expert

In explaining the U.S. incursion into Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro, President Trump accused Maduro and his wife of conducting a “campaign of deadly narco-terrorism against the United States and its citizens,” and Maduro of being “the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States.”

“Hundreds of thousands — over the years — of Americans died because of him,” Trump said hours after U.S. special forces dragged Maduro from his bedroom during a raid that killed more than 50 Venezuelan and Cuban military and security forces.

Experts in regional narcotics trafficking said Trump was clearly trying to justify the U.S. deposing a sitting head of state by arguing that Maduro was not just a corrupt foreign leader harming his own country but also a major player in the sweeping epidemic of overdoses that has devastated American communities.

They also said they are highly suspicious of those claims, which were offered up with little evidence and run counter to years of independent research into regional drug trafficking patterns. Countries such as Mexico and Colombia play much larger roles, and fentanyl — not the cocaine Maduro is charged with trafficking — causes the vast majority of American deaths, the research shows.

Maduro’s indictment spells out some overt criminal acts allegedly committed by him, including selling diplomatic passwords to known drug traffickers so they could avoid military and law enforcement scrutiny in Venezuela.

Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives at the U.S. Capitol on Monday to brief top lawmakers after President Trump directed U.S. forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

It alleges other crimes in broad strokes, such as Maduro and his wife allegedly ordering “kidnappings, beatings, and murders” against people who “undermined their drug trafficking operation.”

However, Trump’s claims about the scope and impact of Maduro’s alleged actions go far beyond what the indictment details, experts said.

“It’s very hard to respond to the level of bulls— that is being promoted by this administration, because there’s no evidence given whatsoever, and it goes against what we think we know as specialists,” said Paul Gootenberg, a professor emeritus of history and sociology at Stony Brook University who has long studied the cocaine trade. “All of it goes against what we think we know.”

“President Trump’s claim that hundreds of thousands of Americans have died due to drug trafficking linked to Maduro is inaccurate,” said Philip Berry, a former United Kingdom counter-narcotics official and a visiting senior lecturer at the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London.

“[F]entanyl, not cocaine, has been responsible for most drug-related deaths in the U.S. over the past decade,” he said.

Jorja Leap, a social welfare professor and executive director of the UCLA Social Justice Research Partnership who has spent years interviewing gang members and drug dealers in the L.A. region, said Trump’s hyper-focus on Maduro, Venezuela and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as driving forces within the U.S. drug trade not only belies reality but also belittles the work of researchers who know better.

“Aside from making it a political issue, this is disrespecting the work of researchers, social activists, community organizers and law enforcement who have worked on this problem on the ground and understand every aspect of it,” Leap said. “This is political theater.”

Venezuela’s role

The U.S. State Department’s 2024 International Narcotics Strategy Report called Venezuela “a major transit country for cocaine shipments via aerial, terrestrial, and maritime routes,” with most of the drugs originating in Colombia and passing through other Central American countries or Caribbean islands on their way to the U.S.

Federal officers stand guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center.

(Leonardo Munoz / AFP via Getty Images)

However, the same report said recent estimates put the volume of cocaine trafficked through Venezuela at about 200 to 250 metric tons per year, or “roughly 10 to 13 percent of estimated global production.” According to the United Nations 2025 World Drug Report, most cocaine from Colombia is instead trafficked “along the Pacific Coast northward,” including through Ecuador.

The same report and others make clear Venezuela does not play a substantial role in fentanyl production or trafficking.

The State Department’s 2024 report said Mexico was “the sole significant source of illicit fentanyl … significantly affecting” the U.S., and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment said Mexican organizations “dominate fentanyl transportation into and through the United States.”

The Trump administration suggested Venezuela has played a larger role in cocaine production and transport in recent years under Maduro, who they allege has partnered with major trafficking organizations in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico.

Maduro pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Manhattan federal court this week, saying he was “kidnapped” by the U.S.

While many experts and other political observers acknowledge Maduro’s corruption and believe he has profited from drug trafficking, they question the Trump administration’s characterization of his actions as a “narco-terrorist” assault on the U.S.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the Trump ally turned foe who this week stepped down from her House seat, condemned the raid as more about controlling Venezuela’s oil than dismantling the drug trade, in part by noting that far greater volumes of much deadlier drugs arrive to the U.S. from Mexico.

“If it was about drugs killing Americans, they would be bombing Mexican cartels,” Greene posted.

The Trump administration pushed back against such arguments, even as Trump has threatened other nations in the region.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole said on Fox News that “at a low estimate,” 100 tons of cocaine have been produced and shipped to the U.S. by groups working with Maduro.

Expert input

Gootenberg said there’s no doubt that some Colombian cocaine crosses the border into Venezuela, but that much of it goes onward to Europe and growing markets in Brazil and Asia, and there’s no evidence large amounts reach the U.S.

“The whole thing is a fiction, and I do believe they know that,” he said of the Trump administration.

Berry said Venezuela is “a transit country for cocaine” but “a relatively minor player in the international drug trade” overall, with only a “small portion” of the cocaine that passes through it reaching the U.S.

Both also questioned the Trump administration labeling Maduro’s government a “narco-terrorism” regime. Gootenberg said the term arose decades ago to describe governments whose national revenues were substantially connected to drug proceeds, such as Bolivia in the 1980s, but it was always a “propagandistic idea” and had gone “defunct” as modern governments, including Venezuela’s, diversified their economies.

The Trump administration’s move to revive the term comes as no surprise given “the way they pick up atavistic labels that they think will be useful, like ‘Make America Great Again,’” Gootenberg said. But “there’s no there there.”

Berry said use of the term “narco-terrorism” has oversimplified the “diverse and context-specific connections” between the drug industry and global terrorism, and as a result “led to the conflation of counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts, frequently resulting in hyper-militarised and ineffective policy responses.”

Gootenberg said Maduro was a corrupt authoritarian who stole an election and certainly had knowledge of drug trafficking through his country, but the notion he’d somehow become a “mastermind” with leverage over transnational drug organizations is far-fetched.

Several experts said they doubted his capture would have a sizable effect on the U.S. drug trade.

“Negligible. Marginal. Whatever word you want to use to indicate the most minor of impacts,” said Leap, of UCLA.

The Sinaloa Cartel — one of Maduro’s alleged partners, according to his indictment — is a major player in Southern California’s drug trade, with the Mexican Mafia serving as middleman between the cartel and local drug gangs, Leap said. But “if anyone tries to connect this to what is happening now in Venezuela, they do not understand the nature of drug distribution, street gangs, the Mexican Mafia, everything that goes on in Southern California. There is no connection.”

Berry said in the wake of Maduro’s capture, “numerous state and nonstate actors involved in the illegal narcotics trade remain unaffected.”

Jan. 8 (Asia Today) — Japanese defense and security experts meeting in Tokyo on Thursday called for sustained security cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea as tensions between China and Japan sharpen over Taiwan.

Masayuki Masuda, director of the China Center at the National Institute for Defense Studies, a research institute affiliated with Japan’s Defense Ministry, said the priority is to keep deepening trilateral cooperation.

“What is important now is to continue deepening security cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea,” Masuda said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.

His comments came ahead of an expected South Korea-Japan summit in Japan, with Masuda answering a question from Asia Today about the role Seoul should play as Beijing and Tokyo clash more openly over Taiwan.

Masuda said trilateral cooperation should not be viewed as limited to the Taiwan Strait, pointing instead to a broader security environment that also includes North Korea.

“The situation on the Korean Peninsula, such as the enhancement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, must also be considered,” he said, describing cooperation as a structural necessity rather than a one-off response aimed at a specific country.

Masuda also said trilateral defense cooperation has already progressed, citing recent discussions among the three countries’ defense leaders and what he described as shared concern about China’s military behavior.

At the same time, he rejected the idea that Japan is pressing South Korea to make specific choices because of strained China-Japan ties, saying the focus should remain on what is needed within Japan-South Korea relations and cooperation that includes the United States.

John Chuan Tiong Lim, a researcher at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Advanced Studies on Asia, also spoke during the session and pointed to U.S. policy as increasingly centered on Taiwan’s defense.

Lim said Washington’s public messaging can differ from its policy actions, adding that a Chinese attempt to take Taiwan by force would fundamentally alter the region’s security landscape.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Gov. Gavin Newsom used his final State of the State address to underscore California’s jaw-dropping crime figures — stats that he said refute the president’s claims about widespread murder and mayhem.

To put in perspective some of the numbers cited by the governor on Thursday:

The last time homicides were this low in Oakland, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was visiting Joan Baez at Santa Rita Jail to commend her on her recent arrest in protest of the Vietnam draft.

Killings haven’t been so rare in San Francisco since superstar Marilyn Monroe wed baseball legend Joe DiMaggio at City Hall.

And violent deaths in the city of Los Angeles fell to rates not seen since the Beatles played Dodgers Stadium, their penultimate public show.

“We have seen double-digit decreases in crime overall in the state of California,” Newsom said. “We’ve got more work to do, but to those with that California derangement syndrome, I’ll repeat — it’s time to update your talking points.”

The governor’s remarks follow reporting by The Times that showed L.A.’s homicide rate is nearing a record low, mirroring trends in other cities nationwide.

With the counts based on data from the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies, President Trump’s insistence that crime in California is out of control has come to seem increasingly bombastic. Recently, the president has modified his message to warn of a possible crime resurgence.

“We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,” Trump said on Truth Social in a post announcing an end to his legal battle to maintain National Guard troops in L.A., Portland and Chicago. “Only a question of time!”

In his speech Thursday, Newsom credited the stark drop in violence to a flood of crime-fighting cash unleashed by the California Legislature.

“No one’s walked away from public safety,” Newsom said. “We didn’t turn a blind eye to this, we invested in it. We didn’t talk about it, we leaned in.”

But experts said the reality is more complicated. Those who study the root causes of crime say that it may take years, if not decades, to disentangle the causes of the pandemic-era surge in violence and the precipitous drop that has followed.

Trump hammered lawlessness in California’s streets during the 2024 presidential campaign and throughout his first year back in the White House. He rarely names Newsom without invoking crime and chaos, and regularly threatens to surge armed soldiers back into into the streets.

At the same time, the Trump administration has slashed hundreds of millions in federal funding from school safety grants, youth mentoring programs and gang intervention networks that experts say have been instrumental in improving public safety.

Proponents worry those cuts could threaten L.A.’s patchwork of alternative crisis response programs aimed at easing the city’s reliance on law enforcement. In recent years, scores of groups have sprung up to assist people dealing with homelessness, drug addiction and the symptoms of untreated mental health disorders — all of which can heighten the perception of crime, even when actual numbers go down.

Looming cuts in federal spending could hinder efforts to scale up these initiatives, some warned.

“I just don’t know how we can continue to trend in the right direction without continuing to invest in things that work,” said Thurman Barnes, assistant director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.

According to data published by the Major Cities Chiefs Assn., homicides were down in San Francisco, San José, Sacramento and Oakland. Other violent crimes, including rape, aggravated assault and robbery, also dropped, with a handful of exceptions.

Property crime was also down, the governor said Thursday.

Street-level disorder and perceptions of widespread lawlessness helped topple progressive administrations across California in 2024 and earned Trump an unexpected windfall in some of the state’s bluest cities.

Those concerns are “at the core” of California voters’ frustrations, Newsom acknowledged Thursday.

“We’re seeing results, making streets safer for everyone,” the governor said.

Jeff Asher, a leading expert in the field of criminology, said it’s hard to say whether the perception gap is closing “because we don’t necessarily track it super systematically.”

But he pointed to a Gallup poll from late last year that showed less than half of Americans believed that crime had gone up — the first time in two decades that that number had dipped below 50%.

“The pandemic broke us in a lot of ways, and we’re starting to not feel as broken,” he said.

Newsom also touted sharp declines in the number of people living on the streets.

Unsheltered homelessness dropped 9% in California and more than 10% in Los Angeles, the governor announced — data he sought to contrast with an 18% rise in homelessness nationwide.

The sight of encampments and people in the throes of psychosis in the streets drives perceptions of lawlessness and danger, studies show. Lowering it soothes those fears.

But California’s overall homeless population remains stubbornly high, with only modest reductions. Federal funding cuts could hamper efforts to further reduce those numbers, experts warned.

Rather than dig into the complexities of crime, Newsom sought to portray the president himself as the driver of lawlessness, calling the first year of his second term a “carnival of chaos.”

“We face an assault on our values unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime,” the governor said. “Secret police. Businesses being raided. Windows smashed, citizens detained, citizens shot. Masked men snatching people in broad daylight, people disappearing. Using American cities as training grounds for the United States military.”

“It’s time for the president of the United States to do his job, not turn his back on Americans that happen to live in the great state of California,” Newsom said.

A TRAVEL expert has revealed the big mistake you are making when your flight is cancelled that could leave you stuck at the airport.

Thousands of passengers across the UK and Europe have been left stranded by cancelled flights in recent days, due to the severe weather.

More than 700 flights have been cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport today.

This comes after another 900 since Sunday were cancelled, with more weather warnings in place.

And Liverpool‘s John Lennon Airport was forced to close on Monday after the runway was covered by snow.

More than 200 flights were cancelled across the UK yesterday as well after temperatures dropped to -12C.

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HotelPlanner boss Tim Hentschel explains that waiting for the airline to book you a hotel is advised against, as well as to avoid calling hotels.

He said: “Airport hotels are usually prepared for unexpected surges in demand whenever travellers are delayed at airports.

“That said, once the standard rooms are booked, any last remaining saved occupancy will come at a premium.

“The natural action may be to call the nearest hotels, but booking online is actually better than over the phone in these situations.”

Hentschel explained the hotel phone lines often become jammed in the surge to bag the last remaining rooms.

Instead, he recommended booking hotel rooms online to “beat the rush”.

He added: “This is when seconds might count and demand for rooms are at a peak, so there really is no time to be sitting on hold.

“Booking online is a much more efficient way to find rooms at short notice, and booking engines find a way to pick out the best rates.”

Airline KLM – which has been most affected by the Amsterdam cancellations – backed this up.

They said online in a travel warning: “If you need a hotel because your flight is the next day, the quickest option is to book one  yourself and request reimbursement through our website.

“We recommend Booking.com to find suitable accommodation.”

Over the winter months passengers who are flying abroad face disruption because of worsening weather conditions such as snow and high winds.

Airline employee Natalie also offered some of her top tips for what to do at the airport if affected.

This includes downloading the official smartphone app of the airline you’re flying with.

This could give you up-to-date notifications just as fast as the airline employees located at customer service points at the airport.

Here’s what you need to know about claiming compensation if your flight was delayed or cancelled.

US President Donald Trump and his allies have defended the US attacks on Venezuela and the removal of President Nicolas Maduro from power amid widespread condemnation that the actions violate international law.

Trump told reporters on Saturday that Maduro was “captured” after US military strikes on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, for carrying out a purported “campaign of deadly narco-terrorism against the United States”.

He said the US government would “run” the South American country during a political transition, promising the Venezuelan people that they would become “rich, independent and safe”.

But Claire Finkelstein, a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, has rejected the Trump administration’s arguments in defence of the attacks and removal of Maduro, as well as its plans to exert control over Venezuela.

“I don’t think there’s any basis under international law for the action that occurred overnight by the US government,” Finkelstein told Al Jazeera, describing the attacks as an “illegal use of force [and] a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty”.

“Maduro has personal jurisdiction rights, so not only is it a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty, but it’s a violation of his personal, international rights,” she said.

Numerous statutes of international law – including the UN Charter – prohibit states from attacking another country without provocation.

“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” the UN Charter says.

The US actions came amid a months-long pressure campaign against Maduro, whom the Trump administration accused, without evidence, of being linked to drug traffickers.

Washington had carried out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, seized vessels carrying oil off the Venezuelan coast, sanctioned members of Maduro’s family, and threatened to launch attacks on the country’s soil.

“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator, he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation,” US Congressman Tom Cotton, a top Trump ally, wrote on social media on Saturday, welcoming the moves against the Venezuelan leader.

Before he was seized, Maduro had said he was open to dialogue with the US on drug trafficking. He also had accused the Trump administration of seeking to depose him and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

‘No imminent threat’

Democratic Party lawmakers in the US had been demanding answers from the Trump administration about its aims in Venezuela, accusing the Republican president of seeking to unlawfully carry out acts of war without congressional oversight.

Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war.

But that authority has been weakened over the last several decades, with the US carrying out military strikes around the world during its so-called “war on terror” based on loosely-interpreted congressional authorisations.

On Saturday, Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said that, despite the Trump administration’s claims, “there was no imminent threat to the United States” from Venezuela, “certainly not one that justified military action without congressional authorization”.

“These actions violate both US and international law and, by Trump’s own admission, this is not a limited operation,” Meeks said in a statement shared on social media.

This was echoed by the University of Pennsylvania’s Finkelstein, who said there was no “immediate threat” to the US that would justify the executive branch carrying out attacks without notifying Congress.

“It was an act of war against Venezuela, and we did not have the kind of self-defence justification that would normally justify bypassing Congress,” she told Al Jazeera.

“Even if you believe the US is at grave danger because of drug trafficking, there isn’t the kind of imminence there that would justify the president moving unilaterally and not turning to Congress and trying to get them on board.”

Finkelstein also rejected Trump’s plans for the US to “run” Venezuela as “incredibly illegal”.

“States have sovereignty rights, and you cannot just invade them and take them over,” she said.

“Even if Maduro were to fall of his own accord and we had not brought that about, we don’t have the right to go in and start running their government,” Finkelstein said.

“Democracy is premised on the idea that the people are sovereign and the people choose their own leaders, and that’s something we should be promoting in Latin and South America, not trying to undermine.”

From Thailand to Barbados, a travel content creator shares top winter sun destinations with temperatures ranging from 21 to 30C to beat the British chill.

The chilly winter weather is in full swing as frosty conditions continue to blanket the UK. With the festive season behind us, we’re still facing plenty of dark evenings as we yearn for the warmth of summer.

January is a prime time for planning holidays for the year ahead, but it’s also an ideal month to travel if you want to beat the crowds. Many people use this time of year to recharge their batteries, and what better way to do so than on a sun-soaked beach?

As we still have a long wait until the British summer arrives, it can be a fantastic opportunity to seek out some sunshine elsewhere.

There are numerous holiday destinations that boast temperatures above 22C at this time of year. Plus, you’re likely to encounter fewer tourists than during the peak summer travel season.

So, if you’re considering a last-minute escape to warmer climes, a travel expert has compiled a list of their top seven picks for this year, reports the Express. TikTok user @kelseyinlondon, who regularly shares travel advice online, has chosen her favourite winter sun destinations that are sure to deliver some much-needed heat.

Thailand

First on Kelsey’s list is Thailand, a destination that’s growing increasingly popular with Brits. In January, the average temperature is a balmy 30C, and visitors can take advantage of the dry season. Imagine endless blue skies, crystal-clear waters, and a laid-back island atmosphere.

Dubai

Dubai is renowned for its scorching temperatures, but in January, you can experience the desert heat without it being too intense. The average temperature this month is a comfortable 25C.

Kelsey recommends: “January in Dubai is the perfect balance of warm days and cool evenings. Soak up the sun at beach clubs, explore the desert by hot air balloon, and enjoy alfresco dining in Dubai Marina.”

Maldives

Why not jet off to paradise and bask in 28C heat in the Maldives? Start your New Year’s resolutions surrounded by crystal-clear waters and tranquil seas. Unwind in an overwater villa or discover the local marine life on a snorkelling adventure.

Marrakech

Consider a winter getaway to Morocco, where you can relish strolling through the streets of Marrakech with fewer tourists. With temperatures hovering around a pleasant 21C, immerse yourself in the rich culture the city has to offer.

Canary Islands

This beloved European winter sun destination is ideal for savouring beach days away from the summer crowds. Expect an average temperature of 22C as you relax on the islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria or La Palma.

Barbados

For a hotter island experience, make your way to Barbados, where temperatures average a balmy 28C.

Kelsey suggests: “It’s peak dry season, so you can spend all day lazing on white sand beaches, sipping rum punches, and enjoying the island’s incredible laidback vibes.”

Red Sea Coast, Egypt

Venture to destinations like Hurghada, El Gouna and Sharm El Sheikh where you’ll find sunshine, golden sands and warm turquoise waters. With temperatures around 24C, you can still enjoy mild evenings out.

AN expert has revealed how you can plan a Cotswolds staycation without breaking the bank.

More than 23million tourists visit the Cotswolds every year, so its no surprise that includes a few celebrities along the way.

Beyonce, Kourtney Kardashian and even Kamala Harris have all been spotted in recent months, while the Beckhams are known for having a house there.

But despite this, there is still a way to do it on a budget as well as away from the crowds.

Local Amanda Stecker, who founded Unique Cotswold Cottages, explained: “There’s a perception that the Cotswolds is reserved for the wealthy.

“But you can stay in charming self-catering cottages or friendly B&Bs for a fraction of the cost of high-end hotels, and still enjoy the villages, countryside, and experiences that make the area so special.

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“Even smaller towns and lesser-known attractions have a charm all of their own, and often a story you’ll remember far longer than the postcard-perfect spots.”

Here are some of her top tips.

Stay in less well-known villages

She explained that while Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water are the popular spots, there are nearby villages that are just as beautiful but far more affordable.

Amanda said: “Look at towns such as Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, or Chipping Campden.

“These locations still offer charm and convenience but at much lower rates.”

Not only did she say this could save as much as £300 for a three-night stay, but cottages mean you can head to the nearby deli for some groceries and cook yourself, saving you even more.

Visit during shoulder season

If you try and visit the Cotswolds during the summer holidays, expect huge crowds.

The same is during school half terms as well, especially in the spring and autumn.

But the villages are just as beautiful off season, usually November, January and February.

Not only is accommodation cheaper but you won’t be stuck in queues at the car park or the cafe.

Make the most of the free attractions

Just walking through many of the villages and towns feel like they are from a postcard, which is a great free activity.

Not only that, but heritage trails and even attractions like Broadway Tower are free to visit.

The Oxford Museum, Witney Museum and Swinford Museum are just some that are free too.

Amanda advises checking some of the local stately homes which can be affordable especially with a National Trust or English Heritage membership.

Otherwise there are often farmers markets or fairs which you can explore without spending a penny.

According to Amanda, this could save as much as £50 per person during a long weekend.

Check the local transport

Many of the small villages have train stations so you can hop between many of them.

For example, try the Cotswolds Line, which runs from Oxford to Kingham, with stops in Hanborough, Finstock, Charlbury and Shipton along the way.

Otherwise bus routes connect many of them as well, saving you on expensive car parking.

Amanda suggests this could save as much a £30 a day.

Here are some of the Cotswolds pubs where you might bump into a celebrity.

And here are some other places to go away from the crowds.

As millions prepare to travel in and out of the UK this winter, a mattress expert has shared the luggage mistake that could bring bedbugs home from your holiday

As millions gear up for winter travel in and out of the UK, it’s not just souvenirs that could be making the journey back home.

Recent reports have highlighted a burgeoning bedbug epidemic, with infestations having surged by 62%. Google searches for ‘how to check for bedbugs’ have shot up, seeing a whopping increase of over 500% in the last 30 days, as infestations typically spike during the peak travel and festive season in winter.

Fortunately, a mattress expert has compiled a guide on how to spot early signs of a bedbug invasion and shared easy steps to help curb the spread of these blood-thirsty critters while globetrotting this winter. Mattress specialist Sharon Robson from Mattress Online is dishing out her expert advice on keeping bedbugs at bay this winter. Sharon explains: “Bedbugs thrive in areas where lots of people are coming and going, they also favour warm and humid conditions, which means there’s a higher chance of returning from warmer climates with bed bugs. From hotels, hostels, and holiday rentals to public transport, it’s crucial to know how to spot a potential infestation to prevent bringing any unwanted souvenirs back from your trip.”

Invest in hard-shell suitcases

Sharon’s top tip is a simple one: invest in hard-shell suitcases. She cautions that soft-sided luggage offers numerous hidden nesting spots for bedbugs, potentially heightening your risk of unknowingly carting them back from your travels, reports the Express. Bedbugs have a preference for rough or porous surfaces, making hard-shell luggage with its sleek, solid surfaces a challenging environment for them. This type of luggage is not only more difficult for bedbugs to latch onto, but it’s also simpler to inspect and disinfect, making it a worthwhile investment if you’re worried about these unwanted visitors.

Elevate your luggage (literally)

Upon reaching your accommodation, it’s recommended to raise your luggage above carpets and away from walls. Hold off on unpacking your suitcase on the bed until you’ve had the chance to check for signs of bedbugs. Make use of metal luggage racks or position your case on a solid surface such as a table or desk.

Early warning signs to look out for

There are several tell-tale warning signs that your hotel room might be infested with bedbugs, so before you settle in, give your room a quick inspection. Stay vigilant for sweet, musty smells, which could suggest a large infestation. Also keep an eye out for black or rust-coloured stains on bedding and mattresses. Finally, watch out for empty, brown shells or flat, oval brown shapes, which could be the bugs themselves.

Try the credit card trick

For a more comprehensive inspection, try the credit card trick. Bedbugs often hide in narrow spaces like mattress seams, labels, and tufts. A credit card can be a handy tool for inspecting tight spots like mattress piping, bedframe corners, and any crevices. Simply press the card gently and scrape along the seams to check for bugs and eggs.

Wash and dry clothes on high heat as soon as you come back

If you’re still concerned about potential exposure to bedbugs during your travels, the first thing to do when you get home is to wash all your clothes in hot water. Position your luggage on a hard surface such as a bathroom or laundry room floor and unpack directly into the washing machine. Wash your clothes on a hot cycle and dry them on high heat for 30-60 minutes to kill any live bugs or eggs.

A British travel expert has shared the location of what she believes to be the most beautiful place on Earth, advising others of five things to know before planning a visit to the breathtaking scenery

Following her visit to what she hailed as the “most beautiful place on Earth”, a travel expert has compiled a list of five essential pointers for anyone wanting to experience this breathtaking destination themselves. Emma Ansley Knight turned to TikTok after returning from the Brazil-Argentina border in South America, describing her journey as “such a bucket list moment”.

“Literally felt a tear come down my face when I stood over the Devil’s Throat waterfall for the first time,” she added. “Just amazing how powerful nature can be.” She went on to explain that the Brazilian side of her destination offers roughly a 1.5km walk with “beautiful panoramic views” of the cascades, which she suggests tackling first.

“Someone said that from the Brazilian side you can see the falls, and from the Argentinian side you can feel the falls, which I thought was a great way of describing it,” Emma said. The Argentinian side is quite different, however, featuring multiple walking routes and providing more of a “full day experience”, she added.

Her destination? Iguazu Falls. Also referred to as Iguaçu Falls, it sits on the Iguazu River and forms part of the world’s largest waterfall network.

“If you want to see the falls at their absolute fullest, you are best off going in the rainy season, which is roughly between November and March,” Emma advised.

“We went in December and just before that it had rained so much that the flow of the falls was five times higher than usual.”

She went on to describe the Devil’s Throat, the most impressive cascade at Iguazu Falls. “You can see the water thundering down it from the Brazilian side,” she said.

“And on the Argentinian side, you can head along a walkway and stand pretty much right at the top of it – and wow, what an experience that was.”

Regarding accommodation options, Emma outlined several choices. “On the Brazil side, you have Foz do Iguaçu, which is where we stayed. And on the Argentina side there’s Puerto Iguazu – and if your budget allows, you can even stay in the National Park itself.”

Emma concluded by reminding visitors that crossing from one side of the falls to the other requires passing through border control, meaning you must make sure you have your passport with you.

Iguazu National Park achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1986 due to its exceptional natural splendour. Its website advises: “The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80m high and 2,700m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil.

“Made up of many cascades producing vast sprays of water, it is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The surrounding subtropical rainforest has over 2,000 species of vascular plants and is home to the typical wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans.”

To get to the destination from Brazil, you can catch a flight from either Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro to the local airport, Aeropuerto Internacional de Foz do Iguaçu. The journey from Rio takes roughly two hours, while flights from Sao Paulo shave off about 15 minutes.

Alternatively, if you’re travelling from Buenos Aires in Argentina, you can fly directly to the Aeropuerto Internacional de Puerto Iguazu. This flight is slightly quicker, clocking in at around one hour and 50 minutes.