camp

As natural disasters in Los Angeles go, a rain delay temporarily washing out a music festival is pretty low stakes. But fans had to scramble last week after a sudden thunderstorm made Tyler, the Creator’s flagship festival at Dodger Stadium soggy and unnavigable.

Now kicked forward a week, a few acts (Sombr, Tems, Clairo) dropped off the bill, a few (Kali Uchis) joined in their stead, and travelers with nonrefundable plane tickets had to find other ways to amuse themselves in L.A. for a week. But once the Dodger Stadium gates finally opened, everything was more or less smooth sailing. Here are the highlights of the weekend’s performances.

Timothée Chalamet’s ‘Marty Supreme’ blimp makes an appearance

Last week, actor Timothée Chalamet released a parody of a marketing meeting, for his upcoming film “Marty Supreme.” The 18-minute clip consisted of the Oscar nominee pitching the team outlandish advertising ideas like painting the Statue of Liberty orange. In the Zoom meeting, he says, “We should have the blimp go above Flog Gnaw and rain ping-pong balls, Marty Supreme-branded, rain ping-pong balls on everyone.”

Low and behold, right before Tyler, the Creator’s set, a bright orange blimp reading “Marty Supreme” began circling Dodger Stadium — just as Chalamet prophesied. People all around the festival could be seen stopping and pointing out the flying spectacle.

But thankfully, no raining ping-pong balls made an appearance. (Cerys Davies)

Geese fly high

If every generation deserves its own cool/sexy/mystifying rock band, then Gen Z’s (or maybe Gen Alpha’s) seems to be Geese. Led by the deep-voiced Cameron Winter, the group from New York appeared at Flog Gnaw less than 24 hours after a hometown gig at the Brooklyn Paramount on Friday night. “We finished a tour but we couldn’t stay away from the limelight, so we got on a plane just this morning,” Winter told the crowd. Geese plays skronky yet weirdly beautiful guitar music that inspires both swaying and moshing; it’s in a clear lineage of NYC acts that stretches back through the Strokes and Television to the Velvet Underground. But here at least you could detect a distinct L.A. presence in Emily Green’s John Frusciante-coded strums and in the doomed-heartthrob proclamations that made Winter sound a little like Jim Morrison. (Mikael Wood)

Happy 10th anniversary to Mac Miller’s “GO:OD AM”

In the sea of vendor pop-ups, Mac Miller’s yawning face, the cover of his 2015 release “GO:OD AM,” stood tall. In celebration of the album’s 10th anniversary, photographer Brick Stowell put on a small exhibition to honor the late Pittsburgh rapper. While standing in line, fans were chatting, sharing anecdotes of listening to Miller’s music or memories of when they saw him perform at Camp Flog Gnaw many years ago. Inside, the exhibition is simple, consisting of a few large-scale prints of photos Stowell selected. Some of the images focus on a smiling Miller or depict him playing the guitar or with friends. The record played softly in the space and a few people sat on the couches, with their eyes closed. In the midst of the music festival’s craziness, the tent was filled with a weighted, reverent energy. (C.D.)

Kali Uchis performs during Camp Flog Gnaw on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Kali Uchis mixed red-hot seduction with ICE-cold activism

As a last-minute addition to the festival’s lineup, Kali Uchis might’ve been expected to put in a no-frills performance. Instead, the eternally vibey psychedelic-soul star sang the lovey-dovey “All I Can Say” from inside a giant teacup — “If you came with someone you like, you could kiss them,” she suggested — and did “Heaven Is a Home” on the back of a motorcycle driven by a woman in a lace bodysuit and shades. (There was also a giant bed with satiny pink sheets.) Uchis is among pop’s foremost fantasists; her music invites the listener to get lost in an expertly appointed dreamland. But here she also had the real world on her mind: She played a video in which she said that everyone in her Colombian American household worked three jobs when she was growing up and that “immigrants built this country and make it what it is today.” As she left the stage, Uchis said, “ICE is terrorizing our community” and called out “their violations against human rights.” (M.W.)

Tyler, the Creator’s heartfelt thank you

“We couldn’t let that rain stop us — no, no, no,” Tyler, the Creator said not long into his hour-long set, and indeed Flog Gnaw’s mastermind seemed just a bit more amped than usual as he presided over the festival that almost wasn’t. Dressed in a red leather suit à la Eddie Murphy in “Delirious,” Tyler came out punching with “Big Poe” and “Sugar on My Tongue,” which also open “Don’t Tap the Glass,” the high-energy hip-house album he dropped this past summer with very little warning. But he also performed stuff from last year’s “Chromakopia,” which just snagged a nomination for album of the year at February’s Grammy Awards. (“Don’t Tap the Glass,” amusingly, is up against LPs by the Cure and Wet Leg in the alternative music album category.)

Tyler’s stage was designed to resemble a New York City subway station complete with a train car that he climbed atop and herky-jerked his way across. For “Don’t You Worry Baby” he was joined by a female dancer on roller skates; for “Noid,” a couple of guys with cameras helped him act out his unhappy thoughts on paparazzi. As the set went on, Tyler started shortening each song, limiting himself to only a verse or a chorus to pack in more hits: “Earfquake,” “Wusyaname,” “See You Again.” He thanked the crowd for hanging with the festival’s postponement — “I know it wasn’t ideal,” he said — and for “rocking with us for 11 years” of Flog Gnaw. The connection he’s forged is real. (M.W.)

Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso’s roller coaster of a set

Fresh off 5 wins at the Latin Grammys earlier this month, Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso left the CFA crowd delightfully perplexed. The audience started off on the smaller side, as Tyler, the Creator was wrapping up his set. But as the Argentine rappers, decked out in Versace, plowed through their catchiest hits like “Dumbai” and “Sheesh,” a dancing stampede made its way over.

Less than a year after their viral NPR Tiny Desk, the notoriously kooky duo flexed their ability to slip between genres. One moment, a pulsating EDM beat, beaming lasers and intense fog machines took over the stage — emulating a rave. The next moment, Ca7riel is angrily screaming “F— you!” at the top of his lungs over an aggressive punky guitar solo. Finally, they act like their microphones have become dumbbells, and start to sing about their “#Tetas,” on their satirical, body positivity anthem. Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso will never let you know their next move. (C.D.)

Fans raise their phones as Kali Uchis performs during Camp Flog Gnaw.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Clipse turn in a triumphant set

The Clipse have had a hell of a year. After releasing their first album together in 16 years, “Let God Sort Em Out,” the formidable Virginia rap duo of Pusha T and Malice embarked on a victory lap, which included a successful reunion tour and a flurry of hilariously entertaining interviews. In the midst of that, they also stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk — a performance that had more than 3.5 million views as of November— and racked up four Grammy nominations including best rap album and album of the year. So it was only right that they were invited to perform at Camp Flog Gnaw once again. (They also performed at the festival in 2023.)

Fittingly, the Clipse opened their set with the menacing “Chains and Whips,” which is jam packed with lethal, high-level bars about why contemporary rappers simply can’t sit with them. Not wasting any time during their set, the veteran emcees went bar for bar, diving into more tracks from their latest album including “Birds Don’t Sing” (a dedication to their late parents) and “P.O.V.,” which Tyler, the Creator joined them for just in time following his own high-energy set.

Satisfying their day one fans, the Clipse also performed a handful of their classic records like “Mr. Me Too” and “What Happened to That Boy.” As they rapped the lyrics to one of their most recognizable tracks, “Grindin,” a montage of Black people doing step routines, dancing and recreating the Neptunes beat on lunch tables played on the massive stage screens.

Much like “Let God Sort Em Out,” the Clipse’s performance further solidified why they’ve been in the game for more than 20 years and why they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. — (Kailyn Brown)

Childish Gambino’s fast-paced, fan-voted retrospective

Childish Gambino’s set was a race against time. Prior to his set, the 42-year-old singer/rapper/actor (also known as Donald Glover) allowed fans to vote for his setlist. Playing anything from his biggest hits like “Redbone” and a very short snippet of “This is America” to his cover of Outkast’s “Prototype” and the 2011 release “Les,” Gambino made it clear he only had an hour and wanted to get to as many songs as possible. He often played the first verse of a track, allowing it to peak in the chorus and quickly brush past it — making the set feel like an invigorating sprint.

Halfway through the performance, Gambino, sparkling his glittery wifebeater, took a moment to get vulnerable with the crowd. This was his first performance since he had to abruptly cancel his world tour last year. He explained that he had a stroke unknowingly, on stage in Louisiana, and later found out that he had a hole in his heart and needed surgery. As he narrated his story, the sky lit up with a drone light show, depicting images of a heart and other dynamic patterns.

He said, during all of these health problems, the only things he could think of were “how many people I’m letting down” and “here I am still copying Jamie Foxx,” which got a laugh out of the crowd. Throughout the remainder of the show, he continued to exude a grateful energy, saying repeatedly, “I didn’t think I’d be able to [be here].” As he played the chosen songs, it was as if his only goal was to make the crowd as happy as possible.

The rapper left with a final message, “You have one life, so live your life as you want.” (C.D.)

Blood Orange puts CFG in a trance

Following Geezer’s (Kevin Abstract and Dominic Fike) endearing display of friendship, Blood Orange kept the cameraderie going on the fest’s main stage. Though the multi-piece band behind Dev Hynes’ musical moniker may sound melancholic, their energy was jolting. During tracks about grief and loneliness, like the cathartic “Charcoal Baby,” only Hynes could get the entire crowd to head bang.

After releasing his most recent album, “Essex Honey,” Blood Orange made his impromptu return to the fest — calling last year’s set “one of his favorite shows.” The British singer and his band trade instruments with a sense of ease — splitting their time among a cello, keyboards, synthesizers, a drum machine, electric and acoustic guitars. In this intricate display of instrumentalism, dark electronica and high-pitched vocals blend into feelgood jazz and ’80s synth pop without notice. With dense fog and transculent pink lights, the whole set started to fuse into a unifying dreamy moment. (C.D.)

Helicopters, a megaphone and pink hair curlers: ASAP Rocky keeps Flog Gnaw classic

Right before ASAP Rocky was meant to close out the festival, a helicopter started to circle the area, shining its light down on the crowd. A mock news livestream took over the stage’s screens in search of the Sunday headliner, accusing him of “never dropping the album.” On stage, the Harlem rapper descended on a floating helicopter of his own, megaphone in hand and pink curlers in his hair.

He made it clear he was there “to start a riot” (and he did consistently check in on the densely packed crowd too). The 37-year-old rapper was soon joined by a few dozen hooded figures, carrying upside-down American flags, who began to mosh while he continued to spit his ever-steady flow. Switching between his older stuff, like “L$D” and “Potato Salad” (which he was joined for by Tyler, the Creator) and more recent beloved singles like “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” and “Sundress,” Rocky stuck to what he knows best — looking pretty and skillful rhymes. (C.D.)

A swing carousel at Camp Flog Gnaw.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

T-Pain knows your knees hurt

“I am old as f—,” T-Pain said as the R&B-rap crooner took a pause from his hit-studded set on Sunday night. “I was running out of time to do this. I saw the dimensions of the stage and my knees gave out.”

At 41, he is decently seasoned by Flog Gnaw standards (though still a surprisingly deft dancer). But his set was arguably one of the best-attended of the weekend, for good reasons.

Recent reappraisals from a mega-viral Tiny Desk concert and a boisterous Coachella set proved what close listeners have known all along: Pain is an absolute savant of melody and ear-tickling chord changes, with a gorgeous R&B voice whose famous digital treatments were artistically prescient rather than any sort of fix.

Yet to Flog Gnaw’s young crowds, blissfully free from the AutoTune wars of the 2000s, Pain now represents an idyll and purity of party music in hip-hop, rising from the mire of the Great Recession and the aspirations of President Obama with witty, self-aware hit after hit that showed a musician in total command of his craft, writing songs that transcend today’s cynical bleakness.

This redemption arc is well earned — how can you not listen to “Bartender” and long for the easy, sweet camaraderie of sidling up to your favorite server (though today that cocktail will more likely be N/A)? Dispatches from a saner time of millennial life like “Up Down” and “Can’t Believe It” landed like an envelope of Instax photos from a half-remembered house party. For Gen Z, it was Unc Culture embodied in the best ways.

Other than a brief villain segment (where Pain sung his verses from collabs with Chris Brown, Kanye West and R. Kelly; more an indictment of the men of R&B, really), his set delivered hit after hit and re-framed them within R&B history. He did what the genre is best at — stirring up the old glow of past happiness, even if that was spilling tequila down your pinstriped business-casual wear at a Hollywood bottle club in 2008. (A.B.)

Tyler, the Creator performs during Camp Flog Gnaw.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Doechii, the classroom disciplinarian of your dreams

Doechii framed her raucous Sunday night set as a stern classroom lecture on the craft of rapping. But in that case, she’s the kind of teacher that you bump into at the grocery store with a cart full of booze and a you-didn’t-see-this wink.

The Grammy favorite and new TDE superstar is so mercilessly good at rapping, so fully possessed of her gifts onstage, that her set made me wonder how all the backing-track reliant MC’s still get away with it. From the vicious opening lines of “Stanka Pooh” — “Let’s start the story backwards / I’m dead, she’s dead, just another Black Lives Matter” — to the joint-snapping house-music workout of “Alter Ego” and the horror-comedy sex romp of “Spooky Coochie,” she never settled for less than the full scope of her talents, deeply honed.

A gleefully bawdy and physically gifted dancer, with of sneaky comic timing and a low-key powerhouse singing voice, by the time she got to the deep cut “Boom Bap” and fan favorite “Catfish,” Doechii made an impeccable claim to being one of the best rappers working today.

She didn’t play the Grammy contender “Anxiety” — one sees how that song wouldn’t make sense in this relentlessly hard hitting context. But whatever worries keep on trying her, after Sunday night, she can definitively leave them behind. (A.B.)

Zack Fox brings us to the (f)unction with globetrotting set

Just 15 minutes into Zack Fox’s hour and a half DJ set on Sunday afternoon, which was dubbed Zack’s Big Nasty & Booty Shake, many audience members were already sweating and shedding the layers they wore in preparation for the evening cold.

Garbed in leather uncle sandals with white socks, an Atlanta Falcons apron and a grill for a DJ stand (because he was cooking, duh), the rapper, comedian and actor brought the crowd to the (f)unction. Fox, who’s become known for his high-energy performances, delivered a globetrotting set filled with genres including Brazil’s Baile funk, Chicago house, Baltimore club, Nola bounce, soul, gospel Detroit techno and of course Atlanta rap, which is where he’s from. “Dance music is Black music,” Fox told the crowd in between his gyrating and turning up. “Y’all gonna learn something today.” (He also had the crowd repeat back “Free Palestine” and “F— ICE.”)

But what’s a cookout without good company? Fox also brought along a crew of talented dancers, which included a church hat wearing grandmother (who unexpectedly broke out into a backflip) and popular ballroom dancer Pack Rat. As Fox masterfully weaved between tracks like Khia’s “Steer,” KW Griff’s “Bring in the Katz” and Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I Let Go,” the dancers vogued, shuffled, line danced and twerked. Even his “Abbott Elementary” castmate Janelle James (a.k.a Principal Coleman) grooved alongside Fox during his set.

He closed out with a Black church anthem, Kurt Carr’s “We Lift Our Hands in the Sanctuary.” Each time the track seemed like it was about to end, he comically brought it back a few more times with the lyrics “Yes! Yes, Lord, for the rest of our days.” (K.B.)

Ying and yang rappers, Larry June and 2Chainz, show us the finer things in life

On paper, Larry June — the laid-back Bay Area rapper known for his straightforward rhymes about organic living and financial literacy — and 2Chainz — Atlanta’s trap elder known for witty tracks like “Birthday Song” — may seem like an unlikely match. But as the pair performed their collaborative album “Life is Beautiful,” they were in perfect stride. The large crowd was a testament to how rare the moment was as it was one of the few times that the pair has performed the opulent lifestyle rap album since it dropped in February.

Much like the vibe of “Life is Beautiful,” which feels like a luxurious vacation backed with jazz-infused serene beats by the Alchemist, swaying ocean waves and yachts served as the backdrop while they delivered tracks like “Colossal,” “Generation,” “I Been” and “Bad Choices.” (Unfortunately, the Alchemist is on tour with DJ Premier, and was not in attendance.)

The backgrounds changed to imagery that matched the rappers’ hometowns as they dove into their personal discography. In a casual windbreaking sweatsuit, Larry June performed smooth tracks like “Smoothies in 1991” and “Watering My Plants,” while 2Chainz, who was rocking a leather two-piece set, got the crowd hyped with songs like “I’m Different” and “Watch Out.”

Suitably, the duo closed out with tranquil, flute-based “Life is Beautiful,” reminding the audience to embrace the beauty of the grind and the small wins in life, and simply enjoy their time on this Earth. (K.B.)

Ferran Torres scores brace to send Barcelona to the top of La Liga, level with Real Madrid, who face Elche on Sunday.

Barcelona were back at their beloved Camp Nou and produced a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Athletic Bilbao to add to the homecoming celebrations.

Some 45,000 fans were on hand on Saturday as what is set to be Europe’s largest football stadium reopened at roughly half capacity.

Camp Nou had been closed for more than two years for a major overhaul that the indebted club hopes will boost revenues.

Robert Lewandowski set the tone early, capitalising on an error in Athletic’s defence in the fourth minute. Alex Berenger mishandled the ball while attempting to play out from the back, allowing the Polish striker to seize possession and fire a low effort past Unai Simon at the near post.

Barcelona maintained control throughout, relentlessly pressuring an out-of-form Athletic side. Ernesto Valverde’s charges have only managed three wins since September, losing six of their last nine league fixtures.

Eighth in the table with 17 points, Athletic rarely threatened the hosts.

Barcelona struck again in first-half stoppage time. Lamine Yamal’s expertly delivered long ball into space found Torres, and the Spanish forward took the pass perfectly in his stride, raced into the area and calmly slotted past Simon.

Three minutes into the second half, Barcelona punished another defensive lapse by Athletic. Attempting to play out from the back, the visitors gifted possession to the alert Fermin Lopez, who rifled a bullet strike into the net.

Athletic’s frustrations boiled over when Oihan Sancet was sent off with a straight red card in the 53rd minute following a reckless challenge on Lopez.

In the closing stages, Torres added his second, rounding off another counterattack set up by the 18-year-old Yamal, who provided a second sublime assist.

The win pulled Barcelona level on points with Real Madrid atop the table before Madrid visits Elche on Sunday.

“We played well from the start and took another three points, but the important thing today is being back at Camp Nou,” Lewandowski said. “It is something else to play here. I think when we play at Camp Nou, we are a little bit stronger.”

Barcelona’s fans belted out the club hymn before kickoff amid a celebratory vibe despite the chilly weather.

They had reason to be extra happy. The last time they had been able to attend a game at Camp Nou was May 2023. For the following 900-plus days, Barcelona played their home games at the municipally owned 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium located atop a hill overlooking the city that was more difficult to reach.

“It has been two years at the [Olympic Stadium] and it wasn’t easy, the atmosphere wasn’t the same, you could tell it wasn’t Camp Nou,” the 36-year-old fan Carlos Narváez told The Associated Press.

“This is like coming home. I am sure the players will feel that way, just like we fans do. You can see how excited everyone is.”

But homecoming aside, there is still significant work before the new-look Camp Nou is finished and ready to hold 105,000 fans.

The top tier of Camp Nou remains mostly a skeleton of metal and concrete beams and pillars; huge construction cranes loom over the stadium and are visible from the stands, and there are areas that look like a construction site.

Work on upgrading Camp Nou began in June 2023 to repair, modernise and expand a venue that previously had a capacity of 99,000. The club secured 1.45 billion euros (then $1.6bn) from multiple investors to undertake the remodelling project.

Barcelona had originally planned to be back playing games at Camp Nou as early as November 2024 to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary. The date was pushed back several times, and the club has not said when it now expects the stadium work to be completed. The club said it plans to seek permission from authorities to open more seating as work progresses.

Barcelona also received authorisation from UEFA this week to host Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou on December 9.

The women’s national soccer team will return to Carson in 2026 for the first time in nearly two years for its annual January training camp, U.S. Soccer will announce Thursday.

The 10-day camp will run from Jan. 17-27 and will conclude with two international matches. The first, on Jan. 24 against Paraguay, will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park and will include a tribute to two-time World Cup champion Christen Press, who announced her retirement this fall.

The venue and opponent for the second match on Jan. 27 has not been finalized.

“January camp is a vitally important part of our yearly schedule, especially with 2026 being a year that will host World Cup qualifying,” USWNT coach Emma Hayes said in a statement. “We don’t get many training days together during any given year, so there is a high value in getting a whole week of training as well as two matches.

“I was pleased with the progress we made as a team in 2025, but we still have a ways to go to get to where we want to be heading into the CONCACAF W Championship in the fall.”

Press, who was born and raised in Palos Verdes Estates, about 10 miles from Dignity Health Sports Park, scored 64 goals for the USWNT, ninth-most in team history. She helped the U.S. to back-to-back Women’s World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 and played the final four years of her professional club career for her hometown Angel City FC.

The first 2,000 fans through the gates on Jan. 24 will receive a commemorative Christen Press bobblehead.

No venue has played host to more USWNT matches than Dignity Health Sports Park which, under various names, has been the site of 21 games for the U.S., dating to 2003, soon after the stadium opened. The U.S. went 20 games unbeaten at the venue (19 wins and one tie) before losing its most recent match there, a 2-0 upset to Mexico on Feb. 26, 2024, in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, a tournament the U.S. would go on
win.

The USWNT was scheduled to hold its January training camp in Carson last year, but the deadly Southern California wildfires forced U.S. Soccer to move the camp to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Presale tickets for the January matches will be available for purchase from 10 a.m. PST Friday through 8 a.m. PST Monday.

Tickets for both matches will go on sale to the public on Tuesday at 10 a.m. PST.

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (UPI) — Kenneth Bae, the Korean-American missionary who endured 735 days as a political prisoner in North Korea, is now leading a renewed international effort to realize a unified Korean Peninsula.

Bae, 57, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was the longest-held American citizen in North Korea since the Korean War — an experience he now views as a mission to become a “voice for the voiceless” North Korean people.

Bae’s ordeal began in 2012 when he was arrested while leading his 18th “Love DPRK Tour” group. He was charged with “conspiracy to overthrow the state” and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He became the first U.S. citizen to be confined to a North Korean kyohwaso, or re-education camp.

“The ultimate charge was that I had tried to overthrow the North Korean regime through prayer and worship,” Bae said in an interview. His unintentional mistake was bringing an external hard drive containing a documentary that showed the suffering of ordinary North Koreans, which became evidence for the regime’s accusations.

Before his arrest, the “Love DPRK Tour” was focused less on proselytizing and more on cultural exchange and prayer for the land. Bae took some 300 people from 17 countries over two years to engage in activities like making kimchi, learning traditional dance and simply “walking the land” while praying for the North Korean people.

He was released in 2014 after a high-level diplomatic intervention led by then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, an event that highlighted his strong, enduring ties to Washington policymakers.

New focus: from defector aid to unification

After his release, Bae initially established the Nehemiah Global Initiative in South Korea, primarily focusing on aiding North Korean defectors with settlement, education and even the financial support needed to rescue family members from third countries. Over eight years, NGI provided English education to about 800 young defectors.

In 2022, he rebranded the organization as the New Korea Foundation International, signaling a critical shift in focus. While support for defectors continues, the core mission is now actively preparing for reunification and the reconstruction of North Korea.

“Reunification is not an option; it is a necessity and a mission for our people,” Bae said, emphasizing the stark difference between his two years of captivity and the seven decades the North Korean populace has lived without freedom.

He insists on a South Korea-led unification that is welcomed by North Korean citizens and supported by the international community. He stresses that the true “target of unification” is the North Korean populace, not the Pyongyang regime.

Mobilizing global support: the “One Korea” campaign

The foundation launched the New Korea Unification Campaign under the slogan, “One State, One Nation, One Future, One Korea.” The campaign is a comprehensive, multi-faceted effort to build global consensus for a free and democratic unified Korea.

The campaign offers three primary ways to participate: sign, give and serve.

• It urges global citizens to join the Signature Campaign (Petition movement) to showcase worldwide support and to join the Nehemiah Prayer Pledge.

This prayer movement, originally launched by Bae’s founding organization, the Nehemiah Global Initiative, already has garnered 6,500 signatures from 75 countries to pray for the people of North Korea and for unification.

• The New Korea Gospel Broadcast is a cornerstone project, a planned U.S.-based AM Christian broadcast intended to reach North Koreans with information about the outside world and the Christian Gospel.

Recognizing the challenges and interruptions faced by official broadcasts like the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, this private-sector effort aims to maintain a vital source of outside information.

The broadcast will share “letters of hope,” directly inspired by the hundreds of letters Bae received while imprisoned. To fund this critical initiative, the foundation is seeking 1,000 people to contribute $20 per month.

• Other core campaign projects include Raising the Reunification Reconstruction Fund to support relief for refugees, the Human Rights Advocacy Movement and the Nehemiah Scholarship for defectors.

Urgency of the three-year window

Bae views the current geopolitical climate as critical, warning against the danger of the peninsula’s division becoming permanent through the “Two States” theory. He believes that if the two-state narrative is allowed to solidify, it would be a moral “betrayal” of the North Korean people.

He strongly urges the younger generation in South Korea to reject the notion that unification is a financial burden, arguing instead that North Korea is a “land of opportunity.”

“With its natural resources and a combined population exceeding 80 million, a unified Korea would become a powerful and prosperous nation,” he asserted.

He sees the next three years as a crucial window to prevent the permanent entrenchment of the division. Bae is actively appealing to U.S. leaders and policymakers for their support of the Unification Campaign, emphasizing his strong personal connections to American officials and his belief that global consensus is paramount.

Bae believes that by focusing on creating interest, knowing the situation and action, the Korean people and the international community can ensure the path to a single, free Korea remains open.

For more information on the New Korea Unification Campaign, visit the New Korea Foundation International website: newkoreafi.org.

Associate Editor Tom Bryant was given a tour of the jungle where he was shown a super-exclusive treehouse totally hidden from view……where the new latecomers will cause chaos

Nestled in the trees high above the I’m A Celebrity camp is a slice of luxury that the contestants are totally oblivious to. Ever since the ten campmates were ushered into the Jungle, producers have kept the brand new structure completely camouflaged and out of view.

In fact it was so secret, after seeing it last week, I was banned from even mentioning its existence until now.

But with the arrival of Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson, the treehouse – called The Leader’s Lodge – will suddenly reveal itself. And I can confidently predict all hell will break loose.

I was given an exclusive tour of the Lodge where Vogue and Tom will live as the new leaders of the camp.They will look down – literally – on the campmates, who will be at their beck and call all day.

Not only that, but Vogue and Tom – dubbed “chief explorers of a bush explorers’ club” – will be living in luxury by comparison. They will have their own private dunny, comfy beds…and the views. Oh the views. The jungle is beautiful at the best of times. But from their vantage point, it’s extra special.

To further inflame their subjects, they will have a tannoy to summon them….

Insiders have dubbed the treehouse a “psychological experiment”. One said: “They will be looking down on their subjects….its’s going to inflame.”

As exec producer Olly Nash told me: “The two of them will arrive with a bang, and will be controlling everything that the camp do. They will control their lives, control what they are doing, and control what chores they do. The campmates will compete to get badges, but they have to impress the chief explorers to do so. It’s going to be brutal.”

Campmates….you’ve been warned..

So who are the two new latecomers?

The Mirror sat down with both Vogue Williams and Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson as they prepare to enter the jungle on Thursday.

And Vogue admits she likes the idea of playing the game like a certain hit BBC show. “I would not mind causing a bit of mischief, a bit like Traitors vibes,” she laughs. “I don’t want to annoy anyone, but I think I am very much willing to go along with the game.”

Tom is set to ruffle some feathers too…..as he admitted he was distraught about a booze ban.

“I do have a penchant for champagne, and as it is quite a naughty tipple, I confine it to the weekend,” he said. “So it is just going to feel like a very, very long week. I will never usually have a coupe of anything until Friday.”

Insiders have called the both “genius casting.” One mole said: “They are both a lot of fun – and will bring the energy to the camp and then some.”

Vogue Williams sits down with the Mirror to discuss going into the I’m a Celebrity jungle and how she up for a “bit of mischief….like Traitors.”

A second star has opened up about entering I’m a Celebrity as a latecomer.

Vogue Williams has already blitzed the Christmas shopping, filled the cupboards and menu-planned for the next month. But now the mum-of-three is about to swap managing everything at home for running the gauntlet in the jungle. The Irish presenter, who turned 40 last month, is entering the I’m a Celebrity camp on Thursday as a latecomer with Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson.

And she admits she likes the idea of playing the game like a certain hit BBC show. “I would not mind causing a bit of mischief, a bit like Traitors vibes,” she laughs. “I don’t want to annoy anyone, but I think I am very much willing to go along with the game.”

At home in London, life with husband Spencer Matthews and their three young children is a well-drilled operation. The couple share son Theodore, six, daughter Gigi, four, and youngest son Otto, three, and it is leaving them that is preying on her mind more than any Bushtucker Trial. “My only real worry is missing the kids and missing Spencer and missing my family,” she said.

“I have done all my Christmas shopping. I have done our food shops for the next four weeks. I have organised everything down to a tee because I kind of do all that stuff at home, so I have got everything organised so I do not have to worry when I get back.” Vogue had to think carefully about how much she told the children after agreeing to take part.

“I had to be careful telling my kids, because they have a bigger mouth than me,” she laughed. “I have ignored everybody who has been texting asking if it’s true? I am like, ‘ignore, ignore.’

“I showed the kids the last series to get them into it, and they absolutely loved it when people were having an absolute nightmare. So if I get thrown in with rats, that will be their dream.”

The star, who has built a huge following through her podcasts and radio work, says the strangest part of being Down Under is suddenly not being in charge of everyone’s day from the moment she wakes up. “It is such a strange feeling, because obviously when you have kids, you have got this massive responsibility, and the first thing that you think of in the morning is them and all day it is about how you are going to organise everything that they need. And it is a really strange feeling not to have to do that. It is very relaxing.”

Part of the reason she signed up for the hit ITV show was turning 40 and realising how set in her ways she had become.

“I am too comfortable in life,” she said. “I sleep with four pillows in my bed just for me. I think you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone, particularly when I turned 40. I was getting kind of stuck in my ways a little bit. I like things a certain way. I mean, I like to walk around the park a certain way and everything.”

She said she was oblivious to what she was getting herself in for which was a difficult concept to grasp as she was such a control-freak. “It is going to be so weird, so different. I don’t even know what is happening at all. I do not know if I am going to be flung off a building, so for someone who loves control and to have a level of organisation around things, it is really weird for me to have all of that taken away.”

But she says there was one unexpected bonus: having her phone confiscated by producers.

“My phone got taken away yesterday, and even that, it has not really bothered me,” she said. “I have not watched the last two episodes of Selling Sunset but we will wait till I get back.”

She is braced for the lack of treats to play havoc with her usually steady mood.

“You do not really know how you are going to be affected by things such as no sugar, or even salt. All those things will make it a little bit harder. I am quite a stable person emotionally, really. But I think going in there and having all that taken away, and then kind of not being with people you know, might be difficult.”

As for the home-comforts she will miss the most, she admits: “Coffee in the morning, the four pillows, my really comfortable bed, a nice toilet that I do not have to share with anyone, my LED face mask, food, loads of food, I love eating,” she said.