delta

IT was in this very column that Delta Goodrem first revealed it was her dream to represent Australia at Eurovision.

Now, nine months later, she has been officially unveiled as the contest’s Aussie entry, with the Lost Without You singer firmly crediting Bizarre with making it happen.

Speaking to our Jack, Delta said: “This is, literally verbatim, all your fault. It is all on you — you and Bizarre started this.

“Your article went back to the Aussies who were like, ‘Do you want to do this?’ So thank you. I have a big job to do.”

Delta will head to Vienna this May to compete with her song Eclipse and it ticks every box, with an infectiously camp chorus and a complex piano bridge.

A beaming Delta explained: “From your article, people started reaching out.

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“Then one of the songwriters, Jonas Myrin, who I wrote the song with, took a screengrab of the article and sent it to me saying, ‘Delta, if you ever go to Eurovision, I want to write the song with you’.

“He’s in Sweden. Sure enough he flew to Australia when I said I was doing it. Even the first question I got asked when doing my first Australian interview was, ‘We heard it all started from an article from the UK,’ and yes, it did.”

It’s been three years since Australia last qualified for the live final, which adds to the pressure on Delta, who has sold eight million records worldwide.

“Of course I am nervous, but it’s so joyous and I am so excited to be a part of it,” she said.

“I can’t control what will happen. All I know is that I am honoured to represent Aus.

“I will fly the flag and give my heart and soul.

“Two of my greatest idols, who are part of the reason I am in music, Olivia Newton-John and Celine Dion, did Eurovision.

“I am grateful to be able to step into that.

“What an honour it is to be able to perform anywhere, let alone on the biggest stage in the world. I am excited.”

We Brits can’t vote for our own act, Look Mum No Computer (aka Sam Battle), whose entry Eins Zwei Drei is out on Friday, so Delta is hoping the British jury will give her our 12 points.

Explaining how it all fell into place, she said: “I had always said, ‘Oh, you know, when the time is right’. I always have an open heart to new things and being a coach on The Voice I celebrate all types of music. Then it all came into focus.”

It’s not the first time a country has sent a major household name to Eurovision, with Bonnie Tyler, Engelbert Humperdinck and Blue all taking part in the past.

Speaking about what people should expect when she competes at the second semi-final on May 14, Delta explained: “The staging is important, but you will have to wait and see.

“There is a high bar out there but I am enjoying the creativity of it. I love the out-of-the-box moments, but I also love past winners Loreen, Alexander Rybak and Mans Zelmerlow.”

This year’s competition has already been rocked by controversy with Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain all pulling out due to Israel being allowed to take part in the contest, amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

But Delta is keen to use the platform to help bring people together and celebrate our common ground.

She said: “I am in music for unity and the healing spirit,” adding that she loves the sense of “togetherness” generated by music and song.

Delta added: “Eurovision has been going for 70 years and there is a reason everyone comes back, united in song.

“I am really looking forward to being united together. At my shows, that is what you want, too.

“My song is about one love and connection.”

You’ve got our votes, Delta.

DECEMBER 10 are playing a free O2 Presents . . . gig at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on April 8.

There will be 767 pairs of tickets available to O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers via a ballot, which will be open from March 9- 23 on the Priority app.

COMPASS TO GO THE COLE MILE

I TIPPED big things for Belfast pair Broken Compass after they released their debut single Storm in October.

Now the duo, Ben Dadidson and Allen Gordon have landed roles in Anything Goes at Belfast’s Grand Opera House.

Running from April 14-18, the show features songs from Cole Porter including I Get A Kick Out Of You.

While Allen has graced the stage at the venue before, it will be the first time for Ben, who previously toured with Westlife in boyband Most Wanted.

Ben told Bizarre: “This has been such a whirlwind, moving to Belfast and joining St Agnes Choral Society.

“Opening myself up to theatre as well as pop has been a dream come true.”

OASIS will feature on the new Help(2) War Child album with a standalone 7in single of Acquiesce, recorded live at Wembley last September, being included in the vinyl edition.

It will be a hidden track on the double CD version, and on streaming, when the charity record is out on Friday.

Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Damon Albarn and Pulp will also feature.

RAYE SETS LIFE BOAT AFLOAT

RAYE will return to dance music on her upcoming album with a belting electro track called Life Boat.

The singer debuted the song at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday night and it features emotional ­lyrics against a euphoric chorus.

In the verse, she sang: “Cry yourself an ocean, trying not to drown in it. Lord send me a lifeboat, something I can cling to.”

Then in the chorus she repeated: “I’m not giving up yet.”

Earlier in her career Raye had a string of dance hits including Bed, Prada, You Don’t Know Me and Secrets, so she knows a thing or two about releasing a banger.

And with her album, This Music May Contain Hope, out on March 27, there isn’t long to wait.

OH BUCKET! AL’S FOR HIGH JUMP

IF you thought it was funny ­watching Alan Carr take part in the challenges on Celebrity ­Traitors, his next show will see him jumping out of a plane.

He is shooting a travelogue called The F**k It List for Prime Video, which will see him and other comics taking on bucket list experiences, but it sounds like he’s drawn the short straw.

Alan said: “I was sold this show about a bucket list. I thought I would be on the Orient Express and swimming with dolphins.”

Instead, he admitted on his Bottoms Up ­podcast: “I’m skydiving, bungee jumping and stroking a tarantula. I hate spiders.”

Thera’s so much promise

SHE’S the vocal powerhouse from Prague who, aged just 18, is already turning heads across Europe.

And as rising star Thera wraps up supporting Jason Derulo on his The Last Dance world tour, she opened up backstage about juggling school with breaking into the industry.

The Czech singer, who first toured with Loreen, said: “I’ve gone through a lot that made me mature faster, which is why people are shocked I’m 18.
“It doesn’t feel strange to me. Those experiences shaped who I am today and how I handle things and what I do.

“School has really helped me, even though it’s very stressful and chaotic at times.

“It’s almost forced me to be organised and have a system, which I feel has helped me in the music world.”

On tour it was the Les Twins, who also went on the road with Jason, who acted as her “big brothers”.

She added: “They’re role models, but also feel like family.”

Her biggest night yet was Prague’s O2 Arena on Sunday, where her whole family watched alongside 20,000 fans.

Major airlines including British Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways have cancelled flights following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran

Travel expert Simon Calder has forecasted when flights between the UK and the Middle East might recommence. Several leading airlines, including British Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways, have suspended flights in the wake of joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of travellers are stuck in the region, with no immediate hope of return flights due to the unstable situation. Airports in Dubai and Doha have halted all operations after US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait were hit by Iranian retaliatory strikes.

British Airways has called off all flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until 3 March. Speaking on Radio 5 Live, Mr Calder admitted it was difficult to predict when flights would start again.

He stated: “It’s possible that flights will resume tomorrow (Sunday). Looking at what Emirates are saying in Dubai, it is possible there will not be any more flights until 3pm on Sunday afternoon – that is 11am GMT – with the implication that flights may well resume again then.

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“Etihad, just down the road in Abu Dhabi, are saying that flights will be resuming at 2pm local time, so 10am tomorrow morning GMT. We will see if that happens. Quite a lot would need to be said and done to make the airlines confident that the airspace was safe.

“At the moment though, if I had a flight booked back from Doha then, my goodness me, my absolute sympathy with anybody who is stuck in a war zone with missiles coming in, it is unbelievable and I am so, so sorry it is happening, but I would think March 5 is not a bad day to have planned your escape.”

Airports across London and Manchester have reported disruptions, with one British Airways flight from London to Doha forced to turn back to Heathrow after three hours in the air.

Leading global carriers including Delta, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines have suspended services to the Middle East, alongside certain routes traversing the region.

The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) urged British nationals in affected nations to “immediately shelter in place” and steer clear of travel to Israel and Palestine. “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities,” the FCDO stated.

The department confirmed it was working tirelessly to bring home thousands of stranded Britons following the attacks. UK citizens are being encouraged to register via Register Your Presence and sign up for travel advisory emails to receive the most current updates from the Foreign Office.

The new series of Big Cats 24/7 is back in the Okavango Delta following the lives of lions and leopards

Having only been away from the Okavango Delta in Botswana for six months since filming the first series, the BBC ’s wildlife filmmakers might have worried there would not be enough new things happening amongst the big cats there. But if anything, the dramatic lives of Africa’s lions, cheetahs and leopards had more shocks and surprises than the first time around.

Following them across six vital months from June to November we see the cats – and humans – battle punishing seasonal change, from flood to extreme drought. The Xudum lion pride, now the largest in the world, grapples with the challenges of this newfound status. When we rejoin them, dominant males Big Toe and Madumo are missing so the pride females, deserted by their leaders, are forced to battle intruders alone and also find enough food to feed 40 lions. There is an influx of aggressive male leopards and a new female, Lediba. And cheetah Pobe surprises the team with two young cubs of her own – but her challenge now is to keep them safe.

Cinematographer and wildlife presenter Gordon Buchanan says: “I think my slight concern was that we’re going back to the same place. We’re going back to the same cats. Are we going to go back to the same stories? And no, absolutely not. I mean I was startled at how things that were quite common in the first year, we see all the time, you didn’t see you didn’t see again,

“This series is a drama. And I suppose our job is just to capture that. This second series is a bit like The White Lotus[TV Drama}. There’s some similar characters, and there’s similar themes, but the stories are completely different.”

For Gordon, returning to cover the Lion pride was the highlight and he adds: “Filming 24/7 means surrendering to their world, working on their terms. The hours are long, the terrain unforgiving – deep sand, floodwaters, freezing cold nights or searing midday heat. You chase fleeting glimpses across vast landscapes and are often driven by nothing more than instinct. It’s physically and mentally gruelling. But when you finally catch ‘the’ moment, it makes everything worth it.

“Many lions don’t even make it to their second birthday so to see a lion you met as a vulnerable cub stride successfully and confidently towards adulthood is the most wonderful thing of all. There’s is nothing more beautiful than a lion cub giving life its best shot.”

This extraordinary, exclusive access to the cats’ lives is supported by the use of cutting-edge filming equipment: state-of-the-art thermal cameras, and the latest in drone technology, meaning the team can film the cats from the ground, the air and, uniquely, through the night. By following the cats around the clock, the team reveals yet more brand-new insights into their lives.

But fellow filmmaker Anna Dimitriadis didn’t wait long to be reunited with her beloved cheetah pal Pobe. “It’s every wildlife cinematographer’s dream to be able to go back to the same place and see characters that you filmed with before. But seeing her on the first day, it was like she was coming back to welcome us. It really felt like Pobe knew we’d arrived, and it felt like she was showing off because she had her two lovely little cubs as well. It basically felt like just seeing an old friend that I got to know really well. I mean, I got to know her very well. She’s actually tattooed on my arm now so she’s with me forever.”

Anna and Gordon worked alongside a team that also included Brad Bestelink who grew up in the Delta and Botswana born Tristen Woodward in the heart of big cat territory. And by the end of series two, Anna feels even closer to the cat and her routines which we will witness.

“I just know so much about her, and I could really predict her behaviour by the end, like I knew the exact kind of hunting style she was going to do. And I could predict exactly what we were going to see. It was really cool, when you start having that connection with an animal.

“This time, we saw another side. She was playful, tender and at times extremely vulnerable. Our time with her this year was a powerful reminder of how hard life is for a solitary cat. At every stage – whether still learning or in her prime – survival is a constant battle and every success is hard won.”

Meet some of the stars of the Delta…

POBE A smart, experienced and streetwise female cheetah; charismatic Pobe, now seven-years-old has a new family! She has two young cubs to take care of and though she is an experienced mother and superb huntress – already seen one cub, Neelo, to independence – the odds are stacked against her. Navigating Xudum island – now home to the largest lion pride in the world, and leopards round every tree – is no easy task. She knows when to run and hide and avoid danger, but with two innocent cubs in tow, she’s more exposed than ever.

XUDUM A remarkably relaxed and an impressive leopard; Xudum can confidently catch a meal leaping through the air (jumping from trees) or stalking on the ground. She is the resident female leopard followed by the team in Series 1, is now six years old and should have started a family. Unfortunately, after her tragedy witnessed by the team in 2023, Xudum is still to rear a cub successfully. Surrounded by dangerous male leopards (who will kill any cubs that do not belong to them), in series two Xudum must find a new, safer territory in which to make her home and become a mother.

BIG TOE & MADUMO So named due to a prominent digit on his paw, Big Toe is now eleven years old, ruling the Xudum pride alongside his sibling, Madumo, for the last six years. He’s a formidable lion, slightly leaner and wirier than Madumo, but no less formidable. Though he’s undeniably the more handsome of the two, he’s no pretty-boy; usually the first to get into a scuffle with intruders, or younger males in the pride.

Madumo – meaning “to roar” – is the other dominant male lions of the Xudum pride. Though he is bigger and heavier set, Madumo is the brains of the operation, while his coalition partner Big Toe is the ‘grafter’. But when required, Madumo has the muscle to be a powerful and commanding leader. He and Big Toe remain extremely close; most likely brothers from the same cohort of cubs, they make a strong and formidable partnership and over the past 6-years he and Big Toe have successfully protected the Xudum pride.

But as we start season two, both are now absent, where they are is unclear; and without their combined strength and new male lions circling, the Xudum pride’s females are under more pressure to protect their family than ever before.

MATHATA Trouble by name, trouble by nature! Mathata is the oldest cub in the Xudum pride – 18 months in age – and the rest of the youngsters seem to look to Mathata for leadership. But as Mathata (Magogo’s son) grows, will he cause trouble for his siblings, or will he rally them to make trouble for their enemies, and prey?

He is now ready to join his mother and aunts as they hunt and feed their family, but he has a lot to learn before he will start being a useful addition – his inexperience could be a hindrance.

LEDIBA The queen of stealth! Lediba is a small and subtle female leopard. She shows more patience in her stalking and variety to her diet, than any other leopard the team has seen on Xudum island. Lediba (10 years old) is also an experienced mother; previously raising cubs to adulthood and has two young cubs to provide for in series two. She will have to work hard to keep them safe from scavenging lions and unpredictable male leopards. For the team, getting to know Lediba’s character will take as much patience as she shows during each hunt!

MAGOGO At more than eleven years old, Magogo is likely the oldest female in the Xudum pride. She is an experienced, wise and powerful lioness and has successfully reared multiple generations of cubs, showing her skill as a mother. His son, Mathata, is the eldest cub in the Xudum pride, and a future pride male. Despite being eighteen months old, Mathata still relies on Magogo for food and protection against any intruding male lions – so Magogo still has her work cut-out to support him.

* Series Two of Big Cats 24/7 starts on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer on Friday February 27 at 9pm.

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WASHINGTON — The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, stemmed from the Pentagon’s plans to test a laser for use in shooting down drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to share sensitive details.

That caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration, which wanted to ensure commercial air safety and the two agencies sought to coordinate, according to two of the people.

Despite a meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the issue, the Pentagon wanted to go ahead and test it, prompting the FAA to shutter the airspace. The laser was used at some point, one of the people said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier that a response to an incursion by Mexican cartel drones had led to the airspace closure and that the threat had been neutralized. Drone incursions are not uncommon along the southern border.

Officials at the White House, FAA and Department of Transportation did not respond immediately Wednesday to request for comment about the dispute. The Pentagon said it had nothing to add to its statement that largely mirrored Duffy’s comment.

The FAA had originally announced a 10-day closure of the airspace, confusing travelers at the airport in the border city with a population of nearly 700,000 people. The order was lifted a few hours later. No Mexican airspace was closed.

Duffy said in a post on X that the FAA and the Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” Duffy said normal flights were resuming Wednesday morning. He did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, said neither her office, the city of El Paso nor airport operations received advance notice. She said she believed the shutdown was not based on Mexican cartel drones in U.S. airspace, saying that “is not what we in Congress have been told.”

Pentagon officials declined to comment on Escobar’s remarks and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office referred questions to the FAA.

“I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly,” Escobar said during a news conference. The shutdown had been expected to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area around El Paso.

“The information coming from the federal government does not add up,” Escobar said.

Cross-border drone activity is not new

Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district covers an area that stretches for about 800 miles along Texas’ border with Mexico, said cartel drone sightings are common.

“For any of us who live and work along the border, daily drone incursions by criminal organizations is everyday life for us. It’s a Wednesday for us,” Gonzales said.

Asked about the drone explanation provided by U.S. officials, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had “no information about the use of drones on the border.” She noted that if U.S. authorities have more information they should contact Mexico’s government.

Steven Willoughby, the deputy director of the counter-drone program at the Department of Homeland Security, told lawmakers in July that cartels are using drones nearly every day to transport drugs across the border and surveil Border Patrol agents.

More than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet of the southern border in the last six months of 2024, he testified, mostly at night. Homeland Security has said agents have seized thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other drugs in recent years that cartels were trying to fly across the border using drones.

Mexican officials head to Washington

El Paso is hub of cross-border commerce alongside Ciudad Juárez. The Mexican city is home to about 1.5 million people, and some of its residents are accustomed to taking advantage of facilities including airports on both sides of the border. That easy access to the U.S. has also made Juarez, like other border cities, attractive to Mexico’s drug cartels seeking to safeguard their smuggling routes for drugs and migrants headed north and cash and guns moving to the south.

El Paso International Airport said in an Instagram post after the closure was announced that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded through Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. Local newscasts showed stranded travelers with luggage lining up at airline ticket counters and car rental desks at the El Paso airport hours after flights were grounded.

The airport posted later Wednesday morning that its operations had resumed and encouraged travelers to contact their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.

Mexican defense and navy secretaries planned to meet with Northern Command officials in Washington on Wednesday in a meeting scheduled to be attended by representatives of several other countries, Sheinbaum said during a news conference. Sheinbaum said the Mexican officials would “listen” in the meeting and that her government would look into “the exact causes” of the closure.

‘This was a major and unnecessary disruption’

El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said at a news conference that he didn’t hear about the closure until after the alert was issued and he called the failure to communicate that to the city unacceptable.

“Decisions made without notice and coordination puts lives at risk and creates unnecessary danger and confusion,” Johnson said. “This was a major and unnecessary disruption, one that has not occurred since 9/11.”

The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.

A similar 10-day temporary flight restriction for special security reasons remained in place Wednesday morning around Santa Teresa, N.M., which is about 15 miles northwest of the El Paso airport. FAA officials did not immediately explain why that restriction remained in place.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, a Democrat, said in a statement: “Keeping our communities informed and safe is critical. I’m demanding answers from the FAA and the administration about why the airspace was closed in the first place without notifying appropriate officials, leaving travelers to deal with unnecessary chaos.”

Shutdown and restart creates confusion for travelers

The airspace closure upset travel plans on both sides of the border.

María Aracelia was pushing two roller suitcases across the pedestrian bridge from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso on Wednesday morning. She had a round-trip flight to Illinois scheduled for the afternoon.

After receiving a text at 4 a.m. telling her about the 10-day closure, she scrambled to try to find other options, even how to get to another airport. Then came a notification that the El Paso airport had reopened.

“This is stressful and there isn’t time to make so many changes, especially if you need to get back for work,” Aracelia said.

Kim, Finley, Jalonick and Lee write for the Associated Press. Lee reported from El Paso, Texas. AP writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Josh Funk in Omaha; Darlene Superville, Mike Balsamo and Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Kathy McCormack in Concord, N.H.; María Verza in Mexico City, and Christian Torres Chávez in Ciudad Juarez contributed to this report.