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.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — Firefighters contained a blaze in Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam district on Friday and were extinguishing remaining hot spots as investigators began examining the cause, officials said.

No casualties were reported, authorities said.

Jeong Kwang-hoon, head of the fire administration division at Seoul’s Gangnam Fire Station, told reporters at the scene that the response level was lowered to Level 1 after the initial firefighting phase was completed.

The fire started around 5 a.m. Friday. Authorities issued a Level 1 response at about 5:10 a.m. and raised it to Level 2 at about 8:49 a.m., then contained the main flames at about 11:34 a.m. and downgraded the response to Level 1.

Officials said 1,258 personnel were mobilized, including 343 firefighters, 320 district office workers and 560 police officers. They deployed 106 pieces of equipment, including pump trucks, water tankers and rescue vehicles.

The fire spread from District 4 to District 6 of the settlement, authorities said. Firefighters set defensive lines in Districts 3 and 5 to prevent further spread.

Jeong said narrow access roads made it difficult for fire trucks to enter at once and that many homes used combustible materials such as cotton batting, vinyl and styrofoam, complicating suppression efforts.

Officials said 258 residents were evacuated. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and other agencies set up a temporary shelter at Guryong Middle School and arranged accommodations at nearby lodging facilities.

Fire authorities said they plan to identify the ignition point and determine the specific cause.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Warnings come as Mexico’s Sheinbaum says ‘compelling results’ in tackling drug cartels, following Trump strike threats.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued notices to airlines, urging them to “exercise caution” over Mexico and other Central American countries, as well as Ecuador and Colombia, due to “military activities”.

On Friday, the FAA released a series of advisories that come amid an ongoing US military buildup in the Latin America region, including US military attacks on Venezuela, and US President Donald Trump’s warning to Cuba and threats of strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia, leaving many in the region on edge.

The FAA issued warnings of a “potentially hazardous situation” in a number of areas, including above parts of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortes.

The warnings issued on Friday will last 60 days, the FAA said.

Last month, a JetBlue passenger jet bound for New York took evasive action to avoid a midair collision with a US Air Force tanker plane near Venezuela.

JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed the Caribbean nation of Curacao and was flying about 64km (40 miles) off the coast of Venezuela when the Airbus plane reported encountering the Air Force jet, which did not have its transponder activated.

Following the US military’s January 3 attack on Caracas and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Trump has raised the possibility of other military actions in the area, including against Colombia.

Trump said last week that cartels were running Mexico and that the US “will now start hitting land” to combat them, in one of a series of threats to deploy US military force against drug traffickers.

After the attack on Venezuela, the FAA restricted flights throughout the Caribbean, which forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights by major airlines.

Mexico records ‘compelling results’

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that efforts to crack down on Mexico’s drug cartels and slow migration north were showing “compelling results” following Trump’s recent threats of strikes targeting drug cartels inside Mexico.

Sheinbaum has sought to placate Trump and has worked to build a strong relationship between the Mexican and US administrations.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente released a joint statement after a phone call, saying they agreed “more must be done to confront shared threats”.

Sheinbaum, mentioning the call on Friday in her morning news briefing, said that Mexico’s government had made significant progress, citing a steep drop in the homicide rate, much lower fentanyl seizures by US authorities at the border and sparse migration.

The president also reiterated her call for Washington to stop the trafficking of weapons into Mexico from the US and highlighted drug use in the US as a key factor heightening cartel violence in Mexico.

“The other side also has to do its part. This consumption crisis they have over there also has to be addressed from a public health perspective, through education campaigns,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum and Trump also spoke by phone last week, with the Mexican leader telling her counterpart that US intervention in Mexico was unnecessary.

Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

This week The Times published its rankings of the 101 best Los Angeles movies. Assembled from ballots by 17 film writers, the list would make for quite a viewing guide, running from 1924’s “Sherlock Jr.” to 2025’s “One of Them Days” and proving that there are many different versions and visions of the city. Directors including Amy Heckerling, David Lynch, Charles Burnett, Kathryn Bigelow, Michael Mann, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Altman and Billy Wilder all are represented on the list at least twice.

John Singleton’s 1991 drama “Boyz n the Hood,” starring Morris Chestnut, left, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube, made our list of the 101 best Los Angeles movies.

(Columbia Pictures)

“What makes a perfect L.A. movie?” Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf asked in his introduction to the list. “Some kind of alchemy of curdled glamour, palm trees, ocean spray, conspiracies big and small — and more than a pinch of vanity. From hard-bitten ’40s noirs and vertiginous Hollywood rises (and falls) to the real-life poetry of neighborhood dreamers and nighttime drivers, Los Angeles is always ready for its close-up. The city has long occupied a cinematic place, straddling its gauzy past and a dark, rainy future. Go west, they said, and we came here, a site of fantasy, industry, possibility and obsession.”

Times critic Amy Nicholson took a crack at what makes for a definitive Los Angeles film, tying it together with her own experiences moving here as a movie-mad transplant.

“Part of what defines a Los Angeles movie is our city’s willingness to turn the camera on itself, to prioritize a riveting tale over our own reputation. We’re eager to share our saga with the world. Our glamorous and gruesome history is all there in a close-up of ‘Chinatown’s’ Jack Nicholson: a movie star with a mutilated nose.”

Let us know your own favorites — and any titles you think we may have overlooked — by clicking here.

David Lynch, one year gone

Laura Dern in director David Lynch’s 2006 movie “Inland Empire.”

(Studio Canal)

Today marks the first anniversary of the death of filmmaker David Lynch, and Tuesday would have been his 80th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, venues all over town are celebrating Lynch and his work. The Academy Museum will have five nights of screenings, beginning with “Blue Velvet” in 4K with star Kyle MacLachlan as a special guest. “Lost Highway” and “Mulholland Drive” will also both screen in 4K. Star Laura Dern will attend for “Inland Empire” in 4K and ”Wild at Heart” in 35mm.

In her original review of “Blue Velvet,” Sheila Benson captured much of what has made Lynch’s work so enduring, writing, “Secrets are at the heart of David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet,’ the most brilliantly disturbing film ever to have its roots in small-town American life. Shocking, visionary, rapturously controlled, its images of innocence and a dark, bruising sexuality drop straight into our unconscious where they rest like depth charges. … ‘Blue Velvet’ takes us behind the working-class American facade, beneath the Technicolor grass, literally underground to the churning turmoil of black, shiny beetles below. It’s there. It’s always there, Lynch says, if you only look and listen.”

Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini in David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet.”

(Dino De Laurentiis Communications)

The American Cinematheque has launched a revisit of the entirety of the groundbreaking television series “Twin Peaks.” This week will feature Season 1, Episode 1, directed by Lynch himself.

On Tuesday, the Philosophical Research Society will present Episode 8 of the third season of “Twin Peaks,” widely hailed as the high pointof the reinvigorated return of the show. An introduction by cast members and a post-screening symposium involving experts from a wide range of fields should make for quite a night.

‘Goodfellas’ at 35

Lorraine Bracco and Ray Liotta in “Goodfellas.”

(Warner Bros. / Kobal / Shutterstock)

The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre will present a 35th anniversary screening of Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” with producer Irwin Winkler and co-screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi for a Q&A moderated by Scott Foundas.

With its innovative style and indelible performances by Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, “Goodfellas” would go on to redefine the gangster story — although it’s difficult from our vantage point to remember that the movie was once new.

In her original 1990 review, Sheila Benson wrote, “To see an artist working at the peak of his power, everything extraneous stripped away, every element there for a purpose, is an extraordinary exhilaration. Martin Scorsese gave us that pure, hot, unquestioned power last in ‘Raging Bull’ and, in virtuosity alone, ‘Goodfellas’ is ‘Raging Bull’ squared. .”

Points of interest

‘The Puffy Chair’ at 20

Katie Aselton and Mark Duplass in “The Puffy Chair.”

(Ink Films)

Some anniversaries we’re not ready for — has it really been that long? Such it is with Monday’s 20th anniversary screening at Vidiots of “The Puffy Chair,” which introduced the talents of Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass and Katie Aselton. In the years since, they have had remarkable careers together and apart, as Mark currently appears as an actor on “The Morning Show,” Jay’s latest film as director “See You When I See You” is about to premiere at Sundance and Katie’s own directing effort, “Their Town,” written by (husband) Mark and starring their daughter Ora, will premiere at SXSW. Aselton and both Duplass brothers are all scheduled to appear at the Vidiots screening.

“The Puffy Chair” was made for a reported $15,000 and was a key entry in the micro-budget movement that came to be known as mumblecore. The film tells the story of a young man and his girlfriend who go on a road trip to pick up a lounge chair that resembles one his father used to own.

In a 2006 review, Kevin Crust wrote, “The Duplass’ ability to accurately depict the rough edges that define relationships — both romantic and familial — is what elevates ‘Chair’ above the prototypical indie drama absorbed in aimlessness and twentysomething angst. What feels like meandering in the moment builds to a genuine emotional attachment to the characters. … Much of the film’s dialogue feels improvised, and there’s a casualness to the pacing that recalls early Richard Linklater. ‘Chair’ is one of those rare feature debuts that come out of Sundance (class of 2005) full of buzz and doesn’t disappoint.”

‘The Killing of a Chinese Bookie’ at 50

Ben Gazzara in “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.”

(Criterion Collection)

On Sunday the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre will host a 50th anniversary screening of the original extended 1976 cut of John Cassavetes’ “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.” In the film, Ben Gazzara plays an L.A. strip club owner with gambling debts who is begrudgingly enlisted by a mobster to kill a rival. With its mix of genres and tones, the movie made for a challenging follow-up to Cassavetes’ 1974 “A Woman Under the Influence,” with Gazzara’s magnetic performance colliding with the conventions of a genre thriller.

Charles Champlin’s original review of the film captures the confusion people felt on it’s initial release. As Champlin wrote, “In the earlier films, the weaving, poking, exploratory, hand-held cameras, the gargled sound, the mingling of very professional and very amateurish acting, the interminable scenes and the improvisatory sense usually combined to give a feeling of raw and painful honesty to the material. … Watching this stumbling story of a strip-joint owner forced into murder to square a gambling debt, you get the impression the filmmaker could not decide whether to make a ‘popular’ picture in something close to the gangster tradition or another of his studies of contemporary society.”

Bill Forsyth’s ‘Comfort and Joy’

An image from the movie “Comfort and Joy.”

(Mezzanine Film)

On Wednesday, Mezzanine will present Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth’s 1984 film “Comfort and Joy” introduced by actor Colin Burgess and filmmaker Alec Moeller. The follow-up to Forsyth’s “Local Hero,” the movie concerns a morning radio host in Glasgow (Bill Patterson) who learns that his girlfriend is leaving him on Christmas Eve. This sends him into an emotional spiral that somehow finds him caught between rival dairy vendors.

In her original review, Sheila Benson wrote, “‘Comfort and Joy’ is personal, droll, even more an inward observation than his other films. … It works on a variety of levels — one may be despair, but the others are parody, whimsy and irony. ‘Comfort and Joy’ is not broad humor but gentle civilized comedy — deftly performed — whose aftereffect is likely to be a glow of rueful recognition.”

In other news

‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’

Ralph Fiennes, left, and Jack O’Connell in “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”

(Sony Pictures)

Probably the most exciting new release this week is “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland. Arriving quickly after Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” last year, the film continues to add to the ongoing mythology of a rage-inducing virus that takes over the United Kingdom. Further following young Spike (Alfie Williams), the story finds him falling in with a psychotic gang led by the self-described Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and reencountering Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Ian Kelson.

In her review, Amy Nicholson wrote, “DaCosta shares Boyle’s tactic of attacking a theme from two flanks: a showy assault (we’re doomed!) and a subversive sneak-around (perhaps we always were). Zombie stories are either about a civilization’s collapse or its rebuilding and typically use our contemporary society as a measuring stick of success. … Having had decades to run free, the infected now resemble Neanderthals. Life has devolved to its primordial pool. This filthy and fascinating film is peering in, nose crinkled and stomach churning, to see what bubbles up.”

‘A Private Life’

Jodie Foster and Daniel Auteuil in “A Private Life.”

(Jérôme Prébois / Sony Pictures Classics)

Rebecca Zlotowski’s “A Private Life” stars Jodie Foster as an American psychiatrist who lives in Paris, a role that gives the star a chance to utilize her fluency in French. When a troubled patient dies suddenly, Foster’s Lilian begins to suspect there is more to the story than first appears, turning into an amateur sleuth. The cast also includes Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Irène Jacob, Aurore Clément, Frederick Wiseman and Daniel Auteuil as Lilian’s ex-husband Gaby.

As Robert Abele wrote in his review, “As ‘A Private Life’ moves along, with Lilian negotiating a break-in, threats and lapses in judgment, it never exactly coheres. Yet it somehow entertains, which is a testament to Zlotowski’s energy juggling her various theme-colored story balls. While the mystery plot strains to be interesting as a lesson for its protagonist about how one never can fully know another human being, Lilian’s and Gaby’s rekindled affection is a wonderfully mature strand of midlife complexity, with Auteuil and Foster giving all their scenes the kind of nuanced, lived-in humor that suggests a flinty couple who never fully believed they were done with each other.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez, a White House official said Friday.

Vázquez pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing was set for later this month.

Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars, something that Vázquez’s attorneys opposed as they accused prosecutors of violating a guilty plea deal reached last year that saw previous charges including bribery and fraud dropped.

They noted that Vázquez had agreed to plead guilty to accepting a promise of a campaign contribution that was never received.

Attorneys for Vázquez did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The official who confirmed the planned pardon indicated Trump saw the case as political prosecution and said the investigation into Vázquez, a Republican aligned with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, had begun 10 days after she endorsed Trump in 2020. The official wasn’t authorized to reveal the news by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress and a member of the island’s main opposition party, condemned a pardon for Vázquez.

“Impunity protects and fosters corruption. The pardon … undermines public integrity, shatters faith in justice, and offends those of us who believe in honest governance,” said Hernández, a Democrat with Puerto Rico’s Popular Democratic Party.

Vázquez, an attorney, was the U.S. territory’s first former governor to plead guilty to a crime, specifically accepting a donation from a foreigner for her 2020 political campaign.

She was arrested in August 2022 and accused of engaging in a bribery scheme from December 2019 through June 2020 while governor. At the time, she told reporters that she was innocent.

Authorities said that Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions was investigating an international bank owned by Venezuelan Julio Martín Herrera Velutini because of alleged suspicious transactions that had not been reported by the bank.

Authorities said Herrera and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent who provided consulting services to Herrera, allegedly promised to support Vázquez’s campaign if she dismissed the commissioner and appointed a new one of Herrera’s choosing.

Authorities said Vázquez demanded the commissioner’s resignation in February 2020 after allegedly accepting the bribery offer. She also was accused of appointing a new commissioner in May 2020: a former consultant for Herrera’s bank.

Vázquez was the second woman to serve as Puerto Rico’s governor and the first former governor to face federal charges.

She was sworn in as governor in August 2019 after former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned following massive protests. Vázquez served until 2021, after losing the primaries of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party to former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.

Superville writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed to this report.

Dunlop’s dramatic Superbike win at the North West 200 was named Race of the Year.

Jonathan Rea, who called time on his distinguished World Superbike career at the end of the 2025 season, was presented with a Special Recognition Award in light of his six consecutive titles in the series from 2015 to 2020.

Donegal rider Rhys Irwin was chosen as Short Circuit Rider of the Year after winning the British Supersport championship, with Ulster Superbike champion and Sunflower Trophy winner Carl Phillips the Short Circuit Rider of the Year on Irish circuits.

Casey O’Gorman, who made his debut in the Moto3 GP series at world level, was selected as Young Rider of the Year, while Emma McQuaid collected the Female Trailblazer prize.

Last year, Emma once again made history by becoming the first female ever to represent Ireland in a mixed-gender Nations team — not only in Quad Cross of Nations, but across any Nations event where men and women compete together. A milestone moment, not just for Emma, but for motorsport itself.

The Joey 25 event, held in Ballymoney in May to celebrate the life and racing career of Joey Dunlop 25 years since his passing, was the Event of the Year.

Davey Todd won the King of the Roads crown following a season which yielded a treble at the North West 200, a first win in the Superbike race at the TT, a Southern 100 Solo Championship success and a Macau Grand Prix victory.

Cork racing outfit Team 109 received the Team of the Year after becoming the first Irish team to win a world championship in short circuits – the World Supersport 300 series – with 17-year-old Benat Fernandez their rider.

Former British 250cc champion Adrian Coates was inducted into the Hall of Fame, with Dungannon’s Paul Cranston collecting a Services to Motorcycling award, reflecting his lengthy involvement in competing in the sport on both roads and short circuits.

David Allingham received the BSB Breakthrough Award after a hugely impressive campaign in the British Superstock series which saw him finish runner-up in the series and take a double success at the Brands Hatch round in late July.

Cole McCullough was named Off Road Rider of the Year after achieving a maiden win in grand prix motocross.

If you want to visit a seaside town that’s like stepping back in time, this pretty stretch of coast is full of well-preserved historic buildings and even has Britain’s oldest running Punch and Judy show

A day at the seaside is a classic British activity, but sadly, many of the charming traditions associated with these holidays are melting away as quickly as a dropped Mr Whippy as families opt to jet off on sunny breaks instead.

However, one seaside town in Wales has a range of old-fashioned holiday attractions to enjoy, and it even has a yearly festival dedicated to its Victorian heritage.

While Llandudno has roots dating back to the Stone Age, the area saw a huge amount of growth in the Victorian era as men flocked to the area to work in the copper mines, as well as fishing and agriculture. It was then developed into a seaside resort, with the addition of Llandudno railway station in 1858 bringing flocks of Victorians to the coast for fresh air and relaxation.

In the same year, a small wooden pier was added, offering a place for visitors to wander and enjoy the sea air. Around 20 years later, it was rebuilt as Llandudno Pier, which remains standing today with its distinctive Victorian cast-iron railings and domed buildings. There are cafes, bars, and shops along the walk, plus amusements and small fairground rides at the end of the pier.

Another marvel of Victorian engineering is the Great Orme Tramway, a funicular railway that climbs up through Great Orme Country Park and Nature Reserve to the peak of Great Orme. The tram station starts in a small station close to the pier, where you board these beautifully preserved vintage carriages. The route is about a mile long up the rocky cliffs and takes about 20 minutes, with spectacular sea and countryside views along the way.

Stop at the halfway station and you can explore Great Orme Mines, which date back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age. First discovered in the 1980s, a huge network of tunnels has been uncovered since, and you can take a tour to explore this winding underground mine. Be warned, it’s not an experience for the claustrophobic, and you’ll need sensible shoes and clothing for safety reasons.

North Shore Beach is one of the town’s most popular attractions, especially on sunny days. While it’s mostly sandy and pebbly, there are softer areas where you can set up a blanket and build a sandcastle. You can even take a donkey ride along the promenade, which the kids will love. During peak season, you can enjoy Britain’s oldest running Punch and Judy show, which is performed by the fifth generation of the Codman family. The performers still use the original puppets from the town’s Victorian heyday, which were carved from driftwood found on the beach.

Llandudno has a lively town centre, also made up of modern buildings, such as a large shopping centre, alongside Victorian architecture. There’s a good selection of high street and independent shops, as well as cafes, pubs, and restaurants all a short walk from the seafront.

Visit during the May bank holiday weekends and you can enjoy the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza, a free street fair that celebrates the town’s Victorian heritage. This year, it’ll run from May 2 to 4 with further dates to be confirmed.

READ MORE: Underrated seaside town with nudist beach and amazing highsteet named one of 2026’s must-visitsREAD MORE: The bustling market town that feels like stepping back in time

Along the streets, you’ll find vintage fairground rides such as old carousels, steam engine displays, and food stalls selling seaside favourites from candy floss to fish and chips. You can also book tickets for a traditional Victorian circus, as well as enjoy street entertainment and an overall wholesome atmosphere during these popular weekend events.

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

Jan. 16 (UPI) — Attorneys for alleged Charlie Kirk murderer Tyler Robinson on Friday argued that a prosecutor should be removed from the case due to a claimed conflict of interest.

Robinson, 22, and his legal team were in the Fourth Judicial District Court to seek the removal of an unnamed prosecutor because his daughter attended the Sept. 10 Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem when Kirk was shot and killed.

The daughter also is a potential witness against Robinson and was about 85 feet from Kirk when he was shot, and the Utah County Attorney’s Office sent law enforcement to protect her upon learning of the shooting, Robinson’s attorneys argued during an Oct. 24 hearing.

They moved to remove the prosecutor from the case and at the very least want him off the case until the motion is either approved or denied.

The prosecutor and his daughter are not “immune to [the] trauma” arising from the shooting, which could lead the prosecutor to make personal rather than professional decisions, Robinson said, as reported by KTVX.

The prosecutors dismissed Robinson’s claim, saying the prosecutor’s daughter is an adult and there is no conflict of interest in his remaining on the case.

The young woman reacted to the shooting in a “comparatively minor emotional” manner compared to those who were close to Kirk when the shooting occurred, the prosecutors argued.

She has no personal knowledge of the murder, they argued, and is just one of thousands of witnesses who attended the event and saw the shooting unfold.

They also said Robinson’s attorneys have not provided any evidence to support their claim of a conflict of interest.

Robinson’s defense attorneys moved to have the court send its motion to the Utah Attorney General’s Office instead of continuing with Friday’s motion hearing.

That request caused an about 45-minute delay in the motion hearing, and Judge Tony Graf asked the defense and prosecution if an evidentiary hearing with witnesses should be scheduled to further litigate the motion.

Graf said there is insufficient evidence to refer the case to the Utah attorney general, and Robinson’s attorneys asked that he allow more evidence to be entered until the motion is decided.

The motion hearing ended with no ruling given, but an evidentiary hearing could be scheduled and include witnesses before Graf rules on the motion to remove the prosecutor from the case.

Caracas, January 16, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez expressed her willingness to “continue shaping energy cooperation” with the United States while “respecting international legality.”

Rodríguez delivered the “Memoria y Cuenta” address to the nation before the National Assembly on Thursday, having taken office following the January 3 US military attacks and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

In her speech, Rodríguez highlighted some of the country’s recent economic achievements amidst wide-reaching US sanctions, including a reported 19 consecutive quarters of economic growth and an expected 8.5 percent GDP growth in 2025.

The acting president likewise stated that the Caribbean nation had eliminated gasoline imports last year. Rodríguez went on to announce a reform of Venezuela’s Hydrocarbon Law in order to promote foreign investment. The proposal seeks to incorporate mechanisms established under the 2020 Anti-Blockade Law to circumvent unilateral sanctions.

Rodríguez focused her speech on the importance of diplomacy, stressing that Venezuela “has the right” to maintain ties with China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, as well as the US.

With the US government reportedly administering Venezuelan oil sales and the Trump administration vowing to control the industry for an “indefinite” period, Rodríguez reiterated that Caracas remains open to energy relations in which “all parties benefit.” 

She also reaffirmed her willingness to strengthen bilateral relations with Washington without subordination, urging legislators not to “fear” diplomatic initiatives. 

“The acting president is afraid because she is threatened; Venezuela is threatened—Venezuela as a whole,” she said. “That is why I call for national unity, so that with sovereignty as our guiding principle, we can wage the diplomatic battle.”

Rodríguez went on to affirm that if, as acting president, she were to travel to Washington, she would do so “standing upright, walking—never groveling.”

Diplomatic rapprochement

The acting president’s diplomatic focus came days after the Venezuelan government announced the start of an exploratory process with the US aimed at reopening the respective embassies in Caracas and Washington, DC. Venezuelan officials have defended the diplomatic rapprochement with the need to denounce Maduro and Flores’ kidnapping and offer consular support during their upcoming trial.

Caracas also reported the arrival of a US State Department delegation last week to evaluate conditions for the embassy reopening. The Maduro government broke diplomatic ties with the first Trump administration in 2019 after the latter recognized the self-proclaimed “interim government” headed by Juan Guaidó.

Rodríguez further revealed that on January 14 she held a “long and courteous” phone call with Trump, during which they discussed “a working agenda for the benefit of both peoples.” The US president confirmed the exchange, describing the conversation as “great” and calling Rodríguez “a wonderful person” with whom “it is very easy to work.”

On Thursday, the Venezuelan leader reportedly held a meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe at Maiquetía airport. According to the New York Times, the two discussed intelligence cooperation, with Ratcliffe emphasizing that Venezuela should cease to be an alleged “safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narco-traffickers.” The Rodríguez administration has yet to comment on the meeting.

Additionally, the interim president dispatched Félix Plasencia—former foreign minister and ambassador to the UK—to hold meetings with US officials in Washington. 

Plasencia’s visit coincided with a trip by opposition figure María Corina Machado, who held what the BBC described as a “brief and atypical” encounter with Trump at the White House. The far-right leader handed the US president her Nobel Peace Prize medal. 

The gesture drew criticism from Norwegian experts and media outlets, who labeled it “incredibly shameful” and “damaging” to the award. The Nobel Committee’s decision to grant Machado the prize had likewise come under fire due to the far-right leader’s history of involvement in violent coup plots and calls for foreign intervention.

Trump, however, thanked Machado for the “gesture of respect,” though the White House later stated that the visit was just a “courtesy” with no influence on administration policy. Following the January 3 attacks, the US president dismissed Machado’s prospects of leading Venezuela, adding that she “did not have respect within the country.”

Meanwhile, agreements between Caracas and Washington continue to move forward, including the resumption of deportation flights from the US on Friday. The first such flight, operated by Eastern Air Express, departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport with 199 Venezuelan migrants onboard.

The previous deportation flight had taken place on December 10. Two days later, the Venezuelan government announced that the Trump administration had unilaterally suspended the migrant repatriation program.

Edited and with additional reporting by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Mickey Rourke is doubling down on his disgust over a fundraiser that quickly raised more than $100,000 on his behalf, calling it an embarrassing “scam” and a “vicious cruel lie” and promising “severe repercussions to [the] individual who did this very bad thing” to him.

At the same time, the fundraiser — aimed at keeping Rourke in his home when he faced eviction because of almost $60,000 in unpaid rent — has been taken down, with the actor’s name being used now by others to boost their more anonymous efforts.

(A Friday morning search for “Mickey Rourke” on GoFundMe yielded more than a dozen campaigns drafting off the search value of the actor’s high-profile situation but the campaign set up for the “9½ Weeks” actor was nowhere to be found.)

The GoFundMe had been placed on pause last week after more than $100,000 was raised in two days, with Rourke’s manager Kimberly Hines writing, “Thank you so much for your generosity and for standing with Mickey during this time. Your support truly means a great deal to us, and we are grateful for every donation. We remain committed to finding a resolution and are working with Mickey to determine the next steps.”

Rejecting the donations, Rourke called the fundraiser “humiliating” and “really f— embarrassing” in a video posted last week, saying he didn’t need the money.

“I wouldn’t know what a GoFund foundation is in a million years,” said the actor, 73, who was a leading man in the 1980s with movies including “Barfly” and “Angel Heart” and was Oscar-nominated for his work in 2008’s “The Wrestler.” “My life is very simple and I don’t go to outside sources like that.”

He said later in the video that he “would never ask strangers or fans for a nickel. That’s not my style.”

Hines might disagree, as she said she’s the one who has been fronting the money to cover Rourke’s move out of the Beverly Grove house and into a hotel and subsequently into a Koreatown apartment.

Hines’ assistant’s name had been listed as the creator of the fundraiser, with Hines named as the beneficiary. The actor’s manager of nine years told the Hollywood Reporter on Jan. 6 that Rourke knew the origins of the effort, despite saying he did not: She and her assistant had run the idea past his assistant before it was launched, she said, and both teams were OK with it.

“Nobody’s trying to grift Mickey. I want him working. I don’t want him doing a GoFundMe,” Hines told THR. “The good thing about this is that he got four movie offers since yesterday. People are emailing him movie offers now, which is great because nobody’s been calling him for a long time.”

But Rourke was still fretting over it Thursday on Instagram, where he said in a couple of posts that there was still more than $90,000 to be returned to his supporters and promised that his attorney was “doing everything in his power” to make sure people got their “hard earned money” back.

He also thanked some “great” friends who he said reached out after seeing the “scam” that he needed money, including UFC boss Dana White and fighter Bill “Superfoot” Wallace.

Rourke said in his Jan. 6 video, shot while he was staying at a hotel, “I’m grateful for what I have. I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ve got food to eat. … Everything’s OK. Just get your money back, please. I don’t need anybody’s money, and I wouldn’t do it this way. I’ve got too much pride. This ain’t my style.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday said he would like to keep his top economic advisor, Kevin Hassett, at the White House rather than potentially nominate him to replace Jerome H. Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve.

“I actually want to keep you where you are, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said at a White House event, when he saw Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, in the audience. ”I just want to thank you, you were fantastic on television the other day.”

Trump’s comments, while not clearly definitive, have upended expectations around the extensive search the White House has undergone to find a new Fed chair, one of the most powerful financial positions in the world. The president’s remarks have boosted the prospects for Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and already a top contender for the position.

Hassett has generally been seen as the front-runner in the race to replace Powell because he has worked for Trump since his first presidential term. Last month, Trump referred to Hassett as a “potential Fed chair.”

Powell’s term as chair will end May 15, though he could take the unusual step of remaining on the board as governor afterward. Trump appointed Powell in 2018 but soon soured on him for raising the Fed’s key interest rate that year.

Warsh’s candidacy probably has also been boosted by the Justice Department’s subpoenas of the Federal Reserve last week, revealed Sunday in an unusually direct video statement by Powell. The Fed chair charged that the subpoenas were essentially punishment for the central bank’s refusal to lower interest rates as sharply as Trump would like.

The criminal investigation — a first for a sitting Fed chair — sparked pushback on Capitol Hill, with many Republican senators dismissing the idea that Powell could have committed a crime. The subpoenas related to testimony Powell gave in June before the Senate Banking Committee that touched on a $2.5-billion building renovation project.

The backlash has intensified concerns in the Senate, analysts say, that the Trump administration is seeking to undermine the Fed’s independence from day-to-day politics. That, in turn, may reduce Hassett’s prospects.

The brouhaha over the subpoenas is “making it harder to confirm Hassett, who is distinctively close to the president,” Krishna Guha, an analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI, wrote in a client note. “Warsh is trusted by Senate Republicans and would be much easier to confirm.”

Yet Warsh, historically, is known as a “hawk,” or someone who traditionally supports higher interest rates to ward off inflation, as opposed to a “dove,” or someone who prefers lower borrowing costs to spur hiring and growth.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose Friday, to just above 4.2%, from about 4.17% Thursday. The increase probably reflected a sense that Warsh’s chances had improved, and as a result the Fed would be less likely over time to cut rates than under a Hassett chairmanship.

Rugaber writes for the Associated Press.

Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss Saturday’s game in Portland because of left groin soreness, the team announced Friday.

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer averaging 33.6 points per game, appeared to struggle with a groin injury during a loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. But he didn’t miss games on Tuesday and Thursday as the Lakers (24-15) traversed a particularly difficult week of five games in seven days.

Doncic led the Lakers to a win against Atlanta, and he played a team-high 35 minutes and 43 seconds in Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 39 points with four assists in the loss, which was the Lakers’ fourth in the last five games.

The Lakers, who finish a back-to-back set on Sunday at home against the Toronto Raptors, could also be without both centers against Portland. Starter Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and backup Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) are both questionable. Ayton is averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. Hayes has missed the last two games because of the injury but coach JJ Redick said Thursday the 7-foot center could be back this weekend.

Forward Adou Thiero remains out with a right medial collateral ligament sprain and guard Austin Reaves is closing in on the final week of the initial four-week timetable provided for his left calf strain. After aggravating the injury on Christmas Day, Reaves was ruled out for at least a month before he would be reevaluated.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — A pre-dawn fire tore through Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam district on Friday, forcing residents of what is often called the city’s last shantytown to flee with little more than what they could carry.

The blaze broke out around 5 a.m., leaving residents scrambling down the hillside as flames spread through tightly packed homes, according to residents and reporters at the scene.

Kang, 66, said she escaped after a neighbor banged on her door shouting that there was a fire. She said she left behind a gold ring she had saved to give her son for his wedding.

“I left my son’s wedding ring behind,” she said, breaking down as she described saving for years for the gift. She said the wedding date was set for Dec. 22.

By morning, sections of the settlement showed collapsed roofs, charred walls and shattered windows, with household items scattered along the narrow lanes. Coal briquettes stacked for winter could be seen through broken windows.

As black ash hung in the air, residents were urged to evacuate quickly, witnesses said.

Park Cheon-su, 78, who lives in the village’s District 6, said he turned back during the evacuation to retrieve medication he was taking. Despite warnings from firefighters, he said he went back inside.

“Is dying from not taking my medicine any different than dying in a fire?” he shouted, according to witnesses.

Park later emerged holding his medication packets and wearing no shoes, witnesses said. Looking toward the smoke, he said, “The world is truly cruel.” He said he had lived there for 30 years.

After the fire was brought under control, displaced residents gathered at a nearby community center, where they were given food and water, residents said. Some refused to eat, saying they had no appetite.

Noh Jeong-ae, 80, said she grabbed what she could during the escape but ended up with only two scarves. She repeatedly asked what would happen to her home, residents said. Another longtime resident said he did not know where he could go at his age.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

These are the key developments from day 1,423 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is where things stand on Saturday, January 17 :

Fighting

• Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian city of Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing two women and injuring six people, the head of the regional administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, wrote on Facebook.
• Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that Russian forces seized five settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region in the past week, including Zakotnoye and Zhovtnevoye in the past 24 hours, Russia’s TASS state news agency reports.
• Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged its forces attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military facilities seven times over the past week, including one operation described as a major strike against its neighbour.
• A Ukrainian drone strike killed a man in Russian-occupied Kherson, Moscow’s appointed official in the region, Volodymyr Saldo, said, according to TASS.
• Ukrainian attacks left 68,000 households without electricity in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, TASS also reported, citing local Russian-appointed official, Yevhen Balitsky.
• Russia and Ukraine on Friday agreed to a localised ceasefire to allow repairs on the last remaining backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
• Work on the power line, which was damaged and disconnected as a result of military activity on January 2, should start “in the coming days”, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a statement.
• ‍Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that 422,704 people had signed ⁠contracts with the Russian ​Armed Forces last year, state ‍news agencies reported. The number of sign-ups is lower than in 2024, ‍when about 450,000 ⁠people signed contracts to join the Russian army.

Ukraine energy crisis

• Children across Ukraine risk hypothermia in freezing temperatures as emergency stocks of power generators run low following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, international aid agencies said on Friday.
• Almost the entire Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is currently occupied by Russian forces, was left without electricity following an explosion, Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, said on the Telegram messaging app.
• Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 67 apartment buildings remain without heat in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, more than a week after a Russian attack left 6,000 apartments without heating, as temperatures continue to fall to -17 degrees Celsius (1.4 Fahrenheit) overnight.
• Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that “severe weather conditions and frost” are continuing to complicate efforts to restore heat and electricity following Russian attacks, in an update shared on Facebook.
• Svyrydenko said that 17 electrical substations are now being powered by generators, as repair work continues and that 1,300 tents have been deployed in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where many households still remain without heating.
• Curfew restrictions have been relaxed in places where the energy emergency is ongoing, so that people can access shelters with heating where needed, the prime minister said.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding to Svyrydenko’s updates, said that tens of thousands of people are working to restore electricity and heat across the country.
• Zelenskyy also said that he spoke with British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and thanked him for the United Kingdom’s decision to provide an “energy support package” for Ukraine.
• The UK announced on Friday that it would provide 20 million British pounds ($26.7m) “of new support … for vital energy infrastructure repairs in Ukraine as Russia’s barbaric attacks on innocent civilians intensify”.

Peace talks

• A Ukrainian delegation is en route to the United States for talks with Washington on security guarantees and a post-war recovery package, Zelenskyy said on Friday, expressing hope the documents could be signed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.
• During the talks, ⁠Kyiv’s team also hopes to get clarity from the US on the Russian stance towards US-backed diplomatic efforts to end the nearly ​four-year war, Zelenskyy told a news conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Czech President Petr Pavel.
• The European Commission is considering ways to allow Ukraine’s quick accession to the European Union as part of a peace deal with Russia, but without giving Kyiv full membership rights, which would only be “earned” after transition periods, EU officials told the Reuters news agency.

Military aid

• President Zelenskyy said on Friday that allied supplies of air defence systems and missiles were insufficient and warned Russia was preparing new massive strikes. He said it was crucial that allied countries heed Ukraine’s requests for additional supplies.
• The ‌Czech Republic is set to provide Ukraine with combat ‍planes shortly ‍that can shoot down incoming drones, President Pavel told Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday. Pavel did not give specifics, but two years ago ⁠said Czech-made subsonic L-159 fighter jets could be transferred to ​Ukraine.

Regional security

• Five men have been charged in Poland with taking part in a Russian-run sabotage plot to send explosive parcels to the UK, the US, Canada and other destinations, and will face life sentences if convicted, prosecutors said ⁠on Friday.
• The four Ukrainian citizens and one Russian were charged “with acting … on behalf of the intelligence ​services of the Russian Federation”, the Polish National Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
• Lithuanian prosecutors charged six foreign nationals accused of planning an arson attack in 2024 on a company producing military equipment for Ukraine, in a plot believed to have been ordered by Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.
• Those charged include nationals of Spain, Colombia, Cuba, Russia and Belarus, as well as a dual Spanish-Colombian citizen. The company manufactures mobile radio-frequency analysis stations for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Politics and diplomacy

• The Kremlin said Friday it considered calls by some European states to resume dialogue with Russia as “positive”, after French and Italian leaders called for re-engagement with Moscow on Ukraine.
• Dialogue between the EU and Russia has been virtually frozen since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive on Ukraine in 2022, with the bloc imposing huge sanctions and travel restrictions on Russia.
• A court in Kyiv released former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on bail on Friday pending a trial to determine whether she paid members of Ukraine’s parliament to sway their voting. The 65-year-old stalwart of Ukrainian politics, who has denied the charges and said the case is politically motivated, served as prime minister twice after 2005.

DISGRACED actor Noel Clarke has been declared bankrupt after losing a legal battle over sexual misconduct allegations. 

The former Doctor Who star, who also wrote and directed hit films and dramas, was slapped with costs of up to £6million. 

The married dad, 50, sued a newspaper for libel but a High Court judge said abuse claims by 20 women were “substantially true”. 

An initial £3million legal costs payment was due by late last year but he filed for bankruptcy in a bid to avoid paying. 

Official paperwork confirms Clarke, living in London’s upmarket borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was formally declared bankrupt on December 11.

Sources say he always knew he would never be able to meet his costs if he lost the case but “blindly pushed on regardless”. 

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Clarke continues to protest his innocence and said after he lost his case: “For almost five years, I have fought against a powerful media outlet and its extensive legal teams over inaccurate and damaging reporting.

“These stories started via anonymous emails portraying me as a monster to attract attention and outrage.

“The goal was to damage my career, and they succeeded.

“I have never claimed to be perfect. But I am not the person described in these articles.

“Overnight I lost everything, the media outlet didn’t just ruin my life they ripped through my family’s also.”

He shot to fame playing Mickey Smith during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras of Doctor Who between 2005 and 2010.

Clarke also starred in blockbuster films such as Star Trek Into Darkness and turned to writing and directing, making movies including the ‘hood series – Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood.

In 2009, Clarke won the Rising Star prize at the Bafta Film Awards, and in 2021 was given Bafta’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema honour.

But that award and his Bafta membership were suspended when women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso will not run for Los Angeles mayor or California governor, after months of speculation that he would seek one of the two posts.

Caruso, who had been teasing a possible run for months, made his decision Friday, saying it came after “many heartfelt conversations” with his family.

“Though my name will not be on a ballot, my work continues,” Caruso said on X. “Public service does not require a title. It is, and always will be, my calling.”

Caruso’s plans were the talk of political circles for many months. Recently, he seemed to confirm that he would seek one of the two positions.

When asked by a reporter on Jan. 7 if it was possible he would not run for any position, Caruso responded: “That option is pretty much off the table now.”

Caruso said he will focus on his nonprofit, Steadfast LA, which brings industry leaders together to help with the Palisades fire recovery.

The 66-year-old developer behind popular L.A. malls like the Grove and the Americana at Brand spent $100 million of his own fortune against Karen Bass in 2022, outspending her 11 to 1 in his failed bid. But Bass beat him by nearly 10 percentage points.

Caruso served as president of the L.A. Police Commission in the 2000s and helped the city hire William Bratton as police chief. He was appointed to the Department of Water and Power board in 1984, at age 26 — the youngest commissioner in city history at the time.

Caruso has steadily critiqued the mayor online and in public appearances since 2022, seemingly honing and refining his argument for voters to reject the incumbent, whom he has described as incompetent.

“Her record is so bad,” Caruso said at a town hall he hosted at the Americana on Nov. 3.

Caruso’s decision not to run for mayor solidifies the 2026 field against Bass. Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner is running a moderate campaign, with arguments about Bass’ response to the Palisades fire and quality of life concerns that are similar to Caruso’s. The developer’s entry could have thrown a wrench into Beutner’s campaign.

Bass also faces a challenge from her left with Rae Huang, a community organizer and reverend, announcing a run for mayor in November.

Most recently, the entry of former reality star and Palisades fire victim Spencer Pratt has added new intrigue to the race.

Bass’ campaign declined to comment on Caruso’s decision.

As for governor, some voters in deep blue pockets of the state may have rejected Caruso, a former Republican who registered as a Democrat in 2022 and has faced questions over his past party registration.

Still, the developer, who has made public safety and quality of life issues his main talking points, might have attracted California voters unhappy with the current crop of gubernatorial candidates.

No single candidate has dominated the field, while some potential contenders, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, have announced they’re not running.

As he weighed a bid for governor in the last year, Caruso traveled multiple times to Sacramento and around the state to meet with labor leaders, community groups and politicians.

“My guess is he did polling and he did not see a path forward,” said Sara Sadhwani, a professor of politics at Pomona College.

“Had he jumped into either race and lost, it would have made the prospects of elected office even further away,” she said.