A FAMOUS UK train could soon be travelling from the UK to mainland Europe.
The Caledonian Sleeper, known for its overnight routes between London and Scotland, could soon head from Scotland to destinations in Europe.
Following a meeting, the train operator is now looking into opportunities for the sleeper to head abroad.
Stephen Flynn, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport said of the project: “We are committed to exploring the potential for a direct Caledonian Sleeper service to mainland Europe, and I am pleased that this work is now underway.
“This is an early-stage exercise and the study will focus on understanding the practical, technical and commercial considerations involved. The findings will provide an evidence base to inform any future decisions.”
Findings of the study are expected to be published later this year.
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The Caledonian Sleeper currently runs services between London Euston, Birmingham International and major destinations across Scotland including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.
Routes include the Lowlander Route and the Highlander Route.
The Caledonian Sleeper operates six nights a week, with Saturday being the only day there isn’t a service.
TRAVEL reporter Cyann Fielding recently travelled on the Caledonian Sleeper, and here are her thoughts:
Ever since watching Murder on the Orient Express, Harry Potter and The Polar Express, I have wanted to journey on a long train route with dramatic views.
The Caledonian Sleeper gave me just that.
Onboard, there were plenty of forest green walls, carpeted floors, large windows and of course – narrow corridors with numerous doors leading into cosy cabins.
Whilst snug, my cabin featured a bunk bed – both beds have a soft duvet, plug access, a reading lamp and goodies for a good night’s sleep (think – a bottle of water, an eye mask and ear plugs).
Just like magic, in the morning I woke up and was in sunny Scotland, with rolling hills and sprawling lakes whizzing past my window.
The excitement of that moment was probably the most special part of the journey – waking up in a different country, slipping on my slippers and slogging to breakfast really did feel like an indulgent travel experience.
For a Club en-suite room, it costs around £200 per way, for a single occupant.
If you are sharing with someone, it will cost around £280 total, per way.
There is also the option of the seated carriage, where tickets cost from £50 per way, per passenger.
Currently the only trains between the UK and mainland Europe are via the Eurostar and Channel Tunnel.
Eurostar’s destinations include Paris, Brussels and Rotterdam.
However, Virgin Trains is set to launch by the end of the decade, promising services to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
The company is also hoping to launch routes to Disneyland Paris, other parts of France and into Germany and Switzerland in the future.
In a separate statement, Lissie Harper, PC Harper’s widow, said it was “disgusting” that his killers could be eligible for early release.
She said she was “beyond appalled and bristling with anger to hear that Andrew’s killers are soon to be free to roam the streets”.
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the decision not to exclude them was “demoralising for all police officers”.
The Sentencing Act was amended in January, with the eligibility for early release based on the length of fixed sentence, rather than the type of offence.
The act already excluded some of the most serious and dangerous offenders, such as murderers serving life sentences or those on extended sentences.
But last month, Burnham paused the plans after backlash from survivors. The scheme will now restart in October.
Announcing the changes on Monday, he said: “I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused. I’ve heard that loud and clear.”
Under the revised plans, rape and child sexual offences will now also be excluded from early release.
The government also announced an extra £10 million will go to front-line victim support services, including a new national helpline.
This move does not require changes to the existing legislation before October, the government said, though it may make amendments in the future to exclude certain offenders from being released.
Offenders of other crimes serving longer sentences of four years or more will be eligible for release halfway through their sentences rather than two-thirds as had previously been the case.
Those serving less serious sentences could be freed after a third of their time, rather than half.
The changes are due to be phased in, beginning with prisoners serving sentences of less than 575 days, going up to inmates jailed for 12 years or more being eligible for early release in June 2027.
The “presumption” will be that offenders are tagged and will face longer periods of supervision and tough new rules including “restriction zones”, Burnham said.
The number of individuals released each time will depend on the make-up of the prison population, which the government says will evolve between now and implementation.
PLANS for a brand-new luxury hotel resort located in the European countryside have been unveiled.
The spot is known for its award-winning golf course and has now partnered with a renowned luxury hotel brand for the project.
Nobu Hotels has announced plans for its latest luxury destination which will welcome visitors to Portugal’s Eastern Algarve.
The site will be Portugal’s second Nobu location, with the lifestyle hotel chain previously announcing plans for an expansion in Lisbon on Avenida da Liberdade.
Construction for the Algarve holiday spot is set to begin in 2027, with plans to accommodate guests in 2029.
The hotel will reside within more than 1,000 acres of countryside at the iconic Monte Rei site, known for its Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf course.
Plans for the new Nobu Hotel include 100 guestrooms and suites, alongside a signature Nobu restaurant and dedicated wellness and lifestyle amenities.
As part of the development, over 226,000 sq ft of land will become villas and branded residences, meaning guests and owners can enjoy Nobu services while living on the Monte Rei site.
According to Nobu Hospitality, in the past two decades, Monte Rei has garnered international reputations owing to “its award-winning golf, high standards of service, residential community and enviable location in one of Portugal’s most characterful resort regions”.
The resort hopes to combine the luxury and hospitality of Nobu with the exceptional privacy offered by the Monte Rei setting.
CEO of Nobu Hospitality, Trevor Horwell, said: “Monte Rei offers a rare combination of natural beauty, privacy and an established reputation for exceptional golf and residential living.
“Together with Norfin, we have the opportunity to create a distinctive Nobu destination that feels deeply connected to the Eastern Algarve while delivering the hospitality, dining, design and service for which the brand is known around the world.”
The project is set to bring together an international design team, including DSA Architects and the Rockwell Group, to develop the architecture and vision of the luxury resort.
CEO of Norfin, Miguel Mateus, has called the new plans an “important milestone” for Monte Rei.
“The resort has long been recognised for the quality of its golf, service and residential environment.
“We are now building on that legacy with a broader ambition for the destination – one that brings together world-class hospitality, exceptional residential living and carefully designed leisure experiences.
South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, who serves concurrently as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, attends a task force meeting of economy-related ministers over price controls related to people’s livelihoods at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, 31 July 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 31 (Asia Today) — South Korea will launch a strategic investment fund worth more than 20 trillion won, or about $13.6 billion, next year to provide long-term capital to artificial intelligence, semiconductor and other industries considered vital to national security and economic growth.
The government said Friday that it would establish a separate strategic investment account within the Korea Investment Corporation rather than create an independent sovereign wealth fund.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance and Economy Minister Koo Yun-cheol announced the plan during an emergency economic meeting and a meeting of economic ministers at the Government Complex Seoul.
The new account will use KIC’s international investment network and asset-management expertise while expanding the corporation’s mandate beyond its traditional role of investing public foreign-exchange assets overseas.
The government plans to submit a revision to the Korea Investment Corporation Act to the National Assembly in August and complete the legislation before the end of the year.
The fund is expected to begin operating in 2027.
Government shares to provide initial capital
The fund will begin with more than 20 trillion won in assets.
The government plans to contribute more than 16 trillion won, or about $10.9 billion, in shares it holds in public financial institutions, including the Korea Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
It will also contribute about 4 trillion won, or $2.7 billion, in private-company shares received as payment for inheritance and gift taxes.
The government is considering accepting private donations intended to increase national wealth as another source of capital.
The fund will target artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other advanced strategic industries as well as data centers, critical infrastructure and overseas companies important to South Korea’s supply chains.
Unlike conventional policy financing, which often relies on loans, guarantees or subsidized credit, the fund will primarily make direct equity investments.
The government said the approach would allow it to remain invested in promising companies for longer periods and share in their growth.
The fund will also be able to exercise shareholder voting rights to promote corporate value, protect critical technologies and help companies defend themselves against hostile takeovers.
Fund to serve as an anchor investor
The government wants the strategic account to serve as an anchor investor capable of attracting global institutional investors to South Korean projects.
By committing public capital first, the fund could reduce perceived risk and encourage foreign sovereign funds, pension funds and private investors to participate.
The government also plans to connect the new account with existing policy funds.
Venture and growth funds usually must sell their holdings and return capital to investors within four to eight years.
Under a proposed relay-investment system, the strategic fund could purchase stakes in promising companies when those shorter-term policy funds reach maturity or begin liquidation.
The arrangement is intended to prevent companies with long development cycles from losing financial support before they become commercially established.
The model could be particularly important for semiconductor fabrication, artificial intelligence infrastructure, biotechnology and other sectors requiring large investments over many years.
Separate governance structure planned
The government said it would create governance safeguards intended to protect the fund’s investment independence.
KIC’s board structure would be divided between its existing foreign-reserve investment account and the new strategic account.
A dedicated investment committee and advisory committee would be established for strategic investments.
An operating committee would set broad policy and investment priorities but would not intervene in individual investment decisions, the government said.
The separation is intended to prevent short-term political considerations from determining which companies receive investments.
The plan also represents a change from an earlier proposal to establish a completely separate sovereign wealth fund.
The government instead decided to expand KIC’s mandate and use its existing personnel, investment systems and global relationships.
Long-term capital for industrial strategy
South Korea has introduced several public financing programs to support advanced industries, including funds targeting chips, artificial intelligence, batteries and biotechnology.
The new strategic account differs because it is designed to hold equity investments for extended periods rather than provide loans or exit investments according to fixed fund schedules.
The government expects the fund to support major national projects involving semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence and data centers while helping South Korean companies secure critical overseas supply chains.
It also hopes investment returns will gradually expand the fund’s assets and reduce its dependence on additional government contributions.
The success of the plan will depend on whether the government can maintain commercial investment discipline while pursuing broader industrial and national-security objectives.
It will also require clear rules governing voting rights, corporate intervention, investment losses and potential conflicts between financial returns and government policy.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260731010011712
Fifa president Gianni Infantino says he has scrapped the controversial plan to sell off stakes in the governing body’s major competitions, following widespread opposition.
Infantino said it had become clear the project had “created divisions” that are “no longer in the interest” of its original objective.
The Swiss added: “As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
Infantino had offered all 211 member associations $40m (£30m) if they backed a proposal for private investment in its tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
European football’s 55 member associations, Uefa, voted on Thursday to boycott World Cups if the plans went ahead.
Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said the governing body’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project.
Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned over the mater, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
That came after two other major confederations spoke out against the plans.
Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean – and hosted this summer’s World Cup – said its members “rejected” the proposal, with sources saying the vast majority of associations from the region are losing, or have lost, faith in Infantino.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it stood in “solidarity” with Uefa and Concacaf, while UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Infantino was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa.
Infantino, 56, is now under immense pressure as he seeks re-election for a fourth term as president at the Fifa Congress in March.
He said he now intends to “bring all interested parties back together” in the “spirit of shared interest” in football.
More to follow.
While Uefa members are among the richest on the planet, many other nations rely on Fifa funding for basic infrastructure.
While the AFC opposes Infantino’s plan, unlike Uefa it has not threatened to boycott Fifa competitions. AFC members would not be obliged to vote against the proposals.
Rogers Byamukama, of the Ugandan Football Federation, argued any avenue that could lead to more resources for nations like his should be explored.
“First and foremost, you need to understand that football is a very expensive venture, especially on the African continent where the resources are not easy to come by,” he told Newsday on BBC World Service.
“For instance in Uganda, the number of infrastructure projects that have been funded by Fifa from the resources generated by Fifa, especially at the World Cup, both from ticket sales as well as sponsors.
“On top of that, there are many grassroots programmes that have been funded by Fifa, including schools for football.
“From my perspective, any avenue that brings in more resources is good because those resources would be distributed and given to federations, especially on the African continent and that would inspire growth.”
Byamukama acknowledged Uefa’s right to speak out, but suggested its members were not reliant on Fifa funding like many associations in the rest of the world where Infantino remains popular.
In the first two cycles of the Fifa Forward development programme, through to 2022, $2.8bn (£2.08bn) was made available for investment across the 211 member associations.
Fifa Forward 3.0 – covering the years 2023 through to 2026 – has produced a 30% increase in funding.
Fifa has provided a further $5m (£3.7m) for every member association, with another $60m (£44.48m) paid to each confederation for their own projects.
After expanding the men’s World Cup to 48 teams from 32 for the 2026 edition, Fifa is seeking an independent agency to assess an expansion to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament.
The timeline on documents seen by BBC Sport said Fifa would receive agency proposals by 7 August, with a Fifa decision on 14 August. Delivery of analysis by the agency is then scheduled for 11 September.
Ospreys finished 11th in the URC last season and were knocked out in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.
Mark Jones’ side were impacted by uncertainty, with fans protesting against the WRU and Y11 at fixtures in Bridgend.
The unsettling situation was a factor in Wales captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan opting to join Gloucester for the coming season.
Signing the Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) with the governing body offers some level of security until 2028, but the latest development will provide more challenges for both Scarlets and Ospreys.
“Is it really a surprise? We just had a little bit of a break from the debacle,” said former Ospreys and Wales wing Shane Williams on Radio Wales Breakfast.
“The conversation has always been that everyone believes there will be a region cut, that players’ welfare and jobs will be put on the line again.
“It’s no real shock to me, we just have to start the conversation again and the uncertainty hits us again.”
There is the prospect of a tender process to be the western club, or the possibility of reviving the merger that almost happened in 2019.
“It’s easier said than done,” said Williams, who is from Carmarthenshire. “There is huge rivalry and the Ospreys are in the process of rebuilding St Helen’s and there is Parc y Scarlets, which is barely used by anyone else.
“For the fans, there has been a huge rivalry and it would take some job to get those two sets of supporters together to support one entity.”
Uefa’s 55 member associations have voted to boycott the World Cup if Fifa proceeds with its plan to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the proposals announced by Fifa – world football’s governing body – on Tuesday.
Uefa, which governs European football, had made its opposition clear by releasing two damning statements about the plans – and that strength of feeling has now been reaffirmed.
The boycott would cover all Fifa competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cup and be triggered if Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s proposals are voted through by member associations.
The first time this stance will be tested is October, when the Women’s World Cup play-offs are due to be held.
More to follow.
HEATHROW passengers to face DECADES of higher fares as the airport is set to recoup costs of its multi-billion expansion plans.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed the UK’s biggest airport will be able to recover up to £320million that it’s spent on its third runway proposal.
The maximum airport charger per passenger will be about 15p in 2028, rising to an estimated 30p in subsequent years.
The higher airline charges, which will be built into the cost of flights, will last for about 20 to 25 years.
Heathrow West, a rival expansion scheme led by property billionaire Surinder Arora, has been given the go-ahead to recoup £4.1 million it spent on its plan in 2025 up to November 25, despite it not giving the go-ahead.
Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) scheme is estimated to cost £33billion, including £1.5billion to move the M25, and is expected to be fully privately financed.
It would see Heathrow’s annual capacity increase to 756,000 flights and 150million passengers.
British Airways, the largest airline at Heathrow, warned that early cost recovery by HAL would create a risk that expansion will be “unaffordable for consumers and inconsistent with a credible benefits case”, according to a CAA document.
Airlines have repeatedly complained that Heathrow has the highest charges of any airport in the world.
Tim Johnson, the CAA’s director of consumers and markets, said: “Our decision strikes a balance between supporting the delivery of benefits to consumers through timely progress on Heathrow expansion, whilst also protecting them from undue increases in costs.
“The costs Heathrow can recover are capped, independently scrutinised and subject to efficiency reviews, helping ensure that passengers only pay for efficient costs that are justified.”
A separate process will be conducted to decide arrangements for costs incurred from 2027.
Last month, the Government launched a consultation on its Heathrow expansion national policy statement, setting out the conditions needed if the project is to be given the go-ahead.
Former chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was determined to get “spades in the ground” for the third runway which is set to be built by 2035.
However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously expressed concerns over Heathrow expansion, stating the plans divert infrastructure investment “away from the North and traps it in London”.
A Heathrow spokesperson said the project will give passengers more choice while providing a “real economic boost to every region and nation of the country”.
He went on: “We have been clear from the start that unlocking the private investment that will deliver these benefits requires a supportive regulatory framework.
“We are carefully considering the CAA proposals and will make investment decisions accordingly.”
U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang (R), accompanied by Lee Hae-jin, founder and Chair of internet giant Naver Corp., acknowledge visitors during their meeting at the Naver headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, South Korea, 08 June 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 27 (Asia Today) — Nvidia plans to invest $1 billion in South Korean technology company Naver as the companies expand a partnership to build large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Naver said Monday it would issue about 7.24 million new shares to Nvidia through a private placement. The transaction would give the U.S. chipmaker a stake of about 4.5%, making it Naver’s third-largest shareholder.
Payment for the shares is scheduled for Oct. 30.
The investment would deepen a partnership announced in June to build global AI factories serving demand for sovereign AI, which refers to AI infrastructure and models operated under a country’s own laws and data controls.
The companies previously focused on supplying graphics processing units and cooperating on technology. Nvidia’s planned equity investment would broaden the relationship into a strategic partnership involving computing infrastructure, software, customers and capital.
Naver said Nvidia decided to invest because of the South Korean company’s full-stack AI capabilities, which include data centers, graphics processor clusters, cloud platforms, large language models and consumer services.
Naver operates graphics processor infrastructure at more than 20 locations across South Korea and plans to use that experience to expand its GPU-as-a-service and sovereign AI businesses.
Naver Cloud and Nvidia are also discussing an AI computing partnership that could include joint development of global AI factory projects.
The companies plan to combine Nvidia computing systems with Naver’s cloud, software and AI services rather than limiting their relationship to hardware purchases.
Nvidia said the proposed investment is subject to customary closing conditions and Naver securing at least $9 billion in committed project financing separate from Nvidia’s investment.
Brookfield has signed a nonbinding term sheet under which the global investment firm could provide up to $9 billion for computing infrastructure. The companies are discussing a structure in which Brookfield would develop or finance graphics processor systems and data centers for Naver’s use.
Naver’s own investment obligations have not been finalized.
The company plans to begin operating a 55-megawatt AI factory in the first half of 2027, expand capacity to 100 megawatts by the end of that year and reach 200 megawatts in 2028.
Its longer-term goal is to develop gigawatt-scale infrastructure.
Naver plans to begin the project at its GAK Sejong data center and later pursue sovereign AI customers in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Middle East.
The company is also seeking to improve shareholder returns. Its board voted Friday to cancel about 4.9 million treasury shares valued at approximately 1.02 trillion won ($694.5 million). The shares are scheduled to be retired Aug. 3.
“The investments by Nvidia and Brookfield will be an important turning point for Naver’s future growth,” Naver Chief Executive Officer Choi Soo-yeon said.
Choi said the company would work to secure AI factory customers and establish itself as a major global AI infrastructure provider.
Naver board Chairman Lee Hae-jin said the partnership would allow the company to take its data center technology and operating expertise to the global market.
“We will actively cooperate with companies around the world to create an AI ecosystem that respects the diversity of countries and communities,” Lee said.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260727010009741
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani’s throwing program has stalled, with the Dodgers star canceling a bullpen session the team had tentatively scheduled for Saturday.
“Just doesn’t feel 100%,” manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani’s left knee. “And because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression. So we want to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”
It was going to be Ohtani’s second bullpen since receiving an orthovisc injection in his knee on July 12. He threw a roughly 30-pitch side session on Wednesday.
It’s unclear when he’ll throw off the mound next. But Roberts said he’s still optimistic that Ohtani will return to the rotation sometime in August.
“It was obviously not ideal, him throwing his last bullpen and going backwards, essentially,” Roberts said. “So obviously that’s disappointing because you throw a bullpen to continue to build up. So that was disappointing. But as far as worry, concern, we don’t have any of that.”
Roberts described a “fluid” process, with plenty of input from Ohtani, as he and Dodgers continue to navigate the knee issue. Because only pitching seems to be aggravating the injury, Ohtani will continue to play at designated hitter.
“From his words, the hitting, the running, as he has done the last couple nights, doesn’t affect him,” Roberts said. “So I can only go by what he and the training staff are telling me. So, unless I hear otherwise, that hitting compromises his health, then I’m going to keep putting him in the lineup.”
The Dodgers had initially hoped the injection and time off leading up to the All-Star break would allow him to get past the discomfort in his knee and not have to worry about managing it for the rest of the season.
Though Ohtani feels better than he did before the break, according to Roberts, the team wasn’t envisioning this kind of start-and-stop buildup.
The schedule does the Dodgers some favors. The off day Monday allows them to get through this coming week without filling Ohtani’s spot in the rotation. But in order to keep all their starters on a six- to seven-day rotation, they’ll have to find a replacement — whether that be a bullpen day or another starter — by the first week of August.
Starting pitcher Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) is on track to be close to a return from the injured list by then. In his second rehab start this month, he threw 2⅔ innings (49 pitches) for triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.
He’ll be targeting four innings in his next start, according to Roberts. When asked if he’d need another rehab outing after that, Roberts said: “Let’s just get through that next one. Get through four innings and kind of read and react from there.”
Dodgers teammates Kiké Hernández, left, and Shohei Ohtani laugh after a win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on May 29.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers are set to welcome back utility player Kiké Hernández (strained left oblique) and closer Edwin Díaz (arthroscopic elbow surgery) from the injured list early in next week’s homestand.
Hernández is set to be activated Tuesday, as the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners, Roberts said. And Díaz likely will return Wednesday, sliding back into the closer role that Tanner Scott has held in his absence.
Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) threw about 25 pitches in a one-inning live batting practice session Friday, Roberts said. He’s scheduled to throw to batters again next week.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Thursday announced its inaugural film programming, which will be screened nonstop during museum hours in two dedicated 299-seat theaters. Entry to the theaters is included with each general admission ticket, and visitors can enter and exit at any time, creating a free-flowing set of ancillary exhibition spaces with a goal of furthering the museum’s mission of exploring storytelling in its many forms.
One of the theaters will play museum co-founder George Lucas’ student films, made between 1965 and 1969, among other rare offerings. A schedule of screenings will be provided to visitors as they enter so they can plan their day around what they’d like to see, and programming will be changed periodically through the year. The theaters will also be used for special events.
“The film program, like so much in the museum, is unique in its structure and content. It is an open-door program that runs continuously throughout the day, allowing people to come and go at their leisure,” Ryan Linkof, senior curator and head of the museum’s film programs, wrote in an email. The news was first revealed Thursday during a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con. “In this way, it fits within the larger mission of the museum to allow visitors to choose their own path through the museum and discover content at their own pace. It is also a varied and diverse program that includes everything from the earliest cinema experiments to avant-garde film, documentaries and animation, providing a platform for many underrecognized and rarely seen films and filmmakers.”
Adjacent to each other on the ground floor, off the north lobby of the $1-billion museum, the theaters are named after two giants of film history: Robert J. Flaherty, whose 1922 silent film “Nanook of the North” revolutionized documentary filmmaking; and early Hollywood montagist, cinematic artist and experimental filmmaker Slavko Vorkapich, who also served as chair of the USC film department from 1948 to 1950, more than a decade before Lucas enrolled in the program.
Two 299-seat theaters will be located on the ground floor of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which opens to the public Sept. 22.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
The Flaherty theater will be dedicated to documentaries, including those that chronicle the work and artistic process of many of the artists and storytellers featured in the museum’s opening exhibitions such as Norman Rockwell, Jim Lee, Charles M. Schulz, Maurice Sendak, Diego Rivera, J.C. Leyendecker and Weegee. The museum will also screen “Seeing Is Believing: The Story of Narrative Art,” a new documentary series it commissioned from Robin Dashwood. It will also show episodes of the 2024 television series “The Power of Film,” created by Howard Suber and directed by Laura Gabbert, and the 1988 Ron Mann-directed doc “Comic Book Confidential.”
The experience will be more avant-garde in the Vorkapich theater, which will contain programming “showcasing cinematic innovation and imagination through experimental and formally inventive short films that speak to the essence of cinema: the magic of seeing still images come to life,” wrote Linkof.
Offerings include Lucas’ student films, as well as montage sequences by Vorkapich for movies like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”; silent films by Georges Méliès, Émile Cohl, W.K.L. Dickson, Edwin S. Porter and more; early animations by Winsor McCay; experimental films created by Man Ray and László Moholy-Nagy; early sound animations by Walt Disney and Fleischer Studios; experimental films by Canadian animator Norman McLaren; Looney Tunes cartoons; abstract “visual music” works by Mary Ellen Bute, Oskar Fischinger, Jordan Belson and others; excerpts from Busby Berkeley musicals; experimental films from the 1960s by Stan Brakhage and Kenneth Anger; experimental animation by Vince Collins; “Cowboy Bebop”; and an episode of “Star Wars: Visions.”
The Lucas Museum opens Sept. 22. Tickets went on sale Tuesday and were going briskly, with digital wait times reported of more than four hours in queues with as many as 13,000 guests. Museum representatives declined to comment on how many sold that first day, noting, “We’re grateful for the response and early enthusiasm from our Founding Member community and first wave of visitors. We look forward to welcoming them in September.”
FORGET racing round the sights – the best Spanish holidays begin the second you stop asking what happens next.
That’s the idea behind San Miguel’s Spanish Summer – less a checklist, more a state of mind: warm, curious and always ready for a “shall we?” that turns into the best bit of the trip.
You know the signs – your phone disappears into the beach bag, lunch drifts gloriously late and nobody remembers who ordered the extra plate, but everyone is reaching for it.
Start with a small rebellion against routine.
In Benidorm, swap the pool for a barefoot morning on Poniente beach, then wander into the Old Town without checking a single review.
Take the street that looks busy. Take the one that doesn’t.
In Majorca, drive the road that curls away from the coast – it may lead to a pine-framed cove, a village square or a bakery window stacked with warm ensaimada pastries.
The point is not to get lost but to give up needing to know exactly where you are the whole time.
Remember: “si” opens doors, whether you’re saying yes to a volcanic rock pool in the Canary Islands or an Ibizan stallholder who insists that patterned shirt is totally you.
Even just agreeing to join your friend in Malaga who’s become “captain” of a boat trip booked 20 minutes ago.
New experiences don’t have to be huge.
Sometimes discovery is ordering the thing you cannot pronounce, taking the table with the wobble but the view, or walking one more street because there is music around the corner.
In Malaga, follow the smoke to a beach chiringuito and order espetos – sardines skewered and cooked by the fire until they taste of salt, sea and, yes, summer.
In Majorca, share pa amb oli, the island’s simple genius of bread, tomato and olive oil.
And in the Canaries, pass round papas arrugadas con mojo while everyone claims they are “not that hungry” as they keep going back in.
Nobody has their own plate for long – that shared-table feeling is where Spanish summer comes alive: sunglasses pushed into hair, sandy feet under the chair, a cold San Miguel on the table and three conversations happening at once.
Then the light begins to soften.
Benidorm turns gold as the beach crowd spills on to the promenade.
Ibiza gets that famous hum as sunseekers gather by the water and the first beat slips into the evening.
Stay salty. Keep the flip-flops on. Let sunset become dinner and dinner become whatever happens next.
Ibiza may tempt you from a hippy market to a cove and then into a night of music.
Malaga can carry you from sea air to rooftop lights without making the day feel over.
In Majorca, a village fiesta can pull you in before you know what is being celebrated.
The best local traditions are often the simplest ones: join the evening paseo, and watch families reclaim the streets when the heat drops.
Notice how every generation seems to fit around the same table.
In the Canary Islands, linger over one more story.
In Benidorm, follow the laughter.
That is why the memories that last are rarely the ones you scheduled – they are the accidental swim; the sunset nobody spoke through.
The song that became the holiday anthem or the waiter who remembered your name.
The stranger who took the group photo who “must have been a professional”.
San Miguel’s Spanish Summer guide offers the spark: places to eat, swim, listen, wander and wonder across five Spanish escapes.
But leave gaps in the plan because that is where summer gets really interesting.
Spanish Summer is not about seeing everything – it is about being open to anything.
Spanish summer is hard to explain. Live it
HOLLYWOOD filmmaker Guy Ritchie has been given the go-ahead to create Airbnbs on his historic airfield.
The Brit director angered local residents with his scheme to turn staff accommodation at Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset into holiday lets.
They have accused him of trying to build an “aviation theme park by stealth” and “by any means” with no consideration for he local environment.
They fear his ultimate goal is to have a hotel on the sensitive site which is in the Dorset National Landscape and part of the Cranborne Chase International Dark Sky Reserve.
The Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director has already opened a smokehouse restaurant and re-routed a 130-year-old public footpath since buying the airfield in 2022.
He puts on Spitfire flight experiences and has turned the airfield into a popular visitor destination with events held throughout the year.
Now his plans for two holiday apartments – one two-bedroom and one four-bedroom – have been won planning permission.
They will allow guests to stay overnight while they enjoy flying experiences during the day.
The airfield has had permission for a flat for live-in staff since 2005.
Locals argued this was for a member of staff to live on site to provide “security and safety”.
But Dorset Council disagreed and said there was no planning reason to refuse it.
Planning officer Jamie Francis said: “The owner has been open that they are seeking to generate additional income streams for the airfield, which would have personal gain, this is also considered to bring economic benefits to the area.
“Overall, the re-use of the building for tourist accommodation in place of staff accommodation is considered acceptable.
“A condition has been applied to ensure that the accommodation is used for short term lets only and not for permanent residential accommodation.
“The conversion of one unit of staff accommodation and one office unit to two units of holiday accommodation is considered acceptable.
“In addition, two units of accommodation to two units of holiday accommodation are considered acceptable.
“Therefore, the Council see no reason to refuse the application on this basis.
“The impact of holiday accommodation is anticipated to have a negligible impact on neighbouring amenity, air pollution, and the overall business of the airfield and flight activities.”
The airfield is near Ritchie’s Ashcombe Estate on the Dorset/Wiltshire border.
He previously shared Ashcombe House with ex-wife Madonna and now he and wife Jacqui split their time between their London home and the country estate.
He has hosted celebrity pals there, including David Beckham and Robert Downey Jnr.
Neighbour Christopher Dymond said the regular flying events caused a nuisance and disturbance to neighbours and likened going into his garden to “walking onto a WW2 film set”.
Mr Dymond said: “Compton Abbas Airfield, until recently, was a polite small grass airfield run for local flying enthusiasts and was managed carefully to reflect the incredibly sensitive location and the proximity of local villages.
“The airfield now is run on a much more commercial basis and largely by stealth is morphing into an aviation theme park with numerous events, shows and visitor attractions.
“The nuisance and disturbance to local residents has increased significantly and many of the historic planning restrictions governing the airfield are not being adhered to.
“Often, on a summer weekend, entering your garden is like walking onto a WW2 film set with noisy historic aircraft constantly flying overhead.
“The current apartment was only allowed on the basis it was an absolute necessity for a member of staff to be on site for safety and security reasons.
“If this safety and security requirement is no longer a necessity there are provisions in the planning legal agreements for the use to cease, not for it to be opened up for paying visitors to stay on the site, without any staff presence.”
Philip Cayford, a neighbour and member of the Compton Abbas Airfield Monitoring Group, said: “It began as a small private strip capable of hosting up to six small aircraft.
“It has long since been accepted that the original permission was a planning mistake; councils since that time have accepted the need to curb the expansion pushed for by successive owners.
“The current application would appear to be a further attempt to increase the size and profitability of this site by any means with no regard whatever for environmental issues or the inconvenience to local residents.
“Approving this application would constitute one further step in the commercial development of one of the most beautiful and sensitive rural landscapes in southern England, and as such is quite inappropriate.”
The Sun has approached Ritchie’s reps for comment.
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The Pentagon has reached new framework agreements with three defense contractors as part of a strategy to acquire thousands of lower-cost air-launched cruise missiles in the coming years. The deals are directly in support of the U.S. Air Force’s Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM) program. The Air Force has already said that it is aiming to buy nearly 28,000 FAMM munitions in the next five years.
Under FAMM, the Air Force plans to acquire multiple types of lower-cost cruise missiles in different configurations. This will include ‘lugged’ types (FAMM-L) designed to be launched directly from hardpoints on aircraft, as well as ones intended to be employed from cargo planes via palletized munitions systems (FAMM-P). The service is also pursuing extended-range FAMM-BAR designs, with BAR here standing for “Beyond Adversary’s Reach.”
In FY 2027, the US Air Force is requesting $55 Million in discretionary and $300 Million in mandatory (reconciliation) funds for the Family of Affordable Mass Missile (FAMM) to procure 1,000 All Up Rounds covering both the Palletized (FAMM-P) and Lugged (FAMM-L) variants. The… pic.twitter.com/EgVaefmJgY
— Air-Power | NatSec Ledger (@NatSecLedger) April 22, 2026
“Through [FAMM] agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5, the DoW will accelerate rapid validation of a new family of low-cost, air-launched cruise missiles – capabilities that will strengthen the Arsenal of Freedom,” according to a press release from the Pentagon today. “The agreements are a direct outcome of several Acquisition Transformation Strategy initiatives, including stabilizing demand signals, procuring industry-driven solutions, and maximizing flexible contracting.”
Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5 were also among the companies to receive framework deals from the Pentagon in May as part of plans to buy 10,000 lower-cost ground-launched cruise missiles through 2029. This is under a separate program called Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM). Leidos is part of the LCCM effort, as well. At that time, the Pentagon announced an additional agreement with Castelion regarding the production of 12,000 Blackbeard lower-cost hypersonic missiles. It’s also worth noting here that, since then, Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg has aquired Zone 5.
“A key feature of these [FAMM] deals is the establishment of seven-year, multi-year agreements which, subject to congressional appropriations and enactment of all necessary authorizations, will be awarded upon the successful validation and competitive selection of the munitions,” today’s release adds. “The Department was granted 5-year authorization for FAMM in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is actively seeking congressional approval in the FY27 NDAA and Appropriations Bill for a 7-year multi-year procurement program to provide stability to new entrants.”
The Pentagon’s press release does not name any specific munitions.
Anduril has confirmed that its contribution will be versions of its Barracuda-500 design, and that it is aiming to start making deliveries under FAMM next year. The company will also be delivering a surface-launched version of the Barracuda-500 for the LCCM effort. Anduril first unveiled the full Barracuda family, which includes several tiers of what it calls “expendable autonomous air vehicles,” back in 2024, as you can read more about here. There are reports that at least one version of the Barracuda-500 has received an official U.S. military designation, AGM-189A.
Introducing: Barracuda-M Family of Cruise Missiles
“We joined the FAMM-L program in February 2026 and will execute the first ground and flight tests for Lug-Launched Barracuda-500M in the next several months,” Anduril noted in its release. “We completed the first successful flight test of Pallet-Launched Barracuda-500M in September 2024 and have since conducted dozens of successful flight tests that have further validated the maturity, performance, and modularity of the Barracuda-500 system, including Networked Collaborative Autonomy flights, terminal engagements, and payload performance validation testing.”
Zone 5 has also confirmed that it will be supplying its AGM-188A Rusty Dagger missile.
“By leveraging modern manufacturing and commercial technology, we are breaking the traditional cost curve, enabling the Department of War to field scalable, affordable capacity. The AGM-188 Rusty Dagger will deliver thousands of weapons per year for fighter and cargo aircraft employment but importantly without sacrificing exquisite performance,” Zone 5’s CEO Thomas Akers said in a statement. “Modern conflict has made one thing clear – the ability to rapidly scale production without sacrificing capability is critically important for air superiority. Rusty Dagger is built to deliver affordable, adaptable, highly survivable, incredibly lethal and rapidly deployable weapons that give the U.S. and our allies the ability to outpace and overwhelm evolving threats without being constrained by cost or production limitations.”
The deal with CoAspire is for that company’s Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile.
“The inclusion of CoAspire in this groundbreaking FAMM program multi-year agreement underscores CoAspire’s ability to revolutionize our country’s strike capabilities, offering a long-range solution that can be deployed across multiple platforms,” Doug Denneny, CoAspire’s CEO, Owner, and Founder, said in his own statement. “We, and our 56 first-tier suppliers across almost every state are excited to support the Air Force’s need to affordably procure thousands of FAMM cruise missiles over seven years. We applaud the Department’s inclusion of CoAspire as the only small business in this historic production opportunity. This is a true commitment to expand the defense industrial base while growing jobs across the US and bringing affordable cruise missile capabilities to the Air Force.”
RAACM Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile
Rusty Dagger and RAACM were both developed initially under the Air Force’s Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) program. ERAM’s main initial focus has been on delivering lower-cost air-launched strike capabilities to Ukraine. Zone 5 has previously confirmed that AGM-188A deliveries to Ukraine have begun, but it is unclear whether they are now being employed operationally. ERAM is known to be feeding into the FAMM effort, as well.
Overall, “offering both lugged and palletized variants, the FAMM provides the Air Force with flexible logistics, handling, and deployment options,” the Pentagon’s press release today notes.
“The multi-year approach utilizes firm-fixed-price contracting with a minimum quantity floor. Shares are split among all qualified vendors to ensure multiple production lines are positioned to surge,” the release further explains. “Contractors that meet or exceed production schedules will be eligible for additional procurement quantities – pending congressional appropriations – fostering a competitive environment that rewards efficiency and speed.”
These latter points highlight the fact that the FAMM program, as well as the LCCM effort, has a larger goal of addressing the critical need for strike munitions that can be produced at scale and in a cost-effective manner. TWZ has been calling attention to this broader reality for years, which has only been underscored by the latest conflict with Iran and a succession of other global crises. As we previously wrote after the announcement of the LCCM framework deals:
“Expenditures of critical air-to-surface and surface-to-surface munitions, as well as anti-air interceptors, by the U.S. military, as well as its allies and partners, in conflicts in recent years have only underscored the vital need to bolster these inventories. Demand for stand-off munitions, in particular, would be far greater in any future high-end fight against a near-peer adversary like China. That is a scenario where American forces could easily find themselves tasked to prosecute tens of thousands of targets, just in the opening phase.”
“Furthermore, existing munitions are often exquisite in design, and take months, or more often years, of lead time to produce. The Pentagon’s focus on “disruptive new entrants and commercial innovators,” rather than any of America’s long-established prime defense contractors, with its newly announced framework deals, is extremely significant in its own right. This is the latest example of a major shift away from awarding high-profile contracts to large legacy providers, helping to diversify the industrial base and promote competition. This also means moving away from companies accustomed to very long lead procurement and production arrangements.”
The Pentagon has also made clear that the FAMM framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5 do not preclude other companies from being brought into the program in the future. “The Department will also preserve competition opportunities for new vendors to be onboarded for additional quantities and new capabilities in the future as technology continues to advance,” per today’s release.
The market space for lower-cost cruise missiles has exploded in recent years in the United States and elsewhere globally. Relevant designs also occupy a space where the defining lines between these weapons and long-range kamikaze drones, as well as decoys, are increasingly blurry. Overlap between the FAMM and LCCM programs also highlights how many of these weapons are being adapted for launch from air, land, and maritime domains, which can help streamline production and supply chains, as well as offer operational benefits.
Taking deliberate steps to leave the door open to future competition reflects a larger push to avoid so-called ‘vendor lock’ in the U.S. defense contracting space. This has also been punctuated by moves to ensure greater government control of intellectual property rights and a focus on modular, open-architecture systems across major U.S. military acquisition efforts.
With the FAMM framework deals announced today, on top of the LCCM agreements back in May, the Pentagon is continuing to lay a vital foundation for the procurement of thousands of lower-cost strike munitions for years to come.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
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Saronic Technologies, the startup whose naval drones this week were used in combat by the U.S. military for the first time, is building a $3.2 billion shipyard in South Texas.
The facility, called Port Alpha, will manufacture autonomous boats at the Port
NEARLY half of Brits identify as the “Chief Vacation Officer” in their friend group – the one who gets holiday plans out of the group chat.
A poll of 2,000 adults found there are six different personalities that make up a group trip, also including the “Busy Bee” who is never free (15 per cent) and the “Ghost” who completely disappears until turning up at the departure gates (10 per cent).
A fifth (20 per cent) identify as the “Snap Happy One” who cannot let a meal or moment pass without snapping a photo and 14 per cent as the “Fluent-ish Friend”, diving into the local language with confidence.
While 11 per cent are self-confessed “Window Shoppers”, who scour social media for recommendations and share them with the group, but never actually book anything.
But the research commissioned by Samsung, which highlights the Galaxy Z Fold7 as the ultimate travel command centre thanks to Multi Window functionality for the modern CVO, found 64 per cent think no getaway would get off the ground without this key role.
From starting the chat to choosing destinations and deciphering endless messages, 53 per cent said the CVO plays an undervalued role in making trips happen.
To shine a spotlight on their heroic work, Samsung has enlisted the support of Vicky Pattison, a self-confessed Chief Vacation Officer, to explore how travel planning has evolved from a simple booking task into a juggling act across apps and the pride she feels when the plans finally exit the group chat.
Vicky Pattison said: “It’s safe to say I love a holiday, and in my friendship group I am absolutely the lead booker and honestly, I thrive from the challenge.
“What starts as a simple ‘we should all go away’ somehow turns into you sorting dates, comparing hotels, collecting passport details and reminding people to pay you back and I secretly get a kick out of it.
“Everyone loves the holiday once it’s booked, but very few people see what goes into making it happen.”
The research found phones are an increasingly important tool for today’s CVOs, with 67 per cent relying on them to help organise trips, from social media to discover new destinations (40 per cent) and AI platforms to help build the perfect itinerary (42 per cent).
Despite this, 46 per cent still struggle to keep track of the group chat, bookings, and everyone’s preferences in one place.
This planning juggle is no longer confined to laptops or kitchen tables either, with Gen Z turning everyday downtime into personal-admin windows, as 24 per cent admit to planning a holiday during their lunch break or on the commute.
The biggest holiday planning challenges for those who go on group trips included choosing where to stay (27 per cent), collecting everyone’s passport details (11 per cent) and finding dates that work for everyone (42 per cent).
When asked what could make this task easier, 37 per cent would value being able to view flights, hotels, and messages side by side.
While others cited being able to see multiple apps at once (38 per cent), easy multitasking between chats, bookings and itineraries (34 per cent), and a large screen for comparing options more easily (32 per cent) as the device features they would find most useful when planning a group trip.
More than a third (37 per cent) agreed having better tools to support holiday planning would encourage them to organise more trips abroad.
ASML raises FY26 outlook again, plans capacity boost driven by AI demand
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Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) said it plans to invest about $3B to expand its advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity in Japan, backed by about $1B in grants from the Japanese government. The expansion is aimed at meeting rising demand from AI and data center
Reporting from Washington — The White House insisted Monday that President Obama has made no final decisions about his post-presidential plans, after Columbia University’s president reportedly told new students that the university would welcome back its “most famous alumnus” in two years.
Columbia said in a statement late Tuesday that the remark wasn’t intended to reveal what Obama will do after he leaves office but rather a more general reference to plans being shaped by Obama’s post-presidential foundation. The organization has previously said that it looked forward to a “long-term association” with the school.
Yet the Obama-to-Columbia talk is not new. The New York Post reported in April that Obama was “rumored to be in talks” to teach at its law school after he leaves office on Jan. 20, 2017. Obama transferred to Columbia in 1981 after first enrolling at Occidental College.
But while much has been speculated, little is known about what Obama really has in mind and how he might split time between any of four possible destinations: Washington, where his youngest daughter, Sasha, will still be in high school when his term ends; Chicago, where he rose to political prominence; his native Hawaii; or New York.
“The president has long talked about his respect for Columbia University and his desire to continue working with them,” White House spokesperson Jennifer Friedman said. “However, at this point, no decisions have been finalized about his post-presidency plans.”
Obama mused about life after the White House in May when he visited with David Letterman just before the host retired from the “Late Show.” Perhaps, Obama said, the two could reunite to play dominoes.
“I plan to teach law at Columbia,” Letterman countered, prompting Obama to say: “I’d be interested in sitting in on that class.”
For more White House coverage, follow @mikememoli
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July 9 (UPI) — A federal Washington, D.C., planning agency advanced plans Thursday night for President Donald Trump‘s 250-foot triumphal arch, clearing a key procedural hurdle toward construction despite staunch opposition from historic preservation groups.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved preliminary site and building plans in an 8-1 vote, with three members voting present, during a meeting at its Washington headquarters.
The sole objector, Evan Cash, representing D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson on the panel, said he would not vote in its favor. He said the plans would “have the effect of upending decades of NCPC practice and thee century-old height framework.”
According to the proposed plans, the arch would be constructed across the Potomac River in Virginia. At 250 feet tall and 166 feet wide, it would be twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.
Rob Nieweg, senior vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, also objected to the project.
Nieweg told the commission that the arch would “overwhelm” nearby historic landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington House and Memorial Bridge, while being inconsistent with “the solemn character of Arlington National Cemetery.”
“Each new rendering submitted for this proposal is totally inappropriate in its scale and location,” he said.
“The new images clearly show that the arch blocks the view of the Lincoln Memorial from vantage points on the Virginia side. It looms larger on the skyline than everything other than the Washington Monument. From the District side, placing the arch in the foreground completely overpowers the sacred rolling wooded hills and rows of white grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery.”
The vote comes after the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved a modified design of the arch in May. A final vote on the plan will take place at the September commission meeting, NCPC Chair Will Scharf said.
“It’s disappointing that the NCPC approved the preliminary site and building plans for the Monumental Arch today, and we remain strongly opposed to its scale and locations,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation told UPI in an emailed statement.
Trump proposed the arch as he has sought to remake the capital in his own image, including plans for a new White House ballroom and renaming the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include his name, among others. Several of those efforts have been met with lawsuits.
Cineberg/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Air Liquide (AIQUF) (AIQUY) said Thursday it plans to spend more than $200M to boost chemical production at partner Oxea’s site in Bay City, Texas.
The French industrial gases company said it will build a new partial-oxidation unit at the
