ONE of Asia’s biggest airport projects is underway and it will make it so much easier to travel to one of the country’s most famous landmarks.

Travellers will be able to get to the beautiful Taj Mahal so much quicker – in half the time – once building work is completed.

Noida International Airport is being built near Jewar in India and once fully constructed, will be one of Asia’s biggest airports.

The first phase will include the building of one terminal and one runway -which will handle 12million passengers each year.

The long-term masterplan could see it expand to accommodate up to 120million passengers per year with multiple terminals and up to six runways.

This would make it rival Asia’s other biggest and busiest airports including Beijing Daxing and Dubai International Airport.

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Inside terminal one will be automated check-in kiosks, contactless boarding systems, spacious lounges and waiting zones.

The design of the airport is to make it easy for passengers to move about which it has done by separating the arrivals, departures and baggage areas.

There will be lots of seating too in zones between check-in, security and boarding.

The waiting areas will be air-conditioned, there will also be Wi-Fi, prayer rooms and child care areas.

As for its aesthetic, the terminal will be light and airy with a white and see-through roof that is wavy to mimic the flow of a river.

There’s a central courtyard where travellers can get some fresh air – it also has plenty of greenery and shaded areas.

Designs show escalators on the outside and inside, along with shops, restaurants and cafes.

The airport will sit in Jewar, which will make it easier for travellers heading to Agra where the Taj Mahal is.

The mausoleum that sits on the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra sees up to eight million visitors every year.

Until the airport is up and running, travellers have to fly into New Delhi before heading almost four hours south by car.

The location of Noida International Airport will cut that travel time in half – from Jewar it will take just over two hours.

As for when the new airport will open, there is no date yet although local reports suggest it could be as early as next year.

Both IndiGo and Akasa Air have confirmed they will operate at the airport, although these will be for mainly domestic destinations.

When it comes to Brits, international routes are yet to confirmed if they will be to the UK, with destinations mentioned including Zurich and Dubai.

Current UK-India routes are operated by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

The original target opening was two years ago in September 2024, however construction is still ongoing.

The airport covers around 5,000 hectares, making it one of the largest airport sites in India once fully built.

Currently, the largest in the country by land area is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad which covers over 5,500 acres.

Here’s more on what will be the biggest airport in the world…

One airport in Saudi Arabia will become the biggest in the world once finished…

King Salman International Airport is set to surpass all other airports in size, including the current biggest airport in the world which is also in the country.

The 22sqm airport will feature six runways – up from two – parallel to each other and will be built around the existing King Khalid International Airport.

It will approximately be the same size as Manhattan in New York – or twice the size of the city of Bath, in the UK.

And now the airport has moved into its construction phase.

The airport will be designed by Foster + Partners, a UK firm which is behind London‘s famous Gherkin.

Inside, travellers will be able to explore 4.6sqm of shops.

A lot of features in the airport are set to include high tech, such as climate-controlled lighted.

Travellers will have plenty of seating, indoor and outdoor spaces with greenery and vast glass windows, ideal for a bit of plane spotting.

The airport was announced back in 2022 and is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman‘s Saudi Vision 2030 – which is set to make Riyadh into a major hub for transport, trade and tourism.

It will eventually accommodate up to 120million passengers each year, which is then expected to rise to 185million by 2050.

And the number of aircraft takeoffs will rise from 211,000 per year to over one million.

For more on new airports, this new £7.8billion airport is set to be built in pretty European city after a 50-year delay.

And this new £25billion mega airport wanting to take on Heathrow and Dubai reveals latest opening update.

THE £100million plans to revamp Plymouth’s train station have been scrapped.

It was set to be a new ‘gateway’ for the city, completely transforming the current site – but these plans are now under review and unlikely to go ahead.

Back in 2018, designs were first drawn up to transform the Devonshire station with a huge outdoor plaza and a revamp of Plymouth‘s train terminal.

The project called Brunel Plaza, would have seen 100 new homes built, a new hotel and a multi-storey car park.

There would have been a large pedestrian area too and outdoor dining spaces with seating areas.

The former railway offices behind the station were earmarked to become part of the university campus.

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In the original plans this was even considered to have a top floor viewing room, and even a sky cafe, which was going to act as a “beacon” at night for the city.

It was being developed by AHR, which had been appointed by US-based engineering giant Tetra Tech to develop the Brunel Plaza design on behalf of Plymouth City Council.

Their initial document said the idea was to develop the public area outside Plymouth Station to create a mainly pedestrian area that will create a welcoming spot to those arriving in Plymouth.

At the time, it said the upgrade was needed because “the railway station and its surrounding environment currently acts as a poor gateway and arrival point into Plymouth”.

In 2024 the council said the plan faced years of delay, there were also questions about funding and certain planning consent had expired.

Part of the transformation did go ahead however, the former railway offices are now part of the University of Plymouth.

Called Intercity, the building was renovated and opened in 2023 as a place for trainee healthcare professionals.

Plymouth City Council has now said it will review the scheme and bring out a new business plan later this year.

It also said that it is looking at a package of ways to improve public transport for Plymouth.

The city was once dubbed one of the most ‘underrated’ places to visit in the UK.

In 2023, Time Out revealed the 14 destinations that should be on your list this year that aren’t the usual tourist spots.

Plymouth came in seventh place thanks to its art scene and rich history.

While the plans to renovate the train station for Plymouth have been paused, local media further added that a train station is being considered in Plympton.

The Plymouth suburb did once have a train station, but it closed to passengers in 1959 and to goods traffic until 1954.

Shortly afterwards it was demolished.

Some expressed they would like to see a station return – one local wrote on a Facebook post: “The station at Plympton is a must and it’s great that they are finally looking at bringing it back.”

A proposal to open a station at Plympton was first raised in 2018, but no official plans have been made or drawn up.

For more on train stations, here are seven new ones coming to the UK under £14billion plans.

And here’s the UK’s busiest train station with 100million passengers which has finally got the go ahead for controversial £1.2billion expansion.

No one should be surprised that Leicester have appealed against their points deduction.

At no point have the Foxes admitted any wrongdoing, even with the evidence of their financial losses.

But this is a risky option as the appeal board can vary the penalty in any way. This includes increasing it, though that is believed to be unlikely.

Leicester’s position fluctuated over the course of the original hearing.

At one stage the club said a points deduction should be held back until they returned to the Premier League.

Then they shifted and claimed the independent commission did not have power to impose any sporting sanction. Then they said a fine should be levied… which should be zero.

Leicester are likely to again say that as a Championship club they cannot be punished for a Premier League rule break.

The Premier League, meanwhile, feels there was a mistake in failing to deduct one point for the late filing of accounts.

Leicester were found guilty on this count. But the independent commission chose not to apply any kind of penalty.

The Premier League disagrees and argues there is a principle at stake. If rules are broken there should be consequences.

If a club are allowed to file their accounts late and effectively get away without any sanction it offers no precedent or deterrent.

The Premier League has appealed on the basis that a sanction should be applied, in effect that one-point deduction.

The outcome of the two appeals could decide Leicester’s Championship status.

US president says at inaugural Board of Peace summit that Washington and Tehran should make a ‘meaningful deal’.

Donald Trump has renewed his threats against Iran, suggesting that Tehran has about 10 days to reach a deal with Washington or face further military strikes.

Speaking at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, DC, on Thursday, the United States president reiterated his argument that the joint Israeli-US strikes against Iran in June of last year paved the way to the “ceasefire” in Gaza.

Trump argued that without the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the “threat” of Iran would have prevented countries in the region from agreeing to “peace in the Middle East”.

“So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said. “Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”

Trump’s comments come days after the US and Iran held a second round of indirect talks.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said the two sides made “good progress in the negotiations” in Geneva and “were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles” for an agreement.

But the US has continued to amass military assets in the Gulf region, including two aircraft carriers and dozens of fighter jets.

Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has said it would agree to curbing its uranium enrichment and placing it under rigorous international inspection.

But the Trump administration has said that it would oppose any Iranian enrichment. Washington has also sought to place limits on Tehran’s missile arsenal, but Iranian officials have ruled out any concessions over the issue, which they say is a non-negotiable defence principle.

On Thursday, Trump said his diplomatic aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have had “very good meetings” with Iran’s representatives.

“We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” he said.

Last week, Trump said the US and Iran should come to an agreement “over the next month”, warning Tehran with “very traumatic” consequences.

But Iranian officials have expressed defiance against the US president’s threats.

“The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote on X on Thursday.

“However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”

Tensions between the Washington and Tehran have been escalating since late 2025, when Trump – while hosting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December – vowed to strike Iran again if attempts to rebuild its nuclear or missile programmes.

Days later, antigovernment protests broke out in Iran. Trump encouraged the demonstrators to take over state institutions, promising them that “help is on the way”.

Trump appeared to step back from the brink of attacking Iran last month, saying that the country agreed to halt the execution of dissidents under US pressure.

The two countries later renewed negotiations with the first round of talks since the June war taking place in Oman on February 6.

But threats and hostile rhetoric between Washington and Tehran have persisted despite the ongoing diplomacy.

In 2018, during his first term Trump nixed the multilateral nuclear deal that saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting international sanctions against its economy.

DANNIELLA Westbrook has finally revealed the full extent of her recent surgery makeover after undergoing a full face, neck and brow lift.

The former soap star underwent multiple facial surgeries weeks ago in Dubai and was spotted looking swollen and bruised as she emerged from surgery.

But now the ‘results’ have been revealed with Danniella sharing a slew of new snaps post-surgery but ever the perfectionist, the star couldn’t resist adding a filter or two to the images before she posted them online.

The star’s new images featured a helping hand in order to enhance her appearance even more post-surgery.

The axed EastEnders star could be seen posing on a towel as she enjoyed the Dubai heat.

Wearing a blue bikini, Danniella showed off her filtered face and her body in the images.

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She pulled a series of sultry poses in which evidence of her recent nose operations could be seen thanks to some slight bruising still visible around the nostril area.

In another image, Danniella opted to wear a pair of glasses as she laid back and relaxed in the sunshine.

The 52-year-old, has been on a journey to rebuild her face after historic drug abuse, with this surgery following on from a nose operation last June.

Danniella had a full face, neck and brow lift in addition to a lip and nose reconstruction.

Following the operation, she left the facility in a wheelchair with a facial compression garment wrapped around her head.

A full recovery for a face, neck and chin lift can take up to nine months.

The surgery was performed by Danniella’s trusted Surgeon Dr Parviz Sadigh, who has carried out operations on her in the past.

Danniella became hooked on drugs at the age of 14 after beginning to take cocaine after shooting to fame as Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.

The former star estimates that she has spent a whopping £250,000 on cocaine in her lifetime and was using at least five grams a day throughout her entire pregnancy with son, Kai.

Danniella was addicted to drugs throughout the 1990s and early 2000.

She then managed to stay clean before a number of relapses including in 2017 – the year after she last appeared on EastEnders.

Her latest known drug relapse was in 2021.

This abuse led to the collapse of her nose and cheekbones, with her septum – the cartilage that separates the two nostrils – falling out.

Last summer, Danniella went under the knife for a surgery to reconstruct her nose, with cartilage from her rib being used to fix her nose.

At the time, the star admitted she was hoping to rebuild her face so that she can kick start her acting career once again.

On the day of her surgery, she said: “Big day for me heading down for a very long surgery right now to rebuild my face.

“Then I can get back to work.”

There are two, seemingly irreconcilable, stories of how the Palisades fire became a deadly and destructive behemoth dominating post-fire discourse. One is told by the residents who lived through it, and the other by the government officials who responded to it.

Government officials have routinely argued they had little agency to change the outcome of a colossal fire fanned by intense winds. Palisadians point to a string of government missteps they say clearly led to and exacerbated the disaster.

Officials’ unwillingness to acknowledge any mistakes has only sharpened residents’ focus on them, functionally bringing to a grinding halt any discourse around how the two groups can work to prevent the next disaster.

Instead, residents have been left feeling gaslighted by their own government, while fire officials struggle to navigate the backlash to new fire safety measures.

When officials and residents do talk solutions, the former tend to emphasize personal responsibility — most prominently, Zone Zero, which will require residents to remove flammable materials and plants near their homes — while the latter often push for greater government responsibility: a bolstered fire service and a beefed-up water system.

The residents’ account goes like this:

The Fire Department failed to put out the Lachman fire a week prior. Mayor Karen Bass then left the country during dangerous weather while the deputy mayor for public safety position was vacant after Brian K. Williams, who formerly held the role, was put on leave after allegedly making a bomb threat against City Hall. L.A.’s city Fire Department officials failed to deploy 1,000 firefighters in advance of the fire and did not call for firefighters to work extended hours, while dozens of fire engines were out of commission at the time, waiting for repairs.

An aircraft drops fire retardant on the Palisades fire on Jan. 8, 2025.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Meanwhile the L.A. Department of Water and Power left a water reservoir designed for firefighting empty and the city failed to analyze how it would evacuate the community.

However, when government officials — be it the mayor, the fire chief or the governor — describe the fire, they tell a different story:

The day after the fire erupted, Bass placed some of the blame on climate change, which some scientists argue has exacerbated fires in the area by increasing the frequency and intensity of hot, dry and windy conditions. Fire officials stressed that the winds during the first few days of the fires were so strong that there was little even the best-equipped fire service could do and that the fire grew so large that there wasn’t a single fire hydrant system in the world that could handle the demand.

Many residents don’t deny that, under such extreme conditions and after the fire reached a certain scale and ferocity, the destruction became inevitable — and there are many who would just like to move on from January 2025.

However, others remain frustrated that these official versions of the story do not acknowledge the government’s failure to prepare for such conditions and its failure to stop the fire before it passed the threshold of inevitability. Indeed, at times, officials have shied away from these uncomfortable discussions to shield themselves from potential liability.

One telling example: On the one-year anniversary of the fire, residents gathered to voice these frustrations at a protest in the heart of the neighborhood. But when Bass was asked to comment on the event, she dismissed it as an unfit way to commemorate the anniversary and accused organizers of profiting off the disaster.

Survivors gathered in Palisades Village to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Palisades fire on Jan. 7, 2026.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

This sort of dismissal has essentially forestalled any constructive discussions of climate change, the limits of the fire service and water systems and proposals like Zone Zero, since so many Palisadians now feel like any of that is just a fig leaf for the government’s agency and responsibility, and not a good faith discussion of how to solve the wildfire problem.

The reality is, how climate change is influencing wildfires in Southern California is still a subject of debate among scientists. That doesn’t mean that local leaders need to sit on their hands and wait for consensus. Experts can easily point to a litany of steps that can be taken to better protect residents, regardless of how profound the impact is of global warming on fire risk in the region.

Fire scientists and fire service veterans (who have the pleasure of speaking freely in retirement) argue both personal responsibility and government responsibility play key roles in preventing disasters:

Home hardening and defensible space slow down the dangerous chain reaction in which a wildfire jumps into an urban area and spreads from house to house. It is then the responsibility of a prepared and capable fire service to use that extra time to stop the destruction in its tracks.

The bottom line is that neither the government’s story nor the residents’ story of the Palisades fire is fundamentally wrong. And neither is fully complete.

The conversations around fire preparedness that need to happen next will require both homeowners and government officials to acknowledge they both have real agency and responsibility to shape the outcome of the next fire.

More recent wildfire news

Mayor Karen Bass personally directed the watering down of the city Fire Department’s after-action report on the Palisades fire in an attempt to limit the city’s legal liability, my colleague Alene Tchekmedyian reports. The revelations come after Bass repeatedly denied any involvement in the editing of the report to downplay failures.

Last Thursday, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced his office had opened a civil rights investigation into the fire preparations and response for the Eaton fire, looking for any potential disparities in the historically Black west Altadena, my colleague Grace Toohey reports. West Altadena received late evacuation alerts, and officials allocated limited firefighting resources to the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the federal government is hard at work attempting to unify federal firefighting resources within the Department of the Interior — including from the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service — into one U.S. Wildland Fire Service by the end of the year. The effort does not yet include the federal government’s largest firefighting team in the U.S. Forest Service. Because it is housed under the Department of Agriculture, not the Department of the Interior, merging it into the U.S. Wildland Fire Service would probably require congressional approval.

A few last things in climate news

An investigation from my colleague Hayley Smith found that, as Southern California’s top air pollution authority weighed a proposal to phase out gas-powered appliances, it was inundated with at least 20,000 AI-generated emails opposing the measure. When staff reached out to a subset of people listed as submitters of the comments, only five responded, with three saying they had no knowledge of the letters. The authority ultimately scrapped the proposal.

The National Science Foundation announced last week that a supercomputer in Wyoming used by thousands of scientists to simulate and research the climate would be transferred from a federally funded research institute to an unnamed “third-party operator.” It left scientists shocked and concerned.

The Department of Energy has made new nuclear energy a priority; however, no new commercial-scale nuclear facilities are currently under construction, and it’s unclear how the U.S., which imports most of the uranium used by its current reactors, would fuel any new nuclear power plants. These sorts of technical challenges have vexed nuclear advocates who are fighting against a decades-long stagnation in nuclear development, triggered primarily by safety concerns.

This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. And listen to our Boiling Point podcast here.

For more wildfire news, follow @nohaggerty on X and @nohaggerty.bsky.social on Bluesky.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — In some families, children are expected to attend the same college as their parents or root for mom or dad’s favorite team.

In Azaria Hill’s family, the children were encouraged to go to the Olympics. Not to watch, but to compete.

Hill’s father Virgil, a boxer, earned a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Games. Hill’s mother, Denean Howard, met Virgil at the 1984 Games and won Olympic gold that year running with her sister, Sherri Howard, in the 4×400-meter relay. The sisters won silver medals in the 4×400 at the 1988 Olympics before Denean earned another silver at the 1992 Games.

“At a very young age, since I could understand what the Olympics were and knew what my family did as Olympians, I knew that’s something that I wanted to do and wanted to experience,” Hill said.

But her top marks of 11.70 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.93 in the 200 didn’t rank in the top 100 for U.S. women in 2021, her senior year at Nevada Las Vegas. So if she was going to continue the family tradition, she knew she’d have to find another sport.

Jadin O’Brien was in a similar fix. She won two NCAA titles in the pentathlon but finished seventh at the U.S. trials ahead of the 2024 Games. To realize her Olympic dream, she’d have to change sports too.

Luckily for both women, there was a well-worn path from the track to the Winter Olympics: Just hop onto a sled. On Friday, Hill and O’Brien will complete their journeys when the two-woman bobsled competition gets underway at the Cortina Sliding Centre.

“I never thought that this would even be a possibility or an opportunity,” Hill said. “It just kind of fell into my lap and I was really good at it. I stuck it out and worked hard and here I am a Winter Olympian.”

She has Kaysha Love, a UNLV teammate, to thank for that. An 11-time high school track champion in Utah, Love was encouraged by her college coach to take part in a 12-day bobsled rookie camp after COVID shortened the track season her senior year. That led to more auditions and 14 months later she and pilot Kaillie Humphries won a World Cup race.

U.S. bobsledders Azaria Hill, left, and Kaysha Love take part in a training run Wednesday in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

(Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press)

After just six races, Love made the 2022 U.S. Olympic team as a brakewoman. She then tried to sell Hill on the sport.

“She was like ‘I think you should try it. Let’s see if you can do it,’” Hill remembered. “I went to my first rookie camp and I did really well, got invited back to some more camps, and ended up making my first World Cup team.”

That was in December 2023. Two years later she made it to the Olympics as the brakewoman for Love, who is now a driver.

“That’s completely opposite of what I thought I’d be doing,” Hill said. “The first time it is definitely scary. I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I even want to do this.’ It is an acquired taste.

“But Keisha Love was just super positive.”

O’Brien’s rise to Olympian in the two-person bobsled, the second-fastest sliding sport of the Winter Games, has been even swifter. Elana Meyers Taylor, a five-time Olympian and five-time medalist, began recruiting O’Brien to be her brakewoman after the Beijing Games. At first she resisted, but last summer O’Brien decided she needed a rest from track “and bobsled seemed like a good alternative, so I took it up.”

Jadin O’Brien, left, and Elana Meyers Taylor prepare for a bobsled training run at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Wednesday.

(Aijaz Rahi / Associated Press)

In her World Cup debut four months later, O’Brien pushed Taylor to a fourth-place finish, earning a spot on the Olympic team.

“There was so much I needed to learn,” she said. “Luckily there were quite a few girls who were very patient with me, who helped me understand the sport, understand form.”

One of the most important things she had to learn is when to pull the brake.

“If you do it too early, then you’re going to drastically hurt your time. If you do it too late, there’s a chance you’re going to ruin the runners because the track ends at a certain point,” O’Brien said.

And that decision has to be made in a heartbeat at the end of a mile-long ice chute covered at speeds exceeding 90 mph.

“It’s terrifying. You’re going super, super fast. As a brakeman you can’t see what’s going on because your head is down,” she said. “But at the same time it’s very thrilling. You feel like you’re flying if the run is done right. It’s almost addicting.”

Track athletes like Hill, 27, and O’Brien, 23, have a long history of success in bobsled, where speed and power at the start are important. Lauryn Williams won a gold medal on the track in the 2012 London Games and a silver on the back of Taylor’s sled two years later in Sochi. Lolo Jones won three world championships on the track and two in a bobsled. Most of the Jamaican team in Cortina is made up of sprinters who couldn’t catch Usain Bolt, so they climbed in a bobsled instead.

“They’ve got just an athleticism that is very applicable to pushing sleds,” said Curtis Tomasevicz, a former football player at Nebraska who won gold and silver Olympic medals in the four-man bobsled before becoming a coach with the U.S. team. “We’re recruiting athletes that have a sprinting ability and we feel like we can teach them to be bobsledders in a short amount of time.”

For Hill, that transition from the sprints to a sled has allowed her to carry on a family tradition. And she’ll have 11 relatives — including two Olympic medalists — at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Friday when she creates her own memories as the first Hill to compete in the Winter Games.

“They’re super excited seeing me on this journey, being that I’ve been able to kind of follow my own mission, create something for myself,” she said. “It’s almost like they’re kind of experiencing it again, but just in a different way.

“This has definitely exceeded my expectations of what I thought being an Olympian would be. It’s so much fun.”

Feb. 19 (UPI) — The United States has put military forces in place in the Middle East for a potential strike on Iran but President Donald Trump has not decided whether to attack or continue negotiations on Thursday.

A strike could occur as early as this weekend, with naval and air forces quickly coming into place. National security officials met in the Situation Room on Wednesday to discuss courses of action against Iran.

U.S. armed forces have been assembling in the Middle East in recent weeks as the United States and Iran have negotiated a scaling back of Iran’s nuclear program. The latest conversations took place in Geneva on Tuesday, sans Trump who said he would be involved “indirectly.”

The negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without a resolution on Tuesday. Trump has called for Iran to end its nuclear program.

Iranian officials said they agreed with U.S. negotiators on a “set of guiding principles.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said to expect more details about these negotiations to come forward in the weeks to come. She did not say whether Trump would take action before that happens.

“I’m not going to set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States,” she said.

In recent weeks, the United States has moved warships to the Indian Ocean while Trump warned Iran over the killings and detainments of thousands of protesters against the Iranian regime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an interest in Iran drawing down its missile capabilities as well. Israeli forces have been on alert over the possibility of an open conflict as tensions have continued to heighten.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to meet with Netanyahu in Israel on Feb. 28, to provide an update on the negotiations with Iran.

The United States launched strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June, causing what Iranian officials called “serious and significant damage.”

As the U.S. flows assets toward the Middle East, including the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (CSG) now reportedly off the Moroccan coast, Iran, China and Russia will hold their recurring joint naval training exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media. Moscow and Tehran see the Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercise as particularly relevant in light of current events, and there are reasons for the White House and Pentagon to take note. Having Russian or Chinese warships in these waters amid a U.S. attack on Iran could have military and political implications planners must address. At the same time, the timing of the still ongoing U.S. buildup and the exercise point to it having more of a messaging effect than an operational one.

The exercise, first held in 2019, is being hosted in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, located on the Strait of Hormuz. Russian, Chinese, and Iranian naval units “are expected to participate with various ships and operational capabilities to test coordination, tactical readiness, and rapid-response procedures in the Strait of Hormuz,” the official Iranian Mehr news outlet reported.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on the exercise.

As Iranian and Russian officials gathered Wednesday aboard the Russian corvette Stoiky, a top Iranian official issued a new threat against the growing U.S. Navy presence in the region, which includes the Abraham Lincoln CSG and at least eight other surface combatants. The Ford could arrive in the region in the next four or five days given its location posted by the MarineTraffic ship tracking website. The Navy said only that the ship is now in the Atlantic Ocean.

If the USS Gerald R. Ford keeps her current speed, she will be off the coast of Israel and be able to assist in the defense against an Iranian retaliation by Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/7OhMJDRxwZ

— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) February 18, 2026

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has faced threats, noise, propaganda and the presence of extra-regional fleets in West Asia for 47 years, Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Adm. Shahram Irani warned. “The presence of extra-regional fleets in West Asia is unjustified.”

“If the extra-regional fleet feels it has come with power, it should know that the Iranian people will confront them with greater power,” he added. “The faith of the people and missiles are the Islamic Republic of Iran’s deterrent weapons against the enemy.”

Nikolai Patrushev, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, framed the exercise as part of a larger struggle between the U.S. and the BRICS alliance, an informal group of 21 nations that includes Russia, China and Iran. Patrushev took aim at the ongoing U.S. and NATO efforts to seize tankers containing Russian oil as well as the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

“We will tap into the potential of BRICS, which should now be given a full-fledged strategic maritime dimension,” Patrushev posited. “The Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, where Russia, China, and Iran [will send] their ships, proves to be relevant.”

Both Russia and Iran say the exercise will increase their ability to work together.

“The level of existing interactions and cooperation shows that we can manage and resolve many maritime and coastal issues together,” Captain First Rank Alexey Sergeev, commander of the Russian naval group, said, according to The Telegraph. “We are ready to hold joint exercises in any region, including specialised drills such as anti-maritime terrorism operations that will be executed with vessels and boats from both sides.”

Experts we spoke with say the presence of a small number of Russian and Chinese ships in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman does not pose a significant threat to U.S. interests, but could complicate efforts to attack Iran. They also note that this exercise was likely planned months ago, well before U.S. President Donald Trump started threatening Iran over its harsh treatment of anti-regime protesters.

“I don’t believe it increases in any significant way the likelihood of conflict with Russia and China, but it probably would introduce additional considerations for any planned strikes against Iran,” Tom Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank and a retired U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer told us Wednesday morning. 

“For starters, you’d want to make sure that their sensors don’t give advanced warning of your strike to the Iranians, and you’d want to make sure that those Russian and Chinese platforms aren’t in the way,” he explained. “You’d also of course want to ensure that there is no way they could be inadvertently struck a la USS Stark during the Iraq-Iran Tanker Wars of the 1980s.”

The Stark, an Oliver-Hazard Perry class guided-missile frigate, was hit by two Iraqi Exocet missiles while in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987. The strike killed 37 sailors and wounded 21 others.   

Shugart downplayed the timing of the exercise, given that its planning has been in the works for a while.

“I also don’t think that the small number of Russian and Chinese ships involved amount to much militarily relative to U.S. naval forces in the region – though their presence might matter politically, should the administration decide it wants to take military action against Iran,” he explained.

“I don’t think this fundamentally changes anything,” former CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel told us. “It is an easy way for Russia and China to show support after having abandoned Iran last summer.”

Votel, a retired Army General and current distinguished fellow at the Middle East Institute, was referring to last June’s U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and Israel’s 12-Day War against Iran. 

How the Israel-Iran ‘12-day war’ unfolded

“Certainly the timing makes it seem more provocative,” Votel added. “There is likely also an internal message for regime supporters – pushing back on the U.S. and Israel.”

“I don’t think it raises the threat of conflict,” the former CENTCOM commander surmised. “I view it as a form of great power competition.”

The presence of Russian and Chinese ships near Bandar Abbas, a major center of Iranian military activity, could complicate U.S. targeting if they remain in the area. The coastal city would be a prime target to take out many types of kinetic capabilities, sensors, and other assets, especially Iran’s naval forces. Still, the Chinese and Russian ships should leave at some point and the U.S. would know their location and it doesn’t appear the U.S. is in a place to strike yet. Unless the exercise goes on for weeks, the Russian and Chinese ships will likely have moved on by the time all the pieces are in place for a U.S.-led kinetic operation to begin.

The joint naval exercise follows a more recently planned drill by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has closed off the Strait of Hormuz for a live-fire exercise. It marks the first time Iran has shut parts of the Strait since Trump threatened Iran with military action in January.

Dubbed “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” the drills began Monday and include firing anti-ship cruise missiles at targets and IRGC naval drone and submarine units carrying out operations originating from the three Iranian islands, according to Iranian media.

“The armed drones used in the exercise—capable of engaging both air and sea targets—are among the IRGC Navy’s newest strategic platforms and are deployed in significant numbers, though their names and technical specifications remain classified,” the official Iranian FARS News outlet claimed.

We’ll have to wait and see how the exercises unfold, especially as the U.S. buildup fully matures. But at this time it seems that the presence of these vessels is more of a political factor than an operational one, at least for the time being.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

For more than a century, South Los Angeles has been an anchor for Black art, activism and commerce — from the 1920s when Central Avenue was the epicenter of the West Coast jazz scene to recent years as artists and entrepreneurs reinvigorate the area with new developments such as Destination Crenshaw.

Now, the region’s legacy is receiving formal recognition as a Black cultural district, a landmark move that aims to preserve South L.A.’s rich history and stimulate economic growth. State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), who led the effort, helped secure $5.5 million in state funding to support the project, and last December the state agency California Arts Council voted unanimously to approve the designation. The district, formally known as the Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District, is now one of 24 state-designated cultural districts, which also includes the newly added Black Arts Movement and Business District in Oakland.

Prior to this vote, there were no state designations that recognized the Black community — a realization that made Smallwood-Cuevas jump into action.

“It was very frustrating for me to learn that Black culture was not included,” said Smallwood-Cuevas, who represents South L.A. Other cultural districts include L.A.’s Little Tokyo and San Diego’s Barrio Logan Cultural District, which is rooted in Chicano history. Given all of the economic and cultural contributions that South L.A. has made over the years through events like the Leimert Park and Central Avenue jazz festivals and beloved businesses like Dulan’s on Crenshaw and the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Smallwood-Cuevas believed the community deserved to be recognized. She worked on this project alongside LA Commons, a non-profit devoted to community-arts programs.

Beyond mere recognition, Smallwood-Cuevas said the designation serves as “an anti-displacement strategy,” especially as the demographics of South L.A. continue to change.

“Black people have experienced quite a level of erasure in South L.A.,” added Karen Mack, founder and executive director of LA Commons. “A lot of people can’t afford to live in areas that were once populated by us, so to really affirm our history, to affirm that we matter in the story of Los Angeles, I think is important.”

The Historic South L.A. Cultural District spans roughly 25 square miles, situated between Adams Boulevard to the north, Manchester Boulevard to the south, Central Avenue to the east and La Brea Avenue to the west.

Now that the designation has been approved, Smallwood-Cuevas and LA Commons have turned their attention to the monument — the physical landmark that will serve as the district’s entrance or focal point — trying to determine whether it should be a gateway, bridge, sculpture or something else. And then there’s the bigger question: Where should it be placed? After meeting with organizations like the Black Planners of Los Angeles and community leaders, they’ve narrowed their search down to eight potential locations including Exposition Park, Central Avenue and Leimert Park, which received the most votes in a recent public poll that closed earlier this month.

As organizers work to finalize the location for the cultural district’s monument by this summer, we’ve broken down the potential sites and have highlighted their historical relevance. (Please note: Although some of the sites are described as specific intersections, such as Jefferson and Crenshaw boulevards, organizers think of them more as general areas.)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed former Rep. Katie Porter, her protege and former Harvard Law School student, for California governor on Thursday.

“From the moment Katie set foot in my consumer law class, I knew that she would be a warrior for working families,” Warren said in a statement, citing Porter’s work on the foreclosure crisis as well as her questioning of corporate leaders and members of the Trump administration while wielding a white board in hearings when she represented an Orange County district in Congress.

“No one will stand up to Trump with more grit and determination than Katie,” Warren said. “But just as importantly, she will champion the kind of bold, progressive vision that California workers and families deserve.”

The endorsement comes on the cusp of the California Democratic Party’s convention in San Francisco this weekend, at a time that there is no true front-runner in the crowded race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide. She expressed remorse for her behavior.

Warren and Porter, who met more than two decades ago, have a long-standing relationship, to the point that the senator is the namesake of one of Porter’s children.

Porter endorsed Warren during the 2020 presidential campaign, which caused consternation among some California Democrats since then-Sen. Kamala Harris, who as state attorney general appointed Porter in 2012 to oversee a $25-billion mortgage settlement with the nation’s top banks, was also running for the White House.

Porter pointed to their shared values, such as fighting to protect consumer protection in Congress, as she responded to Warren’s endorsement.

“Senator Warren and I fought together in Congress to hold Big Banks and giant corporations that cheat the American people accountable,” Porter said. “From the classroom to the Capitol, we have made … fighting for working families our lifework. I’ll be a governor who is unbought, undeterred, and unwilling to continue the special interest status quo that has left too many Californians behind.”

The new UCLA football coaching staff has been in touch with one of their top recruits arriving in 2027.

Weston Port, the former San Juan Hills High standout linebacker, is finishing up his second year as a Mormon missionary on assignment in Spain.

New linebacker coach Vic So’oto has been in contact with Port and once tried to recruit him to Cal.

Port exercises when he has time while visiting various cities. His mission ends in December and he’ll be ready to join UCLA for spring practice in 2027 while focusing on getting back into playing shape.

His father said in a message, “Weston remains committed to UCLA and is eager and excited to get back to football once his service is completed.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

A MULTI-MILLION upgrade is set to transform a popular Center Parcs resort.

The family-favourite holiday park has announced it is building brand-new lodges as well as adding thrilling activities to its roster – including an aerial ride.

The Center Parcs in Co. Longford is set in 400 acres of forest with over 100 attractions – and it’s undergoing a €100million expansion (£87million).

The holiday park has announced that it is adding even more activities to its site including an aerial zipline.

It will be called the Forest Glider which is expected to open in autumn – and it’s described as “a continuous-loop, gravity-fed ride”.

It was also announced in August 2025, that it would be adding a lakeside restaurant to its site.

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And even more guests will be able to book a stay there too as it is constructing a further 83 new lodges.

In the planning phase are treehouses which will be a top of the range stay across two storeys with hot tubs and gaming dens.

Currently, there are 466 lodges, but the expansion will bring that number up to 693 and the capacity of guests up to 3,500.

Some other lodges are already being built with bookings available to make between December 2026 and April 2027.

These were announced last year, it said “we’re introducing new Forest Lodges with Hot Tubs for the ultimate relaxing break and spacious 6-Bedroom Woodland Lodges for larger groups“.

The Forest Lodges with hot tubs are the ones you’ll want to book for the ultimate “relaxing break”.

Each bedroom has an additional en-suite bathroom – and inside the main lodge is also a wine cooler, hydrobath and even a private sauna in some three-bedroom Forest Lodges.

Most of its four-bedroom Forest Lodges have games rooms with pool tables.

Meanwhile, six-bedroom Woodland Lodges are also being built which are ideal for larger groups as they sleep up to 12.

Inside are spacious bedrooms, family bathrooms, shower rooms and a generous open plan living space along with a fully-fitted kitchen.

The Irish Independent reported that one of the new six-bedroom lodges for up to 12 was priced from €1,899 (£1,660.58) for a four-night midweek stay early next year.

The price rises to €5,099 (£4,458.82) for the same period over the February midterm.

The Irish Center Parcs site officially opened on July 29, 2019 and since then has welcomed over one million guests.

It’s built around a man-made lake which is used for watersports like canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and even sessions on an inflatable obstacle course.

All Center Parcs sites come with a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and this one is Ireland‘s largest indoor water park.

It’s included in the price for guests who can take advantage of its indoor and outdoor pools, along with kids’ splash zones and whirlpools, along with its Canopy Café.

Some of the most popular activities are its adventure golf, aerial adventure and laser combat.

A recent addition at the site are two escape rooms, The Plant Room and Forest Laboratory.

For more on Center Parcs, here’s the latest on the new holiday park set to open in Scotland.

And here are the nine most popular Hols From £9.50 holiday parks of last year.

Few places in Ukraine have been spared from the impact of the Ukraine war, including the radioactive exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Al Jazeera’s Nils Adler has been seeing how the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster has been affected by the war.

THE Cotswolds is already a great place to visit, but nearby is a farm that parents are raving about as a great day out,

Millets Farm opened back in 1952, originally as a dairy farm.

Now, the farm is home to multiple attractions including a play barn, Maize Maze and Farmyard Golf.

The attraction is split into pre-booked activities and no pre-booking required activities.

For example, you could head off on the Millets Animal Walkway, where visitors will see a number of farm animals including goats, chickens, rabbits, horses, birds and alpacas.

The play area also doesn’t need pre-booking and has a mix of swings, slides, climbing frames and more.

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There are also token-operated ride-on tractors, diggers and a crane which little ones can go on.

One token costs £1.75, three tokens cost £4.50 and five tokens cost £6.

If the weather isn’t rainy, you can also check out the 10 acre Phoebe Wood, where there are a number of woodland walks.

There are then several activities you have to book ahead for, such as Sprouts Play Barn with a four-lane wavy cow slide, 360 tunnel, a ‘mini Millets farmers market’ with seven soft role-play areas, a sports court and an area for under five-year-olds.

One recent visitor said: “This has to be the best soft play in Oxfordshire, it’s absolutely huge and offers a great variety of activities and play equipment for a wide age range.

“There’s a little baby area at the front, and then lots of fun for bigger kids on the higher levels.”

Another visitor added: “The soft play was the best we have ever been to (and we have been to A LOT).

“Every section was clean, looked brand new and so well thought out.

“It’s huge with four floors and the under fives section is also the biggest I’ve seen.”

Included in the Sprouts admission tickets, you also get access to the outdoor play area which has slides, beams and water play.

There’s also an 18-hole farm themed adventure golf course that you can book.

If you want something that is a little bit more of a thrill, head on the carousel, Ferris Wheel or Jungle Thriller, which all cost £3 a turn.

However, at the moment only the carousel is open until the spring, when other attractions at the park will reopen.

The attraction also hosts a number of events, such as Phil’s Magic Mania Show and Tweedy’s Massive Circus.

There are a number of seasonal events at the farm as well, such as pick your own flowers.

Visitors can explore around 8000 dahlias planted around a bright pink double-decker bus during the summer months.

The site also has a big garden centre, that sells items for both gardeners and non-gardeners.

One recent visitor said: “Such a delightful garden centre to wander around.

“They have everything you can imagine, for any budget. Even a cafe if you need a little break.

“I could have spent all afternoon there.”

When it comes to eating, the attraction has several spots to grab a bite.

For example, there is The Farmhouse Kitchen Restaurant which has both indoor and outdoor seating.

If you fancy an ice cream, head to the Snack Shack.

There there’s also The Food at Webbs restaurant, which can be found inside the garden centre and offers homemade meals.

And if you want to make your stay a bit longer or more special, then head to Wellness at Millets for a beauty treatment.

For more UK farms with family activities, here are six UK farm stays inspired by Clarkson’s Farm from remote cottages to Highland cow petting.

Plus, the English campsite named best farm attraction in the UK reveals new kid’s playground and glamping.

A woman has shared her pride after a stunning Welsh beach was named the best beach in the UK by TripAdvisor – and the stunning footage shows exactly what makes it special

A stroll along the beach is a brilliant way to boost both physical and mental well-being, making it an ideal weekend activity, provided it’s not absolutely chucking it down. A Welsh woman, Sian, expressed her pride upon discovering that the beach named the best in the UK by TripAdvisor is located in her homeland.

Rhossili Bay, situated on the westernmost point of the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, consistently ranks amongst the finest beaches in the UK and Europe, and Sian believes it’s “not hard to see why”. Captioning her TikTok clip, she wrote: “Rhossili Bay has been voted TripAdvisor’s best beach in the UK. Honestly, it’s not hard to see why. Endless golden sands, wild Atlantic waves, and sunsets that stop you in your tracks.”

Sian then showcased a video montage featuring various snippets she’d captured of the stunning beach, from the entrance to the hill offering panoramic views over the beach, and a breathtaking sunset she had the fortune to witness.

In the comments section, users were swift to praise the beach as “very special,” and noted that people “don’t call it God’s country for nothing”. This nickname is often bestowed upon Wales due to its dramatic landscapes and spiritual historical significance.

Another user chimed in: “This is one of my all-time favourite places”.

What does TripAdvisor have to say?

Many others on TripAdvisor share the same sentiment. The beach boasts an impressive 4.8 out of five rating on the site, which says: “Rhossili Bay lies at the western end of the beautiful Gower peninsula. Three miles of golden sands, iconic landscapes including Worms Head and Rhossili Down and history everywhere, from neolithic through to the more recent, including home to Edgar Evans.

“It’s a haven for walkers, with trails in all directions, including the Welsh Coastal Path. The beach welcomes dogs throughout the year, and the entire area is stunning regardless of the weather.”

“Today, the National Trust looks after two of the three miles of the beach, Rhossili Down, and most of the coastline between Rhossili and Port Eynon (26 miles of Gower coastline in total). The landscape is free. The village of Rhossili also hosts other private businesses. The car park is free to NT (National Trust) members during the day.

“Non-members are currently charged £5 per day (car). There is no overnight parking/camping. All profits from the car park go towards maintaining the area’s beauty. Please note that the toilets are owned and operated by Swansea Council.”

Public reviews also sing praises of the stunning beach. One visitor wrote: “During our trip to the Gower Peninsula, we also visited the beautiful Rhossili Bay. The stretch of beach there is rightly regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in Wales.”

Another visitor enthused: “One of the most beautiful views you will see – in the UK or even in Europe. It is well-maintained. There are walks, but the views are reasonably accessible for those with mobility issues. Highly recommended.”

However, not everyone was smitten, with one critic labelling it as: “Pitiful, boring, uninspiring. Total waste of time and money.” But they were in the minority.

A third person recounted: “We were blessed with a warm sunny day when we arrived here for a look around. We parked in the NT car park (free with membership) and had a lovely walk along the coastal path, enjoying the fresh air and the views over the bay.

“There are walks of varying lengths, and it is well worth a visit. There are toilets and a few cafes to have a drink and some food too!”

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A new United Nations Human Rights Office report says Israel’s military campaign and blockade of Gaza have created living conditions “increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in Gaza” as it presses its genocidal war on the enclave.

The report released on Thursday states that “intensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighbourhoods and the denial of humanitarian assistance appeared to aim at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza”.

“This, together with forcible transfers, which appear to aim at a permanent displacement, raise concerns over ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Covering the period from November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025, the report documents Israel’s security forces’ “systematic use of unlawful force” in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

It highlights “widespread” arbitrary detention and the “extensive unlawful demolition” of Palestinian homes, stating that the measures seek to “systematically discriminate, oppress, control and dominate the Palestinian people”.

These policies are altering “the character, status and demographic composition of the occupied West Bank, raising serious concerns of ethnic cleansing”.

In Gaza, the report condemns the killing and maiming of “unprecedented numbers of civilians”, the spread of famine and the destruction of the “remaining civilian infrastructure”.

At least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, starved to death during the 12-month period, according to the findings.

“Palestinians faced the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risking being killed while trying to get food,” it says, adding that the famine and “foreseeable and repeatedly foretold” deaths directly resulted from actions taken by the Israeli government.

Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza

Israeli forces launched new air strikes and artillery attacks across the Gaza Strip, as families in the besieged enclave woke to begin their Ramadan fast under bombardment.

Shelling struck areas east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza at dawn on Thursday, where Israeli troops remain deployed. Warplanes also hit Rafah and areas east of Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent.

A day earlier, medical officials at Nasser Medical Complex confirmed that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near the so-called “yellow line” in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis.

Israeli forces continue to demolish homes and infrastructure in areas they control, flattening entire neighbourhoods and entrenching displacement.

The attacks form part of Israel’s repeated breaches of the ceasefire that began on October 10, 2025.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health says those violations have killed 603 Palestinians and wounded 1,618 others as of Monday.

‘Partnership between settlers and the occupation forces’

Violence has also intensified in the occupied West Bank.

On Wednesday evening, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of 19-year-old Nasrallah Mohammad Jamal Abu Siam, who succumbed to wounds sustained during a settler assault on Mukhmas, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem.

Settlers, operating under the protection of Israeli forces, opened fire and stole dozens of sheep from Palestinian farmers. Three of the wounded were shot with live ammunition.

With Abu Siam’s killing, the number of Palestinians shot dead by settlers alone since October 7, 2023 has risen to 37, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

Moayad Shaaban, head of the commission, described events in Mukhmas as a “dangerous escalation in organised settler terrorism”, citing a “full partnership between settlers and the occupation forces”.

Israeli troops also raided the town of Arraba, south of Jenin, wounding two young men with live fire, one critically. Soldiers detained several others during the incursion.

In Jerusalem, Ramadan has brought further restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The mosque’s imam, Sheikh Akrama Sabri, said Israeli authorities are “imposing a reality by force” by limiting worshippers while allowing extremist Jewish incursions into the compound.

Occupation authorities have issued more than 100 deportation orders barring young Jerusalemites from entering the mosque and restricted West Bank worshippers to 10,000 permits under strict age and security conditions. Al-Aqsa can hold up to half a million people.

Sheikh Sabri said Israeli forces question worshippers during tarawih prayers in what he described as “provocation upon provocation”.

In this week’s episode of The Envelope podcast, the “Weapons” star discusses finding viral fame with her Oscar-nominated role as Aunt Gladys after years of ups and downs.

Kelvin Washington: Welcome to The Envelope. I’m Kelvin Washington, alongside the usuals, Yvonne Villarreal, we got Mark Olsen as well. Everybody doing well?

Yvonne Villarreal: Doing good!

Mark Olsen: Terrific!

Washington: Good, good. Last time we discussed Oscar nominations. Obviously a big deal. Folks were excited. Certain films, certain directors, actors as well. We went over that a little bit. But I also want to talk about something you, my friend, brought up. You mentioned the Oscar nominee luncheon last episode. I want to hear more about this, you know, [as] someone who’s never been. So I have to live vicariously through you two. Tell me more about it.

Olsen: Well, exactly as it sounds, it is a luncheon for all of the Oscar nominees. So from the biggest stars down to, you know, relatively unknown craftspeople, all get invited to this luncheon at the Beverly Hilton hotel. And it’s really one of those kind of, like, secret highlights of award season. It’s not televised, and so everyone’s feeling loose and there are drinks in the afternoon and also, at this point, everyone is a winner. Nobody’s lost anything yet. And so everybody’s kind of on equal footing, even in their categories, and people seem to really enjoy it.

We were not actually in the room for the luncheon. Our esteemed colleague, Josh Rottenberg, was there and wrote about it. We were in a press area in a ballroom, sort of backstage-ish to do the interviews that we did, but even there — I always get such a kick out of the fact that publicists are coming by with all this talent — other outlets will do much shorter interviews than we do — and kind of like, “Hey, do you want to talk to so-and-so?” And it just is so funny to me to see them kind of being showcased in this way. Yvonne, what stood out this year for you?

Villarreal: So it takes place at the Beverly Hilton, and I was there a few weeks back for the Golden Globes. And so in some ways it felt like a more subdued — like it was the luncheon version of that. The star power was as insane, but they’re maybe a little more casual in the vibe. At one point I’m walking down the corridor and you have Emma Stone or people walking by looking at the security guard dogs. It is interesting thing because they’re all sort of coming together and loose and talking with each other, taking the selfies. You’re seeing, like, Elle Fanning reuniting with Timothée Chalamet — they starred in a movie last year together. It was interesting to have everyone come together, but also do these interviews in a much rowdier setting than we were last year, and having to concentrate on our guests while a lot of commotion is happening. But I think we did well.

Washington: Well, I tell you what, I know how that is. It can be trying to do an interview when it’s loud in the background. Our producer, Matt, was saying that it was chaotic. Said he was a few feet away from you and couldn’t even hear you. But you all are pros. So you got it done. And speaking of, we get a chance to hear your conversation you had with Amy Madigan. Tell me a little bit more about this role, Aunt Gladys, and, of course, “Weapons.” I was terrified. And it’s in a complimentary way. She played the heck out of that role.

Olsen: She’s obviously a veteran actress. She was nominated for an Oscar once before, for the film “Twice in a Lifetime.” It came out in 1985. She was nominated in 1986. And so that 40-year gap actually is the longest gap ever for an actress in between nominations. And it’s just exciting to see how she’s really enjoying this moment. She’s really enjoyed the attention that the character of Aunt Gladys has brought. So in “Weapons” — spoiler alert — she plays this kind of eccentric witch, essentially, who comes to this town, creates all this mischief, but there is still something kind of, like, rambunctious and almost weirdly lovable about her. She is somehow — and we talked about this in the interview — she’s somehow both the funniest and the scariest thing in “Weapons.” She has this very outrageous look. She has this specific kind of form of witchcraft that she performs to sort of take control of people’s minds and bodies. It was really exciting to see Amy as someone who’s just like taking in this moment, really enjoying it. And it was just a really fun conversation. And also she gave a little bit of the backstory of a moment I’ve always been curious about. In 1999, at the Oscars, Elia Kazan was given a lifetime achievement award, and Amy and her husband, Ed Harris, did not stand, did not applaud during the standing ovation. And she actually spoke quite a bit about what was behind that moment, and it was something I’d never heard her talk about before.

Washington: You got to get it firsthand. All right, here’s Mark’s conversation with Amy Madigan, take a look.

Amy Madigan in Los Angeles last fall.

(Ian Spanier / For The Times)

Mark Olsen: For the Los Angeles Times and The Envelope, I’m Mark Olsen. I’m here today with Amy Madigan, an Oscar nominee for her role in “Weapons.” Thank you so much for joining us.

Amy Madigan: I’m very happy to be here, thanks.

Olsen: And now we’re here this afternoon at the Oscar nominees luncheon. You just stepped out of the event. What was it like? I always want to ask, who was at your table?

Madigan: Wagner Moura. Because we’re traveling around together, when you’re on the awards circuit, we became friends, which is just so nice. Miles Caton from “Sinners,” the wonderful Sandra Chang, who is my manager and fighter for me, I brought her with me today. So it was just just really nice. Jerry Bruckheimer was there, who I’ve known for a while. They don’t want everybody from the same films together, so they mix everybody up. So it was really nice. A woman who is in charge of the Telluride Film Festival, which is a fantastic festival. So yeah, it was really nice.

Olsen: That’s terrific. I have to say, I noticed on a streaming site, a little portrait of Aunt Gladys is the image they use to sell “Weapons.” And to start talking about the movie, did you expect for this character to take off in the way that it has?

Madigan: Not at all. The best thing about it is that I know people really dig the film. It’s just a really smart, cool film and very well written, very well directed. And I thought people would really have a good time with Aunt Gladys. But the night that we opened it was, “Boom.” So this was all a surprise to me.

Olsen: What was it like for you watching the movie for the first time? Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, what is it like to see yourself torn limb from limb?

Madigan: I was actually looking forward to that, because we had this group of kids who traveled around with us for the whole film, working, and I got to know them very well, and I made sure that they weren’t frightened about tearing the dummy apart. So it was great. But seeing it in the movie theater — and there were a lot of horror fans there — was kind of an overwhelming experience for me. I didn’t really know what to expect and, boy, I was kind of shocked and very happy, very happy.

Olsen: I’ve heard you say how when Zach Cregger first came to you with the project, he spoke about it in very personal terms, the grief he had over the loss of a friend, the specter of alcoholism in his childhood.

Madigan: Very much so.

Olsen: What was it about that pitch that made you want to take part in this movie? The two don’t necessarily intuitively sync up.

Madigan: I think grief is a weapon. I think alcoholism is a weapon. And I think that he took all those things and put it in the film. And I could just tell how sincere he was about this movie. He knew how to make this movie. And I had seen “Barbarian,” which is his first film, which really scared me. And it’s quite amazing that he made that kind of on a shoestring. So I knew this man could just do it. And we just kind of clicked.

Olsen: One of the things I really appreciate about the movie is the way that it sort of dares to be enigmatic. It doesn’t try to explain everything to you.

Madigan: I’m so happy of that. I don’t want to explain things to you. People, of course, they have to ask me questions, you know, “Where is Gladys from?” or “How old is she?” I said, “I don’t have answers for those things.” I have my own answers. I like that there’s no big montage explanation of who she is and what she is. She’s just there.

Olsen: But I have to ask, what is your interpretation of the floating machine gun?

Madigan: Every single person I’ve talked to, on the street, here, I’m just holding it in of what I think about it, because it means so much to so many people. It is a weapon, as we know, and it’s such a giant thing to have floating in the sky. I would really like people to just take what they do from it. It really hits people in the heart and the guts, and jolts people, and I think that’s a good thing.

Olsen: And now, as an actor, do you have to answer those questions for yourself, for your performance, or can you live with the uncertainty?

Madigan: Well, the millions of questions I have for myself interpreting Gladys, some I answer, some I kind of answer, some as I’m working through it I go, “Well, I kind [of] thought that, but I think it could be this.” Gladys is very malleable. If Plan A is not working, she’s got Plan B. And if that doesn’t work, she can improvise and she will kill you with Plan C. So I kind of like to take that with me.

Olsen: Because one of the things I find so remarkable about the character and your performance is she is somehow both the funniest and the scariest person in the movie. What was it like for you finding that balance? How did you kind of get that alchemy right that she could be both those things at once?

Madigan: Well, I have to go back to the script, because when I read it I knew that there was a lot of humor. Aunt Gladys, she’s funny. She’s lethal and dangerous, so it’s a fine edge that you have to walk. You have to be really careful. Gladys can be animated and kind of cutesy, and when she wants to drill you down she will do that. So I felt very free to kind of play both those things, when I’m by myself or when I am with little Cary Christopher, when I am manipulating him, as opposed to when I was out in the world with the police or the principal. So the scenes really led me, which is really nice.

Olsen: What did you learn about her, I don’t know what to call it, her practice? I’m so curious with the twig and the hair and the blood and the bell — Is that a thing? What is all that?

Madigan: Well, I can’t say that I’ve read 1,500 books about alchemy and quote-unquote witchcraft and things like that. I have my own ideas. I think Zach had his own ideas, but there are certain things like salt on the ground or a bell, but we didn’t want to make it derivative. The whole thing with dropping it in a bowl of water, it’s like, what is that? But it doesn’t have to be explained. It works. It works.

Olsen: The scene at Benedict Wong’s house, you get this sense that she has this kind of routine that she does, this little show she puts on.

Madigan: I gotta get in that house. That is my mission. Every actor will tell you, what is my intention? My intention is to get in that house, get off the front stoop, bring them into the house, and then I got them. Then I got them. I know if I can wander around the house. Oh, it’s the kitchen. Let’s go in there.

Olsen: But you do get the sense that she’s done this a lot before. She knows what she’s doing.

Madigan: She knows what she’s doing, but she’s dealing with a different set of characters and in a different milieu and a different problem. So the foundation might be the same, but she has got to kind of play the game for a while and she’s got to find out information from them first. Like, “Did you do this? Did you tell people about this?” Oh, you didn’t. OK, well this is going to be a breeze now.

Olsen: I think that’s why people are so taken with the idea of a Gladys prequel movie. There is something about the character you just do want to know more.

Madigan: Yes, I understand that and I’m hoping that we get to somehow continue something with Gladys. And Zach and I have talked about it, and certainly Zach has been very open about it to the press. What that will be, I don’t know. I like mystery in things, and Gladys is a mystery, but I trust Zach implicitly. So I’m very curious if we get to make it and what will happen.

Olsen: Her look is so specific and so outrageous. Do you often find that costume and the look of a character is a way that you like to enter a working on a character?

Madigan: Well, definitely for Gladys, my entree into the film is when I come to Benedict Wong’s principal’s office and the shot is on his face where he goes like that, pushes his head back. Her look is very, very calculated. She loves the way she looks. She loves her jewelry, she loves her big giant handbag. She thinks she looks fantastic. So that was very freeing for me. I mean, it took us a while, you know, with special effects and our hair and makeup and wig and costumes. It was a real team effort to do that, Zach overseeing it all. So that just made me feel so free, just so relaxed in being Gladys.

Olsen: Do you think that’s another aspect of the character people are responding to? She doesn’t tone down for anybody.

Madigan: Oh no, why would she? She doesn’t care what that person thinks. She doesn’t care what you think. She’s just in her whole being, which is a nice feeling.

Olsen: Tell me a little bit about the finale of the movie, the sort of chase scene where the kids are running after you.

Madigan: That was so much fun to shoot!

Olsen: As I understand, for the most part, that’s you.

Madigan: I did all the running myself, which I talked to Zach and I said, “No, I can do it, I really want to do it.” I did have a wonderful stuntwoman, and at the very end when I get tackled, I did not get tackled because I probably would have broken my nose, let’s face it. And then I flipped over and then it’s me. But I really wanted to do it, and Gladys has a physical-humor side of her. So the way I would run would be different than the way somebody else would run, and Zach was totally down for it.

Olsen: You’ve been pretty open about the fact that in the period before you got offered “Weapons,” you hadn’t been getting a lot of offers. Roles don’t come to you as much as they used to.

Madigan: That’s the ups and downs of being in this business. I’ve been in it a long time. I’ve always continued working. I’ve done three different independent films, and often they don’t get the love or the recognition that some of the larger films do, and that’s just part of it. Listen, you’ve talked to a lot of actresses. You know what it’s like for women in this business, it’s still very unequal, [especially] for women of a certain age. You’re gonna hear no a lot of the time. And I still am myself. I love acting, I love my work. So that’s just who I am. Not totally; I have a family and I have friends, but that’s who I just am. So this was a real chance [and] I’m just grabbing it by the throat.

Olsen: Do you feel like there was just something about this role that made you really kind of go for it?

Madigan: Zach provided that ground for it. He wrote it. He knew she had to be this and this and scary and funny, and yet she still had to talk to the little boy, Alex, and get him to do what she wanted him to. It was very delicate in that sense. But I knew as soon as I read this, I said, “Oh, I know who this is.” I really like this person. I’m not that person, but I have those sides in me. Everybody’s got that stuff in them where they manipulate, where they’re nice and they’re pretending, where they are horrible. So I was like, “Yeah, I can do that.”

Olsen: I think it’s never been easy to be an actor, but have you found that the business of being an actor, the career aspect of it, has it gotten harder over the years?

Madigan: The business has changed. We just have to read any of the trades and it’s become centralized by corporations and giant entities. So certainly that’s changed, but people still are making movies and want to make movies. Something that’s very original and creative people will go see. They want that. I know everybody, myself included, watches a lot of things [on] streaming. But the theater is still a place to see a lot of films. The independent market struggles to find enough money to get their films out, but they’re still being made. So I’m guardedly hopeful. But the business is not very fair. You know that. It’s just not. So when you’re younger, you have to grind a lot more. The opportunities are difficult, I think, for young people coming up. And I try to really foster that with any young creative person, because I’m not going to be around — they are. I want to see what their dreams are, I want [to] see what their movies are.

Olsen: You were nominated for an Oscar once before for “Twice in a Lifetime.” What do you remember about that night?

Madigan: My husband and I, Ed [Harris], we just went, you know what I mean? I was so surprised with “Twice in a Lifetime.” This is a family drama, I was surprised that I got a nomination. And then it was not like it is now. There was no social media, there was no TikTok, there were no podcasts. People weren’t saying, “Gee, I’d really like to talk to Madigan.” No, that didn’t exist. So it was a much calmer type of situation. And I was a lot younger, so I was kind of looking around and seeing people that I really admired. And it was fun. This is a completely different personality of this.

Olsen: That year you were up against Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery for “The Color Purple,” Meg Tilly for “Agnes of God,” and Anjelica Huston, who won for “Prizzi’s Honor.” That is quite a lineup to be a part of.

Madigan: Yes, it is. That’s why I was very surprised. As I am in this lineup this year. The performances are stunning. This is the best of women in film, I think, for the actresses in both categories. And that’s a great feeling. They’re all different. They’re all unique. How somebody votes is like — I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know how you compare. And finally, one is asked to compare. So that’s a little difficult, I think, for a lot of actors to kind of wrap their head around, but we know that’s what it is.

Olsen: And there’s another Oscar moment that you’re sort of were a part of —

Madigan: [Crosses arms] This?

Olsen: Exactly. Tell me about it. So in 1999, Elia Kazan was given a lifetime achievement award. You and your husband, Ed Harris, kind of pointedly did not stand or applaud during a standing ovation. Now, was that something that the two of you had talked about before?

Madigan: No, not at all.

Olsen: Did you go in knowing that was going to be your response?

Madigan: I knew he was going to get this special award from the academy, which I did not agree with. My dad was a newspaperman, a journalist, a political analyst, and he, as a very young man, covered the McCarthy hearings, and it really affected him, and he didn’t talk about it too much, and I have pictures from it, and I’m very familiar with that period of time and what happened during that period of time, especially to people in my industry. So I had very definite feelings about it, and I thought it was wrongheaded and really somewhat shameful of the academy to do that. And I think somehow Ed’s picture and mine, because we’re together, got really prominently displayed. But there were other people in the audience who felt that way too. And fair enough if someone wanted to look at the work, but I could not disassociate him naming from his work. That’s me personally.

Olsen: That’s maybe something of an extreme example, but do you see the life of an artist as a political act? Can you unravel your own personal politics from your work?

Madigan: I think if you look at things I have done, yes, I’ve done some political things. I worked on a television event, it was in the 1980s, called “Roe v. Wade,” which now that right has been repealed. And it was on network television. No one would advertise it, nobody bought it. ABC had the guts to put it on. That piece was very important to me. Holly Hunter, who’s a dear friend of mine, we were in that together. I worked on “The Laramie Project.” I think there are certain things that have come to me that I opened myself to. … Everything doesn’t have to be that. Gladys isn’t political. But if there’s an opportunity, I don’t think I would do something that really went against my own moral code. I think a lot of people are that way. I hope they are.

Olsen: Because I think it’s a question a lot of people are asking themselves today. “What would I do when my back’s against the wall?” Or, “What would I do when I’m in a situation where I feel like I have to make a real decision?”

Madigan: Well, let’s say you were in the joint. You would probably do, I would do, whatever it took to survive being there. I really would. I don’t know what that would be for me. I think human beings are good, but they’re really horribly bad. So I think that we can tap into those things. It’s a survival mechanism. You have to look at “One Battle After Another,” it’s an appropriate political film for right now. You look at “Secret Agent.” It’s very appropriate political film for now. As is “Sinners,” as is a lot of things. So that’s why I think it’s kind of a good year for the films. Aside from the ones that are great, like “KPop Demon Hunters” and the funny ones. There’s room for all of them. “Avatar,” there’s room for that. I mean, “Avatar’s” about the environment. It’s the most political statement Mr. Cameron and people can make right now.

Olsen: Do you mind if I ask you about your relationship with Ed, with your husband? The two of you have been together for more than 40 years, and it seems like you’re both just so dedicated to the craft of acting, the life of the artist. What has it meant to you for the two of you to be going through this together?

Madigan: I mean, Ed, he’s been through this [nominated for an Oscar] four different times, so he’s just thrilled for me. He’s just got my back, he’s just happy for me. We both still continue to work. We met working on a play in a theater that was just a little bigger than this. You really get to know somebody when you’re on the boards with them, when you are acting with them. So we’ve been able to work a lot together, and I hope to continue that. We just carry that with us. It’s very important to us. And our daughter, her name is Lily Harris, she’s a young actress coming up. So we’ll see what happens for her.

Olsen: And then you mentioned that you lost your house last year in the fires.

Madigan: January 7th.

Olsen: What has it been like to have the low of that contrast with the high of what you’ve been going through with “Weapons”? That just seems like a lot to happen all at once.

Madigan: When the anniversary was coming up, that really triggered me. Especially around Thanksgiving, because our house was where everybody came. Sometimes there’d be 15 people, sometimes there’d be 30, and it was just a really small, funky little house. I don’t have that anymore, and my friends don’t. I don’t have pictures like when I was on the road. So those are the hard things. I’m displaced now — not to compare myself with the millions of people internationally displaced. I mean just emotionally I am. People have been very kind. People really saved us. We stayed at one place, then another friend gave us the keys to a house he has. That was a very humbling experience. But it’s difficult. We’re leasing a place right now, we’re trying to rebuild, we’re trying to wait for a permit, we’re trying to maneuver red tape, and that’s going to be years. It’s truly just taking it a day at a time, which is hard. So it’s been kind of crazy making. And then Gladys! All the joy of that, and the worry about it. It’s been a weird juxtaposition.

Olsen: How do you think you’ve been handling award season?

Madigan: Well, with the help of the people I’m working with, I think I’m doing pretty well. But it’s still overwhelming to me. But people like yourself, they’ve been very generous and they’re interested in cinema and they don’t call everything “content” and people have good questions, and I’ve met a lot of great actors that I didn’t know before. So that’s been [a] total upside. But the rigor of it, you have all these things to go to, and you have to have an outfit, and you to have your hair done, you have your makeup done. I’m not that person in my life. So, it’s been a challenge, let me put it that way.

Olsen: At this point in your career, it’s probably unpredictable for you which of your previous movies people are gonna ask you about. Like, “Oh, are they gonna ask me a ‘Field of Dreams’ question?”

Madigan: Everybody always asks me about it. Because “Field of Dreams” turned into this iconic thing. I’ll be in an airport and some man will come up to me and just say, “That scene when Kevin Costner’s with his dad,” they start getting choked up, “My dad, we were estranged” and this and that. So it’s touched people. And then I’ll have the man say, “I’d love to have a wife like Annie Kinsella.” I said, “I would too, that’d be great. But this is a fantasy.” But that movie, people love that movie. That’s a nice compliment.

Olsen: But also I would imagine that maybe it’s unpredictable what people are going to mention, like last summer I saw the movie “Streets of Fire” that you were in, and I know that film did not do well when it…

Madigan: It was a bomb and now it is a cult classic.

Olsen: Because I saw it at a packed house at the Academy Theater here in Los Angeles. What are your recollections of making that movie?

Madigan: Well, first of all, I love Walter Hill. I saw all of his films, so I was excited to work with him and that I got this part. It was written for a guy, and I kind of convinced him that McCoy could be me. And you know, it was Willem Dafoe’s first film, I believe … Rick Moranis was there. It was wild. We shot 58 nights in a row or something insane. And I worked with all the dudes, Stoney and all those guys, and Diane Lane, who was, I don’t know, 19 years old or something. But we had a great time making it, and then it went thunk, but now I still get fan mail about it. It’s crazy.

Olsen: Now, before I let you go, in one interview that you did, you mentioned how every day you read three newspapers, you read the Washington Post.

Madigan: I feel stricken by what’s happening with the Washington Post, stricken.

Olsen: But then also the New York Times, and then only for the sports section, you read the Los Angeles Times.

Madigan: Well, I read the California section because I’m very interested in local politics, but unfortunately, the L.A. Times is not what it used to be. And because I am an avid sports person, they go to bed so early with the print that everything’s a half-a-day behind. So I’m like, “I know this. I watched the game.” So it’s a little nutty, but I do go to the sports section.

Olsen: What can we do to win you over to reading our arts and culture coverage of the town that you live in?

Madigan: I always read the entertainment section, always, every single day. And I also love the comics. I’ve been reading the comics since I’ve been that big. And I read them every day. So please don’t misunderstand. I think I’m talking more about the front page.

Olsen: OK, that’s a relief.

Madigan: Not you guys!

Olsen: Well, Amy Madigan, congratulations again and thank you so much for joining us today.

Madigan: Thank you. This was really nice. I appreciate it. I really am interested in writers and interested in people’s beat to treasure cinema. So this has been really nice. Thank you.

The UK Government issued an urgent safety alert for a travel electronic after it was identified as posing a serious risk of fire

The Government has issued an urgent safety warning for households who’ve recently bought a particular travel item or are planning a holiday in the near future. In a recent product safety report published on Wednesday, February 18, officials announced that a specific travel adapter must not be used.

This safety alert follows identification of the product as presenting a “serious risk” of fire during use. According to the government’s official website, the travel adapter fails to “conform to the dimensional requirements” of BS 1363 (the British Standard for 13-amp plugs, socket-outlets, and adapters), whilst also containing an undersized fuse.

The item in question is a black plug manufactured by the brand Decqle.

The product subject to the safety alert includes:

• Decqle Universal Travel Adapter – model number DQZ9.

They can also be identified by the following numbers: B0D95K3NV3, 1031-YSR3013, and 10433514U000010, reports the Express.

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It additionally carries the PSD notification number: 2602-0096. A Product Safety Database (PSD) notification number is a unique identifier allocated to reports of unsafe or non-compliant products submitted to the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).

The risk description read: “The product presents a serious risk of fire because the plug does not meet the dimensional requirements of BS 1363 and the fuse is too small.

“The fuse is required to ensure the safe operation of the product under fault conditions, and its absence could lead to the plug overheating and/or exploding. Improvements are also required to the product labelling and marking.

“The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 or the Plugs & Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994.”

As the travel adaptor was imported into the UK, it has been turned away at the border as a corrective action.

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A NEW multi-million pound McDonald’s has opened in Europe – and it is the BIGGEST in the world.

The new restaurant is a remodelled version of the former restaurant at Disneyland Paris’s Disney Village.

The new €20million (£17.5million) restaurant is spread across 2,000sqm according to local reports.

This makes it the biggest in the world overtaking the Orlando, Florida restaurant which measures 1,800sqm.

The new French McDonald’s also seats up to 600 guests, which is 250 more than the Orlando site.

The restaurant is spread across three floors, with a 200-seat outdoor terrace.

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As visitors step inside, they will be greeted by a bright and spacious reception area and a wall with the outline of Disneyland Paris on it.

There is then also McCafé for caffeine fixes as well as unique French menu items like Croque McDo for €3.70 (£3.23).

For kids, there is even a three-story indoor play area.

Unlike other McDonald’s sites, this one also has a panoramic elevator as well as a curly slide between the floors.

And guests shouldn’t have to wait long to make their order as there are 23 self-service kiosks.

Otherwise there will be 210 employees, that speak 16 languages between them.

Boris Solbach, senior vice president, chief financial officer, Disneyland Paris said: “Since 1999, Disneyland Paris and McDonald’s have built a relationship grounded in trust and a shared vision of the guest experience.

“The opening of this new restaurant fully supports the transformation of Disney Village through a landmark project that combines innovative architecture, high-quality hospitality, and seamless integration into the site’s universe.”

The environment has also been thought about during the construction process and as a result, the restaurant has a green roof, planters and a 120sqm living wall.

The original Disney Village McDonald’s – which sits just next door – opened in 1999 but has now closed as the new venue has opened.

The restaurant will soon be demolished as well, as part of the wider plan to reimagine Disney Village.

Disney Village is located between the theme parks and Disney Hotels and has a number of shopping and dining experiences.

The village is currently undergoing a revamp and once complete will have new restaurants, shops, building facades and guest experiences.

The two new Disney shops will be a lifestyle shop with ready-to-wear clothing, jewellery and accessories and then there will also be a Disney home store with collectible items and decorations.

The Lego store has also been improved recently, with more photo opportunities, big builds and play stations.

Back in November, Sports Bar & Lounge reopened with an expanded dining area, redesigned terrace and fresh interiors.

The bar also now has a giant fresco featuring Goofy and another featuring Big Hero 6: The Series on the restaurant’s façade.

Pelé Soccer, a new shop dedicated to the world of football, will open soon as well.

Last year, McDonald’s opened its biggest site in Europe last year in Majorca, Spain.

The restaurant can be found at Level P30, Module A Airside of Palma de Mallorca Airport in the Spanish island and sprawls across 1,000sqm.

There are a number of McDonald’s across the world that also double as tourist spots.

For example, the UK’s ‘most beautiful’ McDonald’s has its own ‘beer garden’ built inside historic old pub near idyllic woods.

Plus, here’s the McDonald’s that’s one of the world’s most beautiful with pretty outdoor courtyard and volcano views.

Zimbabwe finished top of Group B at the T20 World Cup after stunning England’s next opponents Sri Lanka in a six-wicket victory in Colombo.

Both sides were already guaranteed their place in the Super 8s but Zimbabwe, who did not qualify for the last T20 World Cup in 2024, progress unbeaten after completing a fine chase of 179 with three balls to spare.

Opener Brian Bennett, who is yet to be dismissed in the tournament, followed his score of 64 not out in the famous win over Australia last week with an unbeaten 63 to steer home the chase.

He shared an opening stand of 69 with Tadiwanashe Marumani and, after Marumani fell for 34 and Ryan Burl 23, played the anchor role as captain Sikander Raza struck 45 from just 26 balls.

Raza and Tashinga Musekiwa fell in the penultimate over but, with eight runs needed from the last, Tony Munyonga emerged and hit a six before Bennett drove the winning runs through the covers.

Co-hosts Sri Lanka, who play England in both sides’ Super 8s opener in Pallekele on Sunday, dropped catches and leaked boundaries with misfields.

They were without injured bowler Matheesha Pathirana and fellow seamer Dushmantha Chameera, who was resting.

Pathum Nissanka, who also scored a fine century in Sri Lanka’s win over Australia, continued his form with 62 from 44 balls in his side’s 178-7.

Zimbabwe progress into a Super 8s group with co-hosts India, South Africa and West Indies.

Their first match is on Monday in Mumbai against the Windies, who beat Italy earlier on Thursday to continue their unbeaten record.