WASHINGTON — President Trump will host leaders of five Central Asian countries at the White House on Thursday as he intensifies his hunt for rare earth metals needed for high-tech devices, including smartphones, electric vehicles and fighter jets.
Trump and the officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are holding an evening summit and dinner on the heels of Trump managing at least a temporary thaw with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on differences between the United States and China over the export of rare earth elements, a key point of friction in their trade negotiations.
Early last month, Beijing expanded export restrictions over vital rare earth elements and magnets before announcing, after Trump-Xi talks in South Korea last week, that China would delay its new restrictions by one year.
Washington is now looking for new ways to circumvent China on critical minerals. China accounts for nearly 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.
Central Asia holds deep reserves of rare earth minerals and produces roughly half the world’s uranium, which is critical to nuclear power production. But the region badly needs investment to further develop the resources.
Central Asia’s critical mineral exports have long tilted toward China and Russia. Kazakhstan, for example, in 2023 sent $3.07 billion in critical minerals to China and $1.8 billion to Russia compared with $544 million to the U.S., according to country-level trade data compiled by the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an online data platform.
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday to repeal Soviet-era trade restrictions that some lawmakers say are holding back American investment in the Central Asian nations, which became independent with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Today, it’s not too late to deepen our cooperation and ensure that these countries can decide their own destinies, as a volatile Russia and an increasingly aggressive China pursue their own national interests around the globe at the cost to their neighbors,” said Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a sponsor of the legislation. “The United States offers Central Asian nations the real opportunity to work with a willing partner, while lifting up each others’ economies.”
The grouping of countries, referred to as the “C5+1,” has largely focused on regional security, particularly in light of the two-decade U.S. military presence and then withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan, China’s treatment of ethnic Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and attempts by Russia to reassert power in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the Central Asian leaders at the State Department on Wednesday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the C5+1 and to plug the potential for expanding the countries economic ties to the U.S.
“We oftentimes spend so much time focused on crisis and problems – and they deserve attention – that sometimes we don’t spend enough time focused on exciting new opportunities,” Rubio said. “And that’s what exists here now: an exciting new opportunity in which the national interests of our respective countries are aligned.”
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and the U.S. ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy to South and Central Asia, recently visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to prepare for the summit.
Administration officials say deepening the U.S. relationship with the countries is a priority, a point they have made clear to the Central Asian officials.
The president’s “commitment to this region is that you have a direct line to the White House, and that you will get the attention that this area very much deserves,” Gor told the Central Asian officials Wednesday.
In 2023, Democratic President Joe Biden met with the five leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. That was the only other time that a sitting president has taken part in a C5+1 summit.
Madhani writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
VIRGIN Radio Breakfast Show host Chris Evans has revealed the hit TV programme he turned down presenting.
The broadcaster was speaking with The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant on today’s show when Noel Edmonds cropped up in the conversation.
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Chris Evans revealed the popular gameshow he turned down hostingCredit: Virgin Radio UKStephen Merchant recalled his early career at the BBCCredit: Virgin Radio UK
Stephen explained: “One of the first times I got a little bit starstruck is I first joined the BBC as a trainee and I was walking around the doughnut at the BBC and coming the other way, Noel Edmonds.
“I think he might have had Cuban heels on, I’m not sure. He had an attaché case. I thought, ‘What are the ideas in there? I bet there’s some quality in there. I bet there’s a Blobby spin-off’. I was a massive Edmonds fan.”
The comedy writer and actor then praised Edmonds’ ability to make long-running gameshow Deal or No Deal a national TV institution.
He said: “That guy, the fact that you could keep that going day in, day out of people opening boxes. I mean, only Edmonds could do it. It’s extraordinary.”
Chris then revealed the show could have been very different if he’d agreed to present it.
“I was offered that show,” he said Chris. “Thank God I turned it down.”
When Stephen responded, “you’re extraordinary,” Chris quickly clarified that he wasn’t blowing his own trumpet, rather making the point that fate intervened and everything worked out as it should.
Chris explained that production company Endemol offered him the job without the need for an audition or pilot episode, but the former TFI Friday host never entertained it.
He said a DVD of the format lay on his coffee table “for ages” and remained unwatched.
“I wasn’t interested,” said Chris. “No, not for a second. It’s not what I do and Noel did it, it brought him back and he’s one of my heroes. It’s a genius show anyway.”
The pair then laughed about Noel turning the act of opening a box containing a mystery amount of money into a spiritual process that tapped into each contestant’s intuition.
Noel hosted the programme for 11 years between 2005 and 2016 before it was shelved by Channel 4.
The format barely changed in that time with 22 contestants all given a red box, containing an unknown some between 1p and £250,000 in value, at random.
A chosen player then has to select which of their co-stars’ boxes they want to open, hopeful of avoiding big money sums as they go
At intervals, the banker makes the player an offer for their box, which they can decide to take in exchange for their sum or play on until the very end where they will walk away with the mystery amount they were originally allocated.
The programme made a comeback in 2023 on UTV with Stephen Mulhern at the helm.
Listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK, weekdays from 6:30am
Noel Edmonds revitalised his career with Deal or No DealCredit: Channel 4
EuroLeague said the decision to allow Israeli clubs to play home games was in response to the October 10 ceasefire agreement.
Published On 21 Oct 202521 Oct 2025
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Basketball’s top European competitions are set to become the first to return to Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks, after clubs agreed on Tuesday to resume EuroLeague and EuroCup games in the country from December 1, following recent ceasefire and peace initiatives in the region, the organisation said.
Games involving Israeli teams have been held at neutral venues since October 2023 due to the conflict in Gaza.
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Six-time champions Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv are the Israeli clubs in this season’s EuroLeague, while Hapoel Jerusalem play in the EuroCup.
Maccabi have been playing their home games in Belgrade, Serbia, where they host Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Hapoel Tel Aviv have made their home in Sofia, Bulgaria, where their next home game is on October 29 against Partizan Belgrade.
“After thoughtful deliberation, ECA clubs agreed on the proposal to set December 1, 2025, as the date for games to resume in Israel. Until then, Euroleague Basketball will continue to carefully monitor developments, stay in close contact with local and foreign authorities, visiting teams, and all relevant organisations,” EuroLeague Basketball said in a statement.
“Euroleague Basketball and its participating clubs welcome the recent peace plan with optimism and hope. The organisation reaffirms its belief in the power of basketball to bring people and communities together, and its commitment to contributing to peace through the shared values of sport, respect, and unity.”
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated breaches of the ceasefire since it was formally agreed upon eight days ago, with flashes of violence and recriminations over the pace of returning captives’ bodies, bringing in aid and opening borders.
When my father was crossing the U.S.-Mexico border like an undocumented Road Runner back in the 1970s, la migra caught him more than a few times.
They chased him and his friends through factories in Los Angeles and across the hills that separate Tijuana and San Diego. He was tackled and handcuffed and hauled off in cars, trucks and vans. Sometimes, Papi and his pals were dropped off at the border checkpoint in San Ysidro and ordered to walk back into Mexico. Other times, he was packed into grimy cells with other men.
But there was no anger or terror in his voice when I asked him recently how la migra treated him whenever they’d catch him.
“Like humans,” he said. “They had a job to do, and they knew why we mojados were coming here, so they knew they would see us again. So why make it difficult for both of us?”
His most vivid memory was the time a guard in El Centro gave him extra food because he thought my dad was a bit too skinny.
There’s never a pretty way to deport someone. But there’s always a less indecent, a less callous, a less ugly way.
The Trump presidency has amply proven he has no interest in skirting meanness and cruelty.
“The way they treat immigrants now is a disgrace,” Papi said. “Like animals. It’s sad. It’s ugly. It needs to stop.”
I talked to him a few days after a gunman fired on a Dallas ICE facility, killing a detainee and striking two others before killing himself. One of the other wounded detainees, an immigrant from Mexico, died days later. Instead of expressing sympathy for the deceased, the Trump administration initially offered one giant shrug. What passed for empathy was Vice President JD Vance telling reporters, “Look, just because we don’t support illegal aliens, we don’t want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence” while blaming the attack on Democrats.
It was up to Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem to try and show that the federal government has a heart. Her statement on the Dallas attack offered “prayers” to the victims and their families but quickly pivoted to what she felt was the real tragedy.
How ungrateful critics are of la migra.
“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed,” Noem said. “This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences…The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop.”
You might have been forgiven for not realizing from such a statement that the three people punctured by a gunman’s bullets were immigrants.
This administration is never going to roll out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants. But the least they can do it deal with them as if … well, as if they are human.
Under Noem’s leadership, DHS’ social media campaign has instead produced videos that call undocumented immigrants “the worst of the worst” and depict immigration agents as heroes called by God to confront invading hordes. A recent one even used the theme song to the cartoon version of the Pokémon trading card game — tagline “Gotta catch them all” — to imply going after the mango guy and tamale lady is no different than capturing fictional monsters.
That’s one step away from “The Eternal Jew,” the infamous Nazi propaganda movie that compared Jews to rats and argued they needed to be eradicated.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) as prisoners stand, looking out from a cell, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in March.
(Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Noem is correct when she said that words have consequences — but the “violence and dehumanization” she decries against ICE workers is nothing compared to the cascade of hate spewing from Trump and his goons against immigrants. That rot in the top has infested all parts of American government, leading to officials trying to outdo themselves over who can show the most fealty to Trump by being nastiest to people.
If there were a Cruelty Olympics, Trump’s sycophants would all be elbowing each other for the gold.
Politicians in red states propose repulsive names for their immigration detention facility — “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida, for instance, or “Speedway Slammer” in Indiana. U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, Trump’s top prosecutor in Southern California, has trumpeted the arrests of activists he claimed attacked federal agents even as video uploaded by civilians offers a different story. In a recent case, a federal jury acquitted Brayan Ramos-Brito of misdemeanor assault charges after evidence shown in court contradicted what Border Patrol agents had reported to justify his prosecution.
Our nation’s deportation Leviathan is so imperious that an ICE agent, face contorted with anger, outside a New York immigration court recently shoved an Ecuadorian woman pleading for her husband down to the ground, stood over her and wagged his finger in front of her bawling children even as cameras recorded the terrible scene. The move was so egregious that Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughin quickly put out a statement claiming the incident was “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”
The act was so outrageous and it was all caught on camera, so what choice did she have? Nevertheless, CBS News reported that the agent is back on duty.
Noem and her crew are so high on their holy war that they don’t realize they’re their own worst enemy. La migra didn’t face the same public acrimony during Barack Obama’s first term, when deportation rates were so high immigration activists dubbed him the “deporter-in-chief.” They didn’t need local law enforcement to fend off angry crowds every time they conducted a raid in Trump’s first term.
The difference now is that cruelty seems like an absolute mandate, so forgive those of us who aren’t throwing roses at ICE when they march into our neighborhoods and haul off our loved ones. And it seems more folks are souring on Trump’s deportation plans. A June Gallup poll found that 79% of Americans said immigration was “a good thing” — a 15% increase since last year and the highest mark recorded by Gallup since it started asking the question in 2001. Meanwhile, a Washington Post/Ipsos September poll showed 44% of adults surveyed approved of Trump’s performance on immigration — a six-point drop since February.
I asked my dad how he thought the government should treat deportees. Our family has personally known Border Patrol agents.
“Well, most of them shouldn’t be deported in the first place,” he said. “If they want to work or already have families here, let them stay but say they need to behave well or they have to leave.”
That’s probably not going to happen, so what should the government do?
“Don’t yell at people,” my dad said. “Talk with patience. Feed immigrants well, give them clean clothes and give them privacy when they have to use the bathroom. Say, ‘sorry we have to do all this, but it’s what Trump wants.’
“And then they should apologize,” Papi concluded. “ They should tell everyone, ’We’re sorry we’ve been so mean. We can do better.’”
Russia has expressed strong disapproval of Denmark’s plan to establish a production facility for long-range missile fuel for Ukraine, claiming it will heighten the risk of escalation and lead to more violence in Ukraine.
This facility will be run by the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, known for its Flamingo missiles, which President Zelenskiy has called Ukraine’s most effective weapon. The production site will be located near Denmark’s Skydstrup air force base, which houses F-16 jets.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that this initiative reveals Denmark’s aggressive stance towards Russia. She argued that this move undermines efforts to peacefully resolve the situation in Ukraine and reflects Denmark’s intent to profit from the ongoing conflict.
Denmark has supported Ukraine significantly since Russia’s military invasion in 2022, providing 67.6 billion Danish crowns (approximately $10.6 billion) in military aid, according to its foreign ministry. Zakharova emphasized that this development poses a threat to regional stability and demonstrates a commitment to militarization rather than diplomacy in resolving the crisis.
Olivia Attwood is back with a new series of ITV2’s Bad Boyfriends, however she made headlines after presenting This Morning for the very first time this summer
Olivia Attwood on This Morning(Image: ITV)
Olivia Attwood has opened up about her future on ITV’s This Morning after making her presenting debut this summer. The ex Love Island star is returning to our screens with a new series of Bad Boyfriends on ITV2 this weekend.
However, Olivia became a daytime name earlier this year when she joined the presenting line-up of This Morning over the summer break. Speaking ahead of Bad Boyfriends’s return, Olivia revealed that This Morning bosses were impressed with her performance – and want her back.
“I loved it and luckily they loved me, which was all I was worried about,” she said. “They were happy and I did the slots I had over summer.
Olivia Attwood co-hosts ITV’s This Morning with Dermot O’Leary(Image: ITV)
“From their side and our side, we’d like it to be a repeat thing, but now it’s going back into regular scheduling with Cat and Ben so it’s more just where and when I could pop back in and obviously around the other things I’m doing.”
She added that it was a dream working with Dermot O’Leary, who she hosted alongside in the summer break. “I loved it and Dermot was just the dream to work alongside,” she said.
“Honestly, I have so much respect for him as a broadcaster and it was like surreal, but it was, I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a few more.”
It comes after Olivia revealed that she was “told off” by her husband Bradley Dack following her wild Ibiza holiday with friends – including Pete Wicks. “I am wild and I do go to Ibiza every year,” she said.
“I let my hair down and I do get told off by my husband and I’m honest about that. I’m not alone in that. The difference is that other people in our industry just wouldn’t be honest to say that. That is just what happens. I’m just not perfect, Brad’s not perfect, but we make it work.”
The ex Love Islander was pictured looking cosy with friend and KISS co-presenter Pete Wicks while partying on a boat with friends in Ibiza. Speaking about the rumours around their platonic relationship, she said: “I think it’s going to be expected when you have two straight people working together.
“It happened when I first joined TOWIE and Pete and I became very close. We spent a lot of time together. There was a rumour mill spinning back then and I expect it.
“I honestly do know that the way I am with the press and how I survive in my career is that I just don’t deep it that much. Unless it was something really bad that someone was saying about me, I don’t get too invested.
Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends airs Sunday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
The biggest — and most expensive — hurdle for most Olympic planning is construction. L.A., which touted its multitude of existing venues during its initial bidding process, is already ahead of the curve.
“From where I sit, they’re probably better prepared than any city has ever been,” said Payne, who led the IOC’s marketing for 20 years and advised on the successful host bids for the 2012, 2016 and 2028 Games.
An aerial view of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will co-host the L.A. 2028 Olympics opening ceremony and track and field competition.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
But the next three years will not be without concerns, said Jules Boykoff, a political science professor at Pacific University and longtime Olympic scholar.
A ballot measure proposed by organizers with the hotel workers union could affect construction for the temporary venues by requiring a citywide vote.
The Olympics, scheduled to open on July 14, 2028, will take place during wildfire season.
While LA28 has promised to cover all Games operational costs, the city has still pledged funds for transportation and infrastructure improvements that will remain after the torch is extinguished and will be liable for the first $270 million in overruns.
Then there’s the federal government.
“The federal government is necessary for security, funding and transportation, but Trump is “extraordinarily erratic,” Boykoff said. While signing an executive order to establish an Olympic task force, the president also took a swipe at Mayor Karen Bass, calling her “not very competent.”
“Typically there’s coordination between the local, city government, where the Olympics are being hosted, and the federal government, positive, collaborative energy,” Boykoff said. “And there’s not that at all with this.”
BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has seemingly never been one to follow the crowd and has since been hailed for going against the hosting grain
Kelly Smith Screen Time Reporter
05:30, 16 Aug 2025
BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has been praised by a body language expert for her unique approach to presenting, which completely flips the traditional “TV husband and wife” dynamic.
Judi James, an expert in body language, has shared her insights following reports of tension within the famous red sofa studio, offering her professional opinion on what might be happening behind the scenes. Recent reports suggest that Naga and her co-presenter Charlie Stayt are embroiled in a “toxic feud” with the show’s editor Richard Frediani. Since these allegations surfaced, their on-screen relationship has been under scrutiny, with many speculating if cracks will start to show.
However, after observing the two news anchors, Judi offered a different perspective on what might be happening off-camera. She stated: “Some of the most friendly and bonded-looking TV duos have actively disliked each other in real life. Most performers, comics and journalists tend to be loners by nature and sharing a screen can often be a challenge for the ego.”
A body language expert has weighed in on the BBC Breakfast situation(Image: BBC)
She further commented: “Naga and Charlie have quite a natural-looking on-screen relationship in that it tends to show up moments of tension or disagreement rather than papering over the cracks with cuddly, forced smiles fake laughter,” reports Bristol Live.
Judi, a body language expert, noted that the usual male and female roles were not followed by the two hosts. She pointed out that Naga’s often “dry humour” could come as a “shock” to fans accustomed to the traditional “TV husband and wife” roles.
Naga and Charlie do not follow the usual TV husband and wife hosting format says expert(Image: BBC)
She suggested that viewers might have interpreted Naga and Charlie’s “non-verbal displays” as a warning sign of something else happening. However, Judi speculated that their unconventional dynamic might explain some of their seemingly awkward and silent moments on-air.
Judi remarked: “Their on-screen ‘chemistry’ can tend to look spiky at times and although they can have their playful moments, some of their non-verbal ‘banter’ can show signs of genuine irritation or frustration, with Naga often throwing eye-‘asides’ to either the camera and therefore the audience at home, or to others in the studio and off-camera.
Naga’s dry sense of humour could be mistaken for awkward tension(Image: BBC)
“It’s often a form of dry humour, but to anyone preferring the kind of smiley, giggly, ‘My TV husband/wife’-style on-screen performances it can be a bit of a shock.”
She further emphasised: “One other aspect of these non-verbal displays is the one of status. For many years it was traditional for the male newsreader to be the dominant character on-screen, looking solemn, serious and, at times irascible or irritated. The female would often be expected to provide the smiles, empathy and the softness.”
Praising the Radio 5 Live presenter for her unique approach, Judi said: “Naga, though, thankfully, seems to have turned this outdated tradition on its head, presenting a more assertive display complete with moments of irritation or disapproval, while Charlie seems to appear to be softer and more likely to smile.”
Former NBA All-Star is among six indicted on US federal charges for conducting illegal gambling at his California mansion.
Former NBA All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas and five other defendants have been arrested on a federal indictment alleging they operated an illegal gambling business running high-stakes poker games at Arenas’s mansion in Encino, California.
Arenas, 43, is charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
He was scheduled to make his initial appearance and be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
Those arrested on Wednesday included 49-year-old Yevgeni Gershman, described as a suspected organised crime figure from Israel, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California.
Arenas and the other defendants operated an illegal gambling business from September 2021 to July 2022, according to the indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday.
Arenas rented out the Encino mansion for the co-conspirators to host the illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games, among other illegal games, with a fee charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand.
Gershman hired women who were paid in tips and served drinks, provided massages and offered companionship to the poker players, with the women charged a percentage of their earnings by the business operators, per the indictment. Chefs, valets and armed security guards were also hired to staff the games.
Gilbert Arenas’s girlfriend, Melany Monaco, leaves the Edward R Roybal Federal Building after attending a court session for the former NBA star in Encino, California, United States, on July 30, 2025 [Damian Dovarganes/AP]
Arenas was a three-time All-Star, and All-NBA second-team selection in 2006-07 and third team in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
He averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 552 regular-season games (455 starts) for the Golden State Warriors (2001-03), Washington Wizards (2003-10), Orlando Magic (2010-11) and Memphis Grizzlies (2012).
His NBA career was overshadowed by an incident in December 2009 in which he and Washington teammate Javaris Crittenton brought guns into the locker room two days after having a dispute on a flight during a card game.
Arenas pleaded guilty to felony gun possession and was suspended for the final 50 games of the 2009-2010 NBA season.
The Warriors selected Arenas in the second round (31st overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft out of Arizona.
Gilbert Arenas played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association [File: Mark Duncan/AP]
The Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy Steam Locomotive pulls into Kirkwood, Mo., on August 2021. It is similar to the Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive that will be on display at this year’s train festival in Los Angeles. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
July 23 (UPI) — Los Angeles’ Union Station will give visitors a closer look at Southern California’s railroad history during Train Festival 2025: LA’s Spirit in Motion in September.
The free two-day event is scheduled Sept. 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PDT and will feature railroad equipment tours, displays, model train exhibits and interactive information booths.
Visitors also can enjoy live entertainment and giveaways during the family-friendly event that is sponsored by Metro, Amtrak and Metrolink and celebrates Los Angeles’ “vibrant rail history and its revolving role in the city’s future.”
“Transportation is … about the people, places and stories that compel us to move,” Metro Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins said.
“We’re proud to make those connections possible,” Wiggins added, “and there’s no better place to see that in action than Los Angeles Union Station.”
She called the event a “celebration of the journeys we embark on, the history that grounds us and the communities we build through shared travel.”
Visitors can learn about nearly a century of rail history and tour and view displays of railroad equipment dating from 1927 to now.
Among featured exhibits will be the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society’s Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive, which pulled the rail station’s first named passenger train more than 85 years ago.
“Many kids grow up reading about steam trains in their history books but will never actually see one in person,” SBRHS President Alex Gillman said.
“Santa Fe 3751 offers families … the chance to experience what a working, 874,000-pound steam locomotive looks like as they climb into the cab, meet the engineer and learn what it takes to keep this rare icon of American history operating today,” Gillman added.
Amtrak, Metrolink, LARail.com and the Pacific Railroad Society also are scheduled to display their respective train equipment during the event.
So will several of Southern California’s model train clubs.
Young attendees can visit the kids’ zone and receive a train conductor hat that they can keep and wear while taking selfies next to Travel Town Museum’s restored Railway Express Agency delivery truck.
More event information is available at Union Station’s Train Festival 2025 webpage.
Since their arrival, audiences have witnessed a roster of guest hosts including Rochelle Humes, Emma Willis, Rylan Clark and Paddy McGuinness filling in when needed.
But it appears one ITV personality has set their sights firmly on the coveted presenting position – and they’re certainly familiar with the programme.
Former Made in Chelsea star turned broadcaster Ashley James has disclosed her ambitions to secure the hosting role.
In conversation with The Sun, she revealed: “I’ve always said that I’m always there when the time comes. I would always love to host This Morning.
This Morning star admits ‘I’m there when the time comes’ as they eye up hosting role(Image: (Image: ITV))
“I kind of follow where my interests are, and it’s got me to where I am today, and I’m always going to work harder than anyone else.”
The 38-year-old acknowledged her fortune, looking back on her entertainment career beginnings in 2012 when she had no industry connections whatsoever, reports Wales Online.
Ashley disclosed that upon leaving her previous employment, appearing on This Morning became her primary objective.
Ashley is a regular face on the ITV show(Image: ITV)
Her aspirations appear to have materialised, as ITV audiences regularly spot her as a guest panellist, frequently offering her perspective on current affairs alongside Nick Ferrari.
She continued: “I wanted to be on This Morning because it’s a show that I grew up idolising. It was the goal. So I love it and it’s such an amazing team. I love everybody that’s on there, both in front of the camera and and behind the scenes.”
Although Ashley hasn’t taken up the mantle of presenter just yet, it was recently revealed that Love Island alum and Loose Women panellist Olivia Attwood will be taking the reins of the show this summer.
Olivia Attwood is joining the This Morning team this summer(Image: ITV)
During a chat about her upcoming gig with Ben and Cat, she expressed her enthusiasm.
She said: “I’m going to be doing a couple of shows in the summer, I’m very excited to be joining you guys.
“It’s a huge honour, I’ve obviously grown up watching this show and being part of the Daytime team with the Loose Women has been the best experience and this just feels like a very natural progression of that.”
Ben and Cat have thrown their support behind Olivia, hinting that she’ll do a ‘brilliant’ job in her new role.
The BBC has hosted Wimbledon for a staggering 90 years, but now reports suggest the rights to the tennis tournament in SW19 could be poached by two rival broadcasters
The BBC has hosted Wimbledon for a staggering 90 years
Despite hosting Wimbledon for a jaw-dropping 90 years, the BBC may be at risk of losing the rights to the iconic tennis tournament, according to reports.
For decades, the broadcaster has given us some of the world’s most epic matches from SW19, featuring stars, including Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal, along with commentary from some of the game’s biggest stars. However, the Beeb is now reportedly facing a fight to retain its rights to Wimbledon – with two rival broadcasters eyeing up mega-money deals to get a slice of the annual action, which attracts millions of viewers.
Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2025(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
According to City AM, the BBC pays £60m to the All England Tennis Club to broadcast Wimbledon each year, keeping it free to watch for anyone with a TV license.
Its trusted coverage and commentary from the likes of Tim Henman and John McEnroe is a big hit with fans. However, the corporation’s current deal expires in 2027, meaning it may have to pay more than £60m if it wants to secure the rights for 2028 to 2030.
The Broadcast Act of 1996 also states that while Wimbledon must be accessible via free terrestrial TV it does not guarantee exclusive broadcasting.
This is said to have made way for huge broadcasters Sky Sports and TNT Sports to potentially broadcast Wimbledon themselves in the future.
TNT Sports is already set to broadcast this year’s men’s and women’s singles finals alongside the BBC after taking over Eurosport. They have also been presenting part of the Olympic Games for the past two years.
Sky Sports, meanwhile, already has a huge following and has exclusive rights to the US Open, as well as the ATP and WTA tours.
Speaking last month, BBC commentator Andrew Castle said he didn’t think the BBC would “allow” anyone else to present Wimbledon.
Speaking via Betway, he said: “I don’t think they ever would [allow a rival broadcaster to take over].
“In terms of a domestic audience in the UK is concerned, I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t on the BBC and free to air. But I’ve been surprised before. I just don’t see why or the particular benefit and that’s what matters to me.
“It’s an institution and an event, not a tennis tournament. As long as people see it because it is the big showcase.”
Adding he was also a big fan of not being bombarded with adverts during the coverage, he added: “When I think of Wimbledon on the BBC, what is really lovely is there are no commercial breaks.”
The much-loved tennis tournament is now underway after kicking off on Monday and will finish onSunday, July 13,when the men’s singles final is played on Centre Court.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion in the men’s singles while Czech star Barbora Krejcikova won last year’s women’s singles title.
The Mirror has contacted the BBC for comment on this story.
July 2 (UPI) — The United States has blacklisted a Russia-based bulletproof hosting services provider, two affiliated companies and four of its leaders accused of aiding bad actors in evading detection as they conduct cybercrimes.
Aeza Group is accused of providing its services to ransomware and malware groups, including Medusa and Lumma infostealer operators, who have employed the hosting services provider to target the U.S. defense industrial base and technology companies, among a slew of others.
According to the Treasury, Aeza Group sells its services to these malign actors who are given access to specialized servers and other computer infrastructure to help them disseminate their criminal software without detection.
“Cybercriminals continue to rely heavily on BPH service providers like Aeza Group to facilitate disruptive ransomware attacks, steal U.S. technology and sell black-market drugs,” Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in a statement.
Along with Aeza Group its British branch, Aeza International, was also blacklisted Tuesday. The Treasury said Aeza Group uses Aeza International to lease IP addresses to cybercriminals.
Aeza Logistic and Cloud Solutions were also sanctioned for being Russia-based subsidiaries of Aeza Group.
Individuals sanctioned were listed as Arsenii Aleksandrovich Penze, CEO and one-third owner of Aeza Group, Yurri Meruzhanovich Bozoyan, general director and one-third owner of Aeza Group, Vladimir Vyacheslavovich Gast, technical director of Aeza Group, and Igor Anatolyevich Knyazev, a one-third owner of Aeza Group.
The Treasury acknowledged Britain for its assistance that led to the designation of Aeza International.
“Treasury, in close coordination with the UK and other international partners, remains resolved to expose the critical nodes, infrastructure and individuals that underpin this criminal ecosystem,” Smith said.
The blacklisting comes after the United States, Australia and Britain jointly sanctioned Russia-based bulletproof hosting service provider Zservers in February.
BBC and ITV sports presenting icon Steve Ryder gave his last broadcast on Sunday as he presented the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park for ITV4
22:47, 22 Jun 2025Updated 22:53, 22 Jun 2025
Steve Ryder has retired from TV sport presenting(Image: Aaron Lupton/Prosports/Shutterstock)
Sports presenter Steve Ryder has announced his retirement from broadcasting after an impressive 48-year career. The 75-year-old covered major sporting fixtures for both the BBC and ITV over the course of his time on the air.
On Sunday, the star was broadcasting from the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire when he revealed he would be hanging up his microphone. He was covering the event for ITV4 when he announced the news of his departure from the screen.
A montage of clips was then shared showing drivers including Lando Norris, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jenson Button and David Coulthard all bidding farewell to the broadcaster. Over the years, he has hosted Sportsnight and Sports Personality of the Year, as well as the BBC’s coverage of every Olympic Games between 1988 and 2004.
He departed the BBC in 2005 and joined ITV where he presented coverage of Formula One, as well as the football and rugby World Cups. His final appearance proved to be a muted exit, but he has previously explained why he decided the time had come to quit.
He told the Daily Mail: “The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, ‘For God’s sake, don’t c**k it up.’
He hosted his last show for ITV on Sunday(Image: Getty Images)
“Because you’d be thinking about that for the next 20 years. I’ve probably outstayed my welcome. I’ve been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. But it’s close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing.”
Steve famously used to present Match of the Day and was left miffed when he was replaced by Gary Lineker as the main host – admitting he had cut the former footballer out of his life.
The beef began when Gary said in 2015 that he though the R&A as ‘pompous’ and accused them of feeling like ‘superior beings’. This, in turn, provoked a furious reaction from Steve.
He told the Golf Paper: “I hold Gary Lineker in the highest regard as a football presenter, but his reflections on his experiences as a golf presenter need a huge reality check. For four years, the R&A and most other observers knew that Gary was the wrong man in the wrong job. Hazel Irvine has just delivered once again at the Open presentation skills of the highest quality. Not many people can do that and Gary certainly came up short.
“Roger Mosey, the head of sport, knew Gary was a golf fanatic and was further encouraged by Gary apparently volunteering for the Masters vacancy within a few minutes of my exit from Television Centre.
The star decided it was time to take a step out from the spotlight(Image: FILE)
“But if Mosey thought long and hard before offering Gary the golf job, it’s even more baffling. Match of the Day is scripted and rehearsed. Golf presentation, especially at Augusta, is seat of the pants, unpredictable and demanding.”
Away from sport, Steve also won praise for being open about a battle against prostate cancer after he was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023.
He underwent emergency surgery which stopped the cancer from spreading. He previously told BBC Breakfast: “They took one look and said, ‘We’re going to operate in two weeks’.
“No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday. So it slotted into the schedule quite nicely!”
WASHINGTON — A federal judge Friday blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep Harvard University from hosting international students, delivering the Ivy League school another victory as it challenges multiple government sanctions amid a battle with the White House.
The order from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston preserves Harvard’s ability to host foreign students while the case is decided, but it falls short of resolving all of Harvard’s legal hurdles to hosting international students. Notably, Burroughs said the federal government still has authority to review Harvard’s ability to host international students through normal processes outlined in law.
Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security in May after the agency abruptly withdrew the school’s certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork for their visas, skirting most of its usual procedures. The action would have forced Harvard’s roughly 7,000 international students — about a quarter of its total enrollment — to transfer or risk being in the U.S. illegally. New foreign students would have been barred from coming to Harvard.
The university said it was experiencing illegal retaliation for rejecting the White House’s demands to overhaul Harvard policies related to campus protests, admissions, hiring and more. Burroughs temporarily had halted the government’s action hours after Harvard sued.
Less than two weeks later, in early June, President Trump tried a new strategy. He issued a proclamation to block foreign students from entering the U.S. to attend Harvard, citing a different legal justification. Harvard challenged the move, saying the president was attempting an end run around the temporary court order. Burroughs temporarily blocked Trump’s proclamation as well. That emergency block remains in effect, and the judge did not address the proclamation in her order Friday.
“We expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days,” Harvard said Friday in an email to international students. “Our Schools will continue to make contingency plans toward ensuring that our international students and scholars can pursue their academic work to the fullest extent possible, should there be a change to student visa eligibility or their ability to enroll at Harvard.”
Students in limbo
The stops and starts of the legal battle have unsettled current students and left others around the world waiting to find out whether they will be able to attend America’s oldest and wealthiest university.
The Trump administration’s efforts to stop Harvard from enrolling international students have created an environment of “profound fear, concern, and confusion,” the university said in a court filing. Countless international students have asked about transferring from the university, Harvard immigration services director Maureen Martin said.
Still, admissions consultants and students have indicated most current and prospective Harvard scholars are holding out hope they’ll be able to attend the university.
For one prospective graduate student, an admission to Harvard’s Graduate School of Education had rescued her educational dreams. Huang, who asked to be identified only by her surname for fear of being targeted, had seen her original doctoral offer at Vanderbilt University rescinded after federal cuts to research and programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Harvard stepped in a few weeks later with a scholarship she couldn’t refuse. She rushed to schedule her visa interview in Beijing. More than a month after the appointment, despite court orders against the Trump administration’s policies, she still hasn’t heard back.
“Your personal effort and capability means nothing in this era,” Huang said in a social media post. “Why does it have to be so hard to go to school?”
An ongoing battle
Trump has been warring with Harvard for months after the university rejected a series of government demands meant to address conservative complaints that the school has become too liberal and has tolerated anti-Jewish harassment. Trump administration officials have cut more than $2.6 billion in research grants, ended federal contracts and threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
On Friday, the president said in a post on social media that the administration has been working with Harvard to address “their largescale improprieties” and that a deal with Harvard could be announced within the next week. “They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,” the post said.
The Trump administration first targeted Harvard’s international students in April. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanded that Harvard turn over a trove of records related to any dangerous or illegal activity by foreign students. Harvard says it complied, but Noem said the response fell short and on May 22 revoked Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
The sanction immediately put Harvard at a disadvantage as it competed for the world’s top students, the school said in its lawsuit, and it harmed Harvard’s reputation as a global research hub. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the lawsuit said.
The action would have upended some graduate schools that recruit heavily from abroad. Some schools overseas quickly offered invitations to Harvard’s students, including two universities in Hong Kong.
Harvard President Alan Garber previously said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism. But Harvard, he said, will not stray from its “core, legally-protected principles,” even after receiving federal ultimatums.
