THIS Caribbean island has it all, plenty of sunshine and beautiful beaches with soft sand – not to mention January is the perfect month to visit.

With highs of almost 30C and nine hours of sunshine each day, Barbados is a great place to start the New Year.

The island sits in the eastern Caribbean Sea close to St Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and has around 285,000 residents.

For tourists, there’s a great mix of beaches and busy towns like Bridgetown, the island’s capital – it has pretty architecture, shops, vibrant markets and National Heroes Square.

Generally visitors will head to the West Coast for luxury stays and calm waters or the South Coast for vibrant nightlife.

Wherever you go, you don’t have to look far for beautiful beaches as they’re all across Barbados, from Sandy Bay Beach to Dover Beach.

STREET SMARTS

I visit New York 6 times a year – my expert budget guide including £1 pizzas

SNOW WAY

All the best Xmas days out under £10 including FREE ice skating & Santa’s grotto

Another is Carlisle Bay on the southwest coast which is popular for spotting turtles and diving among shipwrecks.

Barbados even has a beach with pink sand, called Crane Beach, which is found on the southeast coast.

It’s well-known for having soft, pink sand which is made finely from crushed coral and shells that create a pinkish hue.

One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “It has beautiful pink and white sand and very, very few tourists. Magnificent crashing waves and warm shallow water – perfection!”

Another described it as having “incomparable views with pink sugar sand”.

A different part of the island however, was revealed to be one of the ‘Best Places to Go in 2026’.

The East Coast of Barbados was mentioned by Condé Nast Traveller thanks to its “dramatic scenery, world-class surfing, and colourful fishing villages preserve the island’s unspoiled character.”

For those visiting, it suggested starting in Bathsheba, a village with a popular surfing beach often referred to as ‘The Soup Bowl’.

Another spot on the East Coast is Martin’s Bay, and on Thursdays head to Bay Tavern Fish Fry for some red snapper or macaroni pie (essentially baked mac and cheese).

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey visited the Caribbean island last January. She said: “Rum alcohol is in the fabric of this beautiful island.

“And Barbados certainly isn’t short of rum bars — there are about 1,500 of them, with one next to every church on the island. (That’s a lot of booze stops for the world’s 13th smallest country).

“It’s home to the oldest rum distillery in the world, Mount Gay. So it would be rude to deny myself a rum punch after a trip to Harrison’s Cave, one of the island’s most popular attractions.

Kara continued: “After a quick tram tour underground, above ground is where you can find Mount Gay taster sessions. That rambunctiousness was why we ended up in a KFC after being told that it’s much better in the Caribbean.“

Unlike January in the UK, you’re guaranteed to have sun in Barbados and temperatures for the first month of the year sit between 23C and 28C.

In January, there are direct flights from London Gatwick and London Heathrow which take 9 hours.

The cheapest flight according to Skyscanner is on January 8, 2026 from £311 with TUI.

For more on the Caribbean, check out this lesser-visited island where one writer discovered zip lines, lobster bars and volcano hiking.

And this Caribbean island that’s the closest to the UK with Maldives-like overwater villas.

WASHINGTON — More than a quarter of federal immigration judges in California have been fired, retired or quit since the start of the Trump administration.

The reduction follows a trend in immigration courts nationwide and constitutes, critics say, an attack on the rule of law that will lead to yet more delays in an overburdened court system.

The reduction in immigration judges has come as the administration scaled up efforts to deport immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Trump administration officials have described the immigration court process, in which proceedings can take years amid a backlog of millions of cases, as an impediment to their goals.

Nationwide, there were 735 immigration judges last fiscal year, according to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the arm of the Justice Department that houses immigration courts. At least 97 have been fired since President Trump took office and about the same number have resigned or retired, according to the union representing immigration judges.

California has lost at least 35 immigration judges since January, according to Mobile Pathways, a Berkeley-based organization that analyzes immigration court data. That’s down from 132. The steepest drop occurred at the San Francisco Immigration Court, which has lost more than half its bench.

“A noncitizen might win their case, might lose their case, but the key question is, did they receive a hearing?” said Emmett Soper, who worked at the Justice Department before becoming an immigration judge in Virginia in 2017. “Up until this administration, I had always been confident that I was working in a system that, despite its flaws, was fundamentally fair.”

The administration intends to fill some judge positions, and in new immigration judge job listings in Los Angeles, San Francisco and elsewhere seeks candidates who want to be a “deportation judge” and “restore integrity and honor to our Nation’s Immigration Court system.”

The immigration judges union called the job listings “insulting.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social in April that he was elected to “remove criminals from our Country, but the Courts don’t seem to want me to do that.”

“We cannot give everyone a trial, because to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years,” he added.

The National Assn. of Immigration Judges said it expects a wave of additional retirements at the end of this month.

“My biggest concern is for the people whose lives are left in limbo. What can they count on when the ground is literally shifting every moment that they’re here?” said Amber George, who was fired last month from the San Francisco Immigration Court. “Our government institutions are losing their legitimacy.”

Because immigration courts operate under the Justice Department, their priorities typically shift from one presidential administration to the next, but the extreme changes taking place have renewed longtime calls for immigration courts to become independent of the executive branch.

The Trump administration recently added 36 judges; 25 of them are military lawyers serving in temporary positions.

This summer, the Pentagon authorized up to 600 military lawyers to work for the Department of Justice. That took place after the department changed the requirements for temporary immigration judges, removing the need for immigration law experience.

The Department of Justice did not respond to specific questions, but said judges must be impartial and that the agency is obligated to take action against those who demonstrate systemic bias.

Former judges say that, because terminations have happened with no advance notice, remaining court staff have often scrambled to get up to speed on reassigned cases.

Ousted judges described a pattern: In the afternoon, sometimes while presiding over a hearing, they receive a short email stating that they are being terminated pursuant to Article II of the Constitution. Their names are swiftly removed from the Justice Department website.

Jeremiah Johnson is one of five judges terminated recently from the San Francisco Immigration Court.

Johnson said he worries the Trump administration is circumventing immigration courts by making conditions so unbearable that immigrants decide to drop their cases.

The number of detained immigrants has climbed to record levels since January, with more than 65,000 in custody. Immigrants and lawyers say the conditions are inhumane, alleging medical neglect, punitive solitary confinement and obstructed access to legal counsel. Requests by immigrants for voluntary departure, which avoids formal deportation, have surged in recent months.

Many of those arrests have happened at courthouses, causing immigrants to avoid their legal claims out of fear of being detained and forcing judges to order them removed in absentia.

“Those are ways to get people to leave the United States without seeing a judge, without due process that Congress has provided,” Johnson said. “It’s a dismantling of the court system.”

A sign posted outside the San Francisco Immigration Court in October protests enforcement actions by immigration agents. The court has lost more than half of its immigration judges.

(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)

The judges in San Francisco’s Immigration Court have historically had higher asylum approval rates than the national average. Johnson said grant rates depend on a variety of circumstances, including whether a person is detained or has legal representation, their country of origin and whether they are adults or children.

In November, the military judges serving in immigration courts heard 286 cases and issued rulings in 110, according to Mobile Pathways. The military judges issued deportation orders in 78% of the cases — more often than other immigration judges that month, who ordered deportations in 63% of cases.

“They’re probably following directions — and the military is very good at following directions — and it’s clear what their directions are that are given by this administration,” said Mobile Pathways co-founder Bartlomiej Skorupa. He cautioned that 110 cases are a small sample size and that trends will become clearer in the coming months.

Former immigration judges and their advocates say that appointing people with no immigration experience and little training makes for a steep learning curve and the possibility of due process violations.

“There are multiple concerns here: that they’re temporary, which could expose them to greater pressure to decide cases in a certain way; and also they lack experience in immigration law, which is an extremely complex area of practice,” said Ingrid Eagly, an immigration law professor at UCLA.

Immigration courts have a backlog of more than 3 million cases. Anam Petit, who served as an immigration judge in Virginia until September, said the administration’s emphasis on speedy case completions has to be balanced against the constitutional right to a fair hearing.

“There are not enough judges to hear those cases, and this administration [is] taking it upon themselves to fire a lot of experienced and trained judges who can hear those cases and can mitigate that backlog,” she said.

Complementary bills introduced in the U.S. Senate and House this month by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) would prevent the appointment of military lawyers as temporary immigration judges and impose a two-year limit of service.

“The Trump administration’s willingness to fire experienced immigration judges and hire inexperienced or temporary ‘deportation judges,’ especially in places like California, has fundamentally impacted the landscape of our justice system,” Schiff said in a statement announcing the bill.

The bills have little chance in the Republican-controlled Congress but illustrate how significantly Democrats — especially in California — oppose the administration’s changes to immigration courts.

Former Immigration Judge Tania Nemer, a dual citizen of Lebanon and the U.S., sued the Justice Department and Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi this month, alleging that she was illegally terminated in February because of her gender, ethnic background and political affiliation. In 2023, Nemer ran for judicial office in Ohio as a Democrat.

Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, seen here at the White House in October, has dismissed complaints by a former immigration judge who alleged she was fired without cause.

(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Bondi addressed the lawsuit in a Cabinet meeting.

“Most recently, yesterday, I was sued by an immigration judge who we fired,” she said Dec. 2. “One of the reasons she said she was a woman. Last I checked, I was a woman as well.”

Other former judges have challenged their terminations through the federal Merit Systems Protection Board.

Johnson, of San Francisco, is one of those. He filed his appeal this month, claiming that he was not given cause for termination.

“My goal is to be reinstated,” he said. “My colleagues on the bench, our court was vibrant. It was a good place to work, despite all the pressures.”

Dec. 29 (UPI) — At least 13 people were killed and 98 injured after a train came off the tracks in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, authorities said.

The train, which was en route from Salina Cruz on the Pacific coast to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf coast, derailed on a bend near Nizanda on Sunday.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said in an update on X early Monday that the injured, five of whom were in a serious condition, were being treated at four area hospitals, adding that she had instructed the Secretary of the Navy and the deputy interior minister to travel to the site and “personally attend to the families” of victims.

In an online post, Oaxaca Gov. Salomon Jara Cruz said of the 250 passengers and crew onboard, 139 were safe and 36 were continuing to receive medical treatment.

Expressing “deep regret,” Jara Cruz said that state authorities were working with federal agencies to assist those affected and pledged his administration would do all it could to help those caught up in the accident.

Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos confirmed an investigation was underway.

The train comprising two locomotives and four passenger cars was on the Interoceanic Corridor route across the Tehuantepec Isthmus, the narrowest part of Mexico, connecting the Gulf coast with the Pacific, according to the Mexican Navy, which is responsible for Mexico’s railways.

The Interoceanic Train began operating in 2023 under former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as part of an effort modernize passenger and freight links across the isthmus.

The long-term goal is to expand ports, railways and industrial infrastructure, stimulating development in the region to eventually create a global trade route to rival the Panama Canal.

AFTER the expense of Christmas, planning a summer holiday might be the last thing on your mind. But did you know booking now could actually knock HUNDREDS off the price?

From choosing when to travel to how you pack, our expert suggestions will make your trip substantially more affordable. Don’t lose out by waiting until the last minute – do these 15 things NOW to bag the best summer bargain.

1. Set up price alerts for flights

If you haven’t got set dates that you need to travel, you can set up price alerts on flights to find the best deals. 

To do this, click the “price alerts” button on your results page on comparison sites like Skyscanner, Kayak or Google Flights. 

You then need to enter your email address to be alerted if prices drop. 

It’s important to remember that, while comparison sites are great for checking prices across many different airlines, it’s usually cheaper to book directly with the airline, especially after adding on checked bags and seat selection.

2. Book flights at least two months in advance

Don’t wait until the last minute to book your flight – it rarely pays off. 

Instead, book your flights well ahead. 

According to research by Skyscanner, the cheapest time to book international flights is normally two to six months before you travel – meaning that you should be booking as early as January or February if you plan to fly in July or August.

Skyscanner’s Savings Generator tool can help you find the best time to book your flights.

3. Fly midweek if possible

If you can fly midweek, do. 

Opting for a flight on a Tuesday or Wednesday is often cheaper than on weekends due to lower demand. 

According to research by Skyscanner, the most expensive days to fly are Fridays, Sundays and Mondays due to business and weekend travel demand. 

So if you have flexibility, go for a midweek flight to save money.

4. Join hotel loyalty schemes

Hotel loyalty programmes make your holiday spend spread further. 

Member benefits include discounts on bookings, earning points for free nights or upgrades, and redeeming points or vouchers for flights, hotels or other travel expenses. 

In fact, research by Which? suggests that loyalty schemes are the cheapest way to book hotels – outstripping even popular platforms like Booking.com and Hotels.com. 

Most chain hotels have loyalty schemes, which are free to join and promise instant access to discounted room rates. 

Free membership with the likes of Hilton and Accor can save you up to £40 a night – that’s around £300 for a week in Dubai via the Hilton Honors loyalty scheme.

5. Collect air miles and loyalty points

Your weekly shop could help pay for your summer holiday, as long as you sign up to the right loyalty scheme. 

Tesco Clubcard points can be converted into Virgin points: £1.50 of Clubcard vouchers will get you 300 Virgin Points, which can be used for flights and upgrades. 

Meanwhile, Nectar points can be changed into Avios points, with one Avios per 1.6 Nectar points. 

You can use this as currency towards flights with airlines including British Airways, Qatar Airways and Iberia. 

But you’ll need to get spending in Nectar retailers for that flight – with around 18,500 Avios needed for a short-haul economy return flight.

6. Pick a budget-friendly holiday destination

The Algarve, in Portugal, is Europe’s best value-for-money destination, according to a report by the Post Office. 

For the ninth year running, it emerged as the cheapest holiday destination in 2025, thanks to low-cost meals and drinks. 

A three-course meal for two with wine will set you back just £40.33 in this sun-drenched region. 

Resorts in Cape Town, Bulgaria and Spain’s Costa del Sol, where a beer costs around £2.07, £2.47 and £2.46 respectively, also ranked well for affordability. 

Before homing in on your destination, it’s worth checking roughly how much you may spend while you’re away via the report and other cost of living databases like numbeo.com.

7. Research where to get cheap eats

It’s always a good idea to research your destination before you travel – especially if you’re looking to cut costs when you arrive. 

Eating out can burn a serious hole in your pocket, so swot up on best bargain restaurants, food trucks and markets ahead of time. 

Google Maps allows you to filter by price, while review sites like Tripadvisor or OpenTable have value-focused lists. 

When you arrive at your destination, make lunch your main meal – this is when many restaurants offer good value set menus – and avoid eating near the main tourist hotspots.

Sites like TheFork, Time Out and Groupon offer discounts on dining in cities around the world.

8. Snap up free kids’ places… by January

When researching your summer holiday, look out for free children’s places on package holidays. 

These allow one child (aged up to 16) to travel for free with two full-paying adults on a holiday package. 

This includes their flights and accommodation. 

Many holiday operators, such as Tui and Jet2Holidays, also include transfers, food and drink and entertainment like kids’ clubs. 

But you’ll need to be quick – free child places are in high demand and can be limited, so book early to bag the bargain. 

If you’re travelling in peak summer, it’s a good idea to book in early January to get the holiday you’re after.

9. Weigh up a package holiday against a DIY break

Depending on where and when you travel, a package holiday might be the cheapest option, particularly if you’re staying on an all-inclusive basis. 

This means you won’t have to splash out on meals, snacks and drinks locally. 

However, it’s always worth comparing the cost with a DIY break. 

According to MoneySavingExpert, booking late (no more than 10 weeks before departure) is normally the cheapest way to get a package. 

But doing this means you run the risk of losing out on other discounts, such as free kids’ places, which you usually need to book well in advance – so weigh up all your options.

10. Start a savings pot

Parents fork out over £1,000 extra per week during the school holidays, according to research from life insurance broker Reassured. 

This is before they add on an extra £481 per person for a holiday abroad. 

So it’s a good idea to start putting money aside for next year’s summer holiday now. 

Decide how much you want to spend next summer, factoring in the cost of food and experiences while you’re away, and start saving gradually. 

Divide the total into however many pay days you have left until your holiday, and set aside part of the budget in a savings account, repeating the process every payday. 

This should help reduce the financial stress of the holiday when it rolls around.

11. Book airport parking early

The cost of booking airport parking can creep up if left until the last minute. 

The earlier you book, the more likely you are to find the best price. 

For instance, if you turn up at Manchester Airport’s multi-storey car park to park for a week, you’ll fork out £406 – quadruple the price of a booking made four months in advance (£95).

Heathrow’s short-stay car parks cost £616 per week at the turn-up price – £393 more than if you book a month in advance (£223). 

Even booking just a couple of hours ahead can be far cheaper than the price if you pay on arrival. 

Other tips to cut the cost of airport parking include using trusted off-site providers, such as APH, I Love Meet and Greet and Sentinel Car Park, which are usually cheaper than the official airport car parks. 

If you have an early flight or live far from the airport, seek out airport parking hotel deals, which often offer a better rate for parking.

12. Dodge tourist trap destinations

Popular hotspots tend to cost more – so look to lesser-known alternatives for cheaper rates.

For instance, if you’re heading to France, consider Lille instead of Paris for a more affordable French experience. 

In Lille, the average daily cost per person (including accommodation, food, transport and entertainment) is about £128 (€146). 

Meanwhile, the same will cost you £230 (€265) in the French capital, according to budgetyourtrip.com. 

Lesser-known spots help you stretch your budget by offering lower accommodation and dining costs.

13. Keep baggage costs under control

Make sure you know your luggage allowance – and stick to them – to avoid unnecessary baggage fees. 

Each airline has its own restrictions, so check yours well in advance to avoid hefty fees of going over the limit. 

For instance, easyJet charges around £10 per extra kilo at the desk, while Ryanair charges an extra £10.50 per kilo that you go over. 

The cheapest way is to travel light and take hand luggage only. 

Create a packing list in advance, and only pack what you will realistically use. 

Roll, instead of fold, your clothes to maximize space and take travel-sized toiletries instead of bulky bottles. 

If you can’t be this ruthless with your packing then add your checked bag at the time you book your flight – it will cost less than adding it on later.

14. Book hotels on your smartphone for a cheaper rate

This simple trick could save you hundreds of pounds when booking a hotel stay – make the booking on your mobile phone instead of your laptop or computer. 

Which? Travel discovered that this can give you a much better price. 

Platforms such as Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com offer mobile-only discounts on selected hotels with up to 40 per cent off stays – but only if your booking is made on a smartphone.

The research found you could slash £270 off the cost of an apartment in Amsterdam on Booking.com, and save £60 on a weekend in Edinburgh with Expedia thanks to these mobile-exclusive prices. 

So to make sure you’ve found the best deal, it’s always worth double checking a mobile and laptop price.

15. Book at the end of the summer season

As demand increases, so does the price. 

Being flexible about when you travel can lead to huge savings. 

If you want to get the best deals on flights and accommodation, consider a holiday later in the summer season. 

Many Brits escape in the early summer months, leading to price peaks in June and July.

Prices become less steep in late August and early September, as it is less popular. 

In 2023, average ticket prices dropped by £94 from their peak in early July to August, according to Expedia. 

Some airlines and hotels will tempt you with discounts to encourage booking in the less popular months. 

So, to save on your sunshine, scheduling your trip for the end of August could be the way to go.

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy are talking up prospects of ending the war with Russia, after meeting in Florida. But they admitted there are ‘thorny issues’ to resolve about the status of the Donbas region which has been annexed by Russia.

Take That are poised to dominate 2026 – and their fans have a lot to look forward to.

As well as their massive 17-date Circus Live stadium tour next spring, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen are just 29 days away from dropping their huge Netflix documentary series.

And bosses at the streaming giant have kindly shared the first trailer for the three-parter, left, exclusively with me. It will be shared on YouTube and across social media today from 10am.

The series will go ahead without Jason and Robbie but fans will see them speaking in never-before-seen interviews and clips from their time in the band.

Insiders told me that nothing was off limits for Mark, Howard and Gary in the documentary, which will see them giving new interviews about the highlights and the heartaches of being part of Take That.

For the opening trailer, Netflix has pulled together some amazing archive footage of the group at the very start of their careers, with Gary heard saying: “Nothing beats being in a band.

A BIZZY YEAR

From romances to TV twists, the best and worst of another epic year in showbiz

HAPPY QUIZMAS

From celeb break-ups to bitter feuds, test your 2025 showbiz knowledge

“There’s strength, there’s a buzz.” Mark adds: “From the beginning, there was something within us that wanted to prove something.”

The cameras then cut to footage of the fivesome mucking about backstage, as Jason says: “We were tight among ourselves, like we were kings of the world.”

Elsewhere, a baby-faced Robbie walks into shot and looks at the camera as he says: “We all kiss before the show, in a butch way.”

Discussing the magnitude of what was to come — with Take That landing 20 Top Ten hits including 12 No1s — Howard adds: “I don’t think anything could prepare you for what we were about to take on in the Nineties.”

Netflix has billed the series, which is available to stream from January 27, as “the deeply personal and definitive story of Take That.”

A music insider told me: “Gary, Howard and Mark gave their all for this series.

“Take That was life-changing for all of them but, naturally, with the great highs came great lows.

“So much has been said and written about them, the documentary gives them the chance to say their piece — and no stone is left unturned.

“It really is a must-watch for their fans.”

I can’t wait.

Kim gives kids puppy love

Kim Kardashian pulled off the impossible this festive season – by getting all four of her kids to pose for a snap with her.

She filled her home with snow-covered trees before making North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm smile for the camera. Kim also posed with her mum Kris Jenner and a visiting Santa Claus.

And the kids had a lot to grin about after each were given a Pomeranian puppy, above.

But animal rights organisation PETA blasted Kim’s choice of gift.

Urging people to adopt, not shop, founder Ingrid Newkirk said: “It’s a shame Kim missed the chance to be a spokesperson for shelter pups and is being rightly slammed on social media.”

Tim’s Su-preme gift

Timothee Chalamet got a surprise from one of his heroes as he turned 30 on Saturday.

In a video shared online, Susan Boyle wore merch from the actor’s new movie Marty Supreme to sing Happy Birthday to him.

This month Timothee hailed the Scottish singing sensation, who found fame after dazzling on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent, as one of his greatest Brits, saying: “She dreamt bigger than all of us. Who wasn’t moved by that?”

He seemed chuffed by his special video as he celebrated his milestone.

Sharing it on Instagram, he wrote: “THANK U SUSAN!!!!!!!!”

A dream team for Dermot

Dermot Kennedy has teamed up with Noah Kahan to work on new music, which may well end up on the Irishman’s upcoming third album.

Dermot has been pals with the Stick Season singer for years, but he recently let slip that they have finally got together to record tracks.

In an exclusive interview, I asked Dermot if he had been in the studio with any other artists and he replied: “We did spend a day with Noah Kahan, which was lovely.

“I’ve been a fan of his for a long time.”

Last month, Outnumbered singer Dermot announced a huge UK and Europe arena tour, which will begin in May.

And he told how his sleep pattern became “extremely irregular” while working on his forthcoming album.

He said: “There were days where I might start at night and go until all hours.

“When the mood feels right, you do it.”

Lily Allen stocked up on Britney Spears-themed cigarette lighters from Pittsburgh-based artist Jegan Mones, on her recent US trip.

The Smile singer loved the products so much she later returned to the store to buy others emblazened with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

Sounds like Lily is paying homage to fellow reformed party girls in her own way.

Adele is rolling in the dosh

Adele banked £158,000 a week last year, despite not having released an album since 2021.

Her pop empire is run by A Adkins Touring, Melted Stone and Melted Stone Publishing and new accounts filed over Christmas reveal she added £8.2 million to her business riches over the year in 2024.

But that doesn’t include earnings from her money-spinning ten-date residency in a purpose-built venue in Munich, or the final 32 dates of her Las Vegas residency, which ended in November last year.

Even at a modest £100 per seat, the Munich gigs would have raked in £75million in ticket sales alone.

And although her Vegas residency saw Adele, above, performing in a smaller venue, she will still have made millions.

There was a six-year gap between her last two records, so maybe there won’t be too much longer to wait before Adele pops up to say Hello once again.

Sam plays NYE safe

He’s had a cracking year with a new album and his biggest headline show yet but Sam Ryder won’t be opening the champagne on New Year’s Eve.

The singer is headlining the 40th annual London Parade on New Year’s Day, appearing in a line-up featuring 8,000 other performers, and he’s planning to play it safe in the run-up.

In an exclusive chat, he told me: “I love New Year’s, but love an early night more. Pre-gig prep like sleep and rest are super-important to me, so I’ll see in the New Year with friends, family and a few mocktails.”

The London Parade will be shown on London Live and on YouTube from 12pm.

Sam, right, continued: “We have an hour-long set so a decent amount of time to ring in the New Year in style.”

Next summer, Sam will take the lead in an 11-week run of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium – and is also penning tunes at his new home in Nashville.

He added: “We’ve got the busiest year coming up so I want to get into the most positive space.”

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a series of train routes in Russia, Mongolia and China that connect remote parts of the world and offer holidaymakers ‘absolutely incomparable landscapes’

The Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia is the longest railway journey, traversing three countries and two continents, taking holidaymakers to some of the world’s most secluded spots. The train links Russia, Mongolia and China on a continuous journey across eight time zones.

The classic Trans-Siberian journey takes seven days, connecting Moscow to Vladivostok over a distance of 9,258km (6,152 miles).

Other routes include the six-day Trans-Manchurian trip from Moscow to Beijing, a five-day journey to Ulan-Bator, and the shortest route, the Trans-Mongolian, which runs from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia.

Ticket prices range from roughly $120 (£88) for a standard ticket to $1,000 (£740) for first class travel.

Russian Train stated: “As soon as it was built at the beginning of the 19th century, the Trans-Siberian Railway was proclaimed the finest of the diamonds on the crown of the Russian Empire and became famous to the whole world.

“Since then, it has been attracting many travellers striving to see the miracle of engineering and to experience the peculiar way of journey.

“At the same time, the Trans-Siberian regular trains are mostly used by locals for their commuting needs, so it is an excellent way to meet the real people and feel the pure soul of the country.”

The Trans-Siberian Railway presents holidaymakers with “absolutely incomparable landscapes”, making the journey a truly unique adventure.

One traveller reviewed the train trip on Tripadvisor as a “unique, unforgettable journey”, while another described it as a “fascinating experience”.

“My wife and I crossed off our list one of these ‘must-do in our lifetime’ items, which was the Trans Siberian Railway. Time flies on the train, I barely read one book in four days, the rest of the time stared out of the window; Russia by train is fascinating!”

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in some of your favourite holiday hotspots – as well as some lesser-known regions.

This week, we’re focusing on Vilnius, the vibrant capital of Lithuania.

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill visited the capital just before Christmas where she found bargain drinks and alternative festive markets.

She said: “I visited the city of Vilnius during the festive season, but you can get cheap drinks and food all year round – not to mention enjoy wandering around its beautiful Old Town.

“If you look up, beautiful churches dominate the skyline – the Old Town has around 40 alone.

“It has winding cobbled streets lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. I discovered one bar called Vynomanai, which sold coffee for €2 (£1.74) and beer for €3 (£2.62).

SUSSED OUT

Sun readers’ fave family spots in Sussex – top-rated beaches to pirate festivals

SANDS GREAT

Little-known pink beaches & turquoise lagoons you won’t believe are in Wales

“As it was Christmas, you could also grab a hot wine or an Aperol Spritz for €5 (£4.26).

“The best snack I tried was kepta duona, which is essentially fried bread in garlic – which is like the UK’s version of pork scratchings. But, if you want something slightly fancier, Vilnius has four Michelin-star restaurants with tasting menus.

“There’s so much to see, and one quirky visit is to the Lukiskiu Kalejimas prison where you can take a tour around the cells – unbelievably it was used up until 2019.

“But to get a feel of the city, head out into the Old Town early on Sunday morning, you can hear the church bells chime and the streets were practically deserted when I went for a wander.”

MUST SEE/DO

As a city that was occupied by the Nazis then the Soviets, Vilnius is immersed in history – much of which is kept alive today in its charming streets and even at the Lukiškės Prison.

Eagle-eyed Stranger Things fans may recognise the jail as the location where Hopper was held captive at the beginning of the fourth series.

The space has since been transformed into a culture hub and its tarted-up prisoner cells are now home to a series of mini art galleries.

If you are into late-night music, make a beeline for the former prison’s chapel which hosts raves with performances from DJs like Jungle and King Krule in the courtyard.

HIDDEN GEM

Within the capital sits a fascinating mini nation in its own right: The Independent Republic of Užupis.

It was founded in 1997 by a group of artists as an April Fool’s joke and, rather bizarrely, has its own government, constitution and even currency.

The region is less than 1sq km in size but it is well worth strolling its streets.

Book a tour with a local guide, through First Choice, who can point out all the weird and wonderful spots.

BEST VIEW

Scramble to the top of the Hill of Three Crosses (a relatively easy climb) for breathtaking vistas over the city.

Standing 165metres above Vilnius’s centre, the monument at the peak features three illuminated concrete crosses that are visible from most parts of the city.

RATED RESTAURANT

Etno Dvaras is somewhat of a chain in Vilnius, with seven restaurants dotted around the city.

Here you get slap-up Lithuanian grub – think meat, potatoes and plenty of cheese – and each restaurant serves up different dishes depending on the day of the week.

If you tire of traditional food, check out Justa Pasta, an Italian joint serving incredible wine and fresh pasta, or Gogi Guy, a Korean street food spot.

BEST BARS

Vilnius is known for its local craft beer, so you should  swing by one of  its many microbreweries and taprooms.

For local beers with a twist, Alaus Biblioteka (or Beer Library) organises its beer bottles on shelves like books in a library.

There are over 17 beer taps and almost 500 bottled beers to pick from.

For something that packs more of a punch, Alchemikas is a small late-night cocktail bar where talented mixologists shake up unusual concoctions.

HOTEL PICK

The St. Palace Hotel in the heart of the Old Town.

Each room comes with underfloor heating – something you will feel grateful for in a chilly city where the average yearly temperature is about 7C.

Los Angeles is a place where essentially anyone can find themselves, especially outdoors lovers.

The hiking trails of Griffith Park offer tremendous views of the city and landscape. Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area near Culver City features lush spaces to spend a Saturday with family and friends. But for Angelenos seeking adventure — and even solitude — a vast forested expanse awaits.

Angeles National Forest is a 700,000-plus acre wonderland that has long billed itself as L.A.’s “backyard playground.” But it’s so much more than that.

For almost a decade, I’ve hiked much of its 557 miles of trails, and so rarely was it just for exercise. I’ve sought refuge in our San Gabriel Mountains when life got overwhelming, whether it was after my brother died and my soul ached more than I could communicate, or it was just to briefly escape news headlines that kept breaking my heart. But it was also for joy.

Every hike in Angeles National Forest offers us a chance to be awestruck by our natural environment. I’ll never forget the first time I saw a California newt waddling through Millard Canyon falls. I’ve spotted hopping deer, hooting owls and exactly one haughty rattlesnake (as all other rattlers were much calmer — even the one my dog booped).

I’ve felt the temperature shift from cool to crisp on a winter’s day hike in Icehouse Canyon as a cold mist wafted through the trees, and I’ve sweated through my clothes on the exposed hillsides of the Strawberry Peak trail. I’ve made snow angels with my dog near Mt. Waterman and swam in my skivvies in the San Gabriel River.

Years ago, Angeles National Forest supervisor Michael J. Rogers pointed out what anyone who has spent time there knows too well.

“This is a national forest that could very easily be enjoyed and loved to death,” Rogers wrote for The Times on the forest’s 100th anniversary in 1992. “All of the unique values that visitors seek such as cool trees, shaded streams, solitude, beautiful vistas, watchable wildlife, fresh pine-scented air could all be lost through overuse and abuse.”

My intention with this guide falls in line with Rogers’ message: I hope you not only appreciate what the forest has to offer but also understand your responsibility to practice the “leave no trace” principles, leaving only footprints and taking only memories (and selfies).

Adventure awaits in Angeles National Forest. May you find the start and continuation of it in this guide.

Note: To bookmark this page for future use, press Ctrl+D (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+D (Mac).

A quick geography lesson| What to bring | Getting there | Things you should know | Beginner adventures| Intermediate adventures| Advanced adventures

A quick geography lesson

A sweeping view of Angeles Crest Highway and the San Gabriel Mountains from the Hoyt Mountain trail.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Angeles National Forest is about 700,000 acres of federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Its northern boundary extends through mountain ranges near the 5 Freeway near Gorman, eastward to the L.A. County and San Bernardino County line near Wrightwood. Its southern boundary runs near Castaic Lake southeast and eastward, ending north of Claremont, where the San Bernardino National Forest’s boundary begins.

It is located within a portion of the Sierra Pelona Mountains in the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains, which span about 60 miles from near Newhall to Cajon Canyon northeast of San Bernardino, according to state geology research. Angeles National Forest’s elevation ranges from 1,200 feet to 10,064 feet, its highest point being Mt. San Antonio, or Mt. Baldy as it’s more commonly known.

The original home of several Indigenous communities for thousands of years, the forest grows several species of trees, plants and animals endemic only to the San Gabriel Mountains or California, including the San Gabriel manzanita, the big cone Douglas fir and the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. An estimated 14%, or about 29,000 acres, of Angeles National Forest is considered “old-growth” forest — white fir, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine (which has a bark that smells like butterscotch or vanilla), ponderosa pine and others that have grown for more than a century into hulking giants.

It is home to five wilderness areas: Cucamonga Wilderness; Magic Mountain Wilderness; Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness; San Gabriel Wilderness; and Sheep Mountain Wilderness. Wilderness areas are the “most protected” federal land in the country. Each of these wilderness areas offers something different. For example, when hiking in Cucamonga, you might spot bighorn sheep, while Magic Mountain is occasionally host to a California condor passing through.

The view of the San Gabriel Mountains as seen from the Mt. Waterman area in the Angeles National Forest.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

What to bring

A full tank or battery. Consider entering the forest with either a full tank of gas or full charge on your vehicle’s battery. There are no gas or electric charging stations (outside of a plug-in you might find on a forest service building).

Sustenance. If hiking, you will likely want to pack all of the water you need for the day unless you plan to filter it from somewhere along the trail. If camping, check the Angeles National Forest website to see whether your campground offers drinking water. You will also want to bring all of your food, unless you plan to visit one of the few places — including Camp Williams Cafe, Cosmic Cafe, the Adams Pack Station or Top of the Notch restaurant — in the forest to buy food and you know the establishment will be open.

A thoughtfully packed bag. When preparing for a hike, some pack the “10 essentials,” which includes navigation tools, a light source and emergency shelter, while others preach a different method of considering specifically what’s needed for the day. Search and rescue team members generally recommend that folks have in their pack whatever they’d need to spend a night in the woods, just in case things go awry.

Parking pass. To park in most places in the forest, you will need a $5 single-day Adventure Pass, a $30 annual Adventure Pass or an America the Beautiful pass. You can be ticketed without properly displaying your pass. If visiting trails near Wrightwood, you might need a Big Pines parking pass, as many of those locations are managed by a concessionaire, Mountain High.

Driving up Angeles Crest Highway to Mountain High.

(Ryan Fonseca / Los Angeles Times)

Getting there

Much of Angeles National Forest’s hiking trails and day-use areas through the San Gabriel Mountains can be accessed via the 66-mile, winding Angeles Crest Highway, or State Route 2. The speed limit is 55 mph, unless otherwise posted. It’s advisable to take it easy, though, both to enjoy the view and avoid an accident.

State Route 39, another winding mountain road, takes visitors north to popular trails along the San Gabriel River and into the Crystal Lake area. The road features jaw-dropping views of the San Gabriel Valley, occasional wildflower blooms and steep drop-offs. Best to let whoever in your party isn’t scared of heights drive.

Lupine is sometimes spotted on the hillsides around San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa.

(Raul Roa/Los Angeles Times)

In 1978, a landslide destroyed the segment of Highway 39 that connected it to Highway 2, turning it into what one public official called “a 27-mile-long cul-de-sac.” Officials have said it is too costly — and dangerous to bighorn sheep — to repair, although there have been recent discussions about its reopening.

Regardless of where you’re traveling in Angeles National Forest, you should check road conditions before heading out, especially in the winter, as officials will close forest roads to protect the public, including because of snow, or require that drivers carry tire chains.

You should keep in mind while traveling to trailheads that it is considered rude in mountain driving culture not to let faster vehicles pass you. Angeles Crest Highway has several paved turnouts for this reason. Additionally, please take good care to notice signage regarding segments of the highway where daytime headlight use is required.

Lastly, be aware that there are dirt fire roads and several off-road vehicle routes through the forest. Your phone or car’s mapping app might try to send you down one to reach a trail. Please do not assume a road will be passable just because it’s open. When in doubt, call the ranger station before heading out.

Things you should know

Communicating while away. You should assume you won’t have cellphone reception anywhere in Angeles National Forest. For safety while you’re out of your mobile service area, you should share this form with a family member or friend to ensure someone knows where you’re headed. You should also print the form and place it on your dashboard so, in the event of emergency, rescuers can find you more quickly than having to track down details of your whereabouts from your family. If you forget to bring the form, simply write down the details of your day or overnight trip, including when you expect to return, and leave them on your car dash.

Emergencies. Emergency services in Angeles National Forest include 23 fire stations such as the Clear Creek Fire Station and the Monte Cristo Fire Station off Highway 2. Volunteer search-and-rescue crews respond in most hiking emergencies. If you are ever rescued by helicopter, you will not be charged by these groups. That said, they’re always in need of donations to stay afloat.

Fire restrictions. Forest officials will, at times, limit campfires and stove usage because of elevated wildfire risk. Before heading out, check the Angeles National Forest alerts webpage to discern what’s allowed on your trip. If campfires are allowed, you must still secure a free campfire permit and have a copy with you.

A vehicle heads north on Highway 39 into a winter wonderland with a good accumulation of snow at the 5,000-feet level in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa in January.

(Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)

Weather. Checking the forecast is not always top of mind for your average Angeleno, but hikers and campers must assess the weather before leaving for the forest. Temperatures in Angeles National Forest can range from below freezing overnight in winter, especially above 6,000 feet, to above 100 degrees in summer. Even after checking the forest, remember that elevation will play a role in temperature. Generally, for every 1,000 feet you gain, the temperature can drop from around 3½ to 5 degrees, something meteorologists call “environmental lapse rate.”

Eaton fire closures. Please note that the following guide does not include any of the trails burned in the Eaton fire, as they remain closed. Once they’re open, this guide will be updated.

Leave no trace. Whenever you hike, camp or otherwise visit Angeles National Forest, please practice the “leave no trace” principles, which include packing out everything you pack in, respecting the animals (which means not taking selfies with them), and overall ensuring these lands are protected for generations to come.

With that said, take a deep breath, and imagine being surrounded by the fresh scent of pine as mountain chickadees chirp all around you. Yes, friend, that’s possible — and all within a short drive of L.A. Let’s go on an adventure!

(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)

For Angelenos seeking a relaxing respite (easy)

It might seem daunting to drive into the hulking mountains surrounding L.A., but there are many easy-going and family-friendly adventures to be had in Angeles National Forest. Many families and friend groups spend time visiting vista lookouts and at one of several day-use picnic areas, which often feature picnic tables and grills (when allowed).

Here you’ll find some kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible trails and other opportunities, including campgrounds where you can easily drive up and spend a weekend.

Large boulders at the Mt. Hillyer summit.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Hiking trails

🌇For great views: the Mt. Wilson Observatory paved walking paths; Crystal Lake walking path.

🌳To be among tall trees: Joatngna Trail (the Elfin Forest Trail); the paved Buckhorn Campground paths.

💧For cool rivers, lakes and cascading falls: the West Fork National Scenic Bikeway (paved for the most part); San Antonio Falls trail (paved, but uphill); Gould Mesa Campground via the Gabrielino Trail (including about one mile of paved trail to start).

🪨To see massive rock formations: Mt. Hillyer via Silver Moccasin Trail (great for older kids); Mt. Hillyer Trail from Horse Flats Campground (easier, flatter option!).

Campgrounds

These campgrounds are in the “easy” category because they’re straightforward to reach. Additionally, they all usually offer piped (i.e. drinking) water, but you should check on the campground sites linked here to ensure it is available before heading out.

Crystal Lake Campground is a 120-site campground north of Azusa.

(Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)

The campgrounds below range from $12 to $30 per night for single sites ($5 per additional vehicle), with some requiring payment by cash or check. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted; feature picnic tables and fire rings; have vault toilets; and allow dogs.

• Appletree Campground: Open year-round, Appletree features eight first-come, first-served walk-in sites that are a short distance, less than 100 yards, from the parking area. Three sites are ADA accessible. A Big Pines pass from Mt. High is required to park. Each site has a grill on top of the usual amenities. The campground is only 10 minutes from Wrightwood, a cozy mountain town with restaurants and a local grocery store.
• Buckhorn Campground: Arguably one of the most beautiful of Angeles National Forest’s campground offerings, Buckhorn is a popular 38-site campground shaded by California incense-cedar, white fir and tall sugar and Jeffrey pine trees. It sits at around 6,500-feet elevation and, as such, is open from spring to fall since it is often blanketed in snow come winter. Campers should be prepared to pack their food and scented items in the bear boxes supplied, as our ursine neighbors are around the area. Many campers walk the short distance to the Burkhart trailhead and visit Cooper Canyon Falls, a 40-foot cascade reachable by carefully scrambling down from the trail. Others simply lounge in hammocks and play in the seasonal spring that runs through the site.

• Chilao Campground: Chilao has 84 campsites spread over two loops, Little Pines and Manzanita. Its landscape features large boulders, sweeping views and pine trees (especially the eponymous loop). Piped water is available, although it is at times turned off, so please check the campground website before heading out. The Chilao Visitor Center, open on the weekends, is nearby.

  

• Coldbrook Campground: Coldbrook Campground sits on the north fork of the San Gabriel River, where visitors can splash around its cool waters. Its 22 campsites offer shade and a river soundscape.
• Crystal Lake Campground: Crystal Lake is a 120-site campground north of Azusa. It sits at 5,539-feet elevation and features great views of nearby peaks, including Mt. Islip and Windy Gap. Visitors can fish in Crystal Lake when it’s deep enough and find a hot meal at Crystal Lake Cafe and General Store.
• Los Alamos Campground: One of few campgrounds in Angeles National Forest requiring reservations, the Los Alamos Campground has 90 individual and three group camp sites. Visitors are a short drive from Pyramid Lake where they can swim at Vaquero Beach or fish and boat elsewhere. Call ahead to ensure that Pyramid Lake isn’t experiencing an algal bloom, which has been a common occurrence in recent years.
• Monte Cristo Campground: Monte Cristo has 19 individual drive-in sites, including some with large shady sycamore trees. A small creek runs through the middle of the campground and has small pools to splash in. Drive 2½ miles south to the nearby Hidden Springs Picnic Area for more swimming.
• Table Mountain Campground: Open spring through fall, Table Mountain has more than 100 campsites that can be reserved through Recreation.gov, although first-come first-served may, at times, be available. This large campground is operated by Mountain High Resort near Wrightwood and near the company’s North Lodge, where guests can play a round at the disc golf course with sweeping views of the desert below. A Big Pines pass from Mt. High is required to park.

Bonus spots

The forest and the surrounding area have far more to explore than hiking trails and campgrounds. Some of the spots listed here are outside the forest but are included because they’re worth visiting when nearby.

Visitors walks on a path through fields of California poppies in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

• The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Although not in Angeles National Forest, this state natural reserve is over 1,700 acres of open space that bursts, when conditions are right, with bright orange poppies from sometime between mid-February to May. Note: Do not leave the trail and trample the poppies to nab selfies or other images, regardless of whether you see others doing it.

  

  A ruby-crowned kinglet after it was measured and banded at the Bear Divide banding station near Santa Clarita.

  (Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

• Bear Divide Banding Station: Volunteers operate this banding station seasonally from late March through mid-May. They place nets on the hillside to catch migratory birds that they add small metal bands to the legs of, collecting annual population data for further research.
• Camp Williams: A privately operated RV and tent campground on the East Fork of the San Gabriel River; also has a cafe that’s open on weekends.

• Cali Splash Park at Castaic Lake: If hiking near Castaic Lake, the Cali Splash Park offers what’s essentially a massive bounce house and obstacle course in the middle of a lake, a memorable experience and fun surprise after an early morning hike.

  

  Jackson Lake in Angeles National Forest near Wrightwood.

  (Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

• Elizabeth Lake Day Use: A small picnic area about 30 minutes west of Lancaster where visitors can fish and kayak on a seasonal lake, or sag pond, formed by the San Andreas fault.
• Jackson Lake: A small mountain lake near Wrightwood where Mountain High, a local ski resort, offers kayak, paddleboard and pedal boat rentals until the winter season. Guests can also fish, as the lake is stocked with rainbow trout several times a year, according to Mountain High.
• Mt. Wilson Observatory: Visitors can look through large telescopes, enjoy Sunday afternoon concerts, take guided tours of the grounds and snag a bite to eat at the Cosmic Cafe, which is open seasonally.
• Placerita Canyon Nature Center: Although not in Angeles National Forest, this charming facility near Santa Clarita is within a short hike from federal land. Swing by before a hike, and you can say hello to the animal ambassadors, which usually include red-tailed hawks and other native birds.
• Stonyvale Picnic Site: A lesser-traveled picnic area with 11 tables and grills near Big Tujunga Creek, where families and friends can spend the day splashing in its cool waters, especially in the spring when it is flowing.
• Vasquez Rocks Nature Center: This L.A. County park has been the site of several movies and television shows and is a fun side quest for those hiking on nearby federal forest trails.
• Wildwood Picnic Area: A large picnic area near Sunland-Tujunga situated next to Big Tujunga Creek meanders where visitors can splash around the exposed rock bed of Stone Canyon.

(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)

Are you ready to expand your hiking excursions beyond your favorite L.A. trails? Have you been hiking up to Mt. Hollywood, wondering what those peaks are beyond the city? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because here you’ll find an assortment of day hikes and weekend camping ideas that will have you filing for vacation before you realize you’re typing an email to your boss.

These trails are varying levels of difficulty, but are listed as moderate because none of them should require you to have significant technical outdoors knowledge. Enjoy!

Hiking trails

Hikers on the trail to Switzer Falls.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

🌇For great views: Josephine Peak, Stoddard Peak, Tee Pee Trail, Three Points to Sulfur Springs via Pacific Crest Trail, Throop Peak, Vetter Mountain, Warm Springs Mountain.
🌳To be among tall trees: Boy Scout Trail Loop, Mt. Baldy Notch via Manker Flat, Mt. Waterman Loop, Rim Trail to Newcomb Pass, Valley Forge Trail Camp via Gabrielino National Recreation Trail, Winter Creek to Hoegees Trail Camp loop.
💧For cool rivers and cascading falls: Bridge to Nowhere, Brown Mountain Dam Waterfall, Cooper Canyon Falls via the Burkhart Trail, Fish Canyon Narrows, Sturtevant Falls Trail, Switzer Falls trail, Trail Canyon Falls.
🪨To see massive rock formations: Castaic Rock Trail near Castaic Lake, Devil’s Chair Trail, Mt. Hillyer via the Silver Moccasin Trail.

Campgrounds

These campgrounds are considered “moderate” because they either do not offer water but still offer car camping or they require a short backpacking trip. They offer opportunity for memorable outdoor experiences in remote places without making you feel like you’re secretly being filmed for “Naked and Afraid.”

The campgrounds here range from free to $12 per night ($5 per additional vehicle); available on a first-come, first-served basis; feature picnic tables and fire rings; have vault toilets; and allow dogs.

• Cooper Canyon Trail Camp: The Cooper Canyon Trail Camp is a backcountry campground shaded by towering old pine trees. It has five sites, and bear-proof boxes are available to store food and scented items. It can be reached a few different ways, including a 1½-mile one-way trip down a fire road starting at Cloudburst Summit. There is no piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or filter water from the nearby river.
• Gould Mesa Trail Camp: Gould Mesa is a five-site backpacking campground accessed by a two-mile hike via the Gabrielino Trail starting near Pasadena. It can also be accessed by hiking Gould Mesa Road from La Cañada Flintridge. The Arroyo Seco flows nearby and offers seasonal swimming holes for campers. No fee charged outside of Adventure Pass for your vehicle at the trailhead.
• Glenn Camp Campground: Accessible via a seven-mile bike ride or hike, the Glenn Camp Campground is a 10-site forested haven next to the West Fork of the San Gabriel River. There is no piped water. Campers will need to either bring their own or filter water from the nearby river.
• Horse Flat Campground: Horse Flat is a 26-site shaded campground offering corrals and hitching posts should you have an equine companion. It is close to the Silver Moccasin National Recreation Trail, which you can hike to nearby Mt. Hillyer for bouldering. No water available. Closes seasonally.
• Oak Flat Campground: Oak Flat is a rustic 20-site campground near Castaic that will provide you with an easy night of car camping although you might, at times, hear Interstate 5. Shaded by oak trees, the campground is close to Whitaker Peak and Piru Creek at Frenchman’s Flat. There is no piped water, so campers will need to bring their own.

Bonus spots

Pyramid Lake near Castaic.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

• Adams Pack Station: A last remaining pack station in Southern California, this rustic shop in Big Santa Anita Canyon sells hot meals, hiking gear and souvenirs. Its wooden deck is close to the donkeys, who are worth saying hello to.
• Castaic Lake: A fishing and swimming spot to cool off after a hike in the western Angeles National Forest.

  

  Cora and Kenny, two donkeys at Adams Pack Station in Big Santa Anita Canyon.

  (Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

• Chantry Flat picnic area: A large picnic area with grills offering a great spot to rest after a nice hike through nearby Big Santa Anita Canyon.
• Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area and Nature Center: An L.A. County park near Pearblossom with massive rock formations and easy access to Angeles National Forest trails nearby.
• Green Valley SmokeHouse: Nestled in the gorgeous rural town of Green Valley, this is a family-owned local restaurant with a robust menu that features both meat by the pound and vegan options. It’s an easy stop if you’re hiking or camping in the western end of Angeles National Forest.
• Sturtevant Camp: Founded in 1893, the camp has cabins to rent, but is also a fun day trip. It’s a four(ish)-mile hike from Chantry Flat to reach the camp. If you would prefer not to haul in your gear, you can hire a mule team from Adams Pack Station to carry it for you.

(Ruby Fresson / For The Times)

For the adventurer whose friends regularly call them ‘hardcore’ at parties (advanced)

The trails here are challenging but worthy adventures for experienced hikers to consider. What does “experienced” mean exactly? Unlike the trails categorized above as “easy” or “moderate,” the trails here require you to plan ahead, bringing plenty of water and other supplies, looking over topography maps and reading trail reports. With proper planning, though, you will find yourself on a great adventure that’s also close to home. Please note: Some of the trails below may be covered in snow in winter and require technical experience.

🌇For great views: Crystal Lake to Mt. Islip; Crystal Lake to South Mt. Hawkins; Fox Mountain via the Condor Peak Trail; Hoyt Mountain via Grizzly Flat; Jupiter Mountain Loop; Liebre Mountain via PCT; Magic Mountain; Mt. Baldy via Devil’s Backbone Trail; Mt. Lukens via Haines Canyon; Slide Mountain; the Three T’s via Icehouse Canyon; Townsend Peak; Whitaker Peak.
🌳To be among tall trees: Mt. Waterman to Twin Peaks; Mt. Baden Powell; Ontario Peak; Cucamonga Peak (with permit); Mt. Hawkins; Pacifico Mountain.
💧For cool rivers and cascading falls: Icehouse Canyon to Icehouse Saddle Trail, Oak Springs Trail
🪨To see massive rock formations: Strawberry Peak; Islip Saddle to Mt. Williamson Ridge.

Backpacking opportunities near L.A.

• The Gabrielino Trail is a 26(ish)-mile National Recreation Trail that hikers traditionally start at Chantry Flats and hike north, west and finally south to its exit point near Pasadena.
• The entire Silver Moccasin Trail, another National Recreation Trail in Angeles National Forest, is 53 miles — and you could buy yourself a vintage Scouting America “Silver Moccasins” badge on eBay afterward as a humble brag to friends.
• An estimated 176 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail‘s 2,500 miles are through Angeles National Forest. Per the forest service, you can take the trail through Angeles high country, from near Mt. Gleason through Mill Creek Summit, Mt. Pacifico, Sulphur Springs, Cooper Canyon, Mt. Williamson, Little Jimmy, Mt. Baden-Powell and Blue Ridge and on to the Cajon Pass area.

Campgrounds

The campgrounds here are considered “advanced” because they require a level of planning and preparation that falls beyond your average car-camping trip. Several are backpacking sites and do not offer potable water. Some do not have streams to filter water. Despite the challenge to reach them, they are worth it for the sweeping views and solitude, the ability to nap under a hulking pine tree without interruption, outside of maybe a Steller’s jay curious about whether the weird animal (i.e. you) in its yard has any food to steal.

Unless otherwise noted, the campgrounds here range from free to $12 per night ($5 per additional vehicle); are available on a first-come, first-served basis; and allow dogs.

• Big Rock Campground: Big Rock has eight free first-come, first-served sites, with picnic tables and campfire rings. It has vault toilets. Big Rock is on the “expert” list because the road to reach it is frequently closed. This means you’ll need to hike about one-eighth of a mile from a locked gate or take a 4×4 high-clearance vehicle from Vincent Gulch down Big Rock Creek Road (if open). You could also park at Vincent Gulch (displaying a Big Pines parking pass) and hike down the road to reach the campground. Either way, you’ll likely find solitude and hopefully seasonal springs to filter water from. Otherwise, you’ll need to pack in what you need.
• Bear Camp: This trail camp, labeled “extremely primitive” by the Forest Service, has seven sites, each with a picnic table and campfire ring. It does not have toilets. Bear Camp is located on the far northwestern corner of the forest and is best reached by 4×4 or mountain bike, or by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes by it. It is, per the Forest Service, “extremely primitive” and lacks toilets or water. That said, each site features fire rings, bear-proof storage lockers and picnic tables.
• Hoegees Trail Camp: A 14-site backcountry trail camp accessed by hiking by a 2½-mile, one-way hike up the Upper Winter Creek Trail in Big Santa Anita Canyon.
• Little Jimmy Trail Camp: Little Jimmy is a 16-site campground positioned among tall trees at 7,500-feet elevation. It has a seasonal spring where campers can filter water when the spring is running. It is free. It has vault toilets. Each site has bear boxes, as it is an area of high bear activity, along with picnic tables and campfire rings. You can reach it via a 1½-mile hike from Islip Saddle.
• Messenger Flats Campground: A backcountry campground reachable via a 10-mile hike from Mill Creek with vault toilets and picnic tables. Potable water is not available.
• Mt. Pacifico Campground: A 10-tent-only campground with picnic tables and vault toilets but no potable water. Mt. Pacifico is reachable by high-clearance vehicles until the first winter storm of the season is expected, and the Forest Service then closes the road. Hikers can access the campground all season by taking the road or Pacific Crest Trail before turning east onto a spur that leads to the campground.
• Sawmill Campground: Although you can drive to the eight-site Sawmill Campground, it is on the “hard” list because of the drive itself over a bumpy, steep, dirt road. Once there, you’ll be treated to expansive views of the Antelope Valley and beyond. Each site has a picnic table and campfire ring, and there is a vault toilet available. Potable water is not available.
• Southfork Campground: A remote and rustic 21-site campground reachable with a high-clearance vehicle, as the road isn’t maintained. Campers often visit the South Fork of Big Rock Creek to splash around and observe fish swimming about.
• Sulphur Springs Trail Camp: Sulphur Springs Trail Camp sits at 5,300 feet and features about six tent-camping sites. You can reach it by parking at Three Points and hiking about 3.6 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail to reach the camp. Its campsites are shaded by tall pine trees, ideal for hanging a hammock. It has vault toilets but no potable water or bear boxes.
• Spruce Grove Trail Camp: A remote seven-site trail camp accessed by a 4(ish)-mile, one-way trip from Chantry Flat Picnic Area.

Bonus spots

The landmark Mt. Baldy Lodge, with quaint and cozy cabins in the village just as you enter town.

(Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times)

• Buckhorn Ski Lodge: A backcountry ski club with an off-grid cabin in a remote area of Angeles National Forest.
• Mt. Baldy village: A small community near several popular trailheads where you can stop to eat at the Mt. Baldy Lodge and visit the Mt. Baldy visitor center, which is open generally midday on weekends. You can check the forest’s website for the visitor center’s latest hours.
• Rowher Flats OHV: An off-roading site for motorcycles, ATVs and 4-wheel drive vehicles. Get your vroom-vroom on via several miles of trails.

A contemplative sign in Big Santa Anita Canyon in Angeles National Forest.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Respecting the land 🗻

L.A. is the second largest city in the U.S. and is often called the “entertainment capital of the world.”

But it offers residents and visitors alike the rare opportunity to spend the morning along bustling Hollywood Boulevard before finding total solitude in Angeles National Forest. With that opportunity comes a great responsibility to protect it so that Angeles National Forest is not loved to death but rather cherished for generations to come.

A bowler from Bhutan has become the first cricketer to take eight wickets in a T20 international.

Left-arm spinner Sonam Yeshey finished with fine figures of 8-7 from four overs in his side’s 82-run win, external over Myanmar in the third of five men’s T20s between the sides in Gelephu.

The 22-year-old now has the best-ever figures of any bowler in men’s or women’s T20 international cricket.

Six of Yeshey’s wickets were caught while one was bowled and the other lbw.

Bhutan were victorious after they made 127-9 then bowled out Myanmar for 45.

Malaysian seamer Syazrul Idrus previously held the best T20 figures for a man with the 7-8 he claimed against China in July 2023.

Indonesia off-spinner Rohmalia Rohmalia has the best figures in women’s T20s for her 7-0 against Mongolia in April 2024.

Bhutan are an Associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and many players representing countries at that level are unpaid amateurs.

However, Bhutan have 36 players – equally split across their men’s and women’s national sides – who are paid via central contracts.

Bhutan are currently ranked 77th in the ICC men’s T20 rankings while Myanmar are 95th.

Dec. 28 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s People Power Party said Sunday it expelled former lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon after she accepted a nomination to serve as planning and budget minister in President Lee Jae-myung’s administration, calling the move an act that damaged the party ahead of local elections.

The party said its Supreme Council approved a resolution to expel Lee and void her party duties as an official. It said accepting the nomination amounted to misconduct because she agreed to join a Cabinet for the rival administration while holding a party post.

In a statement, the People Power Party said Lee, as a district party committee chair, “voluntarily agreed” to the appointment and thereby aided the current government. The party described it as an act of “disloyalty” with local elections six months away.

The party also said Lee continued party activities, including work related to evaluating elected officials, without disclosing her nomination as a State Council member, which it said disrupted party order and obstructed party operations.

The party warned it would respond “decisively and strictly” to any conduct that undermines its values and responsibilities, citing party rules and its constitution.

It also condemned President Lee and Lee Hye-hoon for what it described as turning a Cabinet post tied to national finances into an object of political bargaining and urged them to publicly apologize and take responsibility.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Severe weather conditions are bringing further misery to displaced Palestinians in Gaza, who have already suffered relentless bombardment, siege and loss in Israel’s genocidal war for more than two years, as Israel continues to block critical shelter and aid supplies into the territory.

Flimsy tents were flooded and makeshift camps engulfed in mud on Monday following heavy winter rains lashing the enclave in recent days.

The harsh conditions have added to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, most of whom are reduced to sheltering in tents and other makeshift structures since Israel’s war destroyed an estimated 80 percent of the buildings there.

Officials are warning that severe conditions also bring new dangers, with the threat of disease and illness as overwhelmed and damaged sewage systems contaminate floodwaters, and the risk that damaged buildings could collapse amid heavy rainfall.

On Sunday, a 30-year-old woman was killed when a partially destroyed wall collapsed onto her tent in the Remal neighbourhood to the west of Gaza City amid fierce winds, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Officials have warned people not to shelter in damaged buildings, but the tents offer limited protection from the heavy rain and no real protection against flooding.

At least 15 people, including three babies, have died this month from hypothermia following the rains and plunging temperatures, according to the authorities in Gaza.

Two-month-old baby Arkan Firas Musleh was the latest infant to die as a result of the extreme cold.

Contaminated floodwater

Reporting from Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, where most of the buildings have been reduced to rubble by Israeli attacks, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the heavy rains had created deep puddles and thick mud that was difficult to pass in places.

“People are struggling to walk in those mud puddles,” she said. “These are not only water, but it’s also sewage, rubbish.”

A team of municipal workers were trying to pump sewage from the overwhelmed network, amid reports of flooded tents from residents.

“Families are saying that sewage water has been coming into their tents,” she said.

Calls for aid deliveries

Aid groups have called for the international community to pressure Israel to lift restrictions on life-saving aid deliveries into the territory, which they say are falling far short of the amount called for under the US-brokered ceasefire.

“More rain. More human misery, despair and death,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the top United Nations group overseeing aid in Gaza, wrote on social media on Sunday.

“Harsh winter weather is compounding more than two years of suffering. People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and among ruins.”

There was “nothing inevitable about this”, he added. “Aid supplies are not being allowed in at the scale required.”

More Israeli attacks

Meanwhile, despite the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, Israeli attacks on Palestinians have continued in Gaza.

Three Palestinians were injured on Monday when Israeli forces targeted the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, a medical source told Al Jazeera Arabic.

Witnesses said the attack happened in an area from which Israeli forces had withdrawn under the ceasefire agreement.

Witnesses also reported an Israeli air raid on the eastern areas of the Bureij camp in central Gaza, artillery shelling east of Rafah and further Israeli attacks east of Gaza City, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

A 20-point plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump in September called for an initial truce followed by steps towards a wider peace. So far, as part of the first phase, there has been the exchange of captives held in Gaza and prisoners in Israeli jails, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave. However, it still occupies almost half of the territory.

However, Israeli attacks have not stopped, while humanitarian aid flows into the territory have not been what was promised.

Since the truce went into effect, more than 414 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,100 wounded in ceasefire violations, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

ADAM Peaty’s Strictly co-star Dan Walker came under fire over a “tone deaf” post about being invited to his wedding – after he cut family members from the big day.

The 31-year-old uninvited his mum and blocked texts from his family – as Gordon Ramsay took a swipe at the swimmer’s parents in his father-of-the-bride speech.

A number of well-known guests were seen attending the wedding of the Olympic athlete and TV chef Gordon’s daughter.

Newsreader Dan shared a photo of the order of service from Bath Abbey where Adam married Holly Ramsay on Saturday.

He captioned his post: “We had a lovely time celebrating with @adam_peaty & @hollyramsayy yesterday.

“Great wedding, top people, wonderful service, unforgettable reception, brilliant speeches and we got to sing some bangers in the church too.”

FOR PEATY’S SAKE

Gordon’s fiery speech at Holly’s wedding as Adam blocks texts from family

STRANGE ITEM

Adam Peaty wedding compared to ‘hospital appointment’ as guest complains

Dragon’s Den star Sara shared photos from her friendship with Adam over the years, and said: “Yesterday I had the privilege of being at this amazing man’s wedding – and it also gave me a moment to reflect on how lucky I’ve been to have him in my life over the past four years.

“From the first day we met on Strictly, we’ve been firm friends, and it was a real honour to sit in Bath Abbey and watch him get emotional as the love of his life walked down the aisle.

“It was such a special day. Simon and I had the best time, the service was beautiful – and I’m sure you’ll not be surprised to hear me say, it was hands down the best wedding food I’ve ever had.

“Wishing my wonderful friend and his gorgeous bride a lifetime of happiness together.”

However both celebrities came under fire from their followers.

One told Dan: “Pity his mum and dad didn’t enjoy it too. Insensitive post,” as another said: “Nice Christian thing to do sticking it to his mother for not getting an invite. Well done Saint Dan…”

Another said: “Couldn’t agree more. Tone deaf.”

Another fan typed beneath his post: “I think this post is upsetting on so many levels.”

While One more remarked: “Sorry Dan poor judgment given the devastating circumstances for the Peaty parents.”

This person asked the TV star: “Sorry Dan, but did you really have to post this?

“For those of Adams family who weren’t there, for whatever reason, it might come across as insensitive.”

Sara was also blasted by some of her followers.

One posted: “There is something very wrong with celebrities sharing their attendance- when the most important person (regardless of who was right/wrong) was not there.”

A second person suggested: “Now Sarah you know this would bring up not good comments. You know what you are doing.

One more said: “That brakes my heart that you get the privilege to put this. As a mother of a son it breaks my heart.”

Among the A-list guests at the nuptials were Ramsay family friends Sir David Beckham and wife Victoria, plus their sons Romeo and Cruz and daughter Harper.

The maids of honour wore dresses designed by Victoria in red, while Tana wore a similar style dress in green.

Security was tight, with guests wearing wristbands embossed with H&A.

But most of Adam’s family, including his mum Caroline, dad Mark and brothers James and Richard, stayed at home 150 miles away after he fell out with them.

Adam’s family feud exploded after his mum Caroline was not invited to Holly’s hen do.

It then escalated when Adam later called cops after his brother James allegedly made threats via text while Adam was on his stag do.

A family source told The Sun on Sunday last night: “Frankly, it’s disgusting that it went ahead without Adam reaching out to his mum and dad beforehand.”

The family were left even more distraught amid claims dad Mark was told by the swimmer’s sister Beth before Christmas he could attend, but had to sit at the back.

Our source said: “It was a difficult day for Caroline and Mark, so the family spent the evening together.

“Caroline got upset as soon as she saw the photographs from the wedding.

“For him to turn around and tell Beth that his dad could come and sit at the back of the church is awful.

“Mark was told he could sit behind plus-ones — who Adam has probably never even seen or spoken to.”

The star’s swimming coach Melanie Marshall stepped in to deliver a reception speech, in place of his brothers.

Almost everything was bad.

Every January I try to escape Britain’s gloom for sun and wine that doesn’t cost £8 a glass. I convince my long-suffering husband to log off and join me on my yearly escapades to sunny and cheaper places like Sri Lanka and Costa Rica. In January 2025 I was itching for a new destination and ‘the Egypt saga’ was set in motion.

Cut back to Christmas 2024 when, fuelled by mulled wine and poor judgement, I was doom-scrolling and found a deal that stopped me in my tracks: almost four weeks in an all-inclusive resort in Hurghada, flights included, for just under £1,700 for both of us. I booked immediately. No research. No caution. I was so giddy with the adrenaline of having bagged a bargain I forgot the first rule of resort booking: always check the reviews. Always.

“How bad could it possibly be though?” I dreamed as I packed. As a freelancer I intended to ‘work’ during my extended jaunt – preferably with a pina colada in hand like I have seen other smug ‘world citizens’ do on Instagram. My husband stayed suspiciously quiet.

Our budget booking promised a “four-star resort and aqua park and private beach” so I was fully expecting spacious, stylish rooms with plush bedding, multiple delicious dining options, and peaceful pools and spas to unwind in after a busy morning doing important writing and sharing my new life on Instagram. In a plot twist no-one saw coming what we actually got was a rundown bargain-bin resort that clearly hadn’t been updated since 1987 with the ‘private beach’ a bus ride away.

While certain parts were pleasant (I really liked the towering palm trees, our room balcony, and the abundance of resident cats) there were vast areas that needed an update and some serious deep cleaning.

Shabby and dirty room decor, exposed wiring, freezing cold pools, and screeching groups of budget holiday punters who were already drunk by 10am. It seems Egypt’s idea of four stars is very different from mine. “Swanky”, apparently, is a relative term.

Because I’m “annoyingly positive” (according to my family) I earnestly declared that we would make “the best of it” while stepping over broken paving slabs as Pharrell Williams played on loop. However my eternal optimism eventually faltered when I tried to work.

The “free wifi” was confined to the smoke-filled chaotic lobby where everyone was glued to YouTube on their phones. You couldn’t send so much as an email as the connection was utterly dire. This meant we had to buy local sim cards with data, which felt like being back in the dial-up era. Work completely stalled so we headed to the pool, abandoning all hope of finishing my mountain of assignments. Future me could sort that out.

If blaring 2010-era music was stressful being hassled by resort staff while lounging by an icy pool was worse. Headphones, fake naps, and avoiding eye contact didn’t help. Every 20 seconds someone asked if we wanted a photoshoot, a massage, or tickets to the resort party. Yes, a party you’ve technically already paid for. Joy. To be fair I know next to nothing about all-inclusives. Most of my travel has been DIY so I was unprepared for many aspects of resort life.

I totally appreciate that staff earn most of their money from commissions but I’m only human; I have only so much patience for endless sales pitches when I’m trying to relax and drink lukewarm wine at 11am.

Back in our extremely basic room (certainly no Egyptian cotton sheets here) sleep escaped us as deafening music went on into the early hours. I’m pretty sure I now know all the lyrics to Rihanna’s Pon de Replay. Come, Mr DJ, won’t you turn the music down? I am old and tired.

Food-wise I also hadn’t considered how eating the same reheated trays of dubious pasta, watery stews, and charred meat from the all-inclusive buffet could get quite repetitive. And, yes, prompt several frantic loo dashes.

On top of that there was an awkward expectation to tip every time we sat down to eat even though the whole point of “all-inclusive” is that you’ve already paid to serve yourself from the questionable buffet.

Salvation did not arrive in the form of alcohol. The wine tasted like dishwater, the cocktails like ground-down Fruit Pastilles, yet I remain in awe of my fellow Brits who somehow managed to down enough terrible booze to render a rhino comatose.

The worst part, really, is that I’ve been to Egypt’s historic capital, Cairo, enough to know that Egyptian food and drink are worth celebrating.

Koshari, ful medames, tameya, grilled kebabs, stuffed vegetables, molokhiyya: I was ready to feast like a queen. Instead local options at the resort were sparse and what they did serve was a pale shadow of the rich, fragrant dishes I’d enjoyed in Cairo. One mediocre bite and I mourned my lost koshari (a bonkers mix of grains, legumes, and pasta).

So why, you might reasonably ask, did we not call it quits, check out, and head home after failing spectacularly to live the #nomad dream?

To take a short break from being a negative Nancy what actually saved us from despair was the town of Hurghada itself. This seaside strip is the second biggest town on the Red Sea and is one of Egypt’s busiest holiday destinations. Home to world-renowned coral reefs, bazaars, bars, restaurants, and hotels there’s actually plenty to do once you step outside the resort. Rather than wallow in buyer’s remorse we spent as much time as possible exploring Sakalla, the frenetic town centre, Hurghada’s marina, and the kaleidoscope-coloured coral reefs.

Who needs tacky poolside entertainment when, for around £25 each, you can hop on a dive boat and swim among shoals of fish and even pods of dolphins as you explore vibrant coral reefs? I honestly couldn’t believe that we witnessed dolphins in the wild in turquoise waters for less than the cost of a sad lunch in Britain.

This is what you need to come to Hurghada for – not cheap resorts but instead to float in clear waters as clownfish, angelfish, and parrotfish dart in and out of reefs.

Over in Hurghada’s surprisingly swish marina we discovered a large yacht harbour lined with shops with restaurants and buzzing bars offering outdoor seating. Here we escaped the beige hotel buffet and feasted on meaty shawarma and sweet, flaky baklava.

There are also plenty of excursions and day trips from Hurghada to keep you busy. Instead of paying the resort’s extortionate prices we haggled with local operators like seasoned diplomats. Best decision of the trip.

We booked a day-long desert safari by quad bike and 4×4 vehicle, including dinner and stargazing in a traditional Bedouin village, for around £23 each including pickup.

Hurghada sits at the edge of the Eastern Desert – a vast sweep of volcanic hills, sand flats, stony plateaus, and wind-carved gullies that look like a film set. It stretches from the Nile to the Red Sea and is where tourists head for quad biking, camel riding, and desert camps.

First they handed me my own quad bike. Within minutes I was tearing across the desert like I’d been cast in Mad Max, sand smacking me in the face as I tried to remember whether I’d purchased travel insurance. The desert rolled out around us in every direction: golden ridges, jagged red mountains, and the glorious sound of silence.

After my brief yet glorious action-hero era we swapped the quad bikes for a jeep. The driver treated dunes like a Top Gear challenge, launching us over rises and plummeting into valleys with the latent enthusiasm of a man who has never Googled “spinal compression injury”.

The scenery was astonishing: jagged dark-red mountains in the distance, rippled sand glowing gold, and long stretches of valley that made Britain feel very far away indeed.

Eventually, after enough bumps to rearrange my internal organs, we reached a small Bedouin village where we sipped sweet tea, learned about desert life, and watched a spectacular sunset.

As the sun dropped behind the mountains the whole landscape exploded in colour and, for the first time for the entire trip, I actually stopped complaining.

But the serenity didn’t last. Because eventually we had to return to our subpar resort where music boomed, food was abysmal, and the pool was arctic cold. And that’s when it hit me – perhaps the issue wasn’t Egypt.

The problem was my delusional belief that I could be a ‘digital nomad’ in a super-budget place where the wifi barely loads a weather app. Instagram told me I could work carefree from a sun lounger, cocktail in hand, living my best life. Reality suggests I need an actual desk, a functioning internet connection, and maybe fewer drunk tourists vomiting into a nearby plant pot. Yup, British people take all-inclusive bars extremely seriously.

Here’s the thing I should have known by now. In travel, as in life, you get exactly what you pay for. During my 20s, while backpacking on the cheap, I stayed in three-dollar-a-night hostels with sanitary conditions so questionable the Red Cross would have intervened.

I’m older now though. I like comfort and have learnt the hard way that “four-star” can mean very different things depending on the destination.

As an introduction to resort life this was certainly character-building. And while Hurghada itself was brilliant I have accepted that working in all-inclusive is a fantasy best left to influencers who only have to upload a single staged #blessed photo and lie down on the lounger again.

It’s safe to say that lessons have been learned and my ego has been checked. This travel writer has been suitably humbled and will do better. Next time I’ll stick to my DIY trips, read the fine print, and stop pretending a resort pool is a suitable workspace.

UCLA got its new football coach in time for Christmas.

It may have taken a little longer than some antsy fans wanted, but Bob Chesney is on the way to Westwood after completing his final season at James Madison.

In reality, James Madison’s result against Oregon in the opening round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday was always going to be a win-win for the Bruins.

If the Dukes upset the Ducks, then the buzz around Chesney and his new employer would have only intensified. (Did you notice the free publicity the school received on the broadcast 13 minutes before kickoff when it was mentioned that Chesney was on his way to UCLA?)

If the Dukes lost, then Chesney could thank his team for a historic season and pack his things for the West Coast to get started on his latest program revival.

He’ll get to do just that in the wake of James Madison’s 51-34 setback at Autzen Stadium. It’s expected that Chesney will bring a big chunk of his staff with him while retaining a sprinkling of UCLA coaches in a variety of roles. Dukes offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler are among those who will join Chesney at his new stop, the coaches likely bringing with them at least a handful of James Madison players.

Several showed they could play at the Big Ten level given their performance against the Ducks.

Running back Wayne Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season, should be a top target after displaying both speed and power while rushing for 110 yards — more than twice the 52 yards that USC managed on the ground as a team during the Trojans’ 42-27 loss to the Ducks in November.

While he also has another season of eligibility, quarterback Alonza Barnett III is probably not joining Chesney at UCLA given counterpart Nico Iamaleava’s decision to return in 2026. Barnett has already used his redshirt season, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to travel across the country just to be a backup in his final college season after having led another team to the CFP.

Others with remaining eligibility who impressed included wide receiver Landon Ellis (making several big catches, one going for 50 yards on a double pass), tight end Lacota Dippre (hurdling a defender while scoring on a reverse), wide receiver George Pettaway (making a 24-yard touchdown catch on a wheel route) and cornerback Justin Eaglin (intercepting a Dante Moore pass).

Kennedy’s offense was unquestionably the showpiece of an aggressive approach that also included two onside kicks, a fake punt and no hesitation to go for it on fourth downs. The Dukes showed plenty of imagination on the way to rolling up 509 yards. There were countless trick plays and formations — many including bunched receivers and tight ends — that kept the defense guessing what they were going to do.

Chesney didn’t sound a happy-to-be-there tone in either his halftime or postgame interviews, revealing a strong desire to do better on such a big stage. But there was nothing to be ashamed about after James Madison outscored Oregon, 28-17, in the second half despite a massive talent discrepancy.

Now, after getting a closeup view of what’s needed to compete in the upper tier of the Big Ten, Chesney will get a chance to start restocking his new roster before the calendar flips to 2026.

Keeping the band together

Part of Chesney’s winning formula in his rise from Division III to the CFP has involved staff continuity.

Kennedy’s connection with Chesney goes back to a flurry of job-seeking letters that Kennedy sent to college football coaches around the country while he was a young assistant at Florida.

Chesney not only responded but also donated to two charities with ties to Kennedy’s family after doing some research on the persistent assistant. A year later, Chesney hired Kennedy when a quarterbacks coach vacancy opened on his staff at Holy Cross prior to the 2022 season.

Kennedy earned a promotion to offensive coordinator the following season before accompanying Chesney to James Madison.

Hitschler’s ties to Chesney go all the way back to the Division III level. In 2011, Hitschler was Chesney’s defensive line coach and co-special teams coordinator at Salve Regina before the duo reconnected at James Madison before the recently completed season.

Both Kennedy and Chesney presided over units that were among the best in the country last season, James Madison ranking No. 11 nationally in points scored (37.1 per game) and No. 15 in points allowed (18.4). Kennedy is known for designing creative offenses that spread the field, breaking out flea-flicker and Statue of Liberty plays to help the Dukes post 70 points against North Carolina in 2024 while tying a record for the most points ever given up by the Tar Heels.

Both coordinators possess something their boss doesn’t – experience coaching at the Power Four level. Kennedy was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State and Florida before earning a promotion to offensive quality control coach and later assistant quarterbacks coach with the Gators.

Hitschler was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Wisconsin in 2023 before taking a job as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2024. Hitschler also has NFL experience as a training camp assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and a player personnel assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A generous man of mystery

Zachary Rosenfeld teared up recently when he saw a tweet about the $1-million gift to UCLA football from the estate of the late Richard Shtiller.

His “someday” had finally arrived.

Having previously worked in fundraising for UCLA’s athletic department before leaving to run his own sales company, Rosenfeld cultivated a relationship with Shtiller that helped secure that donation. There were hundreds of phone calls leading to four conversations, one in-person meeting and a handsome payoff that the football team can put to good use under its new coach.

Richard Shtiller

(Courtesy of the Shtiller family)

For most of the time Rosenfeld corresponded with Shtiller, he didn’t know much about the intensely private man or his generosity when it came to helping his alma mater. The most Shtiller offered was a vague assurance when Rosenfeld inquired about a seven-figure gift that Shtiller first teased in the summer of 2015.

At the time, Rosenfeld was an intern with UCLA athletics who was given the unfortunate task of fielding calls about increased donation requirements for football season tickets. One of those who called to complain was Shtiller, who approached the conversation with what seemed like a massive bargaining chip.

“What if I told you,” Shtiller said, “that I had $1 million to UCLA football in my will.”

Rosenfeld jokingly told Shtiller that he didn’t believe him, putting him on hold so that he could confer with a boss. By the time Rosenfeld picked the phone back up, Shtiller had hung up.

It was the start of a sometimes playful, sometimes frustrating relationship. After Rosenfeld was hired full-time by UCLA the following year, he made it his mission to get to know Shtiller. He called Shtiller’s Beverly Hills law office at least once a week, usually getting voicemail.

They finally met in person during a chance encounter at a football practice in 2016, Shtiller greeting Rosenfeld with a cheerful brush of his face.

“It’s Richard Shtiller, Zach,” he said. “You’re my noodge. You’ve been calling my office every day.”

Those calls continued, sometimes a year going by before they would reconnect. Rosenfeld eventually sent Shtiller information on the proper legal terminology to include in his will in case he really was going to donate all that money to UCLA football, never knowing if it would amount to anything.

During their final conversation upon Rosenfeld’s departure from UCLA athletics in 2019, Rosenfeld kidded Shtiller about never securing that big donation.

“Well,” Shtiller said, “maybe someday.”

That was the last time they spoke. Six years later, Rosenfeld learned that Shtiller was a man of his word upon his passing earlier this year. Not only did Shtiller give the money he had promised, he also used the terminology Rosenfeld had suggested to insert in his will so that it got to the right place.

Along the way, Shtiller provided Rosenfeld a lesson in perseverance while also giving back to a program that had given him so much joy even after going more than a quarter of a century without so much as a conference title.

“It was a reminder,” Rosenfeld said, “that even in the depths of rock bottom, UCLA football still means something to many of us.”

What’s it all worth?

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

UCLA prides itself on being one of the top athletic departments in the country.

There’s those 125 NCAA championships — behind only Stanford’s 137 — a combination of academic and athletic success that few big-time schools can match, and the association with legendary figures such as John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jackie Robinson, among many others.

But how much is it all worth when it comes to cold, hard cash?

Not as much as you might think.

In a CNBC valuation of U.S. college athletic programs, UCLA ranked No. 52, with a valuation of $539 million. The Bruins trailed schools such as Purdue, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State that are not as widely known for broad-based athletic excellence.

There were some common themes among the leaders.

The top five schools — Texas ($1.48 billion), Ohio State ($1.35 billion), Texas A&M ($1.32 billion), Georgia ($1.16 billion) and Michigan ($1.16 billion) — all have thriving football programs and massive donor bases, not to mention at least $239 million in revenue in 2024. By comparison, UCLA reported $119 million in revenue for the same year, according to the report.

Among the 18 Big Ten teams, UCLA ranked No. 16, ahead of only Maryland (No. 53) and Rutgers (No. 56). USC ranked No. 8, largely on the strength of $242 million in revenue and a football team that continues to flirt with the College Football Playoff under coach Lincoln Riley.

What can be done about it?

Two words: Bob Chesney.

If UCLA’s new football coach wins at a high level and fills his home venue — be it the Rose Bowl or SoFi Stadium — then those metrics could look vastly different in just a few years.

Some real finds

UCLA had three men’s soccer players selected in the second round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft last week, becoming the school’s 85th, 86th and 87th picks in league history — the most of any college program.

Junior defender Tre Wright was picked No. 33 by Real Salt Lake, graduate left back Schinieder Mimy was taken No. 38 by the New England Revolution and senior midfielder Tarun Karumanchi was selected No. 49 by the Columbus Crew.

UCLA coach Ryan Jorden, in his seventh year, has had nine players drafted by MLS teams.

Opinion time

With James Madison reaching the College Football Playoff in Chesney’s second and final season, how many players do you hope the new Bruins coach brings with him to Westwood?

• As many as he can
• Half the roster would be nice
• A sprinkling at positions of need
• Just a handful
• None

Click here to vote in our survey

Poll results

We asked, “How does the rest of the men’s basketball season play out for the Bruins?”

After 388 votes, the results:

The team plays better before another early tournament exit, 68.9%
Everything comes together and the team makes a deep tournament run, 17.7%
The bubble is burst and the team misses the tournament, 13.4%

In case you missed it

Sienna and Lauren Betts reunite as UCLA women win a laugher over Cal Poly

A resurgent Donovan Dent is the star of UCLA’s victory over Arizona State

Myles Jack, former UCLA star, charged with deadly conduct after falling from 2nd-floor window in Texas

UCLA rallies to defeat Cal Poly despite its ‘conscientious objectors’ to defense

No. 4 UCLA closes nonconference play with a dominant win over Long Beach State

Bob Chesney’s James Madison coaching tenure ends in playoff loss to Oregon

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at ben.bolch@latimes.com, and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Dec. 28 (Asia Today) — A research team at Yonsei University has built a generative AI-based medical record system that is now being used at Severance Hospital, aiming to cut doctors’ documentation time and allow more focus on patient care.

The system, known as Y-NOT and implemented through the hospital’s “Y-NOT” record platform, uses a large language model to draft admission and discharge notes for clinicians to review, according to Professor Yoo Seung-chan of Yonsei University’s Department of Biomedical Systems and Information Science.

“Why should we spend more time sitting in front of computers than seeing patients?” Yoo said, describing a question often raised by emergency care staff that helped drive the project.

Yoo said he began full-scale development last year as administrative burdens on medical staff intensified during tensions between doctors and the government. He said the team judged AI technology had matured enough to meaningfully reduce record-keeping workload and started development.

The project began in July last year and was deployed in clinical settings by November, Yoo said, with model development and hospital rollout carried out in parallel. He said the team focused first on achievable clinical usefulness rather than pushing only for maximum model performance.

Some medical staff initially expressed concerns, including the risk of errors in records, questions over responsibility for mistakes and worries that the system could infringe on physicians’ authority. Yoo said two surveys conducted after implementation showed those concerns eased, with especially strong satisfaction among older staff.

He said the team framed the system as supporting, not replacing, clinicians. Doctors continue to diagnose and make decisions, he said, while the AI drafts and organizes documentation for verification. Yoo added that some staff said the system made care easier because it reduced the need to manually search through past electronic records.

The “Y-NOT” system is now used beyond the emergency department, including operating rooms and inpatient wards, for broader record management, Yoo said.

The time required to create emergency room medical records fell by more than half, according to the report, dropping from 69.5 seconds to 32 seconds. Staff have said the reduced documentation burden gives them time to make eye contact with patients, Yoo said.

He said evaluations indicate record completeness and standardization have improved across care teams, including nurses, and that the time saved helps emergency physicians move quickly to the next patient or offer additional guidance to patients leaving the hospital.

Yoo said the longer-term goal extends beyond a documentation tool to an intelligent agent system designed to support safe care aligned with global standards. That direction is tied to Severance Hospital’s “Doctor Answer 3.0” project, he said, and future plans include exploring ways for patients to communicate with an AI system based on their own medical records.

Yoo said AI could help address rising medical demand tied to population aging and a decline in essential medical staff. He said it could support guideline-based care for clinicians and help patients maintain a sense of continuous connection to the hospital after discharge.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Winter rain has lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding displacement camps with ankle-deep water as Palestinians struggled to stay dry in flimsy, worn-out tents. These Palestinians have been displaced after more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war, which has destroyed much of the besieged enclave.

In Khan Younis, soaked blankets and swamped clay cooking ovens added to the misery. Children in flip-flops navigated through puddles while adults desperately used shovels and tin cans to remove water from tents or extracted collapsed shelters from mud.

“Puddles formed, and there was a bad smell,” said Majdoleen Tarabein, displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. “The tent flew away. We don’t know what to do or where to go.”

She and her family attempted to wring sodden blankets dry by hand.

“When we woke up in the morning, we found that the water had entered the tent,” said Eman Abu Riziq, also displaced in Khan Younis. “These are the mattresses. They are all completely soaked.”

She added that her family is still grieving her husband’s death less than two weeks ago.

“Where are the mediators? We don’t want food. We don’t want anything. We are exhausted. We just want mattresses and covers,” pleaded Fatima Abu Omar while trying to stabilise a collapsing shelter.

At least 15 people, including three babies, have died this month from hypothermia following the rains and plunging temperatures, according to the authorities in Gaza.

Emergency workers have warned against staying in damaged buildings due to collapse risks, yet with most of the territory in rubble after relentless and ongoing Israeli bombardment, shelter options are scarce. United Nations estimates from July indicate nearly 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed or damaged.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded, with the overall Palestinian death toll reaching at least 71,266, according to the Health Ministry.

Aid deliveries to Gaza fall significantly short of ceasefire-mandated amounts, humanitarian organisations report. The Israeli military authority overseeing humanitarian aid stated that 4,200 aid trucks entered Gaza in the past week, along with sanitation equipment and winter supplies, but refused to specify the quantity of tents provided. Aid groups emphasise that current supplies cannot meet overwhelming needs.

Since the ceasefire, approximately 72,000 tents and 403,000 tarps have entered Gaza, according to Shelter Cluster, an international aid coalition led by the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and among ruins,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN refugee aid organisation in Gaza, said on social media. “There is nothing inevitable about this. Aid supplies are not being allowed in at the scale required.”

THE January sales are about to land and now is an excellent time to bag yourself a bargain, whether it’s a summer holiday, homeware or that
set of golf clubs you’ve had your eye on for months.

But don’t just spend your cash willy-nilly. I’m going to let you in on
my top travel hack that will help you score big in the sales – bagging
yourself a free holiday, just by doing your ordinary shopping.

I can truthfully say, there is no catch. The more you spend, the
greater your getaway.

So, what’s the secret? Avios. But not in the way you know it.

You’ll likely have heard of the flight rewards system, whereby travel
spend is converted into points that can be redeemed against flights,
hotels, shopping and more.

The chances are, however, you’re not using the system properly. And by that, I mean reaping mega benefits every time you spend.

Read More on Money Saving Tips

TAKE THE MICKEY

How you can get PAID to go to Disney World… by the Brits making £10k a year

BUDGET BREAK

I saved over £1k on package holiday going DIY & used cash I saved for 2nd trip

I’m not just talking about flight spend. You can earn points every
time you catch the train to work, fill up your car with fuel, or do
your weekly grocery shop.

Say hello to the Avios portal. I believe it to be the BEST
points-benefits system out there for travellers – and I’m an avid
subscriber to rewards schemes (special nod to my Boots card and the
MyWaitrose account).

Right now, I am just shy of enough points to fly to New York City in
business class with British Airways (I have 80,000 to be exact).

A business class seat would cost me 88,000 points flying at an
off-peak time. Although I would still have to pay a £199.50 flat fee,
a nominal charge that covers taxes, carrier fees and a fixed Avios
amount.

That cost is small, though, when you consider the fact that the
absolute cheapest business class flight you can currently book to NYC
with British Airways is £1,832 – and that’s in the January sale,
meaning I would have saved a minimum of £1,600 by using points.

To put this into a wider perspective, I could also fly to Sydney in
Australia (55,000 points) or Tokyo and back again (38,500 points each
way) or even to Amsterdam and back again up to FOUR times (10,000
points each way).

Flat fees are tiny on short-haul flights too, with costs to
destinations like Amsterdam, Corfu and Gran Canaria capped at just £1
as opposed to the near £200 for my fancy NYC business class seat.

My high points score has nothing to do with me being a travel editor,
either. In fact, I earn very little from my adventures through work
and barely anything from flights alone.

Instead, it’s my regular, everyday spending that helps me earn big with Avios.

My commute to work, my trips to the BP for fuel and my incessant
fashion purchases on ASOS are what stacks those points up.

Better still, if you’re doing a big splurge in the January sales, you
can rake them in thick and fast.

So, how does it work and where can you earn?

Thousands of retailers have partnerships with the Avios store. You can
earn when you spend on hotels, homeware, sports, fashion, toys,
attractions and entertainment from Argos and TravelZoo to Boots and
Alton Towers.

The number of points you earn varies per retailer, for example when
you purchase from M&S Flowers & Hampers you will earn up to 24 Avios
per £1 spent, whereas booking a rail journey through Trainline will
earn you 1 Avios per £1 spent.

Many retailers have bonus offers for January, including Booking.com where you can bag 8 Avios per £1 until January 31, up from 4 Avios per £1 and Viator which has a 12 Avios per £1 offer until February 7, 2026.

My rule of thumb whenever I shop for something (big or small) is:
check whether the retailer I want to buy from is on the Avios shop,
and if not, can I buy the product I want from another retailer that
will earn me points?

To collect points on in-store purchases, you simply have to link  your
card – any card – to your account and spend on this card in
Avios-linked stores.

To make online purchases, you have to register your visit to the
retailers website by first going through the Avios shop website
(avios.com).

Simply log on, click on ‘collect avios’ and search for the retailer in the ‘search for brands’ box.

Once you’ve found the retailer, click on ‘shop now’ to register your visit and carry out your online shopping as you would normally. It really is that simple.

If, like me, you do a lot of shopping on your phone, I’d recommend
downloading the Avios app, which makes things a little easier and
keeps you logged in.

Your Avios is then redeemable with certain airlines, which includes
OneWorld Alliance partners like British Airways and Qatar Airways as
well as Aer Lingus and Vueling.

You can also book holiday packages, including flights and hotels, through British Airways Holidays.

So, how long does it take before you earn yourself enough for a free
flight or holiday? Well, that’s difficult to answer.

Last time I wrote about Avios was in April 2025 and back
then I had 57,000 points. Now I have 80,000 – so I’ve earned myself
23,000 points in 8 months, the equivalent of a return flight to
Brussels, Paris or Turin in Italy.

But I’m single and in the process of buying my first home, so my
spending is frugal.

If you use this hack to do your January sale shopping, however, you’ll
certainly be one step closer to bagging yourself a free getaway.

Here’s some useful tips for shopping through the Avios Shop….

Get yourself an Amex

First things first, get yourself an American Express (AMEX) credit
card, if you don’t already have one. Yes, you don’t technically need
one in order to collect points, but it’s an easy way to boost your
earnings. I have the free British Airways Amex.

Just make sure you pay it off in full every month. And if you don’t
trust yourself to do all of your spending on that card, start by
committing to a small and regular spend, like the weekly food shop.

If you’re successfully approved for a British Airways free Amex,
you’ll be given a bonus 5,000 Avios if you spend £2,000 in the first
three months of having the card.

It’s an incentive – and credit card companies are hoping that you forget to pay them back, so just make sure you have enough money in your current account to pay off the spend and don’t get caught out.

Link your accounts

Accounts that you use regularly like Uber are a great way of boosting
your points. You can link certain regular accounts you use to your
Avios account.

For example, I have my BPme Rewards and Uber account both linked to my Avios one, which means I don’t need to log on and register my visit as
explained above, with normal online shopping.

Everything is done automatically and I’m earning points without lifting a finger.

I book my train to work through Uber every time and it earns me a
steady and regular number of points every month.

Look for deals

Right now you can bag a bonus 50 per cent Avios with certain retailers.

There are so many deals at various times of the year. There’s
also special offers on certain deals such as The Wine Flyer, whereby
you earn a promises amount of points if you spend over a certain
figure on bottles.

Most recently, over the Christmas period, if you spent over £150 on wine through the Avios shop, you’d bag 5,000 bonus Avios on top of the usual 5 Avios per £1 spent,

But my rule is never to spend unless you really need it. The whole
point of a free holiday or flight is that you’re only spending on what
you would normally.

Sign up your parent/partner/pal

You’ll bag a bonus 500 Avios if you refer a friend – a simple referral
code does the trick.

You’ll also notice certain offers, such as a bonus 9,000 Avios if you order a second Amex linked to your account for a partner or child to spend on.

You’ll then be responsible for paying off their spend, however. But there’s nothing stopping you from ordering a second card and not passing it over to that person, though.

That way you’ll bag the bonus points without the panic. Just keep your
eyes peeled for those offers in your inbox.

For more on how to save money on your next travel trip, read more from one woman who flies every month and does 7 things to save herself cash.

 And here are our Sun-approved booking tips, plane hacks and travel products that can save you hundreds on holiday.

Fire replaces water as the elemental character in James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” It’s even weaponized by Varang (Oona Chaplin), the ruthless leader of the volcano-dwelling Ash People, in their war against the rest of the Na’vi tribes.

“After figuring out water in all its complexity in [‘The Way of Water’], we focused on fire,” Cameron said about his VFX Oscar front-runner. “Fire is very much the same — you have to be very observant of [this] in the world. This is where having an understanding of physics — which I do — helps, and this is where a lot of real-world photography and reference comes in handy.”

Creating more realistic-looking fire in CG required Cameron to apply his understanding of fuel and how it burns, including flow rates, the interaction of temperature gradients, the speed of an object that’s burning and the formation of carbon and soot.

In essence, fire became the centerpiece of every scene — and a character with its own escalating drama. That’s where the VFX wizards of Wētā FX in New Zealand came in. They developed Kora, a high-fidelity tool set for physics-based chemical combustion simulations. Kora increased the scale of fire while providing more artist-friendly controls. The film contains more than 1,000 digital fire FX shots, ranging from flaming arrows and flamethrowers to massive explosions and fire tornadoes.

“Physical fire is really hard to control, so we had to come up with how to bend the physics towards the direction that Jim was giving it,” said Wētā senior VFX supervisor Joe Letteri. “Because he was very specific where he wanted the fire, what kind of speed, rate, size, how much or how little energy. He very carefully crafted every component, guiding your eye across it.”

“Fire serves two roles,” added Eric Saindon, a VFX supervisor at Wētā. “There’s always a little bit of low fire going on during quiet moments, but then you get fire that becomes much more destructive whenever there’s an attack sequence.”

In the film’s best scene, where archvillain Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Varang meet for the first time in her tent, fire takes on a more subtle, mysterious quality. She gives Quaritch a trippy “truth drug” to ascertain his real agenda, seductively playing with fire with her fingers like a sorceress. The scene turns surreal with camera distortion and zoom shots to convey his hallucinatory point of view.

Then Quaritch surprises her with his superpower: the truth. He proposes a partnership to provide his military weaponry so she can spread her fire across the world and he can rule as her co-equal. “In a strange way, they become the power couple from hell,” Cameron said. “He wins her over by sharing his vision.”

The physical properties of fire drove much of the visual effects work in “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

(20th Century Studios)

Meanwhile, the subtle flicker of fire with cool blues around the edges of the flame is like a magic trick. “She knows it’s about theater, so she presumably has some kind of a gel or makeup that’s on the tips of her fingers so that they just don’t burn away in the first few seconds,” Cameron continued. “She’s able to dip her fingers in some kind of inflammable oil and light them and have them burn like candles. Of course, in his mind, it’s all enhanced much more due to the hallucinogen.”

Cameron praised both actors in the scene, but singled out Chaplin’s performance for the force she brings to Varang’s shamanistic authority. “She understood how the character would manifest her power psychologically and how there was a flip in the scene, where the flow of power runs the other direction at a certain point.”

The director also commended Wētā’s facial capture animation team for achieving a new level of photorealism, thanks in large measure to more realistic muscle and skin movement. “The way Oona’s performance comes through so resoundingly in the character is a tribute to a lot of R&D, a lot of development in the facial pipeline. But I think it really demonstrates how the idea of CG as a kind of digital makeup really does work. What I’m proud about in that scene is that it’s a culmination of an almost 20-year journey in terms of getting exact verisimilitude in the facial representation of the characters as an extension of the actors’ work.”

“It was really fun showing Varang to Jim because he knew what he had in the performance,” added Dan Barrett, a senior animation supervisor at Wētā. “And he included Oona’s idiosyncrasies in the final animation. He was very respectful of the performance.”

In fact, Cameron argues, Chaplin’s performance as Varang is Oscar-worthy. “It may be counterintuitive, but I would argue that it’s a more pure form of acting,” he suggested. “Now, you may say that it’s cheating in terms of the cinematography in the sense that the cards are stacked in our favor because that perfect performance will always be there and will be repeatable as I do my different camera coverage. But it’s not cheating in terms of the acting.”

Cameron has recently been more proactive in demonstrating how the performance-capture process works to academy and SAG-AFTRA acting members so they can better understand it. “It was just us, working on capturing a scene, and I even wrote new scenes so it wasn’t a made-up dog-and-pony show. And they were blown away,” he added.

Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points, James Harden added 28, and the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night at Intuit Dome.

Leonard went 17 for 26 from the floor, including five for 10 from three-point range, and made 16 of 17 free throws, his miss in the third quarter ending a streak of 64 straight from the line this month. He scored 26 points in the third quarter.

Leonard tied the team record for points in a game, set by Harden on Nov. 22 at Charlotte, and became the second in franchise history to score at least 40 points in consecutive games at home, joining Bob McAdoo.

Nicolas Batum scored 12 points, while Leonard added 11 rebounds and five steals for the Clippers (10-21), who lost 10 of 11 before this four-game run.

The Clippers, the oldest team in the NBA, took things to the extreme with three starters in Harden, Batum and Brook Lopez age 36 or older. All five starters were in their 30s, with Leonard (34) and Kris Dunn (31) the other two.

Cade Cunningham finished with 27 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons after being held scoreless in the first half while in foul trouble. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Jaden Ivey added 11 points for Detroit, which lost back-to-back games for just the second time.

Playing without injured center Ivica Zubac for the third consecutive game, the Clippers were all business from the start. Their first double-digit lead came four minutes into the game at 16-6 on a three-pointer from Harden.

The Clippers led by as many as 20 points in the first half when Leonard scored 25 points. The Pistons pulled within nine points twice in the third quarter before a 16-5 run gave the Clippers another 20-point lead at 81-61 on a Leonard three-pointer.

Up next for the Clippers: vs. the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome on Tuesday.

Dec. 28 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Interior Ministry said Sunday that a long-criticized public-sector custom in which junior officials take turns paying for meals for senior executives has declined, as central and local governments expand measures such as anonymous reporting systems and Dutch pay.

Seoul’s city government has set up an anonymous reporting channel inside its electronic personnel system to curb the practice, known as “hosting days,” in which subordinates feel pressured to cover a superior’s meal. Reports can be filed anonymously by staff at headquarters or affiliated agencies, triggering investigations aimed at treating cases as an organizational issue rather than a personal complaint.

In South Jeolla Province, officials have promoted a “sympathy pay” campaign to formalize a Dutch treat principle under which each person pays their share. The province also banned the use of pooled office funds to cover department dinners or meal costs.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said its review of eradication efforts across central and local governments found “tangible improvements.” The custom refers to employees treating executives to meals at their own expense, a practice critics say undermines integrity and a horizontal workplace culture.

A joint survey by the Interior Ministry and the Personnel Innovation Ministry found that the share of central government employees who said they had paid for a superior’s meal in the past month fell to 7.7% in April from 10.1% in November last year. Among local government workers, the rate fell to 12.2% from 23.9% over the same period, a larger decline than in central agencies.

The ministry said agencies have combined integrity education with internal surveys, emphasizing awareness and voluntary participation rather than relying only on crackdowns or one-time campaigns. Efforts have also focused on changing communication patterns inside organizations, it said.

The Food and Drug Safety Ministry said its head personally urged elimination of the practice and operated an intensive reporting period. It also sought to ease hierarchical meal culture through events such as lunchtime communication sessions between senior officials and staff.

Asan, a city in South Chungcheong Province, held a “cushion word” contest to encourage softer expressions as part of broader efforts to reshape workplace culture starting with everyday language use. The Korea Forest Service promoted a “warm words” campaign to encourage communication based on mutual respect.

Programs aimed at narrowing generational and rank gaps are also expanding. The Personnel Innovation Ministry’s “Blue Out of Indigo” program allows young civil servants to share commuting-related difficulties with executives and seek improvements together. Gangwon Province’s “Lunch&Learn” runs as a reverse mentoring program, with Grade 6 and below employees mentoring senior officials during lunch breaks, officials said.

Other efforts pair employees across departments. The Overseas Koreans Agency runs a “Random Coffee” program that matches staff from different units. Buk-gu District in Gwangju subsidizes team discussion costs through a program called “A Spoonful of Communication,” which officials say is meant to encourage freer exchanges of opinion.

The Interior Ministry said it has held meetings with organizational culture officials across central and local governments along with the personnel ministry and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, while sharing best practices through official guidance and on-site discussions.

The ministry said it plans another joint survey with the Personnel Innovation Ministry in the first half of next year and will share best practices identified in the review. Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae said it was meaningful that agencies are continuing improvements tailored to their circumstances, adding that the goal is to eliminate unreasonable practices such as “executive day” and build a public service culture that supports open communication across generations and ranks.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.