opening

PHOENIX — The first pitch of the Dodgers’ 2026 season won’t capture the exuberance of the last pitch of 2025. But it will be meaningful in its own right, as the official first step of the team’s quest for a third straight championship.

How poetic that the same arm should deliver both pitches.

“It’s an honor for me,” Dodgers opening day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto said Tuesday through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And then it’s opening day at a Dodger Stadium home game, and that’s very [much an] honor to me. I also feel the responsibility.”

Yamamoto is scheduled to make one more Cactus League start, against the Padres on Friday, before taking the Dodger Stadium mound next Thursday when the Diamondbacks come to town. It will be the second opening-day start of Yamamoto’s MLB career, and his first at home.

It will also mark the end of a whirlwind offseason and spring training for Yamamoto, who not only shouldered a demanding postseason workload, but also navigated an especially quick turnaround to pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

“It’s hard to put into words,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He is just very driven, he’s very disciplined in his work. That’s some of the things that allows him to compete at a high level. Where most people would feel that you win the World Series MVP, you don’t have enough to pitch in the WBC. He wanted to pitch for his country, and now he’s really excited about the start of 2026.

“He is a very determined person. He really is. We’re just lucky he’s on our team.”

No one needs to be reminded that Yamamoto was a playoff hero last year, but let’s really break down his efforts.

On Oct. 14, Yamamoto made his third start of the postseason and threw a complete game against the Brewers to put the Dodgers ahead 2-0 in the NL Championship Series.

Eleven days later, he tossed another nine innings to help the Dodgers even the series against the Blue Jays. And he wrapped up the World Series with appearances on back-to-back days, starting Game 6 and finishing Game 7.

Yamamoto threw 526 pitches in the postseason, 235 in the World Series alone, and he still touched nearly 97 mph in his final inning of work.

Most pitchers would need at least a full offseason to recover. When Blake Snell slow-played his offseason because of lingering shoulder discomfort after the World Series run, the decision made all the sense in the world.

Yamamoto, however, was already pitching in meaningful games by March 6.

In Yamamoto’s first start of the WBC, he held Chinese Taipei hitless for 2 ⅔ innings. Then in the quarterfinal game against Venezuela last Saturday, he surrendered a leadoff homer to Ronald Acuña Jr. and a second-inning RBI double to Gleyber Torres before settling in for two scoreless innings. The eventual 8-5 loss eliminated Team Japan from the WBC.

“As Team Japan, the result was not what we were aiming for,” Yamamoto said. “But at a personal level, my condition was good.”

The season will be the true test for Yamamoto’s training methods, which have been infamous since before his transition from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, and are already spreading across the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Look no further than shortstop Mookie Betts this week lauding the effects of throwing a javelin.

If they continue to work, Yamamoto could be in the running for the Cy Young Award, after finishing third in National League voting last year.

“There’s high competition, there are a lot of great pitchers out there,” Yamamoto said, “but I hope that I get there.”

Yamamoto’s offseason work, however, wasn’t simply geared toward getting to opening day or winning an individual award. He knows as well as anyone that this team has set a high bar with back-to-back championships.

“The same goal,” Yamamoto said of 2026, “winning a world championship with this team.”

Now over four months removed from that final pitch of the 2025 World Series, one lesson has stuck with Yamamoto.

“I learned how difficult [it is] to get one win,” he said. “As a team, I want to be able to share that joy.”

A MAJOR £185 million rail project will see five new train stations open in the UK over the next few weeks.

The works will improve connections across the West Midlands, with some of the services reinstated for the first time in decades.

New stations will open at Willenhall and Darlaston in Walsall next week, on Thursday, March 19.

These sites, which are located on the Black Country line, were last visited by trains in 1965.

And on Tuesday, April 7, stations will open on the Camp Hill Line at Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road in south Birmingham.

This will mark the first time these services have been in place for the communities since World War II.

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These areas on the Camp Hill Line will see services run between Birmingham city centre and Kings Norton every 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Willenhall and Darlaston stations will be added to an hourly timetable for the Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street Station service via Wolverhampton.

West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) said it was working with partners to secure further regular services to the areas, with the project described as a “rail revolution”.

Each of the five stations features sheltered platforms, accessible lifts, ticket machines and cycle racks, while there are 300 parking spaces available at Darlaston and 33 at Willenhall.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the previous closures of the stations as a “short-sighted mistake”, describing the latest update as “a new lifeline for local people”.

WMRE is spear-heading the scheme alongside the Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), in partnership with Network Rail, West Midlands Railway, Birmingham City Council, Walsall Council, and the Department for Transport.

Works have been partially funded by a £126 million government grant, with a further £30 million obtained for the completion of the Camp Hill line.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Thanks to government investment, fast and frequent rail services will arrive at new stations across Birmingham and the Black Country next month for the first time in decades, reducing congestion and improving local transport connections.”

TfWM said final authorisation for the openings is expected in the coming days from the Office of Rail and Road.

Walt Disney Co. and Pixar’s “Hoppers” took the box office crown this weekend in an encouraging sign for the company’s original animated films.

The film generated $46 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, marking the highest domestic opening for an original animated movie since 2017’s “Coco,” according to studio estimates. The global box office total for “Hoppers” was $88 million.

The zany movie features a young environmental advocate who “hops” her consciousness into a robotic beaver and bands together with other woodland creatures to stop a planned freeway expansion through a glade.

The film is directed by Daniel Chong, who created the Cartoon Network animated series “We Bare Bears.”

The muscular debut for “Hoppers,” as well as the strong performance from Sony Pictures Animation’s “Goat” last month, has been a positive sign for audience interest in original animated films.

Since the pandemic, theatrical returns for animated sequels have far surpassed that of original films. Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” for instance, has now grossed more than $1.8 billion in global box office revenue, with more than $426 million domestically. Disney and Pixar’s 2024 hit “Inside Out 2” also crossed more than $1.6 billion globally.

By contrast, Disney and Pixar’s 2025 original film “Elio” brought in about $154 million in worldwide box office revenue.

Original films are vital to Pixar’s future, as the Emeryville-based studio built its reputation on its string of nearly uninterrupted original blockbuster hits, including 1995’s “Toy Story” and 2004’s “The Incredibles.”

Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream 7” came in second at the box office with $17.3 million in its second weekend in theaters. Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Bride!,” Sony’s “Goat” and Warner Bros.’ “Wuthering Heights” rounded out the top five at the box office, according to data from Comscore.

With several strong releases, as well as popular holdover films from 2025 that continue to bring in revenue, the first few months at the box office have been a notable improvement over last year’s dismal first quarter.

Domestic box office revenue so far is up more than 12% compared to the same time period in 2025, according to Comscore.

THE WORLD’S first Hey Duggee themed hotel rooms are launching at a UK theme park next month.

The beloved BBC preschool series, which features a friendly dog and his Squirrel Club, will soon have its own themed rooms at Alton Towers theme park.

Launching March 14, fans of Hey Duggee will be able to stay in rooms that bring the Duggee Clubhouse to life.

There will be one standard room and one suite, with each able to sleep up to five guests.

Each room will feature a double bed with a bespoke headboard, themed TV and furniture and even a dedicated children’s area with bunk beds inspired by the Squirrel Club.

Each space will also be full of familiar faces from the show including Betty, Happy, Norrie, Tag and Roly.

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Kids will even be able to play a sensory game with elements from the series in the room.

For those with beady eyes, you’ll be able to spot characters hidden in corners too.

A one-night stay in March or April, in the Hey Duggee standard room costs from £343 a night and in the Hey Duggee suite, from £450.

Included in the room are tea and coffee making facilities, a bottle warmer, cot, iron and ironing board and toiletries.

You will also get a full-English breakfast, free parking and access to nine-hole golf.

And throughout the day and evening, the hotel hosts activities as well, such as a tots disco, stargazing and live shows.

It is worth noting though, that theme park tickets are not included in this price.

If you want to head into the theme park, standard entry which includes access to CBeebies Land costs £34 when booked in advance online.

You can also grab a £29 toddler and parent pass, with children under 90cm tall visiting for free.

Alton Towers is already home to a Hey Duggee themed interactive sensory play area in CBeebies Land, where kids can meet Duggee and collect a Big Adventure Badge.

There’s also Hey Duggee Live, where fans can help Duggee, Roly, Betty and Happy discover the mystery DJ in Big Fun Showtime.

The CBeebies Land Hotel is designed for young families at Alton Towers and features a number of other themed rooms, such as Bluey, Bing, In the Night Garden, Octonauts and Something Special.

Guests staying in the hotel also get to meet some of their favourite CBeebies characters.

Natasha Spence, Events Director – Live Entertainment at BBC Studios, said: “These world-first Hey Duggee themed hotel rooms bring the Duggee Clubhouse to life in a truly immersive way.

“It’s a wonderful extension of the show that allows fans and families to continue the fun, imagination and adventure beyond the screen and we’re delighted to be working with Alton Towers Resort again to create something so special.”

Howard Ebison, Vice President of Alton Towers Resort said: “What better way for fans to relax and continue the adventures after a fun-filled day at CBeebies Land than with a stay in our world-first Hey Duggee themed rooms.

“We have an exciting year ahead in 2026 at Alton Towers Resort for families and this themed addition to CBeebies Land Hotel is the latest example of our commitment to unforgettable memories and immersive experiences for families.”

The new Hey Duggee-themed rooms follow the announcement of the world’s first Bluey-themed rollercoaster which will open in CBeebies Land on March 28.

Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! will be based on the episode where Bluey and Bingo dress up as grannies called Janet and Rita, with the two characters causing chaos on the ride.

Ebison said: “Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! is all about celebrating energy, play and those everyday moments families love about the show.

“It’s playful, unexpected and unmistakably Bluey – and we can’t wait to welcome families from March 28 to experience the world’s first Bluey coaster right here at Alton Towers Resort.”

In other theme park news, you can get a year’s free entry to 20 of UK’s top theme parks and attractions for less than cost of one chocolate bar a week.

Plus, there’s a European theme park that feels like the ‘Eden Project meets Disney’ and it is getting two new rides this summer.

The popular theme park has released details of its much-anticipated new Viking-theme land, which will include thrill rides, a restaurant, and a playground, and the official opening date has been revealed

Paultons Park theme park has shared a sneak peek of its new Valgard: Realm of the Vikings land, a £12 million project that’s due to open later this spring.

The Hampshire-based park is perhaps best known as the home of Peppa Pig World, which opened in 2011 and has attracted thousands of young children and their families. (In fact, it’s even been tipped to be the UK’s best theme park in recent rankings, beating out the likes of Thorpe Park and Alton Towers). However, this new land is aimed more at teenagers and adults, cementing the park’s reputation as a destination for thrill rides.

Valgard: Realm of the Vikings is set to open on Saturday, May 16,and one of its most-anticipated rides is Drakon, the park’s first inverting rollercoaster. It will feature a vertical lift hill and two twists where riders will be flung upside-down. An interior shot shows the vehicles used in the ride, and the image features dry ice and dim lighting, teasing an atmospheric ride.

Another new ride will be the Vild Swing, where riders will be thrown 12 metres into the air and spun around. A teaser video showed construction of the new ride, as well as on-ride footage showing the thrilling experience that visitors can enjoy.

Frequent visitors to the park may also notice a former ride has been revamped for the new Viking world. Cobra is being reborn as Raven, a bobsled adventure that’ll be redesigned to fit the viking theme.

Younger visitors can enjoy a Viking-themed playground, and the experience is complete with a new themed Feasting Hall restaurant where you can dine like a Viking.

Lawrence Mancey, marketing and technology director at Paultons Park, said: “Despite weeks of rain and difficult conditions, our team and contractors have made incredible progress on site. We designed Valgard to offer an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families, and it’s amazing to see the vision come together.

“In the last few weeks new pathways have gone in, landscaping has begun, and our Viking statues have been installed. Drakon and Vild Swing have begun testing and the Feasting Hall restaurant is looking incredible. We are so excited to open the gates in May and see Valgard conquered by our guests. It’s great to be able to share the construction journey and anticipation with our fans online too.”

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In addition to the new Valgard land, Paultons already boasts six themed worlds. Other lands include Tornado Springs, themed around Midwestern America, which has the Cyclonator and free-spinning Storm Chaser rollercoaster. The park also has a dinosaur-themed world, Lost Kingdom, which is much-loved by all ages.

Paultons Park tickets can be booked online with prices starting at £46.75 per person. However, if you book a short break through the theme park’s official website, you get a second day free, and can stay at a number of nearby hotels for a family break.

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WASHINGTON — For a decade, President Trump promised to end what he calls forever wars, casting himself as a leader opposed to prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and who would rather pursue peace in the world.

Now, early in his second term, Trump is taking military action against Iran that could expand well beyond a limited effort to halt the country’s nuclear program.

In a video posted on Truth Social, the commander-in-chief said American forces also plan to “raze their missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate their navy.” He warned members of Iran’s military to surrender or “face certain death.” And urged the Iranian people to take the moment as an opportunity to rise up against their government.

“This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces,” Trump said.

Trump, who has been considering a strike on Iran for several weeks, acknowledged he reached the decision to attack while aware of the human toll that could come with it.

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war,” he said. “But we are doing this, not for now, we are doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”

Trump’s military campaign in Iran is a sharp turn in tone for a president who has long been critical of open-ended conflicts in the Middle East, and marks a shift from an America-first agenda message that helped him return to the White House.

“I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars,” Trump said in his November 2024 victory speech as he promised to focus national resources on domestic priorities rather than foreign conflicts.

As Trump advocated to bring home American forces from deployments around the world and to withdraw from key defense treaties, his position resonated with a war-weary electorate in the lead up to the election.

Fewer than six in 10 Americans (56%) believed the United States should take an active role in world affairs ahead of the election — the second-lowest level recorded since the question was first asked in 1974, according to polling by the Council on Foreign Affairs.

Trump’s posture on war in the Middle East had been consistent before he ran for office.

In 2013, he criticized former President Obama’s negotiations with Tehran, predicting in a post on Twitter, that Obama would “attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly.” That same year, Trump warned that “our horrendous leadership could unknowingly lead us into World War III.”

And in a heated February 2016 debate, Trump attacked former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, stating that his brother George W. Bush lied about Iraq’s nuclear capabilities to get the U.S. into the Iraq War. Trump called the Iraq War a “big, fat mistake” that “destabilized the Middle East.”

“They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none, and they knew there were none,” he said.

Trump’s confrontation with Iran bears little resemblance to those early rebukes.

Trump has yet to present evidence of an imminent threat to the United States from Iran’s nuclear program — a capability he claimed to have “obliterated” just eight months ago — and has instead framed the military campaign as one to ensure Tehran never develops nuclear weapon at all.

“It is a very simple message,” he said. “They will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump’s shift has already drawn the attention of congressional Democrats, many of whom are calling the president out for backing out on his promise to end foreign wars — and are demanding that he involve Congress in any further military actions.

“Regardless of what the President may think or say, he does not enjoy a blank check to launch large-scale military operations without a clear strategy, without any transparency or public debate, and not without Congressional approval,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized Trump for “drawing the country into yet another foreign war that Americans don’t want and Congress has not authorized.”

The military involvement in Iran is not the first time that members of Congress have complained about the Trump administration’s willingness to sideline the legislative branch on decisions that could trigger broader conflicts this year.

In January, Trump ordered military forces to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and said the United States would run the sovereign nation until further notice. He threatened military action in Colombia, whose leftist President Gustavo Petro has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics.

Trump has alienated allied nations when he said he was willing to send American troops to seize Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. And on Friday, he said U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without offering any details on what he meant.

His actions have coincided with his annoyance at not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to seek peace in the world. At one point, the president said he no longer felt an “obligation to think purely of Peace” because he didn’t get the recognition.

Trump’s shifting tone, and his use of violent war imagery in his pretaped remarks about Iran, have rattled even part of his base.

“I did not campaign for this. I did not donate money for this,” said former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a conservative who recently left Congress after a bitter fight with Trump. “This is not what we thought MAGA was supposed to be. Shame!”

Republican leaders, however, are largely standing behind the president.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Iran “posed a clear and unacceptable threat” to the United States and has refused “the diplomatic off-ramps.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (D-La.) said Trump took the action after exhausting “every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions.”

Other top Republican lawmakers rallied behind the president, too.

“The butcher’s bill has finally come due for the ayatollahs,” Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote in a post on X. “May God bless and protect our troops on this vital mission of vengeance, and justice, and safety.”

Ukraine’s Winter Paralympics team will boycott the event’s opening ceremony next month after Russian and Belarusian athletes were invited to compete under their national flags.

On Tuesday, it was announced six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will take part in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding at the Milan-Cortina Games, which start on 6 March.

Both countries had previously been suspended from Paralympic competition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Belarus an ally of Russia.

In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted its ban on athletes from the two countries competing at the Games.

However, the IPC does not govern the six sports contested at the Paralympics and despite the individual bodies, including the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), refusing to lift their own bans, Russia and Belarus won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport against FIS.

As a result, athletes have been able to return to FIS competitions and the 10 Paralympians have been awarded bipartite commission invitations to compete in Italy.

Following an announcement that Ukrainian officials would avoid the entire competition, the country’s National Paralympic Committee now says team members will miss the opening ceremony.

The organisation has also made a “demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used”.

The team will still compete in the Games and “fight for the sporting victories of Ukrainian athletes”.

Earlier this week in its response to criticism over the decision to allow the Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete, the IPC said it was a “democratic organisation and the decision to lift the partial suspension of NPCs Belarus and Russia was taken by IPC member organisations at the 2025 General Assembly”.