parts

The White House has begun tearing down parts of the East Wing to make way for President Trump’s new ballroom – although the project reportedly hasn’t yet received formal approval. Soraya Lennie explains.

CHICAGO — Since the Trump administration announced its intention to accelerate and forcefully detain and deport thousands of immigrants here, the Chicago area is a split screen between everyday life and a city under siege.

As many people shop, go to work, walk their dogs and stroll with their friends through parks, others are being chased down, tear-gassed, detained and assaulted by federal agents carrying out immigration sweeps.

The situation is similar to what occurred in Los Angeles in summer, as ICE swept through Southern California, grabbing people off the street and raiding car washes and Home Depots in predominantly Latino areas, while leaving large swaths of the region untouched.

Take Sunday, the day of the Chicago Marathon.

Some 50,000 runners hailing from more than 100 countries and 50 states, gathered downtown to dash, jog and slog over 26.3 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and city streets.

The sun was bright, the temperatures hovered in the upper-60s, and leaves of maple, oak, aspen and ginkgo trees colored the city with splashes of yellow, orange and red.

Demonstrators march outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview, Ill., on Oct. 10.

(Kayana Szymczak/For The Times)

It was one of those rare, glorious Midwestern fall days when everyone comes outside to soak in the sunlight, knowing the gloom and cold of winter is about to take hold.

At 12:30, Ludwig Marchel and Karen Vanherck of Belgium strolled west along East Monroe Street, through Millennium Park. They smiled and proudly wore medals around their necks commemorating their marathon achievement. They said they were not concerned about coming to Chicago, despite news stories depicting violent protests and raids, and the Trump administration’s description of the city as “war torn,” a “hellhole,” a “killing field” and “the most dangerous city in the world.”

“Honestly. I was mostly worried that the government shutdown was somehow going to affect my flight,” said Marchel. He said he hadn’t seen anything during his few days in town that would suggest the city was unsafe.

Another man, who declined to give his name, said he had come from Mexico City to complete the race. He said he wasn’t concerned, either.

“I have my passport, I have a visa, and I have money,” he said. “Why should I be concerned?”

At that same moment, 10 miles northwest, a community was being tear-gassed.

Dozens of residents in the quiet, leafy neighborhood of Albany Park had gathered in the street to shout “traitor” and “Nazi” as federal immigration agents grabbed a man and attempted to detain others.

According to witness accounts, agents in at least three vehicles got out and started shoving people to the ground before throwing tear gas canisters into the street. Videos of the event show masked agents tackling a person in a red shirt, throwing a person in a skeleton costume to the ground, and violently hurling a bicycle out of the street as several plumes of smoke billow into the air. A woman can be heard screaming while neighbors yell at the agents.

Last week, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring agents to issue two warnings before using riot control weapons such as tear gas, chemical sprays, plastic bullets and flash grenades.

Witnesses told the Chicago Sun-Times that no warnings had been given.

Deirdre Anglin, community member from Chicago, takes part in a demonstration near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview, Ill., on Oct. 10.

(Kayana Szymczak/For The Times)

Since Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” was initiated more than six weeks ago, roughly 1,000 people have been arrested or detained.

At the ICE detention facility, in Broadview — a suburb 12 miles west of downtown — there have been daily protests. While most have been peaceful, some have devolved into physical clashes between federal agents or police and protesters.

In September, federal agents shot pepper balls and tear gas at protesters peacefully gathering outside the facility. On Saturday, local law enforcement forced protesters away from the site with riot sticks and threats of tear gas. Several protesters were knocked to the ground and forcefully handcuffed. By the end of the evening, 15 people had been arrested.

Early Sunday afternoon, roughly two dozen protesters returned to the site. They played music, danced, socialized and heckled ICE vehicles as they entered and exited the fenced-off facility.

In a largely Latino Chicago neighborhood called Little Village, things appeared peaceful Sunday afternoon.

Known affectionately by its residents as the “Midwestern capital of Mexico,” the district of 85,000 is predominantly Latino. Michael Rodriguez, a Chicago city councilman and the neighborhood’s alderman, said 85% of the population is of Mexican descent.

On Sunday afternoon, traditional Mexican music was being broadcast to the street via loudspeakers from the OK Corral VIP, a western wear store.

Demonstrators protest near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview, Ill., on Oct. 10.

(Kayana Szymczak/For The Times)

Along East 26th Street, where shops and buildings are painted with brightly colored murals depicting Mexican folklore, history and wildlife — such as a golden eagle and jaguar — a family sat at a table eating lunch, while two young women, in their early 20s, laughed and chattered as they strolled west toward Kedzie Avenue.

Rodriguez said that despite appearances, “people are afraid.”

He said he spoke with a teacher who complained that several of her elementary-school aged students have stopped coming to class. Their parents are too afraid to walk them or drive them to school, hearing stories of other parents who have been arrested or detained by ICE agents at other campuses in the city — in front of their terrified children.

Rodriguez’s wife, whom he described as a dark-skinned Latina with degrees from DePaul and Northwestern universities, won’t leave the house without her passport.

At a barber shop called Peluqueria 5 Star Fades Estrellas on 26th, a coiffeur named Juan Garcia sat in a chair near the store entrance. He had a towel draped over the back of his neck. He said his English was limited, but he knew enough to tell a visitor that business was bad.

“People aren’t coming in,” he said. “They are afraid.”

Victor Sanchez, the owner of a taco truck parked on Kedzie Road, about a half-mile south of town, said his clientele — mostly construction workers and landscapers — have largely disappeared.

“Business is down 60%,” he said to a customer. “I don’t know if they have been taken, or if they are too afraid to come out. All I know is they aren’t coming here anymore.”

Rodriguez said that ICE agents have arrested people who live in his neighborhood, but those arrests took place outside the borders of his district.

“I think they know this is a well-organized and aware neighborhood,” he said. “I think they’ve cased it and decided to grab people on the outskirts.”

Pressing for stiffened sanctions, president says more than 100,000 components from US, UK and other suppliers found in Russian missiles and drones fired on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has alleged that drones and missiles fired by Russia against his country are filled with parts sourced from Western companies.

In a social media post on Monday, Zelenskyy said the hundreds of weapons used in Russian attacks over the previous two nights contained tens of thousands of components produced by firms in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan and China.

“Nearly 100,688 of foreign-made parts were in the launched attack drones, about 1,500 were in Iskanders, 192 in Kinzhal missiles, and 405 in Kalibrs,” he wrote.

He made the accusation as Ukraine and some European partners are pressing for harsher sanctions and stronger oversight to close loopholes on current trade limits imposed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of its neighbouring country in February 2022.

Zelenskyy’s inclusion of US and UK companies was noteworthy due to the leading role the two countries have had in mobilising military and financial support for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invading forces.

US companies manufacture converters for Kh-101 missiles and Shahed-type drones, sensors for unmanned aerial vehicles and Kinzhal missiles, and microelectronics for missiles, the Ukrainian president said. He added that British companies produce microcomputers for drone flight control.

“Ukraine is preparing new sanctions against those who help Russia and its war,” Zelenskyy said, adding that detailed data on each company and product have been shared with Ukraine’s partners.

Zelenskyy, who has long called on countries around the world to prevent the funding and equipping of Russia’s war machine, demanded more robust measures before a meeting of G7 sanctions coordinators, a body that oversees sanctions regimes among the club of the world’s wealthiest countries.

Oleh Alexandrov, a Ukrainian intelligence official, said over the weekend that Kyiv has evidence that China has been helping Moscow identify targets in Ukraine. He said there was “evidence of a high level of cooperation between Russia and China in conducting satellite reconnaissance of the territory of Ukraine in order to identify and further explore strategic objects for targeting”.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied reliance on China’s satellites and said Russia has its “own capabilities, including space capabilities, to accomplish all the tasks the special military operation poses”.

Zelenskyy issued his statement as a number of European countries have been dealing with a wave of suspicious drone activity.

Unmanned aerial vehicles have been spotted over military sites and disrupted air traffic. Some governments have pointed a finger at Russia and warned that Moscow is testing NATO’s air defences.

Russia has denied responsibility, and President Vladimir Putin has mocked countries accusing Moscow of being behind the drone incursions.

On Monday, the Kremlin dismissed as “baseless” comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said his country assumes Russia was behind the activity.

Oslo Airport, meanwhile, temporarily suspended several landings on Monday after reports of a drone, its operator, Avinor, said.

As someone who’s lived in and visited family throughout the Inland Empire for years, I have seen firsthand the rapid growth that has changed the region.

When I travel to Yucaipa nowadays, the orange groves of my youthful weekend visits have long since been replaced by housing developments as the town has nearly doubled in 30 years.

My colleague Terry Castleman has been analyzing the demographic changes taking place in California but he recently took a deep dive into the explosive growth of income in the Inland Empire, in particular the south desert portion of Riverside County.

Castleman, a data reporter, noted that two of the top three communities that saw the greatest growth in average income in the state between 2017 and 2022 were in the Coachella Valley, perhaps best known for hellish summer temperatures, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

For this analysis, The Times considered only communities with more than 3,000 tax returns. I’ll address the cities with fewer returns shortly.

Thousand Palms saw average incomes rise more than 3.5 times over that span, from $12,700 in 2017 to nearly $45,000 three years later. In nearby Indian Wells, incomes nearly doubled, from $139,000 to $256,000.

Castleman analyzed what was happening in his full article. Let’s look at some of those findings.

The Coachella Valley is experiencing a desert bloom

Income levels in Thousand Palms were far lower than in Indian Wells — but each is getting richer from a regionwide perspective, said Kyle Garman, an agent for Keller Williams who has sold real estate in the Coachella Valley for eight years.

Part of the story is attributable to remote work, he said, but the valley has also undergone a shift from being primarily a tourist destination to a place to settle down.

“It’s not just Palm Springs, it’s not just people coming for the festivals, it’s the whole valley,” Garman said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, home prices were much lower and only about 35% to 40% of residents stayed for the hottest months of the year, he said. As more attractions and infrastructure have become available to residents, though, “people are sticking around more.”

So, who is moving in?

The average California household has a net worth between three and six times their adjusted gross income, meaning that the average Indian Wells resident probably became a millionaire between 2017 and 2022 as average household income skyrocketed to $256,000 from $139,000.

In the Coachella Valley, “the money’s coming from all over,” Garman observed. When the housing market was most competitive, around 2022 and 2023, cash buyers flooded in.

Now, they’re high earners who have relocated to towns that were formerly less tony. “This is the new norm,” he said.

Garman pointed to a number of new Coachella Valley attractions that were drawing families — the Firebirds professional ice hockey team and Disney’s Cotino housing development.

Thousand Palms is unincorporated, drawing homeowners because, as one businessperson there put it: “Taxes are more reasonable, you have fewer regulations when you want to build.”

Notes that didn’t make Castleman’s cut

When Castleman looked at the income changes in smaller towns, he found some intriguing data.

He discovered staggering income jumps in towns like Helm, an unincorporated Fresno County village that has about 200 residents.

Between the 2017-2022 period, Helm saw incomes grow by 10 times, reaching near $200,000.

Castleman said many smaller towns throughout the state are disproportionately impacted by the moves of one or a handful of “big fish.”

“The experts told me that there was likely a big farm owner who reported huge losses one year and then huge gains the next year,” he said. “So, these towns can have wild fluctuations.”

For more, check out Castleman’s full story.

The week’s biggest stories

Crime, courts and policing

Trump policies and reactions

Entertainment and television news

More big stories

This week’s must-reads

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For your weekend

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

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Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff writer
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Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected]. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY 1.07%) operates brick-and-mortar locations that sell various products to DIY and professional customers. This includes things like brakes, batteries, and motor oil. It’s not an exciting business, but investors should have zero complaints.

In the past five years, this retail stock is up 242% (as of Sept. 23), crushing the broader market. But is O’Reilly a smart buy right now?

Image source: Getty Images.

Consider the valuation

This company has clearly made for a terrific investment. But investors should think twice before buying shares. That’s because the valuation looks rich.

The stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.9. This is close to the most expensive that shares have sold for in the past two decades. And the ratio has climbed 65% during the past five years, which means it has contributed to investor returns.

Paying too high of a starting valuation for a company can lead to subpar performance going forward.

O’Reilly is a great business

The stock’s expensive valuation indicates investors’ appreciation for this business. And that perspective is totally justified.

O’Reilly has an impressive history of growing its revenue and earnings. And this year is on track to be the company’s 33rd straight year of reporting a same-store sales gain. O’Reilly also registers durable demand regardless of economic conditions.

Because of the valuation, investors shouldn’t buy shares today. However, it’s best to continue keeping a close eye on this business, waiting for a pullback before making a move.

Aug. 24 (UPI) — A wildfire in Northern California has grown to nearly 7,000 acres, prompting evacuations in Napa County, forestry officials announced Sunday.

The Pickett Fire, which was sparked Thursday in Calistoga, was 6,803 acres as of midday Sunday with 11% containment, according to a status report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Twenty-four hours earlier, the blaze was about 4,700 acres with 7% containment.

Cal Fire said much of the new growth occurred near the eastern edge of the wildfire. There’s been no confirmed damage to any structures.

Officials ordered evacuations for areas near Calistoga, west of Pope Valley Road. Evacuation warnings were also issued for threats to life and/or property.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also issued an air quality advisory in Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties due to smoke from the Pickett Fire. The advisory was in place through Monday. The smoke could be dangerous to older adults, children and pregnant people, as well as those with heart problems.

Fires threaten a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain as temperatures hit new records.

A new heatwave has gripped parts of Europe, sending temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with wildfires wreaking havoc and forcing evacuations as the impact of global warming is keenly felt on the continent.

Firefighters in northwestern Spain struggled on Monday to contain a wildfire that damaged an ancient Roman mining site and forced hundreds of residents to flee.

Regional Environment Minister Juan Carlos Suarez-Quinones said the firefighting effort near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Las Medulas faced “many difficulties” due to high temperatures and winds of up to 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour).

Extreme heat and strong winds caused “fire whirls”. “This occurs when temperatures reach around 40 degrees Celsius [104F] in a very confined valley and then suddenly [the fire] enters a more open and oxygenated area,” Suarez-Quinones said.

Four people, including two firefighters, have suffered minor injuries, he added. “We will not allow people to return until safety in their communities is absolutely guaranteed,” Suarez-Quinones told reporters, estimating that about 700 people remained displaced.

Authorities said damage to the Roman gold-mining area famed for its striking red landscape in northwestern Spain will be assessed once the fire is fully under control.

In the northern part of neighbouring Portugal, nearly 700 firefighters were battling a blaze that started on Saturday in Trancoso, about 350km (200 miles) northeast of Lisbon.

The French national weather authority, Meteo-France, placed 12 departments on red alert, the country’s highest heat warning, anticipating exceptional heat stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean plains.

“Don’t be fooled. This isn’t normal, ‘it’s summer.’ It’s not normal. It’s a nightmare,” agricultural climatologist Serge Zaka told BFMTV. The red alert in France has been issued only eight times since it was created in 2004 after a deadly summer the year before.

Three major fires also blazed along the borders with Greece and Turkiye, including one near Strumyani that reignited after three weeks.

In Bulgaria, temperatures were expected to exceed 40C (104F) on Monday with maximum fire danger alerts in place.

Nearly 200 fires have been reported. Most have been brought under control, localised and extinguished, but the situation remains “very challenging”, said Alexander Dzhartov, head of Bulgaria’s national fire safety unit.

Hungary on Sunday recorded a new national high of 39.9C (104F) in the southeast, breaking a record set in 1948. Budapest also recorded a city record at 38.7C (101.6F).

Wildfires destroyed several homes in Albania as firefighters battled blazes in sweltering conditions on Monday. According to Albania’s Ministry of Defence, firefighters and soldiers subdued most of the close to 40 fires that flared up within 24 hours but more than a dozen were still active.

In Croatia, about 150 firefighters spent the night defending homes from a blaze near the port city of Split.

Aug. 9 (UPI) — An air quality alert was issued for parts of Southern California because of the effects of the Canyon Fire, fueled by dry brush and extreme heat.

But evacuation orders were canceled and shifted to warnings for thousands of residents in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, CalFire said Saturday.

The wildfire had spread to 5,370 acres and was 48% contained, the state agency said Saturday afternoon. On Friday morning, it was 4,756 acres, but none contained.

The fire ignited on Thursday afternoon in a remote area east of Lake Piru, north of Highway 126 and west of Castaic in Ventura County, and spread to Los Angeles County.

The National Weather Service said the smoke was causing harmful air pollution in parts of Southern California through the weekend.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert on Friday night.

The alert is in effect for the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, and the Inland Empire. It expires Sunday morning for the Santa Clarita Valley and 8 p.m. Saturday for everywhere else.

“Even in areas far from fires or areas not covered by a smoke advisory, if you can smell smoke or see ash from a wildfire, avoid or limit outdoor activities,” the alert read.

People with medical conditions are urged to stay inside with the windows closed.

“Particles in wildfire smoke can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing,” the alert reads. “Everyone can be affected, but people with lung or heart disease, older adults, people who are pregnant, children, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are at greater risk.”

On Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help California in battling the Canyon Fire. The state on Thursday sought the funds.

“At the time of the request, the fire was threatening approximately 5,118 homes in and around Hasley Canyon and Val Verde,” FEMA said. “Mandatory evacuations were taking place for approximately 5,000 people. Evacuation warnings are in effect for another 11,000 people.”

FEMA grants provide funds for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs.

No injuries have been reported and no structures are threatened, CalFire said.

Fighting the fire are 1,148 personnel, 45 engines, seven helicopters, three dozers and nine hand crews.

A firefighter was injured in a rollover crash in a grassy area in the Romero Canyon. The victim was airlifted to a hospital but was alert. Three firefighters also suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” the L.A. Fire Department posted Friday on X.

“Crews worked throughout the night to improve defensive positions and further secure the fire’s perimeter,” CalFire said. “Overnight fire activity was minimal as firefighters worked to continue strengthening existing control lines.”

Firefighters “will continue to enhance, monitor and patrol existing control lines … while providing structure defense for residences in the affected areas,” CalFire said.

Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with relative humidity 19-24% and wind gusts up to 20 mph.

Historically dry vegetation contributes to the ongoing potential for rapid fire growth and significant fire behavior,” CalFire said.

On Friday, firefighters dealt with gusty conditions.

“This afternoon, we’re starting to see the temperatures come back up, we’re seeing winds start to pick up,” Andrew Dowd with Ventura County Fire told KABC-TV. “There’s still a risk here. Fire is still burning, and we’re still going to be incredibly vigilant until we get this fire contained.”

Residents in the Hasley Canyon area of Castaic were thankful the wildfire didn’t reach their homes as flames were visible, and some families didn’t evacuate, instead opting to take care of their animals.

“It’s been a long night just watching the fire,” Castaic resident Geri Aebersold told KABC-TV. “Just watching it coming up right there on that hill. A firefighter said, ‘You’re ok. We got this.'”

Lula approved the controversial bill easing environmental licensing rules, but struck down or altered 63 articles.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed into law a bill easing environmental licensing rules, but bowed to pressure from activist groups as he vetoed key provisions that would have made it easier for companies to secure environmental permits.

Lula approved on Friday what detractors have dubbed the “devastation bill”, but struck down or altered 63 of its nearly 400 articles, his office’s executive secretary, Miriam Belchior, told reporters.

The president had faced mounting pressure from environmental groups to intervene in the bill, which was backed by Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector and focused on rolling back strict licensing rules that had kept the destruction of the Amazon rainforest in check.

A previous version of the bill adopted by lawmakers last month would have meant that for some permits, all that would have been required is a simple declaration of the company’s environmental commitment.

Lula’s revisions, however, reinstated the current strict licensing rules for strategic projects.

Belchior said the new proposal sought to preserve the integrity of the licensing process, ensure legal certainty, and protect the rights of Indigenous and Quilombola communities.

She added that Lula will introduce a “Special Environmental Licence” designed to fast-track strategic projects while filling the legal gaps created by the vetoes.

“We maintained what we consider to be significant advances in streamlining the environmental licensing process,” she said.

Nongovernmental organisation SOS Atlantic Forest, which garnered more than a million signatures calling for a veto of the law, hailed Lula’s move as “a victory” for environmental protection.

Lula’s environmental vetoes

Of the provisions struck down by Lula, 26 were vetoed outright, while another 37 will either be replaced with alternative text or modified in a new bill that will be sent to Congress for ratification under a constitutional urgency procedure.

Securing support for the amendments is far from guaranteed for the leftist leader. Brazil’s conservative-dominated Congress has repeatedly defeated key government proposals, including overturning previous presidential vetoes.

Lawmakers aligned with embattled ex-president Jair Bolsonaro are also blocking legislative activity amid an escalating political standoff, as they call for the former president’s charges around an alleged failed coup attempt in 2022 to be dropped.

Speaking at a Friday news conference in the capital, Brasilia, Environment Minister Marina Silva maintained a positive tone, telling reporters that Lula’s vetoes would ensure that “the economy does not compete with ecology, but rather they are part of the same equation”.

“We hope to be able to streamline licensing processes without compromising their quality, which is essential for environmental protection at a time of climate crisis, biodiversity loss and desertification,” said Silva.

Silva said a previous version of the bill, approved by Congress last month, threatened the country’s pledge to eliminate deforestation by 2030 and described it as a “death blow” to Brazil’s licensing framework.

But, she said, Lula’s revised version meant Brazil’s “targets to reach zero deforestation” and its goal to “cut CO2 emissions by between 59 percent and 67 percent remain fully on track”.

Lula’s environmental credentials are under close scrutiny in advance of the annual UN climate summit in November in the Amazon city of Belem.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Brits visiting popular holiday destination Tunisia, amid serious safety concerns in certain parts of the country

The Foreign Office has revised its travel guidance for a popular holiday hotspot.

Brits are being cautioned against “all but essential” travel to certain areas of Tunisia, a favourite destination for UK tourists thanks to its stunning coastlines, fascinating heritage, and budget-friendly appeal.

The North African country offers a lot as a holiday destination, from lively seaside resorts such as Hammamet and Sousse to discovering ancient Roman archaeological sites and colourful medinas.

However, owing to the security risks still present in the country, the Foreign Office has today refreshed its travel guidance, identifying forbidden zones that visitors should avoid, including several renowned historical sites.

READ MORE: Exact date tourists face Majorca chaos as airport comes to ‘total standstill’

The Foreign Office announced: “FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to within 20km of the Tunisia-Algerian border in El Kef and Jendouba Governorates, south of the town of Jendouba. FCDO no longer advises against travel to the archaeological site of Chemtou.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Security worries have persisted for Tunisia in recent years. In 2023, several terror incidents were plotted and executed by lone-wolf attackers potentially inspired by extremist groups, including a National Guard officer who was stabbed in Tunis’s Goulette district, a police officer who was knifed to death near the Brazilian Embassy, and a deadly shooting on Djerba island at a Jewish pilgrimage location, resulting in 3 security staff and 2 civilians losing their lives, with 10 wounded.

The Foreign Office has also issued a stark warning regarding the threat of terrorism in Tunisia. It reads: “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.”

READ MORE: Holidaying mum complains of earache – then ends up in a comaREAD MORE: easyJet explains ‘different’ all inclusive holiday rules

The FCDO strongly advises against all travel to Western Tunisia, including the area bordering Algeria, due to the risk posed by cross-border terrorist activities and operations conducted by Tunisian security forces. Furthermore, the FCDO recommends avoiding all but essential travel to Southern Tunisia, including the region bordering Libya, because of the ongoing cross-border terrorist activities and conflict in Libya.

Additionally, the FCDO suggests that all but essential travel should be avoided within 75km of the Tunisia-Libya border, which includes areas such as Remada and El Borma, due to the heightened security risks in these regions.

Britain’s High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to allow the export of Lockheed Martin F-35 jet parts to Israel is lawful despite accepting that they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.

In a 72-page ruling on Monday, Judges Stephen Males and Karen Steyn said the case was about a “much more focused issue” than just the jet parts.

“That issue is whether it is open to the court to rule that the UK must withdraw from a specific multilateral defence collaboration … because of the prospect that some UK-manufactured components will or may ultimately be supplied to Israel, and may be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Gaza,” the ruling said.

“Under our constitution, that acutely sensitive and political issue is a matter for the executive, which is democratically accountable to Parliament and ultimately to the electorate, not for the courts,” it added.

Currently, the United Kingdom contributes components for F-35s to an international defence programme that produces the bombers.

But Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, based in the occupied West Bank, took legal action in January against the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) over its decision to exempt the parts when it suspended some export licences in September last year.

During a hearing in May, Al-Haq said the government’s decision to send the jet parts was unlawful as it “gives rise to a significant risk of facilitating crime”.

The same month, Defence Secretary John Healey said suspending it would affect the “whole F-35 programme” and have a “profound impact on international peace and security”.

After Monday’s ruling, Shawan Jabarin, the chief of Al-Haq, said, “Despite the outcome of today, this case has centred the voice of the Palestinian people and has rallied significant public support, and it is just the start.”

“By exposing serious government failings in facilitating international crimes against Palestinians through its arms exports, civil society and human rights organisations have achieved a crucial breakthrough, and we will continue to persevere in the UK and beyond until governments are held accountable, Israel’s impunity is challenged and justice for the Palestinian people is realised,” he added.

‘Knock on effect’

Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic said the building of an F-35 fighter jet is part of a “global programme” where many nations build different parts, and they are all manufactured in different countries.

“Britain makes about 15 percent of each F-35 jet, however, it doesn’t make those parts specifically for Israel,” Veselinovic explained.

“So, what the UK was arguing is that if they stop those parts from being exported that could have a knock on effect on the entire international programme, it would impact the supply chain, it would impact on their NATO allies, even on the ability, they said, for Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s invasion,” she said.

However, Al-Haq has argued that by building the parts for the global pool, the UK was in breach of international law, including the Geneva Convention, due to the use of the weapons in Gaza.

“But the High Court sided with the government rejecting that and did accept the UK’s argument that this was a strategic objective despite acknowledging that it could mean that the UK is also in breach of international law,” Veselinovic added.

Export licences

In September last year, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the government was suspending about 30 of 350 export licences of items used during Israel’s war in Gaza after a review of its compliance with international humanitarian law.

However, according to global advocacy organisation Oxfam International, which joined Al-Haq’s case against the DBT, the partial ban did not include British-made F-35 parts, including refuelling probes, laser targeting systems, tyres and ejector seats.

Moreover, a report by pro-Palestine activist groups found in May that despite the suspension, military items have continued to be exported to Israel.

Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 56,500 people and wounded 133,419 others.

There are lots of items people are prohibited from bringing onto a cruise ship, but one company has added a popular travel accessory to the list leaving travellers confused

Carnival Cruise passengers have been left baffled by a new rule that has seen people be banned from using one specific item onboard. There are certain items people are forbidden from bringing onto a cruise ship including candles and heating appliances, but now people are confused over the newest item added to the list.

The luxury cruise liner announced that passengers are now no longer able to bring handheld fans to certain areas on the ship, as noted in a cabin letter given to everyone as they first board the ship. The popular travel accessory for many is an essential in hot destinations, and the ban has left many people worried about it.

The letter states: “For safety reasons, handheld fans are not permitted in the nightclub or any indoor dance floor.” In a video message, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador John Heald, addressed the rules. The ambassador stressed that only handheld fans – paper fans ‘made of cardboard’ – are banned from the indoor dance floor.

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The cruise company further addressed the confusion and detailed that guests will still be allowed to bring small electric handheld fans onboard Carnival Cruise Line ships and Heald added: “Are fans allowed on board? Yes they are.

“We have not changed any rule regarding the fans that some of you like to have in your cabin. The electric fans – no bigger than 12 inches – they are allowed, of course. Please make sure they are in good working order. But you can, of course, continue to bring fans.”

And although some guests were confused by the rules, Heald added that the majority of passengers had reacted positively to the letter.

There are a number of items banned from being taken on a cruise ship, and rules can differ for each company but many of the banned items are outlawed for health and safety reasons. And cruise operators aim to stop fire, accidents and even violent incidents. This explains why baseball bats are certainly not permitted on board because they fall into an offensive weapons category

Bizarre items which cannot be taken include a skateboard or roller skates which are banned aboard a Princess ship. Another cruise liner operator Costa Cruises lists tattoo-making kits among its banned items. Other items such as balloons or handcuffs cannot be taken aboard a P&O Cruises ship.

There are also restrictions on personal alcohol which can be brought aboard, but many believe this is more about the operator wanting to make money in the cruise ship’s bars. Bags are scanned before being delivered to your cabin. Items which have been blacklisted will be confiscated and luggage access delayed. Worse still, you could be prevented from boarding.

Rules on cruise lines and can change quickly and each operator’s list of banned items varies. Royal Caribbean has now said no to multi-plug outlets in a new restriction. It’s vital to check with the cruise line if unsure.

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CNN’s chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, whose 2021 story on a military contractor led to a defamation suit loss in court, announced Monday he is leaving the network.

“Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business,” Marquardt wrote on X. “Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad.”

Earlier this year, a Florida jury awarded $5 million to former CIA operative Zachary Young after a jury found he was defamed in a November 2021 report by Marquardt on how Afghans were being charged thousands of dollars to be evacuated after the U.S. military withdrawal from their country.

After deliberations began on punitive damages, CNN attorneys reached an undisclosed settlement with Young.

A CNN representative declined to comment on Marquardt’s departure, calling it a personnel matter. One network insider who was not authorized to comment publicly said there was a feeling among many people at CNN that Marquardt had to go after the loss in court.

Marquardt has served as CNN’s chief national security correspondent since 2017. He was previously a foreign correspondent for ABC News.

Young lives in Vienna and has his business based in Florida. He was seeking $14,500 for getting people out of Afghanistan after the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal. He claimed his services were limited to corporate sponsors.

The business was described in Marqurdt’s report alongside interviews with Afghans who spoke about desperate efforts by people to escape, but they had no connection to Young.

Young’s suit said his inclusion in the story, which used the term “black market” in an on-screen banner, implied that his activity was criminal, even though Marquardt’s segment made no such charge. “Black market” was also used in the introduction of the report when it first ran on “The Lead With Jake Tapper,” other CNN programs and the network’s website and social media accounts.

CNN lawyers argued that the term “black market” was used to describe an unregulated activity, even though the dictionary definition describes it as illegal.

Young claimed the story destroyed his reputation and ability to earn a living — driving his annual income from $350,000 to zero — and caused severe emotional and psychological distress.

Major power outage hits the prominent film festival on its closing day and impacts 160,000 homes in the area.

French police were investigating a possible arson attack as being the main cause for a power outage which hit the Alpes-Maritimes region in southern France, including Cannes which is hosting its world-famous annual film festival.

“We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately,” a spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie said on Saturday, adding that no arrests had been made at this stage.

The local authority for the Alpes-Maritimes region had said earlier on Saturday that the western part of the area, which includes Cannes, was suffering from a major electricity outage and that grid operator RTE France was working on restoring power.

The outage, which affected 160,000 homes, according to RTE and regional officials, started shortly after 10am local time (08:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Police sources said the outage was caused by an overnight fire, probably an arson attack, at a high-voltage substation in the village of Tanneron.

Traffic lights were knocked out and businesses closed on the main shopping street of the Alpes-Maritimes holiday destination.

Separate power outages swept across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France on Monday, disrupting critical infrastructure and airport operations. Officials denied foul play.

While Spain and Portugal suffered blackouts last month, the French Basque Country saw brief power outages with interruptions lasting only a few minutes, according to the French electricity transmission network.

The latest outage came just hours before the 78th Cannes Film Festival is due to close on Saturday evening with an award ceremony at the Palais des Festivals.

Despite the power cut, festival organisers said switching to an alternative electricity power supply enabled them to “maintain the events and screenings planned for today in normal conditions, including the closing ceremony”.

After a politically charged two weeks, a jury led by French actor Juliette Binoche is expected to announce the winners among 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or for best film.

This year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza and United States President Donald Trump were the biggest talking points at the festival. More than 900 actors and filmmakers signed an open letter denouncing the genocide in Gaza, according to the organisers.

RAIN is set to fall in just hours in parts of the UK, marking the end of the remarkably dry start to spring, the Met Office has forecast.

Some areas could even see thunder as the skies open up amid the driest start to the season in nearly six decades.

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The Environment Agency has also warned there could be a risk of a drought this summer without sustained rainfall, with millions of households told they may face water restrictions in the coming months.

As of Friday, just 80.6mm of rain has been recorded for the UK this spring – that’s almost 20mm less than the record low of 100.7mm, set in 1852 for the full season.

However, this could change imminently, as the Met Office has warned of showers landing in the north of the UK throughout Monday.

Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk explained showers hit across southern Scotland and northern England overnight on Sunday, with some reaching as far south as Wales.

Heading into Monday morning, there are expected to be “much-welcome” showers across the central belt of Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland.

Cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland could be washed out by the rainfall, as could Manchester in the north of England.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud added that Monday would see sunny spells in the west develop widely with a “few scattered showers developing across the north during the course of Monday afternoon”.

He added: “One or two of those could be heavy, potentially thundery, but most places are going to be warm and dry.”

However, from Tuesday onwards there could be “an increasing chance of showers across southern areas of the country,” Dan said.

“Then beyond that, Thursday and Friday are likely to become dry, fine and sunny again, with good deals of sunshine for much of the country.”

Conditions in the UK this spring had been “remarkably dry up until now”, Dan explained.

However, as we approach the final week of May, which is also when schools break for half-term, the weather is “looking increasingly changeable, with areas of cloud and rain arriving from the west”.

The Met Office explained the prolonged warm and very dry spell, which has seen Brits enjoy temperatures as high as 29C, was primarily caused by high pressure.

However, by Tuesday, changing conditions could see “occasional heavy and potentially thundery showers developing across parts of Wales and the Midlands, with one or two of those breaching into London“.

Discussing Wednesday’s forecast, Dan said: “It will be a bit of a chilly start across England and Wales with plenty of sunshine to kick the day off.

“But showers will develop across England and Wales, with some of those showers potentially heavy and thundery and breaching into the London area.”

The rock band Foo Fighters has let go of drummer Josh Freese, according to a note from the veteran percussionist.

“The Foo Fighters called me Monday night to let me know they’ve decided ‘to go in a different direction with their drummer,’” Freese wrote on Instagram. “No reason was given. … Regardless, I enjoyed the past two years with them, both on and off stage, and I support whatever they feel is best for the band. In my 40 years of drumming professionally, I’ve never been let go from a band, so while I’m not angry — just a bit shocked and disappointed. But as most of you know I’ve always worked freelance and bounced between bands so, I’m fine.”

“Stay tuned for my ‘Top 10 possible reasons Josh got booted from the Foo Fighters’ list,” he joked.

A representative for the band confirmed the departure but declined to comment.

Freese is a session veteran who first came to prominence in the SoCal punk band the Vandals, and later went on to play in Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle and Devo before joining Foo Fighters in 2023. He won the high-profile job after the death of beloved Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The band previously celebrated Hawkins in a moving tribute concert in 2022, which included Hawkins’ then-16-year-old son Shane drumming in his dad’s place on “My Hero.” More recently, singer Dave Grohl appeared with his former Nirvana bandmate, bassist Krist Novoselic, to perform at the FireAid benefit concert in Inglewood this year.

The group has not announced a new drummer. Its next scheduled performance is in Singapore on Oct. 4.