As the UN General Assembly wraps up with mixed diplomatic outcomes, Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Qasem reports on how US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Russia and Germany have re-established high-level talks, and China has criticized Washington’s approach to the region.
Published On 27 Sep 202627 Sep 2026
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On Saturday, Pope Leo addressed a massive crowd in Paris at an outdoor Mass, emphasizing that true happiness comes from faith and not material possessions. The event took place on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, attracting about 700,000 attendees who cheered as he arrived in an open-top popemobile, blessing people along the way. Notable attendees included Brigitte Macron, Marine Le Pen, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, and billionaire Bernard Arnault.
During his sermon, Leo expressed gratitude for his visit to France, where he aims to restore the Church’s image after recent abuse scandals. He reminded Catholics that only faith can fill their inner emptiness. Attendees appreciated his call for peace, with one supporter highlighting his consistent peace advocacy amidst global conflicts.
The pope raised concerns about the current global leadership and warned of a crisis within the UN and similar organizations. He also addressed the potential risks of developing artificial intelligence, suggesting it could lead to a troubling future.
In France, a nation where church and state are separate, the Catholic Church has seen a decline in affiliation among the younger population since World War Two. Despite recent increases in adult baptisms, official statistics show that only 25% of young adults identified as Catholic compared to 43% a decade ago. During a visit to newly baptized Catholics before the Mass, Leo urged the Church to be realistic about this small rise and to nurture the faith within the community.
Later, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit Lourdes to meet with victims of clergy abuse, continuing his efforts to address the issues within the Church.
With information from Reuters
THE UK’s biggest waterpark is about to be the best place to start your weekend.
Sandcastle Waterpark, which is the largest and recently voted best in the country will be open for more hours of fun on Friday evenings.
The Blackpool waterpark has launched its Friday Night Splash event, so now you can spend your evening on its 18 slides and in the swimming pool.
Usually the waterpark is open is until 2:30pm in the week and 4pm on the weekends.
But the new Friday sessions will let you visit from 4pm until 8pm, for a post-work splash before the weekend.
The tropical waterpark, which is always heated to 28C, has something for everyone whether you’re after family-friendly splash zones or thrilling flumes.
There are 18 slides in total, and those wanting to try out the speedy rides should head to The Master Blaster which is described as “white knuckle”.
There’s also Sidewinder, the world’s first indoor half-pipe waterslide and Montazooma, a high-speed ride with hairpin bends and 360 degree helixes on the way from top to bottom.
For families, head to Thunderfalls, which are two twisting waterslides for side-by-side racing.
There are also treehouses and forts for kids to play in and that’s where you’ll find the country’s biggest water cannon.
The slower moving Ushi Gushi River Creek is the lazy river ride while the Typhoon Lagoon is the waterpark’s huge wave pool.
While the kids are splashing about, adults can escape to the Sea Breeze Spa for an extra £7 to unwind in the sauna, steam room, and aromatherapy lounge.
For the ultimate VIP day out, the £60 Tiki Cabana package gets you park entry, lunch and soft drinks, spa access, and the private retreat comes with a TV and hot tub.
Tickets to the waterpark for a three-hour session costs from £25.50 per person over the age of eight (if booked in advance).
Tickets for kids between three and seven-years-old cost from £16.50 per person and children under three go free.
The waterpark is two minutes from Blackpool Pleasure Beach – so it’s easy to make a day out of it and see all the attractions.
The main season runs until October 31, with opening dates from Wednesday to Sunday – this drops down to just weekends after this.
For even more of the UK’s tropical indoor waterparks – check out these ones which have tickets from £2.50.
Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding recently visited Sandcastle and gave her verdict…
She said: “Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is kept at a toasty 29C and has more than 18 waterslides and attractions.
“The real gem of the show is the adult-only spa, hidden in plain sight in the middle of the waterpark.
“You’ll have to pay an extra £7.50 per person to enter the Sea Breeze Spa but it is well worth the money.
“When I visited it was quiet, with only one or two other people using the area, compared to the packed waterpark surrounding it.
“Dipping in and out of the saunas and steam room was the ideal way to relax.
“I spent half an hour in the salt inhalation room allowing my lungs to fill with warm, salty air and calm my nervous system.
“There’s Sidewinder too, which is the world’s first indoor vertical drop slide.
“Hovering over the edge of the half-pipe, butterflies flittered around my stomach anticipating the drop.
“Before I knew it, I was tipped over the edge in my rubber ring, dropping metres down before being propelled up the other side of the pipe.
“After, I ambled over to Aztec Falls, where in a rubber ring I dropped into a pitch-black bowl, swirling around like I was inside a waterfall.“
ONE of my fondest childhood holidays was going to Legoland Windsor, feeling like a real pirate as I sifted for gold while struggling to remember my left and rights in the driving school.
But as an adult, I recently visited the new Legoland theme park which has become the world’s biggest – and was blown away by the sheer scale of it.
Legoland Shanghai recently celebrated its first birthday, having opened just outside of the city in July 2025 and celebrating two million visitors already.
But how does it compare to Legoland Windsor?
It has 75 attractions, compared to the the UK’s 55.
Not only that, but it has already broken some world records outside of its size.
It is home to the world’s largest Mini Figure, nicknamed Dada and measuring 85ft.
It also has the world’s only land dedicated to Monkie Kid, with rides including the park’s log flume.
And I was so surprised about how great it was for adults as well.
The Miniland is the central attraction and well-worth a visit, not just for Lego-enthusiasts.
It’s made up of an insane 20million bricks, with fantastic displays including the Shanghai skyline, Beijing and water villages Suzhou.
Kids will have fun though, where they can build their own cars to race or spaceships to shoot rockets.
But there are definitely enough rides to keep adults busy.
It has the Big Lego rollercoaster, the longest coaster at any Lego park at 1,379ft.
Created by Bolliger & Mabillard (behind Nemesis and Oblivion at Alton Tower), it was a thrilling ride that threw me around the tracks, having amazing views of the park until hitting speeds of 53mph.
It’s safe to say I went on this ride a few times…
Otherwise it also has the Dragon Coaster, which is bigger and faster than the UK version.
It even has a unique boat ride which goes through Chinese water villages, and is a welcome break from the heat.
Of course, kids will love the eight themed lands – there is the world-exclusive Lego Monkie Kid land, with the main water flume ride (don’t worry if you get wet – there is a full-sized dryer right next to it).
LEGO City is where they can get their driving license, as well as go on rides based on firefighters, pilots and police officers, and the NINJAGO land has fantastic live performances.
Come with an empty stomach – you can enjoy brick-shaped sandwiches, burgers and even ice cream.
Ticket prices are usually similar to Legoland Windsor, which is around £31.
However, tickets are currently 50 per cent off due to it being Shanghai Tourism Week, meaning £16 tickets until September 27.
Even if you aren’t planning a trip to Shanghai, you can visit Legoland if you are travelling through on a stopover.
The theme park is around one hour from Pudong International Airport, or 25 minutes from Hongqiao International Airport.
Or you can stay longer and stay at the on-site Legoland Hotel.
KATIE Price has made her modelling comeback as she walked the runway at London Fashion Week in a tiny waistcoat that barely contained her biggest ever boobs.
The reality star surprised fans as she made an appearance at Natasha Zinko’s London Fashion Week show X OnlyFans show in Islington, London, last night.
The 48-year-old strutted her stuff on the catwalk at Collins Music Hall as she flaunted the results of her latest boob job.
Katie was seen wearing a pair of satin shorts and a matching cropped black waistcoat that struggled to contain her assets.
The skimpy ensemble showed off her long legs and large collection of tattoos.
Katie, who is no stranger to going under the knife, underwent her latest boob job just weeks ago in Brussels.
After being left with one boob slightly larger than the other, Katie went in for corrective surgery and ended up asking the surgeons to make them even bigger.
The former glamour model, who went by the alias Jordan during her page three days, has now made a dramatic comeback and she was loving every minute of it.
Katie recently dumped her conman husband Lee Andrews by text after discovering the crypto account he claimed had contained £37m had just £2.20 in it.
She appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier this week and confessed she’s had enough of Lee’s lies.
Jailed Lee sent a voicenote to the show in which he criticised his wife for speaking out about him and said “divorce is probably for the best”. He also said Katie wasn’t tech-savvy and had looked in the wrong account, insisting he is a multi-millionaire.
Lee is still behind bars in Dubai’s Al Awir prison as Katie prepares for what could be showbiz’s messiest divorce.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have marched in a government-organised show of defiance in Tehran, pledging their readiness to take up arms.
The Iranian government showcased a newly formed volunteer force at the rally on Friday. It will receive limited military and emergency response training to serve as an additional layer of security for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia.
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Volunteers rallied through downtown Tehran in combat uniforms, some carrying flags and weapons, while the government displayed drones, anti-aircraft batteries and other weaponry.
Iranian authorities said 313,000 people joined the event in the capital. Attendance figures could not be independently verified.
Tehran’s IRGC chief, Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster IRIB that over 600,000 people had registered to participate in the voluntary Janfada-ye-Iran campaign. That roughly translates to “Those who sacrifice their lives for Iran”, with over one million expected to take part in the training.
Senior Iranian leaders at the rally included President Masoud Pezeshkian and Basij head, Hossein Taeb.
Taeb told participants that the volunteers would be ready for “full-fledged defence” and would be a “nightmare” for Iran’s enemies.
Iranian authorities say mobilising the new volunteer force is part of a broader defence strategy.
“The Islamic Republic has mobilised these people to show that they are united, that they have solidarity and that their people are ready to give anything for the country,” said Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from the rally.
Women and teenagers have also registered with the volunteer units, she added.
“I want to show the world that Iran is strong and united. We don’t want war, but we’re ready to defend our country to the very end,” one of the volunteers, Bahera, told our reporter.
Another volunteer, wearing a combat uniform and carrying a rifle, said: “This is our homeland and we won’t let others decide its future”.
President Pezeshkian said in a speech that the rally was a show of solidarity, Koseoglu noted.
“This is not only a message to countries like the US and Israel, which are attacking Iran, but also to the Islamic Republic that we are ready for any crisis.”
Friday’s rally happened as the Iranian economy struggles under the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and new US sanctions.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, condemned the “brutal economic war, deliberately designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering on every Iranian citizen”.
As the latest addition to its economic pressure campaign, the US administration on Thursday went after digital currency networks that it says are illegally providing sanctioned Iranian entities with access to the international financial system.
The struggling economy was a key driver for protests last December that quickly turned into a challenge to the political system in place since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Iran said about 3,000 people were killed in the protests, but activists say the state crackdown killed over 7,000.
However, the war launched in late February by US-Israeli strikes has since allowed the authorities to regain the initiative by presenting themselves as a bulwark against the country’s enemies.
The volunteer mobilisation campaign started in early April, at the height of US-Israeli attacks.
According to the authorities, more than 30 million people registered for a potential call-up, about a third of the population of 86 million.
EUROPE’S biggest pumpkin festival is kicking off in the UK this weekend.
Fans of all things autumn are in for a major treat as the annual event returns for 2026.
Tulleys Farm in West Sussex hosts its epic festival every year, with 100 acres of sprawling pumpkin picking fields, food, rides, entertainment and more on offer.
Tulleys Pumpkin Festival is returning to the farm in a matter of days, as it prepares to open up to the public once again on September 19.
Tickets are available now for the entire seasonal run, which will draw to a close on November 1.
The farm offers both daytime and night sessions, with kids and adult’s tickets both starting from as little as £9.95.
The pumpkin fields have produced over one million pumpkins and gourds for visitors to pick from this autumn, with everything from shiny, round orange ones to knobbly, unique ones planted all over the patch.
Once fans of fall have secured their pumpkin haul, exploring the festival’s attractions, including the new Pumpkin Village is a must.
It’s the perfect place for adorable photo opportunities. Nestled within the “heart of the festival”, you can explore “winding paths, with wooden bridges leading across gentle streams and peaceful ponds”.
Guests can soar to heights of 108 feet during a ride on the observation ferris wheel or enjoy a spin on the Vintage Carousel, before checking out the themed entertainment dotted around the farm.
There’s dressed-up performers, roaming musicians and quirky street theatre to enjoy.
And for those who love nothing more than a tasty festival treat this time of year, there’s no shortage of food and drink offerings.
Grab a boozy beverage at the Cauldron Bar or a cup of something warming at the Coffee House.
Visitors can toast marshmallows and cheese on open fires or indulge in pasta, pizza, foot-long hotdogs, burgers, Greek delights and much more.
Andrii Dodonov/iStock via Getty Images
Fund managers have shifted their primary market worry. Bank of America’s September Global Fund Manager Survey, which polled 170 investors overseeing $470B in assets now ranks a disorderly rise in bond yields as the top tail risk.
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Turn on a radio between 1978 and 1987 and you were sure to hear Journey — any of the more than two dozen sumptuous yet muscular rock hits that shaped young America’s ideas about love, inspiration and wanting it the way you need it. Four decades later, the band’s music is still everywhere, including television, social media and streaming platforms like Spotify, where Journey has more monthly listeners than Bruce Springsteen, U2 or Bob Dylan. Yet Saturday night the group will bring what it’s calling its farewell tour to Crypto.com Arena — a capstone (at least if the band is to be believed) to a long career full of twists and turns.
Indeed, domination was hardly a given when guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Gregg Rolie — both of whom had played with Carlos Santana — formed Journey as a kind of jazzy proto-jam band in San Francisco in 1973. But with the addition a few years later of singer Steve Perry, the group found its gloriously dramatic sound and began racking up hits one after the next (though critics were rarely kind). Perry eventually quit, which took the wind out of Journey’s sails until Schon discovered an uncanny soundalike from the Philippines, Arnel Pineda, on YouTube; he’s helped the band get back into arenas and the occasional stadium even as Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who replaced Rolie in 1980, have battled each other in court over financial matters.
Got all that? To try to make sense of Journey’s path, I’ve ranked all 25 of the band’s hits that have charted on Billboard’s Hot 100, starting with the worst and ending with the best. Hold onto that feeling — it goes on and on and on and on.
Some are born to sing the blues, as Perry once observed — just not Perry himself, who chews his way through this corny come-on like an overserved uncle at the Hard Rock Cafe. Nice showcase for Rolie’s organ work, though, on one of the last Journey singles he played on before leaving the band.
Rolie and Perry tag-teaming lead vocals is not a form of democracy I’d vote for.
Safe? Sterile? Soulless? Look, the haters can’t always be wrong.
“Before your time has run astray / You’ve got to try to get away.”
After overseeing Queen’s first few albums, producer Roy Thomas Baker turned his attention to Journey (and to the Cars); this midtempo number from the “Infinity” LP offers a credible approximation of Queen’s trademark stacked vocal harmonies.
Three platinum plaques in less than two years — for “Infinity,” “Evolution” and “Departure” — meant that Journey had no choice but to drop a live record, “Captured,” at the top of 1981. (It went platinum by Christmas.) As extra consumer bait, the double album closed with this new studio cut built around a killer Schon lick (and not much else).
Phantom of the roller rink.
Propelled by the success of his debut solo album — not to mention his appearance on the smash all-star “We Are the World” — Perry assumed greater control of Journey’s sound for 1986’s synthed-up “Raised on Radio,” which spawned no fewer than five singles, ending with this slightly lugubrious ballad. Yet the takeover came with a cost: By the end of 1987, the band had entered a hiatus that would last nearly a decade.
Listen to how nimbly Perry maneuvers some very tricky intervals.
Journey reunited for 1996’s “Trial by Fire,” which brought the band its only Grammy nomination (and which might feature the ghastliest album cover in music history). If the members knew that rock had changed dramatically while they were away, they didn’t show it in the LP’s romantic lead single: “When You Love a Woman” — a chart-topper for three weeks on Billboard’s adult contemporary tally — clearly sought to pick up where “Open Arms” and “Faithfully” had left off.
Wonder what Perry and Huey Lewis talked about between takes on “We Are the World.”
“Karate Kid”-core.
More “Karate Kid”-core, in this case released first as a song by Patty Smyth’s band Scandal; Journey’s version later wound up alongside Madonna’s “Crazy for You” on the soundtrack to “Vision Quest.”
Before Perry came aboard in 1977, Journey spent a few months with Robert Fleischman as lead singer — long enough for Fleischman to co-write the group’s first Hot 100 entry, not so long that he got to sing it on the record.
Ooh, baby, hold tight.
Easily Perry’s most unhinged vocal performance.
A luscious and melancholy white-soul song that I’d bet Phil Collins admired back in the day — and that Justin Bieber would probably flip for now.
Inducting Journey into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, Train’s Pat Monahan belted the na-na-na outro of the band’s first Top 40 hit as he made his case for the group’s excellence. “They didn’t even need lyrics — that’s how badass this band is,” he pointed out. Still, let’s not gloss over the appealing perversity of starting a song this horny the way Perry does: “You make me weep and want to die.”
Dodgers fans can delight in the fact that Perry originally wrote this paean to San Francisco — an anthem taken up at one time or another by every Bay Area pro sports team, including the Giants — about the lights going down and the sun shining on … Los Angeles. (Swap out “the bay” for “L.A.”) Maybe that’s why “Lights” has always felt to me like a precursor to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.”
[Listens to “Eye of the Tiger” once.]
Shout out to future “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, who joined Journey for “Raised on Radio” and proceeded to lay down the slinkiest, sultriest, funkiest bass line the band had ever known.
Believin’ in what, exactly? The genius of Journey’s most-streamed track on Spotify (with more than 2.9 billion plays) is its use of concrete images to advance a pretty mysterious narrative. We’ve all stood under a streetlight; we all know the smell of wine and cheap perfume. Yet everybody’s midnight train is going to a different anywhere.
Famously — and fortuitously — rejected by a former bandmate of Cain’s as “sentimental rubbish,” “Open Arms” was perhaps just waiting to be embraced by Perry, who sings it with the wounded gusto of a man well acquainted with regret. In a poetic twist, Journey’s highest-charting hit was blocked from No. 1 by the J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold,” in which the heartbroken narrator goes laughing all the way to his bed.
The first of three Top 10 singles from 1981’s 10-times-platinum “Escape,” this immaculate R&B jam imagines an alternate dimension where Perry and Cain hear Earth, Wind & Fire’s “After the Love Has Gone” and decide to form a new group with David Foster. Except Perry remembers the song as a high point for Schon: “You know the guitar outro from ‘Who’s Crying Now’?” he asked a New York Times reporter in 2003. “I fought for that because I knew no DJ would cut that song off with Neal’s guitar wailing at the end of it. It was too brilliant.”
It wasn’t the first rock ballad about life on the road — and it definitely wasn’t the last — but “Faithfully” might be the most emotionally generous: “Loving a music man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be,” Perry tells his lady, grounding the song in the experience of those who leave and those left behind; later, he envisions their reunion with such tenderness — “I’ll get the joy of rediscovering you” — that you know he’s already decided to take off again.
LAURA Anderson has admitted she felt like the ‘biggest faliure’ after her split from Gary Lucy as she shared an emotional post about being a single mum.
Laura and Gary split not long after they revealed they were having a child together, but later got back together before ultimately calling it quits.
Now, Laura has shared a tender beach clip of her and her daughter playing in the sand, using the moment to open up about how she’s feeling now.
She wrote: “One day you’ll go through a break-up with your child’s father and you’ll think that being a single mum is the biggest failure.
“And then one day, not suddenly, but slowly and surely, you’ll look back and feel so proud of the mother you are and what you have been able to overcome.
“You’ll be proud of how much your child is thriving and how much you’ve achieved by yourself.
“Because the one thing that determines the happiness of a child is the happiness of their mother.
“Her peace within the home and within her mind.
“And the only thing you’ll regret is not realising that sooner.”
Fans flocked to comment and one wrote: “Your an amazing mama to your baby Bonnie.”
Another added: “Absolutely agree.”
While a third stated: “Beautiful.”
Laura and Gary met while looking for love on Celebs Go Dating back in 2022.
Despite it being against the E4 show rules to date fellow celebs, the experts gave the green light after seeing their romantic spark.
During their whirlwind relationship after the cameras stopped rolling, Laura fell pregnant.
But the happy pregnancy news was tinged with sadness because by then the pair had secretly split for the first time.
The couple then split for good shortly before their daughter Bonnie was born in 2023
This sparked the start of one of the most toxic break-ups reality TV has ever seen.
Just this June, Laura took a swipe at Gary with a savage Father’s Day post.
And last month, she took another brutal swipe at Gary and confirmed she’s now single after her split from her footballer boyfriend.
Bradley congratulated the team following a huge win on The Chase (Image: ITV)
The Chase has delivered one of its most unforgettable episodes, with four contestants securing a jaw-dropping prize.
Earlier this week, The Chase returned to ITV with a brand-new series, with returning host Bradley Walsh at the helm, and it was Friday’s episode (September 11) that left viewers on the edge of their seats.
The four contestants competing for a cash prize were Tom, Beth, Rohit, and Chloe, all up against quiz master Paul Sinha, nicknamed The Sinnerman on the show.
Paul, a seasoned quizzer with a background as both a doctor and comedian, gave the game his all but fell short in the final moments.
The contestants began with a 19-point lead after correctly answering a broad range of questions, including naming Laurel and Hardy as the subjects of the film Stan & Ollie, and identifying “running” as the sport associated with the Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers.
Paul was tasked with answering more than 19 questions in two minutes, with the team successfully gaining four out of five pushbacks. The Chaser was eliminated after answering 16 questions before the timer ran out.
As the buzzer sounded, Tom, Beth, Rohit, and Chloe were declared the winners of the £80,000 pot, with each contestant walking away with £20,000.
The team hugged one another as one player could be heard saying, “I can’t believe it,” as Bradley congratulated them. “Well played, £20,000 each, congratulations”, the host added.
Chloe shared her wishes to spend her winnings on equipment for dogs at her local park, while Beth wants to share her cash with her grandparents on “lots of trips”.
Tom, Beth, Rohit, and Chloe’s win now stands as one of the largest in the show’s history. Last year, contestants Karen and Ian won an equal split of £100,000 after Paul failed to catch the players in the final chase.
The Chase saw another record-breaking moment when three contestants split £120,000, each taking home £40,000 after defeating Mark Labbett, also known as The Beast.
In 2018, another memorable wins, including a £100,000 victory in 2018 shared by a team of four consisting of Gayna, Tim, Luca, and Diane.
Meanwhile, Eden, a 20-year-old contestant, holds the record for the largest single-player win, having taken home £75,000 in 2021.
The Chase airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV and ITVX
IF you’re looking forward to the dark autumn nights and epic firework displays – you’ll want to bag tickets to the biggest in the country.
The event also has a huge fairground, live entertainment and monster trucks – tickets go on sale today and are bound to sell out fast.
Held at Abingdon Airfield, the firework display is the biggest in the country and will take place on November 14.
It’s an incredible wraparound display with 270 degrees of fireworks across the airfield’s horizon with flashing lasers and lights all to music.
There’s also an earlier kids singalong fireworks show especially for youngsters – both fireworks displays are followed by the lighting of roaring bonfire.
Throughout the event, families can enjoy the rides at the largest fairground in the south of England.
There are over 100 rides and attractions like the waltzers, ghost houses, mirror houses and bouncy castles – each ride costs £2.
There will also be enormous monster truck rides doing donuts and epic fireball explosions too.
Music and live entertainment will be held throughout the evening including Kerin & Perry which are an act where ‘comedy meets dance nostalgia’.
When it comes to food and drink, there’s a food village with plenty of snacks to pick up, sweet treats, drinks and craft bars.
One visitor who went last year said: “It was an absolutely amazing event! Fireworks were out of this world, the fairground had a huge choice of rides and prizes for all games, food – delicious and not overpriced.”
Another added: “The fireworks are on another level! Each year tops the last; bigger, brighter, and more breathtaking every time. Easily the best we’ve ever seen.”
Another simply said they were “The best fireworks we have seen to date!”
One change for this year is there is less capacity in order to make the event more exclusive and comfortable – but it does mean fewer tickets are on offer.
So if you want to get yourself some, head to their website, here.
Adult tickets start from £20, tickets for children (3-15) start from £15 – those under three go free.
THE UK’s second biggest airport may face even more delays this month as workers are set to strike over pay.
This comes as thousands of planes were grounded yesterday following a nationwide technical glitch.
Around 220 staff members at London Gatwick Airport are set to strike later this month, following a dispute between Unite members and employer Wilson James.
The workers, who provide assisted travel, have been engaged in pay talks since May and previously rejected a two-year offer of a 3.4 per cent salary increase.
The union said it was “not enough to address years of low pay at the firm”.
As a result, Unite regional officer Ben Davis, said that “industrial action will inevitably disrupt services throughout Gatwick” as negotions continue.
Strikes are expected to take place from September 17 to September 21.
Just two days later, another set of strikes will occur from September 23 to September 26.
This will mean passengers who rely on assistened travel will take longer to board and disembark, leading to flight delays across both short-haul and long-haul services to and from Gatwick.
Davis added: “Strikes can be avoided but that requires the company making a significantly improved offer.”
This comes as travellers have already faced extensive delays and cancellations following a major technical issue with the UK’s air traffic control provider yesterday.
The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) suffered an issue with its “flights processing system”, resulting in tens of thousands of passengers stranded in terminals and over 1,000 journeys cancelled.
Although the issue preventing departures was fixed yesterday evening, knock-on delays and cancellations – mainly affecting Heathrow Airport – continue to disrupt passengers today.
Published on
Helsinki has landed the biggest cheque Google has written anywhere in Europe
The company announced on Wednesday that a €13 billion investment will fund data centres and supporting infrastructure across four municipalities, along with clean energy projects and funds dedicated to local biodiversity, education, research and workforce development.
The facilities in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala will power a range of Google services, among them its Gemini chatbot. The company described the decision as “a testament to Finland’s leadership in responsibly building AI infrastructure.”
Construction is expected across 2027 and 2028, and the firm estimates the investment will add €3.6 billion a year to Finland’s GDP while supporting more than 37,000 jobs, roughly 16,000 of them in construction.
Once the building stops, Google projects the sites will sustain around 7,000 jobs annually, spanning technical and facility roles, equipment suppliers, as well as the shops, restaurants and services used by those workers and their families.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo welcomed the announcement in Google’s statement.
“Google’s decision is a clear testament to our strengths. The value of the data economy extends far beyond direct investment into spurring innovation, research and development,” Orpo said, adding that closer collaboration would “deliver lasting benefits for both parties.”
The appeal to invest in Finland is rooted in its cold climate.
Data centres generate enormous heat and consume vast quantities of electricity, and Finland offers a cold climate that reduces cooling costs alongside relatively cheap and stable power from nuclear plants, wind and hydro.
That combination has produced a boom, with dozens of data centres already under construction across the country.
Google’s own presence dates back to 2009, when it bought a disused paper mill in the coastal city of Hamina and converted it, expanding steadily since.
For Orpo’s right-wing government, attracting this kind of investment has also been a priority, especially since Finnish elections will take place in April of next year.
Finland is contending with record unemployment and weak growth, and the data economy has become one of the few sectors offering the prospect of substantial investment and job creation.
Additional sources • AFP
HOLLYWOOD star Zendaya has become the big screen’s hottest heroine after her films raked in some £3billion this year alone at the global box office.
The 30-year-old actress has pulled in £1.8billion with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and £1.2billion with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey — with Dune: Part Three still to come.
It puts her ahead of every other leading lady in cinema in 2026 — with her annual income from movies alone estimated at tens of millions of pounds.
Zendaya plays MJ in the Spider-Man movies, opposite husband Tom Holland, also 30, in the title role.
The superhero extravaganza has become one of the biggest movies of all time.
She also stars alongside him and an ensemble cast including Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway in The Odyssey.
The swords and sandals epic has itself become a massive summer hit and a box office phenomenon.
It easily grabbed the cinema top spot after its July 17 release, until the latest Spider-Man movie took the crown when it came out two weeks later.
Spidey stayed at No1 on the global box office throughout August — until The Odyssey knocked it off again last weekend, proving the pulling power of newlyweds Zendaya and Tom.
She began the year with her other release, romantic dark comedy The Drama, in which she starred alongside Robert Pattinson.
It made £97million worldwide.
And Zendaya is showing no signs of slowing down, with Dune: Part Three set to debut on December 18 and looking to be another massive hit, possibly grossing another billion dollars (£740million).
Dune: Part Two made a global gross of over £526million in 2024, growing from part one’s £303million in 2021. It is now likely the third instalment will skyrocket way past its prequel.
It all comes as Hollywood’s leading lady just recently celebrated her 30th birthday after becoming one of the most influential young actresses of her time.
A MUCH-LOVED ride has closed at Disneyland Paris ahead of a huge makeover.
Crush’s Coaster at Disney Adventure World is now closed until summer 2027 as it undergoes its biggest upgrade in 20 years.
The coaster, which takes riders through the East Australian Current, will have technical elements replaced as well as sections of the track.
In the second phase of the refurbishment, the coaster will be tested to ensure it functions properly before reopening.
Of course, the upgrade will refresh the ride’s show elements as well, such as repainting and repairs.
Crush’s Coaster was last closed in 2015 for six months but this project will be the biggest in the ride’s history.
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Many people have taken to social media to express their excitement about the upgrade: “I’m happy about the refurb but I’ve booked for November. Massively underrated ride.”
Another person added: “Glad to see this happening.”
There are a number of other closures taking place at the theme park including Peter Pan’s flight, which is closed until September 19.
Pirate’s Beach is currently closed and will be until October 23 for a safety inspection as well as replacement of the ground padding.
Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups will be closed between September 21 and October 2 to repaint the floor.
La Tanière du Dragon will close on October 5 until the middle of the month for servicing.
Worawith Ounpeng/iStock via Getty Images
ACROSS 10 days in September, Brits can enjoy thousands of free events courtesy of Heritage Open Days.
The festival has thousands of free things to do from checking out Silverstone race course to ghost walks and even football tickets are up for grabs.
Between September 11-20, lots of England’s best-known attractions and destinations will open to the public for free.
Events will be held across the country – here are some of the places to explore with Heritage Open Days.
For racing fanatics, book a day out at Silverstone where the collections team take you through its history with a guided tour.
At Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, families can check out the codebreaking trail, try hands-on activities and have a go themselves.
Other spots to explore include the grand Lyme Park in Cheshire, Wightwick Manor and Lyveden.
Transport museums around the country are open with lots of vintage trains and buses for viewing.
This includes Aldridge Transport Museum, Dover Transport Museum and East Anglia Transport Museum.
At the Museum of Transport in Manchester, visitors can ride on its historic buses.
Depending on who you support, some people might be interested to know that you can get free football tickets.
Head into Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum and then enjoy the match as the team plays Wycombe Wanderers (make sure to prebook).
Activities for kids include medieval crafting like decorating shields, crowns, princess hats and horse puppets at The Garage in Norfolk.
Over at Acorn Bank Watermill in Cumbria, see the mill in action and even taste some of baked goods yourself.
In Milton Keynes, head to the Midsummer Place Shopping Centre for the Caribbean carnival village celebrations with hands-on workshops.
At museums across the UK, kids can dress up and see what life was like in different eras – like the 1800s in the National Justice Museum.
Some of the best events take place during twilight hours.
Onboard the Tudor ship, the Golden Hinde, there’s a reconstruction of living, working and sailing.
At the Rosse Observatory, get up close to the impressive telescope itself – and if it’s a clear night, you could even see Saturn or Jupiter.
Or if you’re into ghosts, head to Ripon Market Place in North Yorkshire for some spooky walks.
Make sure to look at activities and events in advance as you may need to pre-book before attending.
For more on attractions – check out all the ones that you pay for once and then return all year for free.
Grace has written a book about her life experiences so far(Image: JAMES RUDLAND)
GK Barry says her decision to speak out on the sexual assaults she experienced as a teen was partly motivated by anger.
When the TV and social media star, real name Grace Keeling, was raped as a 17-year-old during her college work experience placement, she vowed to never tell a soul.
But a decade on, she has written a book about her many and varied life experiences in which she lays out what happened in the hope it will help other young women. And she told the Mirror that it “took a lot” for her to revisit the devastating ordeal.
“He was so confident about what he did, I’m sure I wasn’t the first and won’t have been the last, and maybe I could have stopped him from doing this to another girl,” she explains in the book. “But although I wish now I’d reported it at the time, I also feel really strongly that it’s not women’s f***ing responsibility to stop men raping us.”
Her attacker was her line manager for the week, who was 10 years her senior and had offered to give her a lift to work on her second day. But instead of taking her to the office, he drove her to a deserted park and demanded a sex act. “I didn’t know what else I could do except go along with what he was telling me – resisting or fighting back felt like it might make things worse,” she said. Horribly aware that she needed to finish the work experience in order to pass her college course and get to university, she felt she had to comply. “There was never a moment in my mind where I thought I could say no to what was happening,” she says. “When you’re 17 and scared as f***, thinking logically isn’t an option.”
There was worse to come. On her last day with the company, he took her into a side room with no cameras and asked her to remove her white jeans. “And then he rapes me,” she writes, admitting it took her a many years to accept that’s what it was. Agonisingly, she confesses that one of the reasons she vowed to never speak about what happened was “in case someone confirms my biggest fear that I was to blame”.
But a year on from the assaults, Grace found the courage to tell a teacher after learning that another girl from college was about to do work experience at the same company.
When she finally spoke to the police, she was told by a female officer that, because there was no evidence, it would be her word against his and she was highly unlikely to get a conviction. “At no point did the police officer say to me that what he’d done was wrong,” she reports, saying she was offered no support or counselling at any point.
With statistics showing that 1 in 4 women over 16 experience some form of sexual assault, and six out of seven rapes against women are carried out by someone they know, Grace wishes she’d known then about support group Rape Crisis. “I think people would be more confident coming forward and reporting assaults if we knew that people were on our side and willing to believe us.”
As she lays out what happened in her new book, the podcaster and Loose Women regular, 27, told the Mirror that the secrecy around these sorts of issues needs to stop. “I think it’s something that people don’t speak about. It’s something always kept very hidden. And I don’t think we should be ashamed about it.
“I haven’t put it in just for the sake of it, it took a lot for me to even speak about it,” she says quietly. “I wish I knew that you can say no, that rape can happen whether it’s someone you’re friends with, or close to, or a boss, that it comes in many forms.” And for anyone who has suffered anything similar, she says: “I would like them to know that it wasn’t their fault, because I spent a lot of years thinking it was.”
Grace, who grew up in Newmarket, Suffolk, and is a judge this year on The Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards, is hoping her guide to surviving and thriving will also provide plenty of laughs. “The majority of it is just hilarious stuff that has happened to me,” she says. “I think people reading it can maybe learn from everything that I’ve done wrong.”
The book shows her devotion to footballer girlfriend of two years Ella Rutherford, an attacking midfielder for Millwall. Ella, 26, was her first relationship with a woman and it’s clear she thinks they will be together forever. Calling her the “undisputed love of my life”, Grace says she plans to eventually settle with Ella and their dogs on a farm.
Grace’s mother Loretta, and step-dad Andrew, have yet to learn about the many scrapes the TikTok star has had over the years. “My mum’s read the first couple of pages, but she has no idea what’s coming, God bless her,” she says. “I think maybe I won’t be able to look my mum and dad in the eye for a couple of months.”
– GK Barry, It’s Giving Life, EBURY SPOTLIGHT | 3RD SEPTEMBER 2026 | £22.00
EVER wanted to head to a music festival abroad? Well, how about heading to the world’s biggest where most concerts are free?
Found in the capital of Morocco – Rabat – Mawazine isn’t your usual festival.
Instead of lasting the normal three-days, Mawazine goes on for nine days in total.
The festival takes place each June and its attendance always breaks records with 3.75million people visiting in 2025 – making it the largest music festival in the world by attendance.
As for whats on at the festival, around 90 per cent of the concerts are free to attend.
You can expect Moroccan and Arab artists as well as global headliners.
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There are a seven stages in total including OLM Souissi, which is the main stage where international stars such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Shakira, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and Maroon 5 have all performed.
You could then go to the Nahda Stage, which is dedicated to Arabic and Oriental music.
And over at Chellah, you’ll find a historic Roman site used for calm with acoustic music.
The festival isn’t just music either – you can expect art exhibitions, workshops and film screenings.
If you want to head to the festival, make sure to book your hotel well ahead.
The city of Rabat is transformed for the nine days as well, with cafes and shops open later.
The city is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site meaning there is plenty to explore including a huge medina, Hassan Tower and Kasbah of the Oudayas – a historic fortress with sea views.
Return flights from the UK to Rabat cost as little as £125 in June.
Since January, the acting Rodríguez government has reformed its energy sector to favor US interests. (ABC)
Caracas, August 28, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – US President Donald Trump has announced a major energy agreement with Venezuela to “more than double US oil reserves.”
“The US has just entered into the biggest oil deal in history with Venezuela,” he wrote on social media. “Working with highly respected [Venezuelan Acting President] Delcy Rodríguez, and through a partnership with private business, [the US] has secured majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves.”
Trump added that the purported agreement would lower US fuel prices “long into the future” while setting Venezuela “on a course toward tremendous success and great prosperity.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reported deal “a huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people” and claimed it would bring “nearly US $100 billion in private investment” to the Caribbean nation. Trump and Rubio disclosed no specifics about the arrangement.
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed the “historic agreement” via a social media message on Friday night.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to Trump, Rubio, and the US government for their support in developing this agreement, which represents a historic milestone in US-Venezuela relations,” she wrote.
Rodríguez stated that the deal will involve private corporations developing 17 “strategic fields” with 65 billion barrels of proven reserves. She echoed Rubio’s $100 billion investment claim and pledged that the projects would yield $209 billion in tax revenues. According to the acting president, the announced agreement “ushers in a new era of growth and prosperity.”
The high-level negotiations were first reported by Axios on Thursday.
The Venezuelan Constitution establishes that all mineral and hydrocarbon resources are “inalienable public domain” goods. Transferring ownership of oil reserves would require a constitutional reform.
According to Reuters, the deal could take the form of a long-term lease, with the Trump administration then auctioning or allocating fields to select corporations. Bloomberg reported that the lease could be as long as 100 years.
The seventeen fields in question are said to include undeveloped extra-heavy crude projects in the Orinoco Oil Belt and mature light crude fields in Lake Maracaibo. The resulting supply would be “guaranteed” for the US as part of efforts to rein in rising fuel costs amid the ongoing standoff with Iran in the Persian Gulf.
Bloomberg additionally reported that Washington’s direct involvement in Venezuela’s oil industry could be conducted by the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) in partnership with Venezuelan oil mogul Alejandro Betancourt. The Biden administration created the OSC in 2022 to fund private sector initiatives deemed vital for US national security interests.
Since the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the acting Rodríguez administration has fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with Washington while also opening the country’s energy and mining sectors to Western companies.
A new Hydrocarbon Law and associated regulations were drafted in consultation with oil executives and US officials. The reform slashed royalties and taxes and ceded control over operations and sales to private firms under joint venture or concession-type models. Caracas also acceded to foreign companies’ demands in allowing for legal disputes to be settled by international arbitration bodies.
The legislative overhaul replaced the 2001 Hydrocarbon Law approved by former President Hugo Chávez and subsequent decrees that established a leading role for the Venezuelan state in the energy sector, which in turn fueled the country’s economic and social progress in the 2000s.
The US Treasury has maintained wide-reaching sanctions in place while issuing licenses to hand-picked companies and barring the participation of enterprises from China, Iran, and Russia. Furthermore, Venezuelan oil revenues are presently deposited in a US Treasury account, with the disbursement timings and amounts left at Trump officials’ discretion.
On Thursday, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) amended eight sanctions waivers concerning oil, mining, and telecommunications. OFAC removed a requirement that contracts signed with Venezuelan state entities be drafted in accordance with US laws or jurisdiction. The agency stated that “investment-related reforms” by the acting Rodríguez government had made the clause unnecessary.
Venezuela’s investor-friendly regulatory environment has led to industry giants, including Chevron, Repsol, and Shell, striking new deals or renegotiating existing ones for crude and natural gas exploration. Companies with no energy track record such as Lionheart Capital and Crossover Energy are likewise set to take control of strategic oilfields.
Oil services company SLB, formerly Schlumberger, recently signed an agreement with PDVSA for reservoir studies and service provision. SLB has set the reactivation of 15 oil rigs in the South American country as a short-term priority.
According to Reuters, the multinational firm will also access prized data on Venezuela’s oilfields, from reservoir characterization to real-time output information. SLB allegedly seeks to “make Venezuela’s oil data reliable again.”
In another indication of Caracas’ dramatic diplomatic realignment with Washington, Venezuelan officials are reportedly mulling the possibility of exiting the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Venezuela played a leading role in the creation of OPEC in 1960 as it sought to bring together Global South oil-producing nations to secure better and more stable oil prices in global markets. Former President Chávez also prioritized revamping OPEC after a prior “Oil Opening” under US-aligned governments had oriented the industry toward US interests and undermined the organization.
Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.
[Updated on August 28 at 8.30 pm ET following Trump’s announcement.]
US President Donald Trump has claimed the US and Venezuela have reached the ‘biggest oil deal in world history’, which will give the US control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. Critics say it’s predatory. Soraya Lennie explains what we know.
Published On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026
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