NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, capping a stunning ascent for the 34-year-old state lawmaker, who was set to become the city’s most liberal mayor in generations.
In a victory for the Democratic party’s progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani must now navigate the unending demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious — skeptics say unrealistic — campaign promises.
With the victory, the democratic socialist will etch his place in history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa. He will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office Jan. 1.
Mamdani’s unlikely rise gives credence to Democrats who have urged the party to embrace more progressive, left-wing candidates instead of rallying behind centrists in hopes of winning back swing voters who have abandoned the party.
It was one of three victories by Democrats in high-profile races for elective office that were being viewed as a gauge of public sentiment toward President Trump in his second term. In California, voters were expected to approve Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50, a redistricting measure aimed at boosting Democrats’ chances in the midterm elections.
In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill was elected New Jersey governor over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by Trump.
New Jersey Democratic Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill speaks during an election night party in East Brunswick, N.J., on Tuesday.
(Matt Rourke / Associated Press)
Sherrill, a 53-year-old Navy veteran who represented a northern New Jersey district in the U.S. House for four terms, will be the state’s second female governor.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman to lead the commonwealth.
Spanberger, 46, is a center-left Democrat and former CIA case officer who helped her party win a House majority during Trump’s first presidency.
Economic worries were the dominant concern as voters cast ballots for Tuesday’s elections, according to preliminary findings from the AP Voter Poll.
The results of the expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggested the public was troubled by an economy that seems trapped by higher prices and fewer job opportunities.
Supporters celebrate during the election night watch party for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger as she is projected to win the race at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
Mamdani has already faced scrutiny from national Republicans, including Trump, who have eagerly cast him as a threat and the face of what they say is a more radical Democratic Party.
The contest drove the biggest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years, with more than 2 million New Yorkers casting ballots, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
Mamdani’s grassroots campaign centered on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted political comeback. The former governor, who resigned four years ago following allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his past throughout the race and was criticized for running a negative campaign.
There’s also the question of how he will deal with Trump, who threatened to take over the city and to arrest and deport Mamdani if he won. Mamdani was born in Uganda, where he spent his early childhood, but was raised in New York City and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
New Yorkers celebrate as NY1 projects Zohran Mamdani the winner in the mayoral election at the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden on Tuesday.
(Jeremy Weine / Getty Images)
Mamdani, who was criticized throughout the campaign for his thin resume, will now have to begin staffing his incoming administration before taking office next year and game out how he plans to accomplish the ambitious but polarizing agenda that drove him to victory.
Among the campaign’s promises are free child care, free city bus service, city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would send mental health care workers to handle certain emergency calls rather than police officers. It is unclear how Mamdani will pay for such initiatives, given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steadfast opposition to his calls to raise taxes on wealthy people.
His decisions around the leadership of the New York Police Department will also be closely watched. Mamdani was a fierce critic of the department in 2020, calling for “this rogue agency” to be defunded and slamming it as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” He has since apologized for those comments and has said he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to stay on the job.
Mamdani’s campaign was driven by his optimistic view of the city and his promises to improve the quality of life for its middle and lower classes.
But Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his vehement criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
New York Independent mayoral candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo votes at the High School of Art and Design on Tuesday in New York City.
(Alexi J. Rosenfeld / Getty Images)
Going into the Democratic primary, Cuomo was the presumed favorite, with near-universal name recognition and deep political connections. Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed federal corruption case.
But as the race progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm, catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energized voters in the notoriously expensive city. He also began drawing outside attention as his name ID grew.
In New Jersey, Sherrill built her campaign around pushing back against Trump. She recently seized on the administration’s decision to abruptly freeze funding for a multibillion-dollar project to replace the aging rail tunnels that connect New Jersey to New York City beneath the Hudson River.
Spanberger’s victory in Virginia will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country,” Spanberger told cheering supporters in Richmond. “We sent a message to the whole word that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos.”
Izaguirre and Colvin write for the Associated Press. AP writers Mike Catalini, Adriana Gomez Licon, Olivia Diaz and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.
On her first day in office, Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness.
The declaration allowed the city to cut through red tape, including through no-bid contracts, and to start Inside Safe, Bass’ signature program focused on moving homeless people off the streets and into interim housing.
On Tuesday, nearly three years after she took the helm, and with homelessness trending down two years in a row for the first time in recent years, the mayor announced that she will lift the state of emergency on Nov. 18.
“We have begun a real shift in our city’s decades-long trend of rising homelessness,” Bass said in a memorandum to the City Council.
Still, the mayor said, there is much work to do.
“The crisis remains, and so does our urgency,” she said.
The mayor’s announcement followed months of City Council pushback on the lengthy duration of the state of emergency, which the council had initially approved.
Some council members argued that the state of emergency allowed the mayor’s office to operate out of public view and that contracts and leases should once again be presented before them with public testimony and a vote.
Councilmember Tim McOsker has been arguing for months that it was time to return to business as usual.
“Emergency powers are designed to allow the government to suspend rules and respond rapidly when the situation demands it, but at some point those powers must conclude,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
McOsker said the move will allow the council to “formalize” some of the programs started during the emergency, while incorporating more transparency.
Council members had been concerned that the state of emergency would end without first codifying Executive Directive 1, which expedites approvals for homeless shelters as well as for developments that are 100% affordable and was issued by Bass shortly after she took office.
On Oct. 28, the council voted for the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would enshrine the executive directive into law.
The mayor’s announcement follows positive reports about the state of homelessness in the city.
As of September, the mayor’s Inside Safe program had moved more than 5,000 people into interim housing since its inception at the end of 2022. Of those people, more than 1,243 have moved into permanent housing, while another 1,636 remained in interim housing.
This year, the number of homeless people living in shelters or on the streets of the city dropped 3.4%, according to the annual count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The number of unsheltered homeless people in the city dropped by an even steeper margin of 7.9%.
The count, however, has its detractors. A study by Rand found that the annual survey missed nearly a third of homeless people in Hollywood, Venice and Skid Row — primarily those sleeping without tents or vehicles.
In June, a federal judge decided not to put Los Angeles’ homelessness programs into receivership, while saying that the city had failed to meet some of the terms of a settlement agreement with the nonprofit LA Alliance for Human Rights.
Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, said the end of the emergency does not mean the crisis is over.
“It only means that we must build fiscally sustainable systems that can respond effectively,” she said. “By transitioning from emergency measures to long-term, institutional frameworks, we’re ensuring consistent, accountable support for people experiencing homelessness.”
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.
The Los Angeles Police Department has released a report that identifies several shortcomings in its response to the devastating Palisades fire, including communication breakdowns, inconsistent record-keeping and poor coordination at times with other agencies — most notably the city’s Fire Department.
The after-action report called the January blaze a “once in a lifetime cataclysmic event” and praised the heroic actions of many officers, but said the LAPD’s missteps presented a “valuable learning opportunity” with more climate-related disasters likely looming in the future.
LAPD leaders released the 92-page report and presented the findings to the Police Commission at the civilian oversight panel’s public meeting Tuesday.
The report found that while the Fire Department was the lead agency, coordination with the LAPD was “poor” on Jan. 7, the first day of the fire. Though personnel from both agencies were working out of the same command post, they failed to “collectively establish a unified command structure or identify shared objectives, missions, or strategies,” the report said.
Uncertainty about who was in charge was another persistent issue, with more confusion sown by National Guard troops that were deployed to the area. Department leaders were given no clear guidelines on what the guard’s role would be when they arrived, the report said.
The mix-ups were the result of responding to a wildfire of unprecedented scale, officials said. At times the flames were advancing at 300 yards a minute, LAPD assistant chief Michael Rimkunas told the commission.
“Hopefully we don’t have to experience another natural disaster, but you never know,” Rimkunas said, adding that the endeavor was “one of the largest and most complex traffic control operations in its history.”
Between Jan. 11 and Jan. 16, when the LAPD’s operation was at its peak, more than 700 officers a day were assigned to the fire, the report said.
The report found that officials failed to maintain a chronological log about the comings and goings of LAPD personnel at the fire zone.
“While it is understandable that the life-threatening situation at hand took precedence over the completion of administrative documentation,” the report said, “confusion at the command post about how many officers were in the field “resulted in diminished situational awareness.”
After the fire first erupted, the department received more than 160 calls for assistance, many of them for elderly or disabled residents who were stuck in their homes — though the report noted that the disruption of cell service contributed to widespread confusion.
The communication challenges continued throughout the day, the report found.
Encroaching flames forced authorities to move their command post several times. An initial staging area, which was in the path of the evacuation route and the fire, was consumed within 30 minutes, authorities said.
But because of communication breakdowns caused by downed radio and cellphone towers, dispatchers sometimes had trouble reaching officers in the field and police were forced to “hand deliver” important paper documents from a command post to its staging area on Zuma Beach, about 20 miles away.
Several commissioners asked about reports of journalists being turned away from fire zones in the weeks that followed the fire’s outbreak.
Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said there was some trepidation about whether to allow journalists into the fire-ravaged area while authorities were still continuing their search for bodies of fire victims.
Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields said that while she had some concerns about the LAPD’s performance, overall she was impressed and suggested that officers should be commended for their courage. The department has said that dozens of officers lost their homes to the fires.
The report also recommended that the department issue masks and personal protective equipment after there was a shortage for officers on the front lines throughout the first days of the blaze.
The Palisades fire was one of the costliest and most destructive disasters in city history, engulfing nearly 23,000 acres, leveling more than 6,000 structures and killing 12 people. More than 60,000 people were evacuated. The deaths of five people within L.A. city limits remain under investigation by the LAPD’s Major Crimes Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The LAPD reports details how at 11:15 a.m., about 45 minutes after the first 911 calls, the call was made to issue a citywide tactical alert, the report said. The department stayed in a heightened state of alert for 29 days, allowing it to draw resources from other parts of the city, but also meaning that certain calls would not receive a timely police response.
As the flames began to engulf a nearby hillside, more officers began responding to the area, including a contingent that had been providing security at a visit by President Trump.
Initially, LAPD officers operated in largely a rescue- and traffic-control role. But as the fire wore on, police began to conduct crime suppression sweeps in the evacuation zones where opportunistic burglars were breaking into homes they knew were empty.
In all, 90 crimes were reported in the fire zone, including four crimes against people, a robbery and three aggravated assaults, 46 property crimes, and 40 other cases, ranging from a weapons violation to identity theft. The department made 19 arrests.
The new report comes weeks after the city of Los Angeles put out its own assessment of the fire response — and on the heels of federal prosecutors arresting and charging a 29-year-old Uber driver with intentionally setting a fire Jan. 1 that later grew into the Palisades fire.
The LAPD’s Major Crimes and Robbery-Homicide units also worked with the ATF to investigate the fire’s cause.
NEW YORK — Voters were casting ballots in high-stakes elections on both coasts Tuesday, including for mayor of New York, new congressional maps in California and governor in both New Jersey and Virginia, states whose shifting electorates could show the direction of the nation’s political winds.
For voters and political watchers alike, the races have taken on huge importance at a time of tense political division, when Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided over the direction of the nation. Despite President Trump not appearing on any ballots, some viewed Tuesday’s races as a referendum on him and his volatile second term in the White House.
In New York, self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 34, was favored to win the mayoral race after winning the Democratic ranked-choice mayoral primary in June. Such a result would shake up the Democratic establishment and rile Republicans in near equal measure, serving as a rejection of both former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a more establishment Democrat and Mamdani’s leading opponent, and Trump, who has warned that a Mamdani win would destroy the city.
On the eve of voting Monday, Trump threatened that a Mamdani win would disrupt the flow of federal dollars to the city, and took the dramatic step of endorsing Cuomo over Curtis Sliwa, the Republican in the race.
“If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the Election for Mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success, or even survival!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday.
A vote for Sliwa “is a vote for Mamdani,” he added. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!”
Mamdani, a Ugandan-born naturalized U.S. citizen and New York state assemblyman who already defeated Cuomo once in the primary, has promised a brighter day for New Yorkers with better public transportation, more affordable housing and high-quality childcare if he wins. He has slammed billionaires and some of the city’s monied interests, which have lined up against him, and rejected the “grave political darkness” that he said is threatening the country under Trump.
He also mocked Trump’s endorsement of Cuomo — calling Cuomo Trump’s “puppet” and “parrot.”
Samantha Marrero, a 35-year-old lifelong New Yorker, lined up with more than a dozen people Tuesday morning at her polling site in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn to cast her vote for Mamdani, whom she praised for embracing people of color, queer people and other communities marginalized by mainstream politicians.
Marrero said she cares deeply about housing insecurity and affordability in the city, but that it was also “really meaningful to have someone who is brown and who looks like us and who eats like us and who lives more like us than anyone we’ve ever seen before” on the ballot. “That representation is really important.”
New York mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks to reporters as he marks his ballot in New York on Tuesday.
(Richard Drew / Associated Press)
And she said that’s a big part of why people across the country are watching the New York race.
“We’re definitely a beacon in this kind of fascist takeover that is very clearly happening across the country,” she said. “People in other states and other cities and other countries have their eyes on what’s happening here. Obviously Mamdani is doing something right. And together we can do something right. But it has to be together.”
Elsewhere on the East Coast, voters were electing governors in both Virginia and New Jersey, races that have also drawn the president’s attention.
In the New Jersey race, Trump has backed the Republican candidate, former state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli, over the Democratic candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, whom former President Obama recently stumped for. Long a blue state, New Jersey has been shifting to the right, and polls have shown a tight race.
In the Virginia race, Trump has not endorsed Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by name, but has called on voters to “vote Republican” and to reject the Democratic candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a 46-year-old former CIA officer whom Obama has also supported.
“Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World?” Trump recently wrote on Truth Social, repeating some of his favorite partisan attacks on Democrats from the presidential campaign trail last year.
At a rally for Spanberger in Norfolk, Va., over the weekend, Obama put the race in equally stark terms — as part of a battle for American democracy.
“We don’t need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. We don’t need to wonder about whether vulnerable people are going to be hurt, or ask ourselves how much more coarse and mean our culture can become. We’ve witnessed it. Elections do matter,” Obama said. “We all have more power than we think. We just have to use it.”
Voting was underway in the states, but with some disruptions. Bomb threats disrupted voting in some parts of New Jersey early Tuesday, temporarily shutting down a string of polling locations across the state before law enforcement determined the threats were hoaxes.
In California, voters were being asked to change the state Constitution to allow Democrats to redraw congressional maps in their favor through 2030, in order to counter similar moves by Republicans in red states such as Texas.
Leading Democrats, including Obama and Gov. Gavin Newsom, have described the measure as an effort to safeguard American democracy against a power grab by Trump, who had encouraged the red states to act, while opponents of the measure have derided it as an anti-democratic power grab by state Democrats.
Trump has urged California voters not to cast ballots by mail or to vote early, arguing such practices are somehow “dishonest,” and on Tuesday morning suggested on Truth Social that Proposition 50 itself was unconstitutional.
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote, without providing evidence of problems. “All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!”
Both individually and collectively, the races are being closely watched as potential indicators of political sentiment and enthusiasm going into next year’s midterm elections, and of Democrats’ ability to get voters back to the polls after Trump’s decisive win over former Vice President Kamala Harris last year.
Voters, too, saw the races as having particularly large stakes at a pivotal moment for the country.
Michelle Kim, 32, who has lived in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn for three years, stood in line at a polling site early Tuesday morning — waiting to cast her vote for Mamdani.
Kim said she cares about transportation, land use and the rising cost of living in New York, and appreciated Mamdani’s broader message that solutions are possible, even if not guaranteed.
“My hope is not, like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna solve, like, all of our issues,’” she said. “But I think for him to be able to represent people and give hope, that’s also part of it.”
Lin reported from New York, Rector from San Francisco. Times staff writer Jenny Jarvie in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Norwich is a historic city that offers a quieter, yet equally enchanting, winter escape compared to the likes of Bath, London, Oxford, Edinburgh or York
16:20, 04 Nov 2025Updated 16:21, 04 Nov 2025
Norwich’s unique appeal as the only British city located within a national park(Image: Getty)
As the festive season approaches, many Brits’ thoughts turn to staycations in bustling cities like Bath, London, Oxford, Edinburgh or York, all renowned for their Christmas markets and historic charm. But for those seeking a quieter, cosier winter retreat, Norwich is a hidden gem.
The city was even listed among the top UK staycation destinations for 2024 by StressFreeCarRental.com. John Charnock, CEO of StressFreeCarRental.com, said: “As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, it’s inevitable that many of us start to feel a little down at this time of year.”
He highlighted Norwich’s unique appeal as the only British city located within a national park.
John explained: “The picturesque Broads National Park has miles and miles of footpaths for visitors to truly feel at one with nature and help to keep active. Norwich is a great city to connect with the outdoors and practice ecotherapy.”
Norwich Cathedral, a medieval architectural marvel, continues to be the city’s main attraction, drawing in countless tourists, reports the Express.
One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: “Norwich Cathedral is a beautiful building, which we had said we would visit. Over the years, we have visited many of the major cathedrals in the UK and some in Europe, but we have never been to our local cathedral. After 75 plus years, that time had come. We had coffee in the very modern cafe, and overall, the afternoon was most enjoyable.”
Another added: “This a brilliant place to go whatever the occasion even if your not religious. Light a candle for a lost loved one, sing a hymn, look at the amazing architecture or pray. There are also family events in the summer holidays to occupy the kids.”
Throughout the festive period, the cathedral hosts Christmas services, concerts and a stunning light display, whilst Norwich’s own ‘Winter Wonderland’ is situated conveniently nearby.
Following a day of sightseeing, popping into one of Norwich’s numerous historic pubs, complete with a crackling fire, provides the ideal way to get cosy.
Whilst it might not feature one enormous Christmas market, Norwich comes alive with a selection of smaller, more personal festive gatherings that showcase local creativity.
Norwich is packed with independent retailers and well-known high street names, providing a range of distinctive gifts, keepsakes, and much more.
The city features a bustling marketplace, multiple Christmas markets, the Norwich Lanes, and thriving shopping centres.
There are also late-night shopping Thursdays in the lead-up to Christmas. The city is buzzing with festive spirit, boasting stunning Christmas lights and seasonal events at historic venues like The Assembly House and The Maids Head Hotel.
Elsewhere in Norwich, there’s a wealth of charming walks and cosy pubs to discover.
Norwich Lanes glisten with festive decorations during the winter months, perfect for a tranquil wander. Embark on a riverside walk from Norwich Rail Station along the River Wensum.
You’ll stumble upon historical treasures including Pull’s Ferry, Cow Tower, and Norwich Cathedral, with chances to nip into traditional pubs like the Compleat Angler and The Red Lion for a drink.
For a walk steeped in history, take on the city’s circular route, which follows the banks of the River Wensum and crosses several ancient bridges.
You’ll spot medieval city walls, the towering castle, and various churches, while Norwich’s oldest pub, The Adam and Eve, conveniently sits along the route.
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As one century gives way to another, a child is born in Mumbai. “The millennium’s gift,” Chandni Contractor, is a source of joy to her parents. When Chandni turns 4 and reveals herself to be a musical prodigy, she becomes a source of wonder. At the age of 13, she dazzles audiences across India with her piano and sitar performances. Five years later, she enthralls Majnoo, the playboy son of billionaire parents, and the pair go on to have a spectacular wedding. But their marriage sours and her in-laws turn overbearing. Eventually Chandni snaps and wreaks havoc by playing a different kind of music, one that has the power to destroy livelihoods and lives.
“The Musician of Kahani” is one of five stories in a new collection by Salman Rushdie. “The Eleventh Hour” sees the acclaimed Indian-born British American author exploring the weighty matters of life and death. That he should choose to craft tales around these twin themes is hardly surprising. In 2022, he was nearly killed in a frenzied attack at an event in upstate New York. Two years later, in his up-close-and-personal memoir, “Knife,” he recounted his ordeal and told how he had come to embrace what he called “my second-chance life.” Rushdie’s brush with death and new lease on life renders his latest stories — his first fiction since the attack — all the more potent and poignant.
The collection’s opener, “In the South,” gets underway both innocently and ominously: “The day Junior fell down began like any other day.” What follows is a chronicle of a death foretold. Senior and Junior are two octogenarian neighbors in Chennai, India, who spend their time together arguing. The former has had a rich and fulfilling life, but as so many of his friends and family have died — or “gone to their fiery rest” — he now longs for death. The latter, afflicted by “the incurable disease of mediocrity,” has led a disappointing life yet still possesses a lust for it.
When a tsunami hits the city, it kills Junior. At first Senior is angry (“Why not me?” he rages), but his dominant emotion turns to sadness after he realizes he has lost a man who was his “shadow.” Or so he believes. For Junior’s passing is not the end. Senior continues to see, and quarrel with, his fallen friend. As Rushdie puts it: “Death and life were just adjacent verandas.”
One of the finest stories here, “Late,” involves another apparition. English academic S. M. Arthur wakes up in his university college (an unnamed King’s College, Cambridge) and discovers he is dead. Feeling like “a broken entity trapped in a kind of prison,” he finds peace by communing with the one person who can see him, Indian student and fellow lonely soul, Rosa.
The pair form a bond in the empty college over the Christmas holidays. Despite their affinity, Arthur harbors secrets. When Rosa is tasked with sorting his papers, she comes across a mysteriously locked box file, the contents of which he refuses to disclose. Then Arthur takes stock of his situation and decides he can’t rest until Rosa helps him get even with a past persecutor. What is in the box and why the need for revenge?
Weighing in at over 70 pages, “Late” constitutes more a novella than a story, as does “The Musician of Kahani” and the equally substantial “Oklahoma.” This last offering about writers, writing and elaborate vanishing acts is artfully structured and formally daring, made up of multiple layers, diverse references, literary ventriloquy and slick twists and turns. In a lesser writer’s hands, this novella might have been too clever for its own good; however, Rushdie, a seasoned pro, achieves the perfect balance.
He hasn’t done so in recent years in his long-form fiction. “The Golden House” (2017), “Quichotte” (2019) and his last novel, “Victory City” (2023), were blighted in places by digressive riffs and monologues, bottomless subplots, “humorous” character names (Evel Cent, Thimma the Almost as Huge) and excessive magic-realist high jinks comprising talking revolvers, ferocious mastodons, an Italian-speaking cricket and a demigoddess who grows a city from seeds and lives for 247 years. Sometimes this hocus-pocus worked wonders; at other times it felt like cheap tricks.
Rushdie has far more success in “The Eleventh Hour.” His narratives are more streamlined. His flights of fancy— malevolent music, undead scholars, imaginary brothers, a cult led by a guru with 93 Ferraris in an “experimental township” called the Moon — are more controlled and add subtle strokes of color. Some groan-inducing puns aside, Rushdie’s comic touches are deftly managed, appearing as sharp satirical swipes or witty repartee. “You look like a man who is only waiting to die,” says Junior to Senior, who in turn retorts: “That is better than looking, as you do, like a man who is still waiting to live.”
Rushdie exhibits further playfulness by scattering clues and inviting his reader to trace connections. Arthur is in part a crafty composite of the writer E.M. Forster and the computer scientist Alan Turing — all three being, like their creator, King’s College alumni. “And at midnight, the approved hour for miraculous births in our part of the world, a baby was born to a Breach Candy family,” Rushdie writes of Chandni, with a knowing nod to the key time, place and circumstances in his 1981 masterpiece “Midnight’s Children.”
The book’s last and shortest entry, the fabular “The Old Man in the Piazza,” makes for a somewhat slight coda. Otherwise, this is an inventive and engrossing collection of stories which, though death-tinged, are never doom-laden. With luck this master writer has more tales to tell.
Malcolm Forbes is a freelance writer and critic from Edinburgh, Scotland, who writes for the Economist, the Washington Post and other publications.
MIAMI BEACH — South Florida is seeing a wave of new cars, but they won’t add to traffic or lengthen anyone’s commute. That’s because the cars are made of marine-grade concrete and were installed underwater.
Over several days late last month, crews lowered 22 life-size cars into the ocean, several hundred feet off South Beach. The project was organized by a group that pioneers underwater sculpture parks as a way to create human-made coral reefs.
“Concrete Coral,” commissioned by the nonprofit REEFLINE, will soon be seeded with 2,200 native corals that have been grown in a nearby Miami lab. The project is partially funded by a $5-million bond from the city of Miami Beach. The group is also trying to raise $40 million to extend the potentially 11-phase project along an underwater corridor just off the city’s 7-mile-long coastline.
“I think we are making history here,” Ximena Caminos, the group’s founder, said. “It’s one of a kind, it’s a pioneering, underwater reef that’s teaming up with science, teaming up with art.”
She conceived the overall plan with architect Shohei Shigematsu, and the artist Leandro Erlich designed the car sculptures for the first phase.
Colin Foord, who runs REEFLINE’s Miami coral lab, said they’ll soon start the planting process and create a forest of soft corals over the car sculptures, which will serve as a habitat teeming with marine life.
“I think it really lends to the depth of the artistic message itself of having a traffic jam of cars underwater,” Foord said. “So nature’s gonna take back over, and we’re helping by growing the soft corals.”
Foord said he’s confident the native gorgonian corals will thrive because they were grown from survivors of the 2023 bleaching event, during which a marine heat wave killed massive amounts of Florida corals.
Plans for future deployments include Petroc Sesti’s “Heart of Okeanos,” modeled after a giant blue whale heart, and Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre’s “The Miami Reef Star,” a group of starfish shapes arranged in a larger star pattern.
“What that’s going to do is accelerate the formation of a coral reef ecosystem,” Foord said. “It’s going to attract a lot more life and add biodiversity and really kind of push the envelope of artificial reef-building here in Florida.”
Besides the project being a testing ground for new coral transplantation and hybrid reef design and development, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner expects it to generate local jobs with ecotourism experiences such as snorkeling, diving, kayaking and paddleboard tours.
The reefs will be located about 20 feet below the surface of the water and about 800 feet from the shore.
“Miami Beach is a global model for so many different issues, and now we’re doing it for REEFLINE,” Meiner said during a beachside ceremony last month. “I’m so proud to be working together with the private market to make sure that this continues right here in Miami Beach to be the blueprint for other cities to utilize.”
The nonprofit also offers community education programs, where volunteers can plant corals alongside scientists, and a floating marine learning center, where participants can gain firsthand experience in coral conservation every month.
Caminos, the group’s founder, acknowledges that the installation won’t fix all of the problems — which are as big as climate change and sea level rise — but she said it can serve as a catalyst for dialogue about the value of coastal ecosystems.
“We can show how creatively, collaboratively and interdisciplinarily we can all tackle a man-made problem with man-made solutions,” Caminos said.
Fischer writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press videojournalist Cody Jackson contributed to this report.
United States Republican President Donald Trump says he will restrict federal funds for New York City if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the city’s mayoral elections, to be held on Tuesday.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Monday that “it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required”, if Mamdani wins the race.
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Polls show Mamdani leading against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who is the Republican nominee.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics polls on Monday, Mamdani led with 45.8 percent, maintaining a 14.7-point advantage over Cuomo’s 31.1 percent and a 28.5-point lead over Sliwa’s 17.3 percent.
On the final day of campaigning on Monday, the mayoral candidates raced across New York City’s five boroughs after months of back-and-forth barbs, social media hits and saucy debates.
As the closely-watched election day edged closer, Mamdani led a sunrise walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, flanked by hundreds of supporters, before kicking off the day with a speech at City Hall.
Cuomo, on his part, denounced socialism in the Bronx, visited seniors in Chinatown, and popped off an X post calling Mamdani a “poser”.
And Republican candidate Sliwa greeted supporters in the Coney Island neighbourhood of Brooklyn in his signature red hat, as he spoke at a subway station where a woman was killed on a train last year.
Mamdani and Cuomo’s duelling campaigns have reflected their positions in the New York race: the son of another former New York governor, steeped in the liberal Democratic political establishment, versus a young and little-known assemblyman who would be the city’s first Muslim, first person born in Africa and the first person of South Asian descent to lead New York City.
The mayoral race, which has captured outsized global attention, has seen a record 735,317 early votes cast over the past nine days, more than four times the total for the 2021 election, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
‘Our time is now’
Mamdani, a 34-year-old New York state assemblyman, has galvanised New Yorkers with an optimistic, multilingual campaign that promised free buses, rent freezes and universal childcare, partially paid for by taxing the city’s wealthiest residents.
“If [Cuomo is] elected as mayor, our city will descend deeper into the darkness that has forced too many of our neighbours to flee, and made it impossible for working people to live lives of dignity,” Mamdani said.
In his City Hall speech on Monday, Mamdani seemed to embrace the seismic shift that his campaign has represented for New York’s politics.
“There were few in this city who dared to imagine that we could win, and what it would mean for a city that has – for too long – served only the wealthy and powerful, at the expense of those who work through sunrises and sunsets,” Mamdani said.
Moments later, the crowd broke out in cheers of, “Our time is now!”
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 after an independent state probe found he had engaged in a pattern of sexually harassing women, took aim at Mamdani’s democratic socialist promises in his final hours of campaigning, likening them to left-wing governments in Latin America.
“Socialism didn’t work in Venezuela. Socialism didn’t work in Cuba. Socialism is not going to work in New York City,” Cuomo said. Mamdani, however, is a self-described “democratic socialist”.
New York’s most prominent billionaires, including hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, have supported Cuomo’s campaign, with Ackman doling out a total of $750,000 through donation vehicles known as super PACs, CNBC reported last week.
Becki Enright has left London behind to move to the sizeable European city, which was once known for its grumpiness but has just been named the friendliest on the Continent
(Image: Supplied)
A Brit who swapped London for a European capital once known for grumpiness has explained why the city is actually one of the friendliest in the world.
In Vienna, the grizzly mood of locals is so renowned that there is not one, but two special words to describe it. One is ‘raunzen’, which means to grouch, crab, gripe, grouse or whimper fretfully, according to Langenscheidt.
The other is ‘Wiener Schmäh’ – what Brit Becki Enright describes as the unique kind of Viennese sarcasm and humour. “It can be hard to grasp and come across as blunt if you don’t quite get it,” the travel writer and guide explained.
According to Becki, the dark cloud that once hung over the Austrian capital has lifted, and its reputation as Europe’s grumpiest city is outdated. So much so, Vienna was just named the friendliest city in Europe by CNTraveller, which canvassed the opinions of half a million readers.
Becki swapped London for Vienna ten years ago and has fallen in love with the city of two million. She argues that it deserves the top spot because of how welcoming it is as a place to live in general, rather than specifically how the Viennese treat tourists and one another.
“The general sense of friendliness comes from how clean, accessible, safe and culturally rich the city is,” she explained.
“Every city has its highlights, so it’s hard to compare. But Vienna’s quality of life is a stand-out factor. Rents are typically cheaper, with an emphasis on being outdoors and enjoying nature that’s on your doorstep. There’s great infrastructure and an affordable public transport system. The cuisine is based on farm-fresh and locally harvested ingredients, supporting local producers. The arts and music are a way of life; you are never short of cultural events to attend.”
Despite being home to over a fifth of Austria’s nine million-person population, Becki has found the pace of life in Vienna to be calm. “It’s not a chaotic metropolis; things move at a much slower pace here. This slower pace is a blessing in some aspects of life, though it may require patience in others.”
The city is also green – both in the environmental and literal sense. The public transport system is extensive and cheap for all. Children under six travel for free, as do youth up to 15 years old during the school holidays and on Sundays. A raft of similar other initiatives has seen Vienna ranked as the “greenest” metropolis in the world.
It’s also covered in parks, which may be the secret to the city’s new friendly reputation. Studies have shown that access to vegetation-rich parks and increases both happiness and productivity, especially following the coronavirus pandemic.
“Half of Vienna is green space,” Becki continued.
“There are free-to-enter palace gardens (Schönbrunn and Belvedere). In the centre, you have the Hofburg castle lawns and the city’s first public park, Stadtpark (which opened in 1862). Across the Danube, you have the largest recreational park, Prater (a former imperial hunting ground), best known for its Würstelprater fairground.
“Vienna is also the only European city growing significant amounts of wine in its city limits, so you can easily jump on public transport and be at a vineyard, or take one of the city’s 14 hiking trails, many of which track through the circumambient Vienna Woods.”
When it comes to hanging out in the sunnier months, such as July, when the average daily high is 27 °C, the riverbank is the place to go.
“While you can’t swim in the Danube, Vienna makes the most of its waterside hangouts. The Danube Canal is lined with bars and boat restaurants and the beach bar (Strandbar Herrmann). The banks of the Danube tributaries are the warmer-weather recreational hangouts,” Becki continued.
“The Neue Donau (New Danube) riverfront has a sand bank recreational hangout Copa Beach. The Alte Donau (Old Danube) is where you can hire pedal and motor boats or SUP on the waters. It’s also home to the recreational island, Strandbad Gänsehäufel, with swimming pools, bathing lawns, a little beach area and restaurants. Then you have the Donauinsel (Danube Island), which hosts a free music festival each June, the Donauinselfest.”
As pleasant as relaxing by the water and in the parks may be, come the evening, it’s time to head inside for a bite and a drink. Becki recommends Leopoldstadt, especially the area of the Karmeliterviertel that spills around the food market, for “casual-cool and indie hangouts” and the recently trendy Beisl pub, contemporary restaurant Skopik and Lohn for schnitzel.
“The districts that spread from the well-known Naschmarkt are what I would say are the grungy-trendy downtown areas, with boutique, upcycled and second-hand stores and a great spread of nightlife. The most well-known neighbourhood here is the Freihausviertel in the 4th (next to the Karlskirche) – home to the city’s generational cafe concept, Vollpension,” she continued.
“The 7th district is the most bougie and creative – one of my favourite bars is Atlas, a Beisl- turned-gastropub spalshed with art, and which features an art-gallery space at the back. In the 9th district, the Servitenviertel neighbourhood is dubbed ‘Little Paris’ and is lined with food outlets – I’d start at the converted pharmacy turned bakery, La Mercerie for a coffee and pastry.”
There are two main ways to get to Vienna from the UK. A train from London to the city typically takes 13 to 17 hours and requires two changes, as there are, unfortunately, no direct services. The journey involves operators like Eurostar, TGV, and ICE or ÖBB, with services running from London St Pancras International to Vienna Hbf.
There are direct flights from airports in Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, London, Liverpool and Edinburgh, which take between two and two and a half hours, and are available for from £15 this month.
A SEASIDE capital city a short flight from the UK, with no council tax or TV licence fees and you can eat outside in winter… what’s not to like?
That’s the score in my adopted home town which I moved to from the UK just over 11 years ago.
I ditched the UK for one of the world’s best cities a few hours from the UKCredit: Dayna Camilleri ClarkeIt has waterfront restaurants and Michelin-starred chefsCredit: Joel Gueller
Though it’s Europe’s smallest capital, Malta’s Valetta squeezes in 320 monuments and over two dozen churches into an area half the size of Hyde Park with more history per square metre than anywhere else on the Med.
But Valletta’s more than just a pretty face.
Since it was crowned the European Capital of Culture in 2018, the once-sleepy capital has roared back to life with millions of euros invested in attractions, architecture and nightlife.
Living here has its perks. I pay no council tax, no TV licence, and car insurance costs are a fraction of what I used to pay in the UK.
Public transport is free, a recent vet check-up for my cat cost just €25 (£21.74), and with 300 days of sunshine a year, I’ve never needed the heating or a tumble dryer.
In summer, it’s all alfresco dining and harbour views; in December, the city gate glows with a Christmas market – and you can still enjoy a lunch outside in the sun.
Come February, Carnival takes over with parades and costumes, and later the festas, Malta’s patron-saint celebrations, light up the streets with fireworks, brass bands and confetti.
Valletta knows how to celebrate, and food plays a big part.
For a real taste of Malta, start underground at Nenu the Artisan Baker that is hidden in a vault on one of the city’s backstreets, where even locals flock for the nation’s much-loved ftira bread.
Its founder, Carmel Debono, known as Nenu, was born into a family of Qormi bakers in the 1950s and still fires up a 100-year-old oven to make traditional Maltese loaves like Ħobża tal-Malti and ftajjar.
It’s a slice of Maltese history, served the old-fashioned way.
Nenu is a vaulted restaurant that serves up ftira bread and traditional Maltese loavesCredit: Nenu the ArtisanTribelli is a former warehouse dating back to the 1600s that’s been turned into a huge restaurantCredit: Joel GuellerThe streets in Valletta are steep, cobbled and colourfulCredit: Viewing Malta
Then head down to the Valletta Waterfront, where locals fill the tables, especially for Sunday lunch.
Stop at Tribelli, a former warehouse from the 1600s turned into a family-run Maltese restaurant serving traditional dishes like rabbit stew, fried pasta and platters of local cheeses, sausages and bigilla, a broad bean dip.
Order a bottle of Maltese wine and sit on an outside table with one of the city’s best views of the Grand Harbour.
If looking for more of a quick bite, Valletta’s full of cheap eats.
Grab a pastizz, a golden, flaky pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas – at under a euro each, they’re the best bargain in town and loved by everyone from builders to bankers.
Once stomachs have been lined, it’s time to head to Strait Street, which was originally Valletta’s red-light and sailors’ quarter.
Now lined with glitzy neon signs and balconies strung with fairy lights, it’s instead home to vintage shopfronts and cocktail bars like Tico Tico and Yard 32.
It’s also worth making a pit stop at The Pub, the tiny watering hole where actor Oliver Reed died while filming Gladiator.
The staff even wear his legendary last bar order on their T-shirts.
Public buses in Malta are free for residents, but the city is so compact that tourists can cover most of it on foot.
Don’t miss St John’s Co-Cathedral with its extraordinary Baroque interior, or the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Grand Harbour.
Day trips are easy too, with ferries running to the Three Cities or the sister island of Gozo.
But there are also dozens of boutique hotels, guesthouses and Airbnbs that keep things affordable.
Valletta is a far cry from the all-inclusive coastal resorts that once put Malta on the package-holiday map, but you can still get very affordable return flights from £40 to the UK.
With all this going on, it’s little wonder Valletta’s just been crowned the world’s best city by Condé Nast Traveller.
Ten years on, I still pinch myself, sipping a glass of local Girgentina wine up in a city rooftop bar, with the UK reachable in three hours on a plane, but feeling like a lifetime away.
You’ll see the Valletta Triton Fountain at the city gateCredit: Viewing MaltaValletta is a far cry from the all-inclusive coastal resorts that once put Malta on the package-holiday mapCredit: Getty
ABU DHABI has been named the happiest city in the world by Time Out.
Scoring a near perfect mark, 99 per cent of locals agreed that Abu Dhabi makes them happy, with 96 per cent saying that people in the city seem positive.
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Abu Dhabi has been named the happiest city in the world by Time OutCredit: Getty
In addition, 93 per cent said that they feel happier in the city than anywhere else.
The city was ranked against five statements: My city makes me happy; I feel happier in my city than other places I’ve visited or lived; The people in my city seem happy; I find joy in the everyday experiences my city offers; The sense of happiness in my city has grown a lot recently.
The city gained top marks for walkability as well, and has been named one of the best cities for culture and green space and nature.
If you are heading to the city, then explore Yas Island – a purpose built island with theme parks and a waterworld.
The island is home to a number of theme parks including Ferrari World Yas Island and Warner Bros World Yas Island.
Ferrari World is the first Ferrari-branded theme park, which is also home to Formula Rossa – the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
Then at Warner Bros. World, visitors can explore one of the world’s largest indoor theme parks, with six immersive lands.
Across each land, visitors will find rides, shows and attractions themed on classic Warner Bros. characters such as Superman.
For those who prefer to splash about in the water, head to Yas Waterworld Yas Island – a massive water park with over 40 rides, slides and attractions.
For something more thrilling, head to Clymb, which boasts the world’s largest indoor skydiving flight chamber and the region’s tallest indoor climbing wall.
Visitors can wander along Yas Bay Waterfront as well, where they can find a number of cafes, restaurants and bars.
Yas Beach is good for relaxing too, with golden sands and crystal waters in addition to different water spots such as kayaking.
And for a bit of retail therapy, make sure to visit Yas Mall, which is one of the city’s biggest shopping centres.
Elsewhere in Abu Dhabi visitors can head to other cultural destinations such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Louvre Abu Dhabi – a large museum with art from different cultures.
There is also Qasr Al Hosn – the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi.
If you prefer to see nature, then explore the Jubail Mangrove Park via its boardwalks or kayak.
The desert is another place to see, where you can take part in a number of activities such as dune bashing (venturing across the dunes in buggies), camel riding and sandboarding.
The city is home to a purpose-built island which has a number of attractionsCredit: GettyThe attractions include Ferrari WorldCredit: Alamy
When it comes to food, a mid-range three-course meal at a restaurant will set you back £50.91 for two people.
One top spot (but that costs a bit more) is Café del Mar, which is located near the beach and often hosts pool parties and Ladies’ Days.
Options include a truffles wagyu beef burger, with cheese, beef prosciutto, truffle and mushroom sauce and fries for £35.65.
Alternatively you could share a salt-baked sea bass, with tomato vinaigrette and fries for £29.54 per person.
Alcohol in Abu Dhabi isn’t cheap either with a beer costing around £8.15.
When it comes to places to stay you won’t be short for choice, with the city also being home to some famous hotels such as the Emirates Palace, which costs hundreds per night.
Though more affordable options include the Royal M Hotel by Gewan Abu Dhabi for around £130 per night.
Direct flights in November, from London to Abu Dhabi cost from £474 or £513 from Manchester.
Handwritten notes. Free product samples. Email responses to questions. And in some cases (shout-out to Surfing Cowboys in Malibu), an old-school phone call to discuss a gift item.
This is the kind of service that sets local businesses apart, offering personalized experiences you won’t find on Amazon.
From independent artists working at home to brands manufacturing in downtown Los Angeles, these businesses offer a diverse range of products and services that reflect the unique character of our city, which has been affected by wildfires, ICE raids and a struggling economy.
The gifts I’ve included here are all from Los Angeles-based businesses. They carry a personal touch — a connection to the people and the city. Some are handmade while others are manufactured, but all of them are a part of our city’s unique fabric.
Let’s keep it going and support small businesses in Los Angeles this holiday season. Our connection to one another is our strength.
If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated. Prices and availability of items and experiences in the Gift Guide and on latimes.com are subject to change.
Carson High, an 11-time City Section champion, has been seeded No. 1 for the City Section Open Division playoffs under first-year coach William Lowe.
Birmingham, which has a 54-game winning streak against City Section opponents, was seeded No. 2. San Pedro is No. 3 and unbeaten Palisades is No. 4.
Carson will host No. 8-seeded King/Drew on Nov. 14. Palisades is the home team against No. 5 Garfield, while San Pedro hosts No. 6 Crenshaw and Birmingham hosts No. 7 Kennedy.
There was no City Open Division champion last season after Narbonne had to vacate the title for rule violations.
Venice is seeded No. 1 in Division I. Cleveland is No. 1 in Division II and Santee is top seeded in Division III.
In girls’ flag football, San Pedro was given the No. 1 seed for the Open Division. Games begin on Friday, with San Pedro hosting No. 8 Verdugo Hills; No. 4 Marshall is at No. 5 Banning; No. 6 Wilson visits No. 3 Panorama; and No. 7 Narbonne travels to No. 2 Eagle Rock.
From gorgeous Getxo to the City of Love, you won’t want to come home from these mint mini-breaks
Find foodie heaven near BilbaoCredit: Supplied by PR
SPAIN – Palacio Arriluce Hotel, Getxo
Commissioning Editor Martha Cliff and fiancée Lauren found foodie heaven near Bilbao.
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THE PAD
Check in and zone out at the Palacio Arriluce
Perched on a striking cliffside overlooking the Bay of Abra in Getxo and with a beauty of an outdoor pool, this 18th-century boutique gem sits in a palatial setting and offers the perfect blend of historical charm and contemporary elegance.
Craving vistas of the rolling Basque mountains? You’ve got it. Want to gaze at boats bobbing in the harbour? No problem. A city view more your vibe? It’s got that, too.
Be sure to eat breakfast – think other-worldly Spanish tortilla and Iberico ham – on the terrace to take full advantage.
Meanwhile, come dinner at Delaunay, try local specialities such as grilled kokotxas (hake chin) on stewed spider crab, £35, and Iberian pork shoulder with passionfruit, £31.
Make sure you’re there on a Thursday to join locals in Getxo for “pintxo pote”, a foodie’s dream bar crawl and Basque country tradition.
Restaurante Ixta Bide offers four pintxos (small savoury snacks) – our fave was pintxo de txaka, akin to a mini crab sandwich – and two vinos for a mere £9.
Just don’t expect to bag a seat! Wind your way up the steps of Algorta to reach Arrantzale and finish on its perfectly salted pork belly (Arrantzale.com).
While day-tripping, step into one of Bilbao’s oldest bars, Café Iruña, just a hop from Arbando metro station.
Dating back to 1903, the beautiful tiling is reason enough to visit, but coffee for just £1.75, is a big pull, too.
Or opt for a glass of the local txakoli white wine, £2.70, instead (Cafeirunabilbao.com).
DON’T MISS
The works inside Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum are, of course, breathtaking, but the building itself and its surrounding sculptures – including Puppy, a massive dog made of flowers by American artist Jeff Koons – are worth the trip alone.
Fly to Bilbao from London Gatwick and Heathrow with Vueling from £56 return (Vueling.com).
FRANCE – Hôtel Dame des Arts, Paris
Creative Director Mark Hayman and wife Margaret fell for cocktails and culture in the French capital.
Fall for cocktails and culture in the French capitalCredit: Getty Images
THE PAD
Rest easy at Hôtel Dame des ArtsCredit: LUDOVIC BALAY
This sleek bolt-hole in the city’s Latin Quarter has shaken off its Holiday Inn past to channel full Hollywood glamour.
Think rich woods, bamboo accents and pretty palms, with rooms that feel like film sets, thanks to glass dividers, velvet finishes and luxe bathrooms made for long soaks.
Downstairs, Pimpan serves up bold Franco-Mexican fusions on a leafy terrace – highlights include beef tartare with piquillos, £12.50, lamb shoulder with harissa, £25, and hibiscus-poached pear, £11.
But the real scene-stealer is the rooftop bar, where 360-degree skyline views stretch from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré Cœur – even locals come here for the vistas.
Order a Spritz del Arte (Aperol, mango liqueur, rum and prosecco), £17, or the punchy Uno Mas margarita, £14, pop on your biggest sunglasses and watch the city turn blush at sunset.
There’s also a sauna and a gym kitted out with sculptural wooden equipment for those partial to a designer workout.
EXPLORE
Explore the history of Notre-DameCredit: Getty Images
First time in Paris? Glide down the Seine aboard the Batobus – this hop-on-hop-off riverboat is a relaxing (and photogenic) way to tick off major sights like the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre.
For more treasure-hunting, swing by the flea market off Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine – a weekend haven of vintage mirrors, mid-century ceramics and nostalgic postcards.
There’s no entry fee, just bring cash and your best haggling game.
Then head to the Panthéon, a neoclassical gem where Voltaire, Rousseau and Marie Curie lie in dramatic crypts beneath a rooftop dome offering jaw-dropping views.
Lively, retro-chic Brasserie Dubillot’s espresso martinis, £10.50, are a must, but equally good is the sausage and mash with truffle sauce, £16, steak-frites, £21, and the perfect crème brûlée, £8 (Lanouvellegarde.com/brasserie-dubillot).
Craving something casual? PNY serves next-level burgers with aged beef, brioche buns and toppings like smoked cheddar and pickled jalapeños, from £11.50 (Pnyburger.com).
Or just nab a pavement perch at Café Saint-André for a croque monsieur, £10.50, a glass of sancerre, £7, and some world-class people-watching.
Double rooms at Hôtel Dame des Arts cost from £226 per night (Damedesarts.com).
Psst…
Fancy something a little more party? Rixos Premium Dubai JBR sits in one of the UAE city’s buzziest neighbourhoods, with captivating views of Ain Dubai, the world’s biggest ferris wheel.
Suave rooms come with huge tubs, rain showers and espresso machines, from £304 per night (Rixos.com).
Rixos Premium Dubai JBR sits in one of the UAE city’s buzziest neighbourhoodsCredit: SuppliedThe suave rooms have captivating views of Ain Dubai, the world’s biggest ferris wheelCredit: SuppliedHead to Aussie beach club Byron Bathers for great foodCredit: Byron Bathers Club/Instagram
Downstairs is Azure Beach Club with its large pool, pumping soundtrack, outdoor gym and private beach (Azure-beach.com/dubai).
The breakfast buffet is, in true Dubai style, eye-poppingly big – you can even blend your own fresh peanut butter.
Plus, you’re half an hour’s cab ride from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, for that classic Dubai selfie – viewing platform visits cost from £37 per person (Burjkhalifa.ae).
When you’re craving a chilled day, head to Aussie beach club Byron Bathers for lobster linguine, £37, and burrata pizza, £17, with excellent Whitsunday spritzes – an exquisite blend of grapefruit bitters, strawberry shrub, pink grapefruit, citrus vodka, Aperol and prosecco, £14 (Byronbathers.com).
DIVISION I #16 Venice at #1 Jefferson #9 Roosevelt at #8 Carson #12 Granada Hills Kennedy at #5 Franklin #13 Sylmar at #4 Legacy #14 GALA at #3 Birmingham #11 El Camino Real at #6 King/Drew #10 Cleveland at #7 Garfield #15 Santee at #2 Bell
DIVISION II #16 Dorsey at #1 Sun Valley Magnet #9 South East at #8 Bernstein #12 Angelou at #5 Sotomayor #13 Mendez at #4 Stern #14 Fremont at #3 San Fernando #11 Huntington Park at #6 Lincoln #10 North Hollywood at #7 Sherman Oaks CES #15 Foshay at #2 Crenshaw
DIVISION III #16 Hollywood at #1 South Gate #9 Van Nuys at #8 Taft #12 Monroe at #5 Orthopaedic #13 Westchester at #4 New Designs University Park #14 WISH Academy at #3 Hamilton #11 Roybal at #6 Arleta #10 Port of at #7 Chatsworth #15 Marquez at #2 Hawkins
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals
OPEN DIVISION #8 Verdugo Hills at #1 San Pedro #5 Wilmington Banning at #4 Marshall #6 Wilson at #3 Panorama #7 Narbonne at #2 Eagle Rock
Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-III) Nov. 7 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 12 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Sat., Nov. 15 at Garfield High.
Ukrainian army chief says effort continues ‘to destroy and dislodge’ Russian forces from strategic Donetsk region city.
Published On 1 Nov 20251 Nov 2025
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Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, the country’s top military commander said, as Kyiv seeks to maintain control of the area amid an intense Russian offensive.
Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk”, since mid-2024 in its campaign to control the entirety of the eastern Donetsk region.
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“We are holding Pokrovsk,” Ukraine’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskii said on Facebook on Saturday. “A comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.”
Home to more than 60,000 people before the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022, Pokrovsk lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army.
Taking control of the city would be the most important Russian territorial gain inside Ukraine since Moscow took over Avdiivka in early 2024 after one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.
Russia and Ukraine have presented conflicting accounts of what has been happening in Pokrovsk in recent days.
The Russian Ministry of Defence on Saturday claimed its forces had defeated the team of Ukrainian special forces that were sent to the city. It later posted videos showing two men it said were Ukrainians who had surrendered.
The footage shows the men, one dressed in fatigues and the other in a dark green jacket, sitting against a peeling wall in a dark room, as they speak of fierce fighting and encirclement by Russian forces.
The video’s authenticity could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate public comment from Kyiv on the Russian ministry’s claims.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed last week that his forces had encircled the city’s Ukrainian defenders.
But Syrskii, the Ukrainian army chief, said on Saturday that while the situation in Pokrovsk remains “hardest” for Ukrainian forces, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed.
“The main burden lies on the shoulders of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, particularly UAV operators and assault units,” Syrskii said.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged on Friday that some Russian units had infiltrated Pokrovsk, but he insisted that Kyiv is weeding them out.
Russian officials say control of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka to its northeast would allow Moscow to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk – Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg, with an assist from Libor Jany, giving you the latest on city and county government.
How do you spot a journalist?
The question lies at the center of a legal battle between Los Angeles City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto and the Los Angeles Press Club, as well as a political battle between Feldstein Soto and the City Council.
Two weeks ago council members called on her to give up her opposition to a federal judge’s order prohibiting LAPD officers from targeting journalists with crowd control weapons. According to the press club, dozens of journalists were excluded from public areas or attacked by police during chaotic summer protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Despite the slap down by the council, Feldstein Soto hopes to press forward. This week, in a confidential attorney-client memo shared with The Times by a source, she stressed to the council why she still wants to appeal the judge’s preliminary injunction, which she says makes virtually anyone a journalist.
In the injunction, U.S. District Judge Hernán Vera proposes “indicia” for LAPD officers to identify journalists, which include wearing distinctive clothing or carrying professional photographic equipment.
But the City Attorney’s Office, which is representing the city in the case, sees future issues.
“The problem with this vague definition is that anyone can claim they are a Journalist under the court’s definition,” Supervising Assistant City Atty. Shaun Dabby Jacobs wrote in the memo. “All a person needs to do is print out a badge that says ‘Press,’ or carry a camera … and they can go behind police line or into other restricted areas.”
The memo asks what clothing might identify a person as a journalist. “Is it simply that the person is wearing a suit or professional work dress? … It would be very easy for someone who is not a member of the media and is intent on causing trouble or harm to other peaceful protesters or to the LAPD, to pose as a journalist since they have some of these ‘indicia of being a Journalist.’”
Vera’s injunction imposes more onerous conditions on when police can use “less lethal” weapons than state law does, the memo also argued, allowing the “less lethal” force only when “danger has reached the point where deadly force is justified.”
The injunction also creates issues if the LAPD calls on mutual aid organizations, like the sheriff’s department or federal partners, since it applies only to the city’s police, the memo said. “The city could potentially be liable for our law enforcement partners’ actions if they act in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the injunction.”
All in all, the memo said, the judge’s injunction amounts to a “consent decree.”
With the nine-page memo in hand, Feldstein Soto headed to a closed session with the council Tuesday. Tempers flared when she and Chief Deputy City Atty. Denise Mills suggested that the press club’s lawyer, Carol Sobel, took on the case only to make money, according to two City Hall sources. (Feldstein Soto’s spokesperson, Karen Richardson, said the city attorney does not comment on closed session conversations but added that Feldstein Soto “absolutely did not say that.”)
Many council members, including Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, came to Sobel’s defense, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting.
“I’m trying to restrain myself right now,” Sobel said when she heard about the claim from Mills and the city attorney. “I’m really outraged. It is a baseless suggestion, and it doesn’t alter the fact that they’re shooting people in the head. Whether I get paid or not, they’re shooting people in the head.”
Sobel said she has taken on pro bono work frequently over her 40-year career and that when she is paid, it is partially to help fund future pro bono work.
Susan Seager, who also represents the press club in the case, took issue with Feldstein Soto’s continued pursuit of an appeal.
“She’s a cop wannabe,” Seager said. “She’s just a fake Democrat doing what [LAPD] Chief Jim McDonnell wants her to do.”
Richardson said Feldstein Soto has been a Democrat since 1976 and never worked with the police before she became the city attorney.
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State of play
— FIRE BOMBSHELL: Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters told a battalion chief that parts of a New Year’s Day fire in Pacific Palisades still were smoldering the next day, according to text messages. Firefighters were told to leave anyway, and the blaze reignited on Jan. 7, killing 12 and burning thousands of homes. Interim LAFD Chief Ronnie Villanueva said the Palisades fire was not caused by “failed suppression” of the New Year’s blaze.
The story in The Times led to a tweet from sports critic Bill Simmons (bet you didn’t expect to see his name in bold in this newsletter!) blasting the city’s “indefensibly bad leadership,” which predictably led to a quote tweet from none other than Rick Caruso, who called Simmons’ tweet “spot on.” “The buck stops with Mayor Bass,” he added.
— TRASH ATTACK: Mayoral candidate Austin Beutner attacked Mayor Karen Bass over the rising cost of city services for Angelenos, calling out the City Council’s vote to increase trash collection fees. The mayor’s campaign responded that the hike was long overdue. “Nobody was willing to face the music and request the rate hikes,” said Doug Herman, spokesperson for Bass’ campaign.
— SAYONARA, SANITATION: The city’s top Bureau of Sanitation executive, Barbara Romero, stepped down this week. Romero, who was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2021, touted the agency’s accomplishments, including increasing sewer fees and championing the construction of a water purification facility expected to recharge the San Fernando Valley groundwater aquifer.
— FREE(WAY) AT LAST: A judge agreed to place 29 protesters who shut down the southbound 110 Freeway in 2023 into a 12-month diversion program, which would require 20 hours of community service each. If the protesters, who were demonstrating against Israel’s war in Gaza, comply and don’t break other laws, they will have their criminal charges dropped.
— PHOTO BLOCK: L.A. County is trying to block a journalist from obtaining photographs of about 8,500 sheriff’s deputies and other sworn personnel in the department. The dispute centers on a public records request filed by journalist Cerise Castle in 2023 asking for the names and official headshots of all deputies not working undercover. An L.A. Superior Court judge ordered the release of the photos, but the county is appealing.
— A DOZEN BUSTED: Federal prosecutors announced charges against 12 people who allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers during the chaotic protests this summer against the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Many of the charges stem from demonstrators throwing items at police from a freeway overpass on June 8.
— CANDIDATE ALERT: A new candidate has thrown his hat in the ring to be the city’s next controller. Zach Sokoloff works for Hackman Capital Partners, serving as “Asset Manager of the firm’s Television City Studios and Radford Studio Center.” Sokoloff is running against incumbent Kenneth Mejia as well as veteran politician Isadore Hall.
QUICK HITS
Where is Inside Safe? There were no Inside Safe operations this week. The mayor’s team held a virtual town hall with Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky to engage with residents near nine operations in the West L.A. area, according to the mayor’s office.
On the docket next week: Councilmember Curren Price will be in Los Angeles Superior Court for the preliminary hearing in his criminal case. The hearing is expected to last about five days.
Stay in touch
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