months

May 13 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s employment rate fell for the first time in 16 months in April as hiring growth slowed amid higher oil prices, weaker consumer sentiment and continued external uncertainty tied to the Middle East war.

The number of employed people aged 15 and older stood at 28.96 million in April, up 74,000 from a year earlier, according to employment data released Wednesday by Statistics Korea.

The increase was the smallest since December 2024 and the first time this year that job growth fell below 100,000.

The employment rate fell 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier to 63.0%, marking its first decline in 16 months.

Youth employment remained weak. The number of employed people aged 15 to 29 fell by 194,000 from a year earlier to 3.42 million, extending its decline for a 42nd consecutive month since November 2022.

The youth employment rate dropped 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier, marking its 24th straight month of decline.

By industry, wholesale and retail jobs fell by 52,000 from a year earlier, while accommodation and food service jobs declined by 29,000. Manufacturing employment dropped by 55,000.

Officials attributed the slowdown to weaker consumer sentiment and continued external uncertainty related to the prolonged Middle East war. Transportation and warehousing jobs, which are sensitive to oil prices, rose by 18,000, but the pace of growth slowed.

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries employment fell by 92,000 amid population aging, while professional, scientific and technical services dropped by 115,000 because of a high base from last year.

Health and social welfare service jobs increased by 261,000, supported by rising care demand and government-backed direct job programs for older people.

“Employment gains were led by health and welfare services, arts, sports and leisure, and real estate,” said Bin Hyun-joon, head of social statistics at Statistics Korea. “By age group, employment increased among people aged 60 and older and those in their 30s, but the pace of growth slowed from the previous month.”

— 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=20260513010003376

British number one Emma Raducanu will make her return to action in Strasbourg after being granted a wildcard, as she seeks match practice before the French Open.

Raducanu, 23, withdrew from the Italian Open on health grounds earlier this month and has not competed since a third-round loss to American Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells on 8 March.

The clay-court event in Strasbourg begins on Sunday, one week before the start of the French Open on 24 May.

Raducanu is set to miss out on a seeded position at the second Grand Slam of the year following the post-viral infection which has kept her away from the tour.

The 2021 US Open winner is currently ranked 30th in the world but will drop several places following the conclusion of this week’s tournaments in Rome and Paris.

Raducanu was granted a wildcard for last year’s WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, where she beat top-20 player Daria Kasatkina before losing to American Danielle Collins.

The Briton has won seven of her 14 matches this year, with four of those victories coming during her run to the final of the Transylvania Open in February after her second-round exit at the Australian Open.

Raducanu gave no clear indication that she would pull out of the Italian Open in March despite speaking to the media just 30 minutes before that decision was announced, but said she only wanted to return to competition when “100% ready”.

LORNA Luxe rewore her wedding dress to the BAFTA TV Awards in a touching tribute to her late husband – three months after his sad death.

The popular influencer was left heartbroken in February when her husband John passed away aged 64 following a battle with adrenal cancer.

But in a touching tribute, Lorna, 43, opted to wear her wedding gown to the annual event in London, keeping her husband close in her thoughts as she continues to figure out life without him.

Earlier in the week, Lorna had shared on TikTok that she was keen to wear her dress, as it also tapped into the awards’ theme of sustainability, but it was a little loose around her rib cage which was off putting.

But on Sunday, Lorna took to Instagram to show off her glam red carpet look and was wearing the dress, which featured a satin bodice, thin straps and a chiffon drape coming from the cleavage and down around the hips to become the skirt.

Lorna tagged her hair and make up team in the video, and also added: “I’m so chuffed I got the dress altered with @abigailwestrupbridal it fits like a glove.”

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DUNCAN James has revealed a major milestone with his new boyfriend, eight months after splitting from his ex.

The Blue singer, 48, is now dating Alexander Roque, a performer with a stripping show called Forbidden Nights.

Now the musician has revealed that Alexander is moving into his mother’s home to live with them after less than a year.

Duncan and Alexander’s romance came to light last year following Duncan’s split from Rodrigo Reis.

The former flames were together for six years and reportedly grew apart.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about the move, Duncan enthusiastically expressed: “Alex gets on so well with my mum. 

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“They have really fun banter between them and they speak to each other on the phone daily. It’s just really lovely.

“Right now, I want to touch wood because I don’t want anything to go wrong or jinx it, but honestly I’m just so happy.

“I’m excited because it’s a new chapter of my life. I’m so happy and I’m in a really loving relationship. And the fact that he gets on so well with my mum…

“I couldn’t be in a relationship with somebody if my mum didn’t get on with them. I’m so close to my mum.

In November Duncan broke his silence on finding love with toyboy Alexander.

Clearly smitten with his new beau, he told The Sun at the time: “He is a very handsome boy, it’s early days.

“You know, I broke up with my ex in May. I did keep it quiet and then I went to a Hollyoaks party with Alexander, but then of course it looks like I’ve just ended the relationship and gone out straight away with him, which isn’t the case, because there was a longer time frame.

“I think in general, I just feel that, me and Rodrigo, we just came to a natural end.

“And I love him to bits and we’re still friends and everything. But yeah, it was six and a half years.”

A MAJOR airline boss has said that the ongoing fuel crisis is causing more problems than Covid did.

AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said the quick increase in jet fuel overnight was “much worse”.

He told the FT: “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times – this is much worse.

“You wake up one day and your major cost has tripled – it was quite a new experience for me and I’ve been through a lot in my life.”

This was backed by the Chancellor of Germany earlier this year who said if it continues, it would affect the European economy as “heavy as we recently experienced during the Covid pandemic”.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since March has already caused problems for airlines, due to shortages of fuel.

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Airlines have been forced to cancel thousands of seats, with European airlines such as Lufthansa and Scandinavian Airlines already scrapping routes this month.

Globally, major airlines such as United, Cathay Pacific and Emirates have all reduced capacity as well.

Data from Cirium estimated that there were two million fewer seats on sale in May compared to predicted.

American budget airline Spirit Airlines was even forced into administration, citing the higher jet fuel costs as a major cause.

Thankfully, UK airlines are yet to be massively affected, with most tour operators confirming that holidays are still going ahead as planned.

The only disruption is to the Middle East with destinations like Dubai still on the travel ban list.

On The Beach has even launched a new initiative for travellers this summer, where, if their flight is cancelled, they will get a refund on the same day.

However, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary warned that unless fuel prices dropping, airlines are at risk of failing this summer.

According to Politico, he said: “If pricing stays higher for longer this summer, we think a number of our airline competitors in Europe are going to face real financial difficulties. I think there will be failures.”

To protect passengers from last minute travel chaos, the Department for Transport has also revealed new measures which will allow airlines to cancel flights up to two weeks in advance, without losing their airport slots.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it would “give families long-term certainty and avoid unnecessary disruption at the departure gate this summer.”

But Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland warned: “Many passengers will understand that disruptions can occur and may be happy to travel a few hours or a day later.

“But for those on short trips or connecting flights it could mean the trip is no longer worthwhile.”

JESY Nelson today shared an emotional update about her twins, months after their SMA diagnosis.

The former Little Mix star, 34, has been keeping fans up-to-date with how her daughters, Story and Ocean Jade, are doing as they battle Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1.

The tots’ devastating diagnosis is a genetic condition that weakens the muscles by damaging motor nerve cells in the spinal cord.

Today, Jesy shared a new update with fans where she revealed how Ocean and Story had tried eating in their specialised feeding chairs for the first time.

In the heartmelting moment, the singer could be seen feeding her daughters some fruit purée.

Speaking to Ocean as she gently spooned food into her little mouth, Jesy said:: “Excuse me, you’re supposed to eat it, not spit it out.”

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She then turned her attention to Story, who was seen enjoying her dinner,

Jesy previously revealed how she got emotional when the special chairs arrived back in February.

“So the girls need special feeding chairs that came yesterday and I couldn’t help but burst into tears yesterday when I saw them,” she said at the time.

“It just made me feel so sad as it’s just another reminder of another obstacle we have to tackle.”

Meanwhile, Jesy’s latest update comes after she revealed last week how Story, who is just 11-months-old, had said the word “muma” for the first time.

SMA1 patients typically have limited or no spoken speech with communication usually made through eye movement and guttural sounds.

But Jesy’s baby girl is fighting against all odds, and managed to very clearly get out her first word, in a video posted on Instagram.

Story was wrapped up in a blanket, laying down on the sofa when she gave her mum quite the shock.

Jesy could be heard shouting with happiness: “Yeahhhhhh! Yesss clever girl.

“Storyyy good girl, you’re such a clever girl. Wow well done. Yeah do it again.”

The Boyz singer wrote the words, “Story said muma for the first time my life is complete,” over the top of the clip.

Jesy captioned the post: “My heart is so full.”

The star bravely revealed the twins SMA1 diagnosis back in January and has since been keeping fans updated on their battle via social media.

Both the girls have had feeding tubes fitted into their noses to clear their chests.

TV star Jesy has also shared some of the stretches she’s been doing with the girls to help strengthen their legs.

SMA1 leads to progressive muscle wasting, and if untreated, the life expectancy of a baby with the disease is just two years.

Jesy and her ex-fiancé Zion have been told it’s unlikely the girls will ever walk, and may face serious breathing and swallowing difficulties.

The 34-year-old has opened up on her hopes to use her platform – of over 10 million followers – to raise awareness of SMA1 and shine a light on the realities families face when caring for children with the condition.

Jesy previously said that if sharing her story helps even one other parent feel less alone, it will be worth it.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Signs and symptoms

Spinal muscular atrophy is a disease which takes away a person’s strength and it causes problems by disrupting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord.

This causes an individual to lose the ability to walk, eat and breathe.

There are four types of SMA – which are based on age.

• Type 1 is diagnosed within the first six months of life and is usually fatal.
• Type 2 is diagnosed after six months of age.
• Type 3 is diagnosed after 18 months of age and may require the individual to use a wheelchair.
• Type 4 is the rarest form of SMA and usually only surfaces in adulthood.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of SMA will depend on which type of condition you have.

But the following are the most common symptoms:

• Floppy or weak arms and legs

• Movement problems – such as difficulty sitting up, crawling or walking

• Twitching or shaking muscles

• Bone and joint problems – such as an unusually curved spine

• Swallowing problems

• Breathing difficulties

However, SMA does not affect a person’s intelligence and it does not cause learning disabilities.

How common is it?

The majority of the time a child can only be born with the condition if both of their parents have a faulty gene which causes SMA.

Usually, the parent would not have the condition themselves – they would only act as a carrier.

Statistics show around 1 in every 40 to 60 people is a carrier of the gene which can cause SMA.

If two parents carry the faulty gene there is a 1 in 4 (25 per cent) chance their child will get spinal muscular atrophy.

It affects around 1 in 11,000 babies.

May 1 (UPI) — South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) reportedly decided Thursday to suspend the business operations of Lotte Card for 4 1/2 months over a data breach.

The financial watchdog is also reported to have finalized the disciplinary measure, including a $3.4 million penalty and a reprimand warning for its former CEO Cho Jwa-jin.

The FSS declined to confirm the reports, while Lotte Card acknowledged it.

“Imposing a business suspension over a hacking case would be an unprecedented level of sanction,” Lotte Card said in a statement.

“As follow-up procedures remain, including a resolution by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), we will fully explain our position regarding the severity of the punishment, as well as our post-incident response efforts,” it added.

Nearly 3 million Lotte Card customers had their personal information compromised last year. The state-run Personal Information Protection Commission has already imposed a $64 million fine on the firm over the incident.

Following the FSS decision, the FSC is expected to make the final call in the coming months.

In 2019, South Korea’s leading private equity company, MBK Partners, teamed up with Woori Bank to acquire a 79.8% stake in Lotte Card for about $1 billion. MBK took 59.8%, and Woori held the remaining 20%.

MBK Partners sought to sell its stake in Lotte Card in 2023 but failed to find a buyer, and a similar effort last year also yielded limited results.

Lotte Card is not publicly listed.

WHEN her 13-year marriage to Patrick Kielty shockingly ended last year, Cat Deeley was left feeling anxious as she navigated a brand new chapter.

But 12 months on, the This Morning star, 49, has undergone a transformation and has a new lease of confidence, The Sun can reveal.

Cat and Patrick met in the early 2000s and formed a friendship which turned to romance, tying the knot in 2012 during a private Rome ceremony.

After living in Los Angeles for several years, the former couple had returned to the UK in 2020 to start a new life with their two children, Milo and James.

However, they announced their separation last summer in a sad statement, as they vowed to continue a positive co-parenting relationship.

At the time, we told how Cat was feeling ‘anxious’ about returning to work following the split and how she would work through it.

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But now, a close friend has revealed to The Sun that Cat is living her new single life to the fullest.

She is not only open to dating again and looking more glamorous than ever, but is making a U-turn when it comes to her famously private home life.

They revealed: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this before. There’s just a lightness to her now.

“She’s saying yes to things she might have dismissed  in the past, especially with work but also in her real life off screen.

“She’s been really open, she’s not afraid to be emotional or be herself on TV – she’s just enjoying her life much more.

“She’s even letting people see more of her home life inside her house – she’s filmed a few big brand projects at home, which is quite a big step for her as she and Patrick were extremely private but I guess she is just more relaxed with herself, she’s not overthinking anything and just saying yes to everything that fills her cup.”

Whilst it’s been a long time since Cat was on the dating scene, the pal revealed that the TV star isn’t against getting back out there.

And she might even be spotted on exclusive celeb dating app Raya one day, they confirmed.

“She is open to dating again, definitely, but it has to feel right. She wouldn’t go on apps because that’s just not her style, well maybe Raya one day, she’s not totally closed off.

“She likes the idea of what’s out there, a bit of flirting, a bit of fun, without any pressure.”

When not on TV, Cat has been enjoying nights out with pals and has been spending more time with the likes of best friend Charlie Brear and several of her male pals.

Describing the time with friends as “exactly what she needed”, our source says Cat’s nearest and dearest are helping her live to the fullest.

Whilst her close relationship with co-host Ben has also provided a helping hand, with the broadcaster’s ‘solid’ friendship providing laughs and a shoulder to cry on.

And from chic ensembles for This Morning’s early call times to glamorous Instagram posts, Cat appears to be glowing from the outside, too.

“You can see the difference in her too, she simply looks incredible. Not just glamorous, but genuinely happy,” said the insider.

They added: “It’s that kind of confidence you can’t fake, and people around her have really noticed it. She’s glowing, and I think a lot of that comes from feeling more in control of her own life again.

“It really does feel like a whole new chapter for Cat. She’s happier, more relaxed, and completely herself again and I think that’s why everything seems to be falling into place for her on and off screen.”

THERE’S bad news for Brits heading to Spain this summer as they might not be able to enjoy a drink in the sun on an outdoor terrace.

Under new rules, terraces in Spain will be forced to close when the weather gets too hot.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

The rules – that were campaigned for by hospitality unions – will apply when the State of Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issue an orange or red alert.

AEMET’s orange alert means there is a major risk such as severe storms, heavy snow or intense heat and then for a red alert, it is an extreme risk and includes extreme rainfall, life-threatening storms and dangerously high temperatures.

In the case of exceptionally hot weather, restaurants, bars and cafes have to close their terraces if there is not enough shade or cooling systems for staff.

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The rules are likely to apply during the hottest hours of the day.

Areas across Spain reach high temperatures, especially during July and August, with some destinations reaching over 40C.

Even though closure of outdoor spaces is a last resort measure, if a bar, restaurant or cafe does not follow the new rules then it could face a fine of more than €50,000 (£43,326) in extreme cases.

For tourists, this could mean when temperatures reach high levels they won’t be able to grab a cold drink and sit on a restaurant’s terrace.

If you do want a drink though, you can still head inside as this is a shaded area.

As a result of the new rules, businesses across Spain are being encouraged to create different schedules for staff, with more breaks so they can stay hydrated.

Sky’s action thriller is led by Golden Globe nominee Tahar Rahim and Scottish BAFTA winner Izuka Hoyle

The Sky drama series is a must-watch for adrenaline junkies.

One of the stars of Sky’s upcoming action thriller Prisoner has opened up about the challenges of working on the six-part series.

French actor Tahar Rahim revealed how he and his co-star Izuka Hoyle were handcuffed together during filming for four months.

Speaking about the challenges of filming while attached to his co-star, The Serpent actor explained: “Being handcuffed to someone for four months filming could easily be a nightmare, but Izuka is a beautiful soul.

“We got on incredibly well and became real friends. She’s my partner in crime. It was a pleasure.”

The pair star as highly valued prisoner and mafia informant Tibor Stone (Rahim) and prison transport officer Amber Todd (Hoyle) respectively.

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After their prison convoy is attacked by the organised crime group that Stone is testifying against, Todd makes the split-second decision to handcuff herself to him and ensure he makes it to court for the trial in four days’ time.

However, Tibor isn’t just any informant; he’s a trained assassin and can take out many of the people sent to eliminate him before he can reveal all.

This required both Rahim and Hoyle to jointly perform stunts while their characters were handcuffed.

Addressing these challenges, the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee explained: “Being handcuffed during big stunt sequences made things more complex.

“Our stunt team was brilliant and inventive, open to ideas and incredibly collaborative.

“Izuka and I had to constantly adapt and choreograph every movement together.

“Izuka has great instincts and she’s strong, which made everything easier. I decided to just flow with her and to treat it like a dance.

“For me, acting with a partner is a kind of dance: you listen, you feel, you respond.”

Meanwhile, Big Boys and Scottish BAFTA winner Hoyle explained: “Having them on made us realise just how close we were going to be to each other for such a long period of time, and that took some getting used to.

“Tahar is incredible. He’s physically fit, so in terms of us pushing each other, it was great.

“Our competitive streaks would come out… ‘We can go faster than that. We can do better than that. We can push harder than that.’ And we did. Everyone around us would be like, ‘F****g hell’.”

Prisoner will be released on Sky as a boxset on Thursday, April 30

April 23 (Asia Today) — A former Samsung Electronics manager was sentenced to 6 years and 4 months in prison on Thursday in a retrial over charges that he leaked key semiconductor technology to a Chinese competitor.

The Seoul High Court also fined the former manager, identified by his surname Kim, 200 million won ($145,000).

The ruling came after South Korea’s Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial, saying lower courts had wrongly treated some acts involving trade secret disclosure as part of a single offense rather than separate crimes.

Kim was accused of illegally leaking Samsung Electronics’ 18-nanometer DRAM process technology, classified as a national core technology, to Chinese memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies, also known as CXMT. He was indicted and detained in 2024. He was also accused of leaking technical data belonging to another company.

The appeals court said Kim had illegally acquired Samsung trade secrets and used them in China, calling the offense extremely serious.

The court said violations involving industrial technology, trade secrets and national core technologies waste the massive time and money invested in developing DRAM technology, severely undermine fair business order and could damage national competitiveness.

Two other defendants tried in the same case also received sentences after parts of the earlier acquittals were overturned. A former executive at a partner company was sentenced to three months in prison, while a company employee received a two-month prison term suspended for one year.

In the first trial, Kim was sentenced to seven years in prison after the court found him guilty on most charges related to trade secret leaks. The second trial upheld much of that reasoning but reduced the sentence to six years, citing findings that he had not directly participated in leaking some of Samsung’s core technology.

The Supreme Court later reversed that judgment and ordered a retrial. It said obtaining or disclosing trade secrets among accomplices during the process of leaking technology overseas should be treated as distinct crimes.

The court said South Korea’s unfair competition law defines the acquisition, use and disclosure of trade secrets to third parties as independent offenses, and separately punishes the knowing use of such secrets.

On Tuesday, another former Samsung employee charged in a related case was sentenced to seven years in prison. Authorities said that case was uncovered during an additional investigation into Kim.

— 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=20260423010007596

Sources have told BBC Sport that Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, Fulham head coach Marco Silva and former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic are under consideration as possible replacements for Rosenior.

Iraola, 43, announced last week that he will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, while Silva’s contract at rivals Fulham is due to expire in July. Terzic, meanwhile, was under consideration by Tottenham to replace Thomas Frank when the Dane was sacked earlier this season.

Calum McFarlane will take over as interim manager until the season of the season.

McFarlane, who was Rosenior’s assistant, was in charge for a 1-1 draw against Manchester City and a defeat at Fulham in January after previous boss Enzo Maresca was sacked.

“As the club works to bring stability to the head coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment,” Chelsea added.

Rosenior won five of his 13 games in the Premier League and led the Blues to four victories in the FA Cup – all against lower-league opposition – to reach the semi-finals.

McFarlane’s first game in charge comes on Sunday when Chelsea face Leeds at Wembley for a place in the FA Cup final (15:00 BST).

Chelsea only appointed Liam Rosenior in January, but the FIFA Club World Cup holders have lost their last five games.

FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea have sacked their head coach Liam Rosenior following a run of five consecutive defeats.

The 41-year-old had only been appointed as Enzo Maresco’s permanent replacement in January.

Rosenior, who started his managerial career at Derby County and Hull City in England, joined the west London club after two years in the French top flight with Strasbourg, where he won 51 of 63 matches.

Only 11 wins were secured in 23 games in charge of the Blues, however, and the recent run of losses also marked the first time the club had lost that number of games without scoring since 1912.

Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton saw the side slip to seventh in the league, a hammer blow in the chance of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season.”

Rosenior described the performance of his players in his final game in charge as “indefensible” and “unacceptable”.

Infrastructure damage caused by a fire suspected to have been set by a homeless person at Encino Franklin Fields in January has not been repaired and is still months away from being completed, according to an update from from Councilmember Imelda Padilla.

A tunnel damaged underneath a parking area has created issues with use of the fields and limited parking despite a temporary pedestrian bridge built to let people travel to softball fields used by teams from Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Louisville. The teams have resumed using the fields.

Here’s the statement provided to The Times and attributed to Padilla: “Since the fire our office has continued to lead coordination efforts with the Bureau of Engineering, the Mayor’s Office, and the CAO, to move this project forward as quickly as possible. With the design phase complete, we are now actively working to identify and secure the necessary funding to begin construction.

“Once funding is secured, construction is expected to begin within approximately two months, and we are working to ensure the project is funded and underway within the current fiscal year. We are in ongoing communication with Encino Franklin Fields stakeholders to ensure their needs are reflected throughout this process. Student athletes, families, and community members deserve safe, functional facilities, and we are committed to delivering a coordinated and timely solution.”

Harvard-Westlake athletic director Matt LaCour released a statement as well: “We are grateful to the Council Office, Encino Franklin Fields, and all stakeholders for their continued commitment to supporting our student-athletes and broader community. Their leadership and collaboration are critical in ensuring there is a clear path forward to restore these facilities.

“These fields are more than just a place to play — they are a vital resource for students, families, and community members. We appreciate the shared urgency to restore full access for everyone who depends on them.”

An ITV newsreader has shared a rare insight into why he needed to take some time off.

An ITV News journalist has opened up about taking three months off work after suffering a “breakdown”.

Newsreader Tom Bradby took the break from work back in 2018, and now he is speaking candidly about that time.

He opened up about it to Radio Times as he discussed new ITV thriller Secret Service, which was adapted from his book and stars Gemma Arterton as MI6 officer Kate Henderson.

Tom said he wrote that particular novel faster than any of his other books, saying that when he reflects on the speed it “poured out” of him “it seems obvious that Kate – as a result of all the pressure heaped upon her – is skating on the edge of acute insomnia and some kind of breakdown”.

“And shortly after I finished it, this is exactly what happened to me,” he said. “I took three months off, rebooted and recovered.

“But when I read the book now, I do wonder at the way the character was a direct reflection of my own psychological state of mind.”

Tom has previously been open about his time off, revealing it happened after he developed insomnia, which resulted in what he said was an “addiction” to a sleeping pill.

Secret Service, which also stars Rafe Spall, was adapted from Tom’s best-selling novel and ITV has promised viewers “high-stakes drama” and “political intrigue”.

The five-part series explores the world of espionage against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the UK and Russia.

A synopsis for the show said: “The drama follows senior MI6 officer Kate Henderson (Gemma). On the surface, her life appears ordinary – a civil servant married to Stuart (Rafe) with two teenage children.

“However, to those who don’t know her well, Kate’s true role is heading the Russia Desk at the Secret Intelligence Service.

“When her undercover operations reveal alarming evidence that a high-ranking UK politician may be a Russian asset, Kate finds herself in a desperate race to uncover their identity.”

It continues: “As a brutal murder thrusts her team into the spotlight, Kate must navigate the dangerous world of espionage while trying to hold her family together and protect her reputation.”

Secret Service will launch on Monday April 27 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday faced federal lawmakers for the first time since September as he sought to defend a more than 12% proposed cut to his department’s budget and dodge arrows from angry Democrats along the way.

In his testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, kicking off an expected sprint of seven budget hearings he’ll attend across congressional committees and subcommittees over the next week, Kennedy emphasized the administration’s work to reform dietary guidelines and crack down on waste, fraud and abuse.

Republicans on the committee praised Kennedy as a “breath of fresh air” and asked him to promote his department’s recent actions. Democrats, who have been furious over Kennedy’s sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, largely had a different agenda.

They needled Kennedy on what they viewed as the Trump administration’s hypocrisy on fraud, demanded to know why he was cutting budgets for various programs and slammed his efforts to pull back vaccine recommendations and messaging, which they said have caused unnecessary deaths.

Kennedy fired back, often raising his voice as he accused the Democrats of misrepresenting his work and past statements.

Here are three standout moments from Thursday’s hearing:

A standoff over measles

One heated exchange early in the hearing came between Kennedy and Rep. Linda Sanchez. The California Democrat decried recent measles outbreaks across the U.S. and asked Kennedy to answer for the fact that under his leadership, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulled back public health messaging supporting vaccination.

“As a mother, this horrifies me,” Sanchez said. “Did President Trump approve your decision to end CDC’s pro-vaccine public messaging campaign?”

Kennedy repeatedly refused to answer, saying first he wanted to respond to the “misstatements that you’ve made” and later praising the Trump administration’s record on preventing measles, although protections against the disease have eroded in some parts of the country as vaccination rates have dropped.

“That’s not answering my question,” Sanchez said as the two talked over each other.

But Sanchez also got Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist before he entered politics, to acknowledge that a 6-year-old who died of measles last year in West Texas could have potentially been saved with vaccination.

“Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child’s life in Texas?” she asked.

“It’s possible, certainly,” Kennedy said.

RFK Jr. denies talking about Black children being ‘re-parented’

A fight erupted between Kennedy and Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Alabama, when Kennedy vehemently denied making remarks he’d said in 2024.

The comments dated back to when Kennedy was a presidential candidate. On the “High Level Conversations” podcast last July, he said, “Psychiatric drugs — which every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence, and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented to live in a community where there’ll be no cellphones, no screens, you’ll actually have to talk to people.”

“Have you ever re-parented, or parented, I should say, a Black child?” Sewell asked, as her staff held up a poster featuring an abbreviated version of the quote.

“I don’t even know what that phrase means,” Kennedy said. “I’m not going to answer something I didn’t say.”

“You’re making stuff up,” he later claimed.

A recording of the podcast shows he made the comments during a conversation about free rehabilitation facilities he was proposing opening at the time in rural areas around the country.

Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard said Kennedy before joining the administration was referring to spaces where young people facing alienation, mental health challenges and despair could get re-parented, which she said was a psychotherapy term for “developing the emotional regulation, discipline, boundaries, and self-worth that may not have been established in childhood.”

For Kennedy and his former party, civility is the exception

Kennedy spent most of his life as a Democrat, the scion of one of the nation’s most famous political families. Both Republicans and Democrats during the hearing began their remarks by expressing their admiration of Kennedy’s relatives, among them former President John F. Kennedy.

But again and again throughout Thursday’s hearing, the fraying of bonds between Kennedy and his former party was on full display as spiteful comments were passed back and forth.

The Health secretary grew defensive and visibly agitated. He repeatedly criticized Democratic lawmakers for not giving him a word in edgewise.

“They’ve all shut me up,” Kennedy said at one point. “They give a little speech that they can go and market, you know, for fundraising, and they don’t allow me to answer the question.”

On a few rare occasions, the exchanges were civil. One representative, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, used humor to make that happen.

“I promise to give you easy, comfortable questions if you don’t yell at me and hurt my feelings,” she told Kennedy. He promised he wouldn’t.

Swenson writes for the Associated Press.