner. The Clinton Foundation and a spokesman for Bill Clinton did not respond to requests for comment.

Chagoury also has given to Republicans: He and his brother, along with Eko Atlantic, are listed as sponsors for a 2014 art exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Suspicions emerge in the U.S.

In spite of his network of powerful friends, Chagoury has aroused the suspicions of U.S. security officials. In 2010, he was pulled off a private jet in Teterboro, N.J., and questioned for four hours because he was on the Department of Homeland Security’s no-fly list. He was subsequently removed from the list and categorized as a “selectee,” meaning he can fly but receives extra scrutiny, Homeland Security documents show. The agency later wrote to Chagoury to apologize “for any inconvenience or unpleasantness.”

That letter did not explain why Chagoury was on the no-fly list, but another Homeland Security document shows agents citing unspecified suspicions of links to terrorism, which can include financing extremist organizations; Chagoury later told reporters that agents asked him what bank he used in Nigeria.

Chagoury believes it was unfair for government officials to disclose the episode and to “suggest that he was a potential threat,” Corallo said. He said that Chagoury’s lawyers resolved the issue and that he never asked anyone else for help.

Chagoury told ABC News and the Center for Public Integrity at the time that he was miffed because his travel problems made him miss seeing the Lakers in the playoffs. “I just love the Lakers,” he said.

His visa troubles stem at least in part from his involvement in the tangled politics of Lebanon. Chagoury has contributed to charitable projects there, advocated on behalf of the country’s Christians and formed political alliances, including with Michel Aoun, a Lebanese Christian politician who served as army commander and prime minister during the country’s civil war.

For a decade, Aoun’s party has been part of a political coalition with Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group backed by Iran that has seats in Lebanon’s parliament. Hezbollah is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S., which holds the group responsible for the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut and a Marine barracks blast that year that killed 241 American servicemen. Drug Enforcement Administration investigations have also found that Hezbollah is in league with Latin American cartels to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in drug profits.

Chagoury was “known to have funded” Aoun, a Lebanese government minister told then-Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman in 2007, according to a cable published by WikiLeaks that didn’t go in detail about Chagoury’s relationship with Aoun. The minister suggested that the U.S. “deliver to Chagoury a strong message about the possibility of financial sanctions and travel bans against those who undermine Lebanon’s legitimate institutions.”

Chagoury never got a scolding, though. Instead, Band, Bill Clinton’s aide, pushed for new access for Chagoury after Hillary Clinton took over at the State Department. In 2009, Band wrote his friends in the department. “We need Gilbert Chagoury to speak to the substance guy re Lebanon. As you know he’s key guy there and to us and is loved in Lebanon. Very imp.” Huma Abedin, a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton and now vice chairwoman of her presidential campaign, suggested Feltman.

When Band’s email was made public this month, Donald Trump pounced, calling the Chagoury episode “illegal” and a “pay-to-play” scheme.

But no meeting ever happened, according to both Feltman and Chagoury’s spokesman. Chagoury wanted only to pass along insights on Lebanese politics, Corallo said, adding that “nothing ever came of it” and that Chagoury never talked to anyone at the State Department. Band declined to comment for this story.

A Clinton campaign spokesman said Judicial Watch, the conservative organization that sued to make the emails public, “has been attacking the Clintons since the 1990s.”

“No matter how this group tries to mischaracterize these documents, the fact remains that Hillary Clinton never took action as secretary of State because of donations to the Clinton Foundation,” spokesman Josh Schwerin said.

This month, the foundation announced that it would stop accepting donations from foreigners and corporations should Clinton win the presidency.

Denied a visa

After Clinton left the State Department, Chagoury again found himself under suspicion by U.S. security officials. A 2013 FBI intelligence report, citing unverified raw information from a source, claimed Chagoury had sent funds to Aoun, who transferred money to Hezbollah. The source said Aoun was “facilitating fundraising for Hezbollah.” The U.S. put Chagoury in its database used to screen travelers for possible links to terrorism, interagency memos show.

The ties between Chagoury and Aoun ended years ago in a dispute over oil franchises, said Michel de Chadarev, an official with Aoun’s party. Chagoury now backs an Aoun rival for the presidency. De Chadarev said Aoun “categorically denied” any arrangement where he shared money with Hezbollah or passed funds from Chagoury: “No, no, no. Of course not. It is not in his principles to act as transporter to anyone.”

Last summer, when Chagoury planned a trip to Los Angeles, he applied at the U.S. embassy in Paris for a visitor’s visa and was refused, according to interviews and government documents. Based on the FBI report and other allegations from intelligence and law enforcement sources, the State Department denied the application. It cited terrorism-related grounds, a broad category that can apply to anyone believed to have assisted a terrorist group in any way, including providing money.

Chagoury has denied ties to Hezbollah. Two years ago, he helped pay for a conference in Washington on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East; some attendees supported Hezbollah, but the director of the group that organized the conference said that didn’t mean Chagoury or other conference organizers were among them. “Hezbollah is part of the political reality of the country,” Andrew Doran told the National Review.

Corallo did not answer questions about the visa denial, but said Chagoury “has been a friend and supporter of America all his life” and that “any allegation that Mr. Chagoury is involved in any way with providing material support to any terrorist organization, of any stripe, is false, outrageous and defamatory.” He said Chagoury has no business interests in Lebanon.

The visa decision process is opaque and provides little recourse for those who are denied entry. Typically, the person is told of the grounds for refusal, but not the details. The secretary of State can grant a waiver, but that is often difficult when the evidence used to block entry is terrorism-related.

For the last three decades, Corallo said, Chagoury spent at least a few months each year in Beverly Hills, where he owns an 18,000-square-foot estate, once the home of actor Danny Thomas, with commanding views of West Los Angeles and the ocean.

A year ago, after his visa application was denied, Chagoury’s mansion was put on the market, with an asking price of $135 million. It’s still for sale.

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani

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Juliet Leith was left in a coma for four days and in intensive care for 12

A woman nearly died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease during a £2,000 holiday to Gran Canaria. Juliet Leith from Maidstone spent 12 days in the ICU after developing flu-like symptoms, joint pain and breathlessness while staying at a four-star hotel.

The 58-year-old spent four days in an induced coma, and her daughters flew out to be by her bedside after being told she might not pull through. Juliet had been staying at the Suite Princess in Playa Taurito when she became ill and was admitted to a nearby hospital after developing severe pneumonia.

Upon her admission on September 26, 2025, she tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. According to NHS England, Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning, hot tubs or baths and showers that are not used often.

Despite initial treatment, her condition deteriorated, and Juliet was placed in an induced coma for four days, with doctors warning her two daughters – Jenny Gower, 38, and Josie Leith, 34 – that she may not survive, prompting them to fly from the UK to be by her side.

Juliet, a retired primary school teacher, said: “I have very vague memories of being in hospital and I didn’t realise how serious things were until I woke up and was told I’d been in an induced coma for four days. That was a huge shock. I couldn’t believe how close I’d come to dying – later the doctors told me my chances of survival were only around 20% and the initial treatment hadn’t worked.”

The mum-of-two spent 12 days in the ICU before she had recovered enough to return home. O n landing at Gatwick Airport, Juliet was immediately transferred to Maidstone Hospital for further assessment and treatment.

After receiving ongoing care, she has now been discharged and referred to a respiratory consultant. Juliet continues her recovery as an outpatient under specialist supervision. Juliet has now instructed serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how she fell ill with Legionnaires’ disease on her holiday, which cost her more than £2,000 and was booked through tour operator TUI UK Limited.

Juliet arrived at the resort with her sister, Maureen, on September 18, 2025. On September 22, she began to suffer flu-like symptoms and was admitted to the hospital four days later. “When I first started feeling unwell, I thought it was just flu or maybe Covid. Legionnaires’ disease never even crossed my mind,” Juliet added.

“You never imagine something like this happening to you, especially on holiday. “The hardest part was knowing my children had seen me like that. Even now, I’m still missing chunks of memory and trying to process what happened.

“I never imagined Legionnaires’ could be so serious, and I believe there needs to be more awareness of its symptoms and how dangerous it can be. Only after my diagnosis did I learn that simple steps like running showers and checking air conditioning units can help prevent Legionnaires’.

“I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Now, I just want answers and hope that by sharing my experience, we can stop others from finding themselves in the same situation.”

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ include shortness of breath, a high temperature and chest pain or discomfort, particularly when breathing or coughing. Jatinder Paul, the expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Juliet, said: “Juliet’s near-death experience must have been terrifying.

“Public buildings like hotels often have complex water systems, so strict precautions are essential to stop the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease from developing. Nothing can undo what Juliet and her family have endured, but we are committed to getting her answers and specialist support.”

A TUI spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms Leith’s circumstances as we want customers to have the best possible holiday experience. As this is a legal matter, we are unable to comment at this stage.”

Jan. 21 (UPI) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday accepted the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump to join his intergovernmental Board of Peace organization as questions — and concerns — loom over its potential members.

The prime minister’s office announced the decision in a statement published on its Facebook account, making Netanyahu the latest world leader to join the board.

Trump has been courting world leaders to join the board, which he first announced in September as part of a 20-point plan aimed at securing a cease-fire in Gaza.

So far, at least eight nations, including Israel, have publicly stated they will join the Board of Peace, a U.S.-led intergovernmental organization that has been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council in relation to its Gaza peace mandate.

Other nations include Argentina, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Hungary, while invitations have been sent out to several others, including Canada, Britain, France and Russia, among others.

While conceived as a mechanism to maintain peace in Gaza, the board’s charter makes no reference to the Palestinian enclave. The suggestion that it could seek to address other conflicts has raised concerns that it may undermine the United Nations, a frequent target of Trump.

Asked Tuesday during a White House press conference if he wants the Board of Peace to replace the U.N., Trump said, “it might.”

“I wish the United Nations could do more. I wish we didn’t need a Board of Peace,” he said, later adding, “The U.N. just hasn’t been very helpful. I’m a big fan of the U.N. potential, but it has never lived up to its potential.”

Trump has confirmed that an invitation to join the board has been sent to Russia’s authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin, whose potential inclusion has also raised concerns, along with the inclusion of Netanyahu, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, and Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus who aided Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Britain — whose leader, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has been invited to join the board — has signaled that it may decline the offer.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the proposal for the board being presented now is “very different” from what had been expected.

She also said, “Putin is not a man of peace and I don’t think he belongs in any organization with peace in the name.”

France is reportedly preparing to decline joining the board, which led Trump on Tuesday to threaten a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne in response.

Membership on the board also reportedly costs $1 billion, which Canada said it will not pay although it does intend to join.

Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Tuesday, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that “there’s a lot of details to be worked out but, one thing which is clear is that Canada is not going to pay if we join the Board of Peace.”

The man who killed Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in prison, three and a half years after he shot him dead at a rally in the city of Nara in 2022.

Tetsuya Yamagami had pleaded guilty to murder at the trial’s opening last year, but how he should be punished has divided public opinion in Japan. While many see the 45-year-old as a cold-blooded murderer, some sympathise with his troubled upbringing.

Prosecutors said Yamagami deserved life imprisonment for his “grave act”. Abe’s assassination stunned the country, where there is virtually no gun crime.

Seeking leniency, Yamagami’s defence team said he was a victim of “religious abuse”.

His mother’s devotion to the Unification Church bankrupted the family, and Yamagami bore a grudge against Abe after realising the ex-leader’s ties to the controversial church, the court heard.

On Wednesday, Judge Shinichi Tanaka from the Nara district court said the fact that Yamagami “shot [Abe] from behind… when he was least expecting it” showed how “despicable and extremely malicious” his actions were, AFP news agency reported.

Yamagami sat quietly with his hands clasped and eyes downcast as the sentence was handed down. Nearly 700 people had lined up outside the courtroom to attend the hearing.

Abe’s shocking death in broad daylight prompted investigations into the Unification Church and its questionable practices, including soliciting financially ruinous donations from its followers.

The case also exposed links with politicians from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and resulted in the resignations of several cabinet ministers.

Journalist Eito Suzuki, who covered all but one of Yamagami’s court hearings, said Yamagami and his family seemed “overwhelmed with despair” throughout the trial.

Yamagami “exuded a sense of world-weariness and resignation”, recounts Suzuki, who began looking into the Unification Church long before Abe’s shocking murder.

“Everything is true. There is no doubt that I did this,” Yamagami said solemnly on the first day of his trial in October 2025.

Armed with a homemade gun assembled using two metal pipes and duct tape, he fired two shots at Abe during a political campaign event in the western city of Nara on 8 July 2022.

The murder of Japan’s most recognisable public figure at the time – Abe remains the longest-serving PM in Japanese history – sent shockwaves around the world.

Calling for a jail term of no more than 20 years, Yamagami’s lawyers argued that he was a victim of “religious abuse”. He resented the church because his mother donated to it his late father’s life insurance and other assets, amounting to 100 million yen ($633,000; £471,000), the court heard.

Yamagami spoke of his grievance against Abe, who was 67 when shot, after seeing his video message at a church-related event in 2021, but said he had initially planned to attack church executives, not Abe.

Suzuki recalls Abe’s widow Akie’s look of disbelief when Yamagami said the ex-leader was not his main target. Her expression “remains vividly etched in my mind”, Suzuki says.

“It conveyed a sense of shock, like she was asking: Was my husband merely a tool used to settle a grudge against the religious organisation? Is that all it was?”

In an emotional statement read to the court, Akie Abe said the sorrow of losing her husband “will never be relieved”.

“I just wanted him to stay alive,” she had said.

Founded in South Korea, the Unification Church entered Japan in the 1960s and cultivated ties with politicians to grow its following, researchers say.

While not a member, Abe, like several other Japanese politicians, would occasionally appear at church-related events. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, also a former PM, was said to have been close to the group because of its anti-communist stance.

In March last year, a Tokyo court revoked the church’s status as a religious corporation, ruling that it coerced followers into buying expensive items by exploiting fears about their spiritual well-being.

The church has also drawn controversy for holding mass wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.

Yamagami’s sister, who appeared as a defence witness during his trial, gave a tearful testimony on the “dire circumstances she and her siblings endured” because of their mother’s deep involvement with the church, Suzuki recalls.

“It was an intensely emotional moment. Nearly everyone in the public gallery appeared to be crying,” he says.

But prosecutors argue there is “a leap in logic” as to why Yamagami directed his resentment of the church at Abe. During the trial, the judges also raised questions suggesting they found it hard to understand this aspect of his defence.

Observers, too, are divided on whether Yamagami’s personal tragedies justify a reduced penalty for his actions.

“It’s hard to dismantle the prosecution’s case that Abe didn’t directly harm Yamagami or his family,” Suzuki says.

But he believes Yamagami’s case illustrates how “victims of social problems are led to commit serious crimes”.

“This chain must be broken, we must properly examine why he committed the crime,” Suzuki says.

Rin Ushiyama, a sociologist at Queen’s University Belfast, says sympathy for Yamagami is largely rooted in “widespread distrust and antipathy in Japan towards controversial religions like the Unification Church”.

“Yamagami was certainly a ‘victim’ of parental neglect and economic hardship caused by the [Unification Church], but this does not explain, let alone justify, his [actions],” Ushiyama says.

As metaphors for the American dream go, Gabriel Tallent’s taut and engrossing second novel, “Crux,” is exceedingly direct: It’s literally a book about climbing.

Its two main characters, Dan and Tamma (short for Tamarisk) are 17-year-old high-schoolers living in the scruffy outskirts of Joshua Tree National Park. Whatever free time they can scrape together is wholly dedicated to climbing boulders, despite their lack of equipment — neither can afford pads or ropes to break their falls, and Dan salvaged his climbing shoes from a dumpster. (Hard living is Tallent’s specialty: His 2017 debut, “My Absolute Darling,” centered on a tween girl living by her wits in a forest near the Mendocino coast.)

No romance is in the offing between the two — Dan is straight and Tamma is exuberantly profane about being gay — so their bond is built almost entirely around climbing. “Any day you were going to climb granite was the best day in the world,” Tallent writes.

Tallent is well-versed in the lingo of the sport, and some of the book’s finest, most lyrical passages are constructed around it: “Her left foot greased out from beneath her, and she came cheesegrating down the slab,” he writes of Tamma slipping on a boulder. There’s no glossary, but the main terms are clear enough: to “send” a climb is to finish it; a “crux” is a crucial pivot point. The language is infused with intensity, lust and earthy rudeness: Climbs have names like Fingerbang Princess and Tinkerbell Bandersnatch.

Dan and Tamma are climbing toward something, of course: He’s pursuing a college scholarship and she is determined to infiltrate the world of professional climbers. If that doesn’t pan out for either of them, Tamma figures they’ll just chuck it all and live off the grid in Utah: “After graduation, you just go, ‘I’m not going to college! PSYCH! I’m going to Canyonlands with Tamma! Later, bitches!’ Then spike your diploma to the floor and walk out.”

But as her intensity suggests, both of them are running from things too. Each of their families are struggling, laid low by astronomical, ever-escalating medical costs and poor relationship decisions. Tamma’s mother is partnered with a drug-dealing layabout; Dan’s mother, a onetime successful novelist, has a worsening heart condition.

It doesn’t help that civilization seems determined to cut them off from the desert’s wonders. Crowds of weekend warriors limit their ability to climb in isolation, and the region is rapidly filling up with “mansions, survivalist compounds, movie-star bungalows” and more.

“Don’t ever mistake this for a country in which you can set off on your own,” Dan’s father tells him. “It’s not a place dreams come true, at least not anymore.”

If the novel stayed in that lecturing, gloomy zone, it’d be easy to lose patience with it. More often, though, Tallent demonstrates his characters’ precarity rather than declaiming about it. Dan has legitimate reason to wonder whether his college applications are worth filing in an era of late capitalism and a dying mother. Tamma is trying to find the emotional stillness to deal with a dysfunctional family that makes plenty of demands but offers little support. In that regard, “Crux” recalls the best recent novels that have drilled deep into the physical and emotional damage of life on America’s lower rungs: Atticus Lish’s “The War for Gloria” (2021), Barbara Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead” (2022) and Ayana Mathis’ “The Unsettled” (2023).

Such a list might also include “My Absolute Darling” too. But where that novel was intentionally defined to make the reader feel closed in, here the Mojave Desert vistas are free and expansive; whenever Dan and Tamma make a break for the boulders, it’s as if their hearts have cracked wide-open. “Every crunching footstep was real,” Tallent writes. “And when you were up on the rock, then every crystal, crack, and ripple was endowed with indissoluble, life-saving importance, each dike and chickenhead inalienably itself.”

But if the desert offers a source of inspiration and possibility, it’s also an inescapably punishing landscape, and the main theme of the novel is how much success — especially now, especially in America — is going to have to depend on individual resolve. Culturally, this typically gets framed as alpha-male, gym-rat bluster about bootstrapping. Here, a woman commands most of the stage. Tamma’s best lines in the novel are unquotable in a newspaper — they involve physically strenuous sexual fantasies involving Ryan Reynolds and various members of Fleetwood Mac — but her exhortations are typically 10 parts insult to five parts inspiration, with a dash of terror that she may fail. “I’ve seen into your heart, dude,” she tells Dan. “Your mom, she doesn’t know who you are, but I do. You’re not that guy. You don’t want to be safe.” It’s fun, headlong reading with a shot of melancholy. She’s trying to convince him, and her — and maybe us.

Dan, as bookish as he is athletic, approaches matters in a calmer register: “How should I conduct my life? Do you trust yourself, or do you not?” Still, the fear and frustration are much the same, and in this novel the tension, smartly and lyrically rendered, is at once wide as the horizon — how do we survive in this country? — and narrow as the slightest of nearly invisible footholds its characters require to get even a little bit ahead.

Athitakis is a writer in Phoenix and author of “The New Midwest.”

Hoping to patch up an emerging fissure in the Democratic base, soon-to-be vice presidential nominee Joseph I. Lieberman arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday and quickly moved to mend fences with black Democrats concerned about his positions on affirmative action, school vouchers and other issues.

In a well-received speech to the party’s black caucus, Lieberman said he had been misrepresented as a supporter of Proposition 209, the 1996 California initiative that banned state-funded affirmative action programs.

“I have supported affirmative action, I do support affirmative action and I will support affirmative action,” Lieberman said to thunderous applause from the crowd at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. “Why? Because history and current reality make it necessary.”

In his speech and at a private meeting beforehand, Lieberman won over the African American politician who had been most outspoken in questioning his record: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). She gave Lieberman the endorsement she had been threatening to withhold.

“It clears the air,” said Waters after his speech. “He has said enough. He has done enough. I feel comfortable in campaigning for him.”

Lieberman acknowledged that he shared concerns raised in the mid-1990s that some affirmative action programs had turned into quota systems. But he denied he had supported Proposition 209 and explained how his view had come to be misrepresented.

He said that during a news conference in March 1995, a reporter read him the text of the initiative. He responded that the initiative sounded like “a basic statement of human rights policy” and added that he supported affirmative action but not quotas. But he later declined requests to endorse the initiative, saying he worried about the effects it would have if implemented.

Later that summer, he added, he gave a speech on the Senate floor in support of President Clinton’s “mend it, don’t end it” approach.

Still, Lieberman’s efforts Tuesday may be just the first steps in a long journey the senator from Connecticut may have to travel to build bridges to the Democratic Party’s core constituencies. Many of them know little about Lieberman, and some don’t like what they had heard so far.

Lieberman on Tuesday also made a conciliatory gesture to Hollywood activists rankled by his crusade against sex and violence in youth entertainment. He attended a reception at the Beverly Hills home of television and movie producer David Salzman.

Lieberman also may have work to do with members of teacher groups, who are edgy about his willingness to experiment with school vouchers, and labor unions, who are at odds with his views on trade.

“There are a lot of different groups that are going to have disagreements with some of Lieberman’s positions,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles). “Some are going to ask tough questions about his views.”

The tough questions began most publicly among black Democrats, a vast and crucial voting bloc that is among the most loyal constituencies in the Democratic Party; typically, 90% of the African American vote goes to the Democratic ticket.

It remains unclear how far black voters’ doubts about Lieberman extend beyond the convention hall. The latest poll found 44% of blacks surveyed had a favorable impression of him and only 2% had an unfavorable view–but 46% did not know enough about him to have an impression.

Waters said she is not alone in wanting assurances about Lieberman’s views. “Many delegates are just unclear” about his stand on key social issues, she said.

In a political contest in which Al Gore and his Republican rival, George W. Bush, are competing for swing voters, it may actually help the Democratic ticket among centrists to be portrayed as “too conservative.” But Gore needs this convention to solidify his hold on the Democratic base.

Cracks began to appear in that base in recent days, as Waters and other blacks voiced concern about reports Lieberman had supported Proposition 209 and about his support for school voucher experiments.

As soon as Lieberman arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday, his first order of business was to huddle with Gore campaign officials and black party leaders, including Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman, to discuss how to handle these concerns.

Before Lieberman spoke to the black caucus, Herman arranged for him to meet privately with Waters, who urged him to directly confront the questions about his record.

He did so in his speech to the black caucus. But first, as he greeted the group, Lieberman singled out Waters for recognition, leading a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for the congresswoman, who turned 62 Tuesday.

In his speech, Lieberman said he has long felt “rapport” with the African American community, detailing his efforts to register black voters in the South during the 1960s as a college student and his work fighting for civil rights in Connecticut and Congress.

Lieberman also addressed his support for some experimental school voucher programs, saying he only backed those that did not take money from the general education budget. But, he added, his top goal is improving the public school system.

And he said he would always defer to Gore, who opposes vouchers.

“When we get to the White House, when the president decides, the vice president will enthusiastically support,” said Lieberman.

Not only was Carrick’s success a long shot, but they did it the hard way.

Their journey to the trophy started with a win over Bangor – promoted from the Championship but impressive as they found their feet in the top flight.

That was followed by a win on penalties over Glentoran and a derby win over Irish Premiership leaders Larne, again in a shootout, followed.

Baxter’s side had defeated Cliftonville 4-1 in the league on Saturday but they trailed with 10 minutes at Seaview to go thanks to Ryan Curran’s early goal.

But Adam Lecky, who had helped Baxter to so much success in their trophy-laden spell at Crusaders, popped up with a crucial equaliser.

Curran and Liam McStravick both missed in the shootout, which allowed Aidan Steele to kickstart the party.

“There’s no such thing as a bad medal and it’s a great night for them,” former Glentoran and Crusaders defender Paul Leeman said on BBC Sport NI.

“They beat Glentoran, Larne and Cliftonville. It’s thoroughly deserved.”

After a first trophy in 33 years, the challenge now for Carrick is to refocus and consolidate their position in the top flight.

They sit in 11th, just one point off automatic safety, but the pack above is tight and a run of results either way could see a team climb up, or fall down, the table.

“They have a trophy in the cabinet, now can they move on to bigger and better things by moving up the league table and getting themselves out of trouble?” added Leeman.

England’s tallest single-drop waterfall is a popular attraction for those who love to explore the great outdoors – and it’s just as stunning as it is impressive

Yorkshire is a treasure trove of hidden gems, and this stunning waterfall is no exception, attracting visitors with its unique features that set it apart in the country.

Nestled within the Yorkshire Dales, behind the tranquil village of Hardraw, lies the renowned Hardraw Force. It holds the title of England’s highest single-drop waterfall, presenting a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. The water cascades from an impressive height of 100 feet, equivalent to 30 metres, maintaining a single unbroken drop throughout.

Visitors from far and wide can marvel at this natural wonder by strolling through a picturesque valley, even stepping behind the veil of tumbling water. But it’s not just its towering height that puts this waterfall on the map. Many will recognise its scenic backdrop from a well-known film.

Hardraw Force graces an iconic scene in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the 1991 classic featuring Kevin Costner. In a memorable sequence, Maid Marian, portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, observes Robin Hood bathing beneath this very waterfall.

The scene was shot from the surrounding gorge, which encircles the fall like an amphitheatre and forms part of the grounds of the historic Green Dragon Inn.

The site is under the stewardship of the same owner as the quaint pub, who has worked hard to restore the area to its natural splendour for visitors to appreciate.

The grounds span a whopping 15 acres, complete with a car park for visitors and a well-maintained Heritage Centre that serves as the gateway to the stunning water feature.

Entry is priced at £4 per person, with discounts on offer for families and senior citizens. Dogs are welcome too, provided they’re well-behaved, and the path has been deliberately gravelled to facilitate wheelchair access.

A recent guest at Hardraw Force shared their thoughts on TripAdvisor, saying: “Excellent place to visit, especially after rainfall. An easy walk and a harder one if you are fit. Dogs are welcome too. Go early if you can, and you may see a red squirrel.”

Another visitor shared: “The waterfall itself was spectacular. A lovely flow of water into the pool below, this provided a lovely picturesque setting for everyone to enjoy. Absolutely worth visiting for the beautiful scenery.”

Meanwhile, another guest wrote: “Visited the waterfall today, cold but had blue skies and sunshine, which made the waterfall even more spectacular. It’s privately owned and costs £4 p/p which goes to maintaining the falls and the gorgeous surrounding area.”

They added: “It has a small on-site cafe and toilets, which were very clean. The walks around the waterfall are easy to a little more challenging, we had stayed at the lovely Green Dragon Inn that backs straight onto the entrance for the waterfall.”

US president resumed journey to Europe on Boeing 757 that departed just after midnight on Wednesday.

United States President Donald Trump’s plane has been forced to make a U-turn about an hour after departing its base for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Air Force One, carrying the president, his entourage and reporters, returned to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after 11:00pm (04:00 GMT) on Tuesday night, owing to a “minor electrical issue”, said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump resumed his journey to the forum, where he is due to hold meetings with several world leaders and deliver a speech, on a smaller Boeing 757.

The plane, which is normally used for domestic trips to smaller airports, departed just after midnight local time (05:00 GMT) on Wednesday, more than two hours after the initial flight took off.

With its classic blue and white livery, Air Force One is arguably one of the world’s most iconic planes and an instantly recognisable symbol of the US presidency.

The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades. Boeing has been working on replacements, but the programme has faced a series of delays.

The planes are equipped with radiation shielding and antimissile technology, and include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to maintain contact with the military from anywhere in the world.

Last year, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be added to the Air Force One fleet, which is currently being retrofitted to meet security requirements.

Leavitt joked to reporters on Tuesday night that the Qatari jet was sounding “much better” now.

Last February, an Air Force One plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Germany had to return to Washington because of a mechanical issue.

In October, a military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to make an emergency landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the windshield.

Singapore’s Ministry of Defence plans to replace its fleet of Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft with Boeing-made P-8A reconnaissance planes.

The United States has approved a $2.3bn weapons sale to Singapore that includes P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, lightweight torpedoes, and air defence systems.

The State Department notified the US Congress of the sale on Wednesday, according to a statement on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) website.

The proposed sale will allow Singapore to “meet current and future threats by providing a credible maritime force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in US allied operations”, the DSCA said.

“This proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Asia,” the statement continued.

Ian Chong, a political scientist, told Al Jazeera that the patrol aircraft are used to protect Singapore’s “extended sea lanes of communication and its very busy waterways” in Southeast Asia.

The acquisition of four Boeing P-8A aircraft is part of Singapore’s long-term plan to replace its ageing fleet of Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, according to its Ministry of Defence.

Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing announced plans to buy the US aircraft in September, following a meeting with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

The US has $8.38bn in active government-to-government sales with Singapore, which range from munitions to F-35 fighter jets, according to the State Department.

Singapore is due to receive the first aircraft from its outstanding order of 20 F-35s later this year, according to its Defence Ministry.

The US and Singapore cooperate on a range of security issues, and their militaries regularly host joint training exercises.

“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie is on the mend after vocal surgery and has been keeping her “new voice” under wraps — mostly.

Guthrie returned briefly to the NBC morning show, calling in to Tuesday morning’s broadcast to share an update about her recovery with her “Today” crew and viewers. The news anchor, 54, has been absent from the “Today” desk since mid-December because of her vocal chord surgery.

The longtime “Today” personality and journalist began her cameo smiling and showing off her white board to her co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager, Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones, Craig Melvin and Al Roker. Shortly after writing “love you,” Guthrie decided to do away with the whiteboard completely and began to talk.

“So I am still on vocal rest but I’m allowed to talk for about five to 10 minutes every hour,” she told her co-hosts. “This is my new voice — or my old voice. But my new voice.”

“Sounds the same,” Roker observed, while other co-hosts also discussed Guthrie’s sound.

Guthrie explained that her recovery will be “slow” and that she needs to be cautious about how often she talks while on the mend. She joked with Daly that the long weekend with her children tested just how much she can raise her voice post-surgery.

She also used her time on Tuesday’s broadcast to share details about her official return to “Today.” Guthrie told Bush Hager and their co-hosts that she will return to her duties on Monday. Before then, she will be featured in a “Today” story about her surgery set to air on Friday, she said.

Guthrie announced her surgery and her break from “Today” duties on Dec. 19. During that broadcast she told viewers that her “voice has been very scratchy and started to crack a little bit.” At the time, she said she learned she had non-cancerous growths on her vocal cords.

During Guthrie’s “Today” stop, Jones — who underwent the same surgery in 2020 — said “we take our voices for granted.” Guthrie ended her “Today” appearance expressing gratitude for her “Today” family and showing off gift mugs from her supporters.

“See you Friday,” she said.