Former L.A. mayor and current candidate for governor Antonio Villaraigosa wants voters to know that he navigated billion-dollar budgets, cracked down on violent crime and championed the expansion of bus and rail lines.
The onetime state Assembly speaker argues he’s the only Democratic candidate with the experience to do the complicated job of running California.
But Villaraigosa left City Hall in 2013 — eons ago in the world of politics. President Obama was still in office, singer Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was atop the charts and Apple Watches weren’t yet a thing.
Because of his distance from elected office, combined with a decent but overshadowed fundraising effort, Villaraigosa lacks a high-profile platform to attract attention in today’s fractured media universe, an essential ingredient he needs to remind voters about his experience and accomplishments as mayor and a state lawmaker.
Antonio Villaraigosa gets his photo taken with students from Hazeltine Avenue Elementary School while visiting Placita Olvera in 2013.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Recent polls show Villaraigosa, 73, wallowing at the bottom of the field, though none of the major Democratic candidates have an overwhelming edge.
Villaraigosa also ran for governor in 2018, coming in third in the primary election behind Democratic rival Gavin Newsom, who went on to win and is now serving his second term, and little-known Republican businessman John Cox.
Political strategist Mike Madrid, who worked for Villaraigosa on that campaign, said the former mayor’s absence from politics in recent years is a major liability in this race.
“He’s a dogged, determined candidate,” Madrid said. “But there are pretty stiff headwinds.”
Villaraigosa got a boost last week when the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California pledged $1 million to an outside committee supporting him.
His allies argue voters aren’t paying attention to the governor’s race because eyes are on President Trump, immigration raids and the Iran war.
But the new funding is a pittance compared to some of his rivals. Billionaire Tom Steyer is tapping tens of millions of his own money to pump out ads. Tech companies and billionaire Rick Caruso are supporting Matt Mahan, the mayor of San José, with millions.
Another contender, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), has the power of incumbency. Swalwell launched his campaign on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and is a regular on cable news shows, while former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, who is also running, recently served in Congress and campaigned for the U.S. Senate two years ago.
With the June primary looming, Villaraigosa’s campaign risks sputtering out.
Angeleno Celine Mares holds a copy of Newsweek featuring newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as he is sworn into office on the steps of City Hall July 1, 2005.
(David McNew / Getty Images)
Leaving a Compton church earlier this month, he reacted to Mahan’s support from technology companies, and the billionaire money in the race.
“When you have overwhelming sums of money influencing elections, there’s a great deal of concern for those of us who care about our democracy,” said Villaraigosa. “As much as they say it’s about free speech, it actually drowns out speech.”
(During his 2018 bid for governor, though, Villaraigosa was a major beneficiary of Californians using their wealth to wield political influence. Charter school backers, including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and philanthropist Eli Broad, spent around $23 million on efforts to boost his campaign. )
Earlier in the morning, he rallied runners at a 10K road race in L.A.’s Chinatown, lighting firecrackers, posing for photos and looking as energetic as when he was mayor and would dart into the street to personally fill potholes.
Villaraigosa flitted around the racers’ VIP tent, spotted a bowl of fortune cookies and made a beeline. “You have an active mind and a keen imagination,” he read aloud.
“Antonio V.!” a middle-aged man called out as the former mayor passed.
Minutes later, Villaraigosa swapped his black and white Veja sneakers and jeans for dress shoes and a suit for the church service in Compton, at which an overwhelmingly Black audience gave him a warm reception.
Building a coalition of Black and Latino voters helped him win the 2005 L.A. mayor’s race in a dramatic upset of then-Mayor Jim Hahn, and brought wide attention to the one-time high school dropout, who was raised by a single mother on Los Angeles’ eastside.
Newsweek magazine featured Villaraigosa on its cover with the headline, “Latino Power: L.A.’s New Mayor and How Hispanics will change American Politics.”
But national acclaim can be fleeting. Today, voters aren’t as interested in identity-based politics, said Fernando Guerra, a professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University who has known Villaraigosa for decades.
Guerra said Villaraigosa is struggling to differentiate himself in the race because his pitch to voters is not unlike the moderate path taken by Mahan. Another contender, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, overlaps with Villaraigosa when it comes to biographical details: Both are from the L.A. area, Latino and relatively close in age.
“What’s made it so difficult is that [Villaraigosa said], ‘Here’s my path,’” said Guerra. “Well, guess what, there are one to two more candidates who are also on that path.”
Strategist Madrid questioned whether voters even want to hear about a candidate’s experience at a time when anti-Trump messages rally Californians. “They want a fighter,” he said.
Since leaving the mayor’s office, Villaraigosa has enjoyed success in the lucrative private sector. He purchased a $3.3 million home in the L.A. neighborhood of Beverly Hills Post Office in 2020. . A recent campaign filing shows he’s spent the last few years advising companies including the health company AltaMed, financial lender Change Company and crypto currency exchange Coinbase Global.
Then mayor Antonio Villaraigosa holds a news conference at the Department of Water and Power on Hope Street July 22, 2005, urging all of Los Angeles to conserve energy in an effort to ensure Southern California avoids blackouts.
(Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
He also worked for a few years for consulting firm Actum and briefly advised the Newsom administration on infrastructure projects.
“It’s not that I didn’t like the public sector,” said Villaraigosa, explaining his decision to run again. As he talked about his desire to serve, he cast a gauzy image of the aughts in Los Angeles, taking credit for the downtown resurgence, skyline full of construction cranes and fewer homeless people on the streets during that period.
“Most people look back on those years and say they were some of the best years we’ve had in the last 25 — at least,” said Villaraigosa.
Stuart Waldman, president of the business group Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., argues Villaraigosa’s experience in the private sector and distance from elected office is a good thing.
“Look at what the economy was like, look at what the city was like” under Villaraigosa, said Waldman. “That’s what he’s going to be judged on.”
Villaraigosa started his career working for labor and civil rights groups before entering politics. Elected to the state Assembly in 1994, he pushed legislation that banned assault weapons and created healthcare coverage for children. His outgoing personality established him as a coveted fundraiser for Democrats in Sacramento and paved the way for him to be chosen as Assembly speaker.
As L.A. mayor, he brought down gang crime through a program that used former gang members to broker truces. Voters backed his ballot measure to expand L.A.’s transit system through new sales tax money in the middle of the Great Recession. He drove down pension costs after a bruising battle with city unions. At the same time, he established himself as a national leader on climate issues and education.
His reputation took a hit after an affair with a television reporter led to the breakup of his marriage.
The media scene that covered Villaraigosa back then is vastly diminished, with young people now getting news from TikTok videos, message boards or Instagram posts.
Weighing in on recent TV news layoffs in Los Angeles, Villaraigosa called himself “lucky” that there were plenty of newspaper and television reporters covering him as mayor, recalling that he’d get a dozen cameras to his press conferences.
Asked to compare his 2018 campaign for governor with this one, he said, “I didn’t have to reintroduce myself last time in quite the way I’ve had to this time.”
Villaraigosa spent a significant time in Mexico in recent years to see his now ex-wife Patricia Govea, a clothing designer. “She was in Mexico 80% of the time, the last six years. So I` went to Mexico a lot.” The pair’s divorce was finalized last year.
During a debate in front of Jewish voters on L.A.’s westside last month, Villaraigosa appeared to seize on the fact that he was the sole Angeleno on the stage, introducing himself by saying, “It’s good to be home.”
He told the crowd about his work as president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and criticized UCLA — his alma matter — for its handling of incidents targeting Jewish students on its campus.
It remains to be seen if he’ll have a hometown advantage. In the 2018 race for governor, Newsom won more votes than Villaraigosa in Los Angeles County. While Villaraigosa did well in Latino communities in central L.A. and on the Eastside, Newsom captured more votes in wealthier, whiter areas.
But at the Compton church, a security guard approached Villaraigosa and told him she’d worked on his 2005 campaign, while others promised to vote for him.
“I know he has a track record,” said Valerie Bland, a 63-year-old former port worker from Long Beach, as she watched Villaraigosa work the pews. “I haven’t even looked at anyone else.”
Former Assembly speaker Fabian Núñez, a longtime friend of Villaraigosa and managing partner at Actum, hopes voters dig into Villaraigosa’s record.
“We have short-term memories in this country,” said Núñez.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, left state service with two things: a federal corruption investigation and more than $50,000 in pay for vacation time she accrued but never took.
State payroll records reviewed by The Times show Williamson used approximately $30,000 in unused vacation time to remain on California’s payroll through Jan. 31 — seven weeks after Newsom’s office indicated she had departed — before collecting an additional $22,000 lump-sum payout for the hours she had left.
Large cash-outs for departing state workers with hundreds of hours of time off on the books have been a recurring issue in California. The state’s unfunded liability for vacation and other leave owed to employees has ballooned in recent years to $5.6 billion, fueled by generous time-off provisions and a long-standing failure to enforce policies that cap most employees’ vacation balances at 640 hours.
Many state workers accumulate large balances of unused vacation after decades of being on the government payroll. The typical public employee retires with more than two decades in public service, according the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. Their unused time off is paid when they leave state employment at their final rate of pay.
Williamson, however, amassed 462 hours of unused leave in less than two years on the job. She earned $19,612 a month as the governor’s chief of staff.
John Moorlach, director at the conservative think tank the Center for Public Accountability at the California Policy Center, said that a job like Williamson had probably involved incredibly long workdays but that the pace in which employees accumulate days off is a major financial burden.
“A normal blue-collar worker would say, ‘Really? Really?“” said Moorlach, a former Republican state senator from Orange County. “You don’t find this perk in the private sector.”
Williamson notified Newsom in November 2024 that she was under federal investigation and was put on paid administrative leave through Dec. 16, the governor’s office said.
Federal charges against Williamson, which were filed in November 2025, allege she siphoned $225,000 out of a dormant state campaign account belonging to gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra and illegally claimed $1 million in luxury handbags and travel as business expenses on her tax returns. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A status conference in Williamson’s case was moved to April 16 after she recently underwent a successful liver transplant and due to the large volume of discovery — more than 280,000 pages so far — according to court records filed last month.
Williamson’s attorney, McGregor Scott, did not respond to a request for comment.
State payroll records show Williamson earned $40,000 in regular pay in 2025, which the state controller’s office said included her December 2024 and January 2025 paychecks. The governor’s office said Williamson’s December 2024 paycheck included 11 days of paid administrative leave, and the remainder of both paychecks was covered by her unused leave.
With her final cash-out of $22,000 in remaining time off, she made a total of $62,000 last year — all tied to administrative leave and unused vacation time rather than time worked.
“That’s shocking, honestly,” said Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), adding that stockpiled vacation time overall is something the state Legislature should look into.
The state paid $453 million in unused leave benefits to state workers in 2025. That was an average of more than $20,000 to the 21,000 employees who received a lump-sum check. The amount paid to departing or retiring state workers has steadily increased each year. In 2024, the state paid $413 million for unused time off.
“Obviously, employees are an important part of our state and they accrue vacation time,” Hoover said. “But, if this is something being used to pad people’s salaries … we need to look into that and possibly reform that.”
Last year, 80 state employees took home at least $250,000 in unused time off, and 1,081 employees were paid more than $100,000. Those numbers have been increasing each year. For example, the state paid 16 state workers more than $250,000 for unused time off in 2010, and 309 employees were paid more than $100,000.
In 2024, the state paid out a record $1.2 million to a prison supervising dentist for unused time off. Last year, the top amount paid for unused leave was about $650,000 to an assistant fire chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The state owed nearly $5.6 billion to state workers for unused vacation and other leave benefits in 2024, according to the most recent financial accounting report issued by the state controller’s office. Although that unfunded liability held steady when compared with 2023, it has risen sharply from pre-pandemic amounts.
In 2019, the state owed $3.9 billion for employees’ unused time off before COVID-19 curtailed travel and work-from-home policies resulted in fewer workers taking time off. State employees have argued that under-staffing at state agencies can make it difficult to take vacations.
Nick Schroeder, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst’s Office, said the state has plans to reduce unfunded liabilities for pensions and retiree healthcare, but that isn’t the case with unused time off.
“There isn’t a plan to address it,” Schroeder said.
When an employee retires with a large leave balance, the department where that person worked last is on the hook for the amount.
“It can be a big effect on that individual department’s budget,” Schroeder said.
During budget deficits — including in the current fiscal year — the state has cut employee pay or deferred annual raises in exchange for additional days off, a strategy that helps balance budgets but also adds to workers’ growing vacation balances.
In Newsom’s January budget proposal, which estimated a $3-billion deficit, the governor recommended providing $91 million in ongoing funding to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to help the prison system pay departing employees for their unused time off. The department said that from 2020 to 2025, it paid about $130 million annually on average to employees leaving state service, according to a Legislative Analyst’s Office report.
When employees cash out banked leave, the state pays them not only for the hours they have accumulated, but also for the additional vacation and holidays they would have earned had they taken that time off.
That means a person with 640 hours of vacation would also be paid for all of the vacation and holidays they would have earned had they taken those 80 days off. Each hour of leave is paid based on an employee’s final salary — not what they were earning when the time was accrued.
Most private-sector employers cap vacation accrual between 40 and 400 hours and stop employees from earning additional time once they reach those limits. Some companies have moved in the opposite direction, adopting “unlimited paid time off” policies. Under those systems, employees do not accumulate vacation days that can be banked or cashed out, but critics say the policies can lead to workers taking less time off because there is no guaranteed number of days and employees may feel pressure not to appear absent.
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., said there appears to be little appetite in the state Capitol to address California’s burgeoning vacation liability.
“This problem is systemic within California government and no one seems willing to take it on,” Coupal said. “At the same time, they are clamoring that there is a budget crisis. I suspect they will continue to kick the can down the road.”
A warning about ‘additional information about existing entry requirements’ has been issued
People travelling to the US have been issued fresh advice
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has released new travel guidance for the USA. The update was released earlier today (Friday, March 13).
The FCDO explained that the amendment pertains to ‘additional information about existing entry requirements and new information on possible travel disruption’. It was posted on the official ‘Foreign travel advice’ page.
The most recent advice also encompasses American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands. The website states: “There could be longer than usual queues at some US airports due to a partial US government shutdown. Check with your travel provider, departure airport or airline for the latest guidance.
“You must have the correct approval prior to travel. This will be either a valid US visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), depending on your personal circumstances and purpose of travel.
“US authorities enforce entry rules strictly. If you do not have the correct immigration status, or if you breach the terms of your entry, there is a risk you may be detained, refused entry, or removed (deported). Overstaying your permitted time in the US can also lead to detention and future bans on re-entry.
“A valid ESTA or visa does not guarantee you will be allowed to enter the US. Authorities may refuse you entry if, for example, they believe you do not plan to stay longer than permitted or have provided inaccurate or incomplete information. The US may change the conditions to travel to the US at any time without prior notice.”
The US is set to co-host the World Cup later this year, with the tournament running from 11 June to 19 July. If you’re planning a trip to the US during this period, check out the World Cup page for additional details. Further advisories include ensuring your passport is valid for the duration of your intended stay.
If your journey involves transiting through another country en route to or from the US, make sure to verify the entry requirements for that nation. Many countries only permit entry if your passport has at least six months’ validity remaining.
To gain entry or transit through the US, you’ll need either an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) or a visa. More information on visas can be found on the US State Department’s website.
Travellers whose gender on their passport differs from their birth-recorded sex should seek further advice from the US Embassy or a consulate in the UK.
Officials may request to examine your electronic devices, emails, text messages, and social media activity. Refusal could result in delayed or denied entry.
More information on electronic device searches can be found on the US Customs and Border Protection website.
The HM Passport Office has issued a warning to Brits about passport checks they must carry out well in advance of any impending holidays over spring and summer
10:30, 12 Mar 2026Updated 10:38, 12 Mar 2026
HM Passport Office has issued a warning to holidaymakers (Image: Getty Images)
HM Passport Office has issued a warning to Brits ahead of the peak travel season.
With the Easter half-term just weeks away and plans already made for a summer getaway, thousands of holidaymakers will be jetting off abroad during one of the busiest travel periods. To ensure their journey gets off to a flying start, Brits are being urged to check their passports; otherwise, they risk being turned away at the airport.
In a stark reminder, the HM Passport Office advised Brits to “check your passport now” in a post shared on X, ahead of any spring or summer trips. A link in the post directed travellers to the government website, where they can apply online to renew, replace, or update their passports.
There are two key dates you should check on your document; the expiry date, and the issue date, especially if you’re planning to head to a European hotspot such as France, Spain or Greece. This is because of a post-Brexit regulation on travel to the European Union or Schengen countries, which stipulates that UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before your departure and must be valid for at least 3 months after your return.
Meanwhile countries such as Australia, China, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and India require at least 6 months of passport validity from the date of arrival. It’s vital to check any entry requirements and passport validity before making any travel plans.
You must also ensure your passport has not been physically damaged, as this may render it invalid. This could include ripped pages, water damage, separated covers, or anything else that might make the personal information difficult to read.
Travel expert Jamie Fraser at Wild Packs warned that the general wear and tear of a passport can also be problematic when passing through automated scanners or at airport border control points. So it’s vital to check that your passport is in good condition, or if you need to apply for a replacement.
There must also be a blank page at the back of the passport for any necessary stamps or visas. If the passport is crammed with stamps from past trips, it could create problems at the border if there aren’t enough blank pages, leaving you unable to travel.
If your passport has expired or needs to be replaced, you can apply for a new one through the government website. However, it’s crucial to do it well in advance, as it can take around three weeks and sometimes longer.
There are fast-track passport services available, but Jamie cautioned that these are not “always guaranteed and appointments can be limited during peak travel periods”. HM Passport Office also advised: “Do not book travel until you have a valid passport – your new passport will not have the same number as your old one.”
To renew or replace your standard passport online, it will cost £94.50, or £107 if you opt for a paper application. Meanwhile, a child’s passport will cost £61.50 online or £74 by post.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
The Foreign Office has advised against travel to certain countries.
Mia O’Hare Senior Spare Time Reporter and Courtney Eales
09:31, 12 Mar 2026
There’s advice for anyone going to Egypt(Image: murat4art via Getty Images)
At the start of this month, the UK Government issued guidance advising British citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to register their whereabouts. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is then able to send them direct updates.
There are roughly 300,000 British nationals in the region, of which over 170,000 have registered their presence with the FCDO. The Foreign Office has been revising its travel guidance for Middle Eastern countries and those in the vicinity, as the ongoing conflict continues to cause significant disruption.
The Government stated it is in discussions with commercial operators and regional countries regarding the arrangement of additional flights, as regional airspace has now partially reopened.
One of the most recent updates from the UK Foreign Office relates to entry into Egypt from Jordan.
Guidance stated: “Ferry services operate between Aqaba, Jordan and Taba Heights and Nuweiba in Egypt. Contact ferry operators directly for schedules and availability. Please check travel advice for Jordan for the latest on exit requirements.
“If your stay in Sinai will exceed 15 days, or you are planning to travel in Egypt beyond the Sinai Peninsula, including to fly from mainland airports, for example Cairo or Hurghada, you will need an entry visa”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The statement continued: “If entering at Taba Heights, this costs 35 US dollars. If entering at Nuweiba, this costs 30 US dollars. Visas can be purchased at the port terminals. Travellers should obtain USD in cash before travelling given payments are often required in cash.”
Currently, the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to certain regions of Egypt. Ignoring advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office could invalidate your travel insurance.
There is an increased risk of regional tension which could result in travel disruption and other unforeseen consequences. The Foreign Office stated: “British nationals should take sensible precautions, considering their own individual circumstances.”
These precautions include:
Subscribing to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts.
Keeping an eye on local and international media for the latest updates.
Signing up to local information alerts/resources and following the instructions of the local authorities.
Avoiding areas surrounding security or military facilities.
The Foreign Office strongly advises against all travel within a 20km radius of the Egypt-Libya border, with the exception of the town of El Salloum, where it recommends only essential travel.
Active military operations targeting criminal activity are ongoing in this area.
It recommends against all travel to North Sinai Governate owing to ongoing criminal activity and terrorist attacks targeting police and security forces that have led to fatalities.
The complete list of areas the FCDO advises against travelling to can be found here.
A video circulating online appears to show signature collectors paying people to sign initiative petitions under other people’s names, according to officials, and now the state has opened an investigation.
The video, filmed by videographer JJ Smith, shows a long queue leading to a table set up at 6th and Mission streets in San Francisco. A man in line says they are being offered $5 to sign petitions. At the table, where there are lists with the information of apparent registered voters, a woman confirms the payment and — using a highlighter — instructs a person on the name and address that she is supposed to use.
“I get $5 too?” the videographer asks.
“Yeah,” says the woman.
“And what is it?”
“Just sign it,” she says.
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Petitions connected to at least three ballot campaigns — including the billionaire-backed effort to thwart California’s proposed billionaire tax — appear in the video.
“I approached some people and asked them what they were there for,” Smith told The Times. “They told me they didn’t know what they were signing for, that they just wanted the $5.”
Smith said he watched the scene for hours and estimated that a few hundred people cycled through the line over roughly two hours.
Those running the table did not ask for anyone’s identification and gave no explanation of what was actually being signed, he said.
The video showed voter data from San Luis Obispo County that was both visible and, as details were spoken aloud, audible in the footage.
The county acted immediately after becoming aware of the video and initiated an investigation through the fraud unit of the California secretary of state’s office, said Erin Clausen, public information officer for the San Luis Obispo county clerk’s office.
Clausen noted that, although voter registration data can be legally requested from county election offices, the data in this case may have been used inappropriately. The county is also planning on reaching out directly to voters who were specifically mentioned or identified in the video, according to Clausen.
“The activity shown in the video, if verified, would violate California election law,” County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano said in a formal statement released Wednesday morning.
The secretary of state’s office confirmed it had opened a formal investigation.
“Under California law, it is illegal to give money or other valuable consideration to another in exchange for their signature on an initiative petition,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “ Those who abuse our system will be held accountable.”
The office is working with local officials and encouraged anyone with information to file a complaint.
One political committee, Californians for a More Transparent and Effective Government, confirmed its petitions were among those whose signature gatherers were allegedly paying people to sign and moved quickly to distance itself from the activity.
“Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity in the signature gathering process,” said spokesperson Molly Weedn. “We’ve taken immediate action and have demanded that the signature gathering firm identify these circulators and reject their petitions.” Weedn said the collectors were subcontractors, not campaign employees, and that attorneys were contacting authorities.
That committee is funded by another group, Building a Better California, which was also among campaigns that appeared in the video. The other was for a proposed initiative called the Retirement and Personal Savings Protection Act of 2026. Representatives for the latter two have not responded to requests for comment.
Smith said this was not the first time he had witnessed this type of activity in the area.
“I saw something similar with ballots three days ago,” he said.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can submit a complaint to the Office of the California Secretary of State or contact their local county elections office.
Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON — Jill Biden is breaking her silence about Joe Biden’s decision to abruptly end his 2024 presidential reelection bid under pressure from Democrats concerned about his age, health and viability against Republican Donald Trump in a rematch of their 2020 campaign.
A political spouse for nearly 50 years, Jill Biden said she has never publicly discussed her feelings about the three-week stretch when her husband ended his political career, instead saving her thoughts for the pages of her soon-to-be-released memoir.
Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on Wednesday announced that her book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” is scheduled to be published June 2.
Jill Biden told the Associated Press in a brief telephone interview that the book is a “reflection of my four years as first lady” and that writing it was somewhat healing.
“It was kind of cathartic for me to write it, and I wrote about all the, you know, sometimes painful — but other times, most of it really beautiful moments that Joe and I shared during his presidency,” she said.
Jill Biden declined on Tuesday to discuss any of those moments, good or bad — including watching her husband work his way to the decision to end his five-decade-long political career by dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
In an announcement video shared on Instagram, she said she wants to “set the record straight.”
The last chapter of her husband’s political career
In April 2023, then-President Joe Biden was 80 and the oldest president in U.S. history when he announced he was running for a second term. His age and fitness to serve another four years — which would take him to age 86 — became a source of concern for the public. Some fellow Democrats began to pressure him to step aside after he turned in a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June 2024 in which he struggled, in a raspy voice, to land his debating points and often appeared to lose his train of thought. Aides blamed the poor performance on a cold.
Joe Biden at first insisted that he would stay in the race, but after a few weeks he withdrew from the campaign and endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris, his vice president. Harris became the party’s presidential nominee but lost to Trump in the November 2024 election.
Jill Biden said that, with the book, “I have put things in perspective,” presenting what she describes as a “more balanced view” of her husband’s time as president.
The memoir is also a tribute of the sorts to women who, like herself, juggle multiple roles.
“It’s also a story about my being able to balance life, you know, as a working woman and as a mother, a grandmother, a first lady,” she said.
During her four years in the role, Jill Biden, 74, made history as the first first lady to continue the career she had before entering the White House. She had taught English and writing for decades at the community college level, and she continued teaching twice a week at a Northern Virginia school while serving as first lady.
Joe Biden ‘doing well’ after his cancer diagnosis
The former president’s office announced in May 2025 that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer and that it had spread to his bones. He’s receiving treatment.
Jill Biden said it was “quite a shock getting the diagnosis” for her husband, who’s now 83.
“The fact that it is in his bones means that he will have cancer, you know, all his lifetime,” Jill Biden said. She said the doctors say he will “live out his natural life.”
“Like most retired couples, he’ll probably drive me crazy till the end of it,” she joked.
She said he visits Washington at least once a week for meetings or to give speeches.
A unique period in American history
The former first lady also writes in the book about serving during a unique period in U.S. history, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the publisher.
Her husband was sworn into office on the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, just two weeks after a mob of Trump supporters, spurred by his false claims that the Republican lost because of election fraud, stormed the building in a violent attempt to keep lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s victory.
Joe Biden’s first year in office was dominated by the federal response to the pandemic and, while he mostly stayed at the White House, Jill Biden wore face mask and traveled around the country to encourage people to get their vaccinations. She also continued her advocacy on behalf of military families, education and community colleges, cancer prevention and women’s health initiatives.
Before she became first lady, Jill Biden was second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, when her husband was Barack Obama’s vice president. She currently chairs the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network.
Jill Biden is also the author of “Where the Light Enters,” published in 2019, in which she writes about meeting Joe Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, and marrying and building a life with him. She also has written three children’s books.
Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has provided travel updates, including for Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt
11:13, 10 Mar 2026Updated 11:18, 10 Mar 2026
There is travel advice and warnings in place for Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign Office has provided travel advice for Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt amid the Middle East conflict.
The three countries are popular holiday destinations among Brits, thanks to their sand beaches, crystal-clear blue waters, diverse landscapes and sprawling resorts along the coastlines. They also deliver sunshine and warm weather from early Spring right through until Autumn, and are typically an affordable option for those seeking a sun-soaked getaway.
Many Brits have already secured their getaways to Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt, whether that’s for a stay over Easter or during the summer holidays, or have plans to hit ‘book’. However, the location of the holiday hotspots closer to the conflict in the Middle East than other popular destinations has made the latest Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice all the more important.
As of Tuesday, 10 March, the Foreign Office has not added Cyprus, Turkey or Egypt to its ‘no travel’ list. However, there have been several updates that Brits should be aware of. Here’s everything you need to know…
Cyprus
The latest update from FCDO on Thursday, 5 March, which remains in place today, warned that “terrorist attacks in Cyprus cannot be ruled out”. It read: “There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.”
The advice adds that terrorist attacks “could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.” Following the update, the FCDO said the UK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.
Despite this, there is currently no advice against travel to Cyprus. However, the Foreign Office warned that the “regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption,” and that “no travel can be guaranteed safe.”
Turkey
The Foreign Office has warned against travel to some areas of Turkey, “due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism”. This ‘do not travel’ warning applies within 10km of Turkey’s border with Syria, which was in place before the Middle East conflict. However, there is no FCDO guidance against travel to any of the popular tourism areas such as Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir, which are 1500-1600km from the border with Iran.
There is also a country-wide warning of “high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals”. The FCDO said most of these attacks have taken place in southeast Turkey, Ankara and Istanbul. It should be noted that similar warnings have been in place for a number of other countries long before the Iran war.
In an update last week, the FCDO warned that the “regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption”. However, it does not advise against travel to other areas in Turkey, with most flights and holidays currently going ahead.
Egypt
As it stands, the Foreign Office “advises against all travel to parts of Egypt” and “against all but essential travel to parts of Egypt”. One warning in place is against travel to within “20km of the Egypt-Libya border, except for the town of El Salloum”, where the FCDO advises “against all but essential travel.”
There are also travel restrictions in place for other parts of Egypt, including North Sinai, the Northern part of South Sinai, the Eastern part of Ismailiyah Governorate, the Western Desert, the Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid.
The FCDO has also warned of a “heightened risk of regional tension” and “escalation that could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts” for Egypt. There is also a “high threat of terrorist attack” warning in place for Egypt, which was in place prior to the Middle East conflict.
However, the Foreign Office does not advise against all travel to Egypt. They added that around one million Brits travel to Egypt each year and “most visits are trouble-free.”
If you’ve got a holiday on the horizon, it’s best to keep in contact with your holiday provider – although they are currently focusing on those with imminent travel plans. However, given the ever-changing nature of the situation, travel guidance can shift rapidly, and it’s important to check any restrictions before travelling or booking a holiday.
The above travel advice remains current as of Tuesday, 10 March, but it’s best to consult the most recent Foreign Office advice for your destination before finalising any travel arrangements. You can visit the Foreign Office website for information on travel restrictions for each country.
Have you been impacted by travel disruptions? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
The former state controller has been running for California governor longer than just about anybody in the cheek-by-jowl field. And yet the Democrat is bumping along near the bottom, a blip in polls and a laggard in the money chase.
Beyond that, she said, it’s not as if anyone’s running away with the contest; most polls have shown the leading candidate — which depends on the survey — standing atop the pile with around 20% support.
“The public is still shopping,” Yee said. “In the next month or so, we’re going to try to get [a TV ad] on the air, basically make our case and hope that can spread as voters are getting more focused on the race.”
Which is not to say Yee is delusional.
“As a candidate, I make that assessment every day about whether we’re going to be viable or not,” she said last week, just before stopping by the Alameda County voter registrar‘s office to file paperwork for the June 2 primary.
“Right now, it’s less than a 50-50 chance,” Yee said, suggesting it’s her job to boost those odds by getting voters to appreciate what she offers, which amounts to unvarnished talk about the challenges facing the next governor and the ways Sacramento — which has been run for years by fellow Democrats — isn’t working.
“ ‘Accountability’ has kind of become a dirty word … where it’s about who we’re going to throw under the bus, rather than stepping back and saying, ‘What have we gotten for the dollars that we spend and, if we’re not getting those outcomes, how do we do better?’ ”
Yee served two terms as controller, in effect the state’s chief financial officer, and 10 years before that on the Board of Equalization, which oversees property tax assessments. She’s isn’t trying to buy the governorship, like billionaire Tom Steyer, or leverage her political celebrity, like cable-TV fixtures Katie Porter and Eric Swalwell. Instead, Yee is running a grassroots campaign, visiting nearly all 58 California counties and holding as many face-to-face meetings as humanly possible.
“I’m in the trenches,” she said. “I knock on doors every election cycle because to me, that’s the reality check of where people really are in terms of their lives.”
Which is certainly an admirable approach, albeit a rather idealistic strategy in a state of nearly 23 million voters, spread over roughly 800 miles from north to south. It would take more than two years of round-the-clock campaigning just to give each and every one a quick handshake.
The most notable feature of Yee’s candidacy is her message. She’s not selling barn-burning populism or viral take-downs of President Trump — “I don’t have any gimmicks, I don’t swear, I don’t have a reality-TV show personality” — but rather practical know-how and a deep understanding of state government.
It’s almost quaint in today’s theatrical political environment.
Seated at a sidewalk table outside a coffee stand in downtown Oakland, Yee focused on California’s stretched-thin budget, which happens to be her area of expertise.
“People ask what would you do in your first days as governor, if you have the privilege of serving,” Yee said, as her butterscotch latte sat cooling. “I’d come clean with the voters about where we are fiscally.”
After years of surpluses, she said, the state is spending more than it can afford. Facing a structural deficit, the next governor will have to cut programs and raise taxes, not just one or the other, with corporations and California’s richest residents being forced to cough up more. (She’s dubious, however, of a proposed November ballot measure imposing a one-time 5% tax on billionaires, questioning whether it would stand up in court.)
Sacramento’s credibility, Yee suggested, is on the line.
Before any expansive new programs can be implemented — and she has some notions for how to make life more affordable, increase access to healthcare and create jobs — Californians have to be convinced their tax dollars are being well spent and delivering proven results. “I would really insist on and invite stricter accountability of what we do with our money,” Yee said.
She’s not beyond criticizing the current administration.
“I mean, I’ve been termed out as controller since January 2023. I still get calls from companies in the [European Union], Canada, even Mexico about how we want to do business with California. Who do we talk to?” Yee said. “So I’ll send them over to the governor’s Office of Business Development and they tell me, ‘Well, we try to call people, but nobody’s answering our call.’ ”
(In response, a spokesman for the Office of Business and Economic Development touted California as “a premier hub for international business” and described foreign trade and investment as major drivers of the state economy.)
As for Gov. Gavin Newsom, while she supports his teenaged trolling of Trump, she said it shouldn’t be done through official channels, , or on the taxpayers’ dime.
“We have to focus on making the state work,” Yee said, “and that’s where I’m more focused on because people … want service delivery. They want government to be responsive to their needs. Somebody just pick up the damn phone on the other line to help them.”
Tough medicine, as she described it, and “stabilization” — which is “kind of my theme” — won’t make a great many hearts go pit-a-pat. But Yee hopes that straight talk and her distinct lack of ornamentation will count for something with California voters.
“The climate now is that people are very drawn by the performative approaches,” she said. “However, I think that will change. I want to give [voters] credit, because I do think they are very discerning when they’re ready to mark their ballot.”
The coming weeks will test that premise. And Yee is staying put.
MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin man who allegedly told police he tried to set fire to a Republican congressman’s office last year because he was angry that the lawmaker backed a bill requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell off its U.S. operations was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison.
In addition to the prison time, Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Tricia Walker sentenced 20-year-old Caiden Stachowicz to seven years of extended supervision, court records show.
Stachowicz, of Menasha, pleaded no contest to an arson charge in November. Prosecutors dropped burglary and property damage counts in exchange for Stachowicz’s no contest plea, which isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing.
According to a criminal complaint, a police officer responded to a fire outside Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office in Fond du Lac, about 55 miles northwest of Milwaukee, at around 1 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2025, and saw Stachowicz standing nearby.
He told the officer that he started the fire because he doesn’t like Grothman, according to the complaint. He initially planned to break into the office and start the fire inside. But he couldn’t break the window, so he poured gas on an electrical box behind the building and around the front of the building, lit a match and watched it burn, according to the complaint.
He said he wanted to burn down the office because the federal government was shutting down TikTok in violation of his constitutional rights and peace was no longer an option, the complaint states. He added that Grothman voted for the shutdown, but he didn’t want to hurt Grothman or anyone else.
Grothman voted for a bill in April 2024 that required TikTok’s China-based company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operation. The deadline was Jan. 19, 2025, but President Trump has issued multiple executive orders prolonging it. TikTok finalized a deal two months ago to create an American version of the social video platform. Trump praised the deal.
Danielle Gorsuch, one of Stachowicz’s attorneys, told the Associated Press after the sentencing that the incident was the culmination of a mental health crisis for her client and stressed that no one was hurt.
“Caden took every caution to make sure no one was present in the building at the time of the incident, as he only wanted to hurt himself,” Gorsuch said. “He took responsibility from night one.”
A spokesperson for Grothman’s congressional office didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to spend $19 million promoting California and dispelling “myths driven by misinformation and political rhetoric” in a marketing campaign that would run through the final months of his administration as he weighs a potential run for president.
The new contract, which is in the bidding process, comes as Newsom’s political future and national standing are closely tied to how voters view California’s economy, crime and quality of life — issues that have become central to attacks from President Trump and conservative media outlets.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development is seeking a contractor to design a statewide taxpayer-funded “California Brand Campaign,” with two-thirds of spending under the proposal to be used for paid advertising and media placements. Bidding on the contract opened Feb. 24 and is expected to end March 13.
The solicitation frames the campaign as an effort to push back on what Newsom has often described as misleading narratives about California. The campaign would launch during a period of financial uncertainty for the state, with Newsom’s January budget projecting a $3-billion deficit next fiscal year.
“California and its business climate have been falsely and maliciously maligned for years, and the state has a right to tell the true story — California is a great place to do live, work, invest and visit,” said Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos. “Setting the record straight will benefit every business, worker and resident of this state.”
Newsom is contemplating a run for president in 2028 and says he remains undecided about whether he will pursue the Oval Office.
State Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), who is vice chair of the Senate budget committee, said the language of the proposal request is concerning. He said it would make it easier to stifle criticisms of policies that he says make it difficult to do business in California.
“This is clearly part of the Gavin Newsom for President campaign, but what is most troubling to me is that this is a program to be developed by some private-sector contractor to define what is acceptable speech in the state of California,” Niello said. “That scares the stuffing out of me.”
The negative image of California — homeless encampments lining the streets, smash-and-grab robberies at malls and an exodus of residents and businesses fleeing high taxes and nanny-state governance — could be a liability for Newsom if he runs for president.
Newsom has seen his popularity surge in the last year after his fight-fire-with-fire approach to countering Trump’s rhetoric. The two-term governor has used his expanding platform, including a podcast and nationwide book tour for his recently released memoir, to repeatedly push back on Trump’s criticisms of California. He argues that California remains one of the world’s largest and most dynamic economies and the envy of other states.
The tone of the marketing campaign bid request itself echoes that message, with its introductory paragraph pulled directly from Newsom’s State of the State speech in January.
“California has never been about perfection,” it reads. “It’s about persistence. The courage of our convictions and the strength to embody them. That’s the California Way.”
Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist who runs the research nonprofit Latino Working Class Project, said scrutiny of the campaign will depend on whether the ads veer into politics or overtly promote Newsom in the way federal border security ads showcased the now ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“You have to ask why now?” Madrid said of Newsom’s timing for the California ad campaign. “He’s in the eighth inning of a nine-inning baseball game. Timing and tone are everything when considering the appropriateness.”
The use of taxpayer dollars to combat negative publicity about the state and the governor isn’t new under the Newsom administration.
Newsom tapped an employee in his communications office to serve as his “deputy director of rapid response” in 2024. Staff member Brandon Richards, who made $136,000 last year, is tasked with quickly dispatching responses to information the governor’s team deems inaccurate or misleading that is spread on social media and in the media.
Newsom’s frustration reached a boiling point over claims about the state’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires last year. President Trump publicly blamed Newsom and “his Los Angeles crew” for the disaster, though the Republican’s claims that a lack of water in Southern California led to a shortage for firefighters were widely debunked.
Newsom’s political team launched a website in January 2025 to fight misinformation about the L.A. fires, which he said at the time would “ensure the public has access to fact-based data.” The site, www.californiafirefacts.com, no longer appears to exist.
At one point, however, it redirected viewers to the redistricting campaign website for Proposition 50, according to internet archives. Newsom championed the successful redistricting ballot measure to add more Democrats to California’s congressional delegation, a direct response to Trump urging Texas and other Republican states to reconfigure their congressional boundaries to elect more Republicans to Congress.
Newsom adopted an even more aggressive social media strategy last summer after Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines to California during federal immigration sweeps. The governor directed his team to match the brash communication tactics emanating from the White House. His aides continue to shoot down criticism and launch their own snarky assaults on Trump and his allies.
The new ad campaign appears to be an extension of his work to refute the anti-California narrative.
The request for bids says “some look at this state and try to tear down our progress. They attack our values and caricature our culture. They distort the data to diminish our accomplishments.”
Party leaders fear the growing possibility that the crowded field will split the Democratic electorate in the state’s June top-two primary election and result in two Republicans advancing to the November ballot, ensuring a Republican governor being elected for the first time since 2006.
His advice largely unheeded, state party Chairman Rusty Hicks on Thursday said the fate of a Democratic victory now rests squarely on the gubernatorial candidates who flouted him.
“The candidates for Governor now have a chance to showcase a viable path to win,” Hicks said in a statement Thursday.
Eight top Democratic candidates filed the official paperwork to appear on the June ballot after Hicks released a letter on Tuesday urging those “who cannot show meaningful progress towards winning” to drop out. Friday is the deadline to file to appear on the primary election ballot. On March 21, the secretary of state’s office will formally announce who will appear on the June ballot.
“It sounded like someone who has his head in the sand,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said of Hicks’ open letter. “[Most] of us filed within 24 hours of getting that letter. It created some press but not much else. It didn’t impact [most] of the candidates and it certainly didn’t impact my candidacy.”
Democratic strategist Elizabeth Ashford said it was appropriate for Hicks and other Democratic leaders to make a public plea as opposed to keeping such discussions solely behind closed doors.
But the response showed the limited power of the modern-day party bosses.
“It’s definitely not Tammany Hall,” said Ashford, referring to the storied Democratic political machine that had a grip on New York City politics for nearly a century. “The party and Rusty are influential and they are helpful and that is their role. I don’t think anyone would be comfortable with outright public strong-arming of specific candidates.”
Ashford, who worked for former Govs. Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with former Vice President Kamala Harris when she served as state attorney general, added that the minimal power of the state GOP is likely a factor in the dynamics of Democrats’ decision to stay in the race. Democratic registered voters outnumber Republicans by almost a 2-to-1 margin in the state, and Democrats control every statewide elected office and hold supermajorities in both chambers of the California Legislature.
“If there were a strong viable opposition that existed, if the Republican Party was actually relevant in California, I think that would sort of force greater unity amongst Democrats,” she said.
Just one of the nine major Democrats did heed the party chair’s message. Ian Calderon, a former Los Angeles-area Assemblyman who consistently polled near the bottom of the field, withdrew from the race and endorsed Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) on Thursday.
Candidates cannot withdraw their name from the ballot once they officially file to run for office, leading to some fears that even if other candidates drop out of the race, a crowded primary ballot could still split California’s liberal votes.
“I’m disappointed most of them will be on the ballot,” said Lorena Gonzalez, the head of the California Federation of Labor Unions, which will announce whether it endorses in the governor’s race on March 16. But “I do still think you can have people drop out of the race or become viable. I think that there are candidates who know viability is a real thing they have to show in coming weeks” before ballots start being mailed to voters.
Jodi Hicks, chief executive and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said she is “still worried” about the prospect of two Republicans winning the top two spots in the June primary, shutting Democrats out of any chance of winning the governor’s office in November.
“I didn’t have any specifics of who I wanted to do what,” she said. “I’m just very, very concerned and the stakes are really high right now and seem to be getting worse by the day.”
Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, said he is “confident that I’ll be in the top two” along with a Democratic candidate. “I find it very difficult to believe that the Democratic Party will just surrender California and allow two Republicans to be in the top two.”
Hilton made the comments Thursday after a gubernatorial forum in Sacramento hosted by the California Assn. of Realtors focused on housing and homeownership. Villaraigosa, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Rep. Katie Porter also attended. Swalwell, who is currently in Washington, joined the panel virtually.
During the panel, candidates were in broad agreement about the need to reduce barriers and costs in order to build more housing in California, where the median single-family home costs more than $820,000. Many also endorsed proposals to disincentivize private investment firms from buying up homes as well as a $25-billion bond proposed by former Sen. Bob Hertzberg to help first-time homebuyers afford a down payment.
“This really isn’t a debate because we’re agreeing so much with each other,” Hilton said at one point during the event.
That political alignment on one of the most pressing issues facing California may explain why voters are having such a difficult time deciding who to support.
A recent poll of the Public Policy Institute of California found that the five candidates topping the crowded field were within 4 percentage points of one another: Porter, Swalwell, Hilton, Democratic hedge fund founder Tom Steyer and Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Earlier polls had Hilton and Bianco leading the field, though many voters remained undecided.
Some candidates took issue with Hicks’ push to cull the field, noting that most of the lower-polling candidates he asked to drop out are people of color.
“Our political system is rigged, corrupted by the political elites, the wealthy and well connected,” state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is Black and Latino, said in a video posted on social media in response to the open letter. “The California Democratic Party is essentially telling every person of color in the race for Governor to drop out.”
Villaraigosa argued that enough voters remain undecided that it was too early for quality candidates to call it quits.
“Most people don’t even know who’s in the race,” said Villaraigosa. “It’s premature to be thinking about getting out of the race. I certainly am not considering it and I feel no pressure.”
Aside from the opinion polls, other indicators on who may emerge from the pack a candidates are slowly emerging.
Though it wasn’t enough to win the party’s endorsement, Swalwell won support from 24% of delegates at the state Democratic convention last month, the most of any party candidate.
While spending is no guarantee of success, Steyer has donated $47.4 million of his own wealth to his campaign. Mahan, who recently entered the race and is supported by Silicon Valley leaders, has quickly raised millions of dollars, as have two independent expenditures committees backing his bid.
Ashford said part of candidates’ decisions to remain in the race could have been driven by their lengthy political careers, as well as Democrats’ crushing November redistricting victory.
“In several cases, these are people who have won statewide office,” she said. “It’s tough to feel like there may not be a sequel to that.”
Nixon reported from Sacramento and Mehta from Los Angeles.
The Foreign Office has issued fresh security warnings for British tourists after a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri raised fears the Middle East conflict could spill into the Mediterranean
The updated travel advice came days after a suspected drone strike hit the RAF’s Akrotiri airbase(Image: blackCAT via Getty Images)
Britons heading to Cyprus have been issued a fresh security warning after the Foreign Office said terror attacks “cannot be ruled out” on the popular holiday island.
The updated travel advice came days after a suspected drone strike hit the RAF’s Akrotiri airbase on March 2 2026, in an incident linked to the escalating war in the Middle East. Officials say the attack caused only minimal damage and no casualties – but it has raised fears the conflict could spill closer to Europe.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its guidance on Thursday, warning travellers about the risk of further incidents and urging British nationals to stay alert.
It said: “Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.”
Cypriot authorities have warned that the island could be drawn into the crisis because of the British sovereign bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which are used for operations across the region.
With British and allied aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri, security analysts suggest the island has gained strategic importance in the current confrontation involving Iran and its proxies. RAF Akrotiri is the UK’s largest overseas airbase and has been deployed for missions against ISIS in Syria and Iraq as well as strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Against that backdrop, the Foreign Office has updated its Cyprus guidance to say terrorist attacks remain a possibility. It also warned that the wider regional situation could affect travel.
The FCDO urged Brits visiting the island to:
monitor local and international media
follow instructions from local authorities
keep travel plans under review
ensure travel documents are up to date
Officials also said Brits inside the British sovereign base areas should follow instructions issued by the Sovereign Base Areas Administration.
Hundreds of thousands of Brits visit
Cyprus is one of the most popular holiday destinations for UK travellers, with hundreds of thousands of Brits visiting each year. While officials stress that tourist areas remain open and functioning normally, the updated warning reflects growing concern that the regional conflict could bring further security incidents.
The Foreign Office said travellers should remember that “no travel can be guaranteed safe” and urged anyone visiting the island to sign up for government travel alerts.
A major travel update has been issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for Brits travelling to Cyprus as tensions in the Middle East escalate
14:45, 05 Mar 2026Updated 14:47, 05 Mar 2026
A fresh warning has been issued for travel to Cyprus(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued an update on travel to Cyprus, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Today (Thursday, 5 March), the FCDO has warned that “terrorist attacks in Cyprus cannot be ruled out”. In the updated advice, the Foreign Office stated: “There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.”
They added that terrorist attacks “could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals.” Following the update, they stated that the UK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.
While there is currently no advice against travel to Cyprus, the Foreign Office warns that the “regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption”. The UK government also warned of a suspected drone strike at the RAF Akrotiri base that took place on March 2.
“On 2 March 2026, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed a suspected drone impact at RAF Akrotiri. British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration British Bases Cyprus Facebook. British nationals in the Republic of Cyprus should follow any instructions from Cypriot local authorities,” the guidance reads.
“For British nationals, they advise the following:
“Read If you’re affected by a crisis abroad – GOV.UK. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
“Sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
“Monitor local and international media for the latest information
“Sign up to local information alerts/resources and follow the instructions of the local authorities
“Keep your departure plans under review, and ensure your travel documents are up to date”.
On Wednesday (March 4) it was also confirmed that various airlines had cancelled flights from the UK to parts of Cyprus amid tensions in the Middle East, including easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and TUI. Following the Foreign Office update, airlines may issue further updates on travel to Cyprus, but this is yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
If you have an upcoming holiday, it’s best to stay in touch with your holiday provider – although they are prioritising people who are travelling imminently. As the situation is ever-evolving, travel advice can change quickly, so it’s best to check the latest Foreign Office travel advice for a destination before making any travel plans.
For more information on travel advice for Cyprus, or other areas in the Middle East, you can visit the Foreign Office website. You can also find more information on how to minimise your risk if there’s a terrorist attack while you’re away on the government website.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Minnesota’s governor and attorney general on Wednesday defended their efforts to combat fraud and told a U.S. House committee that their efforts have been hampered by President Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz and Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison of stalling to fight fraud in government programs, saying they put politics ahead of rooting out abuse instead of pausing payments.
“You have not been good stewards of the taxpayer dollars,” said Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chair of the committee. “And the Democratic position is keep the money flowing. The American taxpayers have had enough.”
Walz said he wanted to work with the federal government to help with fraud investigations, but the immigration surge was making that more difficult.
“The people of Minnesota have been singled out and targeted for political retribution at an unparalleled scale,” Walz said. “We’re going to prosecute, as we have, every single person that’s involved in fraud, but we can’t do it alone.”
Walz and Ellison defended their efforts on fraud, while also trying to turn the focus of the hearing to the surge of 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota that began in December. The Trump administration cited fraud as one justification for its enforcement action. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified Tuesday that about 650 investigators remain in Minnesota as part of a broader fraud probe.
“Operation Metro Surge did nothing to address fraud in our state,” Ellison said. “It harmed our economy and it scarred our people and it dealt a devastating blow to fraud enforcement in Minnesota.”
Ellison noted the series of resignations of lawyers in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, leaving those who remain “drowning in immigration-related petitions” instead of prosecuting fraud. On Tuesday, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota appeared before a judge for a contempt hearing related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement not returning personal property of detainees.
Ellison said his office has “punched above our weight” in winning 300 Medicaid fraud convictions and recovering more than $80 million for taxpayers.
Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana called on Ellison to resign, accusing him of not leading investigations into criminal fraud activity.
Last week, Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration would “temporarily halt” $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds. Minnesota sued on Monday to stop the money from being withheld, warning it may have to cut healthcare for low-income families if the money is held back.
Comer on Wednesday accused Walz of not stopping Medicaid payments despite knowledge of fraud because he “didn’t want to rock the boat.”
Comer and other Republicans accused Walz of lying about when he first found out about fraud in a $250-million scheme known as Feeding Our Future and stalling to act in order to protect the Somali American community. Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio asked Walz if he know how many of those who had been indicted were Somali Americans.
“Their ethnicity is not my concern,” Walz said.
Somali Americans make up 82 of the 92 defendants charged so far in the Feeding Our Future case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota.
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, as part of the effort to focus the hearing on the immigration crackdown, held up images of children detained by federal officers and a picture of the blood-stained car seat of Renee Good who was killed by an officer. Federal officers also killed another Minnesota resident, Alex Pretti, who had been filming enforcement operations.
“This violence does not make us safer,” Garcia said. “It does not address fraud, waste and abuse.”
“Why were state law enforcement officers excluded?” U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder wanted to know.
The judge pressed California Deputy Atty. Gen. Cameron Bell to explain the thinking behind a pair of trailblazing new laws meant to unmask the federal immigration agents patrolling Golden State streets and compel them to identify themselves.
One of the laws required all law enforcement operating in the state to visibly display identification while on duty, with narrow exclusions for plainclothes, undercover and SWAT details. It applied to everyone else, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
But the other law, a ban on masks worn by on-duty law enforcement officers, applied only to local cops and federal agents, with a broad exemption for the California Highway Patrol and other state peace officers.
Snyder wanted to know: Why were the laws different?
She never got an answer. Bell said she couldn’t comment on the actions of the Legislature.
State Sen. Scott Wiener attends the California Democratic Party convention in San Francisco in February.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
In the halls of the statehouse last year, Sen. Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) No Secret Police Act and Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez’s (D-Alhambra) No Vigilantes Act were referred to as “legislative twins,” a nod to their shared gestation and conjoined legal fate. If passed, both would immediately be challenged by the Trump administration.
That’s precisely what happened. Both measures became law — but only the ID law survived its first court battle, sending state legislators back to the drawing board on the mask ban.
Polls show unmasking ICE is overwhelmingly popular with voters, and both Wiener and Gov. Gavin Newsom took credit for getting the bill passed.
But behind the scenes, according to nearly two dozen sources familiar with the legislative process who spoke to The Times, a fight had been brewing between the two Democrats.
Days before the amendment deadline last summer, Newsom’s office proposed changes to Wiener’s mask ban that, according to legal experts and opponents, would have exempted most ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations from the bill. The governor’s team denies that was the intent of their proposal. The resulting compromise exempted state peace officers from the law instead.
Snyder struck it down on Feb. 9, writing that she was “constrained” to do so because the exemption of state police “unlawfully discriminates against federal officers.”
Interviews with more than 20 lawmakers, policy advisors, law enforcement and legal experts show how the Labor Day weekend deal came together, ensuring both Wiener and the governor a political victory that in short order became a court triumph for the president.
There are now more than a dozen similar bills winding through statehouses from Olympia, Wash., to Albany, N.Y., as legislators try to rein in a practice the majority of Americans see as dangerous and corrosive. In Sacramento, similar efforts are underway to pass a narrower version of the law, and both Newsom and Wiener have said they were proud to make California the first state to pass an ICE mask ban.
Both sides said the legislative process is messy, and that eleventh-hour amendment fights are inevitable in a statehouse where more than 900 bills were passed and close to 800 signed into law last year.
Yet neither the governor’s office nor the legislator’s team has offered clear answers for why both accepted a last-minute change on a nationally watched bill that each was informed could kneecap the law’s constitutional standing in court.
“Seeing the carve-out, I was immediately really surprised,” said Bridget Lavender, staff attorney at the State Democracy Research Initiative, the nation’s leading expert on the myriad legal efforts to unmask ICE across the U.S. “That’s ultimately what doomed it.”
Others were more blunt.
“When I saw the final bill I said, ‘What happened here?’” said one prominent constitutional scholar, who asked not to be identified because they were advising several other state legislatures on similar mask ban efforts. “I can’t believe this happened.”
All eyes were really on California.
— Bridget Lavender, staff attorney at the State Democracy Research Initiative
Legally, the mask ban was always going to be a cat fight. Law enforcement groups loathed it. Constitutional scholars were wary. The Justice Department contends both the mask ban and the ID law illegally interfere with the operation of the federal government, a violation of the Constitution’s supremacy clause, while California likens them to highway speed limits, which apply to everyone equally.
“There is a very strong argument that the law is constitutional so long as it applies to all law enforcement,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berekely Law School and an early champion of the original No Secret Police Act, known in Sacramento as SB 627.
Others saw it differently.
“It’s a very complicated question as to whether states can enact law enforcement policies that bind the federal government,” said Eric J. Segall, a professor at Georgia State University College of Law. “The answer [here] is probably not. I regret that’s the law, but I’m pretty sure that’s the law.”
Everyone agreed, the Golden State would set the precedent.
“All eyes were really on California,” Lavender said.
Judge Snyder agreed with the state, upholding the ID law. Judges for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questioned both the federal government and California in a hearing Tuesday, repeatedly emphasizing the lack of clear precedent and constitutional uncertainty of the law.
“California has done something that we just haven’t seen before,” said Judge Jacqueline Nguyen.
Most scholars believe it will ultimately be settled by the Supreme Court.
The mask ban would be on the same track now, if not for the state police exemption.
“We knew we really had to thread that needle very carefully,” said state Sen. Patricia Fahy of New York, whose mask ban bill could soon be fast-tracked in Albany. “You had to put all law enforcement in it. I say that as a non-lawyer, but I knew that.”
Wiener knew it too. A Harvard-trained lawyer and a former deputy city attorney for San Francisco, he’d rebuffed early requests to exempt state and local officers from the bill and circulated Chemerinsky’s July 23 op-ed in the Sacramento Bee explaining the necessity of a universal ban, including to the governor’s team.
The state’s powerful law enforcement unions were livid. They railed against the bill in public and in the Legislature, testifying relentlessly about the harm that would flow to them from a ban — including being required to enforce it against armed federal agents.
“The last thing you want is two people with firearms on their hips getting into an argument,” said Marshall McClain, a regional director in the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, among the state’s richest and most powerful lobbying groups.
Law enforcement objections shaped the changes the governor’s legislative office sought just days before the Sept. 5 amendment deadline, according to a stakeholder involved in those discussions.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles in 2024.
(Eric Thayer / Associated Press)
The most controversial ask from Newsom’s team was an exemption for all types of officers engaged in “warrant and arrest related operations” — precisely the type of enforcement Alex Pretti was filming when masked CBP agents tackled him to the ground and shot him to death in Minneapolis last month.
The governor’s office also sought an exemption for all officers engaged in “crowd management, intervention, and control” — the work ICE agent Jonathan Ross was doing when he shot and killed Renee Good less than three weeks earlier.
“We were working to ensure state officer safety and operational effectiveness, not exempt ICE,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, Newsom’s chief deputy director of communications.
Yet California Deputy Solicitor Gen. Mica Moore told the 9th Circuit on Tuesday that the state’s ID law only applies to officers engaged in “arrest or detention operations or … crowd control” — activities she characterized as central to its purpose.
Rather than swallow bad terms or risk Newsom’s veto, Wiener countered with the state police carve-out — a move constitutional experts advised him would leave the law at least some chance of survival.
The governor’s legislative team quickly accepted, leaving Bell and the attorney general’s office on the hook to defend the exemption.
Boosters argue that even with its fatal flaw, California’s law advanced such bans nationally in a pivotal moment last September.
“The politics have changed dramatically,” said Hector Villagra, vice president of policy advocacy for MALDEF, one of the mask ban’s sponsors. “[Today] people realize this is not normal in a democracy like ours.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is constantly updating its advice as the situation changes in the Middle East and has now issued guidance for stranded Brits trying to get home
12:36, 04 Mar 2026Updated 12:38, 04 Mar 2026
While flight cancellations are ongoing some services from the Middle East are departing(Image: Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse/Shutterstock )
In the past few days, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has had to update its advice several times in the wake of the constantly changing situation in the Middle East.
An estimated 132,000 Brits have registered their presence in the Middle East with the FCDO, and many will be looking to leave the area and return to the UK as soon as its safe.
Last night, the FCDO took to X (formerly Twitter) to issue a travel update for Brits currently in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The updates offer advice to Brits looking to leave the above countries, including which routes to avoid when travelling by road, and the latest situation with commercial air flights. It also updated information on the Taba Border Crossing, with the updated advice page stating: “International borders in Israel and Palestine could close at short notice, including the Taba border crossing between Israel and Egypt. Check with local authorities and read Israel travel advice and Palestine travel advice before trying to cross.”
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For Brits in the UAE, including Dubai, the FCDO has updated its advice on leaving the country. Its updated information says: “There are a limited number of commercial options available, including by air from UAE and from Oman. If your presence in UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing – if you judge you can access these options safely.
“Check for the latest updates from your airline or tour operator, as well as the instructions from local authorities, and the status of any border crossings before you travel. If you are traveling by air do not travel to the airport unless your airline has confirmed your reservation.
“Make sure you have access to emergency supplies and essential medication. Travel within or out of UAE is at your own risk.
“Keep your departure plans under review and ensure your travel documents are up to date, including any visas required for onward travel.”
Some countries also have a Regional Risks section which includes specific advice on which areas should be avoided and the alternatives. However, the FCDO is careful to state that all travel in or out of these countries is still at the individual’s own risk. Brits should still ensure they follow the advice of local authorities and get up to date information before setting off.
While travel between the UK and the Middle East is still severely disrupted, some flights have been running on limited routes to bring Brits home from Dubai since yesterday (March 3).
Emirates and Etihad have been operating a very limited service, and Virgin Atlantic confirmed it is resuming services from Dubai and Riyadh to London-Heathrow.
Brits who are still in the Middle East should register their presence on the FCDO website as this will ensure they get the latest Foreign Office advice. Only UK passport holders can register for this service.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Los Angeles cannabis businesses that owe back taxes wouldn’t have to pay late fees and interest under an “amnesty” program proposed by the City Council.
To qualify, the businesses would have to pay their city taxes within three years.
The council’s unanimous vote on Tuesday, asking the Office of Finance to draft language creating the program, comes at a time when city leaders are searching for money to cover basic services after closing a $1-billion budget gap.
More than 500 of the roughly 700 licensed cannabis businesses in the city collectively owed about $400 million in taxes — an amount that includes $100 million in penalties and $35 million in interest, according to an October report from the Office of Finance.
The total amount owed increased to $417 million as of December, according to Matthew Crawford, the office’s assistant director.
But only about $150 million is collectible, since some tax debts are outside of the three-year statute of limitations and some cannabis businesses are no longer operating.
Based on a projection that about half of eligible cannabis businesses would take part in the program, the city would collect about $30 million in back taxes while waiving about $25 million in penalties, the October report said.
Under the amnesty program, about 20% of the revenue would go to the city’s general fund and the Office of Finance. The Los Angeles Police Department and the city attorney’s office would receive about 40% for illegal cannabis enforcement, and the remaining 40% would fund social equity grants to cannabis operators, particularly members of low-income and minority communities that have been subject to disparate enforcement of criminal cannabis laws.
“The city finds itself with a unique opportunity to bring businesses into compliance and, at the same time, properly fund cannabis industry-centric programming,” City Councilmember Imelda Padilla said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Owners of cannabis businesses say the 10% city tax rate on their gross sales is exorbitant, at the same time that illegal cannabis businesses have carved out a chunk of the market.
“Not only are we competing against the illicit market, we’re competing against licensed dispensaries that the city is allowing to stay open who have made it their business model to not pay tax,” Daniel Sosa, who owns four cannabis dispensaries in the city, told the council on Tuesday.
The amnesty program should be mandatory for businesses that are behind on their taxes, and those who default on their payments should have their licenses stripped, Sosa said.
Sosa said that the tax on cannabis sales should be “just like every other business pays in the city: guns, tobacco, alcohol, major, major billion dollar corporations.”
Other business tax rates in the city range from 0.11% to 0.425%, according to Crawford.
Last month, the council placed a cannabis-related measure on the June 2 ballot that, if approved by voters, would close a tax loophole for illegal cannabis businesses and open them up to the threat of civil collection.
The Foreign Office has updated its advice for a number of destinations including Cyprus, Turkey, and Egypt as the Middle East war continues following US-Israel strikes on Iran
The Foreign Office has updated its Egypt travel advice(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for a number of destinations including Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt amidst the chaos of the Middle East war, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Although at the time of writing the UK government isn’t advising against travel to all of these destinations, it has updated its advice around “regional tension” and possible escalations in the areas. For Brits who have travel plans booked, as there isn’t an advisory against travel in general to these countries, holidays and flights in theory can go ahead as planned.
If you’re due to travel in the next few weeks but don’t want to because of the ongoing conflict, you do have a few options. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to cancel and get a full refund, but get in touch with your tour operator or airline, as they may allow you to rebook your trip to a later date, without charging you a fee.
If a company cancels your holiday or flight, then it’s a different story; in this case, you are entitled to a full refund. You may be offered rebooking options which you can take, but if you’d rather get your money back then you are entitled to do so. The same applies if the Foreign Office does issue a ‘do not travel’ warning, as it has done with the UAE. In this case, firms and airlines need to cancel your trip and offer you a full refund. If you try and travel against Foreign Office advice, your travel insurance will be invalidated.
It’s worth noting that airlines and holiday companies are currently prioritising customers due to travel within the next couple of weeks – if your trip is a few months away, you may be asked to get back in touch closer to the time.
Check out the latest travel advice for Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt below.
Cyprus travel advice
Currently, the Foreign Office doesn’t advise Brits against travel to Cyprus, with most holidays and flights currently going ahead. However, the UK government has warned of a suspected drone strike at the RAF Akrotiri base that took place on March 2. “British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration British Bases Cyprus Facebook. British nationals in the Republic of Cyprus should follow any instructions from Cypriot local authorities,” the guidance reads.
Authorities have also updated advice to warn of the “regional escalation” in the area. “Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption,” it states, adding: “British nationals should:
“read If you’re affected by a crisis abroad – GOV.UK. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
“sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
“monitor local and international media for the latest information
“sign up to local information alerts/resources and follow the instructions of the local authorities
“keep your departure plans under review, and ensure your travel documents are up to date.”
Turkey travel advice
Currently, the Foreign Office doesn’t advise Brits against travel to Turkey in general, with most holidays and flights currently going ahead. There is a ‘do not travel’ warning within 10km of Turkey’s border with Syria “due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism”, but this was in place before the Middle East conflict.
Like Cyprus, the advice has also been updated to warn of the “regional escalation” in the area. “Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption,” it states, adding: “British nationals should:
“read If you’re affected by a crisis abroad – GOV.UK. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
“sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
“monitor local and international media for the latest information
“sign up to local information alerts/resources and follow the instructions of the local authorities
“keep your departure plans under review, and ensure your travel documents are up to date.”
Egypt travel advice
The Foreign Office has updated its Egypt travel advice to warn Brits of “a heightened risk of regional tension” following the Middle East conflict. Its latest advice explains: “There is a heightened risk of regional tension. Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts.
“British nationals should take sensible precautions, considering their own individual circumstances. These include:
read If you’re affected by a crisis abroad – GOV.UK. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
monitor local and international media for the latest information
sign up to local information alerts/resources and follow the instructions of the local authorities
stay away from areas around security or military facilities.”
Currently it doesn’t advise against all travel to Egypt, however it does advise against travel to certain regions of the country. It’s worth noting these advisories are unrelated to the Middle East conflict, and were already in place. These include warning against all but essential travel to the Egypt-Libya border, North Sinai, Northern part of South Sinai, Eastern part of Ismailiyah Governorate. There is also advice against travelling to the Western Desert including the area west of the nile Valley and Nile Delta Regions, although there are some exceptions such as Luxor and Valley of the Kings (check the Egypt travel advice for full details).
HM Passport Office has issued an urgent warning to all passport holders
HM Passport Office has issued an important warning about your travel document(Image: Getty)
Anyone holding a passport has been cautioned not to “risk it” as part of a warning from HM Passport Office. In a message posted to X, the Government agency urged Brits to “think before you share”.
In an accompanying video, the office explained: “Your passport is an important document. Here are some simple steps to help keep your identity secure.”
These steps are:
Never publicly share personal details online
Only share details with trusted sources
Keep a secure copy of your passport details page
Report loss or theft online immediately on GOV.UK
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Replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must cancel it before applying for a replacement. GOV.UK states: “If your passport is damaged you must replace it. You may not be able to travel with it.”
HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:
You cannot read any of your details
Any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing
There are holes, cuts or rips in the cover
The cover is coming away
There are stains on the pages (for example, ink or water damage)
Replace online
You can replace your passport online for a fee of £94.50. To do this you’ll need:
A digital photo
A credit or debit card
If you’re replacing a lost or stolen passport, you’ll need someone to verify your identity online. You can apply for a replacement online here.
Replace using a paper application
You can obtain a paper application form by either:
Visiting the Post Office
Phoning the Passport Adviceline
The cost is £107. Payment methods include:
Debit or credit card – complete the form in the application pack
Cheque – made payable to ‘HM Passport Office’
You’ll require two new and identical printed photos of yourself. If you’re using a paper form, you can utilise the Post Office Check and Send service.
The address to post it to is provided on the form. For additional information, visit GOV.UK here.
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Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is preparing for President Trump to declare a national emergency in order to seize control of this year’s midterm elections from the states, including by bracing his Senate colleagues for a vote in which they would be forced to either co-sign on the power grab or resist it.
In the wake of reporting last week that conservative activists with connections to the White House were circulating such an order, Padilla sent a letter to his Senate colleagues Friday stating that any such order would be “wildly illegal and unconstitutional,” and would no doubt face “extremely strict scrutiny” in the courts.
“Nevertheless, if the President does escalate his unprecedented assault on our democracy by declaring an election-related emergency, I will swiftly introduce a privileged resolution [and] force a vote in the Senate to terminate the fake emergency,” wrote Padilla, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
Padilla wrote that such an order — which could possibly “include banning mail-in voting, eliminating major voting registration methods, voter purges, and/or new document barriers for registering to vote and voting” — would clearly go beyond Trump’s authority.
“Put simply, no President has the power under the Constitution or any law to take over elections, and no declaration or order can create one out of thin air,” Padilla wrote.
The same day Padilla sent his letter, Trump was asked whether he was considering declaring a national emergency around the midterms. “Who told you that?” he asked — before saying he was not considering such an order.
The White House referred The Times to that exchange when asked Tuesday for comment on Padilla’s letter.
If Trump did declare such an emergency, a “privileged resolution,” as Padilla proposed, would require the full Senate to vote on the record on whether or not to terminate it — forcing any Senate allies of the president to own the policy politically, along with him.
Experts say there is no evidence that U.S. elections are significantly affected or swung by widespread fraud or foreign interference, despite robust efforts by Trump and his allies for years to find it.
Nonetheless, Trump has been emphatic that such fraud is occurring, particularly in blue states such as California that allow for mail-in ballots and do not have strict voter ID laws. He and others in his administration have asserted, again without evidence, that large numbers of noncitizen residents are casting votes and that others are “harvesting” ballots out of the mail and filling them out in bulk.
Soon after taking office, Trump issued an executive order purporting to require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship before registering and barring the counting of mail-in ballots received after election day, but it was largely blocked by the courts.
Trump’s loyalist Justice Department sued red and blue states across the country for their full voter rolls, but those efforts also have largely been blocked, including in California. The FBI also raided an elections office in Georgia that has been the focus of Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Trump is also pushing for the passage of the Save America Act, a voter ID bill passed by the House, but it has stalled in the Senate.
In recent weeks, Trump has expressed frustration that his demands around voting security have not translated into changes in blue state policies ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, where his shrinking approval could translate into major gains for Democrats.
Last month, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future. There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!”
Then, last week, the Washington Post reported that a draft executive order being circulated by activists with ties to Trump suggests that unproven claims of Chinese interference in the 2020 election could be used as a pretext to declare an elections emergency granting Trump sweeping authority to unilaterally institute the changes he wants to see in state-run elections.
Election experts said the Constitution is clear that states control and run elections, not with the executive branch.
Democrats have widely denounced any federal takeover of elections by Trump. And some Republicans have expressed similar concerns, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who chairs the Senate rules committee.
In the Wall Street Journal last year, McConnell warned against Trump or any Republican president asserting sweeping authority to control elections, in part because Democrats would then be empowered to claim similar authority if and when they retake power.
McConnell’s office referred The Times to that Journal opinion piece when asked about the circulating emergency order and Padilla’s resolution.
Padilla’s office said his resolution would be introduced in response to an emergency declaration by Trump, but hoped it wouldn’t be necessary.
“Instead of trying to evade accountability at the ballot box,” Padilla wrote, “the President should focus on the needs of Americans struggling to pay for groceries, health care, housing and other everyday needs and put these illegal and unconstitutional election orders in the trash can where they belong.”
RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus was hit by a drone, which has threatened the safety of British military personnel, and now the Foreign Office has issued a warning to tourists there
22:46, 03 Mar 2026Updated 22:52, 03 Mar 2026
Tourists stand on a beach in Varosha in Famagusta, Cyprus(Image: Getty Images)
British tourists on Cyprus should follow five key steps to ensure their safety, the Foreign Office says.
Visitors on the island in the Mediterranean Sea have been ordered to keep their departure plans under review and ensure their travel documents are up to date amid the conflict in the Middle East. RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus was hit by a drone on Monday, after which 60 flights to and from Cypriot airports were cancelled.
The UK will send HMS Dragon, one of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 air defence destroyers, but tourists should also take action. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s website reads: “Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.”
read guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” on the FCDO website, with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”
sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts
monitor local and international media
sign up to local information alerts/resources AND follow the advice of local authorities
keep your departure plans under review AND ensure your travel documents are up to date
The conflict and tension in the Middle East and Gulf states continues. Donald Trump, though, has said he is “not happy” with the UK after it did not initially allow the US to use its bases for strikes on Iran, and added that Keir Starmer is “not Winston Churchill”.
It is the latest in a series of broadsides from the US president over the UK’s position on the Middle East war. Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary confirmed that a Government charter flight will take off from Muscat, Oman, “in the coming days” to bring vulnerable British nationals back.
The HMS Dragon, due to be sent from Portsmouth in Hampshire and crewed by more than 200 people, is designed for air defence, it is equipped with a Sea Viper anti-air missile system. Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We are moving quickly to further reinforce our defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“HMS Dragon brings world-class air defence capability, and our Wildcat helicopters are armed with Martlet missiles to counter the growing drone threat.
“I am deeply proud of the professionalism and bravery of our Armed Forces personnel who have in recent days, successfully taken action across the region to protect our allies and defend British interests.”
