Ulster back row Juarno Augustus will be sidelined “for a number of weeks” because of the ankle ligament injury he sustained in the United Rugby Championship win over Connacht in Galway.

Augustus left the field midway through the second half of his team’s 29-24 success at Dexcom Stadium and Ulster say the damage is “significant”.

The former Northampton Saints number eight has initially been ruled out of Friday’s URC match with Munster in Belfast.

Meanwhile Ethan McIlroy’s injury woe has continued as he faces a further spell out of action after picking up a rib injury in Ballynahinch’s Senior Cup Final victory over Instonians.

Eric O’Sullivan (hamstring), Matthew Dalton (knee), Iain Henderson (back) and Rob Herring (knee) have all resumed team training and their availability for selection will be assessed through training this week.

Ulster sit fifth in the URC table, three points below second-placed Munster, so have the opportunity to leapfrog their Irish interprovincial rivals in the table with a win at Affidea Stadium.

Russia says it will take a more hardline stance in negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine after claiming Kyiv tried to attack a Russian presidential residence – allegations Ukraine says Moscow has fabricated to justify further aggression.

Accusations and counteraccusations are rife as the war rages and the push for peace remains precarious.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that the alleged drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in Novgorod, a region in northwestern Russia, had been intended to derail recent diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.

“This terrorist action is aimed at collapsing the negotiation process,” Peskov said, adding that Russia’s military ‍knows when and ⁠how it will respond.

“The diplomatic consequence will be to toughen the negotiating position of the Russian Federation.”

Russia said on Monday that Putin’s residence had been targeted by Ukraine with 91 long-range drones that had been shot down by air defence systems with no one injured.

‘No such attack happened’

Ukraine has denied that the attack took place, calling the Russian allegations “false claims” intended to undermine the peace process.

In a post on X, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said Moscow had not provided any plausible evidence to back up its accusations.

“And they won’t. Because there’s none. No such attack happened,” he said on Tuesday.

Sybiha said Russia has “a long record of false claims”, calling them its “signature tactic”.

“They also often accuse others of what they themselves plan to do,” he said. “Their words should never be taken at face value.”

He added that Ukraine was ”disappointed and concerned“ by statements by the United Arab Emirates, ​India and Pakistan expressing concern over what he said was an attack that never ‌happened.

Asked by reporters whether Russia could provide evidence of the drone attack, Peskov said air defences shot the drones down but the question of wreckage was for the Ministry of Defence.

He said attempts by Ukraine and Western media to deny the incident were “insane”.

No evidence has been provided by ‌Russia. The Defence Ministry has issued only a statement that said 91 drones had been shot down while they were heading to Putin’s Novgorod residence, which is about 360km (225 miles) north of Moscow.

Speaking on Monday, United States President Donald Trump, who has spearheaded the push to broker peace in Ukraine, said he had been informed of the alleged attack in a phone call with Putin.

“I was very angry about it,” he said, adding that he would find out whether there was evidence to support the allegation.

European leaders hold talks

The dispute over the attack played out as key leaders from Europe and Canada held discussions on advancing the peace process.

After the talks, German ‍Chancellor Friedrich Merz posted on social media that the group was “moving the peace process forward”.

“Transparency and honesty are now required from everyone – including Russia,” he wrote.

In the wake of the meeting, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a government meeting that he believed ‍peace could be achieved in Ukraine in a matter of weeks.

“Peace is on the horizon. There is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, ‍and quite quickly, but ⁠it is still a hope, far from 100 percent certain,” Tusk said.

“When I say peace is on the horizon, I’m talking about the coming weeks, not the coming months or years. By January, we’ll all have to come together … to make decisions about the future of Ukraine, the future of this part of ​the world.”

He said security guarantees offered by Washington to Kyiv gave a reason to believe the conflict could end soon but Ukraine would need to compromise on territorial issues.

Russia wants Kyiv to withdraw its troops from ‌the parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine that Moscow has failed to occupy in almost four years of war.

It remains the key sticking point in the talks, ceding territory or not.

Kyiv wants fighting ‍halted along the current front lines, and Washington has proposed a free economic zone if Ukraine pulls its forces back.

Zelenskyy has insisted Kyiv won’t give up land and the nation’s constitution also forbids it.

Black Sea ports attacked

As leaders met for talks, Kyiv said Russia had attacked ‍infrastructure in the ‍Odesa region, damaging a civilian ship and facilities in the Black Sea ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk, which are crucial for Ukraine’s foreign trade and integral to its wartime economy.

In a post on Telegram, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said ⁠a Panama-flagged civilian ship loaded with grain was damaged and oil storage tanks hit with one person wounded.

“This is yet another targeted attack by Russia on civilian port infrastructure. The ‍enemy is trying ⁠to disrupt logistics and complicate shipping,” Kuleba said.

Despite the attacks, both ports continued to operate, he said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine ordered the evacuation of several hundred people from 14 settlements in the northern region of Chernihiv, which borders Moscow-allied Belarus and which, Ukraine said, has been the target of daily Russian shelling.

People are being warned to expect disruption

British travellers heading to France have been handed an urgent alert following major disruption. The warning comes after Eurostar axed all its London-to-Europe departures for the day due to a power cut that forced the Channel Tunnel to shut down.

A broken-down LeShuttle train has now been removed from the Channel Tunnel. The firm confirmed that no passengers were left stranded inside following the power outage that led to the closure.

All Eurostar services from London to the continent were scrapped for the day. LeShuttle journeys through the Channel Tunnel are “expected to resume gradually” following the earlier electrical supply problem, according to the tunnel’s operator.

The Foreign Office has now updated its guidance in response to the disruption.

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Its Foreign Travel Advice states: “Eurostar services to and from Belgium, France and the Netherlands are experiencing severe delays and last-minute cancellations. Eurotunnel LeShuttle services between UK and France are also disrupted. Travellers should expect disruption and check the latest service updates with operators.”

Getlink, the company responsible for managing and running the tunnel, released a statement saying: “An incident related to the power supply to trains occurred last night in part of the Channel Tunnel, affecting train and shuttle traffic. A technical intervention is required, which is currently underway.

“The service is temporarily suspended in both directions. Traffic is expected to resume gradually around 1500 CET for LeShuttle customers.

“Our teams are working to restore the situation as quickly as possible. Waiting times will be adjusted throughout the day.

“Eurotunnel apologises for the inconvenience and thanks its customers for their patience and understanding.”

South Korea has announced it’s ending bear bile farming over animal cruelty concerns. The controversial industry was used for traditional medicine, but questions over its effectiveness knocked its popularity in recent years.

ZOE Ball has lifted the lid on the mystery man she recently moved into her home and candidly revealed what she finds “sexy” about her partner.

The TV and radio legend, 55, shared intimate details about how smell plays a key role in her relationships.

During a conversation on her Dig It podcast with co-host Jo Whiley, Zoe admitted: “Sniffing pits is sexy though.

“I’ve often had this thing, when I’ve been sort of dating someone, I love smelling their armpits.”

Acknowledging that her view may divide opinion, she went on to explain: “I know it sounds weird.

“But if you love someone, you’ve got to love all their smells, not necessarily their bathroom smells. 

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“I draw a line at that. 

“But there’s something about armpit smells that I think are really sexy!”

Zoe – who has been tipped to take over as the host of Strictly – described how she reacts when reunited with her partner after time apart.

She added: “My favourite thing to often do is sometimes, especially if I’ve not seen my lover for a while, is when they’ve got their arms around you, I’m like sniffing in the armpits, and I get a right odd look. 

“I’m like, ‘I like that smell!’ It’s a good smell.”

Zoe also revealed a bed washing habit she sticks to when her partner is away, admitting: “I have a thing that if my partner goes away, I don’t like to wash the bed until they get back. 

“A, because I’m worried they might not come back, and B, I love the smell. I love the smell of them on the pillows.”

Zoe also said she knows when her attraction fades, adding: “If you go off someone, you know you’ve gone off them if they suddenly, the smells you used to love about them starts to smell a bit funky. You’re like, nah, it’s gone.

“It’s gone because you got to love all their smells.”

The comments divided some listeners who watched a clip of the conversation on Instagram.

One said: “Depends how long since the last wash!”

Another simply penned: “Nope.”

However, a third said: “Hahaha, Jo’s face!! She wants to agree, but she’s not quite sure.”

And another confessed:  “I do that lol! I know exactly where you are coming from. so good to know I’m not the only armpit sniffer.”

It comes just weeks after Zoe confirmed she has changed her living arrangements and moved a man she previously referred to as “The Lodger” into her home. 

Zoe’s last public relationship was with construction worker Michael Reed, which ended in 2023.

The Sun also revealed in June that Zoe had found love again.

She was spotted holding hands with her mystery man at Glastonbury.

EUROSTAR has suspended train services in Europe today, sparking travel chaos for passengers over very busy New Year period.

Passengers were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels, because of a power supply issue in the Channel Tunnel.

If you have been caught up in today’s Channel Tunnel chaos may well be out of pocket for ruined breaks but they do have some protections.

Eurostar passengers can change to a different train for free, travelling in the same class.

They can also request an e-voucher for the unused ticket or request a full refund.

They are also due compensation if they arrive at their destination more than an hour late.

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You can claim up to three months after your train was delayed or cancelled and the amount you will receive depends if you opt for an e-voucher or cash refund as well as the length of the delay.

Typically, your compensation will be between 25 per cent and 75 per cent of the cost of the journey leg impacted.

If you are delayed overnight, you have the right to be put up in a hotel or reimbursed for the cost of one.

For car owners using Le Shuttle, compensation is not so generous.

All passengers on non-refundable tickets should be expected to be put on the next available crossing but there is no cash compensation, only a discount voucher for future travel if you are delayed more than an hour.

This is where having travel insurance comes in. Check your policy for travel disruption and delay clauses as it may allow you to claim for alternative travel – like a ferry – if Le Shuttle cannot get you to your destination on time.

With most decent travel insurance policies, whether you are travelling via the Eurostar or Le Shuttle, you should also be able to claim an amount against anything you have booked in advance and are no longer able to use, like hotel stays, attraction tickets or activities.

Earlier today, a message was posted on the Eurostar website that read: “Due to a problem with the overhead power supply and a subsequent failed Le Shuttle train the Channel tunnel is currently closed.

“Unfortunately, this means we have no choice but to suspend all services today until further notice.

“Please do not come to the station. We’re very sorry for the impact the situation may have on your travel plans.”

Eurostar’s site showed that even its services on the Continent not using the Channel tunnel — such as ones between Paris and Brussels — were also cancelled.

Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, swelled at London’s St Pancras station and at Gare du Nord in Paris as the notification went out that their end-of-year holiday plans were being thrown into doubt.

The Channel tunnel’s operator Getlink said train traffic would progressively resume Tuesday afternoon, but passengers were still left not knowing when, or if, they would travel.

A record-high 19.5 million passengers travelled on Eurostar last year, up nearly five percent on 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel linking Britain and France since it opened in 1994.

But British entrepreneur Richard Branson — the man behind the Virgin airline — has vowed to launch a rival service.

Italy’s Trenitalia has also said it intends to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route by 2029.

Desperate to escape the big chill this January? It doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Ryanair is offering a number of cheap flights to the Canary Islands in the next few weeks, where holidaymakers can bask in 21C weather

Budget airline Ryanair has launched what it claims is its ‘biggest ever seat sale’, with 10 million fares at discounted prices.

There are plenty of summer bargains to be found in the sale, including cut-price fares that are ideal for winter sun seekers keen to enjoy a break from the gloomy January weather. Right now there are great prices on flights to the Canary Islands.

It’s no surprise the Canaries are so popular with Brits in January. While the New Year is set to bring freezing weather to much of the UK, the Canaries have temperatures as high as 22C forecast next week.

Usually, the hottest Canary Island is Tenerife, and Ryanair flies to Tenerife South from a number of UK airports. The south of the island tends to be warmer than the north. There are £24.9 one-way fares from London Stansted to Tenerife South on a number of January dates, and while midweek is slightly cheaper, weekends are just a couple of pounds more.

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In the south of the island, there are popular resorts, such as Costa Adeje, a lively part of Tenerife that is full of bars, restaurants, and shops. It also has golden sand beaches such as Playa del Duque, where you can enjoy up to seven hours of sunshine a day in January.

However, it’s not just London airports that enjoy these cheap fares; there are also £24.99 deals from Liverpool and Manchester, while Edinburgh flights to Tenerife start at £25.99 one-way. Flight times start at four hours 30 minutes from London airports, so you could be soaking up the sun in no time.

Gran Canaria is also popular and has a similar climate to Tenerife, forecast to hit about 20C in January, although there is some stormy weather at the start of the week. Again, there are some deals to be had from both London and regional airports, with inexpensive flights throughout January. Bristol to Gran Canaria flights are currently showing from £25.81 one way, while flights from London Luton Airport start at £24.99.

Lanzarote is another destination beloved by winter sun seekers, and according to the weather forecast, will be hitting daytime highs of 21C next week. If you’re in need of some sunshine, there are £24.99 one-way fares from London Stansted, Bournemouth, Manchester, and other regional airports.

The south and east coasts of Lanzarote tend to be the most popular, in part because of their close proximity to the airport and milder weather. Playa Blanca is a great place to stay in January, offering a long, sandy beach with typically calm seas, an upmarket marina area featuring restaurants, and a shopping centre.

Fuerteventura is the least visited of the major Canary Islands, but it still has the same natural beauty as its neighbours. It’ll see highs of up to 20C in early January, and six to seven hours of sunlight a day. The island can be reached from London Stansted, with £24.99 one-way flights on various dates, while Newcastle fares start from £25.99 and Leeds Bradford from £32.

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Fuerteventura has an arid landscape, but is flatter than the other Canaries, with spectacular desert landscapes. The second-largest Canary Island, it’s known for its white sand beaches, large national parks, and the lively former fishing village of Corralejo, where you can take a boat trip to nearby islands or a day of snorkelling.

Prices are subject to availability and can change.

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

Helen Dalton often winces when she opens the water and power bill for her lushly landscaped home on half an acre in Sherman Oaks. The charge for the latest two-month period was $300.

Hotter months have sent her bill into the $500 neighborhood.

Dalton, a retiree on a fixed income, plans to vote against San Fernando Valley secession–in part because she worries that a municipal split would bring higher and higher utility rates. “It’s a concern,” she said.

As the debate over carving up Los Angeles enters its final month, the anti-secession campaign led by Mayor James K. Hahn is intent on making water and power rates a breakout pocketbook issue. Secessionists are just as determined to paint Hahn as a fear-monger who distorts the facts on utility rates to distract attention from City Hall’s broader shortcomings.

Both sides know that water and power pack a punch with voters still jittery from the state’s electricity crisis and forever sweating the next drought.

The message of the Hahn forces is stark: If the Valley and Hollywood cityhood proposals win at the polls on Nov. 5, residents of the new municipalities could lose the relatively stable rates and plentiful supplies offered by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Sprinkling the lawn and cranking up the air conditioner would soon become expensive luxuries.

Secessionists contend that Hahn has grossly misrepresented the state-mandated terms of a breakup. They note that the Local Agency Formation Commission, which approved both cityhood measures for the ballot, has directed the DWP to continue serving an independent Valley or Hollywood at rates no higher than those charged in Los Angeles.

Under LAFCO’s formula, the DWP would become a contractor for the new cities, unless they chose to buy their water and power from other providers.

“I see no chance that we would not get water on the same terms and conditions as the rest of the city,” said Richard Close, an attorney who heads the secession group Valley VOTE.

Question of Authority

The anti-secession camp, however, insists that LAFCO overstepped its authority by including that utility-rate provision in the secession proposals. Hahn and other Los Angeles officials say the state Constitution and the City Charter give the DWP sole power to set rates. And opponents argue that the laws require the DWP to provide the cheapest possible service to its Los Angeles customers, even if that means higher costs for Valley and Hollywood cities.

They say it already costs more to serve the Valley, which has generally larger home lots and higher temperatures than the rest of the city, placing more demand on the DWP.

Legal challenges over utility rates are considered likely if secession prevails. LAFCO itself has suggested the courts might have to resolve the matter.

“It’s absolutely inevitable that it will end up in court,” said Steve Erie, a water expert and political science professor at UC San Diego.

Water originally brought the Valley and Los Angeles together. In 1915, the Valley agreed to be annexed by Los Angeles in exchange for access to the then-2-year-old Los Angeles Aqueduct. The aqueduct piped snowmelt from the eastern Sierra to the parched Valley floor, irrigating farms and later making possible the explosion in home building.

Secession leaders say that the Valley is now entitled to future DWP service at reasonable rates because the region has paid its share of building the utility’s infrastructure for 87 years. The secessionists initially demanded that an independent Valley get an ownership stake in the DWP, but LAFCO rejected that arrangement as unworkable.

The agency determined that, unlike streets and parks and city buildings, the DWP’s massive generation and delivery systems are too complex to divide up between Los Angeles and the Valley, not to mention Hollywood.

LAFCO decided that Los Angeles would continue to own the system, but could not jack up rates for the Valley or Hollywood if secession passes.

The DWP already provides water by contract to other cities and communities, including West Hollywood and Universal City, but charges them higher rates. That’s because the DWP acts as a middle agent for those cities, buying supplies from the Metropolitan Water District and delivering them on Los Angeles-owned pipelines. MWD water costs as much as 25% more than water from the L.A. Aqueduct, and the DWP passes those higher rates along.

Contract Arrangement

Anti-secessionists say the DWP could demand a similar arrangement with a new Valley or Hollywood city. That would mean steeper bills in the breakaway areas.

“I can’t see the DWP violating the City Charter and selling its cheapest water to an outside agency, such as a Valley city,” said Larry Levine, who heads the anti-secession organization One Los Angeles.

Hahn echoed that view. “We don’t think LAFCO has the ability to supersede water law or the City Charter,” the mayor said.

“We think if our cost goes up, we ought to be able to recover the cost…. There is a risk. Why take the chance of higher water and higher power rates?”

The City Charter says Los Angeles’ water rights cannot be sold, leased or disposed of without the approval of two-thirds of the voters, according to a former DWP attorney, Kenneth Downey. He said a simple majority vote on secession does not supersede that requirement.

Former DWP General Manager S. David Freeman, now the state’s power czar, said Los Angeles is also unlikely to give the Valley or Hollywood the cheapest electricity the utility generates, which comes from its hydroelectric plants. Instead, the DWP would probably sell the secession areas more expensive power from inefficient, gas-fired plants, Freeman said.

“It’s against human nature” to do otherwise, he said.

Fight for Business

Competition could play a role in stabilizing water prices. A Valley or Hollywood city could look elsewhere for water and power–to private utilities, for example–if the rate ceilings the commission imposed on the DWP were thrown out by the courts.

Secessionists say that would give Los Angeles a financial incentive not to raise rates for the breakaway cities.

“The city of Los Angeles needs the Valley as customers,” Close said. “It’s like Ralphs saying they don’t need 40% of their customers. They would be shutting down stores if they said that.”

Hahn concedes that Los Angeles would be hurt if the secession regions ditched the DWP. But he adds that such a scenario is another argument against a breakup, because rates would rise for DWP customers in a smaller Los Angeles.

“Clearly there are economies of scale, so if a significant customer base was removed somehow, those costs would have to be absorbed, and the only way I can see that is if we pass higher rates for the remaining customers,” Hahn said.

In the state’s recent energy crisis, the DWP was able to supply relatively cheap power and avoid the market gyrations and blackouts that afflicted other parts of California.

Citing that experience, Hahn said it is unlikely that Valley and Hollywood residents would want to turn to private utilities, such as Southern California Edison, because the deregulated rates of those utilities are much higher than the DWP’s.

Secessionists, though, say the new cities would be free to negotiate lower electricity rates.

And some cities in Los Angeles County already get better water prices than those charged by the DWP. A 2001 survey by the engineering firm Black & Veatch Corp. found that DWP’s residential customers were billed an average of $29.88 a month. In comparison, Long Beach averaged $27.28; Redondo Beach, $23.68; Santa Monica, $23.64; and Pasadena, $13.73.

Santa Monica got 82% of its water from MWD and Pasadena received 60%.

Phyllis Currie, a former DWP official who heads the Pasadena utility, said its low maintenance costs have kept prices low. Los Angeles ratepayers must subsidize costly DWP improvements.

Gerald Gewe, who oversees the water side of the DWP, said other cities can charge less because they have access to cheaper groundwater supplies. He said the groundwater under the Valley is owned by Los Angeles, and a Valley city would have to build a water collection and distribution system if it went somewhere other than to the DWP for water. That would increase rates, Gewe said.

Hahn and DWP General Manager David Wiggs said they have no plans to raise water and power rates as a knee-jerk reaction to secession. But they predicted that major rate-paying institutions, such as large businesses and colleges, might force the issue.

“If rates go up for customers because of secession, I think it would be very likely that customers who believe their rights are jeopardized will seek their legal remedies in court,” Hahn said.

One factor that could trigger a court fight, city officials say, is that the current rate structure allows Valley properties to use more water before they exceed the threshold for basic rates and are charged higher prices. A decade ago, the DWP adjusted rates to allow more water use by customers who live in areas with higher temperatures, including the Valley.

Wiggs says that rate-relief formula might be challenged if the Valley becomes a separate city. “I certainly think that is an issue that can be and probably would be raised by customers,” Wiggs said.

The result, he added, could be higher rates in the Valley.

Another wild card is whether the new cities would move to charge the DWP a franchise fee for providing them water. Wiggs said Los Angeles would have to determine if such a fee should be paid by ratepayers only in the secession areas or in the remainder of Los Angeles.

Lawsuit Doubted

But Richard Katz, co-chairman of the Valley Independence Committee, said secessionists have no plans to impose a franchise fee. He also expressed doubts that major DWP customers would sue over rate equity.

“That would only happen if the DWP was out there stirring things up,” said Katz, who serves on the state Water Resources Control Board.

He dismissed the anti-secession rhetoric on utility rates as “scare tactics.”

“Aside from all the lawyers arguing about everything,” Katz said, “once the city is created, a lot of this rhetoric goes away. Because the bottom line is the cities will cooperate more than fight.”

From Gary Klein: The Rams already knew they will be on the road for the playoffs, a difficult assignment for any team.

It’s trending toward becoming one especially tough for the Rams, who only a few weeks ago appeared to be the class of the NFC, if not the NFL.

Not anymore.

On Monday night, the Rams for much of their game against the Atlanta Falcons, looked like a team on the road to nowhere. Or one more interested in limping through the end of the regular season before turning it on for the playoffs.

They overcame a 21-point deficit to tie the score, but Zane Gonzalez’s 51-yard field goal with 21 seconds left sent the Rams to a 27-24 defeat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

It was the Rams’ second loss in a row, both coming on the road.

“Here we are again in a disappointing situation,” coach Sean McVay said.

The loss dropped the Rams to 11-5 going into Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

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NFL scores

NFL standings

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Lincoln Riley takes aim at Notre Dame before Holiday Bowl

Before facing TCU in the Alamo Bowl, USC coach Lincoln Riley called out Notre Dame for turning down a chance to renew its series with the Trojans.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

From Ryan Kartje: The century-old rivalry series between USC and Notre Dame is taking a few years off, and as far as Lincoln Riley is concerned, that’s the fault of the Irish.

In his first public comments since the series was officially put on hiatus, the USC coach put the blame squarely on Notre Dame for not accepting USC’s most recent offer to continue the rivalry, which would have moved the 2026 game, usually scheduled in November, to the very beginning of the season.

“It’s pretty simple,” Riley said Monday, ahead of USC’s bowl matchup with Texas Christian. “We both worked for months to try to find a solution. Notre Dame was very vocal about the fact that they would play us anytime, anywhere.

“Jen Cohen, our AD, went back to Notre Dame roughly a couple of weeks ago with a scenario and a proposal that would extend the series for the next two years. We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere. That proposal was rejected.

“Not only was it rejected, but five minutes after we got the call, it was announced they scheduled another opponent, which I’ll give them credit, that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”

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No. 17 USC rallies, hands Nebraska its first loss

USC guard Londynn Jones drives around Nebraska’s Britt Prince to score during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday in Lincoln, Neb.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

From the Associated Press: Londynn Jones scored all 13 of her points in a pivotal third quarter to help rally No. 17 USC to a 74-66 victory over previously unbeaten Nebraska on Monday in Big Ten play.

Jones, who took just one shot in the first half and missed it, buried three straight three-pointers after teammate Jazzy Davidson grabbed a rebound and scored to begin the third quarter. The Trojans (10-3, 2-0) used an 11-0 run to turn a two-point halftime deficit into a 47-38 lead in less than two minutes.

The Cornhuskers (12-1, 1-1) trailed 65-52 after three quarters but whittled the deficit to 69-65 on a rebound basket by Britt Prince with 2:42 left. Kara Dunn answered with a basket and then made one of two free throws with 59 seconds left to help USC prevail.

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No. 4 UCLA defeats No. 19 Ohio State

UCLA guard Kiki Rice, center, shoots between Ohio State guard Kylee Kitts, left, and UCLA forward Angela Dugalic during the first half of the Bruins’ 82-75 win.

(Paul Vernon / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Lauren Betts had 18 points and 16 rebounds as No. 4 UCLA extended its winning streak to six games with an 82-75 win over No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday.

Kiki Rice added 16 points and Angela Dugalic scored 15 as UCLA (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten) beat the Buckeyes for the fourth straight time, dating to December 2023.

Jaloni Cambridge led all scorers with 28 points, and Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and seven rebounds for Ohio State (11-2, 1-1), which had its nine-game winning streak halted in its conference home opener.

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UCLA-Ohio State box score

Women’s college basketball scores

LeBron James turns 41 and remains key for Lakers

Lakers forward Lebron James looks on during a win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: JJ Redick called his players out. The Lakers answered.

The Lakers responded to three blowout losses and a spirited team meeting by playing one of their most complete games of the season Sunday to earn a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. For the first time this year, the Lakers (20-10) outscored their opponent in every quarter with Luka Doncic (34 points) and LeBron James (24 points) leading the way despite Austin Reaves’ absence.

“Hopefully,” forward Jake LaRavia said, “this is the first of a mini win streak.”

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Kings can’t keep up with Avalance

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, left, stops a shot by Kings forward Adrian Kempe in the first period of L.A.’s 5-2 loss Monday night.

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Nathan MacKinnon scored the 399th goal of his career, Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist, and the surging Colorado Avalanche won their eighth in a row 5-2 over the Kings on Monday night.

MacKinnon added an assist to go with his NHL-leading 32nd goal this season. Jack Drury, Cale Makar and Martin Necas also scored for the Avalanche, who have won 14 in a row at home.

Colorado has points in 28 of their last 29 games and are 10-0-1 in their last 11 to continue their historic start to the season. Colorado reached 65 points in 38 games, second all time to the 1929-30 Boston Bruins.

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NHL scores

NHL standings

Ducks pick up another loss

Sharks left wing Igor Chernyshov, right, scores past Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the Ducks’ 5-4 loss Monday night at Honda Center.

(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Macklin Celebrini became the third player with 60 points this season with a goal and two assists in the San José Sharks’ 5-4 victory over the Ducks on Monday night.

Mario Ferraro, Igor Chernyshov, William Eklund and Zach Ostapchuk also scored for the Sharks, who earned their second win since the holiday break despite getting outshot 43-13. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves.

Troy Terry scored two goals, Cutter Gauthier got his 19th goal and Pavel Mintyukov also scored for the Ducks, who have lost three straight and seven of nine while falling out of first place in the Pacific Division. Lukas Dostal allowed four goals on nine shots before Petr

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This day in sports history

1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.

1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.

1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.

1973 — The Miami Dolphins, behind 266 yards rushing, beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 for an unprecedented third straight AFC title.

1981 — In the 39th game of the season, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th into an empty net, to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzy betters the mark of 50 goals in 50 games held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy.

1990 — Orlando point guard Scott Skiles dishes out an NBA-record 30 assists in a 155-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Skiles breaks the record of 29 assists set by the Nets’ Kevin Porter in 1978.

2000 — Nebraska ends a disappointing season by setting a bowl record for points in a 66-17 victory over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl.

2002 — TCU sets an NCAA record for fewest points allowed when the Lady Frogs beat Texas Southern 76-16. The 16 points allowed breaks the Division I record for fewest points. Prairie View scored 19 points against Jackson State in 1983.

2007 — Drew Brees sets an NFL record with 443 completions, passing the previous mark of 418 set by Rich Gannon in 2002. Brees completes 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three TD passes in New Orleans’ 33-25 loss to Chicago.

2008 — NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos.

2010 — Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ends when No. 9 Stanford outplays the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion — where the Cardinal have their own streak going. Stanford hasn’t lost in 52 games at home. The Cardinal took an early 13-point lead, never trailed and didn’t let the mighty Huskies back in it.

2016 — Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter, setting a club record for points in a period and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat.

2017 — Alex Hornibrook throws four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin caps off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Jonathan Taylor finishes his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1). Taylor finishes the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.

2018 — Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson.

2020 — San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is ejected in a 121-107 loss to the Lakers

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

IT’S TWIXMAS, you probably have no clue what day it is and returning to work still feels far away – so here’s some free things to do across the UK this week to fill your time.

From museums to New Year celebrations, we’ve found plenty of activities that don’t cost a penny.

It might be worth bearing in mind though that a lot of places will be closed on Thursday, which is New Year’s day – so just make sure to check out websites of attractions and events before you head out for the day.

New Year’s Eve Lantern Parade, Ramsgate

In Ramsgate, you can head to the New Year’s Eve Lantern Parade on December 31 at St George’s Church from 4:15pm.

This year’s theme is Love, Peace and Joy to the World.

The parade will begin at 4:45pm and finish at the Ramsgate Tunnels where there will be drinks.

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Families can even head to an artist-led workshop before the parade to make lanterns.

Whales, St Albans Cathedral

At St Albans Cathedral, you will find an installation called ‘Whales’.

The installation features three large sperm whale sculptures – that are above the Nave – created by artist Tessa Campbell Fraser.

The installation is open from New Year’s Eve and there will also be a number of other events taking place at the Cathedral whilst the Whales are on show including a silent disco.

Helios, St Albans Museum + Gallery

Head to the St Albans Museum + Gallery for a new immersive experience that opened on December 27.

Inside the museum, visitors will find a six-metre sculpture of the Sun by artist Luke Jerram.

There will also be a number of events for all ages.

It is free to visit, but there is a booking system in place.

Hyakkō – 100+ Makers from Japan, Japan House, London

Hyakkō is the current craft exhibition at Japan House in Kensington, London.

Across the exhibition visitors can see around 2,000 handcrafted items from more than 120 artists.

Items include ceramic matcha bowls and metal teapots.

Walton Hall and Gardens, Cheshire

There are lots of things to do at Walton Hall and Gardens in Cheshire and much of the attraction is also open on New Year’s Day.

There’s a children’s playground, glasshouses and even a cycle museum to explore.

Four-legged friends don’t need to be left out either as the attraction (except the children’s zoo) is dog-friendly.

There’s also a small children’s zoo with farm animals, including rescued donkeys.

And if you get hungry there is also a cafe.

The Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary on the Isle of Wight has over 100 donkeys, mules, and Shetland ponies that have been rescued.

And visitors can interact with them across a number of barns and paddocks.

There is a cafe too and also a gift shop to explore.

A Guiding Light by Louisa Smurthwaite & Douglas Green, Wembley Park

Located at Wembley Park, ‘A Guiding Light’ is a large public art installation that features 36 banners lining Olympic Way, depicting the 12 hours of the moon rising and the 12 hours of the sun setting.

The artwork has been created by light artists Douglas Green and Louisa Smurthwaite.

There are also a number of other installations around Wembley Park that are free to visit, including The Wishing Tree which is a 30ft installation on the Spanish Steps.

New Year’s Day Parade, London

One of the biggest New Year’s events on the planet, takes place in London on New Year’s Day.

The 2026 parade will be the 40th one held in the capital and will feature music, 8,000 performers, giant balloons, heritage vehicles and more.

The route stretches 2.2 miles in total and will travel through Piccadilly, Regents Street, St James’s, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.

The parade will begin at 1pm and finish at 4:30pm.

Seven Stories – the UK’s National Centre for Children’s Books, Newcastle

Inside Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books, visitors will find seven floors dedicated to children’s books.

There are original manuscripts, illustrations and treasures from famous writers including Enid Blyton.

There are currently a few exhibitions on at the centre, including Where Stories Come From, which showcases original art and writing.

There is also a Mog, the Forgetful Cat exhibition, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Judith Kerr.

Through the exhibition, visitors are taken on a journey through all 17 books that are dedicated to Mog’s life and adventures.

Kids’ Countdown with Just Vibez, Southbank Centre, London

On December 31, from 10:30am, you can celebrate the New Year with the kids at the Southbank Centre.

Just Vibez collective will be taking visitors to the Caribbean for dance competitions, music and games for all the family.

Instead of counting down to midnight, families will countdown to 12 midday.

New Year’s Day Ceilidh, Southbank Centre, London

Also at the Southbank Centre, but this time on New Year’s Day, there will be a Ceilidh – a traditional Gaelic social gathering with folk music.

It will feature music, dance and theatre and no tickets are required.

The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail, Torquay, Devon

Until January 2, you can still catch The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail in Torquay, Devon.

The 1.5 mile trail features 19 installations, including ones in iconic spots across the Bay such as Torre Abbey and the scenic harbour.

The trail is lit up each day from 4:30pm to 11pm.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year – New Year’s Day Special, Edinburgh

What better way to look to the year ahead than quizzing yourself on the year just gone?

At Edinburgh Street Food on January 1 between 5pm and 7pm you can participate in Edinburgh’s Big Fat Quiz of the Year.

It is free to play, and there are even prizes for the teams in first, second and third place.

Twelfth Night celebrations 2026, London

On Sunday, January 4, head to Borough Yards in London to celebrate the Twelfth Night celebrations from 4pm.

There will be the Green Man who is decked out in leaves and foliage, a fiddler, live music and even cakes.

Guests will be invited to ‘dance’ along the Thames Path, with more music, singing and storytelling.

For more inspiration on things to do across the UK, here are the top 15 UK attractions for 2025.

Plus, the exciting new hotels, attractions and festivals coming to the UK’s seaside towns and cities next year.

US president says he would back attacks if Tehran rebuilds nuclear or missile programmes.

Iran has promised to respond harshly to any aggression after United States President Donald Trump threatened further military action, should Tehran attempt to rebuild its nuclear programme or missile capabilities.

President Masoud Pezeshkian issued the warning on X on Tuesday, a day after Trump met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Florida estate, where he firmly leaned into the Israeli regional narrative yet again.

The US had not previously said it would target Iran’s missile capabilities, which has long been an Israeli aspiration, focusing instead on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes only, and neither US intelligence nor the UN’s nuclear watchdog found any evidence of atomic weapons production before the June attacks by the US and Israel.

Iran has ruled out negotiating over its missile programme.

The leaders’ comments raise the spectre of renewed conflict just months after a devastating 12-day war in June that killed more than 1,100 Iranians and left 28 in Israel dead.

Pezeshkian said the response of Iran to any aggression would be “severe and regret-inducing”. His defiant message came hours after Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort that Washington could carry out another major assault on Iran.

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said, standing alongside Netanyahu. “We’ll knock the hell out of them.”

The US president said he would support strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme “immediately” and on its missile facilities if Tehran continues developing long-range weapons.

Israeli officials have expressed concern in recent weeks that Iran is quietly rebuilding its ballistic missile stockpile, which was significantly depleted during the June conflict.

“If the Americans do not reach an agreement with the Iranians that halts their ballistic missile program, it may be necessary to confront Tehran,” an Israeli official told Ynet this week.

Pezeshkian recently described the standoff as a “full-scale war” with the US, Israel and Europe that is “more complicated and more difficult” than Iran’s bloody conflict with Iraq in the 1980s, which left more than one million dead.

The June war saw Israel launch nearly 360 strikes across 27 Iranian provinces over 12 days, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED, targeting military installations, nuclear facilities and government buildings.

The assault destroyed an estimated 1,000 Iranian ballistic missiles and killed more than 30 senior military commanders and at least 11 nuclear scientists.

Iran fired more than 500 missiles at Israel during the conflict, with approximately 36 landing in populated areas. While Trump claimed Iranian nuclear capabilities were “completely obliterated” by the strikes, experts disputed that, saying Tehran may have hidden stockpiles of enriched uranium and could resume production within months.

Despite the losses, Iranian officials insist the country is now better prepared for confrontation. In a recent interview, Pezeshkian said Iran’s military forces are “stronger in terms of equipment and manpower” than before the ceasefire.

The war failed to trigger the internal unrest it is suspected that Netanyahu had hoped for. No significant protests materialised, and daily life in Tehran largely continued despite the bombardment.

CORNWALL has long been a favourite among UK holiday destinations, thanks to its stunning beaches, fascinating history and natural inland beauty.

So if you’re considering cooking a trip tot he popular South West county this year, take a look at some of our favourite local stays in recent years.

How The Sun’s travel team reviews accommodation

This list includes Cornish hotels, holiday parks, cottages and campsites our team has visited and fallen in love with.

Some journalists have travelled with their families while others have journeyed solo.

When it comes to picking our favourites we account for everything from costs to location, design, hospitality and more.

We don’t just look at what’s trending but those little-known gems that will stay with you in the years to come.

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And to keep this article fresh with the latest accommodation we will regularly update it.

Best places to stay in Cornwall

Best luxury holiday home

8 Woodlands, Newquay

A retreat so large it could fit a family of eight, the adequately named 8 Woodlands towers over a stunning and quiet estuary.

Perched on top of a cliff, this mammoth contemporary holiday home was the ideal country escape for our beauty editor Tara Ledden.

Even with seven of her nearest and dearest with her, there was never a shortage of space.

Just 30 seconds from the back door, they could dip their toes in the sandy estuary bed or pump up a paddleboard (also provided) and brave the waters.

The surrounding nature is not the only luxury this stay has to offer – the pad comes with a lush garden complete with its own hot tub and barbecue.

Embellished with coastal-inspired interiors, families will be fully equipped with a kitchen, dining area, Smart TVs, Sonos speakers and child safety gates on each of the three floors.

The holiday home is not as remote as its views suggest – visitors can reach Newquay’s high street with just a five-minute drive or walk for 20 minutes.

Best holiday park for families with dogs

Parbola Holiday Park, Hayle

There’s no more authentic family stay in Cornwall than at Parbola Holiday Park.

Hugged by 16 acres of woodland and located just a ten-minute drive from Hayle Town, this stay gives holidaymakers the best of both worlds – a peaceful rural haven and a plethora of activities.

Writing for The Sun, Kate Jackson and Irfan Cemal described Parbola Holiday Park as perfect for families.

Highlights for their children included the heated outdoor swimming pool, a box of balls and bats to borrow and the Safari Tent, a place equipped with board games and books.

Meanwhile, the adults enjoyed the small but appreciated touches such as a package of tea, milk and delicious Cornish biscuits as they arrived or the wood-fired pizza fan that visits every Monday.

And to add to the list of this holiday park‘s many charms, Parbola is also dog-friendly.

Speaking about her stay Kate said: “The Parbola holiday park in Cornwall caters for people like us.”

Parbola offers the best of both worlds. Away from the usual hotspots, five miles inland from the north coast, it provides a haven that, despite its obvious popularity, was always peaceful.”

Best hotel for food

St Tudy Inn, St Tudy

After an action-packed day on your feet, The St Tudy Inn is the perfect spot to sit back by a roaring fire and enjoy some heart-warming grub.

With the appearance of a traditional 16th-century stone cottage, many would not assume that some diners travel over 40 minutes to just eathere.

During her visit, writer for The Sun Julia Richardson relished in dishes cooked by head chef James Lean, who used to work for Gordon Ramsey.

Expect exquisite sea-themed cuisine such as hake, cuttlefish and chorizo stew or steamed mussels.

And food is not the only thing this cosy Cornish pub has to offer – just across the car park, a converted barn holds four charming rooms paired with tartan bedspreads and patterned cushions.

Best hotel in Newquay

Newquay Beach Hotel, Newquay

Named Beached Front Hotel of the Year in South-West England 2024 by Travel & Hospitality Awards, the boutique stay rests just opposite Newquay‘s main beach – Tolcarne.

It’s here that our boxing reporter Wally Downes Jr relaxed after a stop at the Newquay Zoo.

With stellar beach views and an art deco interior – this stay is a feast for the eyes, from the designer velvet scallop chairs to the geometric glass.

And if you’re looking to grab a bite to eat, you will not be left hungry.

Newquay Beach Hotels offers numerous classic dishes as well as a fully stocked cocktail bar.

A nice extra is the Abangamba playroom for the kids.

Best holiday cottage for families

Bosinver Farm Cottages, Trelowth

You might be tempted to stick to Cornwall’s coasts but its inland valleys are just as impressive as its cliffs.

Tucked away between the quaint town of St Austell and the seaside village of Mevagissey is this hidden gem.

Here you’ll find Bosinver’s Farm Cottage – a set of 20 luxury self-catering cottages full of magical Cornish spirit.

The cute accommodation Features Writer Emma Pietras stayed in was made of straw and wood bales and its beams were taken from an old hospital – all of which added to the location’s timeless feel.

Paired with a hot tub and stunning valley views this is the perfect place to kick back and relax.

A particular highlight is the £475 worth of included activities such as a pool, animal feeding, pony rides, and outdoor and indoor play.

It is no surprise that these pads won Visit England’s Best Family-Friendly Accommodation in 2017.

In her review, Pietras had this to say: “As a mum to a toddler, previous holidays have been far from stress-free, but when you’re surrounded by 35 acres of meadows, landscaped gardens and woodland, it’s hard not to feel relaxed.”

It feels as if the owners have thought of every little detail.”

Best hotel with a sea view

Polurrian on the Lizard, Mullion

The Polurrian on the Lizard was once the vacation spot of Winston Churchill.

More recently this beautiful piece of history was visited by The Sun writer Ellie Ross who dubbed it as ‘one of Cornwall’s best kept secrets’.

With its glamorous white exterior looming over the lizard peninsula, this enchanting stay boasts a secluded beach and sea views so good you might feel like you are in a movie.

The 1890s hotel also comes along with a tennis court clifftop garden, playground and even indoor and outdoor pools.

A great way to watch the sunset over the sea is at its dog-friendly restaurant which serves everything from fish and chips to wood-fired pizza.

And according to Ellie, the cocktails were a standout.

Best spa hotel

Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa, Newquay

With views that rival the Maldives or the Caribbean, Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa overlooks one of Newquay’s more private beaches.

Visitors will feel worlds away sipping speciality cocktails at the hotel’s Bay Bar – a spot particularly good for watching the sunset.

This adults-only hotel is where Sun writer Simon Copeland spent two tranquil nights.

And that was in part credit to Fistral Beach Hotel’s luxurious spa that offered rejuvenating treatments he said “wouldn’t be out of place in some Balinese temple”.

All spa day packages included a pool, steam room, hot tub, sauna and refreshments.

Equally as lavish as the spa is the hotel’s beautifully presented food that nods to Cornish cuisine with innovative twists.

Best spot for camping

Trevornick Holiday Park, Holywell

While Cornwall’s buccaneering pirates and smugglers are long gone, the spirit of adventure can still be found in camping.

At least that’s what one of our writers found out on their trip to Trevornick Holiday Park.

Located on Cornwall’s north coast, you can set up a tent not far from Holywell’s pristine sandy beach.

Or if wrestling with a tent is off-putting, Trevornick Holiday Park also offers readymade tents.

These come fully equipped with lights, and even a fridge and TV.

Expect action-packed fun, as this holiday park not only includes a pool and spa but also a golf course, soft play centre, arcade and even a surf school.

As our writer soon realised: “The only problem was there simply wasn’t time to do everything the park had to offer.

“But it’s such a treasure that, like pirate ghosts, we’re sure to return.”

Best spot for glamping

Tremeer Farm, Lanteglos-by-fowey

A more unconventional retreat but nevertheless more rewarding, Tremeer Farm is the ideal spot to return to basics.

Expect jaw-dropping nature, animals, playing games, an open fire, and a clear night sky.

And together with the elegant white 18th-century Mongolian-style yurts to sleep in, you might never want to leave.

Tremeer Farm’s owners have thought of everything – from a hot tub to a kitchen equipped with cooking basics, a hammock, BBQ, fire pit and even a cosy wood-burning stove.

As The Sun Online Travel found out there is no better way to immerse yourself in Cornwall’s beauty.

If you have a car, the stay is just a stone’s throw away from the untouched fishing village of Polperro and otherworldly Lantivet Bay

Although travelling to Cornwall during its peak season is a no-brainer, we also recommend visiting this gorgeous peninsula in the winter.

Cornwall has a reputation for being a expensive destination – here we break down how you can visit on a budget thanks to our Hols from £9.50.

Caracas, December 30, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly bombed a target inside Venezuelan territory.

According to CNN, citing “sources familiar with the matter,” the CIA carried out a drone strike against a “remote dock on the Venezuelan.” US officials allegedly believed the facility was being used for drug storage and shipping.

There was reportedly no one present on site during the attack, which is only specified to have taken place “earlier this month.” A New York Times report, likewise relying on anonymous sources, presented similar claims and added that the strike took place last Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump first alluded to a purported strike inside Venezuelan territory during an interview on Friday, claiming that US forces had destroyed a “big facility where ships come from” two days earlier. 

Trump elaborated on a Monday press conference, adding that the site was along the Venezuelan shore and that there was a “big explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.”

US agencies have not confirmed the attack, with the CIA, the White House and the Pentagon refusing comment. Analysts relying on open source data tracked no signs of an explosion on the Venezuelan coast in recent days.

For its part, Venezuelan authorities have not released any statements on the matter.

If confirmed, the land strikes would mark a significant escalation in the US’ military campaign against Venezuela. Since August, the Trump administration has amassed the largest build-up in decades in the Caribbean and launched dozens of strikes against small boats accused of narcotics trafficking, killing over 100 civilians in the process.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to bomb purported drug targets inside Venezuelan territory while escalating regime change threats against the Nicolás Maduro government. The White House allegedly approved lethal CIA operations in the country in October.

Despite recurrent “narcoterrorism” accusations against Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials, Washington has not provided court-tested evidence to back the claims. Specialized agencies have consistently shown Venezuela to play a marginal role in global drug trafficking.

In recent weeks, Trump has turned his discourse toward Venezuelan oil, claiming that the Caribbean nation had “stolen” oil rights from US corporations during nationalization processes in the 2000s and 1970s. 

The US president ordered a naval blockade against Venezuelan oil exports, with US forces seizing two oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude in international waters earlier this month. A third vessel reportedly refused to be boarded and headed toward the Atlantic Ocean. According to Reuters, US forces have been ordered to enforce a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil in the next two months in order to exacerbate the South American country’s economic struggles. 

A group of UN experts issued a statement on December 24 condemning the US’ maritime blockade as “violating fundamental rules of international law.”

“The illegal use of force, and threats to use further force at sea and on land, gravely endanger the human right to life and other rights in Venezuela and the region,” the experts affirmed, while urging UN member-states to take measures to stop the blockade and the vessel bombings.

The attempted blockade builds on widespread US economic sanctions, particularly targeting the Venezuelan oil industry, the country’s most important revenue source. US coercive measures have been classified as “collective punishment” and found responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths.

For its part, the Maduro government has condemned US “acts of piracy” in capturing oil tankers and blasted the Trump administration’s actions as blatant attempts to seize Venezuela’s natural resources.

Caracas has received diplomatic backing from its main allies, with China and Russia both condemning Washington’s military escalations as violations of international law. However, a recent UN Security Council meeting convened by Venezuela produced no resolutions.

“Oooh, look at this trash!”

Alicia Piller was giddily flitting around her Inglewood live-work studio holding up resin-coated balls of detritus, showing off tiny fossil fragments, and pulling out plastic trays filled with random thingamajigs that had been organized by color.

The assortment is all part of her eclectic jewelry-making arsenal. She clusters recycled textiles, found items, donated castoffs and gemstones to create handmade wearable art that she describes as “science bohemian.”

In this series, we highlight independent makers and artists, from glassblowers to fiber artists, who are creating original products in and around Los Angeles.

Piller juxtaposes opals, garnets and pearls with less conventional materials such as tile fragments, snakeskin, bits of lava from a trip to Iceland, and bullet casings, all bound together with strips of leather or vinyl. Lately, she’s been working with 3-D printed waste that her friends, a pair of costume-based performance artists, started delivering to her in giant garbage bags.

“I am always thinking about some aspect of recycling,” she said, “seeing the value in these things that we deem ‘trash.’”

One wall of her studio is lined with metal racks stacked with bins and boxes labeled “clay,” “metal” and “scraps.” The room is cluttered, yet curated.

“There’s a little bit of hoarding mentality,” Piller laughed, “but I use it!”

1

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1. Necklaces featuring seashells, gemstones and recycled printed plastic. 2. Alicia Piller displays her handmade ring. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

From her “controlled chaos” come intricate, ornate, one-of-a-kind necklaces, earrings, brooches and rings. While Etsy is her main retail hub, she previously sold her wearables at L.A.’s Craft Contemporary museum and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. She’s also provided flair for the likes of Phylicia Rashad, Jill Scott and Ciara.

Her creations give nods to nature, at times skew extraterrestrial, and have Afro-futuristic undertones. One pendant evokes the sea with its swirl of mother-of-pearl, spiral seashells and rivulets of pale gray leather arranged above a piece of bleached coral. A crystal-festooned collar necklace calls to mind a pair of Blue Morpho butterfly wings. And a jasper-studded pin resembles a Ghanaian mask at first glance.

The undulating layers and microcosms that make up her jewelry’s signature “biomorphic” look extend into her fine art practice, as well.

Piller received an MFA from Cal Arts and now teaches sculpture as an adjunct professor at UCLA and UC Irvine. Her maximalist mixed-media artwork has shown at Track 16 (the L.A. gallery that represents her), as well as institutions across Southern California, including the Brick and the Orange County Museum of Art. Both the Hammer Museum and the California African American Museum have her pieces in their permanent collections. Next summer, she’ll unveil a new monument as part of West Hollywood’s Art on the Outside public art program.

In her studio, multiple towering sculptures are ensconced in cardboard and bubble wrap, while others — works in progress — sit on plinths, lean against walls, or hang from the ceiling. There’s a stark contrast between these 9-foot-tall pieces and her smallest makes, a pair of one-inch post earrings. But toggling from the massive to the minute comes naturally to her.

Alicia Piller stands for a portrait in her studio.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s about the microscopic and the macro,” she explained. “I like being able to see the tiniest detail, then letting it expand out into the cosmos. I’m thinking about those two scales constantly and about where we fit between those scales.”

While she addresses such weighty topics as police brutality and climate disasters in her large-scale works, making wearables provides comfort.

“The jewelry is much more free-form and fun versus the more serious stuff that feels heavy to me,” she said. “It’s not always full of activism and all these ideas about humanity and the world. It’s more of a joyous, less stressful task.”

She added, “I also just love to adorn myself in the things that I make.”

This has been true since childhood.

During the studio tour, the artist pulled out a piece of brass wire bent to spell out her name, a keepsake from when she was 12. She’s kept all manner of adolescent mementos, such as beads she fashioned out of tightly-rolled magazine pages or colorful pieces of clay. Her future as an artisan was a foregone conclusion.

Photos of Piller’s maternal ancestors line the edges of this textural necklace, which features a pair of beetles at its center.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Growing up in Chicago, Piller and her mother performed as clowns at birthdays and company picnics. From ages 7 to 14, it was her job to create balloon figures for partygoers — sculpting skills that would come in handy. She gained an appreciation for nature and anthropology from mother-daughter fishing excursions and regular visits to the Field Museum, which focuses on natural history. Her affinity for biology comes from her father, who attended medical school when she was young.

“I had all these books around me that had the insides of bodies,” she recalled, “so there was a fascination with the inside.”

Piller went on to study anthropology and painting at Rutgers University, making jewelry in her spare time. During breaks, she’d work at a Chicago bead store, where she learned about global jewelry-making practices. After graduating in 2004, she moved to Manhattan, spending weekends hawking accessories and hand-painted clothing from a sidewalk table. She later relocated to Santa Fe, N.M., where she worked at a store selling fossils, minerals and semi-precious stones.

“That’s when I really understood that in all these materials there’s a spiritual side, an energy,” she said. “There’s a beauty in the fusion of all of these materials together.”

Piller moved to Inglewood in 2019. Asked if L.A. has impacted her work the way previous cities had, she said, “[My] storytelling, narrative side has come to the forefront. There’s definitely been a shift, in terms of thinking about how an object can tell a story.”

For example, enamored of Pasadena-born author Octavia Butler, she began referencing the sci-fi legend’s writing and using her likeness, both in sculptural form (as with her 2024 piece “Mission Control. Earthseed.”) and in her jewelry. She also started incorporating images of other inspiring women, including her maternal forebears and the Cuban American sculptor Ana Mendieta.

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1. Earrings featuring science fiction author Octavia Butler, one of Piller’s many inspirations. 2. A necklace made from a crinoid fossil stem. 3. Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta sits at the center of these necklaces. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)

L.A. has shaped her aesthetic in more literal ways, too.

“A big part of what I do is walking and doing urban hikes,” she said, noting that she’s trekked through nearly 20 countries. She’s walked from her studio to Watts Towers or westward to Torrance, collecting things she finds on the ground along the way and eventually transforming them. For instance, a pair of jewel-toned beetles she picked up made an ideal centerpiece for a regal bib necklace.

“There’s that side of me that really gets excited about looking at those objects, then creating my own sort of cosmology, my own artifacts, if you will,” she said. “I’m using ‘high’ gemstones to ‘low’ plastic and elevating all of them, fusing them into one work that then creates this energy, this power.”

NOW that we’re in the midst of the 12 days of Christmas, it’s time to take a look at my 12 months of thriftmas.

I’m a queen of money-saving when it comes to holidays and days out – and here’s my calendar of little-known dates for getting money off tickets.

Some years I’ve saved £1000, just by following my thriftmas calendar.

Obviously we all know about the January sales and Black Friday, but there’s also other deals that pop up month by month that you can make the most of.

In January, cashback sites often boost the amount they offer when booking holiday accommodation or package deals, so you can make a hefty saving while getting your family trip away sorted.

One year, I booked a fortnight all-inclusive in Fuerteventura for my family of five and paid £1,930 upfront for the hotel and meal package, receiving £216 back in my Quidco account a few months later once my cashback had tracked.

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For February, my top tip would be to take a look at which theme parks will be giving out a pair of free tickets on Sun Club or Sunsavers and make a note of when each offer will be launched.

I managed to bag tickets to Chessington in the summer holidays this year by booking as soon as they were on offer on Sun Club in February.

One date that most parents overlook is World Book Day in March.

I’ve got my boys into soft plays and trampoline parks free before, just by turning up as a book character or taking part in a story-related activity.

You need to keep an eye out for posters at the venue or social media posts to see what pops up.

Easter can be a brilliant time to get early season two-for-one tickets as summer attractions start to open and want to bump up visitor numbers.

Sign up to the social media pages of your favourite days out and you’ll be surprised what discount codes pop up on there in April.

And you might even get some early season deals for theme parks at home and abroad.

One Easter we went to Parc Asterix near Paris and kids got in free with paying adults in the first couple of weeks of its season.

May half-term is fantastic for getting ahead before the big summer break if you plan a family day out wisely.

Lots of places convert your day ticket into an annual pass now, which means you’ll be able to use it several times during the summer season.

So if you choose a place like the Space Centre in Leicester and visit it in half-term, you can go back multiple times over the following year.

June is my time for planning days out for the long summer break.

I take a look at how much I have saved in supermarket loyalty schemes like Tesco Clubcard and work out how I can put that to best use over the summer.

Earlier this year, there was even a Clubcard boost that meant if you converted £5 of points into a voucher for a day out, you would get an extra £10 of Clubcard points in your account by October.

Some schools plan inset days in July so you can use these to get into big attractions for term-time prices rather than paying a premium during the school holidays.

We often visit Warwick Castle in the early summer to beat the crowds.

In August, lots of indoor attractions like soft plays or adventure golf have offers to get visitors through the doors, as it can be quiet during holiday season with people away or making the most of the summer weather to get some fresh air.

September is when you get early bird deals for Santa’s grottos and winter wonderland experiences.

One year, I booked to see Santa at Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes for just £29 for five people, using a discount code.

If you fancy a cheeky little UK staycation, October half-term can be the perfect time to get a deal, because the school holidays are often staggered over three weeks so everyone is not trying to book the same week off, keeping prices lower.

We love visiting a caravan park for Halloween or Bonfire Night as you usually get lots of themed activities or even a fireworks display included.

We all know about Black Friday in November and this can be the perfect time to grab discounted tickets to family attractions.

This year, I spotted half-price tickets to my local water park that could be used until the end of the year, so perfect for the Christmas holidays.

December is a great time to check any membership schemes you are signed up to, like Blue Light Card.

They often boost their offers in the run-up to Christmas.

This year, my favourite deal was children go free with paying adults to the Twycross Zoo winter light trail.

Now is the perfect time to get organised for the year ahead and think about what you want to book and when.

A little bit of planning can save you loads over the course of the year.

For other travel deals, here are 15 things to do now to save on your 2026 holiday – how to shave £300 off hotels and save £393 at the airport.

Plus, how to get a cheaper holiday – four tips and tricks revealed by travel experts.

State regulators ordered Southern California Edison to identify fire risks on its unused transmission lines like the century-old equipment suspected of igniting the devastating Eaton wildfire.

Edison also must tell regulators how its 355 miles of out-of-service transmission lines located in areas of high fire risk will be used in the future, according to a document issued by the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety on Dec. 23.

State regulations require utilities to remove abandoned lines so they don’t become a public hazard. Edison executives said they did not remove the Eaton Canyon line because they believed it would be used in the future. It last carried power in 1971.

The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety said Edison must determine which unused transmission lines are most at risk of igniting fires and create a plan to decrease that risk. In some cases that might mean removing the equipment entirely.

While the OEIS report focuses on Edison, the agency said it also will require the state’s other electric companies to take similar actions with their idle transmission lines.

Scott Johnson, an Edison spokesman, said Monday that the company already had been reviewing idle lines and planned to respond to the regulators’ requests. He said Edison often keeps idle lines in place “to support long-term system needs, such as future electrification, backup capacity or regional growth.”

“If idle lines are identified to have no future use, they are removed,” he said.

Johnson said that since 2018, Edison has removed idle lines that no longer had a purpose seven times and provided a list of those projects.

The investigation into the cause of the Eaton wildfire by state and local fire officials has not yet been released. Edison has said the leading theory is that the dormant transmission line in Eaton Canyon briefly reenergized on the night of Jan. 7, sparking the fire.

Unused lines can become energized from electrified lines running parallel to them through a process called induction.

The Eaton wildfire killed at least 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes and structures in Altadena.

After the fires, Edison said it had added more grounding equipment to its old transmission lines no longer in service. The added devices give any unexpected electricity on the line more places to disperse into the ground, making them less likely to spark a fire.

The OEIS issued its latest directives after Edison executives informed the agency they had no plans to remove any out-of-service lines between now and 2028, the report said.

State regulators and the utilities have long known that old transmission lines can ignite wildfires.

The Times reported how Edison and other utilities defeated a state regulatory plan, introduced in 2001, which would’ve forced the companies to remove abandoned lines unless they could prove they would use them again.

In its report the OEIS noted it would require Edison and other electric companies to provide details of how often each idle line was inspected and how long it took to fix problems found in those inspections.

Edison has said it inspected the unused line in Eaton Canyon annually before the fire — just as often as it inspects live lines. The company declined to provide The Times with documentation of those inspections.

In the OEIS report, energy safety regulators said they expect to to approve Edison’s wildfire mitigation plan for the next three years despite the problems they found with the approach.

For example, the report noted that Edison is behind in replacing or reinforcing aging and deteriorating transmission and distribution poles. The regulators said the backlog “includes many work orders on [Edison’s] riskiest circuits.” A circuit is a line or other infrastructure that provides a pathway for electricity.

Officials said the company must work on reducing that backlog. They also criticized Edison executives for not incorporating any lessons they learned from the Jan. 7 wildfires into the company’s fire prevention plans.

Johnson, Edison’s spokesperson, said the company already improved the backlog of pole replacements. He said the company also planned to tell regulators more about the lessons it learned after the Eaton fire.

Under state law, the OEIS must approve a utility’s wildfire mitigation plan before it can issue the company a safety certificate that protects the company from liability if its equipment ignites a catastrophic fire.

The OEIS issued Edison’s last safety certificate less than a month before the Eaton fire — despite the company having had thousands of open work orders, including some on the transmission lines above Altadena, at the time.

Edison is offering to pay for damages suffered by Eaton fire victims and a handful already accepted its offers. The utility says that because it held a safety certificate at the time of the fire it expects to be reimbursed for most or all of the payments by a $21-billion state wildfire fund.

If that fund doesn’t cover the damages, a law passed this year enables Edison to raise its electric rates to make up the difference.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers passed laws to create the state fund and safety certificate program to protect utilities from bankruptcy if their equipment starts costly wildfires. Critics say the laws have gone too far, potentially leaving utilities financially unharmed from fires caused by their negligence.

Edison is fighting hundreds of lawsuits filed by victims of the Eaton fire. The company says it acted prudently in maintaining the safety of its system before the fire.

Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility’s parent company, told The Times this month that he believed the company had been “a reasonable operator” of its system before the fire.

“Accidents can happen,” Pizarro said. “Perfection is not something you can achieve, but prudency is a standard to which we’re held.”

In October, Taylor told BBC Sport that he was unsure how long he would continue refereeing, adding that he was “quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you”.

Taylor said that the main focus was to have “two refereeing teams at the World Cup”.

Prior to 2018, 2013-14 was the previous time England had three elite officials: Atkinson, Mark Clattenburg and Howard Webb.

The elite list of referees take charge of tournament and Champions League games. The first list is for the Europa League and Conference League. The second list is for Conference League games and qualifying ties.

Germany continues to lead the way with four referees in the elite category. Kavanagh’s promotion finally puts England on a par with France, Italy and Spain, who all have three.

England still lags behind across the two key categories, elite and first, with fewer officials than all the other top leagues.

John Brooks is the only English referee on the first list, meaning there are four in total. Germany has seven, with France and Spain on six and Italy five.

The Premier League has six referees on the second list: Stuart Attwell, Sam Barrott, Darren England, Jarred Gillett, Rob Jones and Andy Madley.

Meanwhile, Emily Heaslip has been promoted to the women’s first list. England has been unrepresented on the elite list of the women’s game since Rebecca Welch retired at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Dec. 30 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of lying over a large-scale drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s state residence 300 miles northwest of Moscow, which it claims was carried out by Kyiv.

Monday’s alleged attack shortly after high-level U.S.-Ukraine talks at Mar-a-Lago ended was an excuse to attack Ukraine, most likely Kyiv and government buildings there, and keep the war going, Zelensky told reporters.

Zelensky said it was no accident that Moscow announced the attack after he and U.S. President Donald Trump said they had made good progress toward finalizing a peace agreement framework, as well as lengthy security guarantees, in talks Sunday at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach.

“It’s obvious that yesterday we had a meeting with President Trump, and it’s clear that when there is no scandal for the Russians, when there is progress, it is a failure for them. They do not want to end this war and are only capable of doing so under pressure. So they are looking for a pretext,” said Zelensky.

“Russia is at it again, using dangerous statements to undermine all achievements of our shared diplomatic efforts with President Trump’s team. We keep working together to bring peace closer. This alleged ‘residence strike’ story is a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war. Typical Russian lies,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Moscow had already decided on when and which targets it would hit in retaliation for Kyiv’s targeting of Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region with 91 drones, which he described as a terrorist attack.

All the drones were downed by air defenses or electronic means and neither Putin or anyone else was hurt in the incident, according to Lavrov.

However, he warned Russia would revise its stance on the peace negotiations accordingly, “taking into account the Kyiv regime’s final transition to a policy of state terrorism,” but said Moscow would not be sharing details of its new tougher policy.

Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ruled out Moscow pulling the plug on the peace talks.

“Russia is not withdrawing from the negotiation process, and will certainly continue talks and dialogue, primarily with the Americans,” he said.

Speaking to journalists at Mar-a-Lago on Monday night, Trump said he was very angry about the attack, which he said he learned about directly from Putin, saying it was not the right time for offense when peace negotiations were in such a “delicate phase.”

“I don’t like it. It’s not good. I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it. It’s a delicate period of time. This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive, because they’re offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house. It’s not the right time to do any of that.”

However, he acknowledged the attack may never have taken place and vowed that U.S. intelligence would get to the bottom of it.

According to the Kremlin, the attack in the early hours of Monday local time came “almost immediately” after the American and Ukrainian teams’ talks ended on Sunday evening.

Zelensky and Trump emerged from the talks to say they were at least 95% agreed on extendable 15-year security guarantees for Ukraine, but that the issues of territory and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remained sticking points.

As a former hotel receptionist, I received requests and questions from guests that often left me baffled. One in particular became the most annoying, and most people do it

Receptionists are at the heart of a hotel, handling reservations, addressing guest inquiries, and supporting other departments. But there’s one question that is instantly frustrating, and it’s more common than you might think.

I spent around four years working on the front desk of a hotel, and during that time, I gained a real insight into the hospitality industry from the good, the bad, and the ugly. One of our most popular phone calls was, unsurprisingly, to make a reservation, whether for an overnight stay or dinner at one of the two restaurants.

Friday nights, in the hotel and two restaurants, were often fully booked. The weekends were the busiest times for every staff member in every department, with a buzz and a hint of overwhelming stress seeping through the corridors as we did our best to make the guests’ experience as smooth as possible.

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As front-of-house staff, the often overwhelming demand for tables in the restaurant and rooms for the night landed on us. We’d have people calling up on a Friday afternoon asking for a table in the cosy pub, or attempting to book a last-minute staycation over a weekend.

We’d always politely explain that we were fully booked, whether in the restaurant or hotel, but they’d inevitably reply in the same way. And it went a little something like this:

Me: ‘I’m sorry we’re fully booked in the restaurant tonight’. Them: ‘Don’t you have any tables?’ Me: ‘No, I’m sorry, it’s a Friday night, every table is booked’. Them: ‘Can’t you squeeze us in anywhere?’

It was bewildering how many people would ask these questions, as if we could magically add an extra table and chairs to an already packed restaurant. More often than not, people would fail to understand the concept of reservation times.

Frequently, we might only have had a table free at 5.30pm or 9pm, both of which are awkwardly inconvenient. Yet, people would always push for the time they desired, not understanding how table turnovers work and the running of a restaurant. After all, 90 people can’t sit down all at once to eat at 7pm in a restaurant that only seats 45 at a time.

And it didn’t just happen for restaurant bookings. After explaining to would-be customers that the hotel was fully booked all weekend, we would get the response: ‘Don’t you have any rooms available?’ To which we’d reply, ‘I’m sorry it’s fully booked’. But that wouldn’t stop them.

I had people explain that they wouldn’t mind being in the smallest room, or squeezing their family of five into a room only suitable for double occupancy. While it’s always worth asking, to some extent, these questions became irritating. It was as if those on the other end of the line thought we were making it up.

Hotels and restaurants really do get fully booked, and no matter how much they want to cater to you, sometimes there really is no way around it.

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

BEING wowed by a spectacular show is the perfect finale to a theme park day out – as the big hitters in Europe and America do so well.

Now, one Midlands amusement park is blazing a trail for other UK attractions.

Drayton Manor near Tamworth is billing it’s new nighttime lake show as the biggest of its kind in the UK, so I went to check it out.

The lights and water fountains were introduced this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the park and mark the close of the day, just like at Disneyland and Efteling.

The shows will change to reflect the season.

Drayton Manor is my nearest theme park and I’ve been on many days out there over the years.

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I used to love the Mississippi showboat fun house on the lake in the late 80s and early 90s and I can also remember when you used to be able to take a turn around the water on the Drayton Queen paddleboat.

But it’s been a while since the lake has hosted attractions in its own right, instead of providing a pretty backdrop that everything else is set around.

So it was lovely to see the water taking centre stage in this spectacle of lights, fountains and music.

While it’s on a smaller scale than the likes of Disney and Efteling, it’s a brilliant idea to bring everyone together to mark the end of a great day out.

Sometimes heading home after all the rides and fun can feel a bit anticlimactic, especially if you’re trying to load young children bouncing around with excitement into the car for the drive home.

So this water, music and fire show is the perfect way to add a little bit of a buffer between finishing your fun and heading home.

We watched the Christmas Miracle on the Lake show and it was truly magical, with jets of water lit up and set to festive classics.

The dancing jets were interspersed with a screen of mist that had an animated story projected onto it, so that Christmas scenes such as Santa’s workshop and ice palaces could be brought to life.

There were even dramatic flames shooting up into the sky at points, so Drayton Manor really has pulled out all the stops to make the most of its new spectacle.

It’s also nice that it runs shorter versions of the light show during the day so that younger guests who may not still be on site by the close of the day have something to enjoy as well.

But for the full effect, you will want to watch the 15-minute grand finale in all its splendour.

I’ve seen quite a few well-rated magic fountain shows in my travels, including at Montjuic in Barcelona and in front of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

This year, I was wowed by the water effects while watching Kynren, an epic outdoor show telling tales of the British Isles.

And I would say that Drayton Manor has drawn inspiration from all of these to bring something impressive to its guests.

It’s even installed viewing platforms around the edge of the lake to give those stood further back a better view over the head of visitors in front.

Given it’s a new concept for Brits, there were lots of announcements over the course of the day in the park, letting guests know what time to expect the show to kick off.

There were even a couple of lakeside rides still running when the light show took place – I imagine it would be quite the experience to see the fountains from the pirate ship or while being spun around on the thrill ride Thor in the Viking land.

I’ll certainly look forward to seeing what new shows the park comes up with as the seasons change – make sure it’s on your 2026 to-do list if you want that European theme park vibe but without leaving the UK.

In other theme park news, UK’s Universal theme park gets go ahead to start works next year – here’s when it plans to open to visitors.

Plus, English holiday village next to little-known theme park named one of the best in the UK.

The intensity of the current backlash against Alaa Abdelfattah in Britain is striking – not because it reflects a renewed concern for justice, but because it exposes how selectively outrage is deployed.

Alaa, an Egyptian-British writer and activist, spent more than a decade in and out of Egyptian prisons following the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak. His detention was marked by prolonged hunger strikes, denial of basic rights and treatment that human rights organisations described as cruel and degrading. He was released on September 23 after a years-long campaign by his mother, sister and close friends. A travel ban on him was lifted only this month, and he was able to join his family in the UK on December 26.

Alaa left behind a decade of repression in Cairo only to be welcomed in London with public attacks and a call for the revocation of his British citizenship and his deportation. Public hostility was whipped up by the uncovering of a social media post from 2010 in which Alaa said he considered “killing any colonialists … heroic”, including Zionists.

The tweet has been widely condemned, referred to the counter-terrorism police for review, and seized upon by politicians calling for punitive measures.

The speed and intensity of this reaction stand in stark contrast to the silence surrounding far more consequential statements and actions that the UK not only tolerates but actively enables.

This is what selective outrage looks like.

While Alaa’s words are dissected and framed as a moral emergency, the UK continues to host and collaborate with senior Israeli officials who have been accused of participating in and inciting genocide.

In July, for example, Israel’s air force chief Tomer Bar – the man who has overseen the carpet bombing of Gaza, destruction of hospitals, schools and homes and the extermination of entire families – was granted special legal immunity to visit the UK. Reporting by Declassified UK showed that this immunity shielded him from arrest for war crimes while on British soil.

There has been no comparable outcry over this.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was also able to pay a visit to the UK in September and hold high-level meetings. This is the same man who, at the start of the genocide, suggested that the “entire [Palestinian] nation” is responsible and that “This rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved – it’s not true.” This and other statements by Herzog have been collected in a large database that currently supports the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Yet, despite being accused of incitement to genocide, the Israeli president entered the UK without a problem and was welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Those quarters concerned about Alaa’s tweet displayed no outrage over the visit of a potential war criminal.

They have also been silent about British citizens who have travelled to serve in the Israeli military, including during Israel’s offensives in Gaza and the ongoing genocide. These operations, documented by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths, the destruction of hospitals and universities, and the devastation of entire neighbourhoods.

Despite extensive documentation of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the ICJ’s warning of a serious risk of genocide, there has been no systematic investigation into whether British nationals may have been involved in violations of international law.

Again, there is little sustained outrage.

At the same time, the UK continues to license arms exports to Israel and to engage in political, military and intelligence cooperation. These policies have persisted even as international bodies have warned of grave humanitarian consequences and potential violations of international law. All of this unfolds with relatively little political cost.

And yet it is a decade-old tweet – not mass killing, not siege, not the destruction of civilian life on a vast scale, not incitement to genocide – that triggers political panic in the UK.

This contrast is not incidental. It reveals a hierarchy of outrage in which dissenting voices are policed and punished, and state violence is not, and in which public hostility is directed downward at individuals rather than upward at power. Alaa’s case shows how moral language is deployed selectively – not to restrain impunity, but to manage discomfort.

This asymmetry corrodes the credibility of the principles the UK claims to uphold. When human rights are defended selectively, they become tools of convenience rather than universal norms. When outrage is loud but inconsistent, it becomes performative. And when accountability is withheld from powerful allies, impunity hardens into policy.

Those who defend this approach often invoke “quiet diplomacy”, arguing that restraint is more effective than confrontation. Yet there is little evidence that silence has delivered accountability – either for Alaa or for civilians subjected to mass violence in Gaza. In both cases, discretion has functioned less as a strategy than as permission.

The UK has the tools to act differently: Suspending arms exports, investigating potential crimes by its nationals, conditioning cooperation on respect for international law, restricting visits by officials implicated in serious abuses. That these tools remain largely unused is itself revealing.

Until that changes, outrage will remain selective, accountability conditional, and impunity intact – widening the gap between the values the UK professes and the violence it continues to enable.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.