The European Parliament has called for tougher action against China’s economic coercion and support for Russia, warning that relations with Beijing have reached a “critical point”.
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MEPs backed the resolution by a landslide on Wednesday, urging the EU to consider deploying its powerful Anti-Coercion Instrument if Beijing weaponises Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials.
October is shaping up to be a crucial month for EU-China relations. EU leaders, whose countries now all run trade deficits with China, are pressing the European Commission to deliver concrete results from negotiations with Beijing.
Tensions also extend well beyond trade. The EU has become increasingly alarmed by Beijing’s close relationship with Moscow and its role in sustaining Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The relations have now reached a critical point, mostly due to China’s unfair economic practices such as dumping and spying and its position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the resolution adopted by EU lawmakers reads.
The text was backed by 454 MEPs, with 86 voting against and 110 abstaining.
Lawmakers described China’s role in the Ukraine war as that of “a decisive enabler”, pointing to “Chinese diplomatic backing and material assistance that sustains the Russian military-industrial complex”.
Pressure to use anti-coercion tool
They also call on EU countries and the Commission to “urgently” take action on “the weaponisation of critical dependencies by China.”
Europe felt the vulnerability of those dependencies in 2025, when China restricted exports of rare earths, which are vital to the EU’s automotive, defence and clean-tech industries, amid its escalating trade war with the United States.
The MEPs said the EU should consider using the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) when China instrumentalises such EU dependencies.
The ACI is an EU mechanism that allows the bloc to adopt radical measures – up to restrictions on licences and intellectual property rights – against a third country that uses economic coercion against the EU.
China’s dominance of the production and processing of strategic raw materials has become a major sticking point in trade negotiations, giving Beijing considerable leverage as Brussels seeks to curb its dependence on Chinese imports.
A Commission proposal pushing companies to diversify their suppliers in strategic sectors is in the making and should be presented by the end of the year.
The resolution comes two days after Germany and France harden their stancetowards Beijing, calling for a new trade tool that could allow the Commission to impose measures leading to “an immediate cut-off from the internal market if needed”.
Tom Pidcock wanted to “stop racing” after saying that two of his team-mates were hit by a police vehicle travelling the wrong way down the course at the Tre Valli Varesine in Italy.
Pidcock finished second at the one-day race in Varese but was left “mad” after Pinarello-Q36.5 team-mates Marcel Camprubi and Thomas Gloag were knocked off their bikes with six laps of the finishing circuit to go.
Spain’s Camprubi was able to continue in the race but Pidcock’s fellow Briton Gloag stopped and required stitches on his knee.
“First of all, I wanted to stop the race, stop racing myself,” Pidcock told Eurosport after the race, which was won by Belgium’s Jarno Widar in a sprint finish.
“I was mad. I had guys all riding in front of me, for me, and then two of them are on the floor.
“This shouldn’t happen. But we continued and got back into the race and I’m happy that I could be on the podium.”
BBC Sport has contacted race organisers and local police for comment.
In August, two-time Olympic mountain bike champion Pidcock won his second cross-country world title at the Mountain Bike World Championships.
He dedicated that win to British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, who died on 14 August during the Volta a Portugal following a high-speed collision with a van that had strayed on to the closed road.
Camprubi posted a picture of a broken bike on Instagram Stories, with a caption that read: “Sad that you have to risk your life to race, one month after a tragic accident.”
Hit Northern Irish police series, Blue Lights, aired its second episode on Tuesday night with the series also available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer
22:43, 06 Oct 2026Updated 22:43, 06 Oct 2026
Blue Lights recently returned with series four(Image: BBC/Two Cities Television)
Blue Lights recently returned with series four.
The hit Northern Irish police series is back with its fourth season, which is available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer now, and Tuesday night saw episode two air.
A teaser for series four reads: “Three years into their jobs as response officers, Constables Grace Ellis, Tommy Foster, and Annie Conlon are operating at their limit, facing a new threat on the streets that the police can barely control.
“Meanwhile, the murder trial of Gerry Cliff exposes a dangerous and long-buried secret that leads to chaos both inside the police and across the criminal underworld.
“As they grapple with big decisions about their future, Grace, Tommy and Annie must find the courage to face the greatest threat they have ever encountered: the truth.”
Meanwhile, a synopsis for episode two saw: “In the wake of the attack on Amira, Grace’s determination puts her in danger, while Mo spirals further with violent consequences.”
Many fans have already binged series four, taking to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts one person said: “Such a brilliant show. Season 4 binged over 2 days. Not sure where it goes from here, would love more. I grew up with Cagney & Lacey, that really made me smile #BlueLights.”
Another viewer wrote: “@BBC thank you for another brilliant series of #bluelights, hopefully they’ll find a way to come back for a fifth season.”
A different account put: “Just finished episode two of #BlueLights it’s brilliant! No spoilers!” while another person added: “Two episodes into #BlueLights S4, @sgfmann you were indeed correct, it’s great – gripping & so pertinent.”
Elsewhere, another show watcher praised: “Just finished S4 of #BlueLights, surely one the best cop dramas ever produced, the writing, acting and filming are all top notch.
“Edge of my seat every episode. If that was the last, then what a way to go out! Deserves every award coming it’s way!”
While a different account added: “Finished watching #bluelights series 4 . I hope the BBC plan on doing more it’s probably one of the best shows I’ve watched on the beeb in recent years .. not sure how exactly most storylines seemed to be wrapped up!”
Blue Lights is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
The most impressive number the Dodgers put up this season was 100 — the games they won. They had to do a lot of things right to get there.
No Dodger ranked among the top 16 in the majors in home runs or the top 37 in RBIs, yet they were fourth in runs scored. How? They were third in the majors in walks and near the bottom in strikeouts, which allowed them to manufacture runs by stringing together long innings rather than relying on the long ball.
Two games into the postseason, that script has flipped. After Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Braves, the Dodgers head to Atlanta with their best-of-five National League Division Series tied. Suddenly the Braves, who will start ace Chris Sale on Tuesday, have the edge.
“Getting the split in this place against these guys, yeah, it’s awesome,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said.
All seven of the Dodgers’ runs in the NLDS have come on five home runs, three of them with the bases empty. The Dodgers are 0 for 9 with men in scoring position, stranding 13 runners. They’ve also struck out three times more often than they’ve walked and are batting .215 against the relay team of 10 pitchers Atlanta has used.
“We didn’t throw out a bunch of hits, but there was still traffic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We didn’t need many hits tonight to have a different result, and we just couldn’t get it.”
Sure it’s a small sample; just two games. Yet it should be a troubling one for the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions.
“Sometimes it’s just you can’t hit,” said Mookie Betts, who walked twice. “I mean, there’s nothing really you can do to explain that. You’ve just got to be in the moment and come through. We had some moments today [when] we didn’t come through.
“That’s part of the game. We’ve just got to keep giving ourselves moments, and eventually something will happen.”
“We’ve got to find a way to score some runs without hitting a home run,” added Freddie Freeman, who homered Sunday and has three hits in the series. “That’s our biggest thing right now. So keep getting guys on base and get that big hit.”
Freeman said the Braves have done a good job keeping the Dodgers hitters off-balance by emptying their bullpen, sending in a fresh pitcher every couple of innings.
“It’s tough because you’re facing a different arm every single time you’re going up there,” Freeman said. “It’s different angles, different velocities, different things. So stringing hits together is very hard.
“This is the playoffs. We’re not going to score eight to 10 runs. It’s hard. Pitching staffs are good.”
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández wondered whether the Braves’ game plan might soon backfire. Aside from Sale, Weiss has few pitchers left the Dodgers haven’t seen; eventually they’ll catch up, he says.
“We’ve seen basically the best out of the bullpen,” Hernández said. “We can have a better plan for Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Will Smith reacts after popping out during the fifth inning in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Braves on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Although the Dodgers committed the second-fewest errors and gave up the fewest unearned runs this season, they haven’t looked sharp defensively in the postseason, with all three Atlanta runs Sunday coming with two outs.
The Braves loaded the bases in the first inning on a single and two walks before scoring when a diving Betts snared a Mauricio Dubón grounder up the middle, but threw wild and late to first, enabling Ronald Acuña Jr. to score. They then went ahead to stay in the fifth on a line drive to left that Hernández misplayed into a triple, followed by reliever Kris Bubic’s wild pitch.
“I didn’t think he hit it that good,” Hernández said. “I didn’t break in, but I broke to the side. And then when I realized, it was too late.”
Atlanta’s final run came in the seventh when Michael Harris II one-hopped the wall in right-center, allowing Matt Olson, running from first on the full-count pitch, to score.
Now the advantage swings to the Braves, who go to Truist Park, where they had the second-best home record in the league.
“We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew those guys weren’t going to go down,” Roberts said of the Braves.
THEY soared up the charts in the early noughties with an impressive rap cover of Bananarama’s We’re Really Saying Something.
Over two decades later, girl group Buffalo G may be a distant memory to the music industry, but one star has become very successful in her own right.
Pop group Buffalo G rose to fame with a hit in 2000, and are now unrecognisableCredit: CollinsOne half of the duo, who now goes by her married surname is a successful hairdresserCredit: olivetuckerlee/instagram
Formed of duo Naomi Lynch and Olive Tucker, Buffalo G were an Irish duo who disbanded shortly after the success of their rap hit.
Their song reached the UK top 20 Charts and peaked at #13 in the Irish charts.
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Naomi is the sister of Boyzone’s Shane Lynch and B*Witched singers Edele and Keavy Lynch, but has disappeared from the spotlight herself since rising to fame in 2000.
However, her bandmate Olive has become a success in another sector – swapping rap for the hair industry.
Olive has won several awards throughout her hair careerCredit: olivetuckerlee/instagramHer former bandmate Naomi (pictured with her husband) now works as a fire dancer
Olive is now a multi-award winning hairdresser and educator – often sharing snippets of her hair career online.
With 10K followers on Instagram regularly updates her fans with family and work life snaps.
She also has her own podcasts with her two sisters, dubbed Tuck In Sisters.
When it comes to her personal life, Olive shares 12-year-old daughter Lola – a budding dancer – and son Sonny, nine, with her husband.
Olive was just 17 at the time of her fame with Naomi, and the pair still follow one another on social media 26 years later – suggesting they are still in touch.
Naomi now works as a fire dancer and choreographer, travelling around the world for work.
She shares two sons with her TV producer husband, Rowland French.
Major bridges in Kyiv have been hit by Russian drone strikes for four consecutive days, as Moscow ramps up attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine’s capital.
Two people were injuredwhen the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge was struck on Sunday morning for the second day in a row, while the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge was hit multiple timesearlier in the week.
The latest attack came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of support against Russia’s continuing full-scale invasion.
Russia’s military said it would be intensifying strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions. It earlier said it had hit the two bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops.
Video footage of Sunday’s strike, verified by the BBC, shows cars moving on Pivnichnyi Bridge as a drone crashes into it before exploding, creating a ball of fire. A cloud of black smoke can be seen rising above the bridge.
Other videos and pictures have emerged on social media showing a gaping hole in the middle of a traffic lane on the bridge.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were injured in the latest Russian attack. He earlier said that the Pivnichnyi Bridge’s roadway was hit.
Kyiv’s eightbridges across the wide Dnipro River link the western (right) and eastern(left) parts, and many of the capital’s estimated three million residents rely heavily on the metro lines and trains to travel across the city.
Some 500,000 vehicles use the bridges every day.
The two struck bridges are still standing – but the damage and restrictions to traffic and public transport have caused gridlock in parts of the capital at times.
“To get from the left bank to the right one and back – it’s just hell,” Kyiv resident Roman told the BBC on Sunday.
Large numbers of commuters cross the river, especially on weekdays. Repair teams are working to fix the damage and officials say they are planning temporary pontoon bridges, ferry services and even a tunnel under the river to keep Kyiv connected.
Klitschko also said a separate Russian drone strike had damaged a heating main, adding that there would be a temporary lack of hot water in the north-eastern Desnyanskyi district as a result.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy said on Sunday morning Russian drones had also attacked a warehouse in the north-eastern region ofSumy, killing one person.
Meanwhile, in the central city of Dnipro, six people were injured after a communications facility was struck, he said.
Ukraine’s Air Force said that overnight Russia had launched 135 drones, including 52 jet-powered ones. It said that 125 projectiles had been shot down.
As emergency services responded to the incidents, Germany’s Merz met Zelenksy in Kyiv. They laid wreaths to Ukrainian soldiers who have been killed in the war.
Merz reaffirmed his country’s support for Ukraine, writing on X: “Ukraine is facing decisive weeks. That is why I travelled to Kyiv today with the message: You can rely on us.
“Germany’s security also depends on the outcome of this war. That is why we are helping out of our own self-interest as well.”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A good Tommy Lasorda quote: “You have got to love what you’re doing. No matter what it is. Whatever you undertake in life, if you don’t love it, and you don’t enjoy it, you are making a big mistake. You have got to love what you are doing. You have to appreciate what you are getting, and you have to do it to the best of your ability.”
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It’s that time of year
The Dodgers will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS starting Saturday, with Game 1 set to start at 1 p.m. Pacific, with the temperature forecast to be around 100 degrees. So, bring a sweater. People have complained that the 1 p.m. start is unfair because it will be too hot, but unless it is going to be 75 degrees on the Braves side of the field, it will be even. Personally, I would have put Padres-Brewers at 1 p.m. and Dodgers-Braves at 5:30 p.m., but no sense crying over spilled milk (Editor’s note: How many clichés can this guy work into one paragraph?)
The Dodgers faced the Braves six times during the season and lost five.
May 8 at Dodgers 3, Atlanta 1 Emmet Sheehan and five relievers combined to outpitch Braves ace Chris Sale. Freddie Freeman homered.
May 9 Atlanta 7, at Dodgers 2 Blake Snell gave up five runs in three innings and the Braves got 12 hits overall, 11 of them singles. Snell went back on the IL after the game, staying there for three months. Spencer Strider started for the Braves. He is currently on the IL.
May 10 Atlanta 7, at Dodgers 2 Justin Wrobleski took one for the team, giving up all seven Braves runs in 8 2/3 innings. Bryce Elder started for the Braves, going 5 2/3 innings. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson homered for Atlanta.
Aug. 25 at Atlanta 4, Dodgers 3 Tyler Glasnow gave up three runs in five innings and Tanner Scott gave up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Bryce Elder got the start for the Braves, giving up three runs in six innings. The teams combined for 19 hits, but only two extra-base hits.
Aug. 26 at Atlanta 6, Dodgers 5 Roki Sasaki gave up four runs in 3 1/3 innings, but Tanner Scott got the loss when he gave up a walk-off single to Ha-Seong Kim in the bottom of the ninth. AJ Smith-Shawyer started for the Braves, giving up three runs in five innings. Matt Olson and Sean Murphy homered for Atlanta, Tommy Edman for the Dodgers.
Aug. 27 at Atlanta 1, Dodgers 0 The only run came in the first inning by Drake Baldwin, Atlanta’s leadoff hitter. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up the lone run and four hits while striking out eight. Chris Sale pitched a shutout, giving up five hits and striking out 11.
Dodgers against the Braves this season
Batting Hunter Feduccia, 3 for 5, 2 RBIs Mookie Betts, .333/.429/.417, 14 plate appearances, 1 double, 1 RBIs Teoscar Hernández, .333/.467/.333, 15 PA’s Ben Rortvedt, 1 for 3 Andy Pages, .300/.364/.600, 11 PA’s, 1 homer, 2 RBIs Tommy Edman, .273/.429/.636, 14 PA’s, 1 double, 1 homer, 3 RBIs Alex Call, .273/.429/.364, 14 PA’s, 1 double, 1 RBI Santiago Espinal, 1 for 5 Shohei Ohtani, .192/.192/.308, 26 PA’s, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 RBI Freddie Freeman, .174/.240/.348, 25 PA’s, 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI Will Smith, 1 for 7 Kyle Tucker, .133/.278/.200, 18 PA’s, 1 double, 1 RBI Alek Thomas, 1 for 8, 1 RBI Miguel Rojas, 1 for 8 Max Muncy, .118/.211/.294, 19 PA’s, 1 homer, 2 RBIs Hyeseong Kim, 0 for 6 Kiké Hernández, 0 for 3 Alex Freeland, 0 for 7 Dalton Rushing, 0 for 5 Team, .196/.281/.299, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 2.5 runs per game
Inherited runners who scored% Atlanta, 20.9%, 36 of 172 (1st) League average, 71 of 226, 31.4% Dodgers, 35.8%, 69 of 174 (23rd)
The two teams are pretty evenly matched.
So who’s going to win?
The last NL team to win the World Series before the Dodgers? The Braves in 2021. They were led by some guy named Freeman.
If the Dodgers go into one of their team-wide funks, they could get swept. But here’s guessing they won’t do that in the postseason. It will be a tough series, but I’m going with…… Prediction: Dodgers in 5.
Poll results
We asked, “Which two of these four players would you pick to be on the postseason roster?”
After 18,543 votes:
Josue DePaula, 94.3% Alex Call, 64.6% Hyeseong Kim, 35.1% Dalton Rushing, 6%
Up next
Saturday: Atlanta at Dodgers, 1 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Atlanta at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: Dodgers at Atlanta, 3 p.m., FS1, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *Wednesday: Dodgers at Atlanta, 3 p.m., FS1, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *Friday: Atlanta at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Freddie Freeman hits a walk-off home run in the 18th inning to win Game 3 of the 2025 World Series. Watch and listen here.
Until next time …
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
OLIVIA DEAN may be the queen of singing about self-worth, but she won’t be feeling the love right now.
The British chart-topper is facing a messy legal battle after being sued over her song I’ve Seen It.
Olivia is facing a messy legal battle after being sued over her song I’ve Seen ItCredit: GettyA lawsuit claims she copied the melody of Bill Withers’ 1981 soul classic Just The Two of UsCredit: Getty
A fresh lawsuit has been filed claiming she copied the melody of Bill Withers’ 1981 soul classic Just The Two of Us.
Publishers of the late singer’s catalogue allege Olivia’s track, which appears on her album The Art Of Loving, “shares musical features so striking” that they cannot be by chance.
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Rather than going after Olivia or her co-writers directly, the lawsuit lists Olivia’s American record label Capitol Records and its parent company Universal Music Group as the defendants.
The song has been streamed 246million times on Spotify alone.
In comparison, Bill’s hit has 948million global streams.
Talking about penning the emotional track, Olivia previously said: “I’d had a lot of red wine.
“When I heard it back for the first time, I burst into tears.
“It felt like the loveliest note to end on.
“Whether it’s within your friends, your family, or just the love that exists in the strangers around you, it’s there, and it’s inside of you, too.”
APPRENTICE DUO LAND SWEET GIG
Apprentice contestant Lawrence Rosenberg will dress up as a croissant to launch a new bakeryCredit: BBCHe is reuniting with fellow contestant Kieran McCartney JonesCredit: PA
IT may sound like a flaky idea, but Apprentice star Lawrence Rosenberg will dress up as a croissant to launch a new bakery.
He is reuniting with Kieran McCartney Jones, his fellow competitor on the BBC One show, at Tuesday’s opening of Signorelli Broadgate in London.
And the pair will replicate the street-trader energy they wowed with on TV.
They gained an army of fans selling out supplies of their team’s carbonara at Greenwich Market this year in Lord Sugar’s talent hunt.
I don’t doubt they’ll make this stunt a success, too.
At the bakery, Lawrence will swap the egg costume he wore during the Apprentice challenge for a croissant outfit. He told me: “We’ll be begging for tips like Lord Sugar’s watching.
“I’ll be dressed in a croissant costume and you can even pretend to be Baroness Brady and mark our performance.”
Sliding into Instagram DMs, Iggy wrote: “I stepped away from music for a long time, but now I’m back in the studio, this felt like the right place to share my journey.”
Lily Allen posed for an arty shoot after wrapping up the UK and US legs of her West End Girl showCredit: Sharna OsborneShe is enjoying a break before returning to the stage in Auckland, New ZealandCredit: Sharna Osborne
The Smile singer shows off her pins in an arty shoot after wrapping up the UK and US legs of her West End Girl show.
Lily is enjoying a break before returning to the stage in Auckland, New Zealand, on October 21.
She will then play six shows across Australia – belting out the brutal album about her divorce from Stranger Things actor David Harbour.
Lily said: “Doing the shows feels like an act of storytelling.
“It’s almost like I’m in a play every night, because I have to brush myself down and take myself back to a time and a place that isn’t now.
“It doesn’t really feel like it’s about me any more. It’s about other women who have experienced something similar.”
PIXIE SHOWS A LOTTA STYLE
Pixie Lott looks fashionable as ever as she heads home from another night on stageCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
PIXIE LOTT looks fashionable as ever as she heads home from another night on stage.
Dressed in a quirky jacket and tiny hotpants, Pixie strutted through London’s West End.
She’s currently starring in Who Killed Marilyn? At the Emerald Theatre. Pixie plays the lead role of movie legend Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962 aged just 36.
Talking about Marilyn, she said: “I grew up loving her. She was very strong and intelligent and witty.
“This whole story is told from her perspective.”
SUPERSTAR Ariana Grande is rumoured to be releasing a remix of a track from her hit album Petal.
In February 2024, she teamed up with Mariah Carey for a remix of her hit single Yes, And?
Previously, Ari featured on The Weeknd’s 2021 remix of Save Your Tears.
If she does have something in the works, I see history repeating itself.
DECEMBER 10’S HAIRY NIGHT OUT
Four members of Boyband December 10 were seen at the scare mazes at Thorpe Park’s Fright NightsCredit: Supplied
DECEMBER 10 are going from strength to strength, but four of the lads were in for a fright this week ahead of Halloween.
John, Hendrik, Cruz, and Nicolas were seen at the scare mazes at Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights.
Simon Cowell‘s boyband have a busy winter of gigs ahead including in London and Birmingham.
Not bad for a band many thought wouldn’t amount to much.
EasyJet operates from a number of UK airports including Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, London Gatwick and London Luton.
The strike comes due to an ongoing dispute with the airline about pay, rostering and working conditions for cabin crew in Portugal.
Any travellers due to fly to or from Portugal during the strike dates are being advised to check their easyJet app or emails for updates.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese government has promised that there will be a minimum of one Lisbon to London and then London to Lisbon flight per day during the strike.
Some flights have already been cancelledCredit: Getty
On the other hand, it appears that no UK flights to or from Faro or Porto remain protected.
The SNPVAC union has announced further walkouts later on in the year in December between 19–23.
A spokesperson for easyJet told Sun Travel: “We are extremely disappointed that the union representing our Portugal-based cabin crew has announced an industrial action from 2 to 6 October, despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue and reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.
“We are sorry for the impact the unnecessary action will have on our customers and we are doing all we can to minimise disruption, including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.
“Customers whose flights are cancelled have been informed directly and offered options including a free transfer or a refund.
“We advise customers travelling to or from Portugal between 2 and 6 October to check the status of their flight via our Flight Tracker.”
Exports jump 83.5 percent to top $120bn for the first time amid ferocious semiconductor demand.
Published On 1 Oct 20261 Oct 2026
South Korea’s exports have surged to a monthly record amid explosive demand for chips used to power artificial intelligence.
Exports jumped 83.5 percent year-on-year to $120.9bn in September, eclipsing the previous monthly record of $102.25bn set in June, preliminary customs figures showed on Thursday.
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Chip shipments accounted for nearly half of exports, soaring more than 260 percent to $60.3bn, according to data from the Korea Customs Service.
Total exports from January through September hit $814.5bn, exceeding those for all of 2025, when exports reached a record $709.7bn.
During the first nine months of the year, the country recorded a trade surplus of $49.85bn.
“This is a valuable achievement that once again demonstrates the strength of our industries and companies, and is thanks to the sweat and efforts of our entrepreneurs who have competed fiercely in the global market,” said Kim Jeong-kwan, South Korea’s minister for trade and industry, in a statement.
“While we expect to achieve $1 trillion in annual exports, the strengthening of global protectionism and tensions in the Middle East remain major variables affecting our exports,” Kim said.
South Korea’s economy has been running red-hot this year amid a global shortage of memory chips used in AI.
Asia’s fourth-largest economy is home to one of the world’s largest semiconductor industries, led by top memory chip makers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics together control roughly 80 percent of the global market for high-bandwidth memory and 60 percent of the market for dynamic random-access memory, according to Counterpoint Research.
South Korea’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) growth hit a five-decade high in the April-June quarter, skyrocketing 26.4 percent year-on-year.
South Korea’s Ministry of Finance and Economy has forecast real GDP to grow 3 percent in 2026, which would be the strongest performance since 2017, excluding the outlier years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AI boom has also propelled the country’s stock market into the ranks of the best-performing bourses this year, with the benchmark Kospi rising nearly 60 percent.
National treasure David Attenborough recently said that Richmond Park is “both a refuge and a source of inspiration” and that he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else despite having travelled the globe.
And with all there is to do in Richmond Park, it isn’t surprising.
Visitors can see ancient oaks and herds of deer as well as head off on autumnal walks.
For a change of scene, from the park you can head into the town too and explore independent shops or walk along the river spotting the swans and ducks.
The Wye Valley & Forest of Dean
Sitting across the English and Welsh border, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean is known as one of the UK’s most enchanting regions.
The site is actually an ancient hunting ground with over 20 million trees.
For visitors there are woodland walks, historical ruins and river adventures.
If you want a challenging walk, head up to Symonds Yat Rock or the Devil’s Pulpit.
Mam Tor in the Peak District has panoramic views of Hope ValleyCredit: Getty
Mam Tor, The Peak District
Mam Tor in the Peak District boasts panoramic views of the Hope Valley, and in the autumn it is even more special to visit with the leaves turning brown and yellow.
For a calm walk, there is a three-mile circular route that takes around two hours to complete and includes heading to the summit as well as the Great Ridge and Windy Knoll.
The Scottish Borders
Up in the north, the Scottish Borders has numerous free walking trails to head off on with historic woodlands and ruined abbeys.
There are plenty of free places to explore across the Scottish Borders area, including St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve where there are numerous walking trails.
Or head to Kelso Town Centre with a historic cobblestone market square and loads of independent shops.
Moors Valley Country Park & Forest is home to a play trail with famous charactersCredit: TripAdvisorYou can also do craft workshops at the parkCredit: TripAdvisor
Moors Valley Country Park & Forest
Located in Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park & Forest has an interactive play trail with famous characters including the Gruffalo and Zog.
There are a number of different play areas too, including the Snake Pit with giant wooden snakes that kids can scramble through.
The park is home to a lot of paid-for activities too, including Go Ape.
Heartwood Forest is a Woodland Trust site that is free to visit and also has free parking.
Wander through the ancient bluebell woods and see newly planted trees.
On October 10, there’s even a short guided walk at Heartwood Arboretum.
You’d see 60 species of trees on the free walk, but you will need to book in advance.
Dalby Forest, North York Moors
Dalby Forest is spread over 8,000 acres, so there is plenty to explore with several miles of easy walking trails.
Make sure to look out for the free Gruffalo orienteering markers hidden among the trees.
There’s currently a sculpture trail at the forest too, along the Adderstone Rigg Trail.
Or head to Dartmoor National Park in Devon whee you can see free-roaming poniesCredit: AlamyAnd there are massive stone piles that look more like beastsCredit: Getty
Dartmoor National Park, Devon
Want to feel as if you have stepped into the likes of Wuthering Heights or Sense and Sensibility? Then head to Dartmoor.
This sprawling 368-square-mile national park in Devon is home to the most beautiful walks in the county, in my opinion.
From rock formations that look more like mythical beasts to river spots with giant stepping stones, the park boasts tons of possible days out.
And if you are lucky, you’ll be able to spot some Dartmoor ponies.
Alice Holt Forest
Alice Holt Forest near Farnham is thought to be one of the best family woodlands to visit in the south, with trails ideal for buggies and little ones.
The park also has a small café ideal for grabbing a cuppa if there is a chill in the air.
Charleton Fruit Farm
In Angus, Scotland, Charleton Fruit Farm is home to a huge pumpkin patch from October 9 that is completely free to visit.
There’s lots of other stuff to do at the farm as well for free, including the play park with go- karts, trampolinesand sandpitt.
You can also pick seasonal fruit at the farm, but this isn’t free – you’ll be charged according to the weight of what you pick.
Or head to Charleton Farm for a free pumpkin patchCredit: Charleton FarmDoddington Hall also has a pumpkin patch you can visit for freeCredit: Doddington Farms
Doddington Hall and Gardens
Doddington Hall and Gardens is another spot with a free pumpkin patch, where there are more than 30 types of pumpkins, squashes and gourds to choose from.
If you do want to buy one though, you of course will need to pay for this, with prices usually starting from £4.
Throughout the patch though, there will be some pumpkins with golden bottoms – if you find one, it means you’ll win the pumpkin, as well asa family ticket to Christmas in the Hall as well as a homegrown Christmas tree.
Wings, Wonders & Wildlife Trail at Sandilands
At National Trust‘s Sandilands in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, you can head off on a free trail where families learn about six winter visitors.
Along the trail, visitors will test their knowledge with interactive challenges.
The trail is great for all ages and is self-led through the nature reserve.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A good Tommy Lasorda quote: “There are three types of people in the world. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder, ‘What happened?’ ”
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Some random questions
While we await the winner of the Braves-Phillies series, it’s time to get a different viewpoint. I reached out to Times columnists Mirjam Swanson and Bill Plaschke to get their answers to a few Dodgers questions.
Q. Which team is the one the Dodgers would rather avoid playing in the NL playoffs?
Swanson: The San Diego Padres, actually. Weird stuff happens with rivalries. Weird stuff has happened against the Padres. Add a rivalry to the high-stakes NLCS? Guaranteed weirdness.
So the Padres concern me more than the Brewers, a talented group headlined by ace Jacob Misiorowski that nonetheless does itself in with its poor-little-us talk. The Padres have swagger — and substance — and they just finished the season on a heater, going 41-18 to close the season.
I still like the Dodgers in that series, and then against whomever comes out of the American League too.
It’s the NLDS that’s of most concern — less for who the opponent will be and more for the fact that it’s a best-of-five series. That squeezes the already small sample size of a playoff series and makes it so there’s less room for error and more room for baseball to happen.
Plaschke: The one team the Dodgers should avoid playing is the Philadelphia Phillies. They have all those left-handed starters who can shut down the best Dodger hitters. They only lost the NLDS to the Dodgers last year because one of their relief pitchers lost his mind. They have a veteran lineup that is long overdue. Play them at your peril.
Q. Does Josue De Paula find a space on the postseason roster, and what do they do with him next year, with the positions he plays seemingly taken?
Swanson: Yes, absolutely, JDP will be on the roster in the postseason. For his incredible energy. For his incredible bat. Both much-needed.
Next year? Are they going to play professional baseball next year?
OK, let’s hope they do play ball. And as long as they do, I can see the Dodgers giving De Paula run in the outfield — so long as he puts in the work in the offseason (however long that is) to train and study and make himself a playable outfielder.
His hitting is so elite, he needs only to be a competent fielder to justify his regular presence in the lineup. He’s a great young athlete and if he understands and tackles the assignment with the gusto that he approaches hitting, I don’t see what could hold him back.
Plaschke: De Paula has to be on the roster this October and in a position to take some high-leverage at-bats. I think he’s potentially good enough that you trade Teo and put him in left.
Q. How would you rank the bullpen in terms of trust (top three)?
Swanson: Roki Sasaki and Edgardo Henriquez are both coming back from injuries and basically jumping right into the postseason fire so … fingers crossed. But let’s assume Sasaki’s blister is a thing of the past, as it appears to be, and that Henriquez’s back isn’t aching, I’ll pick them and make a call for Evan Phillips, who looks great and looks like he’s feeling great; I just saw him hit 100 mph for the first time this season, striking out the San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill looking in the Dodgers’ loss Thursday.
Plaschke: In the bullpen I trust, in order, Roki Sasaki, Alex Vesia, and Evan Phillips. I don’t trust Tanner Scott. Would you?
Q. The Dodgers won last year despite not getting a first-round bye. So was it really important for them to get the bye this year?
Swanson: Yes! This team is “old.” They know it, everyone knows it — and they know they’ll benefit from getting off their feet for a few days. To them, it’s a reward for a job well done. As a thankful Freddie Freeman chuckled Thursday night: “Rest for all of us is always nice. We’ve been grinding since February, getting ready for the season. Then you go through a 162-game schedule. It’s a lot. So we played really good baseball for six straight months and we get rewarded for that. So we’ll take it in, rest up and get ourselves ready to go for Saturday.”
Plaschke: The bye is hugely important. This is the oldest team in baseball. This is the most exhausted team in baseball. They desperately need those five days off.
Q. Finally, predictions. Who wins the World Series this year?
Swanson: The club that won the past two World Series.
Plaschke: Milwaukee wins the World Series. Nobody beats the Miz.
Who makes the roster?
We will predict the postseason roster after we know who the Dodgers are playing, but, it appears the final two spots among position players could come down to Josue De Paula, Alex Call, Dalton Rushing and Hyeseong Kim. Which two would you choose to make the team?
Every year around this time, this newsletter mentionsMakenna Martin, who holds an online bracket (much like the NCAA bracket) where people can fill out their choices for the best-looking Dodger. She added a charitable aspect to it, raising money for a charity for women who are the victim of domestic violence.
Martin, now a college graduate, has continued the bracket, and this year is using it to raise money for “Peace Over Violence,” another charity that helps victims of domestic abuse. You do not have to donate to take part in the bracket challenge. Whether you donate or not, it’s a lot of fun to do. There’s also a raffle to raise funds, with a lot of Dodgers prizes to win. A tip of the cap to Martin and to all young people who try to make the world just a little bit better.
Freddie Freeman hits a walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. Watch and listen here.
Until next time …
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
After 72 particularly miserable hours for his football program, Lincoln Riley took his place behind a lectern Tuesday and tried to assure that things at USC weren’t as bad as they looked.
“There’s a lot of things to be proud of in this football program right now,” Riley assured. “Those that really look into it and look at what’s happening here will see that and understand that. There’s people on the outside that just don’t.”
But the optics at USC, since Saturday’s 41-27 home loss to Oregon, certainly couldn’t have been much worse for Riley. Because it wasn’t just that his Trojans lost a critical game to a bitter rival, one framed for weeks — months, even — as a must-win. Or that in its wake, Ducks coach Dan Lanning had savaged him or his program multiple times.
It was what happened in the midst of that loss, as well as the reactions after, that only made matters much worse for USC.
The days since have prompted questions across the country about Riley’s future at USC, where he’s midway through his fifth season as coach. One person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Times that “all options are on the table” with Riley after the loss and the events of last weekend.
The chain of regrettable decisions began the moment Trojan linebacker Desman Stephens lowered his shoulder into the helmet of sliding Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in the second quarter Saturday evening. Moore’s head slammed hard into the ground, and he laid motionless for several minutes surrounded by medical personnel, until he was lifted onto a backboard and loaded into an ambulance that had driven onto the field.
The whole unsettling scene was made far worse by Stephens’ reaction in the immediate aftermath of the hit. After jawing with Oregon players, the junior linebacker was seen taunting the Oregon sideline and celebrating on his way back to USC’s side of the field. He continued high-fiving teammates while the Ducks surrounded their quarterback, who was diagnosed with a concussion but no other serious injuries.
The next morning, both Stephens and his coach said in a statement that his actions were “unacceptable,” “inexcusable” and “completely inappropriate.” But after the game, Riley first said he didn’t see Stephens celebrate the hit. And when Riley was asked why Stephens was allowed to stay on the sideline for the second half, the coach responded, incredulously, “‘cause he’s on our football team.” He wished Moore well, but said nothing further about Stephens or his vicious hit.
“It’s an easy answer,” said Petros Papadakis, a local radio host and former USC captain. “I understand you can’t have eyes everywhere as a head coach. But even if you didn’t see it, by the end of the game you know most of college football has turned against you in the last hour.
“The story didn’t go away because Lincoln didn’t get in front of it.”
It was clear that night, among USC’s leadership, that the immediate response wasn’t adequate enough. So the next morning, athletic director Jen Cohen met with Riley to discuss a suspension for Stephens. They settled on one game.
On Tuesday, Riley took a different tone. He said he was “disappointed with how [Stephens] handled it” and that he “needs to have more awareness.”
Riley also asked for understanding from those who have been critical of Stephens, whom he described as “a young person who made a mistake.”
“Consider if that was your son,” he said, “how would you want it handled?”
But three days later, the college football world was still litigating Stephens’ hit. The story was still alive, in part, due to a short documentary from the game, published by Oregon on Tuesday morning. In it was a clip that would unexpectedly make things even worse at USC.
The clip is of USC’s radio booth, where Pete Arbogast has been the Trojans’ play-by-play guy for the past quarter century. From his perch in the Coliseum press box, Arbogast is painting the scene of the play when Moore was injured. Except, in this case, listeners heard a different account of his slide and Stephens’ hit than what happened on the field.
“He did not try to slide feet first!” Arbogast said in the moment.
Arbogast went on to say that Moore “ducked into that hit. I did not see him put his feet out first. I saw him dive forward.”
When confronted with the replay moments later, Arbogast stood by what he said, claiming that Moore’s slide was “more of a knee-first slide.” Even Arbogast’s radio partner — former Trojan defensive tackle Shaun Cody — raised his eyebrows at the suggestion.
Both Arbogast and the university declined to comment on the situation when reached by The Times.
Papadakis, who previously worked on the broadcast with Arbogast, called it “a bad look,” but explained that Arbogast was “usually defending USC or trying to spin something positive.”
That job was left to Riley and his players on Tuesday. Though, some were more convincing than others.
“This is a time of adversity, the best time to come together as one,” left tackle Elijah Paige said.
“Times like these you tend to see teams fall apart,” quarterback Jayden Maiava added, “but this team is such a tight team and we’re all bought into each other.”
Riley, meanwhile, pointed for the second day in a row to a stretch early in Saturday’s fourth quarter against Oregon, when the Coliseum had reached a fevered pitch and momentum seemed to be swinging in the Trojans’ favor.
Except, it never did. USC allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns after that. Riley still tried to find the silver lining.
“We didn’t get run out of the stadium,” Riley said. “There’s a lot of good on that tape. You don’t have a chance to win a game like that if you don’t do some things pretty well.”
Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson had just delivered a hard hit on Jalen Hurts as the Eagles star quarterback was running out of bounds. Hurts had to leave the game under the NFL’s concussion protocol.
So Sirianni decided to let Jackson know exactly how he felt about him. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” cameras showed the sixth-year coach screaming an extremely NSFW word apparently at the opposing player — twice — while Eagles backup quarterback Andy Dalton prepared to enter the game.
Hours later, following the Eagles’ 27-7 loss to the Bears, Sirianni expressed regret for how he behaved.
“I always come away when I have a moment like that with remorse,” Sirianni told reporters during his postgame news conference. “I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me. Those guys are out there trying to make a play. It was close on the sideline, ended up being a penalty. Obviously you never want to see your quarterback get hit like that, but it’s in the heat of the moment. I know nobody’s trying to hurt anybody out there, and I always have remorse when I act that way.”
He added: “The emotion of the game probably got the better of me today and I have to learn from that in that particular moment. I have to be more steady in that situation and be able to — like I say to the guys all the time, be able to move on and go to the next play. I didn’t like how I handled that.”
Trailing 7-0 midway through the second quarter, Hurts was forced to scramble out of the pocket on second down for a short gain to the Bears’ 13-yard line. As he was stepping out of bounds, Hurts was hit hard in the shoulder area by Jackson and knocked backward onto the ground. Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but the penalty was offset by an offensive holding call on Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson.
After the game, Jackson joked that he received “some feedback” over that hit but said that he thought he was making the appropriate play at the time.
“I’m seeing him, I see the first down right there and in my head I’m trying to stop him from [getting] the first down and reaching the ball out,” Jackson told Marquee Sports Network. “I thought it was a clean hit. In the second of the game, I thought it was clean.”
Hurts was able to jog back to the Eagles huddle but was then called to the sideline for concussion testing. Out on the field, Dalton handed the ball off to star running back Saquon Barkley three times to get the Eagles to the Bears’ 2-yard line. But on third and goal, Dalton’s pass intended for Dontayvion Wicks was intercepted by Chicago’s Dillon Thieneman in the end zone to stop the drive.
In his postgame news conference, Hurts didn’t address the hit by Jackson but did express frustration about not being able to clear the concussion protocol and re-enter the game sooner.
“I wish they could have expedited things,” Hurts said. “I felt fine.”
The Bears — led by third-string quarterback Case Keenum, who started in place of injured starter Caleb Williams and backup Tyson Bagent, who was recovering from a conncussion — then drove the ball down the field for a field goal. Hurts returned to the game on the next drive and led the Eagles to their only touchdown of the game.
EASYJET flights are set to be disrupted across Portugal for five days due to strikes – and it starts this weekend.
Staff are staging walkouts which will see flights cancelled at airports in cities like Lisbon, Porto and Faro.
EasyJet staff in Portugal are staging walkouts which start this weekendCredit: Alamy Stock PhotoFlights to Lisbon are expected to be disruptedCredit: Getty
Members of the SNPVAC union, which the airline’s cabin crew in Portugal belongs to, has announced walkouts from October 2–6.
The union has estimated that the strike in October could ground around 500 scheduled flights overall.
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Some UK flights have already been cancelled ahead of the strike action.
Two return flights and one outbound flight from Southend Airport have been cancelled.
No flights from London Stansted Airport have been affected so far, according to reports.
From the UK, easyJet operates flights to Portugal from the likes of Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester and Newcastle.
Passengers due to travel to or from Portugal during the strike dates are being advised to monitor communications from easyJet.
The Portuguese government has ensured that there will be a minimum of one Lisbon-London-Lisbon rotation per day during the strike.
No UK service from Faro or Porto appears on the protected list, and the order does not identify specifics when it comes to flights.
Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and CEO of AirAdvisor advised that “passengers should wait for a flight-specific decision and preserve the exact time of any cancellation notice.”
As many as 500 flights could be affected by the industrial actionCredit: Markus Mainka
He added: “If easyJet cancels and they still need to travel, they should request rerouting at the earliest opportunity, including on another airline where that would reach the destination materially sooner, rather than automatically accepting a refund.”
Last month, easyJet pilots, again in France, staged a walkout across two days in September.
Members of the SNPL pilots’ union staged the strike over a pay dispute between September 13-14.
The SNPVAC union has announced further walkouts later on in the year in December between 19–23.
A spokesperson from the airline said: “We are extremely disappointed that SNPVAC is planning strike actions despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue.
“We had just started a conciliation process through the mediation of DGERT with the aim to reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.
“The current union demands are unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average
“We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.”
Flight compensation rules
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
So if you are able to move your flight, especially to the morning, then you’d be protected from a cancellation.
As a strike is outside of an airline’s control, you sadly won’t get any compensation.
But the airline does have a duty of care, which means they must provide you with food and water as well as book you into a hotel if you are stuck overnight.
Four major airports are expected to be hit, as well as other airports across the countryCredit: Alamy
Flights expected to be impacted tomorrow include a 12:30pm Wizz Air service from Milan to London Luton, a 2pm easyJet flight from Milan to London Gatwick and a 1:20pm easyJet flight from Rome to London Gatwick.
Passengers are being advised to check their flight status with their airline and airport before travelling.
There will be another strike on October 16, lasting 24 hours – but this time it will be easyJet flight crew walking out.
A 90s POP star looked unrecognisable as he belted out his big hit at his daughter’s wedding.
The singer, now, 62, found fame thanks to his massive dance song back in the day – but can you guess who it is?
Do you recognise this 90s pop star?Credit: TikTok/faithadamsuThe singer, who had a huge hit in 1994, sang at his daughter’s weddingCredit: TikTok/faithadamsu
The star in question is Mark Carson Adams who goes by the stage name Duke.
The Newcastle singer is best known for his massive 1994 house anthem So In Love With You.
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Mark thrilled guests at his daughter Faith’s wedding, when he took to the stage to perform his famous song.
Dressed in a black tux, the 90s star sang his famous dance tune, as he got the party started.
At one point the bride and groom joined him on stage to dance, as their guests gathered around.
Mark’s daughter shared the moment on TikTok and playfully wrote over the top of the video: “When your dad decides to sing his 90s hit at your wedding and your friends are no.1 fans.”
Mark looked very different to his heydayCredit: UnknownSo in Love With You was a huge hit for MarkCredit: Wikipedia
The singer looked different to his 90s heyday, after ditching his moustache and goatee beard.
Mark was 30 when So In Love With You was released, and the song propelled him to stardom.
The smash hit dance tune was included on his 1995 album, The 10 Commandments Of Love.
The song was also famously remixed by Fatboy Slim as Pizzaman and topped the US Billboard Dance chart in 1997.
Although So In Love With You remains his biggest hit to date, Mark has continued to perform.
The singer’s Instagram is filled with all the live events he has played at, plus all the shows he has coming up.
Persistent heavy downpours over a 48-hour period have triggered widespread flooding and severe traffic disruptions in Bangkok, Thailand. Authorities have issued red alerts in the worst affected areas.
A MAJOR pop star was spotted singing one of her hit tracks in a quiet driveway.
The singer was dressed casually and having a great time performing to the small, happy crowd – but would you have recognised it was her?
Would you have recognised this pop star?Credit: TikTok/@annemariedailypostsAnne-Marie performed at a small street party, delighting fansCredit: TikTok/@annemariedailyposts
Anne-Marie strutted around the car park with a mic in hand, singing Rockabye .
A little blue stand stood behind her for the event, which a reposter on TikTok said was part of a street party.
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Anne-Marie sported pink hair, pink and blue ombre shoes and a comfortable pair of black tracksuit trousers for the day.
She finished the look off with a simple necklace and a black graphic tee.
The singer sang her huge hit RockabyeCredit: Getty ImagesClean Bandit’s Rockabye came out a decade ago, and Anne-Marie featured on itCredit: Getty Images
People waved their arms along to the music while children joyfully blew bubbles.
Fans adored seeing the interaction, and flooded the comments section of the clip with praise for Anne-Marie.
One user said: “She’s just so down to earth, and she’s got the best voice.”
A second shared: “I love her she’s beautiful, natural and a people person. Plus her voice is perfection.”
A third added: “Local girl done good. Love this!”
Rockabye was released by Clean Bandit in 2016, but Anne-Marie and Sean Paul featured on the record.
It became hugely popular, to date having over 3 billion views on YouTube alone.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I was reading my Bible, and baseball was mentioned almost immediately. “In the big inning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
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The postseason awaits
There are still three games left in the season, but let’s jump ahead and talk about the postseason a bit. We will have more in the run-up to the NLDS next week. The good news is the Dodgers have clinched a first-round bye and will open the postseason on Saturday, Oct. 3. The NLDS is best-of-five on a 2-2-1 format, so the Dodgers will host Games 1 and 2, and if necessary, Game 5.
Who will they play? The winner of the series between the No. 3 seed (Atlanta) and the No. 6 seed, which has yet to be determined. There are four teams vying for the three wild-card spots.
Should the Dodgers fear any one team more than the others this postseason? Let’s see how they have fared against all the other potential postseason teams. In fact, let’s see how all the postseason teams have fared against each other.
Dodgers vs. Arizona, 6-7 (-5 run differential) vs. Atlanta, 1-5 (-11) vs. Chicago, 2-4 (+2) vs. Milwaukee, 3-4 (+2) vs. Philadelphia. 4-2 (+11) vs. San Diego, 8-5 (+19) Total, 23-27, (+18)
Arizona vs. Dodgers, 7-5 (+5) vs. Atlanta, 4-3 (-8) vs. Chicago, 2-4 (-11) vs. Milwaukee, 2-4 (-22) vs. Philadelphia. 3-3 (-5) vs. San Diego, 5-5 (+5) Total, 18-19, (+25)
Atlanta vs. Dodgers, 5-1 (+11) vs. Arizona, 3-4 (+8) vs. Chicago, 3-3 (-1) vs. Milwaukee, 3-3 (-5) vs. Philadelphia. 9-4 (+23) vs. San Diego, 3-4 (-7) Total, 26-19 (+29)
Chicago vs. Dodgers, 4-2 (-2) vs. Arizona, 4-2 (+11) vs. Atlanta, 3-3 (+1) vs. Milwaukee, 4-9 (-9) vs. Philadelphia. 6-1 (+22) vs. San Diego, 5-1 (+27) Total, 26-18, (+50)
Milwaukee vs. Dodgers, 4-3 (-2) vs. Arizona, 4-2 (+22) vs. Atlanta, 3-3 (+5) vs. Chicago, 9-4 (+9) vs. Philadelphia, 4-2 (+14) vs. San Diego, 2-4 (-5) Total, 25-18, (+43)
Philadelphia vs. Dodgers, 2-4 (-11) vs. Arizona, 3-3 (+5) vs. Atlanta, 4-9 (-23) vs. Chicago, 1-6 (-22) vs. Milwaukee, 2-4 (-14) vs. San Diego, 6-0 (+11) Total, 18-26, (-54)
San Diego vs. Dodgers, 5-8 (-19) vs. Arizona, 5-5 (-5) vs. Atlanta, 4-3 (+7) vs. Chicago, 1-5 (-27) vs. Milwaukee, 4-2 (+5) vs. Philadelphia, 0-6 (-11) Total, 19-29, (-50)
This serves as a basic guideline for you. We would really have to dig deep to find hidden meanings here, since a lot depends on who started for each team. Philadelphia started the season poorly, fired their manager, named Don Mattingly manager and turned things around. So, when did these teams face the Phillies? I could do that for every team, but I can just hear people closing the newsletter and deleting it if I get too far into the weeds. Just as an example, San Diego is 0-6 against the Phillies, but were outscored by only 11 runs, while the Dodgers have losing records against Chicago and Milwaukee, but outscored both teams. And every Dodger fan from that era can tell you that the Mets were 10-1 against the Dodgers in the regular season in 1988, but lost to them in the playoffs.
But, stuff like this is fun. And remember when stats were sometimes just for fun, and not every stat had to look at launch angles and elevation rates?
The postseason roster?
The final position player spot on the postseason roster will be very interesting. Does it go to Josue De Paula, who hit .323/.500/.581 with three doubles, one triple, one homer and seven RBIs in 42 plate appearances. He also walked an impressive 11 times while striking out only five times.
He is back in the minors now, but the Dodgers can bring him back for the postseason, as long as he is replacing an injured player, such as Dalton Rushing. They would need to petition the Commissioner’s Office to allow it, but that kind of petition has never been denied in the past.
Of course, De Paula is blocked at DH, left field and right field now that Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández are hitting better. But he did seem to bring a shot of energy to the team, as if he reminded them “Hey, this is supposed to be fun.”
Does the final spot go to Rushing? I don’t see how, because he can’t play in the field right now because of his elbow injury.
Does it go to Hyeseong Kim? His name was brought up this week by Dave Roberts, because Kim brings speed, versatility and good defense. He could be this season’s Justin Dean, appearing in almost every game and never hitting.
And the bullpen? If you have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell in the rotation, that means Roki Sasaki goes to the bullpen. Does Justin Wrobleski get a bullpen spot? What about Emmet Sheehan, who has pitched great in his return (one earned run in 17 innings, giving up six hits and walking three while striking out 24)? Do you need all three of them in the bullpen in anticipation of the inevitable injury to Snell and Glasnow? We’ll know more about Snell when he starts Saturday.
Can Yamamoto pitch in every postseason game?
A lot of questions, no answers yet.
Forgotten Dodger: Willie Crawford
Willie Crawford, 17, who hit .444 for Fremont High, signs a $100,000 deal with the Dodgers in 1964 as Al Campanis watches.
(Associated Press)
We won’t go quite as far back in time for this one as the previous ones.
Willie Crawford is one of those guys who was good at a lot of things but not great at anything, and those types of players tend to be overlooked. But you need players like that every year in order to win.
Crawford first played for L.A. as a 17-year-old in 1964 and had his best season in 1973, when he hit .295/.396/.453 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs. He was solid defensively, playing more shallow than most right fielders to cut down on bloop singles and relying on his speed to catch any balls hit over him.
“He was big and powerful, and he could hit a ball as far as anybody. Boy, was he something,” Tommy Lasorda once said of Crawford, who the Dodgers signed out of Fremont High. Crawford was signed out of high school for $100,000, and the rules at the time said if you signed for at least that much, you had to stay on the major league roster for a season, which hampered his development. In 1965, the 19-year-old Crawford got a World Series ring for being on the Dodgers roster, but he batted only 27 times in the regular season. He had a pinch-hit single in Game 1 of that series.
In his first four seasons as a Dodger, he played in 72 games.
He was a productive player for many years and retired after the 1977 season. Crawford died of kidney disease at age 57 in 2004. You can read more about him here.
The postseason race
Here are the postseason seedings as of Thursday’s games. The three division winners get the top three seeds, followed by the three teams with the best records. The top two division winners get a first-round bye. Milwaukee and the Dodgers have clinched division titles and first-round byes.
Mikwaukee has clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Dodgers have clinched the No. 2 seed and the Braves the No. 3 seed.
The Padres and Cubs have clinched wild-card spots. If the season ended today, Atlanta would host Philadelphia in one best-of-three wild-card round, with the winner taking on the Dodgers. The Padres would host the Cubs in the other wild-card round, with the winner playing Milwaukee.
In their final three games of the season, the Padres host the Diamondbacks, Philadelphia hosts Tampa Bay and Chicago plays at Boston.
Five of the six teams in the AL have been decided, with Tampa Bay and Cleveland clinching the top two seedings and the first-round bye. The third seed will be the AL West champion, either Texas or Houston (no relation), who are both 79-80. The Astros have the tiebreaker advantage. The three wild-card teams are the Yankees, Boston and the Chicago White Sox, in that order.
The Cat Man is back
Reports of the demise of Tony Gonsolin were greatly exaggerated. He’s back in the majors.
Gonsolin was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2022, finishing the season 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA. He was having a mediocre 2023 before he was shut down and had Tommy John surgery. After missing the 2024 season, he came back in 2025, made seven starts and had internal brace surgery on his elbow. The Dodgers let him go. He was busy rehabbing his arm for the last year, and finally the Kansas City Royals decided to give him a chance. They sent him to the minors in August, and called him up to the majors this week.
He came in for a relief appearance on Tuesday and, after pitching two scoreless innings, gave up five runs and four hits, with two walks, ending the outing on a sour note.
“Essentially, I’m trying out for next year,” Gonsolin told reporters before the game. “It has been a while since I’ve thrown before this many fans. Just looking forward to the excitement and the adrenaline.”
These names seem familiar
This will be the final time this feature runs this season. It will be back next season. How many names will have joined it then? How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last few seasons are doing with their new teams (through Wednesday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:
Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 95 ERA+, out for the season
Friday: Dodgers (*Tarik Skubal, 11-7, 2.85 ERA [4-2, 2.95 ERA with Dodgers]) at San Francisco (Yunior Marte, 0-1, 4.66 ERA), 7:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Saturday: Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 4-1, 1.86 ERA) at San Francisco (*Matt Wilkinson, 1-3, 3.65 ERA), 7:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Sunday: Dodgers (TBD) at San Francisco (TBD), 12:05 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Against the tidal wave of public opposition to those who go barefoot on a plane, there is a countercultural force of people determined to get up in the sky, unencumbered by socks
Not everyone loves seeing a barefoot on a plane(Image: reddit.com/Qwaymind)
They may be the most maligned group in modern society – the barefoot passenger.
There is something about a naked, sock-free foot at 30,000 feet that unifies the public in its fury and disgust in a way rarely seen in the 21st-century world of social media polarisation. And every now and again, there’s a particularly egregious case that captures the attention.
Back in October last year, Boston-based artist Ashley Eisenman filmed a man behind her propping his bare foot into the gap beside her seat for the entire hour-long flight, leaving them mere centimeters from her defenseless arm. “He 1000% should be on the no-fly list ASAP,” she wrote after the traumatic incident.
If a one-hour flight from Reno to San Francisco is bad, then a nine-hour journey from Zurich to New York is the stuff of flakey-skinned, wiggly-toed nightmares. That is what happened to Reddit user u/sarahfayejay, who posted an alarming photo with the caption: “I have a 9-hour flight ahead of me.”
And it’s not an issue that inflicts only those in economy. The alarming Instagram page Passenger Shaming shared a video of a woman lying on her back in first class, with both her bare feet resting against the plane’s wall.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
While you might assume that the dislike of this practice was universal and a given, Expedia decided to check. In a 2018 survey of 18,000 travellers it found that more than 90% said it’s never okay to go barefoot on a plane, while a later 2023 Kayak-led piece of peer reviewing found that 76% of travellers “prefer their vision free of toes” on a flight.
Against this tidal wave of public opposition, there is a countercultural force of people determined to get up in the sky, unencumbered by socks.
“I think the trick, generally, is not ask for consent. Idk (I don’t know) why you would anyway, but I’ve seen it done, and the answer was a negative. So don’t ask, just go… Hopefully you won’t get a Karen next to you who does the whole anti-barefeet on the plane shtick that is still doing the rounds…” one Reddit user wrote in response to a member of the r/barefoot community asking how flying with your feet in their birthday suit typically went down.
Another explained their method for getting on board without attracting attention. “I wear a pair of flip-flops or light sandals that I put on when I enter the airport. I go through security in them and take them off while I’m in the terminal. When they announce my flight, I put them back on to go to the gate, board the plane with them on, and once I’m seated, I take them off until the end of my trip,” they explained.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
A third wrote: “I flew back home from Florida in January barefoot without incident. Except a young female TSA agent insistently asked two or three times ‘Where are your shoes?’ I told her that ‘the government does not require me to wear shoes.’ She let me pass.”
While the US government may not require its citizens to wear shoes, American, Delta, and United all explicitly reserve the right to refuse or remove barefoot passengers, though enforcement in practice appears inconsistent based on these accounts. In the UK, none of the major airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 have rules specifically banning passengers from taking off their shoes.
While the majority of people may take issue with seeing a bare foot in a public place, there is a subset of people who sincerely believe in going without shoes, whether that be for foot health or spiritual reasons.
Kriss Sands is a no-shoes advocate whose blog, Born to Live Barefoot, details the ups and downs of living without shoes on. It is something he takes seriously. “In general, as a full-time 24/7 barefooter, the only reason I would ever put on shoes would be when there is imminent danger of my feet being damaged or injured otherwise, such as extreme weather conditions, caustic chemicals, fire, or similar conditions,” Kriss writes.
In one post, Kriss argues that a “passenger who chooses to travel barefoot on a plane is harming no one and should never be of anyone else’s concern.”
According to Kriss, it’s only the US airlines that specify that being barefoot is against their terms of carriage. “I have not seen all foreign based airlines’ contracts of carriage, but I have reviewed the ones from Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Air New Zealand, British Airways, China Southern Airlines, Lufthansa, and Qantas. With the exception of Air Canada, none of these make any mention at all of bare feet or someone who is barefoot,” Kriss writes.
However, he says airports and planes are no places to argue with staff, given how seriously security is taken. From Kriss’s experience, most staff will allow you to board and fly barefoot, so long as you’re polite. Over a 20-year period, he took 114 flights without shoes on and was only asked to cover his feet eight times.
