issue

Coupang issue affects South Korea-U.S. security talks

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac (L) talks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun during a Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, South Korea, 06 April 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA

April 24 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s national security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday that the Coupang regulatory dispute is affecting security consultations between South Korea and the United States, while stressing that Seoul is seeking to keep the corporate matter separate from alliance negotiations.

Wi made the remarks during a briefing at a local press center in Hanoi, where he accompanied President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to Vietnam.

“The Coupang issue is a corporate issue,” Wi said. “But it is true that the Coupang issue is affecting security consultations between South Korea and the United States.”

His comments came after 54 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, urging Seoul to end what they called discriminatory regulatory actions against U.S. companies, including Coupang.

Wi said South Korea has been discussing the matter with Washington and has argued that linking the Coupang issue to security talks is not desirable.

“Our position is that the Coupang matter should proceed according to legal procedures, while security negotiations should move forward as security negotiations,” Wi said.

He said delays in security consultations are “also true” and added that such delays do not help the broader alliance.

“We believe they should not be delayed and should resume promptly,” Wi said.

Wi said the security negotiations have their own structure and balance, and Seoul believes they can proceed separately from the corporate dispute.

He also said Seoul has reviewed the letter from U.S. lawmakers and has contacted relevant members of Congress to explain the government’s position.

“We are making efforts to provide explanations and understanding,” Wi said. “There were letters before this as well, and we explained those matters too.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry said Thursday that investigations and measures involving Coupang are being conducted under domestic law and due process, without discrimination based on nationality.

Wi said Seoul will continue efforts to explain its position but acknowledged that U.S. lawmakers may express concerns about American companies.

“Whether that issue is connected to security consultations is another matter,” Wi said. “We are trying to respond to the two issues separately.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260424010007786

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Amnesty International and rights groups issue a World Cup travel advisory for the U.S.

Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups issued a “ World Cup travel advisory” Thursday, warning tournament visitors of “rising authoritarianism and increasing violence” in the United States during President Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement.

The groups said the advisory was necessary “in light of the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.”

The advisory says visitors may be arbitrarily denied entry to the country, detained in “inhumane” conditions or subjected to invasive phone and social media searches. It points to the aggressive immigration surges in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis that led to accusations of racial profiling and the violent suppression of protests.

The message was condemned by tourism officials, who said the groups were threatening the livelihoods of service industry workers in an attempt to achieve their political goals.

Geoff Freeman, president & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said there are legitimate concerns about U.S. entry policies but they’re being blown out of proportion. There were 67 million international travelers to the United States last year, he said in a statement.

“The notion that visiting America poses a meaningful safety risk is not a good-faith warning, it’s a political tactic designed to cause economic harm,” Freeman said.

A FIFA spokesperson pointed to several statements and policies, including the federation’s governing documents, which say, “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”

The U.S. has seen a decline in international travelers since Trump returned to the White House last year and offended U.S. allies with talk of making Canada a U.S. state, taking control of Greenland and questioning the value of NATO. The tourism industry is counting on a major boost from World Cup visitors, even as Trump’s travel ban for citizens of 19 countries has injected further uncertainty.

The administration is betting that its push to expedite visa processing for visitors and excitement about the tournament will outweigh concerns that Trump’s immigration messaging undercuts the theme of global unity that the World Cup is meant to represent.

The tournament kicks off June 11 with games spread across North America, including 11 stadiums in the U.S. along with two in Canada and three in Mexico.

Cooper writes for the Associated Press.

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MasterChef fans issue same complaint over latest show challenge ‘are you for real’

MasterChef was back with the first quarter-final of series 22 on Thursday night

MasterChef fans were left scratching their heads over Thursday night’s quarter-final challenge.

Series 22 sees celebrated chef Anna Haugh and restaurant critic Grace Dent take over from Gregg Wallace and John Torode as judges. The pair will test 48 of the country’s best amateur cooks with an array of spectacular challenges.

On Thursday’s first quarter-final of series 22, the first challenge saw the amateur home cooks tasked with creating pancakes, making the most of the fresh produce on offer.

However, it was the second challenge that left viewers baffled. During the episode, legendary food critic Jay Rayner joined the show as a special guest as he set a task for the cooks.

Jay, 59, said: “The challenge I’ve set you sounds very simple. I’ve asked you to make a salad. But we do not want a limp bowl of lettuce, we want structure, texture, we want a killer dressing… something that will rock us back on our feet.” The chefs were then given 90 minutes to create their salads.

However, viewers were left baffled over the salad challenge taking to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts. One person said: “#masterchef A salad …, a salad, are you for real” to which another account put: “Salad? Or a mix of things #MasterChef.”

Elsewhere, another fan referenced The Simpsons as they joked: “#Masterchef You don’t win friends with salad, you don’t win friends with salad…”

Another baffled viewer simply commented: “A salad?! #MasterChef” while a different fan quipped: “No good story ever started with ‘I was having a salad and then'”.

Following the challenge, Jhané and Sabina left Anna, Grace and Jay blown away with their incredible salads. Jhané opted for a Thai-inspired salad with grilled pork, pork skin, sugar snap peas, lettuce, mint, fennel and thai basil. Jhané served it with deep fried rice paper and a lime sesame dressing, which was praised for being a ‘clever’ presentation.

Guest Jay was left delighted as he gushed: “This is exactly what I was hoping for when I set the salad challenge!”

Meanwhile, Sabina also impressed with her ‘harmony salad’, which was spiced black pea falafel, gem lettuce, carrot, pomegranate, salted chicken skin, beetroot quail eggs, puffed rice and curry leaves. It was served with a confit garlic and mustard oil dressing. Jay praised the salad for being “amazing”.

After all the contestants had shown off their creations, Jay admitted: “It was a tough challenge asking them to make a salad, some of them embraced it brilliantly!”

At the end of the show, it was revealed that Jhané and Sabina had sailed through to the next round, they were joined by fellow contestant Jim.

MasterChef season 22 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

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‘Clayface’ trailer: Everything to know about DC’s first horror movie

The DC universe is going full on body horror.

DC Studios released its first trailer for “Clayface” on Wednesday, giving audiences a glimpse of the gruesome origins of the shape-shifting Batman villain.

Set to an eerie rendition of the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??,” the teaser flashes among various images of up-and-coming Hollywood actor Matt Hagen (portrayed by Tom Rhys Harries) before and after a violent encounter as the camera slowly zooms toward his haunted eyes and bloody, bandaged face as he is recovering on a hospital bed.

The clip also includes footage of Hagen’s clay-like, malleable face, which he appears to gain after some sort of scientific procedure.

According to the DC description, “Clayface” will see Hagen transformed into a “revenge-filled monster” and explore “the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.”

“Clayface,” set for an Oct. 23 release, will be the third DCU film to hit theaters since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and reset (most of) its comic book superhero franchise. The studio’s upcoming slate also includes “Supergirl,” which will hit theaters June 26, as well as “Man of Tomorrow,” the sequel to Gunn’s 2025 blockbuster “Superman,” announced for 2027.

Who is Clayface?

Clayface is a DC Comics villain usually affiliated with Batman. The alias has been used by a number of different characters over the years, but they all usually possess shape-shifting abilities due to their clay-like bodies. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface was a washed-up actor turned criminal who first appeared in a 1940 issue of “Detective Comics.”

Matt Hagen was the name of the second Clayface, who first appeared in an issue of “Detective Comics” in the 1960s. He was the first to have shape-shifting powers, which he gained after encountering a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm.

Other versions of Clayface have been introduced in various media since.

Who is in ‘Clayface’?

The upcoming film stars Tom Rhys Harries as rising Hollywood actor Hagen. The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, who is seen in the trailer, reportedly as the scientist Hagen turns to for help following his disfigurement. Also set to appear are David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.

Who are the ‘Clayface’ filmmakers?

Director James Watkins, known for horror films including “Speak No Evil” (2024), is helming “Clayface.” The script was written by prolific horror scribe Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep”) and Hossein Amini (“The Snowman”).

The producers are Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Exective producers include Michael E. Uslan, Rafi Crohn, Paul Ritchie, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther.

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RFK Jr. goes before the Senate. One lawmaker’s competing loyalties will be on display

Bill Cassidy’s roles as a lawmaker, a doctor and a political candidate will collide on Wednesday as he questions Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two high-stakes Senate hearings.

The Louisiana Republican chairs one of the Senate committees that oversees Kennedy’s department and sits on another, giving him two chances to interrogate the secretary about his plans for an agency responsible for public health programs and research. As a doctor, Cassidy has clashed with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine ideas even though he provided crucial support for the health secretary’s nomination last year.

At the same time, Cassidy is fighting for his political future in next month’s primary in Louisiana, where President Trump has endorsed one of his opponents in an unusual attempt to oust a sitting senator from his own party.

How Cassidy handles the hearings could affect his chances at a pivotal moment of his reelection campaign and set the tone for how Congress oversees the nation’s health agenda at a time of rampant distrust and misinformation.

Cassidy hasn’t faced Kennedy in public since September. In the subsequent months, Kennedy has attempted a dramatic rollback of vaccine recommendations that, if not blocked by an ongoing lawsuit, could undermine protections against diseases like flu, hepatitis B and RSV.

After a backlash, Kennedy has also pivoted to spending more time talking about less controversial topics like healthy eating — albeit with his own spin, including sharing exaggerated claims that various ailments can be cured by diet alone.

Cassidy will have to decide on Wednesday whether to grill Kennedy on vaccines, an issue deeply important to him, or put their differences aside and prioritize loyalty to the Trump administration.

“He’s taken a risk showing any sort of resistance to RFK,” said Claire Leavitt, an assistant professor at Smith College who studies congressional oversight. “He may pay an electoral price for that.”

Cassidy has long advocated for vaccines

Cassidy has spent years walking a political tightrope. He’s one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during an impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

As a liver doctor, he advocated for babies to receive hepatitis B vaccines shortly after birth, a step that could have prevented the disease in his patients. But when Trump nominated Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, Cassidy supported him. He did so after securing various commitments, including that Kennedy would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring system and support the childhood vaccine schedule.

The vote for Kennedy did not appear to mollify Trump. The president endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, one of Cassidy’s two primary opponents.

Cassidy also faces opposition from Kennedy’s allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, a group that includes both anti-vaccine activists and a wide variety of other crusaders for health and the environment. The MAHA PAC, aligned with Kennedy, has pledged $1 million to Letlow’s campaign. While the organization hasn’t publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy’s vaccine policy agenda.

“I’m not really sure what MAHA’s beef is,” Cassidy told reporters earlier this month. “Let me point out that I am the reason that Robert F. Kennedy is now the secretary of HHS. He would not have gotten there otherwise.”

Cassidy argues that he has “strongly supported” the MAHA agenda, especially when it comes to the fight against ultraprocessed foods. However, the physician-turned-senator acknowledged that he and MAHA have “disagreed on vaccines.”

“We’ve seen, frankly, that I am right,” Cassidy added, pointing to recent measles-related deaths of children who were not vaccinated.

At a hearing in September, he slammed Kennedy’s decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccine development. He interrogated Kennedy over his attempt to replace members of a vaccine committee, suggesting the new members could have conflicts of interest. He also raised concerns that Kennedy’s vaccine policy decisions could be making it harder for Americans to get COVID-19 shots.

Later that month, Cassidy convened a hearing featuring former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez, who was ousted by Kennedy less than a month into her tenure after they clashed over vaccine policy, and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who resigned in August citing an erosion of science at the agency.

“I want to work with the president to fulfill his campaign promise to reform the CDC and Make America Healthy Again. The president says radical transparency is the way to do that,” Cassidy said at the time.

Experts say Cassidy’s vaccine stance might not hurt him

Political consultants said they expect Cassidy’s primary opponents, Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, to seize on any sound bites from Wednesday’s hearings that can make Cassidy seem at odds with the Trump administration.

But Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco, said the political risk of advocating for vaccines may not be as strong among Republicans as some people assume.

“He’s probably not alienating voters by focusing on the issue and calling it out,” she said.

Louisiana political consultant Mary-Patricia Wray said she thinks most diehard MAHA voters already know who they are voting for, and it’s probably not Cassidy.

Instead, she said, he may still be able to appeal to Democrats who switch their party registration to vote in the primary, as well as a wide swath of still-undecided Republican voters who care about the same health care affordability issues he advocates for every day in Congress.

“If I was advising Bill Cassidy, I would tell him your goal here is not to get out unscathed,” Wray said. “Your goal is to prove that your consistency on issues regarding public health is an asset in your campaign, not a detriment.”

Election outcome will shape future oversight of HHS

Also at stake if Cassidy doesn’t make it to November’s general election is what will happen to his responsibility to oversee the massive U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

Leavitt, the Smith College professor, said seniority typically plays the most important role in who chairs Senate committees. She said another Republican in today’s increasingly hyperpartisan Congress may not be as willing as Cassidy to check Kennedy’s power.

Reiss, the vaccine law expert, said she wishes Cassidy had done more hearings or introduced legislation to rein in Kennedy. And she said the senator bears the blame for allowing Kennedy to bring unfounded vaccine fears into the government in the first place.

“His original sin, of course, was voting for Kennedy at all,” Reiss said.

Swenson writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sara Cline contributed to this report.

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Mum ‘humiliated’ at Ryanair boarding gate as crew take issue with seven-year-old’s bag

A mum described the moment she was charged £55 for her daughter’s suitcase as ’embarrassing and humiliating’ after Ryanair staff claimed it was too big for the hand luggage sizer

A mum who was forced to pay £55 for her daughter’s suitcase on a Ryanair flight says she was caught out by the airline’s “petty” wording.

Luana Botas was travelling home from a six-day trip to visit family on April 3 when she was stopped at Budapest Airport over her daughter’s case.

The 43-year-old was told to put her seven-year-old’s hardshell case into the hand luggage sizer. She was then ordered to pay £55 when it was too large.

Project manager Luana however pointed out that the airline’s website says Trunki or “Trunki-style” cases can exceed the restrictions and still be accepted on board. A Trunki is a ride-on style suitcase aimed at toddlers.

The Ryanair website states children aged between two and 11 are allowed one Trunki case that can exceed the dimension limits of a small bag – 40 x 30 x 20cm. It says this extends to other brands with “similar dimensions” as well as Trunki cases.

The mum-of-one accepts that her daughter Maia Robinson was carrying a case that was 48 x 26 x 33cm, but believes it fits the description. Ryanair, however, says this exceeds the dimensions of a Trunki suitcase (46 x 20 x 31 cm).

Luana says she was fine travelling through Birmingham Airport, describing the moment as “embarrassing and humiliating”. She said: “I went through Birmingham Airport and no one bat an eyelid, it was absolutely fine.

“We had two backpacks and they were pretty much the same size. On Ryanair’s website, there’s a section that says kid’s luggage, like Trunki and other similar brands, are exempt from the strict limit.

“We were going through the boarding procedure at Budapest when a staff member signalled for me to put my daughter’s luggage in the sizer. My bag was fine, even though it was the same size.

“[My daughter’s case] only went halfway and because it’s a hard shell, it didn’t go all the way down. She asked me to pay the surcharge.

“I tried to explain to her that I had no issues going from Birmingham to Budapest and that a Trunki is allowed. I couldn’t get through to her in any way and boarding was almost complete.

“I said ‘even though I’m trying to explain to you that this is your own policy, you’re still going to charge me? And she said ‘yes I need a passport please’.”

Luana, from Birmingham, continued: “We went through the very embarrassing and humiliating procedure of me paying for a service that was exempt.

“I was genuinely in such shock. This was just a little pull-along for my daughter to enjoy.

“The policy on Ryanair’s website says similar brands are exempt. This was [bought online] and [the website] said it was under-seat cabin approved.

“It’s wrong to have a policy that you make an exemption for and then still charge me.”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “This passenger’s bag exceeded the permitted dimensions, and they were correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee (£55) by the gate agent at Budapest Airport.”

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Huge DJ forced to CANCEL gig at  Coachella leaving fans gutted as festival issue statement

A POPULAR DJ has expressed regret after his Coachella set was cancelled due to high winds.

The Italian-American DJ Anyma — whose given name is Matteo Milliera — apologised to fans after Coachella bosses put a pin in his live show.

DJ Anyma had his Friday night set at Coachella cancelledCredit: Getty
Festival bosses blamed high winds for the cancellationCredit: Instagram

The festival issued a statement about the cancellation on its official social media.

“Due to strong winds affecting Anyma’s stage build, he is unable to perform tonight,” it began.

“Coachella and Anyma have made this decision together your safety as the priority.”

In the comments section Anyma added: “I’m sorry everyone. We’ve done everything in our control to build the show I’ve worked an entire year on. Safety always comes first and we’re working on a solution now.”

desert queens

Love Island stars glam up for Coachella as Millie Court & Chloe Burrows party


DESERT PARTY

Coachella 2026 live stream FREE – schedule and how to watch full festival sets

There was no mention of whether his set will be rescheduled at the music festival but he is also planned to hit the stage on Saturday night.

Anyma was set to perform on the main stage at midnight about 90 minutes after Sabrina Carpenter headlined on Friday night.

His DJ set is described as an immersive 360 digital art and music experience whose performances invite the audience to interact with the art and music.

He has recorded music with some of the world’s biggest artists including BlackPink’s Lisa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding.

Anyma alos forms one half of electronic music duo Tale of Us and he has 3.5million followers on Instagram.

Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G are among the pop stars taking over the stage at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Anyma’s sets are designed to be interactiveCredit: Getty

The anticipated desert party kicked off on April 10, and runs until April 19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Friday performances at Coachella this year were headlined by Sabrina Carpenter and also featured The XX, Teddy Swims, KATSEYE, Devo and Turnstile.

Justin Bieber will headline both Saturdays, April 11 and 18, featuring The Strokes, Addison Rae, Interpol, SWAE Lee and SOMBR.

And finally, Karol G, Young Thug, BIGBANG and FKA Twigs will take over the stage on Sundays, April 12 and 19.

Music lovers can skip the flight and watch the livestream from their sofa via the festival’s official YouTube channel.

Coachella 2026 will stream in its entirety on the streaming platform, with separate channels for each stage.

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‘I moved from UK to France for a better life but there’s one issue I didn’t see coming’

Debbie Dawtrey moved from Cambridgeshire to south-western France in 2023 and opened a hotel, but she’s found that one of the most significant problems has been difficult to overcome

Many of us dream about relocating to some idyllic corner of Europe to soak up the sun and embrace the advantages of Mediterranean living. However, beyond the complications of European red tape – and the considerable cost – there’s another significant obstacle that numerous people fail to consider.

Debbie Dawtrey, who relocated from Buckden in Cambridgeshire to south-western France in 2023, reveals that one of the most substantial challenges she’s faced is feeling socially cut off.

Debbie, 64, established a boutique hotel in the Charente, situated in the charming village of Confolens, and explains that while she remains extremely occupied throughout the tourist season, the colder months can prove incredibly isolating.

She told The Times: “I didn’t know anyone in the area and while the summers are busy with guests, contacts are transient and the winters are especially hard as people hunker down and close the shutters.”

Debbie, who is unmarried, explains she’s discovered a method of reconstructing her social connections by arranging a monthly supper club for fellow expats: “Every month we’d take turns in hosting a dinner and had lots of fun,” she explains, “it helped broaden our social circle.”

Debbie emphasises that becoming isolated is remarkably easy when relocating far from relatives and friends, and recommends “you have to really make an effort to put yourself out there”.

Even when you’ve attempted to master the native tongue, the capacity to initiate spontaneous conversations can prove far more challenging than forming friendships back in Britain.

While some individuals might frequent a neighbourhood pub, or perhaps become members of a fitness centre, these are more readily available in bigger towns and cities. Establishing a fresh existence in the French countryside – or indeed in a remote UK community, can prove quite demanding.

Even those working with substantial financial resources can find themselves yearning for what they’ve left behind. Earlier this year, Kate Ferdinand spoke candidly about her homesickness following her relocation to Dubai with her footballer husband Rio.

On her ‘Blended’ podcast in February, Kate became emotional and confessed she was pining for her family and friends back home. Kate and Rio relocated to the UAE last August and while her husband is “loving” his new existence there, matters aren’t quite as positive for Kate.

“I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot,” she acknowledged. “I can’t talk about it because I get upset. I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London. I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me.”

A source close to the pair told The Mirror that the Dubai move hasn’t turned out as Kate had anticipated, and she considers the gleaming Middle Eastern metropolis “soulless.”

They revealed: “She’s struggling. She’s really missing home. She’s not enjoying it. And even though she’s got the kids and she’s got Rio there, she’s homesick. She can’t stop it and it’s very difficult. It’s just not home.” Kate is also feeling the absence of her stepsons. While Rio’s daughter Tia, 14, made the transition to the UAE alongside the family, his elder sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, stayed behind in the UK to pursue their promising football careers – a decision that has caused Kate considerable heartache.

Opening up on her podcast, she admitted: “I miss the big boys a lot and I’m struggling with that. I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So they’re doing what they want to do, otherwise they’d be with us.”

She went on to say: “But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.”

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Tenerife tourists struck by unlikely issue that’s ‘catching holidaymakers out’

Tenerife tourists admit they’ve been hit with an unlikely issue that’s “catching holidaymakers out”. Travellers visiting the hotspot have alerted people to the matter

Tourists visiting Tenerife have been left floored after an unlikely aspect led to impacting their recent holidays. It comes as holiday season has started with a bang, with thousands jetting off to hot countries to sample their first real bit of sun this year.

However, those visiting the Canary Islands have been issued travel advice, especially those heading to Tenerife, as they’ve been warned they may need to act before they go on their travel adventure. Claire, known as Family Freed Company on TikTok, recently alerted people to the issue in a candid video were she offered her top travel tips for visiting.

It’s not the first time the holiday hotspot has been in the news recently either. A few weeks ago, some people admitted they booked early flights home after visiting the destination.

Alongside her video, Claire wrote: “Everyone thinks Tenerife is hot ALL day, but no one tells you what happens when that sun disappears.

“Midday? Boiling. Shade/cloud? You’ll feel it instantly. Evenings? Jumper is coming out. And, if you’re travelling with kids, this catches you out FAST.

“We’ve been multiple times and I STILL see families underpacked. Tenerife is amazing – just don’t pack like it’s 30 degrees 24/7.”

The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, and dozens have commented to share their thoughts. It seems as though many have been struck by the issue when visiting the destination.

One quipped: “Finally someone said it. Clouderife most of the time.” Another added: “Not in the north it’s not! Cloudy every day.”

A third said: “Coming tomorrow. We have cardigans and jackets.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “I stayed there last March. It was so lovely. I was grateful for a bit of cloud as some days it was so hot.”

While Claire loves Tenerife, and admitted it can get really hot at times, she said it’s something travellers need to be aware of. You need to know what to pack if you’re planning a holiday there to ensure you don’t get cold when it clouds over.

In another recent post, people also complained about the misty weather. Someone said: “Got here yesterday and I have never seen it this bad before.”

One more also wrote: “So depressing when you get three or four days out of seven like this.”

What you need to know

If you haven’t been to Tenerife before, there are a few things you may want to know about the weather. Tenerife often has varied cloud cover, frequently appearing cloudy or overcast in the morning, particularly in the north.

However, generally, this tends to clear to sunny spells by midday. While the north is greener and wetter, the southern tourist areas are generally much sunnier and drier.

Even so, these areas can sometimes experience “calima” (dusty, hazy, hot conditions), so people should bear this in mind. Lots of people love visiting the destination though, much like Claire.

For the most accurate, localised forecast, it’s best to check the weather specifically for the area of Tenerife you are visiting. Sources you could use include the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) or a local Tenerife weather webcam.



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Great British Bake Off fans livid as technical issue interrupts Channel 4 show

The Great British Bake Off left fans in a state of panic as the show suffered technical issues which disrupted the viewing of fans across the UK who vented their fury on social media

Viewers of The Great British Bake Off were left unimpressed during Sunday night’s episode for Stand Up To Cancer, as the show was interrupted by technical issues.

As fans of the Channel 4 show sat down to settle in to watching the baking show, they were met with flickering screens. The stars on this year’s show include Sam Thompson, Vicky Pattison and Molly Mae Hague.

And to make matters worse, the show was interrupted multiple time, leaving viewers taking to X to vent their frustration. One person said: “What’s going on? @Channel4 how can we watch #Bakeoff with it breaking up all the time.”

READ MORE: Prue Leith says ‘it’s disgraceful’ as she opens up on end-of-life fearREAD MORE: Mary Berry shares how to make ‘classic’ Eggs Benedict easier at home

Another person asked: “Anyone else have signal issues while watching Bake Off this evening? We’ve had several shaky screeners tonight. #bakeoff.” Meanwhile, a third person questioned: “Anyone else getting a stuttering broadcast and the occasional pixel madness of an 80s top of the pops episode??”

In response to the tweets coming through, a fourth person agreed with the general sentiment: “Me on Sky. I’ve recorded it and only just started watching it.” They added: “I’ve stopped and started it again, thinking it might have been weather-related, so I’m glad it’s not just me ! #GBBO”.

And this sparked a flurry of people coming forward complaining of the same issue. The technical glitch appears to have affected viewers to the point where they had “given up” watching the show.

Other celebrities who took part in that episode also included Alex Brooker, Ambika Mod and Rose Ayling-Ellis, who were all competing against one another to be awarded the Star Baker apron.

They were given three challenges. One of which was to make mini rolls, another was to bake a syrup sponge pudding and a choux pastry.

And it was EastEnders star Rose who impressed the judges the most, and she was crowned winner of their round. Last week, Molly-Mae won her episode.

Judge Paul Hollywood was most impressed with Molly-Mae. One hearing that she had won her segment, she screamed with joy and said: “That has made my life, you don’t understand! Thank you so much!”

And after leaving the show, the mum of one, who is pregnant with her second child with fiancé Tommy Fury, took to her Instagram.

She wrote: “Still trying to process that this even happened! Taking part in Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer was honestly one of the most insane experiences of my life.”

She added: “Just so grateful to have been part of something so special for such an incredible cause… I’ll truly never get over it @su2cuk @britishbakeoff.”

For the remaining episodes, the stars taking part include JLS singer Aston Merrygold, Rag’N’Bone and Celebrity Traitors’ Joe Wilkinson.

Celebrity Bake Off judge Celebrity Bake Off judge Cherish Finden made her debut on the Channel 4 show. And when asked by Noel Fielding how she found her time on the show, she replied: ” ‘I’ve had a great time. He is a master-baker.”

This comes after it was announced that Prue Leith was stepping down from her judging role after nine series. Replacing her, will be TV chef Nigella Lawson.

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Oscar: Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder retires because of heart issue

Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Oscar has retired after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

The 34-year-old was treated in hospital in November after he became unwell during physical testing at Brazilian club Sao Paulo’s training centre.

It was determined he had experienced a case of vasovagal syncope, which is a common type of fainting caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate.

Oscar, who won 48 caps for his country, has now cancelled his Sao Paulo contract, which had two years left to run.

“I wanted to do more for Sao Paulo, I wanted to play more. I think I had both the footballing ability and the age to play more, but unfortunately this happened,” Oscar said in an announcement posted on social media., external

“Now I’m going to retire and continue supporting Sao Paulo, continuing my life as a fan. I’m ending my career here at Sao Paulo, a career that has taken me to many places, practically all over the world.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their constant support, all the Sao Paulo fans who have backed me since my return and during this difficult time I’m going through.”

Oscar signed for Chelsea in July 2012, winning the Europa League in his first season and a Premier League and League Cup double in 2014-15.

He departed for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port in January 2017, having scored 38 goals in 203 games, leaving a Chelsea squad that went on to seal another Premier League title in May.

He won three Chinese Super League titles with Shanghai Port, before returning to Sao Paulo, the club where he started his career, on a three-year deal in January 2025.



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Contributor: What can Democrats stand for when there’s no Trump to stand against?

Thanks in large part to President Trump’s disastrous policies, Democrats have a decent shot at not just retaking the House, but maybe even flipping the Senate.

Here’s the thing to know: Midterms are a referendum on the incumbent president. And this is especially true when the president is Donald Trump, who dominates every news cycle. He creates weather. He is, in short, always the issue.

But what happens when Trump is gone? What happens when Democrats have to defend their record of leadership? What happens when the referendum is on them?

Even now — as Dems appear to be surging — polling suggests that fewer than 40% of Americans view the Democratic Party favorably. That’s not exactly a mandate.

Yes, voters might choose Democrats as the lesser of two evils this November, but that doesn’t mean Americans are out there buying Democratic foam fingers. Not yet, anyway.

It also doesn’t mean Democrats are technically competent. As I type this, the Republican National Committee currently has a 7-to-1 money advantage over Democrats.

While Dems might win in 2026 in spite of all of their problems, a false sense of security would not bode well for 2028 — and beyond.

In fact, “beyond” starts to look structurally challenging, with things like the 2030 census and potential changes to voting laws threatening to rearrange the electoral map in ways Democrats will not enjoy.

But before we spiral into a dystopian future, let’s focus on the single most important decision Democrats will make: their 2028 presidential nominee. I’m not saying issues don’t matter. They do. But candidates function as shorthand for those policies.

That’s how politics works now: less like a detailed policy seminar, and more like a series of vibes that overwhelm us on our iPhones.

The next Democratic nominee will redefine what their party stands for. This one choice could spell defeat or a stunning victory that ushers in a political reordering.

Part of the challenge is that Trump has scrambled traditional political categories. He has borrowed selectively from modern Democratic economic policy preferences — tariffs, skepticism of free trade — while discarding unpopular ideas like entitlement reform and parts of the old Republican moral framework.

The next Democratic nominee will have to scramble things, too.

This isn’t a call for them to “move to the center” or “radicalize to the left.” Scrambling isn’t a linear project.

Let’s start with the premise that Democrats cannot afford to be outflanked on populism again. That already happened once, and it was not their finest hour.

Economic inequality is rising, and artificial intelligence threatens to widen that gap while disrupting millions of jobs. Meanwhile, the tech billionaires (who will profit handsomely from AI) are all lining up behind MAGA.

Putting these tech bros on the ballot should be a no-brainer.

Likewise, young people who were wooed in part by Trump’s “no new wars” promise are suddenly disenchanted.

Democrats should capitalize by nominating a candidate who can credibly promise “no stupid wars.”

In 2024, Trump capitalized on areas where progressives became out of step with mainstream values on cultural issues. Here, Democrats face a different challenge: realigning with mainstream public opinion without sounding inauthentic or uncompassionate.

Let’s take the issue of immigration. Democrats can vehemently oppose the ICE raids while also promising to keep most of Trump’s border policies in place.

Consider the recent comments of Texas Democrat James Talarico, the Senate nominee who recently criticized outside advocacy groups that convinced the Biden administration “that it was racist to support border security.” He added: “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

But that’s not the only issue that has proven to be devastating for Dems. As Thomas B. Edsall recently wrote in the New York Times, “The trans issue clearly weakened Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, leaving her open to devastating pro-Trump ads.”

Here, a future Democratic nominee might simply say, “What adults do is none of our business, but I am not going to support taxpayer funding of ‘gender-affirming surgery’ — or the use of irreversible treatments or procedures for kids, or trans women competing in women’s sports.”

This statement might not sit well with some progressives, but it would decidedly be on the side of public opinion (three-quarters of adults say trans women shouldn’t be allowed to play female sports).

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Dems to take my advice in the 2028 presidential race — especially if they have a great midterm election night.

Indeed, Ruy Teixeira, a political scientist who has warned Democrats that they have shifted too far to the left, recently lamented that “the desire for change seems to be hovering around zero, as more and more Democrats have convinced themselves that their problems have essentially been solved.”

The path forward is not especially mysterious, but it is very difficult.

In the short term, Democrats can probably ride the blue wave. But in the long term, they need a standard bearer who can synthesize economic populism with mainstream American cultural credibility.

The future may rest on whether that political savior ever arrives.

Matt K. Lewis is the author of “Filthy Rich Politicians” and “Too Dumb to Fail.”

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Brook and Gia from MAFS Australia issue apologies as fans slam ‘disgusting’ behaviour

Married At First Sight Australia brides Brook and Gia have both issued public apologies on Instagram after viewer backlash over dinner party drama

Married At First Sight Australia brides Brook and Gia have both issued extensive apologies online after viewers criticised their “vile” conduct during a fiery dinner party.

The duo clashed with several of their co-stars in awkward scenes which were broadcast on E4 on Thursday (March 26) evening, primarily targeting Alissa and Stella.

Numerous viewers expressed their disapproval on social media about how the disputes shouldn’t have been permitted to occur and both Gia and Brook have since spoken out and publicly apologised.

In response to the backlash, Brook accessed her Instagram page to release a statement, writing: “Last night and the past few episodes of Married at First Sight was an extremely difficult watch.

“What you saw last night was the worst version of myself and unfortunately Alissa and Stella were on the receiving end of that.”, reports OK!.

“I want to firstly sincerely apologise to Alissa and Stella for my words and the hurt that I have caused.

“My actions were appalling and not at all a reflection of the kindness and respect that you both deserve and I hope in time you can forgive me. I am truly sorry.

“To other couples in the experiment and audience who had to witness my behaviour, I am deeply sorry. Bullying should never be condoned and I am extremely embarrassed by the way that I acted.”

Brook continued to say that the dinner party was filmed in August last year and she’s since had time to reflect and learn from her actions.

She concluded: “This behaviour is not a reflection of who I am at my core and I hope that Australia will one day see this. I know trust is rebuilt through actions, not just words and I will continue doing the work to be better.

“I’m looking forward to moving on with my life with more kindness and hope that those watching will choose to do the same.”

Gia took to her Instagram Stories to express regret, penning: “I could speak on why I didn’t connect with Alissa, or things that were said and done to me, but two wrongs don’t make a right.

” Engaging in a cycle of dragging one another to deflect from our own behaviour is not something I want to participate in.

“I’m choosing to focus on growth. On being a better person. On working on my privately and being a present, loving mum. And a supportive partner. That is where my energy is going.

“To Alissa and Stella, I am genuinely sorry for the way I handled myself that night, and throughout the experiment. Regardless of what was said or heard, my delivery and my behaviour was appalling.

“I apologise for the disgusting language and the way I made you both feel. I am deeply sorry for the hurt I have caused you both, and I wish you nothing but peace moving forward.”

Married at First Sight Australia airs Monday to Thursday on E4 at 7.30pm

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Trump’s approval ratings just hit a new low. A Latino voter shift could reshape the midterms

With the Iran war in its fifth week, support for President Trump is at its lowest point ever, with a growing body of recent polling showing him losing ground with key voting blocs that helped power his 2024 victory.

While public dissatisfaction is evident among many groups surveyed, the decline in support for the president has been most pronounced among Latino voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released March 24 found 36% of voters approve of the president’s job performance, the lowest it has been during his second term. The poll found 62% disapproved.

Other polls, such as the AP-NORC poll, placed the figure at 38%.

In all, the president is underwater on almost every single public policy issue. With the exception of crime, which sits around 47% approval, he has recorded no gains in any polled category, according to experts.

On immigration, the president’s marquee issue, approval fell from roughly 45% in late 2025 to 39% in February, according to Reuters.

About 1 in 4 respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, Reuters found, as domestic gas prices surged by more than $1 per gallon after fighting commenced last month. The share of Republicans who disapprove of his handling of cost-of-living issues rose 7 points in one week to 34%.

The shift comes amid growing economic unease and amplified backlash over the war in Iran. About 1 in 3 Americans approve of the military operation, according to a Reuters survey.

And a growing divide among prominent conservatives has emerged over the U.S. involvement in the Middle East.

The clashes have played out in public and are exposing tensions within the Republican Party, with conservative commentators such as Megyn Kelly openly questioning whether the war is in America’s best interest.

“This is not a foreign policy that makes sense and it is not what Trump ran on. It is, in many ways, a betrayal of his campaign promises, what he sold himself as and of his MAGA base,” Kelly said earlier this month.

Other conservative pundits, including Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, are also opposed.

But the real damage is showing up in the one place Trump can’t afford to lose: his base.

Trump entered his second term buoyed by historic gains with Latino voters. Exit polls indicated he improved his standing with them by more than 20 percentage points in 2024 compared with his 2016 victory, fueling widespread narratives that the demographic was undergoing a durable shift toward Republicans. In all, 48% of Latinos gave him their support in the last election.

Since then, his approval among Latino voters has plummeted to 22%, according to a March 2026 analysis by the Economist.

In a bipartisan poll by UnidosUS released in November, 14% of Latino voters said their lives were better after Trump took office, while 39% said they had gotten worse.

The president’s rapport with Latinos reflects a deep dissatisfaction with economic conditions, according to Mike Madrid, a veteran California Republican political consultant and expert on Latino voting trends.

“Overwhelmingly, this is a function of the economy and affordability,” he said. “Latino voters moved away from Biden-Harris for the exact same reasons that they’re moving away from Donald Trump right now.”

Research and polling suggests Latino voters prioritize cost-of-living issues — such as housing, wages and inflation — over immigration, a topic often emphasized in national messaging.

“It’s not even close,” Madrid said. “Immigration is not even a top 5 issue for Latino voters.”

Madrid suggested the demographic rallying is less a “reversion” and more a reflection of a rapidly changing electorate.

“Latinos have emerged as the only true swing vote in America,” he said. “And they’re rejecting whichever party is in power.”

These volatile, double-digit voting shifts directly contrast more stable voting patterns among other major demographic groups, including the Black and white electorates, where shifts from cycle to cycle tend to be just a few points.

The reason: dramatic turnout fluctuations. Who decides to show out or stay home on election day tends to change by the year. It’s compounded by the fact that there are far more first-time Latino voters than in any other category.

Polling this month suggests Trump is also losing ground among young voters, another group that contributed to his 2024 gains.

More than half of men under the age of 30 supported Trump in that election, helping him turn several swing states.

In just a year, that demographic has cratered by 20 points.

“Trump won in 2024 because of men. They are abandoning him right now,” CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten said Tuesday.

The reversals could have massive implications for the November midterm elections, particularly in competitive congressional districts where small swings could determine control of the House.

Republicans have warned that if they lose hold of their narrow congressional majority, Trump is likely to face a third impeachment.

UCLA political scientist Matt Barreto said movement away from Republicans is already visible in real-world election outcomes, not just polling.

“We’ve already seen in the Virginia and New Jersey legislative and gubernatorial elections really large shifts in the Latino vote, 25 points back to the Democratic Party,” Barreto said. He added that similar patterns have emerged in places such as Miami and Texas, where Democratic candidates have outperformed expectations with strong Latino support.

Latino Democrats who sat out the 2024 election are returning to the electorate, while some Latino Republicans are disengaging, he said.

That dynamic could prove decisive in November. There are more than 40 congressional districts where the number of registered Latino voters exceeds the margin of victory in 2024, Barreto said. Many of them are closely divided between the parties.

“At the district level, the Latino vote is going to make a huge impact,” he said.

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‘Welfare issue’ sees easyJet flight return minutes after take-off

easyJet said it is an ‘extraordinary circumstance’

An easyJet flight was forced to turn back and land shortly after departure today (Sunday, March 29) due to an “extraordinary circumstance”.

easyJet flight EZY439 was scheduled to depart from Glasgow at 11.50am and arrive in Jersey at 1.25pm. However, tracking data on Flightradar appears to show the aircraft turning back almost immediately following take-off. easyJet has confirmed the flight returned to the gate due to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Outlining the diversion on its website, the airline said it is “due to a crew welfare issue”.

easyJet added: “The disruption to your flight is outside of our control and is considered to be an extraordinary circumstance. We plan to refuel and continue your flight as soon as possible. Your crew will keep you up to date.”

easyJet encourages passengers to visit its website for entitlements, refund and compensation rights, and additional information. It added: “Once again we’re very sorry for the delay to your flight.”

An easyJet spokesperson said later on Sunday: “Flight EZY439 from Glasgow to Jersey on 29 March returned to Glasgow due to a cabin crew member requiring medical assistance.

“The flight landed normally in Glasgow and was met by medical services on the ground. We plan for passengers to continue their journey to Jersey later today and apologise for any inconvenience.

“The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”

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Vance holds first meeting of a new anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programs

Vice President JD Vance on Friday held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he’s leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it’s cracking down on potential misuse of social programs.

Vance, speaking Friday before the task force held a closed-door meeting, said that the federal government for decades had not taken the issue of fraud seriously and that it needed to be tackled with “a whole-government approach.”

“This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” Vance said. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”

President Trump, a Republican, has made a crackdown on fraud part of his chief domestic focus as voters have said they’re concerned about affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections. That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving day-care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests.

Vance cited some of the Minnesota allegations on Friday. Last month, he held a news conference to announce a temporary halt of some Medicaid funding until the state took actions that federal officials said would address their concerns.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who faced Vance as a vice presidential candidate in 2024, has called it a “campaign of retribution” and said the Trump administration was “weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota.”

The task force is also the most visible assignment to date that Trump has given to Vance, who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

Vance and the task force, which includes about half the president’s Cabinet, the leader of a new Justice Department division focused on prosecuting fraud and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, are set to meet regularly to look at rooting out potential fraud and waste in federal benefit programs.

Ferguson, who is vice chair of the task force, cast the issue of fraud as a dire crisis facing the country and said it “shreds the social trust on which these programs and our entire nation depend.”

“This fraud crisis is thus existential,” he said. “If we fail to address it, the fabric of our nation will swiftly unravel.”

Joining the task force was Colin McDonald, a top aide to the Justice Department’s second in command. He was recently confirmed as the assistant attorney general overseeing the new division at the department focused on prosecuting fraud.

The Justice Department has long prosecuted fraud nationally through its Criminal Division, but the Trump administration says the new division is needed to crack down on rampant fraud.

Price writes for the Associated Press.

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British holidaymakers in Tenerife ‘book early flights home’ due to 1 issue

British holidaymakers in Tenerife admit they have “booked early flights home” recently. A specific issue seems to have impacted their holidays over the past few weeks

UK holidaymakers visiting a beloved travel hotspot say they’ve been “booking early flights home” after their breaks were disrupted by an unexpected issue. While many jet off abroad hoping to bask in the sunshine, unwind and enjoy some well-deserved rest, things don’t always go according to plan – no matter how much we’d like them to.

Brits in Tenerife recently discovered this first-hand, with some suggesting their holidays were “ruined” due to an unlikely problem. A string of videos have gone viral on TikTok, with visitors expressing their frustration after trips to the destination over recent weeks, catching many completely off guard.

This follows yet another Tenerife-related announcement made earlier this month, when it was confirmed the island had been added to a warning list.

A man, known online as Gazza, posted a video of his recent getaway, stating: “Come here every year and this is the first bad downpour experience.” He also described the weather as “brutal” for four days due to the relentless rainfall.

The clip has since racked up thousands of views, sparking hundreds of responses. It appears many fellow travellers have encountered similar situations.

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One commented: “Had wind, clouds and cold one year for four days out of the seven. Never went back.” Another added: “I was there last week and got an early flight home.”

Gazza responded to this remark, saying: “Was debating it too.” While a third chimed in: “I just got back. It was mental.”

A further user wrote: “It’s been almost a week!!! Everywhere/everything closed!!!” While another remarked: “That’s pretty unlucky. I would feel gutted.”

Others, however, claimed to have had a wonderful time during their visit, with some reporting an entirely different experience.

One holidaymaker shared: “It’s heaven. Chill.” Another added: “Here at the moment and not that bad. People need to chill out.”

Someone else also weighed in with: “Still rather be there than here. It’s the getting away that matters.”

What’s actually been going on?

While heavy rainfall is uncommon in Tenerife during March, a powerful storm has recently battered the Canary Islands. Storm Therese is reported to have wreaked havoc on the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife and La Palma, with an unexpected mix of heavy rain, 100 km/h (62 mph) winds and even snowfall at high altitudes.

Authorities confirmed it was amongst the most devastating storms to strike the archipelago in over 10 years, which may well explain why so many visitors encountered such dreadful weather during their stays.

The silver lining, however, is that conditions appear to be on the mend. Current forecasts predict sunny spells over the coming days, with temperatures potentially reaching highs of up to 26 degrees, which could explain why some travellers have recently reported a marked improvement in the weather.

One visitor said: “It’s sunny now.” Another wrote: “I’m just back yesterday. Was there for a week. We had a ball even with the storm and rain.”

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Rangers: Club share issue will raise £16m for squad funds

Meanwhile, Rangers are attempting to schedule a meeting of Premiership clubs to discusss the use of video assistant referees (VAR), a discussion which may happen in the next fortnight.

Many clubs have publicly expressed concerns about VAR and the general state of refereeing in Scotland.

It’s believed that Rangers have not ruled out withdrawing their financial support of VAR but broadly they believe the system is here to stay.

They might even be prepared to invest more in the technology – for example extra cameras – if they had sufficient confidence that increased investment would lead to better quality decision-making.

When the meeting of clubs takes place there will be an emphasis on coming up with ways to improve the product and get better value for money.

Last month, Paraag Marathe, then the club’s vice-chairman as well as chairman of Leeds United, stood down after discussions with Uefa about multi-club ownership.

Another Rangers director at the time Gene Schneur, also left his role at Ibrox at that time. Neither will be replaced.

Cavenagh also offered his support for manager, Danny Rohl, ahead of the title run-in.

“We are three points off the lead, with seven matches to play,” he said.

“We have complete confidence in Danny, his staff, and our squad. We will approach each match as it comes, and fingers crossed, we will be at the top of the table after 38 matches.”

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ITV viewers issue same complaint minutes into new reality show Celebrity Sabotage

ITV viewers were left saying the same thing as a new reality show debuted on Saturday night.

ITV viewers were not impressed as new reality show, Celebrity Sabotage, premiered.

The new series sees Joel Dommett, Judi Love, Sam Thompson and GK Barry sabotage ordinary people who think they are taking part in various reality shows, with the aim of winning them money.

In each episode, a fresh set of unsuspecting contestants will arrive, believing they’re participating in a brand-new ITV show. But what they don’t know is that hidden away in their very own high-tech Mission HQ are celebrity saboteurs, who are secretly watching the contestants’ every move and are being set their own sabotage missions.

Hosting the fake shows are a string of stars, including Emma and Matt Willis, Sara Davies and Clare Balding, while celebrities will also join Joel, Judi, Sam and GK to help with the sabotaging.

The first episode aired on Saturday (March 21), with a group of business enthusiasts embarking on a set of challenges under the watchful eye of entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies.

The celebrity saboteurs were joined by comedian Jo Brand as they set about disrupting wedding video filming, deleting the contestant’s filmed footage, and sabotaging a wellness away-day face mask activity by using lashings of green food colouring.

After watching the first episode, several ITV viewers shared their complaints about the show’s premise.

“#CelebritySabotage This is as much fun as having a toothache, @ITV churns out some rubbish & this one is right up there. It’s a waste of our time, it makes you look forward to seeing the adverts! I’m going to sit outside & watch the car electric battery top up, a lot more fun!” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Another added: “How do programmes like these ever get commissioned. Utter rubbish,” while a third said: “What a s*** show.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “This is a kids TV show that got mixed up in the schedule surely. Utterly dreadful hate watch,” with another similarly sharing: “This is appallingly bad even for ITV. How long before it’s shunted to 4.30 Sunday afternoon?”

Meanwhile, other viewers enjoyed the silliness of the show, with one person writing: “Honestly I knew I was going to like #CelebritySabotage, it’s a great show with a great cast and I really like how the fake shows are rip offs of others. Definitely will be watching next week.”

Another added: “I know it’s all very childish but I absolutely love it. This is what Saturday night telly should be,” while a third said: “This is incredible. I could listen to @1Judilove laugh all day long, absolutely howling.”

Someone else commented: “Cackled with laughter for this whole show. What a vibe.”

After two days of sabotaging, the contestants eventually found out about the celebrities’ antics, before learning that they’d won a shared prize of £29,000.

Celebrity Sabotage is available to stream on ITVX

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SNL UK viewers spot same issue minutes into broadcast and fans are divided

Saturday Night Live has launched in the UK tonight after plenty of buzz.

Saturday Night Live has arrived in the UK after months of anticipation, with Tina Fey stepping in to host.

As SNL UK launched on Sky, viewers were all saying the same thing as they tuned in to watch the very first sketch, which poked fun at Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Comedy legend and SNL veteran Tina is the first host to introduce the show to audiences, while Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed have also been announced as future hosts.

The 75-minute episode features Wet Leg as the first musical guest, with Wolf Alice and Kasabian to follow in future episodes.

“I am so excited for you to meet your cast, they are wonderful,” Tina told the audience, before promising to “stay out of their way tonight as much as possible”.

Viewers were divided as opening skit played out, with many complaining about the amount of laughter coming from the crowd. Some even wondered if it was canned, but this is not the case, as the show is filmed in front of a live studio audience.

“Are they seriously doing canned laughter on SNLUK?” one person asked on X (Twitter), as another quizzed: “Surely that laughter isn’t real on Saturday Night Love UK?”

A third asked: “Hang on? Is this laughter canned? It surely can’t be. But the audience is being weirdly compliant.”

“The audience need to calm down a bit,” another person advised, while one more suggested it was a technical issue, adding: “The laugh track is leveled/mixed wrong and it’s annoying me… “

However, other fans shared their appreciation for the show, with one writing: “Was so critical about the idea of SNLUK. 2 minutes in and I’m cryin.”

“Unpopular opinion: Saturday Night Live UK will be considered a great success this time next year,” a second penned.

“Got to admit, I did get a bit giddy at ‘Live from London, it’s Saturday Night Live!'” another commented, as one more person enthused: “I’m loving the opening sequence.”

Saturday Night Live UK debuted tonight on Sky and streaming service Now at 10pm. It was originally scheduled for just six episodes but received an extension before launch, meaning it will now run every Saturday for the next eight weeks.

The entertainment show includes a blend of sketch comedy, stand-up and live music, much like its US counterpart.

The show also mirrors its American predecessor with an opening monologue and signature segments like the Weekend Update, presented by Colin Jost and Michael Che in the US.

Saturday Night Live, created by Lorne Michaels, is a TV institution in the United States and first started in 1975.

Tina Fey appeared on the sketch programme from 1997 to 2006, and based her hit comedy series 30 Rock on her experiences working on the show.

The UK line-up of comedians features several major names from the comedy circuit as well as some up-and-coming talent.

The ensemble cast includes Hammed Animashaun, Ania Magliano, Emma Sidi, Celeste Dring, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, and Paddy Young.

Writers for the show include 8 Out of 10 Cats writer Charlie Skelton, Stath Lets Flats actor and comedian Al Roberts and Have I Got News For You’s Bella Hull.

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TV lovers can now get Sky TV, Netflix and Discovery+ for £15 per month with the new Essential TV bundle.

This delivers live and on-demand TV without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like The Last of Us and Squid Game.

Lead producer James Longman said of the launch: “The UK is absolutely packed with incredible comedy talent right now and this cast represents the freshest voices we have, they’re bold, exciting and of course, incredibly funny.

“The chemistry between them is something special and we can’t wait to share this funny group of people with the world.”

Phil Edgar Jones, executive director of Unscripted Originals at Sky, said: “We all need a laugh like never before, so we’re beyond excited to bring Saturday Night Live to the UK, only 50 short years after it first launched in the US.

“The show’s long-standing legacy of discovering and nurturing outstanding comedy talent speaks for itself, and this UK version will build on that legacy with the support of Lorne Michaels, a brilliant local production team, and an exciting new generation of voices. Saturday nights are looking bright!”

Saturday Night Live UK is available to watch on Sky and Now TV on Saturdays at 10pm.

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A $50-million push hopes to make child care a top issue in the midterm elections

An advocacy group hoping to expand support for child and elder care is planning to spend $50 million to back Democrats in congressional races, tying the costs of caregiving to the nation’s affordability debate.

The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, created a decade ago, aims to make caregiver issues more salient in elections. The announcement comes as the cost of child care continues to rise and as waiting lists for federal child-care subsidies, which support working families in poverty, continue to grow.

Sondra Goldschein, executive director of the campaign and its political action committee, said child care and elder care are important to the affordability conversation, especially as child-care costs exceed what families pay for housing. Then there is the pressure on the “sandwich generation,” composed of middle-aged people who are caring simultaneously for their own children and parents.

“When child care can cost more than your rent or a mortgage, or you have to sacrifice a paycheck in order to be able to take care of a loved one,” that can motivate how people vote, said Goldschein. “Each election cycle, we see candidates recognizing that more and more.”

She hopes the message will resonate as families face a slew of rising costs, including climbing gas prices driven by a war in Iran that is unpopular with many voters.

The campaign plans to pour support for Democrats into Senate races in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Maine and Ohio and into House races in Iowa and Pennsylvania. It is also slated to dispatch volunteers to talk with voters about caregiving.

The National Republican Congressional Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans have begun to back child care as an issue crucial to growing the workforce, but their proposals tend to be less dramatic than those offered by Democrats. Last year, through President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans made an estimated 4 million more families eligible for a child-care tax credit. The law also increased child-care aid for military families and tax credits for employers who provide child care to their workers.

Before 2020, many candidates rarely spoke about child care. But the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the child-care industry’s precarity and necessity. Preschools and child-care centers were pressed to stay open so parents in front-line jobs — such as those in healthcare — could return to work.

Then-President Biden successfully persuaded Congress in 2021 to pass $39 billion in aid for child care, allowing states to offer support to more families and subsidizing wages for child-care workers. Later that year, Biden sought to create nationwide universal pre-kindergarten and to vastly expand child-care subsidies for families so that none would pay more than 7% of their household income for care. But the proposal narrowly failed in Congress. Since then, the pandemic aid has dried up and families are feeling the pinch of rising costs.

Now, several candidates have centered their campaigns around child-care affordability. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who won election after pledging to make the city more affordable for middle-class residents, ran on universal child care. Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia won elections after pledging to expand child-care subsidies.

Candidates this election cycle are running on universal child-care pledges. They include Democrats Janeese Lewis George, who is running for mayor in Washington, D.C., and Francesca Hong, a gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is up for reelection this year, has pledged to support Mamdani’s ambitions and eventually to expand universal child care statewide.

Neither the White House nor the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees federal child-care programs, responded to requests for comment. In his 2024 campaign, during an address to the Economic Club of New York, Trump said increasing foreign tariffs would “take care” of the expense of child care. That plan, thus far, has not materialized.

In Trump’s current term, the administration has largely focused on cracking down on fraud, after a viral video alleged Somali-run child-care centers in Minneapolis were billing the government for children they weren’t caring for.

While there have been prosecutions stemming from child-care subsidy fraud, the Minneapolis video’s central claims were disproven by state inspectors. Nonetheless, the Trump administration attempted to freeze child-care funding for Minnesota and five other Democratic-led states until a court ordered the funding to be released.

Balingit writes for the Associated Press.

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Netflix fans point out same issue with Stranger Things bosses’ ‘insane’ horror

Stranger Things’ The Duffer Brothers have teamed up with Baby Reindeer’s director for an “atmospheric” new horror drama.

Netflix has dropped the hotly-anticipated trailer for Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen just days before it premieres.

The eight-part limited horror series, starring The Night Manager actress Camila Morrone and The White Lotus actor Adam DiMarco, is scheduled to be released in full on Thursday, March 26, on Netflix.

The streamer teases that it will revolve around an “atmospheric wedding…following a bride and groom in the week leading up to their ill-fated nuptials”, cheekily teasing that it’s “not a spoiler”, given the show’s title.

The trailer sees loved-up Rachel (played by Camile Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco) head up to his family’s log cabin where they plan to get married but she soon feels as if something “weird” is happening.

While fans have shared their excitement at the upcoming horror, some couldn’t help but point out it resembles the plot of horror franchise Ready or Not.

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Released in 2019, the original horror film saw Grace (Samara Weaving) fight for her life on her wedding night as she is forced to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek with her wealthy in-laws.

The sequel to Ready or Not is scheduled to be released next month and will see Grace joined by her sister as they try and survive rival families hunting them down.

Taking to YouTube ’s comments section, a viewer posted: “Feels like ‘Ready Or Not’ without a sense of humour.”

“What in the Ready or Not,” another said followed by a crying face emoji as a fan replied: “Right??! Like haven’t we already seen this.”

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Someone else asked: “Is this like Ready or Not or something?”

But not everyone agreed that it was the same story as a user pointed out: “Ready Or Not isn’t the first film to have a spooky marriage plot, begging you people to watch movies.”

What makes Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen stand out even more is the fact that it’s executive produced by Stranger Things legends The Duffer Brothers and directed by Baby Reindeer’s Weronika Tofilska.

“The Duffers Cooked,” a fan praised as another posted: “I just realized this is a show by the Duffer brothers..I will be checking it out.”

Someone else then joked: “Imagine Vecna making an entry.”

The official synopsis reads: “Rachel (Camila Morrone) is getting married in five days.

“Together with her fiancé, Nicky (Adam DiMarco), she embarks on a road trip to his family’s vacation home, secluded in a snowy forest, for the intimate wedding ceremony of their dreams.

“Which really would be so lovely, except… prone to superstition and paranoia, Rachel can’t shake the relentless feeling that something bad is going to happen.

“Her foreboding doubts, coupled with a series of eerie coincidences and dreadful surprises, force her to ask the question: What makes two people soulmates? And worse — what could be scarier than lifelong commitment to the wrong person?”

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen premieres on Thursday, March 26, on Netflix.

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