A new artificial intelligence video generator from Beijing-based ByteDance, the creator of TikTok, is drawing the ire of Hollywood organizations that say Seedance 2.0 “blatantly” violates copyright and uses the likeness of actors and others without permission.

Seedance 2.0, which is available only in China for now, lets users generate high-quality AI videos using simple text prompts. The tool quickly gained condemnation from the movie and TV industry.

The Motion Picture Assn. said Seedance 2.0 “has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.”

“By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and chief executive of the MPA, said in a statement Tuesday.

Screenwriter Rhett Rheese, who wrote the “Deadpool” movies, said on social media last week that “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.” His post was in response to Irish director Ruairí Robinson’s post of a Seedance 2.0 video that shows AI versions of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Actors union SAG-AFTRA said Friday it “stands with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement” enabled by Seedance 2.0.

“The infringement includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Seedance 2.0 disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development demands responsibility, and that is nonexistent here.”

ByteDance said in a statement Sunday that it respects intellectual property rights.

“[We] have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users,” the company said.

The dispute comes a month after ByteDance finalized a deal to secure TikTok’s future in America. ByteDance agreed to divest majority ownership of U.S. operations to an American-led investor group, averting a shutdown of the hugely popular social media app.

President Trump during his first term sought to ban the platform, citing national security concerns, but he shifted his views after ByteDance agreed to the new joint venture.

The venture now has three managing investors: Silver Lake, Oracle and Emirati investment firm MGX, each holding 15%, with ByteDance retaining 19.9% of investments.

Ortutay writes for the Associated Press. Times Staff writer Cerys Davies contributed to this report.

Published on
17/02/2026 – 8:00 GMT+1

Four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union is still importing Russian steel – and not everyone is happy about it.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Next week, MEPs and EU member states will begin negotiations on whether to ban Russian steel outright. What began as a sanctions debate has morphed into a high-stakes political fight.

Swedish lawmaker Karin Karlsbro is preparing to take on the EU council, which represents the member states, with Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic and Denmark all arguing that they still need imports of unfinished steel for major construction projects.

“It is a big provocation that we haven’t done everything possible to limit Putin’s war chest,” Karlsbro told Euronews. “The Russian steel industry is a backbone of Russian war, it is the Russian war machinery.”

Finished Russian steel was banned in 2022, but semi-finished steel, a key input for further processing, was spared after a number of countries secured an exemption until 2028 to cushion the blow to their industries.

“Unfinished steel can’t be produced anywhere in the EU,” a European diplomat from one of those countries told Euronews, “while it is required for big infrastructures.”

Three million tonnes

Karlsbro says she was astonished to learn that EU imports of Russian steel amount to nearly 3 million tonnes a year, roughly equivalent to Sweden’s entire annual output and worth around €1.7 billion.

For her, the type of steel is beside the point.

“There is absolutely no argument that this is special steel or highly qualified steel with any essential quality. There is simply no additional reason to buy this steel,” she said.

To bypass the unanimity required for the adoption of EU sanctions by the member states, Karlsbro inserted a ban on Russian steel into a separate European Commission proposal aimed at shielding the bloc from global steel overcapacity, as US tariffs divert excess supply toward Europe.

The European Parliament’s trade committee approved the move on 27 January.

The procedural shift is crucial. Unlike sanctions, the trade file requires onlythe support ofa qualified majority of EU countries, potentially sidelining governments that might otherwise veto a full ban.

“The Parliament is playing politics on this,” an industry source familiar with the file told Euronews.

Another diplomat from a country dependent on Russian semi-finished steel said the ban was important for his government, which is why the 2028 deadline has been set – highlighting the dilemma the EU faces as it balances industrial needs with the need to confront the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The talks are beginning as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches, and the clock is ticking. By June, the EU must adopt the Commission’s plan to shield its market from a glut of global steel.

One diplomat insisted the two files – banning Russian steel and protecting the EU market from overcapacity – pursue “totally different goals”.

Still, the same diplomat acknowledged the ban could pass, as there are not enough member states pushing to maintain a phase-out only by 2028.

OAKLAND — A federal judge Thursday said she is likely to allow a lawsuit alleging that solitary confinement conditions at Pelican Bay State Prison amount to psychological torture, to be expanded from the cases of 10 prisoners to include about 1,100 inmates now held in indefinite isolation.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken expressed concern at a hearing, however, that changes the state has made in how it identifies inmates for isolation means those prisoners won’t be included in the pending class-action lawsuit.

What’s more, lawyers for the state say they are in the process of moving some existing prisoners out of confinement in Pelican Bay’s super-maximum security isolation cells.

“I’m wondering how I would manage a class that has people moving in and out,” Wilken said. Nevertheless, she used Thursday’s hearing in Oakland to set Nov. 3, 2014, for the trial. Her ruling over whether that trial will be a class action, or remain confined to the few inmates who filed the case, is yet to be decided.

Inmates in Pelican Bay’s segregation units spend 22.5 hours a day confined to their cells and, though some have cellmates, are otherwise allowed limited human contact and few activities to occupy their time. They are allowed fewer possessions than other inmates, cannot earn good-time credits toward early release like other inmates and are generally refused parole.

The lawsuit alleges that the sensory deprivation of that confinement, especially for 500 men held in isolation more than a decade, causes irreparable psychological harm. The claims were also at the heart of three statewide prison hunger strikes, including a 60-day protest that ended last month when lawmakers pledged public hearings on the practice.

Only one hearing at the moment is planned, Oct. 9, in Sacramento, said staff for Assembly Public Safety Chairman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco).

Meanwhile, hunger strike leaders who had been moved during the protest have been returned to their old cells at Pelican Bay, said Anne Weills, one of the lawyers representing those prisoners. She met with them two weeks ago, and said several reported health problems related to their fasting, including cardiac trouble.

ALSO:

Analysts see compromise possible for prison crowding

State officials say federal courts want to release prisoners

Campaign watchdog Ann Ravel confirmed to Federal Election Commission

paige.stjohn@latimes.com

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION
BOYS
QUARTERFINALS
(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DIVISION
Pool Play
#4 Placentia Valencia at #8 Orange Lutheran
#2 Mater Dei at #6 JSerra

DIVISION 1
Anaheim Canyon at Torrance
Santa Monica at Servite, 3:30 p.m.
Sunny Hills at Sultana
El Segundo at Fontana, Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2
Downey at El Dorado, 6 p.m.
Newport Harbor vs. Crossroads, 6 p.m. at Belmar Park
Bishop Amat at Culver City, 3 p.m.
Patriot at Citrus Hill, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 3
West Torrance at Los Alamitos
Godinez at Palmdale, 3 p.m.
Channel Islands at Littlerock
Knight at Calabasas, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 4
Cypress at Granite Hills
Indian Springs at Sierra Vista
Santa Paula at Irvine University
Oxnard Pacifica at Lakewood

DIVISION 5
Crespi at Santa Ana Valley
San Marcos at Mountain View
Tustin at Esperanza, 6 p.m.
Westlake at Camarillo

DIVISION 6
Viewpoint vs. Bishop Montgomery at South Torrance
Coachella Valley vs. Animo Leadership, 4 p.m. at Edward Vincent Field
Vista del Lago at Cerritos Valley Christian
Lakeside at Ontario Christian, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 7
Maranatha vs. Cerritos, 5:30 p.m. at Gahr
Edgewood vs. Pasadena Poly at San Marino
Oakwood at Ganesha
Palmdale Academy Charter at Pioneer

DIVISION 8
San Jacinto Leadership vs. Fairmont Prep, 3 p.m. at Great Park
Bishop Diego vs. OC Pacifica Christian, 3 p.m. at Vanguard University
Holy Martyrs vs. Rio Hondo Prep, 3 p.m. at Kare Park
de Toledo at Thacher, Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Note: Semifinals Saturday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
BOYS
SECOND ROUND
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I
#17 King/Drew at #1 Chavez
#9 Angelou at #8 LA University
#12 Sun Valley Poly at #5 Chatsworth
#13 Van Nuys at #4 Granada Hills
#19 LA Marshall at #3 Diego Rivera
#11 San Pedro at #6 Cleveland
#10 Carson at #7 Legacy
#15 Granada Hills Kennedy vs. #2 Roybal, 2:30 p.m. at Contreras

DIVISION II
#17 Canoga Park vs. #1 New West Charter, 2p.m. at Dignity Health Park
#9 Santee at #8 South Gate, 4 p.m.
#12 Arleta at #5 Annenberg
#20 Neuwirth Leadership Academy at #4 Orthopaedic
#14 Taft at #3 Fremont
#22 Elizabeth at #6 Garfield
#23 Huntington Park at #7 Alliance Health
#15 RFK Community at #2 Locke

DIVISION III
#17 West Adams at #1 LACES
#9 Franklin at #8 Alliance Bloomfield
#12 North Hollywood at #5 SOCES
#13 Foshay at #4 San Fernando
#14 Hollywood at #3 Gardena
#11 Grant at #6 Animo Pat Brown
#23 Sun Valley Magnet at #7 Collins Family
#15 Bernstein at #2 LA Hamilton

DIVISION IV
#16 Smidt Tech at #1 Mendez
#24 New Designs University Park at #8 LA Roosevelt
#12 MSCP at #5 East Valley
#13 Animo South LA at #4 Maywood Academy
#19 Lakeview Charter at #3 Downtown Magnets
#11 Triumph Charter at #6 Panorama
#10 Alliance Levine vs. #7 Aspire Ollin, 2 p.m. at Boyle Heights Sports Center
#18 Port of LA at #2 Belmont

Note: Quarterfinals Friday; Semifinals Feb. 25; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

GIRLS
SEMIFINALS

OPEN DIVISION
#5 Palisades vs. #1 Cleveland, 5 p.m. at Taft
#6 New West Charter at #7 Granada Hills, 7 p.m.

Note: Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.

SOUTHERN SECTION
GIRLS
QUARTERFINALS
(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DIVISION
Pool Play
#1 Santa Margarita at #4 Oaks Christian
#2 Redondo Union at #3 Mater Dei

DIVISION 1
Rosary Academy vs. Westlake, 7 p.m. at Cal Lutheran
Newport Harbor at Orange Lutheran
Etiwanda at Eastvale Roosevelt, 6 p.m.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Harvard-Westlake, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2
Saugus at Ayala
San Marino at Portola, 3 p.m.
Millikan at Warren, 3 p.m.
Riverside King at Bonita, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 3
Crescenta Valley at Valencia
La Salle at Paloma Valley, 3 p.m.
La Canada at Quartz Hill, 3 p.m.
Simi Valley at Flintridge Prep, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 4
Patriot at San Jacinto, 3 p.m.
Arcadia at Granite Hills, 3 p.m.
Laguna Hills vs. Immaculate Heart, 5:30 p.m. at Glendale College
Chino at Arlington, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 5
Artesia at Anaheim, 3 p.m.
Grand Terrace at Coachella Valley
La Palma Kennedy at Sultana, 3 p.m.
Alemany vs. Del Sol at Rio Mes

DIVISION 6
Adelanto at Ocean View
Palmdale Aerospace at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy
Segerstrom at Arroyo Valley, 3 p.m.
Mayfair at Grace, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 7
Nuview Bridge at Savanna
Ganesha vs. SM Pacifica Christian, 3 p.m. at Airport Soccer Complex
Cate at Santa Rosa Academy
San Gabriel at Azusa, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 8
CAMS at Mountain View, 3 p.m.
Buckley at Milken, 3 p.m.
Big Bear at Environmental Charter, 3 p.m.
Miller at Webb, 3 p.m.

Note: Semifinals Saturday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
BOYS
SEMIFINALS
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DIVISION
#4 Palisades at #1 El Camino Real
#6 Marquez at #2 South East, 6 p.m.

Note: Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.

GIRLS
QUARTERFINALS
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I
#8 Van Nuys at #1 Birmingham
#5 Chatsworth at #4 Granada Hills Kennedy
#11 LA Hamilton at #3 Wilmington Banning
#15 King/Drew at #7 Eagle Rock

DIVISION II
#8 Mendez at #1 South East
#13 Lakeview Charter at #5 Animo Bunche
#19 Bravo at #6 LA Roosevelt
#7 Garfield at #2 Gardena

DIVISION III
#9 Maywood CES at #1 Fairfax
#5 Reseda at #4 Marquez
#6 Verdugo Hills at #3 Huntington Park
#7 Santee vs. #18 Manual Arts / #2 Angelou

DIVISION IV
#16 Franklin at #9 Aspire Ollin
#13 Arleta at #12 Monroe
#6 Animo De La Hoya at #3 Camino Nuevo
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #2 Fremont

Note: Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.

Barca miss a chance to move above Real Madrid in the Spanish league as Catalan neighbours Girona climb to 12th.

Lamine Yamal missed a penalty as Barcelona lost to Girona 2-1, passing up a chance to overtake Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. The defeat was the second in less than a week for Barca and left them second in the table, two points behind Madrid.

A win on Monday would have taken the defending champions above their archrivals, but, instead, a crisis brewed for coach Hansi Flick, whose side lost to Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Copa del Rey last week.

The second loss came even though Barcelona took the lead early in the second half.

Yamal hit the post with his spot kick on the stroke of half-time, but 14 minutes into the second period, Pau Cubarsi met Jules Kounde’s cross from the right and placed his header perfectly into the top corner.

The goal was Barcelona’s 100th in all competitions this season, making them the second club in Europe’s big five domestic leagues to hit the century mark after Bayern Munich.

However, Girona roared back into the game just three minutes later.

Barcelona’s Joan Garcia was already the busier of the two goalkeepers, but he could not stop Thomas Lemar side-footing home from close range after nice work from Vladyslav Vanat on the left wing.

Both sides pushed for a decisive second, and it was Girona who executed with three minutes remaining, substitute Fran Beltran scoring with a low shot from just inside the box.

Girona’s Joel Roca was sent off in the dying seconds, but there were no more goals.

The victory ended a three-game winless streak for Girona and lifted them by three places into 12th, equal on points with Getafe.

Only seven points separate the 11 clubs from eighth to 18th in La Liga.

SHE had just turned 19 and was a single mum at college, working part-time in a fish and chip shop when she made her bid for fame on the X-Factor.

Now, 17 years later, Stacey Solomon is worth a staggering £10million, is married to TV star Joe Swash and has five beautiful children. But just when it looked like she had reached the top, insiders tell us that the 36-year-old has made a huge decision, with one wrong move toppling her empire for good.

The one-time X Factor star has hit the £10m mark in her business empire- up from £7.4m in the previous year, accounts revealed.

Despite her huge earnings, Stacey kicked off 2026 by walking away from her talent agency – leaving those close to her blindsided.

The dramatic move, which has also raised questions within the industry, means that Stacey has also pulled the plug on every one of her commercial partnerships this year.

She will no longer be working alongside YMU, the agency that looks after some of the biggest names in the industry, including Amanda Holden, Ant and Dec and Claudia Winkleman.

Insiders say her team at YMU were ordered to walk away from her long-running George at ASDA contract.

Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich.

Insider

We’re told: “It’s a huge change for Stacey – she will no longer be promoting other people’s brands. 

“Right now, she is focused on building her own empire instead and has new ventures on the horizon.

“She’s seeing it as a major business reinvention. She’s seen how well her hair brand REHAB has done and is now keen to replicate that.

“Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich. She might be worth a lot, but money is always a concern for her. She’s worried that one day everything she has worked for could disappear, and now she’s decided it’s time to take full control.”

The insider added: “Stepping back from all this could be a huge mistake. She does have her TV work, but the brand deals were bringing in a lot of cash for her.

“She could lose it all; that is a genuine fear for her. It’s no secret that Stacey sees herself as the one who has to manage the money both she and Joe make. And she makes a lot more than him.”

Former EastEnders star Joe was declared bankrupt twice over unpaid tax bills – once in 2009 and again in 2013.

Stacey – who shares Rex, six, Rose, three, and Belle, two, with Joe and is also mum to Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12 – is said to always make sure he contributes 50/50 so she is protected financially as much as possible.

But what price has fame and fortune had on her high-profile relationship with Joe?

Stacey has been branded bossy and ruthless in the past, and the tension in their marriage was very evident during their BBC fly-on-the-wall series. 

We’re told that money is still a source of contention for the pair, who live in £1.2m Pickle Cottage,  and Stacey struggles to feel comfortable despite being set for life. 

During one episode of their BBC documentary, Stacey opened up about her money fears as they planned to take their children on a posh skiing trip.

The TV personality said: “I think I will always, one, feel like an imposter in this life, because this is not what I imagined my life would be when I was growing up.

“But two, I always have in the back of my mind tomorrow you could have nothing, so be careful today.”

Cashing in

Three years ago, Stacey invested some of her own cash into small haircare brand REHAB and now owns a third of the firm.

Today, it’s not such a small firm – it was hailed the fastest-growing beauty brand on the FEBE 100 list for 2025.

The award is only eligible for firms with annual revenues over £3million,  which gives you an idea of just how much the brand is pulling in. 

The insider added: “Stacey has loved working with REHAB, it’s all women, there are only seven staff on the books, and it’s become a real passion project.

“She’s making great money and now really believes in her business nous.”

The star presenter runs a firm called Keymap Entertainment that takes in cash from her media and lucrative ad deals.

New accounts show the tele favourite has £7.5m tied up in investments and £1.6m in cash.

A TV insider remarked: “Stacey is adored by fans old and young. She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.”

It’s thought she will see out the remainder of her contracts with YMU before stepping back completely. 

Sources tell us that YMU have been really taken aback by her decision: “She has been the cash cow of the agency for many years. 

“She out-earns their other high-profile clients.”

Some of her biggest deals have included projects with Asda, Jet2, In The Style and Primark, which have really boosted her earnings, and presumably also helped the bank balance of those working for her. 

One of her new business plans is her very own beauty company, Belle & Rose Ltd, named after her daughters, which she set up a couple of years ago with plans to sell beauty products and tools in “specialised stores”.

Interestingly, she’s yet to launch anything under that name yet but as her other deals come to an end, it’s becoming increasingly likely we will see it come to fruition this year. 

She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.

TV insider

It’s certainly been an extraordinary journey – her life really changed forever when she won I’m A Celebrity in 2010, and it soon became clear a singing career would be put on the back burner. 

She became a national treasure, amassing an incredible six million Instagram followers, who watch her every move as she shares her home hacks and family life.

Her Tap To Tidy catchphrase went viral on the social media platform and led to her having her own book, paving the way for her job on Sort Your Life Out, which has become a BBC big hitter. 

It’s a far cry from the nervous teen who wowed Simon Cowell and Cheryl as she took to the stage in hotpants, saying she wanted to win for Zach so she could “get him into a good school and get him all the things he needs”. She’s done that and then some. 

Stacey Solomon’s career so far

Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers’ screens for over a decade. Let’s take a look back at her career.

The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the ‘Girls’ category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs.

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I’m A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I’m A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash – who’d won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff.

Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019.

Loose Women (2016 – present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012.

Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants’ living spaces after removing clutter.

KNOWING when to fly or when to book your next holiday without breaking the bank can feel like an impossible task.

However, travel experts Expedia has looked at both the data and customer research for their best flying tips for Brits heading abroad in 2026.

Included in Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks Report is everything you need to know about travelling this year. Here’s what you need to know.

Fly on Fridays – and avoid Saturdays

Friday has become the cheapest day of the week to fly.

Compared to travelling on a Saturday, jetting off the day before can save up to 18 per cent.

But be warned that Friday is also the busiest  day to fly – with Tuesdays being the least busy.

DREAMY DEALS

Our pick of the best long haul holidays for short haul prices

WINTER WARMER

Best winter sun hols with NO jet lag & hot temps, picked by The Sun’s experts

As for what day you’ll find the find the cheapest deals this is likely to be a Sunday – but Expedia adds that “flying on lower‑demand days unlocks bigger savings.”

Fly in June – and avoid December

The most affordable month to fly is June with flights 68 per cent cheaper on average than December – the most expensive month.

This saves holidaymakers roughly £250 per ticket. 

Yet this changes depending on where you are flying.

If you’re hopping on a domestic flight then the cheapest month to book is January – with the most expensive being the height of summer in August.

Risk-takers might think that the closer you get to your holiday, the better deal you’ll get on flights – and you’d be right.

Book 30 days ahead – not six months

Expedia found that international travellers can save £93 on average by booking between 15 and 30 days ahead, instead of six months out.

For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out can still save £85  compared to booking six months out. 

Fly from Bournemouth and Belfast – and avoid Manchester and Heathrow

When it comes to actually flying, the choice of airport also makes a difference.

The most expensive UK airports to fly from are London Heathrow, Humberside and Manchester

Meanwhile, Belfast, Liverpool and Bournemouth are the most affordable UK departure airports.

Some destinations are seeing prices drop up to 67 per cent year-on-year too.

So if you head to Gdansk, Cork or Bordeaux, so you’re likely to get a good, cheap deal.

And lastly, while it might not save money – this hack may save you time.

Obviously some of the busiest times to travel are during summer, but other dates that see more travellers are October 24 and 25 and May 24, being near school holidays.

The quietest days based on bookings are March 4, 5 and 9 and December 31.

For more savings – here how one holidaymaker travelled to 41 countries and used a simple hotel trick to save her family hundreds.

And here’s 50 money-saving tips you NEED to know before booking your next holiday – from 5* hotel hacks to free tours and cheap booze.

The tiny, off-grid cabin looked almost unreal: made of repurposed oak it stood by a private lochan, with separate cedar sauna, cold outdoor shower, sunken hot tub, and a jetty with two hammocks and a pair of paddleboards. It screamed Finland or Sweden, not a sheep and deer farm in the Scottish Borders. It was the sort of isolated location that would set Ben Fogle’s heart racing in New Lives in the Wild. Two swans bugled my arrival. I felt a little embarrassed that all of it was mine.

Sometimes, we need to escape to a place where the phone coverage is bad enough to make you believe you’re somewhere truly wild. Tiny Home Borders, hidden in rippling foothills 10 miles east of Hawick, is such a place. Last August, owners David and Claire Mactaggart opened a second two-person cabin on their farmland (the first opened in 2022) and I jumped at the chance to stay, swim, soak, and – crucially – switch-off.

That first night, on the windblown deck a metre above the lapping water, I fired up the outdoor wood oven and tried to relax. But there was too much to do. First, I had a sauna. Then, I braved a cold plunge in the lochan and a rewarding soak in the burbling hot tub, with the smell of wood smoke filling my nostrils. A pizza followed beside the cabin’s crackling log burner, and later I stargazed using the cabin’s fabulous telescope.

As farms seek new ways to make money, farm stays and agritourism are, unsurprisingly a growing sector. According to Visit Scotland, the combined value of agritourism and farm retail could reach £250m by 2030, a rise driven by growing consumer interest in sustainable tourism. Fittingly, the country is to host the inaugural Global Agritourism Conference in June, and the big topic of discussion within farming is not only the increasing costs of food production but how to diversify and do so sustainably.

The Mactaggarts built their first tiny hut out of an old bale trailer, as an experiment more than anything else. The dream was to create an eco home away from home, with a mezzanine sleeping space above the lounge and kitchen, and with drama to match the setting below Rubers Law, a mini Ben Nevis on the banks of the River Teviot. Then, quickly, one cabin became two, the second built far out of sight of the other. Plans are afoot for a third cabin in another glen on the farm. And everything is as eco as possible, with hemp insulation, solar panels and batteries, reclaimed wood from the farm – and no wifi.

A 90-minute drive from Edinburgh, the location is a great base for exploring an undervisited part of the country. “The Borders is nothing more than a drive-through for many visitors coming north,” Claire said. “It’s a beautiful area, but it’s one so few know about,” David added.

Beside the location, breakfast is one of the delights of a stay. Fresh bread. Salty butter. Homemade marmalade. Farm eggs, when the hens are laying. Coffee on the deck and a set of binoculars provided. On my first morning, the sky shone saltire blue.

Wildlife adds to the picture. Red deer outnumber people in these hills, so with wellies on after breakfast, I headed up the gentle slopes of Rubers Law to look for the Borders’ Big Five: bellowing deer, plus sheep, fox, pheasant and red squirrel.

I passed along a muddy single track where wildflowers and wild garlic starting to sprout below hawthorn. Ahead, I saw two vicar-collared male pheasants, then, farther up the brae, five enormous hind deer that had come down from the cold of the hill. In the distance, where the path ended, I could see ducks, sheep, cattle and horses. It was Old MacDonald Had a Farm sprung to life.

Few parts of the Borders are lovelier than historic Hawick. This town of textile weavers is full of cosy cafes, craft shops and tweed retailers that are perfect for a hit of winter warmth, and the centre is stitched together by four bridges, but also by mills for some of the world’s best-known knitwear manufacturers, including Hawico and Lovat Mill.

Perhaps most striking is Johnstons of Elgin, home to a visitor centre, cafe and showroom designed to showcase the appeal of Borders knitwear. Thanks to Hawick’s longstanding tradition, its cashmere, merino and tweed pieces are now coveted by the biggest names in haute couture: Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.

After lunch at nearby Damascus Drum, a cafe-bookshop decorated with flat-weave rugs, I joined a guided tour of Johnstons of Elgin’s newly extended operation at Eastfield Mill, which opened last August. The mill is labyrinthine and atmospheric, home to hundreds of knitters, needle-workers and machines, all hand-finishing, stitching and whirring. Next to this is a yarn library holding 18 tonnes of kaleidoscopic colour, from gorse yellow to heathery purple.

My last stop was the Borders Distillery in the town’s former hydroelectric plant, a fitting place to finish on a winter’s day. With the rain pouring outside, the sky dark as slate, a glass of blended Scotch at the tour’s end from distiller David Shuttleworth felt like a blessing. The glass smelt of green apples and grass, and I was perfectly able to picture the Borders farms that grow the barley for the spirit’s malt.

“The whisky industry is about storytelling and ours is tied to Hawick’s landscape,” said David. “The Teviot brought us here and all our malt comes from 20 miles around the distillery.” That also translates to a low carbon footprint and a community-driven vision that, combined with a takeaway miniature dram, left me feeling heartened.

Back at the cabin, it was late, and, out there in the darkness, I sat under the deck’s awning in the rain, my glass of whisky drained. What a great wee place Hawick is, I thought. What a place of rural community and inspiration. And hopefully many newcomers will agree with the Mactaggarts – that this is a place that’s been overlooked by too many for too long.

The trip was provided by Visit Scotland and Tiny Home Borders. Tiny Home One sleeps two, from £180 per night B&B (two-night minimum, including pick up if travelling by public transport). Johnstons of Elgin tours cost £15. Borders Distillery tours, £20. For more information on visiting Hawick, see Scotland Starts Here

LONGMONT, COLO. — Dale Klotz’s business repairing power tools took a nose dive when foreclosure signs sprouted up on lawns across the northern suburbs of Denver here.

He’s looking for a second job, and he wishes he wasn’t saddled with a mortgage. But amid the hard times, he took some satisfaction Tuesday in the House’s vote to turn down President Bush’s $700-billion rescue package for the financial system.

“I don’t think we ought to bail out Wall Street,” Klotz, 45, said as he loaded groceries into his white Ford pickup at a shopping center. “I’m an average American, trying to make a living. I’ve got a home mortgage I’d like to unload, but I make my payments every month.”

Why, he asked, should his tax dollars go to save reckless Wall Street executives?

Sentiments like that fueled this week’s rebellion in the House, where members bucked party leaders and the Bush administration to block approval of the rescue package.

Election-year politics also played a role, analysts say. Klotz’s representative, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), is locked in a tight reelection battle and said she heeded the views of her constituents in voting against the bailout Monday.

“It’s not a moment at which people can put the national interest ahead of constituent interest,” said Robert Loevy, a political science professor at Colorado College.

According to one count, 30 of the 38 representatives in the most competitive Nov. 4 House races voted against the bill. Americans have bombarded members of Congress with calls and e-mails urging “no” votes, causing some computers on Capitol Hill to crash repeatedly over the last two days.

Organizations such as ACORN, or Assn. of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a national advocacy group for low-wage workers, organized rallies outside Federal Reserve offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities.

“You look at an electoral battleground map and you are looking at Nevada, the foreclosure capital of the country, and Michigan and Ohio and Florida,” said Austin King, director of an ACORN center in New Orleans. “These swing states have tens or hundreds of thousands of foreclosures. Voters there want to see something done that helps them, not just Wall Street.”

On Monday, the opponents got their wish: The House rejected the plan. But stocks cratered, with the Dow Jones industrial average diving 777.68 points — a gut-wrenching experience for almost everyone with stocks, mutual funds or 401(k) retirement funds.

Stocks regained much of their losses Tuesday, but that wasn’t the only twist — as some congressional officials said they detected growing support for some kind of rescue plan.

Rep. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) said she voted against the bailout Monday after her office was swamped over the weekend with more than 1,000 calls on the plan, with just two of those in support.

But Tuesday, after attending a funeral at First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, Watson said she was besieged by people demanding to know what she was going to do to get the economy back on track.

“These are teachers, nurses, regular working people, and they’re worried about their 401(k)s, their jobs, the whole economy because they don’t understand how this is all going to work,” Watson said.

Watson’s urban district bears little resemblance to Musgrave’s 4th Congressional District in the eastern part of Colorado, which is dotted with ranches and tiny agricultural settlements.

Most of that district’s population, however, is in the exurbs at the northern edge of the Denver metropolitan area. Some of those cities had the nation’s highest foreclosure rates before last year’s housing bust kicked rates even higher in parts of California and other states.

A former schoolteacher and small-business owner who was first elected to Congress in 2002, Musgrave is a staunch social and fiscal conservative who narrowly won reelection in 2006. She is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent House members this year.

Floyd Ciruli, a Denver-based pollster, said the district is populated by people inherently unsympathetic to the proposed bailout.

“Fiscal conservatives; small-government, anti-government ideologues,” Ciruli said. Musgrave “has both a good sprinkling of those individuals in her district, and she has a personal philosophy like that.”

Even residents with starkly different politics were unenthusiastic about the bailout.

“If people who were being rescued are like you and me, working hard every day and struggling to make ends meet, that’s one thing,” said Roni Lavine, 61, a Longmont meeting planner with an Obama pin on her purse. “People are really angry that they’re losing their homes and they see these corporate executives walking out with millions of dollars.”

Still, some were unnerved at the package’s failure and eager for some action.

“There’s a perception out there it just relates to a bunch of people in New York, on Wall Street,” said Mike Preigh, a 42-year-old chemist. “But it all flows downhill. . . . Doing nothing is probably worse than doing something that’s not great.”

Musgrave announced her opposition to the bailout on Sept. 23, the day Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson presented the plan to Congress.

Her spokesman, Joe Brettell, said Musgrave was not moved by politics but by the people she represented. “The congresswoman looks at her district first, and she really feels she made the right decision,” he said.

On Tuesday, Musgrave said she was not concerned about the huge stock sell-off that followed Monday’s rejection of the bailout plan.

“We don’t answer to Wall Street,” she said in an interview on “Good Morning America.” “We answer to Main Street. We answer to our constituents.”

Later Tuesday, however, Musgrave was huddled in meetings as negotiators worked to craft revised legislation expected to go to a vote in the Senate tonight and in the House on Thursday. “It is important,” she said in a statement, “for people around the country to know that we are actively working toward a solution to this problem.”

—

nicholas.riccardi@latimes.com

william.heisel@latimes.com

Riccardi reported from Colorado and Heisel from California.

The Miami Dolphins have released wide receiver Tyreek Hill with immediate effect.

The 31-year-old has been selected for the Pro Bowl in eight of his first 10 seasons in the NFL but is currently recovering from a serious knee injury.

The Dolphins cited “failed physical” as the reason for Hill’s departure as they also released offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on Monday.

Know as ‘the Cheetah’, Hill has been one of the quickest players in the NFL since being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, helping them win the Super Bowl in 2020.

The Chiefs traded him to Miami in 2022 to make room under their salary cap and since then he has ranked sixth for most receiving yards in he NFL.

During that period, Hill missed just one game until last September, when he sustained a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments, including his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The Dolphins went on to finish the season with their second straight losing record under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has since been replaced by Jeff Hafley.

He has set about rebuilding the Dolphins roster, with Tua Tagovailoa also linked with a move from Miami having failed to establish himself as their franchise quarterback.

Cubans suffer under a US fuel blockade as President Donald Trump calls the Caribbean country a ‘failed nation’.

The United States-imposed fuel crisis in Cuba is also turning into a waste and health crisis, as many collection trucks have been left with empty fuel tanks, causing refuse to pile up on the streets of the capital, Havana, and other cities and towns.

Only 44 of Havana’s 106 rubbish trucks have been able to keep operating due to the fuel shortages, slowing rubbish collection, as waste piles up on Havana’s street corners, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday, citing state-run news outlet Cubadebate.

Other towns are also seeing rubbish pile up, and residents have taken to social media to raise the alarm over the risk to public health, according to Reuters, citing Cuban media.

“It’s all over the city,” said Jose Ramon Cruz, a resident of Havana.

“It’s been ‌more than 10 days since a garbage truck came,” Cruz told Reuters.

The mounting rubbish crisis has added to the suffering on the tiny island-state, which US President Donald Trump described on Monday as a “failed nation”.

“Cuba is now a failed nation. They don’t even have jet fuels to get their aeroplanes to take off, they’re plugging up their runway,” Trump said.

“We’re talking to Cuba right now, and Marco Rubio is talking to Cuba right now, and they should absolutely make a deal. Because it’s really a humanitarian threat,” he said.

Cuba’s severe fuel crisis is a result of the US cutting off crucial oil supplies once imported from Venezuela. Washington’s move followed the bloody US military raid on Caracas and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in early January.

US ‘violations of peace, security and international law’

Trump has been threatening Cuba and its leadership for months, and increased his choke-hold on the Cuban economy by recently passing an executive order that allows the US to impose crippling sanctions on any country that supplies oil to Cuba.

Asked if the US intended to remove the Cuban government, akin to Washington’s abduction of Maduro in Venezuela, Trump said: “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Last month, Trump warned Cuban leaders to “make a deal, before it is too late”, without specifying the consequences of not meeting his demand.

Amid the crisis, Mexico sent two navy ships carrying 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Cuba last week, and on Monday, Spain said it would use the Spanish Agency for International Development and the United Nations to channel aid to Havana.

The announcement was made as Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares met with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, in Madrid on Monday, where the pair “addressed the current situation in Cuba following the tightening of the embargo”.

In a post on X, Rodriguez criticised “the violations of peace, security and international law and the increasing hostility of the United States against Cuba”.

The Cuban foreign minister’s stop in Madrid followed visits to China and Vietnam, where he has sought support amid the US’s de facto blockade.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet for another round of peace talks in Geneva, as United States President Donald Trump pushes for an end to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.

The two-day talks, which begin on Tuesday, are likely to focus on the issue of territory and come just days before the fourth anniversary, on February 24, of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trump is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to reach a deal soon, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has complained that his country is facing the greatest pressure from Washington to make concessions.

Russia ⁠is demanding that Kyiv cede the remaining 20 percent of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture – something Kyiv refuses to do.

Trump again increased the pressure on Ukraine late on Monday.

When asked about the talks on board Air Force One, he described the negotiations as “big” and said, “Ukraine better come to the table, fast.” He did not elaborate further, saying, “That’s all I am telling you.”

The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. Those talks did not yield a breakthrough.

“This time, the idea is to discuss a broader range of issues, including, in fact, the main ones,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. “The main issues concern both the territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward,” he said.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said Russia was unwilling to compromise and wants to keep fighting.

“Even on the eve of the trilateral meetings in Geneva, the Russian army has no orders other than to continue striking Ukraine. This speaks volumes about how Russia regards the partners’ diplomatic efforts,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Monday.

“Only with sufficient pressure on Russia and clear security guarantees for Ukraine can this war realistically be brought to an end,” he added.

‘Serious’ intentions

The Russia-Ukraine war has spiralled into Europe’s deadliest conflict since 1945, with tens of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes and many Ukrainian cities, towns and villages devastated by the fighting.

Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swaths of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected the demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the West.

The Kremlin said the Russian delegation would be led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin.

However, the fact that Ukrainian negotiators have accused Medinsky in the past of lecturing them about history as an excuse for Russia’s invasion ⁠has further lowered expectations for any significant breakthrough in Geneva.

Military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov will also take part in the talks, while Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will be part of a separate ⁠working group on economic issues.

Vladmir Sotnikov, a political scientist based in Moscow, said the Russian team will consist of about 20 people, many more than delegations in previous rounds of talks.

“I think the Russian intentions are serious. Because you know, the situation here in Russia is that ordinary people are just tired of this war,” he told Al Jazeera.

Kyiv’s delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov. Senior presidential aide Serhiy Kyslytsya will ‌also be present.

Before the delegation left for Geneva, Umerov said Ukraine’s goal of “a sustainable and lasting peace” remained unchanged.

As well as land, Russia and Ukraine also remain far apart on issues such as who should control the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the ‌possible ‌role of Western troops in post-war Ukraine.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will represent the Trump administration at the talks, according to the Reuters news agency. They are also attending talks in Geneva this week with Iran.

Line of Duty is back for a new series – with Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston all reprising their roles for the seventh series

Line of Duty is back for a new series – and now a big plotline has been let slip ahead of the new episodes. The BBC show – featuring Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston – ended four years ago but will make a return for a seventh series.

In a shocking turn of events, the fictional police anti-corruption unit AC-12, which investigates bent coppers, finally unmasked the mysterious ‘H’, who was unmasked as bumbling detective Ian Buckells.

Fans were left fuming by the big reveal – which had been years in the making – and begged for the show to continue. It is now back, with the unit having been ditched and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

In the story, Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But the team must work out whether Gough’s case is actually a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat.

Creator Jed Mercurio said of the upcoming new series: “Everyone involved in Line of Duty feels enormous gratitude to the show’s fans. We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over six previous seasons, and we couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh.

“Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.”

Martin Compston – who played Steve Arnott since its inception – added: “Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime. Not only in terms of the show’s success but the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.”

Vicky said: “It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back – can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!”

With Adrian adding: “As we count down the AC12 days of Christmas what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year. Delighted with the news and looking forward to those mercurial twists and turns.”

Now, sources have claimed that there will be a revisit of the ‘H’ storyline in a shocking twist.

“There was genuine anger about the way series six ended and that was part of the reason that a seventh outing was ordered. But this is the first time that there’s been any news on whether they’ll bring back the ‘H’ storyline — and devotees will be thrilled to hear Jed will be giving them just what they want,” a source told The Sun.

“Although there is still likely to be a new villain introduced into the new season, just as there has been with every series since the show was launched. But the incoming baddie’s storyline is likely to be intertwined with that of ‘H’ in a sensational double-whammy.”

Like this s tory? F or more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

The hall in Halifax has been a stunning events venue since 1779 and remains the only 18th-century northern cloth hall of its kind, now hosting music concerts, independent shops and restaurants

Nestled in the centre of Halifax in West Yorkshire sits an architectural gem that now serves as a premier events destination for the region.

Since 1779, The Piece Hall has been an integral part of the town, functioning as an expansive open-air courtyard that’s currently encircled by a vibrant town centre brimming with shops, bars and restaurants.

Originally designed to accommodate large exhibitions, this magnificent space has evolved into a breathtaking venue hosting an extensive array of events.

One recent visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “Great trip, lovely environment and good shops! The Piece hall is an absolutely brilliant tourist attraction and has done wonders for Halifax!”.

Save on the best holiday cottages in Yorkshire

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

From £31 per night

Sykes Cottages

See the deals

Famous for its dramatic landscapes, historic cities, hearty food, and rich cultural heritage Yorkshire is just waiting to be explored. Sykes Cottages has a large number of properties to choose from with prices from £31 per night.

History

The Piece Hall ceremoniously welcomed its first visitors on New Year’s Day in 1779, operating as a public marketplace for trading woven cloth and fabric.

The construction costs totalled just over £9,000 at the time, equivalent to approximately half a million pounds in today’s money.

It represented a masterpiece of architectural undertaking for its era and stands as the sole surviving example of 18th-century northern cloth halls.

This landmark building held a pivotal position in the textiles industry, contributing significantly not only to Yorkshire’s economy but to the nation’s prosperity for generations.

The opening is believed to have featured an elaborate grand ceremony, complete with a musical procession and spectacular fireworks display. Trading commenced the very next day, with business conducted every Saturday for merely two hours weekly.

Events

The Piece Hall has established itself as a vibrant entertainment destination, serving as Yorkshire’s premier venue for live music, theatrical productions and cultural exhibitions.

Its stunning and spacious courtyard provides an ideal setting for broadcast productions, including hosting the BBC’s beloved Antiques Roadshow.

The venue has welcomed circus acts, dramatic performances and musical concerts, whilst also functioning as an open-air cinema location. Most music events operate on a standing basis to maximise the area’s capacity, with minimal seating available.

The Piece Hall’s forthcoming calendar features Madness performing across two consecutive evenings from June 11, alongside a Paul Weller performance during that same week.

Renowned British acts including the Kooks and McFly are scheduled to perform at the historic location later this year.

One guest urged visitors to “not miss this Yorkshire jewel”, describing it as a “total delight” that’s “soaked in historic interest”, whilst praising the on-site retail offerings as making it “so worth a visit”.

Refurbishment

After a comprehensive refurbishment programme costing approximately £19 million, the Piece Hall celebrated its spectacular reopening during summer 2017.

To facilitate such substantial renovations, the location remained shuttered for three and a half years, commencing in January 2014.

The restoration works included re-levelling the central courtyard, transforming it into a vast 66,000-square-foot piazza capable of hosting events for up to 7,500 people.

Additionally, the project saw the careful restoration of the original stonework, preserving its historical integrity.

However, the most significant aspect of the restoration was the creation of spaces within the arcades to accommodate independent shops, cafés and bars.

The site also gained a new extension on its eastern side, which now contains a learning centre where visitors can discover the heritage of the location and its role in Yorkshire’s industrial development.

Shops

Behind the stone walls of the Piece Hall sits an array of independent retailers offering everything from handicrafts to books, clothing, homeware and beyond. Among its most popular shops are Loafers, a local record shop, The Book Corner, Antiques by Rachel and Waterfall Games store.

Following a day of browsing, one visitor claimed: “Amazing architecture, historically fascinating lots of small shops, bars and restaurants. The town is small but has enough charm to keep you entertained. The local indoor market has great food and atmospheric designs. Definitely worth a visit!”.

Ian Choudri, the CEO of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority, was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery earlier this month at his Folsom home, officials said.

The 57-year-old was arrested Feb. 4 on suspicion of battery against a spouse, Sgt. John Triplett of the Folsom police confirmed. The arrest occurred in the 500 block of Borges Court, where records indicate he owns a home.

“The High-Speed Rail Authority is aware of the matter and is reviewing it,” a spokesperson for the agency said Monday in a statement. “We have no other comment at this time.”

Choudri was approved as CEO of the state agency in August 2024, and lauded by Gov. Gavin Newsom as having more than 30 years’ experience in the transportation sector.

Choudri replaced former CEO Brian Kelly, who retired. Choudri joined the agency from HNTB Corp., an infrastructure design firm where he previously held the position of senior vice president.

Choudri did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

Choudri’s attorney told The Times that police were called to Choudri’s home by a third-party and that prosecutors did not file charges in the case.

Choudri was set to appear in court Feb. 6 but was notified by the Sacramento district attorney’s office that they had declined to file charges, said Allen Sawyer, Choudri’s attorney.

“This matter is over and no further action will be taken,” Sawyer said.

Officials at the Sacramento district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The day before his arrest, Choudri had appeared with Newsom in Kern County to announce the completion of a 150-acre facility that would serve as a hub for construction of the high-speed rail project in San Joaquin Valley.

“The railhead facility is a critical step in the track-installation process and keeps us on pace to deliver this system smarter, faster and more economically,” Choudri announced at the media event, according to a statement released by Newsom’s office.

Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Choudri is among the highest-paid state employees in California, having earned $563,000 last year, according to payroll records obtained by The Times from the state controller’s office.

Times staff writer Melody Gutierrez contributed to this story.

Jamaica’s Mica Moore, from Newport in south Wales, finished four places ahead of Nicoll in 14th and was delighted with the outcome following her switch in 2022 from representing GB after claiming she had witnessed “damaging and offensive behaviour”.

Moore told BBC Sport: “I’m so happy. It has been a real tough journey to get here, it hasn’t been easy at all. I guess to me it is just a story of not giving up.

“I had a really difficult time with Great Britain and that is not secret at all and I’m just so proud I didn’t give up on myself and I’m so grateful for my family and friends for digging myself out of the trenches when it was really tough and just keep going. Moments like this make it really worth it.”

Moore began her sporting career as an athlete – representing Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – before switching to bobsleigh.

Her grandfather, Venson Byfield, came to the UK in the Windrush generation and settled in Wales.

“It is a really proud moment,” she added.

“I’ve spoken a lot about my grandfather and how we came over with the Windrush generation and I never got the pleasure of meeting him, but my mum has told me so many stories about him and I just had that in my heart the whole time. I just wanted to make my family proud.

“They’ve supported me for so long. I’m 33 now so I’m quite old and they’ve never wavered in their support.

“I’ve just had the most lovely career because of them.”

The accident, near the town of Goppenstein, occurred as the region is under its second-highest avalanche warning, a level four out of five.

A regional train has derailed in southern Switzerland, injuring five people, police said, as the risk of avalanches in the region has reached its second-highest level.

The accident on Monday near the town of Goppenstein occurred amid heavy snow and at an altitude of 1,216 metres (4,000 feet), according to the AFP news agency.

“According to initial findings, an avalanche may have crossed the tracks shortly before the train passed,” police said, adding that the public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation.

“Five people were injured. One of them was taken to hospital,” police added.

The train accident follows a series of deadly avalanches across the Alps in recent days involving skiers.

On Friday, three skiers were killed after being swept away by an avalanche in the upmarket French Alpine resort of Val d’Isere.

Cedric Bonnevie, who oversees the resort’s pistes, said one of the victims was a French national while the others were foreign citizens.

He said one victim appeared to have been caught in the avalanche high on the mountain slope, while the other two were part of a group of five, including a professional guide, lower on the mountain face and did not see the avalanche approaching.

In Italy, rescuers said last week that a record 13 backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers had died in the mountains over the previous seven days, including 10 in avalanches triggered by an exceptionally unstable snowpack.

Fresh snowfall during recent storms, combined with windswept snow sitting on weak internal layers, has created especially dangerous conditions across the Alpine arc bordering France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, Italy’s Alpine Rescue said.

“Under such conditions, the passage of a single skier, or natural overloading from the weight of snow, can be sufficient to trigger an avalanche,” Federico Catania, Alpine Rescue’s spokesperson, said.

The avalanche deaths have occurred on ungroomed mountain slopes, away from the well-maintained and monitored Winter Olympic sites in Lombardy near the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto, and the cross-country skiing venues in Val di Fiemme, within the autonomous province of Trentino.

Last year, the U.S. government was able to reverse engineer a critical subcomponent for the 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb. Leveraging technology from the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile saved years of work that would have otherwise been necessary to “eliminate obsolescence issues and meet operational demands.” The reverse-engineering effort also highlights the impacts of being locked into a single vendor, and underscores why the Pentagon is now pushing to make changes to, if not end this practice.

Details about the reverse-engineered component and other aspects of the MOP program were contained in a recent U.S. Air Force contracting announcement regarding efforts to replenish stocks of those bombs following Operation Midnight Hammer. During that operation, B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped 14 GBU-57/Bs on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) had to produce a detailed justification for awarding a sole-source contract to Boeing for the production of new MOPs and the sustainment of the existing inventory. Boeing is the bomb’s current prime contractor. A redacted copy of that document is available online.

“The Government has a follow-on need for additional production of [redacted] MOP Tail Kits with projected delivery starting 10 January 2028 to replace expended units and reach the United States Air Force’s [redacted],” the so-called Justification & Approval (J&A) document explains. “The Government has a need for replenishment production of GBU-57 MOP weapon system components.”

It is unclear what the total size of the GBU-57/B inventory was before or after Operation Midnight Hammer. As of 2015, prime contractor Boeing had delivered at least 20 of the bombs, according to the Air Force. However, additional orders have been reported over the years. In 2024, a story from Bloomberg had also said that a facility in Oklahoma was being expanded to help triple or even quadruple the annual output of these bombs.

The MOP’s tail kit, also designated KMU-612/B, contains the bomb’s GPS-assisted inertial navigation system (INS) guidance package and other systems. It is combined with a BLU-127/B penetrating “warhead” and other components, including advanced fuzes designed to help produce the maximum destructive effect on a target after burrowing deep down into the ground, to create a complete GBU-57/B bomb, or all-up-round (AUR).

GBU-57 MOP test

“In August of 2025, the Government successfully reverse engineered a critical subcomponent of the MOP weapon system saving 4-years of design work and enabling the utilization of existing Army ATACMS technology to eliminate obsolescence issues and meet operational demands,” according to the J&A document. “However, the time to reverse engineer all MOP components would result in unacceptable delays in meeting mission requirements.”

The MOP J&A does not elaborate on the ATACMS technology in question, or what company or companies may now be in line to produce the resulting subcomponent for the bombs. Lockheed Martin is the current prime contractor for ATACMS, a family of short-range ballistic missiles that you can read more about here. It should also be noted that the U.S. military’s reverse-engineering parts of key weapon systems is not entirely uncommon, especially if the original source of the components in question has gone out of business or otherwise no longer exists.

The J&A document says it would take an estimated 60 months, or five years, to create an entirely new MOP tail kit design and then go through the required processes to certify it for operational use. It also explains why the KMU-612/B tail kit, specifically, is so central to the need to award a new sole-source contract to Boeing.

“With regards to IP [intellectual property] rights, The [Redacted] Company is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the MOP weapon system and retains ownership of the intellectual property data associated with the munition’s tail kit,” it explains. “In particular, [redacted] owns the technical data package and manufacturing process methodologies of the tailkit unit entirely. [Redacted] has uniquely acquired expertise over a period of ~18 years of adapting this specialized weapon to meet evolving mission needs as MOP transitioned from proof-of-concept to full operational capability. This expertise pertains, but is not limited to, knowledge of the guidance algorithms, navigation systems, hardware components, specialized test equipment, and software critical to producing and sustaining the MOP weapon system.”

“The other components and sub-components, as noted above, have been proprietary to [redacted] from the inception of this weapon system. The USG [U.S. government] does not own or control, via license or by other IP rights, any computer software, methodologies, or technical drawings,” the document adds. “[Redacted] was queried in August 2025 as to the potential of selling IP rights to the USG for the MOP weapon system and the USG was denied.”

That being said, “over the course of the ~18 years of MOP development to the AURs acquired today the USG has, at certain junctures, been able to separate from the sole-source environment for this weapon with Boeing,” the J&A notes. “The USG was able to break away the Warhead Cases for the MOP under a weapon design agent effort, thereby giving the USG complete IP control over the Warhead TDP. Based on the IP ownership of this TDP the USG awards contracts competitively.”

The prospect now of new U.S. strikes against targets in Iran, including deeply buried nuclear sites and other facilities, highlights the continued importance of the depth and readiness of the GBU-57/B inventory. There is clear evidence that Iranian authorities have taken new steps to try to shield key elements of the country’s nuclear program from future attacks, either from the air or on the ground. MOP has been and continues to be the only conventional munition capable of prosecuting many of these targets, and was specifically designed from the outset with sites in Iran top of mind. A conflict with Iran is not the only scenario where the bombs would be relevant. North Korea and China, among others, have also invested heavily in underground and other hardened facilities.

The huge bunker busters are otherwise the definition of high-value, low-density munitions. At present, they can only be employed operationally by B-2 bombers. Each B-2 can also only carry two of the bombs at once. MOP is expected to be an important part of the arsenal of the future B-21 Raider, which is smaller than the B-2 and is expected to be able to carry a single one of these bunker busters.

The details in the MOP J&A document also underscore broader issues surrounding IP rights and ‘vendor lock’ in the U.S. defense contracting space that have increasingly been coming to the forefront in recent years. Competition inherently creates opportunities to lower costs and diversify supply chains. A broader supplier base also offers benefits when it comes to scaling up production of key subcomponents and complete systems.

The continued extent of Lockheed Martin’s control over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is perhaps the most widely known example of the negative impacts of vendor lock. U.S. officials have been outspoken about the maintenance and sustenance challenges this has created, especially when it comes to the timely sourcing of spare parts, and the operational risks this creates. TWZ previously explored the particular issues surrounding the F-35 in an in-depth feature.

Foreign F-35 operators, especially in Europe, are now also facing regular questions about what could happen to the jets if the U.S. were to cut off access to various sustainment pipelines in light of new diplomatic strains with Washington. Just this past weekend, Dutch State Secretary for Defense Gijs Tuinman caused a stir when he asserted it would be possible to “jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone” if necessary, as you can read more about here.

In recent years, successive U.S. administrations have made securing greater IP rights and ensuring opportunities for competition key elements in negotiating new defense contractors. As an example, the Air Force previously made clear that avoiding the F-35 program’s vendor lock was a top priority for the acquisition of the F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter. President Donald Trump’s administration is now pursuing a host of new contracting reforms, in part to further break up the locks that private companies have on programs like the Joint Strike Fighter.

“We will enable third-party integration without prime contractor bottlenecks. Success will be measured by the ability of qualified vendors to independently develop, test and integrate replaceable — excuse me, replacement modules at the component level throughout the system life cycle,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a speech last November. “There’s no more complacency and no more monopolies.”

At that time, Hegseth had also acknowledged Byzantine processes and other contracting hurdles that the U.S. military had created for itself over the years.

How “the sole-source environment” surrounding the GBU-57/B continues to evolve now remains to be seen. A successor to that bomb, called the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP), is also now in development, and Boeing is involved in that effort, too. The Pentagon’s experiences with MOP, together with the new contracting reform push, are likely to inform how the replacement weapons are acquired.

In the meantime, U.S. authorities continue to try to free elements of the MOP program from vendor lock, including now by repurposing technology originally designed for the ATACMS short-range ballistic missile.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

HE’s got almost 2 million followers on TikTok alone, has an army of A-list celebrity fans and now US comic Corey O’Brien is preparing to invade the UK.

After blowing up on social media post lockdown with his hilarious videos impersonating everyone from Dua Lipa and Justin Timberlake to the Spice Girls– who all shared his clips online – the 34 year-old former dancer’s comedy career has gone from strength to strength.

And next week he’s performing in London for his first ever UK show, much to the delight of both Corey and his legions of British fans.

“I’m a real anglophile,” smiles Corey, as he chats to The Sun from his home in Los Angeles.

“I’m really excited because I feel like my comedy goes across really well with a UK audience.

“I’m unhinged and have no filter, and I feel like you guys really get that. I have no boundaries, I say whatever the f*** I want to say and I think that’s quite a British sense of humour.”

WANT YOU BECK

Victoria Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn with sweet tribute

SALLY’S SUBSCRIBERS

CBB star, 74, joins OnlyFans after being inspired by Kerry Katona

He may live 6000 miles away from Blighty, but Corey admits he avidly follows UK pop culture – whether it’s binging classic early seasons of Love Island with his former NFL star boyfriend Ryan K Russell (“we stopped having sex at one point because we were so obsessed with watching Hannah Elizabeth) to keeping abreast of every development of the Beckham family feud.

“I am so invested in that drama,” he confesses. “I’m team Posh, of course. If Victoria wants to come to crash my wedding, do a full dance number and make the night all about her, I wouldn’t hate it.

“She could slap me in the face in the middle of my vows and I would probably say thank you. She’s Victoria Beckham. She was my gay awakening.”

Indeed, when Corey impersonated all five Spice Girls for his own take on the iconic Say You’ll Be There video three years ago, he never expected it to get more than three million views and be shared by the legendary pop group’s official social media channels.

“I think I cried when that happened,” he confessed. “It was one of the most amazing things to ever happen. My boyfriend was upstairs at the time and I screeched as if someone was killing me. He was quite concerned.”

It’s not just iconic British girlbands that Corey is obsessed with though – during our chat he happily recounts his favourite moments from various UK Celebrity Big Brother series.

“Oh my god, I’ve watched all of Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa‘s romance, I can’t get enough of Farrah Abraham‘s fight with Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace and of course Tiffany Pollard’s ‘David’s dead’ moment is my all time favourite,” he laughs.

“I’d love to do Celebrity Big Brother. If any casting people are reading it, get me on there! I’ll get nude if they want me too!”

Anyone who follows Corey on social media will know he’s more than happy to flash his naked buff body – either in the name of comedy or simply for a bit of a thirst trap.

“I’ve not said this publicly before, but I microdose Ozempic,” he confesses when asked about his increasingly toned physique, before admitting to making a big mistake when he started on the fat jabs.

“I ordered some off some random website for like $400 and, believe it or not, I’m not a doctor so I didn’t really understand the dosages,” he deadpans.

“The first time I took it, I shot up a whole month’s worth of it in one go and I didn’t realise. I lost like 12 pounds in a week and it was all muscle that I lost. So yeah, now I just do little microdoses here and there.”

And he’s more than willing to show off some skin when he hits Britain next week.

“I’ll show my nudes on stage, hell, I’ll show them in person for like 20 bucks,” he laughs.

“I need to make some money – the exchange rate is crazy right now!”

Corey O’Brien: Live In London is at the Top Secret Comedy Club in London on Monday February 23. Doors open from 5.30pm.

For tickets, book here

TRIPADVISOR has revealed its top beaches from all over the world – and two ‘unique’ ones in the UK have been praised.

Their latest Best Beach ranking looked at millions of Tripadvisor reviews, trips and opinions to find the most-loved coastal spots.

And their ‘One of a Kind’ beach rankings saw Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland come in third space – the only UK beach to make the top 10.

The coastal spot in the north of the country is known for its sweeping sands and of course, Bamburgh Castle which sits high up on the headland.

Bamburgh is no stranger to awards having picked up UK’s number one seaside town on more than one occasion.

Travel Writer Ryan Gray who visited Bamburgh revealed why it’s one of his favourite spots.

DREAMY DEALS

Our pick of the best long haul holidays for short haul prices

WINTER WARMER

Best winter sun hols with NO jet lag & hot temps, picked by The Sun’s experts

He said: “Visitors can take a dip in the fresh North Sea if they’re feeling bold, however I decided to simply dig my toes into the soft sand and take in the sights of Bamburgh Castle, which stands imposingly atop a hill behind the beach, creating a real life work of art.

“The huge fortress, recognisable from TV series The Last Kingdom and the most recent Indiana Jones film, The Dial of Destiny, dates back 1,400 years and even features in ballads written as long ago as 1270.

“It’s impossible to not be impressed by its towering presence which provides a unique backdrop to the beach and encapsulates a lot about what makes the north east a spectacular holiday destination.”

Further down the list of ‘One of a Kind’ beaches is another one in the UK – Sandown on the Isle of Wight, just making the top 20.

It’s known for its five miles of coastline, huge pier with amusement arcades and is a popular spot for fossil hunting.

The no.1 ‘One of a Kind’ beach went to Boulders Beach in South Africa, the home of endangered land-based colony of African Penguins.

Visitors won’t be able to sunbathe here, but instead they can watch the thousands of penguins from the boardwalk above.

In second place is Isola Bella in Sicily which is also known as the ‘Pearl of the Ionian Sea’.

Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan took the 4th spot, followed by Brazil‘s Lençóis Maranhenses.

This is followed by Anakena Beach on Chile‘s Easter Island, followed by Wai’anapanapa State Park in Hawaii (7th) and Hopewell Rocks in Canada (8th) which has the world’s highest tides up to 52 feet tall.

Tripadvisor’s World’s Best Beaches…

These are the best beaches in the world according to Tripadvisor…

1. Isla Pasion – Cozumel, Mexico
2. Elafonissi Beach – Crete, Greece
3. Balos Lagoon – Kissamos, Greece
4. Eagle Beach – Eagle Beach, Aruba
5. Praia da Falésia – Algarve, Portugal
6. Banana Beach – Ko He, Thailand
7. La Jolla Cove – California, USA
8. La Pelosa Beach – Sardinia, Italy
9. Manly Beach – Sydney, Australia
10. Boulders Beach Penguin Colony – Simon’s Town, South Africa
11. Falassarna Beach – Falassarna, Greece
12. Platja De Muro – Platja De Muro, Spain
13. Tobacco Bay Beach – St. George, Bermuda
14. Paleokastritsa Beach – Paleokastritsa, Greece
15. Kite Beach – Dubai, UAE
16. Kelingking Beach – Nusa Penida, Indonesia
17. Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, USA
18. Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
19. Bondi Beach – Sydney, Australia
20. Playa de Maspalomas – Maspalomas, Spain
21. Poipu Beach Park – Poipu, USA
22. Plage de Palombaggia – Porto-Vecchio, France
23. Ipanema Beach – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Spiaggia La Cinta – San Teodoro, Italy

Ninth place was in Puerto Rico, Bahía Bioluminiscente, with the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world, followed by Hot Water Beach in New Zealand in 10th.

Other One of a Kind beaches include Pig Beach in the Bahamas, and Butterfly Valley in Turkey.

Here’s the full list of Tripadvisor’s One of Kind beaches:

1. Boulders Beach – Simon’s Town, South Africa
2. Isola Bella – Taomina, Italy
3. Bamburgh Beach – Bamburgh, UK
4. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Empire, USA
5. Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses – Barreirinhas, Brazil
6. Anakena Beach – Easter Island, Chile
7. Wai’anapanapa State Park – Hana, USA
8. Hopewell Rocks – Hopewell Cape, Canada
9. Bahía Bioluminiscente – Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico
10. Hot Water Beach – Hot Water Beach, New Zealand
11. Shell Beach – Denham, Australia
12. Marietas Islands – Nayarit, Mexico
13. Playa De Valdevaqueros – Tarifa, Spain
14. Pig Beach – Great Exuma, Bahamas
15. Yaverland Beach – Sandown, UK
16. Butterfly Valley – Fethiye, Türkiye
17. Walakiri Beach – Waingapu, Indonesia
18. Hatenohama – Kumejima-cho, Japan
19. Red Beach – Akrotiri, Greece

Meanwhile, Horsey Beach in Norfolk came in at number 13 on Tripadvisor’s Best Beaches in Europe.

This beach is a popular spot to visit during November to February when the large seal colony has pups which you can see resting on the beach.

For even more best beaches – here are the world’s best according to Big 7 Travel.

And this pretty UK beach compared to Portugal and California has also been named one of the best in the world.

Tripadvisor’s Best Beaches in Europe…

These beaches are Tripadvisor’s top beaches in Europe…

1. Elafonissi Beach – Elafonissi, Greece
2. Balos Lagoon – Kissamos, Greece
3. Praia da Falésia – Olhos de Agua, Portugal
4. La Pelosa Beach – Stintino, Italy
5. Falassarna Beach – Falassarna, Greece
6. Platja De Muro -Playa de Muro, Spai
7. Paleokastritsa Beach – Paleokastritsa, Greece
8. Spiaggia dei Conigli – Lampedusa, Italy
9. Playa de Maspalomas – Maspalomas, Spain
10. Plage de Palombaggia – Porto-Vecchio, France 
11. Spiaggia La Cinta – San Teodoro, Italy
12. Fig Tree Bay Beach – Protaras, Cyprus
13. Horsey Beach – Horsey, UK
14. Playa de Cofete – Morro del Jable, Spain
15. Cala Comte – Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, Spain
16. Tsambika Beach – Rhodes, Greece
17. Cala Mariolu – Baunel, Italy
18. Omaha Beach – Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France
19. Bamburgh Beach – Bamburgh, UK

Reporting from Washington  — When Jim Asher, formerly the investigative editor in the Washington bureau of the McClatchy newspaper chain, tweeted Thursday that a former longtime aide to Hillary and Bill Clinton had “told me in person #Obama born in #kenya,” he set off yet another in the seemingly endless side debates over who is to blame for which seamy aspect of contemporary politics.

Evidence on the question is ambiguous.

Asher’s account about his conversations with Sidney Blumenthal has become a hot issue among political activists since last week, when Donald Trump finally admitted the falseness of the so-called birther theories that he pushed for more than five years.

As part of their statement announcing his climb-down, Trump’s aides pushed another false narrative — that it was Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign that had started the questioning of where Obama was born and whether he met the constitutional test for being president.

Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter | The race to 270

There is no evidence that Clinton or her campaign ever raised that question, and her campaign fired one aide in Iowa who did circulate an email raising the issue. Some supporters of Clinton’s, however, certainly did raise the issue with reporters during the final stretch of the 2008 Democratic primary.

Blumenthal, whose penchant for spinning dark hypotheses long ago earned him the nickname “grassy knoll” — a reference to Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories — did not work for the 2008 campaign. But he has been close to both Clintons since Bill Clinton’s first presidential bid in 1992, so he would be more than just a random, unhappy Clinton supporter.

As a result, Asher’s statement provided grist for the Trump campaign’s position.

Blumenthal has denied Asher’s account.

Asher, in a statement, said that “on the birther issue, I recall my conversation with Blumenthal clearly,” but “I have nothing in writing memorializing that conversation.”

The written records that do exist and the recollections of people involved at the time leave the question unsettled.

Asher, who subsequently was McClatchy’s Washington bureau chief for five years, met with Blumenthal one day in the spring of 2008 at the McClatchy office in Washington, Asher recalled.

Two emails from that period show that Blumenthal sent tips to Asher about potential Kenya-related stories critical of Obama. But they do not include anything involving Obama’s birth.

A March 17, 2008, email said:

“Jim: On Kenya, your person in the field might look into the impact there of Obama’s public comments about his father. I’m told by State Dept officials that Obama publicly derided his father on his visit there and that was regarded as embarrassing and crossing the line by Kenyans for whom respect for elders (especially the father, especially a Muslim father, in a patrilineal society) is considered sacrosanct. Sidney.”

A second email, Asher said, involved possible “connections between Obama and Raila Odinga, who had described himself as Obama’s cousin and would run for president of Kenya” and links between Odinga and “controversial Muslim groups.”

The “person in the field” at the time was McClatchy’s Nairobi-based correspondent, Shashank Bengali, who is now a foreign correspondent for The Times. He looked into Blumenthal’s tips at the time and found they did not check out.

“Asher assigned me to look into everything related to Obama in Kenya,” Bengali said in an email.

“One of the things I researched was the false rumor that he was born in Kenya,” he said, “but I don’t remember where that tip came from.”

Bengali said that although Asher passed along some tips specifically attributed to Blumenthal, he did not recall any conversations in which Blumenthal’s name was linked to the birthplace issue.

“I can’t recall if we specifically discussed the birther claim,” he wrote Monday in an email to Asher, who contacted him after The Times and other news organizations asked Asher about his contacts with Blumenthal.

David.Lauter@latimes.com

For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter

ALSO

Voters on both sides increasingly see a Trump win as a possibility — and that may get more people to vote

Trump’s climate science denial clashes with reality of rising seas in Florida

Top Clinton Foundation donor who was denied entry into the U.S. fires back with a lawsuit

With a self-inflicted wound, Trump puts himself in new peril against Clinton

UPDATES:

2:53 p.m.: This article was updated to add Asher’s subsequent title as bureau chief.

The article was first published at 2:30 p.m.