Jan. 16 (UPI) — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a challenge to geofence warrants filed by a man who was convicted of robbing a bank in 2019.

Okello Chatrie was convicted of robbing $195,000 from a Virginia bank on May 20, 2019, after investigators used location-tracking data from Google to identify him.

Google provided a geofence that records and stores location data within a certain radius of the bank that Chatrie robbed at gunpoint.

A detective obtained three warrants for related geofence data, which Google provided after receiving the respective warrants.

The geofence data tracked the movements of the cellphone carried by Chatrie when he robbed the bank and afterward and recorded the respective longitudes and latitudes of the phone’s location at different times.

Chatrie challenged the use of the geofence data in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, saying it violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure and violated his reasonable expectation of privacy.

The location data was a key piece of evidence against him, but Chatrie said he did not voluntarily provide the information to investigators, and they had no probable cause to seek a warrant for the geofence data.

The Fourth Circuit in April ruled against Chatrie, saying he voluntarily provided the location data to Google, which in turn provided it to law enforcement when presented with warrants to do so.

An earlier ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a separate case reached an opposite conclusion, saying geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment, but the evidence presented is still valid because law enforcement in that case acted in good faith.

While both appellate court rulings ultimately reach the same conclusion that the evidence is valid in the respective cases, the matter of whether or not geofence warrants are constitutional remains to be decided.

The Supreme Court justices agreed to render a decision during the current session that ends in the fall.

The Traitors’ Fiona Hughes opens up about her time in the castle, working with Claudia Winkleman, being the first Secret Traitor, and her cunning plan to get everyone drunk

The first ever Secret Traitor, Fiona Hughes, has reflected on her experience in the castle and shared some behind the scenes secrets.

Fiona, 62, has reflected on her experience in the castle, becoming the show’s first ever Secret Traitor, collaborating with Claudia Winkleman, and earning the affectionate title of “hun”.

“I found it surreal really,” she recalled. “That I was there and on the train. I mean, that’s just magical in itself. Then when you get into the castle and it’s exactly as you see it on the television. It was wonderful. It’s awe, you just cannot speak because you’re in awe of everything.”

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During the fourth episode of the current series, viewers discovered that Fiona was concealed beneath the infamous crimson cloak. Reflecting on the twist, she confessed: “To be given the privilege of being selected as having the red cloak was wondrous, but I did feel as well that there came a lot of responsibility with it and a lot of power which went to my head,” reports Wales Online.

Explaining her strategy, she added: “But all the names I was sending up to the turret were names of people in that very brief introduction that we had. I thought they were people who came across to me as being, as looking and behaving like the most faithful people on earth that nobody would question.

“So that’s how their names ended up going on the list, and I was only hoping that when the names went up to the turret that the other traitors would be able to read my theory of why those names should be considered. I didn’t know whether or not they were, because the feedback was going up the turret, not coming down.

“Then of course, when Hugo was voted off, I lost my cloak, and so I had to go in to meet Rachel and Stephen. I was really excited about that, but I was also mindful that they’d had the opportunity to gel and so I was going in fresh and could be considered a bit of a thorn.

“You know they say twos company, threes a crowd, and I was going into an already formed relationship. I felt that I wasn’t welcome there, and that Rachel would be able to get me at some point. So because I had that feeling, hence that resulted in my firing the gun and spectacularly missing.”

Viewers were gutted when Fiona was banished following a tense roundtable, though she certainly made her exit memorable. In what ranks among the most explosive moments in The Traitors‘ history, Fiona turned against fellow traitor Rachel, accusing her of “fibbing” about information she’d supposedly heard from previously banished contestant Amanda.

Despite her exit, the Swansea woman stands by her choice to betray Rachel. She explained: “You want to do the best that you can and so I think I did.

“I fired a shot too early at Rachel, but I knew she’s such a fantastic player and that it was my only opportunity and I had to go for it then because I would have been banished and I wanted to do it on my terms and not be somebody’s pawn. So my cunning little plan did spectacularly backfire.

“I know it came out of the blue, and it was the only opportunity that I could see, well, the only one that had landed on my lap, and I thought, ‘shall I run with this or shall I not?'”

“Then I thought ‘no, I’ve got to do it now because I would have been pushed under the bus in the following episode or the episode after’. So, when I asked Rachel to come and have a little word with me, a little one-to-one, which I would do with anybody.”

She explained her approach: “Then I asked her, ‘are you fibbing?’ It’s a gentler word than lying, isn’t it? That doesn’t sound so nice, it’s much nicer to say, are you fibbing?”

Behind the scenes, she deployed a clever tactic that didn’t make the final edit. Whilst others unwound with drinks following tense roundtables, the former traitor remained sober and alert, instead devising a shrewd strategy to ply her competitors with alcohol.

She explained her strategy: “I wanted to get them drunk. Well, if they drink it they might wake up with a hangover and be a bit loose-lipped and I’d be able to manipulate them and I could glean some information from them. But I don’t think that worked. Another cunning ploy that failed.”

Fiona revealed what it was like working alongside The Traitors presenter Claudia Winkleman. She gushed: “Claudia, well, what can you say about Claudia? I mean, there’s an icon now, isn’t there? She is lovely. She is such a sweet person. I mean I love her mother, Eve Pollard. I love Eve Pollard.

“So, you know, the fact that Claudia is her daughter, Claudia’s going to be marvellous because Eve Pollard has been my heroine for so many years, since the 80s and everything she’s done since, you now? So to get to meet Claudia and know that she’s a spawn of Eve Pollard, that was great.

“But she is so lovely, and the way that she dresses is beautiful. I mean, you literally could put a black bag on that woman and she would look spectacular.”

Since appearing on the series, Fiona has been showered with praise and affectionately dubbed a “hun” by viewers – though she admits the term initially baffled her.

She chuckled: “Well, I thought hun meant honey, like, you know, in America. Where you say ‘honey, I’m home’, I thought it was that. When I spoke with my husband and said, ‘oh, on the radio today, they said I was a hun’, and I said,’ isn’t that lovely’. He said to me, ‘what’s that mean?’ and I said, ‘honey.'”

“But when I did a Google, oh my goodness, the explanation, I still don’t know what it really means, but I’ll take it.

“I just think people have been so gracious and kind and I really mean that. Swansea people are anyway, and Welsh people are, you know, we are full of heart and goodness. Even people in Ireland, Scotland and England have been really gracious and kind to me, and I think that sums up the country as a whole. You know, we are a United Kingdom and we tend to support one another, which is lovely, isn’t it.”

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My favourite memory of Akyaka? The second evening of our most recent visit: the beach floodlit by the last embers of a flaming sunset, the mountains that stand sentry around the town softening into deep purple hues. Before our eyes, all was transformed: sunloungers stacked away, waiters whisking back and forth with tables, menus and small rechargeable lamps. A little further along, in one of the bar areas on the beach, a trio of Turkish women, their hair in shades of pepper and smoke, sat with their toes in the sand, happily knitting. I recalled other beaches in Turkey, where oligarchs and influencers preen and pose, and thought – yes, this is exactly where I want to be.

Akyaka – a small town, huddled on the eastern end of blue-washed Gökova Bay – is an old friend of mine. Thirty years ago, working as a holiday rep, I visited on a weekly basis, popping in to see the handful of clients who were staying at simple pansiyons (small B&Bs) in the town. Back then … well, actually, back then it wasn’t that different from today, which is something that can’t be said about many of the Turkish villages and small resorts I knew in the mid-1990s.

Of course, Akyaka has changed to some degree: more houses and hotels, the beach has been extended, and it’s now a major kitesurfing destination (more on that later), but it’s still got a lovely slow-paced, slightly ramshackle, properly authentic feel.

Part of that, I think, is due to its status as one of Turkey’s “slow towns”; a concept that focuses on preserving local traditions and culture, promoting quality of life and generally swerving all the worst excesses of tourist development. The town’s vibe is also partly the legacy of the Turkish poet and architect Nail Çakirhan, who retired there in 1971 and built a house that blended traditional Ottoman design with local materials. Others followed his lead, revitalising local crafts, most notably carpentry, and by the 1990s, the architectural standards established by Çakirhan were brought in for most new properties. The result is streets lined with elegant houses, their wood-carved balconies spilling over with bougainvillea, and not a modern, glass-walled box in sight.

It wasn’t until 2022 that I went back to Akyaka for a proper visit, with my husband, Mark – and promptly fell in love. The lack of big all-inclusive or sprawling resort hotels means it’s still mostly the preserve of Turkish tourists, who come for the fish restaurants that flank the banks of the sparkling Azmak River, to hike the paths that weave their way through the Akyaka orman (forest) that rises up from the western end of the beach, or simply to sit and knit their way through the day on the beach.

Since then, we have always stayed at the İskelem Otel, on the other side of the pine forest, a few minutes’ drive out of town. It’s one of three little hotels set on a small bay that opens out on to the gulf, and we were unsure at first; disappointed to find sunloungers on a wooden jetty and a lawned area, rather than a beach. But the warm, if surprised (“English? You are … English?”), welcome from Müjgan, İskelem’s charming receptionist, the glorious views from our bedroom, and the swift delivery of ice-cold Efes beer soon allayed any concerns. At night, the İskelem pulls a similar trick to Akyaka’s beach: sunloungers are swapped for linen-clad tables flickering with candlelight for dinner on the jetty surrounded by the sea.

And what dinners we’ve eaten: sea bream, crispy-skinned and tangy with lemon and salt; spiced Adana kebabs, the lamb smooth and dense; silky aubergine; yoghurt thick with garlic; and baklava that sticks to our fingertips and sends us to bed buzzing with sugar and honey and sticky pistachio filling. In the mornings, the gluttony continues, with more than a dozen dishes brought to the table: crispy börek (filo rolls) filled with feta cheese; neat piles of scarlet tomatoes and leafy parsley; honey; jams; omelette still sizzling from the pan. I tell myself a ferocious hour of paddleboarding will work it off, while Mark, who usually has a more taxing morning planned, tucks in with gusto.

For Mark, all of Akyaka’s beauty is trumped by the fact that it’s also one of the Med’s leading watersports destinations. The thermic winds that blow across the gulf from May to November rise in the late morning every day, regular as clockwork, always onshore, usually between 15 to 18 knots (all key factors, apparently). About 10 minutes’ drive out of town, Akçapinar Beach billows with branded kite-surf flags. By early afternoon, the sky is filled with dozens of brightly coloured canvas crescents whisking through the breeze, pulling tiny figures along in their wake. The shallow, sandy beach makes it a great spot for first-timers, whether kiting or wing-foiling.

Beyond the town and its blustery beach, there is much to explore: Göcek, with its gulets (wooden vessels) and sleek, sailing-hub vibe; the still, blue waters of Lake Köyceğiz, flanked by forests of sweetgums, perfect for a gentle, shady walk; and on Thursdays, Muğla market, the best in the region, which involves a breathtaking drive of switchbacks and hairpin bends up into the mountains. It is a world away from the knock-off handbags and “cheaper than M&S” patter that characterises more touristy markets.

Finding these authentic experiences is, for me, a key part of holidaying in Turkey these days. The truth is, the country is changing; what used to be a come-one, come-all summer sun destination has morphed into something far more fractured: part playground for the super-rich, with Maldivian-style luxury resorts that top £1,000 a night; part one-stop shop for health tourists seeking anything from hair transplants to gleaming veneers; part all-inclusive ghetto, with sprawling resorts where most guests never venture beyond the lobby. Hyperinflation and President Erdoğan’s economic policies mean prices are constantly increasing – and these are inevitably passed on to visitors, meaning Turkey is no longer the budget destination it once was.

But the good news is there are still places, like Akyaka, that refuse to be pigeonholed into those categories. And if you find a resort that mainly caters to a domestic clientele, you’ll find more reasonable prices. One of our favourite places to eat is the Azmak Çorba Salonu, where fresh-baked pide (Turkish pizza), sizzling grilled chicken and a parsley salad, tangy with sumac, costs about £30 for two.

If you’re looking for late-night cocktail bars, Michelin-esque restaurants or swanky spa resorts – and there are plenty of all three in Turkey these days – Akyaka won’t be for you. It’s not polished or glitzy, but my goodness, it’s beautiful. It’s Turkish coffee and simit (Turkish bagels) for breakfast, eaten while flicking through the Daily Sabah (an English-language newspaper); it’s backgammon on the jetty in the lazy hours of the afternoon; and it’s iced glasses of Efes as the sun dips and Gökova Bay glows iridescent blue and silver. Akyaka is the kind of place that makes me think – why would I go anywhere else in Turkey? Who knows, I might even take up knitting.

Rooms at the İskelem cost from £105-£260 B&B. In town, the beachfront Yücelen has traditional Ottoman design (doubles from £95 B&B). Rates correct at the time of going to press

For years, stablecoins have been marketed as crypto’s potential bridge to normal, everyday payments — or at least what most people consider to be normal.

In 2025, they seemed to have made the jump from a promising prospect to a tool increasingly used by institutions, banks, and even previous crypto non-believers.

Total transaction volumes for stablecoins surged by 72% last year, reaching a massive $33tr (€28tr), according to data from Artemis Analytics.

Stablecoins are crypto assets designed to maintain a stable value by pegging their worth to a real-world asset such as the US dollar. Essentially, they represent a digital copy of a circulating currency.

Since cryptocurrencies are not typically controlled by regular banking institutions and their circulation is not regulated by the monetary policies of governments, monetary institutions were reluctant to use them in their transactions.

Unlike other crypto assets, stablecoins aim to maintain a fixed value relative to a government-issued currency and are backed by that currency, as well as other reserves like treasury bills, to guarantee the token can be redeemed on a 1:1 basis.

Over 90% of stablecoins in circulation today are pegged to the US dollar. The two largest are Tether’s USDT, with a market cap of $186bn (€160bn), and Circle’s USDC, with a market cap of $75bn (€65bn). In 2025, Circle facilitated $18.3tr (€15.7tr) worth of transactions, while USDT racked up $13.3tr (€11.4tr) in transaction volume.

Back in October, a report by a16z, a California-based venture capital firm, also attempted to measure organic stablecoin payments in 2025. The fund concluded that on an adjusted basis, stablecoins had done at least $9tr (€7.7tr) in “real” user payments. This value indicates an 87% increase from 2024 and the report states “it is more than five times PayPal’s throughput and more than half of Visa’s”.

As financial institutions turn their attention to stablecoins, key institutions like the International Monetary Fund are advocating for cooperation among economic blocs to build an international framework for the sector.

However, the current approach to stablecoin issuance and regulation differs significantly among governments in the EU, US, China, and other parts of the world.

What are CBDCs?

Besides stablecoins that are issued and supported by private entities and reserves, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have emerged.

These are also digital versions of government-issued currencies, backed by the issuing central bank. However, they do not use decentralised blockchain technology in their core transaction system.

According to McKinsey, cash still accounts for 46% of payments worldwide as of 2025, but non-digital transactions are declining, particularly in developed countries with greater digital infrastructure and financial inclusion.

Governments and central banks understand these changing payment trends, and in many countries, CBDCs offer a viable solution.

China launched its digital yuan (e-CNY) as part of a pilot project in 2019 and the roll-out has since expanded.

As for the EU, the European Central Bank is currently working on a digital euro. In October 2025, the ECB announced that the preparation phase had concluded.

The President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, stated that “we have done our work, we have carried the water, but it’s now for the European Council and certainly later on for the European Parliament to identify whether the Commission’s proposal is satisfactory”.

The Eurosystem is aiming for a first issuance in 2029.

Trump’s stablecoin strategy

Under the Trump administration, the US has taken the exact opposite approach to CBDCs, in favour of stablecoins.

In his first week in office, back in January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order “prohibiting agencies from undertaking any action to establish, issue or promote CBDCs in the US or abroad”.

This cleared the way for USDT, USDC, and all other privately issued US dollar stablecoins to continue to dominate the market without having to compete with an “official” version.

In July 2025, Trump also signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act), creating a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins.

Among other provisions, the law requires stablecoin issuers to maintain full reserve backing of their token, on a 1:1 basis, with liquid assets such as US dollars, treasury bills, and bonds.

For the Trump administration, if a US dollar stablecoin issuer is successful, that means they will progressively increase their supply, which requires them to constantly purchase US debt for their reserves.

Stablecoin regulation in the EU

In China, the introduction of the digital yuan also meant the explicit prohibition of stablecoins in the mainland.

However, in the EU, the looming launch of the digital euro has not translated into stablecoin bans.

For now, stablecoin adoption is growing in Europe and stablecoin issuers, together with other crypto firms, have a compliance framework under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.

By July of this year, the transition period ends for securing a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence, required to operate legally.

The France-based multinational payments provider, Ingenico, announced a partnership with WalletConnect, a protocol that connects crypto wallets with applications, enabling stablecoin payments at scale.

Through a new payment solution called WalletConnect Pay, merchants can accept USDC and EURC, among other stablecoins, using existing Ingenico payment terminals.

WalletConnect’s CEO, Jess Houlgrave, told Euronews that “MiCA is not perfect, nor is it the end-state of crypto regulation in the EU, but some regulatory clarity is better than none”.

Additionally, the CEO underlined that uniform enforcement is important to stop “regulatory shopping” between different jurisdictions, where crypto firms simply choose the version of the rules that suits them best.

Euronews also spoke with the general counsel of Crossmint, Miguel Zapatero. The company provides stablecoin infrastructure for businesses.

With a key base in Spain, Crossmint secured a MiCA licence with the Spanish regulator (CNMV) this week. When asked about the procedure, the general Zapatero said that “the barriers to entry are difficult and costly for small businesses, as the requirements are the same for a major bank or a crypto startup”.

Zapatero added that “once you acquire a CASP licence, businesses trust you more, and other regulators around the world tend to expedite their own procedures with you, as the MiCA is one of the most strict crypto regulations globally”.

These statements echo the EU’s touted doctrine of “regulating by example”, although the risk of overcomplexity looms — threatening to stifle innovation.

WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Friday she’s confident of her country’s eventual transition to democracy after the U.S. military ousted former President Nicolás Maduro.

But when pressed, she took pains to avoid giving any details on her plans to return home or any timetable for elections in Venezuela.

Her remarks reflect how President Trump’s endorsement of a Maduro loyalist to lead Venezuela for now has frozen out the nation’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning crusader for democracy. Still, Machado has looked to get closer to Trump, presenting her Nobel medal to him a day earlier at the White House.

As Machado was meeting with Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela to meet with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, further confirmation that Maduro’s longtime second in command was the woman the White House preferred to see managing Venezuela for now.

Speaking to reporters at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, Machado said she was “profoundly, profoundly confident that we will have an orderly transition” to democracy that would also transform Venezuela’s self-proclaimed socialist government long hostile to the U.S. into a strong U.S. ally.

She rejected the notion that Trump chose to work with Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, over her opposition movement, whose candidate was widely believed to have won the 2024 presidential election.

“This has nothing to do with a tension or decision between Delcy Rodríguez and myself,” she said. But she stopped short of elaborating, instead pivoting to vague assertions about her movement’s popular mandate and the government’s dismal human rights record.

In apparent deference to Trump, she provided almost no details Friday about what they discussed or even what she thought the U.S. should do in Venezuela.

“I think I don’t need to urge the president on specific things,” she said.

Machado traveled to Washington looking to rekindle the support for democracy in Venezuela that Trump showed during his first administration. She presented him with the prize she won last year, praising him for what she said was his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom. The Nobel Institute has been clear, however, that the prize cannot be shared or transferred.

Trump, who has actively campaigned to be awarded the prize, said Machado left the medal for him to keep. “And by the way, I think she’s a very fine woman,” he said. “And we’ll be talking again.”

But her efforts have so far done little to alter the Trump administration’s perception that Rodríguez is best prepared to stabilize the South American nation.

Trump has pressed ahead with plans for American oil companies to revive Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure and is exploring the possibility of reopening the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, which he closed during his first administration.

Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.”

Machado crisscrossed Venezuela ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, rallying millions of voters looking to end 25 years of single party rule. When she was barred from the race, a previously unknown former diplomat, Edmundo Gonzalez, replaced her on the ballot. But election officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary.

Machado, revered by millions in Venezuela, went into hiding but vowed to continue fighting until democracy was restored. She reemerged months later to pick up her Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, the first time in more than a decade that she had left Venezuela.

Goodman and Debre write for the Associated Press. Debre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP writer Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

As the clock ticked down late in the fourth quarter with the outcome long decided, Redondo Union senior guard Devin Wright caught a pass off the backboard from teammate Chace Holley in midair and stuffed it through the hoop two-handed — the exclamation point to an emphatic 85-51 victory over archival Mira Costa on Friday night.

Wright finished with a game-high 23 points — most of them on layups while cutting to the basket — small forward SJ Madison scored 19, Holley had 17 and Chris Sanders added 16 as the Sea Hawks, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, stayed unbeaten in the Bay League and sent a message to their competition.

Redondo Union’s SJ Madison shoots a jumper during an 85-51 win over Mira Costa on Friday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We knew this was a big game and I had to be there for my team,” Wright said after scoring 18 points in the last two quarters. “We saw early they couldn’t contain us so we were getting open looks and hitting them.”

Madison and Mira Costa forward Paxx Bell traded baskets throughout a fast-paced first quarter, which ended with the host Sea Hawks up 20-18. They extended the lead to seven by halftime and used a 23-7 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

“Chace is a big weapon, but we’re all weapons,” Wright said. “If they double-team him it leaves someone else open. We all took our turns.”

Bell led the 19th-ranked Mustangs (18-4, 3-1) with 15 points while senior shooting guard Luke Lowell and junior wing Strax Dragicevic each added 12.

The teams shared the league title last winter, each winning on the opponents’ home floor. On Friday, the Sea Hawks (18-3, 4-0) showed they have the skill and talent to claim the title outright.

“We didn’t like splitting league with them last year,” Wright said. “So this year it’s all ours — and we’re taking it.”

Mira Costa’s Paxx Bell scores on a layup over Redondo Union’s Chace Holley in the first half on Friday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Redondo Union beat Mira Costa 72-66 in the CIF state Division I regional semifinals last season before losing to Sierra Canyon in the next round — falling one win shy of the state finals. The Sea Hawks failed to advance out of pool play in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs while Mira Costa fell to Los Alamitos in the Southern Section Division 1 final. However, that was then and this is now.

The teams meet again to wrap up Bay League play Feb. 3 in Manhattan Beach.

Critics, including human rights workers and opposition groups, say the election is neither free nor fair.

Myanmar’s military-backed political party has extended its lead after the second round of voting, according to official figures from the country’s election body, and the country now heads into the final phase of its three-stage general election amid widespread conflict.

The latest data published on Friday indicates that the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is on track to win 182 seats from the combined first and second phases of voting, more than half of the seats in the country’s 330-member lower house.

According to figures reported by state broadcaster MRTV, citing the Union Election Commission, the USDP won a whopping 86 of 100 seats up for grabs in the second phase of voting held on Sunday. The third and final round of voting is scheduled for January 25.

Critics, including human rights and opposition groups, say the polls are neither free nor fair and are an effort by the military to legitimise its rule after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The military takeover triggered widespread opposition that has grown into a civil war.

The election is being held in three phases due to armed conflicts in the country.

The first and second rounds took place in 202 of the country’s total 330 townships on December 28 and January 11. The final round will take place in more townships, but 65 others are not participating because of fighting in those areas.

Final results for all seats in both national and regional legislatures are expected to be announced by late January.

Major-General Zaw Min Tun, the military’s spokesperson, said last weekend that the two houses of parliament will be convened in March, with a new government taking up its duties in April.

During the first two rounds of voting, armed groups opposing the army carried out attacks against polling stations and government buildings in many townships, the military government said.

The election also comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently holding hearings in a case brought by The Gambia, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its Rohingya community.

While more than 4,800 candidates from 57 political parties are competing for seats in national and regional legislatures, only six parties are contesting seats nationwide.

One of them, the People’s Pioneer Party, is facing a pending legal case that could result in its dissolution after its chairwoman, Thet Thet Khine, and another senior party member were scrutinised by authorities for holding a meeting with representatives of a foreign embassy in Yangon, the country’s largest city, without prior approval from the election commission.

A new Election Protection Law imposes harsh penalties for most public criticism of the polls, with the authorities charging more than 330 people recently for leafleting or online activity.

Israeli raids cause rising casualties in Gaza, as attacks persist despite the ceasefire agreement.

Looking for a cosy winter getaway with fine dining and comfy rooms? Our writer Kirsty Thornley discovered this charming gastropub by Lake Bala in Wales

The Bryntirion Inn is a gem of a gastropub in North Wales, nestled in the picturesque Dee Valley. Dating back to 1695, it combines the character of a traditional village pub with a fine dining experience, and the added bonus of beautifully styled bedrooms to stay in.

The first thing you’ll notice is the lovely warm atmosphere – as soon as we entered the pub, we were welcomed by friendly staff and locals, a cosy log fire and a wonderful playful collection of classic car memorabilia collected by the owner, including half a car embedded in the wall! Dogs are welcomed in the restaurant, bar areas and bedrooms, making this a relaxed retreat for couples, families and four-legged companions alike.

The food at The Bryntirion Inn

Recently listed in the 2025 Michelin Guide, the food here is a huge draw, with a menu focusing on elevated pub classics using high quality, locally sourced ingredients. Our sweet chilli pork bites were delicious and beautifully presented – this is high end, restaurant-quality food.

The roast dinners are not to be missed, including traditional roast beef with all the trimmings and a wonderful crispy pork belly. The puddings were out of this world – the best sticky toffee pudding we’d ever tried, plus homemade ice creams. The drinks selection champions Welsh producers, and includes some Welsh wines – although we were rather partial to the delicious apple martinis.

The rooms at The Bryntirion Inn

The six individually themed rooms, each named after Welsh mountains, combine comfort and character, and are equipped with a flat-screen TV, tea and coffee-making facilities and luxurious Penhaligon’s toiletries. A standout feature is the continental breakfast hamper delivered to your door in the morning, which includes warm baguettes, pastries, cheeses and meats – a fabulous touch that allows for a relaxed start to the day.

What to do around The Bryntirion Inn

The local town of Bala is in the Welsh Lake District, the centrepiece being Lake Bala (Llyn Tegid), the largest natural lake in Wales, sandwiched between Snowdonia and the Berwyn mountains. It’s a great spot for watersports and is popular with fishing enthusiasts too. Walkers can enjoy the many walking routes along with the mighty peaks of Snowdonia and Bala Lake Railway provides a delightful hour-long ride along the lake’s shores from Bala to Llanuwchllyn.

We also visited the grand Victorian Palé Hall Hotel, which is a short walk away from The Bryntirion and somewhere to come back to on another visit as it does a fabulous afternoon tea.

How much does it cost to stay at The Bryntirion Inn?

Rooms at The Bryntirion Inn cost from £140 for two sharing a double room, including breakfast.

THE house where Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead is on the market a year on.

The Santa Fe compound where the famed actor spent his final years has been listed at $6.25 million.

The sprawling Southwestern-style mansion comes with six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and views of the Rocky Mountains, according to Realtor.com.

Despite resting on over 53 acres of land, the home is also located in a gated community.

The rustic abode was extensively remodeled in 1990 and featured in Architectural Digest the same year.

Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered dead in the house on February 26 of last year.

DEBT AFTER DEATH

Gene Hackman’s estate SUED over claim movie star failed to pay phone bill

GRIM FIND

Harrowing new details in autopsy report of Gene Hackman’s wife released

The legendary actor died from heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s, while Arakawa died from hantavirus.

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal pulmonary disease caused by the droppings of infected rodents.

An environmental assessment of the property found rodent feces in several outbuildings around the property, but nothing in the main house, according to a New Mexico Department of Health report.

Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, New Mexico chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said.

She determined that Hackman died on February 18 due to unusual activity on his pacemaker, while Arakawa likely died in the days prior.

FINAL SEARCHES

Records released by officials show that Arakawa was searching for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques in her final days.

Between February 8 and the morning of February 12, Arakawa searched on her computer for medical conditions related to Covid-19 and flu-like symptoms.

She also looked up if dizziness and nosebleeds were caused by Covid.

Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on February 12 to seek medical advice for “congestion,” said Dr. Josiah Child, who led the clinic.

“There were a couple calls back and forth to just schedule that appointment for the afternoon, but she never showed up,” Dr Child told the BBC.

“Our office called back several times and never got an answer.”

Investigators discovered the couple’s bodies two weeks later.

Arakawa’s body was found by police in the bathroom, while Hackman was discovered in the entryway of the home.

One of the couple’s dogs was also found dead in a crate next to Arakawa’s body.

UNCERTAIN WILL

Hackman did not name his three children in his will, instead leaving his $80 million in assets to Arakawa.

Since authorities determined that Arakawa died before the two-time Academy Award winner, his children may be set to inherit his fortune as long as there is no other beneficiary named in his will.

Hackman’s children – Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58, who he had with ex-wife Faye Maltese – have not commented publicly on the matter.

The legendary actor previously spoke about the difficulties he had with raising his children, whom he was estranged from for years at a time.

“You become very selfish as an actor,” he told The New York Times in 1989.

“Even though I had a family, I took jobs that would separate us for three or four months at a time. The temptations in that, the money and recognition, it was too much for the poor boy in me.”

It’s not immediately clear who stands to benefit from the sale of Hackman and Arakawa’s house.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Justice Department is investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging the Democratic leaders may have impeded federal immigration enforcement through their public statements, two people familiar with the matter said Friday.

The investigation, which Walz and Frey said was a bullying tactic by the Republican administration meant to threaten political opposition, focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, said the people, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending investigation by name.

CBS News first reported the investigation.

The investigation comes during a weeks-long immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests.

The operation has become more confrontational since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7, with agents pulling people from cars and homes and frequently being confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave. State and local officials repeatedly have told protesters to remain peaceful.

In response to reports of the investigation, Walz said in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”

Sens. Kelly, from Arizona, and Slotkin, from Michigan, are under investigation by the Trump administration after appearing with fellow Democratic lawmakers in a video urging members of the military to resist “illegal orders,” as U.S. military code requires. The administration also launched a criminal investigation of Powell, a first for a sitting Federal Reserve chair, a nonpartisan position.

Walz’s office said it has not received any notice of an investigation. Frey in a statement described the investigation as an attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”

The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis did not immediately comment.

In a post on social media following reports of the investigation, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.” She did not specifically mention the investigation.

State calls for peaceful protests

With more protests expected in the Twin Cities this weekend, state authorities urged demonstrators to avoid confrontation.

“While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

His comments came after President Trump backed off slightly from his threat a day earlier to invoke an 1807 law, the Insurrection Act, to send troops to suppress demonstrations.

“I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

A U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled Friday that federal officers working in the Minneapolis-area enforcement operation can’t detain or tear-gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when they’re observing agents. The case was filed before Good’s shooting on behalf of six Minnesota activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.

Government attorneys argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves. But the ACLU said government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

Richer, Tucker and Brook write for the Associated Press. Richer and Tucker reported from Washington, Brook from Minneapolis. AP writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Ed White and Corey Williams in Detroit, Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City, Jesse Bedayn in Denver, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday after finding him guilty of charges including obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant, in the first ruling among eight criminal cases he faces.

Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 35, presided over by Judge Baek Dae-hyun, handed down the first-instance sentence at a hearing that began at 2 p.m., according to the court.

In its ruling, the court said a declaration of martial law infringes on citizens’ fundamental rights and should be used only in exceptional circumstances. The court said Yoon violated the Constitution by notifying only selected State Council members tied to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, infringing on the deliberation rights of members who were not informed.

The court said Yoon, as president, had a duty to uphold the Constitution and legal order but disregarded procedures meant to prevent presidential autocracy. It also said he obstructed the lawful execution of warrants, effectively turning the Presidential Security Service into a private army for his personal safety and private interests.

The court called the obstruction a serious crime that undermines lawful public authority and the national legal order, saying a severe punishment was needed to restore the rule of law.

Yoon was indicted and detained last January on allegations he mobilized Presidential Security Service personnel to block execution of an arrest warrant issued by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. He also faces allegations tied to convening only some cabinet members when declaring martial law.

The court also addressed whether investigators could probe a sitting president. It said the Criminal Procedure Act’s provision on presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, except for insurrection or treason, does not restrict investigations. The court said the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials could investigate Yoon, who was president at the time, for abuse of authority and obstruction of rights.

The court further ruled the execution of the arrest warrant by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission was lawful, saying the arrest of a president under investigation as an alleged leader of an insurrection could proceed even without the consent of the head of the Presidential Security Service, despite the residence being a site requiring military secrecy.

Yoon’s defense team said it would appeal, arguing the verdict should be reviewed and warning that, if the ruling’s logic stands, future presidents could be unable to make decisions during crises.

The sentencing was broadcast live after the court approved broadcasters’ requests for live coverage. It was the third time a former president’s trial has been aired live, following the cases of former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

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Situated between Denmark and Sweden, the ‘disappearing’ Øresund Bridge remains a powerful symbol of solidarity in Europe, and has even inspired a hit TV crime drama

Those who wish to sample the delights of Denmark and Sweden can visit both in just one day, thanks to a striking ‘disappearing bridge’.

With many of us eyeing up quirky travel destinations this summer, this intriguing construction is a bit of a must-see. Remember, however, it has a different name depending on what side of the crossing you’re on – Øresund in Danish and Öresund in Swedish.

What’s striking about this structure is that, while it begins as a bridge, it cleverly plunges into the ocean, transforming into a tube tunnel in such a way that makes it appear as though it simply vanishes beneath the surface. Completed in 2000, following a grand opening ceremony jointly hosted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Øresund connects the two great cities of Copenhagen and Malmö. This astonishing rail and road bridge is the second longest in Europe, bested only by the 18.1km Kerch Bridge, which connects Kerch, in Crimea, with Taman, in Russia

READ MORE: UK’s longest tunnel is used by 900,000 people a day and runs for 17 miles

While you certainly won’t be short of things to do on either side of the Øresund Strait – also known as ‘the Sound’ – this landmark really is an experience in itself. It’s regarded as an important symbol of unity and cooperation between the two nations, as well as with the wider European countries, as signified in powerful imagery used during the 58th Eurovision Song Contest, held in Malmö in 2013.

According to the ICE civil engineering group, the iconic link is comprised of an 8km-long bridge, a 4km underwater tube tunnel, which doubles as an artificial reef for marine life, plus 4km of an intriguing manmade island called Peberholm, left alone for the environment to flourish untouched. This acts as a unique junction for the bridge, which sees an average daily footfall of 70,000 people.

A collaborative project between Swedish company Svedab and Danish firm A/S, Øresundsforbindelsen is equipped with a motorway exit for authorised vehicles only, plus a helicopter pad for use in traffic emergencies. Crossing fees are dependent on your mode of transport. Motorcyclists can expect to pay £25.68, while passenger cars shell out £50.77. For those driving vans, motorhomes or passenger cars with a trailer, the fee is significantly pricier at a hefty £178.55.

All in all, the structure is approximately 16km in length, and cost £2.3 billion (£4.8 billion in today’s money) to build over a period of five years. Project designers opted to incorporate a tunnel over fears that a complete bridge could well interfere with radio signals from nearby Copenhagen Airport. This design also means a readily available shipping channel, whatever the weather.

More than a quarter of a century on since it was first unveiled, Øresund is regarded as a roaring success, helping to improve economic prospects for both Denmark and Sweden, and is credited with helping to build a trading region of some 4.2 million people, known on the world stage as the Øresund Region.

A recipient of the prestigious IABSE Outstanding Structure Award, Øresund is also immortalised in popular culture, being a key setting for the Swedish/Danish TV crime drama The Bridge. Seaon one, which first aired in 2011, kicked off with the discovery of a body on the bridge, located just between the two countries.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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The L0 Series is a magnetic levitation train built in Japan that’s the fastest in the world, capable of reaching speeds of up to 375mph. It is currently in testing

A lightning-fast train currently under development could potentially whisk passengers from London to Edinburgh in around an hour. The L0 Series, a Japanese creation, is an electric train capable of reaching speeds up to 375mph, making it the world’s fastest.

This extraordinary machine, currently undergoing testing, uses Maglev technology for propulsion. Maglev operates by magnetically levitating the train above the tracks and then employing another electric motor for forward motion. These trains essentially glide through the air powered by magnets and electricity, enabling them to reach staggering speeds.

The L0 series is no exception, with Top Gear reporting that once operational, it aims to cruise at around 311mph, allowing it to travel from Tokyo to Osaka in roughly an hour.

If the L0 Series were implemented, this would equate to a journey time from London to Penzance in Cornwall of just under an hour. The same duration would apply for a trip from the capital to Edinburgh, reports the Express. The current travel time between these iconic UK destinations by trainis just shy of five hours.

But that’s not the only impressive achievement of the L0 Series. Back in April 2015, it managed to cover a staggering 2,525 miles in a single day. That’s akin to travelling from London to one of Europe’s most easterly cities – Sulina in Romania – and back again.

Predictably, such a remarkable feat of engineering doesn’t come with a modest price tag. The scheme has been pushed back by eight years owing to escalating expenses, reaching an eye-watering £52billion.

The Chuo Shinkansen line that will transport the train will connect Tokyo and Nagoya.

“The maglev has been plagued by difficulties excavating tunnels needed to accommodate the train’s high speeds”, reported The Asahi Shimbun.

Around 85% of the scheme involves tunnels, according to a board member from the firm overseeing the venture.

JR Central’s board signed off on the updated budget on October 29, although the organisation emphasised that the 2035 deadline remains tentative.

Meanwhile in the UK, the Government has confirmed the revival of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) which will deliver quicker journeys between northern cities.

This means passengers will be able to travel between destinations such as Leeds, York, Bradford, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, and return more rapidly than previously.

An initial £1.1bn has been allocated for preparation and planning, with the first building work not anticipated to commence until 2030, as the programme receives £45bn worth of improvements, including a new railway station at Bradford plus enhancements to several stations.

Singer Julio Iglesias issued a statement in response to allegations this week that he sexually assaulted two former employees at his homes in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

The Grammy winner, the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias, on Thursday denied the allegations as “absolutely false” in an Instagram statement posted in Spanish. “I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman,” he said in his missive, which has been translated to English.

“These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness,” he wrote.

“I had never experienced such malice,” the singer, 82, added, according to the Associated Press, “but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront.”

Prosecutors in Spain said they are studying the allegations against Iglesias this week, claims that surfaced in media reports this week. Spanish online paper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias this week published a joint investigation into accusations that Iglesias sexually and physically assaulted the former employees — two women who say they were live-in workers at his homes in the Caribbean — between January and October 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nongovernmental organization Women’s Link Worldwide is representing the two accusers, claiming Iglesias committed “crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity such as sexual harassment” and of “human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and servitude.”

Spanish officials said they received a formal complaint about the allegations on Jan. 5. The court’s press office said Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, AP reported.

The Madrid-born singer rose to popularity in the late 1960s and is one of the world’s most successful music artists. He has sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages and garnered numerous Grammy nominations for his work, according to AP. A seven-time nominee, Iglesias won his first Grammy award in 1998, with his “Un Hombre Solo” winning the Latin Pop Performance prize.

Iglesias concluded his social media statement by thanking followers for their support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal officers in the Minneapolis area participating in the largest recent U.S. immigration enforcement operation can’t detain or tear-gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents, a judge in Minnesota ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez’s ruling addresses a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. They are among the thousands who have been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since last month.

Federal agents and demonstrators repeatedly have clashed since the crackdown began. The confrontations escalated after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away, a killing captured on video. Agents have arrested or briefly detained many people in the Twin Cities crackdown.

The activists in the case are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, which says government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

After the ruling, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying her agency was taking “appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”

She said people assaulted officers, vandalized their vehicles and federal property, and attempted to impede officers from doing their work.

“We remind the public that rioting is dangerous — obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,” McLaughlin said.

The ACLU didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Friday night.

The ruling prohibits the officers from detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles when there is no reasonable suspicion they are obstructing or interfering with the officers. Safely following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop,” the ruling said.

Menendez said the agents would not be allowed to arrest people without probable cause or reasonable suspicion the person has committed a crime or was obstructing or interfering with the activities of officers.

Menendez also is presiding over a lawsuit filed Monday by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to suspend the federal enforcement crackdown, and some of the legal issues are similar. She declined at a hearing Wednesday to grant the state’s request for an immediate temporary restraining order in that case.

“What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered,” state Assistant Atty. Gen. Brian Carter told her.

Menendez said the issues raised by the state and cities in that case are “enormously important.” But she said it raises high-level constitutional and other legal issues, and for some of those issues there are few on-point precedents. So she ordered both sides to file more briefs next week.

McAvoy and Karnowski write for the Associated Press and reported from Honolulu and Minneapolis, respectively. AP writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

The Ducks will be without leading scorer Leo Carlsson until after the Olympic break after the center underwent a surgical procedure to treat a lesion in his left thigh Friday. A team spokesperson said he is expected to miss three to five weeks, which also leaves his participation in next month’s Milan Cortina Olympics in doubt.

Carlsson, 21, had a team-high 44 points on 18 goals and 26 assists heading into Friday’s rivalry game with the Kings at Crypto.com Arena. He did not play in the Ducks’ 3-1 win over Dallas on Tuesday.

Carlsson, a Swede, is one of four Ducks selected to play in the Winter Games. Sweden is scheduled to open play on Feb. 11, with the knockout stage starting Feb. 17.

His injury, known as a Morel-Lavallée lesion, is a rare degloving condition in which skin and fat become separated from fascia tissue, leaving a fluid-filled space. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Carlsson had 20 goals and 45 points last season.

The Ducks entered Friday having won just one of their last 10 games to fall to sixth in the Pacific Division.

The year 2026 brings significant travel changes for Brits heading to the EU and beyond, so make sure you know the new rules coming into effect this year, and how they might impact your holiday plans

The travel landscape is always changing, with shifts in airport rules, tourism limitations, and additional paperwork often leaving holidaymakers puzzled about how the changes will affect them and what they need to do.

It seems that 2026 will see the way people travel change once more, especially for Brits journeying to or from the EU. The potential need for a visa waiver looms large, and the new entry and exit system is set to be introduced this year. But what does this mean for the typical holidaymaker?

Below is a rundown of some of the key travel rules you will want on your radar if you’ve got a trip lined up.

ETIAS – EU Visas

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is a new visa waiver programme for exempt visitors travelling to the EU. It’s a lot like the United States’ ESTA, and the process will be similar for those planning a European holiday.

Once in place, Brits planning an EU getaway will need to fill out an ETIAS application, which is a pre-screening that allows you to enter the Schengen Area without a visa. While the process will be simple, the main downside is that the visa will set you back €20 per person, about £17, with under 18s and over 70s exempt from the charge.

However, once approved, the ETIAS will remain valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. At present, no official launch date for ETIAS has been announced, but it’s wise to keep an eye out for any updates. Recently, Spain announced they were pushing the date back. It was thought that ETIAS would be required to visit the country by October 2026, but due to operational challenges, there will be a six month grace period, so it won’t be mandatory until April 2027.

As when applying for any travel visa or official document, it’s highly recommended to only use the official ETIAS website and avoid third-party sites.

EU Entry/Exit System (EES)

After multiple delays, the Entry/Exit System (EES) is set to be fully implemented by the deadline of April 10. Luckily, you don’t need to do anything once this system is in place, but Brits are being warned to they could face long airport queues upon arrival in the EU.

Once in place, anyone from outside the Schengen Area, including Brits, will have to submit fingerprints and a facial image at the border when entering all Schengen member countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. It means the phasing out of manual passport stamps and is set to make it easier for EU officials to identify those who overstay.

Car passengers from the Port of Dover were set to go through the EES system from October, but the date has now been pushed back until “early 2026”, with no exact date confirmed.

Tourist tax hikes and higher attraction fees

Brits travelling to certain countries could get caught out by additional charges as governments try to tackle overtourism.

A growing number of destinations are introducing tourist taxes, and while these are usually small nightly fees, they can quickly add up for longer stays or larger groups. English mayors are also set to gain the power to impose tourist taxes, meaning even domestic holidays could carry extra costs.

New tourist taxes set to kick off in 2026 include Edinburgh, where a 5% surcharge will be added to hotel bills from July, and Thailand, which will impose a 300 baht fee (roughly £7) on air passengers.

Brits jetting off overseas may also find themselves forking out more than the locals to gain entry to popular attractions. A prime example is Paris’s Louvre, which recently declared that from early 2026, EEA residents will be asked to cough up €22 (approximately £19.15) for admission, while those outside the EEA, including Brits, will face a steeper €32 entrance fee (around £27.86).

U.S. National Parks are also planning to roll out a two-tier pricing system for American citizens and tourists. The latter group will be slapped with an extra $100 charge on top of standard fees to access famous parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. This additional cost can be charged per person or per vehicle, depending on the park’s rules.

For instance, a family trip to the Grand Canyon usually sets visitors back by $35 (roughly £25.87) for a private car. However, under the new regulations for non-Americans, this fee will rocket to a whopping $135, meaning tourists could end up shelling out just shy of £100 merely to cross the threshold.

Rowdy passenger fines

A new French law is cracking down on out-of-control passengers, a move that could soon be followed by other EU countries. Travellers flying through French airspace who break rules such as using electronic devices when asked not to, obstructing flight crew, or ignoring safety instructions, now face hefty fines of up to €10,000 and bans from flying for up to four years.

For those who repeatedly flout the rules, fines can rocket to €20,000, serving as a stern warning to be on your best behaviour when flying. The French Civil Aviation Authority will keep a record of misbehaviour, allowing French airlines to report troublesome passengers and pinpoint repeat offenders.

Changes to liquid rules

UK airports are working to abolish the 100ml liquids rule, with new high-tech scanners being rolled out which means passengers won’t need to adhere to the strict restrictions that have been in place for years.

There was an original deadline of June 2024 for all UK airports to have these in place, but this has been repeatedly delayed, with some airports having finished the roll out, and others still doing the upgrades. As a result, your best bet is to check the rules at your individual airport.

The UK government advises on its website: “At most airports, you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security. This still applies if the container is only part full. Some airports may allow you to take liquid in containers that hold up to 2 litres of liquid.”

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Passengers at Birmingham, Gatwick, and Edinburgh airports can now pack up to two litres of liquids in their carry-on bags, thanks to upgraded scanning technology. Over at Luton Airport, while the 100ml rule still applies, there’s no need to separate liquids from your hand luggage anymore.

This means you can throw out those tiny plastic bags, and simply put your hand luggage on the belt, saving time when going through security.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that rules may vary at your destination. So, if you’re carrying a two-litre bottle from the UK in your hand luggage, you might have to stow it in your checked luggage for the return trip.

Tougher smoking and vaping restrictions

Several Spanish holiday destinations popular with Brits are planning stricter rules on smoking and vaping in public spaces. In some tourist magnets like Barcelona and the Balearic Islands, lighting up a cigarette or vape is already banned on beaches, while certain beaches in the Canaries have been designated as ‘clean-air zones’.

However, new proposals potentially coming into force in 2026 could see a blanket ban on smoking and vaping in various outdoor areas, including beaches and bar terraces across Spain, with instant fines for rule-breakers. In the Canary Islands, penalties for breaching anti-smoking laws currently range from €30 to €2,000 (roughly £26 to £1,730), so similar fines are expected to accompany the new regulations.

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

A flight attendant has shared insider secrets about flying – including the little white lies cabin crew tell passengers about coffee and temperature, plus what really happens to unfinished drinks

Flight attendants shoulder an enormous responsibility. Not only must they ensure passenger safety, but they’re also tasked with maintaining comfort and contentment throughout the journey.

The role demands extensive training and preparation – it’s far from straightforward.

These aviation professionals also possess a wealth of insider knowledge about the realities of air travel – and one cabin crew member has anonymously revealed their covert practices. Speaking to eShores, this flight attendant disclosed the harmless fibs they tell passengers – along with what becomes of those final drops of wine once the aircraft touches down.

They confessed to making one particular swap routinely in passengers’ best interests, reports the Express.

“When a business class passenger asks for a coffee on a night flight, I’ll make a decaf coffee just so that they can fall asleep”

But that’s not the sole untruth passengers might encounter. Aircraft cabins are notoriously frigid, yet should you request the attendants warm things up slightly, you might well be misled.

They admitted: “When passengers ask to have the temperature of the cabin turned up, we lie and say yes, we will turn it up, but really we don’t because we get warm walking around.”

Should you worry about catching a chill on your upcoming flight, it’s prudent to pack a scarf or blanket to drape around yourself, ensuring warmth regardless of the air conditioning settings. Another crucial point the cabin crew member highlighted concerns the water quality aboard aircraft.

With salty nibbles frequently on offer, passengers naturally become parched, but the onboard water supply might not be up to scratch.

They revealed: “The water tanks don’t get cleaned and are probably full of limescale, but we still drink it and use it for tea and coffee.”

It’s worth considering bringing your own bottled water if you harbour doubts about the taste of plane water, or alternatively opt for soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. That said, if you do indulge in a tipple, ensure you polish it off.

Any leftover alcohol at the conclusion of a flight gets poured straight down the sink. They explained: “We pour all unused wine and champagne down the drain before landing, even if it’s 3/4 full”.

Should such wastefulness trouble you, there’s always the option of decanting your unfinished beverage into your reusable water bottle to savour at a later time.